Salusbury Primary School

SALUSBURY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 26 th – 29 th June 2000

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SALUSBURY SCHOOL

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

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SALUSBURY 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. Salusbury Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Salusbury Road Kilburn LONDON

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 020 7624 0311 or 020 7624 0250

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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: Doris Bancroft

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1997 Salusbury Primary School - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Steve Hill Registered inspector Art The school’s results and pupils’ achievements, How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? Elaine Parrish Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Yvonne Bacchetta Team inspector Science, Religious Education Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. Denise Morris Team inspector Under-fives, Special Educational Needs, Information Technology Hazel Callaghan Team inspector Mathematics, History Arlene Thomas-Ramasut Team inspector English, Music Tom Gorman Team inspector Equal Opportunities, English as an Additional Language, Geography Garry Williams Team inspector Design and Technology, Physical Education. How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Evenlode Associates Limited 6, Abbey Close Alcester, Warwickshire B49 5QW

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Salusbury Primary 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 achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a very large primary school that provides full time education for 589 pupils aged from 4 to 11 in the main school, and a mixture of full and part-time education for 71 pupils aged 3 and 4 in two nursery classes. Almost half the pupils have a home language other than English and about a half of these are at early stages of learning English. The most common home languages, apart from English, are Arabic and Albanian, but there are a wide variety of others. The social circumstances of pupils are much more diverse than is normally found, but are below average overall. While a substantial minority of pupils come from relatively privileged home circumstances, 38 percent are entitled to free school meals, which is above average. In addition, just over a hundred current pupils are refugees, and there is a very high turnover of pupils, who start or leave the school other than at the usual time (300 in total last year). The attainment on

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

entry of pupils is very wide, but is below average overall. The school has an increasing number of pupils with special educational needs, and there has been a significant rise this year with a higher than average number on the special needs register. There are currently 25 percent of pupils at the school with special needs, and a broadly average two percent have a statement of educational need. There is a counselling unit, “The Place to Be,” based in the school to support children with emotional difficulties. In addition, there is a centre, “Salusbury WORLD”, to support refugee children and their parents. This was set up by the school, which works very closely with it, but it is now an independent registered charity.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school. It is very well led and managed and the quality of teaching and learning are good. Behaviour is good and pupils form very good relationships with each other and with staff. The school successfully enables pupils to attain the expected national standards in English and maths, and to exceed them in science. It provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards are generally better than would be predicted in view of the attainment of pupils when they enter the school. Standards are particularly good in science at Key Stage 2, in physical education, religious education, art and history. Standards are improving. • The headteacher provides excellent educational direction to the school, and leads an effective team of staff and governors who share a commitment to promote high standards of work and behaviour. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • Provision for pupils’ personal development is excellent, and provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. • Pupils are well behaved, form very good relationships, and have positive attitudes to school. • The provision that the school makes to welcome and integrate pupils from a wide range of cultures, including a large proportion of refugees, is excellent.

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What the school does well

• The management of the school’s finances is excellent, and strongly supports its educational priorities.

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What could be improved

• Provision in the nursery. • The monitoring of teaching and standards in subjects other than English and mathematics. • Attendance, which is well below average despite the many efforts of the school. • The quality of accommodation in the canteen and in the outside toilets. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The improvement since the last inspection, in January 1997, has been good. Teaching has improved. Standards have improved, particularly in mathematics, English and science. The key issues for improvement from the last inspection have been addressed well. Standards in information technology and design and technology at Key Stage 1, which were weak last time, have also improved. However, standards in music at Key Stage 2, while satisfactory, have not been maintained at the previous high level. Assessment procedures have improved, and are now good. More challenging tasks for higher attaining pupils ensure that significant numbers now attain the higher grades in National Curriculum tests. Salusbury Primary School - 7 Responsibilities of staff have been spread more equitably. The senior management team now functions more effectively. The balance of the curriculum has improved; all aspects of each subject now receive

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

appropriate coverage. The school has a clear view of its strengths and weaknesses, and is well placed to continue to improve.

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STANDARDS

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

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schools

1997 1998 1999 1999 well above average A English E E D B above average average B C Mathematics D D C A below average D Science E C C A well below average E

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schools

Pupils make good progress in their learning and achieve well. Standards are at least satisfactory in all subjects. Pupils’ results in national assessments at the end of Key Stage 2 indicate that they attain high standards in relation to other schools with similar numbers of pupils entitled to free school meals. Results have improved over the last few years, and provisional results show they have improved significantly this year. Results at the end of Key Stage 1 are similarly well above average compared to similar schools.

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schools

Inspection evidence shows that children make good progress when under five, and most reach the nationally expected standards by the time they are five. Progress is much better in the reception classes than in the nursery, where progress is only satisfactory. At the end of Key Stage One, standards are in line with national expectations in English, mathematics, science and information technology. Standards are good in physical education, history, art and religious education. Pupils make sound progress in music, geography and design and technology. At Key Stage Two, standards are high in science, history, physical education and art, and are very high in religious education. Standards are as expected nationally in English, mathematics, design and technology, information technology, geography and music. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well in the light of their difficulties.

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schools

Those pupils who remain in the school throughout their primary school education make good progress, and many attain high standards. A very large number of pupils join the school at different stages. Many of these are refugees and speak little English when they arrive. They also make good progress but, because of their low starting point and short time spent in the school, a significant number do not attain the expected standards in the National Curriculum, particularly in English. This means that standards do not exceed national averages to the extent that would be expected in the light of the good teaching and learning in the school. Overall, in respect of their attainment when they enter the school, pupils achieve better than might be expected.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils enjoy school and work hard.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Most pupils behave very well, although a small minority do not always sustain this.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils’ personal development is good. Relationships with each other and with staff are very good. They respect others’ feelings and values very well.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Unsatisfactory; well below national averages. This is despite good procedures, which the school has introduced to promote attendance. Salusbury Primary School - 8

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

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

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

The overall quality of teaching in the school is good. During the inspection, 96 percent of teaching observed was satisfactory or better, and four percent was unsatisfactory. Fifty nine percent of lessons were good or better, and 21% were very good or better. Three percent were excellent. This is a major improvement since the last inspection. In the nursery, teaching is satisfactory overall, and is often good, although it is occasionally unsatisfactory. One of the nursery classes has had a disrupted year, and the new teacher is only just re-establishing the classroom ethos. At Key Stage 1, teaching is good overall, is often very good, and is always at least satisfactory. Particular strengths are in teachers’ high expectations, management of pupils, and effective teaching methods. At Key Stage 2, teaching is also good overall, but is not as consistent through the key stage. Weaker teaching was seen in Year 3, but the headteacher has

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

already introduced staffing changes to eliminate the problems from September. Where teaching is unsatisfactory, this is mainly due to the lack of effective classroom management, so that pupils do not behave well, lose concentration, and fail to make adequate progress. Other occasional weaknesses, including in lessons that are nonetheless satisfactory overall, are too slow a pace, so that progress in the lesson is too slow, or work which is too hard, so that some pupils fail to understand what is wanted.

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

Pupils’ learning, including that of those with special educational needs, is good overall. They are interested in their work, try hard and concentrate well, especially in Key Stage One. Pupils for whom English is an additional language learn particularly well and make very good progress.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good overall. Satisfactory for the nursery, and good in the main school. Literacy and numeracy are developed well. Provision for extra-curricular activities is good. Very good provision is made for all pupils to have equal access to the curriculum, regardless of gender, ethnic origin, or other factors.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Individual education plans are of good quality, and pupils make good progress in their learning.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. The teaching is good and pupils are very keen to learn, so that they make very good progress overall. The support available is managed well. “Salusbury WORLD” makes a particularly valuable contribution.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The very positive ethos, consistently promoted by all staff ensures pupils gain a good understanding of right and wrong. Staff are positive role models, developing pupils’ social skills very well. Pupils are successfully encouraged to reflect on their own and others’ beliefs, both in assemblies and lessons. They are given a very good understanding of the richness of a diverse range of cultures in many subjects.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Child protection procedures are very good. Procedures for supporting personal development are excellent. The range of support available for refugees through “Salusbury WORLD”, and for pupils with emotional problems through the “Place to Be”, are particular strengths. All children, regardless of gender or background are looked after well by staff. Salusbury Primary School - 9 The school is a secure, safe environment where pupils are happy and enjoy learning together.

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Aspect Comment

The school works well in partnership with parents.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher provides excellent educational direction to the school, and staff work effectively together to raise standards of behaviour and attainment, and to maintain the school’s very positive ethos. The monitoring of teaching is good in English and mathematics but, although satisfactory, is less well developed in other subjects.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors have a good understanding of the school’s needs and support its work well. Statutory responsibilities are met effectively.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. A range of data is analysed carefully, and effective steps taken to maintain strengths and remedy weaknesses.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Accommodation is satisfactory overall, but the condition of the canteen and the outside toilets is unpleasant; this is unsatisfactory. Resources and staffing are good. The use of resources is good. The principles of finding the best value for money are followed very well and the management of finances is excellent, supporting educational priorities effectively.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The school expects children to work hard and do their best. • The teaching is good. • Their children are making good progress. • Their children like school. • The range of activities outside lessons. • The information about how their children are getting on. • Homework.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with parents’ positive views, but not with their criticisms, except for some aspects of homework. The range of activities outside lessons is good in comparison with other schools. The information provided for parents is very good. Homework is satisfactory, although its use is inconsistent in a few classes. Salusbury Primary School - 10

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The school’s results and achievements

1. The attainment on entry of children into the nursery is very wide, but is below average. By the time they are five, children’s attainment is average overall. However, taking into account the attainment of those pupils who join the school in other year-groups, the attainment on entry to school covers a very wide range, and is below average overall.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. Pupils make good progress in their learning and achieve well. Standards are improving, and are at least satisfactory, meeting expectations in all subjects. Standards are higher than at the time of the previous report. Appropriate targets for National Curriculum assessment results have been set for improvement, in conjunction with the Local Education Authority. Provisional results indicate that this year these targets have been exceeded significantly.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. At the end of Key Stage 1, results in national assessments for 1999 were average in reading and maths but below average in writing. In comparison with similar schools (those with a broadly similar number of free school meals) these results are well above average. The results have fluctuated over time, as different groups of pupils have come through, but overall they have improved. Provisional results for assessments in 2000, and the evidence from the inspection, indicate a further improvement in the standard of writing.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. Pupils’ results in national assessments at the end of Key Stage 2 also indicate that they attain high standards in relation to similar schools. Results have improved over the last few years, and have come closer to national averages. In 1999, standards were average in mathematics and science, but were still a little below average in English. Provisional results for 2000, which became available shortly after the inspection finished, indicate significant improvements in English, mathematics and science, with overall figures better than last year’s national average, particularly in science. This improvement is confirmed by the evidence obtained during the inspection.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. Inspection evidence shows that children make good progress when under five, and most reach the nationally expected standards by the time they are five. Progress over the last year has been better in the reception classes than in the nursery, because of some disruption in staffing in one nursery class. At the end of Key Stage 1, standards are in line with national averages and expectations in English, maths, science and information technology. Standards are high in physical education, history, art and religious education. Pupils make satisfactory progress in music, geography and design and technology. At Key Stage 2, standards are high in science, history, physical education and art, and are very high in religious education. Standards are satisfactory, being in line with expectations, in English, mathematics, design and technology, information technology, geography and music.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. Pupils’ listening skills are good throughout the school. Pupils concentrate well in lessons, listening carefully to the teacher or to each other. This enables them to contribute thoughtfully and constructively to lessons, revealing good understanding. Their speaking skills are good at Key Stage One, and satisfactory at Key Stage Two. They answer questions perceptively, and a large minority at each key stage are very articulate, expressing themselves well. However, many older pupils need a lot of prompting to develop their answers and they lack practice in speaking for different audiences, or developing an argument in a formal way. Literacy skills are satisfactory, and this represents good progress overall. Reading standards cover a wide range and overall are satisfactory throughout the school. The variability is to a large extent because of the wide range of skills in English which pupils have when they enter the school. Most pupils make good progress in

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The school’s results and achievements

learning to read in relation to their initial attainment. Writing standards are now as expected at the end of each key stage, following careful targeting for improvement by the school. By the end of Key Stage 1, most pupils write fluently and with confidence. At the start of Key Stage 2, there is a large “tail” of pupils who are not achieving the expected standards, although the majority do, and Salusbury Primary School - 11 some attain good standards. Progress is good in the older classes, and standards are as expected by the end of the school, with a large minority exceeding the expected levels.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. Pupils’ numeracy skills are developed effectively and they are confident in contributing to mental mathematics sessions. There is a wide variety of skills in different groups due to the large number of pupils entering or leaving the school at different times. The wide range of understanding of the English language also contributes to this variety. A substantial minority of pupils who have been at the school for longer periods of time develop good skills at the end of each key stage, but overall pupils’ understanding is average.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. Pupils’ skills in literacy are generally developed and used appropriately in other subjects across the curriculum. Their good listening skills contribute significantly to their learning in other subjects. Their numeracy skills are used satisfactorily in other subjects, such as design and technology and science. Pupils’ skills in information and communication technology (ICT) are developing well and are satisfactory at the end of each key stage. Pupils are starting to use their skills to support work in other subjects, although sometimes opportunities are missed in other lessons to practise and reinforce their ICT skills.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. The pupils who speak English as an additional language are very keen to learn. Their enthusiasm, combined with good teaching, means that they generally make very good progress in their acquisition of English throughout the school. This supports the good progress which they make in other subjects.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in their learning in relation to their starting point. Pupils with significant literacy difficulties are withdrawn from some lessons to take part in good small group or individual sessions. At these times they usually make good progress in relation to their prior attainment. During whole class lessons, teachers usually provide different tasks, where relevant, to enable pupils with special needs to be included in the lesson, so that they learn well at their own level. Higher attaining pupils make good progress, and this is confirmed by significant numbers who attain high grades in National Curriculum tests by the end of the school. This is a big improvement since the last inspection, when these pupils were not making sufficient progress.

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The school’s results and achievements

11. Those pupils who remain in the school throughout their primary school education learn effectively, make good progress, and many attain high standards. A very large number of pupils join the school at different stages. Many of these are refugees and speak little English when they arrive. These pupils also make good progress but their starting point is low, and some only spent a short time in the school before being assessed against National Curriculum criteria. Because of these factors, a significant number do not attain the expected standards in the National Curriculum, particularly in English. This means that standards do not exceed national averages to the extent that would be expected in the light of the good teaching and learning in the school. Overall, in respect of their attainment when they enter the school, pupils achieve better than might be expected.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. This aspect of the standards which pupils attain maintains the strengths observed at the time of the last inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are generally good and often very good. They enjoy coming to school and are very interested and enthusiastic about many subjects and educational activities. The majority of pupils listen respectfully to their teachers and each other, and this contributes to the gains in confidence for all class members to share or explain their thinking. Most pupils make very good efforts to develop their understanding and progress during lessons. Success is often celebrated by the class as a whole, which raises awareness of personal improvement and increases pupils’ desire to learn. In most lessons pupils are inspired by appropriate visual and practical experiences and feel secure in knowing that they will be well supported, by teachers and other Salusbury Primary School - 12 pupils in the class, to do what is expected of them.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Behaviour in class and around the school is generally good. The school’s behaviour policy and strategies are implemented consistently. Pupils are anxious to gain their teachers’ approval by achieving within the various systems of rewards used to recognise those whose behaviour is good. Pupils respond well to teachers’ high expectations of good behaviour. For example, in one lesson, when asked to frame a “super” school rule, a pupil suggested “Be very good and act as you have been trained by your family so that people will see the goodness in you and see you have a good family”. A few pupils who are inattentive in lessons are managed quietly and firmly. The few incidents of unsatisfactory behaviour in a minority of lessons present difficulty for some inexperienced teachers. Pupils with problems are monitored and supported by the senior management team who work effectively with parents to help these pupils to meet their

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

improvement targets. The headteacher personally oversees the progress of these pupils and is very perceptive of their needs. Frequently they are referred to the “Place to Be” for counselling which establishes why these pupils misbehave, and sensitively assists them to improve. There were 14 fixed term exclusions last year. This process is well managed and exclusions have been for appropriate reasons. The school is generally very successful in keeping pupils in school despite what are sometimes severe behavioural and emotional problems.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. The headteacher and colleagues involve pupils in deciding how to improve behaviour around the school by listening patiently to pupils’ ideas in lessons, their concerns about social and moral behaviour, counselling for individual pupils, and via the School Council. A member from each class from, Year 2 upwards, form the School Council who meet regularly with the headteacher to discuss, for example, probable reasons for playground quarrelling, and have resolved several causes of contention.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Pupils’ respect for values, feelings and beliefs is very good. They show concern for each other and have a good understanding of school rules. They relate rules for living closely to teachings and topics of religious education. For example, pupils in Year 1 suggest many ideas about how people affect the environment, and pupils in Year 4 write their own rules for caring and evidently respect good qualities in people. Pupils begin to learn about the importance of sharing from when they enter the school in the nursery when all share the fruit brought in from home for morning break. Pupils in Year 5 say how sharing is important for peace. They recognise that belonging to a faith community can improve honesty, and that doing wrong causes hurt. Pupils are polite, self- confident and respectfully curious about visitors to the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. The many pupils who enter the school with little or no English language gain confidence through the support provided by the very good relationships within classes with their teachers and the co- operation of other pupils. They improve their communication skills from the support provided by initiatives such as “Salusbury WORLD” and visual and practical activities in class lessons. All this helps them to establish friendships and settle quickly into the caring community life of the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Attendance is unsatisfactory, being well below the national average, although little absence is unauthorised. There are several reasons for high levels of absence. A number of families take extended holidays back to their country of origin. Other families often take their annual holidays in term time. Another factor is the unstable arrangements for refugee families, who may have to move at short notice, and the school is often not informed. The school makes good efforts to improve attendance, and there are indications of some improvement. Attendance has improved since the last inspection. A useful element of the school’s provision is giving some work to pupils who are going on holiday so that they do not get too far behind with their learning. Parents mention how much they appreciate this.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. The overall quality of teaching and learning in the school is good. During the inspection, 96 Salusbury Primary School - 13 percent of teaching observed was satisfactory or better, and 4 percent was unsatisfactory. Fifty nine percent of lessons were good or better, and 21 percent were very good or better. Three percent of lessons were excellent. This is a major improvement since the last inspection, when 13 percent of teaching was unsatisfactory and only 4 percent was very good. As a result of this good teaching, pupils’ learning is good overall. Pupils are interested in their work, try hard and concentrate well, especially in Key Stage 1. Pupils for whom English is an additional language learn particularly well and make very good progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. In the nursery, teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, and are often good, but are occasionally unsatisfactory. However there are inconsistencies between the two classes. One of the nursery classes has had a disrupted year, and the new teacher is only just re-establishing an appropriate classroom ethos. In the best lessons the teacher plans interesting activities to motivate children, and has very clear behaviour management strategies in place. This enables children to work with confidence and to respond well to the classroom rules. Where teaching and learning are less successful, the sufficiently clear guidelines for behaviour have not been established, and children find it difficult to manage their own behaviour and conform. This leads to disruptions and has a negative impact on learning. During the inspection, the only significant teaching for children under five was in the nursery, because most reception children had reached their fifth birthday.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

However, evidence is clear that good, and sometimes very good, teaching during the reception year has enabled children to make good progress overall when under five, so that their overall achievement by the age of five, while covering a wide range, is average. The overall standard of teaching for children under five is, consequently, good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. At Key Stage 1, teaching is good overall, is often very good, and is always at least satisfactory. Particular strengths are in teachers’ high expectations, management of pupils, and effective teaching methods. At Key Stage 2, teaching is also good overall, but is not as consistent through the key stage. Weaker teaching was seen in Year 3. The headteacher has already made staffing changes for September to eliminate this problem. Where teaching is unsatisfactory, this is mainly due to the lack of effective classroom management, so that pupils do not behave well, lose concentration, and fail to make adequate progress. Other weaknesses, including in lessons which are nonetheless satisfactory overall, are too slow a pace, so that progress in the lesson is too slow, or work which is too hard, so that some pupils fail to understand what is wanted.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. The teaching of literacy is very good at Key Stage 1. The national literacy strategy is firmly embedded in the planning and teaching strategies employed and this is having a positive effect on standards. Teachers use a wide range of questioning techniques to motivate and encourage pupils to participate in all aspects of learning. Lessons are almost always delivered at a brisk pace which maintains interest and transmits a sense of urgency to the pupils who concentrate well and try hard to succeed. At Key Stage 2, teaching of literacy is good overall and is never less than satisfactory. The good teaching is characterised by sound subject knowledge, clearly explained objectives and a brisk pace and sense of purpose which results in effective pupil participation and learning. Where the standard of teaching seen was only satisfactory, the overall effectiveness of the lesson was reduced by over-long introductions which slowed the pace of learning and resulted in some pupils

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Good teaching of pupils for whom English is an additional language supports good progress in their learning. Class teachers generally try to prepare teaching materials that take account of the needs of pupils of different levels of attainment, and pupils who are relatively new to English benefit from this approach. In several of the lessons observed, teachers also made good use of work in pairs or in groups so that pupils who were learning English could benefit from the language fluency of their peers. The quality of the English teaching provided for refugee pupils by the specialist teacher in the “Salusbury WORLD” is exemplary, particularly in the way instruction in reading, writing, listening and speaking is integrated.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. The teaching for pupils with special educational needs is good. A range of good support is provided to enable the vast majority of these pupils to make good progress overall, both in class, and during small withdrawal groups. Procedures are thorough, and pupils’ individual education Salusbury Primary School - 14 plans are of good quality, and promote learning well. Pupils with significant literacy difficulties are withdrawn from some lessons to take part in good small group or individual sessions. At these times they usually make good progress in relation to their prior attainment. Targets are closely linked to their needs, and this helps to promote confidence and self-esteem. Teaching within these groups is almost always good. During whole class lessons, teachers usually provide different tasks, where relevant, to enable pupils with special needs to be included in the lesson, as well as

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

ensuring that they learn at their own level.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. During the inspection many instances of good differentiated activities were seen which promoted the achievements of higher attaining pupils. For example in a literacy lesson in Year 5 the good challenges set enabled higher attaining pupils to undertake extension activities as part of their independent work. This ensured very good progress for these pupils. Similarly in Year 6, a pupil identified as being very able in computer skills, was given an extended task so that he could explore different aspects of the task allocated to the rest of the group. While they were all inputting costs into their spreadsheets, this pupil was investigating how to input other currencies.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. The teaching of numeracy is good overall, but varies from unsatisfactory to excellent. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is good, often very good and no unsatisfactory teaching was observed. At Key Stage 2, the teaching observed was mostly satisfactory with a high proportion of good teaching and one unsatisfactory lesson. Most teachers are comfortable with the structure of the numeracy hour and activities are well planned to meet the needs of all abilities in their class. In the most effective lessons, the teachers’ good subject knowledge is used well to provide clear explanations. Resources are used successfully to provide a visual demonstration, which aids understanding. Where teaching was less effective, the teacher’s explanations were not clear and pupils did not fully understand what they had to do.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. Teachers’ subject knowledge across the curriculum is generally good, and this almost always supports clear planning and good explanations, so that pupils’ knowledge is developed systematically. Pupils understand the teachers’ explanations, and respond positively to questions which are well-designed to extend their understanding. The teaching of basic skills is good throughout the school, and this supports the improving standards and pupils’ good progress in their learning. Because of this, there has been a significant improvement in pupils’ skills in information and communications technology over the last year. A particular strength of subject knowledge is religious education, whilst a relative weakness is music, where some teachers lack confidence.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. Relationships are generally very good and, in most classes, these combine with well-established routines to promote high standards of discipline. This is consistently very good at Key Stage 1, and in most classes at Key Stage 2, but there are weaknesses in classroom management in the nursery and in Year 3. In a few lessons, this results in a failure to ensure pupils’ concentration and good behaviour. Too much time is spent in trying to maintain an appropriate working atmosphere, and in these lessons the disruption means that the pace is unsatisfactory and pupils learning is inadequate. In the majority of lessons and classes, however, the management of pupils is a significant strength. Even pupils who have considerable difficulties in conforming to expectations are managed very effectively so that their learning, and that of their classmates, is good. Teachers treat pupils with respect and kindness, and this is returned by pupils, who are eager to please their

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

teachers and are keen to succeed. Pupils’ know that they and their contributions are valued, and consequently try hard to answer questions or offer suggestions, even when they are not sure they are right.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29. Teachers’ expectations are generally high, both of work and behaviour. Pupils generally respond positively to this, trying hard to do their best and behaving well. Teachers have a clear understanding of their pupils’ levels of need, and ongoing assessment during the lesson ensures that work is nearly always matched appropriately to pupils’ attainment; they are given tasks which provide an appropriate level of challenge and which extend their learning systematically and effectively. On a few occasions, tasks are set which are too difficult for some pupils, and they lose concentration or waste too much of the lesson because of a misconception about what is expected. Salusbury Primary School - 15 This was well illustrated at Key Stage Two in two parallel mathematics lessons. A strength of one was that different tasks were set for different pupils and the use of practical materials to solve division calculations was carefully explained. This meant that all pupils worked at a suitable pace

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

and, those pupils who needed to, used practical apparatus to work out answers, while others did calculations mentally. In the parallel lesson, the use of practical apparatus was not sufficiently explained, and all pupils thought they were expected to do the work in their head. For those who found this difficult, most of the lesson was wasted, and their failure was not picked up by the teacher until after the lesson. This is in contrast to the vast majority of lessons in the school, when the progress of pupils is monitored effectively, so that their misconceptions are identified and addressed, and they do not waste time going up “blind alleys.”

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30. Teachers generally use an appropriate range of teaching methods, and this is a particular strength at Key Stage 1. Teachers often outline clearly to pupils the plans and purposes of their lessons. This gives pupils a clear understanding of their work, and helps them sustain concentration. Good use is often made of collaborative work, and pupils work together effectively, sharing ideas and equipment amicably. Pupils of all abilities are successfully encouraged to work together sensibly, regardless of gender or ethnic background. Good use is usually made of the range of skilled support staff to help pupils to learn, particularly pupils with special needs, or those who are just learning to speak English. A good balance is kept in most classes between explanations from the teacher, discussion, individual work and appropriate practical experiences. However, at Key Stage 2, pupils lack practice in speaking clearly for different audiences and in developing a persuasive

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

argument in a formal manner. A sound start has been made on using information technology to support work in other subjects, particularly when working in the computer suite, although opportunities are sometimes missed back in the classroom. Homework is used satisfactorily to support pupils’ understanding, but there are some inconsistencies in a few classes.

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PUPILS?

31. The curriculum is relevant, balanced and broadly based. Sufficient time is allocated for the teaching of National Curriculum subjects and religious education. Pupils’ intellectual, physical and personal development is promoted well and a good preparation for the next stage of education is achieved by age eleven in all subjects. The statutory requirements of the National Curriculum subjects are met at both key stages. There is satisfactory provision for health, sex and drugs awareness education. Provision for pupils’ personal and social development is excellent. The contribution of the “Place to Be” and of “Salusbury WORLD” to this is a particular strength. Pupils are given good opportunities to use their initiative and take responsibility for selecting resources, solving problems and organising their own work.

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PUPILS?

32. The curriculum provision for children under five in the nursery is satisfactory. The curriculum for these children is appropriately planned to ensure that they have satisfactory opportunities to attain the desirable learning outcomes for children of that age. They are given a sound preparation for their entry into full time education. Provision for under fives in the reception classes is good, and enables them to make a smooth transition to the National Curriculum programmes of study.

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PUPILS?

33. Access to the full curriculum is provided very well for boys and girls, pupils with English as an additional language and for pupils with special educational needs. The school has a good, detailed Equal Opportunities policy. Procedures for monitoring information in relation to the pupils’ gender, ethnicity and background are in place, and data gained are used effectively to ensure equality of access for all pupils. Evidence from the inspection confirms that a concern for equality of opportunity underlies all school policies and the school curriculum. A number of initiatives such as the supportive counselling programme, the “Place to Be”, and the “Salusbury WORLD” initiative to assist refugee children and their parents reflect the school’s determination to ensure that all pupils have equal access to the curriculum. The good planning for pupils with special needs and those learning English, very effective teaching support from external agencies and the

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PUPILS?

overarching determination to give these pupils the best possible opportunities impact positively on Salusbury Primary School - 16 the progress they make in their learning, their attitudes and their behaviour.

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PUPILS?

34. Since the last inspection, key issues about the curriculum have been successfully addressed. Improvements in the curriculum have supported improved standards in English, mathematics, science, information technology and design and technology. The curriculum for high attaining pupils has been broadened and extended. Due attention is now given to all aspects of the curriculum to ensure appropriate balance in what pupils are taught.

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PUPILS?

35. Curriculum planning is satisfactory for the under fives and good at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. There are effective policies and good schemes of work for all National Curriculum subjects. Teachers’ daily and termly planning is good and sufficiently detailed to ensure that pupils’ learning is incremental and they make good progress. Subject co-ordinators are effective in planning to ensure continuity across the key stages. Teachers in each year group plan together to ensure parity of opportunity for their pupils. Literacy and numeracy are priorities. The very good planning of the Literacy Hour has led to a marked improvement in the quality of provision for literacy and the standards attained. The Numeracy Strategy is in place and the sound planning is having an appropriate impact. Pupils are grouped on the basis of prior attainment for mathematics lessons and this approach is effective in raising standards for all pupils, including those with special

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PUPILS?

educational needs and for pupils with English as an additional language. There has also been a marked improvement in the planning and provision for information technology since the last inspection and this has had a significant impact on the standards.

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PUPILS?

36. The provision for extra-curricular activities is good. There is a wide range of music and sports activities that enhance the quality of education provided in the school. Visits by musical and dramatic groups and African drummers all help to widen these pupils’ horizons and build confidence and self-esteem. Pupils from Year 1 have the opportunity to participate in extra- curricular activities of a sporting nature starting with top sport and football and leading to a wider range as the pupils progress through the school. These include basketball, tennis and volleyball to name but a few. In Year 5, pupils have the opportunity to participate in a residential visit of an environmental nature and in Year 6 they visit the Isle of Wight for a residential stay which includes a number of outdoor activities such as canoeing, abseiling and archery. There is a very high percentage of pupils who take the opportunity to participate in these visits and the extra-curricular

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PUPILS?

activities. The residential visits particularly help promote both independence and inter-dependence. Despite parents’ concerns, this provision is better than is usually found.

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PUPILS?

37. The school provides effective health, sex and drugs education through personal, health and social education. This supports pupils in becoming well-informed individuals who have a positive attitude and take responsibility for their own actions. “Circle Time” (where pupils discuss a range of moral and social issues with their teacher) is effective in enabling pupils to discuss and solve problems within a safe and secure environment. The provision for pupils’ personal development is excellent. The school is a warm, welcoming multi-cultural community where all pupils are valued as individuals and all achievements celebrated.

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PUPILS?

38. The very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is a significant improvement since the last inspection.

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PUPILS?

39. Provision for spiritual development is very good. Pupils are helped to gain knowledge and insight into their own and other’s belief and throughout the school day pupils are encouraged to respect and value the opinions of others. Daily acts of collective worship make a significant impact on pupils’ spiritual awareness when during moments of stillness they reflect on what they have heard and how they should respond.

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PUPILS?

40. Provision for pupils’ moral development is also very good. The headteacher and all other staff are good role models and expectations for behaviour are very high. Pupils know what is expected of them and are taught a clear understanding of right and wrong. They are regularly praised and rewarded for maintaining good standards. Pupils contribute to school rules and make secure choices everyday. Pupils have a good rapport with each other and with staff. They are Salusbury Primary School - 17 successfully encouraged to treat staff, visitors and other people with kindness and courtesy, and property with respect. This effectively adds to the positive ethos apparent throughout the school.

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PUPILS?

41. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ social development. It is an harmonious community where pupils have good relationships with each other. Responsibility and initiative are fostered from an early age so that pupils work purposefully and collaborate well. Older pupils care for younger ones, and pupils take responsibility through the school council. Each new pupil is always assigned another to support him or her during the first few weeks in school. Pupils give generously to charities, and often initiate such ventures themselves, taking responsibility for organisation, collection, support and donation.

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PUPILS?

42. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is very good. Pupils are given a good understanding of Western European and other cultures in a range of lessons. Pupils come from a wide range of cultural traditions, and these are celebrated and fostered throughout the school. Good emphasis is placed on pupils’ different beliefs and origins, and this is reflected throughout the school in lessons and in displays. The new school library has a wide range of books which reflect the diversity of cultures.

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PUPILS?

43. The school has continued to develop its partnership with other schools. It maintains good curricular links with other primary schools through a local “cluster” group. There is good liaison with the secondary schools the pupils will attend. Year 6 pupils get an opportunity to visit the school of their choice and this improves their confidence in making the move. There are also flourishing links with a boys’ grammar school in Blackburn. A large group of the more able Year 6 pupils have made exchange visits where they have stayed with families from the school. They spent a day and a half in a writers’ workshop, working on poetry and story telling. They also produced some impromptu drama which they performed in small groups. All this helped develop the social skills of the pupils involved.

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PUPILS?

44. Links with the community make a good impact on pupils’ learning and the quality of life within the school. There are well-established links with the local church, mosque and temple which all pupils get an opportunity to visit. The emergency services visit regularly; for example, the police run local citizenship classes for year 6 pupils, and road safety officers have talked to pupils. There are close and ongoing links with the Brownies and Scouts, with the Tricycle Theatre and with local arts organisations. A number of pupils from the school have participated in a variety of television and film projects, for example, a BBC World programme on collective worship in schools and a CNN news bulletin on children and grief.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The school has a very caring ethos and places children firmly at the heart of everything it does. Pupils’ confidence in the security and support that the school provides helps them to concentrate in lessons and achieve well. There are good procedures to assess and monitor pupils’ academic progress. Procedures for supporting pupils’ personal development are excellent. The good standards in pupils’ welfare, support and guidance noted in the last inspection report have been maintained and some aspects of the school's provision have improved.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. All members of the school community work together for the good of the pupils. Pupils know that staff can be relied upon in every situation to provide sympathetic support and guidance. In spite of the very short time some pupils have been in the school, teachers know all their pupils well, and they respond readily and sensitively to their needs. Existing pupils are encouraged to be friendly and welcoming. The range of support available for refugees through “Salusbury WORLD”, and for pupils with emotional problems through the “Place to Be”, are particular strengths of the school. There is good provision for pupils with special needs and for whom English is an additional language and there is close and effective liaison with appropriate outside agencies. Learning support assistants are patient and encouraging and they make a good contribution to pupils’ learning. Teachers listen carefully to what pupils say and value their contributions in

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Salusbury Primary School - 18 lessons. This helps to raise pupils’ confidence and self esteem and ensures that pupils are relaxed about seeking help.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. There are very good child protection procedures that are well understood by all staff. The health and safety policy is detailed and is checked regularly by the governing body. The school plays close attention to pupils’ medical needs, and both welfare assistants who have responsibility for first aid show kindly concern for pupils. Fire drills are held regularly and all pupils are well supervised in the playground.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The school pays very close attention to promoting good behaviour and policies are both thoughtful and rigorous. Procedures for maintaining discipline are applied consistently by most teachers and this enables the school to function as a calm and well-ordered community. Pupils who need help to modify their behaviour are given a behaviour book which breaks the day down into manageable blocks of time. Progress is monitored carefully by the headteacher, who involves parents at the earliest possible stage. Most parents who replied to the questionnaire felt that behaviour was good. Although there was no evidence of bullying or harassment during the inspection, pupils told inspectors that it does occur. Pupils are clear that they must report any such incidents to a member of staff and they are confident that their concerns will be taken seriously. The school makes good use of class discussion time and the “Place to Be” for pupils to talk about anything that worries

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. There are effective measures to promote good attendance and it is made plain to parents that they must inform the school if their child is absent. A few parents fail to do so and there are good systems in place to follow up absences and to monitor overall attendance. There are signs that attendance is slowly improving.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. Procedures for assessing pupils’ progress and attainment in English and mathematics are good and this good practice is being extended to other curriculum areas. Statutory assessments are used effectively to analyse performance and make changes to improve the curriculum. Data from a variety of other tests, across the school, assist in assessing strengths and weaknesses in the curriculum delivery. Pupils’ targets are carefully and regularly tracked to monitor progress against predictions. Where this progress is not adequate, action is taken to identify any problems and institute remedial action. There are significant strengths in the assessment procedures to identify pupils with special educational needs and for pupils for whom English is an additional language. The information is used to prepare individual education plans and set precise targets for their learning development. The assessment management for children under five on entry to the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

reception classes is good. This information is used well to track the progress of these pupils as they move through Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. Teachers have developed excellent procedures to monitor and support pupils’ personal development. They build up a clear picture of each pupil’s strengths and weaknesses. Procedures to identify pupils early who need extra help are very good and the school follows all the recommendations of the national Code of Practice. The school takes great care to acknowledge pupils’ achievements, both for good work and behaviour, particularly when they have made an effort and tried hard. There is a very good system of Headteacher’s awards which are greatly prized and which encourage pupils to achieve more and help to raise their self-esteem.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. The school shows clear commitment to building strong and effective links with parents which make a good impact on pupils’ learning and the quality of life within the school. In the inspection questionnaires and at the pre-inspection meeting parents registered their strong support for the school. Inspection evidence supports parents’ satisfaction with the way in which the school works in partnership with them. The prospectus and annual reports to parents now meet statutory requirements. Salusbury Primary School - 19 53. The school has put considerable thought into the way it communicates with parents, and the quality of information it provides for them is very good. Letters and bulletins are written in a very clear and accessible style which keeps parents up-to-date with the current curriculum and with school activities. The prospectus and a helpful induction programme give very good information about

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

school routines, and introduce ways in which parents can support their child’s learning at home. There are regular meetings to discuss various aspects of the curriculum, such as the introduction of the numeracy hour, as well as consultation evenings where parents discuss the progress their child has made. Parents are given a very good and comprehensive annual report of their child’s standards which teachers discuss with them and which includes personal targets to help pupils to improve. The school actively seeks ways of improving communications, for example, by providing more translations. Parents of children with special educational needs are kept informed of their progress during reviews of their individual education plans. Parents are encouraged to attend these reviews but, unfortunately, some do not keep the appointments.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. In the questionnaires, a significant number of parents raised concerns about the amount of information they received about children’s progress, about levels of homework and about the range of activities outside lessons. In the view of the inspection team, the information already provided for parents is very good and the school readily responds to any requests for extra information. The school’s homework policy for each year group is explained to parents and levels of homework were found to be satisfactory, although there is some inconsistency between classes. The school’s provision for extra-curricular activities is good. The inspection team is, therefore, unable to support parental concerns.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. The school encourages parents to become involved in the life of the school and provides a welcoming environment for them. Although parents find most staff helpful and approachable, a significant minority of parents believe the school’s response is sometimes unsympathetic and defensive. School policies encourage teachers to involve parents and several make a regular commitment to help in classrooms and to accompany pupils on outside trips. Parents have already signed the home/school partnership agreement and most co-operate readily, for example by listening to their children read at home and by reporting absences promptly. However, some find it difficult to support their children’s learning at home and some do not always co-operate with the school, for example, by not reporting absences promptly and by failing to collect their children on time at the end of the school day.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. There is a flourishing and imaginative Parent Staff Association which contributes very generously to school funds and which cements good relationships between parents and staff. Pupils benefit greatly from the funds raised on their behalf, from improvements to the playground, from the excellent library which parents have provided and by the quality of relationships forged between home and the school. Parents are very appreciative of the support given by the school to the Association’s events and see this as practical evidence of the school’s strong commitment to building a strong home/school partnership.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The leadership and management of the school are very good. Weaknesses identified at the last inspection have been overcome. The headteacher provides excellent educational direction to the school, and gives its work a very clear focus. As a result, the ethos and priorities of the school are very well understood by staff, and by other members of the school community. The deputy headteacher works very closely with the head in leading an effective team who focus successfully on maintaining and improving high standards of behaviour and attainment. Other staff with specific responsibilities, including co-ordinators for subjects, for special educational needs, and those with responsibility for co-ordinating each year group, contribute well to the school’s management. The staff and governing body share a very strong commitment to improve, and this is a major factor in the good progress the school has made since the previous inspection. This

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

commitment means that the school is well placed to continue to improve in the future. The school’s aims and values, which are based on a very positive ethos, with the emphasis on equal Salusbury Primary School - 20 opportunities, very good relationships and very good care and support for all its pupils, are reflected throughout its work. This is exemplified by the excellent provision to welcome and integrate pupils from a wide range of cultures, including the large number of refugees on roll.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. This emphasis on very good pastoral provision is not, however, provided at the expense of standards, which are good in the light of pupils’ attainment on entry to school, and which continue to rise. Good management and teamwork have supported, for example, the improving scores in the results of national assessments. Results for pupils at the end of the school in 2000 have just been obtained and show considerable improvement over previous years, with scores substantially exceeding the targets agreed with the Local Education Authority. The high quality of management has enabled the good improvement since the last inspection, despite the many challenges the school faces. All the key issues identified for improvement at the last inspection have been resolved.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The headteacher’s and the governing body’s wholehearted support for new initiatives has been a major factor in their successful introduction. The “Salusbury WORLD” project and “The Place to Be”, which contribute very effectively to the good provision in the school, are examples of this. The introduction and implementation of the National Literacy Strategy has been good, and this supports the consistently good teaching and learning in the subject, and improving standards. The National Numeracy Strategy has also been introduced appropriately and supports the improving standards in the subject.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The governing body has clear structures in place to enable it to fulfil its responsibilities. Committees for curriculum and for finance help it to get a clear view of these aspects of the school. This contributes effectively to the governing body’s good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. In addition, several governors help out on a regular basis in the school and the Chair, in particular, is a regular and supportive presence. Other governors contribute particular skills to the work of the governing body. The monitoring of finances is excellent, and the committee, led by a very knowledgeable Chair, provides very good support to the headteacher and governing body in realising educational goals through careful financial management. Spending is profiled and monitored carefully and very good use is made of money available. Careful consideration is given to who can most effectively and efficiently provide various services to the

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

school, and this is continually reviewed. This enables the school to be very good at obtaining the best value for the money it spends. For example, the proposed appointment of a permanent “supply” teacher to the staff has many educational advantages, and is made possible by the careful management of the finances. Appropriate use is made of information technology to support the school’s work, and good use is made of specific grants, for example to support pupils with special educational needs. The school is good at setting appropriate targets for development, and these are clearly reflected through its school development plan. The action taken to meet these targets, particularly in raising standards is very effective, as can be seen from the most recent results of national tests. Currently the school is coming to the end of one three-year plan, and is effectively constructing a good plan for the next three years, based on evaluation of the last three years, and

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The overall monitoring and development of teaching is good, and the headteacher and deputy have taken the principal role in this. This has supported the improvement in teaching since the last inspection, and the current overall good standards. The headteacher is very well aware of those areas where teaching has weaknesses, and good plans to resolve the situation next term are in place. A start has been made in involving subject co-ordinators in monitoring teaching, but this aspect of their role is not sufficiently developed, particularly outside the core subjects of English and mathematics. Equivalent provision between the three classes in each year group is supported well by joint planning, led by the co-ordinators for each year group. The monitoring of standards by subject co-ordinators is good overall, although this varies between subjects, reflecting the different priorities which have been given to curricular areas in the last few years. Careful

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

examination of the details of national assessments in English, maths and science has enabled the school to identify some shortcomings in provision and to remedy them. In many subjects, examples of pupils’ work are examined on a regular basis and any issues arising are shared with the staff concerned. Monitoring is very good in English, and is good in mathematics, science, Salusbury Primary School - 21 information technology and religious education. It is satisfactory in geography and history. However, little formal monitoring is in place in art, music, physical education and design and technology, or in the nursery. While co-ordinators in all subjects give good overall support to colleagues in planning, and offer useful informal advice, they do not all have an equally clear view of standards and teaching in their colleagues’ classes. This means that they are not always able to direct their expertise in supporting colleagues to where it is most wanted. This is a particular issue

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

for the early years co-ordinator, who has little opportunity to work closely with colleagues in the nursery.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. Special needs provision is organised in a satisfactory way to meet the wide range of difficulties of the pupils. Procedures in line with the Code of Practice are thorough, and pupils’ individual education plans are of good quality, and promote learning well. Good links are made with parents to enable the best possible provision for each pupil. The school uses the resources available for special needs very well. However there has been little time to monitor this provision by the co- ordinator, and opportunities to acknowledge and share good practice are rare. Hence the impact of leadership on the provision overall is too limited. There is a significant difference in the style of teaching and in the quality of resources in some of the withdrawal sessions, which at times leads to differences in the amount of progress that the pupils make. The school makes good provision for pupils of higher attainment. This is an improvement since the last inspection. The good policy and

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

guidelines ensure that challenging work is set within most lessons for pupils who require additional activities to improve their rate of learning.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The management of provision for the teaching of English as an additional language is good. This is because the headteacher has maintained close oversight over the limited provision available and an active involvement in monitoring and target setting. However the amount of support is limited. In some lessons, extra adults provide good support for pupils at early stages of the acquisition of English. In others, particularly at Key Stage 2, support is not available for pupils who would benefit from it. The use of the high quality help from Salusbury WORLD is a major factor in the good language learning of refugee pupils.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. There are sufficient appropriately experienced and qualified teachers to match the needs of the pupils and to teach the National Curriculum. New teachers are well supported when they join the school and systems to induct newly qualified teachers are good, providing them with many opportunities to work with other staff in order to build their expertise. New staff benefit from being given essential information in a useful folder, which introduces them to the day-to-day organisation, and explains where more details can be found. The school is very successful in providing systems that promote the professional development of all staff. Appraisal procedures are carried out appropriately and the headteacher holds regular professional development interviews with all staff. This has been recognised in the school’s recent re-accreditation for Investors in People status. In-service training is well matched to the staff’s individual needs and those of the

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

school, and this is having a positive impact on raising the quality of teaching and professional expertise.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. There is a good number of appropriately trained support staff that work effectively with class teachers and provide good levels of support for pupils who have special educational needs, emotional and behavioural difficulties and those for whom English is an additional language. Nursery nurses are well involved in the planning of lessons and work with teachers in the on-going assessment of pupils’ work and progress. Other support staff are not usually so closely involved. They support pupils during question and answer sessions and individual work, but opportunities for making valuable observations of pupils’ learning during the whole class introductions to lessons are not taken.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. The resources to promote pupils’ learning are generally good through the school. In science, and religious education the range, quality and quantity of resources available are very good and they are used effectively to promote pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Similarly the number and quality of books in the new library enables pupils to experience a range of information that is used well to support their learning across the curriculum, and to promote skills of reading and research. Salusbury Primary School - 22 The new computer suite has provided very good opportunities for pupils to develop their information and communications technology skills. The quality and range of hardware is very good, but the school recognises the need to provide a better range of software.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The school benefits from a good range of specialist accommodation that is used well to support pupils in all areas of their education. Rooms that have been recently developed to house “The Salusbury WORLD” and “The Place To Be” projects provide secure environments where the tremendous support for refugee families and pupils with emotional problems takes place. The new library provided through the funds raised by the parents’ association has greatly enhanced pupils’ learning opportunities and the various rooms used by support groups for pupils with special educational needs and those who have English is an additional language are also important in promoting pupils’ good progress. Many classrooms are, however, rather small and the canteen and outside toilets are in poor decorative order. The toilets are unpleasant to use and both these areas detract from the positive school environment. Play space outside the school is limited. The school

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

has made big efforts to make the play areas as pleasant as possible, providing benches, plants and bright murals on the high walls but the space is too small for the number of pupils. This puts additional pressure on pupils who find it difficult to play together co-operatively. However, levels of supervision are good, and care is taken to minimise any health and safety issues arising from the limited space.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The school makes good use of the resources it has available, both physical and human. Good use is made of the expertise of staff, parents and governors. All available space is used imaginatively to the benefit of the pupils. The use of external help from The Place to Be and Salusbury WORLD is exemplary. Unit costs are broadly as in other similar schools, teaching, learning and behaviour are good, and pupils achieve well. By applying the principles of finding the best value for money very effectively, and constantly reviewing and improving its performance, the school provides good value for money.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to build upon the current good provision, the school should.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve provision in the nursery by: a. Monitoring and supporting teaching more regularly and systematically. b. Improving the quality and care of resources. c. Ensuring that staff have appropriate training to familiarise them with the implementation of the new statutory curriculum. d. Increasing the involvement of the co-ordinator, so she has more systematic opportunities to monitor and support the work of her colleagues. (Paragraphs 20. 61. 69 – 77)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Improve the monitoring of teaching and standards in subjects other than English and mathematics by: a. Providing more frequent opportunities for co-ordinators to observe teaching in their colleagues’ classes. b. Putting in place more systematic procedures for co-ordinators to get a clearer grasp of standards in different classes, particularly in art, design and technology, music, and physical education. c. Implementing systems to collate the information gained and share it with colleagues. (Paragraphs 61. 112. 117. 122. 129. 137)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Improve attendance, and minimise the impact of absences, by continuing to implement and further refine the current good procedures, including a. Stressing the importance of full attendance to parents. b. Rigorously following up any problems. c. Providing work to pupils whose absences are known in advance. Salusbury Primary School - 23 (Paragraph 18)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Improve the condition of the canteen and of the outside toilets, as funds permit. (Paragraph 67)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition there are some minor issues the governors may wish to include in their action plan.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Make more use of information technology to support work in the classroom. (Paragraph 133) (2) Improve staff confidence and the scheme of work in music. (Paragraph 137) (3) Carry out the plans already in place to improve teaching in Year 3. (Paragraph 21) Salusbury Primary School - 24

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 125 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 37

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 3 18 38 36 4 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 56 589 Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals n/a 223 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 12 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 3 144

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 257

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 130 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 170

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 8.0 School data 0.3 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Salusbury Primary School - 25

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 47 41 88

p.25

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 35 36 36 level 2 and above Girls 37 36 39 Total 72 72 75

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Percentage of pupils School 82 82 85 at NC level 2 or above National 82 83 87

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 35 36 37 level 2 and above Girls 37 39 38 Total 72 75 75

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 82 85 85 at NC level 2 or above National 82 86 87

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 36 24 60

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 18 24 29 level 4 and above Girls 19 18 20 Total 37 42 49

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 62 70 82 at NC level 4 or above National 70 69 78

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 16 23 26 level 4 and above Girls 16 19 18 Total 32 42 44

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 53 70 73 Salusbury Primary School - 26 at NC level 4 or above National 68 69 75 Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 52 Black – Caribbean heritage 2 0 Black – African heritage 59 Black – African heritage 1 0 Black – other 69 Black – other 4 0 Indian 6 Indian 0 Pakistani 18 Pakistani 0 Bangladeshi 3 Bangladeshi 0 Chinese 2 Chinese 0 White 238 White 5 0 Any other minority ethnic group 50 Other minority ethnic groups This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 26.9 Financial year 1999-2000 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.9 Average class size 28.0 £ Total income 1411105

p.26

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 1409550 Total number of education support staff 9 Expenditure per pupil 2192 Total aggregate hours worked per week 241 Balance brought forward from previous year Balance carried forward to next year

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Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 28 Total number of education support staff 2 Total aggregate hours worked per week 65 Salusbury Primary School - 27 Number of pupils per FTE adult 14 FTE means full-time equivalent. Salusbury Primary School - 28

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 50 43 4 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 41 43 10 2 3

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 34 41 15 8 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 48 26 18 5 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 57 26 5 8 4

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 55 37 4 0 4

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 42 39 8 8 3

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 61 24 10 1 4

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 53 32 8 2 5

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 23 33 24 7 14 Salusbury Primary School - 29

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

69. Provision for children under five in the nursery is satisfactory overall. There are two nursery classes at the school which cater for children from the age of three. Children are given either a full time or part-time placement according to their age. There are currently 71 children on roll. There have been significant difficulties in recent months in relation to staffing, but this has now been resolved. These difficulties have led to inconsistent provision within the two nursery classes. At the parents meeting concerns were expressed about the unsatisfactory behaviour of some children in the nursery, and about the disruptions caused by staff absences. These concerns are justified and inspection findings support parents’ views. However recent changes have led to more consistency in staffing and the nursery is now well placed to move forward. The attainment of the children on entry to the nursery is below what is seen nationally. By the time they are five, most

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

children have achieved the required learning goals for children of that age. At the time of the inspection, most children in the reception class were aged five (74 out of 89), so all significant provision for under-fives was observed in the nursery. Current provision in the reception classes, as well as the progress children made while under-five, indicates that provision in the reception classes for under-fives is good. By the end of their reception year, most meet the desirable learning outcomes, and their attainment is broadly average.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

70. The development of children’s language and literacy skills is satisfactory overall. Children listen to many stories appropriately, and answer questions about the stories that they hear. Many children in the nursery are beginning to read simple words, and many others can recognise their own name. They identify some sounds and letters. They often find taking turns in conversation difficult and there are many interruptions. However they focus well on stories which they particularly like. For example, they listen well to a story about a hen and her eggs. Teaching is satisfactory. Children are encouraged to answer questions accurately, and they respond well. Their communication skills are developed satisfactorily through discussion and literacy. They are encouraged to listen but sometimes find this difficult. For example, during a drinks session, some children find it difficult to wait for their turn, and do not listen to their name being called. Others

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

listen well and are beginning to take responsibility for clearing away and for helping others to understand the rules of the classroom. Writing and drawing skills are developing well, and they talk about their drawings with enthusiasm.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

71. The teaching of children’s mathematical skills is satisfactory, and they make appropriate progress in their learning. Children in the nursery are taught to play a range of games to develop numeracy skills. For example they work with shapes, colours and different containers as they experiment with real objects. They learn to fill empty cups with water, and build with bricks. They build towers, and take one brick away, or add one more on request. They are beginning to recognise the difference between “a few”, and “many”. Higher attaining children are beginning to understand simple addition, putting together blocks to make 5 or 7, for example. They are developing appropriate understanding of sequences, and a few are able to copy a pattern. They are all involved on a daily basis in counting activities, such as how many children in the class, or how many drinks are needed.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

72. The teaching and development of children’s creative skills are satisfactory. Children are taught to work with a range of different media to paint, draw and create their own pictures and models. For example they make their own paper mache as they mould and paint pigs after their visit to a farm. They use brushes well to paint pictures, and make good use of colour. They explore musical instruments and learn to follow instructions well as they play and stop on request. Many children can name instruments such as triangles, drums, and bells, they make valid choices and show good enjoyment in their playing.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

73. Children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is taught effectively through a range of good activities. For example, they use a range of practical equipment to develop their skills in making Salusbury Primary School - 30 and exploring. They use scissors and glue to create pictures. Many can cut appropriately, and a few are accurate as they cut out animal shapes and colour them in. They play with magnets, and know that the magnet causes their shape to stick to the board. They are taught to use the mouse and start to do so accurately when drawing pictures on the computer. They attain broadly average standards as they talk about their farm visit. They name familiar animals and recognise pictures of them. They build interesting and often recognisable structures with construction kits and junk. Children enjoy playing with sand and water, both indoors and in the outside play area. They

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

experiment with floating and sinking and use real soil with their toy diggers.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

74. The teaching of children’s personal and social skills is satisfactory, although there are some instances of unsatisfactory development where children’s behaviour is not effectively managed. Many children, however, are beginning to make choices, and to work well with their peers. They take turns and know and understand simple classroom rules. A small minority find turn-taking difficult, and become disruptive when asked to wait for a turn. Where this is well managed, with a good structure in place, children quickly learn to conform. When the system is less structured, behaviour deteriorates and standards fall.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

75. Children’s physical development is satisfactory overall. Teaching is satisfactory and children are given the opportunity to undertake many physical activities to develop their skills. For example they ride cars and bikes, climb, push and pull trolleys and prams, and balance on the climbing frame daily in the small outdoor playground. They also have opportunities to explore space as they use the larger playground and the hall for games, dance and play. The quantity of resources for physical development is satisfactory but the quality of these resources is often poor. Outdoor toys get covered in dust from the playground, and are often dirty when children play with them.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

76. The quality of teaching and learning for children in the nursery is satisfactory overall. Teaching observed during the inspection was at least satisfactory in over 90 percent of lessons and was good in 30 percent. During the inspection, the only significant teaching for children under five was in the nursery, because most reception children had reached their fifth birthday. However, evidence is clear that good, and sometimes very good, teaching during the reception year has enabled children to make good progress overall when under five, so that their overall achievement by the age of five, while covering a wide range, is average. The overall standard of teaching for children under five is, consequently, good.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

77. There are inconsistencies between the two nursery classes. This is due to the recent staffing difficulties, which have now been resolved. In the best lessons the teacher plans activities to motivate children, and has very clear behaviour management strategies in place. This enables children to work with confidence and to respond well to the classroom rules. Where teaching and learning are less successful, clear guidelines for behaviour have not been implemented, and children find it difficult to begin to manage their own behaviour and conform. This leads to disruptions and has a negative impact on learning. Teachers’ planning relates to the desired learning outcomes for children under five, and the curriculum is broad, balanced and relevant. However provision is hindered by the lack of overall monitoring to ensure consistency. This is because the co-ordinator does not teach children under five, and has not been able to spend

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

sufficient time monitoring and supporting new staff, or the classroom activities, on a regular basis. Some resources are in poor condition, and this does not contribute to a suitably welcoming environment for the children.

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ENGLISH

78. Inspection findings from classroom observations and analysis of pupils’ work indicate that standards are average at the end of both key stages. The wide variation in the level of English language development in every class in the school is accommodated well by efficient lesson planning and teaching which meet the needs of individual pupils. The majority of pupils who join the school in Reception achieve at least average standards at the end of each key stage. Pupils who speak little or no English when they arrive, and who often join the school at different ages, achieve Salusbury Primary School - 31 well according to their ability and length of time in the school. There are examples of such newcomers who meet or exceed national expectations after a relatively short time in the school.

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ENGLISH

79. The majority of pupils enter the school with below average levels of language development compared with national expectations. In the 1999 national tests for reading and writing at the age of seven, results were in line with national averages for reading and just below for writing. In comparison with schools in similar circumstances, results were well above national averages in both reading and writing. This is satisfactory progress since the last inspection report when attainment in reading and writing was below national averages. In 1999, the percentage of pupils reaching higher grades (level 3) was well above average in reading and above average in writing. This is good progress since the last inspection, when the percentage of pupils achieving grades in reading and writing was identified as an area for improvement. Provisional results for the year 2000 and the findings of the current inspection indicate that, this year, standards are in line with

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ENGLISH

national expectations in both reading and writing. Previous improvements in reading and writing standards have been broadly in line with national trends.

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ENGLISH

80. In Key Stage 2, the 1999 results were below national averages but were above average compared with the results of school in similar circumstances. The proportion of pupils reaching higher grades (level 5) was below average. The results for the last four years indicate that the performance of pupils in English has been well below national expectations. However, these results are overall figures and do not show the progress of the different groups of pupils who make up the Salusbury School population. Closer analysis of progress shows that pupils who have been in the school since the beginning make good progress and attain, at least, satisfactory standards by the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils who speak English as an additional language also make good progress but many have insufficient time to attain national expectations by the time they leave the school. The figures for the last four years show steady improvement, which is moving closer to

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ENGLISH

national norms. Provisional results for the year 2000, and the findings of the current inspection, indicate that improvement has been made since last year. Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are now in line with national expectations, with a significant proportion of pupils attaining higher than national expectations.

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ENGLISH

81. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in their learning. Their needs are accurately assessed and work is set at an appropriate level, which enables them to participate and succeed in lessons. The results of end of key stage tests and inspection findings do not indicate any differences in the attainments of boys and girls overall.

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ENGLISH

82. Listening skills are good throughout the school. From an early age, pupils learn to concentrate on what the teacher is saying and to respond promptly to questions. In Key Stage 1, pupils are taught the importance of having respect for the views of others and they listen carefully to the contributions of other pupils and especially to pupils who are learning to speak English. Pupils are good at waiting their turn to speak. The few occasions when pupils were observed to be restless and inattentive were due to over-long introductions to lessons. In Key Stage 2, pupils have a good understanding of the format of the literacy hour and the majority listen very attentively to the teachers’ introductions and explanations. Their contributions to oral and written work indicate a high level of concentration when listening. The majority show courtesy and respect for the views and opinions of others. Pupils also listen well in large groups such as assembly. The minority of

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ENGLISH

pupils who find it difficult to sustain concentration are managed well by most teachers and successfully encouraged to listen. Pupils’ positive attitudes and good listening skills promote their learning well across the curriculum.

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ENGLISH

83. Speaking skills are good at Key Stage 1 and satisfactory at Key Stage 2. A significant minority of pupils at both key stages are very articulate. They express themselves well using a wide range of vocabulary and grammatically correct constructions. These pupils provide good role models for others. The majority of younger pupils speak confidently within their class situations. They respond to questions enthusiastically and are able to explain what they are doing. Pupils who are at an early stage of learning English make good progress in speaking and soon make themselves understood. At Key Stage 2, pupils respond promptly to teachers’ questions, demonstrating good Salusbury Primary School - 32 understanding, but many require considerable prompting to develop or extend their answers. Teachers successfully incorporate paired and group work in lessons and share pupils’ ideas at the end of literacy hour sessions. Through this, pupils have learned the importance of oral

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ENGLISH

contributions, but they do not always consider their audience sufficiently well. Teachers sometimes accept contributions that are unclear and difficult for others to hear. By the end of the key stage, pupils are able to ask a range of perceptive questions which develop their understanding of a topic. For example, Year 5 pupils suggested many searching questions about an imaginary property development in a nearby park and, in a role-play exercise, Year 6 pupils put questions to Lady Macbeth about her actions and feelings. However, pupils lack practice in speaking clearly for different audiences and in developing a persuasive argument in a formal manner. Pupils who speak English as an additional language receive good support and encouragement and make satisfactory and, in some cases, good contributions to class discussions. The school has recognised speaking as an area for more structured development.

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ENGLISH

84. The enthusiastic attitudes to reading and to books, which the school promotes through use of the new library and regular book fairs, are making a positive impact on standards of reading. At Key Stage 1, younger pupils enjoy looking at books and listening to stories. They understand the connection between the printed and spoken word and know that each book has an author and an illustrator. They are able to make predictions about what will happen next and fill in the gaps with relevant words that make sense. The majority of pupils make good progress in recognising and naming the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they make. By the age of seven, the majority of pupils who have been in school since Reception achieve standards which are above national expectations. They read confidently and with developing expression. Overall, pupils achieve standards which are broadly in line with national expectations. At Key Stage 2, the majority of

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ENGLISH

pupils continue to make steady progress and achieve, at least, average standards by the age of eleven. They use a range of strategies that enable them to read unfamiliar texts with a satisfactory level of accuracy and fluency. They are developing good use of expression and can talk about what they have read with understanding. A minority of pupils read very well; they read challenging texts with fluency and are able to identify quickly the main points and summarise what they have read succinctly. Pupils who have entered the school at various times across the key stage and who speak English as an additional language, make good progress and achieve levels at least in line with their abilities and length of time in school. They are represented at all levels of attainment. Pupils on the special educational needs register receive additional teaching to reinforce the basic foundations. They make steady progress in the majority of cases.

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ENGLISH

85. From the lessons seen in class and analysis of pupils’ work during this inspection, standards of writing are at least satisfactory in the majority of cases at both key stages. Writing has been targeted for improvement this year and the strategies employed, such as encouraging “emergent writing” and the twice weekly “writers’ workshops”, have had a beneficial effect on standards. In Key Stage 1, younger pupils make good progress in using groups of letters to represent meaningful words or phrases. They are beginning to exercise control over the size, shape and orientation of the writing. By the end of Year 1, pupils are writing to communicate meaning and show understanding of the structure of simple sentences. Most pupils can read back their own writing. Letter formation and spacing show greater consistency. By the end of the key stage, the majority write with confidence. They understand the importance of capital letters and full stops and most

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ENGLISH

pupils remember to incorporate them into their own writing, although this is not consistent. Spelling of common words is satisfactory and pupils make good use of dictionaries to assist spelling. Many pupils make satisfactory attempts at spelling unfamiliar words showing good awareness of phonics. Handwriting is satisfactory.

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ENGLISH

86. In Key Stage 2, the practice of guided group writing, together with drafting and editing, has resulted in greater awareness of different forms of sentence construction, more accurate punctuation and a wider range of vocabulary. However, progress in the lower key stage is relatively slow. Too many pupils are still insecure in the use of capital letters and full stops and the spelling of familiar words. A large minority of pupils have not attained the expected levels by the end of Years 3 and 4 and the standard of writing is below the standard of reading. Progress improves at the top end of the key stage. In Years 5 and 6, the standards attained by pupils who Salusbury Primary School - 33 have been in the school since the beginning are at least in line with expectations in the majority of cases. Pupils write for a range of purposes and audiences and most express themselves clearly. They use complex sentence structures and a varied vocabulary. Year 5 pupils use persuasive

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ENGLISH

writing techniques effectively to argue a point and, by Year 6, narrative writing (such as stories) is well structured and imaginative. More able pupils produce poetry that is both powerful and perceptive. With clearly focused support, pupils at early stages in learning English make satisfactory and sometimes good progress in learning the basic rules of writing. One of the highest achieving pupils in Year 6 has been learning through the medium of English for only two years.

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ENGLISH

87. The teaching of English is very good in Key Stage 1. The National Literacy Strategy is firmly embedded in the planning and teaching strategies employed and this is having a positive effect on standards. Teachers know their pupils well and relationships are very good. This produces a high level of confidence in the pupils and a good working environment. Teachers use a wide range of questioning techniques to motivate and encourage pupils to participate in all aspects of learning. Lessons are almost always delivered at a brisk pace which maintains interest and transmits a sense of urgency to the pupils, who concentrate well and try hard to succeed. Individual tasks are set at suitable levels of difficulty to challenge the pupils whilst ensuring good levels of success. Where the standard of teaching seen was only satisfactory, the overall effectiveness of the lesson was reduced by over-long introductions which slowed the pace of learning and resulted in some pupils

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ENGLISH

88. At Key Stage Two, teaching is good overall. Better teaching was characterised by sound subject knowledge, clearly explained objectives and a brisk pace and sense of purpose, which resulted in effective pupil participation and learning. The small number of lessons where very good or excellent teaching was observed were characterised by the high expectations, very good subject knowledge and the enthusiasm of the teacher which was communicated to the pupils. They responded with interest and energetic application to the task in hand. In the lessons which were only satisfactory, long introductions were sometimes accompanied by plenary sessions which were too dominated by the teacher or there were less effective classroom management techniques.

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ENGLISH

89. At both key stages, pupils enjoy learning. They have good relationships with their teachers and each other and work hard. Their behaviour is generally good. All this supports the generally good learning that takes place, and improving standards.

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ENGLISH

90. The subject is strongly led by the co-ordinator, who has very good subject knowledge and expertise. She provides clear guidance and good support for colleagues through the monitoring of planning, teaching and pupils’ attainments. Assessment procedures have been introduced which now enable teachers to track the progress of individual pupils and set appropriate targets for improvement. The co-ordinator is currently drawing up guidelines for attainment targets at the end of each year to establish “benchmarks” that the school hopes to achieve. She works closely with the headteacher and deputy, and with the special educational needs co-ordinator, colleagues with responsibility for pupils who speak English as an additional language and the library co-ordinator. Together, they make a highly motivated team committed to improving standards of teaching and learning.

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English as an Additional Language (EAL)

91. Over 40 percent of pupils in the school have a home language which is not English. Approximately 130 pupils are at an early stage of English language learning, and most of these are refugees.

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English as an Additional Language (EAL)

92. The management of provision for the teaching of English as an additional language is good. This is because the headteacher has maintained close oversight over the limited provision available and an active involvement in monitoring and target setting. The pupils who speak English as an additional language are very keen to learn and they generally make very good progress in their acquisition of English throughout the school. The good progress made also results from good teaching. Class teachers generally try to prepare teaching materials that take account of the needs Salusbury Primary School - 34 of pupils of different levels of attainment, and pupils for whom English is an additional language benefit from this approach. In several of the lessons observed, teachers also made good use of work in pairs or in groups so that pupils who were learning English could benefit from the language fluency of their peers. In some lessons, support assistants or teachers provide good in-

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English as an Additional Language (EAL)

class help for pupils at early stages of learning English. In other cases, however, particularly at Key Stage 2, support is not available for pupils who would benefit from it.

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English as an Additional Language (EAL)

93. The quality of the English teaching provided for refugee pupils by the specialist teacher in the “Salusbury WORLD” is exemplary, particularly in the way instruction in reading, writing, listening and speaking is integrated. However, the part-time nature of her appointment means that the majority of pupils who are classified as ‘beginners’ in language learning, who would benefit from more intensive initial provision, receive relatively little specialist teaching. However, they do benefit from what is provided and, more generally, from the ethos of the school, which ensures that different cultures and languages are valued. A full-time specialist teacher has recently been appointed to work in the main school. It is intended that she should help to ensure more effective co-ordination of the teaching provided for pupils who are at early stages of language acquisition. She will provide further training for class teachers in matters such as materials preparation and

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MATHEMATICS

94. Good improvement has been made in the standards of pupils’ attainment at both key stages since the previous inspection. The provisional results of national assessments for 2000 show continued improvement. Standards at the end of both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are generally in line with those expected, although there is a significant proportion of pupils attaining the higher than expected standards of Level 3 at Year 2, and Level 5 at Year 6. Overall, pupils make good progress in their learning due to the generally good standard of teaching they receive. Those who have spent most of their education at Salusbury attain good standards. Pupils new to the school who are admitted at different stages often have attainment that is well below that expected for their age. Many have a limited knowledge of the English language; some have had a disrupted education and a significant proportion have experienced events, which have resulted in their

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MATHEMATICS

emotional difficulties. A good proportion of these pupils attains the expected standards, but a significant proportion does not, which is the reason for the school’s overall average results.

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MATHEMATICS

95. Pupils make a good start in developing early mathematical skills in the reception classes. The majority of children attain the expected standards and many are already confidently working on the early stages of the National Curriculum programmes of study. They have a good understanding of place value to 20 and sequence numbers correctly. They add single unit numbers within 20 and subtract accurately within ten and often more. The understanding of sequencing numbers and counting up in multiples of two, five and ten is well established in Year 1 and further effectively developed in Year 2. Pupils double and halve two digit numbers satisfactorily, and confidently explain the strategies they use in their calculations. Pupils complete simple addition and subtraction sums mostly correctly, and are developing a satisfactory understanding of division in number and with money, using their knowledge to solve simple problems. At the end of Key Stage

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MATHEMATICS

1, pupils recognise the properties of two and three-dimensional shapes, and the effect of simple reflective symmetry, measure accurately using centimetres and are developing understanding of telling the time using digital and analogue clocks.

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MATHEMATICS

96. Pupils continue to make satisfactory progress in developing their mathematical knowledge and skills through Key Stage 2. In some classes pupils’ progress is good due to the effective teaching they receive. However, the large numbers of pupils leaving and arriving at the school results in a wide variety of standards in some year groups. The teaching of pupils in ability sets in Years 4, 5 and 6 provides them with very focused teaching and this, together with pupils’ mostly good attitudes to learning, is having a positive impact on their progress. Throughout the key stage pupils are developing their computational skills well and use this knowledge to answer questions satisfactorily. By Year 5, all pupils show a good understanding of decimals and their equivalent Salusbury Primary School - 35 fractions, which is satisfactorily extended to percentages in Year 6. Their understanding of symmetry is effectively developed through the key stage, as is pupils’ recognition of angles and

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MATHEMATICS

triangles, and the ability to draw them competently and to explain their properties. Pupils’ early understanding of probability is started successfully in Year 2 and effectively developed by Year 6.

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MATHEMATICS

97. The National Numeracy Strategy has been effectively developed through the school and most pupils respond well to the mental mathematics sessions. They are eager to show what they know and enjoy the quick-fire questions that are a feature of some lessons. The teachers’ good knowledge of the pupils’ abilities, which enables them to carefully select appropriate question for each pupil, and the good relationships present in many classes have resulted in pupils’ good levels of confidence. In a Year 2 class all pupils, even the least able, wanted to be questioned individually or be part of the “back-to-back” competition against another pupil. Most pupils work with good levels of concentration and perseverance even when faced with challenging work. Older pupils work well in small groups to explore ideas and collaborate in their answers when carrying out investigations.

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MATHEMATICS

98. The quality of teaching is good overall, but varies from unsatisfactory to excellent. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is good, often very good and no unsatisfactory teaching was observed. At Key Stage 2, the teaching observed was satisfactory, with a good proportion of good teaching and one unsatisfactory lesson. Most teachers are comfortable with the structure of the numeracy hour and activities are well planned to meet the needs of all abilities in their class. In the most effective lessons, the teachers’ good subject knowledge is used well to provide clear explanations and resources are used successfully to provide a visual demonstration, which aids understanding. Where teaching was less effective, the teacher’s explanations were not clear and pupils did not fully understand what they had to do. In weaker lessons, often teachers do not use resources sufficiently to support pupils’ learning or provide practical opportunities to develop secure

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MATHEMATICS

concepts. The monitoring of pupils’ work in lessons and the marking of work provides teachers with good information on their understanding and progress. This information is used well to adapt future work so that pupils’ learning progresses effectively. The quality of marking is often good, but a little inconsistent through the school. In the best practice, teachers give praise for good work and explain why it was good so the pupils recognise how to achieve high standards. They provide guidance on how pupils can improve. The good practice of sharing the learning targets for the year also enables pupils to evaluate their own work and work towards higher standards.

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MATHEMATICS

99. The curriculum for mathematics is taught effectively within the National Numeracy Strategy. Teachers have a secure grasp of the fundamental structure and many teachers are using the planning to good effect in developing the pupils’ numeracy skills. There is not a strong focus on developing pupils’ skills of systematic investigation although, during the inspection, this was an area of work being explored effectively, so that higher attainers in Year 6 used their understanding of patterns in number to search for answers in a complex problem. Similar activities designed to match the capabilities of pupils in the middle and lower ability sets, also effectively enabled them to answer questions and look for patterns and definitions. Information technology is used satisfactorily to promote pupils’ knowledge and understanding of data handling through the presentation of tables and variety of graphs. Pupils’ understanding of angles is supported in their

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MATHEMATICS

100. The co-ordinator for mathematics, the headteacher and the deputy have monitored the teachers’ skills at implementing the National Numeracy Strategy. This has had a positive impact on the quality of pupils’ learning. Standards are monitored effectively through the analysis of test results and assessments of individual pupils’ work and progress. Weaknesses in the pupils’ learning are identified and strategies to address them are implemented appropriately. For example, it was recognised that pupils were not as successful in answering questions on place value and measurement. When staff examined the scheme of work, it was realised that these aspects were only covered early in the year and so teachers are now revising these aspects later in the year, to ensure pupils’ good understanding. Salusbury Primary School - 36

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SCIENCE

101. In the 1999 national assessments at the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainments were a little below the national average. The proportion of pupils who reached the higher level 3 was above the national average. Pupils’ results were above average for similar schools. The current standards of the oldest pupils in Key Stage 1 are close to national expectations for pupils of their age. Their knowledge and understanding is better than would be expected in the light of their attainment on entry. Standards are in line with national expectations because of good management and teaching of the subject. However, pupils’ use of units of measurement when making comparisons and their use of graphs is below expectations for their age.

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SCIENCE

102. The 1999 national assessment results for pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 were close to the national average. They were above the national average for the proportion of pupils attaining higher levels. The results were well above average for similar schools. Over the previous four years, results have improved, particularly between 1996 and 1998. Provisional results for 2000 indicate that standards have risen considerably this year. The current standards of pupils in Years 5 and 6 observed during the inspection confirm this. Pupils are well above national expectations for their age. The proportion of pupils achieving expected or higher levels at the end of the key stage is a direct result of a planned curriculum that is very practical and very good focused teaching, well matched to pupils’ needs, that takes the pupils to a high level. Teachers concentrate on developing pupils’ understanding of correct scientific vocabulary that impacts positively on

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SCIENCE

raising their standards of attainment. Pupils’ standards in scientific enquiry and their use of information and communications technology for data handling are not as well developed as their knowledge and understanding of science facts.

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SCIENCE

103. At Key Stage 1, pupils in reception classes respect and appreciate the beauty of plants, recognise that plants need water and light to grow, and wonder at the changes in tadpoles as they grow into frogs. They relate a variety of sounds in their environment correctly to everyday life. Pupils in Year 1 select appropriate fabrics for a given purpose and use a magnet to sort materials. They observe correctly that a car travels further on a smooth surface and explain confidently and record on a table how to make sounds with different musical instruments. They enthusiastically compare ways of making sounds louder and softer. Pupils in Year 2 enjoy exploring the field behind the school to discover and carefully identify plants and animals found in different places. They correctly explain that small animals live in places where they find food and often live in damp conditions. Pupils with reading difficulties record by drawing pictures which indicate good

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SCIENCE

observation and understanding. Older pupils draw and label simple electric circuits and explain that components need to be joined but are uncertain of what happens when an additional bulb is added to the circuit. They repeat trials of how a car travels, but do not include actual measurements of how far it has gone.

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SCIENCE

104. At Key Stage 2, pupils investigate how water moves in plants and the importance of green leaves for plant growth. They use correct scientific vocabulary to sequence a food chain accurately. They have a good idea of how to control an investigation and how to look for evidence to support their conclusions. However, there is inconsistency in the use of correct units of measurement by many of the pupils. In Year 4, pupils make good progress in their understanding of materials, electric circuits and forces. They use bar charts to interpret investigations on insulation and recognise friction as a force that slows movement. They construct an identification chart to sort leaves into different types.

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SCIENCE

105. Pupils in year 5 make generalised statements about sound. They use line graphs and bar charts appropriately to record their pulse rate after exercise. However, there is inconsistency in interpreting their results. They use scientific terms for the processes involved in the water cycle. Their explanations of the reproduction of flowers are above expectations for their age. In Year 6, pupils exceed national expectations in their understanding of physical science. For example they Salusbury Primary School - 37 explain how surface area relates to air resistance in opposing gravity, and how the size of vibrations affects sound. They use scientific terms to say what might happen and have a clear understanding of how to plan an investigation and repeat measurements for accuracy. They are beginning to use the computer to generate graphs, but the use of spreadsheets for modelling and the use of sensors for monitoring external changes such as temperature are not evident.

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SCIENCE

106. The quality of teaching is generally good and is very good in reception and in Years 5 and 6. Teaching was unsatisfactory in one lesson in Year 3, where the level of challenge was too low and pupils lost interest. This meant their learning was unsatisfactory. Good and very good teaching focused pupils’ interest using relevant practical activities that involved actual materials, living things, or good visual aids such as a video. Most year-group teachers work closely together to carefully plan and structure lessons in relation to the diversity of pupils’ needs within the classes. Teachers know their pupils well and have good knowledge of the subject requirements. They offer clear explanations using scientific terms and have high expectations of all pupils in the class. They encourage respect for living things and teach personal health and development sensitively. Pupils respond positively to this teaching and learn effectively. They concentrate well and are interested

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SCIENCE

in their work. Their behaviour is generally good.

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SCIENCE

107. The co-ordination of science is very good and provides clear direction for both key stages. One of the co-ordinators, a part-time teacher, introduced the idea of using glossaries, which have been very effective in raising pupils’ understanding and use of scientific terms. The improvement in curriculum planning, with the opportunity for revision using summary questions, supports teaching and has improved pupils’ attainment. Information from the monitoring of pupils’ work is used to inform discussion within each year group and to plan for improvement. Co-ordinators are aware of the need to improve the use of measurement in science, and have already improved practice in pupils’ use of evidence to support predictions. They have had the opportunity to select excellent resources for all aspects of science and these are accessible and well organised into topics for both key stages. The library has a good range of books, but these are not always used sufficiently to

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SCIENCE

extend pupils’ knowledge of a wider range of local habitats, such as a pond. Overall, however, satisfactory use is made of pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills to support their understanding.

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ART

108. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in art at both key stages. They undertake a suitably wide variety of work and attain at least sound standards throughout the school. In some aspects, they attain high standards, producing work that is of a better quality than is usually seen from pupils of this age. A good understanding of the use of colour is a feature of much of the work throughout the school, as is the study of art and artists from a range of times and places, and work based on this. The work maintains the good quality from the time of the previous inspection.

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ART

109. At Key Stage 1, pupils make a good start in the reception classes, where their paintings of fruit show a good use of colour. This use of colour is also reflected in lively portraits drawn in crayon, in expressive paintings about their holidays, and in a large collage of the “Rainbow Fish” using a variety of materials. In Year 1, pupils significantly extend the range of media they use, producing some printing and batik work of good quality, and making use of modelling materials to extend their learning into three dimensions. They also start to use a graphics program to produce artwork from the computer. Pupils in Year 2 continue to extend their work in three dimensions by making mobiles and through clay modelling. They show a good emerging understanding of adopting the styles of other artists, and of work from a range of cultures. They have done pictures of Rama and Sita, showing a good understanding of the traditional style, as well as paintings reflecting the style

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ART

of Kandinsky, and detailed patterns based on traditional Paisley or Kashmiri motifs. Their collage work continues to develop well, as illustrated by a high quality seaside picture using a variety of materials, including sand and crepe paper.

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ART

110. At Key Stage Two, pupils develop their drawing skills well in Year 3, as exemplified by careful observational drawings of flowering plants. In black and white drawings in the style of Van Gogh, Salusbury Primary School - 38 pupils use line effectively to give the impression of his paintings. In another class, paintings show a subtle use of both colour and brushwork, revealing a good understanding of the work of the same artist. In Year 4, the paintings and pastels in the manner of Picasso’s Blue Period show subtle use of a variety of shades, and give an accurate rendition of the artist’s style. Similarly, completing half of a self-portrait by Picasso, in charcoal, shows an appreciation of style, as well as careful observation and good control of the medium. A display in the corridor of work by Year 5 on extending and “camouflaging” a small piece of a pattern is of particularly high quality, showing

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ART

careful observation and a very subtle use of colour, involving very accurate mixing. Pupils in Year 5 also extend their work into three dimensions, for example by making clay pots in the style of ancient Greece, and by making masks based on African designs. Some of the latter are of good quality, showing a range of colourful, interesting designs, carefully executed. Some very careful, detailed, full-length portraits in Victorian style, done in pastel or in paint, are of high quality and show a good understanding of tone by these Year 5 pupils. Pupils in Year 6 have done some interesting and effective work based on the style of Rennie Mackintosh. Very careful work in a variety of media, including tissue “leaded lights”, paintings and using a graphics program on the computer all reveal a good understanding of the artist’s style. Pupils show they have continued to develop their good understanding of colour through the school, by some interesting patterns made

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ART

as a result of mixing a wide range of shades.

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ART

111. Teaching is good at both key stages. Teachers’ subject knowledge is at least satisfactory and some have a particularly good understanding. Lessons are planned and organised well, and are usually part of a series of lessons which enable pupils’ to develop their skills and understanding systematically. For example, in a very good lesson with Year 2 pupils, they made clay designs on a tile, based on careful, detailed drawings of the school. They had practised both making relief and incised patterns on plasticine, before doing the final work in clay. They understood what they were doing and why, and could relate the different stages of the work to each other. The teachers’ good management of the classroom and their good relationships with pupils ensure good behaviour. A good pace and clear expectations promote good learning. Lively presentations and interesting tasks generate pupils’ enthusiasm, and they concentrate well, take care and work hard.

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ART

112. The planning and organisation of the subject are well managed by the co-ordinator, but she has little opportunity to monitor teaching or standards in any systematic manner. Although standards are at least sound throughout the school, they are higher in some classes than in others. For example, although the African masks done by Year 5 pupils are all at least satisfactory, in one class they are of much better quality. Currently the co-ordinator has little information to explain why this may be so, or how she could use her expertise to raise standards in all classes. Similarly the use of sketchbooks varies between classes. In a few they are used effectively to develop and record particular techniques. In others they are used to make initial designs for work. In others, they are hardly used at all.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113. At both key stages progress in design and technology is satisfactory. This is an improvement since the last inspection when standards were below average at the end of Key Stage 2.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114. In Key Stage 1, pupils’ skills and understanding are developed systematically when they are provided with opportunities to develop the skills of cutting, sticking and following instructions. As they progress through the key stage, they are able to discuss the designs they have sketched and translate them into practical investigations. For example, they study the stability of structures. Pupils are becoming confident in offering observation about how they might build things. For example, when building a high slide with blocks, they experimented with different designs to create stability at the base and a few were beginning to reconcile the relationship between base stability and the height of the structure.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115. At Key Stage 2, pupils follow their designs accurately and are able to select materials and tools they require to complete the construction. At the end of the key stage, pupils are designing a model Salusbury Primary School - 39 restaurant and understand many aspects of the task, such as size and shape of tables, doors opening in or out and where the salad bar should be placed. Their designs are accurately drawn. A professional designer spoke to them about aspects of design and they understand the need for planning in teams rather than as individuals.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

116. Pupils are enthusiastic about their work. They are well behaved and concentrate well. The discussion prompted by the professional designer, and working as a team to a “brief”, promoted and extended their social and personal development well.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

117. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Teachers plan well and involve their pupils in purposeful dialogue. Currently there are no assessment procedures in place to effectively support the next stage of planning to improve pupils’ learning in order that they may gain wider experiences. However, after several terms without a co-ordinator, the school has now appointed a team of two enthusiastic teachers to manage the subject. They acknowledge the issues that need to be addressed and already have discussed strategies to remedy this aspect of the subject. Resources overall are centrally based, of good quality and there are enough to deliver the subject effectively.

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GEOGRAPHY

118. In the previous inspection report, pupils’ attainment in geography was satisfactory at the end of both key stages, and they continue to make satisfactory progress. In Reception and Year 1, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of geographical issues is better than average, despite the fact that resources are limited for the use of that age-group.

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GEOGRAPHY

119. Teaching is good. In the small number of lessons observed, the teaching of geography was generally good and never less than satisfactory. Particularly good teaching of geographical terminology was observed in Year 1 (in the context of the study of a seaside environment) and in a lesson in Year 6, and this reflected the teachers’ concern that all pupils should understand both the vocabulary used and the underlying geographical concepts. In both key stages, some teachers made very effective use of the pupils’ varied experience in different countries to widen their general knowledge, more specifically in relation to the world map. For example, good displays linked to holiday visits were evident in Reception and in Year 1. A world map outside the headteacher’s office, with photographs of pupils from many parts of the world, served a similar purpose, as well as providing helpful information about pupils who are refugees. Some teachers showed skill at

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GEOGRAPHY

ensuring that tasks assigned were well-matched to the range of pupils’ attainments and some also made good use of work with pairs or groups of pupils in which, for example, a pupil who was a fluent writer acted as the scribe for a group.

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GEOGRAPHY

120. Good teaching is also reflected in the cross-curricular links that were evident. For example an informative display in a Year 4 class linked geographical and historical information about Ancient Egypt. Very good links were also seen between literacy work in a Year 2 class that was illustrated with a map of Africa. The same class had an annotated globe showing the countries of origin of different pupils, together with booklets written by the pupils, which provided information about their first languages. Such work raises awareness of geographical issues and also provides the pupils concerned with opportunities to write authoritatively about topics in which they are expert. Good cross-curricular links were also present in a literacy class in Year 5, in which pupils marshalled arguments relating to the (hypothetical) closure of Queen’s Park, showing in the process a good understanding of local environmental issues.

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GEOGRAPHY

121. Pupils have limited opportunities for fieldwork. The visit of Year 5 pupils to the Gordon Brown Centre in Hampshire therefore meets a curricular need and provides an opportunity for them to carry out practical activities associated with a contrastive study of two environments. In both key stages, however, pupils have a good knowledge of the locality of the school and this is furthered by the imaginative murals in the playground showing the location of Salusbury school in different geographical settings, including the planetary system! Salusbury Primary School - 40 122. The co-ordinator for geography had just returned from maternity leave at the time of the inspection, but her responsibilities had been undertaken ably by a colleague. The school has made a good start towards implementing the guidelines for subject teaching recently issued by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). A good start has also been made in the

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GEOGRAPHY

monitoring of teaching. However, while effective procedures are in place to monitor curriculum coverage, the monitoring of standards of pupils’ attainment in successive years, so as to ensure consistent progression in the development of skills such as those applied in map work, is at an early stage. For example, the most detailed work involving the use of co-ordinates and four-figure grid references that was observed during the inspection was produced by pupils in Year 3. The work of pupils in Year 6 provided no evidence to show that such skills are progressively developed in Key Stage 2. Teachers are encouraged to build assessment opportunities into their planning, but such assessments, which could provide a sound basis for monitoring pupils’ attainment, are not carried out systematically.

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GEOGRAPHY

123. The resources available for the teaching of geography are adequate and the staff are aware of how these need to be supplemented to meet the demands of the revised curriculum, for example, when pupils in Year 6 undertake project work on countries in Europe. The quality of the project work produced by older pupils, which in some cases reflected good practice in collecting and presenting evidence and in using information and communications technology, is largely dependent on the extent to which pupils have easy access to secondary sources. The pupils do, however, benefit from the good variety of books relevant to general geographical matters in the Gordon library, including books on different cultures and religions, environmental issues and ecology. Overall, the teaching of the subject makes a very positive contribution to pupils’ personal development, particularly as regards their awareness of the richness and diversity of other cultures.

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HISTORY

124. Pupils make good progress through the school in developing skills of historical enquiry and gain a satisfactory understanding of a range of historical knowledge. By the time they leave the school, many pupils are achieving standards above those expected. This is an improvement on the standards observed at the previous inspection.

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HISTORY

125. At Key Stage 1, pupils gain a good understanding of how things have changed over time and the impact of famous people on the lives of those around them. For example, pupils in Year 2 recognise that Florence Nightingale not only helped wounded soldiers but that she was instrumental in making changes in how hospitals have been organised up to today. They have studied the Great Fire of London and understand the big differences in fire fighting now. When looking at first hand resources of life in Victorian times they have also come to realise that many aspects of people’s lives have stayed very similar. For example, pupils in a Year 2 class were interested to see that school rules from 1901 had many similarities to their own.

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HISTORY

126. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils, including those who have special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, have made good progress. They recognise that people have different views about the same events and that attitudes have changed considerably over time. Pupils in Year 5 explored successfully the relative opinions of the Greeks who have good moral reasons for wanting the Elgin marbles to be returned, whilst appreciating that the British Museum also have relevant, persuasive arguments for keeping them. Pupils in Year 6 have a clear understanding of how people in the past have lived very different lives to those we expect today. This includes the differences in life styles for the rich compared to the poor, and for men compared to women. By Year 6, pupils have a satisfactory understanding of chronology and use time lines effectively to explain the timing of events. They use resources effectively to find information,

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HISTORY

127. Many teachers have been effective in sharing their own enjoyment of history with the pupils so that they often show good levels of interest and motivation in their work. This was well illustrated in a Salusbury Primary School - 41 lesson in a Year 2 class when pupils were exploring school life in the Victorian era. In the lessons observed, pupils generally worked well together collecting information and sharing ideas and points of view. They record their findings carefully and many books show good levels of pupils’ independent research. The quality of teaching through the school is generally good, although the scrutiny of pupils’ work shows a range in teachers’ expectations for the quantity and range of work completed. In the most effective lessons, a good range of resources is used effectively to stimulate pupils’ good levels of interest, and the teachers’ good subject knowledge has enabled pupils to

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HISTORY

develop a good understanding of how to find information and use it to learn about times in the past. Skilled questioning supports pupils’ understanding and enables them to clarify their thoughts.

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HISTORY

128. The curriculum for history is broad and well balanced with a good focus on developing pupils’ knowledge and skills through historical enquiry. Pupils’ literacy skills are well developed and opportunities for research, note taking, imaginative writing and writing for different purposes are developed well. Opportunities to use pupils’ knowledge are promoted through dramatic presentations in assemblies, and pupils’ moral, social and cultural development is well promoted through their studies in history. For example, pupils in Year 6 who take part in Black History Week gain a wider perspective of the lives of famous black people. Pupils’ attainment and progress in history are not formally assessed and recorded although satisfactory comments are included in the pupils’ annual report to parents.

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HISTORY

129. There are two co-ordinators for history, at present, who between them have a satisfactory awareness of the quality of pupils’ learning. This is developed through the scrutiny of samples of pupils’ books, from classes through the school. They have identified the differences in teachers’ expectations through their monitoring, but have not had a chance to monitor teachers at work in the classroom. Resources for history are good overall, although there are several areas that have been identified as needing improvement, especially better quality posters and computer software. Pupils use the Internet satisfactorily in their research, but information technology is not used sufficiently to support pupils’ learning in other areas.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

130. Standards in information technology have risen since the last inspection. They are now in line with national expectations across the school, and a significant number of pupils attain high standards at both key stages.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

131. At Key Stage 1, pupils develop their skills through a good range of activities. They undertake simple word processing to present their written work in literacy. They learn to make choices, give instructions and make changes. They know that information exists in many different forms, and describe the benefits of using the computer to present their work. They also describe many everyday things that respond to signals, and talk about their own programming activities with a “floor turtle”, to which they enjoy giving instructions. In Year 1 they practise and develop their skills by using information technology to support other subjects. They use computers in geography to present the results of a survey they have undertaken about their own class preferences on playground equipment. They can explain the simple block graphs, and the pie charts they have produced from their raw data, and also describe why it is helpful to use the computer for this

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

purpose. In Year 2, pupils begin to draft and re-draft their work as they use information technology to support their writing skills. They learn to change fonts, and to import pictures to improve presentation. They all learn to log on independently, and make valid choices as they improve their understanding and skill. They use computers to enhance their artistic appreciation, for example by creating geometric pictures in the style of Mondrian. Higher attaining pupils support those who are lower attainers and, by the end of Year 2, almost all pupils reach expected standards, and approximately half exceed them.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

132. At Key Stage 2, pupils continue to learn new skills and use an increasing number of activities to promote learning. They save their own work on disk, and use information technology increasingly to generate and organise their work. For example, in Year 3 they begin to write stories with Salusbury Primary School - 42 integrated text and pictures. They use an art package to develop control skills, adding, amending and combining information appropriately, as they develop creativity through technology. This continues in Year 4, where they use information technology as part of art to create a tartan wrapping paper. During this exercise they improve their “mouse” skills and their knowledge of how to make changes. In Years 5 and 6, pupils undertake some extended writing on the computer as well as poetry and plays. They undertake some good individual topics which they develop at their own pace. For example, they have written some good pieces relating to their visit to the

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Millennium Dome, in which they present different forms of information, and show good awareness of presentation and audience. They develop their desk-top publishing skills by producing posters and newsletters. They develop spreadsheets and begin to refine and structure different information for specific purposes. They select the information that they need, undertake searches and create instructions. By the end of Year 6, almost all pupils attain expected standards, with approximately 30 percent exceeding them.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

133. The quality of teaching in information technology is very good at Key Stage 1, and is good overall at Key Stage 2. Indications are that the quality of teaching has improved over the last year, as teachers have made good use of the information technology suite. Teachers have good subject knowledge, and teach the basic skills of information technology well. This helps pupils to learn in a systematic way and ensures that they build on earlier learning. For example, pupils in Year 1 begin to programme the “floor turtle” forwards and backwards, and learn about directions as they give instructions. This is built on in Years 2 and 3 as they continue to use the “turtle” to further develop understanding in programming. Teachers plan lessons well, using an effective and continuous framework. This helps them to have a good overview of what pupils have been previously taught, and ensures that pupils’ acquisition of skills is fostered consistently. Many

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

teachers have high expectations of their pupils and this promotes effective learning. For example, in Year 6 the teacher’s high expectations enabled pupils to develop their own spreadsheet related to their own preferences. Because they were given independence they were clearly focused on the task and determined to succeed. During information technology lessons, teachers manage pupils well. A clear code of conduct in relation to the use of computers is rigorously maintained. Pupils respect this, and treat the systems with care. The new resources and the high quality computer suite is having a very positive impact on teaching methods, as well as on pupils’ interest and enjoyment in lessons. Access to computers has improved since the new suite opened, and pupils are able to practise their skills regularly. For example, they often use the suite at lunch-time, as they finish off pieces of work, explore new avenues, or re-organise and redraft an earlier piece of

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

work. Effective use is made of the resources available in the suite. However some systems in classrooms are under-used due to lack of appropriate software. This sometimes inhibits the use of information technology in support of other subjects. The two co-ordinators have a clear vision for the development of the subject and have recently introduced a good assessment package across the school. It is too early to judge the impact of this, and in many classes it is not yet established well enough to enable teachers to use the information gained in the planning of future work.

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MUSIC

134. Pupils make satisfactory progress at both key stages. Standards are not as high as at the last inspection, when a particularly gifted co-ordinator was in post and taught a lot of the music.

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MUSIC

135. At Key Stage 1, Reception pupils know the names of a number of untuned instruments and most can identify the sounds which the instruments make as “long” or “short”. They enjoy matching animal sounds to the different instruments, and manage this well. Pupils sing in tune to the accompaniment of recorded music. They maintain the tempo and the dynamics appropriately. In Year 1, pupils understand the concept of a pause in music and can incorporate this into their singing. By the end of the key stage, pupils are familiar with musical terms such as bar and staccato, but most have difficulty explaining the meaning. They have been introduced to formal musical notation and, with help, can follow simple notation on a musical score. Most can repeat a simple pattern using three notes on a recorder. Pupils sing in unison with confidence and are able to improve the timing of their performance by following the conductor carefully. They can vary

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MUSIC

Salusbury Primary School - 43 tempo and dynamics successfully.

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MUSIC

136. At Key Stage 2, pupils create a range of sounds using voice and body percussion and sustain good rhythm and tempo. They can compose a short sequence of sounds and use informal notation to record the sounds. Pupils co-operate well in performing the sequences and the majority are appreciative of the efforts of others. Towards the top of the key stage, pupils have good recall of musical terminology and can explain the concepts clearly. For example, pupils gave good definitions of texture in music and went on to identify certain pieces of music as having ‘thick’ or ‘thin’ textures. Very good lesson planning and preparation enabled pupils to respond to music through the senses and record their feelings in mark-making and pictures. The good relationships and perceptive questioning gave pupils the confidence to discuss these feelings using lively, descriptive language. Pupils are able to listen carefully to an orchestral piece of music and identify

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MUSIC

and name many instruments. In Year 6, pupils sing well in unison but the work lacks challenge. Pupils are uncertain about the different instruments of the orchestra and the good standards attained in Year 5 are not developed.

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MUSIC

137. The standards of teaching vary across the school. Many teachers lack confidence in teaching this subject and are inadequately supported by the present scheme of work. A review of the scheme of work and in-service training for staff have been identified as priorities in the music action plan for next year which has been drawn up by the present co-ordinator. Where teachers have sound subject knowledge and confidence, they transmit enthusiasm to the pupils, who work hard and attain good standards. The quantity of resources is satisfactory but the storage and accessibility require reorganisation.

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MUSIC

138. Music is well supported throughout the school by specialist teachers who give recorder, violin and brass tuition. The recorder teacher also teaches all the Year 2 classes and provides a good role model for the class teachers. The brass teacher takes choir and brass band practice during the lunch-time. These are popular and well supported activities which contribute to the musical ethos of the school. During the year, each class has the opportunity to lead a musical assembly. Visiting performers help celebrate the music and culture of different countries.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

139. Pupils achieve standards that are good at both key stages. This represents an improvement since the last inspection in Key Stage 1, when standards were satisfactory, and indicates that high standards have been sustained at Key Stage 2.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

140. Pupils at Key Stage 1 show a good sense of space good physical co-ordination. They respond well to instructions relating to speed and varying rates of speed. They display different strategies to demonstrate a range of movements and are well aware of health and safety considerations. They understand that the heart beat quickens after vigorous activity and returns to normal when the body is at rest. When setting up apparatus they do so with extreme care and follow established routines, working as a team and waiting their turn sensibly. They use warm-up exercises efficiently and are aware of the reasons for this.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

141. At Key Stage 2, pupils practise warm-up activities well, for example by jogging and skipping. In athletics, when focusing on baton changing and practising changeover techniques, they developed these skills energetically and enthusiastically. Another class showed good bat and ball skills, concentrating on strength and direction before developing and improving these skills in a game situation. Pupils enjoy the competitive aspect of games and, for example, field enthusiastically improving their throwing and catching techniques. Swimming is a feature of the programme which in the previous inspection was identified as underachieving, when more than 50% of pupils were unable to swim 25 metres. The school addressed this issue by doubling the swimming time. This strategy has enjoyed success and currently more than 70% of relevant pupils are able to swim 25 metres. The constantly changing roll, however, means that every class contains a number of pupils

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

who are new to the school, and many of these are the non-swimmers. Salusbury Primary School - 44 142. The quality of teaching is good overall. The best lessons are characterised by effective warm-up activities, brisk pace, clear demonstrations, appropriate challenges and due attention paid to health and safety. Opportunities are created for the youngest pupils to fetch and return apparatus which they do with care. Pupils evaluate each others’ work as well as their own. Important features of all lessons are enjoyment, activity and pace. Pupils behave well; they work co-operatively and are careful not to intrude upon each other as they practise their skills, whether they are in the hall or the playground. They all demonstrate an understanding of fair play and take turns when the activity demands it. 143. Co-ordination of physical education is good. Resources are appropriate and the school makes the

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

best possible use of its space. Resources are managed effectively and pupils fetch and carry apparatus carefully, sensibly and with respect. A wide range of extra-curricular activities is offered to Year 1 pupils and above, and this supports and enhances stated curriculum. The majority of Year 6 pupils attend a residential experience on the Isle of Wight, which offers them the opportunity to experience new activities such as canoeing, abseiling and archery. This experience also encourages and promotes independence and inter-dependence.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

144. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is good and at the end of Key Stage Two it is very good. Pupils’ understanding of religion is well above the expectations of the Brent Agreed Syllabus because of the wide range of relevant experiences provided. The understanding of moral issues related to religion is promoted by the good example set by the caring attitudes of staff in the daily life of the school.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

145. Pupils at Key Stage 1 associate signs and symbols from the religions studied with the relevant meanings. They recognise events that are celebrated and have an awareness of the links between celebrations. Pupils in reception and Year 1 show concern for others and talk about charity, recycling and pollution in discussions about caring and helping our world. Pupils in Year 2 can explain the meaning of symbols used in the Sikh religion and that the founders of the Christian and Sikh religions each had a ‘light’ around the head at birth. Pupils say that all should speak the truth and love everyone. They retell stories about Christmas and recognise that Mohammed was a messenger from Allah. They start to understand why St. Francis of Assisi was a special person. They write at length about Ramadan. They recognise how water is a symbol in ceremonies in different faiths.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

146. Pupils at Key Stage 2 have a very good understanding of why important rites take place in the four religions studied and of places of worship which they visit. They write information in the form of letters and diaries, which indicate individual responses to what they have studied. They understand how rules for living can be based on religious teaching from Holy Books. They can use world maps to illustrate the spread of Christianity. Pupils write sensitively about their views on religious and moral issues and carry out their own research about various beliefs. They suggest ideas such as providing homes for the homeless and building more schools in poor countries so that children don’t have so many miles to walk to school. Older pupils raise their own questions which indicates genuine curiosity and identify similarities in their own “paths to happiness” to those of Buddha concluding that ‘if you are not loved or do not love anybody you will be unhappy’. Pupils in Years

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

5 and 6 make connections between religions and confidently explain their views.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

147. The teaching at both key stages is generally good with examples of very good teaching. There is a high level of direct teaching and teachers have very good subject knowledge. They provide very good examples by respecting the ideas of their pupils. They share their personal experiences and use sensitive questioning which encourages pupils to speak with confidence and share their thoughts. This assists pupils to reflect upon the meaning of religious stories in their own lives. During the inspection the theme of light, in school and class assemblies, helped show how light is used in different religions and how they as children can be “like a light”. Salusbury Primary School - 45 148. Management of the subject is very good and very well supported by the headteacher who is a member of the local Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education. The subject leader monitors standards of pupils’ work and looks for evidence of what is learnt in each year group.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Resources are of very good quality and used appropriately. Parents in the community are welcomed to talk about their own faiths and answer pupils’ questions which enhances their understanding. Standards have improved since the previous inspection at both key stages. The subject makes a very positive contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education.

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