Brent Knoll School

BRENT KNOLL SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 9 th – 13 th October 2000

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BRENT KNOLL 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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BRENT KNOLL 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. Brent Knoll School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Mayow Road Forest Hill London

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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: Mr. G. Dolamore

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 2 nd 1997 Brent Knoll School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Mrs. F. Gander 21265 Registered inspector Personal and social education The characteristics and effectiveness of the school The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Teaching and learning Leadership and management Key Issues for action Mrs. M. Malin 19567 Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Partnership with parents and carers Mrs. H. Gannaway 21527 Team inspector English Mr. P. Gossage 2391 Team inspector Information and communication technology Design and technology Provision for pupils with special educational needs Mr. N. Smith 22391 Team inspector Mathematics Music Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Equality of opportunity Mr T. Watts 19386 Team inspector Science Physical education Mrs. A. Webber 3838 Team inspector Art and design Modern foreign languages Provision for children in the foundation stage Mrs. L. Wolstencroft 22821 Team inspector History Quality and range of

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

opportunities for learning Geography Religious education Brent Knoll School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Upperton House The Avenue Eastbourne East Sussex BN21 3YB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Brent Knoll School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Brent Knoll caters for pupils between the ages of four and sixteen, who have a wide range of special educational needs, including physical difficulties, language and communication difficulties, social and emotional needs and associated learning difficulties. The majority of pupils come from Lewisham, but a few come from surrounding local authorities. The school has two classes in the primary school that cater for pupils who are autistic, and a significant number of pupils in Key Stages 3 and 4 are also on the autistic spectrum. All pupils have a statement of special educational need, but there has been a change in the population since the last inspection as the majority of pupils who are admitted have complex needs, and attainment on entry is below that expected for pupils of a similar age. The school has, for the first time, four children who are below the age of five. A number of the pupils come to the

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

school from mainstream education. There are 124 pupils currently on roll and there are twice as many boys as girls. The number of pupils entitled to free school meals has increased since the last inspection and is now 57 per cent. Over a third of the pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds and of these, a small number do not have English as their first language.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very effective school where pupils make good progress and achieve well. This is due to the very good teaching, the comprehensive target setting and the very clear vision that the management has for improvement. The school provides very good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Has very good teaching that leads to high achievement. • Through its very good personal and social education programme, and its provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, it ensures that pupils develop very good attitudes, relationships and behaviour. • It provides very well for Autistic pupils. • The school has excellent leadership, and is very well managed by the governing body. This results in excellent financial planning and control. • Has very good provision for art and design overall, and mathematics at Key Stage 4, which results in high achievements. • Has effective links with parents and provides them with very good quality information about their children. • Provides a very good range of extra curricular activities.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The effectiveness of the support staff in the teaching and learning situation. • The parking arrangements for the transport and the escorting of pupils to and from the school. • The inclusion, in the Individual Education Plans, of specific targets which address the additional special needs, other than the curricular needs, of some pupils. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the action plan prepared by the appropriate authority.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was previously inspected in 1997. Improvement since then is good and all the key issues have been achieved, with the exception of the overall sufficiency of the accommodation for pupils at Key Stages 3 and 4. Brent Knoll School - 8

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STANDARDS

The table summarises inspectors’ judgements about how well pupils achieve in relation to their individual targets by the time they leave the school.

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STANDARDS

Progress in: by age by age by age Key 5 11 16

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STANDARDS

speaking and listening B B B very good A

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STANDARDS

mathematics B B A unsatisfactory D personal, social and health education B B A poor E other personal targets set at annual reviews or in IEPs* C C C

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STANDARDS

* IEPs are individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs.

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STANDARDS

Overall the achievements of pupils in all key stages are good, and they make good progress in the majority of subjects. Standards have continued to rise since the last inspection and all pupils when they leave, do so with a least one subject accredited at GCSE level, and 29 per cent of last year’s pupils left with five subjects at GCSE level. The school exceeded the targets it had set in this area. All pupils leave with a wide range of accreditation. Pupils achieve well in English, although achievement in writing could be better at Key Stage 4. Pupils achieve very well in mathematics, and in personal and social development by the time they are sixteen. Pupils with additional special educational needs do not have specific targets to meet their needs.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Pupils’ attitudes to school and their work are very good. They treat others and their learning environment with respect.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms The majority of pupils’ behaviour is very good, both in and out of class, and this has a positive effect on their learning and personal development.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships The relationships pupils have with each other and with staff are very good. Their personal development is also very good, and they readily accept responsibility.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance This falls below the national benchmark of 95 per cent but is higher than the average for special schools. Brent Knoll School - 9

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 aged 5-11 aged 11-16

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lessons seen overall Very good Very good Very 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 AND LEARNING

Teaching and learning are satisfactory or better in all lessons. The percentage of good or better teaching is high at 83 per cent, and there is very good or excellent teaching in 31 per cent in lessons. This results in very good learning taking place, and pupils make good progress and achieve well. The teaching meets the needs of all pupils well, including those who are autistic, and those who are in the Foundation Stage. The teaching of English is good across the school, and in mathematics it is very good at Key Stages 1 and 4. There is good and very good teaching and learning in all subjects, and is especially strong in art and design at all key stages and in personal and social education at Key Stages 3 and 4. Communication is taught well, and very good attention is paid to the teaching of literacy and developing numeracy in all lessons.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum This is good and well planned across all key stages and meets statutory requirements. It ensures that pupils’ learning builds on their previous work. There is very good provision for personal and social education, and for extra curricular activities.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The provision for this group of pupils is good, staff are very aware of their needs and how to meet them. As a result, they make good progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Overall this is very good. Assemblies, art and design, music, religious education and additional art and design, music and drama therapy all contribute well. There are good opportunities for pupils to learn about other cultures.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils It does this well, especially in child protection, welfare and assessment. However, there are safety issues around the parking of buses outside the school and the safe supervision of pupils to and from them.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Partnership with parents and carers The school’s partnership with parents is very good, including the information it provides on pupils’ progress and achievements. Brent Knoll School - 10

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff This is excellent. There is a clear and excellent educational direction involving the raising of standards, the quality of teaching and the quality of the learning environment.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the appropriate authority fulfils its responsibilities The governing body is very dedicated, very effective and supportive in their work. They meet their statutory responsibilities, meet regularly and challenge the school on its decisions.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school’s priorities for development and improvement are excellent, and the comprehensive development plan is used very effective in raising standards and the quality of the provision. There is a very good understanding of best value, and the school compares its results with similar schools.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good arrangements ensure that money and resources are used for their designated purpose and ensure educational priorities are met. The staffing and resources are overall very good. However, the accommodation is unsatisfactory. Improvements have been made to the structure, but the building is too small for the number and range of pupils, particularly in the secondary part of the school.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • The behaviour of pupils. • The quality of teaching. • The expectations that the school has of pupils, especially for responsibility and maturity. • How the school deals with difficulties or concerns. • The range of extra curricular activities. • The information they receive about the progress. • How the school communicates daily with parents of pupils in Key Stages 3 and 4.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team endorses the positive comments made by parents, and finds that the school provides a very good range of extra curricular activities. Communication with, and information for, parents are also very good. Brent Knoll School - 11

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

1. It is inappropriate to judge the attainment of pupils for whom the school caters against national expectations or averages. The report does, however, give examples of what pupils know, understand and can do. Judgements about progress and references to attainment take account of information contained in pupils’ statements and annual reviews

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

2. Overall, the achievements of pupils in all key stages are good and they make good progress in the majority of subjects. This is an improvement from the last inspection when it was judged that pupils’ achievements in most subjects were satisfactory. Standards of achievement have continued to rise since the last inspection and all pupils, when they leave, do so with a least one subject accredited at GCSE level. Twenty nine per cent of last year’s pupils left with five subjects at GCSE level.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

3. The attainment of the children in the Foundation Stage, on entry to the school, is below the national expected level, and baseline assessment shows that the majority have difficulties in all areas of learning. Some of the children are autistic. They make good progress while in their base class, and when they are integrated into classes with other children of a similar age. Children achieve well and those who have been in the school for a short time make good progress in all areas of learning. This is due to the very well planned programmes of work that are linked to the Early Learning Goals and the very good teaching.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

4. Pupils’ achievements in English and literacy across all key stages are good in relation to their prior attainment, and results in some pupils gaining accreditation at General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) level or a Certificate of Achievement. However, to further extend the achievements of a small group of lower attaining pupils at Key Stage 3, the learning objectives in reading and writing need to be more specific in order to advance their achievement further.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

5. Achievements in speaking and listening are good for all pupils. Planned opportunities for speaking and listening ensure pupils make good progress. Those with more complex needs, at Key Stages 1 and 2, benefit from the support given by the speech and language therapist. By the time they are five, pupils enjoy listening to stories and answer when their name is called for the register. By the time they are at the end of Key Stage 1, they listen attentively and respond to questions, using short sentences or phrases. Building on this during Key Stage 2, they continue to develop their communication skills, and by the end of this key stage, they listen to the ideas of other pupils and answer questions on their work.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

6. At Key Stage 3 and 4, achievements in speaking and listening continue to be good and the use of drama and role-play enhances these. Pupils at Key Stage 3 take part sensibly in discussion and listen carefully to the views of others. As pupils move through Key Stage 4, they continue to make good progress in presenting their views and discussing dilemmas. In assemblies, pupils have developed enough confidence to answer questions in front of the whole school, and to read or recite passages.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

7. In reading, achievement in all key stages is also good. Pupils systematically develop their reading skills during their time at school, and at the Foundation Stage and at Key Stages 1 and 2, consistent, regular structured reading sessions takes place. This has a positive effect on pupils’ reading skills and by the time they are at the end of Key Stage 1, higher attaining pupils read confidently from their structured reading book and are keen to talk about the story. During Key Stage 2, pupils build up their basic vocabulary, correct errors and begin to answer questions about their reading. Some pupils in the autistic class start to predict Brent Knoll School - 12 outcomes. By the end of the key stage, most pupils read simple texts using a variety of strategies and talk in some detail about characters in their reading book. At Key Stage 3, pupils read from a range of fiction and non-fiction texts. Most read with expression and benefit

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

from the many opportunities provided for them to read their own work out in class and during assembly. By the end of the key stage, most pupils are fluent independent readers, although a few pupils still lack many of the strategies needed to read confidently. By the time pupils leave school they read from a variety of books, newspapers, have developed the skills to use a library effectively, and developed their comprehension skills well.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

8. Pupils achieve well in writing at all key stages, except at Key Stage 4 where achievement is satisfactory. In this key stage, there are examples of pupils not forming letters correctly, and inconsistently using common forms of punctuation. A significant minority of pupils are not yet using joined up writing. From the time the pupils enter the Foundation Stage of education, they begin to form letters independently, and progress from writing in sand to using a pencil to copy simple words. At Key Stage 2, younger pupils write one or two sentences about their experiences and spell simple rhyming words. By the end of this key stage the higher attaining pupils use bullet points to put down thoughts, and write simple sentences, while lower attaining pupils are still learning to form letters. At Key Stage 3, the youngest pupils write about themselves, use punctuation, such as, full stops and speech marks, and use a dictionary to help spellings. By the end of Key Stage 3, most pupils use a

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

pen to write with, and higher attaining pupils write in paragraphs while lower attaining pupils use simple sentences. By the end of Key Stage 4, most pupils write thank you letters, notes for a discussion and complete an extended piece of work. Some pupils’ handwriting is accurate and well formed, but presentation varies.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

9. Pupils’ achievements in mathematics are good. Pupils work towards their GCSE accreditation and the Certificate of Achievement. The very youngest children in the Foundation Stage make very good progress. They point to numbers, identify the differing lengths of items by estimating and measuring. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have made good progress. They name different shapes, for example triangles and hexagons. Higher attaining pupils use a variety of methods to add and take away, and understand the values of coins. All pupils in the age group are beginning to use order, putting the biggest first. Pupils make good progress at Key Stage 2. By the time they reach the end of this key stage, they know the names of shapes, the difference between squares and rectangles, and understand that the perimeter is the distance around a space. Higher attaining pupils understand and use metric measurement.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

10. At Key Stage 3 in mathematics, pupils continue to make good progress and achieve well. The higher attaining pupils understand place value, carry out long multiplication and understand the use of equivalence in fractions and decimals. All pupils are able to identify triangles and make quadrilaterals. By the time pupils are at the end of Key Stage 4 they have made sufficient progress to gain accreditation in Certificates of Achievement and at GCSE level. Higher attaining pupils understand the meaning of digits in whole numbers, and work on the four rules with or without calculators. Some pupils produce extra work for Certificate of Achievement and show that they understand mathematical problems, work with graphs and charts, and predict outcomes. Brent Knoll School - 13 11. In science, pupils achieve well and the progress they make is good throughout the school. This is directly attributable to the high quality teaching and the good use of learning

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

resources, which go some way to overcoming the deficiencies in the accommodation. The higher attaining pupils gain GCSE accreditation, while other pupils gain Certificate of Achievement awards. The youngest pupils in Key Stage 1 understand about the growth of animals and plants, and that material can change in different ways. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have conducted simple experiments with magnets and electrical circuits. They understand that material some can be classified by different characteristics. Higher attaining pupils understand that living things have a life cycle. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils predict what might happen in an experiment. The higher attaining pupils understand that some gases can be dissolved or compressed. They understand about the movement of the planets.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

12. At Key Stage 3, pupils learn how to work in a laboratory, and they handle apparatus safely. By the end of the key stage, they have increased their knowledge of different materials. When carrying out experiments, pupils include predictions, monitor results, and analyse what has happened. The higher attaining pupils understand that energy comes in many different forms, and understand healthy eating. This good progress continues into Key Stage 4, with pupils designing their experiments to include a fair test and predicting what should happen. The higher attaining plot the results on graphs, as well as writing about the sequence of what they did. They gain an understanding of genetics, have extended their understanding of plant growth to include photosynthesis, and that people use the power of the sun.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

13. Achievements in Art are very good overall and a strength of the school. For children at the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 they are good and for Key Stages 2, 3 and 4 they are very good. This shows a good improvement since the last inspection when achievements were good. More time is now given for art and design lessons and art and design is taught in such a way that all pupils learn to value their work, which helps to raise their self-esteem.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

14. Pupils achieve very well in personal, social and health education. This is reflected in their very good attitudes to school, their socially acceptable behaviour, and as they get to Key Stage 4, the mature attitudes they have and confidence they demonstrate. Pupils are taught very well and are exposed to a wide range of topics and issues from a comprehensive curriculum. This helps them to form opinions, become more informed about aspects of adult life, such as, drugs awareness and Aids, and become prepared for life after school.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

15. In information and communication technology (ICT), pupils’ achievements are overall satisfactory. The school has kept very little evidence of pupils’ achievements. This is partly due the difficulties with the installation of the new resources, and partly, because the school does not sufficiently annotate pupils’ work to show what they have achieved and when. There is too little evidence, both in pupils’ work and from lessons to make a judgement of progress at Key Stage 1, but at Key Stage 2, the work seen in lessons shows that pupils’ make satisfactory progress. However, some pupils’ skills in using the keyboard are underdeveloped due to interrupted provision. At Key Stages 3 and 4, pupils’ make satisfactory progress, as the skills and understanding are taught both discretely and through other subjects. They use their skills in data handling in other subjects, such as, mathematics and science, and there is

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

some evidence that pupils can use a word processing application to edit and write pieces of work in English. Pupils at Key Stage 4 who attend link courses at the local college are taught discretely, and this helps them to make satisfactory progress. Brent Knoll School - 14 Pupils’ achievements in using the Internet for research and their ability to control objects through simple programming is not well developed.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

16. Pupils’ achieve well and make good progress in all other subjects, with the exception of geography at Key Stages 3 and 4, where it is satisfactory. The good progress is the result of very good teaching, and work, that is set at a level that recognises pupils’ previous achievements, and therefore presents each pupil with a new challenge. In geography, achievement is good overall and for the youngest pupils at Key Stage1 it is very good. In French, pupils’ achievements and their attitudes are good, which shows an improvement since the last inspection. There are no differences between the achievements of boy and girls.

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?

17. Pupils for whom English is not their first language also make good progress and is the result of the support they receive in lessons. Although, the arrangements for this term are altered, the pupils will continue to receive support from therapists and teachers. The provision for this group of pupils is good, staff are very aware of their needs and how to meet them. As a result, they make good progress.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Overall, pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development are very good and contribute well to their learning. This maintains the very good standard of the previous inspection. Many of the pupils arrive in school with poor concentration or low self-esteem, and make sufficient progress to overcome these problems.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. The attitudes of the majority of pupils to school and to their work are very good. They say they enjoy coming to school and the majority look forward to the day ahead. Pupils of all ages enjoy the tasks they are set, are eager to complete the work and take pride in their achievements. They listen to teachers and the views of other pupils, and work together in pairs or in small groups, for example in personal and social education where Year 9 pupils work together designing a school poster or badge. In physical education, Year 8 pupils praise and are supportive of each other throughout a trampoline lesson. During whole school assemblies, which also celebrate pupils’ achievements, they all listen intently and applaud those who are mentioned. Pupils who receive certificates for achievements are very pleased and proud. They maturely receive the certificates, or stand up and receive applause from their peers. Pupils show a respect for their learning environment and the resources, and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

consequently, there is no graffiti on the walls, or litter around the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. The majority of pupils’ behaviour is very good, both in and out of class, and this has a positive effect on their learning and personal development. Pupils behave very well and get on with each other when working in pairs or small groups. During the week of inspection, there was no evidence of any bullying, harassment or racist views being expressed. This leads to harmony both in the classrooms, and during the break and lunchtimes. This contributes to the progress pupils make and their achievements. Pupils when they integrate or attend other schools, or the local college, behave very well and are a credit to the school. The number of instances of exclusion is small and only one permanent exclusion was reported during the last year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

21. Throughout the school the relationships pupils have with each other and with staff are very good. The staff are good role models and there is a positive rapport between them and the pupils. As a result, pupils respect each other and during the week of the inspection, there were no examples of pupils using unacceptable language. Pupils from all key stages, relate well to each other in lessons, during break times, and in other social situations, such as, when they share extra curricular activities at lunchtimes and after school. Older pupils in Brent Knoll School - 15 Years 10 and 11 are keen to help in the classes of younger pupils, and in turn provide good role models for these younger pupils. For example, pupils from Year 10 listen to reading and help younger pupils use the computer effectively.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

22. The personal development of pupils is very good. They accept responsibility when it is given, and many volunteer for a variety of activities within the school. These include watering plants, weeding the garden, litter patrol, putting chairs out for assembly, preparing apparatus for physical education and getting musical instruments out and putting them away. By the time pupils reach Key Stage 4, they are able to take part in work experience placements, attend a local college, and travel to school independently. As pupils progress through the school and become more independent, they are expected to be more responsible for their own learning. As a result, pupils fill in their own homework diaries, remember messages, and report to the office if they are late. Pupils at Key Stages 3 and 4 have developed good social skills at meal times. They select their meals in an organised and orderly way. However,

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

pupils at Key Stages 1 and 2 find it difficult, without guidance, to select food that is healthy and provides a balanced meal. Some pupils do not use cutlery to eat their food, preferring to use their fingers, and occasionally wiping them on their clothes. On two different observations of lunchtimes during the inspection, a few pupils were seen leaving their seats while eating, while others shouted to pupils on other tables. This variance between the standards in the upper and lower school is the result of differing expectations by the staff supervising them.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

23. Although the attendance falls below the national benchmark of 95 per cent, it is good when compared with other similar special schools. The school does not have any problems with unauthorised absence, and the consistency in pupils’ attendance contributes to the progress they make.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. The quality of teaching and learning across the school is very good. This has been maintained from the last inspection, even though there have been some changes to the teaching staff. Within these changes, there are some staff that have only been at the school a few weeks, and do not yet know all the pupils and their individual needs. The teaching meets the needs of all pupils well, including those who are autistic, and those who are in the Foundation Stage. Communication is taught well, and very good attention is paid to the teaching of literacy and the understanding of key words in all lessons. Likewise teachers pay attention to numeracy skills in lessons, such as, in geography and science, where pupils collate and compare amounts

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. During this inspection teaching and learning was satisfactory or better in all lessons observed. The percentage of good or better teaching is high at 83 per cent, and there is very good or excellent teaching in 31 per cent in lessons. This results in very good learning taking place and pupils make good progress and achieve well. Overall, teachers have very good knowledge of the subjects they are teaching, and the majority at Key Stages 3 and 4 are specialists in their own subjects. This has a positive impact on achievement, and when coupled with the high expectation teachers have, it results in pupils gaining a good range of external accreditation. There are high expectations of pupils’ abilities and behaviour. This enables them to work at a good pace and with a very high degree of concentration. All lessons are well planned, with clear learning objectives in each subject and with different outcomes for pupils with differing abilities. These curriculum learning objectives are better at

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

Key Stages 1 and 2, than at Key Stage 3 and 4, as they are more precise, and can be used more effectively for teachers to track progress over time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. Teachers in all lessons make very good use of the time by introducing the lesson Brent Knoll School - 16 objectives to the pupils, setting a variety of activities, and finishing with a review of what pupils have learnt. They use resources well, but there is an under use of a valuable resource, that being the learning support assistants to support teaching, learning and assessment. The teamwork between teachers and learning support assistants is better in the classes at Key Stages 1 and 2, especially in the classes for autistic pupils, than it is at Key Stage 3 and 4. Here there are many instances of learning support assistants sitting alongside pupils in the introduction and review of the lessons, when they could be more effectively used to prepare materials or resources for subsequent lessons or individual pupils. With the exception of the newly introduced life-skills groups, there were very few instances of learning support

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

assistants being actively responsible and involved in enabling groups of pupils to learn, or in recording of pupils’ responses.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. The teaching of English and literacy is good across the school and is the result of teachers having a comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of English. They focus on work that is of interest and relevant to pupils which ensures that they have positive attitudes to learning. Drama is taught well in the secondary school and has a positive impact on the pupils’ achievements in communication. A strength of English teaching is the comprehensive marking of work, both for assessment of pupils’ needs and to make known to pupils the next steps they need to take in order to make further progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

28. Teaching and learning is very good in mathematics at Key Stages 1 and 4 and in personal and social education at Key Stages 3 and 4. Teachers have a good understanding of the teaching of Numeracy and set tasks that match the pupils’ abilities and understanding. Lessons are a very good combination of mental and written mathematics.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

29. Teaching is consistently good throughout the school in all other subjects, with the exception of ICT where it is satisfactory. The quality of teaching and learning is undermined by the failure of the network to be installed correctly. In addition, during the week of the inspection, many of the computers in the classrooms, were not working due to these problems. However, there is also a lack of evidence kept to demonstrate and support the quality of teaching across the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

30. Teaching is especially strong in art and design at all key stages, where it is very good overall. Teachers have excellent knowledge of art and design and the teaching of pupils with individual needs. For example they give individual support and ideas which raises pupils’ awareness of their ability in art and design, and their self-esteem.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. There have been significant improvements in the curriculum since the last inspection when music was not taught to pupils at Key Stages 3 and 4 and the use of information technology across the curriculum was underdeveloped. The quality and range of opportunities are now good across all key stages. These are well planned across the school ensuring that pupils’ learning builds on their previous work. The curriculum is broad, balanced, and relevant to the needs and abilities of the pupils. Music is now taught to pupils at Key Stages 3 and 4. ICT is used satisfactorily across the curriculum, although the school Brent Knoll School - 17 was experiencing difficulties with the network during the week of the inspection. All statutory requirements are met.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. Overall, the curriculum for children under five (The Foundation Stage) is good. The very few children who have been admitted to the school are taught in Key Stage 1 classes and their work is individualised according to their needs. Those children who are under five, and have learning difficulties associated with autism, are taught in the Key Stage 1 class for Autism. The curriculum for all children in the special classes is appropriately based around the new Foundation Stage curriculum guidelines. It provides a range of interesting and varied activities, which are very well planned. The pupils also take part in Literacy, planned around Lewisham’s guidelines for pupils under five. A variety of motivating and challenging activities are presented through play, both indoors and outdoors. There is a good balance between free play, structured activities with a play/game theme and learning to play with others. For

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

example activities include listening to story books on tape, creative painting and sticking activities, playing with rubber dinosaurs in wet and dry sand and working with the teacher on matching photographs of members of staff and class members with names and small photograph cards.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. For all pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 the curriculum is good. It is both broad and balanced, and covers all the subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. All statutory requirements are met. Comprehensive schemes of work are in place, which are reviewed regularly. Currently schemes of work published by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority are being implemented in a number of subjects, and in others, the curriculum is being reviewed in the light of these schemes of work and appropriate adaptations made. Subject specialists, who also teach in the secondary department, enhance the curriculum for primary pupils by the teaching of some areas of the curriculum, for example, physical education. Planning for a number of subjects takes place on a two-year cycle to ensure that pupils do not repeat work. Planning for the youngest pupils at Key Stage 1, and for those who are on the autistic spectrum, is appropriately carried out with reference

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

to the early learning goals of the Foundation Stage. The schools’ planing for English and mathematics takes account of the National Literacy and Numeracy strategies, which are appropriately adapted to meet the needs of pupils.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. For pupils in the secondary department the curriculum is good. It includes all areas of the National Curriculum and religious education. Statutory requirements are met. Issues reported in the previous inspection have now been addressed. Music is taught at Key Stages 3 and 4 and the curriculum for this subject is good. Appropriate time is now allocated to mathematics in years 7 and 8, and drama and life skills have been recent additions to the curriculum. Planning is carried out in consultation with co-ordinators in the primary department to ensure that new planning builds on what has been covered before. The timetable is appropriately based on a secondary model and subject specialists largely teach pupils. This has a positive impact on their personal development and independence. Pupils at Key Stage 4 follow courses in a number of subjects leading to a range of external accreditation, including GCSE and Certificate of Achievement, and the Youth Award Scheme.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Music and geography have recently been added to the range of courses that can be followed. The school is also extending this range to include General National Vocational Qualification (GNVQ).

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. The curriculum is well planned and there is an excellent comprehensive handbook for each area, which details schemes of work, teachers planning, topic areas and cycles and assessment procedures. The curriculum is well audited on an annual basis by the senior management team, and reviewed with each subject co-ordinator. Curriculum issues are discussed in meetings of primary or secondary staff. The two co-ordinators for each subject work closely together to ensure that any changes made are discussed across the phases Brent Knoll School - 18 before being implemented. Governors are appropriately involved with curriculum issues through the headteacher’s reports to the governing body and through curriculum focused visits to the school.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. The National Literacy Strategy and the National Numeracy Strategy are appropriately and well implemented throughout the school. These have had a significant and positive impact on pupils’ learning.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. Equal opportunities in the school are good. There is a very comprehensive policy, which is completed with a commitment to ensure equality of opportunity in every aspect of school life, and meets the school aims and values. Senior staff are aware of the difficulties surrounding therapy for pupils and make every effort to ensure that pupils do not miss teaching time on a regular basis. All pupils have access to all parts of the curriculum, although one pupil in a wheelchair misses opportunities for integration. The school provides a very positive learning environment for all pupils. Resources are checked to ensure that all cultural backgrounds are included. Staff actively challenge stereotyping. Curriculum planning pays heed to the policy, and activities are monitored to check staff awareness of different needs of culture, religion, ethnicity and disability. Senior staff are aware of the need to check

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. Pupils’ personal development is promoted throughout the school. The provision for personal, social and heath education is very good. At Key Stages 3 and 4, the programme is well developed, but it is newer at Key Stages 1 and 2. All pupils are taught to be aware of drugs and they have sex education lessons in line with statutory requirements. The new requirements to study citizenship have been planned into the programme. At Key Stage 3 and 4, some pupils study life-skills based on the Youth Award Scheme ‘Towards Independence’ module. The school has appropriately identified a number of pupils who have additional needs in personal and social development. A new life-skills initiative has been developed whereby these pupils are taught by learning support assistants.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

39. The curriculum for careers and vocational education is satisfactory. Work related education is a part of the curriculum for all Key Stage 4 pupils and has recently been introduced to older pupils at Key Stage 3. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education. They undertake work experience, and have opportunities to use their numeracy and literacy skills. When a pupil with reduced mobility has a difficulty finding an appropriate placement outside school, arrangements are made for them to work within school but this does not support their personal development or their understanding of the world of work. The contribution of local business partnership links, such as, for developing interview skills or mini-enterprise, are currently underdeveloped, and is an aspect that is missing from the personal development of pupils.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

40. The provision for extra curricular activities is very good. There are activities both during lunch breaks and after school. The opportunities for pupils include an after-school club for primary aged pupils where they can participate in a range of activities. Those seen during the week of the inspection included parachute games. There is also a homework club, choir and basketball. Pupils can take part in football coaching run by Millwall Football Club. Pupils enjoy these activities. Brent Knoll School - 19 41. The school has good links with the local community, including primary schools, secondary school and the local college. It holds in-service training for special needs teachers in the area and has set itself a target to be a reference point for schools with autistic children. The school has established good links with the local community Police, along with representatives from the church, who visit the school regularly. Pupils also visit churches.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

The school provides very good opportunities for pupils to raise money for charities, such as, Great Ormond Street Hospital, through a variety of quizzes and competitions. In the absence of a school library the local library is used, as is the swimming pool and sports centre.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

42. The school has good links with partner institutions. Some pupils attend part-time at mainstream schools. Pupils’ parents, and teachers from both schools, review the appropriateness of the placement and the progress made. Support is provided for teachers in other schools and for parents working with pupils on the autistic spectrum in the form of very helpful guidance booklets. There are Leading Numeracy and Leading Literacy teachers at the school. Opportunities are available for teachers from other schools to visit and observe lessons. Through an externally funded project, teachers have contact with colleagues in other special schools, which provide opportunities for curriculum development or review.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

43. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good and is a good improvement since the last inspection. Within this, the provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good. Religious education, assemblies, and visits by a local vicar contribute to pupils’ understanding of other faiths, and the beliefs and values held by different groups of people. For example, in an assembly during the inspection links were made with other religions and pupils spoke about what it is like to be a young person undertaking a Jewish fast. The subjects of music, drama and art and design, including for some pupils, the therapy aspect of these subjects also contribute well to this area of pupils’ awareness. For example, pupils have the opportunity to work with artists and learn about the expression of emotions and the feelings of others.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

44. The provision for pupils’ moral development is good. Teachers provide good role models and set out clear guidelines of expected behaviour in lessons. The very good personal, social and health education programme helps pupils to reflect on their actions and compare this to the school’s Code of Conduct. Older pupils work with younger pupils in the primary school, and helps pupils to develop a sense of responsibility. In assemblies, the school recognises and celebrates pupils’ particular achievements, such as, successfully using the computer, making friends, or working on the trampoline. As a result, pupils behave very well and are aware of their actions on others.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

45. The school provides very well for pupils’ social development. There are good opportunities in lessons for pupils to work together in pairs or small groups. Clubs, such as Art Club, Choir, basketball, football coaching and the Play Centre enable the pupils to work and play together. The very good personal, social and health education programme helps their personal development. The Pupil’s Forum enables them to contribute to the decisions of the school and to learn about responsibility and rights. School journeys, such as a visit to an Outdoor Pursuit Course on the Isle of Wight, provide further opportunities for pupils to mix socially. Some pupils visit mainstream schools for lessons and older pupils have excellent opportunities for social integration at Lewisham College. Additional curriculum activities include a social skills group for Year 7 pupils, and a life skills group for older pupils where

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

they undertake work such as preparing meals, personal safety and coping with people. However, during lunchtime for younger pupils, opportunities are missed for the development social skills, such as, adopting appropriate behaviour and manners at meal times. Some pupils are not sufficiently encouraged to sit at tables and use appropriate cutlery to eat their meal with. Brent Knoll School - 20 46. The provision for pupils’ cultural development is also very good. Music, art and design and drama, including additional therapy work, give the pupils a very wide range of exciting and stimulating activities, including working alongside artists and visits out of school. For example, pupils learn about famous artists, about contemporary art, and the work produced by their teachers who are also artists. There are good opportunities for pupils to learn about other cultures. For example, they learn about African music and make African masks. Art

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

displays in the school show that pupils are using it to develop their own emotions, and an understanding of other people’s feelings. Pupils from different ethnic backgrounds mix well with each other, and this is a reflection of the way that the school has helped them to value each other’s differing views and beliefs.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The monitoring of pupils’ academic performance is overall satisfactory, and has been maintained since the last inspection. Within this area, the monitoring of pupils’ personal development is very good and is carried out effectively through the personal, social and health education programme, through the newly introduce life-skills initiative and because all staff know the pupils very well. The comprehensive reports on achievement provide an ongoing record of how pupils are achieving in each curricular area against the learning objectives, and this provides evidence for monitoring. The school has recently introduced a computerised system and is collating all the pupils’ previous test results, for example, reading results and the test results for the end of key stages. It has now begun to analyse these to provide a good basis for monitoring.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The school’s approach to target setting for pupils is to establish the level for the work set in each subject. It establishes an individual curriculum in this way and is effective in raising achievement. This is very good practice since in ensures a match between the tasks given to each pupil and their capability in each subject. However, some pupils have additional needs over and above their curricular needs. These include improvement of eye-hand co- ordination for handwriting, the development of organisational skills, or improvement of a very low reading age through specific phonic work. These difficulties effect all of their work, and the current system does not provide teachers with the targets that need to be addressed. The absence of specific, small, and measurable targets for these pupils does not allow the school to use them to monitor the progress some pupils are making against their very

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

specific needs. Although statements do not always give the school an adequate basis for planning, the procedures used by the school for annual reviews and parent involvement are good and give due regard to the Code of Practice.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. Overall, procedures for assessing pupils’ achievements and progress are good. When pupils first arrive at the school, appropriate assessments are made to establish basic skill levels. As they progress through school, a number of national, local authority and school designed tests are used to provide a clear picture of pupils’ achievements and capabilities. The system is effective as the school uses the information to plan the curriculum for each pupil. The work seen during the inspection matched the needs of the pupils, and they achieved well. Brent Knoll School - 21 50. The quality of curriculum assessment is good and teachers make satisfactory use of the information to inform future planning. For example, those for English in Key Stages 1 and 2 are particularly comprehensive, and the satisfactory assessment of pupils attending the link course at the college adds to the school assessment procedures. At all key stages each

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

area of the curriculum establishes clear learning objectives for lessons. A mixture of techniques is used to test whether pupils have understood or developed as a result. Many lessons have a significant amount of well-focused verbal evaluation and the marking of work is regular and informative.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. The schools procedures to ensure pupils’ welfare, health and safety are satisfactory overall and contribute to pupils’ ability to learn effectively. Arrangements and the procedures for child protection are good, and the school uses the local education authority’s guidelines. The headteacher is the named responsible officer and staff are aware of the procedures to follow in the event of any concerns. Procedures for promoting the health, safety and well being of pupils are good. Regular health and safety audits and risk assessments take place, and any hazards are dealt with quickly. Fire drills take place every term, and fire and electrical equipment are regularly tested. Procedures are in place for recording accidents and incidents, with two staff being trained in first aid procedures.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. While the transport arrangements of pupils to the school have improved since the last inspection, there are still some weaknesses in the system. There is very little space for the parking of the large buses that are assigned by the LEA to the school, and during the week of inspection, some buses were observed parking on the opposite side of the road at the end of the day. Three pupils were observed running, between the buses, across this extremely busy road, where no school crossing patrol is provided. Most pupils are delivered safely to the buses, but are, at times, left on the buses alone while the escort and driver collects other pupils from the school, or returns into the school to use the toilets or make phone calls. Some pupils, during the inspection, were seen getting off the bus and standing on the side of the road. Adding to this congestion are pupils who are being collected by parents in cars who

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

park outside the school. Other pupils make their own way home and generally mingle with pupils from another nearby school, which in turn causes additional congestion. Given the small space for parking and large buses used, attention needs to be given to the organisation and parking of the buses, and the supervision of pupils to ensure their safety as they move between the school and the transport.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are good. Prompt registration at the beginning of the morning and afternoon sessions complies with statutory requirements. The computer procedures are proving valuable in showing trends and patterns of absence. The school follows up unexplained absences and they have good links with the educational social worker, which ensures that pupils attend school regularly.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are good. There is a behaviour policy in place that staff apply consistently. This emphasises positive reinforcement as the preferred means of improving behaviour and pupils are aware of what is expected of them. The school has effective procedures in place to deal with harassment and bullying, although instances of these are rare. Procedures for dealing with restraint are satisfactory. There is a policy in place and although the need to use this is rare, staff are about to up date their training. The school has good contacts with a range of professionals who help to provide support for the pupils including; educational psychologist, speech and language therapists, art therapist and physiotherapists. Brent Knoll School - 22 55. Overall, this is a safe and caring place where pupils feel valued and protected and staff know their pupils well.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. The school’s partnership with parents is very good and a strength of the school. This is an improvement on the previous inspection when it was only satisfactory. The school encourages parents to communicate with them, and is working hard towards a committed partnership with them. Parents state that they see a change for the better in the behaviour and achievement of their children within a short time of them being admitted to the school. The majority of parents are very supportive of the school, and are happy with the improvements that they can see in their children.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

57. The quality of information for parents is very good. There is a Partnership with Parents policy with a clear aim to fully involve parents in all aspects of their child’s education. The school achieves these aims. Parents’ evenings, careers evenings and annual reviews are held, and are well attended. Home school contact books are used very well in all primary classes and a contact sheet is included in Year 7 pupils’ diaries. Parents are encouraged to communicate with class teachers and form tutors through these, but do not always do so. This change in the system, as pupils become older, sometimes leaves parents feeling that they do not know what is happening on a daily basis, but it is the judgement of the inspection team that enough information is provided for parents. There is a clear and informative prospectus, regular newsletters and a governor’s annual report to parents. Parents of pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 receive three detailed progress reports at the end of each term, in

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

addition to information regarding the topics pupils will be covering at the beginning of every the term. Parents of pupils at Key Stages 3 and 4 are asked to attend an action-planning day when annual reviews take place. These are well attended. The Record of Achievement reports are very informative and state clearly what pupils know, understand and can do. However, the curriculum learning objectives set as targets for the coming year, while they are comprehensive, vary in their preciseness across the school. The majority of parents feel they can contact the headteacher or the school at any time.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

58. Parents’ involvement in their children’s learning is good as the majority attend meetings, ensure that their children complete their homework, and fill in diaries. A homework policy is in place but parents have a very mixed view of what is a reasonable amount of homework. Due to the large catchment area that the pupils come from, it is difficult for the school to have an active and successful parent teacher association. The school compensates for this by arranging a variety of social functions for staff, governors, parents and pupils to raise funds towards additional educational activities for pupils.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The leadership and management provided by the headteacher and the senior management team is excellent. This has resulted in a school that has made good improvement since the last inspection, and where areas for further improvement continue to be pursued.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The new headteacher provides a clear and excellent educational direction for the school involving the raising of standards, the quality of teaching and the quality of the learning environment. For example, all pupils leave school with a wide range of external accreditation, the monitoring of teaching quality is consistent across the school, and there are clear ideas for improving the quality of the accommodation. The latter, however cannot be realised due to a Local Education Authority review. The headteacher and the senior management team actively set targets, some of which have exceeded expectations. For example, the school Brent Knoll School - 23 achieved more points for GCSE passes than it had set itself. Self-evaluation processes are being implemented into the school, and contribute well to the school meeting its aims and values. All these contribute to the high standards that the school achieves.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. A very good senior management team and a team of administration assistants support the headteacher very well. They carry out their responsibilities to oversee and develop areas, contribute very well to the overall effectiveness of the school and the quality of education it provides. However, the effectiveness of some of the learning support assistants in enabling pupils to gain the most from their lessons is not always satisfactory. The quality of their support for learning, their active involvement in teaching and assessment, the quality of the team work between themselves and teachers, and the delegation of responsibility could be improved, especially for those who work with teachers in Key Stages 3 and 4.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The leadership and management of the provision for children under five is very good. The co-ordinator has recently completed an additional qualification in, and research about, how children learn through play. Information from this has been used when organising the provision in school. Learning resources and the accommodation are used very well and organised into separate areas that are appropriate for the children. Procedures in the classes for autistic pupils reflect the good practice found in the day-to-day activities. They result from clear direction through very good management. The quality of work in these classes is exemplified by the demands made upon it by teachers from mainstream schools who seek advice and guidance in relation to their own children on the autistic spectrum. The school has responded by producing support documents and outreach visits. The guides are of very high quality because they explain, in simple terms, what autism is and how a child can be

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

supported. The visits to other schools are very well received and this is a demand that is increasing. Since the last inspection, the staff of the autistic classes have succeeded in establishing closer links to the rest of the school. This has enabled the pupils to benefit from being included in some lessons in a very controlled environment. This is an important step toward the school’s aim to re-integrate pupils to mainstream schools wherever possible. The teacher in charge of this area is aware of the areas that need further development. There is a clear strategy for improvement, including staff training.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The governing body of the school is very effective and dedicated, and many of the governors have had a long liaison with the school. The governors meet their statutory responsibilities. Governors have the necessary committees in place, meet regularly, and have an excellent understanding of the work of the school and its strengths and weaknesses. There are links between governors and specific curriculum areas, and they are well informed about national and school developments. Many of the governors regularly accompany the pupils on their residential visits. They receive reports from the headteacher, such as, the meeting of targets and comparisons of the school results with similar schools. They also effectively act as the body that ratifies all policies and schemes of work. They are very effective and supportive in their work.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The school’s priorities for development and improvement are excellent. The school’s development plan is very comprehensive; its targets are effective in raising standards and are regularly monitored. They cover all areas of the school’s work, including the professional needs of teaching staff, but do not focus as much on the training needs of learning support assistants to ensure that they become more effective team members. Brent Knoll School - 24 65. The monitoring and evaluation of teaching is good. The headteacher and senior staff observe lessons and give feedback to teachers on a regular basis. Each year, there is a “curriculum audit” that involves all members of the senior management team who meet with subject co-ordinators as well as observing lesson. Advisory staff from the Local Education Authority (LEA) are also involved in observation and provide advice to the school on teaching, especially in Literacy and Numeracy. The headteacher and deputy both spend some time

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

teaching each week. Their knowledge of teaching standards throughout the school enables them to deploy teachers to their strengths and preferences, and this ensures that pupils achieve well. The school, while waiting to implement a performance management system, has had a peer appraisal system in place that has been effective in ensuring that the quality of teaching is consistent.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. There are very good arrangements for the induction of staff that are new to the school. This is a good improvement on the situation at the time of the last inspection, when there were no arrangements at all. The current arrangements include formal and informal meetings with the deputy headteacher, the headteacher, and key stage managers. New teachers have copies of a good quality school handbook, and they can teach alongside other staff for a time, if necessary. There is a good system of support, which includes a full introduction to the school and the educational facilities and opportunities in the local area. New teachers can approach members of the senior staff for any problems that arise. This might include, for instance, how to manage a new subject budget, or about how to carry large amounts of books and equipment around the school each day because there is a lack of storage space, or "personal" space, for them.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. Since the last inspection, the funding issues between the school and the LEA have been resolved and the school is now benefiting from a substantial increase in financial support. Financial planning to support educational priorities is excellent and achieved through meticulous planning by the headteacher and governing body. Detailed costings of school developments use fully all appropriate budgets including, where applicable, standards funds. This is good improvement since the last inspection. It has resulted in, for example, improvement in mathematics where money for a numeracy summer school and a mathematics club has helped to raise achievement at Key Stages 2 and 3. Financial control is very good. All budget spending is effectively monitored, and reviewed regularly by the headteacher and the governors’ finance committee, to ensure it conforms to agreed priorities. Arrangements to ensure specific grants are used for their designated purpose are

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

good with the school supplementing this in order to ensure educational priorities are met. The school has moved from a deficit budget and is now in the position of having an underspend for which there are suitable plans which allocate the money for school improvements. The audit report was good with a few minor recommendations that the school is presently addressing. Day to day administration is satisfactory and office routines are suitably supported by information technology.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The governors and headteacher have a very good understanding of best value. They are aware of this when making school purchases. The school also compares results with similar schools and has consultation on a number of issues, for example, with parents on the appointment of an art therapist.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. The quality and level of staffing are very good. Teachers’ expertise and experience meet the demands of the curriculum. They are well qualified in a range of subjects, and many have good experience in mainstream schools, as well as in special education. This expertise is used well as teachers teach their own specialist subjects, especially in the secondary part of the school. Learning support staff are used throughout the school to support pupils and help them achieve. However, the quality of this support varies and those in the primary school are generally more effective than those in the secondary school. The school is very ably Brent Knoll School - 25 supported by a good team of administration staff, a site manager who performs (including in music lessons) far beyond his official duties, and several very competent therapists for speech and language, art and design and music. Staff who visit the school include a school

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

nurse, therapists, a school bursar to keep the finances running smoothly, and a technician to help with information technology problems.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. There are good opportunities for teaching staff to take part in further training. There has been a great deal of additional training in the past year or two, linked with individual subjects, especially Literacy and Numeracy, or particular aspects of safety, special needs or management. The arrangements for applying for a course, and reporting back on it afterwards, are good. The only criticism at the time of the last inspection was the lack of expertise in teaching autistic pupils, and staff have now taken part in this necessary training and experience.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. The accommodation is unsatisfactory overall. It was also unsatisfactory at the time of the last report. Some improvements have been made, especially to the structure, but these have not been sufficient to make the building a satisfactory place for the education of the current population of pupils, particularly for those pupils in the secondary part of the school. The accommodation is unsatisfactory for the children in the Foundation Stage as there are not enough rooms for them to be taught as a separate group. The room for pupils with autism is cramped and is a through way to another class. It is only due to the dedication of staff, the high standard of teaching, and the good use of good resources that prevents the accommodation from seriously affecting the pupils’ progress. There are adequate outside facilities and the inside is well organised to make the best possible use of the space available. The learning resources are good and well organised.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

72. Many secondary rooms are too small for the number of pupils in the class, and some have a dual purpose, and this causes problems with timetabling and the management of equipment. There is too little storage space throughout the school, and teachers do not have a base in which to keep equipment. The music teacher and English co-ordinator, for example, spend a great deal of time each day carrying large amounts of heavy and bulky equipment around the school. This wastes their time as well as lesson time. The lack of a library means that there is no quiet study area for general reading or developing research skills. The temporary building is decaying, damp and cold, with very small rooms. It is unfit for use as a teaching area or a storage area. The medical facilities do not include a separate office/drugs room and a recovery room for pupils who are ill. There is no parents’ room in which they can meet each other, staff or visiting professionals to share problems.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

73. The hall is too small, especially for secondary games, with little storage space, and is also used for dining, group lessons and assemblies. There is no grassed area of sufficient size for outdoor games, and the changing facilities for physical education are very inadequate, especially for the number of boys to have a shower after a lesson. The school has installed lockers in the corridors, so pupils have a space of their own, but due to the narrowness of the corridors it causes congestion.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

74. However, on the more positive side, the building has a sound structure, following much recent work, and has been well decorated and refurbished recently. Some facilities, such as some toilet areas and corridors, have been upgraded. The premises are very clean and are maintained very well. Displays around the school do much to improve and brighten Brent Knoll School - 26 the building. Several of the primary rooms are of a good size for the classes that they currently hold. The playground has a secure fence and a good hard surface.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

75. Resources are very good for mathematics, music, religious education and physical education. They are good for all other subjects except geography, for which they are satisfactory. This is a very good situation overall. There are no significant gaps in any subject, and the resources available allow teachers to enhance their lessons with scientific experiments, computer information, reading schemes, a range of art materials, historical artefacts, mathematical equipment, a host of large and small physical education apparatus, and superb musical instruments. Brent Knoll School - 27

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

76. The head teacher, staff and governors need to:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Increase the effectiveness of the learning support assistants, especially in the secondary department by : • identifying their individual areas of expertise and experience; • using these strengths when deploying them to support teaching and learning; • providing them with clear responsibilities, and expectations of their role in enabling pupils to achieve; • involving them in planning and assessment; • providing opportunities for in-service training for those who lack expertise in specific areas, or who wish to extend their professional qualifications. (Paragraphs: 26,69,85,96,115,127,135)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Extend the value of the Individual Educational Plans in supporting learning by: • identifying the pupils’ who have additional special educational needs; • including specific measurable targets to meet those needs and which can be focussed on in teachers planning; • reviewing them on a regular basis so that the progress they are making can be monitored. (Paragraphs: 48,61,77,116,164)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Modify the arrangements for the parking of buses, and the transferring of pupils to and from the transport so that it is safer. (Paragraph: 52)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition, when whole school development planning, improvement of the accommodation needs to be considered by the governing body; in consultation with the LEA and in the light of the re-organisation of special educational needs provision. (Paragraphs: 71,72,73,104,109,117,123,143,159)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The following minor areas for improvement need also to be considered by the governing body in whole school development planning: • Improvement of the consistency in the quality of the handwriting at Key Stages 3 and 4. (Paragraph: 84) • The collation of pupils’ work to provide evidence of achievement in ICT. (Paragraph: 15,134,136) • The links with local industry within the community. (Paragraphs: 39,164) Brent Knoll School - 28

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 38

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll 124

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 71

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 13

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 0

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Brent Knoll School - 29

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 5 4 9 Results ranged from Level W to Level 1 with one pupil reaching Level 2 in reading.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 6 5 11 Results ranged from Level W to Level 4. Two pupils reached level 4 in English and science and three pupils reached this level in mathematics.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 3 for the latest reporting year 2000 7 4 11 Results ranged form below level 3 to level 6. One pupil reached level 6 in science, while the highest level in English and mathematics was level 5.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4

Number of 15 year olds on roll in January of the latest reporting year 2000 10 4 14

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4

GCSE results 5 or more grades A* to C 5 or more grades A*-G 1 or more grades A*-G

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4

Numbers of pupils achieving the standard specified Total 0 4 14

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4

A B C D E F G U English 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 Maths 0 0 0 1 1 4 7 1 Science 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 4 Art 1 1 3 4 4 1 0 0 design and technolog y 0 1 0 0 2 3 0 0

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4

French 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 Totals 1 2 3 7 10 13 9 5

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4

Certificates of Achievement in English, mathematics, science, French and history were awarded to pupils at the end of this key stage. The pass rate was 100 per cent in mathematics, science, French and history. In addition 13 pupils obtained Bronze Level in the Youth Award Scheme Brent Knoll School - 30

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 13 Black – Caribbean heritage 4 1

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 5 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y11

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 17.7 Financial year 1999/2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 124

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y7 – Y11 Total expenditure 1 132 577

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 17 Expenditure per pupil 8 989

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 401 Balance brought forward from previous year 65 296

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance carried forward to next year 87 172 Brent Knoll School - 31

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 47 41 8 4 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 52 42 4 2 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 45 45 0 8 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 53 34 0 11 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 63 29 2 4 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 55 41 2 2 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 59 33 2 7 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 56 27 13 2 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 57 35 2 6 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 37 41 14 6 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The lack of daily communication between the school and the home for those pupils in Key Stages 3 and 4. Brent Knoll School - 32

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

77. Only four children under five were attending school at the time of the inspection. They are taught with pupils in the Key Stage 1 class or in the Key Stage 1 class for autistic pupils. This is the first term that the school has taken children under the age of five and at the time of the inspection, they had only been in the school for four weeks. Due to the small number of children involved, it is inappropriate to report separately on standards. The quality of the provision, curriculum and teaching is reported in the appropriate sections and within subjects.

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ENGLISH

78. There has been a good level of improvement in the provision for English since the last inspection. The National Literacy Scheme has been successfully implemented at Key Stages I and 2 and specific literacy lessons are now being taught at Key Stage 3. These developments, combined with consistently good teaching across the school, have had a positive effect on pupils’ literacy skills. Pupils’ achievements in relation to prior attainment are now good with a small group of pupils gaining a GCSE qualification at Key Stage 4 while others work towards their Certificate of Achievement. Most pupils make good progress, however the learning objectives in reading and writing, for a small group of lower attaining pupils at Key Stage 3 need to be more specific in order to advance their achievement further.

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ENGLISH

79. Achievements in speaking and listening are uniformly good for children who are under five and at Key Stages 1 and 2. Pupils with more complex needs benefit significantly from the successful way ideas from the speech and language therapist are incorporated into lessons. By the time they are five, pupils enjoy listening to stories. They wait quietly and take their turn when answering their name for the register. As they progress through Key Stage 1, younger pupils take turns when playing games and invent names for noises. Older pupils in Year 2 listen attentively to instructions and respond appropriately to questions with short sentences or phrases. During Key Stage 2, younger pupils develop their communication skills still further by explaining, for example, the steps you would need to take to complete a science investigation. By the end of Year 6, planned opportunities for speaking and learning ensure

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ENGLISH

pupils make good progress. They listen to the ideas of other pupils and volunteer to answer questions on work they have completed.

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ENGLISH

80. At Key Stage 3 and 4, achievements in speaking and listening are good with teachers using drama and role play well to enable pupils to increase their confidence when dealing with a variety of real life situations. Pupils at Key Stage 3 take part sensibly in discussion about the homeless listening carefully to the views of others. They discuss choices including, for example, in a Year 8 lesson where pupils discussed why one version of a story was scarier than another. By the age of fourteen, pupils effectively take part in role-play showing a mature attitude when asked to perform in front of others. As pupils move through Key Stage 4 they continue to make good progress in presenting their views and discussing dilemmas. Assignments are planned well and ensure that pupils use these skills effectively when discussing contemporary issues such as drugs. Brent Knoll School - 33 81. Achievements in reading are good and pupils systematically develop their reading

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ENGLISH

skills during their time at school. Reading is particularly well supported for children under five and at Key Stages 1 and 2 where consistent, regular structured reading sessions takes place. This has a positive effect on pupils’ reading skills. Children under five point at words in big books, begin to know the names of a few letters and match simple words to objects and pictures. During Key Stage 1, pupils build on these skills pointing out words in books and the key words for the week. They rhyme simple words. By the age of seven lower attainers share a picture book with an adult while higher attaining pupils read confidently from their structured reading book and are keen to talk about the story.

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ENGLISH

82. During Key Stage 2 consistent teaching ensures pupils build up their basic vocabulary, correct errors and begin to answer questions about their reading. Some pupils in the autistic class start to predict outcomes. By the age of eleven most pupils read simple texts using a variety of strategies and talk in some detail about characters in their reading book. As pupils progress through Key Stage 3, they begin to read appropriately from a range of fiction and non-fiction texts. Most read with expression and benefit from the many opportunities provided for them to read their own work out in class and during assembly. By the end of the key stage most pupils are fluent independent readers, although a few pupils still lack many of the strategies needed to read confidently. By the time they leave school pupils read from a wide variety of books. Some read a newspaper and know how to find books in a library. Many read for pleasure and are able to talk about books they have enjoyed.

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ENGLISH

83. Achievements in writing are good for all pupils except at Key Stage 4 where they are satisfactory. Children under five make a good start by copying and tracing over words with a degree of accuracy. They begin to form letters independently and by Key Stage 1 progress from writing letters in the sand to using a pencil to copy simple words. They make up and write short words, as in one lesson at Key Stage 1, where pupils describe a noise made by an object and then draw it. At Key Stage 2 progress has been enhanced by well planned National Literacy Scheme lessons that have helped pupils gain confidence and skills in writing. Younger pupils write one or two sentences based on their experiences. They spell ‘ing’ words and simple rhyming words. By Year 6 higher attaining pupils use bullet points to put down thoughts and write simple sentences while lower attaining pupils are still learning to orientate letters.

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ENGLISH

84. Pupils get off to a good start in Year 7 by writing about themselves for a display, which they proudly show to other pupils. In Year 8, pupils attempt punctuation. They use full stops and speech marks, and use a dictionary to help their spelling. Pupils show a pride in their presentation and are aided by the prompt and positive marking of all written work. By the age of fourteen, most pupils have progressed to writing in pen, with higher attaining pupils writing paragraphs, and lower attaining pupils write simple sentences. By the end of Key Stage 4 most pupils write thank-you letters, notes for and against an argument, and complete an extended piece of work. They occasionally word process their work. For some pupils handwriting is accurate and well formed, however presentation varies with a few pupils not forming letters correctly and inconsistently using common forms of punctuation. A significant

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ENGLISH

minority of pupils are not yet using joined up writing.

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ENGLISH

85. The quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school. Teachers have a comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of English. This enables them to set work that interests pupils ensuring that attitudes to learning remain positive. Teachers at Key Stage 1 and 2 have a very good knowledge of the National Literacy Scheme and this ensures that pupils of different abilities are appropriately challenged. At Key Stage 3, drama is used well to support speaking and listening and pupils clearly gain in confidence in their dealings with adults. Teachers manage behaviour well and any lack of concentration is speedily dealt with, ensuring pupils are quickly back on task. In a few lessons, which were otherwise successful, Brent Knoll School - 34 learning support staff are not used effectively to support the learning needs of individual pupils and these pupils became restless. Occasional over direction of pupils, especially at Key

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ENGLISH

Stages 3 and 4, does not give them time to work out answers for themselves.

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ENGLISH

86. Good relationships contribute to pupils working hard and remaining on task. For example, in a Year 11 lesson when tackling a difficult subject the teacher used humour well to keep pupils motivated and they respond by imaginatively working together. Throughout the school lessons are well planned with good introductions that ensure pupils are clear about lesson aims and are actively involved from the start. Work often continues from previous tasks ensuring pupils build successfully on skills learnt earlier. Well focused questioning assists pupils to accurately recall previous work and gives them the confidence to do this in a different context. For example, in a Key Stage 2 lesson where the teacher used information from an investigation carried out previously to get pupils to sequence and write simple instructions for an experiment. Overall, resources are used well and learning is reinforced by the use of appropriate displays of words and objects which pupils are encouraged to use

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ENGLISH

during lessons. A strength of the teaching in English is the comprehensive marking of work. It is used both for assessment of pupils’ needs, and to make known to pupils the next steps they need to take in order to make further progress.

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ENGLISH

87. Literacy is well supported by other subjects. All foundation subjects have a list of key subject words, which pupils consistently read and talk about while in personal, social and health education pupils discuss issues and ideas and take turns to express their views.

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ENGLISH

88. The subject has a primary and a secondary coordinator, both of whom manage the subject well. Effective monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning by both co- ordinators contributes well to the good progress pupils make. The curriculum is broad and balanced, incorporates all aspects of English and the comprehensive schemes of work are well used to support learning. Weekly and daily planning is thorough. For children under five and those at Key Stage 1 and 2, there is a good record keeping and assessment system, including baseline assessment. This ensures teachers successfully measure pupils’ progress and supports further learning. At Key Stage 4, assessment is through external examinations with pupils taking GCSE or the Certificate in Achievement. Assessment at Key Stage 3 is underdeveloped but the new secondary coordinator has already started to implement new procedures and has good plans to develop it further. Although resources are

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ENGLISH

good, the secondary coordinator does not have a teaching base and this limits the use she can make of resources and display. The lack of a library results in teachers having to plan carefully to ensure pupils do not miss library and research skills. English suitably supports personal social and moral development through work on feelings and through talking about dilemmas such as homelessness.

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MATHEMATICS

89. There has been good improvement since the last inspection, leadership is strong, standards are high and co-ordinators are effective. The National Numeracy Strategy has been implemented. Co-operation between primary and secondary departments is improving. Record keeping about pupils’ achievements and progress is good. The teaching of mathematics at Key Stages 3 and 4 has improved, and overall it is very good and is a strength. A younger group of pupils, including some who were due to transfer to the school, attended a Numeracy school for mathematics during the holidays, and this has helped them to make further progress.

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MATHEMATICS

90. Pupils’ achievements in mathematics are good. The very youngest and the very oldest pupils achieve very well and make very good progress. The introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy has had a good impact on achievement and progress of the pupils Brent Knoll School - 35 throughout the school. Pupils gain GCSE or the Certificate of Achievement accreditation. They also have the opportunity to take work towards accreditation in the Youth Awards Scheme, which prepares them for leaving school. The behaviour of the secondary age pupils is always good and for most lessons it is very good.

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MATHEMATICS

91. The youngest pupils in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1 make very good progress. Pupils can point to the number 10 on a card, take one away and point to number 9. Higher attaining pupils sing subtraction songs such as ‘There were ten in the bed’. They can describe differences in length and use a variety of measures to confirm their observations. By the time that they are seven, pupils have made good progress. They know how to use two-dimensional shapes to make new ones, and construct triangles and hexagons. Higher attaining pupils are beginning to use number skills and use a variety of methods to add and take away. These pupils understand the values of coins and find equivalent coins. All pupils in this age group are beginning to use order, putting the biggest first. The lower attaining pupils use lines and arrow cards to help them with their work, but require assistance with handwriting.

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MATHEMATICS

92. Pupils make good progress at Key Stage 2, by the time that they are eleven they know the names of shapes, such as, rectangles and squares, and the differences between them. Lower attaining pupils make square shapes using rubber bands, while higher attaining pupils understand that the perimeter is the distance around a space. They also understand that 100 centimetres equals one metre and can use a trundle wheel to measure the perimeter of the classroom.

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MATHEMATICS

93. By the time that they are fourteen, pupils continue to make good progress. Pupils understand place value, the higher attaining are able to multiply and divide by 10, 100 and 1000. They can carry out long multiplication of numbers like 23 times 65. They understand the use of equivalence in fractions and decimals. All pupils are able to identify triangles and use these to make quadrilaterals. In a lesson on subtraction, the lower attaining pupils subtracted in columns. The higher attaining pupils understand the need for alignment and the concept of borrowing. All pupils are beginning to use mathematical language well, they know about symmetry and rhombus, scalene and adjacent.

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MATHEMATICS

94. By the time they are sixteen, pupils have completed accredited courses in the Certificate of Achievement or GCSE. Higher attaining pupils understand the meaning of digits in whole numbers. They can work on the four rules with or without calculators. This group is able to list cars by price, and produce evidence to back their findings. Some of the group produce extra work for Gold awards. They understand mathematical problems, coping with graphs and charts and predicting some outcomes. The lower attaining pupils know the names for addition and subtraction; they can read a speedometer and can draw triangles. They also find many ways of adding up to 20, in mental arithmetic they can take14 from 9 plus 7.

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MATHEMATICS

95. The quality of teaching and learning is very good for the children in the Foundation Stage, at Key Stage1, and at Key Stage 4. It is good at Key Stages 2 and 3. Teachers prepare well ensuring pupils progress through very carefully graded activities, and enable them to use their prior knowledge and understanding to enrich their learning. Teachers have a good understanding of the subject and set tasks that match the pupils’ abilities and understanding. Lessons are a very good combination of mental and written mathematics; this encourages pupils to take part in all aspects of the subject. Pupils enjoy mathematics, are happy to show their good work to visitors, and teachers endeavour to involve pupils’ ideas into lessons. They provide good opportunities for discussion, and this enhances learning through consolidation and repetition. It also enhances self-esteem, and as a result pupils settle well, even when there is disruption from individual pupils. They work very hard to

p.35

MATHEMATICS

Brent Knoll School - 36 achieve, are keen to learn, and some produce extra work without being asked. On the rare occasion of disruption, teachers deal with this in a calm and confident manner and the disruption does not affect the learning of the other pupils. Numeracy skills are practised and reinforced well in lessons across the curriculum. For example, in music pupils learn to count a variety of beats. They use number when counting days and commandments in religious education.

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MATHEMATICS

96. Classroom assistants are available in most classes. In some classes, especially in the primary school, the teamwork is good with assistants preparing work together and understanding their roles. This is not consistent across the school, and the additional needs of some pupils are not supported when there are no learning support assistants in the lesson, or when the assistant has no clearly defined role.

p.36

MATHEMATICS

97. The curriculum in mathematics is good throughout the school, being balanced and relevant, and covering all aspects of the National Curriculum. This ensures that pupils achieve well. The quality of assessment of pupils is good throughout the school, with all pupils being assessed and good records kept. Mathematics targets are regularly reviewed. Teachers make good use of results, especially in teaching and in planning to meet individual needs. Information Technology is not widely used, although references were seen in plans and in the scheme used at Key Stages 3 and 4.

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MATHEMATICS

98. The subject is very well managed. There are two co-ordinators, who are well qualified and well informed. They provide very good leadership and support to their colleagues. They are beginning to work more closely together since the summer camp and this is having a positive effect on the status of the subject. Policy documents are very good, forming very sound bases for all future developments. Planning is good and well thought out, with very good long and short–term plans. These relate well to the special needs of all pupils. The learning resources are very good, readily available, and well managed by the co-ordinators who carry out audits of need.

p.36

SCIENCE

99. There has been a good improvement in this subject since the last inspection. It is better organised and co-ordinated, and the approach to learning through investigations and experiments is very good.

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SCIENCE

100. Pupils, including children in the Foundation Stage, achieve well and the progress that they make is good. This is directly attributable to the high quality of the teaching and the good use of good learning resources, which go some way to overcoming the deficiencies in the accommodation. The youngest pupils learn about growth, both in animals and plants, and in the human body. They learn that pushing and pulling things will move them in different ways. They understand that things can change in different ways, such as, when butter is cooled in the fridge, or bread is toasted. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils have covered a range of topics, and are learning to approach the subject through practical investigations. They conduct simple experiments with magnets and make electrical circuits, and begin to understand that some materials will stretch more than others. All pupils know that natural and man-made things can be sorted and classified, and the more able pupils classify animals, for

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SCIENCE

example, into ones that can fly, swim or walk. The higher attaining pupils also understand that living things have a life cycle of birth, growth, reproduction and death.

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SCIENCE

101. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils have developed a clearer understanding of prediction and what might happen in an experiment. The topics are investigated in good detail, and the approach through investigations is very good. Pupils have carried out a variety of investigations, for example, experiments with different kinds of gas, their properties and Brent Knoll School - 37 what they can be used for. The higher attaining pupils understand that gases can be compressed, and water cannot, and that some gases can be dissolved in water. Several pupils were amazed that carbon dioxide could be made from bicarbonate of soda and vinegar, and that this invisible gas could extinguish a flame. Their understanding of classifying has improved, and they can classify creatures by the number of legs, wings or fins that they have. They understand why we have night and day, and rotation of the Earth and moon.

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SCIENCE

102. At the start of Key Stage 3, pupils learn how to conduct themselves in a laboratory, through a module called "Being a Scientist." This stands them in good stead throughout the rest of the key stage and into Key Stage 4. They learn how to handle apparatus safely, use Bunsen burners and the fume cupboard, and what all the equipment is called. By the end of the key stage they have learned more about different materials, their properties and how they can be changed. They understand that some materials are more useful than others for different purposes, for example, when building a house, keeping their bodies healthy. The experiments they conduct are more rigorous, and include good predictions, monitoring of results, and analysing what has happened. The higher attaining pupils understand that energy comes in many different forms, and that different kinds of food contain different amounts of energy.

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SCIENCE

103. By the end of Key Stage 4, pupils have a good understanding of how to design their experiments so that they include a fair test. They predict what should or might happen, and give reasons why things actually worked as they did. The higher attaining pupils can then re- design their experiments to check the results, and plot the results on graphs, as well as writing about the sequence of what they did. They make progress in their knowledge of growth in plants and humans, and understand that some characteristics are inherited, and others are caused by factors in the environment. Pupils carry out simple research tasks using books and computer programs. They have studied energy in greater depth, and understand that plants gain energy through photosynthesis, and that people can use the power of the sun through solar panels. They are competent and safe in their use of equipment, and can set up and dismantle their own apparatus for experiments. The higher

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SCIENCE

attaining pupils are entered for GCSE exams, while other take the Certificate of Achievement award. Pupils have been very successful in both courses, and all leave with external accreditation of some kind.

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SCIENCE

104. The subject is taught in the primary department by class teachers, and in Key Stages 3 and 4 by specialist teachers. The teaching is consistently good throughout the school, and is often very good. Only one lesson was seen in which the teaching and learning was satisfactory, and this was due to the challenging behaviour by (of) a number of pupils that distracted the teacher’s attention several times from the focus of the lesson. Teachers plan their lessons very well, with a clear focus to the activities. Lessons have clear aims, and activities are well designed to challenge pupils through experiments and investigations. This reflects good subject knowledge by teachers, especially in the secondary part of the school. Lessons are prepared well, but the restricted accommodation results in the science room often being used for teaching other subjects. This means that the apparatus cannot be set up

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SCIENCE

105. Teachers use resources well, especially for investigation work. They encourage and enable pupils to work with the equipment by themselves, and often in pairs, helping each other co-operatively and sociably. Pupils are managed well, although some pupils can be challenging in their behaviours, and this can slow the progress that they, and other pupils, make in lessons. Teachers have good, positive relationships with their pupils, motivating them well and as a result, pupils are keen to learn about scientific concepts, especially through investigations. They use questioning techniques very well to encourage pupils to think for themselves, and they have high expectation for pupils’ efforts and independent Brent Knoll School - 38 learning. For example, in one lesson there was a good, clear explanation and demonstration by the teacher, discussing what pupils already knew about different kinds of insulating

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SCIENCE

materials. Pupils had to design their own experiment to find out which materials would make the most efficient insulators to keep heat in. The teacher supported well during the experimental stage of the lesson, with good prompting and questioning to keep pupils well on task throughout.

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SCIENCE

106. This subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ wider development. Teachers ensure that pupils make good use of their English skills when writing up their prediction and experiments, and that mathematics skills are used. This is reinforced by good data collection in surveys and experiments, often with the results displayed in graphs and charts. Social skills are improved by pupils working in groups and pairs, and many pupils are awed by the results of experiments, and by their own abilities to conduct experiments.

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SCIENCE

107. There is good liaison between the secondary and primary departments of the school. There is a good policy and scheme of work that is well adapted from the new National Curriculum and includes the use of information technology to support pupils’ learning. Learning objectives, in the form of curricular targets are set for pupils. In the primary department they are specific to the topic that is being taught next, and in the secondary department, they are based more on the processes that the pupils are going to learn, such as, investigative techniques. In the secondary department many of the pupils’ targets are too broad, cannot be easily measured for success, and the language used is too technical for pupils and parents to readily understand. Some of the targets are concerned with the area of the curriculum and not what the pupils will know, understand and do.

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SCIENCE

108. Good assessment of pupils’ progress is carried out in all key stages. Teachers use a marking code to indicate pupils’ progress and the amount of help needed. Pupils’ achievements are assessed well at the end of each module of work, often using ideas for tests from the scheme of work, or old standard test papers. Staff share and discuss samples of pupils’ work within each key stage, and between the primary and secondary parts of the school. Teachers have a clear idea of how well their pupils are achieving.

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SCIENCE

109. This subject is led and managed very well. The co-ordinator has a good and clear overview of the subject, and particularly of the secondary department. There have been several major developments in the subject recently, including increasing the role of information technology and implementing the new scheme of work. The accommodation for teaching this subject is unsatisfactory, although there is a science laboratory that is used by the secondary pupils, but it has to be used for other lessons, such as, English and drama. Resources are good. However, the microscopes are not easy to use, and the lens quality is not clear.

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ART AND DESIGN

110. Achievements in art and design are very good overall. For children in the Foundation Stage, and Key Stage 1 they are good and for Key Stages 2, 3 and 4 they are very good. This shows a good improvement since the last inspection when achievements were good. More time is now allocated for art and design lessons, and all pupils’ learn to value their work, which helps to raise their self-esteem.

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ART AND DESIGN

111. At the Foundation Stage, children’s achievements are good and by the time they are five, they make good progress. For example, they stick glittery and coloured bits of material onto paper. At Key Stage 1 pupils continue to make good progress and their achievements are also good. For example, they draw with white chalk on black paper to create their version of a pineapple. At Key Stage 2, their achievements are very good. They use charcoal to make Brent Knoll School - 39 sketches of other pupils, and are beginning to show good observational skills, with some accuracy of proportion and drawing from different viewpoints. By the age of 11, they make very good progress. For example pupils of all abilities choose materials, such as, kitchen utensils, stones, material and artificial flowers to create a composition for a still life drawing that depicts a certain mood, such as, humour or evoking a theme.

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ART AND DESIGN

112. At Key Stage 3, pupils’ achievements are very good and by the age of 14 they make very good progress. They choose a word that relates to their view of themselves, select colour and explore different techniques, including different fonts on the computer, to paint the word in a way that expresses its quality. For example, higher attaining pupils produce excellent representational self-portraits of half of a face. They build on this, and fragment the image by drawing bits of the face (such as eyes, mouth and nose) separately and in different positions. Through this they portray the "shadowy" or more negative aspects of their personalities. Lower attaining pupils build up their pictures, and evaluated the way in which they have developed their work during the lesson.

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ART AND DESIGN

113. At Key Stage 4 achievements are also very good. For example, pupils complete still life pencil drawings, from differing angles. They work in the style, and use the techniques, of Cubism, building up their work with charcoal and white chalk. They talk about their work and how they came to develop the theme. For example, one pupil shows how their work developed and another pupil correctly notices that this has given the illusion of movement. By the age of 16, they continue to make very good progress. They are entered for GCSE in art and design and many get results in line with national expectations, and some gain a grade "A".

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ART AND DESIGN

114. Teaching and learning are very good overall. In the Foundation Stage and at Key Stage 1 it is good, and for Key Stages 2, 3 and 4 it is very good. Teachers have excellent knowledge of art and design and teaching pupils with differing needs. For example, they give individual support and ideas, which encourages pupils to raise their view of their ability in art and design, and their self-esteem. Planning is very good and objectives of lessons are made clear to the pupils. Two of the teachers at the school are professional artists and pupils are challenged and inspired by this and by being introduced to their methods. There is a very good use of sketchbooks, which are introduced at an early age, and a good balance between sketching, painting and drawing in the styles of different artists. Pupils learn to evaluate their own work and that of famous and contemporary artists. ICT is used Brent Knoll School - 40

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ART AND DESIGN

well to support pupils’ learning, with pupils’ work being scanned into the computers so that experiment using a different technique.

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ART AND DESIGN

115. There are high expectations of pupils’ abilities and behaviour, and this enables them to work at a good pace with a very high degree of concentration, and as a result behaviour is very good in all lessons and frequently excellent. In one lesson, for example, pupils in Years 5 and 6, learn how to arrange objects for a still life. They talk about their own composition to the rest of the class and use their imagination in putting things together in a creative and artistic way. In the few lessons that are less successful, the teacher does not demonstrate or explain a range of skills and techniques to help extend the pupils’ work. There are some lessons in Key Stages 3 and 4 where there is no learning support assistant in the class, and where there are individual pupils who need help with the management of their behaviour.

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ART AND DESIGN

116. The curriculum is very good. It is planned well, with interesting and exciting activities that cover a wide range of skills, techniques and understanding of artists’ work. The use of "real artists" brings an enthusiasm and excitement to the subject that has influenced the pupils’ work. There are good individual curriculum learning objectives for all pupils that ensure pupils achieve, and that the work matches their different abilities. However, there a few pupils who have addition special educational needs, such as, eye/hand co-ordination, or organisational difficulties. The absence of specific targets to meet these needs does not help teachers to focus on these needs when planning art and design lessons. There is a system in place to assess primary art and design, but it has not yet been in use long enough to provide recorded evidence of what pupils "know, understand and can do" in art and design.

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ART AND DESIGN

The assessment at the secondary stage is good and includes a very good system at Key Stage 4 for providing targets for pupils set against the criteria for GCSE in art and design. Art is currently co-ordinated by two part-time teachers and the leadership and management are very good. There is a clear direction for the work of the subject and teachers work together well as a team, supporting each other.

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ART AND DESIGN

117. The art and design resources are good and they are enhanced by the use of teachers’ own materials, including some from Artists’ Studios. Art makes a very good contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development particularly in learning about the art of famous and contemporary artists, including their own teachers. The achievements are gained despite the accommodation being unsatisfactory. There is a small specialist art and design room, but it is small and when more than one art and design lesson takes place at the same time, some pupils have to use other classrooms.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

118. There has been satisfactory progress in design and technology since the last inspection. Pupils’ progress is good throughout the school and this is a result of maintaining good quality teaching. The curriculum is now balanced in all key stages, and although there some areas of the National Curriculum under emphasised at Key Stages 3 and 4. Pupils achieve well by the time they leave school at sixteen and many gain good GSCE grades.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

119. Pupils of all ages achieve well and make good progress. This is the result of setting work at a level that recognises pupils’ previous achievements, and which presents with a new challenge. In the Foundation Stage and at Key Stage 1, pupils have appropriate opportunities to experiment with simple tools and materials. They use templates and scissors efficiently, and choose appropriate tools for a task, for example, by using a stapler. In Key Stage 2, they build on these skills and develop their ideas with a wider range of materials. Key Stage 3 pupils are taught by specialist teachers, and benefit from using a technology room and a food technology room. Their work shows a good grasp of fundaments of diet and hygiene, as well as an awareness of tools and their functions. For example, they Brent Knoll School - 41 explain the way a plastic bending machine works and which parts are safe to touch. In Key

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Stage 4, pupils use appropriate vocabulary connected with their work. Some of their ideas on toys show that they have a good grasp of who would buy them and why, and what contribution toys make to child development.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

120. The quality of teaching and learning is good at Key Stages 1, 3 and 4. No lessons were observed in Key Stage 2. In Key Stages 1, lessons are very well planned and organised. All pupils, including those from the class for autistic pupils, are given an appropriate level of challenge and as a result, pupils work in a positive and supportive atmosphere. They work independently when required, or in small groups, and their behaviour is very good. Teachers use very good strategies for teaching the pupils some skills they find difficult, for example, they use a coloured background to line up three holes so that pupils can insert a split pin. Teachers have a good knowledge of the subject, and are able to ask questions that enable pupils to extend their knowledge and problem solving techniques

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

121. Specialist teachers teach pupils in Key Stages 3 and 4, and as such, they have a good knowledge of the subject and technical skills. This was illustrated for example by the way the use of stencils was introduced to the pupils, so that they could make rapid progress with the task. Lessons are well planned, and they reflect high expectations of what the pupils can achieve. All lessons have a good introduction and most finish with an equally good summing up session. Pupils, therefore, know what they have to do and achieve at the start, and are able to present their work at the end for feedback on their performance. Throughout the lessons, questions are used well to help develop pupils’ understanding. Lessons are interesting and pupils are motivated to turn up punctually. All pupils are enthusiastic and work well for extended periods. Concentration is good as a result of a positive attitude. Pupils are

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

managed well and as a result, pupils receive guidance and support when they need it, and are able to concentrate and work hard. Pupils behave well and show considerable respect for the views of others. Homework is used well. Tasks reflect the work in school and pupils have the chance to consolidate their learning. Pupils’ response to homework is good, most hand their work in on time, and it can be seen that many put a lot of time and effort into their work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

122. At Key Stages 1 and 2 the range of curriculum opportunities is good and meets statutory requirements. Schemes of work are in place, and the primary handbook is an excellent document. There are clear links to the QCA scheme of work with equally clear assessment criteria, although these are not yet linked to the National Curriculum descriptors. Pupils have recently been involved in a module of moving models. The quality of their work and the high levels they are able to achieve is a direct reflection of the time, thought and effort put into the planning stage of the curriculum. Key Stage 3 assessment is in place but is based on the previous version of the National Curriculum, which the school intends to update this year.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

123. The curriculum at Key Stage 4 is satisfactory and meets statutory requirements. However, It does not have full breadth since elements of control technology are not fully in place and the food technology experiences that pupils gain from their college placement are not fully integrated with the school scheme. There is very good feedback to pupils during lessons but not all of the significant points are recorded. Assessment is largely based on the GCSE criteria. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are encouraged to interact with each other and their research frequently provides the chance to look at how other people work. Resources are good although the lack of storage space in the primary school means that equipment is distributed in a number of locations. The specialist facilities at Key Stage 3 and 4 are well looked after

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

and regularly checked for safety. Brent Knoll School - 42

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GEOGRAPHY

124. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory. At the time of the last inspection, geography was taught as part of the humanities area of the curriculum. Learning was judged satisfactory, teaching good in the majority of lessons, but there was no co- ordinator at Key Stages 1 and 2. There are now two co-ordinators, one for Key Stages 1 and 2 and one for Key Stages 3 and 4.

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GEOGRAPHY

125. Achievement in geography is good overall and for the youngest pupils at Key Stage1 it is very good. Pupils make good progress against the subject targets that are set. Children in the Foundation Stage are beginning to understand about the school environment and the area around it. Older pupils in Key Stage 1, learn to use maps and plans. They find their way around the school following a plan and guide other pupils to chosen locations. At Key Stage 2 achievement is good. Pupils learn about different people’s jobs and begin to identify the buildings in which people work. Lower attaining pupils identify people who work in the school and those in the local community. Higher attaining pupils find places they know on a map of the local area and begin to plan routes from one place to another. Pupils in these key stages have good support from learning support assistants who ensure that pupils understand by

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GEOGRAPHY

using signing to help them, and by demonstrating what pupils are to do

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GEOGRAPHY

126. Achievement at Key Stages 3 and 4 is satisfactory. During Key Stage 3, pupils continue to develop their understanding of maps and plans. They know how plans relate to what can be seen in a picture. Other pupils, through their work on contours understand the consequences for safety of not understanding the meaning of contour lines on a map. At Key Stage 4, pupils begin to understand the implications of flooding for people and livestock.

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GEOGRAPHY

127. Teaching and learning is good overall. At Key Stages 1 and 2 it is good and for the youngest pupils it is very good. Teachers have good knowledge of the subject, and lessons are clear and well planned, which ensures that both teachers and pupils know what is to be learned. Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ achievement and behaviour are high. They use questions effectively to make pupils think, and they relate what the pupils are learning to their everyday lives. This helps to motivate and interest pupils. Teachers make lessons interesting by using resources, such as, photographs of real places, and maps of areas pupils know. As a result of this pupils behave well in lessons, and listen carefully and concentrate on their work. They answer questions and discuss their work with other pupils sensibly. Their good behaviour and the good teaching they receive ensure that they take advantage of learning

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GEOGRAPHY

opportunities. Most pupils receive satisfactory support from non-teaching assistants. However, the additional needs of pupils are not always well met where the quality of the learning support from assistant is inconsistent or inappropriate, for example, where pupils are given too much help.

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GEOGRAPHY

128. The curriculum is overall good. It balanced and relevant to the need of the pupils, with a rolling programme of topics to ensure that work is not repeated. Pupils in Year 10 are following the newly introduced Certificate of Achievement course, and this is appropriate to their needs and attainment levels. Assessment is appropriately carried out, and progress against the targets set as curriculum learning objectives is reported annually in pupils’ individual statements of achievement. However, the process for assessment has more clarity at Key Stages 1 and 2 where pupils’ work is annotated clearly. The leadership is good, with two co-ordinators each covering one phase of the school. They work closely together to ensure that there is continuity across the school, plan improvements and evaluate new initiatives. For example, the adoption of a national scheme of work. Resources for geography are satisfactory overall.

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HISTORY

129. There has been satisfactory improvement in the subject since the last inspection. At the time of the last inspection, history was taught as part of the humanities area of the curriculum. It is now taught as a separate subject area and achievement across the school is now good. Teaching is good overall and in Key Stage 1 it is very good. Although no history lessons were observed at Key Stage 2 judgements for this key stage are based on scrutiny of pupils’ work and on teachers planning.

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HISTORY

130. Pupils achieve well in history. In the Foundation Stage and at Key Stage 1, pupils learn about things old and new by studying the toys that their grandparents played with and by comparing them with their own. Pupils identify which toys are old and which are new, and can say why there were no collections of space medallions among Grandma’s toys. Pupils at Key Stage 2 study the Ancient Egyptians, and work shows that they learn about the Egyptians belief in the afterlife, and the rituals of mummification. Wall displays show modern Egypt with maps and newspapers in addition to pupils’ work on the history they have studied. At Key Stage 3, pupils develop their understanding of timelines, by sequencing dates and choosing pictures that represent the times. By the end of Key Stage 3, pupils know about the about the agricultural revolution, and following a discussion about enclosing land, most pupils can decide who would benefit from the system and why. Pupils at Key Stage 4 are following

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HISTORY

a Certificate of Achievement course, which includes a topic on the First World War. They gain an understanding of the conditions endured by soldiers in the trenches. Through their study of the Jarrow Crusade, Year 11 pupils understand the reasons for the problems in the area were related to the closure of factories and shipyards.

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HISTORY

131. Teaching is good overall. In the Foundation Stage and at Key Stage 1 it is very good. Lessons in all key stages are well planned and teachers have good knowledge of the subject. For instance, examples of contemporary writing are used to illustrate topics, such as, the Jarrow Crusade. Where teaching is very good, the resources are used well to help pupils to understand the topics that they are studying. For example, pupils at Key Stage 1 have a wide range of toys to look at, to handle and to compare. Teachers use videos, for example, about enclosures, which help pupils to understand who benefited from the change and who did not. Teachers’ expectations of achievement, participation and behaviour are high, and therefore pupils are motivated and achieve well. All lessons start with a good review of the work completed in the previous lesson. Challenging questions are asked which make pupils think about what they have learned. Pupils respond well to these questions and are eager to

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HISTORY

132. There is a good policy and scheme of work. The scheme of work for pupils at Key Stages 1 and 2 is appropriately based on a two-year rolling programme, which ensures that pupils do not work on topics previously studied. Assessment systems are in place and work well at Key Stages 1,2 and 4, there is less clarity at Key Stage 3. The subject is well managed by the two co-ordinators who work together to establish continuity and progression across the school. The subject contributes significantly to pupils’ spiritual and moral development. For example, pupils are encouraged to consider how they would react to the conditions in the trenches and to explore the feelings of the people of Jarrow during the Crusade. Resources for the subject are good. These are well-organised and accessible to staff.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

133. Staff have worked hard to provide an appropriate and updated curriculum and this has contributed to the satisfactory progress the school has made since the last inspection. The school has made good use of the resources at a neighbouring school while planning their Brent Knoll School - 44 own improvements. However, these improvements have been impeded by the slowness of the contracted company in completing the installation of new equipment and the development of a network. Much of the equipment, including the computers in the classrooms, could not be used during the inspection, as they were not all functioning properly.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

134. Pupils’ achievements are satisfactory overall and judgements are based on the skills and understanding that pupils demonstrated during lessons which were taught using the information technology resources at the neighbouring school. The school has kept very little evidence of pupils’ achievements. This is partly due the difficulties with the resources, and partly, because the school does not sufficiently annotate pupils’ work to show what they have achieved and when. There is too little evidence, both in pupils’ work and from lessons to make a judgement of progress at Key Stage 1, but at Key Stage 2, the work seen in lessons shows that pupils’ make satisfactory progress. However, some pupils’ skills in using the keyboard are underdeveloped due to interrupted provision. At Key Stages 3 and 4, pupils’ make satisfactory progress, as the skills and understanding are taught both discretely and through other subjects. They use their skills in data handling in other subjects, such as,

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

mathematics and science, and there is some evidence that pupils can use a word processing application to edit and write pieces of work in English. As they progress through the school, they show that they are able to open files, save work and print it. They use both the keyboard and the mouse to control a pointer. Pupils at Key Stage 4 who attend link courses at the local college are taught discretely, and this helps them to make satisfactory progress. Pupils’ progress in using the Internet for research and their ability to control objects through simple programming is not well developed.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

135. Teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. At Key Stage 1, during the week of the inspection there were no opportunities to observe teaching and therefore there are no judgements at this key stage. Teaching is good at Key Stage 2, and satisfactory in Key Stages 3 and 4. In the best lessons, the teachers use their good knowledge, understanding and skills to give a clear explanation of the tasks. This enables the pupils to learn quickly and effectively. Opportunities for reinforcement are frequently used, but teachers do not always use the same words consistently when describing actions. Planning and preparation are good but more attention needs to be given to the way skills are taught. For example, there is a tendency for teachers and learning support assistants to tell or show rather than allowing pupils to explore and discover. This results in pupils making satisfactory progress in the lesson, but having difficulty in recalling how something was done on a previous occasion.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Where the teaching is good, so is pupils’ progress. This was most noticeable in Key Stage 2, where pupils work hard to respond to high expectations. In all lessons behaviour is very good, and occasionally it is excellent. Attitudes to the lessons are positive; pupils are attentive and listen carefully. They support each other, and are aware of what they can do and where they have difficulties and need more help. Brent Knoll School - 45 136. Overall, the curriculum is good. Sufficient time is given to the subject at all key stages and the school meets statutory requirements. However, there is an imbalance in the experiences pupils receive, since opportunities to handle data, control and measure are limited. Good use has been made of the facilities at the local secondary school to supplement the amount of equipment of equipment and also give pupils at Key Stages 3 and 4 social experiences outside their own school. However, due to changes in the mainstream

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

school, these facilities have not been available recently. The computer club, which is held after school is a positive experience where pupils enjoy good support. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and the keeping of pieces of work to show progress over time is in need of improvement, so that pupils’ achievements and the progress they make can be monitored.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

137. The subject is an area of ongoing development in the school and is reflected very appropriately in the school’s development plan. With the new equipment installed and a newly appointed co-ordinator, the school has positive goals for the subject. These include the implementation of a broader curriculum and the intention to consider accreditation for pupils at the end of Key Stage 4.

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French

138. Achievements in French are good. Pupils’ attitudes to learning a language are always good and all pupils now make good progress, which shows a good improvement since the last inspection. There is an emphasis on speaking and listening, but the pupils also undertake written work and reading. The amount of work they cover in one lesson a week is good.

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French

139. Achievements are good at Key Stage 3. Pupils repeat after the teacher and count up to ten. They understand simple instructions, such as "fold your arms", "listen" given in French and can match written words and say the words for "crayon", "bag" and "ruler". By the end of the key stage pupils make good progress. Higher attaining pupils remember vocabulary to describe a person’s face and lower attaining pupils repeat the words after the teacher, when they stick eyes, hair, glasses and a moustache onto the outline of a face. Their progress could be even better if they were given more strategies for remembering new vocabulary.

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French

140. Achievements are also good at Key Stage 4. They show they have understood short phrases in the context of the role-play of a Tourist Office and request information such as a map of the town or a list of available hotels. Pupils say which pets they like in answer to the question "Qu’est ce que tu prefer?”. By the end of the key stage, they make good progress and all pupils gain at least a pass, and some gain merit or distinction, in the Certificate of Achievement, despite the fact that they only have one lesson each week.

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French

141. Teaching and learning are good. Lessons are well planning with clear objectives that are shared with the pupils, so that they understand what they are meant to be doing at each stage of the lesson. Pupils are well managed, including one very large class, and they respond well to the lessons and concentrate hard. Interesting activities, such as role-play, listening to tapes, flash cards and games, motivates the pupils and they are prepared to speak in French or repeat after the teacher. Some pupils have a difficulty recognising phrases they have learnt when they hear it spoken by a French person on the tape. Pupils Brent Knoll School - 46 also find it difficult to remember new vocabulary, they are given few strategies, such as, visual clues, so they can recall them another time.

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French

142. The curriculum is good. There is a good variety and range of different activities organised as whole class, small groups, pairs or individual work. Learning objectives for individual pupils in the subject are good, but do not provide a focus for those pupils who have additional special needs, and whose targets need to be addressed within lessons. Assessment is good, with end of unit tests being given to pupils. The results from these are used to plan what will be learnt next. Older pupils undertake the Certificate of Achievement and some also take GCSE.

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French

143. The subject is well co-ordinated and there is a clear direction for the improvement and management of the subject. Accommodation remains unsatisfactory since the last inspection. There is no base for the teacher, and the resources, which are good, have to be moved around from class to class. As a result it is not possible to use an overhead projector, which means there are missed opportunities for ways of working that include a visual input during oral work. French, which is learnt by all pupils at both Key Stages 3 and 4 makes a good contribution to the pupils’ growing understanding of other cultures.

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MUSIC

144. There has been a significant improvement in music since the previous inspection. Music is now taught at all key stages and permeates the life of the school. Policy documents and schemes of work are good, resources are very good and well used. Assessment procedures are in place and are effective.

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MUSIC

145. Achievement and progress across the school are good. The children in the Foundation Stage try very hard to pluck instruments properly. They tap in time when listening to tapes of ‘Peter and the Wolf’. Higher attaining pupils at Key Stage 1, play simple instruments to accompany songs, and sing some of the words. Others make cat sounds whilst looking at pictures in the book and listening to the tape. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils understand the need for good posture when singing. They sing scales to practice. All are able to create their own music and identify different speeds of pulse. They identify the difference in sounds from different drums.

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MUSIC

146. By the end of Key Stage 3, pupils understand a composers’ brief, know the names of notes and clap to a variety of rhythms. These pupils can create atmospheric music and use electronic keyboards to develop patterns. They are beginning to tape their results and evaluate the end product. The higher attaining pupils compose simple plainchant music for keyboards. They use very good musical terms, such as polyphonic, when describing pieces. The lower attaining pupils use sound-scapes, atmospheric themes, to produce acoustic and electronic music. They need some help writing music and know the names of crotchets and quavers. By the time they leave school, pupils can differentiate between different types of music. They know how to set up their own keyboards and headsets. They understand how music has developed and discuss this with teachers. One pupil has achieved well enough to attend a mainstream school to follow a music course at GCSE level.

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MUSIC

147. The teaching and learning of music is always good. At Key Stage 4 it is very good. Pupils’ work is always well planned and directed, and learning outcomes match the differing abilities of the pupils. Music teaching is animated and positive, and this encourages pupils to take part and to learn through imitation and practice. Lessons are interesting and well resourced, so that pupils want to play the instruments. Lessons are also well explained so that pupils understand what is to happen. Teachers understand their pupils and their subject; and keep good records of attainment and tapes of performances. Standards are high and Brent Knoll School - 47 pupils are expected to do their best. The very good relationships between staff and pupils ensure that pupils try hard. For example, at Key Stage 4 where pupils work towards gaining Certificates of Achievement, learning is very good. With extra help from school staff pupils at

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MUSIC

this stage learn to play drums, how to keep a rhythm on bass guitar and keyboards.

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MUSIC

148. Pupils’ learning across the rest of the school is good. As a result of the good learning activities all pupils want to be involved in creating and performing, and all are eager to learn. Pupils help each other when performing or writing, sharing ideas and are pleased when their ideas work. Relationships between pupils and staff, and between groups of pupils are very good. As a result pupils willingly work in groups without rancour, and ensures the smooth running of lessons. The school has a group of pupils who have volunteered to take part in a choir, and they are confident enough to perform in assemblies and in front of visitors to the school.

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MUSIC

149. Pupils’ cultural development is well supported through the school’s emphasis on music from a range of nations, for example, Africa and America, as well as their own countries. Personal develop is also well supported as pupils learn how to respect instruments, and volunteer to put them away.

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MUSIC

150. The curriculum is balanced and broad and it now meets all statutory requirements. Much has been done to develop schemes of work, policies and planning. These are all good, and include plans for visiting musicians to enrich the curriculum. Resources are very good. Assessment is now in place and this enables planning to build on pupils’ achievements. The subject is well led and managed by two co-ordinators who are enthusiastic, well qualified and supportive of colleagues. Co-ordinators monitor planning but have few opportunities to observe colleagues. They set high standards, in teaching and learning. Teamwork is good, but learning support assistants could be more effective, especially in the secondary classes where they could be more involved in assessment.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

151. There has been a good improvement in physical education since the last inspection. The subject is now very well organised, with a good scheme of work throughout the school, very good resources, and teaching that is good.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

152. Pupils’ achievements and their progress are good in all key stages. This is because the teaching is good overall, and often very good. The youngest pupils are beginning to listen to instructions, and to follow them. They enjoy the activities, and are starting to play team games and individual activities. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have made good progress. They use the apparatus safely in games and exercises, such as, running, jumping, hopping, and landing from different heights. Lessons start with an aerobics warm-up, which pupils enjoy. They are learning to co-ordinate their movements, both individually, and as a whole group in the aerobics sessions. They throw and catch balls, bounce them whilst standing or moving, and higher attaining pupils shoot a ball accurately into the basketball net. They are beginning to understand teamwork. Pupils are confident in the water, with some floating with

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

armbands or other supports, and splashing around in the water in pre-swimming movements. Brent Knoll School - 48 153. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have made good improvement in their skills and their awareness of team games. They achieve well in gymnastics, where they demonstrate good poise, movement and balance. They play a variety of games indoors and out, including badminton, handball, short tennis, hockey and football. On the trampoline, all pupils have some basic skills, and the more physically able can jump straight, land and stop safely, and perform straddle and tuck jumps.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

154. By the end of Key Stage 3, pupils have taken part in a wider range of activities. On the trampoline, they perform front drops and full aerial twists, and the lower attaining pupils make good efforts in the simpler moves. Pupils are more aware of the need for healthy exercise and diet, for warm-ups, stretches and cool down activities, and the need to handle and work on the apparatus sensibly and safely. Teamwork and co-operation are better understood, as pupils improve their tactical skills, as well as actually hitting, kicking and throwing balls. By the end of Key Stage 4, pupils have developed well again, and take part in a range of physical activities with some skill, balance and stamina. They have a better understanding of tactics and teamwork. On the trampoline their movements are more refined and controlled. They take part in athletics events, such as, sprint running and relay races, hurdles, throwing balls

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

and mock javelins, and jumping. Pupils evaluate their own performance, and that of their classmates, sensibly and well. They are keen, and play games in a good spirit of teamwork as well as competition.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

155. Physical education makes a good contribution to pupils’ wider developments, such as, the development of very good social skills, when working in teams and pairs, or appreciating and praising each others’ efforts. There is a sense of awe and wonder when observing skills of the teacher in basketball, racquetball, badminton, and trampolining. Numeracy skills are well encouraged, along with foreign language skills, by, for example, counting in French when on the trampoline, and keeping scores at all the games.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

156. Overall the teaching is good and in some lessons it is very good. This is due to both teachers being subject specialists. There are high expectations for pupils’ achievements and behaviour, which enables them to work at a good pace and with a very high degree of concentration. The teachers are very enthusiastic and this motivates the pupils to do well, and to make good efforts to succeed. Teachers plan their lessons very well within a good scheme of long term planning, and so pupils learn in a structured sequence of skills and activities, each stage building well on the previous one. Teachers maintain good discipline in their lessons, and manage their pupils very well. For the youngest pupils, and those in Key Stage 1, it is a major aim of the teaching that pupils should listen to instructions, and comply with them, as an essential safety point in physical education.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

157. Within the school, and when teachers take pupils out, such as, for squash or racquetball, teachers’ expectations are high. This is especially towards the top of the school, where the teacher has a very good rapport with pupils. This leads to very good concentration, a high level of motivation, and a very good pace of learning. In one very good lesson the pupils were very well behaved, took up their positions around the trampoline with no fuss, and took turns to demonstrate their current skills as the warm-up activity. They counted, in French, the number of bounces each pupil completed, applauding good straddle jumps or seat drops. The teacher highlighted some errors in technique and enabled the watching pupils to see how to improve their own performance. By the end of the lesson, all pupils had made a good attempt at the new skill, most could do it fairly well, and several could do it very competently.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Brent Knoll School - 49 158. The leadership and management are very good. The two teachers co-operate well together, and some lessons are monitored and assessed. The co-ordinator has very good subject knowledge, qualifications and experience, and has a clear view of recent and pending developments. There is a good subject development plan and a subject budget to support it. The policy is very good, comprehensive, clear and practical. Long term planning is also good, with good modules that cover a wide range of activities that are very relevant to the pupils’ needs, and that they find motivating and exciting. The co-ordinator has plans to introduce more outdoor and adventurous pursuits, such as, orienteering. Assessment of physical education is satisfactory. Teachers know their pupils very well, and keep summative records of progress in different activities. The end of year reports to parents contain a lot of

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

information, but are difficult for parents and pupils to understand and some do not actually say what each individual pupil can do. Curriculum learning objectives are too broad, and some could refer to any subject, as they state what the teacher will do, not the pupil. For example, "Will be positively encouraged to refine and adapt their existing skills."

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

159. The resources for physical education are very good, with a very good range of small apparatus as well as a good selection of the larger equipment, which are relevant to the curriculum. The accommodation is unsatisfactory. The grassed area is too small to be used for physical education; the hall is too small for indoor games with a class of teenagers; it is also used as a dining room, a classroom for some lessons, and for assemblies. There is too little storage space for equipment, and chairs and tables often need to be moved out of the way before lessons can begin.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION

160. Personal, social and health education has improved since that last inspection. It now contains more emphasis on health education with the introduction of sex education and drugs awareness. Drama and role-play have also become methods for teaching important issues, such as, citizenship. The independence skills of pupils are currently being supported by the inclusion of a life-skills course for particular pupils, which is being run by learning support assistants. This subject supports the aims and values of the school very well.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION

161. Pupils, across the school, achieve very well and make very good progress. This is especially so, at Key Stages 3 and 4. This is reflected in their very good attitudes to school, their socially acceptable behaviour, and as they move into Key Stage 4, the mature attitudes they have and confidence they demonstrate. For example, during a lesson on Aids in Year 10, pupils discussed openly and confidently the hazards and dangers of drug taking and unprotected sexual relationships. However, the social skills at meal times of primary pupils could be better and more acceptable.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION

162. Teaching and learning is overall very good in lessons, and for the majority of the time there are high expectations of pupils outside of the classroom. The one exception is at lunchtime for the primary pupils where the expectations for socially acceptable behaviour are not high enough, and as a result, some pupils do not use cutlery to eat with, leave the table while eating and shout across the dining room. All teachers have a good awareness of the content of the personal, social and health education programme, especially at Key Stages 3 and 4, where it is taught by one teacher with a high level of dedication and expertise. There is very good attention given to keywords in all lessons and this helps pupils develop and use their literacy skills in other situations. This is especially so, in careers education, for example, where pupils are concentrating on learning the words connected with job searching skills.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION

The teaching methods used by all teachers are good and involve the use of a variety of tasks, such as, games, reading, recording and feedback. For example, Year 9 pupils have to work collaboratively to design a school badge and are given a few minutes to stand up and feedback to the class. This keeps pupils motivated and the pace of the lesson fast. Teachers’ Brent Knoll School - 50 planning is very good, and a new format has just been introduced to the careers education by the teachers who have newly assumed the responsibility. All planning gives details of the learning outcomes and the key words. All teachers finish lessons with a session where pupils reflect on what they have studied, learnt or achieved and they therefore beginning to evaluate their own learning.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION

163. The curriculum is very good across the school. In its formal structure, it has been established longer at Key Stages 3 and 4, than at Key Stages 1 and 2, and is being added to as national initiatives are introduced, such as, citizenship. Pupils are exposed to a wide range of topics and issues from a comprehensive curriculum. This helps them to form opinions, become more informed about aspects of adult life, such as, drugs awareness and Aids, and become prepared for life after school. The careers and vocational educational element of the subject is well established in the school, but lacks the involvement of local business and industry. For example, there is no mini enterprise run in the school, and no evidence of visitors from outside being invited in to help pupils develop interview skills. All modules of work have curriculum learning outcomes for the pupils, but the absence of individual targets

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION

for pupils with additional special needs does not allow teachers to consider how to support them in their planning. Assessment procedures are good and the school is able to chart from them, progress over time in personal development.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION

164. The leadership is very good. The school has two co-ordinators and a separate co- ordinator for careers guidance and vocational education. All have a clear view of the developments needed in their areas, and subject development planning is well developed. There is very much a sense of ownership by the co-ordinators who are committed to improving the subject. Teaching takes place in classrooms that are too small for many of the classes at Key Stage 3 and 4, especially for role-play. The lack of a library also means that the school does not have a careers reference library and does not allow pupils to research jobs and courses, either in books or on the Internet.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

165. The improvement in the subject is satisfactory, as the good standards of teaching and progress identified in the last inspection have been maintained.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

166. At Key Stages 1 and 2 pupils achieve well. At Key Stage 1 pupils listen to the story of the King’s Elephant, and talk about how people are affected by what they see and hear. At Key Stage 2, pupils learn about Christianity, with a reflection on the stories from the Bible, which they know is special book to Christians. Pupils understand that it is a collection of different book, and that some were written before Jesus was born. Pupils recall their visits to a church, look at photographs and handle artefacts. They have an opportunity to smell incense and sit quietly listening to a tape of hymns. Pupils’ achievements at Key Stage 3 are good and in one lesson observed very good. They discover facts about pilgrimage to Mecca and discuss the way people must behave. Where achievement is very good pupils discuss spiritual qualities. They contribute to a discussion on the importance of such qualities as

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

respect. No lessons were observed at Key Stage 4 but from discussion with pupils and scrutiny of schemes of work, pupils make good progress towards their targets in their record of achievement. They have studied the lives of special people, such as, Martin Luther-King and Mother Theresa, and can discuss the way that the study of these famous people can influence the way the pupils see people.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

167. Teaching and learning is good overall. It is good at Key Stages 1 and 2, and at Key Stage 3 is very good. Lessons are well planned to ensure pupils can remember what they have already learned and this is used as a basis for new learning. Teachers have good subject knowledge and can explain important facts clearly so that pupils understand. Methods Brent Knoll School - 51 are used which keep pupils attention, such as, with younger pupils where pupils need to use all their senses, they have artefacts to touch and feel, and sometimes to smell. Pupils listen to stories and to music and look at pictures and photographs. Expectations of pupils are high and lessons move at a good pace. Where teaching and learning are very good individual pupils are challenged and encouraged, and opportunities are given to develop spiritual, social and moral awareness through discussion and by relating what pupils have learned to their

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

everyday lives. Contributions to pupils’ cultural development are made through the study of different faiths.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

168. The subject is well led and managed. The two subject co-ordinators work closely together to ensure that there is continuity and progression between the key stages. There is a good policy and the scheme of work is based on the Lewisham Agreed Syllabus. Pupils at Key Stage 4 study for the Certificate of Achievement. Assessment procedures are satisfactory and follow those recommended in the Agreed Syllabus. The subject is monitored by co-ordinators through teachers’ planning and scrutiny of work from classes throughout the school. There is an annual audit of the subject by senior managers. Resources for religious education are excellent. There is a broad range of material ranging from costume to newspaper cuttings and the resources are well organised and accessible.

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