Thorntree Primary School

THORNTREE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 7 th – 8 th November 2000

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THORNTREE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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THORNTREE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Thorntree Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Nursery, Infant and Junior

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Thorntree Road Charlton London Postcode: SE7 8AE

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr N Stevens

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: October 1996 Thorntree Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Mr M S Burghart [20865] Registered inspector Dr F Hurd [9487] Lay inspector Mrs S Teacher [10270] Team inspector

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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 Thorntree Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Thorntree Primary School is situated in Charlton in the London Borough of Greenwich. The school is housed in a 1927 building, extended significantly to provide good accommodation for seven classes. In a separate temporary building the school provides part time nursery places for 50 children; 25 in the morning and 25 in the afternoon. There are 179 children on the main school roll aged from 4 to 11. All but one class contains pupils from only one age group. Pupils are drawn from the local surrounding area from a combination of private and rented accommodation. Most of the pupils attend the school’s nursery before starting Year R. Their attainment on entry to the school, varies, but overall is below average. The headteacher has been in post for nine years having been appointed to the infant school which became an all through primary in 1996. She is supported by seven full time, and three part time, teachers. There are 49 pupils on the special educational needs register. This accounts for

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

23.7 per cent of the main school roll, and is slightly above the national average. Three pupils have formal statements under the terms of the DfEE Code of Practice 1 . Eighty children are known to be eligible for free school meals, which as a proportion is well above the national average. Forty pupils are entitled to extra support as a consequence of having English as an additional language, although none are in the first stages of English acquisition.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Thorntree Primary School is a friendly community where children and staff get on well together. Teaching is good and this helps most pupils to make satisfactory progress overall. The majority of pupils start with below average levels of attainment. Good progress is made in the nursery and in literacy throughout the school. Although the school can show that it has added value to pupils’ education by the time they leave, especially in creative, moral and social development, standards in core subjects are below what is expected of pupils of this age. There is still more to do to raise standards and develop the management of monitoring at the school. However, the head and staff are working hard together to improve the situation. The school’s ethos is good and children respond positively. Parents have very positive views of the school. Currently the school gives satisfactory value for money overall.

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What the school does well

• The nursery gives children a very successful start to their education. • Support for pupils with special educational needs is very good. • Literacy is well planned and well taught. • Teaching is predominantly good. • The school has a positive ethos and pupils’ response is good.

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What could be improved

• Standards of English, mathematics and science are below national averages. Aspects of management, including monitoring and setting levels of special educational needs, are insufficiently developed. • Some subjects, notably information and communication technology and religious education, are underemphasised. Some Year R children do not have full access to the required Foundation Stage curriculum. Aspects of equality of opportunity need improving. • Acts of collective worship do not meet statutory requirements and pupils’ spiritual awareness could be improved. • Some aspects of maintenance require attention and there are still outside toilets. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

1 The DfEE Code of Practice gives practical advice to schools and local education authorities about their responsibilities to ensure that all pupils who have special educational needs receive the most appropriate help to further their learning and personal development. This is a statutory duty under the 1993 Education Act. Thorntree Primary School - 7 The last report highlighted four issues for development. Overall, the school has made satisfactory progress in addressing these. There is greater consideration of the needs of more able pupils, but still more to do to ensure that they reach their full potential. Curriculum planning has been improved with better policies, and better links between long and short term plans. A better system of record keeping and assessment procedures is now in place and the school has begun to make better use of results. Some initiatives are new and their impact is yet to be evaluated. The quality of the school development plan has been improved,

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

although there is still more to do to develop prioritising and systematic monitoring. In addition literacy and numeracy have been successfully introduced and substantial improvements to the building and resources have considerably enhanced provision. Outside toilets still have a negative effect.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Pupils’ attainment on entry is below average and in some cases well below. Standards are below national averages when pupils leave the school. However, some progress, particularly in English is evident in the proportion of pupils reaching higher levels. The school is aware of the need to improve standards. For Year 2000 national assessments standards for those in Year 2 were well below average in reading, writing and mathematics both by national standards and when compared with similar schools. Standards for the Foundation Stage 2 in the nursery are good.

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STANDARDS

In a short inspection it is not possible to make detailed judgements about all other subjects, but there are strengths in art, music and physical education. Standards, for work completed, in information and communication technology (ICT) and religious education appear satisfactory, but where too little time is allocated to each subject this negatively affects pupils’ progress, especially in Key Stage 2 3 . Pupils listed as having special educational needs make good progress and their learning is good.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

2 From September 2000, the term Foundation Stage refers to children’s education from the age of three until the end of the reception year. 3 Key Stage 2 refers to pupils in Years 3 to 6 aged seven to eleven and Key Stage 1 to pupils in Years 1 and 2 aged five to seven. Thorntree Primary School - 8

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good: pupils sustain concentration. They enjoy school and show respect for adults, each other, resources and the building.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good with very good features, notwithstanding those pupils who can, and sometimes do, present problems. Most pupils respond well to authority.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good (particularly good in the nursery). Children take responsibility and can be trusted. They show initiative, are usually considerate to one another and relationships are good.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Satisfactory: in line with the national average and improving.

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

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

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

The overall profile of teaching is good and has positive effects on pupils’ learning. This constitutes an improvement since the last inspection. There are good features in planning, questioning and relationships. Literacy is generally well taught and standards are improving. The quality of numeracy teaching is satisfactory. Teaching for nursery children is consistently good. Weaknesses in teaching observed: concern a lack of pace, providing insufficient challenge for pupils; and marking which, particularly in the previous school year, was incomplete and did not set sufficient targets for improvement. Special educational needs teaching is effective, particularly in withdrawal work, and makes a positive contribution to pupils’ good learning and progress. Teaching of English as an additional language is satisfactory. Overall staff manage pupils effectively and make good use of resources and present an attractive learning environment. The quality of music and physical education

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

teaching is much improved since the last report, with better provision.

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

Ninety-three per cent of lessons were judged satisfactory or better with thirty-four per cent good and twenty-four per cent very good. Good teaching has positive impacts but a lack of confidence, knowledge and understanding of some teachers in some subjects (notably ICT) has negative effects. There were particular strengths in lessons observed in Year 1, Year 3, and at the top of Key Stage 2. Thorntree Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum A broad curriculum is enriched by visits and homework, but the balance of the timetable needs reviewing. Some subjects are underemphasised. Literacy rightfully has a high proportion of time. The nursery curriculum is very good, but there is a lack of Foundation Stage opportunities for those in Year R currently taught with Year 1.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Teaching and support very good in withdrawal work for additional literacy. Pupils make good and sometimes very good progress. However, some pupils who should be on the special needs register are not considered for extra support. This gives a false picture and negatively affects the school’s potential for strategic planning.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory: currently no pupils are in the first stages of learning English.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good provision with strengths in moral and social aspects. Cultural satisfactory, but spiritual planning needs more obvious consideration. Children withdrawn for recorders, music and choir activities too often miss the same lessons.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory overall. A safe, secure environment. Pastoral care good, staff know pupils well. A good school ethos. Assessment procedures improved, but still more to do to make better use of results. Concerns about outside toilets, the fabric of the nursery and roof leaks in the main building.

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Aspect Comment

Links with parents are good. Parents have very positive views of the school and feel that the school does well compared with others locally.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Hard working headteacher and staff manage pastoral aspects well. They are committed to raising standards. Better structure for monitoring standards and provision needed. Role of subject co- ordinators underdeveloped. Very detailed school development plan and paperwork in some need of prioritising and summarising to present clear educational direction. Pupils are well managed.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory: appropriate committee structure. Governors support the school. Good involvement in building improvements. There is a need to set appropriate targets for performance management. Statutory requirements not met for worship or teacher appraisal.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Much data collected. More to do to make the best use of information to prioritise efforts and raise standards.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory: with good features in building improvements, notwithstanding outside toilets. Resources and accommodation used effectively. The use of support staff during introductions and review times is not maximised. Day to day running of the school and the budget are efficient.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like coming. • The school is approachable. • Standards of behaviour. • Leadership. • The school helps children to become mature. • Lack of support for the more able. • Information about progress. • Short junior lunch break. • Too few classroom assistants.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors find that there is a commitment to support more able pupils, but some could be stretched further. Compared with other schools, the school provides sufficient information about progress. Lunch breaks are judged to be adequate. Classroom assistants are not always used efficiently during introductions and review sessions, and an improvement to their management is needed.

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‘The nursery gives children a very successful start to their education.’

1. Children in the Foundation Stage in the nursery are introduced to school through a rich and stimulating range of activities. When they are first admitted the majority of children are below average and some well below. Many children lack experience in speaking and listening. Through very good planning and very good provision, especially teaching, children make rapid progress. Most children currently in the nursery are on line to achieve the Early Learning Goals 4 before the end of the Foundation Stage at the end of Year R and some before the end of the nursery.

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‘The nursery gives children a very successful start to their education.’

2. During the course of their morning or afternoon session children are provided with well planned opportunities for each of the six required areas: language and literacy; mathematics; personal, social and emotional development; knowledge and understanding of the world; creative and physical development. Children respond very well and are often totally absorbed: for example speaking and singing number rhymes, enthusiastically joining in the actions; or eagerly ‘writing ‘ their names in paint mixed with shaving foam. Children obviously enjoy school and this forms the basis of the good attitudes towards school evident in older pupils.

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‘The nursery gives children a very successful start to their education.’

3. The nursery is well resourced inside and outdoors, where new climbing equipment is particularly well used. It presents a colourful, stimulating, safe environment which positively encourages learning. Display is very good and shows that children’s efforts are valued. The result is that children become confident, make choices readily and enjoy committing themselves orally, and on paper, in painting, printing and writing. Communication skills are given high priority and good observation and record keeping by staff make it possible to target individual children to ensure they are getting the most from activities.

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‘The nursery gives children a very successful start to their education.’

4. Children work and play well with each other and their personal development is good. They take turns with little fuss and demonstrate attention spans that are often longer than expected for this age group. Together children explore and learn about the wider world. Skilful teaching encourages children to talk about what they experience. Very good questioning gets children to respond with more than one word and more able children were observed beginning to express opinions and preferences.

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‘The nursery gives children a very successful start to their education.’

5. Good use of literacy skills is encouraged in mathematics where children learn to make comparisons such as bigger than and heavier than. The use of computers is introduced at an early stage so that children are aware of the relationships between keyboard, mouse, monitor and printer before they move into the main school.

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‘The nursery gives children a very successful start to their education.’

6. Most children are emerging as readers. By the end of nursery they know that English writing and books go from left to right and that words have meaning. Many children can associate sounds with some letters and recognise their names. A minority can read simple sentences before they leave the nursery.

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‘The nursery gives children a very successful start to their education.’

7. All staff associated with the nursery make valuable contributions to children’s learning. They are well prepared, hardworking and knowledgeable about education for the early years. Staff know children well and offer sensitive and, where necessary firm, support.

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‘The nursery gives children a very successful start to their education.’

8. The nursery is well managed and provides very good value for money.

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‘Support for pupils with special educational needs is very good.’

4 QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) has produced a set of ‘Early Learning Goals’, comprised of skills, knowledge and understanding that children might be expected to achieve by the end of the reception year. There are six areas of learning: personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literature; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; creative development; and physical development. Thorntree Primary School - 12 9. Those children identified as having special educational needs benefit from extra help, often being withdrawn to work in small groups or individually with learning support assistants. The quality of this support is very good. Pupils are well challenged and frequently make good and very good progress. This was observed as particularly effective in literacy activities for Year 4 and Year 6. Support staff are well briefed, know pupils well and have a good

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‘Support for pupils with special educational needs is very good.’

understanding of special educational needs and the National Literacy Strategy.

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‘Support for pupils with special educational needs is very good.’

10. Withdrawal times are varied to ensure pupils do not always miss the same lessons. Such support is well managed by the special educational needs co-ordinator and head, and the requirements of the Code of Practice are well met for those currently on the special educational needs register. However, the practice of only listing pupils for whom the school can presently afford support, gives a false picture of overall need which means that strategic long term planning cannot take full account of the situation. The quality of individual education plans is good. Sensible targets are set which are both achievable and challenging and provide a good basis for day to day planning. These plans are regularly reviewed and communication with parents is appropriate.

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‘Support for pupils with special educational needs is very good.’

11. When working as part of classes pupils are supported by classroom learning support assistants as well as the class teacher. When work is planned at different levels: for example in literacy hour, pupils benefit and make good progress. The best teaching creates opportunities for special educational needs pupils to take a full part in lessons. For example in a Year 3 religious education lesson the teacher was very careful to encourage the least able pupils to suggest how an Aboriginal creation story might end. However, where work set is very much the same for all pupils in the class, support is less effective.

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‘Support for pupils with special educational needs is very good.’

12. Special educational needs pupils are made aware that their work is valued. There is a good system for rewarding effort, and work is effectively displayed. Where pupils who have, for example difficulty in literacy show strengths in other areas, care is taken to recognise their successes, especially in art, music and physical education. The school is good at showing that all children matter and pupils respond positively.

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‘Literacy is well planned and well taught.’

13. Since the last inspection the school has successfully introduced the National Literacy Strategy. Literacy is well taught throughout, being very well supported with good planning, clear objectives, good staff training and improved resources.

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‘Literacy is well planned and well taught.’

14. Standards are improving: notably in speaking, listening and reading throughout the school; and in writing for junior pupils. However, standards are still below the national average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 where pupils are formally assessed, but are well above average in English compared with similar schools (those with between 35 per cent and 50 per cent free school meals) when pupils are 11. This has been the case for the last two years. However, 23 per cent of Year 6 pupils achieved above average standards in English in Year 2000 assessments which is an improvement over previous years.

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‘Literacy is well planned and well taught.’

15. Literacy skills are used well in other subjects. For example:

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‘Literacy is well planned and well taught.’

§ Good discussions about what historical artefacts might tell us in Year 5 work on Ancient Greeks; § Very good negotiation and explanations from Year 1 in science when classifying living and non living things; § Writing about Tudor life in Year 6; § Role play used effectively to illustrate caring for others through the story of The Good Samaritan in religious education in Year 4.

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‘Literacy is well planned and well taught.’

16. Literacy and English have an appropriately high profile in the weekly timetable in response to assessment results. Very good booster class opportunities are created after Thorntree Primary School - 13 school for Year 5 and 6 pupils in order to help them reach appropriate levels. These classes are well supported by staff, pupils and parents and although such lessons extend the school day until 5 p.m. and some children are tired, effects are good.

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‘Literacy is well planned and well taught.’

17. Good co-ordination and monitoring of work (with the exception of teachers’ marking which, although recently improved, has not been comprehensive enough) in literacy is effective and has positive impacts on provision and pupils’ learning. Because plans are good and the school presents a consistent approach to teaching English, pupils are making good progress. The management of the subject, closely linked to staff in-service opportunities, is a good model for development in other curriculum areas.

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‘Teaching is predominantly good.’

18. The overall profile of teaching observed during this inspection was good and an improvement since the last report. Ninety-three per cent of lessons were satisfactory or better, with 34 per cent good and 24 per cent very good. All teachers and a variety of support assistants were observed teaching a representative range of subjects.

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‘Teaching is predominantly good.’

19. Teaching in the nursery was consistently very good. Children are excited by the stimulating range of activities on offer, as a result their learning is very good and their progress is often rapid. Nursery staff relate very well to children and have very good understanding of the needs of young children. However, Year R children do not follow the required structure of the Foundation Stage closely enough. The teacher’s task is complicated by this class having a mixture of Year R children and Year 1 pupils. As a consequence opportunities for both age groups are sometimes negatively affected.

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‘Teaching is predominantly good.’

20. In Key Stage 1 teaching is generally satisfactory with good features, particularly in literacy where very good planning for the National Literacy Strategy supports teachers well. For pupils in Key Stage 2 teaching is usually good and sometimes very good. Strengths are in English and art where pupils are taught successfully not only how to make good use of literacy skills, but to express themselves confidently through a variety of media: for example good observational pencil drawings of Greek artefacts in Year 5; and very good sculpture work undertaken with an artist in residence.

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‘Teaching is predominantly good.’

21. Good elements of teaching common to the whole school are in:

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‘Teaching is predominantly good.’

§ Relationships, staff know pupils well. Teachers relate well and sensitively to pupils, and where it is appropriate, firmly, and pupils respond with respect; § Good questioning: staff ask relevant questions and most are good at getting all pupils to respond and participate: for example in a Year 1 English lesson the teacher skilfully asked probing questions and insisted pupils answer in more than one word, expressing opinions.

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‘Teaching is predominantly good.’

22. Pupils with special educational needs are very well taught in withdrawal groups particularly for literacy and numeracy. Learning support assistants have a very good understanding of pupils’ needs and are themselves very well supported by good individual education plans written by class teachers. When pupils with special educational needs work as part of the class the quality of extra support is satisfactory. However, not all activities planned for classes make sufficient allowance for pupils of different abilities. This sometimes means both lower and higher attaining pupils do not make as much progress as they could: for example in a Year 2 ICT lesson where activities were not well chosen to suit objectives; and a Year 6 history lesson where work was very well matched to higher attaining pupils, but did not sufficiently involve average and less able pupils. Teaching for those pupils with English as an additional language is satisfactory. Currently, no such pupils are in the first

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‘Teaching is predominantly good.’

stages of learning English and there is sufficient support to enable them to make sound progress. 23. Weaknesses in teaching (closely linked to gaps in the school’s monitoring of provision) feature: Thorntree Primary School - 14 § Lack of pace in lessons with introductions overlong and objectives not clear: for example in a Year 4 mathematics lesson where pupils did not fully understand what to do; § Pupils' work is not consistently marked. When taking into account a large sample of pupils’ work from 1999 – 2000 across the school, too much work had no comments and there was not enough indication of how pupils could improve; § Lack of confidence, knowledge and understanding of some staff in some subjects, which has resulted in an underemphasis, notably in ICT.

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‘Teaching is predominantly good.’

24. The introduction of specialist teaching for music and physical education has had positive effects. The quality of such teaching is good. Pupils reach high standards because of it and this is a good example of improvement following the last inspection report.

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‘Teaching is predominantly good.’

25. The positive nature of teaching currently provided by the school is an improvement over the previous report. This is having a good effect on standards and in the majority of lessons observed pupils’ work was broadly in line with expectations for this age group.

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‘Teaching is predominantly good.’

26. Although formal teacher appraisal does not meet statutory requirements, the school does seek to support staff development with an appropriate range and number of opportunities for training.

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‘The school has a positive ethos and pupils’ response is good.’

27. Notwithstanding the minority of pupils who have individual education plans featuring behavioural targets, standards of behaviour are good. Pupils respond positively to school and 98 per cent of parents report that their children like school. In no lessons observed was behaviour less than satisfactory.

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‘The school has a positive ethos and pupils’ response is good.’

28. Pupils show respect for staff, volunteers, resources and the building. From their start in the nursery children are taught to be considerate and this continues throughout the school.

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‘The school has a positive ethos and pupils’ response is good.’

29. Pupils respond well to the routines of the school and are well aware of right and wrong. Staff set a good example and relationships throughout are good. Teachers listen to pupils and most pupils respond by joining in well. This encourages pupils to learn: for example all but one child recommended for ‘booster’ class support in literacy and numeracy after school for Year 5 and 6 attend regularly.

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‘The school has a positive ethos and pupils’ response is good.’

30. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, have attitudes that are good. Most pupils are polite and hardworking and many instances of children helping each other were noted: for example in Year 6 literacy a more able pupil encouraging others with ideas when putting Shakespeare into pupils’ own words.

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‘The school has a positive ethos and pupils’ response is good.’

31. Pupils respond particularly positively when they are well challenged, such as in a Year 1 English lesson on posters and captions where the teacher’s expectations were very high for each of the different ability groups in her class. Pupils concentrated hard and readily joined in the review session, enthusiastically telling the rest of the class what they had done. Such experiences get pupils into good habits so that they behave even when activities do not appropriately extend them: for example in a Year 4 writing session where the least able pupils were not sure what to do, but their behaviour was acceptable.

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‘The school has a positive ethos and pupils’ response is good.’

32. Staff know pupils well and good pastoral care is a strength of the school.

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‘The school has a positive ethos and pupils’ response is good.’

33. The school is clearly committed to raising standards through the broad curriculum it provides. It encourages pupils in more than simply core subjects. This is illustrated well by the school’s success in encouraging pupils’ moral and social development. As in the last report, inspectors judge the school’s ethos as good. This has positive effects on the quality of pupils’ response and learning and is a good sign for the future. Thorntree Primary School - 15

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

‘Standards of English, mathematics and science are below national averages.

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educational needs, are insufficiently developed.’

34. Results of Year 2000 National Curriculum assessments for pupils at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 showed standards to be below average. In the case of Year 2, standards were well below in reading and mathematics. Comparisons with similar schools were below average at the end of Key Stage 1 and for mathematics and science at Key Stage 2. This is disappointing even in the light of pupils’ below, and in some cases well below, average attainment on entry to the nursery. However, some improvement is achieved with pupils making progress by the time they reach the end of Year 6 especially in English, where compared with similar schools standards are now well above average. This is reassuring because not only is this where the school has put its greatest efforts recently, but the year group assessed had a reportedly higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs than in previous years.

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educational needs, are insufficiently developed.’

35. The school needs to make the most of improvements in English as a model for raising standards in other subjects. This will require better monitoring of standards and provision with a clearer brief for co-ordinators to scrutinise pupils’ work as well as evaluating planning and teaching. For example, if some co-ordinators were more rigorous in their monitoring, gaps in teachers’ marking, less than satisfactory presentation of pupils’ work, and the underemphasis of some subjects, would already have been overcome with a positive impact on standards.

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educational needs, are insufficiently developed.’

36. Currently, although the school’s intentions show a commitment to improving standards, there is not a good enough structure to monitoring. The school needs to continue to develop the analysis of specific weaknesses in pupils’ performance in order to improve further the setting of objectives, timescales and criteria for success to bring about improvements.

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educational needs, are insufficiently developed.’

37. Since the last inspection better policies and planning designed to extend more able pupils has proved effective. However, the school is aware that there are still times when such pupils could be stretched further.

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educational needs, are insufficiently developed.’

38. In the absence of both mathematics and science co-ordinators on secondments this year, the headteacher has taken responsibility for both subjects. She has worked hard to collect information and make improvements and this has been most effective in ‘booster’ work for Year 5 and 6. Co-ordinating two core subjects with weaknesses in standards puts an unreasonable burden on one person. There is a need to:

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educational needs, are insufficiently developed.’

§ Develop the role of the senior management team and subject co-ordinators still further, delegating more responsibility; § Use, more fully, assessment information to set targets for improvement; § Focus on raising standards, particularly of mathematics and science at both key stages, and of English at Key Stage 1.

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educational needs, are insufficiently developed.’

39. The school has not listed all pupils who could be on the special educational needs register. This is a response to the limited resources available and in some ways appears a sensible decision. However, effectively this denies some pupils the extra support they should have had and means that the school does not justify additional financial support. This has a negative effect on raising standards and on the potential for strategic planning for time, staffing and resources. In addition it may appear as if pupils who are working to their full potential, are underachieving and consequently give a false impression of the school’s performance. Thorntree Primary School - 16

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improving.’

40. The school quite appropriately devotes a high proportion of its time to developing literacy skills. However, the balance of the weekly timetable needs to be reviewed in order to increase time and emphasis on ICT and religious education as core subjects. Both subjects have suffered from a lack of monitoring. The new ICT co-ordinator is aware of this and has begun to audit the curriculum and resources. However, although the commercial scheme (used until details of the new Curriculum 2000 were available) has supported work for infants effectively, too little emphasis has been devoted to ICT for junior age pupils. This term there is a greater commitment to teaching ICT skills in addition to using equipment to support other curriculum areas. However, the school has yet to finalise how to use its resources to best effect from this point of view: for example 30 pupils focusing on two computers in a class

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improving.’

restricts opportunities, whilst equipment is not being used elsewhere. The recent increase in emphasis has yet to redress the situation especially for Year 6 pupils who will not have had enough experience of ICT to meet national expectations by the time they leave the school.

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improving.’

41. Each class is expected to follow the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Emphasis varies from teacher to teacher depending on their confidence, knowledge and understanding of the subject. Across the school the time devoted to religious education is barely adequate to cover the required curriculum, and in some classes it is insufficient. Although teachers’ plans are monitored, the quality and quantity of individual pupils’ work are not systematically assessed. As a result this contributes to the subject’s underemphasis.

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improving.’

42. The absence of assessment procedures in both ICT and religious education has meant that it has been difficult for staff to gauge the progress of individuals and identify what pupils know, understand and can do. The school is aware that there is a need to improve staff confidence, knowledge and understanding (especially for ICT) by developing in-service training still further.

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improving.’

43. Year R children are taught together with Year 1 in the autumn term. The classroom lacks resources and access to outside facilities which are appropriate for the new Foundation Stage curriculum for this age group. Year R children too often follow the Key Stage 1 National Curriculum with negative effects on their opportunities to be involved in structured play. Aspects of children’s physical and social development and their knowledge and understanding of the world are affected by this lack of curriculum balance, as is children’s equality of opportunity compared with those elsewhere. The school needs to review organisation and curriculum planning to develop provision; taking advantage of the very good practice for the Foundation Stage currently available in the nursery.

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improving.’

44. Teaching and provision for music has been significantly improved since the last inspection. However, pupils are often withdrawn from class to be involved in activities such as choir and recorders at the same time each week. This means that pupils too frequently miss the same lessons and this affects their full, equal access to the curriculum.

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awareness could be improved.’

45. Acts of collective worship do not always meet statutory requirements. Some classes are not provided with such opportunities every day as required. On some of the occasions when children do come together for assembly: for example singing time; requirements are still not met and opportunities are missed to provide for worship and reflection. As a result Thorntree Primary School - 17 provision for pupils’ spiritual development suffers. In the context of this inspection’s ‘good’ judgement made about children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development overall, the spiritual element constitutes the weakest link.

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‘Some aspects of maintenance require attention and there are still outside toilets.’

46. Although it was raised as an issue for improvement in the last report and considerable money has been spent on successful building work, the school still has outside toilet facilities for some children. There is an urgent need to replace these in line with national expectations.

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‘Some aspects of maintenance require attention and there are still outside toilets.’

47. The school suffers from roof leaks. It had to close for a day in the week prior to the inspection as a result of rainwater flooding through the roof. Obviously, this has a negative effect on the learning environment and on the storage and display of pupils’ work and resources.

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‘Some aspects of maintenance require attention and there are still outside toilets.’

48. The nursery presents a very stimulating, well organised, positive learning environment both indoors and outside. However, it is housed in ageing ‘temporary’ accommodation which is nearing the end of its ‘life’. Whilst the fabric of the building does not yet constitute a risk to health and safety (although the absence of staff toilet facilities is an inconvenience!) there is a need to continue to plan for its replacement.

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‘Some aspects of maintenance require attention and there are still outside toilets.’

49. Governors are aware of maintenance needs and, with the headteacher, are actively involved in addressing these problems. However, as building costs are likely to be high, redefining the long term strategic planning of the school will be necessary. The school currently holds about seven per cent of its budget in hand, earmarked for improvements.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

50. In order to improve the school, headteacher, governors and staff should:-

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ Raise standards in English, mathematics and science towards those expected of schools nationally:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ Ensuring that all pupils are appropriately challenged; Thorntree Primary School - 18 § Developing a more structured approach to monitoring and evaluating standards and provision: setting clearer targets and criteria for success, and offering support as appropriate; § Continuing to increase the proportion of pupils who reach better than average standards; § Improving, as intended, the quality of teachers’ marking of pupils’ work; § Raising expectations of pupils’ presentation of their work.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ Improve still further the management of the school by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ Prioritising effectively what needs to be done in order to avoid overload; § Reviewing the special educational needs register to ensure that all such pupils are considered for support, and as part of strategic planning; § Improving the balance of the curriculum to ensure that all elements are appropriately emphasised, especially ICT and religious education as core subjects; § Making better use of learning support assistants and volunteers’ time during lesson introductions and reviews.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ Develop planning, provision and organisation to ensure pupils’ equality of opportunity:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ For Year R so that they have full access to the Foundation Stage curriculum; § To ensure that children withdrawn for music tuition and choir do not always miss the same lessons.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ Ensure that statutory requirements for collective acts of worship and teacher appraisal are met.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ Improve further, as intended, the quality of accommodation:-

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ Attending to roof leaks; § Improving the fabric of the nursery; § Replacing outside toilet facilities with indoor provision.

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 15 Thorntree Primary School - 19

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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 Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 25 179

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals N/A 80 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 49

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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 40

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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 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 3

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Thorntree Primary School - 20

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 16 15 31

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 7 9 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 12 13 12

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 61(64) 71 (54) 68 (61) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 8 9 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 11 14

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 68 (64) 65 (75) 81 (79) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 82 (86) 88 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 10 20 30

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 3 3 6 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 14 17

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 64 (63) 57 (63) 77 (74) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 3 3 5 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 17 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 63 (59) 67 (67) 70 (70) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Thorntree Primary School - 21 Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 8 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.6 Financial year 1999 -

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Total income 542072

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 523147

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff Expenditure per pupil 2305

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Teachers and classes Financial information

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 31389

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1.0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff Thorntree Primary School - 22 Total aggregate hours worked per week

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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. 53 45 2 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 53 45 0 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. 49 39 7 5 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 43 30 19 6 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. 72 17 11 0 0

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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. 68 21 6 0 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 59 30 2 7 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 60 40 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 49 49 0 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 36 32 14 0 18

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Due to rounding not all percentages will total 100.

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