Windsor Community Primary School

WINDSOR COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 27-29 November 2000

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WINDSOR COMMUNITY 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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WINDSOR COMMUNITY 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. Windsor Community Primary School – Page 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Upper Hill Street Toxteth Liverpool Merseyside

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body at the above address

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: David Goodall

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 4 November 1996 Windsor Community Primary School – Page 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Mr I H Jones Kingston Centre Fairway Stafford ST16 3TW

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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 Windsor Community Primary School – Page 5

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REPORT CONTENTS

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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REPORT CONTENTS

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 17

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REPORT CONTENTS

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 18 - 21 Windsor Community Primary School – Page 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Windsor Community Primary School is located in the heart of Liverpool’s inner city, which is currently part of a Government regeneration area. The school serves a predominantly stable population where several generations of families have attended the school. The richly diverse school community includes families from Bangladesh, Somalia and Sri Lanka and also from a wide range of social backgrounds. The proportion of children eligible for free school meals, at 74%, is well above the national average. The school is part of the Dingle, Granby and Toxteth Educational Action Zone (EAZ) and is also involved in the Excellence in Liverpool initiative. The school currently has a funded unit for children with educational and behavioural needs. This unit supports children from other local primary schools as well as pupils from Windsor Primary School. The funding for this provision is currently under review by the local education authority.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Pupil numbers at the school have been steadily growing in recent years and there are currently 187 pupils on roll, of whom 85 are girls and 89 are boys. There are 43 children under the age of six and these are taught within a nursery class and reception class. Sixteen per cent of pupils speak English as an additional language. There are 24 pupils with special educational needs, which is below the national average, and three pupils who hold a statement of educational need for emotional and behavioral need, specific learning need and hearing impairment. This is in line with the national average.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The attainment level for a large proportion of pupils when joining the nursery is well below that expected for pupils of the same age. This is particularly so in aspects of literacy, speaking and listening and in their personal, social and emotional development. Many of the pupils show good progress in many areas of their development when joining the reception class. A significant number of pupils however, still need considerable support in developing aspects of their learning, in particular reading and writing skills.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school with some very good features. The majority of pupils make good progress in reading, mathematics and science, and some pupils make very good progress in these aspects of their education and achieve standards which exceed those expected for their age. This can be attributed to the high levels of good teaching, effective leadership and the strong commitment to the raising of standards displayed by all staff. Progress in writing is however, slower for a significant number of pupils. The newly appointed headteacher provides a clear vision for the future development of the school and is ably supported by staff and governors. The school provides a positive, caring learning environment for the pupils and this is a particular strength of the school. The school is particularly effective in ensuring that all pupils have equal access to the full range of learning opportunities. The funding available to the school has been effectively used to do this by supporting

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

pupils’ personal, emotional and academic needs and this is reflected in the achievements of many of the pupils. The school provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well far outweighs the areas for improvement, which have already been identified by the school during the process of self-evaluation. Windsor Community Primary School – Page 7

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What the school does well

• The school has successfully raised overall standards in reading, mathematics and science and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above those expected for pupils of the same age. • Overall the teaching is good. • Pupils have a very positive attitude to learning and they enjoy being at school. • The school ensures that pupils have a safe, caring environment where they are supported by a strong team of well-trained adults. This is an outstanding feature of the school. • The newly appointed headteacher provides effective leadership and a clear vision for the future development of the school and there is a strong commitment by all staff to continue to raise standards.

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What could be improved

• The standards in writing are below average for a significant number of pupils in both key stages. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made significant improvements since it was last inspected in November 1996. Improvements have been made in the standards attained by pupils at the end of both key stages in reading, mathematics and science. Particularly impressive are the improvements in the percentage of pupils who currently achieve standards above the national average in these aspects. The issues for action identified in the previous inspection report relating to the curriculum have been addressed. However, the monitoring of teaching and learning needs to be developed further as part of school improvement. Teaching has improved. The overall quality of teaching is now good. Progress in the development of writing has been slower, and standards remain below the national average for a significant percentage of pupils by the end of both key stages. Financial resources have been effectively used to support pupils’ learning and to increase the provision of information and

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

communication technology equipment. This is having a very positive effect on the standards pupils are now beginning to achieve. The newly appointed headteacher provides very strong leadership and this, together with the effective team of staff, ensures that the school is set to continue to improve.

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STANDARDS

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

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schools

1998 1999 2000 2000 Key English C E D A well above average above average A B mathematics A D C A average below average C D Windsor Community Primary School – Page 8 science A E B A well below average E

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schools

The table above shows that when the standards achieved by all pupils in the end of Key Stage 2 National Curriculum tests is taken into account, standards in English are below average, are average in mathematics, and are above average in science. This is when compared with all schools. However, when compared with schools that are similar, standards achieved are well above average in all three curriculum subjects. Although there has been some fluctuation in standards year on year there has been significant improvement in standards since the previous inspection in 1996 in reading, mathematics and science.

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schools

When compared with all schools nationally the number of pupils reaching the expected standards by the end of both key stages is moving closer to the national average in reading, mathematics and science. However, above average performance in reading, mathematics and science is impressive. The percentage of pupils in Key Stage 2 attaining these levels in the most recent end of key stage tests is very good and exceeds the national average in all three subjects.

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schools

Given the attainment level for many of the pupils when they join the school, the majority of pupils make good progress in aspects of the early learning goals and reach expected standards in their speaking and listening and personal, social and emotional development by the end of the Foundation Stage. Progress continues to be good for the majority of pupils in many aspects of their learning in Key Stage 1 although standards in end of key stage tests remain below average for many pupils in reading and mathematics. Standards in science, as indicated by teacher assessment, are also below average for many pupils.

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schools

Progress for the majority of pupils in Key Stage 2 is good and very good for a significant number. This results in many pupils achieving at the expected level in end of key stage tests in reading, mathematics and science and a significant percentage achieving above the expected level. Whilst progress in reading, mathematics and science is good for the majority of pupils in both key stages, progress in writing is much slower and, standards in writing in both key stages is below average for a significant number of pupils. The good progress made by the majority of pupils across the school can be attributed to the high levels of good teaching and the effective use of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. The well targeted support for particular groups of pupils and a strong commitment shared by all at the school to work together to raise standards also contribute to the good progress being made. The school has set appropriately challenging targets for both literacy

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schools

and numeracy and is on line to achieve these.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good and they enjoy coming to school. These attitudes are promoted well through the positive relationships between staff and pupils within a consistent, safe learning environment. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is good. Pupils understand what is expected of them within lessons and show respect for all adults in the school. Personal development and relationships Personal development is good. The school council is a particular strength of the school. When pupils are given the opportunity to do so they support each other well.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is unsatisfactory. It is below the national average, but broadly in line with the average for the local education authority. Reducing the percentage of absence is Windsor Community Primary School – Page 9 a main priority for the school. This is beginning to result in reductions in the level of absences and pupils arriving late.

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Aspect Comment

The pupils’ very positive attitudes to learning and the very good relationships between staff and pupils contribute significantly to the overall level of achievements for many. Consequently, pupils show confidence in themselves as learners and enjoy being at school.

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

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

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

The overall quality of teaching is good. It is satisfactory or better in 100% of lessons seen and very good or better in 33%.

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

Where teaching is most effective, teachers display good subject knowledge and the level of explanation and questioning is very good. The management of the pupils’ behaviour is good and resources are used effectively to enhance learning. Where teaching is less effective, learning objectives are not always shared with the pupils and not enough time is given for them to practise and consolidate the skills that have been taught. This is particularly so in writing. The national strategies for literacy and numeracy have been used effectively by teachers to structure lessons and this has resulted in an increased rate of progress for many pupils in developing skills in reading and mathematics. Good relationships help to encourage a very positive attitude to learning. Pupils listen well and enjoy whole class discussions. The school meets the needs of all pupils well. Support staff are deployed well and effectively ensure that pupils with specific educational and emotional needs, as

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

well as those pupils for whom English is an additional language, make good progress in literacy and numeracy. Whilst regular assessments of pupils’ learning are carried out these do not always clearly identify for the pupils what they know and can do and what they need to do next to improve.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The national strategies for the teaching of literacy and numeracy have been effectively used to raise standards in reading and mathematics but has yet to do this in writing. The provision of homework clubs in each key stage provides a valuable opportunity for pupils to consolidate their learning. The school makes very good use of additional resources in the form of the Parent School Partnership to enhance the learning of information and communication technology skills and to involve parents in their education. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Pupils with special educational needs and emotional and behavioural needs make good progress due to the very structured support available.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an The school provides good support for pupils with English as an additional language and they make good progress. Progress is further enhanced by Windsor Community Primary School – Page 10 additional language the support provided by two bilingual staff funded through the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is good. They understand right from wrong. They display a caring attitude towards each other and they show respect for each other’s cultures and faiths. Spiritual development is satisfactory, although pupils do not always have enough opportunities to be still and reflect during the school day. How well the school cares for its pupils The school provides excellent care for all the pupils who attend. Staff know the pupils well and have a very good understanding of individual personal needs and circumstances. Support is provided sensitively by a well- informed team of adults. Very good links with other agencies have been established to support pupils and their families.

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Aspect Comment

The school provides a safe, secure and caring environment in which pupils are effectively supported both emotionally and academically. The well-trained team of staff know the pupils well and sensitively cater for their individual needs. This makes a significant contribution to the positive attitudes that pupils have to learning and enables pupils to be successful and confident. The school works very closely with parents.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The overall management of the school is good. The recently appointed headteacher provides very effective leadership and has a clear vision for the future development of the school. A strong team commitment by all staff to raise standards has contributed to the good progress being made by the majority of the pupils in reading, mathematics and science across the school. The analysis of data is beginning to contribute towards this improvement but needs to be more rigorously evaluated to raise standards in writing. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities There is a strong partnership with the governing body. They know the school well and fulfil their responsibilities conscientiously. The school’s evaluation of its performance The school knows its strengths and weaknesses. The recent monitoring by the headteacher has effectively identified areas for development.

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Aspect Comment

Monitoring by key staff has contributed to the understanding of areas of strength but needs to be more evaluative. The strategic use of resources The budget is managed well by the governing body and the headteacher. Funding has been appropriately set aside to begin to address the issue of limited accommodation. Standards Fund and money received through the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant has been used effectively to support pupils’ learning.

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Aspect Comment

The effective leadership and clear vision offered by the newly appointed headteacher and the commitment by all staff to the raising of standards are significant factors in the continuing success of the school. Recognition of the needs of all the pupils and appropriately targeted support has ensured that the majority of pupils make good progress. The school applies the principles of best value well. Windsor Community Primary School – Page 11

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The school is very welcoming and friendly. • The pupils like school. • There is a clear policy for the management of behaviour and parents are kept well informed. • Pupils make good progress particularly in reading and mathematics. • Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language are supported well. • The teaching is good. • There were differing views about homework, what was expected, what was received, and the frequency of work given. • The degree of information received about the work that their child is going to cover during the term. • A significant number of parents feel that the size of the accommodation and playground was inadequate for the number of pupils in the school.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors fully endorse the positive points raised by parents. Whilst the school has an existing policy for homework, inspectors feel that this would benefit from further review and consultation with parents to clarify expectations. The school currently provides a good range of information about the curriculum. However, the school intends to consult with parents further on this issue. Inspectors share the concerns expressed by parents about the inadequacy of the existing accommodation. This needs urgent consideration by the school, governors and local education authority. However, inspectors do not feel that it adversely affects the quality of education that the pupils receive, due largely to the skills of all the staff. Windsor Community Primary School – Page 12

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and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above

those expected for pupils of the same age.

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and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above

1. In comparison to standards at the time the school was last inspected in November 1996 the average points scores for the school show an overall improvement in reading and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1 and in English, mathematics and science at the end of Key Stage 2. Whilst there have been some fluctuations in standards over the past four years, more pupils are now attaining the standards expected for pupils of the same age in both key stages. These improvements are most significant in reading and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1 and in reading, mathematics and science at the end of Key Stage 2. In relation to schools with similar characteristics, the school performs very well in English, mathematics and science by the end of Key Stage 2.

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and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above

2. The most marked improvements have been in the percentage of pupils attaining standards that are above those expected for their age in mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1 and in reading, mathematics and science at the end of Key Stage 2. These improvements have led to the school being involved in a project focusing on “Gifted and Talented” pupils as part of the Excellence in Liverpool initiative. Whilst this is in its early stages it is already having an impact on the long term planning for school improvement.

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and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above

3. Inspection findings confirm that standards in reading and mathematics for the majority of pupils currently in Years 2 and 6 are close to the national expectations for this point in the school year and above expected levels for a significant number in reading. Pupils are able to read with confidence at a level appropriate for their age or higher. They show fluency when they read and are able to correct errors when necessary. They talk with interest and enthusiasm about a range of authors and styles of books, especially the class and group reading books, which they share during their literacy sessions.

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and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above

4. In mathematics, pupils carry out mental calculations quickly and accurately. Again they show an enthusiasm and confidence in the work they undertake. They cover a good amount of work and in the main they are provided with an appropriate balance of the development of new concepts and ideas and practising and consolidating existing knowledge. Many pupils are able to accurately describe the work they are undertaking using the appropriate mathematical vocabulary. For example, pupils in Year 2 were able to describe the properties of three- dimensional shapes and could then explain the line of symmetry. For the oldest pupils in Key Stage 2 challenging work is set and a significant number of pupils display above average standards in their work on angles and triangles.

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and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above

5. The national strategies for literacy and numeracy have been used very effectively to structure lessons and the school sees this as the most significant factor in the improvements seen in reading and mathematics. Planning formats follow those recommended by the strategies and these have clarified the main objectives for the lessons. On-going assessments have helped to highlight where pupils need to be by the end of the school year. However, these would benefit from Windsor Community Primary School – Page 13 more frequent evaluation and development into teaching points for pupils, to increase further the progress being made. The co-ordinators for literacy and numeracy have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their subjects. Some monitoring and analysis of data has been undertaken but this needs to be more rigorous to ensure continued development in reading, writing and mathematics. Support by additional staff has been targeted very well and makes a

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and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above

significant contribution to the progress being made by many of the pupils. The governors and senior management of the school show a clear commitment to allocate funding to achieve this high level of support and this has been rewarded by the improvements in standards.

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and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above

6. Improvements in writing have been slower than in other aspects of literacy and this has been highlighted by the literacy coordinator and will form a major part of future school improvement plans.

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and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above

7. The teaching seen was 100% satisfactory or better with 33% very good. Very good teaching was seen in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Literacy and numeracy lessons are well planned within the framework of the national strategies. The structure of the lessons generally follow the recommendations within the framework and provide a clear introduction to the main learning objective, provide good teaching of development points and generally give time for pupils to practise and consolidate what they have learnt.

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and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above

8. The teachers display a good level of understanding of both the literacy and numeracy strategies and good subject knowledge. A good emphasis is placed on the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills, including an appropriate emphasis on developing speaking and listening skills, particularly with pupils in the Foundation Stage. Teachers place a good emphasis on the use of appropriate subject vocabulary and use questioning effectively to involve pupils in whole class discussions. In the main, time is used well and lessons move at a good pace. Occasionally not enough time is provided for pupils to consolidate their understanding and knowledge on paper and this makes the assessment of progress made by pupils more difficult. This is particularly so in lessons where writing is the main focus.

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and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above

9. Whole class teaching has been developed well. In some lessons this is complemented by opportunities for pupils to work independently of the teacher and in pairs. This could be strengthened by encouraging pupils to evaluate their own learning more frequently and by setting individual and group targets for them to focus closely on what they need to learn next.

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and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above

10. Very good relationships have been established and this creates classrooms in which pupils are able to learn well. Behaviour is managed well and lessons are rarely interrupted by inappropriate behaviour. The partnership between teaching staff, nursery nurses and additional support staff is a particular strength and contributes significantly to the overall quality of the teaching and the pupils’ learning. There is a strong team commitment by all staff to continue to raise standards.

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and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above

11. Existing resources are used well to enhance some aspects of literacy and numeracy. Particularly effective is the use of individual white boards to allow pupils to practise their writing and numeracy skills. The younger pupils would benefit from a greater range of resources to support their early writing skills, which would lead to more independence, for example, alphabet strips and sets of word cards. Windsor Community Primary School – Page 14 12. Information and communication technology resources are used well to enhance literacy and numeracy. Word processing skills are well developed through the use of the “Dream Writers” word processing machines, which enable pupils to practise their keyboard skills. Access to the Internet provides opportunities for pupils to extend their knowledge base and develop research skills.

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and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above

13. Classrooms are small for the number of pupils currently in the school. However, teachers use additional teaching areas well to ensure that the limited space does not have a negative effect on pupils’ learning.

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and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above

Pupils have a very positive attitude to learning and they enjoy being at school.

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and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above

14. Pupils enjoy their time in school. They have very good attitudes to learning and this is seen in the way that they listen and concentrate in lessons. Pupils particularly enjoy whole class discussions and are able to answer questions well. In numeracy lessons pupils are quickly and accurately able to calculate a range of mathematical problems. They show a keenness and enjoyment of this aspect of numeracy.

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and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above

15. Pupils talk confidently about the work they undertake. They enjoy a range of curriculum activities and talk particularly about the practical aspects of learning, for example, many pupils enjoy design and technology and art and design. Pupils are less enthusiastic when talking about writing as they feel it is a more challenging aspect of their learning.

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and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above

16. Pupils feel secure at school. The positive relationships that are evident contribute towards this feeling. They know what is expected of them and that they can approach all staff if they are worried. This adds to their overall enjoyment of the school. Pupils involved in the School Council undertake their role seriously. They enjoy being able to represent the views of other pupils and to influence whole school decision-making. This is a particular strength of the school which contributes to the overall enthusiasm and self worth that the majority of pupils display.

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and significantly increased the percentage of pupils who achieve standards which are above

17. Behaviour is good. Pupils understand what is expected of them and listen carefully during lessons. Pupils care for each other and show respect for each other’s cultures and faiths.

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The school ensures that pupils have a safe, caring environment where they are supported

by a strong team of well-trained adults. This is an outstanding feature of the school.

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The school ensures that pupils have a safe, caring environment where they are supported

18. The care and welfare of pupils was identified as a strength at the time of the last inspection and continues to be an outstanding feature of the school. Arrangements for ensuring that the school is a safe, secure place and a supportive community are very effective. Staff show strong commitment to the care of pupils and work very well as a team to support both pupils and their families.

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The school ensures that pupils have a safe, caring environment where they are supported

19. The staff know the pupils well. They have a good understanding of individual personal needs and circumstances and are able to effectively support both academic and emotional needs. Clear guidance is given to pupils about what is expected of them and how they should behave, and this is consistent across the school. As a result, pupils feel secure when they are at school. Windsor Community Primary School – Page 15 20. Particular support provided for pupils with emotional and behavioural needs is very effective. The combined work of the teacher responsible for these pupils, and the school welfare assistant, ensure that the pupils have access to the full range of school life and enjoy good levels of success. The good progress made by pupils with specific learning needs and for those for whom English is an additional language can also be attributed to the high quality support and guidance offered by specialist staff.

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The school ensures that pupils have a safe, caring environment where they are supported

21. The recent involvement by the school in an initiative set up by the Education Action Zone to reduce the level of absence by pupils is beginning to have an impact. This monitors both lateness and absence by pupils, which has in the past been an issue for the school. Particularly effective are the spot checks undertaken by staff from the Education Action Zone. This complements well the schools’ internal procedures to reduce absence.

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The school ensures that pupils have a safe, caring environment where they are supported

22. In addition to the schools’ involvement in the Education Action Zone initiative the school has very good links with a range of other agencies both in the locality and within the local education authority to support pupils and their families. This further strengthens the support provided by the school.

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future development of the school and there is a strong commitment by all staff to continue

23. The overall management of the school is good. There are well-established systems in place for planning the curriculum and assessing the overall achievements of pupils. Key staff have been involved in whole school improvement plans since the school was last inspected and have worked together to address the key issues that were highlighted.

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future development of the school and there is a strong commitment by all staff to continue

24. There is a very strong team spirit and a real commitment displayed by all staff to continue with the improvements seen in reading, mathematics and science. Key staff with responsibilities for literacy and numeracy have established well the use of the national strategies. These have made a major contribution to the improvements seen. The coordinators for literacy and numeracy know the strengths and weaknesses of their curriculum areas and have plans established to address those areas needing development. Writing has been clearly identified as a major area for development across the school.

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future development of the school and there is a strong commitment by all staff to continue

25. The newly appointed headteacher provides very effective leadership. She displays a clear vision for the future development of the school. She shows an ability to deal with issues and tackle problems. An ability to analyse and evaluate the strengths of the school and areas for improvement has been enhanced by recent monitoring visits to classrooms. These evaluative skills and abilities need to be shared with key staff to enhance the monitoring that they have undertaken in their subject areas. This would ensure that all future monitoring would focus more sharply on school improvement issues.

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future development of the school and there is a strong commitment by all staff to continue

26. The school has collected a good range of performance data. Some initial analysis of data has led to improvements in mathematics and reading. Data has more recently been used to appropriately set yearly targets for each year group and to inform targets for literacy and numeracy for the end of Key Stage 2. At present these targets are too broad to guide staff sufficiently when planning targets for individual pupils. The data needs to be translated into Windsor Community Primary School – Page 16 curriculum targets for individuals and groups of pupils to clearly identify what pupils need to focus on next to improve. This would identify specific developments needed in writing and support improvement in this area.

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future development of the school and there is a strong commitment by all staff to continue

27. There is a strong partnership between staff, governors and parents. This is a strong feature of the school. Parents value the work of the school and feel well supported. Governors work conscientiously to ensure that the school meets its stated aims and values. They recognise the need to continue to raise standards and are adopting a longer-term approach to school improvement planning. This can be seen in the use of the financial resources allocated to the school. The general school budget, along with Standard Fund and money received through the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant, has been used effectively to support the needs of all pupils within the school. The principles of best value are applied effectively in the resourcing of the school and an appropriate amount of funding has been set aside to begin to address the accommodation needs that the school now faces.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The standards in writing are below average for a significant number of pupils in both key stages.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

28. Whilst standards in reading, mathematics and science have improved for a significant number of pupils by the end of both key stages, the progress made by pupils in their writing has been much slower. This has resulted in standards that are below those expected of pupils of the same age throughout the school. Very few pupils attain above average standards in writing by the end of both key stages. This is in sharp contrast to the high percentage of pupils who attain standards above the national expectations in reading, mathematics and science by the end of Key Stage 2. Work seen indicates that for many pupils the construction of sentences using more complex language is difficult. Whilst simple words are usually accurately spelt, many pupils struggle with more irregular spellings. Work is generally presented carefully but few pupils display a well- formed joined style of handwriting by the end of Key Stage 2.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

29. The literacy strategy provides a sound structure for lessons in which the skills of writing are taught. Teachers show a good understanding of grammar and early writing skills and use appropriate vocabulary well. Whilst some modeling of writing is undertaken by teachers this needs to be done more frequently to show the pupils examples of correct sentence structure. Pupils at the early stages of writing also require more support in the way of resources such as alphabet strips and word cards to encourage more independence and confidence.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

30. The amount of writing that pupils currently do needs to be increased. At present pupils often undertake short writing tasks as part of their work within literacy sessions. Many tasks are in the form of worksheets and do not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to construct more complex sentences or to write at length. Nor do these writing opportunities provide sufficient practise of the skills being taught within the main part of the lesson.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

31. Whilst opportunities are provided for pupils to write in other curricular areas, the frequency of these opportunities also needs to be increased. These focused writing opportunities need to be included in long-term curriculum plans to ensure that they consolidate skills that are to be taught during the same period within literacy sessions. Windsor Community Primary School – Page 17 32. Work is always marked and dated. This enables pupils’ general progress to be monitored. Marking does not always clearly outline what it is that pupils understand and can do nor outline for them specifically what they need to do next to improve. Identifying a range of specific targets linked to the development levels for writing would help to guide both the marking of work and enable pupils to see the progress that they are making.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

33. The literacy coordinator has identified appropriately the strengths of literacy and the weaknesses in the writing. Plans are already established to look at the teaching of phonics to aid spelling and to look at writing in general.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

34. The headteacher, governors and staff should build on the existing strengths of the school and should now work together to:

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i. Raise the standard of writing in both key stages by:

• providing more opportunities for pupils to practise and apply taught skills both within designated literacy times and across other curricular areas; • breaking down the stages of writing development as outlined in National Curriculum levels and the Literacy Strategy into small steps against which children’s work can be assessed; • using the agreed criteria when marking to identify for pupils what they know and can do and what they need to do next to improve; • to use the agreed criteria to develop written targets which will guide individuals and groups of pupils about what they need to do next to improve; • to involve pupils in the assessment of their writing through target setting and discussion and to inform parents of targets set; • to track pupils’ progress more effectively by using the agreed criteria for writing alongside the existing range of performance data. (see paragraphs 6, 8, 15, 24, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31).

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the following minor issues for inclusion in an action plan:

• develop the monitoring of teaching and learning by key staff; • improve the standard of handwriting; • establish a more systematic and consistent approach throughout the school when setting homework; • continue to work to reduce the level of pupil lateness and absence. (see paragraphs 5, 21, 25, 32, 33). Windsor Community Primary School – Page 18

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 12 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 24

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 0 33 25 42 0 0 0

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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 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 13 174 Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals n/a 100

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs n/a 3 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register n/a 24

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 30

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 34 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 21

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Attendance

Authorised absence % Unauthorised absence % School data 3.3 School data 4.8 National comparative data 5.2 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. Windsor Community Primary School – Page 19

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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 19 10 29

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Boys 7 8 11 Numbers of pupils at Girls 9 8 9 NC level 2 and above Total 16 16 20 Percentage of pupils School 55 (75) 55 (65) 69 (55) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 8 8 7 Numbers of pupils at Girls 9 9 9 NC level 2 and above Total 17 17 16 Percentage of pupils School 59 (75) 59 (75) 55 (75) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year(ie 1999)

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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 13 13 26

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Boys 8 8 9 Numbers of pupils at Girls 10 9 11 NC level 4 and above Total 18 17 20 Percentage of pupils School 69 (58) 65 (63) 77 (74) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 7 7 7 Numbers of pupils at Girls 9 10 10 NC level 4 and above Total 16 17 17 Percentage of pupils School 62 (37) 65 (47) 65 (53) Windsor Community Primary School – Page 20 at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 80 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year (ie 1999)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

No of pupils Fixed period Permanent Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0 Black – African heritage 2 Black – African heritage 0 0 Black – other 82 Black – other 0 0 Indian 0 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 2 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 11 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 0 Chinese 0 0 White 60 White 0 0 Any other minority ethnic group 10 Other minority ethnic groups

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8 Financial year 1999-2000 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 28.5 Average class size 28.5 £ Total income 465418

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 398906 Total number of education support staff 4 Expenditure per pupil 2122 Total aggregate hours worked per week 134 Balance brought forward from previous year Balance carried forward to next year 92369 Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 13

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of education support staff 1 Total aggregate hours worked per week 27 Windsor Community Primary School – Page 21 Number of pupils per FTE adult 6.5

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

FTE means full-time equivalent. Windsor Community Primary School – Page 22

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 72 19 6 3 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 44 47 3 3 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 25 44 19 12 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 53 34 12 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 74 26 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 68 13 16 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 50 34 12 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 53 38 6 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 45 42 10 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 25 47 12 3 12

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Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses

35. Parents value the work that the school carries out. They recognise that the school provides a safe secure environment. They think standards and teaching are good, that the school is approachable. They are unsure about the procedures for homework and would like this clarified and would like even more information about the work that their child is to do. They feel well informed about how well their child is doing.

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Other issues raised by parents

Windsor Community Primary School – Page 23 36. Parents were concerned about the adequacy of the existing accommodation for the increased number of pupils in the school.

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