Other · Ofsted report
Westwood Park Community Primary School
Summary
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- Inspectorssingle source
Foundation Stage
- URN verified
105905
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Strengths
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- The school is fully committed to raising standards in these subjects, and Westwood Park Community Primary School - 13 given the excellent team spirit that exists amongst staff, is very well placed for continued improvement. p.12
- During the inspection, many lessons were very well taught and some excellent teaching was seen. p.38
- Because of her expertise and enthusiasm, Year 4 pupils’ levels of interest and concentration were outstanding as they used plastic bottles to sculpt extremely imaginative flowers for a display, becoming familiar with shape and form. p.39
- The teaching of English and mathematics is consistently good throughout the school, and some very good and excellent examples of teaching were seen in these subjects during the inspection. p.8
- The school has responded very well to the issues from the 1997 and 1999 reports relating to improving standards in English, mathematics and science, and has made very good progress in achieving its targets. p.12
Concerns
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- However, the pupils’ speaking skills are often weak, and this is especially noticeable in Key Stage 1 where pupils have a very limited vocabulary, and their speech lacks clarity. p.33
- There has been a significant improvement in the provision for Foundation Stage children since the 1997 inspection, when this aspect of the school’s work had serious weaknesses. p.28
- Opportunities for pupils to compose their own music are very limited, partly because of teachers’ lack of expertise, and partly because of a lack of good quality instruments, especially tuned percussion such as xylophones and chime bars. p.45
- These weaknesses are linked to unsatisfactory curriculum provision, and teachers’ lack of confidence in teaching some aspects of some of these subjects. p.8
- Pupils have a satisfactory scientific knowledge and understanding across all elements of the science curriculum, but are hampered in their learning by weaknesses in their speaking skills, which make it difficult for them to express their ideas clearly, and by poor recall of their previous learning. p.37
Next steps
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- The school was first inspected in 1997, and at that time was described as needing special measures to help it to provide a better standard of education. p.6
- In 1999, the school was inspected again, and was judged to have made good progress overall, and to be no longer in need of special measures. p.6
- In the past two years, the school has continued to make very good progress across many aspects of its work, and is very well placed for further development. p.6
- Over the last four years, standards in English, mathematics and science have risen steadily in Key Stage 2, often at a faster rate than the national trend of improvement. p.6
- The provision for pupils in the Foundation Stage has improved significantly, and is now Westwood Park Community Primary School - 7 good, with some very good aspects. p.6
- Four years ago, teaching had many unsatisfactory features. p.6
- It is now of a good standard overall and has many very good features. p.6
- The headteacher’s leadership is very good, and he has created an excellent team spirit amongst staff which has been instrumental in moving the school forward. p.7
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- Pages
- 49
- Words of findings
- 23,972
- longer than usual (typical 1049)
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- Hard
- Flesch 44, typical 45
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- 23 words
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- typical 5
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Full report text
PRIMARY SCHOOL
Dates of inspection: 25th – 28th June 2001
p.1
PRIMARY SCHOOL
Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.
p.1
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. Westwood Park Community Primary School - 3
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
School address: Vaughan Street Winton Eccles Manchester Postcode: M30 8DH
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Appropriate authority: The Governing Body
p.3
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Name of chair of governors: Mrs Elza Hingston
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Dates of previous inspections: June 1999/October 1997 Westwood Park Community Primary School - 4
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM
Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities Mrs M Gough Registered inspector Foundation Stage Music English as an additional language Equal opportunities What sort of school is it? The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further? Mr R Miller Lay inspector How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? How well does the school care for its pupils or students? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Mrs S Walker Team inspector English Information communication technology Design and technology Mr I Johnston Team Inspector Science Religious education How well is the school led and managed? Mr R Coupe Team Inspector Mathematics Art and design Physical education Mrs C Deloughry Team Inspector History Geography Provision for pupils with special educational needs Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM
Lynrose Marketing Limited Bungalow Farmhouse Six Mile Bottom Newmarket Suffolk CB8 0TU
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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 Westwood Park Community 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
p.5
HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11
The school’s results and achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
p.5
AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 28
Westwood Park Community Primary School - 6
p.6
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
The school is situated in Eccles, and is larger than average, catering for three hundred and twenty two pupils between the ages of three and eleven, including thirty eight full-time Nursery children. Most pupils are of white ethnicity, although six pupils have English as an additional language, and of these, two are at an early stage of language acquisition. One hundred and seventeen pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals. This represents 39% of the school population and is well above the national average. Eighty three pupils are on the school’s special educational needs register. This represents 26% of the school population and is above the national average. Two pupils have statements of special educational needs, and a further two pupils are awaiting statements. The school has high levels of pupil mobility. The area in which the school is situated is one of high social deprivation. The school recognises that some pupils come from disadvantaged backgrounds
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
and does its best to compensate for this. Pupils’ attainment when they join the Nursery class is very low, and the pupils’ language and mathematical skills are often poorly developed.
p.6
HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS
This is a good school that has improved at a very good rate over the last four years. Standards in English, mathematics and science have improved at the end of both key stages, and pupils of all ages and abilities now make consistently good progress in these subjects. The quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school, and has very good features. Pupils have good attitudes to school, and an enthusiastic approach to learning. The headteacher’s leadership is very good, and he is very well supported by a loyal and hard-working staff and Governing Body. The school gives good value for money.
p.6
HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS
What the school does well • Pupils of all ages and abilities make good progress in English, mathematics, science, art and design and religious education. • The provision for pupils in the Foundation Stage is very good. • Teaching has many very good features and is good overall. • Pupils’ learning is good, and pupils throughout the school approach tasks with high levels of enthusiasm and enjoyment. • The school makes good provision for pupils who have special educational needs. • Very good procedures are in place for managing the pupils’ behaviour. • The headteacher provides very good leadership for the school.
p.6
HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS
What could be improved • Standards at the end of both key stages in information and communication technology, design and technology, geography and music, and in history at the end of Key Stage 2, are not as high as they could be, and pupils do not make enough progress in these subjects. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan .
p.6
HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION
The school was first inspected in 1997, and at that time was described as needing special measures to help it to provide a better standard of education. In 1999, the school was inspected again, and was judged to have made good progress overall, and to be no longer in need of special measures. In the past two years, the school has continued to make very good progress across many aspects of its work, and is very well placed for further development. Over the last four years, standards in English, mathematics and science have risen steadily in Key Stage 2, often at a faster rate than the national trend of improvement. The provision for pupils in the Foundation Stage has improved significantly, and is now Westwood Park Community Primary School - 7 good, with some very good aspects. Four years ago, teaching had many unsatisfactory features. It is now of a good standard overall and has many very good features. The school
p.6
HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION
has introduced good assessment procedures to track and measure pupils’ progress in the Foundation Stage, and in English, mathematics and science in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, although more remains to be done in developing assessment systems for other subjects. The headteacher’s leadership is very good, and he has created an excellent team spirit amongst staff which has been instrumental in moving the school forward.
p.7
STANDARDS
The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests in 2000.
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STANDARDS
Performance in: all schools similar schools Key
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STANDARDS
English E D D C well above average above average A B Mathematics E E D C average below average C D Science E E D C well below average E
p.7
STANDARDS
The table shows that, on the basis of the 2000 end of Key Stage 2 national test results, pupils’ attainment is below the national average in English, mathematics and science. In comparison with similar schools, the pupils’ performance is average in all three subjects. The inspection findings indicate that at the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment is close to national expectations in mathematics and science, and slightly below national expectations in English. Pupils make good progress as they move through the key stage, because of the frequently very good standard of teaching, and the very good range of learning experiences that is provided. Pupils of all abilities achieve their full potential. The school sets challenging but realistic targets for pupils in English and mathematics.
p.7
STANDARDS
At the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment on the basis of the 2000 end of key stage national tests in reading, writing and mathematics is well below the national average. In comparison with similar schools, the pupils’ performance is below average. The inspection findings indicate that pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science is below national expectations, but not as low as the 2000 test results would suggest. The discrepancy between the inspection findings and the 2000 test results reflects the impact of recent initiatives, and more effective teaching. Key Stage 1 pupils of all abilities make good progress from a very low starting point, and achieve their best.
p.7
STANDARDS
Pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology, design and technology, geography and music at the end of both key stages, and history at the end of Key Stage 2, is below national expectations and could be higher. Pupils currently do not make enough progress in these subjects. Standards in religious education, and art and design are in line with national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1 and above national expectations at the end of Key Stage 2. Standards in physical education are in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages.
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STANDARDS
Children make very good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes, from a very low starting point. By the end of the Foundation Stage, they attain the expected level in terms of their physical, and creative development. Their attainment in the communication, language and literacy area of learning, and in terms of their mathematical development and knowledge Westwood Park Community Primary School - 8 and understanding of the world, is below the expected level. The children’s attainment in terms of their personal, social and emotional development exceeds the expected level.
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Aspect Comment
Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils of all ages have positive attitudes to school and to learning. They show high levels of concentration, interest and enthusiasm. They are willing workers. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory. Pupils behave well in class, where they are very well managed by their teachers. However, some pupils in all year groups lack self-discipline, and can not be relied upon to behave appropriately when unsupervised. Personal development and relationships Relationships amongst pupils are good, and pupils work well together in lessons. However, pupils do not have enough opportunities to take responsibility for aspects of their own learning, and some pupils lack initiative. Attendance Unsatisfactory. The whole-school rate of attendance is below the national average.
p.8
TEACHING AND LEARNING
Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years
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TEACHING AND LEARNING
58 lessons seen overall good good good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses .
p.8
TEACHING AND LEARNING
During the inspection the quality of teaching was excellent in 5% of lessons seen, very good in 39% of lessons, good in 35% of lessons, satisfactory in 16% of lessons, and unsatisfactory in 5% of lessons. The overall quality of teaching has improved significantly since the 1997 inspection report, where teaching was described as being less than satisfactory in 42% of lessons seen, and very good in only 2% of lessons. The improvements in teaching have been brought about in part by staff changes, and also through an extensive programme of staff training which has had a positive impact on teachers’ knowledge, expertise and confidence.
p.8
TEACHING AND LEARNING
The teaching of English and mathematics is consistently good throughout the school, and some very good and excellent examples of teaching were seen in these subjects during the inspection. Skills of literacy and numeracy are well taught, but currently not enough use is made of information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum. Teachers very effectively build upon what pupils already know and can do, and constantly seek ways of making pupils’ learning interesting and challenging. Throughout the school, teachers use questions well to extend the pupils’ thinking and to check their understanding. Pupils are encouraged to come up with creative solutions to problems, and pupils are confident that their ideas and opinions are truly valued. Pupils with special educational needs receive good levels of support in class which enable them to meet their individual learning targets, and to participate fully in all activities. There are some
p.8
TEACHING AND LEARNING
weaknesses in the teaching of design and technology, geography, information and communication technology and music in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, and in history in Key Stage 2. These weaknesses are linked to unsatisfactory curriculum provision, and teachers’ lack of confidence in teaching some aspects of some of these subjects. The teaching of the Foundation Stage children in the Nursery and Reception classes is good overall, and some very good and excellent examples of teaching and learning were seen in these classes during the inspection. Westwood Park Community Primary School - 9
p.8
Aspect Comment
The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum for pupils in the Foundation Stage is very good. However, in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, not enough attention is given to some subjects, and this adversely affects pupils’ attainment and progress. The school offers only a small range of extra-curricular activities, but the residential visits for older Key Stage 2 pupils are a strength of the school’s provision, and enhance their learning. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. The school provides good support for pupils who have special educational needs enabling them to make good progress.
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Aspect Comment
Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The school makes good provision for pupils who have English as an additional language.
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Aspect Comment
Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school makes satisfactory provision for pupils’ personal, spiritual and cultural development, although even more could be done to help older pupils to develop independent study skills. Provision for pupils’ social and moral development is good. How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school provides good levels of support and guidance and teachers know their pupils well. Good assessment procedures are in place for measuring pupils’ progress and attainment in English, mathematics and science, but assessment procedures in other subjects have not yet been developed. How well the school works in partnership with parents Parents are pleased with the education the school provides and receive good levels of information. Some parents could do more to help their children at home, and only a few parents regularly help in school.
p.9
Aspect Comment
Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides very good leadership, and has a clear vision for the future development of the school. The role of key staff in monitoring teaching and learning has been effectively developed. As stated in the School Development Plan, work still needs to be done in developing the leadership role of some co-ordinators. The school is well managed. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The Governing Body is effective in fulfilling its statutory duties, and is very supportive of the school. Governors are very well informed about the school’s life and work. The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The headteacher, staff and Governing Body have a very clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Change is managed in a well paced manner, following consultation with all interested parties. The strategic use of
p.9
Aspect Comment
resources Very good. Very good use is made of the available finances and the school ensures best value when making spending decisions. The school gives good value for money. Staffing, accommodation and learning resources The school employs a generous number of staff, all of whom are efficiently deployed. The accommodation is adequate, although it is old and poorly decorated in parts. Some classrooms are very cramped, especially the Reception classrooms. The new information and communication technology suite is a valuable resource. There are enough resources for most subjects, with the exception of geography, history and music where there are shortages. Westwood Park Community Primary School - 10
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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL
What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Parents agree that their children enjoy coming to school. • Parents are very pleased with the standard of education provided by the school and the progress their children make. • Parents recognise and appreciate the improvements that have taken place in the school over the last few years. • Parents enjoy a very good relationship with the staff and headteacher, and are warmly welcomed into the school. • Parents agree that the school promotes positive values and attitudes and state that the pupils are well behaved. • Parents appreciate the hard work of the teachers and staff and agree that the school is well led and managed. • Some parents do not think that their children receive enough homework. • Parents would like more extra-curricular activities.
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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL
The inspection findings support all of the parents’ views. There are justifiably high levels of parental satisfaction with the quality of education provided by the school, and the quality of teaching and leadership. The school currently offers few extra-curricular activities, and has firm plans to increase the range of activities provided. The setting of homework is currently a little random and varies from class to class. English homework is set regularly in most classes, but more use could be made of homework to support pupils’ learning in other areas of the curriculum. Westwood Park Community Primary School - 11
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The school’s results and achievements
1. The children’s attainment when they join the Nursery class is very low across all areas of learning. The children’s language skills are particularly poorly developed, and their mathematical understanding, and knowledge and understanding of the world in which they live, are very limited. The children make very good progress overall in the Nursery and Reception classes, and by the end of the Foundation Stage attain the expected levels in the creative and physical areas of learning, and beyond the expected levels in terms of their personal, social and emotional development. However, despite making very good progress, most children do not attain the expected levels in mathematics, and language, or in their knowledge and understanding of the world in which they live, because of their very low starting point. The provision in the Foundation Stage is very good and gives the children a good start to their education, and an enthusiasm for
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The school’s results and achievements
learning which is evident throughout the school.
p.11
The school’s results and achievements
2. The end of Key Stage 1 national test results for reading, writing and mathematics paint a very varied picture over the last four years. This is mainly because of differences in the ability of the cohorts of pupils entered for the tests, and partly the result of changes in staff. Standards are now starting to show a trend of improvement, reflecting the hard work of the staff and headteacher, and better use of the results of baseline assessments, carried out when pupils join the Reception class. The 2000 end of Key Stage 1 test results show that standards were well below the national average in reading, writing and mathematics and in comparison with similar schools, the pupils’ performance is below average. The inspection findings indicate that pupils’ attainment is close to national expectations in mathematics and science at the end of Key Stage 1, and slightly below national expectations in English. Pupils make good progress,
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The school’s results and achievements
often from a very low starting point, and achieve their full potential. They benefit from consistently good teaching, and good curriculum provision, which takes account of their individual needs. The school has been successful in increasing the percentage of pupils attaining the higher levels, by ensuring that the higher attaining pupils are given challenging and demanding tasks, but there is still a significant proportion of pupils who are working at the lower levels, despite the best efforts of the school.
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The school’s results and achievements
3. The end of Key Stage 2 national test results show a steady trend of improvement over the last three years, reflecting the impact of better teaching, better curriculum provision, and better use of assessment information to plan the next stage of pupils’ learning. Although the 2000 test results for English, mathematics and science indicate that pupils’ attainment is below the national average, in comparison with similar schools, the pupils’ performance is average. The inspection findings indicate that pupils of all abilities achieve well, and give of their best. Their attainment in mathematics and science is in line with national expectations, and there are particular strengths in the way in which they use and apply their mathematical and scientific knowledge. In English, pupils’ attainment is slightly below national expectations, but shows evidence of continued improvement. Throughout the school pupils’ spoken
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The school’s results and achievements
vocabulary is limited, and a significant proportion of pupils have difficulty expressing their ideas clearly, both verbally and on paper. Although pupils acquire the necessary writing skills, their imaginations are sometimes limited and this affects the overall quality of their written work.
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The school’s results and achievements
4. Standards in information and communication technology are below national expectations at the end of both key stages, and more work needs to be done in this Westwood Park Community Primary School - 12 area of the curriculum. The school has recently set up a computer suite, and although this is starting to have a positive impact on pupils’ learning, pupils are not yet making the progress of which they are capable. Insufficient use is made of information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum, mainly because of a lack of appropriate software and staff training, which are planned for the near future.
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The school’s results and achievements
5. Standards at the end of both key stages in music, geography, and design and technology, and at the end of Key Stage 2 in history, are below national expectations, and could be higher. Currently pupils of all abilities are not making enough progress in these subjects. Over the last four years, the school has justifiably concentrated its attentions on raising standards in English, mathematics and science. This has meant that the available time for other subjects has been limited, and as a result, standards have dipped, and are not as high as they could be.
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The school’s results and achievements
6. The school is well placed for raising standards in information and communication technology, music, geography, design and technology and history, and has comprehensive schemes of work in place to guide teachers’ planning and to ensure that pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding are systematically developed. Teachers are keen to address the shortcomings identified during the inspection in relation to these subjects, including the allocation of time, the monitoring of teaching and learning, the improvement of resources in some areas, and the development of teacher expertise and confidence through staff training, and firm plans are in place which should help to raise standards and to improve the rate of pupils’ progress.
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The school’s results and achievements
7. In religious education, pupils’ attainment is in line with the expectations of the Locally Agreed Syllabus at the end of Key Stage 1, and above expectations at the end of Key Stage 2. The subject is taught well throughout the school and pupils of all ages and abilities make good progress. Pupils enjoy their learning and respond with high levels of interest and enthusiasm in lessons. In art and design, pupils make good progress, and their attainment is in line with national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1 and above national expectations at the end of Key Stage 2. The subject has been an area of development within the school, and has captivated the interest of pupils and staff alike. Standards at the end of both key stages in physical education, and in history at the end of Key Stage 1, are in line with national expectations, and pupils make satisfactory progress in these areas.
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The school’s results and achievements
8. Pupils who have special educational needs are well supported in class by their teachers and classroom support assistants, and this enables them to make good progress and to achieve the targets in their individual education plans. Higher attaining pupils, or pupils who may be ‘gifted’ in terms of their academic achievement are identified, and are fully stretched by the work they are given. However, the school does not formally identify pupils who are talented in subjects such as art and design, physical education, music or drama, and their talents are not always fully developed. The school’s provision for pupils who have English as an additional language is good, enabling them to make good progress. Currently only two pupils have English as an additional language support.
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The school’s results and achievements
9. The school has responded very well to the issues from the 1997 and 1999 reports relating to improving standards in English, mathematics and science, and has made very good progress in achieving its targets. However, as a result of the justifiable concentration on these subjects, standards in other subjects, including information and communication technology, music, design and technology, geography and history, have suffered. The school is fully committed to raising standards in these subjects, and Westwood Park Community Primary School - 13 given the excellent team spirit that exists amongst staff, is very well placed for continued improvement.
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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
10. Pupils in Key Stage 1 and 2, have good attitudes towards school and learning, involving themselves fully in all the activities. They enjoy coming to school and approach their lessons with interest and enthusiasm. They respond positively to their teachers, concentrating well in class and displaying high levels of perseverance when the tasks are difficult and challenging. Pupils work to the best of their ability and make significant efforts to complete their work in the time available. They participate fully and attentively in class discussions and are keen to share their ideas and opinions with others. By the time the pupils reach Year 6, they are capable of communicating their ideas confidently, and are tolerant and respectful of the opinions expressed by others. The youngest children in the school have good independent learning skills, and Nursery and Reception children are confident about choosing their own resources and
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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
11. Although some of the pupils lack self-discipline, behaviour throughout the school is satisfactory because of the good management skills of the teachers. Teachers maintain very good relationships with their pupils, and have high expectations of behaviour in class. Not all pupils, however, can be relied upon to behave appropriately when they are unsupervised. There are some pupils, throughout the school, who have specific behavioural difficulties, but they are not currently included on the special educational needs register, and do not always therefore receive the support they need to manage their difficulties. Well considered procedures ensure the orderly movement of pupils around the school, and behaviour in the dining hall is good. The school has adopted the good practice of organising activities in the playground at lunchtime. This is proving to be very successful in promoting social development, and in ensuring that
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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
pupils can be fully occupied if they choose. Bullying is not an issue, and although occasional minor disputes break out, these are quickly and efficiently dealt with by teachers or lunchtime supervisors. The system of rewards and sanctions, as set out in the behaviour policy, is consistently applied, and makes a positive contribution to the management of pupils’ behaviour.
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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
12. Pupils’ personal development and their relationships with one another are good. Pupils respond warmly to visitors, and co-operate very well when working in pairs and small groups. Older Key Stage 2 pupils can be relied upon to sensibly carry out monitorial duties around the school, such as answering the telephone, helping in the dining hall, or organising the lending of books in the library. The older pupils do much to support the younger ones, and this enhances their personal development. They assist the children in the Reception classes with their lunches, and in the playground. They also write special stories to read to them. Recently, a group of pupils initiated and organised a fund-raising poster competition in school in order to raise funds for victims of an earthquake disaster, increasing their awareness of those less fortunate than themselves. However, Key Stage 2 pupils do not have enough opportunities to take
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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
responsibility for aspects of their own learning. Their personal study skills are limited, and some older pupils do not have enough practice of organising homework schedules, or carrying out extended projects that involve them in carrying out research over a period of time.
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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
13. The school’s attendance rate is unsatisfactory, as it is below the national average, but has improved steadily since the first inspection in 1997. The authorised absence rate is above the national average, and reflects the fact that several families take holidays Westwood Park Community Primary School - 14 during term time. The vast majority of pupils arrive on time to school. Registration procedures now meet statutory requirements.
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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
14. Overall, there has been an improvement in pupils’ values, attitudes and personal development since the first inspection in 1997, although there is still some work to be done in providing more opportunities for older pupils to develop personal study skills. The rate of attendance reflects a good rate of improvement since the 1997 inspection.
p.14
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
15. During the inspection the quality of teaching was excellent in 5% of lessons seen, very good in 39% of lessons, good in 35% of lessons, satisfactory in 16% of lessons, and unsatisfactory in 5% of lessons. The overall quality of teaching has improved significantly since the 1997 inspection report, where teaching was described as being less than satisfactory in 42% of lessons seen, and very good in only 2% of lessons. The improvements in teaching have been brought about partly by staff changes, and also through an extensive programme of staff training which has had a positive impact on teachers’ knowledge, expertise and confidence. The most significant improvement in teaching can be seen in the Foundation Stage, where teaching is now good overall, with very good and excellent examples observed during the inspection.
p.14
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
16. Teachers in the Nursery and Reception classes are fully conversant with the needs of young children, and plan stimulating and exciting activities which are very carefully linked to the six nationally recommended areas of learning. Teachers work very closely and effectively with nursery nurses and learning support assistants, ensuring that all adults share the same approach to promoting the children’s learning. Very careful intervention when the children are at work and play ensures the ongoing development of spoken language skills, and social skills. Very good opportunities are provided for the children to develop independence in their learning, and to acquire important learning skills, such as concentration and perseverance. There is a very good combination in most lessons of teacher directed activities, and those where the children take charge of their own learning, making choices and decisions about how
p.14
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
they approach and carry out suggested tasks. Play is seen as an important vehicle for the children’s learning, and many very good opportunities are provided for the children to take part in free-play activities, such as using large play equipment, and structured play activities, such as water play, where pupils are guided to use equipment in a way that will help them to develop mathematical and scientific understanding and knowledge. Good use is made of assessment in the Nursery and Reception classes to track and monitor the children’s progress and attainment, although there are some missed opportunities for learning support assistants to make ongoing assessments of the children’s learning when the teacher is working with the whole class. The consistently high standard of teaching in the Foundation Stage contributes to the good and very good progress made by the children in the Nursery and Reception classes.
p.14
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
17. In Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, the teaching of English, mathematics and science is good overall, and some very good and excellent examples of teaching were seen during the inspection. Skills of literacy and numeracy are effectively promoted across the curriculum in most classes, although there are a few occasions when pupils are required to copy text which they could generate themselves. English and mathematics lessons follow the format of the National Literacy Strategy and the National Numeracy Strategy, and these strategies have been effective in raising the standard of teaching, by giving teachers a clear format for their lesson planning. Pupils enjoy the routines of literacy and numeracy sessions, and gain much from the end of session discussions, where they share their learning with one another. In the best lessons, pupils are Westwood Park Community Primary School - 15 encouraged to evaluate what they have learned, and to consider whether they have
p.14
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
achieved the targets of the lesson. In science, teachers throughout the school are particularly effective in the way in which they promote investigative work, encouraging the pupils to learn through practical experience, and to learn through their mistakes. Science activities are often very exciting for the pupils, and this motivates them and makes them want to learn.
p.15
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
18. There are strengths in the teaching of art and design, physical education and religious education, but some weaknesses in the teaching of information and communication technology, music, design and technology, history and geography, which are linked to shortcomings in the curriculum provision. The school has successfully and justifiably invested a great deal of time over the past few years into improving the quality of teaching and learning in English, mathematics and science, and as a result, some teachers have lost confidence in the teaching of subjects such as music and design and technology, which have not always been regularly taught in all classes. The appointment of a part-time music specialist to work with some Key Stage 2 classes is already having a positive impact on pupils’ learning, and the school intends to extend this practice across the school. The need for staff training for the teaching of
p.15
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
information and communication technology and design and technology has been identified and is being addressed, and newly implemented schemes of work for history and geography to support teachers in their planning are positive moves to improve teaching in these subjects.
p.15
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
19. Teaching throughout the school has many positive features. Relationships between teachers and their pupils are very good, and this ensures that pupils are confident about voicing their opinions and expressing any concerns they may have. The vast majority of teachers are very skilful in their use of questions, using them well to draw out pupils’ ideas, and to check pupils’ understanding of what they have learned. In the best lessons, teachers use resources very well to enhance their teaching and to enliven pupils’ learning. This was evident during the inspection when a Year 1 teacher used a ‘story-box’, filled with items relating to the story she read, to add interest, and to ensure that the pupils had understood the sequence and ideas of the story. Teachers have very high expectations of behaviour, and generally manage pupils who have behavioural difficulties with skill and a warm sense of humour. Classroom organisation
p.15
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
is very effective, and teachers group pupils well to ensure that the optimum amount of learning can take place. The exception is in the newly installed computer suite where pupils often become distracted by the computers and are less attentive than they are usually. Whilst most teachers are now adopting effective strategies for managing pupils’ behaviour in the suite, some of the less experienced teachers are struggling a little. Teachers’ planning for most subjects is comprehensive and shows clearly how pupils’ learning is to be advanced. In many lessons, learning objectives are shared with the pupils, and this practice is highly effective in letting pupils know exactly what is expected of them. An area for development in teaching is the use made of homework to support pupils’ learning in subjects other than English and mathematics. Currently homework is not set on a sufficiently regular basis and opportunities for further
p.15
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
extending pupils’ learning are therefore missed.
p.15
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
20. The quality of pupils’ learning is good overall. Most pupils throughout the school have a keen attitude to work and to school, and persevere and concentrate well in lessons. Pupils are easily motivated, especially in those lessons where teachers make an additional effort to prepare exciting and stimulating resources to capture and hold the pupils’ attention. Pupils respond well to praise and encouragement, and have high levels of confidence because of very good relationships between teachers and pupils. Pupils work hard in class, and most have a good knowledge of how effective they are in their learning. Pupils are keen to take on board their teachers’ suggestions for Westwood Park Community Primary School - 16 improvement. In some classes, individual targets for literacy, numeracy and personal development are given to pupils, and they focus on these targets as they carry out their work. As they achieve their targets the pupils experience a real sense of pride,
p.15
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
and are keen to move onto their next challenge. Most pupils are well behaved in class and respond well to their teachers’ high expectations. However, their learning in the computer suite is not always as effective as it might be, as pupils are still easily distracted by this new learning environment.
p.16
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
21. The teaching of pupils who have special educational needs is good, and teachers are very well supported in this aspect of their work by learning support assistants, whose input is extremely valuable. Teachers and learning support assistants work closely together to plan how to support individuals who have special educational needs. Work is well matched to the pupils’ levels of ability, and targeted support enables them to take part fully in class and group activities. Individual education plans contain focused targets which teachers refer to when planning activities. The work of pupils who have special educational needs is carefully monitored to ensure that they are making the progress of which they are capable. Currently the school does not formally identify pupils who are gifted and talented, although informally, teachers are aware of these pupils, and try to ensure that their needs are fully met. Only two pupils have English as
p.16
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
an additional language, and are at the early stages of language acquisition and their needs are fully met.
p.16
PUPILS?
22. The school provides a broad and balanced range of curriculum opportunities for pupils throughout the school. Since the 1997 inspection, there has been a significant improvement in the quality of the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage, which is now very good. Over the last few years, the school has justifiably, and successfully, devoted much of its time to raising standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. As a result, not enough time has been allocated to some of the other subjects, and this has adversely affected the progress pupils have made, and the standards they have achieved. The National Literacy Strategy and the National Numeracy Strategy have been successfully implemented in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, and are having a positive impact on the quality of teaching and learning. However, the school has only recently adopted the national schemes of work for other subjects, and they have not yet been
p.16
PUPILS?
in place long enough to have any real impact. The school closely follows the requirements of the Locally Agreed Syllabus for religious education.
p.16
PUPILS?
23. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good, and all pupils, including those with statements, have full access to the curriculum. The school is already in the process of implementing aspects of the new Code of Practice. The high quality of support staff contributes significantly to the good progress that pupils with special educational needs make, and enables them to participate fully in all classroom activities. The system for placing pupils who have learning difficulties on the special educational needs register is efficient and effective, but there are some pupils with behavioural difficulties who would benefit from being identified and given extra support. An up to date electronic system to draw up the Individual Educational Plans is being successfully implemented. Individual education plans are very good, and contain detailed and appropriate targets which help the teachers in their planning. The special
p.16
PUPILS?
needs co-ordinator, who is very efficient and committed, ensures that regular reviews take place, and that parents are kept well informed of their children’s progress. The Westwood Park Community Primary School - 17 school is fulfilling its statutory requirements in respect of its provision for pupils who have special educational needs.
p.16
PUPILS?
24. The provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is satisfactory, and is an ongoing area of development within the school. Statutory requirements are met in respect of drugs education and sex education, and the school draws on the expertise of outside agencies to support them in this aspect of the curriculum. ‘Circle Time’, where pupils consider a range of pertinent issues as a class group, is a regular feature in all classes, and represents an improvement in the school’s provision for pupils’ personal development since the 1997 inspection.
p.17
PUPILS?
25. The school provides a small number of extra-curricular activities, but not enough to cater for all pupils in the school. The school recognises the need to extend the range of activities offered, and to provide some extra-curricular activities that will appeal to some of the younger Key Stage 1 pupils. A strength of the school’s provision for extra- curricular activities is the residential visits, two of which are held each year for upper Key Stage 2 pupils. These visits provide excellent opportunities for pupils to develop social skills, and to acquire skills such as orienteering. The pupils gain much from taking part in the residential visits and they are popular and well subscribed.
p.17
PUPILS?
26. The school makes good use of the local community to extend and enhance the pupils’ learning. During the inspection week, for example, the pupils enjoyed visits from a police officer, the local vicar, and a visiting artist. Close relationships have been established with local businesses, and a sustainable environmental development project has been initiated for Year 6 pupils, with a local hotel. Within the hotel grounds, the pupils maintain a wildlife plot and are building a garden with a pond, and have planted some trees. The school has good links with other local schools. There are good arrangements for parents and pupils from Year 6 to visit the local secondary school, and the secondary school staff visit Westwood Park to teach a series of demonstration lessons. The school welcomes a good number of trainee teachers and students from local colleges, and values their input, and the way in which they enrich
p.17
PUPILS?
27. The provision for pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory, and provision for their social and moral development is good. Overall, the school has improved the provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development since the 1997 inspection.
p.17
PUPILS?
28. Pupils’ spiritual development is fostered through assemblies, and some lessons, most notably English, religious education and art and design. There are some good opportunities in lessons and assemblies for pupils to focus and reflect upon aspects of their own lives and those of others, but such opportunities are rarely planned in lessons and rely too much on the intuition of individual teachers.
p.17
PUPILS?
29. Pupils’ social and moral development is successfully promoted in a number of ways. The school has a clearly stated code of behaviour that provides a useful framework to guide pupils’ actions. Most pupils throughout the school have a good sense of right and wrong, and instances of poor behaviour are handled in a firm but sympathetic manner, and pupils are encouraged to acknowledge the consequences of their actions. A number of opportunities are taken to develop pupils’ social skills. Residential visits for older Key Stage 2 pupils in Snowdonia, visits to Wigan Pier, Tatton Park and the Lancashire Mining museum all help pupils to learn how to relate to, and consider the needs of others. In lessons, good opportunities for collaborative work, in science and art and design for example, help pupils to learn to co-operate and work with one another. Pupils learn to share resources and to take turns. All classes have monitors
p.17
PUPILS?
Westwood Park Community Primary School - 18 who help to tidy up after lessons, and pupils enjoy these opportunities to take responsibility.
p.18
PUPILS?
30. The provision for developing pupils’ awareness of their own and other cultures is satisfactory. Opportunities are taken, for example, to invite people from other faiths, such as Buddhists and Moslems, into school to talk in assemblies about their life experiences, and pupils are encouraged to have respect for the different beliefs and views of others. The different religious festivals for other faiths are not however, currently celebrated in school, even though there are a number of pupils from different ethnic minority groups. The school has only a small range of books and other artefacts to promote pupils’ interest in cultures other than their own, and more could be done to promote this aspect of the school’s work.
p.18
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
31. Pupils are well known to teachers and support staff, and their well-being, health and safety are of paramount concern. The school’s procedures for ensuring and maintaining pupils’ welfare, health and safety are good, and have improved significantly since the 1997 inspection. Pupils are very well supervised at all times, and staff are fully aware of the procedures to be followed when pupils are ill or have accidents. Good procedures for child protection are in place, and all staff are aware of the routines to be followed if a pupil is believed to be at risk. The school works closely with outside agencies for the benefit of pupils, and the school nurse and educational welfare officer, for example, are regular visitors. During the inspection, upper Key Stage 2 pupils enjoyed the visit of a Community Police Officer who established a very good relationship with the pupils, successfully promoting a positive image of the police
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
force. Effective procedures are in place to ensure the health and safety of staff and pupils. Formal written risk assessments of potential hazards in and around the school are undertaken regularly.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
32. The school’s procedures for promoting good discipline and behaviour have improved since the 1997 inspection and are now very good. The school has a clear, consistent and effective approach to managing the behaviour of pupils, which ensures that good behaviour is achieved in class and when pupils are supervised at playtimes. The policy for behaviour and discipline has been the subject of wide consultation, including pupils and their parents, and as a result is well understood by all. Incidents of poor behaviour, including very occasional racist comments, are recorded, and are dealt with swiftly and effectively. Teachers make very good use of rewards to celebrate good achievement and behaviour, and sanctions are seen as a last resort.
p.18
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
33. The procedures for monitoring and promoting attendance are good. Unexplained absences are followed up on a daily basis, and the attendance of individual children who are giving particular cause for concern is monitored on a weekly basis. The school is working hard to raise attendance to the national level, and is conscious that more needs to be done to reduce the incidence of unauthorised absence.
p.18
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
34. The last inspection in 1999 highlighted, as a key issue, the need for the school to make better use of assessment to promote the progress of individual pupils. Since then the school has given high priority to this area of its work, and has made considerable progress. Systems and procedures for gathering assessment information have improved, and the school is starting to make more effective use of assessment information to improve standards, and to track and monitor pupils’ progress. Currently, the school has good assessment systems and procedures for children in the Foundation Stage, and in English, mathematics and science. Assessment procedures Westwood Park Community Primary School - 19 for most other subjects in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are not yet in place, and this is an identified area of future development within the school.
p.18
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
35. The school makes good use of baseline tests when children join the Nursery and Reception classes, to establish what the children already know and can do, and to subsequently track their progress and attainment. The school fully meets statutory requirements in respect of the end of key stage national tests, and the results of these tests are carefully scrutinised by subject co-ordinators to identify any particular trends, strengths or weaknesses in teaching and learning, and to track the progress of groups of pupils, and individual pupils. Very effective use is made of information gathered in this way to inform curriculum planning. For example, following the 2000 end of key stage tests, the school identified graphs and data handling as an area for development in Key Stage 2, and specifically targeted this aspect of the mathematics curriculum across the key stage. The use of assessment data is having a positive impact on
p.19
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
raising standards in English, mathematics and science and in helping the school to identify strengths and weaknesses in aspects of its provision.
p.19
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
36. At the beginning of each year and in discussion with the co-ordinators, classteachers set individual achievement targets for their pupils in English, mathematics and science. During the course of the year, the pupils’ progress towards the targets is monitored and recorded to establish whether they are on track. This process is often shared with the pupils enabling them to have a clear understanding of their progress, and helping them to recognise strengths and weaknesses in their learning.
p.19
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
37. The school has a clear vision for the further development of assessment. It includes the sharing of targets with pupils and their parents, a process that is currently being trialled in Year 1 and Year 6 in English. Co-ordinators are also aware of the need to devise and introduce manageable assessment procedures for the non-core subjects in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
p.19
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
38. Assessment procedures for pupils with special educational needs are good. The school follows the guidance of the Code of Practice for identifying pupils who have special educational needs. Individual education plans are reviewed every half term, and appropriate targets are set, enabling pupils to make good progress.
p.19
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
39. There are high levels of parental satisfaction, and parents are happy, overall, with the quality of education the school provides and the standards achieved. They believe that their children make good progress and generally behave well. Parents agree that the staff and headteacher are approachable and accessible, and are confident that any concerns they have will be listened to and acted upon. The inspection findings confirm the parents’ views that homework is inconsistent across the school, and that there are too few extra-curricular activities on offer.
p.19
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
40. The partnership between school and parents is satisfactory overall. The school has worked hard since the first inspection in 1997 to develop its links with parents, and has been successful in improving the partnership. This important aspect of school life forms part of the school improvement plan and is an ongoing area of development. Future proposals include the appointment of a publicity officer to ensure that parents are kept well informed of activities and to encourage them to help in school and at home with their children’s learning. Westwood Park Community Primary School - 20 41. The involvement of parents in school activities is satisfactory, but could be even better. Some parents help on school trips and most attend consultation evenings. There is an active ‘Friends of Westwood Park Association’, that regularly holds fund-raising events, enabling the school to provide additional resources and to subsidise school
p.19
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
visits. A small number of parents help out in school, and although some parents give good support to their children at home, not all parents do enough to help their children with homework.
p.20
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
42. The information the school provides for parents is good, and has improved in quality since the time of the 1997 inspection. Information includes letters presented in languages other than English to meet the requirements of a small number of parents, and termly curriculum information. The school prospectus and the annual governors’ report are both informative, comprehensive, and meet legal requirements. This is an improvement since the 1997 inspection. End of year pupil progress reports are clear and well written, but do not always clearly outline the future academic and personal targets the pupils are expected to achieve.
p.20
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
43. Good provision is made for parents to discuss the progress of children who have special educational needs, and parents are kept fully informed about the content of individual education plans, and are invited and encouraged to attend review meetings.
p.20
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
44. The headteacher provides very good leadership. Over the past four years, he has demonstrated great tenacity and vision as he has led the school forward through a very difficult period. He has promoted a very positive team spirit amongst staff and governors, and there is a strong sense of shared commitment. Very good systems are in place to enable all staff and governors to share in the decision making process, and there are very high levels of collaboration at all levels. The senior management team, which is made up of team leaders for key areas of management along with the co- ordinator for special educational needs is very effective, and very supportive of the headteacher. At the time of the inspection, the deputy had just left the school following a promotion, and the new deputy was not yet in post.
p.20
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
45. Over the past four years, the school has tackled its priorities for development in a well ordered and well paced manner, and has been successful in meeting its key objective of raising standards in English, mathematics and science. Non-contact time for the co- ordinators responsible for English, mathematics and science has been used effectively, and the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning in these subjects have provided the school with valuable information that has been successfully acted upon. The role of co-ordinators in managing their subject areas is well developed in English, mathematics and science, but this role has not yet been sufficiently developed in other subjects. The school plans to extend its monitoring programme across all subjects over the course of the next few years, to enable standards in some of the foundation subjects to be raised, and to share good teaching
p.20
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
46. The Governing Body is very effective in the way in which it discharges its duties. Governors are well informed and many have undergone appropriate training to help them in the understanding and fulfilment of their roles and statutory responsibilities. Following the 1997 inspection, when the school was deemed to require special measures, the headteacher and governors produced a very thorough action plan. A strong feature of the plan was the way in which governors were involved in monitoring its progress. Each issue that had to be addressed was allocated a manager, and a Westwood Park Community Primary School - 21 nominated governor was attached to each area enabling the Governing Body to receive first hand reports on the ongoing progress towards the targets. The governors retain this close interest in the development of the school and take an active interest in all aspects of the school’s life and work. The Governing Body is fully involved in
p.20
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
monitoring the performance of the school, and in ensuring that the school provides a good quality of education for all pupils.
p.21
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
47. The current school improvement plan is a very well considered document which was drawn up by all members of staff. It is appropriately costed, and there are named personnel responsible for each area of improvement. Reasonable time scales have been built into each aspect with scheduled dates for review. The plan is a very good working document and minutes of governors’ meetings show that it is referred to and reviewed by committees and the full Governing Body on a regular basis.
p.21
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
48. The school has very good procedures for financial planning, control and administration. The governors charged with this responsibility are very well informed, confident and experienced. The budget is carefully managed and spending decisions are the result of prudent and sensible financial management. Grants for specific purposes are sought, and when awarded are used in a most effective manner. Spending is kept strictly within the agreed budget levels and closely match the priorities established in the school’s improvement plan. The school has very good procedures, including an appropriate policy and guidance, for ensuring that the best value for money is achieved when purchasing goods and resources. This attention to detail has already had a significant impact upon securing measures for the more economical use of fuel and power costs in the newly merged Nursery provision. Day to day financial matters are efficiently dealt with by the administrative assistant who plays
p.21
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
an important part in the smooth running of the school. A recent report by the auditors raised a few very minor issues, most of which have already been addressed.
p.21
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
49. The school meets all statutory requirements in respect of pupils who have special educational needs. All pupils throughout the school have appropriate targets for individual development and the individual education plans for pupils with statements of special educational needs are of particularly high quality. All individual education plans provide good guidance for the teachers and learning support assistants, enabling them to give good levels of support. The school makes good provision for ensuring that pupils of all ages and ability have full access to the entire curriculum. Relationships between pupils and adults are very good, and help to promote a positive ethos, and a pleasant learning environment. The school’s aims and values are fully reflected in all of its work.
p.21
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
50. Staffing levels are very good overall. There is a generous number of teachers for the number of pupils on roll, and this means that many classes have fewer than thirty pupils, enabling teachers to give pupils the individual attention they often need. The school has taken a conscious decision to increase the number of classroom support staff, and their input is having a significant impact on the pupils’ learning. Learning support assistants work closely with teachers, managing behaviour and providing support for small groups of pupils who need extra help with their work, or help in managing their behaviour. There are good opportunities for staff training, and the impact of this is evident in the extent to which teaching has improved since the 1997 inspection. The school recognises the need for staff training to be extended to ensure that all teachers are confident about teaching the full range of foundation subjects.
p.21
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
Teachers new to the school, and those new to teaching, are very well supported by colleagues. There is an excellent team spirit amongst all staff, which helps to create a warm and purposeful learning environment for the pupils. The school is committed to a Westwood Park Community Primary School - 22 programme of ongoing staff development, and has recently been awarded the ‘Investors in People’ standard.
p.21
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
51. The accommodation is adequate, although the standard of decoration is poor in parts of the building. Classrooms for the Reception children are very small, and prevent the use of large play apparatus, and classrooms for Year 5 and Year 6 pupils are also cramped and poorly ventilated. The Nursery class occupies a spacious site nearby. Although the Nursery class is within easy walking distance of the school, its off-site location is not ideal for the parents, children or staff. One of the Key Stage 2 classes is situated on the playground, and does not have toilet facilities. This poses problems, especially in adverse weather when pupils have to cross the playground to access the toilet facilities in the main building. The school has a newly installed information communication technology suite, which is timetabled to ensure that all classes have regular opportunities to use the specialist facilities. This resource is starting to have a
p.22
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
positive impact on the pupils’ learning, and represents an improvement in the provision for information and communication technology since the 1997 inspection. The building is maintained to a high standard of cleanliness by the site manager and staff. The grounds include ample space for playing as well as a field for sports activities. There is an enclosed play area for the Reception children and a good range of large play equipment. This is an improvement since the 1997 inspection.
p.22
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
52. There are enough good quality learning resources to support teaching and learning in most subjects, and they are carefully selected and purchased to ensure best value for money. The exceptions are in geography, history and music where the level of resources is unsatisfactory. The library is now situated within the computer suite, and this is not ideal. It is limited in terms of the range of books available, and is often inaccessible to pupils, because class groups are using the computer suite for information and communication technology lessons, and this restricts the opportunities for pupils to carry out personal study and research.
p.22
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
53. The school has made very good improvement since the 1997 inspection when it was deemed to require special measures. The school is now providing a good standard of education, and is very well placed for further continued development. In the light of improving standards, good teaching and learning, and the very good leadership and management provided by the headteacher, the school is judged to be giving good value for money. Westwood Park Community Primary School - 23
p.22
the end of both key stages, and history at the end of Key Stage 2 by:-
• ensuring that all subjects receive enough time to enable full coverage of the National Curriculum programmes of study (paragraphs 6, 18, 22, 103, 107, 110, 113, 116, 122, 126) ; • increasing the confidence and expertise of teachers by enabling them to take part in further training (paragraphs 4, 6, 18, 50, 106, 120) ; • introducing assessment systems and procedures to identify strengths in teaching and learning and to enable the tracking and monitoring of pupils’ progress and attainment (paragraphs 6, 34, 45, 106, 121) ; • ensure that co-ordinators have the necessary time to monitor and evaluate teaching and learning in their subjects (paragraph 45) ; • improving the range and quality of resources for music, geography and history (paragraphs 6, 107, 113, 122) .
p.23
Other minor issues that should be considered by the school:-
• the rate of attendance (paragraphs 13 and 33) ; • the provision of extra-curricular activities (paragraphs 25 and 39); • the use of homework to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum (paragraphs 19, 39, 91, 97, 106, 116, 132, 136) ; • opportunities for older Key Stage 2 pupils to develop personal study skills (paragraphs 12 and 14) ; • the inclusion of pupils with behavioural difficulties on the special educational needs register (paragraphs 11 and 23) . Westwood Park Community Primary School - 24
p.23
Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection
Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 27
p.24
Summary of teaching observed during the inspection
Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor
p.24
Summary of teaching observed during the inspection
5 39 35 16 5 - - The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.
p.24
Information about the school’s pupils
Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR– Y6
p.24
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 40 282
p.24
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 110 FTE means full-time equivalent.
p.24
Information about the school’s pupils
Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6
p.24
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 2
p.24
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 81
p.24
Information about the school’s pupils
English as an additional language No of pupils
p.24
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils with English as an additional language 6
p.24
Information about the school’s pupils
Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils
p.24
Information about the school’s pupils
Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 29
p.24
Information about the school’s pupils
Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 16
p.24
Attendance
National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Westwood Park Community Primary School - 25
p.24
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 20 25 45
p.25
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics
p.25
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
Boys 11 13 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 19 19 22
p.25
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
Percentage of pupils School 67 (71) 71 (74) 84 (95) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)
p.25
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science
p.25
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
Boys 13 18 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 21 23 22
p.25
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
Percentage of pupils School 76 (76) 91 (95) 87 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)
p.25
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 20 25 45
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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 10 10 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 23 20 21
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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2
Percentage of pupils School 73 (53) 67 (49) 80 (58) 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 7 8 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 20 20 21
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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2
Percentage of pupils School 60 (47) 64 (51) 80 (67) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Westwood Park Community Primary School - 26
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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year
Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0
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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year
Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0
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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year
Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 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) 14 Financial year 2000/2001
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Teachers and classes Financial information
Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21
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Teachers and classes Financial information
Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 579,123
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Teachers and classes Financial information
Total number of education support staff 9 Expenditure per pupil 1,898
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Teachers and classes Financial information
Total aggregate hours worked per week 216 Balance brought forward from previous year 1,243
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Teachers and classes Financial information
Balance carried forward to next year 6,117
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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
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Teachers and classes Financial information
Number of pupils per qualified teacher 40
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Teachers and classes Financial information
Total number of education support staff 4
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Teachers and classes Financial information
Total aggregate hours worked per week 96
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Teachers and classes Financial information
Number of pupils per FTE adult 8 FTE means full-time equivalent. Westwood Park Community Primary School - 27
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Questionnaire return rate
Percentage of responses in each category
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Questionnaire return rate
Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know
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Questionnaire return rate
My child is making good progress in school. 69 29 2 0 0
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Questionnaire return rate
Behaviour in the school is good. 50 41 4 0 5
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Questionnaire return rate
My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 31 38 13 8 10
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Questionnaire return rate
I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 48 37 13 2 0
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Questionnaire return rate
I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 81 15 0 4 0
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Questionnaire return rate
The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 71 27 0 0 2
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Questionnaire return rate
The school works closely with parents. 52 33 13 0 2
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Questionnaire return rate
The school is well led and managed. 56 35 4 0 5
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Questionnaire return rate
The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 73 25 0 0 2
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Questionnaire return rate
The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 33 25 21 4 17 Westwood Park Community Primary School - 28
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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
54. The provision for the Foundation Stage children in the Nursery and Reception classes is very good. There has been a significant improvement in the provision for Foundation Stage children since the 1997 inspection, when this aspect of the school’s work had serious weaknesses.
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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
55. Teaching is good, with very good features, and during the inspection, many very good and excellent examples of teaching were observed. Teachers, nursery nurses and learning support assistants work very closely together to plan and deliver exciting and stimulating activities which effectively promote the children’s learning. Very good emphasis is placed on the children learning through free and structured play activities, and these tasks provide very good opportunities for the ongoing development of their social and language skills. The children in the Nursery and Reception classes are enthusiastic learners who respond very positively to the input of the staff. The children work hard and show high levels of concentration and perseverance, from a very early age.
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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
56. There are particular strengths in the way in which the Foundation Stage curriculum is planned and organised, ensuring that the needs of all children are fully met. There is a very good balance between tasks where the children are encouraged to make their own choices and decisions, and those which are skilfully directed by an adult. Older Reception children are well prepared for their transfer to Key Stage 1 by the gradual introduction of more formal literacy and numeracy lessons. Good use is made of ongoing assessment to track and measure the children’s progress and attainment and to identify the next stage in their learning.
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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
57. The children’s attainment when they start the Nursery class is very low across all areas of learning. The children’s language skills are particularly poorly developed, and their mathematical understanding, and knowledge and understanding of the world in which they live, are very limited. The children make very good progress overall in the Nursery and Reception classes, and by the end of the Foundation Stage attain the expected levels in the creative and physical areas of learning. They attain beyond the expected levels in terms of their personal, social and emotional development, but do not attain the expected levels in mathematics, and language, or in their knowledge and understanding of the world in which they live.
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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
58. Until very recently, the Nursery class operated as a separate Nursery school. As part of reorganisation within the LEA, the Nursery school and primary school were amalgamated. Although the Nursery class is a short distance away from the main school, the amalgamation has been very smooth, ensuring that the children’s learning has not been disrupted.
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Personal, social and emotional development
59. The Nursery and Reception children make very good progress in their personal, social and emotional development because of very good teaching. By the end of the Foundation Stage, the vast majority of children attain standards in this area of learning that go beyond the early learning goals. The promotion of the children’s personal, Westwood Park Community Primary School - 29 social and emotional development is an ongoing priority for all Nursery and Reception staff, and there are frequent, regular and carefully planned opportunities for the children to make choices and decisions about their work, and for them to become increasingly independent.
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Personal, social and emotional development
60. Regular whole class discussions help the children to learn how to listen to the contributions of others, and promote their confidence as they are encouraged to answer questions, or to take part in action songs, rhymes or a class story. Most children are keen to participate in whole-class sessions and respond well to their teachers, especially when their attention is captured by good use of resources. For example, in the Nursery class, the teacher makes frequent use of a furry puppet called ‘Fou-Fou’ which is a great source of amusement to the children, and which is very successful in capturing and maintaining their attention. In structured play activities, pupils learn how to take turns, and to share equipment and materials, and do so well.
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Personal, social and emotional development
61. The teachers and support staff provide excellent role models for the children, and show respect and courtesy in their dealings with one another and the children. The example of the adults is a constant reminder for the children, and encourages them to be polite, kind, helpful and considerate of the needs of others.
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Language, communication and literacy
62. The teaching of communication, language and literacy is very effective, enabling children in the Nursery and Reception classes to make very good progress from a very low starting point. However, despite the best efforts of the staff, by the end of the Foundation Stage, the children’s overall attainment in this area of learning is below the expected level. Although some children attain the early learning goals, the majority are working at a lower level than expected, especially in terms of their spoken language, and very few children attain beyond the expected level. Most children use only a limited spoken vocabulary to express their ideas, and some children are reluctant speakers. Although by the end of the Foundation Stage most children see the link between reading and writing, and make good attempts to copy and write their names and simple words, few children are independent writers.
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Language, communication and literacy
63. The Nursery and Reception teachers provide many very good opportunities for the children to take part in whole-class discussions, where they learn to take turns, and to listen to and value the views and contributions of others. In discussion sessions, the teachers play a crucial role in developing the children’s confidence by responding positively to their contributions, and this encourages children of all abilities to want to join in. Very skilful questioning by adults when the children are engaged in group and individual activities helps the children to develop their thinking, and extends their vocabulary. A number of children in the Nursery and Reception classes are reluctant speakers, who sometimes need a great deal of persuasion before they will make a contribution, and staff are extremely patient, but persistent, in ensuring that these children take part in conversations and discussions.
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Language, communication and literacy
64. By the end of the Foundation Stage, some children are making a good start in developing early reading skills. However, only a few children are attaining beyond the expected level in their reading, mainly because much of their learning is not reinforced sufficiently at home. Children learn to sound out new words when reading aloud, and through their work in literacy lessons, they have learned a great deal about the conventions of books. Teachers have high expectations of the children, as seen during the inspection when the Nursery teacher encouraged the children to predict what might happen next in the story she was reading. Letter formation is taught well, and pupils are given a range of additional tasks, such as tracing patterns and following dot to dot Westwood Park Community Primary School - 30 patterns, which help them to develop left to right orientation. Although children know how to hold their pencils correctly, most children struggle with forming letters, and
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Language, communication and literacy
65. Teachers ensure a very good balance between practical opportunities for the children to develop language skills, and formal recording activities, and work is very well matched to the needs of individual children. Role-play opportunities are used very well to give the children confidence in using spoken language, and to help them to see writing in real-life contexts. For example, in the Nursery train role-play area, the children see timetables, tickets, and notices informing them about the train journeys, and when their play is supervised by an adult, they are encouraged to talk about the journey they are making.
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Mathematical development
66. By the end of the Foundation Stage, the overall attainment of the children is below the expected level in the mathematical area of learning. Despite making very good progress from a very low starting point, very few children attain beyond the early learning goals, and a significant number of children do not attain the expected level. The quality of teaching and learning is very good and promotes very good progress. All adults are skilled in the way in which they develop the children’s mathematical vocabulary by engaging them in conversation about their work. Very good use is made of rhymes and songs to reinforce the children’s understanding of the order of number, and teachers provide children with access to a good range of resources which effectively reinforce their mathematical understanding and knowledge.
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Mathematical development
67. By the end of the Foundation Stage, a small number of children have a secure grasp of numbers up to ten, but have difficulty giving numbers that are more or less than a given number. During the inspection, even the highest attaining Reception children were struggling to find numbers that came in between a given pair of numbers. Most children satisfactorily name a range of very simple two-dimensional shapes, but lack the vocabulary and conceptual understanding to describe the properties of shapes, in terms of the number of sides and corners, for example. Teachers provide very good opportunities for children to generate and complete repeated patterns using different criteria such as shape and colour, and most children by the end of the Foundation Stage show a satisfactory understanding of this aspect of their mathematical learning. Children sort objects well according to given criteria, but have difficulty coming up with
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Mathematical development
68. Practical tasks and play opportunities effectively reinforce the children’s mathematical learning and provide opportunities for staff to extend the children’s vocabulary. For example, in the café role play area in the Reception class, and the train role play area in the Nursery class, the children develop their counting skills, and gain an appreciation of the notion of money. With adult support, Reception pupils develop ‘one to one correspondence’ as they learn to set out places with cutlery and crockery for a given number of customers, positioning items correctly for each place setting. In the Nursery train, the children sell tickets to customers, consider the length and time of planned journeys, and count passengers on the train. Further effective mathematical work is carried out when the children work in the sand and water areas, learning how much different containers hold, and developing comparative vocabulary such as
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Mathematical development
more/less than, full/empty, and high/low. Westwood Park Community Primary School - 31
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Knowledge and understanding of the world
69. By the end of the Foundation Stage, despite making good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes, the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world in which they live is well below the expected level. The teaching of this area of learning is good, and activities are always stimulating and exciting, promoting good learning. The children join the Nursery class with very little experience beyond their own immediate environment. Teachers do their best to compensate for this, by providing trips and visits for the children, and by using interesting resources in class, but the learning is not always reinforced at home, and the children quickly forget these experiences. Pupils’ recall of what they have learned is often poor, and because of limited vocabulary, many children have difficulty expressing their ideas, and talking about what they have learned.
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Knowledge and understanding of the world
70. A trip to the local shops has given Nursery children an appreciation of the area near the school, and an understanding of the range of services offered by the different shops. Photographic displays in the Nursery classroom remind the children of the visit and provide a useful talking point. In the Reception classes, the children have learned about some geographical features when they shared the book ‘Rosie’s Walk’, but in discussion, because of limited vocabulary, most children have difficulty expressing their geographical understanding. Reception children have an emerging understanding of how the seaside differs from their own local area, but for many children, their experience of the seaside is largely theoretical. Few children know their addresses and most have difficulty when asked to describe interesting landmarks they pass on their way to and from school.
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Knowledge and understanding of the world
71. The children’s understanding of the passage of time is well below the expected level, and at the end of the Foundation Stage, most children have great difficulty in sequencing important events in their lives. Most children have some knowledge of the relationships within their immediate families, and talk about their brothers and sisters, but do not yet have a knowledge of the wider family structure.
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Knowledge and understanding of the world
72. Most Nursery and Reception children show a good interest in science based activities and are curious and observant. Some very good opportunities are provided in both the Nursery and Reception classes for the children to find things out for themselves. For example, in the Nursery class, whilst playing in the water tray, the children are encouraged to find out which objects float and which sink, and the highest attaining children make this distinction well. Practical experiences make a very good contribution to the children’s learning, especially when adults give support by asking relevant questions to make the children think carefully about what they are doing.
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Knowledge and understanding of the world
73. By the end of the Foundation Stage, most children have made good progress in using computers, and display good levels of confidence. They use the mouse with a good degree of accuracy to move the cursor, and are familiar with a wide range of programmes. Children in the Reception classes have good experience of using the digital camera, and have taken photographs of activities in the classroom, and shapes they have found around the school, to support their mathematics work. The children’s attainment in using information and communication technology to support their learning is close to the expected level.
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Physical development
74. The children make good progress in their physical development, and by the end of the Foundation Stage, most achieve the early learning goals in this area of learning. The teaching of physical skills is good in both the Nursery and Reception classes, although Westwood Park Community Primary School - 32 the size constraint of the two Reception classrooms limits the use of large play apparatus. The Nursery class children have very good access to a secure outside play area, and they benefit from frequent opportunities to use wheeled toys, and climbing equipment. However, because the Nursery classroom is not on the same site as the main school, Reception children can not easily share this provision.
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Physical development
75. Teachers provide many good opportunities for the children to develop fine motor skills. The children have regular opportunities to cut and stick materials, and to use brushes and pencils of different sizes. When working with small construction materials and jigsaws, many children have good manipulative skills, and easily join pieces together.
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Physical development
76. The children show a satisfactory awareness of space, especially in the classrooms when they move around with care. In the playground they move energetically, but in physical education lessons do not always make full use of the available space. The children respond well to verbal instructions, and change the direction and speed of their movements. Most children are gaining control when making balances, but some still have difficulty with this.
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Creative development
77. By the end of the Foundation Stage, most children attain the Early Learning Goals in the creative area of learning and make good progress. Teaching is good, and there are regular opportunities for the children to take part in art and craft activities, or to work in the role play areas, and these opportunities help to foster the children’s creativity, and successfully promote social skills as the children learn to work alongside one another.
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Creative development
78. In the Nursery class, the children make good use of the listening centre where they listen to favourites stories or songs. They often quite spontaneously pick up musical instruments to accompany taped music, and do so with a great deal of enthusiasm. In music lessons in the Reception classes, the children show a satisfactory sense of rhythm when they clap short patterns generated by the teacher, and a few children correctly make the distinction between fast and slow patterns. However, Reception children do not have enough opportunities to explore instruments and to make music without adult supervision, and this constrains their creativity. The children learn a good range of songs and rhymes in the Nursery and Reception classes, which in addition to helping them to gain a sense of rhythm and pitch, are effective in helping them to develop the clarity of their speech.
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ENGLISH
79. On the basis of the 2000 end of Key Stage 1 national test results, pupils’ attainment is well below the national average in reading and writing, and below average in comparison with similar schools. The 2000 end of Key Stage 2 English test results indicate that the pupils’ attainment is below the national average, but average in comparison with similar schools. Standards have varied over the past few years because of differences in the ability of groups of pupils, but have been consistently below or well below average at the end of Key Stage 2.
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ENGLISH
80. The inspection findings indicate that, despite the best efforts of the pupils and their teachers, pupils’ overall attainment is below national expectations at the end of both key stages. All pupils, including those with special educational needs achieve as well as they should do. The National Literacy Strategy is having a positive effect on standards, and teachers are skilled in using this approach. There have been significant Westwood Park Community Primary School - 33 improvements in the quality of teaching and learning since the last inspection in 1999, although these improvements are only just starting to fully impact upon standards.
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ENGLISH
81. Throughout the school, pupils listen appropriately to their teachers and to their classmates. However, the pupils’ speaking skills are often weak, and this is especially noticeable in Key Stage 1 where pupils have a very limited vocabulary, and their speech lacks clarity. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ speaking skills have developed well, and most pupils attain national expectations in this aspect of their English work. However, as in Key Stage 1, the pupils’ lack of vocabulary makes it difficult for them to express their ideas clearly, and many pupils do not easily pick up new subject specific language, and this constrains their progress in other subjects. When reading their work aloud, Key Stage 2 pupils do not always speak clearly, despite reminders from their teachers. In both key stages, teachers continually promote good models of spoken language for the pupils, and encourage them to take part in class discussions.
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ENGLISH
Discussions are particularly successful when the pupils’ interest is captured, and they become so motivated that even the more reluctant speakers are keen to contribute. A good example of this was seen during the inspection in a Key Stage 1 religious education lesson, where the teacher started the lesson by asking the pupils what they thought might be in the bag that she was carrying. All pupils were keen to offer their suggestions, and the ensuing discussion was of very good quality.
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ENGLISH
82. In reading, pupils’ attainment is below national expectations at the end of both key stages. Because teachers are very effective in promoting ‘Big Books’ in literacy lessons, and drawing pupils’ attention to the conventions of books, higher attaining Year 2 pupils are very confident about terms such as ‘blurb’, ‘contents’ and ‘glossary’. Pupils enjoy sharing ‘Big Books’, and respond well to the teachers’ questions about the content and meaning of the text. In their own reading, average and higher attaining pupils know how to ‘sound out’ common three and four letter words, but lower attaining pupils are still working at a very low level, and do not use their knowledge of phonics sufficiently to help decode unfamiliar words. Many Key Stage 1 pupils concentrate for only short periods of time, and rely heavily on adult support when reading aloud. By the end of Key Stage 2, although most pupils make good progress and read at the
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ENGLISH
expected level, too few are reading at the higher level. Average and higher attaining pupils try hard to read with expression, and are often fluent in their reading. The research skills of most pupils are below the expected level. Although most pupils have a good grasp of how to use a dictionary, a thesaurus and an encyclopaedia when guided by their teachers, they are less sure of how to use the library for independent research. The current location of the library in the computer suite makes it difficult for pupils to have regular access to reference books, and this adversely affects pupils’ learning.
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ENGLISH
83. At the end of both key stages, pupils’ attainment in writing is below national expectations overall. At the end of Key Stage 1, although a minority of higher attaining pupils are working at the higher Level 3, the majority of pupils are working at below the expected level. The higher attaining pupils write legibly, using a good range of punctuation. They produce good stories that have a clear beginning, middle and ending, and their spelling is secure. The lower and average attaining pupils produce only short pieces of written work, which are not always clearly structured, and which do not show consistent use of basic punctuation such as full stops and capital letters. By the end of Key Stage 2, average and higher attaining pupils are quick to identify and explain the technical terms used when writing and discussing poetry, such as ‘personification’. They use words well in their own writing to gain the best effect, for
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ENGLISH
instance ‘brutal tourist’ when writing about the seaside. They produce written pieces of good length, in a range of different styles and genres, which are well organised and presented. The lower attaining pupils struggle to produce pieces of an appropriate Westwood Park Community Primary School - 34 length and their writing lacks imagination. These pupils work slowly, but with good levels of perseverance, and need a lot of adult support and encouragement. The development of pupils’ writing is an ongoing area of development in the school, and teachers work hard at motivating pupils and giving them the confidence they need to succeed.
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ENGLISH
84. Teaching and learning are good overall, with some very good features. Teachers throughout the school provide good opportunities across the curriculum for the pupils to practise their literacy skills. Basic skills of reading and writing are taught well, and teachers are fully conversant with the routines of the National Literacy Strategy. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to enter into regular discussion, and teachers are well aware of the need to constantly promote pupils’ speaking skills. However, although these opportunities are effective in promoting pupils’ confidence, and in developing their vocabulary, there are currently too few planned speaking sessions, such as drama and choral speaking, which would help to develop the pupils’ clarity of speech. During the inspection, the best teaching was characterised by very good use of questioning, very high expectations of the pupils, and well paced lessons. Where
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ENGLISH
the teaching was of a high standard, pupils responded extremely well, and were highly motivated in their learning. They took on board their teachers’ suggestions for how they might improve their work further, and were keen to give of their best. Pupils’ learning is further enhanced in those lessons where teachers encourage them to evaluate what they have learned at the end of the session, giving the pupils a clear idea of the progress they have made. In all lessons, teachers encourage pupils to take an active role, and this helps them to enjoy their learning. Teachers know their pupils well, and motivate them in different ways. Learning support assistants are well deployed to support the learning of pupils with special educational needs, and this enables them to make good progress. The quality of marking is satisfactory overall, but variable. The best marking occurs for younger pupils, and relates specifically to the
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ENGLISH
pupils’ progress towards their own individual literacy targets. A shortcoming in teaching throughout the school is the lack of use made of information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning. This has already been identified by the school as an area for development.
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ENGLISH
85. The co-ordinator is relatively new to the role. However, she has inherited a good quality process to enable her to maintain the impetus in raising standards. Teaching and learning have been monitored and staff have visited effective schools to see how they obtained their results. Assessment is used effectively to support pupils’ learning. For instance, pupils’ progress books record examples of writing which are levelled and expectations for what they might achieve next are set. Pupils in some classes have individual targets to improve their writing and this is effective in showing them what they need to do next. The curriculum is suitably enriched by competitions, events such as a visiting storyteller and regular book fairs. There are sufficient resources overall, although some books in the class libraries are shabby and there are barely sufficient thesauruses. The accommodation limits the promotion, for example, of authors or
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ENGLISH
different types of books within the classroom. Although the library is timetabled for use at lunchtimes, its situation within the information and communication suite severely limits independent use by pupils.
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MATHEMATICS
86. The 2000 end of Key Stage 1 tests in mathematics show that pupils’ attainment is well below the national average, and below average in comparison with similar schools. On the basis of the 2000 end of Key Stage 2 test results, pupils’ attainment is below the national average, but average in comparison with similar schools. The inspection Westwood Park Community Primary School - 35 findings indicate that standards are in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages. This picture, which is better than that indicated by the 2000 national test results, reflects the positive impact of initiatives the school has put in place over the past few years, which are now starting to have a real impact on standards and pupils’ progress, especially in Key Stage 2. The school has made good improvement in developing teaching and learning since the last inspection, leading to improved standards.
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MATHEMATICS
87. Over a period of four years, on the basis of the end of key stage national tests, standards have risen at a better rate than that observed nationally. Since the 1999 inspection, the school has worked hard, and has been successful in addressing the key issue relating to raising standards in mathematics. This has been achieved as the result of the successful introduction and implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy, a significant improvement in the quality of teaching and learning, and careful monitoring of the curriculum. More recently, additional benefits have been achieved through the effective analysis and use of assessment information. However, whilst the school has been successful in raising standards overall, by increasing the percentage of pupils achieving the nationally expected level, more work still needs to be done in both key stages to increase the percentage of pupils attaining the higher levels, and
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MATHEMATICS
appropriate strategies are in place to enable this to happen.
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MATHEMATICS
88. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of mathematics are effectively developed throughout the school, but many pupils in both key stages have poor recall skills, and quickly forget what they have learned. Pupils learn to apply their knowledge successfully in a number of real life situations, and enjoy solving problems. For example, Key Stage 1 pupils measure the length of various objects, ordering them by size, and understand the importance of knowing how to measure accurately. There are some very good opportunities for older Key Stage 2 pupils to use and apply their mathematical knowledge and understanding when they carry out an exercise in a local hotel. Year 6 pupils have recently been involved in planning, costing and forecasting the profit likely to be made from preparing a dish for the restaurant menu. The pupils found this activity to be extremely stimulating and challenging, and appreciated the
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MATHEMATICS
‘real-life’ context of the work in which they were involved. Teachers are effective in providing opportunities across the curriculum for pupils to practise their mathematical skills, especially in subjects such as science and design and technology where pupils have experience of reading scales, and estimating and taking a range of measurements.
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MATHEMATICS
89. By the end of Key Stage One, most pupils have a secure knowledge of number and pattern. The majority of pupils comfortably handle numbers up to one hundred, and have a clear understanding of place value, using hundreds, tens and units. Pupils of all abilities are aware of the link between doubles and halves, and confidently find more than one way of adding or subtracting numbers. Higher attaining pupils work well on paper with larger numbers, and are beginning to develop mental strategies to help them to subtract and add two and three digit numbers. The notion of length is clearly understood by most pupils, although pupils are not as secure when measuring in standard units of weight and capacity. Whilst the pupils’ range of mathematical vocabulary is appropriately used and well practised in lessons, it is not extensive enough to facilitate clear and precise explanations, and words which they encounter
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MATHEMATICS
out of context are not always clearly understood. Key Stage 1 pupils of all abilities made good progress overall, and do the best they can. However, there are occasions when worksheets do not sufficiently extend the higher attaining pupils.
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MATHEMATICS
90. In Key Stage 2, pupils maintain the good progress shown in Key Stage 1. By the end of the key stage, pupils interpret and write six figure numbers, understanding the Westwood Park Community Primary School - 36 relative positions of each individual number. Most pupils use the four rules of number appropriately to solve number problems, but do not have enough strategies for dealing with large numbers when making mental calculations. For example, when making paper calculations, higher attainers successfully multiply and divide three digit numbers by two digit numbers. However, when asked to estimate the answer to sums such as fifty-seven times nineteen, many find it difficult to give a quick, but accurate estimated answer, by making an initial calculation of fifty-seven times twenty. Pupils’ recall of number bonds and multiplication facts is often too slow, and this slows down their written work. Most pupils understand the relationship between decimals, fractions
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MATHEMATICS
and percentages. They collect, use and interpret data well, displaying the information through a variety of graphs. Pupils enjoy solving problems in lessons, but do not have enough opportunities to carry out open-ended or extended investigations. Most pupils have a satisfactory grasp of shape, space and measure, although their ability to make accurate estimates of measure in length, capacity and weight is underdeveloped. Most pupils know the properties of two and three-dimensional shapes and are starting to make generalisations about the relationships between the number of edges and faces, for example.
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MATHEMATICS
91. The overall quality of teaching and learning in mathematics is good, and has improved significantly since the last inspection. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed during the inspection and the teaching in half of the lessons seen was very good. Teachers and class assistants jointly plan their work within year groups so that there is a collective and purposeful approach to lessons. Most lessons are well paced, and planned activities are often well matched to meet the needs of pupils of different ages and abilities. However, higher attaining pupils in Key Stage 1 are not always sufficiently challenged by the worksheets they use. Learning resources are used to good effect to make lessons more interesting and to help the pupils to understand more complex ideas. Support staff are used very effectively in lessons to help low attaining pupils, and those who are not doing as well as they should. They work closely
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MATHEMATICS
with classteachers, reinforcing important concepts and giving pupils additional encouragement and confidence. Teachers are effective in promoting numeracy skills across the curriculum. For example, during the inspection, Year 6 pupils were tallying numbers in a traffic survey and representing results graphically, and Year 5 pupils made symmetrical patterns as part of their artwork. The use of information and communication technology supports pupils’ learning in specific lessons in the information and communication technology suite, but not enough use is made of computers in the classroom to support pupils’ ongoing mathematical work. Throughout the school, pupils enjoy their mathematics lessons, and this is reflected in their positive attitudes to the subject. They approach new learning with high degrees of confidence and enthusiasm, and Key Stage 2 pupils especially show good levels of perseverance
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MATHEMATICS
when they encounter difficulties. Homework complements classwork, but is not set on a sufficiently regular basis in all classes.
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MATHEMATICS
92. The overall management of mathematics by the co-ordinator is good. The successful introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy, the arrangements for the monitoring of teaching and learning, in-service training and the high priority the school has placed upon the development of mathematics within the school, have all contributed to raising standards and to ensuring that pupils make good progress. The school has identified the need to continue to stretch the higher attaining pupils fully, and appropriate strategies are now in place to do this. The good assessment procedures already established in mathematics enable teachers to identify strengths and weaknesses in the curriculum and to monitor pupils’ progress as they move through the school. Westwood Park Community Primary School - 37
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SCIENCE
93. On the basis of the 2000 end of Key Stage 1 teacher assessments, and the end of Key Stage 2, national tests, pupils’ attainment is below the national average at the end of both key stages. In comparison with similar schools, the pupils’ performance at the end of Key Stage 2 is average. The inspection findings paint a more favourable picture than the end of key stage tests and teacher assessments, and indicate that standards are in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages. The inspection findings reflect the impact of recently introduced initiatives, and better teaching. Standards in science have improved since the 1999 inspection.
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SCIENCE
94. Throughout the school pupils’ skills in devising their own investigations and experiments are very well developed, and they make very good progress in this aspect of their work. The emphasis placed on the investigative elements of science is a very strong feature of teaching and learning in the school, and is a significant factor helping pupils to develop a secure scientific understanding. During their time in school, pupils experience a wide range of activities covering all of the National Curriculum programmes of study, and this means that they have a good breadth of experience. Teachers’ expectations are high, and pupils’ previous learning is acknowledged and built upon. Pupils have regular opportunities to record using graphs, tables, diagrams and text, and teachers make appropriate use of worksheets to help pupils when their limited vocabulary would hamper their efforts. Skills of literacy and numeracy are
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SCIENCE
effectively promoted through science work, but not enough use is made of information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning.
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SCIENCE
95. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment overall is in line with national expectations, and there are particular strengths in the way in which they carry out investigations and experiments. Pupils have a satisfactory scientific knowledge and understanding across all elements of the science curriculum, but are hampered in their learning by weaknesses in their speaking skills, which make it difficult for them to express their ideas clearly, and by poor recall of their previous learning. Most pupils have a secure grasp of the difference between living and non-living things, and appreciate that all living things have specific basic needs, which if not met, will prevent growth, and in the most severe cases cause them to die. Pupils understand that there are important similarities and differences within and between different species. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of materials and their properties are satisfactory,
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SCIENCE
although few pupils make a distinction between changes to materials that are reversible and those that are permanent. Pupils understand the notion of ‘waterproof’, and appreciate that choosing the right material for the job is an important design consideration. Pupils are confident about constructing simple electrical circuits, and have a satisfactory knowledge of how light and sound travel, although they have only limited vocabulary to describe and explain their work relating to physical processes. Pupils benefit from good teaching which enables them to learn through experimentation and investigation.
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SCIENCE
96. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations overall, although most pupils have very well developed investigational skills. Pupils are encouraged to find things out for themselves, and where possible teachers use real life contexts. For example, in a lesson seen during the inspection, pupils found ways of cleaning water. The stimulus for this lesson was a newspaper article which immediately captured the pupils’ attention, and promoted high levels of motivation and concentration. The pupils approach investigations in a methodical manner, and record their findings in a variety of ways. Pupils benefit from good teaching, and are encouraged to discuss their ideas, make changes, and to predict outcomes. Pupils understand the need for fair testing, and explain the purpose of ‘control specimens’, Westwood Park Community Primary School - 38 and the need for altering only one variable at a time when making comparisons. Pupils’
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SCIENCE
knowledge of living things is secure, and most pupils have a satisfactory understanding of the way in which the main organs of the human body function. They understand the need for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and explain the importance of exercise and a healthy diet. Pupils’ knowledge of food chains is sometimes a little shaky, and not all pupils can explain the relationship between consumers, predators and prey. Pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of materials and their properties, and physical processes. They understand the way in which forces cause materials to alter in shape, but their ability to explain the more complex dimensions of forces and friction is hampered by their lack of subject specific vocabulary. Most pupils understand how to construct different types of circuits which they represent appropriately using symbols on diagrams. Their knowledge of the world and beyond is a weaker aspect of their
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SCIENCE
learning, as some pupils have difficulty recalling the necessary facts, such as the cause of night and day.
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SCIENCE
97. Overall the quality of teaching and learning is good. During the inspection, many lessons were very well taught and some excellent teaching was seen. Characteristics of very good teaching were seen regularly during the inspection. They include the very clear planning which is shared with pupils so that they know what to expect and also the very good relationships which exist between teachers and pupils, enabling pupils to feel secure and valued. Investigative science is very successfully promoted across the school, and the pupils are encouraged to learn through experimentation. Practical activities are helpful, not only in helping the pupils to gain a good understanding, but also in promoting independent learning as pupils select their own resources and methods of recording. Activities are often very stimulating and capture the pupils’ interest, promoting high quality learning, as pupils are enthused and keen to work. For
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SCIENCE
example, during the inspection pupils were given the task of designing a waterproof cloak for Harry Potter when studying the properties of fabrics. All tasks and activities are closely matched to the needs and abilities of the pupils in each class, enabling pupils of all abilities to make the best progress possible. Teachers carefully assess pupils’ progress and attainment at the end of each topic. Written work is well annotated and an agreed level is awarded. This provides good evidence for accurate target setting for the pupils’ next stage of development. The quality of provision is enhanced by useful links with the high school developing a more consistent approach to the curriculum between pupils in Years 6 and 7, and through the science fair which has been held recently and which has had a significant impact upon pupils’ interest and enthusiasm. Homework is not set on a sufficiently regular basis, and this is an aspect
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SCIENCE
of teaching that could be improved across the school.
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ART AND DESIGN
98. Pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is in line with national expectations, and at the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment exceeds national expectations. Key Stage 1 pupils make satisfactory progress, and Key Stage 2 pupils make good progress. Pupils with special educational needs make similar progress to their classmates. The work pupils do in class is often celebrated, and is displayed attractively in classrooms and shared areas throughout the school. The opportunity for pupils to share and enjoy the work of others makes a valuable contribution to their spiritual development. No judgements about pupils’ attainment and progress were made in the 1999 inspection report, and it is therefore not possible to measure the extent to which standards have improved or declined since that time.
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ART AND DESIGN
99. In Key Stage 1, pupils effectively use paint, pastels and crayons in their work. They handle brushes with appropriate control to paint simple portraits. They experiment with Westwood Park Community Primary School - 39 paint and use a range of tools to create different effects, such as when Year 1 pupils used sponges to make a background for a large display. Key Stage 1 pupils have studied the work of Picasso, imitating his cubism style of art by creating imaginative faces using crayon and geometric shapes. They use a range of materials in effective collage work, such as sponges, pipe cleaners, feathers, seeds and fabrics to make very effective spiders, flowers and other types of ‘minibeasts’. Art and design often spills over into other aspects of the curriculum, so that pencil drawings are often used to good effect, for example when illustrating science work. On other occasions pupils develop their information and communication technology skills by producing computer
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ART AND DESIGN
generated art, when using the ‘Paint’ program. Key Stage 1 pupils make satisfactory progress in their artwork, but some of the tasks constrain the imagination of the more talented pupils. For example, pupils are often directed to use the same materials, such as paper and media, and to produce the same outcome, with the result that the finished products are often of a similar standard.
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ART AND DESIGN
100. Key Stage 2, pupils make good progress. They freely experiment with colour and produce some good quality still life pictures of fruit in both paint and pastels. They learn about the work and lives of famous artists, often successfully reproducing their style in their own work. Some of the fabric designs of William Morris, for example, are drawn very carefully in the pupils’ sketchbooks, displaying good pencil control, and effective shading and fading. Their reproductions of this work using watercolours are also of good quality. Year 4 pupils have achieved good standards in their recent art work, where they used sponge brushes to experiment with layering inks, oils and cromer paint onto glass paper. Pupils have some opportunities to work in three dimensions when they make models, although opportunities for them to use clay as a medium are limited. Sketchbooks are provided for pupils in Key Stage 2, and although
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ART AND DESIGN
the work is a little prescriptive at the lower end of the key stage, older pupils have greater freedom to practise the development of skills and to record ideas for use at a later date.
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ART AND DESIGN
101. The quality of teaching and learning of art and design is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. Pupils in both key stages enjoy participating in a wide range of activities, which give them experience of using different media and techniques. Teaching is less prescriptive in Key Stage 2 than in Key Stage 1, and this means that pupils have more opportunities to explore their own ideas and to experiment. Teachers in both key stages value the pupils’ work, and this gives pupils the confidence and motivation to want to succeed. Good whole school thematic displays reflect pupils’ achievements, such as the present display in the school hall about nature. All classes take part in this and pupils share and appreciate the contributions of others, which include sculpture, modelling, printing and collage work. Art is used effectively to enhance pupils’ learning in other subjects. For example when Year 6 pupils visited an
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ART AND DESIGN
activities centre in Wales, they studied the countryside, before reproducing some of their observations using silk and inks. Visiting artists are welcomed into the school on a regular basis, and during the inspection a visiting artist worked with pupils in Year 1, Year 4 and Year 5. Because of her expertise and enthusiasm, Year 4 pupils’ levels of interest and concentration were outstanding as they used plastic bottles to sculpt extremely imaginative flowers for a display, becoming familiar with shape and form. Similarly, when Year 5 pupils worked with the artist, they painted very good designs upon acetate sheets to create very effective window blinds for the Reception area.
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ART AND DESIGN
102. Since her appointment the co-ordinator has worked hard to raise the profile of the subject in the school, and has made a valuable contribution to raising standards in art and design. The subject is not highly featured on the school development plan in the light of other school curriculum priorities. However the co-ordinator is aware of the need for further development of the subject. In particular, the school’s arrangements Westwood Park Community Primary School - 40 for monitoring teaching and learning are unsatisfactory, and there are currently no effective and useful assessment procedures to monitor pupils’ progress and attainment.
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
103. Design and technology has not been given a sufficiently high profile in the school in recent years, due to the priority that has been placed on raising standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. As a result, pupils’ attainment at the end of both key stages is below the national expectation. The school has recently adopted the national guidelines, so all areas of the curriculum are now covered. However, there are gaps in pupils’ learning, arising from lack of coverage of the design and technology curriculum in recent years, and pupils are now working at a lower level than expected for their age. No judgements about pupils’ attainment and progress were made in the 1999 inspection report, and it is therefore not possible to measure the extent to which standards have improved or declined since that time.
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
104. Key Stage 1 pupils make no clear distinction between their artwork and design and technology work. They have a confident attitude towards designing, but lack the necessary skills. Pupils do not understand how to make a plan, showing the intended outcomes, the material they intend to use, and the resources they need. In their work relating to designing and making a playground, pupils identify safety issues, such as the need for gates, but do not have the necessary experience to choose the most appropriate materials to represent their ideas. The pupils’ ability to evaluate their work in the light of their initial plans is unsatisfactory. Although basic making skills are satisfactory, pupils are not secure about choosing the most appropriate method of joining materials together, and have little idea about how to make structures firm.
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
105. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have worked with a suitable range of materials and know a variety of methods for joining materials, but there are weaknesses in their understanding of the design process. Design and technology projects are often linked with topic work. For instance, pupils have made a ‘hat’ as part of their work relating to the Greeks, using lollipop sticks to strengthen the structures. Likewise, as part of another topic, pupils have experience of using papier-mâché to make masks. As part of their work linked to Victorian toys, pupils have considered how the toys move, and have labelled the moving parts. A few pupils have designed their own toys, although no pupil has constructed a toy. Pupils are not skilled in evaluating their finished products against original designs, and because of poor spoken language skills, have some difficulty in explaining the processes they have used when making models. In a
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
Year 5 lesson seen during the inspection, pupils examined and disassembled a range of commercial packages and established how the packages had been fixed together. Although this task was satisfactorily completed, the standard at which the pupils were working was at a lower level than expected, reflecting their previous lack of experience.
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
106. Although the teaching seen during the inspection was good, over time, the quality of teaching and learning has been unsatisfactory, resulting in unsatisfactory progress and standards that are below national expectations. Until recently, insufficient time was allocated to the subject, and the National Curriculum programmes of study were not fully covered. Teaching is starting to improve as teachers make effective use of the national guidance to plan activities that successfully build upon pupils’ previous knowledge and understanding. However, there are still gaps in pupils’ learning, which are slowly but steadily being addressed. In the lessons seen during the inspection, there were clear expectations of what the pupils were to achieve, and very good Westwood Park Community Primary School - 41 questioning established what pupils already knew. Pupils of all ages and abilities respond well, and are keen to take part in making activities, but are less keen to plan
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
initial designs. Some teachers lack confidence in the teaching of the subject, which has not been a priority in the school for some time, and the school recognises that there is need for additional training to raise teachers’ confidence in the subject, and to ensure that pupils start to make the progress of which they are capable. There are currently no assessment systems in place to monitor pupils’ progress and attainment, and no use is made of homework to support pupils’ learning. There are sufficient resources for the subject, and the school aims to borrow resources for those areas of the curriculum which are taught occasionally. Information and communication technology is not sufficiently integrated into the subject, and pupils in both key stages do not recognise the potential of computers in the design process.
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GEOGRAPHY
107. Geography has not been given a sufficiently high profile in the school in recent years, due to the priority that has been placed on raising standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. As a result, pupils’ attainment at the end of both key stages is below the national expectation. The lack of a clearly structured scheme of work and the lack of time allocated to the subject have contributed to the unsatisfactory standards, and are areas which the school has firm plans to address. The progress pupils make in individual lessons is often good, but progress over time is unsatisfactory, as the pupils’ previous learning is not systematically built upon and extended. The range, quantity and quality of resources are unsatisfactory. There is a shortage of books and maps to support teaching and learning. Good use is made, however, of educational visits and the schools’ involvement with a local hotel, is raising
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GEOGRAPHY
pupils’ awareness of environmental issues. The current inspection findings paint a similar picture to that described in the 1997 report.
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GEOGRAPHY
108. Although the vast majority of pupils in Key Stage 1 know their addresses, and willingly attempt to describe their route to school, they lack directional vocabulary when doing this, and are unable to include local natural or manmade landmarks in their narrative. Pupils make basic plans of the school and the immediate environment of the playgrounds and field, but lack insight into the purpose of maps and plans. Pupils have made and used simple maps of the imaginary Isle of Struay to mark routes from one destination to another, and understand the notion of an island being surrounded by water. They have gained some insight into wider world geography by plotting the whereabouts of ‘Barnaby Bear’, but their knowledge and understanding of places beyond their immediate locality are very limited.
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GEOGRAPHY
109. By the end of Key Stage 2, most pupils have difficulty using specialist vocabulary to express their ideas, and have very little geographical knowledge and understanding. Their geographical skills are under-developed, and the pupils do not have enough practical ‘field-work’ experiences to consolidate and extend their class-based learning. Pupils have practised very basic mapping skills, making plans and marking routes and symbols on road maps, but they do not attain the level expected for pupils of their age in this aspect of their work. Good use is made of the residential visits to Lledr where the pupils gain an understanding of the water cycle, and how water is collected and supplied, but their knowledge of how rivers are formed is very vague. Most pupils make useful comparisons between urban and rural areas, but are unable to articulate how differences in working conditions and lifestyles might be affected by geographical
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GEOGRAPHY
location, and considerations such as climate and economic circumstances. Teachers provide some good opportunities for pupils to apply their numeracy skills, such as in Westwood Park Community Primary School - 42 one class where pupils made graphs demonstrating the similarities and differences between a local traffic survey and one held in Betws-y-Coed.
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GEOGRAPHY
110. Some of the teaching in lessons seen during the inspection was of good quality, but over time, teaching is unsatisfactory because of weaknesses in time allocation and curriculum coverage. Over the past four years, there has not been regular and substantial teaching of the subject and the pupils’ knowledge lacks breadth and depth. Much of the work in Key Stage 1 is recorded on well-chosen and focused worksheets, following practical experiences and discussion, but the outcomes are very limited. The curriculum in Key Stage 2 is too narrow and not planned sufficiently carefully to build on pupils’ previous knowledge and skills.
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GEOGRAPHY
111. Pupils’ attitudes to geography and behaviour in lessons are good. They talk about their residential visits with enthusiasm. In a lesson where they created a poster to encourage the recycling of waste materials they worked very well together in pairs, and their level of interest, concentration and perseverance was good.
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GEOGRAPHY
112. The teachers rely very heavily on discussion and do not offer enough opportunities for the pupils to record in writing or other ways, what they have learned, so they find it very difficult to recall their knowledge at a later date.
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HISTORY
113. Attainment in history at the end of Key Stage 1 is in line with national expectations, but is below at the end of Key Stage 2. There has been a dip in standards at the end of Key Stage 2 since the 1997 inspection, when standards were broadly in line with national expectations. This is because the school has justifiably and successfully concentrated its efforts on raising standards in English, mathematics and science over the last four years, especially in Key Stage 2, and the subject has therefore not had a sufficiently high profile in the school. Although pupils make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1, their progress in Key Stage 2 is unsatisfactory, and most pupils are not achieving the standards of which they are capable. The school is well aware of the situation, and firm plans are in place to raise standards by implementing a comprehensive scheme of work, and ensuring that the subject is taught on a regular
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HISTORY
basis and for an appropriate amount of time. There is a shortage of resources for history, especially library books and collections of artefacts, but the subject is enriched by educational visits to museums and places of historical interest such as Ordsall Hall and the Lancashire Mining Museum.
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HISTORY
114. By the end of Key Stage 1, the pupils have acquired a satisfactory range of historical skills. They have a good understanding of the relationship between the past and the present, and in a lesson seen during the inspection, used their skills of observation to accurately sequence four twentieth century pictures of a holiday resort. Pupils note changes that have taken place since the Victorian times, but most have difficulty making generalisations about the changes they observe. For example, although pupils realise that the Victorians did not have televisions and washing machines, only a few link this to the lack of electricity. The pupils’ understanding of chronology is sometimes insecure, and most have difficulty making a distinction between the recent and long ago past. Pupils’ knowledge of famous people they have studied is satisfactory, and because of the exciting way in which this information was presented to the pupils, their
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HISTORY
recall of aspects of the lives of Florence Nightingale, Guy Fawkes and Samuel Pepys is good. Westwood Park Community Primary School - 43 115. Pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is below national expectations. Their historical knowledge is very shaky and most have difficulty recalling all but their most recent learning. Most pupils talk with confidence about life during Victorian times, comparing the lives of the rich and the poor. They discuss the changes that have taken place in schools and the deprivation suffered by working children. Their recollection, however, of the studies they have made of the Tudors is very limited. Pupils have little idea of chronology, and experience difficulty when asked to place the periods they have studied in the correct order. Most pupils’ historical enquiry skills are poor. Pupils do not understand the distinction between primary and secondary historical evidence,
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HISTORY
and do not make enough use of information and communication technology, artefacts and books to research historical topics, and to support their learning.
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HISTORY
116. The teaching and learning of history in Key Stage 1 are satisfactory. Although some very good examples of teaching were seen during the inspection in Key Stage 2, the overall quality of teaching is unsatisfactory because of unsatisfactory curriculum coverage, lack of opportunities for pupils to carry out historical research, and insufficient time being allocated to the subject. Key Stage 2 pupils of all abilities do not make enough advances in their learning as they move through the key stage. In both key stages, very good use is made of worksheets to impart specific pieces of important information to the pupils. However, pupils do not have enough opportunities to record their work using their own methods, and the lack of written work in some classes means that pupils have little on which to draw if they wish to refresh their memories. On occasion pupils have made models or drawings and paintings within their history
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HISTORY
lessons, and this work brings the subject to life for the pupils. Some good opportunities are provided in all classes for the promotion of aspects of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, as pupils empathise with the working conditions of Victorian children, and consider the moral issues involved. Pupils of all ages respond well in history lessons and are keen to learn. Most take an active role in discussions, and this helps them to clarify their own ideas and to consolidate their learning. Most pupils show good levels of concentration and a willingness to work hard. Currently pupils have little homework to support their learning in history, and most would benefit from such additional opportunities to consolidate and extend their learning.
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INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
117. Standards are below national expectations at the end of both key stages. Recent improvements in the provision for information and communication technology have yet to have an impact on what the pupils know, understand and can do. Pupils have benefited from the opportunity to use the very new computer suite, but as the ‘server’ is not yet installed, this limits what pupils can achieve. The new scheme of work based on national guidance has recently been introduced and appropriately adapted to meet pupils’ skill levels. However, not enough use is made of information and computer technology to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum, and there are missed opportunities in most subjects for pupils to use computers for research, organising data, or for word-processing. Standards are similar to what they were at the time of the 1999 inspection, although because of the recently installed computer suite, pupils are
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INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
118. Pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is below national expectations and the pupils do not make enough progress. By the end of Key Stage 1, most pupils ‘log on’, and select relevant icons to enter the program which they need to operate. The vast majority of these pupils need considerable adult assistance to select and open programs. Most of the pupils who can carry out these skills independently have experience of using a computer at home. Many Year 2 pupils are still at the ‘play Westwood Park Community Primary School - 44 stage’, and are keen to explore the potential of the programs they are using. For instance, during the inspection, whilst being firmly encouraged to enter data into a program about food, pupils decided to look at other options. Most pupils, with adult support, manage to enter small amounts of relevant data into the computer and to print graphs. Pupils’ learning is at a lower level than expected because of their lack of
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INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
119. Pupils’ attainment is below national expectations at the end of Key Stage 2, and varies from year to year depending on the pupils’ previous experience. Pupils of all abilities do not make enough progress and there are gaps in their learning which need to be addressed. Pupils have some opportunities to use computers for word-processing, but do not have enough opportunities to use computers for drafting and editing their work. By the end of the key stage, the average and higher attaining pupils successfully enter data, for instance, concerning how many legs or body segments a wasp or honeybee has. Pupils carry out a simple search of the data that they have entered into the program, but are working at a lower level than expected for their age. They type efficiently, and work well together in pairs to check their data. During the inspection, Year 3 pupils were observed using a ‘paint’ program, but most pupils needed a great
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INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
deal of adult support in choosing the size of brush they wished to use, and in editing their work.
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INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
120. The quality of teaching and learning is unsatisfactory, overall. In the lessons seen during the inspection, teaching was too variable ranging from good to unsatisfactory. Many teachers have not yet taken part in the national training programme and this is reflected in their lack of confidence in using the interactive whiteboard, or in setting up the computers in the suite. Pupils achieve more when teachers are confident in their subject knowledge and where work is closely matched to the needs of the pupils. In such lessons, questioning skills are good, pupils are well managed and the lessons proceed at a brisk pace. In most lessons there is insufficient distinction between the work set for higher or lower attaining pupils and this restricts the progress the pupils make. Pupils make better progress in those lessons where information is delivered in a series of short bursts, enabling the pupils to process and act upon the information they
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INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
receive. Some teachers are not yet effective in their organisation of pupils in the computer suite, and this poses some problems in managing the pupils’ behaviour, as pupils become easily distracted by the novelty of their new learning environment. In the most effective lessons, teachers often set the scene for the work that is to be done in the classroom, so that pupils move straight onto the computers when they arrive at the suite, knowing exactly what is expected of them. Learning support assistants are used well in the suite to support the pupils in their learning, and to encourage them to persevere when they encounter problems.
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INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
121. The use of day-to-day assessment is unsatisfactory. Most teachers do not make sufficient assessments of individual pupils’ understanding or skills. For instance, there is no record of which pupils have regular access to a computer at home and whether they use e-mail and the Internet independently at home. Progress for pupils with special educational needs is unsatisfactory, as activities are not matched to pupils’ prior attainment. Although teachers use computer generated labels well when organising displays of pupils’ work, there is little evidence of pupils' work on computers in the classrooms. Westwood Park Community Primary School - 45
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MUSIC
122. Pupils’ attainment in music is below national expectations at the end of both key stages, and pupils do not make enough progress. However, as the result of new initiatives, including the appointment of a part-time specialist teacher, and the implementation of a comprehensive scheme of work, standards are starting to improve. Because the school has devoted so much of its time to raising standards in English, mathematics and science over the last four years, insufficient time has been allocated to music, and some elements of the National Curriculum programmes of study have not been covered in enough depth. Standards have dipped slightly since the 1997 inspection. The school currently does not have enough good quality resources to support teaching and learning in music, but has firm plans to purchase more tuned and ethnic instruments.
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MUSIC
123. Singing throughout the school is of a satisfactory standard, and pupils make satisfactory progress in this aspect of the music curriculum. Pupils enjoy singing sessions in class, and take part enthusiastically in the singing of hymns in collective acts of worship. However, pupils in both key stages know only a limited range of songs, and this is a proposed area of development. The part-time specialist teacher is currently working with Key Stage 2 pupils to extend their singing skills, and pupils respond very well to his enthusiastic manner. Songs based on a pentatonic scale were very well performed by Year 3 pupils during the inspection, and they successfully followed the teacher’s lead, varying the volume and speed of the songs to change the mood. In both key stages, most pupils articulate the words clearly, and sing tunefully, both when accompanied and unaccompanied.
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MUSIC
124. Standards of composing are below national expectations at the end of both key stages. Opportunities for pupils to compose their own music are very limited, partly because of teachers’ lack of expertise, and partly because of a lack of good quality instruments, especially tuned percussion such as xylophones and chime bars. By the end of Key Stage 1, most pupils copy and generate simple clapping rhythmic patterns, and keep a steady beat to accompany their singing. However, most Key Stage 1 pupils have difficulty remembering and reproducing longer and more complex clapping patterns, and have too little experience of composing pieces of music. By the end of Key Stage 2, most pupils compose their own short rhythmic phrases, and because of recent work carried out by the part-time specialist teacher, most pupils successfully use graphical notation symbols to create short rhythmic patterns, which they read and
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MUSIC
then clap. However, Key Stage 2 pupils do not have enough experience of making compositions which have melodies, or of composing music to describe particular moods or situations. Pupils of all ages and abilities do not make enough progress in the composing element of music, and with more frequent and well considered opportunities for composing, could do much better.
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MUSIC
125. Pupils’ general knowledge and understanding of music are below national expectations at the end of both key stages. Although pupils have some opportunities to listen to and appraise recorded music, their recall of what they have learned is poor, and few pupils in either key stage can remember pieces of music they have studied, or the names and styles of well-known composers. Pupils do not have exercise books or folders in which to record aspects of their music work, and this means they have no resource on which to draw at a later date. There are currently not enough opportunities for pupils to listen to music from cultures and traditions other than their own, although the new part-time specialist has started to introduce Key Stage 2 pupils to songs in different languages and from a wide variety of different countries. Westwood Park Community Primary School - 46 126. Although the quality of the teaching and learning seen during the inspection was at
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MUSIC
least satisfactory and sometimes good, there are unsatisfactory aspects to teaching and learning which are linked to weaknesses in curriculum provision. At present, insufficient time is allocated to the teaching of music, and this means that coverage of the National Curriculum programmes of study is very superficial, preventing pupils from studying individual aspects in any real depth. The school has firm plans to ensure that all classes timetable music for an appropriate amount of time from the start of the next term, and this, together with the increase in the teaching commitment of the part- time music specialist, should have a positive impact on standards and pupils’ progress. In the lessons seen during the inspection, pupils showed tremendous enthusiasm for the subject and responded very positively, taking an active role in all activities. Their learning was significantly enhanced by the high expectations of the teacher who
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MUSIC
encouraged the pupils to repeat activities in order to improve their performance and level of skill. Currently, pupils’ learning is not supported by the use of information and communication technology, and this is a proposed area of development within the school.
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
127. Standards in physical education are in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages, and are similar to what they were at the time of the 1997 inspection. Pupils of all ages and abilities make satisfactory progress as they move through the school. However, the school does not have a policy for identifying pupils who are talented, and these pupils could be stretched even further.
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
128. The school ‘s policy and scheme of work have been reviewed so that all aspects of the National Curriculum are taught on a regular basis. An appropriate programme for the teaching of swimming for pupils in Key Stage 2 ensures that the vast majority of pupils can swim the expected distance by the end of the key stage. A generous amount of time is allocated on the timetable for physical education, but sometimes lessons are too long for the children to maintain interest and concentration. Pupils enjoy and benefit from a small range of extra-curricular activities including dance, rugby and cricket. However, there are only limited opportunities for pupils to participate in inter- school sporting events. Residential visits to Wales for pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 are of great value, and enable the pupils to experience a wide range of outdoor pursuits, such as orienteering and canoeing. These visits also make an important contribution to
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
the development of pupils’ social skills.
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
129. By the end of Key Stage1, pupils’ skills in playing games are well developed. Pupils’ throwing and catching skills are accurate over short distances, and most pupils have good hand to eye co-ordination. In gymnastics, pupils successfully use and combine different parts of their body when balancing on the floor, but the aesthetic aspect of their performance, such as extending and controlling the movement of their limbs, is not well developed. Key Stage 1 pupils use large apparatus confidently, and travel purposefully across benches and gymnastic tables. A few pupils have good control of their bodies when they jump and land, but most have not yet mastered good techniques of landing. Key Stage 1 pupils work enthusiastically in lessons, and respond well to the teachers’ suggestions for how they might improve their work.
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
130. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils competently play a variety of games, and demonstrate a good awareness of the various rules and strategies. Pupils continue to develop the skills of passing and receiving that they acquired in Key Stage 1, but although most pupils have good attack skills, they are less effective when fielding. Pupils often do not anticipate the direction of a shot, and are inclined to chase a ball, Westwood Park Community Primary School - 47 rather than intercept and stop it. Several Key Stage 2 pupils show a particular talent for ‘kwik-cricket’, and those who participated in sessions led by members of a local national cricket club have benefited considerably from this specialist input. Pupils work energetically in lessons, especially when their teachers’ expectations of what they should achieve are high. They are keen to improve their work by following their teachers’ suggestions, and most are quick to pick up new skills.
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
131. The teaching of physical education is satisfactory overall, with good features. Teachers plan their lessons well making good use of the guidance provided within the scheme of work to ensure that lessons build on the pupils’ previous learning. Resources are used well to support teaching and learning, and pupils are appropriately encouraged to set out apparatus themselves, under guidance from their teachers. Often teachers encourage pupils to perform their work for their classmates, and this is helpful in sharing good practice and in raising the self-esteem of the pupils. However, in most classes, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to critically evaluate the work of others, and this prevents the pupils from extending their subject vocabulary and from focusing on ways in which they might improve their own work. In the best lessons seen during the inspection, teachers helped the pupils to develop their skills further, by
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
challenging individual pupils to work harder, or showing them helpful techniques and strategies which would improve the standard of their work. Pupils respond eagerly to such direction, and are keen to please their teachers. The quality of learning is satisfactory, and most pupils enjoy taking part in physical education activities. They listen carefully to instructions, and respond well to encouragement from their teachers and classmates. Pupils show a good sense of gamesmanship and observe rules with good humour.
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
132. Although time is used well in most physical education lessons, some are too long, and pupils start to lose interest and concentration, and then become restless and difficult to manage. The range of physical education activities offered to pupils over the course of the year ensures that they have a good grounding in basic skills of gymnastics, dance and games, but insufficient use is made of homework to give pupils further opportunities to develop and practise the skills they learn in class. Although teachers know their pupils well, and correctly identify those who have particular talents, and those who have difficulties with aspects of the subject, there are no formal systems for assessing, tracking and monitoring pupils’ progress as they move through the school, and this is a proposed area for development.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
133. Pupils’ attainment is in line with the expectations of the Locally Agreed Syllabus at the end of Key Stage 1, and by the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment exceeds the expectations of the Locally Agreed Syllabus. Standards overall have improved since the 1997 inspection, especially in Key Stage 2, where they were below the expected level. The school has fully adopted the requirements of the recently revised Locally Agreed Syllabus, and in Key Stage 2 has begun a programme of teaching about Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism along with Christianity, Judaism and Islam. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils now have a good knowledge of the significant features of these religions and are already interested in discussing the mysteries surrounding the different faiths and the similarities between some of them. Pupils are aware of the richness of some of the cultures and this is having a significant impact upon their
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
spiritual, moral social and cultural development. Coverage of the Locally Agreed Syllabus is good, and gives pupils of all ages a good breadth of experience. An appropriate amount of time is allocated to religious education in both key stages, and the subject is taught well, often with high levels of enthusiasm. Westwood Park Community Primary School - 48 134. The vast majority of pupils in Key Stage 1 demonstrate a good grasp of Christianity and in discussion remember key facts about the life of Jesus. They know that there were twelve disciples, and that Jesus was betrayed by Judas. They have a good understanding of the notion of a ‘miracle’, and know that Jesus had special powers, which He used to help others. Year 2 pupils recall the story of the wedding, when Jesus turned the water to wine, and are familiar with other parables and stories of the New Testament. Through carefully led discussion, teachers encourage the pupils to
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
consider how religion affects the lives of those who believe. Pupils make a good attempt to explain the notion of worship, and understand that there are different places of worship for followers of the various religions. Key Stage 1 pupils enjoy religious education lessons, and their learning is enhanced and consolidated when they enact some of the stories they hear. However, they have little in the way of written work in their books, and this makes it difficult for them to accurately recall some of the learning they have undertaken.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
135. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have a good breadth and depth of knowledge of world faiths. Their learning has been significantly enhanced by opportunities to take part in role-play activities, and discussions which enable them clarify their ideas. Pupils at the upper end of the key stage have recently considered aspects of Hinduism. They have learned about the history of the religion, about the significance of food, flowers and water and the importance of fire and candles in Hindu worship. Pupils’ written work shows good evidence of their knowledge and understanding. Younger pupils in the key stage have been looking at the Qu’ran, and have considered the five pillars of the Moslem faith. Pupils have learned about the mosque, and the significance of its furniture and artefacts. All of the pupils in the key stage have considered the teachings of Jesus and have looked in detail at the parables and acted out versions of The
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Prodigal Son, The Good Samaritan and others, as well as learning about Christian festivals in their season. By the end of the key stage, pupils are starting to draw comparisons between features of the main world religions, and understand how religious beliefs impact upon peoples’ lives. During the inspection the older pupils were learning about Christian values and were supported in their deliberations by the Baptist Minister from a local church. During these lessons pupils made very good progress in their levels of social and moral understanding and developed from seeing commitment as a fundamental aspect of their lives to amending their ideas in the light of their discussions with the teacher and with each other. They engage in these discussions confidently and with a simple vocabulary they convey their ideas and thoughts to the class. The rest listen and respect the ideas put forward by other pupils.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
136. Overall the quality of teaching is good and some very good teaching was seen in lessons in both key stages during the inspection. Teachers use a range of strategies to stimulate their pupils, and are often successful in promoting an air of suspense. For example, in a Key Stage 1 lesson seen during the inspection, the pupils had to guess which parable was going to be considered as the teacher withdrew items from a bag, including bread, fish and a picture of a huge crowd. This introduction captured the pupils’ interest and set the scene for the rest of the lesson. For Key Stage 2 pupils, there are regular opportunities for debates, discussions, drama, visits to local churches and talks with visitors particularly local Christian priests and members of other religions. The scheme of work is well planned and members of staff have been well prepared to meet the needs of the revised curriculum. The scheme is relatively new
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
and the school still lacks some resources for meeting the needs of teaching about the additional religions. However an audit has already been conducted and plans are in hand to build up resources as funds allow and to extend, when possible, the range of visits and visitors to enhance the quality of learning in this subject. Pupils often have little work in their exercise books, as the allocated lesson time is often well used for Westwood Park Community Primary School - 49 practical tasks, such as role-play. However, this means that pupils have little to draw on if asked to recall their earlier learning. Insufficient use is made of homework to support pupils’ learning by providing further opportunities for pupils to record some of their work in written form. At present, pupils do not make enough use of information and communication technology to support their learning in religious education, and this
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
is a planned area for future development.
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