Somerville Primary (NC) School

SMALL HEATH

Reporting inspector: Mr. A. Calderbank - 7979

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SMALL HEATH

Dates of inspection: 17 th – 20 th September

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SMALL HEATH

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.

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SMALL HEATH

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. Somerville Primary - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Somerville Road Small Heath Birmingham Postcode: B10 9EN

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr. Z. Hussain

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: March 16 th - 19 th 1998 Somerville Primary - 4

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Aspect responsibilities

7979 Mr. A. Calderbank Registered inspector Geography; Religious education; Equal opportunities. What sort of school is it? How high are standards? – The school’s results and achievements. What should the school do to improve further? 9770 Mr. J. Baker Lay inspector How high are standards/ - Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development; How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 2465 Mr. G. Yates Team inspector Science; Physical education. How well is the school led and managed?

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Aspect responsibilities

11922 Mrs. J. Watkins Team inspector Mathematics; Music. How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 2749 Mrs. G. Wilkinson Team inspector English; Art 23319 Mr. V. Leary Team inspector Foundation Stage; History How well are pupils taught?

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Aspect responsibilities

23453 Mrs. C. Cressey Team inspector English as an additional language 2700 Mr. P. Sudworth Team inspector Information and communicatio n technology Somerville Primary - 5 2512 Mr. B. Emery Team inspector Design and technology; Special educational needs.

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Aspect responsibilities

NES Education Services Ltd Linden House Woodland Way Gosfield Essex CO9 1TH

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Aspect responsibilities

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

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Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Somerville Primary - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 3

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 7

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Somerville Primary School is a very large primary school for boys and girls aged three to eleven years in the Small Heath district of the city of Birmingham, in an area of much social disadvantage. Forty-two per cent of the children are eligible for free school meals which is just over twice the national average. Eighty-four per cent of the children come from the Pakistani community. There is a smaller number from the Bangladeshi, Indian and Somalia communities. There are 653 pupils in the main school and 77 children attend the nursery in either the morning or the afternoon session. When children start in the nursery, their attainment is very poor for their age because they are not fluent users of English and need additional support to access the curriculum. Forty per cent of children are identified as having special educational needs – almost twice the national average. Seventy-seven children

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

receive external support mainly for moderate learning difficulties and multi-sensory impairment. Five children have a statement of special needs, which is below average. The percentage of pupils with English as an additional language is very high at ninety-nine per cent. There is above average pupil mobility. For example last year, 95 pupils joined and 67 left the school other than at the usual time of admission or leaving. The school benefits from its involvement in national and local initiatives, including Excellence in Cities and Framework for Intervention.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Somerville is effective in fostering racial harmony and the children’s willingness to learn. As a result it is a calm, orderly place. Very good leadership by the headteacher, good quality teaching and the school’s involvement in such initiatives as Flying Start Plus and the recent appointment of learning mentors to work with disaffected pupils, are helping to widen and improve the children’s learning opportunities. Standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of the infants and juniors are low by national standards. However, most children achieve well given their very poor starting point on entry to the school. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Children achieve well with the majority attaining the expected standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. • The school is very well led by the headteacher. The governing body is firmly committed to improving the school. • Teaching is good overall. Teachers are highly committed and well supported by classroom assistants. • Children enjoy coming to school and show a high level of racial harmony. Relationships are very good. • The procedures for promoting good behaviour are very good. • The school makes excellent provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education. • The school communicates very effectively with the wider community. Somerville Primary - 8

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What could be improved

• The development of subject managers’ leadership skills in monitoring and supporting the teaching and learning in their areas. • Assessment procedures in subjects other than English and mathematics and the use made of the information. • The accommodation. These weaknesses have already been recognised by the school The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

There has been good improvement since Somerville Primary School was inspected in March 1998. The school has dealt well with the issues relating to raising the standards of literacy and numeracy throughout the curriculum and in developing pupils’ investigative skills in science. The quality of teaching is significantly better. Lesson planning has improved and is now much sharper. As a result teacher expectations are higher and clearer. This has boosted the children’s learning in some subjects but especially in science, religious education and design and technology. Standards in these subjects are higher than they were in 1998. A good improvement has been the development of systems to assess pupils’ skills in English and mathematics. As a result, governors and staff are in a better position to identify what needs to be done to improve standards in these areas. This practice needs extending to other subjects.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

More use could be made of assessment information to track and analyse children’s progress in order to target groups and individuals. A very good range of initiatives has been put in place to encourage parental awareness about the value of pupils’ regular attendance.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

1998 1999 2000 2000 Well above average Above average A B English E E E D Average Below average C D Mathematics E E E D Well below average In lowest 5% of schools E E*

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STANDARDS

The school’s grades in comparison to similar schools have been changed to reflect the high number of pupils who speak English as an additional language. The trend of the school’s results over the last five years has been upwards, rising as fast as the trend nationally but standards are still below national figures because of the pupils’ very low starting point. Standards in science were particularly low in 2000, when they were in the bottom 5% of Somerville Primary - 9 schools nationally. Compared to similar schools, the results in English, mathematics and science were below average in 2000. The results in the year 2001 National Curriculum Tests show considerable improvements on the previous year. The school achieved its challenging targets in all three subjects. Higher attaining pupils did particularly well in English, mathematics and science with almost a fifth of the age group attaining Level 5. Inspection

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STANDARDS

findings indicate that while standards in English, mathematics and science of pupils currently in Year 6 are below the national average, they have made significant progress in their learning since entering the school and are achieving well. They are on course to achieve the appropriate targets the school has set for eleven-year-olds taking national tests in English, mathematics and science. By the end of Key Stage 2, standards in art and design and design and technology are higher than those found in most schools. Progress is very good in religious education and pupils exceed the expectations of the local Agreed Syllabus. There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement about standards in music. In all other subjects, standards are average. The school is well aware that boys do better than girls and is working hard to improve girls’ attainment.

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STANDARDS

The results of the most recent tests taken by pupils at the end of Year 2 in 2001 show a considerable improvement over the previous two years which, because of the nature of the cohort, were very low. The results for reading, writing and mathematics all increased significantly and surpassed all previous attainment since the introduction of national standardised testing in 1995. However, the school’s results are still well below the national averages and below those found in similar schools. Key Stage 1 pupils currently are attaining below average standards in reading, writing and mathematics. The teacher assessments for science indicate that attainment is below average in this subject and the inspection findings are the same. Standards in religious education are above the expectations in the local Agreed Syllabus. Pupils’ attainment in design and technology is above average and in all other subjects average by the end of Key Stage1.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils are happy in school and most give their full attention to lessons. They are keen to learn, work hard and do their best.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour in and around the school is good. Pupils play well together in the playground and in lessons, they are quick to follow class routines.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils’ personal development is good. Boys and girls from many different nationalities mix well and all pupils are integrated into the life of the school. Relationships at all levels are a strength.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is well below average, while the rate of unauthorised absence is above average. The school is doing all it can to improve this aspect.

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Aspect Comment

The school is very successful in achieving racial harmony. Boys and girls from different minority groups get on well together. Pupils’ absence has a negative effect on their attainment. Somerville Primary - 10

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching 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.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

A major staff re-organisation was introduced for the 1999-2000 academic year, which placed staff with specific expertise and skills in target areas, such as, the English co-ordinator moving to a Year 2 class. The school’s long-term curriculum plan was redrawn and planning for progression and skill development improved. A training programme for the National literacy Strategy was devised and, with the support of the LEA, the literacy hour was introduced and is now embedded in the school practice. As a result of these initiatives, the quality of teaching is good overall and a strength of the school. This good teaching has a major impact on the good progress that pupils are now making. The teaching of English and mathematics throughout the school is effective, ensuring that the skills of literacy and numeracy are well taught. Lessons are well organised, interesting and address pupils’ learning needs well. In most

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

lessons the teachers clearly communicate to their pupils what they are going to do and how this builds on what they have already learned.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The school meets the needs of all its pupils effectively. Pupils in need of additional help with their learning receive good support from their class teachers, additional teachers and support assistants. The quality of learning is good. Throughout the school pupils benefit from teaching which focuses upon the development of subject specific skills.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. Appropriate time allocated to each curriculum area. Planning is good, ensuring that pupils are provided with a suitable range of relevant learning opportunities. A good programme of extra activities and visits adds to the quality. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. The school is successful in the early identification of pupils who have special educational needs and the targets on their individual educational plans relate well to pupils’ specific needs. Pupils are involved in all of the school’s activities. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language A high proportion of pupils start school speaking very little English. The support they receive from teaching and non-teaching staff ensures that they make good progress overall. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good overall. The school rules are understood and respected by

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Aspect Comment

all the pupils. Daily routines help pupils to develop harmonious relationships and to respect each other. The wide range of cultures represented in the school is valued and celebrated.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good procedures overall are in place for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ welfare; their personal development is well supported and monitored effectively. Staff work hard to encourage pupils to Somerville Primary - 11 succeed in all they do. The school works hard to establish an effective partnership with parents. Strong features are the appointment of two non-governors to the curriculum committee to scrutinise policies and test results and make recommendations to the full governing body and home visits before children start school.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good overall. The headteacher provides very good leadership and has a clear vision for what he wants Somerville to be. A strong and effective management team provide good support for the headteacher. However, there is room for improvement in the way subject co-ordinators oversee teaching and learning in their curriculum areas.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body fulfils its responsibilities well, contributing effectively to the management of the school. Governors have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They play an active role in monitoring standards.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The headteacher and management team monitor pupils’ progress well in English and mathematics. The careful analysis of assessment results enables them to set appropriate and challenging targets for further improvements in these subjects. This practice has not been effectively extended to other subjects.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. Financial planning is very good and resources are used well to support the development of the school. The careful use of all available funds and support from projects including Excellence in Cities have brought about significant improvements.

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Aspect Comment

Staffing levels are satisfactory. There are adequate resources for most subjects. The governors play a key role in supporting the headteacher and in ensuring that the best value is achieved from the school’s budget. However, space is at a premium in the school. A third of all pupils are taught in ‘mobile’ classrooms, some of which are eighteen years old. The accommodation for children in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory. For example, the teaching area in the nursery is restricted to one large room. Since the last inspection the governors have spent a considerable amount of money on internal refurbishment. The school and the Local Education Authority have recently commissioned an architect to draw up plans for a major rebuilding programme which is much needed.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The children like school and behave well. • Teachers are welcoming and work well with parents. • The school is well led and managed. • Teaching is good. Children are expected to • The range of activities offered outside lessons. • The amount of homework children are given. • Children’s safety when going to the junior Somerville Primary - 12 work hard and as a result make good progress. • The school helps the children to become mature and responsible. playground.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the parent’s positive views but not with the matters raised. Homework is given regularly and is similar in amount to that in other schools. A wide range of after school activities is available. During the inspection children were observed being escorted safely to the junior playground. Somerville Primary - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The attainment levels of children entering the nursery have declined since the previous inspection and are now very poor when compared with those expected nationally. The majority of children learn English as an additional language and a significant number have special educational needs. Most settle well on entry due to the good preparations made for them. The children had only been in school for a short period of time when the inspection took place. However, they were becoming used to classroom routines and were engaging in a good range of activities which were well suited to their needs. By the time that they are ready to start in Year 1, most children make good progress and achieve well in all areas of learning. However, standards are well below average in all the areas of learning. Though children make good progress in developing their self-confidence and independence, only a minority can

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

concentrate on their activities for extended periods. In literacy, they make a good start recognising letter sounds but many children have some way to go to write simple regular words. In number, most children make good progress in counting and calculating but a significant number have difficulties when it comes to solving practical problems. Their limited general knowledge constrains their achievement in knowledge and understanding of the world but their natural curiosity is being enhanced as they are encouraged to explore man made and natural materials. In creative development, the children start from a very low level of skill and knowledge in art, music and play. Some are quick learners as they develop their senses through investigating texture and colour but standards are well below average. In physical development children move with a degree of co-ordination and control but the quality of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

learning is diminished because some of the apparatus is unsuitable for young children.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of both Key Stages are below average. The school’s results in national tests do not reflect the good achievement and progress of most pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In 2001 the school’s results in national tests improved in both key stages. On average in the past three years boys and girls have under performed the national averages in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1. However, the results in 2001 were much improved due in no small measure to the recent introduction of the literacy hour. Key Stage 1 reading and writing results were significantly improved in 2001. The teacher assessments for science indicate that attainment is below average. However, pupils’ investigative skills are better than they were at the time of the previous inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Key Stage 2 results were also better in 2001 with more pupils obtaining the higher levels in English, mathematics and science. An issue for the school is the gap between boys and girls attainment at the end of Key Stage 2. Various strategies are being used to try and narrow this gap, including the raising of girls’ self-esteem. The school also introduced a three- week summer school biased towards Year 4 and Year 5 girls. No obvious reasons were noticed during the inspection for the differences in attainment. Boys and girls in Key Stage 2 applied themselves equally and with interest in lessons.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Inspection evidence indicates that most pupils are attaining at the expected levels for their ages in most subjects and their achievements are good overall. Moreover, there are signs of improving progress in some subjects. For example, in English and mathematics the practice of setting pupils by ability in Years 4, 5 and 6 has resulted in significant improvements Somerville Primary - 14 in the number of pupils’ achieving the higher levels. In science, teachers are providing pupils’ with more opportunities to plan and carry out investigations and have introduced a new scheme of work. As a result standards are now much better than they were at the time of the previous inspection. Information and communication technology is a rapidly improving subject because of new facilities and increasing teacher skills. However, some teachers still lack confidence and are waiting for further training which has been planned for later in the year.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Standards in religious education are better than they were at the time of the previous inspection and are now above the expectations in the locally Agreed Syllabus. This has come about because teachers make good use of resources and give children the opportunity to discuss relevant issues in a secure atmosphere.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The majority of pupils are now reaching the expected standard in writing, reading, speaking and listening at the end of both key stages. However, very few attain the higher levels in reading and writing at Key Stage 1 but the emphasis being placed upon improving standards is beginning to bear fruit higher up the school. Some pupils are now making very good progress during Key Stage 2 and by the end of Year 6 a significant percentage attain highly. The school has rightly identified reading as a priority in its improvement plan. Though phonic skills are taught well, there is a tendency in Key Stage 1 for pupils to use the names of letters rather than their sounds. By the end of year 6, pupils read aloud with good expression but their comprehension is less well developed. Writing standards are getting better but many pupils still have difficulties with some aspects of grammar and spelling is weak. In

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

mathematics most pupils know number facts to 10 by the end of Key Stage 1 but during the inspection did not recall them quickly. However, by the end of Key Stage 2 they have completed a good range and quantity of work. . All pupils present their work neatly.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Pupils’ use their language and literacy skills well in some areas of the curriculum. They have good opportunities, for example, in religious education and history to discuss ideas, to read for information and to write in a variety of forms. However more opportunities could be found for pupils to use their writing skills in science throughout the school and in geography at Key Stage 1.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Appropriate use is made of mathematics in other subject areas. For example, in geography Year 1 pupils presented a weather chart using graphs and information and communication technology to present their findings. A mathematical component is included in many of the tasks set in design and technology and handling money is an integral part of teaching citizenship.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Standards have risen in art and design and design and technology since the previous inspection. In these subjects pupils’ attainments are above average by the end of Year 6. In geography, history and physical education, pupils’ achievements are similar to those found in most schools. In swimming, standards are below those expected at Year 6 because few swim the required 25 metres. Pupils’ performance skills in physical education are better than their evaluation skills. In music standards are average by the end of Year 2. It was not possible to make a judgement about pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 because of insufficient evidence.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Over 95 per-cent of pupils are learning English as an additional language and of these fifty per-cent are at an early stage in speaking English. The majority of pupils who enter school are not fluent users of English and need additional support to access the curriculum. This was very evident as new entrants to the nursery were observed using their home language to talk with members of staff. The school’s own language assessments and the LEA’s baseline assessment indicates children enter school with a very limited knowledge of Somerville Primary - 15 spoken English. Most pupils make good progress in becoming fluent in English and this has a positive impact on their attainment in all areas of the curriculum.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress not only against targets set in their individual education plans but also generally. Most progress is made by pupils in Key Stage 2 who benefit form the accurate and early identification of their learning needs in Key Stage 1 which is then followed, with appropriate monitoring, through the school. The range of provision available i.e. withdrawal for small group teaching, support in classrooms and regular assessments all contribute effectively to the good progress which pupils make.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils’ attitudes to the school are good. These judgements are similar to those made at the time of the previous inspection. Virtually all pupils like school and are eager to attend with many arriving early and waiting outside their classrooms for the doors to open in the morning. They take part enthusiastically in all aspects of school life including the good range of extra-curricular activities on offer.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils’ enthusiasm for school is very good which is having a positive impact on their progress and attainment. The vast majority of pupils enjoy lessons, are interested, keen to contribute to lessons, undertake tasks enthusiastically and work hard to complete them. For example, in a Year 2 mathematics lesson, pupils worked very hard on working out pairs that add up to 10 with some moving on to pairs up to 20.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Behaviour is good overall, being very good in some lessons and in assemblies. Pupils are aware of the high standards expected and most respond well to discipline which creates an orderly environment conducive to learning. All pupils play harmoniously together in the playgrounds, oblivious of ethnic origin, and there were no signs of aggressive behaviour. Key Stage 2 pupils organise their own games of football and cricket which are played in a sporting manner. Pupils of all age groups make good use of the playground equipment available and a group were having a wonderful time playing ‘Farmer in the dell’ organised by one of the lunchtime supervisors. Pupils conform very well to the procedures for transferring to and from the main playground. They are quick to follow class routines. There have been no exclusions in the past year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils care for one another and are aware of the feelings of others. For example, when a pupil was in tears in the playground after hurting herself, others comforted her and sought adult assistance. Also they show respect for other people’s property and the environment, as was witnessed during playtimes when pupils were very diligent about putting their litter in the bins provided. Pupils have a very good understanding of the effect of their action on others as was demonstrated in religious education lessons. Also older pupils are very aware of the beliefs of the Islamic faith, showing due respect and reverence during assemblies.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Pupils’ personal development is good overall; they mature as they progress through the school and willingly take on responsibilities appropriate to their age. These range from simple duties in reception such as finding their own coat peg and tidying up after themselves, to whole class duties in Year 4, as well as using their initiative in lessons by getting out the right equipment and making appropriate use of dictionaries, atlases and encyclopædias. Year 6 take on a wide range of whole school responsibilities including showing visitors around the school. All classes have a representative on the School Council which makes a positive input to changes and improvements within the school. Somerville Primary - 16 17. Relationships between pupils are very good. They play together harmoniously, co- operate very well together in the classroom when in pairs or groups. For example, in a Year 3 science lesson, pupils worked very well in mixed ability pairs with the more able helping the

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

less able. Relationships between pupils and staff are also very good and pupils are secure and confident in their relationships with other adults. Members of staff give a very positive lead in engendering very good relationships, for example, by giving praise and encouragement at every opportunity as well as acting as good role models. Attendance has improved since the last inspection and rates of unauthorised absence have been reduced significantly. However, attendance is still well below the national average and unauthorised absence remains much higher than the national average. The school’s attendance figures are distorted due to absence during Eid and Ramadan but even allowing for this, attendance would still be below the national average. Registration is carried out in accordance with statutory requirements. Somerville Primary - 17

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. Overall the quality of teaching is good. The good quality of teaching is a significant factor in the improvements in standards made at the school since the previous inspection. At that time, a number of weaknesses were identified in teaching, namely the need to ensure consistent challenge and expectations for higher attaining pupils. The current inspection finds this issue has been rigorously addressed. A major staff re-organisation was introduced for the 1999-2000 academic year, which placed staff with specific expertise and skills in target areas, such as, the English co-ordinator moving to a Year 2 class. The school’s long-term curriculum plan was redrawn and planning for progression and skill development improved. A training programme for the National literacy Strategy was devised and, with the support of the Local Education Authority, the literacy hour was introduced and is now embedded in the school

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

practice. As a result of these initiatives, the quality of teaching is good overall and a strength of the school. This good teaching has a major impact on the good progress that pupils are now making because it is appropriately focused on developing subject specific skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. During the inspection, the teaching was judged to be good or better in 65 per cent of lessons and very good or excellent in almost 20 per cent. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed. Strong and effective teaching was observed throughout the school, leading to pupils learning well in lessons and making good progress. The good impact of teaching is also evident in the work in pupils’ books which included some examples of effective diagnostic marking.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. Teaching in the nursery and reception classes (the Foundation Stage of learning) was good overall and has improved since the last inspection. The teachers, nursery nurses and learning support assistant plan, teach and evaluate activities together. Though it is very early in the school year they are getting to know the children well and to understand their needs. This is helping teachers to provide activities with just the right element of challenge. As a result, children make good progress. The way in which all staff talk purposefully with children and encourage them to reply is a major feature of their teaching. Interesting resources are used to catch the children’s attention. For example, the use of model teddy bears promoted learning and increased the enjoyment of a shared story in one lesson. Many children start school with poorly developed speaking skills and this work helps them to develop both

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

confidence and vocabulary. The use of talk is evident in all aspects of the curriculum and is especially effective for pupils who are at the very early stages of learning English. All staff are developing their skills in assessing children’s progress more rigorously. This helps them to provide work which continues to interest and challenge children right through nursery and reception.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. The teaching of English and mathematics is good overall and is very effective in helping to raise standards in these important subjects. The quality of teaching in science is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. Teachers understand the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies well and as a result they teach them effectively, helping pupils to recognise and develop new skills. Teachers question pupils closely to assess or deepen their understanding. The quality of questioning was a strong feature of many lessons seen during the inspection. For example, in a Year 6 art lesson, pupils’ understanding of landscape painting was deepened by probing questions such as “What would happen if you added red to this painting. What would be the overall effect of this on the colour and how you feel?” The use of good use of resources in many lessons, notably in English, religious education, art and history, helps to stimulate pupils’ interest and to focus their attention on key

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

learning points. Only occasionally, work is not always linked strongly enough to the learning objective and tasks not Somerville Primary - 18 matched sufficiently to some pupils’ needs, resulting in some pupils not fully understanding the purpose of the task and becoming restless. On these occasions pupils’ progress in lessons is not as good. The setting arrangements in English and mathematics contribute significantly to the good progress being made. In science some very good teaching was observed in a Year 5 class where pupils were encouraged to plan out their own investigations.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. The quality of teaching in art and design, design and technology and religious education has improved since the previous inspection and is now good overall. The teaching of history, geography in Key Stage 2, physical education and information and communication technology is satisfactory overall. In history, teachers create some worthwhile opportunities for pupils to engage in extended writing activities so further developing and consolidating new skills acquired during literacy lessons. In information and communication technology lessons there is a good balance between instruction and activity. In physical education teachers do not give pupils enough opportunities to evaluate their own and other pupils’ performances. The use of two part-time music specialists is beginning to make a positive contribution to the quality of learning and standards in the subject. No geography teaching was observed in Key Stage

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. Teachers’ planning has improved significantly since the last inspection. There is a consistency across the school which has a very positive impact on teaching and learning. Daily plans are detailed and build on specific skills to be taught. Teachers provide work which matches pupils’ learning needs and challenges them to learn more. This is true for the full range of attainments. For example, higher attaining pupils in Year 3 were at full stretch when learning about synonyms and speech marks. Lower attaining pupils were similarly challenged when good questioning by a teacher in a Year 4 numeracy lesson helped to improve their understanding of addition and subtraction of number. This approach helps to highlight a developing and important teaching strategy of asking pupils to explain their thinking in a secure learning environment. Teachers mark work conscientiously and often very rigorously.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

In some classes the quality of marking is very good and pupils given precise instructions on how to improve their work. More importantly, they take note of the advice.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Throughout the school teachers use a good range of teaching methods and classroom organisation to maximise the learning opportunities. They include opportunities for pupils to work as a whole class as well as to work individually or in small groups. The school’s recent practice of grouping a small number of pupils in both key stages by attainment helps teachers to focus on specific levels of skills and results in good progress.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. A key strength throughout the school is the very good relationships that teachers establish with their pupils, resulting in lessons in which pupils behave very well and are eager to learn in a positive and encouraging atmosphere. This was typified in a Year 5 information and communication technology lesson where the teacher set a very positive tone. “ I don’t mind if you are wrong. The key to success is trying.” Pupils clearly like their teachers and support assistants and want to do well for them. Combine this with good subject and specialist knowledge and a high level of skill in such techniques as questioning and it is clear why teaching is having such a positive impact on standards.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. The overall quality of teaching for pupils for whom English is an additional language is good. Class and support teachers, learning support assistants, bilingual staff usually work effectively together to ensure that children have good access to the National Curriculum. Teachers provide a range of good opportunities for pupils to develop effective listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. For example, teachers ensure that the plenary is used well to provide opportunities for pupils to talk about their work. However, some pupils remain very shy and staff do not always provide sufficient encouragement for pupils to speak up with Somerville Primary - 19 confidence and clarity. This was not the case in a Year 6 mathematics lesson when the teacher replied to one pupil “ You will have to speak louder because I am getting old.” As a result of this humorous approach the pupil repeated his answer and everyone could hear.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

Bilingual teachers and support staff are used well to explain vocabulary and concepts to those children whose level of English language limits their knowledge and understanding. Where teaching is particularly effective staff sensitively encourage pupils to think in their own language if it helps them to understand the vocabulary. For example, in a Year 4 English lesson staff ensure that words such as ‘fate ‘are understood by exploring the Asian concept of ‘kismet’ Teachers praise pupils’ skills in being able to speak a number of different languages such as Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Arabic and English and this has a very positive effect on pupils self-confidence and pride in their ability. Pupils respond very positively to the concepts and vocabulary being linked to their own culture, religion and languages.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. Pupils with English as an additional language make significant strides in their learning when teachers use assessment well to plan the next stage of learning and when lessons are very focussed on pupils literacy skills. For example, in a Year 3 class, careful observations by the teacher identified weaknesses in pupils’ understanding of verb endings and confusions with letter formation. However, in a significant minority of classes, teachers are unsure of what pupils already know and understand and there is insufficient emphasis on targeting individual language needs to ensure pupils make sufficient gains in the learning. Across the school assessment procedures are not yet rigorous enough in some subjects to identify specific learning needs and set individual targets to move learning on and improve standards and individual achievements. Bilingual skills are used well to assess children’s attainment levels

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

when they first enter school. This enables staff to build effectively on what children already know and can do. Nursery staff use their skills well to help children settle into school and to enable them to access the Foundation Stage curriculum.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

28. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is never less than satisfactory and often good. Pupils’ individual needs are well known to teachers and learning support assistants. Lesson plans make specific reference to the activities and support which pupils will receive and all staff are well versed in meeting the individual special needs of pupils. A strength in the best lessons is the recognition that the proposed context may pose difficulties for pupils with special educational needs. In these cases appropriate differentiation and support strategies are identified.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

29. Learning support assistants make an effective contribution to pupils’ learning and progress. They are always fully aware of the lesson context, know the pupils well and successfully promote learning. In the best lessons seen, learning support assistants contributed effectively to assessment.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

30. The quality of teaching when staff take children out of class lessons for additional support in small groups is good. Measures are in place to ensure that pupils withdrawn from classes do not regularly miss the same curriculum experience. The teachers, including the special educational needs co-ordinator who work with small groups in withdrawn settings, are skilled in their role. Appropriate one-to-one work for assessment purposes is in place.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

31. The quality of teaching in the bottom sets created in mathematics and English which inevitably contain significant numbers of pupils with special educational needs is good and on occasion very good. For example, in a Year 6 mathematics lesson very skilled teaching and learning support enabled pupils to achieve highly and make very good progress in their understanding and use of division. Somerville Primary - 20 32. The teachers make good use of homework to reinforce what is learned in school and to develop the pupils’ independent learning skills. This is having a positive effect on pupils’ attitude to learning and in raising attainment.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. The quality and range of the curriculum are good. The curriculum promotes pupils’ intellectual, physical, social and personal development and prepares them very well for the next stage of education. Statutory requirements are fully met. The school is doing its best to fulfil its aims for high levels of effort, academic competence, physical fitness, courtesy, responsibility and understanding for each pupil.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. The previous inspection report highlighted weaknesses in the music curriculum. There was insufficient attention paid to the raising of drug awareness and concern about the lack of detail in planning some subjects. These issues have now been addressed. Planning now includes learning objectives and provision for personal, social and health education is excellent.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. The quality and range of opportunities in the Foundation Stage are good. The school has taken on board the most recent National Curriculum guidance for young children’s learning. Structured programmes are in place for literacy and numeracy and appropriate provision is made for the large number of pupils for whom English is an additional language. The school addresses the six areas of learning recommended for the age group and which provide a successful basis for transition to the National Curriculum.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. The curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2 is broad, balanced and relevant. It complies with the requirements of the National Curriculum and the Locally Agreed Syllabus for religious education. Good account is taken of the requirements of Curriculum 2000. The national literacy and numeracy strategies are in place with an additional programme for speaking and listening. In many other subjects the school appropriately incorporates features from national guidance, which includes subject specific skills. The information and communication technology programme is soundly based on a published scheme. Programmes of study in religious education, design and technology and physical education draw extensively on the subject expertise of the subject managers.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. A new drug awareness policy has been agreed by the local community and vetted by specialists in health education. Good use is made of the facilities of the mobile Life Education Unit. Sex education is taught well through the science curriculum and aspects of relationships are approached through occasional specific lessons, assemblies and collective worship by means of specially planned themes.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. The principles of the National Literacy Strategy are well understood by the teaching staff and reflect in the improvement in standards of reading and writing by the pupils. Appropriate opportunities are created for pupils to speak, for example by offering explanations in the classroom, addressing a larger group in assembly, and for older pupils to lead part of the worship of younger pupils. In addition the school makes good use of opportunities offered for older pupils to speak in public, for example requiring them to take the chair at the local junior ‘Single Regeneration Budget’ meeting, or addressing the Local Ward Committee. Similarly great importance is attached to encouraging pupils to listen carefully. For example, Reception children were enthralled to hear “Little Red Riding Hood” in English and in Mirpuri. Somerville Primary - 21 39. Successful application of the National Numeracy Strategy, planning across the year

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

groups and a clear understanding of the key objectives make for good provision in mathematics. Appropriate account is taken of the contribution of mathematics in other subject areas. Teachers are aware of the need for and endeavour to promote mental agility and speed of recall of number facts.

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

40. The school meets the requirements of the Code of Practice for Special Needs and makes good provision for these pupils. Proficiency in English is assessed at an early stage and the appropriate support is provided. Individual education plans are reviewed regularly. One of the school’s priorities for development is to continue to promote “success for all” by operating an inclusion philosophy that enables its pupils to get on the learning ladder and from there progress to the maximum rung of achievement.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

41. A good range of extra curricular activities is provided including Islamic classes, homework clubs, music and drama and many sporting activities. There is a School Council which meets regularly and takes responsibility for deciding which charities will be supported.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

42. Visits and visitors are recognised as sources of enrichment and extend curriculum provision. A pop star, the police and the neighbourhood forum were recently involved in a drug awareness presentation. Health and other professionals are involved in the annual ‘Health and Safety Week’ when Year 6 pupils have to prepare and organise a healthy picnic for the younger children. Visits are made to a mosque, a synagogue and a church. Two learning mentors have planned a summer school focussed on Year 4 and 5 girls as a means of raising their self-esteem. Residential trips are organised from time to time. There are good links with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

43. Very good relationships exist with the community and partner institutions successfully fostered through a range of activities. During the inspection a ‘community lunch’ confirmed the wide ranging, nature and expertise involved. A member of the Islamic community leads worship on a regular basis. The headteacher occasionally visits the local mosques during the time of evening instruction. A ‘Careers Day’ for Year 6 pupils involves several representatives from local industries. Pupils’ reports about the initiative were published in the Birmingham Evening Post.

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

44. There are strong links with the local Secondary school and Year 6 pupils benefit greatly from the expertise and facilities available. They also visit Birmingham University during the summer term. Year 5 pupils are about to embark on a project with other schools in the United Kingdom, Holland and Denmark, using electronic mail. There is a friendship agreement with Star Academy a school in Pakistan and pupils regularly communicate with each other.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

45. Effective resources are in place to ensure that pupils with special educational needs have the same curriculum experiences as other pupils. Access to these experiences is ensured by good quality support from teacher and learning support assistants and by differentiated activities and materials.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

46. Numeracy and literacy sessions are planned carefully to ensure that pupils with special educational needs are fully and appropriately involved. This involves good planning of group work and support during whole class introductions and plenary sessions. Pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in all aspects of the curriculum. Appropriate intentions are clearly set out in all documentation and practice within lessons is fully inclusive. Somerville Primary - 22 47. The curriculum for pupils for whom English is an additional language is good. Emphasis is placed on developing pupils’ communicative skills and the acquisition of appropriate language to help them access all the subjects of the curriculum. Pupils’ own cultures are reflected in a meaningful way through the curriculum. For example, Year 6 pupils do an in- depth study of Pakistan, including its religion, history, geography and architecture. At the end

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

of the project the pupils produced a presentation of their findings using ‘Power Point ‘. Links with the community were enhanced as pupils confidently made their presentation to invited guests using their home language as well as English.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

48. Overall opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are very good and this is a strength of the school. The school has maintained the very good provision identified at the time of the previous inspection. The aims of the school are based on clear moral values and parents value the strong sense of community throughout the school and the ethos of care and support for all pupils.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

49. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is very good and is effectively supported by well-planned acts of collective worship. Appropriate arrangements are made for a group of pupils, who are withdrawn from the corporate acts of worship, to meet together, reflect and pray. There is a structured programme of themes for collective worship led by teachers and visitors and worship provides all pupils with a calm and ordered start to the day. In addition, all pupils participate in well-planned multi-faith class assemblies. During the inspection the use of appropriate story, poetry, music and discussion related to themes and the opportunities for personal reflection and prayer in collective worship made a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual development. In lessons pupils are given opportunities to reflect on their own lives, attitudes and feelings. Spiritual development is well supported across the curriculum in such subjects

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

as art and design and particularly through multi-faith aspects of religious education. Pupils develop a good knowledge of, and respect for, world faiths and a good understanding of the place of religion in everyday life.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

50. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ moral development. It promotes good behaviour and mutual respect by setting clear and consistent expectations and pupils have a very good understanding of the difference between right and wrong and respect and care for each other. The school’s behaviour policy places emphasis upon positive rewards and praise and this, together with the individual classroom codes of conduct developed with pupils makes a very good contribution to promoting pupils’ moral development. Well-planned collective worship, which uses themes that emphasise moral values such as ‘respect’ and ‘obedience’ makes a significant contribution to pupils’ moral development. The school is a calm and orderly community. There is a strong work ethic and all pupils’ work well even when not directly supervised. Staff provide positive role models demonstrating respect and care for others and

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

commitment to their work. The moral development of pupils is a strength of the school.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

51. The school makes good provision for the social development of pupils and adults in the school provide very good role models. Pupils are encouraged to be supportive to each other and work collaboratively in pairs or in small groups sharing equipment and materials. Those from minority cultures are well integrated and participate fully in all aspects of the school’s life. Boys and girls work happily together when required. In Key stage 1, the school appropriately emphasises the development of pupils’ social skills as, for example, at lunchtime when pupils wait for everyone at their table to finish eating before going outside. Key Stage 2 pupils take part in the city’s Citizenship week that includes visiting the Council House and watching a debate in the Council Chamber. Years 5 and 6 participate in activities associated with the city initiative ‘the Young People’s Parliament’. The school’s ‘Careers Day’ for Year 6 pupils, that

p.22

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

includes a visit to Birmingham University, actively promotes learning and achievement. In all classes pupils are provided with some good opportunities to take on responsibility that they Somerville Primary - 23 accept willingly. For example, there is a School Council that includes in its activities pupils taking responsibility for deciding which charities they wish to support each year. The school actively participates in both local and national events, including fundraising, and these encourage the pupils to think about the community they live in as well as those of others within the wider world. The close and mutually caring relationships of adults and pupils make an important contribution to the ethos of the school.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

52. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is very good. Pupils make many visits to places of interest, including residential visits, and the school makes good use of visitors from other faiths and cultures. They visit a mosque, a church and a synagogue as part of religious education. In Book Week a range of speakers visit to tell stories to pupils in languages known and used by pupils in the school. Visitors with particular skills and knowledge are regularly invited to the school, as for example in Health and Safety week when the local fire service and sports people, amongst others, worked with pupils. These activities make a good contribution to pupils’ cultural development. School projects that actively involve the pupils, such as the relationships that have been developed with both a school in Pakistan and a school in England, contribute to pupils’ understanding of both their own and other whole school cultures

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

as do activities in art, history and geography and the study of other faiths in religious education. Class assemblies, which are shared with the whole school, are often based on multi-faith and multicultural festivals and these provide further opportunities for pupils to learn about and reflect on other cultures. 53. The school is very effective in developing a harmonious atmosphere in which the pupils’ different backgrounds, cultures and faiths are very well respected and valued. Pupils’ home languages and cultures and religions are valued and respected. Labels, notices and welcome signs in the appropriate languages are displayed around the school. Books representing the different history, geography, religions, cultures and ways of life are readily available in classrooms and in the library. Recently arrived pupils from Egypt and Somalia can find interesting up-to-date books about their country of origin. Dual language books and

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

stories from the pupils’ home cultures are firm favourites and are frequently chosen for pupils to read to themselves or share with adults. Music and art are not used well to reflect the diverse cultures of the families represented in the school. Pupils own religions are respected and valued. A display on ‘the cycle of life’ included Muslim prayers to Allah. Somerville Primary - 24

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. This is a very caring school which provides good support for pupils’ personal development as well as good provision overall to ensure pupils’ welfare, health and safety. This provision includes excellent child protection procedures, very good procedures for promoting good behaviour, eliminating bullying and promoting regular attendance, together with good health and safety procedures.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

55. The good personal support and guidance pupils receive makes a significant contribution to their personal development. Looking after pupils’ personal and emotional needs is the responsibility of class teachers who, together with support staff, know their pupils very well, are sensitive to these needs and thus able to provide good personal support and guidance. The very good relationships between pupils and staff encourage pupils to raise any concerns they may have knowing that they will be dealt with sympathetically.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

56. Child protection procedures are excellent. The designated person and two other members of the senior staff are suitably trained and very experienced in this field. The two learning mentors have also received appropriate external training and all members of staff receive regular training on child protection delivered within the school as well as having a copy of the child protection procedures. There is good liaison with other agencies.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

57. Procedures for promoting good behaviour and eliminating bullying are very good and are consistently applied by all staff including learning support assistants and dinner supervisors. The emphasis is on making pupils aware of the standards expected and reinforcing this by praising good behaviour. All pupils discuss the school rules which are displayed in each classroom and decorated by pupils’ pictures of themselves, indicating their endorsement of the rules. The school uses the local authority’s ‘Framework for Intervention’ behaviour management system which is very effective at identifying behavioural problems at an early stage and resolving them before they become major issues. A clear indication of the success of the behavioural management procedures is the fact that the school takes pupils who have been excluded from other schools and soon gets them to conform to its high expectations.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

58. Procedures for promoting and monitoring regular attendance are very good and improving attendance is a priority in the school development plan. Registers are checked daily by the learning mentors, one of whom is bilingual and ‘same day’ contact is made with parents if the school has not been informed of the reason for absence. Home visits are also made as necessary and there is close liaison with the Education Social Worker. The importance of regular attendance is promoted strongly through newsletters and awards are made weekly to the Key Stage 1 and the Key Stage 2 class with the best attendance.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

59. Health and Safety procedures are good and ensure a safe working environment. Checks of the premises are carried out half-termly and findings are reported to the premises committee of the governing body. First-aid arrangements are good with a good number of staff suitably trained. However, there is no medical room and temporary arrangements have to be made for such children or those who require treatment.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

60. Pupils’ personal safety, personal hygiene and general well-being are covered very appropriately through the personal, social and health education curriculum which is well supported by outside speakers such as the road safety officer and the British Rail safety officer. The school also holds an annual Health Week and is working towards the Healthy Schools Standard. Somerville Primary - 25 61. Assessment procedures are well developed in the core subjects of English and mathematics. However, consistent and effective assessment arrangements are not yet in place in the rest of the curriculum. A wide range of assessment practice exists but much of it is informal or has been developed within a particular subject area. The information gathered is not being used effectively to monitor pupils’ progress and to set targets to move learning on. The school is fully aware of the need to standardise assessment procedures and a series of

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

appropriate initiatives are currently underway to address this need. These include moderation, writing anthologies, comprehensive records of achievement, portfolios of pupils’ work and diagnostic testing using a range of published approaches.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

62. The weakness identified during the last inspection that assessment is not well organised and informal remains to some extent applicable. Assessment arrangements for pupils with special educational needs are now good. The weakness identified during the last inspection concerning lack of rigour in criteria for assessment has been rectified. 63. The assessment procedures for pupils for whom English is an additional language are satisfactory. A variety of tests is used to assess pupils’ English language competency and to inform strengths and weaknesses. The school is at the early stages of implementing a tracking procedure which shows that pupils are making good progress compared to their prior attainment. Although assessment has improved since the previous inspection the school does not yet use the information sufficiently well to identify the deployment of support staff in order to improve pupils’ fluency in English and raise their attainment even further. Although detailed

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

records are maintained indicating pupils’ performance and their progress in the acquisition of English, these are still not used rigorously enough to set individual targets to move learning on and target additional support. Within lessons learning objectives are sometimes too general and do not relate to pupils’ acquisition of English. Staff carefully monitor the progress of different ethnic groups and the performance of boys and girls. This has been effective in raising the standards of girls within the school. The school has appropriately sought to improve the aspirations of girls by employing female staff from ethnic backgrounds who provide very positive role models. Somerville Primary - 26

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

64. As at the time of the previous inspection, parents have very positive views about the school. Virtually all feel that their children are making good progress, teaching is good, the school expects their children to work hard and is helping their children to become mature and responsible. The vast majority of parents are also very satisfied with all other aspects of school life. However, a small minority expressed concerns about the provision of activities outside lessons, the amount of homework given and the children’s safety when going to the junior playground. The inspection team fully supports these positive views but does not agree with the dissatisfaction expressed by a small number of parents. Homework is set regularly and is similar in amount to that in other schools and the school offers a good range of after school activities. During the week of the inspection, children were observed being escorted

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

safely across the road to the junior playground.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

65. Parents are satisfactorily informed about the school through the prospectus, the parents’ handbook, half-termly newsletters and other correspondence. The annual report from the governors has improved since the previous inspection and now contains all the required statutory information. Information to parents about the curriculum is satisfactory. When pupils start school their parents receive leaflets on helping with reading and mathematics and there are opportunities to discuss the curriculum at parents’ evenings.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

66. Information to parents about their children’s progress is good overall. Consultation evenings are held in the autumn and summer terms as well as an open day in the spring term when parents have an opportunity to sit in on lessons. Annual reports are satisfactory overall but are variable, being good in Year 6 where targets are set in English, mathematics and science. Also there are good opportunities for informal communication at the beginning and end of the day with the head teacher and other members of staff are on outside duty every day and make themselves available to parents.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

67. Bilingual staff are always on hand to help parents communicate with the Head and his staff. Parents feel valued and have a very good relationship with the school. They are very supportive of the school’s aims and values and very keen for their children to learn. This has a positive effect on the progress children make and the higher standards the school is now achieving. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are involved in regular progress reviews.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

68. The contribution of parents to their children’s learning and school and home is satisfactory overall. Their good attendance at parents’ meetings and open days demonstrates to their children the importance they place on education and helps to instil good attitudes to learning. They also provide valued help on trips and visits.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

69. Although the school provides parents with good information on homework expectations, very few parents help their children with work at home but where they do, it makes a significant contribution to their children’s attainment and progress. The school is aware of the need to help parents to support their children’s learning and the Flying Start Plus Project is a good example of providing this help. Helping parents to be better able to support their children’s learning is one of the school’s priorities for development.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

70. Parental involvement is making a satisfactory impact on the work of the school. The school values parents’ views and these are sought biennially through a questionnaire. Parents’ views are also sought in specific issues such as the preparation of the home/school Somerville Primary - 27 agreement which the vast majority have signed thus indicating their strong support for the school.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. The quality of leadership and management is good. The school is very well led by a strong committed and dedicated headteacher who, together with the management team and the governing body, provide a clear educational philosophy, focussed on raising standards within a very caring environment. This is well recognised in the strong agreement of those parents who returned the questionnaire and in the praise of parents at the meeting. As a result standards have risen. Children are willing to learn and the overriding philosophy as expressed by one member of staff to a class during the week of the inspection that “ I don't mind if you are wrong. The key to success is trying,” ensures that from a very poor starting point, pupils make good progress. The school's aims and values are inherent in every aspect of its work and, following the example set by the headteacher, ' our children not those children' , all staff show high levels of concern for pupils' welfare.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

72. There has been good improvement since the school was last inspected in March 1998. The school has dealt successfully with most of the issues identified. The quality of teaching is significantly better and standards have risen. Good improvements have been made in the development of assessment systems in English and mathematics and the use made of the information gathered but not in other subjects. In most other subjects there are no systems in place for ensuring that assessment information is used in any consistent way to inform future practice.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

73. The headteacher's very good leadership skills and very effective day-to-day management of this above average sized school contribute significantly to relationships being a strength of the school. He effectively passes on to staff his enthusiasm and determination to improve the quality of education for the pupils and drive up standards. As a result, there is a shared commitment to improvement. The headteacher’s awareness of the school's strengths and weaknesses has led to clear priorities for the school's development and thorough planning of the initiatives necessary for school improvement. These priorities are succinctly outlined in the school's well-written school development plan.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

74. The establishment of two senior posts, Assistant Headteacher and Assessment Manager have proved to be very successful. They provide valuable support to the headteacher and have played an important part in raising standards. The school has placed particular emphasises on delegating responsibility to subject managers and the development of corporate objectives and decision making. This delegation and development of the roles of subject managers is at an early stage of development. The school has rightly recognised the need to provide opportunities for subject managers, some new in post this term, to develop their subject management skills. A programme of in-service training needs to be established to ensure that subject managers make the very best use of the time made available under the school's MAST [monitoring and support time] initiative.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

75. The governors have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and play an active part in monitoring all aspects of school life through its committees. It is well led by its chairman who has a very good knowledge of the needs of the local community. As a result, the school is held in high esteem by parents and the local community. The weakness outlined in the last inspection with regard to omissions in the governors' annual report to parents has been fully rectified and the Governing Body now fulfils statutory requirements with regard to this aspect. Somerville Primary - 28 76. Specific grants and support are very well managed and as a result pupils make good progress. The Excellence in Cities project has been effective for example in supporting pastoral visits, establishing a community drop-in facility and providing a Summer School. Additional funding to support pupils who are in the early stages of learning to speak English as

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

a second language is used well by the school as is the special needs funding within the school's budget.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

77. Financial management is very effective. The school is very aware that the amount of money brought forward from the last financial year is misleadingly high. It contains an identified amount that will be spent on a joint initiative with other schools to create a learning support unit during this financial year. The governors apply the principles of best value well. They make use of data to compare aspects of their school’s performance with other school’s and secure efficient services by selecting the lowest tender unless this is contrary to good value. The school is now providing good value for money.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

78. The school has a clear educational direction to ensure good provision for all pupils. Since the last inspection a significant number of staff have been appointed from different cultures and many of them are fluent in a number of the languages represented in the school. The effective deployment of these teachers, and support staff have a significant impact on the quality of pupils learning. However, the school does not use its assessment procedures sufficiently well to identify where there is the most need in terms of language support. For example, the needs of children in the Foundation Stage are not reflected in the number of staff available as additional bilingual staff. Although there is almost always more than one member of staff in each class, they are not always able to focus specifically on pupils’ linguistic needs to improve progress and ensure pupils reach the standards they are capable of.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

79. The special educational needs co-ordinator is effective. She has a good understanding of the role, keeps all staff up-to-date with pupils’ needs, manages the administration of special educational needs very well and maintains good records and effective links with other colleagues working within the special educational needs field both within the school and from outside.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

80. The special educational needs policy is of good quality. It is clearly written and sets out the school’s position on special educational needs and inclusion. Arrangements for meeting special educational needs are comprehensive and clearly described. Practice within the school closely matches the policy. Planning for special educational needs is good and issues relating to this aspect figure prominently in the school development plan.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

81. Whilst the accommodation is satisfactory overall, there are several significant weaknesses which cause difficulties for the school. Classroom sizes are in the main of a reasonable area and there is a good-sized hall and smaller hall, although these are also throughways to other parts of the building. There is a well-equipped information and communication technology suite which is contributing to the improving standards in the subject and a good library/ study area which is being increasingly used for research purposes. Nevertheless, one-third of the pupils are accommodated in eight ageing, relocatable classrooms, two without toilets. These classrooms become extremely uncomfortable during warm weather. Two of these units are occupied by Reception pupils and, together with the very limited Nursery building, comprise inadequate and unsatisfactory provision of the two youngest age groups and make it very difficult for staff to facilitate good practice of the early

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Somerville Primary - 29 years curriculum. Cloakroom space in the nursery is too cramped and children have to share pegs in a very confined space. The staffroom is very inadequate for the large staff and staff meetings have to be held in other parts of the building. Staff cannot meet as a unit during the day as it will only accommodate one-third of the staff. Storage is very limited throughout the school and there is insufficient hard surface and grassed areas for the number on roll. The school lacks any medical accommodation.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

82. The school has adequate teaching staff, although more bilingual assistants in the early years would benefit the children’s acquisition of, and fluency in, English. There is a satisfactory match of teacher specialisms to the responsibilities they hold in the school and almost all were initially trained in the primary phase. They have good opportunities for in- service training. There were no unfilled posts at the start of the term. One post was being filled on a temporary contract whilst the school looked to guarantee future funding for that post. Three members of staff (9 per cent) left during the previous year for reasons of promotion or retirement. The school has recently begun to employ two part-time music staff. Though they have only been in post for a comparatively short time, they have begun to make a positive contribution to the quality of learning.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

83. Resources and books are adequate overall. However, physical education equipment for children under seven is unsatisfactory and some atlases and maps are in need of updating in geography. There are good resources for English, science, information and communication technology, religious education and art and design which are helping with the improved standards in these subjects. Somerville Primary - 30

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

84. In order to improve the quality of education, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.30

into account by:

• making use of the good practice that exists in the school; • providing training in the skills of co-ordinating a subject; • ensuring that they have the time to carry out their duties effectively. (Paras. 74, 116, 128, 136, 142, 154, 161–162, 174, 182 and 189 in the main report)

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on by:

• making use of the good practice that already exists in English and mathematics; • providing training for all staff in the best ways of using assessment information and monitor the implementation of a whole-school approach;

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on by:

(Paras. 27, 61, 63, 72, 78, 115, 119, 136, 142, 154, 161, 167, 174 and 189 in the main report)

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

• ways to develop further parents’ involvement in their children’s learning at school and at home. (Para. 69 in the main report)

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

• continue to explore methods to improve attendance; (Para. 17 and 58 in the main report)

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

• ways of encouraging pupils to speak up with confidence and clarity in lessons; (Para. 26, 106, 126 and 165 in the main report)

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

• ways to improve the speed with which pupils recall number facts in maths during Key Stage 1; Somerville Primary - 31 (Paras. 6, 39 and 122 in the main report)

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

• strategies to improve Key Stage 1 pupils’ phonic skills and their recognition and spelling of the most common words in use. (Paras. 6, 108, 110 - 111 in the main report)

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

• more opportunities for pupils to use their writing skills in science throughout both key stages and in geography at Key Stage 1. (Paras. 7,131, 135 and 150 in the main report)

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

• improve physical education resources for pupils in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 and develop pupils’ evaluation skills in the subject throughout the school. (Paras. 9, 22, 83, 100, 180 – 181 in the main report) Somerville Primary - 32 PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 40

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Percentage 0.9 16.4 48.3 34.5 0 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. [When the total number is substantially less than 100, add] Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one [two, three, etc] percentage point[s]. [Where the total is close to or greater than 100, use only the first sentence.]

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery Y 1 – Y 6

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 77 653

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 272 FTE means full-time equivalent. Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 5

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 69 222

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 725

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 95

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 67

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

National comparative data 4.3 National comparative data 0.3 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting yea Somerville Primary - 33 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 45 41 86

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics Number of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Boys 11 20 26

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Girls 18 26 27 Total 29 46 53 Percentage of pupils School 34 (46) 53 (51) 62 (59) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Boys 15 25 22

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Girls 20 28 26 Total 35 53 48 Percentage of pupils School 41 (44) 62 (50) 56 (44) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) ear Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 35 45 80

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science Number of pupils at NC Level 4 and above Boys 17 21 25

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Girls 22 16 27 Total 39 37 52 Percentage of pupils School 49 (51) 46 (58) 65 (62) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils at NC Level 4 and above Boys 17 22 18

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Girls 23 20 23 Total 40 42 41 Percentage of pupils School 50 (56) 53 (63) 51 (60) 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. Somerville Primary - 34 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Black – Caribbean heritage 3 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Black – African heritage 14 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Any other minority ethnic group 24 Other minority ethnic groups This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the numb of pupils excluded. Teachers and classes Financial information

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 39.1 Financial year 00/01

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 1,511,091

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Total number of education support staff 14 Total expenditure 1,448,552

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Total aggregate hours worked per week 394 Expenditure per pupil 2,090

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 90,113

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 62,539

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Number of pupils per FTE adult 13 FTE means full-time equivalent. Somerville Primary - 35 Recruitment of teachers

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 6

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 6

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

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Other weaknesses that should be considered by the school:

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less tha one term (FTE) FTE means full-time equivalent. Somerville Primary - 36

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 62 34 2 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 67 26 3 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 52 31 11 4 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 59 35 4 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 61 32 3 1 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 72 23 2 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 59 33 3 1 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 69 25 1 1 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 72 24 2 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 58 26 5 3 7

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Other issues raised by parents

A very small minority expressed concerns about children having to cross the road to gain access to the playground. However, during the week of the inspection children were observed being escorted safely across the road by staff. Somerville Primary - 37

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

85. Education for children under-five is provided in three reception classes and a nursery. The quality and range of learning opportunities in the Foundation Stage are good. The curriculum for children is based on the ‘six areas of learning’ and gives the children broad and balanced experiences. There is a wide range of well-focussed activities to promote the early learning goals in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical and creative development.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

86. The previous inspection reported that the accommodation for the nursery was good and adequate in the reception classes. This is not now the case. The accommodation for the Foundation Stage, has several significant weaknesses and is inadequate. The nursery building provides very limited space and the reception children are taught in ‘relocatable’ classrooms. However, despite the difficulties of the buildings the school provides the children with a good start to their education.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

87. The overall attainment levels of most of the children entering the nursery have declined since the previous inspection and are very poor when compared with those expected nationally. The majority of children learn English as an additional language and a significant number have special educational needs. Overall teaching is good and non-teaching staff play an effective role. This has a positive effect on children’s learning. By the time that they are ready to start in Year 1, most children achieve well in all areas of learning. This represents good progress and is due to the good teaching they receive.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

88. Procedures for induction in the nursery and reception classes are very good. Visits and meetings are arranged where parents and children are welcomed and the curriculum and the school’s routines explained. Parents are encouraged to come into the nursery and the reception classes to help with various activities. The quality of information for parents is good. They are kept well informed about the curriculum and their child’s progress. Parents’ views of the school are very positive. However, the needs of children in the Foundation Stage are not reflected in the number of staff available as additional bilingual staff.

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Personal, social and emotional development

89. Children settle quickly into the routines of the nursery and the reception classes and most enjoy coming to school. The vast majority of children enter the nursery with underdeveloped personal, social and emotional skills. Though they make good progress and achieve well, only a well below average number of children will achieve the early learning goals in this area of learning. They make good progress in developing self–confidence and independence because of good provision and teaching. Care is taken to meet with parents and carers in order to be able to plan carefully to meet the individual needs of children. Effective extra support is given to parents of children who do not have a good command of the English language. Most children are confident in trying out new activities. Relationships are generally good. The children are polite and respectful to their teachers and other helpers in the classrooms. Resources are used carefully; for example, percussion instruments are used

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Personal, social and emotional development

appropriately when accompanying a song. However, very few children can concentrate on their activities for extended periods, either when listening carefully to a story, or when Somerville Primary - 38 persevering with a computer program. Some select their own activities during free choice periods and are able to play sensibly alongside other children. Most are beginning to demonstrate a growing independence in their dressing skills and in personal hygiene; for example, changing for physical education lessons and washing hands following a painting activity. There are well-planned opportunities for children to develop a sensitivity and awareness of other people, their different religions, cultures and ways of life. Teaching is good overall as every opportunity is taken to develop the children’s skills. All adults provide the children with good example in personal and social skills. They encourage the children to tidy

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Personal, social and emotional development

away when asked; this is aided by the structured organisation of the classrooms and the use of labels and specific containers.

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Communication, language and literacy

90. The quality of teaching and provision are generally good. From very poor levels of attainment the children make good progress in developing their speaking and listening skills. However, by the end of Reception Year, a well below average number of the children are expected to attain the early learning goals in speaking and listening. In reading and writing the majority of children have a significant way to go to reach the standards expected for their age. In both reception classes and nursery, listening and speaking skills are extended effectively through a wide range of appropriately planned activities. The children develop confidence in talking about what they do because of the adults’ easy conversation with them. When children are playing, staff engage them in discussion, question them effectively and challenge them to think. In most sessions, questions are posed to draw out their thoughts. For example,

p.38

Communication, language and literacy

in a baking activity the teacher asked the children to identify the ingredients. “What do you think it is?” “How can we find out?” This prompted the children to offer a range of ideas about what was in the bowl. All staff keep records of the progress the children make. These assessments are used to plan for future learning.

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Communication, language and literacy

91. Elements of the National Literacy Strategy are well used to develop and extend children’s language and literacy skills. A strong emphasis is placed on listening carefully to the teachers and following instructions. This is particularly effective for children with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language. The children are developing their listening skills well. As at the time of the previous inspection, they enjoy listening to stories and rhymes and join in familiar ones with enthusiasm. In a very effective group reading session, the teacher talked the children through the process of reading a new book, drawing attention to the describing words. Her confidence in teaching reading shone through. She used ‘bear ‘ puppets of different sizes to help to reinforce key words like big and small. These strategies kept the children fully involved in the reading but also made learning

p.38

Communication, language and literacy

92. They follow instructions when playing the games like ‘Simon says’ and respond correctly to instructions in a physical education lesson. Structured play situations, puppets, group activities and lunchtimes provide opportunities for children to use and extend their vocabulary. However, the scope for incidentally writing opportunities is not consistent across the classes. Children make a good start to recognising letter sound. Clearly labelled displays, nursery rhyme pictures, calendars, weather charts and individual name cards help children develop early reading and writing skills . Many hold their pencils correctly but only a few are able to form some letters and have a good way to go to write simple regular words. In all classes the book corner is used well by the children and they handle the books with care. Children choose books as an activity and all children take books home on a regular basis to

p.38

Communication, language and literacy

share with family members. This has a positive effect on children’s progress in learning to read. Somerville Primary - 39

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Mathematical development

93. This area of learning is taught well. Though most children make good progress in counting and calculating, a well below average percentage of children is on course to achieve the early learning goals for mathematics. Through play, practical activities, number songs, rhymes and counting games some recognise numbers up to 10 and a few can count beyond. Most reception children are able to join in with the teacher and count down from five to zero. In both classes children have good opportunities to compare, match, sort, order and sequence. Teachers place great emphasis on developing appropriate mathematical language and children are encouraged to consider size, shape and position when playing with toys. A small number can recognise two dimensional shapes and copy and repeat symmetrical patterns. However, a significant number find it hard to solve practical problems.

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Mathematical development

94. Mathematics is made meaningful throughout the day and is part of real life situations. For example, when making a gingerbread man the children talked about the number of buttons on his coat and having a ‘pair ‘ of eyes and ears. The emphasis is on understanding and using numbers in practical contexts, for example, counting how many children are present and how many are absent.

p.39

Mathematical development

95. Teachers make sure that activities in the classrooms support mathematical development. Calculating skills of more or less, greater or smaller are developed though practical activities such as threading beads and cutting various lengths of paper. Children fill various sized containers with sand and water and decide how many small containers are needed to fill a large one. Good use is made of computer programs and number tapes to consolidate their skills.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

96. Many children enter the nursery with a very basic general knowledge. Good teaching is stimulating the children’s progression in investigating, solving problems and trying things out. However, the percentage of children on line to reach the early learning goals by the end of the Reception Year is well below average. Children achieve well because their natural curiosity is enhanced as staff continually encourage them to talk about their discoveries and experiences, to ask questions and to explore man made and natural materials.

p.39

Knowledge and understanding of the world

97. The provision has been thoughtfully planned to give the children first hand experiences such as seeing what happens when ingredients are mixed when making gingerbread biscuits. The children commented on what they saw, felt and smelt when exploring and investigating tastes and textures but were less able to evaluate their views once away from the activities. Consequently, the adults missed opportunities to show children how to record their responses.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

98. They learn about the passage of time through celebrating birthdays and festivals. They talk about the days of the week, changing seasons and the weather. Through assemblies and religious education lessons children learn about other cultures and different ways of life. Staff carefully observe and assess children’s skills providing them with support and encouragement in improving their skills of cutting, folding and sticking. They develop their observational skills as they talk about themselves as babies, toddlers and school children. As at the time of the last inspection, the computer is a popular choice and a few children are confident and competent in using the ‘mouse’ to click on icons and drag and drop items on screen. The provision to develop the children’s designing and making skills is less strong. The children learn to use tools such as scissors and rollers but there is less opportunity for them to try out

p.39

Knowledge and understanding of the world

different ways of fixing, sticking and joining. Somerville Primary - 40

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Physical development

99. Children make good progress in their physical development. However, only a below average percentage will attain the expected standard. In the nursery there is an attractive, well planned and well resourced outdoor play area, which supports and extends learning in every area of the curriculum and is a major factor in helping children to make good progress in developing their physical skills. They can run, jump, balance and climb using a range of equipment. They gain in confidence as they develop control over their bodies and develop an awareness of space when riding the wheeled toys. The children in the reception classes also share this provision.

p.40

Physical development

100. The children in nursery and reception classes now have the opportunity to use the school hall on a regular basis, an improvement since the last inspection. However, the provision is satisfactory but limited. The quality of lessons is sometimes diminished because of interruptions, as the hall is the only route for some classes to access other areas of the school. Also, some of the apparatus is unsuitable for the younger children. Teaching is good. In a lesson observed the children moved around the hall with confidence. They were taught to move with a degree of co-ordination and control. They walked, ran, jumped and hopped using forward and backward directions. They listened carefully to the teacher’s instructions.

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Physical development

101. Teachers place appropriate emphasis on developing children’s skills when handling tools, construction toys and malleable materials. Children are provided with good opportunities to cut out, glue, paint and crayon to develop their handling skills.

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Creative development

102. Pupils start from a very low level of skill and knowledge in art, music and play. The quality of the provision and teaching is satisfactory overall. Though children make sound progress, standards are well below average at the end of the reception year. Children enjoy a range of experiences including art, music, story and imaginative play. A good range of musical instruments, songs and rhymes helps to develop children’s understanding of sound, rhythm and pattern. They are developing skills in playing percussion instruments and a few were able to use maracas and bells to sound out a beat, while the rest sang. Children enjoy taking part in role-play situations; for example, in a reception class acting out the characters from the story of the Gingerbread Man and in the nursery using the excellent range of puppets very effectively for developing the children‘s speaking and listening skills. The staff actively seek opportunities

p.40

Creative development

to use the puppets, as a teaching aid in other areas of the curriculum, and to great effect. There are activities available for children to develop their senses through investigating texture, shape and colour. Staff provide materials from which children can choose to create pictures and models. However, the range is sometimes too narrow and in some lessons observed in reception, adults tend to decide what the children will do resulting in children having few opportunities to express themselves creatively in art and craft. 103. When playing in “the shop”, the children willingly take on different roles. Three children developed an interesting story line about a party and showed a good awareness of family sayings and routines. The good quality of play reflects the way the teachers, with the limitations of the accommodation have provided relevant props. Somerville Primary - 41

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ENGLISH

104. The attainment of pupils in English is below average by the end of Years 2 and 6. On the evidence of lessons observed, a scrutiny of work and pupils heard to read, by the end of both key stages pupils are unlikely to attain standards that are in line with the national average, although some pupils will exceed national expectations. This finding reflects the very high percentage of pupils speaking English as an additional language who, despite good progress, have not developed the full range of English language skills that are needed to meet national expectations at the end of each key stage.

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ENGLISH

105. The trend of the school’s results has been steadily rising over the last few years and the results in the year 2001 Standard Assessment Tests show considerable improvement on the school’s previous results. Pupils in both key stages achieved the challenging targets set by the school for English with a significant improvement in the number of pupils in both key stages achieving the higher levels in the tests. The well-planned whole class and group activities that are a regular part of the literacy hour and other lessons and the setting of pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 contribute significantly to the good progress made by pupils throughout the school. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in relation to their prior achievement. These findings are an improvement on the judgements made at the time of the previous inspection when it was reported that pupils were making satisfactory progress.

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ENGLISH

106. By the end of both key stages, though attainment in listening and speaking is well below average, pupils make good progress. At the beginning of Key Stage 1, when pupils start the National Curriculum, their speaking and listening skills are still generally well below the national average. Many pupils have restricted vocabularies and have difficulty in using grammatically correct sentences when speaking. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils listen most attentively to their teachers, other adults and each other and are eager to talk together during group activities where they show satisfactory social oral skills in English. In whole class discussions, whilst some pupils express themselves clearly and confidently, others are less confident in speaking in a more formal and structured manner. These pupils often speak so quietly when answering questions that it is difficult for the rest of the class to follow what is

p.41

ENGLISH

being said. By the time they are seven, many pupils are eager to answer questions. For example in Year 2, in response to the teacher’s questions, pupils were able to correctly identify what sort of writing they were looking at and talk about the distinctive features of poetry such as rhyme. Other pupils looking at diary writing about a holiday showed their understanding through their explanations about particular events and were able to express an opinion about whether the holiday had been enjoyed.

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ENGLISH

107. By the age of eleven this good progress is sustained as pupils respond to the many opportunities provided in literacy and other lessons for them to speak and listen. Higher attainers express themselves confidently using a wider range of vocabulary and technical language. For example, in a Year 5 class where pupils were giving examples of similes, a pupil responded with ‘the arrow was as sharp as crocodile teeth’. They listen with lively interest to the contributions made by other pupils and collaborate well in group work. However, for the majority their lack of English speaking skills limits progress.

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ENGLISH

108. The school has identified reading as a priority in its improvement plan and an appropriate emphasis is placed on this aspect in both key stages. By the end of Key Stage, pupils’ attainment overall is below national expectations although they make good progress. Pupils enjoy reading and respond well to the shared and guided reading activities that are part of literacy hour lessons. Higher attaining pupils in Year 2 can name the title, author and illustrator and understand the purpose of the contents and index pages. Most pupils can use Somerville Primary - 42 the illustrations in stories to predict what might be happening. Phonic skills are taught systematically. However, when sounding out unfamiliar words, some pupils tend to use the names of letters rather than their sounds and this makes it difficult for them to sound out words successfully. This, together with their limited knowledge of high frequency words and their

p.41

ENGLISH

restricted vocabularies that limits their ability to predict unknown words, prevent pupils from developing reading fluency.

p.42

ENGLISH

109. By the age of eleven pupils’ attainment overall is below national expectations, although they make good progress. The most able pupils read a variety of texts fluently and with evident enjoyment. All pupils read aloud with good expression taking appropriate account of any punctuation. However, reading comprehension is less well developed and this impedes reading fluency. Many pupils rely upon phonic strategies to read unfamiliar words and rarely use other strategies such as syntax or context. Higher attaining pupils read fluently and with evident enjoyment. They can recall some books read previously and discuss favourite authors and they are beginning to develop a personal reading taste. All pupils have good study skills. They understand how to use the library’s Dewey system and how to use contents and index pages in books to locate information. The majority can scan texts for information and select

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ENGLISH

information appropriately as a result of the good progress made in their study skills. They make appropriate use of dictionaries and thesauri to support their work. Pupils borrow both fiction and non-fiction books from the library to read at home and to support homework activities.

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ENGLISH

110. By the age of seven pupils’ attainment in writing is below national expectations, although they make good progress. By the age of seven higher attaining pupils show a good understanding of the purpose of capital letters and full stops and use these consistently in their writing. They are able to write simple stories that are appropriately organised and their handwriting is well formed. They use their phonic knowledge to make plausible attempts at writing unknown words. The majority of pupils are at an early stage in developing their writing skills and some pupils are still at the stage of copy writing. Use of capitals and full stops and letter size and formation is inconsistent and spelling is often poor, including that of high frequency words. Sentence structure frequently reflects their spoken language skills and is not always grammatically correct. The majority of pupils present their work well. There is a high

p.42

ENGLISH

use of worksheets in Year 1 that make limited demands upon pupils’ writing skills.

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ENGLISH

111. By the age of eleven pupils’ attainment in writing is below average overall although they make good progress. The most able pupils plan their writing and can write at length, using paragraphs and chapters where appropriate. Sentences are often complex and words are carefully chosen for particular effect. They use a range of punctuation accurately and spell correctly. Many pupils, whilst organising their writing appropriately, still have difficulties with some aspects of grammar, as for example verb tenses or connectives and sentences are not always grammatically correct. Lower attaining pupils still do not maintain consistent letter size and formation when writing. Spelling, whilst usually phonically plausible, is poor. All pupils present their work well and use cursive writing. Pupils are provided with suitable opportunities to draft, revise and edit their work.

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112. In both key stages there are good opportunities for pupils to apply their literacy skills. Pupils read and write for a range of purposes in subjects other than literacy. Speaking and listening skills are appropriately developed in discussion activities related to all areas of the curriculum. Pupils use computers to word-process their written work in literacy and other subjects and in Key Stage 2 pupils use books and the Internet to research information for both homework and classroom work. Somerville Primary - 43 113. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good in both key stages. They are well behaved in lessons and apply themselves with good concentration and interest to the activities they are given even when not directly supervised. They work well together in pairs and small groups when asked and also help each other informally during lessons as they discuss different aspects of their work. Their response in the English lessons observed was always positive and

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interested and they clearly enjoyed their work.

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114. The quality of teaching in English is usually good and sometimes very good in both key stages. Pupils make good progress as a result of the good teaching they receive. Where teaching is good teachers make effective links between previous work and new learning. This is a feature of the whole class work at the beginning of literacy lessons when teachers skilfully review what pupils have previously learned so that their work is purposeful and relevant. Teachers make the purpose of lessons very clear and this helps the pupils to understand what they are doing and why. In whole class discussions they continually check that pupils understand the meaning of words being used as well as introducing new vocabulary. During group activities pupils complete tasks that are well matched to their individual needs and as a result they make good progress. At the end of lessons, teachers use the sharing and

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celebration of pupils’ work well to reinforce the intended learning objectives. Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and of their behaviour and this means that lessons proceed smoothly and at a brisk pace. The very good relationships between teachers and pupils are significant in promoting and maintaining pupils’ good attitudes to their work. Teachers have good subject knowledge and this helps them to plan and teach with confidence.

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ENGLISH

115. National Curriculum tests and commercial tests are used throughout the school to measure pupils’ progress in literacy and to inform teachers’ planning, pupil grouping and year group targets. In addition pupils’ written work is assessed termly. Teachers also regularly assess and record pupils’ progress in reading, phonics and spelling to inform further pupil grouping and their planning. Pupils’ work is regularly marked and teachers annotate pupils’ work with comments that help them to understand what they need to do to improve. The targets set for each year group contribute to the good progress made by pupils but as yet pupils do not have individual literacy targets that would further support their progress. Classroom assistants are closely involved in teachers’ planning of literacy lessons and have a good understanding of lesson purposes. This understanding, combined with their skilled support makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ attainment and progress. Helpful spelling,

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reading and writing homework is set regularly in both key stages.

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ENGLISH

116. At the time of the inspection, the subject manager was on a long-term absence from school and a teacher with a background in English was acting on a temporary basis. There is a good whole school policy for English that includes English as an additional language. However, because of the subject manager’s absence, this has not yet been amended to take account of Curriculum 2000 and the National Literacy Strategy only implemented by the school in September 2000. The acting subject manager monitors long- and medium-term planning and has provided training in issues related to literacy as part of the school’s in-service programme. However, she has not been able to monitor teaching and learning so that she can identify what works well and what needs to change. However, this is planned for once the subject manager returns to school. Literacy resources are good. All classes have a good range of modern and attractive reading material and non-fiction books are borrowed from the

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school’s library to support class themes. Each class also has a good supply of dictionaries and thesauri. There is a good range of literacy resources to support literacy hour teaching and these are centrally stored, as are the graded reading scheme materials. These resources are Somerville Primary - 44 used well and make a positive contribution to the quality of pupils’ learning and the status of literacy throughout the school.

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ENGLISH

117. The school library has recently been refurbished to a high standard and is well used by pupils throughout the school. There is a good range of up to date non-fiction books to support the curriculum and these are Dewey referenced with a subject index to support pupils in locating books for research. There is also a good range of fiction with several copies of popular fiction, such as the Harry Potter books, to support pupils’ interests and pupils can reserve books that they wish to read. There are also two computers with Internet access. There is a qualified librarian in post who manages the library very effectively and teaches library skills to all the pupils. She is very well supported by Year 6 pupils who act as librarians. The library is open at lunchtime and also after school for four days so that pupils can borrow books and the librarian is present to help as needed. During the period of the inspection the

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ENGLISH

library was well used by pupils from both key stages. The school also holds a twice-yearly Book Fair and an annual Reading Week that are well supported by parents and children.

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MATHEMATICS

118. Pupils enter Year 1 with mathematical competencies which are well below those found in most schools. By the time they leave the school at the end of Year 6, the proportion achieving the expected standard for the age group is below the national average. Nevertheless the majority of pupils reach the required standard and a smaller proportion exceed this. This represents good progress. The National Numeracy Strategy is well established and effectively incorporated into the subject. Appropriate account is taken of the recommendations for using classroom assistants to support pupils with special needs and who have English as an additional language.

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MATHEMATICS

119. Teaching in both key stages is good overall. There is much emphasis on teaching key technical language, which is a strong feature. The school has improved its system of assessing pupils’ skills. However, more could be made of the information gathered to set individual targets.

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MATHEMATICS

120. Pupils achieve well. Over the past four years end of key stage results reflect an upward trend. The most recent results in 2001 show attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 to be the highest since the introduction of standardised testing, and a considerable improvement on the previous two years when, because of the nature of the cohort, they were very low. At the end of Key Stage 2 the school met its challenging agreed target for the percentage of pupils achieving the expected Level 4. Close to one-fifth of high attaining pupils reached Level 5.

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MATHEMATICS

121. Standards being achieved by the present Year 2 and Year 6 pupils continue to be below those expected nationally for many children. However, the school is again well poised to reach its agreed targets of 69 per cent of pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 and 65 per cent at the end of Key Stage 2 to reach the national expectations. Since the previous inspection a smaller proportion of pupils in both key stages is operating at well-below the required levels, and a higher proportion is exceeding them. This is a significant improvement. Overall, good progress is made by the majority of pupils, including those with special needs. Most gains are made towards the end of Key Stage 2 where effective ‘setting’ of pupils by attainment from Year 4 onwards has had a positive impact on the progress made and the standards achieved. The school has identified a disparity between the attainment of boys and girls at the end of

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MATHEMATICS

Key Stage 2 and is endeavouring to rectify this. Strategies are being used successfully to raise girls self-esteem, such as through the planning of summer school activities. Somerville Primary - 45 122. Examination of pupils’ work books and displays from the previous year indicate that by the end of Key Stage 1 the majority (about 75 per cent) are developing an understanding of place value in relation to two-digit numbers. They can use addition and subtraction to solve simple word problems involving number and money and know and use halving as the inverse of doubling. Pupils estimate, measure and compare lengths using standard measures such as centimetres and metres. They name and describe the properties of common two and three- dimensional shapes. Most have experienced collecting information and communicating it in the form of graphs and tables. Evidence from observation of lessons indicates, that whilst

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MATHEMATICS

many pupils do know number facts to 10 they are unable to recall them quickly. Similarly they know what methods they have used to find answers but frequently lack confidence in explaining them, because of shyness or reticence or because of language difficulties, or a combination of these. However, the inspection took place at the beginning of a new school year and the children had only just returned from the summer holidays during which time they would have been conversing in their first language.

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MATHEMATICS

123. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils’ exercise books show a good range and quantity of work have been undertaken. It is invariably neatly presented throughout the Key Stage and by all attainment levels. Measurements using rulers or protractors are accurate. High attaining pupils use their understanding of place value to multiply and divide whole numbers and decimals using a range of methods for the purpose. They are able to sequence, add and subtract negative numbers. They conduct investigations to establish the relationship between surface area and volume, and successfully plot co-ordinates using different grids. Most pupils are able to represent and interpret discrete data by the use of bar charts and line graphs, for example to plot the results of games or to record temperature. Almost all pupils, including those of below average attainment, can use calculators to carry out calculations involving

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MATHEMATICS

several digits. Most understand how to enter and interpret money calculations by selecting the correct sequence of keys for calculations involving more than one operation. For example, during the inspection pupils in a lower Year 5 set successfully calculated the price of several items in a meal selected from a menu.

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MATHEMATICS

124. Appropriate use is made of mathematics in other subject areas. For example, in geography Year 1 pupils presented a weather chart using graphs and information and communication technology to present their findings. As part of ‘Healthy Eating Week’ younger children sorted types of food for colour and shape and recorded their findings. Year 2 pupils recorded the time spent on tasks during a day. Year 4 pupils used graphs and information and communication technology to record findings in a survey about the re-cycling of products as part of their work in science. Year 6 produced mathematical patterns in Islamic style, successfully combining the subject with religious education and art. A mathematical component, such as measurement, is included in many of the tasks set in design and technology. Handling and calculation of money are an integral part of teaching citizenship.

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MATHEMATICS

125. The quality of teaching is good overall in both key stages and no unsatisfactory lessons were observed during the inspection. Learning Support Assistants have a very positive impact on the quality of teaching. There were incidences of very good teaching in both key stages, most particularly towards the end of Key Stage 2. These were in lessons where pupils were grouped by attainment into ‘sets’ and where there is a more generous pupil/ teacher ratio. Features of very successful teaching in Key Stage 1 include good organisation of the classroom and good deployment of well-briefed adult helpers. Very good management of the Somerville Primary - 46 pupils included having consistently high expectations both of their behaviour and their work output, from the different tasks set. These factors ensured that the lesson was conducted briskly, time was used effectively and the learning of pupils of all attainment levels was

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MATHEMATICS

maximised. Where a lesson was less successful, the teacher did not insist readily on pupils listening carefully during the oral part of the lesson or intervene quickly enough when they made mistakes in matching counting apparatus to a pictorial representation during the main part of the lesson.

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MATHEMATICS

126. In Key Stage 2 there are many strong features of teaching. Most teachers have good subject knowledge and are careful to introduce and repeat key mathematical terms. Almost all have a good questioning style and display skill in getting pupils to express their ideas, for example by asking them to demonstrate an answer such as 65 x 4 using partitioning. Praise is used appropriately. Some teachers are effective in promoting speedy answers, such as through very ‘quick fire’ questions, or introducing elements of competition into the mental maths session. Many teachers select resources well, for example a number maker was used effectively in helping pupils to consolidate their work in thousands. Whiteboards were used well to give pupils confidence to ‘have a go’ without fear of making mistakes. Tasks are usually well matched to pupils’ needs and the open-ended nature of some provides sufficient

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MATHEMATICS

challenge for higher attainers. Many teachers intervene well, using pupils’ work to demonstrate a teaching point, thereby heightening pupils’ understanding and confidence in tackling mathematical problems. Most make effective use of the plenary session at the end of the lesson to assess what pupils have understood. Where teaching is less effective the pace of lessons is less brisk, and time is used less profitably. Sometimes opportunities for pupils to explain their strategies are missed. Together these factors mean that pupils do not learn as much during the lesson. Pupils’ work is marked conscientiously and often contains comments, which are helpful in making improvement. Homework contributes positively to pupils’ progress in both key stages. Classroom displays are usually attractive and promote mathematical learning, particularly in respect of vocabulary.

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MATHEMATICS

127. In general pupils apply themselves well to mathematical tasks and there is much pride taken in the appearance of their exercise books. Measurements are carried out carefully and usually accurately. They usually co-operate when asked to work in pairs and sometimes conduct their own discussion, very sensibly, about how to tackle a given problem. They respond well to the sensitivity shown by teachers when they find oral explanations difficult.

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MATHEMATICS

128. The subject is led by a knowledgeable subject manager. She supports colleagues through in-service training and regular meetings. Planned future activities include incorporating the skills of an external consultant in the subject in each key stage. Oversight of planning and book sampling have been successfully carried out. However, observations during the inspection revealed some inconsistencies in the effectiveness of lessons from identical planning. This resulted in a variation in the quality of learning experienced by pupils. There is scope, therefore, for the co-ordinator to develop and extend her expertise in classroom observations in order to share the best practice, which exists in the school. Good strategies are in place to assess pupils’ attainment regularly. Results are analysed and information used for example, to place them in sets from Year 4 onwards, to set general targets and to track their progress. The school does not yet use the information gathered

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MATHEMATICS

rigorously enough to predict expected attainment at future points in time and to set targets which reflect the precise need of individual pupils in order to achieve this.

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MATHEMATICS

129. There are very good links with other agencies. For example, Year 6 pupils benefit greatly from the expertise and resources made available by the neighbouring Technology College. Regular visits by Year 6 result in work of a high standard in the use and application of mathematics, for example, in the use of information and communication technology in Somerville Primary - 47 producing spread sheets. Links with higher education institutions are well-established and the subject manager has been praised by them for her contribution to the training of student teachers. The school is adequately resourced. Materials are well organised and conveniently stored.

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SCIENCE

130. The previous inspection found that very few pupils attained level 5. Standards for higher attaining pupils have improved greatly with seventeen per cent of pupils attaining level 5 in the 2001 national tests. The school has introduced a new scheme of work and ensured that the subject is taught every week, as a response to the weaknesses identified in the last inspection report. As a result standards have risen significantly.

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SCIENCE

131. Inspection evidence shows that despite pupils achieving well, standards remain below average at the end of Years 2 and 6. As at the time of the previous inspection, almost all pupils are at a very early stage of English language acquisition and this severely limits their rate of progress and the standards they attain because it restricts pupils’ writing and the clarity of their explanations. Since the last inspection, improvements have been made in pupils' investigative skills which were reported as a weakness in the previous report. Teachers now involve pupils more in planning and carrying out investigations. All pupils including those who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs make good progress. There is some evidence of numeracy and literacy skills being used well in the subject. For example, numerical data is used in producing weather charts and literacy skills in

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SCIENCE

writing about the results. A Year 1 pupil wrote, 'My favourite weather is sunshine because I can play games .' However, more opportunities need to be provided for pupils to use their writing skills in their science work.

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SCIENCE

132. By the end of Year 6 pupils know what a fair test is. Evidence from the previous year's work shows that they have a satisfactory knowledge of most aspects of science. For example, they can accurately read and interpret measurements on a force meter and discuss the harmful effect alcohol, nicotine and caffeine can have on the body. Pupils can draw a circuit diagram to include a bulb, battery and switch. The school's annual health and safety week successfully provides pupils with a good insight into health related topics such as the importance of a balanced diet. Pupils were able to use their literacy skills well during the week, for example, in writing acrostic poems about healthy eating. One child wrote, 'A balanced diet you should have ,' as one of the lines. During the week of the inspection older pupils developed well their understanding of food chains. They knew that plants are essential to all

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SCIENCE

food chains. In another class pupils could explain the difference between prey and predator. However, pupils' limited English language skill does have an adverse effect on their progress. For example, in one lesson despite the teacher's best efforts many pupils could not explain the meaning of the word transparent without a lot of prompting. The necessity to use technical vocabulary in English slows the pace of lessons sometimes.

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SCIENCE

133. Many pupils in Years 1 and 2 have well below average English literacy skills and as a result their written work and the part they play in class discussion are limited. In addition a high percentage of pupils have special educational needs. Inspection evidence from a Year 2 class shows that a significant number of pupils cannot write a sentence independently. A scrutiny of work from the previous year shows that pupils who can write are given some opportunities to use their skills. For example, one child wrote,' I am touching my throat and hearing my voice .' Somerville Primary - 48 as part of a project about sound. Pupils know that batteries are needed to make a torch work and use the outside environment effectively to research mini-beasts. A practical approach to learning ensures that pupils make good progress in understanding scientific principles. For example, the quality of learning in one lesson seen during the inspection was enhanced by

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SCIENCE

pupils being allowed to experiment with the toy cars they were using before carrying out an experiment using a ramp to explore the effects of forces. All aspects of the National Curriculum are covered.

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SCIENCE

134. Pupils’ attitudes to science are good in most classes. They work well together and when given the opportunity are able to organise their own learning. A good example of this was seen during the week of the inspection with Year 5 pupils working in small groups to design an investigation. Pupils show a pride in their work and present it well. For example, in one class diagrams drawn to illustrate the parts of a plant were very detailed and of good quality.

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SCIENCE

135. The quality of teaching is good overall. It is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. Some very good teaching was observed in Year 5 where pupils were encouraged to plan out their own investigations. In this class the teacher used good questioning to challenge pupils’ thinking. Occasionally over-use is made of worksheets, some of which are of poor quality. This detracts from the quality of learning because pupils are not challenged to fully use their literacy skills. Lesson planning in both key stages is good. All teachers have good strategies in place to help develop pupils' English speaking skills. In all lessons seen during the week of the inspection scientific vocabulary was successfully introduced and explained carefully. This ensured the quality of learning was at least satisfactory.

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SCIENCE

136. The subject manager is new in post and is keen and enthusiastic. However, he has not had the opportunity to monitor and support the teaching and learning in science in order to identify how pupils learn best. Some observations are planned for later in the term. The subject manager would benefit from training in order to extend his leadership skills. The information gathered from the assessment of pupils' work is not used to set targets for improvement or to track individuals. National Curriculum requirements are met. Resources are good. In some classrooms displays are used well to enhance teaching and learning.

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ART AND DESIGN

137. Observation of work in classrooms and a scrutiny of work indicate that all pupils in Key Stage 1 make satisfactory progress in art and design and achieve standards that are expected nationally for their age. All pupils in Key Stage 2, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make good progress and achieve above average standards. This is an improvement since the previous inspection report when standards were below those expected nationally in Key Stage 1 and in line in Key Stage 2.

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ART AND DESIGN

138. During Key Stage 1 pupils are given the opportunity to explore and experiment in a range of media in different art forms as for example In Year 1 when they used paint and a range of collage materials to make self-portraits having first looked at themselves in a mirror. They learn the techniques of printing using a variety of objects and materials to create their own repeating patterns and make links with mathematics when they paint on one side of their paper and then fold this in half to make a simple reflective symmetrical pattern. They have used fabric crayons to decorate their own T-shirts. In Year 2 they develop their understanding Somerville Primary - 49 of pattern by making rubbings of textures found in the environment and by making their own printing blocks using string and corrugated card that they use to print textural patterns. They study the work of past artists such as Van Gogh and use the experiences to inform their own

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ART AND DESIGN

139. Pupils in Key Stage 2 continue to develop their understanding of a variety of techniques and to apply these to different aspects of their work. For example in Year 3, having looked at the work of John Constable, they mixed watercolour paints to create a variety of tonal shades to use in their paintings of landscapes. In Years 4 and 5 they make detailed, thoughtful and sensitive observational drawings using pencil, pastels and crayon effectively to show light, shade and texture. In Year 6 they are able to undertake critical analysis of the work of artists such as Somerville Primary - 50 Pissaro and Monet and apply similar techniques to their own work which is enhanced by the particular use of line and colour. They have studied Islamic art and used their careful observations to make their own geometric patterns and pictures using fabric, thread, pen and paint, producing work of high quality.

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ART AND DESIGN

140. Pupils’ attitudes to art and design are good. In the lessons observed pupils showed a lively interest in, and enjoyment of, the activities they were involved in and were keen to get on with their work. They worked well, applying themselves with good concentration. In Key Stage 2 pupils listened attentively to their teachers and took pride in producing their best work. Their relationships are good and they co-operate well as they share ideas and talk about both their own work and that of others.

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ART AND DESIGN

141. The quality of teaching in the lessons observed was good overall. It was satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. Throughout the school teachers plan and organise their work well. Teaching is more effective when teachers use a variety of appropriate activities and resources to enthuse the pupils. For example, in a year 5 class the teacher had assembled a wide and challenging range of natural and man-made artefacts that incorporated such features as colour, texture and pattern, for pupils to use in composing and drawing a still life. Skills and techniques are taught systematically with clear instructions and good exemplification and these are further promoted through good use of questioning and the good individual support given to pupils during lessons. Teachers are careful to recap previous learning at the beginning of lessons and make effective use of plenary sessions to reinforce

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ART AND DESIGN

learning objectives through the sharing and celebration of pupils’ work.

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ART AND DESIGN

142. The newly appointed subject co-ordinator is only temporary but well informed and enthusiastic. She would benefit from training in order to extend her leadership skills. There is an effective policy and the school has recently adopted national guidance as its scheme of work. Long- and medium-term planning is securely in place and this supports teachers in their lesson plans and ensures that there is development in pupils’ learning. As yet the co-ordinator has not had the opportunity to monitor teaching and learning, although this is planned for. A portfolio of pupils’ work has been developed, although this is not annotated in such a way that would support teachers in making decisions about standards. There is a good range of centrally stored and readily accessible materials including an extensive range of prints and posters, and in addition each class has a range of tools and materials for their own use.

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ART AND DESIGN

143. The subject makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. Pupils’ observational drawings of natural forms and the display of their finished work alongside well-selected nature poster photographs stimulate a sense of awe and wonder at the marvels of the natural world. The good links with history provide opportunities to explore art from other cultures and traditions and pupils produce some good work, based on the Greeks and the Egyptians. History is well used as a stimulus for pupils’ artwork. For example, Year 4 pupils developed their sketching skills when, as part of a visit to Stratford, they looked at Tudor buildings. Good use is made of visits to support pupils’ learning, for example pupils regularly visit local art galleries. The attractive and stimulating artwork displayed around the school makes a significant contribution to its welcoming atmosphere, as well as contributing to the

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ART AND DESIGN

climate for learning fostered by the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

144. Standards have improved significantly since the previous inspection and are now above average at the end of both key stages. All pupils including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language achieve well and the most able pupils are Somerville Primary - 51 appropriately challenged by teachers who have high expectations and a good understanding of the subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

145. Although no lessons were observed in Key Stage 1, scrutiny of pupils’ work, discussions with staff and pupils and examination of record keeping and portfolios of work show that pupils’ achievement is good and standards are above those expected for pupils of their age. Teaching promotes the importance of designing as well as making and work on display and in pupils’ folders demonstrates that pupils have a good understanding of this. Pupils learn how to evaluate designs and use their imagination, for example in building models using construction kits. They enhance their skills using scissors, they fold and stick with increasing confidence and explore ways that they can make things move.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

146. By age 11 pupils have built on their skills and knowledge and standards are above those expected for pupils of their age. In addition to the practical skills and understanding they have developed over time, they also have an awareness of the importance of quality in their finished work and an understanding of the need to evaluate it. In a Year 4 class, pupils making papier maché masks demonstrated good skills in the technique. They were able to discuss why they were creating the facial features they had chosen for the mask in terms of what expression it would produce. They explained clearly how they could form particular features, for example eyebrows by forming plasticine shapes onto the basic mould. A Year 5 class showed good understanding of the electrical circuits they were intending to use in their models. They carefully explored ways in which they could introduce different components

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

without reducing the efficiency of the circuit, for example by adding additional batteries. The good teaching enabled them to discuss at first hand the results of decisions they had made about how to provide power to their planned models. Scrutiny of pupils’ work on display and portfolios show that by the end of both key stages pupils have experienced a wide range of techniques. They have refined their practical skills with a wide range of tools and materials and are fully conscious of the need to evaluate the success or otherwise of their finished work. In both key stages pupils use skills and knowledge developed in other areas of the curriculum for example art, mathematics and science to enhance their work in design and technology.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

147. Pupils’ progress and learning in design and technology are very good and the result of the high quality of teaching they receive in the subject. Although few lessons were observed due to time-tabling considerations, the teaching seen was very good and pupils’ work on display, in their subject folders and in their attitude to the subject is testament to the high quality of teaching in the subject generally. These judgements are an improvement on those made at the time of the previous inspection when it was reported that pupils were not always encouraged to think for themselves. Teachers are enthusiastic about the subject and show good understanding. They appreciate the need to develop in their pupils a thorough understanding of the design-make-evaluate process. Teachers are skilled at ensuring that the most able pupils are challenged by posing increasingly difficult questions and at the same time

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

supporting those pupils who find the subject difficult. As a result of this high quality teaching, the subject has a high profile in the school. Pupils show enjoyment both in the making of things and in the completion of tasks which indicate success. This is well represented in work which is attractive or performs efficiently. Pupils work safely and co-operate well.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

148. As at the time of the last inspection, the subject is very well led by a manager who is enthusiastic and has a good understanding of design and technology. He works hard to maintain high standards in the subject, encourages and supports other teachers and regularly updates schemes of work in order to accommodate new challenges. Resources available are adequate and requests for additional resources are usually received sympathetically by the senior management team. Somerville Primary - 52

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GEOGRAPHY

149. No geography teaching was observed in Key Stage 1 during the inspection. However, evidence from previous work completed, teachers’ planning and discussion with the co- ordinator enable judgements to be made. Pupils enter the nursery with little knowledge and understanding of the world. They make good progress overall in acquiring knowledge about different places and in understanding how to carry out geographical studies. As a result, by the end of Years 2 and 6 pupils attain standards that are similar to those found in most other schools. These judgements broadly reflect those made at the time of the previous inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

150. During Key Stage 1 geographical skills are successfully developed through pupils being able to engage in first-hand experiences. For example, Year 1 walk around their own neighbourhood looking at different types of materials used in the construction of houses and other buildings. They study and record the weather on a chart for three weeks. The pupils are able to represent the data in graph form. A visit by pupils in Year 2 to Middleton Village and Ash End Farm enables them to observe the similarities and differences between these areas and Small Heath. However, opportunities are sometimes missed to develop pupils’ writing skills when recording their observations.

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GEOGRAPHY

151. Key Stage 2 pupils gain appropriate knowledge about their own locality, contrasting areas of Britain, such as Stanton in the Peak District and other countries. They develop a sound understanding of how physical features such as rivers affect the landscape and research countries that have hot or cold climates. Younger pupils develop their mapping skills by examining the local area using large scale maps to find their own streets and houses. Older pupils produce work of a good standard. For example, last year Year 5 put together ‘A Guide to Birmingham’. It included photographs and information about exciting places to see and visit such as the Central Mosque and the Hippodrome. Pupils in Year 6 researched the geography, religion and culture of Pakistan. They made very good use of their information and communication technology skills to present it.

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GEOGRAPHY

152. Pupils respond well to the topics and activities presented to them. They concentrate hard to locate cities and rivers on maps of the United Kingdom. Pupils listen attentively to their teacher, answer questions readily and are keen to learn about different places.

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GEOGRAPHY

153. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 2 is satisfactory overall with some good teaching observed in Year 5. No judgement can be made about Key Stage 1. Teachers have a sound knowledge of the subject. Lessons are prepared well and resources used effectively. The teaching of geography makes a good contribution to the development of pupils’ listening and speaking skills through effective questioning and the encouragement to use correct terminology. There are examples of pupils’ information and communication skills being integrated well into aspects of data handling and word processing. Appropriate opportunities are provided for pupils to develop their writing and research skills. In a good lesson with a Year 5 class, the teacher captured the pupils’ imagination by producing a basket full of artefacts Somerville Primary - 53 and challenged them to guess which city they represented. This not only made the learning

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GEOGRAPHY

fun for the class but also reinforced what they had been taught. The support from teaching and non-teaching staff ensures that pupils’ with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language make good progress.

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GEOGRAPHY

154. Since the last inspection, the policy and study themes have been reviewed in line with the revised National Curriculum and planning updated. Though resources are satisfactory overall, some atlases and maps need renewing. Assessment procedures are in place but the information gathered is not yet being used effectively to set targets for future improvements. Arrangements for monitoring standards in the subject include annual review meetings with year groups and the collection of work samples. However, the subject manager has been in post for less than a year and would benefit from training to enable her to be more effective when it comes to working alongside colleagues in order to raise standards.

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HISTORY

155. By the end of both key stages pupils attain standards which are in line with national expectations. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in both key stages. Standards have improved since the last inspection, when standards at ages seven and eleven were low. Higher attaining pupils have a good knowledge of historical facts, often because of personal interest in particular aspects such as inventors. They are less skilled in selecting and organizing information in response to a particular area of study.

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HISTORY

156. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils begin to develop a sound sense of the passage of time and know how things change over a period. Pupils in Year 1 talked about their families comparing and contrasting older and younger members. Throughout the key stage, pupils are developing sound knowledge of people and events beyond their memory. For example, in Year 2 they are deepening their understanding about aspects of Ancient Egypt. They know that Tutankhamen’s remains were discovered by the archeologist Howard Carter. Some pupils are developing a sound understanding of mummification.

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HISTORY

157. Pupils, by the end of Key Stage 2, have a good knowledge of events and aspects of life during the Tudor period. For example, they understand why the Romans invaded and settled in Britain. Good work has been done on the Vikings. Pupils have studied the development of industry in Britain. Year 5 use evidence to understand how changing technology altered the way of life of working people in the nineteenth century. Through a strong focus on inventors, they are aware of how the telephone, sewing machine and motor car affected their lives. The more able can distinguish between fact and opinion. In line with stated policy, older pupils gain a good understanding of ways of life from visits to places of historical interest, such as the Black Country museum, and from the re-enactments of events by visiting specialists.

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HISTORY

158. Pupils' attitudes to history are generally good. They are keen to discuss what they know and share their opinions. They listen carefully to their teachers and give a variety of sensible answers to questions. They show great interest in all topics studied and there is evidence that pupils have a deepening understanding of how people, places and attitudes change over time. The presentation of work in exercise and topic books is generally good. Most pupils behave well. Somerville Primary - 54 159. The quality of teaching in both key stages is satisfactory overall. Teachers make sure that the pupils understand what they were going to do and find out. In Year 2, the teacher developed the pupils’ understanding of time distance by involving pupils in plotting a time line and locating the ancient Egyptian period. Models of mummies were used to help pupils’ understanding of mummification. This approach was effective in developing the pupils' interest

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HISTORY

160. At Key Stage 2, a particular strength of the lessons is the quality of questioning which encourages pupils to explore their ideas and develops their use of historical language. For example, when discussing Ancient Greek culture, with reference to their gods, pupils were pressed by the teacher to explain the difference between myths and facts. The teacher drew on the pupils’ knowledge of their own faiths to deepen their understanding of the religious beliefs of the Ancient Greeks. However, in some lessons the introductions are too long and pupils have minimal time to use resources and to develop historical skills in separating fact from opinion. In the planning there are clear details of each week's aims but they do not always identify assessment opportunities. Links to other subjects are satisfactory. Timelines are used in some lessons to reinforce counting skills and appropriate links to design and

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HISTORY

technology were evident where pupils have made Victorian houses.

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HISTORY

161. The management of history is satisfactory overall. The subject manager has not yet monitored the quality of teaching and learning but gains an insight into standards from looking at teachers’ planning and pupils’ work. Assessment procedures and use of assessment to guide planning are at a developmental stage. Resources are satisfactory and are well used in lessons. However, with the exception of videos, there is insufficient attention given to the range of information and communication technology available for use in this subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

162. Information and communication technology is a rapidly improving subject in the school due to the efforts of an enthusiastic and knowledgeable subject manager, a very effective information and communication technology teaching assistant together with the large expenditure which has been recently made on computers and other associated hardware. As a result standards are beginning to rise and progress to accelerate thus contributing to the improved standards since the previous inspection. Standards are at expected levels by the end of both key stages, despite the fact that only a relatively small proportion of pupils have home computers. Pupils in both key stages are making sound progress but this is beginning to pick up because of the facilities provided and increasing teacher skills. Nevertheless, some teachers still lack confidence and are awaiting training to further their own knowledge and

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

skills. The subject manager is new to the post and has not been able to monitor teaching and learning to identify how pupils can make the best use of their computers in the classroom.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

163. By the end of Year 2, pupils can use programs to analyse their statistical data for example of their shopping surveys. They can change fonts, use highlighting techniques to change colour, save and print their work independently and understand the purpose of many of the icons on the tool bar. They can use an art program to draw diagrams such as to draw and label the main parts of the body linked to their science work. There is good application of information and communication technology across the curriculum in both key stages in this type of way. They carry out simple word processing as when they write about their visit to the gurdwara. Somerville Primary - 55 164. By the end of Year 6, pupils use their skills to design a fairground model, make good use of copy/paste to move text around and can record information on spreadsheets, calculating totals and averages. They know how to use the e-mail and internet facilities and

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

can access the Birmingham Grid for Learning. They can create their own questionnaire and produce graphics effectively and make good use of the digital camera. They merge text and graphics. They become acquainted with the application of information and communication technology through knowledge of scanners in the every day world.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

165. The overall quality of teaching is sound in both key stages. It is usually sound in Key Stage 1 but occasionally good and very good in Key Stage 2. It is most effective when the teaching assistant is involved because of her good knowledge and skills. Good use is made of the interactive digital white board for demonstration purposes, although the way the information and communication technology suite is currently organised means that children cannot always see the large digital demonstration screen. Questioning is used well to revise previous work, although in most classes a minority of pupils offers answers. When answering they do not often speak up loudly enough so that other pupils can hear and join in the discussion. Usually a good balance is struck between instruction and activity. The pace of lessons is usually suitable and classes are well managed. Occasionally however instructions

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

and procedures are given too quickly and pupils cannot always take them all in. Sometimes errors being made during the lesson are not shared with the class so that all can benefit. Except in Year 6, pupils do not make notes of the instructions or have any manuals to help them as reference guides. They have to commit everything to memory and sometimes this slows their work. Good use is made of the large screen to show what individual pupils have done and to evaluate work in some lessons.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

166. Pupils enter the suite quietly and quickly settle to work which they always enjoy. They are well behaved. They work well in pairs and share the computers amicably, take turns and discuss their work sensibly. The information and communication technology suite and the overall good information and communication technology resources are helping pupils to get more practice on the computers

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

167. Records have recently been established to indicate pupils’ progress but currently similar expectations are being made of all pupils in lessons. The information gathered is not yet being used effectively to target groups and individuals and to identify areas for improvement in the subject. The curriculum programme, which meets National Curriculum requirements, is well organised and gives a clear indication of progression throughout the school.

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MUSIC

168. Pupils in Key Stage 1 are on target to attain the standards appropriate for their age by the end of Year 2, which reflects an improvement since the previous inspection. These judgements are based on lesson observations and video taped evidence, together with pupils’ written work from the previous year and teachers’ planning. It was not possible to make a judgement about standards by the end of Year 6 because of insufficient evidence.

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MUSIC

169. Pupils in Key Stage 1 continue to acquire a repertoire of traditional English language songs, building on the nursery rhymes learned in the Foundation Stage. They develop control in the use of instruments and are taught to play them correctly, for example, by using a clean bounce to allow the necessary vibration to achieve resonance when playing the xylophone. Somerville Primary - 56 They successfully use their voices to make sounds which are quiet or loud and use hand signals to demonstrate they are beginning to understand the meaning of high and low. They have opportunity to listen to music from their own cultural heritage, for example, during the inspection they listened to ‘Road to Madinah’ before worship began. Video evidence from the previous year indicates that pupils with particular musical skill are encouraged to develop it. Solo singing by one pupil as part of a story in a class assembly about ‘The Hobbiars’ was of a

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MUSIC

170. Evidence from the previous school year indicates that by the end of Year 6 pupils have had the opportunity to speak rhythmically as in the choral speaking of ‘Good-bye Old School’. They have extended their repertoire of songs. They have had opportunities to compose by making suggestions about sound effects for voices and accompaniments and have successfully played ready made and home produced instruments as part of a polished performance, such as ‘Mr. McGrew’ before an audience. Written work shows that during a visit to a Symphony Hall their experiences enriched those gained in school. Playing the large drum was popular. One pupil wrote ‘We sang some songs with Audrey Roberts. My favourite was One More Time’.

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MUSIC

171. The quality of teaching observed was good overall. Strengths of the teaching include the very good subject knowledge of specialist teachers. They are presently deployed in Years 2 and 6 respectively, and are providing good role models for class teachers and classroom assistants who are sometimes expected to follow up lessons with additional activities for pupils.

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MUSIC

172. There are some additional opportunities for pupils to take part in musical activities. For example, the previous Year 4 incorporated traditional dance movements into an Assembly. Extra-curricular activities include the opportunity to play the recorder and to join an ‘ad hoc’ choir. No additional instrumental tuition is provided to raise the overall standards achieved and to promote the specific development of musically gifted children, such as is to be found in many schools. Nevertheless links with outside agencies and a range of visitors such as the percussion and string sections of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and ‘Caliche’ a South American group, benefit all pupils and make a significant contribution to their cultural education. The visit of an Asian pop group featured recently in a national television programme about Islam.

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MUSIC

173. Pupils have a good attitude to learning, which contributes positively to the satisfactory progress that the majority make. Most, including those with special needs, participate readily in classroom activities and enjoy taking part in the range of performances, which take place.

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MUSIC

174. The subject manager has undertaken a whole school audit of music and is overseeing developments. However, she has had insufficient experience of monitoring the teaching and learning across the school and would benefit from training in developing her skills in this aspect. Curriculum guidelines from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority have been recently introduced. Assessment opportunities are identified in the planning of lessons. The school’s new system of recording pupils’ individual achievement is at an early stage of development and as a result the information gathered is not yet being used effectively to plan for improvements. Effective use is being made of specialist peripatetic teachers who are successfully fulfilling the dual role of teaching pupils and providing exemplars for teachers.

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MUSIC

175. All classrooms have access to a satisfactory range of smaller musical instruments. There is no central storage, such as a music room, for larger instruments and other resources. The school participates in local dance and music festivals and the co-ordinator liases successfully with other schools through the Music Educators’ Network. Somerville Primary - 57

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

176. Standards in most aspects of physical education in Year 6 are at an expected level. Standards in swimming, despite the school's best efforts, are below expectations. During the inspection it was only possible to observe two physical education lessons in Key stage 1 and both were in dance. Standards in this aspect of physical education are average. Throughout the school all pupils, including those who speak English as a second language and those with special educational needs make satisfactory progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

177. The last inspection reported that physical education was not planned in sufficient depth. Inspection evidence shows that this is not now the case. Planning is of good quality and as a result the school offers a broad and appropriate range of physical educational activities. Both boys and girls are given the opportunity to take part in extra-curricular sports including football and kabaddi.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

178. Pupils in Key Stage 1 show satisfactory control and co-ordination in dance. They link a sequence of movements and have a satisfactory understanding of how to adapt movement to the sounds created by the 'rainmaker' instrument. They benefit greatly from watching a teacher demonstration. Pupils in key stage 2 achieve well. In gymnastics, Year 6 successfully carry out 2, 3, 4 and 5 point balances and link a sequence of movements. In dance, Year 3 pupils create 2D and 3D shapes of good quality. Year 4 pupils, in their games lessons make good gains in the skills of throwing and receiving a ball. They make good progress in working as a small team.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

179. There is a good response from pupils in lessons. They listen attentively to instructions, work safely and adopt good sporting behaviour. They support each other well in paired work. Behaviour in all lessons is good and pupils are appropriately dressed.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

180. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall throughout the school. Careful planning and timing keep pupils working throughout most lessons. During the inspection, time for pupils to extend their skills was lost in one lesson because the teacher talked for too long. Where teaching is good, both pupil and teacher demonstration are used well. For example, in one Year 4 lesson the teacher showed her pupils how to make a fake pass. The quality of learning is satisfactory because teachers explain activities well and this ensures that when pupils are asked to carry out activities they fully understand what they have to do. However, pupils in most classes are not given sufficient opportunities to evaluate their own and others’ performance. As such, further opportunities to allow pupils to use and develop their English speaking skills are missed.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

181. The school's hall is of a good size, but has to be used as a thoroughfare. There is a satisfactory range of apparatus for older pupils but apparatus for pupils of 7 years of age or less is unsatisfactory. Good links with a High School ensure that pupils have access to astro turf playing areas to compensate for the school's lack of its own playing field. The school playground is separated from the school by a road and additional time has to be built into the timetable to ensure that when it is used pupils have lessons of sufficient length. This aspect of school organisation is very efficient Somerville Primary - 58 182. The subject manager has very good subject knowledge and has drawn up a comprehensive scheme of work that incorporates all National Curriculum requirements. However, she is not provided with sufficient opportunities to monitor and support the teaching and learning in physical education. The subject manager has ensured that the ‘Top Sport’

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

initiative is effectively incorporated into the curriculum. Off site visits allow pupils to develop and use their adventurous sports skills. Some members of staff give of their time willingly to promote extra-curricular sporting activities.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

183. The pupils’ attainments at the end of Years 2 and 6 are above the expectations in the locally Agreed Syllabus. These findings represent a significant improvement since the previous inspection when standards were judged to be appropriate. There are no marked differences in the performance of boys and girls. The support given to pupils with special needs and who speak English as an additional language ensures that they make good progress overall. 184. Throughout the school children learn about the similarities and differences of several faiths. They have a good understanding of Islam as well as Christianity and Judaism. Older pupils also study Sikhism 185. Pupils make good progress during key Stage 1. By the end of Year 2, most pupils know the importance of faith to the lives of many people and recognise that different religions have distinct feasts and festivals. For example, they appreciate that Hanukah is an important

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

celebration for Jews, gain a good understanding of the Muslim month of Ramadan and know why Christians celebrate Easter. Younger pupils appreciate that places of worship are special and people go there to worship with others. A visit to a church helps to deepen their understanding of the significance of certain features such as the altar.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

186. During Key Stage 2, pupils study in more depth the stories and traditions of different religions and by the end of Year 6 they know that there are many shared values. For example, they learn how Muslims, Sikhs and Christians show their commitment to their faith. Pupils in Year 5 learned that artefacts are used by all religions to aid concentration and that some are similar and have similar functions such as prayer beads. Younger children in the key stage understand the importance of saying ‘thank you’ and link this appropriately to the Christian festival of Harvest and the Jewish festival of Sukkah. As at the time of the previous inspection, pupils’ knowledge of the beliefs and practices featured in major religions is a strength of the subject.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

187. Throughout the school all pupils respond positively in lessons. They listen attentively to the teachers’ explanations and to the thoughts and ideas of fellow pupils. Pupils always show respect for the beliefs of others. They work well together when studying artefacts from different faiths and offer sensible suggestions about their significance. Pupils are supportive of each other and try to celebrate each other’s efforts and successes.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

188. Teaching has improved since the previous inspection and is predominately good in both key stages with examples of very good and excellent teaching in Key Stage 2. During the week of the inspection there was no unsatisfactory teaching and no poor class control. A strong feature of the very good teaching is the lively and imaginative way in which lessons are presented and enhanced by the use of good resources. This makes the learning exciting and fun so that pupils are well motivated. Lessons are carefully planned and teachers provide appropriate opportunities for practising what has been learned. In these lessons very good Somerville Primary - 59 progress is made because children are given ample opportunity to discuss issues in an atmosphere of mutual respect. As a result, although some pupils have significant learning difficulties, they can understand the main points of the lesson and remember what they have

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

learned. Throughout the school, teachers make good links between religious belief and personal and social behaviour. In most lessons, teachers create a very positive learning environment and their strong relationships with pupils enable them to manage their behaviour well.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

189. The subject is very well co-ordinated and there have been significant developments within the subject since the last inspection. A new scheme of work has been introduced which takes into account Birmingham’s Agreed Syllabus. The subject is much better resourced and visits to places of worship further enhance learning. However, the subject manager has had little opportunity to monitor teaching and learning in order to identify and share with colleagues the best practice. Assessment opportunities are built into the scheme but as yet the information is not being effectively used to plan for further improvements in the subject.

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