Fulham Primary School

FULHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 12 th - 15 th November 2001

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FULHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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FULHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Fulham Primary School - 3 - November 2001

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Fulham Primary School Halford Road Fulham London

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Ms Rachel Bainbridge

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 1 st June 1998 Fulham Primary School - 4 - November 2001

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 7704 Mike Phillips Registered inspector Religious education Special educational needs What sort of school is it? How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 9457 Gill Bindoff Lay inspector 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?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

15023 Mr A Haouas Team inspector English Art and design Equal opportunities 19055 Elizabeth Statham Team inspector English as an additional language 23004 Christina Wojtak Team inspector Mathematics Music How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 31166 Philip Garner Team inspector Science Geography History Physical education Fulham Primary School - 5 - November 2001 21872 Lorna Brackstone Team inspector Areas of learning for children in the Foundation Stage Information and communication technology Design and technology

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Nord Anglia School Inspection Services Strathblane House Ashfield Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 1BB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Fulham Primary School - 6 - November 2001

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 41

Fulham Primary School - 7 - November 2001

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, near to Earls Court. It is one of three schools that form an Education Action Zone to raise standards. The school is bigger than most primary schools, with 231 five to 11 year old pupils drawn from a rich diversity of ethnic backgrounds. Forty-five full-time equivalent children under the age of five attend the school. By the time they enter the Reception class, well over half of them have literacy and numeracy standards well below national expectations. Almost all pupils live near to the school in rented or bed and breakfast accommodation. Thirty-three languages are spoken in the school. There are 8 pupils from Travellers' families. The 60 per cent of the pupils who learn in English as an additional language is well above the national average, as is the 80 per cent of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds. The 39 per cent of pupils with special educational

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

needs, most of whom have moderate learning difficulties, is well above the national average and the 90 per cent of pupils who leave or join the school other than at the usual times is high in comparison with national averages. Four pupils have statements for special educational needs. The 34 per cent of pupils from refugee and asylum-seeking families is very high in comparison with national averages. The 65 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals is well above the national average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Pupils' achievements at this improving school are good. The school provides good value for money. The headteacher's strong leadership provides a clear sense of educational direction with a firm commitment to high standards that is shared by governors and all who work in the school. Very good teaching in the Foundation Stage provides a very secure start to children’s education. The 2001 Year 6 National Test results for English, mathematics and science are well below the national averages, with English results in the bottom five per cent nationally. The school manages very well the many factors contributing to low standards that are outside the control of the school, particularly the very high mobility of the school population. Improvements are needed in the use of assessment information for pupils in the early stages of learning in English to ensure their continuous improvement. Achievements are good for pupils with

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

special educational needs and those who learn in English as an additional language. The school celebrates its rich cultural diversity through curriculum planning, school assemblies and numerous educational visits. These school strengths contribute powerfully to the school's good learning atmosphere and race relations.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Very good leadership ensures all who work at the school are committed to high standards. • Children in the Foundation Stage are taught very well. • Good teaching makes sure pupils who need support to learn in English achieve well. • Very good care of pupils underpins all the school strives to achieve. • There is very good provision for pupils' personal development.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Continue to improve Year 6 standards in English, mathematics and science and improve standards in information and communication technology, design and technology and history. • To make sure pupils in the early stages of learning in English continue to achieve well, further improvements are needed in the use of assessment information to plan. • Improve further opportunities for pupils to take more responsibility for their learning. • Ensure that planned playground improvements include provision to reinforce Foundation Stage children’s learning. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Fulham Primary School - 8 - November 2001

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

There is good improvement since the last inspection in June 1998. This is seen in improvements to English, mathematics and science standards, in the use of assessment to plan for pupils who are competent in the use of English, and in the use of homework to help most pupils learn. It is also seen in the improvements to pupils' achievements, in their behaviour and in their willingness to learn. Although there is satisfactory improvement in attendance, there is room for further improvement. The school now meets its statutory requirement to provide a daily act of worship.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: All schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English E* E* E* D well above average above average A B mathematics E E* E B average below average C D science E E* E C well below average E

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STANDARDS

Since 1998, Year 6 National Test results show a gradual improvement in standards, with the steepest rate of improvement over the past year. The Year 6 2001 National Test results show that standards in English are low and in the bottom five per cent nationally, and for mathematics and science standards are well below those expected nationally. In comparison with similar schools across the country, the Year 6 2001 National Test results are below the national average for English, for mathematics they are above, and for science they match these similar schools. Standards in most other subjects match national expectations. Standards for religious education match those of the locally agreed syllabus. Standards in information and communication technology, design and technology and history are below national expectations. Inspection evidence shows that standards are rising. Over the last three years, National Test results for English show that writing is weak. Considering that so many pupils are learning

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STANDARDS

in English as an additional language, this weakness is not surprising. The school exceeded the challenging numeracy and literacy targets agreed with the local education authority. The school provides good opportunities for pupils to improve their learning and English language skills through investigations and experiments in science and in mathematics and through well-planned opportunities to improve their understanding of language special to each subject. This good practice contributes to the good achievements of pupils with special educational needs and those who learn in English as an additional language.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Pupils like school and are eager to learn.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Almost all the pupils behave well in class and around the school, although sometimes in class a few pupils' behaviour is unsatisfactory. Fulham Primary School - 9 - November 2001 Personal development and relationships Personal development is very good. Pupils respect and like their teachers. Pupils from different ethnic backgrounds work and play well together. Pupils understand the impact of their behaviour on others very well. Very good race relations contribute significantly to the schools good learning atmosphere.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Unsatisfactory. The school continuously strives to seek ways to improve attendance and the lateness of a significant number of pupils.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Some parents may not understand how badly irregular attendance and poor punctuality affects their children’s learning.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Most teaching is good or better. Out of 73 lessons seen, 70 were satisfactory or better, 35 were good, 18 were very good, four were excellent and three were unsatisfactory. Well-taught numeracy and literacy skills are reinforced effectively in other lessons. The large amount of high quality teaching inspires pupils to work hard and with great interest. Well-deployed and qualified classroom assistants contribute significantly to the good achievements of pupils with special educational needs and those who learn in English as an additional language. Teachers’ good subject knowledge contributes to good planning and most manage pupils' behaviour well. Where teaching is weak, expectations about what pupils can achieve are not high enough, pupils do not complete enough work and behaviour is not always managed well. The use of computers to help pupils learn needs improving, as does the use of assessment to plan

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

teaching strategies to make sure pupils who are in the early stages of learning in English continue to achieve well.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum There is the full range of often well-planned National Curriculum subjects and good provision for religious education.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision is good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Provision is good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision is very good for pupils' moral and social development and it is good for their spiritual and cultural development. Fulham Primary School - 10 - November 2001 How well the school cares for its pupils Very good care of pupils underpins all the school strives to achieve. There is much good use of assessment to plan, although some improvements are needed in the use of assessment to plan for pupils in the early stages of learning in English.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school works well in partnership with parents so that they help their children learn.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher’s very good leadership and firm commitment to high standards and teamwork benefit all who work and learn in the school. Senior teachers carry out their management responsibilities well.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors know the school's strengths and areas for improvement well and they effectively fulfil their statutory and other duties to evaluate school improvements.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school is very good at evaluating its performance to improve.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Very good financial planning, and good day-to-day financial management of the school, ensures resources are well deployed to help pupils learn. All decisions follow the principles of best value well.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

There is a good match of teachers to the demands of the curriculum and the diverse learning needs of the pupils. Good accommodation and learning resources are used well to help pupils learn.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• Parents say that the school expects their children to work hard. • They say that their children are taught well at this approachable and well-managed school. • Parents say that the school works closely with them to help their children learn and mature. • A very few parents thought their children did not get enough homework and that the school provides too few interesting after school activities. • A few parents want improvements to a few pupils’ behaviour.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agree with the positive views of parents. Inspectors agree that a few pupils sometimes misbehave. The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons and a satisfactory amount of homework. Fulham Primary School - 11 - November 2001

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The 2001 Year 6 National Test results for mathematics and science show that the proportion of pupils reaching and exceeding standards expected of them is well below the national average. For English, these test results show that the proportion of pupils reaching and exceeding standards expected nationally is very low and in the bottom five per cent, and in comparison with similar schools they are below the national average. However, a better picture emerges when test results for science and mathematics are compared with those of similar schools across the country. For science, the proportion of Year 6 pupils reaching and exceeding standards expected matches most similar schools, but for mathematics this proportion is above the average for similar schools across the country.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Good teaching and planning contributes significantly to Year 6 pupils reaching standards of attainment expected nationally in other subjects, apart from information and communication technology, design and technology and history where standards are below those expected nationally. In these subjects there are too few planned opportunities over time for pupils with different learning needs to improve their skills. In religious education, standards reached by Year 6 pupils match those expected by the locally agreed syllabus, although some improvements are needed in learning about how faith influences peoples' lives.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Many of the factors that contribute to such a high proportion of Year 6 pupils' standards of attainment being below or well below most schools nationally in English, mathematics and science are outside the control of the school. Some of the school's characteristics have changed considerably since the last inspection in June 1998. At that time, 37 per cent of the pupils left or joined the school other than at the usual times. That figure is now 90 per cent, with many of these pupils from asylum seeking or refugee families arriving at the school with little or no previous schooling. The percentage of refugee and asylum seeking pupils is very high at 34 per cent. Most of them come from Somalia having experienced considerable turmoil in their lives. In addition, just over 60 per cent of the pupils learn in English as an additional language. This compares with about 33 per cent at the time of the last inspection. Another

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

difference between now and the last inspection, is that almost all the pupils who enter the Reception Class and Year 1 are in the early stages of learning in English. The school population is constantly changing, rising at times to 307. Since the last inspection, the 65 per cent of pupils entitled to free school meals and the 33 per cent of pupils with special educational needs have remained broadly the same.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Since the last inspection standards have risen, despite significant changes to the school’s characteristics that makes raising standards and improving pupils' achievements very challenging. To raise standards, the school works effectively in partnership with three other schools in an Education Action Zone. It also works well in partnership with the local authority to help pupils learn. These partnerships result in effective strategies so that pupils with different learning needs, and the many pupils who learn in English as an additional language, achieve well. The school continuously evaluates teaching and learning to improve pupils' achievements.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Given the characteristics of the school, it is not surprising that the proportion of Year 2 pupils who reach and exceed standards of attainment in reading, mathematics and Fulham Primary School - 12 - November 2001 science are not as high as most other schools nationally, or those for broadly similar schools across the country. The 2001 National Test results for Year 2 show that for reading, writing and mathematics, standards for a high proportion of these pupils is low and in the bottom five per cent nationally. The school is also in the bottom five per cent of similar schools across the country in standards reached by the end of Year 2 in reading because so many of the pupils are in the early stages of learning in English. In writing and mathematics, standards are a little higher but they are still well below those of most similar schools nationally. In addition, Year 2 National Test results over

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the last four years reveal that girls outperform boys significantly in writing and in mathematics.

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Trends over time

6. In mathematics and science over the last two years, Year 6 National Tests show steep improvements in standards. In English, these test results do not show the same rate of improvement, but there is an improvement in the 2001 test results compared to those of 2000. This improving trend follows a time between 1997 and 1999 when National Test results showed no significant improvements in standards and those for science were declining.

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Trends over time

7. The improving trend in standards over the past two years is very encouraging. The decline in science standards has improved dramatically and the trend is now sharply upward. In mathematics, there is an increase of 14 per cent, to 64 per cent of pupils reaching the national standards expected of them. In science, National Test results for 2000 showed 63 per cent of pupils reaching and exceeding national levels of attainment expected of them, and in 2001 this figure also increased by 14 per cent, to 77 per cent. Signs of an improving trend in Year 6 English National Test results did not occur until 2001, when the percentage of pupils reaching the national standard expected of them rose by 10 per cent, to 51 per cent. Over the previous three years, standards were low. It is not surprising that the improving trend in standards in English is the slowest to occur because so many pupils arrive at the school after the

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Trends over time

age of seven speaking little or no English. The rise in the 2001 English National Test results is due to strategies introduced over the last two years to improve pupils' writing skills. Inspection evidence shows little significant difference in performance between boys and girls.

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Trends over time

8. Year 2 National Test results show a decline in standards since 1997. This coincides with the dramatic change in the characteristics of the school, with a considerable increase in the number of pupils from asylum seeking and refugee families and those who are at the early stages of learning in English who join and leave the school throughout the year. There are signs that standards are gradually rising over the last two years. The introduction of regularly evaluated strategies over the last three years to improve reading, writing and pupils' vocabulary are improving pupils' standards of attainment.

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Trends over time

9. The school's analysis of Year 2 National Test results led to some teaching of boys on their own to raise their standards because they were outperformed by the girls Fulham Primary School - 13 - November 2001 between 1997 and 2000. Inspection evidence shows that this strategy is closing the gap considerably in performance between girls and boys, but girls still outperform the boys in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Achievements

10. Few of the pupils who join the school in Year 1 remain at the school until they leave in Year 6. Judgements about achievements are based on the time pupils are at the school.

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Achievements

11. The school correctly continuously evaluates the effectiveness of teaching and learning to improve further pupils' achievements and standards of attainment throughout the school. As a result, good teaching of national numeracy and literacy strategies has a good impact on the achievements of pupils with different learning needs and levels of attainment. The good achievements of pupils are the result of effective school strategies that are securely based on the analysis of national and other tests for different groups of pupils. On the basis of this analysis, and other information about pupils' learning gathered over time, Year 6 pupils are placed in classes according to their prior attainment for English and mathematics. In addition to this, lower attaining and underachieving pupils have extra help in small classes to boost their attainment in literacy and numeracy, and pupils who need support to learn

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Achievements

in English are well provided for. Inspection evidence suggests that, should this strategy continue alongside evaluations of its effectiveness, the Year 6 2002 National Test results ought to be better than those for 2001 in English, mathematics and science.

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Achievements

12. Almost all the pupils who enter the Reception class and other classes at school at other times throughout the year need additional help to learn in English. Analysis of these pupils' achievements shows that those who remain in the school for more than a year achieve well. Year 6 pupils who entered the school in Year 2 reach national standards expected of them in English, mathematics and science.

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Achievements

13. The school's strategies to improve writing throughout the school have a good effect on the achievements of pupils with different learning needs, especially for those who learn in English as an additional language. It is this type of strategy, that is based upon rigorous analysis of pupils' learning and achievements, that the school correctly pursues to raise standards and improve further pupils' achievements in English, mathematics and science. There has yet to spread throughout the school opportunities seen in the best lessons for pupils to explain their learning to each other and the whole class, using vocabulary new to them. For example, where mathematical and scientific investigations are well taught pupils have good opportunities to explain their learning, and these have a very good effect on the learning of pupils whose first language is not English.

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Achievements

14. The achievements and progress of almost all pupils with special educational needs are good throughout the school. Almost all the pupils with a statement for their special educational needs achieve well because they have good, measurable individual learning targets and as well as effective support for their learning through well deployed learning support assistants. About half the pupils with special educational needs have emotional or behaviour difficulties. Almost all these pupils achieve well because their needs are well provided for and because the school Fulham Primary School - 14 - November 2001 works well in partnership with parents, carers and outside agencies. However, despite the very good efforts of the school, a very few pupils with the most challenging behaviour achieve no more than satisfactorily.

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Achievements

15. Since September 2000, the school is continuously improving ways it identifies and provides for the learning needs of its few gifted and talented pupils. These pupils' achievements are satisfactory. Whilst there is good identification of these pupils' learning needs, and in Year 6 they are provided for well in classes for higher attaining pupils, there are as yet too few strategies in place to consistently challenge these pupils as they grow older.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The school's strong emphasis on the inclusion of all pupils in all its learning opportunities contributes powerfully to pupils from all ethnic backgrounds and different cultures liking school and being eager to learn. Parents say that their children are happy at school and respond very well to the warm, caring approach that underpins its work. Children do not want to leave the school when their families move to accommodation far from the school. In fact, several families travel a considerable distance across London so that their children may continue to attend the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. The good and better teaching motivates pupils very well so that they enjoy their work and most of them work hard all the time. Children in the Reception class sustain their concentration well and develop good working habits. They treat learning resources with care and are particularly gentle with the pet rabbit, Diamond. They behave well because the class teacher has high expectations and is very good at using praise and encouragement to show children what they must do to learn well. By the end of their time in school, most Year 6 pupils have satisfactory knowledge of their learning and assess their own progress. They enjoy practical activities and are enthusiastic when learning is exciting, for example when experimenting with evaporation in science. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 worked enthusiastically in a drama lesson when reinforcing learning about Buddhism.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Pupils enjoy the satisfactory range of activities available outside lessons. Year 6 pupils reported having a wonderful time at a residential study centre near Battle in East Sussex, where they enjoyed re-enacting the battle of Hastings very much. Pupils who performed at the ‘Schools Prom’ at the Royal Albert Hall said it was 'really good'.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Almost all pupils behave well in and around the school. They respond well to the school’s high expectations of their consistently well-managed behaviour and they contribute thoughtfully to school and classroom rules. However, on the occasions when class teachers are less effective at managing behaviour, and when uninteresting work does not match the pupils' learning needs, behaviour for a few tends to be unsatisfactory. Despite well-planned work, a small number of pupils have very challenging behaviour and teachers’ behaviour management skills are tested to their limits. As a result, their own learning and that of other pupils in the class is interrupted too often at times. Ten pupils were excluded for fixed periods in the last school year and none were permanently excluded.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. Relationships between pupils, and between pupils and adults in the school, are very good. Pupils from very diverse family backgrounds work and play well together. Pupils are strongly influenced by the school's aims to value and respect others and so instances of oppressive behaviour or racism are rare. They are well aware of the Fulham Primary School - 15 - November 2001 effects their actions have on others. Pupils help and support each other well. Children from the Nursery held other pupils spellbound in an assembly when they presented the Diwali story of Rama and Sita. They showed respect for the Hindu faith and were interested in the celebration and traditions of the festival.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

21. Year 5 and 6 pupils take their responsibilities in the school very seriously. The class representatives on the school council develop as good citizens in the school and make sensible suggestions about ways to improve school life. Year 5 and 6 pupils, who take on the role of 'Buddies' to support teachers and other adults who work at the school and to look after younger pupils, have a clear understanding of their responsibilities, which they conscientiously carry out with great success.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

22. Attendance is well below the national average and far too many pupils arrive late for school in the morning. The school's good strategies for encouraging parents to bring their children to school and to be on time need to be continuously evaluated for effectiveness. This is because, despite the school's very good efforts, too many parents still do not appreciate how badly irregular attendance and poor punctuality can affect their children’s learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

23. Pupils from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds work and play well together. The positive and inclusive attitudes of all who work in the school, the school's high priority to value all pupils and the ways the school fosters close contacts with parents and the community, contributes strongly to this being a racially harmonious school with a good learning atmosphere.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Most teaching is good or better. Out of 73 lessons seen, 70 were satisfactory or better. Thirty-five lessons were good, 18 were very good and four were excellent. Three lessons were unsatisfactory. This good improvement since the last inspection needs to be seen against the background of the school's significant change in characteristics. The key to this high quality teaching is the headteacher's rigorous evaluation of teaching, supported by senior colleagues, in order to provide guidance and support for improvements and opportunities for teachers to learn new skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. The good and better teaching provides challenging work for pupils with different learning needs and levels of attainment that captures their imagination so that they want to learn. Consequently, many pupils achieve well, and for some their achievements are very good. This good practice was seen in a numeracy lesson for a class of mainly Year 1 pupils that comprised those with special educational needs and others in the early stages of learning in English as an additional language. The teacher used probing questions and short, clear explanations to review previous learning in order to make sure the class understood what they had to learn. The teacher deployed the experienced learning support assistant very well to teach pupils the mathematical language they needed to compare different numbers and put them in order. Good humour, constant reminders about their learning objectives, high expectations and challenging work that matched individual learning needs, resulted in

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

pupils being inspired with confidence to shoot their hands in the air in response to questions. As a result, they all made very good progress. Similar very good teaching and pupils' progress was seen in a Year 3 music lesson. Here, pupils from different ethnic backgrounds and learning needs enthusiastically learnt about tempo and beat when studying some music from Africa. The very good use of numerous teaching methods constantly challenged pupils so that when they reviewed their learning they surprised themselves at the progress they had made. In this lesson, very good Fulham Primary School - 16 - November 2001 subject knowledge taught with confidence, good humour and high expectations made sure pupils from diverse backgrounds and with different learning needs were fully immersed in their learning throughout the lesson.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. The good and better teaching is also characterised by effective planning that reinforces numeracy and literacy skills in other lessons so that pupils who learn in English as an additional language, and others with different learning needs, become enthusiastic learners and achieve well. Good subject knowledge of other subject areas also contributes to most teachers confidently reinforcing in one lesson the skills, knowledge and understanding taught in another. This was seen in a Year 1 literacy lesson soon after their numeracy lesson, where very good teaching of text and reading skills reinforced mathematical vocabulary, such as 'long, longer and longest.' Pupils' achieved well because they successfully built upon previous learning. In another predominantly Year 3 class with a few Year 4 pupils, an excellent literacy lesson very skilfully reinforced learning in science as pupils studied a text,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

before writing and discussing the characteristics of different types of rocks.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. A particular teaching strength, typical of good or better teaching, is the well-planned challenging opportunities for pupils with different learning needs to use new vocabulary to explain their learning. Pupils who learn in English as an additional language in particular achieve well during these activities, and their successful experiences contribute to them sustaining their concentration well and being enthusiastically involved throughout the lesson. A good example of the very good use of this teaching method was seen in a Year 5 and 6 lesson about slavery that also reinforced reading skills and lessons learnt in religious education. The class was alive with the busy murmur of huddled groups of pupils from diverse ethnic backgrounds as they sought clues from pictures and writing about the slave trade of the past. They explained to each other, and then to the class as they sat in a circle, what they had learned and how they felt about their new knowledge. Some pupils sat

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

wide-eyed with interest listening to others. This type of very good practice, where opportunities are provided for pupils to explain and share their learning, has a very good effect on the learning of pupils with different levels of attainment and learning needs, and has yet to spread throughout the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. One of the reasons why so many pupils with different learning needs and levels of attainment achieve so well is because so many teachers are good at managing pupils' behaviour consistently well. On the few occasions when the challenging behaviour of a few interfered with the learning of others, these pupils’ misbehaviour was effectively and sensitively dealt with. Where behaviour management is good or very good, it is achieved with humour and skilful use of praise. A typically very good lesson was seen when a class of average attaining Year 6 pupils achieved well learning about area in a numeracy lesson. The teacher sensitively, but firmly, reminded the pupils why certain rules are important, and her sparing but very effective use of praise to remind pupils of her high expectations of their behaviour and work, contributed to the pupils' very good progress. This lesson had two striking examples

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

of excellent practice. One was the way the teacher valued every contribution pupils made. The other, seen in a good literacy lesson about different types of writing taught by the same teacher, was the very good, humorous use of resources which she made herself. This was seen in the use of a fictitious newspaper report she wrote about a Fulham school where pupils brought spiders to a school assembly. This humorous spider theme was seen again in a Year 6 numeracy lesson, where a 'cuddly tarantula spider' was used to improve pupils' mental mathematics skills. This high quality teaching resulted in pupils behaving well and responding positively to probing questions that pushed them swiftly forward in their learning. Fulham Primary School - 17 - November 2001 29. Where pupils' behaviour is not well managed they do not produce enough work, expectations about what they can achieve are too low and time is not used well to

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

help pupils learn. This was seen in a Year 5 lesson in the ICT suite, where the failure to establish and consistently reinforce rules of behaviour led to a noisy lesson where concentration was difficult and pupils achieved too little. For example, a talented pupil who was eager to learn became frustrated because the support needed to operate the computer was not forthcoming. The lack of consistency in establishing and reinforcing acceptable behaviour was also seen in a Year 1 music lesson. Pupils achieved too little because once noisier pupils had been allowed to get away with their unacceptable behaviour, there was little incentive for others to listen and so their interest in the lesson faded away.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30. The good and often very good planning by well informed and qualified specialist teachers contributes to the good achievements over time of pupils with special educational needs, and those in the early stages of learning in English, who receive additional provision. This was seen in challenging, very good lessons to help Year 1 pupils improve their reading and literacy skills and in the many good lessons to help pupils improve their learning in English. Challenging lessons for Year 6 pupils who receive extra teaching to improve their numeracy and literacy skills, contributes to their good achievements, especially those who have been at the school for less than a year. In all these lessons, high expectations, and the match of challenging work to the individual learning needs of pupils taught at a demanding pace, ensured the pupils enjoyed their lessons whilst improving their learning. A Year 1 pupil, working with a

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

specialist teacher, screwed his eyes in concentration and eagerness to read correctly words he had just learnt. A small group of other Year 1 pupils, many of them in the early stages of learning in English, beamed with pride when they recognised words and sentences that were once unfamiliar to them. A significant strength is the way specialist teachers continuously assess pupils' learning so that planning makes sure that the pupils constantly improve and they know what to do to improve. Homework matches their individual learning needs and prepares them very well for the next stage in their learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

31. It is in the use of assessment information to plan that some improvements are needed. Sometimes planning by class teachers does not consistently match some pupils' learning needs. This occurs throughout the school, even at times in classes where teaching is usually good or better. For example, this was seen in a Year 2 numeracy lesson with many good features, where the learning needs of some pupils whose first language is not English were not met well enough during a lesson about multiplication and repeated addition. Teachers and their learning support assistants work very hard to make sure individual learning needs are provided for. The good practice of giving pupils individual learning targets provides a sense of direction for their learning. However, some of these targets are in language that too many pupils find difficult to understand well, and a few of them of them are not securely based on

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

learning assessment information. Consequently, too many pupils do not have a clear understanding about what they have to do to improve. For some pupils in Year 1 and 2, marking and discussions about their work provides too little guidance for them about what they need to do to improve. Pupils achieve well partly because so many of them want to learn and partly because most teachers skilfully gather information about pupils' learning as lessons progress, enabling them to respond well to emerging learning needs. However, the use of assessment is in need of improvement to make sure teachers have secure strategies in place so that pupils in the early stages of learning in English begin to learn well straight away and continue to achieve well. Fulham Primary School - 18 - November 2001 32. Throughout the school, learning support assistants work as valued members of the teaching team and are well deployed by teachers to help pupils with different learning

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

needs achieve well. Very good use of them was seen in some numeracy and literacy lessons where they gathered information about individual pupils' learning to share with the class teacher. They also use their initiative well to make sure pupils, beyond their immediate responsibility, sustain their concentration and that those pupils from different ethnic backgrounds are fully involved in the lesson. There were numerous times when learning support assistants expertly supported teachers to improve the behaviour of one or two pupils so that the learning of others was not disturbed. This was seen in a Year 1 lesson at the end of a day when one pupil found it hard to sit still and concentrate.

p.18

PUPILS?

33. The school provides the full range of subjects of the National Curriculum and follows the agreed local syllabus for religious education. The school makes good use of national guidelines when planning most subjects. There are good improvements since the last inspection in curriculum planning and in the guidance teachers receive, to ensure pupils increase their skills, knowledge and understanding as they grow older. There are good strategies to make sure all pupils are fully included in all the learning opportunities offered to them and that they benefit equally from this good provision. In addition to the subjects of the National Curriculum and for religious education, the school rigorously evaluates its additional planned 'entitlement curriculum', that itemises what pupils are entitled to learn and the numerous educational visits they are expected to have. This entitlement includes visitors to the

p.18

PUPILS?

school to help pupils learn, including local clergy and professional artists, all of whom work with the pupils. Parents at their meeting before the inspection, and pupils during the week of inspection, expressed their great appreciation of this 'entitlement curriculum'. The ‘entitlement curriculum’ improves the learning of pupils with different levels of attainment very well, including those who learn in English as an additional language, because it increases their understanding of their own and other cultures. Well-organised school assemblies and religious education lessons also provide good opportunities for pupils to understand cultures and faiths different to their own.

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PUPILS?

34. The autumn term residential visit for Year 6 pupils serves to strengthen further the very good relationships between pupils and adults. It also provides very good opportunities for pupils to increase their use of initiative, to be more independent and more effective team members.

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PUPILS?

35. Very well planned and excellent teaching of French as an additional subject for a class of Year 6 pupils provides exemplary opportunities for pupils whose first language is English to fully appreciate how challenging it is at times for those who learn in English as an additional language. All the pupils make excellent progress and are fully involved as enthusiastic learners of a language new to them all.

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PUPILS?

36. There is good equality of opportunity for pupils with different learning needs and levels of attainment to learn successfully in most lessons. The school recognises the need to improve planning so that pupils have equal opportunities to learn by using computers in the information and communication technology (ICT) suite.

p.18

PUPILS?

37. Well-managed and frequently evaluated national literacy and numeracy strategies raise standards throughout the school. They are reinforced well in other subjects, Fulham Primary School - 19 - November 2001 often in lively and stimulating ways, for example by counting and calculating beats in a Year 3 music lesson. Good planning ensures pupils with special educational needs, and those who are not in the early stages of learning in English as an additional language, have their numeracy and literacy skills consistently reinforced as they grow older.

p.18

PUPILS?

38. Most subjects are well planned, with some improvements needed to raise attainment by Year 6 in design and technology, ICT and history. Good planning for most subjects taught over a two-year cycle makes sure pupils do not repeat learning done earlier. This is seen in geography, science, art and music. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to make connections between knowledge and understanding in different subjects to improve their learning and, for many of them, their use of English to learn. This was seen in Year 5 science and literacy lessons. Good provision for pupils’ personal, health and social education contributes significantly to their good understanding of beliefs and cultures different to their own, to them working and playing well together and to the good learning atmosphere throughout the school.

p.19

PUPILS?

39. Sex education is provided for pupils in Years 5 and 6 with parental approval, as is provision to teach them the dangers of drug abuse. The school works well in partnership with a local authority school health adviser to help pupils learn. Whilst provision is good, there is room for improvement in planning to make sure that the changing needs of pupils are effectively met as they grow older. Provision for pupils' personal, health and social education offers good opportunities to the pupils' thoughtful consideration of moral issues.

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PUPILS?

40. Whilst there is much good provision for pupils who learn with English as an additional language and those who need to improve their reading, there is room for further improvement. The very good teaching away from their classroom of pupils in the early stages of learning with English as an additional language, and in Years 1 and 2 for those with reading difficulties, is not linked well enough to the teaching they receive in their classroom.

p.19

PUPILS?

41. There are good arrangements to ensure the smooth transfer of pupils to their next stage of education at the end of Year 6 and to the next schools for those who leave earlier. The school works very well with teacher training institutions who highly value the opportunities their trainee teachers get at this school to learn new skills, Fulham Primary School - 20 - November 2001 especially those needed to teach pupils who learn with English as an additional language. Good relationships result in trainee teachers wanting to teach at this school when they qualify.

p.19

PUPILS?

42. The school also works very well with its Education Action Zone (EAZ) partners. This is seen in the well-planned provision that makes good use of the EAZ advisers to improve Year 5 and 6 pupils' ICT skills through the use of laptop computers. It is also seen in the way teachers respond so well to opportunities to improve their curriculum planning through the use of computers, by attending training sessions provided by the EAZ ICT adviser before school. This has led to the good use computers to improve the learning of the few pupils with challenging behaviour.

p.20

PUPILS?

43. The very good provision for out-of-school activities contributes to pupils’ enthusiasm for their school and their eagerness to work hard in class. The large number of well attended activities at lunchtimes and after school includes a choir, salsa dancing, learning to play the recorder, gardening and poetry. The homework club, run by the headteacher every Friday after school, is extremely well attended by very appreciative and enthusiastic pupils. A large number of pupils are successfully involved in 'The Safe Routes to School Project’. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 work with a local artist and they visited the studio of another artist nearby.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

44. There is very good provision for pupils’ social and moral development and good provision for their spiritual and cultural development. There is a policy to further improve provision for the pupils' cultural development, with very good guidance on how to make the best use of the school's rich diversity of cultures, languages and faiths to help pupils learn.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

45. School assemblies provide for the pupils' spiritual development well, where, for example, learning in religious education lessons about the festival of Diwali are effectively reinforced. A particularly striking moment during an assembly was when pupils' faces were transfixed with awe when a beam of light caught the coloured foil of the Diwali lamps. Assemblies provide good opportunities for quiet thought and reflection about the world and a higher being, when pupils sit quietly with their heads bowed. There are good opportunities for them to consider their own feelings and thoughts, whilst learning about the creations of great artists, musicians, poets and writers in music, art and literacy lessons. This was seen in a Year 6 lesson about Buddhism, where the teacher's reverent handling of a statue and other religious artefacts caused pupils to listen in rapt attention. In science in Year 4, pupils' eyes

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

widened in awe as they learnt how old some rocks could be. Pupils proudly share their poems with visitors, many of which are on display around the school, all revealing great sensitivity. All this very good provision has a profoundly beneficial impact on the school’s good learning atmosphere.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

46. The way the school is good at celebrating its rich diversity of cultures also has a significant effect on the school's learning atmosphere. This represents good improvement since the last inspection. Good use is sometimes made of pupils' knowledge and experiences of different countries, for example when learning about maps about different countries in geography in Year 3. There are numerous examples throughout the school of its respect for different cultures and faiths. This is seen in the stories and poems pupils study, the numerous photographs of pupils at different cultural events, the pictures around the school produced by pupils and well known artists, and the classroom displays celebrating different faiths. The teaching of French Fulham Primary School - 21 - November 2001 to Year 6 pupils improves their understanding of European culture. The school celebrates Eid, Diwali, Christmas and parents from different faiths attended a Harvest

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

Festival evening at the school. Representatives from different ethnic communities visit the school to share information about their lives, with good effects on pupils' learning. Whilst there is much good practice, some opportunities are lost when planning the curriculum to make even more effective use of the rich diversity of cultures in the school, especially through music.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

47. Provision for the pupils' moral development is very good. All adults who work at the school, including administrative assistants, provide very good role models for pupils because of their dedicated concern for others. School rules are prominently displayed around the school and pupils write their own class rules based on them, which they regularly review. Consistently well managed behaviour strategies by most teachers and learning support assistants make sure that good behaviour is rewarded. Pupils understand why sanctions need to be applied at times, and they are managed skilfully and unobtrusively so as not to interfere with the learning of others. This was seen in Year 1 and 2 lessons when teachers made good use of a special chair where pupils who misbehave sit to think about their actions. In other classes, there is very good use of computers to record, reinforce and so improve the behaviour of a few

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

pupils with challenging behaviour. Every fortnight, the highly prized event of dining with teachers and 'important' visitors at a formally prepared lunch table, rewards well- behaved pupils. All this very good provision results in pupils knowing the difference between right and wrong and having a very good understanding of the effects of their actions on others.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

48. Very good and some excellent provision for social development greatly benefits the many pupils who join the school having lived through traumatic times. The very good and sensitive management of behaviour, and teachers' high expectations about how pupils should work and play together, very successfully provides a secure framework within which pupils develop social skills. The poetry club provides excellent opportunities for pupils to improve their social skills as they work closely with teachers. There are opportunities, during a time set aside each week, for pupils to consider the feelings of others, how they can help each other, work well as a team and help others who are sad or less fortunate than themselves. There is some excellent provision for pupils who feel sad, with the administrative assistants playing a very important part in this provision when pupils come to the office for help. The

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

comfortable and well provided for area outside the headteacher’s and administrators' offices is a well-supervised place where pupils who feel angry or unhappy are well looked after. Another example of this high quality provision is the 'Buddy Seat' in the playground. One lunchtime an unhappy small boy sat on this seat for no more than three minutes before a girl approached, sat next to him, put her arm around him and then called to others to join them. Soon, a small gathering of boys and girls had prised him from the seat. Soon the boy was wreathed in smiles as he played with others.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

49. There are numerous opportunities for pupils to improve their social skills as they grow older. The very well managed Buddy System involves a dedicated and highly respected senior meals supervisor. It provides very good opportunities for pupils to learn how to be responsible, by welcoming and looking after visitors to the school, as well as looking after younger pupils and those new to the school. They proudly take turns to wear the red cap of helpers at lunch times. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 take turns in pairs to return the attendance and lunch registers to the office, and as they grow older they relay messages for staff and help teachers prepare for and tidy up after lessons. Each class is represented on the school council, upon which pupils Fulham Primary School - 22 - November 2001 are proud to serve. The school council is important to the lives of pupils, and their suggestions for school improvement are taken seriously. The school council plays an

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

important part in the very good provision to raise pupils' awareness of the needs of others, in their own locality and around the world, by supporting a charity a term. Red Nose Day has a strong international focus that is important to pupils and their parents. At Christmas, pupils entertain local pensioners. In lessons, assemblies and through plays performed by the NSPCC, pupils learn about the adverse effects of racism, how they can help prevent it and how to deal with oppressive behaviour. The police and other emergency services provide regular sessions for pupils to learn what being a good citizen means. Amidst all this very good and some excellent provision, there is a need to make sure all pupils understand their individual learning targets well, so that as they grow older they become even better independent learners.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. The good care for pupils underpins all the school strives to achieve. There is good improvement since the last inspection in identifying the important skills and knowledge pupils need to have at each stage in their learning as they grow older. This has led to improvements in the assessment of pupils' learning so that information gathered is now used more effectively to measure pupils' progress over time and to set school and individual learning targets for improvement. The analysis of National Test results over the last three years, and other tests pupils do, led to well planned strategies to improve pupils’ writing throughout the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. The appointment of a Somali outreach worker demonstrates the school's great care for the needs of specific groups of pupils, with a recognised need to meet the particular needs of Somali families and their children, many of them having fled their country.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. Pupils are valued and known well by all the adults in the school. This is achieved in spite of the high level of pupil mobility. The school successfully strives to meet the different learning needs of its pupils whilst being sensitive to the traumas many families have experienced, as well as their diverse cultural and faith backgrounds. The very good, and sometimes excellent, relationships between pupils and adults who work in the school support pupils' learning very well. The learning support assistants give excellent support to pupils who have considerable emotional and behavioural difficulties, and this contributes enormously to their satisfactory progress. The high quality care for pupils is also characterised by the exceptional contribution of the assistant administration officer who cherishes and supports pupils in a million different ways.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. Pupils are safe and secure at school. There is some very good practice in the assessment of risks associated with school activities and out of school visits. The condition of the premises is monitored and evaluated frequently and governors are actively involved in health and safety issues. Governors are aware that there are health and safety issues in the unsatisfactory arrangement for dispensing toilet paper in the pupils' toilets and in provision for pupils to wash their hands properly.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. The school evaluates well its effectiveness in meeting the constant challenge of assessing the different learning needs of pupils who join the school at different times throughout the year. As the result of these evaluations, there are plans in place to improve the use of assessment information so that learning done away from the classroom is reinforced when the pupils return to their class. For these pupils, Fulham Primary School - 23 - November 2001 assessment information provided by specialist teachers is not linked well enough to National Curriculum requirements, and national numeracy and literacy strategies.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

55. Provision for child protection is good and complies with locally agreed procedures. A strong emphasis is placed on personal, social and health education and pupils have good opportunities to develop their self-esteem. Provision is better to raise pupils’ awareness of the use and misuse of drugs than it is for sex education. The school is aware of this and has plans in place to improve planning so that the needs of pupils are met for effectively as they grow older.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

56. There are very good strategies to help pupils behave well. It was said at the pre- inspection meeting for parents that the emphasis on 'praise, praise, and praise again' has a great beneficial effect on their children's behaviour and their confidence to learn successfully. Pupils value the encouragement they receive and the rewards they achieve. The School Council members help set and reinforce rules for behaviour around the school. Consistently, well-managed behaviour strategies contribute strongly to the successful management of the few pupils with very challenging behaviour so that the learning of others is not always interfered with.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

57. The provision and progress of pupils with special educational needs is evaluated well for improvements. There are good procedures and systems to record, review and assess the progress of pupils with special educational needs against learning targets in their education plans. Those pupils on the school's special educational needs register with the greatest learning needs, have measurable learning targets that are securely based on assessments of their learning that are used effectively to measure their progress. This is because the temporary replacement for the previous special educational needs co-ordinator has continued the good practice of her predecessor in the provision of good advice and support for colleagues. This is no mean achievement, because the number of pupils with special educational needs constantly changes as pupils join and leave the school. There are very good arrangements to involve parents as partners, and outside health, social and education

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

agencies, when deciding provision for pupils in need of a statement for their learning needs. There are equally good arrangements to review annually these pupils' progress with parents. There is also good practice in the involvement of pupils when reviewing their learning throughout the year, and during the annual review of their progress and provision. However, there is room for further improvement to make the best use of the school's very good preparations for the new national arrangements to be in place by September 2002. The assessment information that specialist teachers have about the learning which some of these pupils do away from the classroom is not always effectively shared with class teachers to ensure that, when pupils return to their class, their learning is reinforced. In addition, the individual learning targets in some pupils' education plans, whose learning needs are not complex, are not as

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

concise and measurable as those of other pupils, and this means their progress is not always evaluated as well as it could be. Fulham Primary School - 24 - November 2001 58. The personal and social development and achievements of children in the Foundation Stage are recorded and evaluated well. Information is used very well to plan. Whilst teachers successfully provide for the personal and social development of pupils throughout the school, the very good practice seen in a Year 5 and 6 class of systematically recording and evaluating pupils’ personal and social development to plan, has yet to spread throughout the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

59. Despite the school's very good efforts to improve levels of attendance and punctuality, they remain stubbornly low. There are very good records of attendance and punctuality. Parents are contacted on the first day of absence if no explanation is received. The school works very closely with the Educational Welfare Officer to improve attendance and punctuality. It also provides good support for families, many of them new to the country, to attend school regularly and on time, through a post funded by the Education Action Zone (EAZ). In spite of all these very good efforts, too many parents seem not to fully understand the need for their children to arrive on time in the morning. Further improvements are needed to convince parents of the importance to their children's learning of regular and punctual attendance. The school, its governors and EAZ partners have prioritised improvements to attendance and

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

punctuality. There is a need to analyse attendance patterns for different groups of pupils, and the impact these have on learning, when deciding how to ensure some parents understand the importance of regular and prompt attendance.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

60. Since September 2000, good, regularly evaluated procedures to identify and then provide for the learning needs of higher attaining and gifted pupils have been introduced. There is good information for class teachers informing them how good some of these pupils are at learning in English as an additional language. This information is used well most of the time to deploy learning support assistants to help them learn, with plans in place to improve further provision for higher attaining and gifted pupils. These procedures and information have yet to be consistently used well throughout the school.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

61. Formal and informal assessments of pupils' attainment, including other information gathered during an induction process for new arrivals with little or no spoken English, are used effectively to collect and record much useful information. Teachers and their assistants are committed to supporting pupils new to the school well so that they settle happily and quickly to their work. The school uses commercially produced assessments, reading tests, the National Test results, and lesson observations of pupils that are often done well by learning support assistants, to gather information about pupils' learning. This information is recorded accurately, updated regularly and often used well to plan and to set individual learning targets. The good practice of pupils assessing their learning with teachers so that they know what they have to do to improve, has yet to spread throughout the school. Every class teacher has an

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

assessment procedure that is used to evaluate pupils' achievements. Assessment books contain samples of pupils' work alongside other assessment information. The best marking practice provides information about how well pupils have achieved, with praise used alongside good advice on what needs to be done for further improvements. Where the use of this good provision is weak, pupils are praised for work that ought to be better. Each term teachers work well together evaluating samples of pupils' work to identify ways to improve learning. Fulham Primary School - 25 - November 2001

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

62. Thirty-eight parents responded to the inspection questionnaire. The 16 parents who attended the pre-inspection meeting represented a good cross section of the parent community. They are very supportive of the school and are pleased with the education it provides. Parents say that their children like school. They think that teaching is good and that their children are expected to work hard. They say that this well led and approachable school has a 'warm' atmosphere and welcomes everybody. A very small number of parents expressed concerns about pupils' behaviour. These parents also said that the school does not provide enough interesting activities outside lessons. Inspectors confirm parents' positive views. They also confirm that there are a few pupils with challenging behaviour, but often the very good management of these pupils' behaviour ensures their interference with other pupils' learning is kept to a minimum. Inspectors do not support those few

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

parents who thought the school provided too few interesting activities for their children outside lessons. There is a large number of well attended activities at lunchtimes and after school on Wednesday that are open to all pupils. There is also a very good programme of educational visits that reinforces learning in class well.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

63. The school manages most aspects of its partnership with parents well to meet the considerable challenge of the high level of family mobility in the area and the very diverse communities from around the world that are represented in the school. There is plenty of good information for parents about the school and what their children will learn. On each classroom door there is information about what pupils will learn that term. However, the English language used in many of the communications may not be appropriate for the many families who find reading English difficult, especially those whose first language is not English. Communications with parents and carers are sometimes provided in their first language and help is available within the school to translate for some families where English is not spoken. There is a need to increase this good practice, and to seek the use of other strategies, to further improve

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

communications with families, particularly those from different ethnic minority backgrounds. The school's evaluations of its effectiveness have already identified improvements needed in the communications with families, and are a priority in the school improvement plan. There is a need to improve this aspect of the inclusiveness of the school so that there are even more opportunities for families to work in partnership with the school to help their children learn.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

64. Some good initiatives support the needs of parents well, for example the literacy lessons to improve English language skills and to support Somali families. There are also some very good informal opportunities for contact between parents, carers and class teachers, especially in the Nursery and Reception classes. Parents who spoke to inspectors at the meeting held for them before the inspection valued the support very highly, and they said how very much it helps them with their children's learning. Some parents are actively involved in the life of the school. They value opportunities to share class assemblies and several parents support pupils as volunteer helpers on educational school visits. There was good practice in the use of a working group of parents to consult parents about the content of the home/school agreement that included representatives of most ethnic groups within the school community. An

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

increasing number of parents actively support fund raising and social events. Fulham Primary School - 26 - November 2001

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The headteacher provides strong and very good leadership for the school with a very clear sense of educational direction. Governors and all who work in the school share her firm commitment to high standards and the need for continuous school improvement. The good induction to the school of the deputy headteacher, who had been in post for less than a term at the time of inspection, enabled her to settle very quickly into the school and to work well with the headteacher and the team of senior colleagues. She and the headteacher have clear ideas for the development of her role, with strategic plans securely in place for her to lead on further improvements in the use of assessment to plan and in the effectiveness of curriculum planning. During the time of inspection, there were two vacancies on the senior management team that meant that the deputy was also a class teacher and the headteacher spent some

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

of her time teaching as well. Despite additional tasks and responsibilities for all the senior managers, they managed their responsibilities well.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. There is good induction of teachers new to this challenging school, with very good support for newly qualified teachers throughout their first year of teaching, so that all teachers new to the school settle swiftly to their tasks. There is a good and regularly evaluated policy to induct teachers new to the school, with effective use of a teachers' handbook that is packed with good advice. Newly qualified teachers have opportunities to visit the school several times before they start to teach here in order to learn how the school is organised, about their responsibilities and the school's high expectations of them and the pupils. Since the last inspection in 1998, almost all newly qualified teachers worked in the school whilst training and chose to work here when qualified. Consequently, they know the school well. Experienced mentors support these teachers and they have well-planned opportunities to receive additional

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

training. Other teachers new to the school have similar opportunities to visit, train and learn about the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The school's aims and values underpin very well all it strives to do. They are to provide a safe and secure place where pupils from different ethnic backgrounds are valued, where everyone works as a team to achieve well and where pupils work and play well together. The school is committed to high standards and the inclusion of pupils in all its learning opportunities, irrespective of their ethnic, cultural or faith backgrounds. The school acknowledges the importance of equality of opportunity for all pupils in subject and other policies. Kindness, consideration and respect feature prominently in the work of the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. Good strategies are in place to further improve teaching. Teachers review the effectiveness of their teaching with the headteacher and agree targets for improvement. The headteacher and her senior management team review teachers' planning and offer guidance for improvement. A particular feature of the review of teachers' planning is the meticulous way the headteacher monitors the 'school entitlement curriculum'. Parents and pupils spoke glowingly of this 'curriculum entitlement', with those who have not been in this country very long saying how much history and culture they have learnt in school and as the result of educational visits. Parents at their pre-inspection meeting said educational outings inspire their children to learn.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. The ways the school management team fulfils its responsibilities well during a time when it has vacancies is due, in part at least, to the good practice of the headteacher in the delegation of responsibilities. Senior teachers and subject co-ordinators have clear and regularly reviewed job specifications. As a result, senior teachers have very Fulham Primary School - 27 - November 2001 good understanding of what they are to do to improve the school further, as do some subject co-ordinators. Most of the co-ordinators have a good understanding of their responsibility to evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum, teaching and learning. All teachers appointed full time to the school have a subject responsibility, including newly qualified teachers. The co-ordinator for religious education, for example, is newly qualified. Although relatively inexperienced, she has an action plan for subject improvement that is reviewed with the headteacher, in common with other co-

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

ordinators. An example of the school's commitment to continuous improvement through self-evaluation is the time set aside each term for co-ordinators to evaluate the effectiveness of learning, teaching and planning in their subject.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. There is a good match of teachers and learning support assistants to the diverse learning needs of the pupils and the demands of the curriculum. Well qualified and experienced learning support assistants work very well in partnership with teachers to support the learning of pupils with special educational needs, those who are in the early stages of learning in English and pupils with behavioural difficulties.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. Information gathered from the evaluations of teaching is used very well to inform the school improvement plan. For example, this information highlighted the need for a series of training sessions to evaluate new teaching methods throughout the school, with teachers reporting back at training sessions the effectiveness of the new approaches. Over the last three years, the school successfully identified behaviour management as an area for improvement. A school priority to improve the use of assessment to plan led to the introduction of the analysis of pupils' work at the end of each term, to identify ways to improve pupils' learning. As part of the Education Action Zone school improvement plan, the school works closely with its partners to improve pupils' ICT skills and the use of computers throughout the school to raise attainment. All this very good practice has a significant effect on pupils' learning. This

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

is especially so for those who have recently joined the school, and it contributes greatly to the good achievements of pupils who learn in English as an additional language as well as those with other diverse learning needs.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

72. The school improvement plan has well chosen priorities for action that are used well to evaluate school improvements. This working document is under constant review by the school, in partnership with governors, and is formally evaluated for effectiveness every two years. It is constantly referred to when planning by the headteacher and governors in order to take into account the school's emerging and challenging needs. The improvement plan has financially costed priorities for action and success criteria to measure effectiveness. There are times specified to review and complete priorities and teachers and governors are identified to lead on school improvements. For example, the need to improve writing and pupils' speaking and listening skills raised the attainment of Year 6 pupils in English, and is improving the achievements of pupils who learn in English as an additional language. As a result of

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

this improvement plan, pupils’ learning needs are very well provided for, their achievements are good and the school exceeded the challenging 2001 numeracy and literacy targets agreed with the local authority. The school has correctly prioritised the need to constantly improve and refine its procedures and systems that lead to frequently evaluated improvement strategies that continuously improve standards and pupils' achievements throughout the school. Fulham Primary School - 28 - November 2001 73. The governing body meets its legal requirements and works well in partnership with the school to shape its future. This is seen in the annual report it provides for parents and carers about changes and improvements to the school, and how pupils with different learning needs are provided for, including those with special educational needs and others who learn in English as an additional language. Governors oversee

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

arrangements well for parents and carers to receive an annual report about how their children are getting on. These reports provide good information about their children's attainment as measured against national expectations and they provide guidance about what needs to be done so that their children learn and achieve well. Governors are well organised into a combined Finance and Staffing Committee, with other committees for the curriculum and premises. They oversee the safety and security of the school site, including classrooms and learning resources. The curriculum committee lead on consultations with teachers and senior managers to agree the school improvement plan. There are arrangements securely in place to ensure governors meet their statutory requirements for the performance management of the headteacher and other staff. There are good and well-understood arrangements in place should governors need to deal with disciplinary action. There are trained

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

governors in place for special educational needs, English as an additional language, numeracy and literacy, all of whom take an informed and active interest in these areas of school provision.

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

74. This very effective governing body has a very good understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement and works critically and very supportively with the school so that it continues to improve. Governors are very good at using their knowledge and skills to hold the school to account for the quality of education it provides. Governors make good use of their skills and experience to shape the future of the school. For example, five governors who are parents of pupils at the school use their knowledge well, others bring commercial and industrial experience to the governing body to help set improvement targets. In addition, an accountant plays a key part in ensuring the very good financial management of the school. Local councillors, one a general practitioner, use their influence and their knowledge of the community to very good effect to improve the school site and resources and to

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

ensure that the school is a safe and healthy place to work and learn in.

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

75. Governors work closely with the headteacher and her senior colleagues to prudently manage the school budget. The school constantly reviews its expenditure in the light of its constantly changing population over a financial year to make sure that improvement priorities are sufficiently financed. This is skilfully achieved, with very good procedures in place to make sure there is enough finance to meet unforeseen needs, such as an unexpected and large intake of pupils to the school.

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

76. The day-to-day financial management of the school is good. The school dealt well with the few minor areas for improvement in the complimentary auditor's report. Some recordings of financial transactions are done by hand, and most are managed satisfactorily by using computers. There are good checks in place to make sure that the daily management of the budget follows statutory procedures as well as those agreed with the local authority, all of which are overseen by the headteacher and governors. Teachers understand the financial system and their spending is agreed with, and overseen by, the headteacher. The school budget is constantly updated, with the formal presentation of accounts available to the headteacher and governors each month. Fulham Primary School - 29 - November 2001 77. All specific grants are effectively spent, for example on teachers' ICT training, on provision for pupils with special educational needs and those who learn in English as

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

an additional language. Education Action Zone (EAZ) finance and grants are spent appropriately to meet the EAZ's aim to overcome learning obstacles, for example on the appointment of a Somali outreach worker and on the purchase and maintenance of laptop computers.

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

78. The school makes good use of most of its resources to help pupils learn. Improvements are needed in some teachers' ICT skills and subject knowledge, and in the consistent and good use of computers to help pupils learn. Improvements are also needed in the use of non-fiction books, computers and CD-ROM to improve pupils' research skills by Year 6. There is good use of resources to improve literacy and numeracy skills throughout the school. The school also makes good use of outside agencies to support pupils who learn in English as an additional language and those who have special educational needs.

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

79. The school's accommodation and most of its learning resources are used well to help pupils with diverse learning needs achieve well, including those who learn in English as an additional language. The school's three halls in this Victorian building and large outside hard play areas are used to good effect to teach games and to make up for the lack of grassed areas. There is good use of easily accessible rooms for pupils to receive additional and specialist learning support, for example to learn with English as an additional language or to improve their reading. There is an ICT suite that is used well most of the time throughout the day. There is room for improvement in planning to reinforce learning in this room when pupils return to use computers in their classroom when learning in other subjects. There is a satisfactory range of fiction and non-fiction books that reflect the cultural diversity of the school well.

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

80. The school enjoys very good relationships with teacher training institutions and supports trainee teachers well through the use of mentors.

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

81. The school has secure strategies in place, and works well in partnership with other schools in the Education Action Zone and with the local education authority, to provide for the diverse and challenging learning needs of its highly mobile school population. This improving school has a number of important strengths. They are:

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

• the high quality leadership and its commitment to high standards and achievements that is shared by governors and all who work in the school; • the very good practice of evaluating school improvements in order to continuously improve; • the large amount of good and better teaching, some of it excellent; • the financial management of the school; • the ways the school values and respects the rich diversity of cultures in the school and makes sure pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds are fully involved in all learning opportunities; • the very good and sometimes excellent care taken of pupils. Fulham Primary School - 30 - November 2001 82. Taking into account these strengths and

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

• the good improvement since the last inspection; • the above average cost per pupil; • improving numeracy and literacy standards of attainment of Year 6 pupils; • the good achievements of pupils, especially those who learn in English as an additional language; • the high satisfaction of parents with the quality of education the school offers;

p.30

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

the school provides good value for money. Fulham Primary School - 31 - November 2001

p.30

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

83. The headteacher, senior colleagues, governors and teachers need to:

p.31

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) ensure pupils' good achievements are maintained and improved where necessary by: • improving further the use of assessment information so that planning by class teachers reinforces more effectively the learning pupils do away from the classroom, especially for those who are in the early stages of learning in English; (Paragraphs 31, 40, 54, 57, 86, 91, 92) • making sure pupils understand their individual learning targets well, and what they have to do to improve, so that they take more responsibility for their learning; (Paragraphs 31, 49, 57, 61, 92, 129)

p.31

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) ensure improvements over the last two years in standards by Year 6 in English, mathematics and science are maintained and improved by: • continuing to evaluate school improvements; (Paragraphs 11, 13, 72) • making sure best teaching practice is spread throughout the school; (Paragraphs 13, 27, 61, 93, 124, 135)

p.31

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) raise standards by Year 6 in information and communication technology, design and technology and history by: • increasing opportunities for pupils to improve their ICT skills, including the use of computers, when learning in other subjects; (Paragraphs 38, 78, 140, 153, 154, 161, 164) • improving teachers’ ICT skills and subject knowledge; (Paragraphs 78, 163) • improving planning to teach design and technology and history; (Paragraphs 38, 161, 165)

p.31

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) improve attendance and punctuality by: • continuing to evaluate strategies to work even more effectively with parents and carers so that they understand the importance to their children's learning of regular attendance and punctuality. (Paragraphs 22, 59)

p.31

Minor issues for further improvement

84. Besides the issues identified above for school improvement, the headteacher, senior managers, governors and teachers need to improve the following minor areas for school improvement. They are: • to ensure that the plans in place to improve the playground include provision to reinforce the learning pupils in the Foundation Stage do in their classes; (Paragraph 103) • to ensure that all aspects of health and safety for pupils' are evaluated for improvements; (Paragraph 53) • to improve pupils' research skills by the end of Year 6. (Paragraphs 78, 126, 153, 154, 159, 161) Fulham Primary School - 32 - November 2001

p.31

additional language

85. Good provision for pupils who learn in English as an additional language contributes to their good achievements. The main strengths of this provision are:

p.32

additional language

• the partnership between the school and local education authority and other social and health providers; • the analysis of pupils’ learning and achievements; • the evaluation of the effectiveness of provision; • the very good provision for, and achievements of, children in the Foundation Stage; • teaching methods to help pupils learn who are not at the early stages of learning in English; • the good leadership and management of the co-ordinator.

p.32

additional language

86. There are, however, some areas for improvement in order to maintain the pupils' good achievements and improve them where necessary. They are:

p.32

additional language

• to improve the use of assessment, and other information the school gathers about pupils' learning, to plan work that is more closely linked to the National Curriculum, especially for those pupils new to the school and in the early stages of learning in English; • to improve planning so that the language demands of work provided matches more consistently the pupils' English language learning needs; • to increase learning resources.

p.32

additional language

87. There is good improvement since the last inspection, when progress was satisfactory for pupils who learn in English as an additional language. Their achievements are now very good at the Foundation Stage and good throughout the rest of the school. This is because there are now even higher expectations about what these pupils are capable of achieving, with more consistently good teaching in class and in small groups away from their classrooms.

p.32

additional language

88. The school works well in partnership with the local education authority and other social and health providers to identify and provide for the learning needs of pupils for whom English is an additional Language. There are good, sensitive procedures to introduce pupils new to the school and to make sure they settle happily to their learning. The school works well with parents to achieve this.

p.32

additional language

89. Children in the Foundation Stage of their education, achieve very well by the time they enter the school in Year 1 because they are very well taught. This very good teaching includes that of a part time specialist teacher in the Nursery for those children who are in the earliest stages of learning in English. Teachers and their well qualified and deployed learning support assistants expertly assess the children's learning needs. This very good practice leads to pupils learning from a wide variety of challenging tasks that contribute hugely to them quickly understanding and then using English. There are very good opportunities for pupils to learn through the use of English, for example when they talked about colours and events in their lives as they made candle holders for Diwali and learnt about the Hindu religious festival. Fulham Primary School - 33 - November 2001 90. The specialist teacher uses every available opportunity to make the learning of

p.32

additional language

English as interesting as possible for the children. This was seen when pupils prepared to make Diwali coconut cakes. She 'scooped' up children nearby who were more able English speakers and used them to help those who were not as good at speaking English. Together they talked and sang about the washing of their hands, the ways they put on their aprons and they eagerly learnt new words to describe the differences between the thick condensed milk they were to use and the thinner milk they drink every day. Those who were better at learning in English proudly helped others who spoke very little English. The teacher challenged them all to learn new words and phrases as she reinforced, by encouraging a constant stream of children's chatter, their understanding of past tenses whilst reviewing learning they did a little while ago. They also recalled the colours of cooking ingredients they had learnt. Very

p.33

additional language

well planned opportunities for pupils to touch, knead and roll the ingredients enabled them to learn how to express what they felt and smelt, all with very good effects on their learning in English.

p.33

additional language

91. There is a great deal of good practice throughout the school from Year 1 in the provision for pupils’ learning. Teachers and their learning support assistants often provide good support in the first language of pupils who are in the early stages of learning in English. However, there are some improvements needed in the use of assessment to make sure strategies are securely in place to maintain the pupils' good achievements, and to improve them where necessary. The school collects a wealth of useful information to evaluate and improve learning. The school is good at using assessment information to plan for each term and longer, and to evaluate pupils' achievements as they grow older. The high proportion of pupils who join the school other than at the usual times are assessed effectively to provide planning information for class teachers. Nearly half the pupils in Years 4 to 6 joined the school during Year 3. A little more than two-thirds of these pupils learn in English as an

p.33

additional language

additional language, many of them in the early stages of learning in English when they arrived at the school. All pupils who learn in English as an additional language, and who have been at the school for one year or more, achieve well by the end of Year 6.

p.33

additional language

92. The school's evaluation of its provision has alerted it to the need to improve provision further. The school has correctly identified the need to improve the assessment information class teachers receive to help them plan, especially that provided as part of the induction programme for pupils new to the school. Improvements are needed to ensure that the learning some pupils do away from the classroom is consistently well reinforced when they return to their class. The usefulness of the assessment information class teachers get from specialist teachers, and the teaching strategies sometimes suggested, are not linked closely enough to the National Curriculum requirements, and the National Literacy and Numeracy strategies, to help teachers plan. Improvements are also needed in the advice pupils receive who are competent to learn in English as an additional language, to make sure these pupils know how to

p.33

additional language

reach their individual learning targets by providing learning strategies for them to improve.

p.33

additional language

93. Throughout the school, where teaching is very good or better, challenging work matches the individual learning needs of pupils and is accompanied by effective teaching methods that improves learning. Some pupils make very good progress when explaining their learning, for example after investigations in science and mathematics. Good and sometimes very good progress is seen in some other lessons where pupils are required to explain their learning, for example in a Year 6 literacy lesson language used in newspapers and in a Year 5 and 6 personal and social education lesson. This is sometimes achieved by making sure pupils have Fulham Primary School - 34 - November 2001 good and well-understood examples of the spoken and written language they are to use, sometimes with the help of a proficient English language speaker they work with. The most successful teaching made use of pictures, artefacts and other learning aids

p.33

additional language

that pupils examine to improve their use of English. The best teaching uses a variety of probing questions to assess the pupils' learning in order to provide for their emerging learning needs in the lesson, and to reinforce previous learning in English. This very good and better teaching was seen in a Year 3 music lesson, where pupils learnt about beat and tempo whilst using some music from Africa, and in a Year 3 science lesson, where the pupils proudly demonstrated their understanding of 'permeability' when learning about rocks. The good and sometimes very good general practice of pupils writing down in alphabetical order, in a book of their own, words and phrases they need to use, helps those pupils to progress well and be included in classroom learning activities. Pupils' achievements are best where this practice is combined with analysing pupils' language needs in order to advise them more precisely about words and phrases they need to learn. This was achieved well in a

p.34

additional language

Year 3 geography lesson, where pupils made very good progress because the teacher and learning support assistant had taught them in advance the language they needed to know when reading and writing. These examples of best practice have yet to spread throughout the school, especially when teaching pupils in the early stages of learning in English.

p.34

additional language

94. The good evaluation of the effectiveness of teaching and learning resulted in improved teaching methods in Year 1. At the start of the school day, pupils enthusiastically help each improve their use of English during a time set aside to improve their thinking and speaking skills. In Year 2 literacy lessons, there are well-planned opportunities for pupils in the early stages of learning in English to check their work with a more expert English language speaker, and this contributes to both pupils learning well.

p.34

additional language

95. The school's very good provision for pupils' personal development, and the ways the school involves parents in their children’s learning, contributes significantly to pupils settling into the school quickly and wanting to learn. In addition to this, they are valued and included in all the learning opportunities the school offers. The visits by drummers from Africa, the Lyric Theatre in Education Group, and the numerous displays of pupils' work around the school that contain references to the school's rich cultural diversity, signify how valued all pupils are. All this good practice contributes to the pupils' eagerness to learn and their good achievements. Additional grants and Education Action Zone finance provides many parents with opportunities to improve their English. At the meeting with parents before the inspection, some parents praised opportunities the school provided to help them improve their spoken English,

p.34

additional language

as well as their numeracy and literacy skills, so that they can help their children learn. They appreciated the advice they get to help their children complete their homework and they demonstrated heart-warming determination to help their children learn.

p.34

additional language

96. The co-ordinator provides good support and guidance for colleagues. There are well managed arrangements to work effectively in partnership with the local education authority to provide specialist teaching, especially for pupils new to the school in the early stages of learning in English. The co-ordinator evaluates the effectiveness of provision, the curriculum, teaching and learning well, including financial arrangements to employ specialist teachers from the local education authority. It is because this self-evaluating school works well in partnership with the local education authority, that it has securely in place plans to further improve provision. In addition to these plans, there is a need to increase texts that are in English and the main languages spoken in the school. Fulham Primary School - 35 - November 2001 97. As the result of good improvements since the last inspection, the large amount of

p.34

additional language

good teaching, the good achievements of pupils, good leadership and management and the ways the school evaluates the effectiveness of provision so that it continuously improves, the school provides good value for money. Fulham Primary School - 36 - November 2001

p.35

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 20

p.36

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.36

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than percentage point.

p.36

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.36

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 41 254

p.36

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 179

p.36

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.36

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 4

p.36

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 95

p.36

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.36

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 174

p.36

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.36

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 163

p.36

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 108

p.36

Attendance

School data 5.5 School data 3.1 Fulham Primary School - 37 - November 2001 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.36

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Fulham Primary School - 38 - November 2001

p.37

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 23 19 42

p.38

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.38

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 10 10 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 14 14 12

p.38

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 57 (44) 57 (53) 57 (56) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.38

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.38

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 10 13 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 14 12 12

p.38

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 57 (50) 60 (53) 64 (56) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.38

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.38

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 19 20 39*

p.38

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.38

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 9 14 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 11 16

p.38

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 51 (41) 64 (50) 77 (63) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.38

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.38

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 9 15 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 10 12 16

p.38

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 50 (41) 69 (56) 77 (66) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.38

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. *The 39 pupils include 2 pupils new to the school from abroad who were not entered for the tests. Fulham Primary School - 39 - November 2001

p.38

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 17 Black – Caribbean heritage 1 0

p.39

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 51 Black – African heritage 1 0

p.39

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 18 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.39

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.39

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 12.9 Financial year 2000/2001

p.39

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.3

p.39

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 873,654

p.39

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 11 Expenditure per pupil 3,154

p.39

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 203.95 Balance brought forward from previous year 31,497

p.39

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year -200

p.39

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.39

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2.6

p.39

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 15.8

p.39

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4.6

p.39

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 63.54

p.39

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Fulham Primary School - 40 - November 2001

p.39

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 9.3

p.40

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 9.3

p.40

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.40

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0.2

p.40

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

p.40

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Fulham Primary School - 41 - November 2001

p.40

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.41

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.41

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 58 37 3 0 3

p.41

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 61 29 8 0 3

p.41

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 42 42 3 0 13

p.41

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 63 32 3 0 3

p.41

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 74 24 0 0 3

p.41

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 71 29 0 0 0

p.41

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 63 34 3 0 0

p.41

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 68 29 0 0 3

p.41

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 68 29 3 0 0

p.41

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 55 29 8 0 8

p.41

Results of the survey of parents and carers

A very small number of parents expressed concerns about pupils' behaviour. These parents also said that the school does not provide enough interesting activities outside lessons. Inspectors confirm that there are a few pupils with challenging behaviour, but often the very good management of these pupils' behaviour ensures their interference with other pupils' learning is kept to a minimum. Inspectors do not support those few parents who thought the school provided too few interesting activities for their children outside lessons, or that there children did not get enough homework. There is a large number of well attended activities at lunchtimes and after school on Wednesday that are open to all pupils. There is also a very good programme of educational visits that reinforces learning in class well. Pupils receive a satisfactory amount of homework. Fulham Primary School - 42 - November 2001

p.41

Introduction

98. The last inspection judged that the provision for learning in the Foundation Stage was satisfactory. It also judged teaching, learning and the management of children's learning to be good. Since the last inspection teaching has improved and is now very good and sometimes excellent. The introduction of the Foundation Stage has been very well managed and contributes to the children's very good achievements.

p.42

Introduction

99. Children are admitted into the Nursery shortly after their third birthday when they attend part-time. Depending on spaces available and the severity of their individual learning needs, some children are offered full-time placements soon after they arrive. In the term in which they are five they move into the Reception class. At the time of the inspection, 45 full-time equivalent children attended the Nursery and 14 children in the Reception class. Almost all the children did not attend playgroups before starting at the school.

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Introduction

100. In the Nursery there are two full-time teachers, two nursery nurses and one classroom assistant. In the Reception class, there are two part-time teachers and a classroom assistant. One of the teachers teaches one day a week. Very good induction ensures that children quickly settle into well-organised learning routines. Children and parents are invited to attend school before their children start the Nursery and home visits are made on request. These arrangements ensure very good partnerships with parents to help their children learn.

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Introduction

101. All children in the Nursery and Reception classes follow the nationally recommended Foundation Stage curriculum that prepares them for the National Curriculum in Year 1. The school follows closely the six areas of learning that comprise the Early Learning Goals of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Each area of learning is made up of four stages or ‘ stepping stones’ , from which both progress and standards are measured.

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Introduction

102. Children enter the Nursery class with very poor skills in all the six areas of learning. All children, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, have particularly weak skills in personal, social and emotional development. This is not surprising considering the amount of turmoil so many of them have experienced. They make very good progress because of the very good teaching they receive. The assessment of children's learning when children enter the Reception class is used well to plan. This good planning contributes to learning support assistants working as important members of an effective teaching team to provide stimulating and challenging learning activities that match individual learning needs. The very good and sometimes excellent teaching results in the good progress of well over half the pupils. They have so much to learn that by the time that

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Introduction

they start Year 1 of the National Curriculum they are well below standards expected of them nationally in all areas of learning. Nevertheless, very secure foundations have been laid for their future successful learning. Fulham Primary School - 43 - November 2001 103. There are secure, financially costed plans to extend the spacious and secure outdoor area as a resource to develop children's skills in all areas of their learning. However, plans as yet do not include improvements in provision in the outdoor area so that the learning children do in class can be reinforced in the play area, for example by them using big toys, such as tricycles and prams.

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Personal, social and emotional development

104. The vast majority of children start school with very poor personal skills. They settle very swiftly into the Nursery, relate well to staff and are eager to learn. They quickly learn the rules of acceptable behaviour and their daily routines. However, apart form the higher attaining children, they need a lot of adult help to make the best use of resources and activities provided to learn. Very good teaching provides many interesting and appropriate opportunities for children to improve their skills. For example, during a physical education lesson in the Nursery, children worked with another child taking turns to catch each other. At first they were unsure what to do, but once shown what to do they soon learnt how to outwit their partners. They are enthusiastic learners. This was seen when a group of children eagerly looked at glittering articles on a display. Although unable to name ‘gold and silver’, they were

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Personal, social and emotional development

excited by the ‘shininess’ and wanted to learn the names of colours.

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Personal, social and emotional development

105. By the time they move to the Reception class, about two-thirds of them achieve the first step or ‘stepping stone’ in their learning. This good achievement is maintained in the Reception class. They separate from their parent or carer with confidence and gain a real sense of belonging to their classroom. The children show great care and concern for the pet rabbit ‘Diamond’ and they clearly understand the need to feed and clean him. Higher attaining children progress well in taking responsibility for their learning by occasionally selecting their resources, but most of the others need help to do this. Although almost all of them work enthusiastically along side each other, they have few skills to co-operate so that they learn together.

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Personal, social and emotional development

106. When they join the main school to start Year 1 of the National Curriculum their standards are well below those expected for their age. About half of them are working within the second stage or ‘ stepping stones ’ of the Foundation Stage curriculum.

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Communication, language and literacy

107. Teachers and nursery nurses correctly spend much time improving the English speaking and listening of children who enter the Nursery and Reception classes. Very good teaching contributes to the vast majority of children making very good progress when learning new words as they improve their English language skills. Children whose first language is English receive challenging work so that they also make good progress in their language skills. By the time that they move into the Reception class, children who learn in English as an additional language express themselves simply and well in English. They enjoy listening to stories. They make good progress in their ability to talk about, and to follow, the plot in a story read to them. They soon learn that print has meaning. Higher attaining Reception children identify ‘ch’ words they are shown. These children also use variety in their tone of voice when asking questions.

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Communication, language and literacy

This was evident when they learnt what a ‘riddle’ was whilst responding correctly to the teacher's probing questions. Higher attaining children in the Nursery recognise initial sounds such as ‘g’ and ‘l’, and higher attaining Reception children recognise simple words. The vast majority of the Nursery children make marks on paper, but none of them write independently. About a quarter of the children are learning to hold pens, pencils and crayons correctly. In the Reception class, higher and average Fulham Primary School - 44 - November 2001 attaining children are at the early stages of writing independently as they write over the writing adults do with them. Children grow in confidence because of the praise that they receive for their efforts. Although their words and letters are almost unrecognisable, they proudly read what they write.

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Communication, language and literacy

108. Good use is made of information and communication technology to improve learning. For example, the children have ‘ch’ books that contain pictures retrieved by computer from a word dictionary program. One or two children identify the initial sound in their name. For instance, one child knew his name began with a ‘b’ sound, whilst another recognised the ‘ch’ sound at the beginning of his. Lower attaining children are unsure what the sounds in their name look like.

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Communication, language and literacy

109. All the children achieve well by the time that they enter Year 1 of the National Curriculum, although they are still on the early ‘ stepping stone' for this area of learning, and this is well below the standard expected nationally for their age.

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Mathematical development

110. Children start the Nursery with very poor mathematical skills. Very good teaching contributes to the good achievements of pupils with different learning needs, including those with special educational needs and those who learn in English as an additional language. Higher attaining children recognise and write numbers up to seven. They progress well to trace over numbers but are unable to write them independently. One or two of these children recognise simple two-dimensional shapes, such as a square, triangle, rectangle or circle and relate these shapes to everyday experiences. Average attaining children recognise numbers up to four but are unable to copy over numbers. The vast majority of children do not have the English vocabulary or everyday experience to remember common mathematical words. Higher attaining Reception children independently draw simple sets of shapes up to seven, add on ‘one more’ and recognise simple two-dimensional shapes. One child counts to 50

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Mathematical development

unaided and recognises shapes such as triangles, squares and circles.

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Mathematical development

111. Although the children achieve well mathematically, by the time they start Year 1 of the National Curriculum, they are still working within the second stage or ‘ stepping stone’ of the Foundation Stage curriculum, which is well below the standard expected nationally for their age.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

112. Children start the Nursery with a very low level of understanding about the world around them, including those whose first language is English. They achieve well in this area of learning in both the Nursery and the Reception classes, but they still reach levels well below that expected by the time that they start Year 1 of the National Curriculum. This is despite very good and some excellent teaching. Many children are new to this country, have experienced much turmoil and come from places where there is little or no schooling, all of which partly explains why these children have such little understanding and knowledge of the world. Good teaching and children’s eagerness to learn means that by the time they are in the Reception class these and other children have progressed well in their understanding of the immediate world around them. They talk about how people in their school help them. Many pupils with

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

diverse learning needs, and those in the early stages of learning in English, have difficulty talking in English about school visits, although they are eager to talk to visitors, each other and their teachers. They make good progress in their awareness of the cultures different to their own because of very well taught and planned Fulham Primary School - 45 - November 2001 opportunities to improve this area of their learning. This was seen in a very good lesson when Nursery children talked about the Hindu Festival of Light as they made Diwali lamps. In Reception, pupils sat in a circle in front of a display of Diwali artefacts learning about this Hindu festival as they handled traditional Indian musical instruments. At the end of the lesson they sat in wide-eyed fascination as the candles on the display were lit in their darkened classroom. Foundation Stage children made traditional Diva lamps. The children in Nursery also participated in an assembly about

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

Diwali and this had a very good impact on their learning, especially those in the early stages of learning in English because it gave them so much to actually talk about.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

113. In the Nursery, about seven children control simple computer programs, which they use well to learn. Over half the children fasten pieces of construction together to make models, small plastic people, buildings and simple road maps to improve their understanding of the world around them. The teachers' good practice of providing a very stimulating learning environment with many good opportunities for pupils to talk about their learning contributes significantly to the very good achievements of these children. An example of good learning provision was seen when a child was completely absorbed in examining her features in a large mirror in the ‘dressing-up’ area.

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Physical development

114. Well over half the children enter the Foundation Stage with very poorly developed physical skills, but they achieve well by the time they enter the school in Year 1.

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Physical development

115. Children in the Nursery are gradually improving their ability to find spaces in the hall. They learn to stop when asked and to follow instructions so that they learn. They progress well in listening and responding to different types of music in order to move their bodies imaginatively to the varying musical beats. They learn the difference between walking, marching and skipping. Children with different learning needs achieve well because of the very good teaching they receive, although some of their movements are not well co-ordinated and their awareness of space is weak. All staff work very closely together to help the children learn and to ensure that all are fully included in the lesson. This good practice was seen when a member of staff quickly spotted a child who was not involved in the activity and rapidly encouraged the child to participate by holding her hand as they moved to the music together.

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Physical development

116. The children continue to achieve well when they enter the Reception class because teaching here is also very good. A good lesson was observed in the hall where children made good progress in understanding the importance of 'warming up' before physical exercise. In this lesson, the children improved their ability to skip, jump and hop. Although the teacher made very good use of her voice by explaining Fulham Primary School - 46 - November 2001 actions to be taken in response to a ‘loud’ or ‘soft’ voice, it was clear that a significant number of children took some time to understand and then respond to the English instructions.

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Physical development

117. By the time the children start Year 1, they are on the second stage or ‘stepping stone’ of the Foundation Stage curriculum, and so are well below the standard expected of them nationally.

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Creative development

118. Many children start Nursery with very few creative experiences. Many come from families who are new to this country, and have been through traumatic times, with few of the opportunities so many other children in this country have to play, draw, paint and make things. However, they quickly learn to draw with crayons. Very good teaching enables the children to have rich learning experiences using a wide variety of different paints. For example, teachers and learning support assistants teach the children to use watery paint to create the effect of ‘rainbow pictures’, which inspires the children to achieve more and gives them a lot to talk about. This experience, so typical of the high quality teaching the children receive, contributes enormously to the very good achievements of children in the early stages of learning in English and those with special educational needs. The few higher attaining children draw people

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Creative development

with arms and legs and faces that smile and have a nose and ears. They also use different coloured crayons well to illustrate the yellow sun shining or the rain pouring down. In the Reception class, children use blocks of wood glued together to make a house and they paint on features, such as windows and doors. This type of activity provides many good, and some very good opportunities for pupils to improve their English vocabulary. Teachers are very good at planning challenging creative activities around topics that interest children with different learning needs and levels of attainment. For instance, when teaching about ‘Diwali’, excellent opportunities were provided for children to improve their creative skills. They made up small plays, made 'rangoli' patterns' and they made and decorated Diwali lamps as well as glittering pictures. They enjoy and appreciate different types of music from around the world.

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Creative development

For example, they liked listening to ‘Morning’ by Peer Gynt and described it as ‘making me all calm’ or ‘wanting to dance when it went ting, ting’. They also enjoy singing simple songs and action rhymes.

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Creative development

119. Although achievements are good, by the time the children join the main school in Year 1 they have not achieved all the nationally agreed early learning goals in this area of learning and so their standards are well below those expected nationally for their age.

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ENGLISH

120. The Year 6 2001 Year National Test results show that the proportion of pupils reaching or exceeding national standards was very low and in the bottom five per cent in comparison with the national average and similar schools across the country. Inspection findings show that standards are improving and the school is unlikely to remain in the bottom five per cent in comparison with all schools nationally. Many factors that contribute to the school's low standards are outside the control of the school, not least the 90 per cent of pupils who leave or join the school other than at the usual times, the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and over 33 per cent of pupils who learn in English as an additional language, many of them are in the early stages. The school's rigorous evaluation of the results of national and other tests, resulted in strategies that led to an improvement in the 2001 National Test

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ENGLISH

results compared to those of 2000. This improving trend follows a time between 1997 Fulham Primary School - 47 - November 2001 and 1999 when National Test results showed no significant improvements in standards. These recent improvements are due to school improvement strategies to improve writing. Inspection evidence shows that achievements are good for pupils with different learning needs and those with different levels of attainment, including pupils with special educational needs, those who learn in English as an additional language and the pupils from Travellers' families.

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ENGLISH

121. National Tests for Year 2 pupils over the last four years show that, in all aspects of learning, the girls outperformed the boys considerably. Girls appear to learn more quickly than boys do when learning in English as an additional language. The school's good strategies to improve boys' learning have resulted in boys' standards moving closer to those of the girls'. By Year 6 there is no significant difference between the attainment of boys and girls.

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ENGLISH

122. Pupils enter the school in Year 1 with very low literacy standards. Pupils who learn in English as an additional language join the school throughout the year and few of them who join the school in Year 1 remain at the school until they leave in Year 6. Pupils who stay at the school for more than a year achieve well in all aspects of their learning. Those who do reach standards that match those expected nationally by the time they leave the school.

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ENGLISH

123. The large amount of good and better teaching contributes to the good achievements of pupils soon after they join the school and by Year 2 and Year 6. Out of 17 lessons seen, two were excellent, 10 were good or very good, four were satisfactory and one lesson was unsatisfactory.

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ENGLISH

124. By Year 6, the pupils’ standards of attainment in speaking and listening are below those expected for their age. High quality teaching of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds, successfully includes them in class discussions where teachers and their assistants value their ideas. Teachers provide numerous opportunities for pupils to contribute ideas, for example, when they share learning objectives with them at the start of lessons and when reviewing learning with the whole class at the end of lessons. These opportunities are used well alongside strategies for pupils to use vocabulary books to record words they need to use and learn. As a result of all this good practice, pupils grow in confidence to learn. Good use of a school policy that contains good, practical planning guidance ensures teachers throughout the school improve pupils' speaking and listening skills well. Where teaching is very good or

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ENGLISH

excellent, well planned and challenging opportunities are provided for pupils to explain their learning to each other and to the class, with exemplary use of probing questions and advice to improve their use of English. This best practice was seen in a Year 5 and 6 lesson where very well chosen and managed texts and photographs about a Gambian island led to thoughtful discussions about slavery. School assemblies also provide good opportunities for pupils to improve their speaking and listening skills, particularly for those who learn in English as an additional language. This was seen in an assembly for pupils in the Reception class and in Years 1 and 2, where pupils acted out the Hindu religious story of Diwali. In an excellent Year 2 lesson about sentences, and in a very good Year 4 lesson about different writing styles, some excellent advice and challenging questions meant that pupils with different learning

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ENGLISH

needs progressed at least very well when reviewing their learning in order to improve. In one lesson, the very good use of 'peer conferencing', where pupils carefully follow the advice of the teacher to review their learning in small groups, had very good effects on their learning and in the use of English for those who learn in English as an additional language. However, this very good practice has yet to spread throughout the school in order to improve further pupils' speaking and listening skills. Fulham Primary School - 48 - November 2001 125. By Year 6, reading standards are well below those expected nationally. In Years 1 and 2, teachers plan many opportunities in English and other lessons for pupils to improve their reading skills. There is additional provision for pupils with special educational needs who have reading difficulties and for those who achieve satisfactorily in other areas of their learning but find reading difficult. There is also additional provision to

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ENGLISH

help pupils who are in the early stages of learning in English to read in English. This very well planned variety of learning opportunities contributes significantly to pupils with different learning needs and levels of attainment enjoying books and being eager to improve their reading skills. By Year 2, average attaining pupils satisfactorily recall the plot of stories read. They talk confidently about what they like and dislike, with higher attaining pupils referring to the text to justify their opinions. Higher attaining, and some average attaining pupils, are good at sounding out parts of unfamiliar words in order to make sense of them. Lower attaining pupils do not have good enough knowledge of the sounds of individual or groups of letters to sound out words unfamiliar to them. By Year 6, higher attaining pupils use a range of strategies well to help them read and they refer to texts when expressing preferences and offering

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ENGLISH

opinions. They are good at predicting what may happen next in stories. The best readers are those who have been at the school since Year 2 and their standards match those expected nationally. Few pupils have reading or English language skills to fully appreciate why the author chose particular words or phrases when describing events or characters. Although for so many pupils learning to read in English as an additional language is a great challenge for them, the very good advice and support they receive inspires them to work hard to improve. Teachers use a good range of effective teaching methods to ensure their good achievements. They receive individual help, they read alongside others who are better than they are and they read in groups. In literacy lessons their learning is supported well by learning support assistants and the intensive teaching they receive as part of the national literacy strategy. In addition to all this good and often better practice, pupils take books home

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ENGLISH

to read every day with good use in most classes of reading record books that provide advice for parents about how they can help their children improve.

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ENGLISH

126. An area for improvement is the unsatisfactory research skills of Year 6 pupils. For example, too many of them have little understanding of what a glossary is or how a library is organised to classify books by subject. There is unsatisfactory improvement since the last inspection in school library provision to teach library and research skills for Year 6 pupils in preparation for the next stage in their education. There are too few books in both English and another language spoken by pupils in the school to help those who learn in English as an additional language improve.

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ENGLISH

127. Writing standards by Year 6 are below those expected nationally, but they are improving and pupils' achieve well. By Year 2, higher attaining pupils write simple sentences with correct punctuation. They spell most simple common words accurately and pupils whose first language is English use a satisfactory range of vocabulary, which some do imaginatively at times. So many pupils are learning in English as an additional language that they are not yet able to sustain or develop ideas in English. Although spelling is poor for many of these pupils, as it is for those who have special educational needs, they make good progress in lessons.

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ENGLISH

128. There is very good progress from Year 1 to 2 in pupils' handwriting because of the consistently good teaching that pupils receive to improve this skill in all subjects. By the end of Year 2, two-thirds of the pupils join up their writing. Whenever pupils join the school, good and sometimes very good teaching of handwriting helps them improve rapidly. By Year 6, higher attaining pupils, many of whom have been in the Fulham Primary School - 49 - November 2001 school for no more than two years, confidently use different types of writing, for example to describe events, to write as if a journalist and to sustain and develop ideas imaginatively when writing stories and poems. Pupils with different learning needs and levels of attainment enjoy writing poetry, and their good efforts are seen displayed throughout the school. The school's very good celebration of pupils' efforts and achievements, as well as the good teaching and high expectations by teachers about

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ENGLISH

what pupils can achieve, lead to them eagerly wanting to improve. They work hard to improve their imaginative use of English. This was seen in a Year 6 class, when they imaginatively recreated Macbeth's witches' speech. Teachers use pictures, artefacts which pupils can touch, music and educational visits to improve pupils vocabulary and writing. Pupils with diverse learning needs achieve well all the time, but despite the high quality teaching they receive, by Year 6 over half of them do not have the skills to write in ways that hold the attention of the reader.

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ENGLISH

129. A lot of teaching is good and sometimes it is very good and occasionally it is excellent. The best teaching occurs in Years 3 to 6. A significant feature of good and better teaching is the advice and encouragement most pupils get from teachers' marking of their work, or in the discussions they have with teachers about their work. This includes homework that prepares them well for the next stage in their learning and often matches their learning needs. In addition, literacy skills are reinforced well in other subjects and this contributes to the pupils' good achievements and eagerness to improve. Where teaching is most successful, lessons begin by making sure pupils, with different learning needs and attainment, know not only what they have to learn, but what they need to do to learn. Lessons end with pupils evaluating their learning and deciding what they need to do next to improve. Good and better

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ENGLISH

teaching uses probing questions to find out how well pupils are learning. Information gathered is then used to meet emerging learning needs as the lesson progresses. Good use of probing questions was seen in a Year 2 writing lesson that enabled pupils to build upon their previous learning to improve their writing. In this lesson, pupils with special educational needs and those who learn in English as an additional language made very good progress because the teacher made sure they practised writing skills and understood the vocabulary they were to use before applying them successfully to the tasks they were given. This lesson was typical of so many others in the ways the teacher and learning support assistant made sure pupils from different ethnic backgrounds were fully involved in all learning opportunities. Throughout the school, teachers use their good subject knowledge to plan the effective use of dictionaries, and to manage well the vocabulary book each pupil has

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ENGLISH

to increase their vocabulary and use of English. On the few occasions when teaching is less successful, pupils produce too little work because their behaviour is inconsistently managed, challenging work is not well matched to their different Fulham Primary School - 50 - November 2001 learning needs and some pupils do not fully understand what they have to learn. It is mainly in these lessons that pupils do not fully understand their individual learning targets and what they need to do to improve.

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ENGLISH

130. The co-ordinator provides very good support and advice for colleagues, and has an action plan based on school improvement priorities to raise standards further by Year 6. Standards are improving because the co-ordinator evaluates the effectiveness of teaching, learning, the curriculum and learning resources. The school uses the literacy framework and policies for writing and speaking and listening well to improve standards. Whilst teachers use resources well to help pupils learn, there are too few factual books.

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MATHEMATICS

131. The Year 6 2001 National Test results show that the proportion of pupils reaching and exceeding standards expected for their age was well below the national average. Between 1997 and 1999, standards for Year 6 pupils declined, but since then standards have risen steeply. In 2001, 13 per cent of Year 6 pupils exceeded standards expected nationally for their age, which is a great improvement upon the 2000 National Test results when no pupil exceeded national standards expected for their age. This improvement means that, in comparison with similar schools across the country, the proportion of pupils reaching or exceeding standards expected nationally is above the national average. National information about the school shows that the school is improving at the same rate as most schools across the country. However, if the National Test results for Year 6 pupils who have been at the school for less than a year are omitted from the analysis of the school's results, achievement is

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MATHEMATICS

better than the national average when compared to their prior attainment and with pupils from similar schools. Inspection evidence confirms this good rate of progress and achievements of Year 6 pupils, and it indicates that more of them ought to reach or exceed national expected standards in the 2002 National Tests than they did in the 2001 National Tests. Taking into account the high mobility of pupils who learn with English as an additional language, their achievements are good. Pupils with special educational needs and pupils from Travellers' families achieve well. Inspection evidence found no significant difference in attainment or achievement between boys and girls by Year 6 or between pupils from different ethnic or cultural backgrounds.

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MATHEMATICS

132. The effective provision for pupils with special educational needs throughout the school contributes to their good progress. Teachers work closely with well qualified and deployed learning support assistants to help these pupils learn. Additional teaching to boost the attainment of under-achieving and low attaining pupils in Years 1 and 6 contributes to these pupils' good progress.

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MATHEMATICS

133. Pupils have good attitudes to their work and almost all of them behave well. They particularly enjoy mental mathematics. They are more confident in written than in oral work, mainly because so many of them find it challenging to explain their learning in English as their additional language. As pupils grow older, opportunities increase for them to work together and this increases their confidence and skills to learn in English and so they achieve well.

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MATHEMATICS

134. Eleven lessons were observed. Three were very good, six were good and two were satisfactory. This large amount of good and better teaching represents a good improvement since the last inspection. Teachers now make sure pupils with different learning needs know what they have to learn at the start of each lesson and they are good at evaluating learning with the class at the end of lessons so that they know Fulham Primary School - 51 - November 2001 what they need to do to improve. Teachers use their good subject knowledge to plan effectively together. Good assessment of pupils' learning is used well to plan. All this good and better practice contributes greatly to pupils with diverse learning needs and levels of attainment receiving challenging work in lessons they enjoy that are conducted at a demanding pace. Sometimes in Year 1 and 2 classes, pupils who are in the early stages of learning with English have not always acquired enough

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MATHEMATICS

mathematical language to understand their learning targets. In addition, learning tasks do not match the different learning needs of these and other pupils well enough sometimes to challenge them consistently. For example, some Year 2 pupils recorded their number work without fully understanding what they were doing or the mathematical language they were using. The marking of written work, or the advice pupils receive when talking with the teacher about their completed tasks, does not always provide clear enough practical guidance for them to improve. The good or better lessons provide good advice and all pupils are challenged to think for themselves so that they learn from their mistakes. Well chosen and varied teaching methods sustain pupils' interest whilst the skilful use of probing questions, that are based on previous learning, makes sure pupils’ progress is good. In Year 3 and 4, pupils consolidate learning very well by explaining to the class the different strategies

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MATHEMATICS

they use when adding and subtracting. This very good practice improves the learning of pupils with different levels of attainment, and especially that of pupils who learn in English as an additional language. In a Year 5 and 6 class, pupils achieved well during mathematical experiments when learning to calculate the length of a perimeter and the area of a shape because good advice and challenging tasks matched their learning needs. Using string, a mathematical game and mats, groups of pupils eagerly carried out mathematical investigations before explaining their learning to others. In Years 3 to 6, pupils receive very good advice to improve when teachers mark their work, including homework that prepares them well for the next stage in their learning. This inspires pupils to work hard and achieve well.

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MATHEMATICS

135. Throughout the school, most teachers are very good at managing mental mathematics sessions at the start of lessons. This very good practice improves pupils' knowledge and the strategies they need to use to calculate mentally. Where the good and better teaching provides opportunities for pupils to explain their learning, pupils make good progress, especially those who learn in English as an additional language. Higher attaining Year 2 and Year 6 pupils’ mental mathematical skills are satisfactory, but other pupils' lack confidence when using multiplication and division. There is as yet no guidance to make sure that the good practice to reinforce numeracy skills seen in science, history and geography lessons spreads throughout the school. Literacy skills are effectively reinforced throughout the school to improve writing when recording work and explaining learning. Listening and speaking skills are

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MATHEMATICS

reinforced well in many lessons with good effects on the achievements of pupils who learn in English as an additional language.

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MATHEMATICS

136. Leadership and management of the subject are good. The co-ordinator provides very good advice and support to colleagues through information gathered by evaluating the effectiveness of teaching, learning, the curriculum and resources. Particularly good practice that informs planning is the exercise teachers do together each term to evaluate a cross-section pupils' work in each class to plan Fulham Primary School - 52 - November 2001 improvements. In order to have these strategies to raise standards securely in place, improvements are needed in the use of assessment information gathered when marking work, questioning and testing pupils in order to plan for each week.

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SCIENCE

137. The 2001 Year 6 National Test results show that, despite a steep rise in standards over the last two years, the proportion of pupils reaching and exceeding national standards is well below the national average and below the average for similar schools across the country. Between 1997 and 1999, Year 6 National Test results declined, but over the last two years there is considerable improvement. The Year 6 2001 National Test results were the highest for five years. The 2000 National Test results showed 63 per cent of pupils reaching and exceeding national standards and this rose in 2001 to 77 per cent, with 10 per cent of Year 6 pupils exceeding the national standards expected. Inspection evidence confirms this continuous improvement in standards and the good achievements of pupils. Standards are also rising by the end of Year 2, although they are well below national standards expected.

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SCIENCE

138. Throughout the school, pupils achieve well, and this represents good progress since the last inspection. The very high proportion of pupils who join or leave the school other than at the usual times is a constant challenge for the school in its drive for continuous improvement. Very well analysed assessment information completed as soon as pupils' join the school informs planning very effectively so that pupils who remain at the school for more than a year achieve very well, including those who learn in English as an additional language. Pupils with special educational needs and those from Travellers' families achieve well because of the good support they receive. There is no significant difference between the achievements and attainment of boys and girls and between pupils from different ethnic backgrounds and cultures.

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SCIENCE

139. Most teaching is very good and it is never unsatisfactory. Much work pupils do in class and for homework is marked well so that pupils with different learning needs know what they need to do to improve. Where teaching is very good, teachers skilfully use a variety of challenging and practical tasks that match the pupils' different learning needs, especially for those who learn in English as an additional language. By the end of Year 2, pupils understand the need for animals to eat the right food, have shelter and warmth so that they grow, are healthy and reproduce. Higher attaining pupils progress well in understanding why humans, although still animals, are able to make changes through talking and using tools. Year 2 pupils discuss their work thoughtfully in groups, devise fair tests and undertake experiments to test their predictions. The recording of work for well over half the pupils throughout the school

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SCIENCE

is unsatisfactory, but improving due to the consistent use of strategies learnt in literacy lessons to improve writing. Throughout the school, teachers' well-designed worksheets provide good advice for pupils to improve their writing when recording their findings. Even less successful, but nevertheless satisfactory teaching, provides good opportunities for pupils with different learning needs, including higher attaining pupils, to improve their scientific language continuously as they grow older. An example of very good teaching was seen when Year 3 pupils investigated the permeability of different types of rocks. This lesson was typical of others in the ways the teacher managed pupils' behaviour and learning by setting high expectations about what pupils with diverse leaning needs are capable of achieving through the skilful use of praise and challenge. This contributed to pupils producing much work as

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SCIENCE

they recorded and analysed their findings. By Year 6, very well taught practical work in this and previous years ensures that all pupils have the skills, knowledge and scientific language to tackle challenging work eagerly. In good and better lessons, Fulham Primary School - 53 - November 2001 pupils with special educational needs and those who learn in English as an additional language were guided step by step through their learning so that they made very good progress. This was seen in a Year 5 and 6 lesson when pupils purified water. Probing questions, and advice when they worked in groups, made sure they were always fully involved and included in the lesson's learning opportunities. In this and other lessons, teachers increase pupils' confidence in their ability to improve by valuing their contributions in discussions and when marking work. Pupils with different learning needs and levels of attainment respond eagerly to advice on how

p.52

SCIENCE

140. An area for improvement, even for very good teaching, is to increase opportunities for pupils to use computers and control technology to learn, especially for those in the early stages of learning in English.

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SCIENCE

141. Teachers and learning support assistants work well as a team assessing learning in order to plan challenging work that interests pupils and reinforces their numeracy and literacy skills. Pupils calculate when carrying out scientific investigations and many opportunities are provided for them to improve their handwriting, punctuation, spelling and organisation of work.

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SCIENCE

142. The co-ordinator is good at evaluating the effectiveness of teaching, learning, the curriculum and the use of resources to help pupils learn. The information gathered is used well to advise and support colleagues. There are plans for a week of science activities throughout the school as part of the school's involvement in Science Year 2002. The co-ordinator has an action plan for improvements, including the use of computers and information technology to help pupils learn.

p.53

ART AND DESIGN

143. By Years 2 and 6, pupils’ attainment matches national expectations. This is a good improvement since the last inspection, when standards where below those expected nationally for Year 6 pupils. Pupils' achievements are satisfactory, including those with special educational needs, those who learn in English as an additional language and pupils from Travellers' families. There is no significant difference between the achievements and attainment of boys and girls and between pupils from different ethnic backgrounds and cultures.

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ART AND DESIGN

144. By the end of Year 2, pupils have satisfactory observational drawing skills, as seen in work that identified key elements in the outline of a church they visited. Teachers provide good advice and demonstrations to make sure pupils use the whole page when sketching and they use different shades of paper to create patterns. Throughout the school, pupils use sketchbooks well to gather ideas and try out designs. They make satisfactory progress when learning collage techniques. As they grow older, they learn a range of techniques and styles, often using the work of other artists to inspire them. From the work of other artists, they satisfactorily learn techniques to express ideas and feelings. From Year 3, they use sketchbooks well to improve their techniques. Achievement is good when challenging work, and individual learning support, matches the learning needs of pupils with special educational needs and

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ART AND DESIGN

those who learn in English as an additional language. By the end of Year 6, pupils continue to build on skills acquired earlier. They study the styles of impressionist artists to produce pastel drawings, for example water scenes using the technique of Renoir and other paintings based on pointillist techniques inspired by the paintings of Pissaro and Seurat. They experiment with the use of colours and use computer programs to produce paintings in the style of Pissaro. They use charcoal to produce Fulham Primary School - 54 - November 2001 a range of different effects. There is much good work around the school showing experiments with colours as a result of pupils working with a local artist.

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ART AND DESIGN

145. Most teaching is satisfactory, occasionally good and never unsatisfactory. This represents a good improvement since the last inspection. Teachers have satisfactory subject knowledge. They introduce lessons well so that pupils with diverse learning needs know what they have to learn, and they are often good at evaluating pupils' learning with them at the end of lessons. When teaching is good, teachers explain complicated ideas well to pupils, with good effects on the progress of pupils who learn in English as an additional language. Behaviour and learning is effectively managed in well-organised lessons that contribute to the good use of time so that most pupils produce a lot of work. Where teaching is less effective, work does not match some pupils' learning needs and so it is either too easy or too hard for them, especially for those with English as an additional language.

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ART AND DESIGN

146. The school has plans to improve standards, although the co-ordinator is on long term sick leave. For example, there are plans to introduce fully the national guidelines for planning by September 2002, and to improve the effectiveness of evaluating teaching, learning and the curriculum to improve standards throughout the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

147. Standards match national expectations at the end of Year 2 and all pupils, including those with special educational needs and others who learn in English as an additional language, make good progress in Years 1 and 2. Standards at the end of Year 6 are below national expectations because progress from Years 3 to 6 is unsatisfactory. This is a similar picture to the standards reported at the last inspection and so progress since then is unsatisfactory. Analysis of pupils' work shows no significant difference between the achievements and attainment of boys and girls and between pupils from different ethnic backgrounds and cultures.

p.54

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

148. During the inspection no lessons were seen. Judgements are based on the analysis of teachers' planning, discussions with pupils and previously completed work. In Years 1 and 2, pupils successfully clarify their ideas for making a product through class and group discussion. Having decided how to proceed, pupils confidently identify items they need to make a product. They choose from a range of suitable materials, such as paper, card, and wood. They satisfactorily use tools, such as scissors when making their product. For example, Year 2 pupils designed a ‘coat of many colours’ using the biblical theme of Joseph. They planned their work satisfactorily using a pattern and identified both materials and tools required. Materials were cut and joined together accurately, using glue or stitching. The pupils' good evaluation of their work led to them to comment confidently on how they might improve their design. One pupil acknowledged that ‘cutting was difficult’ whilst

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

another felt that ‘next time I could do better’. Fulham Primary School - 55 - November 2001 149. In Years 3 to 6, the pupils successfully make wheeled constructions with moving parts. They draw satisfactory and appropriate plans for making an item. Having completed their plans, pupils choose from materials such as wood, electrical components and they correctly select the tools for the task, including saws and hammers. They successfully measure, cut and shape materials and join them with items such as glue and nails. They finish off their work well at times, for example by using paint, confidently seeking ways to improve by evaluating their work as they go along and when they have finished. Year 6 pupils talk enthusiastically about their lessons, for example, when explaining how they used a temporarily malleable material to make a mask, including the tools they used to create mask shapes before clay was

p.54

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

used. They explained how they designed cards using laptop computers and how they needed to produce it upside down so that it folds accurately. However, when discussing their work they did not explain well enough what they need to do to ensure they correctly select the most appropriate materials for their designs. They also had too little knowledge about how to evaluate their work and to use the information they gather to improve their learning and subsequent products. Their ability to generate ideas, continuously improve their plans and independently choose equipment is unsatisfactory.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

150. Good use is made of the satisfactory subject planing guidance use by teachers to plan. The very enthusiastic co-ordinator has good knowledge of the quality of teaching and learning throughout the school. She evaluates the effectiveness of teaching, learning and the curriculum well. As a result, she has identified urgent improvements needed in the use of assessment to plan consistently challenging work throughout the school that matches pupils' different learning needs in order to raise standards. Planning provides good opportunities for pupils to reinforce literacy skills when doing written work, in line with the priority to improve writing in the school's improvement plan. Measuring activities, such as cutting wood accurately, and calculating amounts of materials to use, satisfactorily reinforces numeracy skills. Satisfactory use is also made of information and communication technology when pupils connect their

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

moving designs to a computer program. Satisfactory use is made of an appropriate range of resources to help pupils learn. Good use is made of a nearby specialist technology centre where pupils in Years 3 to 6 learn about a wide variety of making activities and the use of different tools.

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GEOGRAPHY

151. At the end of Year 6, standards match those expected nationally. Year 6 pupils who have been at the school for more than a year make good progress and achieve standards close to those of other pupils. By the end of Year 2, pupils achieve well and reach the standards that are only just below those expected nationally. Throughout the school, pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. Pupils who learn in English as an additional language achieve well, often due to their wealth of experiences in different countries, which they share enthusiastically with other pupils. Pupils from Traveller' families also achieve well throughout the school. There is no significant difference in attainment or achievement between boys and girls and between pupils from different ethnic backgrounds. Planning shows that all pupils have similar opportunities to learn and do well irrespective of their ethnicity or culture, although at times higher attaining pupils do not

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GEOGRAPHY

receive enough consistently challenging work. Fulham Primary School - 56 - November 2001 152. There is satisfactory improvement since the last inspection in teachers’ planning, in the regular evaluation of pupils' work and in the use of assessment information to measure pupils' progress and achievements.

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GEOGRAPHY

153. Most teaching is good; it is sometimes satisfactory and never unsatisfactory. The good teaching improves the use and understanding of geographical language, with good effects on the achievements of pupils who learn in English as an additional language. Consequently, pupils who have been at the school for a year or more make good progress, and sometimes their progress is very good. One of the reasons why progress and achievements are so good is because teachers' good subject knowledge contributes to effective and sometimes imaginative planning, and they use a wide range of teaching methods well to help pupils' learn. However, whilst computers are used at times throughout the school to help pupils learn, this resource is not used consistently well enough to improve pupils' research skills over time or to provide challenging work for higher attaining pupils. Teachers plan well together to improve pupils' learning over time, as well as provide opportunities for pupils new to

p.56

GEOGRAPHY

the school to catch up with others. A good Year 3 and 4 lesson of predominately Year 3 pupils, revisited work they had completed more than a year ago to make sure pupils with different learning needs fully understood how to improve their map reading skills in order to identify geographical features whilst planning an imaginary journey. The good teaching throughout the school consistently manages pupils' behaviour well to set high expectations about what pupils are capable of achieving. Teachers make sure pupils know what they have to learn at the start of lessons and they evaluate learning with the class at the end. Learning support assistants are deployed well to help pupils learn. Challenging and interesting work matches the different learning needs of pupils, with good use of resources to sustain their interest. This was seen in a Year 2 lesson about route planning, where pupils used photographs taken during a

p.56

GEOGRAPHY

walk around the locality to plan a journey. Back in class, pupils enthusiastically shot their arms in the air to respond to questions and throughout the lesson they were engrossed in their tasks. This was also seen in a Year 1 lesson, when pupils studied an imaginary island to learn about geographical features. Even when teaching is weaker, although it is never unsatisfactory, there are good links between subjects so that leaning is constantly reinforced. Good teaching in Year 5 and 6 ensures historical skills and knowledge are reinforced well when studying features in the locality, and when learning about different types of villages when studying the physical and environmental features of Gambia. In this and many other lessons, numeracy and literacy skills are reinforced well. For example, Year 1 pupils demonstrated their good learning about their different routes to and from school when presenting their findings

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GEOGRAPHY

using drawings, photographs, bar graphs and written work. Teachers are good at using pupils' experiences and knowledge of other countries to help them learn. This good practice makes them feel valued so that they want to do well.

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GEOGRAPHY

154. The subject is managed satisfactorily. Although the co-ordinator had been in post for less than a term at the time of inspection she understood well the need to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching, learning, the curriculum and the use of resources to help pupils learn. This resulted in plans to improve further satisfactory learning resources and the need to use computers more effectively to help pupils improve their research skills as they grow older. Higher attaining pupils throughout the school sometimes receive work that is not challenging enough for them. Fulham Primary School - 57 - November 2001

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HISTORY

155. No history teaching was planned during the week of inspection. Judgements are based on an analysis of pupils' work in their books and on display, analysis of planning and discussions with teachers, pupils and the subject co-ordinator.

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HISTORY

156. By the end of Year 6, standards of attainment are below national expectations, as they are by the end of Year 2. Standards have fallen a little since the last inspection, mainly due to the much larger proportion of pupils joining and leaving the school other than at the usual times and the large increase in the proportion of pupils who now learn in English as an additional language. Whilst standards by Year 6 have fallen since the last inspection, inspectors judge that progress since the last inspection is satisfactory because so many of the pupils who have been at the school for a year or more achieve well over time. However, there is room for improvement in standards by Year 6. Inspection evidence shows that achievement is good for pupils with special educational needs, for most of those who learn in English as an additional language and pupils from Travellers' families. There are no significant differences

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HISTORY

between the achievements of boys and girls and between pupils from different ethnic minority and cultural backgrounds. There is good improvement since the last inspection in the teachers' use of planning guidance.

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HISTORY

157. Over a third of the pupils come from refugee and asylum seeking families and half the pupils in Year 6 have been at the school for just over two years. It is difficult for many of these pupils from other countries to understand quickly the history and culture of their new country, and this partly explains why so many of them do not reach national standards expected by Year 6. Visits to places of historical and cultural interest include a residential visit to where the Battle of Hastings occurred. These educational visits contribute greatly to pupils' historical understanding of the United Kingdom.

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HISTORY

158. By Year 6, pupils understand satisfactorily how the past is divided into named historical parts, such Stone Age and Medieval Times. They have similar understanding about how people lived in the past, and they compare satisfactorily lives lived today with those of the past. They know some historical events that shaped the world and most of them were familiar with key events that had affected London, such as the Blitz in World War ll. They know about some of this country's Kings and Queens, but they have a little knowledge of the industrial revolution of Victorian times.

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HISTORY

159. Teachers have good subject knowledge. In the well planned lessons, learning done in other subjects is used to improve pupils' historical knowledge and understanding. This good practice provides good opportunities for pupils who learn in English as an additional language to improve. For example, in literacy lessons the lives of poets and authors are placed in their historical time and in geography the pupils' understanding of time, and how places change over time, reinforce their historical understanding. This good practice helps pupils from very different cultures to understand the history of their new country. The pupils' use of historical language and their historical knowledge are further reinforced through the use of drama that is planned, along with other activities, to ensure pupils from different ethnic backgrounds are fully included in all learning opportunities. However, planning does not ensure this

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HISTORY

good practice is consistently used throughout the school. In addition, work does not consistently challenge pupils, particularly when work sheets are used that do not match their individual learning needs. There is mostly good practice throughout the school in the regular marking of pupils' work to provide encouraging advice on how they can improve. There is little evidence in pupils' work and teachers' planning of the Fulham Primary School - 58 - November 2001 use of information and communication technology to improve research skills as pupils grow older. Nevertheless, in Years 5 and 6, pupils made good use of the Internet, under adult supervision, and laptop computers to research the lives of John Lennon and the Beatles.

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HISTORY

160. Pupils enjoy their lessons, especially when they use artefacts, pictures and text to reach conclusions about the past. They enjoy opportunities to discuss their findings, as well as moral issues that reinforce their learning in religious education. Throughout the school, opportunities are well planned to improve spelling, punctuation, and handwriting and to sustain and develop ideas in writing, all of which is in line with a school improvement plan priority. Greatest improvements are when pupils write in their own words about their findings having studied texts, drawings or photographs. Whilst this represents good reinforcement of literacy skills, numeracy skills are less well reinforced, although it is satisfactory when pupils calculate how long ago events occurred and the length of time between them.

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HISTORY

161. The co-ordinator, who had been in post less than a term at the time of inspection, has good plans for further improvements. She understands the need to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching, learning, the curriculum and the use of the satisfactory range of diverse resources to help pupils learn. Improvements are needed in the use of planning so that pupil's historical knowledge, understanding and skills improve by making links with learning in other subjects. Improvements are also needed in the use of assessment to plan challenging work that consistently matches the different learning needs of pupils, and in the use of information and communication technology to improve pupils' research skills by the end of Year 6.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

162. By Year 6, standards of attainment are below national expectations. All pupils from Years 3 to 6, including those with special educational needs, those learning in English as an additional language and pupils from Travellers' families, do not achieve well enough. By the end of Year 2, standards of attainment in information and communication technology (ICT) match national expectations, and all pupils achieve well. Throughout the school, there is no significant difference between the achievements of boys and girls and between pupils from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

p.58

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

163. Since the last inspection, there is unsatisfactory improvement in the standards achieved by pupils by Year 6. Teachers receive regular training to improve their ICT skills and knowledge, but too many of them still lack subject knowledge to plan so that pupils' ICT skills, knowledge and understanding are reinforced and improved as they learn in other subjects. Although the number of computers has increased over two years, there is still not enough to meet the diverse learning needs of the pupils. Where laptop computers are used well, pupils make good progress. This was seen in a Year 5 and 6 class to improve their learning in mathematics.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

164. In Year 1, pupils use the skills learnt in the Foundation Stage to improve their use of a ‘mouse’ to select colours when painting simple pictures and scenes on the computer screen. They are good at making shapes in different sizes and filling them with colour. Good opportunities are also provided for Year 1 pupils to improve their spelling through the use of simple dictionary programs. By the end of Year 2, pupils understand that information can be presented in a variety of forms. They make good progress to enter text and to use software programs to reinforce reading and number skills. However, the work they do does not support work in the basic skills of literacy Fulham Primary School - 59 - November 2001 and numeracy well enough. This is partly due to pupils not making as much progress in the use of keyboard skills as they do in the use of a mouse because so many of them do not recognise the sounds letters and combination of letters make. Other

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

skills are good, such as to typing in lower and upper case, using bold font and they all print and save their work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

165. By Year 6, just over half the pupils save, store and retrieve their work satisfactorily and they confidently use the Internet to improve their learning. For example, they recently obtained information from the Internet about the life of John Lennon and the story of Macbeth, under adult supervision, to help them with their studies. Some higher achieving pupils send e-mails. By Years 3 and 4, pupils with different learning needs and levels of attainment alter the look of their text by changing the font, size and style. During the last half term, pupils in Year 5 produced a good multi-media presentation for a ‘Safe Routes to School’ project. Pupils word-process to present information about diaries satisfactorily, as they do to provide evidence about how they travel to school. They satisfactorily draw coloured maps and pictures to illustrate different aspects of safety and they use a digital camera confidently to record different

p.59

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

aspects of the project. However, although some work has taken place with programmable robot toys, improvement is needed in planning and teaching to ensure that pupils’ skills improve as they grow older, in control technology and in their knowledge of its importance and use. Pupils' skills and knowledge in the use of ICT to simulate events or to experiment are unsatisfactory. Too few opportunities are planned for pupils to improve their ICT and computer skills and knowledge as they grow older as they learn in other subjects. For example, there are too few opportunities for them to improve their ICT skills when conducting investigations and experiments in science and mathematics, when researching the effects of different climates in geography and when investigating the effects on performance of design characteristics when designing models in design and technology. Pupils have yet to make full use of their skills to share information with an audience.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

166. Well motivated pupils work with enthusiasm. Throughout the school, they identify and assess the progress they make to improve, through discussions with their friends and class teachers. Teachers guide pupils well when selecting learning programs, which they use enthusiastically. When well supported by adults, pupils' achievements are good. In almost all lessons in the ICT suite, pupils co-operate and sustain their concentration well. Information and communication technology is used very well to support pupils with behaviour difficulties. For example, a visiting local education authority specialist teacher improved the behaviour of a pupil by working with this child on a computer program to design a poster that reminded him how to behave well in school. The delightfully imaginative poster and accompanying text demonstrated good progress in the use of different texts and fonts.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

167. Almost all teaching is satisfactory but it is unsatisfactory at times. Teaching is almost always well organised and learning support assistants are often well deployed. In classrooms and in the ICT suite, pupils receive good guidance about how to operate machines from wall displays. There is very good practice in guidance that is written in pupils' first languages that has a good impact on the learning of pupils with English as their additional language. The strongest teaching provides clear explanations about tasks that are given in achievable steps that enable pupils with different learning needs to make good progress. However, in some lessons there are times when a few pupils have difficulty following instructions and so they do not make satisfactory progress. In the weakest teaching, the management of pupils' behaviour and their learning tasks in the computer suite is unsatisfactory, with work not matching some

p.59

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

pupils learning needs, all of which results in too little work completed. There are too Fulham Primary School - 60 - November 2001 few computers in the ICT suite so that pupils who lack basic literacy skills can work on their own, or in groups with similar skills, to receive the support they need to improve.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

168. The subject is co-ordinated well by the headteacher and a nursery nurse. They have clearly defined job specifications and they support each other well. The co-ordinators work closely with the Education Action Zone information and communication technology staff to plan and improve provision. The plan for continuous improvement is good and often evaluated. Teachers participate in training provided by the Education Action Zone (EAZ) and two-specialist teachers work alongside pupils and teachers so that they learn how best to use new equipment. The school evaluates the effectiveness of new learning materials for the EAZ. New laptops using these learning materials were used well by Years 5 and 6 pupils. Computers are improving the use of assessment by recording easily retrievable information about individual pupils' progress and achievements. The school has successfully improved resources over the last two years. There is a network of computers. The ICT suite provides

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

pupils access to independent learning programs. The co-ordinators plan improvements in pupils' ICT skills and knowledge through improved opportunities for them to increase these skills as they learn in other subjects.

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MUSIC

169. By the end of Year 6, standards match national expectations as they do for pupils at the end of Year 2. This represents a good improvement since the last inspection. There is also good improvement since the last inspection in pupils' behaviour. These improvements are the results of improved planning and teaching. Teachers now have better subject knowledge and improved confidence to teach the subject. Several of them play a musical instrument and more use is made of music from around the world in lessons and school assemblies to interest and inspire pupils.

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MUSIC

170. Throughout the school, pupils' achievements are satisfactory, and this includes pupils with special educational needs, those who learn in English as an additional language and pupils from Travellers' families. There is no difference in attainment, progress in lessons or achievements over time between boys and girls and between pupils from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

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MUSIC

171. Most teaching is good. It is occasionally very good and seldom unsatisfactory. Teachers' good subject knowledge and effective planning contributes to much lively teaching that interests pupils with different learning needs and levels of attainment. Good and better lessons are well organised with well taken opportunities to include all pupils in learning activities, for example when playing instruments in groups. High expectations, the good and sometimes very good use of different teaching methods and musical resources, all result in busy classrooms alive with the sound of music. The best teaching provides time for pupils to discuss their ideas and feelings, all of which are valued by the teacher and learning support assistants. Pupils evaluate and explain their learning and this has a good effect on the achievements of pupils who learn in English as an additional language. The best teaching is based on secure

p.60

MUSIC

subject knowledge, a love of music and learning objectives that are shared with pupils so that they know what they have to learn. All this good and better practice is rooted in very good relationships and skilful management of pupils' behaviour. A stimulating lesson on samba rhythms enabled Year 6 pupils to achieve three part rhythms in a very short time. The atmosphere was alive with every pupil playing rhythms on drums, guiros and tambourines, eagerly meeting the teacher's high expectations about what they can achieve. As they went to their mathematics lesson, some were Fulham Primary School - 61 - November 2001 heard talking proudly of their achievements. This good attitude to learning is typical of well taught classes. Less successful teaching springs mainly from inexperience in the management of a few pupils with challenging behaviour, as well as a lack of subject knowledge. For example, the lack of consistency in establishing and

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MUSIC

reinforcing acceptable behaviour was seen in a Year 1 music lesson. In this lesson, pupils achieved too little because once noisier pupils had been allowed to get away with their unacceptable behaviour, there was little incentive for others to listen and so their interest in the lesson faded away.

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MUSIC

172. The very enthusiastic co-ordinator had been in post for less than a term at the time of inspection. She provides good advice and support for colleagues and leads by example through her creative approach to learning that bring lessons alive for the pupils. Music is now seen as an even more important part of pupils' learning than it was at the last inspection. Whilst speaking and listening skills are reinforced well throughout the school, improvements are needed to reinforce literacy and numeracy skills. There is a need to make sure higher attaining and gifted pupils are consistently challenged. The co-ordinator is aware of the need to increase the skills of evaluating the effectiveness of teaching, learning, the curriculum and the effective use of the satisfactory resources to help pupils learn.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

173. By Year 6, a high proportion of pupils' standards of attainment matches those expected nationally. This is an improvement since the last inspection where standards were below national expectations. By the end of Year 2, standards of attainment are below those expected nationally. There is satisfactory improvement since the last inspection in teachers' subject knowledge and in their management of pupils' behaviour. Pupils' achievements are satisfactory, including pupils with special educational needs, those who learn in English as an additional language and pupils from Travellers' families. There is no significant difference in attainment by Years 2 and 6, in progress in lessons and achievement over time between boys and girls and between pupils from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

174. Much teaching is satisfactory and sometimes it is good. As a result, by Year 2, pupils make satisfactory progress in their co-ordination skills. Progress is also satisfactory in ways pupils vary their movements in response to music. Higher attaining pupils produce thoughtful movement sequences and keenly demonstrate their achievements. The good teaching makes sure pupils with diverse learning needs know what they have to do to learn at the start of lessons, soon after which they rigorously warm-up their bodies so that they exercise safely. The good lessons are well planned so that learning support assistants are deployed well to work alongside teachers to ensure pupils are fully involved in the lesson. In all other lessons, teaching builds satisfactorily on the pupils' previous learning so that they continuously improve from the time they join the school. As the result of good teaching of Year 6

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

pupils, their movement and co-ordination skills improve a great deal, especially for those pupils who have been at the school for two years or more. Much satisfactory teaching from Year 4, and good teaching in Year 6, results in pupils reaching standards expected nationally in swimming. From Year 4, pupils use the local swimming baths regularly to improve their skills. The good teaching of swimming and of other skills for Year 6 pupils sets high expectations about what they are able to achieve. This was seen in a dance lesson when pupils with different levels of skills and learning needs worked well in groups, responding enthusiastically to the increasing demands and advice for improvement from the teacher as they imaginatively interpreted music through movement. Throughout the school, teachers Fulham Primary School - 62 - November 2001 ensure pupils understand the importance of exercise, with satisfactory links to

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

learning in science, and they understand the importance of warming up before they exercise and of warming down when they have finished. By Year 6, over half the pupils have good skills when sending and retrieving balls with their hands, feet and with hockey sticks. Most of them demonstrate close control, accurate passing and shooting. However, almost all of them have too few skills to work effectively as a team and they have too few skills and strategies to defend and attack well.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

175. Subject management is satisfactory. The subject co-ordinator had been in post less than a term at the time of the inspection and has already identified areas for improvement in teaching and learning to raise standards further. To achieve this, improvements are needed in skills to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching, learning, the curriculum and the satisfactory range of resources to help pupils learn. The school makes good use of school halls and large hard areas outside to make up for the lack of grassed areas. An area for improvement is the management of time when pupils prepare for lessons and change afterwards, to ensure that there is more teaching time. Another area for improvement is to seek ways to ensure all pupils have the right clothes to participate in lessons. There are too few opportunities provided for pupils to reinforce numeracy skills, although opportunities to improve listening and speaking skills are satisfactorily provided. There are good opportunities

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

for pupils with different levels of skills and learning needs to participate in the small number of activities after school each week, which they thoroughly enjoy.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

176. By Year 6, pupils' standards of attainment match those expected for their age as set out in the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. This standard of attainment is the same as the last inspection and represents good achievements of so many pupils who learn in English as an additional language. About half the pupils in Year 6 have been at the school for two years or less. Pupils with special educational needs, and pupils from Travellers families, also achieve well. By Year 6, there is no significant difference between the achievements of boys and girls, or between pupils from different ethnic or cultural backgrounds.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

177. The good planning teachers do ensures that the school meets the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. Fulham Primary School - 63 - November 2001 178. Several important factors contribute to the good achievements of pupils with different learning needs and levels of attainment. One is the good reinforcement of pupils' learning, particularly in school assemblies and at other times provided each week for pupils to think and talk about ways they can make their own lives and those of others better. Another is the good use teachers make of their secure subject knowledge to plan effectively together and teach well. The other is the genuine curiosity almost all pupils have throughout the school in beliefs different to their own.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

179. Most teaching is good. It is occasionally very good and never unsatisfactory. Where teaching is very good, the skilful management of pupils' behaviour results in teaching conducted at a demanding pace with high expectations about what pupils with diverse learning needs are capable of achieving. Where the teaching is good or better, the lessons' learning objectives are shared with pupils to make sure they know what to learn and how to do so successfully. Very good teaching uses praise well to encourage pupils to listen carefully and to use vocabulary recently learnt. All this good practice was seen in a Year 5 and 6 lesson about the life of Siddattha, in a class comprising mainly pupils in the early stages of learning in English. The pupils made good links between the story and moral issues because this was very effectively emphasised by the teacher. Good teaching reinforces learning in other lessons, as

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

was seen in a Year 1 lesson at the end of the day, when pupils in the early stages of learning in English talked about friendship. A Year 6 lesson about the importance of shrines in many faiths, including followers of Buddha, Christians and Jews, was typical of much good teaching in its use of pictures, text and artefacts that pupils touch and examine in order to learn. This lesson, and a Year 5 and 6 lesson about slavery that reinforced learning in religious education, is typical of good and better teaching in its use of probing questions to assess how well pupils learn. Less successful teaching uses too few teaching methods to hold the pupils' interest and questioning sometimes lacks challenge, and so at times pupils' fidget and their attention wanes.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

180. The large amount of good teaching makes sure that by Year 6 pupils have satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the main beliefs of major world faiths, such as Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. In a Year 6 lesson, pupils with different levels of attainment demonstrated satisfactory knowledge about Diwali, religious Christian symbols and the importance of meditation in many faiths. Lower attaining pupils demonstrated satisfactory knowledge of a synagogue. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 have satisfactory knowledge of the main Christian festivals, such as Harvest and Christmas. Through school assemblies, work they do in art and references made in literacy lessons, pupils know about the Hindu new year and its festival of light, and how Sikhs use this time of Diwali to celebrate the Guru Hargobind Ji's return from imprisonment by illuminating Gurdwaras. Whilst few opportunities are planned

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throughout the school to reinforce pupils' numeracy skills, literacy skills are consistently well reinforced to improve pupils' writing. Speaking and listening skills are also reinforced well, with good effects on the achievements of pupils who learn in English as an additional language and those with special educational needs.

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181. The conscientious co-ordinator had been in post for just over half a term at the time of inspection and already has an action plan to share with senior and other colleagues to improve standards further. Her survey of resources identifies further Fulham Primary School - 64 - November 2001 improvements needed to make sure provision is good. This newly qualified teacher understands fully the need to improve further her skills to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching, learning and the curriculum and to support and advise colleagues.

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