Alexander McLeod Primary School

ALEXANDER McLEOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Mrs Valerie Singleton

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ALEXANDER McLEOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 8 th - 11 th July 2002

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ALEXANDER McLEOD 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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ALEXANDER McLEOD 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. Alexander McLeod Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Fuchsia Street Abbey Wood London Postcode: SE2 0QS

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Email address: headteacher@alexmcleod.greenwich.sch.uk

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Chris Lordan

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: March 1998 Alexander McLeod Primary School - 2

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responsibilities

23044 Valerie Singleton Registered inspector Science Art and design Design and technology Equal opportunities What sort of school is it? The schools results and achievements How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further? 9163 Geoffrey Humphrey 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? 23385 Suzanne Gerred Team inspector English Music How good are the curricular opportunities offered to pupils? 23260 Ann Gilham Team inspector Mathematics Physical education Special educational needs 3574 Kanwaljit Singh Team inspector Areas of learning for children in the Foundation Stage Religious education English as an additional language 7813 Kevin Wood Team inspector Information and communication technology Geography History How well is the school led and managed?

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responsibilities

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway Alexander McLeod Primary School - 3 London WC2B 6SE

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 8

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? 9 - 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Alexander McLeod Community School is situated in Abbey Wood, London and serves a mixed urban community where many are on low income. It is much bigger than most primary schools, with 507 pupils on roll aged four to 11. Children join a Reception class at the beginning of the term in which they are five. Standards on entry to the Reception classes are well below those expected. The proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals, at 35 per cent, is above the national average. Over 20 per cent of pupils have English as an additional language and, of these, 26 are at the early stages of learning English, both of which proportions are high in national terms. Two pupils are refugees. The school has 42 per cent of pupils who have special educational needs, for a variety of learning needs, which is well above the national average. Also, eight pupils have a statement of need, which is higher than average. The school is part of the Excellence in Cities project, which provides extra resources.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Difficulties with the recruitment of teachers have resulted in seven changes in the past two years and at present there are four temporary teachers in classes. Significant difficulties were experienced due to a serious fire and the school has only been back to normal since last summer.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Alexander McLeod is an effective school that serves its community well. The very good leadership of the headteacher, supported by his deputy headteachers, ensures a strong team spirit amongst the staff and an inclusive and caring ethos where pupils feel secure and valued. Children have a very good start to their education in the Foundation Stage and good teaching across the school ensures that pupils of all abilities achieve well by the time they leave. Standards by Year 6 are in line with national expectations in mathematics and science, though in English standards are below the national average. This is due in part to the large proportion of pupils with special needs. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The very good leadership of the headteacher, ably supported by his key staff, has created a strong team which is well placed to move the school forward. • The very good provision and teaching in the Foundation Stage give a very good start to children’s learning. • The good quality of teaching and the provision of a wide range of stimulating and exciting learning opportunities, ensure that pupils achieve well by Year 6, whatever their ability. • The good provision for pupils with special educational needs helps them make considerable progress in self-esteem and in their ability to learn. • The school enables pupils to develop well and builds strong moral and social attitudes.

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What could be improved

• Pupils’ attainment in English is not high enough. • Teachers do not monitor the progress being made by individual pupils throughout the year in mathematics and science to identify weaknesses and set appropriate targets for improvement, nor check well enough that pupils are reaching appropriate standards for their age each year in the other subjects. • The needs of the pupils of different ages within mixed-aged classes are not always addressed well enough in teachers’ planning in subjects other than English and mathematics. Alexander McLeod Primary School - 5 The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan Alexander McLeod Primary School - 6

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION

At the time of the previous inspection there was a separate infant and junior school. The two schools were amalgamated and a new school opened in 1999, so it is not possible to make judgements on how well the school has improved since the previous inspection. Initially, the serious fire had a significant impact on what the senior management team could do to implement their planned programme for raising standards. Also, the deputy headteachers had to cover the role of special-needs co-ordinator. Despite this the school has achieved a successful amalgamation. The new staffing structure has enabled the role of co-ordinators to be developed, which is leading to improved standards. All whole-school policies have been reviewed and rewritten. Monitoring has improved the quality of teaching. A careful analysis of data has helped the school identify strengths and weaknesses in its provision. There have been very

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION

good improvements in teaching and learning in information and communication technology (ICT). Overall the school has made good improvements since it was amalgamated. The good sense of teamwork means the school is well placed to raise standards even further.

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STANDARDS

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

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schools

science C C C B highest 5% of schools well above average above average average below average well below average lowest 5% of schools A* A B C D E E*

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schools

By the end of Year 6, pupils are achieving well. Attainment is generally in line with national expectations, though children enter the Reception classes with standards that are very low. Attainment in English is below that expected nationally, because a high number of pupils have special educational needs. It is too soon to evaluate the trends in the school’s results in the national tests. The school’s targets for pupils reaching the expected level in the 2002 national tests are 75 per cent for English and 77 per cent for mathematics, which are higher than those set last year and are unlikely to be met in English.

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schools

Children achieve well in all areas of learning in the Foundation Stage, due to the good provision. However, by the time they enter Year 1, standards are still well below those expected in communication, language and literacy skills. They are below in mathematical skills and in knowledge and understanding of the world, but close to those expected in their personal, social and emotional development. In physical and in creative development standards are similar to those expected nationally. In the 2001 national tests for Year 2 pupils, results in writing were below the national average, and those in reading and mathematics were well below average. In the science tasks they were also well below average. When compared to those in schools in the same category of free school meals, results are well below average for reading and mathematics and in line for writing.

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schools

Current standards for Year 2 pupils, where over 60 per cent have special educational needs, are well below those expected in English and below expectations in mathematics and science. Standards for Year 6 pupils are below those expected for English, but in line for mathematics and science. Overall, pupils achieve well for their ability as they progress through the school. Standards in ICT are in line with those expected nationally by Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils achieve well in this subject and the school has benefited from the Excellence in Cities funding. Standards in religious education meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus, both by Year 2 and Year 6. Alexander McLeod Primary School - 7

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy school and the majority show interest in and enthusiasm for their learning and take pride in what they achieve. A few pupils, particularly in Years 1 and 2, find it difficult to concentrate on their learning and stay on task. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good overall. Pupils have a very good understanding of the impact that their actions can have on others. They are polite and well mannered and project a warm and friendly attitude towards visitors, each other and school staff. No pupil has been excluded from the school in the past year. Personal development and relationships Relationships between all members of the school community are very good. Pupils show respect for the feelings and values of others and have very well-developed social and moral values. Attendance Attendance is unsatisfactory and below the national average for all primary schools. Morning punctuality is satisfactory.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching 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 of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching is good overall. Of the lessons observed, over a third were very good or excellent and over a third were good. This ensures that pupils acquire new skills and understanding throughout their time in school. Only four lessons were unsatisfactory, due to some weak control of pupils’ behaviour, or a lack of challenge. Teachers in the Foundation Stage provide a range of interesting and challenging activities to engage the children’s interest and help them learn well. Teaching methods across the school are well matched to the needs of the many pupils, who have differing needs and abilities. Teachers planned carefully for lessons to have a clear introduction, a challenging and stimulating activity and time for pupils to share and reinforce their learning at the end. However, some planning does not address the needs and abilities of the older pupils in mixed age-group classes well

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

enough in some subjects, such as science and history. Teachers set tasks that involve pupils practically in their own learning. As a result, pupils achieve well and enjoy their work. Lessons move at a good pace which keeps pupils engaged and productive. Teachers use resources well to help pupils understand new ideas and concepts. They regularly arrange visits to places that are well linked to the topic being studied, which enriches pupils’ understanding. Most teachers are skilled in managing pupils’ behaviour, even when it is very challenging. In this way, all pupils can concentrate on their own learning. Teaching assistants are used effectively to support groups of pupils with specific needs. The teaching of English to pupils who are at the early stages of learning the language has weaknesses, as the specialist support is not sufficiently well focused. The teaching of English and mathematics is good and work is

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

carefully matched to pupils’ needs and abilities. Literacy and numeracy skills are taught well throughout the school. Reading and writing are used to support learning in other subjects, though speaking and listening skills are not given sufficient attention, as they are an area of specific weakness. Alexander McLeod Primary School - 8

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The overall quality and range of learning opportunities are good in Years 1 to 6 and very good in the Foundation Stage. The curriculum is sufficiently broad, balanced and appropriate to give pupils opportunities to achieve well by Year 6 in all subjects. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. The needs of these pupils are identified clearly. They are given appropriate work and support in lessons. The co-ordinators monitor their progress carefully and set appropriate targets. Provision for pupils learning English as an additional language Pupils who join the school in Reception classes make progress that is similar to other pupils. However, the few with little or no English who join during the school year make less satisfactory progress as they receive very limited specialist help. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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Aspect Comment

development Good overall. The guidance provided to help pupils develop strong moral and social values is very good. The spiritual and cultural dimension of the curriculum is good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils

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Aspect Comment

Assessment The support and welfare provided for pupils are very good. Teachers and support staff know and understand their pupils very well and provide appropriate personal support and care. The school is developing some sound procedures for assessing pupils’ annual progress, but there is not enough information about strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ learning to set them appropriate short-term targets. How well the school works in partnership with parents The school has a good partnership with parents because it keeps them well informed and encourages them to be involved in the work of the school and their children’s learning.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher, ably supported by the two deputy headteachers, provides very good leadership. His strong aim to move the school forward is based on educational improvement and an inclusive, caring ethos. Curriculum co-ordinators are beginning to develop their role and are aware of their responsibility for raising standards by monitoring all aspects of their subjects. How well the governing body fulfils its responsibilities Satisfactory. Governors are committed and enthusiastic and they fulfil their statutory responsibilities. As yet, however, they do not have sufficient involvement in monitoring the work of the school or in planning future improvements. The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school monitors its performance against that of other schools, both through educational outcomes and financial patterns of expenditure. Previous educational decisions have been fully

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Aspect Comment

evaluated. The strategic use of resources Financial planning and management are good. The school makes good use of its funding and plans ahead. It spends its money wisely. The adequacy of staffing, accommodation and learning resources The school is well staffed. Teachers and learning support assistants are a committed, enthusiastic and hard-working team. The school buildings are clean and well maintained and provide an attractive learning environment for the pupils. There is no grassed area for games. Learning resources are good for most subjects, but the quantity of books in the junior library is limited. Alexander McLeod Primary School - 9 Alexander McLeod Primary School - 10

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PARENTS' AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their children like school and make good progress. • Behaviour is good. • The standard of teaching is good and teachers have high expectations for their pupils’ achievement. • They have the confidence to approach the school. • They feel the school is well led and managed. • The school helps their children become mature and responsible. • A minority felt that homework did not adequately support learning. • Some feel that there are not enough additional activities after school.

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PARENTS' AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Only a small proportion of parents returned the questionnaire or attended the meeting. The great majority of these parents are very pleased with most aspects of the school’s work and inspectors’ judgements support parents’ positive views. The inspectors judged that the amount of homework set is satisfactory and adequately supports learning. The inspectors found that the school provides a good range of additional activities during and after school. Alexander McLeod Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. At the time of the previous inspection there was a separate infant and junior school. The two schools were amalgamated and a new school opened in 1999, so it is not possible to make judgements on how well the school has improved since the previous inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Children enter the Reception classes with standards that are very low. They achieve well in all areas of learning, due to the very good provision in the Foundation Stage. However, most only have a short time in the Reception classes. So, by the time children enter Year 1, standards are still well below those expected in communication, language and literacy skills. They are below expectations in mathematical skills and in knowledge and understanding of the world. They are close to those expected in their personal, social and emotional development and in physical and creative development.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In the 2001 national tests for Year 2 pupils, results in reading and mathematics were well below the national average. In writing they were below average. In the science tasks, results were well below the national average. When compared to those in similar schools, results were well below average in reading and mathematics and in line for writing.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Results for Year 6 pupils in the 2001 national tests were below the national average in English, above average in mathematics and in line in science. When compared to those in similar schools, results were in line for English, well above average in mathematics and above average in science. The percentage of pupils achieving the higher level (Level 5) was well above average for mathematics and above average for science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Results in the Year 6 national tests have fluctuated in the three years since the school was amalgamated. The overall performance of pupils in English is below the national average, but exceeds the national average in mathematics and science. Insufficient data is available yet to judge the overall trend in results, however. A key factor in pupils not attaining as well in English is the high number who have special educational needs. For instance, in most year groups there are 40 per cent of pupils who are on the school’s register of special educational needs.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Inspection evidence indicates that current standards by the end of Year 2 are well below national expectations for English and below in mathematics and science. Given the low standards on entry to Year 1, pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve satisfactorily for their ability. Standards in Year 1 are more in line with those expected, but in Year 2, where 60 per cent of pupils are on the special educational needs register, standards are lower. Standards by the end of Year 6 are below the national average for English and in line for mathematics and science. Overall, pupils achieve well for their ability.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. In 2001 the school aimed to have 74 per cent of its 11-year-olds reaching the expected Level 4 in the English and mathematics national tests. It did not quite meet this target in English but exceeded it in mathematics. The target for 2002 is 75 per cent for English and 77 per cent for mathematics. Early indications are that the school did not meet these challenging targets, due to the high number of pupils with special educational needs and statements of need in that year group. However, more pupils attained the higher Level 5 in all three subjects in the Year 6 tests, showing that the school is doing well for its more able pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. The achievements of pupils with special educational needs are good. They make good progress in terms of self-esteem, social skills and their ability to learn. Targets for achievement are recorded on individual educational plans (IEPs) and focus on specific needs. These are evaluated termly and inform the next stage in the pupils’ learning. The level of challenge is appropriate. The school's policy for placing pupils in ability groups is reviewed regularly and ensures that the best possible Alexander McLeod Primary School - 12 provision is made available to meet identifiable needs and to raise attainment. Those pupils who are difficult to manage in the classroom gain strategies to help them to manage their own behaviour, so they are able to learn and progress. 9. Pupils who speak English as an additional language achieve satisfactorily overall. Pupils who join the school with little or no English, make slow progress and their achievement is just about

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

satisfactory. They receive some extra help from a specialist teacher, but this support is somewhat fragmented so pupils do not receive the regular help they need. Mostly they are supported well within lessons by teachers, who keep a close check on their understanding and with help by the learning-support assistants. Most pupils who come to school with a reasonable knowledge of English make progress and attain standards that are generally similar to those of their peer group.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. The school identifies pupils who are gifted and talented in each area of learning. It makes good provision for these pupils, either by seeking appropriately stimulating experiences for them outside school if they are talented at sport, for instance, or within class if they are mathematically able, for example. These pupils benefit from the extra funding that is provided by the Excellence in Cities project.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) meet national expectations by Year 2 and Year 6 and pupils achieve well. Standards meet the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus in religious education. They are above national expectations by Year 2 and Year 6 in art and design and pupils achieve well. Standards are in line with those expected in geography and history and in design and technology. Pupils achieve satisfactorily and often well, given that they enter with standards that are below expectations. However, the older pupils in the mixed age-group classes are not always given work that is sufficiently matched to their age and ability. Insufficient evidence was available to judge standards and attainment in all elements of physical education, though standards in the aspects observed were below expectations by Year 2 and in line by Year 6. In music, insufficient evidence was available to judge standards and achievement by Year 2, but

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

standards are in line with those expected by Year 6.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. Since the amalgamation, the school has rightly concentrated on English, mathematics and science. Despite taking in more pupils with special educational needs and having more pupils with challenging behaviour who have been excluded from other schools, the school is maintaining standards overall and those for the more able pupils are being raised.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils’ attitudes to school are good. They enjoy school and the majority show interest in and enthusiasm for learning, take pride in their work and are keen to share their achievements with others. Parents who attended the pre-inspection meeting and returned questionnaires confirmed that their children enjoy school, behave well and make good progress. They felt the school promoted very good social and moral values and this has been confirmed by the inspection team too.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Children in the Reception classes settle quickly into the routines of school life. They learn to share and take turns and develop good listening skills. Good self-discipline by a group of reception children was observed when they were engaged in a number game with their teacher. Although clearly excited by the game, they waited patiently with their hands up for their turn to answer questions and make a contribution to the game. During story time another group of reception children showed high levels of interest and imagination when they were asked to pretend to be hungry pirates on a ship searching for something to eat.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. In Years 1 and 2 the majority of pupils work hard and co-operate well together, but there are a significant minority who find it difficult to concentrate on their work. For example, in a Year 1 mathematics lesson some pupils were initially noisy and it took valuable learning time before the class teacher could get them to concentrate. In a physical education lesson the behaviour of a small group of Year 1 boys was unsatisfactory for much of the lesson. In other lessons, both Year 1 and 2 pupils co-operated well and were keen, interested and well behaved throughout. In the Alexander McLeod Primary School - 13 mixed Year 3 and 4 classes, pupils from both years co-operate well together and demonstrate high levels of interest in their work. As pupils progress through the school, their enthusiasm and interest in their learning continue to develop. Pupils are highly focused and support each other while tackling challenging tasks, as they were seen to do in an ICT lesson, where they were

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

developing skills in the use of the Logo software. Excellent pupil attitudes and behaviour were observed in a personal, social and health education lesson in which they discussed the differences between what is fair and unfair.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Behaviour is good overall. Pupils have a very good understanding of the effect that their actions can have on others. They are polite and well mannered and project a warm and friendly attitude towards visitors, each other and school staff. Staff treat pupils with respect and consideration. This is reflected in the confidence and trust that pupils have in their relationship with others. Relationships between all members of the school community are very good. Pupils show respect for the feelings and values of others and have very well developed social and moral values. There were no incidents of unacceptable behaviour, such as bullying, during the inspection. During discussion between an inspector and a selection of pupils, they confirmed that any unacceptable behaviour will be dealt with fairly and appropriately. No pupils have been excluded from the school during the past 12 months.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Both boys and girls, pupils of differing ability, including those who have been identified as having special educational needs and those from different ethnic minority and cultural backgrounds, are fully included in the life and work of the school. Pupils have a very clear understanding of the benefits of racial harmony, equality of opportunity and of their rights and responsibilities in a modern multicultural society. The way in which pupils work together and support each other in mixed year groups is a good example of educational inclusion amongst those with diverse needs and different levels of attainment.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Pupils take very good advantage of the many opportunities provided for them to show initiative and take responsibility for their learning and to help with day-to-day school routines. The school council has a positive influence on the provision of sports and play facilities and is beginning to emerge as a more independent organisation with its own agenda. Pupils help teachers with routine tasks during lessons; for example, changing the projected image on the interactive white boards. There is an informal buddy system whereby older pupils are often called upon to help with the care of younger ones. When they leave the school, pupils have well developed social and moral values that will guide them well in their future lives.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Attendance is unsatisfactory and is below the national average for all primary schools. Those who do attend on a regular basis arrive in good time for the start of the school day.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. It is very good in the Reception classes, satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 to 6. Of the 74 lessons observed, over a third were very good or excellent and over a third were good. Only four lessons were unsatisfactory, due to some weak control of pupils’ behaviour, a lack of challenge and unsatisfactory use of the teacher for pupils learning English as an additional language. Good teaching is a strength of the school’s provision.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Teachers have very secure knowledge of literacy, numeracy, science and ICT. The teachers in the Reception classes have a very good understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum and offer the children a rich and stimulating range of experiences, which gives them a very good start to their formal education. The basic skills of reading, writing and numeracy are taught well throughout the school. Pupils develop good skills in their mental and written mathematics, as they acquire effective strategies for solving problems. They achieve well as a result. Pupils are taught a range of strategies to help them with their reading. Spelling and handwriting skills are not developed as well, due to an inconsistent approach, so achievement is satisfactory overall. Scientific skills are being promoted well by the consistent emphasis on practical tasks and investigations and pupils achieve well. Alexander McLeod Primary School - 14

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. The planning of the National Numeracy Strategy is particularly good, as teachers address the needs of pupils of different abilities well. As a result, pupils with special educational needs can make good progress at their own level, whilst the more able pupils are suitably challenged. Literacy is planned well, though the school has rightly identified the need to include the teaching of speaking and listening skills, where pupils have a particular weakness, alongside those for reading and writing. In other subjects there were many good examples where teachers planned carefully for a clear introduction, a challenging and stimulating activity and time for pupils to share and reinforce their learning at the end. For example, in a good Year 3 and 4 science lesson, the teacher used questioning effectively to reinforce previous learning about the parts of a plant and what plants need in order to grow well. The pupils used magnifying glasses to study a piece of

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

celery, so they were aware of the ‘holes’ and the ‘veins’. By studying a stalk which had been left in a dye, they then understood how the liquid had moved upwards through the stem. The more able pupils used a web-site to research ‘capillary action’ and reported their findings to the rest of the class. Pupils made very good gains in their learning and understanding. In the mixed age-group classes, teachers do not always plan carefully enough to offer the appropriate challenge, particularly in the development of skills, to the older pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Pupils are generally managed very well and this supports their learning. Most teachers have high expectations of the pupils’ response, though some inattentive behaviour is not checked soon enough in some classes. This then leads to the teacher finding it difficult to manage the behaviour of a few challenging pupils. They use praise and rewards well to engage pupils and encourage a positive response, but a few do not use sanctions soon enough when aspects of some pupils’ behaviour become unacceptable. However, some pupils have severe emotional and behavioural difficulties and are not easy to manage. They rarely have an adverse effect on other pupils' learning, though. Teachers encourage pupils to become more independent in their learning as they acquire more skills and to use their initiative. For example, the oldest pupils are given a range of activities from which to choose when completing a detailed book review or set up their own group

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Lessons move at a good pace which keeps pupils engaged and productive. Teachers use resources well to help pupils understand new ideas and concepts. For instance, in a very good Year 1 and 2 history lesson, the teacher provided photographs of the seaside in the past for one group to note similarities and differences between the seaside then and today. Another group used role-play to enact a scene from the past, which was then captured on digital camera. One group used a time line to put pictures and dates in the right order, which developed their chronological understanding well, whilst another group made souvenirs that might have been bought 50 years ago. Pupils developed good historical skills and knowledge for their ages as a result. Occasionally, when resources are not ready, the pace drops and learning slows. Teachers regularly arrange for pupils to visit places that are well linked to the topic being studied, which

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Learning-support assistants provide very good help for different groups. The teachers plan carefully for them, so their role and responsibilities are clearly outlined. In the best lessons, the assistants offer good support in the whole-class session, by ensuring that individual pupils are concentrating, for instance, or checking that pupils learning English as an additional language understand what the teacher is explaining. They then work effectively with groups on the set task. They offer the necessary support, but encourage pupils to think for themselves and to try to work independently. Those who work individually with pupils with special educational needs also offer very good support, so pupils continue to make progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. The quality of teaching for pupils who receive additional support from the teacher for English as an additional language is satisfactory. However, the school is not making the best use of the teacher’s time. For example, although timetabled to work with identified pupils within the class; the support teacher did not interact enough with these pupils during the whole-class sessions. As a result, little time is spent on supporting those few pupils who are at the early stages of learning English as an additional language and so they make limited progress. In most classes, teachers identify key vocabulary and use good strategies to check pupils’ understanding before deciding Alexander McLeod Primary School - 15 which teaching points to reinforce. Pupils’ learning is also helped by the opportunities afforded them to discuss work with their peers. The teachers’ positive acceptance of a diversity of

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

languages in their classes adds significantly to bilingual pupils’ ease. They become willing participants in lessons and are keen to express their ideas.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. The effectiveness of each lesson is evaluated by teachers and there are some good examples where this is used to make necessary amendments to the original plans. They also respond to errors noted when marking pupils’ work. In lessons, such as Year 3 and 4 physical education, the teacher adjusted the lesson well, to add a task with extra challenge for the more able pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. Pupils are encouraged to take reading books home every night. They are given spelling lists to learn and number bonds to practise. Older pupils complete book reviews and conduct some personal research about the topic they are studying. Those who complete these tasks regularly reinforce their learning well. A number of parents expressed concerns about the amount of homework, but it is judged to be satisfactory, particularly as many pupils do not complete the tasks that are set.

p.17

PUPILS?

29. The overall quality and range of learning opportunities are good in Years 1 to 6 and very good in the Foundation Stage.

p.17

PUPILS?

30. The curriculum meets statutory requirements and includes all the subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. As most pupils are taught in mixed-age classes, it is planned to ensure that all the National Curriculum programmes of study are covered over a two-year cycle. It is sufficiently broad, balanced and appropriate to give pupils opportunities to achieve well, by the age of 11, in all subjects. However, planning does not always indicate the skills and knowledge pupils should acquire year on year, in order to provide the appropriate challenge in the mixed age- group classes. In view of the school’s below average standards in English, strong emphasis is rightly given to this subject. The time allowed for class teaching of music is lower than that found in most schools and the music policy is currently under review. However, the basic music curriculum is enriched through singing assemblies, after-school clubs, participation in music

p.17

PUPILS?

festivals and workshops. The school also offers instrumental tuition in recorders, guitar and trumpets for selected year groups. The time allowed for design and technology is somewhat limited for older pupils, but this is being addressed. Time allocations for other subjects, including mathematics and science, are reasonable. They are used satisfactorily by alternating some subjects such as history and geography each half term.

p.17

PUPILS?

31. There are good policies for all subjects and learning opportunities are well planned. The school has made good use of national guidance and other published schemes in putting together its seven- year curriculum plan, which also includes religious education and personal health and social education. The schemes of work are used as the basis for effective half-termly and weekly plans. A strong feature of lesson preparation is that teachers in year teams plan collaboratively. This enables them to evaluate the curriculum jointly and to ensure consistency across parallel classes.

p.17

PUPILS?

32. The school aims to make the curriculum as accessible as possible for all pupils with special educational needs by using a variety of teaching methods, styles and needs and adapting the tasks to match pupils’ differing levels of ability. Pupils with a statement of special need have access to a broad and balanced curriculum. Good planning ensures there are regular opportunities to reinforce pupils’ literacy, numeracy and oracy skills in different subjects.

p.17

PUPILS?

33. Pupils who speak English as an additional language receive a broad and balanced curriculum and most take part in all school activities. The school is successful in providing a curriculum that reflects a positive attitude towards other cultures and languages. Pupils get good opportunities to gain confidence through the celebration of festivals, through the carefully chosen topics for assembly and study of world religions. Cultural traditions are well taught through subjects such as Alexander McLeod Primary School - 16 music, geography and history. There are notices, signs and books in other languages to show that the school values other cultures and languages. The school’s provision supports these pupils well. However, these curriculum opportunities are hindered because the best use is not made of the specialist support staff for pupils with English as an additional language.

p.17

PUPILS?

34. Planning for the literacy hour is good and its structure enables most teachers to respond well to the needs of all pupils. Its overall effectiveness in raising standards in English is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 to 6. Extra structured support is provided for underachieving groups of pupils in Reception and in Years 1, 3 and 4. Gifted and talented pupils are also identified and extension programmes are made available to them, such as the “Children’s University”, provided through Excellence in Cities projects. Planning for numeracy lessons is good overall and the older pupils benefit from being taught in groups that have similar ability. As a result, pupils achieve well whatever their ability.

p.18

PUPILS?

35. The school cultivates pupils’ personal development well. In accordance with the governing body’s policies, suitable arrangements are made for sex and drugs education within a well implemented programme of personal, health and social education. Provision is made for pupils to learn how to keep safe in a range of situations and to develop an understanding of citizenship, through discussion about rules, responsibilities and community. The school council provides a forum for pupils to express their opinions about school life and to be involved in the decision-making process, such as helping to formulate the school code of conduct. Lessons provide many good opportunities for pupils to talk about themselves, their thoughts and feelings and to listen to what their friends have to say. Good use is made of external provision, such as visits from the police, the fire services, the nurse and the dentist, to support pupils’ learning about health, safety and

p.18

PUPILS?

36. Although some parents expressed concern about the number of extra-curricular activities available, inspectors are of the opinion that provision is good. Currently, clubs include science, dance, hockey, football, choir, singing and Spanish. A good range of day visits, such as those to the National and Tate galleries, to the Imperial War Museum, to the Museum of London and to local places of interest such as the Maritime Museum and Woolwich Town Hall enrich the curriculum and reinforce learning effectively across a range of subjects. A residential visit to Wrotham for pupils in Year 6 further supports the work of the school and is particularly beneficial for pupils’ social development.

p.18

PUPILS?

37. The contribution of the community to pupils’ learning is satisfactory, but is limited by the lack of businesses in the area. However, there are good links with St Michael’s Church, whose vicar contributes to school assemblies and religious education lessons. There are also effective links with Charlton Athletic Football Club, which is involved in projects to promote racial equality and to counteract racial harassment.

p.18

PUPILS?

38. The school has good links with other schools and partner institutions, including its feeder nursery and Abbey Wood Secondary School, which aid transition well and which have a positive effect on pupils’ learning. Teachers meet together and arrangements are made for nursery children to visit the Reception class and for pupils to visit their secondary school prior to starting. Pupils in Year 5 are offered a “taster” day at Abbey Wood School and pupils from various secondary schools are given opportunities for work experience at this school. There are good links with Greenwich University, which provide extension work in ICT and drama. The local education authority justifiably acknowledges the very good quality of teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage and uses these Reception classes as models of good practice for other teachers to visit.

p.18

PUPILS?

39. The school provides well for the spiritual development of its pupils. Spiritual awareness is developed through assemblies, religious education and opportunities for pupils to reflect on human feelings and emotions within the curriculum, particularly in literacy. Although assemblies provide limited time for reflection, there is no daily act of corporate worship and no direct reference to the existence of a deity. There are good opportunities for pupils to develop independent enquiry skills and to begin to take some responsibility for their own learning. They are able to appreciate the Alexander McLeod Primary School - 17 spiritual dimension of the curriculum and consider their responses and feelings. Through this experience they begin to understand what gives support to them and others.

p.18

PUPILS?

40. The school provides very well for the moral development of its pupils. There is a clear moral code that is promoted consistently through all aspects of school life. Values are fostered through the supportive and caring relationships that exist between staff and pupils. In school assemblies and through many areas of the curriculum, opportunities are taken to demonstrate the difference between right and wrong. There is an emphasis on the importance of truth and fairness, particularly in curriculum areas such as literacy, history and personal, social and health education.

p.19

PUPILS?

41. The school provides very well for the social development of its pupils. They co-operate well together and are taught to work successfully as a team and show respect for other people and their property. Pupils learn to develop their own social skills and personal qualities. They respond very well to the opportunities provided for them to exercise leadership and take independent responsibility for their actions and learning. They are encouraged to develop an appreciation of the needs of others less fortunate than themselves.

p.19

PUPILS?

42. The school provides well for the cultural development of its pupils. There are good opportunities for pupils to explore the values and traditions of their own and other cultures through music, literature, art and a programme of visits to places of cultural and historic interest. Through the religious education curriculum, pupils study and develop an appreciation for other world religions. Through structured role play in personal, social and health education lessons they learn to understand the benefits of racial harmony and equality of opportunity and about their rights and responsibilities in a modern multicultural society.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The support and welfare provided for pupils are very good. Teachers and support staff know and understand their pupils very well. The school actively promotes equality of opportunity. This ensures that all pupils, irrespective of ability, gender or ethnicity, are provided with appropriate personal support and care.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Health and safety procedures are rigorous and risk assessments and actions taken are meticulously recorded. There are regular evacuation drills and, since the outbreak of a fire on the top floor in December 2000, fire doors have been fitted to provide additional safeguards to exit routes from the upper floors. There are good arrangements for the provision of first aid. Child- protection procedures are effective. The headteacher is the designated child-protection officer and all members of staff are trained and aware of the guidelines for dealing with any sensitive issues. The school maintains close links with social services and other appropriate external agencies.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The policies and procedures for promoting and monitoring standards of behaviour are good overall. The behaviour and discipline policies are consistently implemented throughout the school, though there is a need for minor sanctions to be applied more rigorously by some teachers. Incidents of unacceptable behaviour, such as bullying, are dealt with promptly in an effective and sensitive way.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The policies and procedures for promoting and monitoring attendance are good. For example, the school endeavours to establish first-day contact with parents of pupils who are unexpectedly absent. Certificates are awarded to encourage regular attendance. As a result, unauthorised absence has been reducing, though authorised absence continues to be above the national average. The education welfare service has followed up on some cases of poor attendance, but has not been in a position over recent months to fully support the endeavours of the school.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The school has a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs. These needs vary from mild learning problems to autism and Down’s syndrome. Many pupils have challenging behaviour and have been excluded from other schools. The school provides a secure and caring environment for pupils, a significant number of whom need strong pastoral support in order to achieve academic and social success. As a result, they settle down and achieve well. The appointment of learning mentors and a school counsellor has contributed significantly to the welfare and guidance of the Alexander McLeod Primary School - 18 pupils they work with. Pupils with a statement of special need receive good support and achieve well for their ability.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. Procedures for assessing pupils attainment and progress are satisfactory. In the Reception classes, children are assessed in relation to the Early Learning Goals and other aspects of their development, such as their disposition. This information informs planning well.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. Throughout the school, there are good procedures to measure annual progress in reading, writing and spelling. In addition, records of individual skills in reading and writing are maintained each term. These are used effectively to set the pupils’ individual targets. In mathematics, pupils are tested annually and the results analysed and used appropriately to place pupils in ability groups in Years 5 and 6, to identify areas for future development and to set realistic targets for improvement. However, there is not enough information to ensure that individual pupils are making progress throughout the year. The school has set up good systems so it can track pupils’ progress in English and mathematics year on year and then analyse the results to check if there are differences between groups, for example, by gender, ethnicity or language. However, this has not been in place long enough to identify any significant trends. Records of achievement in ICT provide

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

evidence of the acquisition of skills, but are not yet matched to National Curriculum levels.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. Teachers' marking follows the agreed guidelines in the school policy well. However, teachers seldom highlight what pupils need to do next and how they might improve and this is a weakness. The subject and assessment co-ordinators for English, art and design and technology work together with the class teachers to match pupils’ work to the National Curriculum levels. These help ensure teachers judge pupils’ progress and attainment in a consistent manner, in these subjects, across the school.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. The school has effective and consistent procedures for identifying pupils with special educational needs in order to comply with the Code of Practice. Regular assessment and consistent recording of progress ensure that individual education plans (IEPs) target appropriate areas for learning. These targets are reviewed termly and pupils and parents are involved in the process, so all involved know how to help. Pupils are encouraged, yet challenged to improve and so make good progress.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. Parents have very positive views about the school. Those who attended the pre-inspection meeting and returned questionnaires confirmed that their children like school and make good progress. They considered that behaviour is good and that the school helps their children to become mature and responsible. They felt that the standard of teaching was good and that teachers have high expectations of their children’s achievement. They were confident about approaching the school, which they considered to be well led and managed. The inspectors agree with these positive views.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. A minority felt that homework did not adequately support learning and some felt that there were not enough additional activities after school. The inspectors judged that the amount of homework set was satisfactory and adequately supported pupils’ learning. The inspectors also considered that the school provided a good range of additional activities during and after the school day, which enhance the way pupils learn.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. Overall, the effectiveness of the school’s links with parents is good. The school works hard to maintain a close working partnership with them. The home-school agreement clearly defines the expectations arising from the relationship between school, parents and pupils. The good induction programme for new parents and children leads to a smooth start in the Reception class. Children settle well and make good progress as a result. Regular newsletters keep parents well informed about day-to-day activities. The school provides good information on the content of the curriculum, particularly in relation to literacy and numeracy. Many parents take the opportunity to attend the open evenings each term when they discuss their children’s progress and attainment, but a significant minority do not take up these opportunities to then support their children at home. Alexander McLeod Primary School - 19 55. The annual progress reports meet statutory requirements and provide good information about

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

progress in each subject. However, individual targets for development are not always clear enough to inform parents as to how they can contribute to their children’s future learning, should they want to help. The school involves parents of pupils with special educational needs in identifying their needs and regularly reviewing their child's progress. Good communication with these parents ensures that they feel supported and involved. The teacher who provides support for pupils who are learning English as an additional language also attends parents’ meetings and helpfully provides information for Punjabi-speaking parents. The school is trying to appoint a Tamil-speaking assistant. Parents who are bilingual are used to interpret and translate at the parents’ meetings and this is an effective part of the school’s work in involving parents in their children’s learning.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. A ‘parents group’ organises many social and fund-raising events and has successfully raised money for the benefit of children in the school. A small number of parents help in school on a regular basis, while others help occasionally with school trips and special events. Parents are regularly invited to attend class assemblies and a significant number take this opportunity and join staff for coffee afterwards. The Parent and Children and Teachers (PACT) scheme promotes regular reading practice both at home and in school, though not all parents ensure this is done regularly. The contribution that parents make to their children’s learning, both at home and at school, is satisfactory overall.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The quality of leadership and management provided by the headteacher is very good. This is also the view of governors, staff, pupils and their parents. He has very effectively addressed the problems associated with the amalgamation of 1999 and the serious fire in 2000. His strong aim to move the school forward is based on the very good relationships, educational improvement and an inclusive, caring ethos. He has developed a tangible sense of teamwork through which all staff receive very good opportunities to both improve their own professional skills and to influence others positively. For example, his two deputies, each drawn from the former junior and infant schools, form with him the senior management team. In his short time as headteacher he has sought to develop the middle management tier of phase co-ordinators by including them within the senior team structure. This is a strongly beneficial move for the effective management of the school.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Moreover, the school provides a good career structure, as illustrated by the large number of staff who arrived newly qualified and have stayed.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The headteacher’s quality of leadership is a good reflection of the published aims and values of the school. Staff, governors and parents share his deep commitment to raising standards in all areas of school life. Curriculum co-ordinators, for example, are beginning to develop their role well and are aware of their responsibility for raising standards by monitoring all aspects of their subjects. To date they have mostly been involved in monitoring planning, as evident in history and geography. The monitoring of teaching has mostly been by the LEA, the headteacher and his deputies. Exceptionally, the ICT co-ordinator has worked alongside other staff, which has raised their skills and confidence.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The governing body, whilst being very supportive, takes little part in shaping the direction of the school. Governors are very good at receiving information, but are not yet rigorous enough in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the school, so are unable to adopt the role of ‘critical friend’. For example, governors rely heavily on the detailed reports provided by the headteacher and staff. However, the governors have begun to develop a more positive working relationship. They are committed and enthusiastic. The recently elected chair of governors and the headteacher meet frequently. The governors are active and make regular visits and report back to meetings of the governing body. A number of governors, indeed, were in school during the inspection, particularly supporting the Reception classes’ ‘Pirate Day’. Governors have developed a good system of performance management that has clarity of purpose and is supported by professional advice. It is

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

well matched to the targets in the school development plan. This helps teachers to raise standards. The governing body is meeting all statutory requirements. Alexander McLeod Primary School - 20 60. The school is fulfilling its statutory responsibilities for pupils with special educational needs. There is a nominated governor who visits the school on a regular basis and evaluates provision. The two deputy heads co-ordinate special needs throughout the school very well, which ensures these pupils make good progress. They have ensured that the new code of practice for special needs and disability rights has been implemented and they are in the process of updating the school policy to reflect the new legislation.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The good school development plan, based on a clear analysis of strengths and weaknesses in all aspects of the school’s work, has a three-year overview. Detailed action plans, clearly costed and with timed targets, have been compiled for each subject heading. Those addressed have led to some good improvements. The priorities identified are appropriate and the school has sufficient funds to enable major decisions to be fully implemented; for example, the very good development of ICT. Inspection findings confirm that the whole school community has a shared commitment to improve. The school is very aware of what needs to be done to move on and has plans to achieve this. Thus, it is judged to have a very good capacity to succeed. The induction of staff new to the school is effective through a highly beneficial system of mentoring. The school has the potential for training new teachers well because of its very good links with the University of Greenwich.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. Financial planning is good. There is a good match between the budget and the school development plan. Educational priorities are supported well through funding. For example, careful financial management has supported the successful developments in ICT provision and increased numbers of support staff. Thus, pupils have benefited by wisely-targeted spending. The headteacher and governing body are well served by the chair of finance, who prepares very detailed financial reports. These show, however, a large current underspend caused in the main by the school’s inability to date to appoint a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) or a bilingual assistant to support pupils learning English as an additional language. Additionally, though this school is full and oversubscribed, its neighbours have unfilled vacancies. The local authority is considering its options to reduce the number of pupil vacancies, so that it is presently

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

unclear whether this school will have lower admission numbers in the near future. This will have major implications for funding and affect the school’s ability to meet agreed spending commitments. Nevertheless, whilst focussing on the big picture, important details have been neglected, such as devoting resources appropriately to develop the role of co-ordinators further to enable them to monitor teaching and pupils’ work to try to raise standards, especially in English.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. Specific grants, such as those for pupils with special educational needs and the Excellence in Cities initiative are appropriately and effectively deployed. Excellence in Cities funding has enabled the appointment of learning mentors to offer good support to disaffected pupils and to offer suitable challenges for the gifted and talented pupils. As a result, disaffected pupils are more settled and better behaved and gifted pupils are attaining higher standards. However, the school’s use of the Ethnic Minorities Achievement Grant is not always effectively deployed. At present, a few identified pupils receive fragmented support and so do not make enough progress through this specialist help.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The chair of finance and the senior administrative officer ensure that the school seeks best value in its purchasing decisions The school monitors its performance against that of other schools, both through educational outcomes and financial expenditure. Previous educational decisions have been fully evaluated. For example, the increased numbers of support staff and their rolling programme of training have had beneficial effects on the provision for pupils with special educational needs. The recommendations of the last auditors’ report have been fully acted upon. The very capable clerical staff efficiently manage the day-to-day administration that helps the school to function smoothly. There is good understanding of the use of computers, in the office for a range of administrative tasks, by teachers for planning purposes and very effectively in some lessons where the use of the interactive white boards enhances pupils’ learning.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The school’s staffing profile is a good mix of youth and experience. As noted above, the school benefits from the retention of strong new teachers who come as trainees and then stay on as qualified teachers because of the good support they receive. There are sufficient staff, Alexander McLeod Primary School - 21 appropriately qualified to teach the requirements of the National Curriculum. However, as in most city schools, there are continuing problems with recruitment. The employment, for example, of overseas-trained teachers whose training is not recognised in this country, means they need support. The senior management is hard pressed to provide such support. The two deputies have to cover the unfilled vacancy of the co-ordinator for special educational needs and there are many pupils on the register to monitor. There is an effective team of support staff. Learning-support assistants are experienced and qualified. Supervisory, catering and maintenance staff provide a

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

very efficient service of support for the pupils and their teachers. The very capable and committed premises manager has been especially supportive and has done much to enhance the outdoor facilities for the pupils and reception children, which promotes their physical and social development.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. The school buildings are clean and well maintained and provide an attractive learning environment for the pupils. The school is on one site, but with three buildings. It does not restrict the curriculum or access for pupils with special educational needs. Teaching accommodation is adequate; most classrooms are of an appropriate size. The school makes good use of its three halls and rooms for small group work and music. The work displayed is attractive and stimulating and celebrates many of the activities undertaken in the school. The very imaginative and effective outdoor provision is used well to enhance the social and physical skills of pupils. However, there is no covered outdoor area devoted to children in the early years, though the teachers use the outdoor area well to support children’s learning in all six areas of the recommended curriculum.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. Resources for learning are good and especially good for ICT. However, the junior library is quite limited in stock for a school of this size. Overall, the school makes good use of all resources to support teaching and learning.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

68. In order to improve the work of the school, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i. raise pupils’ attainment in English by:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• including the development of speaking and listening skills in teachers’ planning for literacy lessons; • referring to the key vocabulary and providing pupils with the opportunity to practise using it in context in all subjects; • informing pupils of the criteria for reaching each National Curriculum level in writing, so that they are informed about how to improve their own work; • tracking individual progress in reading and writing and using weaknesses as teaching points; • more consistently marking to the agreed targets; • consistently teaching handwriting and expecting the outcomes to show in pupils’ work; and • developing a systematic approach to the teaching of spelling.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(See paragraphs 5-6, 21, 49-50, 92, 97, 101, 113)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

ii. improve assessment procedures and their use to inform teaching and learning by:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• monitoring the progress being made by individual pupils throughout the year in mathematics and science in order to identify weaknesses and set appropriate targets for improvement; • identifying key skills to be acquired year on year in the foundation subjects and checking that pupils are reaching appropriate standards for their age; and • identifying any weaknesses and addressing these in teachers’ planning. Alexander McLeod Primary School - 22 (See paragraphs 49-50, 108, 115, 125, 129, 133, 140, 145, 151)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

iii. address the needs of the pupils of different ages within mixed-aged classes in teachers’ planning, in subjects other than English and mathematics, particularly when pupils move from Year 2 to Year 3.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(See paragraphs 11, 22, 30, 111, 114, 125, 128)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

69. In addition to the key issues, the following less important aims should be considered for inclusion in the action plan:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• to continue to try and improve attendance; • to develop the role of the governors in shaping the direction of the school; • to review the use of the ethnic-minority achievement teacher; and • to meet statutory requirements for collective worship.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(See paragraphs 9, 19, 26, 33, 59, 61, 99)

p.24

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 35

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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 one percentage point.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 507

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 178

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 8

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 204

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 113

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Alexander McLeod Primary School - 23 Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 19

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 16

p.25

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.25

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Alexander McLeod Primary School - 24

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 38 33 71

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 32 33 33 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 23 27 28

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

School 77 (77) 85 (71) 86 (82) Percentage of pupils at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 26 32 32 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 22 22 25

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 68 (68) 76 (73) 80 (79) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 40 34 74

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 26 35 38 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 24 26 32

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 68 (68) 82 (57) 95 (83) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 27 35 38 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 26 27 33

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 72 (68) 84 (68) 96 (83) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Alexander McLeod Primary School - 25 Alexander McLeod Primary School - 26

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 12 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 33 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 41 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 18.8 Financial year 2000-2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.9

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR– Y6 Total income 1,264,245

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 21 Total expenditure 1,282,923

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 425 Expenditure per pupil 2,624

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 198,715

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 180,037

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 7

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 7

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 3.6

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Alexander McLeod Primary School - 27

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 64 32 3 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 45 48 6 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 29 44 19 6 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 52 37 11 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 62 36 0 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 54 46 0 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 47 39 9 1 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 54 41 2 1 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 52 39 4 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 21 38 19 4 18

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Other issues raised by parents

Only 25 parents attended the meeting, but they were very positive about most aspects of the school’s work. They mentioned a number of strong features, such as the good attitudes and values it promotes and the way in which staff are very approachable if they have concerns or want to know more about how their child is progressing. These parents felt well informed about and appropriately involved in the work of the school. They were pleased with the progress their children are making and felt that the school helped their children become responsible from an early age. Some said they had felt apprehensive about the amalgamation, but found that these fears had quickly been allayed. All were very impressed with Alexander McLeod Primary School - 28 how well the teachers had calmly evacuated their children during the fire. A few parents felt that there should be more extra-curricular activities, particularly for the younger children.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

70. The Foundation Stage is the strength of the school. Very good provision and teaching give children a very good start in their education.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

71. There are three reception classes in the Foundation Stage for 73 children at present and children start the school in September, January and April in the term when they are going to be five. Parents and children are well prepared before they start school. They are invited to the school in the term before they start, to meet staff and observe class routines. Children settle happily as a result.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

72. Children’s attainment on entry to Reception varies, but overall is well below expectations for this year group nationally, particularly in communication, language and literacy. A very good range of suitable activities, a very stimulating environment and very good teaching ensure that the children work purposefully in all the recommended six areas of learning. By the end of the Reception Year, the majority of children who start in September achieve standards that are in line with the Early Learning Goals. However, most of the younger children who have only one or two terms in the school, despite very good teaching, do not meet the standards outlined in the Early Learning Goals. Overall attainment in communication, language and literacy remains well below expected levels and in mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world, below expectations when they enter Year 1 classes. Children attain standards that are in line with the

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Early Learning Goals in personal, social and emotional development, creative development and physical development.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

73. The indoor accommodation is satisfactory and the curriculum is very well extended through the well-planned use of outdoor area.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

74. The quality of teaching in all the six areas of learning is very good and is never less than good, with some excellent teaching seen during the inspection. Children make very good progress in all areas of learning. The staff work very well as a team. They plan together very effectively using national guidance and place appropriately strong emphasis on ways to improve the children’s personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy skills and their mathematical development. Staff have a good grasp of how children learn through play and provide them with very good first-hand experiences such as projects on ‘Pirates’, ‘Mini beasts’, ‘Weddings and Christenings’. All resources are used very effectively to promote learning. There is a very good balance of staff-directed and children’s self-chosen activities. This leads to all children being purposefully involved in a calm and quiet learning atmosphere. Visits to local places and visitors to

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

school further enrich the curriculum. Staff have a good understanding of the needs of children who speak English as an additional language and they use appropriate methods such as visual materials, modelling language and asking children to repeat words and phrases. This group makes good progress as a result. Teachers use praise effectively to motivate the children. Children’s progress is tracked and recorded in their record books. On-going evaluation and assessment are used well to inform planning. Targets are set for individual children and shared with parents through PACT books. Parents are well informed about their children’s progress and attainment through the termly meetings and the end-of-year reports. Alexander McLeod Primary School - 29

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Personal, social and emotional development

75. Children’s personal, social and emotional development is given a high priority and is promoted at every opportunity. By the end of the Reception Year, most children are on course to attain the standards expected in the Early Learning Goals.

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Personal, social and emotional development

76. Children quickly adapt to the routines of the day, make friends with other children and show confidence in the staff. They are encouraged to work co-operatively and take responsibility for themselves. Children are well motivated and apply themselves well to tasks; for example, when they make boats of different materials to see which one will float in the water tray. They help each other to tidy up at the end of the activities. Children are well behaved, concentrate well and sit quietly when appropriate; for example, during literacy and numeracy times, assembly times and singing sessions. They are learning to share the equipment fairly and wait for their turn to use the pulley to lift a heavy bucket full of stone chips, use the computer to draw treasure maps or have their turn in the digging patch. Children are independent in their personal hygiene, put on their own coats for outdoor play and change for physical education lessons. Children have a clear

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Personal, social and emotional development

understanding of the difference between right and wrong. They understand simple rules like putting the equipment back after use and are keen to abide by them. Children of all ethnic backgrounds play happily together.

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Personal, social and emotional development

77. Children are familiar with classroom routines, move sensibly to appropriate tasks and concentrate for increasing amounts of time. The very good range of stimulating activities and very good use of the outdoor area provide opportunities for children to make independent choices, select activities and engage in imaginative play.

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Personal, social and emotional development

78. The overall quality of teaching and learning in this area is very good. Children achieve very well because they are constantly encouraged to develop high levels of independence. All adults provide very good role models and there are very good relationships between adults and children. Children are treated with courtesy and respect and in turn learn to behave in the same way. Children are provided with a very secure and caring environment in which they can flourish.

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Communication, language and literacy

79. Children achieve very well in this area of learning and, by the end of the Reception Year, most children who have had the advantage of very good teaching for a full year meet the standards of the Early Learning Goals. However, overall attainment of the whole cohort is well below that expected nationally. The majority of children are still working on the first two or three ‘stepping stones’ that lead to the Early Learning Goals, which is well below expectations.

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Communication, language and literacy

80. Older children, who have had three terms in Reception, speak confidently and have the expected listening skills. They enjoy listening to stories and take part in reading familiar phrases. They read simple storybooks and talk about the characters in the stories. They have an expected knowledge of letter sounds, which they use to help them with their reading. However, younger children’s speaking skills are limited to one-word answers. They are still at the early stages of reading, as they handle books correctly and use picture cues to tell a story and a few are beginning to read familiar words in a text. The more able children progress to writing simple sentences and use their phonic skills to spell simple words. They enjoy being ‘authors’ as they make their own books. They write letters using their phonic skills and ask for help after being ‘lost at sea’. However, the majority of children still only write a string of letters, some correctly formed. Less able children are

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Communication, language and literacy

not yet able to write and are still drawing pictures and learning to form letters.

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Communication, language and literacy

81. The overall quality of teaching in this area is very good. The teachers successfully introduce the children to the type of work recommended in the National Literacy Strategy. This contributes very well to their learning. The systematic teaching of phonic skills helps children with their reading and spelling. Teachers have very good knowledge and understanding of teaching the basic skills and have many strategies to develop children’s phonic and word-building skills. Children are given many opportunities to experiment and develop early writing skills in the writing areas. Children who Alexander McLeod Primary School - 30 have special educational needs and those who are learning English as an additional language are well supported in most activities by the learning mentor and learning-support assistants and make good progress.

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Mathematical development

82. The majority of children will not meet the expectations of the Early Learning Goals by the time they have completed the Foundation Stage. Most children learn to count to ten in a range of situations. More-able children count to 20 and beyond. They carry out simple addition and subtraction using numbers to ten and begin to record their sums. In one lesson, the more able children were adding two numbers accurately. Good visual clues such as finding the correct number of plates, cups and spoons for five teddies help children to understand the concept of addition and subtraction and vocabulary such as ‘more’ or ‘less’. The children learn a good range of number songs and rhymes and this also helps them to learn to count and understand the concept of adding and taking away. When working with two-dimensional shapes, children use mathematical language confidently. For example, children know that a triangle has three sides and

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Mathematical development

83. Mathematics is taught across the curriculum as well as in specific lessons. The quality of teaching and learning is very good. Very good use is made of the National Numeracy Strategy as a basis for lessons. Many practical experiences, such as the use of number games in the outdoor area to develop recognition of numbers and the use of the shop to learn to count and recognise coins, extend children’s learning very well. Teachers have very good subject knowledge and plan well with clear learning objectives which are shared with the children. They plan work very well to suit different abilities. The variety of teaching strategies employed engage children’s attention well and encourage enthusiastic responses to mathematics, so they learn effectively.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

84. Attainment of the majority of children is below the expected Early Learning Goals by the end of Reception Year. As a result of very good and sometimes excellent teaching, most children achieve very well in this area of learning The older children achieve standards that are in line with Early Learning Goals. Teachers provide many effective experiences to promote children’s learning. Children learn the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ movements when they push and observe the toy cars and trains on the track. They look, smell, touch and taste different vegetables and make sandwiches to eat. They learn about the mini-beasts and their habitats by investigating the environmental area. When using the computer to draw pirates’ treasure maps and symbols for different locations, children learn to manipulate the mouse to operate the program independently. They design and make pirate boats, then investigate how many beads will sink the boat. They learn about their locality

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

through visits to the local shops, church and woods. They develop their mapping skills when they draw maps of pirate islands and follow directions to look for treasure.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

85. Children learn about faiths and social customs through the celebration of Christmas, Diwali and other festivals and have had excellent opportunities to learn about their own and others’ faiths and social customs. For example, children visited the local church and the vicar performed a christening of a doll. On another occasion children planned a wedding, including the hymns to be sung and the vicar came to perform the ceremony. Children have the opportunity to watch a Sikh wedding on video and make comparisons with the wedding performed in the school by the vicar. Children learn about their past when they compare themselves with babies.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

86. Teaching and learning are excellent. All adults support children well in investigating their surroundings and encourage them to solve problems. Children who speak English as an additional language and who have special needs are also well supported and learn well alongside their peers.

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Physical development

Alexander McLeod Primary School - 31 87. By the end of Reception year, children’s physical development is appropriate for their age. There is good provision both indoors and outdoors for children to develop their physical skills. Children show good awareness of space and control and enjoyed the experiences. They have many opportunities to climb up and down ‘the wall’ safely. They run, hop, skip and stop with control and co-ordination. They learn to catch and throw balls accurately and with control. They discuss the effects of exercise on their bodies and the importance of exercise. Most can handle pencils, brushes, glue spreaders, craft tools and construction kits appropriately. Many can control the computer mouse confidently. Construction kits, puzzles and cooking all provide good opportunities for children to use their hands carefully.

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Physical development

88. The overall quality of teaching and learning is very good. Staff plan the lessons very well and provide a very good range of materials to encourage the children to be creative during their physical activities. They give children regular access to well-organised activities in the hall to further develop the skills gained.

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Creative development

89. Children are offered a wide range of opportunities that stimulate their imagination and enable them to make very good progress. Children’s attainment in this area is in line with the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Reception Year. They have good opportunities to choose different instruments and explore sound and compose and play their own music. In whole-class sessions, they sing songs and action rhymes. Children know an appropriate range of nursery songs and action rhymes. For example, on their ‘Pirate Day’, a child sang nursery rhymes to amuse a two- year-old visitor. Children use pencils, felt pens, crayons and paints confidently to present their ideas through drawing, painting and modelling. They are given many opportunities to experiment with a range of art materials and techniques when they weave, print, make collage pictures and make models with clay. In one lesson, children enjoyed making a three-dimensional island using

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Creative development

recycled materials and some made clay coins decorated with brightly-coloured materials for the pirates’ treasure. Children use their observational skills to draw fish and produce some very good results. They play imaginatively in the role-play area. On the ‘Pirate Day’ they had excellent experience of being pirates. They all dressed up as pirates, sang pirate songs, cleaned the deck, climbed the rigging, watched from the crows’ nest, sailed around the world, walked the plank and used appropriate vocabulary such as ‘Aye, aye, captain’, ‘Land ahoy!’ and ‘Abandon ship!’.

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Creative development

90. The overall quality of teaching and learning is very good. Children are given opportunities to experiment and be creative with materials. Role-play activities allow children to explore make- believe situations together as they pretend to be pirates, or arrange a christening and a Christian wedding. Staff appropriately extend children’s learning through good questioning and give them opportunities to find appropriate materials.

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ENGLISH

91. Standards in English in the present Year 6 are below average. Despite some good and very good teaching, not enough pupils attain the expected levels by Year 6. However, an analysis of pupils’ schoolwork and results of the 2001 national tests indicates that the more able pupils attain above average results and that this number is rising. Given the high percentage of pupils with special educational needs in both Year 2 and Year 6 and that many pupils begin school with very poor skills in communication, language and literacy, which affects overall standards, their achievement in English is satisfactory by Year 2 and it is good by Year 6. Recent initiatives such as the early and additional literacy strategies and phonic-awareness training, which the school has implemented to support underachieving pupils, are beginning to raise standards in other year groups, but have not yet had time to affect overall standards. Pupils with English as an additional

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ENGLISH

language make satisfactory progress overall. Standards of work seen at the end of the current Year 2 are well below average overall.

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ENGLISH

92. Standards of speaking and listening are well below expectations by the end of Year 2 and are below expectations in Year 6. Pupils achieve satisfactorily overall, but the school is aware of the Alexander McLeod Primary School - 32 need to further promote this aspect of the pupils’ learning. Pupils in Year 2 behave well and appear attentive in a variety of situations, such as whole-school assemblies and class question-and- answer sessions. However, few speak with the clarity and fluency expected for their age and often do not fully absorb what they hear. Pupils who join the school with little or no English do not get enough focused support from the specialist teacher to help them make good progress in acquiring the language. They are supported well by the class teachers and learning-support assistants, however. More-able pupils in Year 6 participate confidently in one-to-one, small group and whole-

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ENGLISH

class discussions, showing a good awareness of the listener. They communicate their ideas and opinions clearly; for example, about the books they read. However, average and less able pupils sometimes struggle to express their ideas due to limited vocabulary and knowledge of standard English. This limits how well pupils learning English as an additional language acquire a secure command of the language.

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ENGLISH

93. In the current Year 2, reading standards are below average. This is because few but the most able have the fluency or level of comprehension necessary to achieve the higher Level 3. Pupils recognise the title and author on the front cover of a book. The brightest pupils, when talking about their enjoyment of reading, refer to favourite books and authors. Basic skills in phonic awareness are taught effectively in Years 1 and 2 so that most pupils use these and picture cues to work out unfamiliar words. Guided reading activities satisfactorily help pupils to read a simple text reasonably accurately and draw their attention to punctuation such as full stops and question and exclamation marks, which affect the way that text is read. A small number of more able pupils are competent and confident readers who attain a higher than average level. Early indications from this year’s national tests and tasks show that the percentage of pupils reading at above average levels

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ENGLISH

is higher than in previous years. Comprehension skills are not as good as they should be, however and though pupils decode words by sounding the syllables, even the most able often do not understand the words they read. This is noticeable particularly when pupils chose their own books rather than the ones used for guided reading.

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ENGLISH

94. Reading standards of pupils currently in Year 6 are below average. Pupils have favourite authors and give reasons for their choice of reading material. Average and lower attaining pupils do not read well enough for meaning; for example, by taking account of simple punctuation and do not have the accuracy, fluency and expression expected at this age. A small number of above average pupils read fluently and with expression. They have a good understanding of the texts they read and competently explain the narrative and characters in stories, making inferences and deductions and referring to the text to explain what they mean. Pupils know how to find information in non- fiction books by using the contents and alphabetical listing in an index, but few have the library skills expected at this age. Teachers expect pupils to read at home, but few pupils choose to read books as a leisure activity and means of enjoyment. The school states there is only limited

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ENGLISH

parental support in pupils’ reading at this stage, which limits overall progress and standards.

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ENGLISH

95. Some good and very good teaching is having a positive effect on pupils’ learning in Year 1. This, together with additional support in phonic awareness and extension teaching for the more able pupils means that writing standards in this year group are closer to average. However, additional strategies have not yet had sufficient time to affect standards by the end of Year 2, where writing is still well below average. Teachers appropriately provide opportunities for pupils to write for a range of purposes. They teach them the conventions of different styles of writing, including poems, stories, holiday postcards and factual reports; for example, on what they have learned about Queen Elizabeth I and Florence Nightingale or on religious stories. This enables pupils to extend their ideas into a logical sequence of sentences and to think about writing for different purposes. However, in Year 2 only a small number of the more able pupils write at the expected length with

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ENGLISH

an adequate awareness of the reader and with interesting and varied vocabulary. Pupils’ use of punctuation such as capitals and full stops is not as consistently good as expected and few are developing the use of other punctuation such as question and speech marks. There are weaknesses in letter formation, with many pupils still forming letters inaccurately. Few attempt to join letters outside of handwriting lessons.

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ENGLISH

96. Despite some good and very good teaching in Years 3 to 6, which enables pupils to increase the range of purposes for which they write, standards in writing by Year 6 are below average. Teachers Alexander McLeod Primary School - 33 make good use of the school’s laptop computers for pupils to draft and present work attractively, using different styles and combining graphics for illustrations. Pupils are developing a satisfactory awareness of descriptive language such as similes, because teaching makes a point of drawing their attention to these conventions. As a result, both the more able and less able pupils begin to use them in their writing. For example, in writing poems about activities undertaken on the school journey, one pupil wrote, “I was frozen like a thistle in the winter air.” Another described someone running off as if “they burst out like a cannonball.” Pupils are developing an understanding of the

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ENGLISH

shape and structure of stories, letters and poems satisfactorily and are beginning to make use of paragraphs. Standards in spelling are below average by the age of 11. Pupils in Year 6 misspell common words such as “which” and “another” and confuse “their” with “there.” They make grammatical errors such as confusing “is” with “are” and “was” with “were”. Common errors in punctuation, such as mixing lower- and upper-case letters in words such as “I” continue to be made even by the brightest pupils.

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ENGLISH

97. Although pupils demonstrate in work displayed on walls that they are capable of good presentation and neat handwriting, work in books does not reflect this. Teachers’ marking is inconsistent. Some appropriately draw pupils’ attention to spelling and punctuation errors and to the organisation and purpose of their writing. Some make useful and constructive comments that move learning forward. However, others do not sufficiently draw pupils’ attention to their writing targets, neither do they consistently pay sufficient attention to presentation, accurate letter formation or the development of a joined and fluent style. For instance, a number of pupils who were joining letters at the start of Year 6 no longer do so and this has a detrimental effect on the standards they attain.

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ENGLISH

98. Teaching of literacy is satisfactory overall in the infant classes, with some good and very good teaching in Year 1. It is good overall in Years 3 to 6. Two very good lessons were seen in Year 3 and 4 classes and one very good lesson was seen in a Year 5/6 class. None of the teaching seen was less than satisfactory. Features of the best teaching are good introductions that build on pupils’ earlier learning, very good questioning and high expectations of what pupils can do. The very effective use of computerised “smart-boards” in some lessons enables teachers to review previous lessons at the click of a button and to introduce new ideas promptly so that no time is wasted and learning moves forward at a brisk pace.

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ENGLISH

99. Teachers across the school are clear about what they want pupils to learn and, when planning lessons, are for the most part mindful of the range of pupils’ needs in the mixed-age classes. Teachers have good subject knowledge and this is communicated well in a confident style of delivery so that pupils’ acquisition of skills, knowledge and understanding is at least satisfactory and good overall. On the whole, pupils’ behaviour is managed well. As a result, in most lessons, pupils’ interest is held and they concentrate well and settle to activities with good levels of concentration. Learning-support assistants provide good support for groups of pupils, such as those with special educational needs and those at the early stages of learning English as an additional language, so they take a full part in lessons and learn well alongside their peers. However, the use of the specialist staff to teach pupils learning English as an additional language

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ENGLISH

is not effective as not enough direct attention is paid to their specific needs.

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ENGLISH

100. Although opportunities are provided for pupils to write factual accounts in other subjects such as history and religious education, not enough use is made of these opportunities to develop literacy skills and to draw pupils’ attention to their reading and writing targets.

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ENGLISH

101. The English co-ordinators are aware of the strengths and weaknesses in the subject and are very clear about the need to improve pupils’ attainment. The school satisfactorily analyses its test results to identify strengths and weaknesses in the curriculum. It has, for example, identified the need to develop a more consistent approach to the teaching of handwriting and the need for better planning and assessment of speaking and listening. As a result of such analysis, groups of underachieving pupils are now being targeted for extra support. This has already having a positive effect on standards, but has not yet had time to fully impact on pupils’ standards currently in Years 2 and 6. The school uses a satisfactory range of procedures for checking pupils’ attainment Alexander McLeod Primary School - 34 and progress in English and recognises that it now needs to track the progress of individual pupils

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MATHEMATICS

102. Pupils in Year 2 attain well below the national standards. Significant improvements are made by Year 6 and standards are in line with those expected nationally. The high number of pupils with special educational needs affects results. Poor literacy skills in Years 1 and 2 affect the development of basic number skills. Evidence collected during the inspection confirms that pupils enter Year 1 with weak mathematical skills and knowledge, but they achieve satisfactorily in Years 1 and 2 and they achieve well by Year 6.

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MATHEMATICS

103. There is no marked difference in the performance of girls and boys. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. They receive regular help from learning-support assistants in lessons, who follow clearly focused individual educational plans and so these pupils achieve well for their ability. They make considerable progress in terms of self-esteem, social skills and their ability to learn. Pupils with English as an additional language achieve as well as their peers. 104. By Year 2, pupils have a sound knowledge of place value to 100. They know some of the properties of two- and three-dimensional shapes and use measuring instruments accurately. The pupils extend their skills of analysing results and creating bar graphs. They complete a table on a prepared worksheet and identify the most popular flavour of ice cream. Good links are made to other curricular areas, particularly science where pupils measure the distance travelled by toy cars

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MATHEMATICS

on variable surfaces. By Year 6, pupils use mental strategies to solve complex oral questions well. They explore and describe square numbers and see relationships in multiples of numbers and factors. They deepen their understanding of simple formulae and some use brackets appropriately. The more able pupils develop an understanding of functions to solve problems, recognise sequences and set an hypothesis. Throughout the school, pupils use their numeracy skills to solve problems. However, the setting of work involving real-life problems is limited.

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MATHEMATICS

105. The quality of teaching varies from satisfactory to very good. In the lessons seen in Years 1 and 2, teaching was good and occasionally very good, with only one satisfactory lesson. In Years 3 and 6 the picture is the same. In the most effective lessons, the teachers make sure that pupils of all abilities are actively engaged on work that is carefully matched to their needs. They make effective use of direct questioning to deepen pupils’ knowledge. Most teachers achieve a smooth transfer from one part of the lesson to another. They are skilled at identifying misunderstandings or forgotten ideas. They have high expectations of behaviour and relationships are good. Their teaching skills ensure that all pupils have good attitudes. In a few very good lessons pupils were given the opportunity to select their own methods for recording results. They discussed the appropriateness of their recordings and adapted them as necessary. Pupils make the best

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MATHEMATICS

progress where they are given the opportunity to consolidate their skills with practical apparatus. An example of this was seen in a Year 1 class where the pupils were learning about giving change from ten pence. In the least successful lessons, resources were not readily available to support pupils’ and this contributed to the overall slow pace and confusion for some pupils. The learning- support assistants are given clear targets to achieve in all lessons and their skills in teaching enable the pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language to learn effectively.

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MATHEMATICS

106. The teachers are familiar and secure with the National Numeracy Strategy, which is applied effectively. Planning is prepared in phase-group meetings and this is a strength of the school. All lessons incorporate the three-part lesson structure and the plenary stage reflects the expected learning well. Identifying what is to be learnt in a lesson is clearly defined in the planning and in the best lessons teachers raise pupils' awareness at the beginning and the end. Teachers use a good range of mathematical vocabulary and this results in pupils being able to explain their work using the correct terminology. The oral and mental sessions are usually delivered with enthusiasm; pupils learn quickly and show good mental ability. The main teaching activity involves pupils practising their skills and in this part of the lesson teachers manage pupils and resources efficiently. However, the overuse of worksheets in Years 1 and 2 provides few opportunities for

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MATHEMATICS

pupils to develop their own strategies for informal recording. Alexander McLeod Primary School - 35 107. The quality and range of learning opportunities are good. The school has made significant development in ensuring that mathematics enhances the learning in other areas of the curriculum, particularly ICT. For example, pupils are involved in numerical work when drawing graphs from surveys of traffic and of local amenities. Displays around the school, both in the classroom and in communal areas, enhance the status of numeracy and provide opportunities for pupils to reflect upon their learning. They are encouraged to participate in competitions and were successful in the Greenwich Challenge. The school has used specific grants well to implement the springboard initiative and booster classes for Year 6. This has contributed to the good progress made by pupils with special needs. Parents are encouraged to support homework activities.

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MATHEMATICS

108. Teachers successfully use informal observations and regular tests to assess pupils' attainment. The use of assessment information to guide curricular planing is a strength in Year 3 and Year 6, but is not yet fully developed throughout the school. The school identifies key mathematical targets to provide a framework for recording progress. The headteacher and subject co-ordinator analyse the national test results and the optional tests and use these to identify areas for future targeting. The results of annual tests are now being recorded for individual pupils, in order to track progress from year to year, but this has not been in place long enough to indicate any clear trends. The school is less successful in setting targets for each year group and individual pupils, and this is unsatisfactory.

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MATHEMATICS

109. The co-ordinator provides effective leadership, ensuring that all staff receive appropriate training and support. Standards of teaching and learning have improved as a result. She has actively involved the parents through school workshops and these have been well attended and help parents understand the way in which their children are taught. The co-ordinator has monitored pupils’ work across the school and has correctly identified data-handing, problem-solving and subtraction as areas that need further development. This careful analysis shows a good commitment to raising standards.

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SCIENCE

110. Evidence from the inspection of pupils’ school work and in lessons shows that the standards of pupils presently in Year 2 are generally below average, but, by Year 6, standards are in line with national expectations. Overall, standards have improved over time. This is because more attention has been given to developing pupils’ scientific skills, giving them the opportunity to take part in practical tasks in order to develop their concepts and understanding more securely.

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SCIENCE

111. An analysis of work in pupils’ books shows that all strands of the subject are covered each year, including investigative and experimental science. However, because of the mixed age-group classes, there is a two-year rolling programme of work. The way this has been organised means that the work is pitched to meet the needs of the older pupils in some units and the needs of the younger pupils in others. This sometimes affects standards, especially in Years 1 and 2, where there are only limited opportunities in Year 2 to consolidate the learning which took place in Year 1. Older pupils have a progressive programme over the four years and concepts are more firmly established as a result. The subject generally has good coverage, with work recorded in reasonable detail. The older pupils in mixed age-group classes do not always explain their findings and draw conclusions from the results well enough. However, pupils achieve well across the year

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SCIENCE

groups and reach satisfactory standards, despite the low standards on entry to the school. The pupils learning English as an additional language benefit from the practical way in which the subject is taught and they achieve as well as other groups. Pupils with special educational needs are given extra support by the learning-support assistants and are fully included in the lessons and make good progress for their ability.

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SCIENCE

112. By Year 6, pupils conduct a range of experiments and understand the principles of a fair test. They make sensible predictions and record their results. For instance, Year 5 and 6 pupils worked in small groups to test the hypothesis that the further an item is moved from a light source the larger the shadow. They recognised the need to conduct a fair test, by keeping the light source the same Alexander McLeod Primary School - 36 and in the same place, by using the same cut-out shape, and by moving the shape the same distance away each time. They measured and recorded their results very carefully, with the more able pupils measuring to the nearest decimal point. Year 3 and 4 pupils visited the Natural History Museum, where they investigated food chains and researched some predators. They accurately label the parts of a flower and know that plants need light, warmth and nutrients in order to grow

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SCIENCE

well. Older pupils conduct experiments to test the properties of materials and discover those that are effective insulators or the most absorbent. They discover that objects weigh less in water and test the strength of different magnets. They complete a useful piece of research on the earth, sun and moon and most understand how day and night occur.

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SCIENCE

113. Literacy skills are promoted well. All lessons have a strong emphasis on speaking and listening and pupils are encouraged to predict what will happen and explain what they have found out. Although teachers list key words in their planning, they do not always share these with the pupils and then consistently refer to and use this new vocabulary. Pupils research information, for example about a predator, but there is not a great emphasis on personal research in science. Presentation is generally good, with some careful illustrations and labelled drawings. Some pupils usefully include an index at the beginning of their books. Numeracy skills are promoted well now, following a recent audit by the co-ordinator. Year 2 pupils measure which toy car goes furthest down high and low ramps. Year 5 and 6 pupils record the time taken for spinners to reach the ground and present their findings in graph form. Although Year 5 and 6 pupils record their results in

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SCIENCE

line graphs, bar charts and diagrams, there is only limited interrogation of the data in order to draw further conclusions. Some use of ICT is evident when pupils record results in graphs and chart form, or use information sites such as Wildlifewatch and the Science Museum.

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SCIENCE

114. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Of the seven lessons observed, one was satisfactory, three were good and three very good. Teachers plan across the year groups together, so that all pupils follow the same programme. All lessons gave pupils good opportunities for hands-on, practical investigative work. For example, Year 2 pupils measured their hands to reinforce the concept that there are similarities and differences within the same species. Year 3 and 4 pupils investigated how water travels through a plant and Year 5 and 6 pupils conducted an experiment on shadow heights. In all lessons, pupils worked well together. Careful explanations by the teachers ensured that pupils understood what they were doing and why. Good questioning further enhanced pupils’ understanding. Learning-support assistants were used well throughout the lessons to work with groups who need extra help and there were plenty of good resources so that

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SCIENCE

all pupils could take an active part. However, as teachers’ planning does not clearly indicate the levels at which each year group is expected to work, the older, more able pupils did not always reach the level of understanding of which they are capable, or sometimes the younger, less able pupils found the conclusions somewhat too difficult to follow.

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SCIENCE

115. The co-ordinator is hard working and conscientious and offers effective leadership. From sampling pupils’ work and teachers’ planning, she identified the need for more practical work. As a result, results in the national Year 6 tests have improved. Standards achieved by pupils are regularly checked each term and matched to National Curriculum levels, but this has not been in place long enough to track pupils’ progress over time. The co-ordinator has successfully raised the profile of science in the school by organising a Science Week, when stimulating experiences were planned and older and younger pupils had the opportunity to work together on a shared project. Resources have been improved, including the development of a wild-life area and pond, which support learning well.

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ART AND DESIGN

116. Standards in art and design are above those expected nationally by Year 2 and by Year 6. Pupils experience a range of skills and techniques and good use is made of the work of artists and craftspeople to stimulate ideas and further promote skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

117. The youngest pupils have been studying sculpture. They used clay to produce very good models of a reclining body in the style of Henry Moore, and black plasticine to recreate very effectively a sculpture in the style of Alberto Giacometti. Following a visit to the Tate Gallery, they use rolled Alexander McLeod Primary School - 37 newspaper, covered with strips of crepe paper, to carefully create a person showing movement. Years 3 and 4 use careful drawings of a predator they are studying in science to create an attractive string print repetitive pattern. The oldest pupils use oil pastels and the ‘pointillism’ technique to create well-constructed landscapes in the style of Seurat. All classes have the opportunity to work with a visiting artist and they produce high quality work; for example, brightly decorated three-dimensional totem poles and well-executed aboriginal-style artwork, using marks

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ART AND DESIGN

and dots to symbolise animals and personal experiences. A detailed, high-quality group painting depicting the school playground, which is full of life and movement, won a prestigious competition and is testament to the high standards reached.

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ART AND DESIGN

118. Art is used in many subjects to enhance pupils’ learning. For instance, the youngest pupils draw careful portraits of Queen Elizabeth I, showing the fine details of her costume and headdress. When studying World War II, older pupils create a picture based on Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ and a black and white print in the style of Henry Moore, to depict the devastating effects of war.

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ART AND DESIGN

119. It was only possible to observe three lessons, but the quality of teaching and learning was satisfactory in one and good in the other two. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and use a range of resources to stimulate the pupils. In a good Year 3 and 4 lesson, for instance, the teacher used the white board effectively to show some works by Paul Klee. She illustrated his use of symbols and signs, prior to the pupils creating their own ‘life journeys’ in symbolic form. The provision of a range of materials of different textures and colours further enhanced their imagination. As a result, all pupils created an effective and interesting piece of work, which they could clearly interpret. Pupils are taught specific techniques and skills as well. For example, in a good Year 5 and 6 lesson, following a clear and useful demonstration, the teacher gave pupils the opportunity to practise and explore how to create depth, perspective and texture with paint, before

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ART AND DESIGN

tackling their own landscapes the following week.

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ART AND DESIGN

120. The two co-ordinators are enthusiastic and committed. In the short time they have been in post, they have offered effective leadership, developing a helpful and detailed scheme of work, bringing in expert help and starting a portfolio of pupils’ work matched to National Curriculum levels. They plan to use this to check that standards are being maintained year on year, as well as identifying the gifted pupils to receive extra opportunities through the Excellence in Cities funding. They monitor teachers’ planning and pupils’ sketch books to check that the agreed scheme is being implemented well and they evaluate each unit of work with the teachers, and suggest changes where necessary. Standards of teaching and learning are good as a result. Pupils’ work is given high value as it is displayed with great care and pride all round the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

121. Standards in design and technology are in line with those expected by Year 2. By Year 6, standards at present are generally in line, although the time devoted to the subject is somewhat short. However, this is being addressed by the school. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language, make good progress.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

122. By Year 2, pupils make two designs for a glove puppet and choose the one they like most, listing resources needed and planning how it is to be made. They cut out, sew and decorate it to match their design and then make a simple evaluation of the outcome. Pupils say what they found difficult and what they might improve. After investigating a vehicle, drawing and labelling the parts, pupils design and make their own. The process helps them understand how an axle is used to link the wheels and how it is fastened to the chassis.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

123. Year 3 and 4 pupils are given the opportunity to practise making a lever before designing and making a moving picture. They plan well, listing the tools and material required and make simple, but appropriate, suggestions for improvements. By Year 6, pupils design and make a torch incorporating a switch. The final products are particularly well finished in one class. Pupils identify what needs to be improved and how to make the necessary adjustments. The recent introduction of ‘process diaries’ provides a very effective record of the work covered and ensures all the necessary aspects of design work are covered appropriately. Alexander McLeod Primary School - 38 124. It was only possible to observe two lessons. The quality of teaching and learning were good in both. Year 5 and 6 pupils were in the final stages of making a pair of slippers. After studying a range of slippers and considering their major features and functions, they had designed their own.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Teachers appropriately taught pupils specific techniques and skills, such as how to pin a pattern to the material and to leave sufficient material for a lap-over. However, pupils were also given the challenge to try and make a prototype for the upper part of their slipper, using some old sheeting, before making the final version. All the necessary resources were available, learning-support assistants were well briefed and so pupils worked productively throughout the lesson and achieved some pleasing results.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

125. The newly appointed co-ordinator has made a good start and is offering effective leadership and management in the subject. At present, teachers keep a record of the work done and evaluate pupils’ learning, but the co-ordinator recognised that this does not inform the next teacher about exactly what standards were reached in relation to National Curriculum levels. She has conducted a careful audit of teachers’ planning and is beginning to monitor the work being produced to ensure that pupils are working at the appropriate level for their age. She has identified the weaker elements of the scheme and has made the necessary arrangements to bring in an expert to train the teachers in these areas. She has a clear action plan and the school is in a good position to consolidate and further improve standards in design and technology. Alexander McLeod Primary School - 39

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

126. Attainment in history and geography is in line with national expectations throughout the school. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make satisfactory progress by Year 2 and good progress by the time they leave the school.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

127. By Year 2, pupils have a sound sense of chronology derived from their study of the Great Fire of London and by placing seaside photographs on a time line stretching from the Victorian era to modern times. Similarly, they place important people, such as Elizabeth I and Mary Seacole, into their correct century when studying their eventful lives. By Year 6, pupils use their research skills to find out about the Blitz of 1940, or write letters home as if they were a Roman gladiator on duty in Britain. In geography, pupils appreciate that Abbey Wood has the typical problems, traffic and pollution, of an urban London environment. During fieldwork, they compare and contrast it with the seaside, or with the Wealden village of Otford. Pupils in Year 2 are well aware of other places in the world, both through their own travels and by studying the weather in Europe, Africa and Japan. By Year 6, pupils have a sound understanding of the importance of environmental amenities to

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

people who settle in a place. Pupils use maps of increasing complexity as they progress through the school. However, pupils’ weak literacy skills affect their work, especially in history and limit their progress somewhat. No difference between the attainment and progress of boys and girls was observed.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

128. One history lesson and five geography lessons were observed during the inspection. The quality of teaching in history and geography based on all inspection evidence, including the scrutiny of pupils’ work and discussion with them, is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 to 6. The very good lesson in history in Years 1 and 2 made full use of the Internet and photographic evidence to reinforce pupils’ knowledge and understanding of times past and seaside holidays then and now. Year 3 and 4 pupils, in a satisfactory geography lesson, were engaged and motivated when reviewing the services that Abbey Wood village provides. In a good geography lesson in Years 3 and 4, pupils were keen and concentrated on the Ordnance Survey maps to pick out landmarks such as Charlton football ground and the Maritime Museum. Teachers generally use appropriate history and geography vocabulary to develop pupils’ understanding. Pupils in Years 5

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

and 6 respond well to the teacher’s good questioning, which helps them understand and identify the different amenities in Wrotham and Abbey Wood. This good lesson developed pupils’ knowledge and understanding of places and the features that affect people’s lives. Pupils have satisfactory understanding of the human and physical features of places, including localities beyond their own, as in the Year 5 and 6 lesson where pupils’ knowledge and understanding of their fieldwork in Otford and Wrotham were reinforced. Teacher expectations, whilst generally satisfactory in history and geography, do not sufficiently take into account the needs of pupils of different ages and abilities in the mixed age-group classes. The older pupils are not always challenged to reach the higher standards of which they are capable. This is confirmed in much of the evidence collected.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

129. The co-ordination of history and geography is satisfactory, though time to monitor and develop the subjects is limited. Also, throughout the school, there is insufficient assessment to check that pupils are acquiring skills, knowledge and understanding to the level expected for their ages. History and geography are promoted effectively, as seen in the quality of the displays around the school. Both subjects are enhanced by local fieldwork and by the residential school journey. History is supported well by visits to a good range of museums. There are also good cross- curricular links, for example with literacy and numeracy when Years 5 and 6 study Greece, both as a holiday destination and as the centre of Greek civilization. The resources for both subjects are good, including a good range of maps and opportunities to use the Internet, all of which support learning well.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

Alexander McLeod Primary School - 40 130. Since the amalgamation there has been considerable improvement in provision with the introduction of laptop computers and interactive white boards (smartboards). Standards of attainment are satisfactory and improving, by Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils’ progress in knowledge and understanding in ICT is satisfactory in Year 1 and 2. Given the strength of teaching and the confident use of very good equipment and resources, progress is good in Years 3 to 6. No difference in the attainment and enthusiasm for the subject between boys and girls was observed. Pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language benefit from the good use of visual resources and they also make good progress in acquiring computer skills.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

131. By Year 2, the more able pupils gather information on clowns’ hair colour and use it to produce a block graph. They use ‘Colour Magic’ to create attractive pictures using lines and blocks of colour. Pupils combine text and pictures in a study of ‘The Maldives’. By the end of Year 6, the more able pupils confidently handle data downloaded from the Internet, capturing a map of Abbey Wood, or pictures of space to create a ‘musical soundscape’. Pupils in Year 5 gather traffic census information during their geography fieldwork in Otford and create block graphs and pie charts on the computer. Such skills support their literacy and numeracy competence well.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

132. The quality of teaching in the five lessons observed ranged from unsatisfactory to very good. The quality of teaching reflected in the scrutiny of pupils’ previous work was generally good. All the evidence together confirms the judgement that the teaching of ICT in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory and good in Years 3 to 6. In the two satisfactory lessons in Years 1 and 2, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the programmable toy and its associated vocabulary were reinforced. Year 3 and 4 pupils demonstrate the training they have received and handle the laptops with competence and care, whilst in Years 5 and 6, good teacher knowledge and demonstration skills have a major impact on pupils’ quality of learning LOGO procedures. In a very good lesson in Years 5 and 6, pupils were given very good opportunities to reinforce and extend their skills in creating visually- exciting tessellations of their mathematical shapes. Teachers used options within the software

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

well to match the needs of below-average pupils, including those with special educational needs.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

133. The enthusiastic co-ordinator has been instrumental in equipping the school with the laptop computers. He has set sensible priorities and managed to increase the confidence of staff, despite their perceived disappointment of poor training received through the New Opportunities Fund. The laptops have boosted teacher skills and confidence significantly. The co-ordinator’s leadership and management actively promote high standards. The subject is supported by a good scheme of work that demonstrates how skills should be developed throughout the school. Moreover, there is a policy agreed with the parents for the monitoring of access to the Internet. This represents very good practice. The use of ICT is encouraged through the general curriculum and there are good links with English, mathematics, history, geography, art and music. For example, some excellent examples of the use of the interactive whiteboards to support teaching and learning were observed

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

in literacy and numeracy. Procedures for the assessment of pupils’ attainment are in the early stages of development. Pupils’ work is being matched to National Curriculum levels and the school has introduced a system of personal disks on which each pupil can store work. The co-ordinator plans to use these to monitor how well pupils are learning in each aspect of the subject.

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MUSIC

134. Four music lessons, two in Years 3 and 4 and two in Years 5 and 6, were observed during the inspection. Other observations were made of singing assemblies and instrumental tuition. As a result, it is not possible to make firm judgements about the overall standards by the end of Year 2 or about the quality of teaching throughout the school. However, attainment in music by the end of Year 6 is broadly in line with national expectations.

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MUSIC

135. Evidence from listening to singing in assemblies shows that the standard of singing throughout Years 1 to 6 is good. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language, sing clearly and harmoniously. They sing with a strong awareness of the meaning of the words, communicating a real sense of enjoyment. Pupils show Alexander McLeod Primary School - 41 the awareness of rhythm and pitch expected for their ages. The high standard of singing is evidence of good teaching and learning in this aspect of music.

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MUSIC

136. Of the two lessons seen in Years 3 and 4, one was satisfactory and the other, taught by the music co-ordinator, was very good. Good and very good teaching was seen in Years 5 and 6. The best teaching is when teachers are confident and secure in their own subject knowledge. They provide lessons which enable pupils to improvise with musical elements and begin to compose pieces which can be rehearsed, improved and performed to others. They help pupils to evaluate their own performances and those of others. Consequently, pupils develop a good understanding of musical elements such as pitch, rhythm, melody and dynamics and are able to apply them to their own compositions.

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MUSIC

137. Music lessons provide good opportunities for pupils to work together in small groups to share their ideas and musical experiences. For example, in Years 5 and 6, pupils collaborated very well together to compose music that represented different aspects of “space” such as a rocket being launched, a space walk or a lunar landscape. Similarly, Year 3 and 4 pupils represented the movements of different animals with a tuned instrument playing a repeating melody while another kept a steady repeating rhythm. Such experiences make a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual and social development.

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MUSIC

138. The evidence from teachers’ planning and from an examination of pupils’ work shows that pupils have a satisfactory range of musical experiences as they move up through the school. They have opportunities to listen to a variety of music from different times and places and to express their responses through art or writing.

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MUSIC

139. The time allowed for class teaching of music is lower than that found in most schools and the music policy is currently under review. However, the basic music curriculum is enriched through singing assemblies, after-school clubs, participation in music festivals and workshops. Years 1 and 2 have weekly opportunities to listen to and appraise music. This supports their literacy skills. Numeracy skills are reinforced by the good emphasis on rhythm and patterns, whilst ICT support pupils’ learning effectively; for example, when pupils in Years 5 and 6 create a ‘space’ composition on the computer. The co-ordinator arranges an annual ‘music day’ when pupils work with visiting experts as well as taking part in a range of extra activities arranged within the school. The school also offers instrumental tuition in recorders, guitars and trumpets for selected year groups. These activities provide good opportunities for the development of specific musical skills.

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MUSIC

140. Other than the day-to-day assessments that teachers carry out in lessons, there are no procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ progress in music, to check that all elements are covered and that pupils are reaching the expected standards.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

141. Standards in the aspects of physical education observed are below expectations by the end of Year 2 despite the enthusiasm of the pupils. Attainment is as expected by the end of Year 6 in the elements observed. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language, develop their skills, actions and ideas appropriately. There is no difference in standards between boys and girls and all pupils are given equal access.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

142. Pupils in Year 2 move in an imaginative way, respond well to stimuli, including music and perform basic skills. They relate their dance sequence to the movement of insects and use level and direction to emphasise different rhythms. They are taught the importance of warming muscles before exercising and recognise and describe the feeling in their bodies whilst carrying out different activities. The quality of teaching in the three lessons observed, ranged from unsatisfactory to good. In the best lesson the teacher had high expectations and good subject knowledge. Pupils were challenged and the teacher used demonstration and encouragement throughout. In the poorer lessons the teachers had low expectations of behaviour and provided insufficient opportunities for pupils to practise their skills. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to evaluate and improve their performance. Alexander McLeod Primary School - 42

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

143. Pupils’ work is better in Years 3 to 6. Overall the teaching is good, with an excellent lesson observed in a Year 3 and 4 class. The teachers have good subject knowledge and organise lessons well, reinforcing basic skills in gymnastics and athletics. In the best lesson, the pace and quality of questioning to probe understanding were excellent. Pupils enthusiastically take responsibility for designing, organising and judging an athletic event to include running, throwing and jumping. All pupils concentrate very well and use lesson time to the full, pacing themselves when faced with a challenge. In all lessons pupils are taught about the short-term effects of exercise. They warm up and prepare adequately for a variety of activities and are aware of the importance of wearing suitable clothing. They recognise that hygiene is important to stay healthy. Pupils evaluate their performance and suggest ways in which they might improve. They are

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

accepting of each other's opinions and reach higher standards as a result.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

144. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 learn to swim and are taken to a public pool where an instructor and the class teacher deliver teaching. They respond well and are enthusiastic and, by the time they leave school, most pupils can swim a minimum of 25 metres and many do much more. They are aware of issues relating to water safety. All older pupils are given the opportunity to participate in a variety of extra-curricular activities including football, hockey and dance. These clubs enhance the development of basic skills and tactics in games activities. The school enhances the curriculum and provides pupils with opportunities to learn dance techniques from other cultures such as China and Africa.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

145. The co-ordinator provides good leadership. New schemes of work give teachers clear guidelines on how to develop pupils’ skills in each aspect of the subject, year on year. However, the implementation of these varies across the school, with some marked differences. The school policy has not been updated, but appropriately is included in the action plan. At present there is no monitoring of pupils' performance nor a systematic approach to record keeping including key skills. The school aims to develop this once the new policy is in place. Resources to support the delivery of the curriculum are plentiful and well used.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

146. Standards by Year 2 and Year 6 meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory as a result of overall satisfactory teaching. Pupils with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language are fully included and they also make satisfactory progress.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

147. By Year 2, pupils become aware of world religions, with particular reference to Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism. They have a satisfactory understanding of special books, such as the Bible and the Qur’an. Pupils understand the significance of festivals when they learn about Christmas, Diwali and other festivals. In Year 1, pupils learn that it is important for Muslims to wash before prayers. Pupils from Muslim backgrounds are able to talk about their first hand experiences, much to the interest of others. Assemblies contribute effectively to enrich pupils’ understanding about religious principles such as ‘justice’ and how this was taught and upheld by leaders of different faith communities, such as Martin Luther King, Mahatama Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. Pupils have good opportunities to act out stories in assemblies to show what they have learnt. For example, Year 1 and 2 pupils demonstrated their good understanding of the story of

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

148. By Year 6, pupils have some knowledge of some of the religious beliefs of Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews and Sikhs. They compare different places of worship, recognising that the church, gurdwara, shrine and mosque are important places of worship, and they understand the importance of holy books that guide prayers. Pupils in Year 6 learn about the rites of passage in different religions. They know about the births, marriages and other important religious events in the lives of believers such as amrit in Sikhism and bar mitzvah in Judaism. Pupils compare the linear view of Christianity from birth to death with that of the cyclical view of Hinduism and reincarnation. The teaching provides very good opportunities for pupils to learn about and learn from religion. Alexander McLeod Primary School - 43 149. Overall the quality of teaching is satisfactory. In some lessons, the quality of teaching is good and,

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

in one, very good. However, the pupils’ achievement over time indicates teaching is satisfactory. Teachers use the agreed syllabus to plan lessons. They use their questioning skills well to give pupils opportunities to think about what they have learnt about religion. In one lesson, the teacher discussed some of the 99 names of Allah as part of their topic on the Muslim concept of God. Pupils related this to their own experiences by writing about the different attributes of their personal friends and relatives. This helped pupils to make good progress in learning about and from the religion.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

150. Teachers use and highlight relevant key vocabulary for each religion. Pupils are not given many opportunities to record work in books, which limits how well they recall previous learning. Insufficient use is made of the culturally diverse school community to provide first-hand experiences. Visits to a local church are made regularly to extend pupils’ learning and understanding of the Christian faith. But this is not so in the case of other religions.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

151. The co-ordinator’s leadership role is currently satisfactory and is developing well. The overview of the curriculum indicates that all the agreed syllabus requirements are being met. The resources needed to teach the subject are sufficient and are used well in classes to support pupils’ learning and understanding. The co-ordinators do not yet monitor teaching and learning to improve standards further and this is a weakness. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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