London Fields Primary School

LONDON FIELDS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 11 th - 14 th November 2002

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LONDON FIELDS 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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LONDON FIELDS 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. London Fields Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Westgate Street Hackney London

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Guido Castro

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1998 London Fields Primary School - 2

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responsibilities

22424 Kathryn Taylor Registered inspector The provision for pupils with special educational needs Educational inclusion Standards How well are pupils taught? Assessment 9079 Ann Moss Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Pupils’ attitudes and values The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development 25203 Robert Cooke Team inspector Science Geography Design and technology How good are curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 3574 Kanwaljit Singh Team inspector English History Provision for pupils who learn English as an additional language 20063 Gerard Slamon Team inspector Music Information and communication technology Religious education How well is the school led and managed?

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responsibilities

7418 Kath Rollinson Team inspector The provision for pupils in the Foundation Stage of Learning Physical education 32021 Andrew McLean Team inspector Mathematics Art and design Support leadership and management

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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 London London Fields Primary School - 3 WC2B 6SE London Fields Primary School - 4

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 8 - 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

London Fields Primary School is bigger than most other primary schools. Currently 354 boys and girls aged between 4 and 11 attend the main school and, a further 50 children attend the Nursery part-time. Children start in Nursery at age 3 and then join the Reception classes either in the September or January following their fourth birthday. Not all of the children in the Reception classes have previously attended the school Nursery. The children’s attainment when they start in Nursery is well below that usually found. Pupils in the main school are currently arranged into 13 single aged classes and in January an additional Reception class will open. There are slightly more boys than girls in the school. A high proportion of pupils, about four out of every five, are from ethnic minority backgrounds. There is no majority group: the largest ethnic groups represented are Turkish, Caribbean, African and Bengali. Just over half of all pupils speak English as an additional language, 98 of

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

whom are at the early stages of English acquisition. Fifteen home languages are spoken: Turkish, Yoruba, Bengali, Sylheti and Vietnamese are the major languages. Fourteen pupils at the school are refugees.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Just over half of all pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is well above the national average. The socio- economic circumstances of many pupils attending the school are well below those experienced by the large majority of people nationally. There is significant movement of pupils into and out of the school at times other than the usual starting times and some pupils attend for only a short time. The proportion of pupils on the special needs register, about three pupils in every ten, is above the national average. Six pupils have a statement of special educational need, a proportion, which is in line with the national average. The school is placed within a Mini Education Action Zone.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school, which is well led and managed and very inclusive. All pupils are welcomed, respected and valued. The staff, parents and governors have a strong sense of shared purpose and a commitment to the school and its pupils. Staff morale is high and the staff work well as a team. There are strengths in the teaching and pupils achieve well in a number of subjects. The pupils develop self-confidence, very good attitudes to school and to their learning. The headteacher, staff and governors have good links with parents. The school makes effective use of its resources, including those available through the Mini Education Action Zone. The school provides good value for money .

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What the school does well

• Pupils’ attainment in music is above national expectations by age 11 and their attainment in art is well above national expectations. • Teaching is good in some subjects and there is some very good and excellent teaching in about a third of lessons. There are strengths in all of the teaching. • The school is well led and managed. • Relationships are excellent: boys and girls and pupils from different ethnic backgrounds relate very well to each other and to adults. • The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well and this encourages pupils to behave well and to develop very good attitudes to school and learning. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good.

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What could be improved

• Standards in English, mathematics and science. • Aspects of some of the teaching need strengthening: planning needs to be more detailed and identify what pupils of different abilities will be taught. The support staff need to be used more effectively to support learning, pupils need to be given more opportunities to work independently and to have more information about how they can improve their work. • The provision for pupils who learn English as an additional language. • The opportunities that pupils are given to practise writing at length. • The curriculum for history and geography needs further development. • The attendance and punctuality levels of a minority of pupils. London Fields Primary School - 6 The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress since its last inspection in 1998. Because the key issues have been given good attention the school’s procedures for checking pupils’ progress, the provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, the Nursery provision and standards in information communication technology, religious education, art and music have all improved. In addition work in a number of other areas of the school has been strengthened: the curriculum, pupils’ attitudes and behaviour, the school’s links with parents and the arrangements for pupils’ welfare are all better now than they were at the time of the last inspection. The provision for pupils, who learn English as an additional language however, has not been maintained nor has it kept abreast of changes within the pupil intake.

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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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Key

science A C E C very high well above average above average average below average well below average A* A B C D E

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Key

Similar schools refers to schools nationally that have a similar proportion of pupil entitled to free school meals. Such comparisons take no account of pupil mobility or the proportion of pupils on the special needs register.

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Key

The table above shows that in the tests in 2002, at age eleven, pupils’ overall standards were well below the national average in English and science. In mathematics standards were below the national average. Standards in English and science were in line with those in similar schools and those in mathematics were well above similar schools. The school’s mathematics and science results fell in 2002. This had been expected because a high proportion of pupils in Year 6 last year had special educational needs.

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Key

At age seven in 2002, pupils attained overall standards in the reading and mathematics tests that were very low when compared to the national average and standards in writing were well below the national average. This is because pupils’ attainments are low when they start school and a high proportion of pupils are at the early stages of learning English. Pupils’ results compared better with those in similar schools and with pupils’ attainment when they started school.

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Key

Inspection evidence shows that children in the Nursery and Reception make good progress in all areas of learning. As pupils move up the school they make at least satisfactory progress across all subjects. Their progress in mathematics, science and information and communication technology is good. Progress in art and music is very good. As a result, standards by age 11 are in line with those expected nationally in mathematics, science, religious education physical education and design and technology. In English, history, geography and information and communication technology, overall standards are below those expected. Standards in music are above national expectations and those in art are well above.

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Key

Pupils with special educational needs, including those pupils with a statement of special educational need, make good progress. Inspection evidence did not highlight any differences in pupils’ attainments or progress based on their gender or ethnicity. However, the progress of some pupils who are at the early stages of learning English, is now not good enough. London Fields Primary School - 7

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils have very good attitudes to school and learning. They enjoy coming to school, are keen to learn and want to do well. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils behave well in class, around the school and in the playground. The school has some pupils who have specific behaviour difficulties. These pupils are given very good support to improve their behaviour. Personal development and relationships Very good. Relationships are excellent. Pupils care for and support one another very well. Very high levels of mutual respect are evident amongst pupils from diverse cultures and with diverse needs. All staff provide very good role models and children like and respect the staff. Pupils’ independence in learning is an aspect that should be developed further. Attendance Below the national average. There have been good improvements and most pupils attend regularly, but attendance levels of some pupils are still not good

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Aspect Comment

enough. In addition, too many children arrive at school late.

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

Quality of teaching Good Satisfactory Satisfactory 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: Nursery & Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Teaching is good in the Nursery and Reception classes and is satisfactory overall in Years 1 to 6. Some good, very good and excellent teaching was also seen in a number of classes and subjects in Years 1 to 6. All teachers are well organised and conscientious. The teaching of English is at least satisfactory and mathematics and information and communication technology are taught well. The teaching of music and art is very good. Teaching in all other subjects is satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum includes all subjects and a good amount of time is given to English and mathematics. The provision of extra-curricular activities is very good. Very good use is made of the local community, visitors and visits to places of interest. The school now needs to develop further the work in history and to provide more opportunities for pupils to write as part of their work in all subjects. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils’ needs are identified very promptly. The specialists’ teaching is very effective and pupils’ progress is very rigorously monitored. The school provides very well for a number of pupils who have very complex needs. Pupils with special educational needs are also supported very well by the school’s very positive ethos. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Unsatisfactory for those pupils who are at the early stages of learning English.

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Aspect Comment

Some of the specialist teaching is unsatisfactory and there is not enough support for pupils. Class teachers and the support staff need further training and guidance. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, Very good. The school has a very strong moral code and pupils' social development is given a very high priority from the time when they start in the Nursery. The teaching and the curriculum promote pupils’ spiritual and cultural London Fields Primary School - 8 development development very well. The rich ethnic diversity found within the school community is reflected in the curriculum. How well the school cares for its pupils Good. All of the staff are very caring. They know each individual pupil and support and care for them well. Academic progress is checked regularly and is monitored well. The school works very well with parents. Parents have very positive views of the school.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher provides very good leadership and a very clear educational direction. He is very effectively supported by the deputy headteacher and senior managers. There is a very strong commitment to raising standards and the school provides a very happy and secure environment for its pupils. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governors fulfil almost all of their statutory responsibilities. They are very involved and very proud and supportive of the school. All of the governors are now better informed about the school and the impact of its work. The school’s evaluation of its performance Very Good. The headteacher, governors and staff are continually evaluating the school’s effectiveness and the impact of any developments. Teaching, standards and pupils’ progress are regularly monitored. The strategic use of

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Aspect Comment

resources Very good. Financial and human resources are clearly directed towards raising standards and improving all aspects of school life. The school takes appropriate steps to ensure that it obtains best value in its spending.

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Aspect Comment

There are enough staff, but the school has some difficulties in getting teachers who are trained in this country. The accommodation and resources are satisfactory. The building however is difficult and expensive to maintain.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Pupils’ standards and progress. • That their children enjoy coming to school. • Pupils’ behaviour and the way in which good behaviour is promoted. • The way in which school helps pupils to become mature and responsible. • The quality of teaching. • That the staff have high expectations of their children. • The amount of homework set. • The range of activities outside of lessons. • The information about their children’s progress. • The way that the school works with parents. • That the staff are approachable. • The way the school is led and managed. • Parents feel the staff make considerable efforts to communicate with parents from a wide range of backgrounds. • The vast majority of parents at the meeting and responding to the questionnaire are happy with what the school provides.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection evidence endorses parents' positive views and inspectors noted that the school works very hard to involve parents and keep them informed. London Fields Primary School - 9

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The children’s overall attainment on entry to school has declined since the last inspection. This is in part due to demographic changes: an increasing number of children attending the school are at the early stages of English acquisition. In addition, there has been an increase in the number of young children who have specific speech and language delay and in the number of pupils who join the school at times other than the usual starting times. This includes some children who have not previously attended a school in this country.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. When children enter the Foundation Stage, (Nursery and Reception classes), their overall attainment levels are well below those usually found. For many children their attainment in communication, language and literacy, mathematical and physical development and their social development are particularly weak. Although some have a sound general knowledge, other children have little experience beyond their home environment. The children of all prior attainment levels, including those who learn English as an additional language or who have special educational needs, make good progress in all areas of learning during their time in the Nursery and Reception. By the time they join Year 1, although some children have achieved the expected standards in each area of learning, for many of the children their attainment levels do not meet the expectations outlined.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The proportion of pupils attaining the expected Level 2 in the National Curriculum tests and assessments at age seven has fallen during the last three years as a result of pupils’ lower levels of attainment on entry to school. Test results show that there is a very wide spread of attainment amongst pupils. A fairly high proportion of children at this stage have very limited skills in reading, writing and mathematics. In the tests in 2002, the percentage of pupils attaining at least the expected Level 2 in reading and in mathematics was very low and in writing and science was well below the national average. The percentage attaining the higher Level 3 was well below the national average in reading, mathematics and science and below it in writing. Pupils’ results, however, compared more favourably with those in similar schools.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The proportion of pupils attaining the expected Level 4 and the higher Level 5 in the English tests at age 11 has been maintained during the past few years. Six pupils in every ten attained the expected Level 4 or above. This is well below the national average. In mathematics and science there has been a good increase in the proportion of pupils attaining both Level 4 and 5 in recent years. The school’s results have compared favourably with national results and very well with those in similar schools. In 2002, however, results in both science and mathematics fell. This was due to a weak cohort of pupils and significant pupil mobility both during the last academic year and in previous years. In mathematics the proportion of pupils attaining Level 4 was below the national average, although a proportion of pupils in line with the national average attained Level 5. In science the proportion of pupils attaining both Level 4 and Level 5

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

was well below the national average. Because some pupils who were new to Year 6 during the last academic year did not attain Level 4 in the English and mathematics tests, the school’s targets agreed with the LEA were not met. The school, however, came close to achieving its targets.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Test results over the past three years indicate that overall girls performed better than boys at age seven and boys and girls performed to similar standards at age 11. Inspection findings did not highlight any differences in attainment or progress based solely on pupils’ gender or their ethnicity. Inspectors did note, however, that currently more boys than girls are on the school’s register of pupils with special needs. The London Fields Primary School - 10 school has good systems for analysing pupils’ test results and tracking individual pupils’ progress as they move up through the school. This supports the school in explaining trends and setting targets for pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Evidence from lessons and scrutiny of pupils’ work shows that pupils’ overall attainment in English is currentltly well below national expectations at the age seven and below national expectations at age 11. About half of the pupils at age seven and six pupils in every ten at age 11 attain the expected standards. However, for most pupils’ their speaking and listening skills are in line with national expectations, which is a good achievement. Pupils make satisfactory progress in reading and writing. Their progress in writing could be accelerated if pupils were provided with more opportunities to write at length. Pupils’ attainment in mathematics is below national expectations at age seven and in line with it at age 11 and pupils make good progress. Their skills in mental mathematics develop well and meet those expected. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of science meet national expectations at age seven. Pupils’ skills in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

scientific enquiry, however, are below those expected and pupils’ weak literacy skills make it difficult for some to demonstrate how much they actually do know and understand.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Since the last inspection, the school has worked hard to raise standards in science, religious education music, art, design and technology and information and communication technology, while continuing to emphasise the development of pupils’ basic skills in English and mathematics. Pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology has improved and, although still below national expectations at age 11, is in line with that expected at age seven. Pupils are now making good progress in information communication technology. Standards and progress in religious education are now better than at the time of the last inspection. Pupils make good progress in religious education and, although standards are below those expected at age 7, they meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus at age 11. The school’s emphasis on developing work in art, design and technology and music during the last

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

eighteen months has had a very positive impact on both standards and pupils’ progress. Pupils achieve very well in art and in music, so that standards in music exceed national expectations at age 11 and those in art are well above those expected at age seven and 11. Pupils’ attainment in design and technology exceeds national expectations by age seven. There is also evidence of some work and performance of a very high standard in music, art and design and technology, which shows that pupils with particular talents have good opportunities to realise their potential. Attainment in geography and history at age seven and 11 is below national expectations. However, when compared with pupils’ levels of attainment on entry, progress is satisfactory. With further developments in history and geography, there is the potential to raise standards further and this is an identified school priority. Pupils’ attainment

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

in physical education is in line with that expected and pupils make sound progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Pupils with special educational needs, including those pupils who have a statement of special educational need, achieve standards that are in line with their capabilities and some attain standards that meet national expectations. Because pupils’ needs are identified promptly and they are very well supported they make very good progress towards the targets outlined in their individual educational plans. Pupils with specific behavioural needs make very good progress in this respect.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Most pupils who learn English, as an additional language make satisfactory progress during their time at the school. However, in Years 3 to 6, in particular, the progress of pupils who are at the early stages of English acquisition is currently unsatisfactory. This is because the relatively limited provision is not being sufficiently targeted at addressing these pupils’ needs. Furthermore, the quality of the specialist teaching is not good enough and some teachers and classroom support staff need more guidance and training on how they can help pupils more readily.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils have very good attitudes to school and to learning. This improvement since the previous inspection is mainly due to consistently very good management of pupils by all members of staff, which promotes high standards and personal responsibility amongst pupils. The school has worked very hard to develop an appreciation of learning and good attitudes among its pupils and these are reinforced by the very good climate for learning. Parents report that pupils enjoy coming to school and this ensures that most arrive on time each morning. When they arrive pupils are happy and look forward to their day. Pupils are polite, cheerful and eager to learn. They have a positive approach and try hard to meet their teachers’ expectations. This was evident for example, in a lesson in Year 2 when pupils worked hard to produce London Fields Primary School - 11 Diwali cards on the computers. Pupils are enthusiastic and are proud to share their successes as, for

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

example, in a music lesson when pupils in Years 5 and 6 sang very well with enthusiasm and enjoyment. Pupils’ very good attitudes and enthusiasm for learning were seen in many lessons, including in the classes for the youngest children. The safe, welcoming and calm atmosphere provides an environment that encourages pupils to do their best and pupils respond well. They develop very good habits of working and settle quickly to tasks. Sustained levels of concentration were seen in many of the lessons; for example in a writing lesson in Year 1 pupils’ persevered in completing their work, despite the fact that many find writing difficult.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Behaviour in and around school is good. For example in assembly, when pupils are moving around the school and in lessons when there is a change of activity, pupils move quickly and with the minimum of fuss without wasting time. There is no evidence of oppressive behaviour, bullying or racism. The school’s caring and supportive climate for learning encourages pupils to get on well together and there is very good racial harmony. The inspection team judged that the six fixed period exclusions in the past year had been used appropriately to deal with one very serious incident.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. There are excellent relationships amongst pupils and between pupils and adults. Very good levels of cooperation and collaboration were noted in many lessons as, for example, in information and communication technology lesson in Year 4 where boys and girls of different levels of ability worked particularly well together, were polite and readily discussed their work. Similarly in a numeracy lesson in Year 2, pupils co-operated very effectively. Higher and lower attaining pupils work well together, readily sharing their knowledge and skills and this raises the quality of learning. Pupils were often seen to show their appreciation of each other’s efforts by giving spontaneous applause. They understand and follow the school rules and treat each other and adults with courtesy and respect. Pupils play in a happy, friendly atmosphere. Teachers use personal, social and health education lessons very well to help the children to

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

recognise their worth as individuals and to see themselves as others see them. In a circle time session in Reception, for example, children were encouraged develop self-confidence. Through such lessons, pupils also develop a good understanding of the impact of their actions on others, and to respect each other’s feeling, values and beliefs. Pupils learn about cultures and this supports their personal development.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils’ personal development is now very good. They readily accept responsibility for performing tasks around the school, for example setting up the hall for assemblies and helping in the dining room. Pupils become very confident in performing in the choir, in the Samba band and in preparing for the school’s Christmas presentation. Attendance levels remain below the national average. A minority of pupils do not attend school regularly, despite the school’s good systems for promoting and monitoring attendance.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils with special educational needs have very good attitudes to learning. During withdrawal sessions in which pupils receive specialist teaching, they work extremely hard and concentration levels are often excellent. Pupils are highly motivated, persevere and grow in confidence. They enjoy excellent relationships with the staff and other children they work with during these times. Pupils, especially those in the upper half of the school, also show a good knowledge and understanding of their difficulties and about the progress they are making. In class lessons some children are rather more reserved and sometimes teachers need to do more to encourage them to participate fully.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The quality of teaching in some subjects has improved since the last inspection, despite some difficulties with the recruitment of teaching staff.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Teaching is good in both the Nursery and Reception classes across all the areas of learning. This represents a good improvement since the last inspection. The teachers, nursery nurses and support assistants work effectively together. The activities planned show that staff understand how young children learn best. The wide range of interesting activities and attractive displays provide a welcoming environment where all children, including those for whom English is an additional language, feel secure and are motivated to learn. There are high expectations of behaviour, which provides a good learning environment and elicits a positive response from most pupils. Thorough planning and regular checks on pupils’ progress are in place to help teachers to extend children's learning and raise standards. London Fields Primary School - 12 17. In Years 1 to 6 the quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Some teachers are very experienced, skilled

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

and talented. Some good teaching was seen and very good and excellent teaching was evident in about one lesson in every three, which represents a good proportion of high quality teaching. There is a good range of subject knowledge and expertise amongst staff. This will be helpful in supporting further improvements. However, at the current time the school’s financial resources make it difficult to release teachers to observe and learn from others’ teaching practice. Teachers work well together and share their expertise outside of lessons. This is important because a number of teachers have not been trained in this country, so that their knowledge of the National Curriculum requirements and the age appropriate levels is not always secure.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Examples of good, very good and excellent teaching were seen in a number of subjects. Teachers frequently have very good subject knowledge, which they impart very well. This was the case, for example, in information and communication technology, mathematics and science lessons taught by the subject co-ordinators, in a geography lesson in Year 1 and a mathematics lesson in Year 5. A key element of the teaching in two very good writing lessons in Years 1 and 2 was the teacher’s very high expectations and energetic delivery that challenged all pupils to think and to contribute.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. There are strengths in the teaching in all classes. Teachers are very conscientious and committed to their pupils. Classrooms and resources are well organised and lessons start promptly. Displays are used well to celebrate pupils’ work and to provide information. Teachers organise a good range of visits so that pupils can learn from first-hand experiences. They also give very generously of their time to run clubs at lunchtimes and after school. Homework is used well to support learning. A particular strength in teaching is the generally very good management of pupils. The staff care about their pupils, are unfailingly patient and positive with them. Parents at the meeting noted and inspection evidence confirms that the relationships between pupils and staff has a very positive impact on pupils’ attitudes to school and therefore their attainment and progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The basic skills of reading and writing are taught satisfactorily through the literacy hour. Teachers also need to make better use of opportunities to develop reading, writing and research skills in subjects such as science, history, geography and religious education. All teachers give good attention to developing pupils’ skills in speaking and listening. Mathematics teaching is good overall: most teachers have at least a secure understanding of the methods recommended in the National Numeracy Strategy.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. In literacy and mathematics lessons, most teachers plan tasks at a simpler level for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. Some, however, find it hard to match their teaching to the needs of all of the pupils because a high proportion of pupils have additional needs and the spread of attainment is very wide. Furthermore, not all teachers and classroom support assistants have sufficient training in how to make learning more accessible to lower attaining pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs in withdrawal sessions is consistently of a very high standard. Teachers and specialist support staff are very well trained, highly skilled and very effective. Teaching is very specific, precise and focused. The pace of lessons is very brisk, so that pupils progress at a fast rate. Excellent use is made of assessment, both to monitor pupils’ progress throughout lessons as well as to plan the next steps in learning. All staff give very good attention to promoting pupils’ personal development and well-being. This impacts significantly on pupils’ learning and on their confidence and willingness to work to overcome their difficulties. Homework is used very well to support pupils’ learning and to challenge them to improve. Information and communication technology is used well to support pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Teaching in art and music is very good. Good use is frequently made of specialist staff. This is successful in inspiring pupils to perform to a high standard and to develop an appreciation of both art and music. It also ensures that pupils are increasingly challenged by work of greater complexity as they move up through the school. Furthermore, because class teachers are most often present in the lessons, they benefit from observing and supporting the teaching and they make a good contribution to lessons. Information communication technology is taught well: teachers have benefited and continue to benefit from training and support, including that provided through the Education Action Zone funding. Personal, social and health education is taught well. Pupils in Year 2, for example joined in enthusiastically in a London Fields Primary School - 13 discussion about their feelings. In lessons in Years 4 and 5 pupils talked sensibly about issues such as

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

resisting peer pressure and about the effects of alcohol and drug abuse. Teachers sensitively dealt with some important and pertinent issues. There is insufficient evidence to form a secure judgement about the teaching of history and design and technology. In all other subjects, teaching is satisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. There are some specific areas where there needs to be greater consistency in teaching and some general areas for improvement. Teachers’ planning generally needs to be more detailed and identify clearly the key skills that pupils will be learning. This would support those less experienced in teaching the National Curriculum and help some teachers to move away from a tendency to rely too heavily on published worksheets. Marking of pupils’ work could do more to provide feedback to pupils about how they can improve. Pupils especially those in Years 3 to 6, need to be given more opportunities to develop independence in learning, through research and through recording what they know and learn in their own ways.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. The teaching of pupils who learn English as an additional language has shortcomings and teaching provided by specialist staff is sometimes unsatisfactory. Class teachers, support assistants and specialist staff would all benefit from focused training to extend their skills and to determine how best they can work together to support pupils and maximise the use of additional staff. In general, staff need to give more attention to ensuring that their teaching methods are suited to the needs of bilingual learners: for example, emphasising and explaining key vocabulary and providing more visual clues for pupils. Pupils’ home languages are used well in displays and all teachers’ positive acceptance of pupils’ and the diversity of languages in their classes adds significantly to bilingual pupils’ sense of ease. As a result, most become willing participants in lessons and are keen to express their ideas

p.15

PUPILS?

26. There have been good improvements to the curriculum since the last inspection when the need for improvements was highlighted. Monitoring and evaluation have improved, the curriculum is now more balanced, with a strong emphasis on pupils’ cultural development and on music and art. The curriculum is very relevant to the community it serves and provides interesting, stimulating opportunities for pupils.

p.15

PUPILS?

27. The curriculum for children in the Nursery and Reception is securely based on the national guidance. Children are presented with a range of stimulating activities that are designed to develop their personal growth and prepare them well for the National Curriculum. The curriculum for pupils in Years 1 to 6 meets statutory requirements. Well-written school policies are in place and implemented across almost all subjects and there are good guidelines for most subjects, based on a basic school-generated curriculum that has been modified and regularly updated to meet the requirements of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and National Curriculum. Some effective use is made of published schemes where they have been found to be useful. Much of the work is linked to topics and there are good cross- curricular links that reinforce work across subjects. Information and communication technology is being

p.15

PUPILS?

increasingly used to support work across the subjects. More opportunities to develop pupils’ skills in research and in writing now need to be provided across all subjects.

p.15

PUPILS?

28. The strategy in place for the teaching of numeracy is good and that for literacy is satisfactory. The school makes effective use of structured programmes such as the Additional Literacy Strategy, the Early Literacy Strategy and Reading Recovery to support the large number of pupils who need additional support. There are indications however, that some further adaptations are needed to the school’s implementation of the National Literacy Strategy: the school is working hard to raise standards and providing much additional support to the lower attaining pupils, yet overall standards at age 11 have remained static and those at age 7 have been falling.

p.15

PUPILS?

29. The school is very inclusive and works hard to ensure that all pupils have equal access to the curriculum, regardless of prior attainment, ethnicity, gender or any disability. The provision for those pupils who have special educational needs is very good. Pupils, including those with a statement of special need, have access to a broad and balanced curriculum and are included in all aspects of school life. In general only those in receipt of specific additional support are placed or kept on the special needs register. Pupils London Fields Primary School - 14 whose needs can be met within the usual systems of teachers’ planning work for pupils of different abilities are not placed on the register. Pupils’ additional needs are identified and assessed very thoroughly and promptly when they join the school or as and when any difficulties emerge. Individual education plans are very well written and specific: targets are clear and precise, identifying pupils’

p.15

PUPILS?

literacy, mathematical, behavioural and personal development needs. The school directly employs staff to provide most of its support for pupils. Some pupils with a statement of special need however, receive some specialist support from visiting specialist teachers who also provide advice for staff at the school. Some pupils with special needs have severe emotional difficulties and the school also admits pupils who have previously been excluded from schools’ elsewhere. Such pupils receive very good support for managing their behaviour and in addressing their emotional difficulties. The school provides behaviour modification programmes such as the Behaviour Therapy Group and Circle of Friends. Pupils also receive support from other pupils and the school’s very positive ethos. Currently, the overall provision for pupils who are at the early stages of acquiring English is unsatisfactory because of weaknesses in teaching and

p.16

PUPILS?

in the management of the service. As a result, some pupils who are new to English sometimes have difficulty accessing the curriculum. Pupils who are fairly fluent in English, however, receive a broad and balanced curriculum and take part in all school activities.

p.16

PUPILS?

30. The number and range of extra-curricular activities, including clubs, visits and visitors to the school are very good. Clubs include those in art, design and technology, drawing, bookmaking, netball football, gardening and musical activities, such as recorders, a samba band, the school choir and a guitar group. There have recently been workshops with a Nigerian potter and poet and there are regular visits from music groups. Pupils’ follow-up work from these visitors sets standards to which all pupils can aspire. Good use is made of local museums and arts centres as well as visits further afield to London museums and galleries and venues such as Hampton Court. Staff aim for each class to have at least one educational visit each term. Residential visits are arranged for pupils in Years 3,4 and 5. Education Action Zone funding has contributed to providing visiting artists and to fund a residential trip. The school

p.16

PUPILS?

has good links with the local community: talks on safety are provided by the local fire brigade and a drugs education team from a local education centre works with pupils in Years 5 and 6. The school nurse provides talks on sex education and relationships. Local visits also help to increase the pupils’ awareness of the community in which they live.

p.16

PUPILS?

31. The provision for pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development has improved significantly since the last inspection when the provision for pupils’ spiritual and social development were judged unsatisfactory and the moral and cultural provision were satisfactory. The very good provision for moral and social education is supported well by the personal, social and health education programme and is also evident in the very strong ethos of the school. There are very clear structures for behaviour management and an effective system of house points and rewards to promote good behaviour. All staff provide very good role models and pupils are treated with considerable respect and courtesy. Clear messages are given to the children about how to treat property and each other and those children whose behaviour is sometimes challenging are managed skilfully and sympathetically. Older pupils are

p.16

PUPILS?

encouraged to help the younger children and there is a strong emphasis in each class to welcome and look after any new children to the school. Teachers encourage and provide good opportunities for pupils to work in collaboration with each other. Pupils regularly collect money for charities, which supports pupils to consider others. The extra curricular provision makes a very good contribution to pupils’ social development

p.16

PUPILS?

32. The provision for pupils’ spiritual development is very good. The development of pupils’ self esteem is central to the school’s ethos and is firmly embedded in the teaching. Everyone is included and each individual is valued. Pupils’ self-esteem is raised significantly through performing in music and drama productions and by seeing their own work on display. Art and music play a very strong part: a love and appreciation of music and art is fostered. The school is nurturing pupils’ own talents and providing very good opportunities for pupils’ self-expression as well as those for reflecting on the work of others. Religious education provides good opportunities to consider personal beliefs and those of others. Pupils are encouraged to develop an awareness beyond the here and now: during an assembly, for example, the headteacher’s good input was drawn together well and included a moment’s silence in which pupils

p.16

PUPILS?

considered the moral of the story they had been listening to. There were gasps of appreciation during an information and communication technology lesson in Year 2 when a picture was shown on the interactive white board. London Fields Primary School - 15 33. The provision for pupils’ cultural development is very good. The school provides a broad and interesting curriculum which supports pupils very well to develop their understanding of different religions, art, music, history, dance and literature. There is a strong emphasis on the appreciation of cultural and linguistic diversity and the school values and promotes very positive attitudes. This is supported through notices, signs and books in different languages and pupils are also encouraged to develop and extend skills in their own home languages. The ethnic diversity of pupils is also reinforced through books, displays and artefacts around the school. The ‘International Evening’ organised by the Parents’ Group proved to be a

p.16

PUPILS?

great success, giving all those present opportunities to celebrate the community’s cultural heritage and national costumes and to taste many different styles of cooking.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. Pupils continue to be well cared for by the staff, as was the case at the time of the last inspection and many aspects of the school’s procedures have been strengthened. Parents and children appreciate this good provision. All pupils are valued and the school’s very good ethos promotes very strong racial harmony. There are very good procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour and those for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour are excellent. The senior management team ensure that there is a shared understanding by all members of staff of the necessity to promote consistently the guidance given in the school’s clear policies. Teaching and support staff make a significant contribution to providing a caring atmosphere and a safe and calm environment for all pupils, both in lessons and outside of them. Good behaviour is encouraged in ways that make sense to the children. Playtimes and

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are very good. Although no formal profiles for the personal development of each pupil are kept, pupils’ personal development is monitored effectively. Staff know pupils well and respond sympathetically to each individual child, taking good account of any personal circumstances that may affect their learning and general well-being. Circle time is used well to help pupils learn to understand about themselves and others and there are opportunities for them to take responsibility. Pupils who join the school at times other than at the beginning of the school year are well supported by staff and pupils. Any additional needs they might have are identified promptly.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. There are good procedures in place for child protection: a teacher is named as the designated person in charge. There are no children currently at the school who are being cared for by the local authority. However, there are systems are in place to monitor such pupils’ personal and academic progress. Staff are receiving appropriate training to enable them to keep up to date with aspects of first aid. There is a comprehensive health and safety policy and regular risk assessments are carried out. The procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are good. The school follows stringent and appropriate procedures for registering pupils each day. There are clear mechanisms for following up any absences and staff make sure that parents fill in the appropriate application forms for holidays in term time. Awards are given for full attendance each half term. Some parents are still not fully aware of the importance of regular

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

attendance and punctuality is also a problem with some pupils. The school is working closely with the Education Welfare Officer to maintain the recent improvement achieved with some families.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Procedures for making regular checks on pupils’ progress have improved since the last inspection and are now good. These procedures are now very good in the reception and nursery classes. where all staff make good use of daily observations of children’s academic and personal achievements to help them to plan work and activities that match children’s needs. Some very good systems in Years 1 to 6 are now in place to check pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics. Pupils’ progress in English and mathematics is tracked well as they move up through the school. 38. The school carries out the statutory and optional National Curriculum tests in English, mathematics and science in Years 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Pupils’ reading ages are also tested each term, using a standardised test. The information gained from formal testing and teachers’ own checks is used very effectively to highlight pupils who are not achieving age appropriate levels or those pupils who are not making sufficient

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

progress. This enables very prompt action to be taken to provide extra support through the school’s London Fields Primary School - 16 special needs provision, the Reading Recovery Programme, Additional Literacy and Early Literacy programmes.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The fluency levels of pupils who learn English as an additional language is regularly checked. Inspection evidence, however, highlights that this information is not being used effectively to guide the use of additional teaching and support. The quality of initial and ongoing checks of pupils with special needs is excellent. A wide range of tests are used and teachers are very skilled in knowing which tests to refer to identify pupils’ specific difficulties. All special needs staff make very detailed checks during lessons. Pupils are also tested before they start on specific programmes and when they complete them in order to understand the progress they have made. They are then tested at a later date to ensure they are maintaining their improved performance levels and prompt intervention takes place if they are not. The special needs co-ordinator and one of the special needs teachers maintain an overview of all pupils on the

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

register, including those pupils who have a statement of special educational need. The school has started to include some of the older pupils in their reviews, which is a positive development. Systems for checking pupils’ progress in science and in all of the other subjects are satisfactory and regular samples of pupils’ work are kept. The marking policy is good, although it needs to be more consistently implemented to provide more information to pupils about how they can improve.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. The school works very hard to foster good relationships with parents. Parents have very positive views and warmly praise what the school achieves. They value the school’s caring attitudes and are satisfied that their children make good progress. They believe teachers know their children well and that these personal relationships help pupils to want to succeed. Parents who responded in the questionnaire stated that they like the way the school is led and managed and those spoken to during the inspection said their children are eager to come to school. They say that the school expects their children to work hard and achieve their best and is helping them to become mature and responsible. Parents also appreciate the good range of activities that are provided outside of lessons. The inspection findings support parents’ very positive views. Inspectors judged that the school tries very hard to work closely with

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

all parents and actively seeks to find ways to involve even more parents in the life of the school.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. Parents speak very highly of the good, informal links with the headteacher and staff. They like the school’s open door policy and know that they can approach the headteacher at any time if they would like to discuss their children or talk about any problems. They see links as a two-way process, ensuring pupils’ interests are to the forefront. The special needs co-ordinator and teachers work very hard to establish and maintain links with parents of pupils on the register. Parents are invited to attend all reviews and alternative arrangements are made if parents do not attend the initial meetings. The school meets its statutory requirement in relation to pupils with a statement of special educational need.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. The quality of information provided for parents is satisfactory. Newsletters are sent out each half term and information about the topics that the children will be studying is sent out at the beginning of each term. There is a home-school agreement, which parents are encouraged to sign and return to the school. There are also regular parent-teacher consultation evenings. However, although the Governors’ Annual Report to Parents meets statutory requirements, the school prospectus has some omissions and, therefore, does not meet the required standard. The end of year reports are mainly computer generated. They are not consistent across the school in mentioning the progress that the pupils have made in all subjects, although they do give targets for improvement.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. Parents are becoming more involved in the work of the school. They appreciate the way the school puts itself out to make different ethnic groups welcome and encourages them to become involved. There is no formal Parent-Teachers Association, but the Parents’ Club is a dedicated, hardworking group of people who are providing valuable assistance to the school by involving as many people as they can in the school. The International Evening held at the end of last term proved to be a great social success with parents and with children. Many cultural traditions were represented and celebrated. Turkish parents are currently being particularly encouraged to come into the school and to get involved. This relatively newly arrived group of parents have expressed a desire to be more involved and the school has responded well London Fields Primary School - 17 to this. The Turkish-speaking classroom assistant in the Nursery is having a positive effect on facilitating

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

their involvement. The parent governors also make a valued contribution to school life.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. Induction procedures for children entering the Nursery classes work well. Parents are pleased at how their children settle in and enjoy school. They are also appreciative of the way pupils who join the school at times other than at the beginning of the school year are supported. They also like the care taken when the oldest pupils transfer to secondary school.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The school is well led and managed. The headteacher provides a very good lead for the school’s work. He has a clear view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and has been central in steering the good improvements made since the last inspection. His strong commitment to the pupils in his care and to educational inclusion underpin the school’s strong, caring ethos and is clearly reflected in the school’s aims and values. The headteacher is highly regarded by staff, governors, parents and pupils, who admire his work in establishing a learning environment in which pupils and staff are made to feel secure, happy and valued. Members of staff are hardworking and dedicated and share this strong sense of purpose and commitment to the pupils. The school’s capacity to improve is not as strong as the headteacher, senior managers and governors would like it to be because of current difficulties experienced in recruiting and

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The headteacher is very well supported by the deputy headteacher and senior management team. They carry out their delegated responsibilities effectively. There are secure systems in place to monitor the effectiveness of teaching largely carried out by the headteacher assisted by local authority advisers, in order to seek to achieve consistency in practice. As a result, the quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection and areas for improvement, such as the teaching of information and communication technology, religious education and the teaching of children in the Nursery, have been significantly improved through training and development.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The deputy headteacher is also the special needs co-ordinator. The leadership and management of this crucial area are highly effective. She is extremely well informed and works very hard to continually make improvements to the provision, to support and train the staff and to maintain contact with parents and external agencies. All aspects of the work are very well managed and organised. The co-ordinator and a full time special needs teacher together monitor and oversee the work of the support assistants and keep an overview of all pupils’ progress, including that of pupils who have a statement of special need. They attend all reviews and have input into the writing of all pupils’ individual education plans. The specific funds and resources allocated to the school for special educational needs are used very well. In addition, the school allocates a significant amount of its own budget to ensure that the provision is sufficient to meet

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The provision for pupils who learn English as an additional language is not being satisfactorily led and managed. The additional staff, paid for through additional Ethnic Minority Funding are not always appropriately directed to work with those pupils with the greatest need. For example, the system of dividing the additional specialist support time on a day or half a day per class leaves little time for more focused and intensive support for particular individual and groups of pupils, especially the pupils in Years 1 to 6. The specialist teacher who supports pupils in Years 3 to 6 meets them only once a week. This does not ensure that the teacher gets to know the pupils and their needs or provide more intensive language based sessions to get pupils started.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. Subject co-ordinators give good support and guidance to colleagues. They monitor teachers’ plans and pupils’ work to ensure coverage of the curriculum and most are effective in their management of the subjects. However, their role is not yet well enough established in helping iron out the remaining inconsistencies in teachers’ practice across subjects. The co-ordinators need to have more first-hand knowledge of how subjects are being taught so that they can provide some teachers with individual support and advice to meet their particular needs. Difficulties arise because the school does not have the staffing and financial resources to provide regular release time to co-ordinators. Currently the headteacher is the only person without a full teaching commitment. In addition the school has in recent years been working to address a budget deficit at the same time as addressing some costly but essential

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

London Fields Primary School - 18 repairs to the building, which although relatively spacious, is old, costly to heat and maintain. Although the school is fortunate in the quality of teachers it has recruited, those from overseas have not been familiar with the content or delivery of the National Curriculum. Although the school works hard to support and guide them, it cannot necessarily provide the amount of support needed to bring their teaching to the same level as that of experienced teachers trained in this country. Despite the difficulties in recruiting teachers, the headteacher and governors have done the best they could in the circumstances and continue to see the stability of staffing as a top priority.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The headteacher and governors view the staff as its most valuable resource and staff development is given priority. The school’s strategy for appraisal and performance management is good. Personal development opportunities are linked to individual needs as well as to whole school needs identified in the school development plan. Staff who attend courses subsequently share the knowledge and skills gained with their colleagues. Teachers new to the school are supported well by experienced colleagues within their year groups. Newly qualified teachers speak highly of the quality of support they receive and most stay on to become valued and permanent members of staff. Learning support staff are also given opportunities to increase their effectiveness through attending courses and staff training days. However as some of these staff are relatively new to their role and because of changes to the school’s intake, there is a need

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

for the classroom support staff to have further training in how they can best be used to maximise their impact on pupils’ learning and especially those pupils who are new to learning English.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The governors are a well-informed, dedicated group of people with a broad range of experience and expertise in financial, educational, and personnel matters. Governors generally ensure that they meet all their statutory requirements, with the exception of the omissions in school prospectus and the provision for a daily act of collective worship, which does not always fully meet requirements. The governing body’s work is effectively co-ordinated through committees with defined terms of reference and a clear plan of action stemming from the school development plan. Several of the governors work in the school, monitoring its work informally on a regular basis. A thorough analysis of strengths and weaknesses, involving governors and all members of staff, was the starting point for the current school development plan. It is a thoughtfully constructed document, which is guiding development and is securing significant

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

improvements as, for example, in information and communication technology, religious education, standards of behaviour and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The plan is clearly focused on raising attainment, and funds are used appropriately to support developments. For example, spending on special educational needs as well as on resources and training for information and communication technology and music, is having a positive impact on pupils’ achievement. Continued review of the development plan ensures that the school remains on track to meet its targets and that priorities are still relevant to its changing needs. The current under spend is well within accepted guidelines and this has been strategically planned for, to cover priorities identified in the school development plan, and to allow the school to continue to function effectively even when it might be faced with any unforeseen crises. Resources for subjects are at least satisfactory across subjects and those

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

for special needs and in subjects such as music are good. More religious and historical artefacts and research materials and maps are now needed.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. Data analysis is thorough in English and mathematics and attains a detailed evaluation of patterns of attainment by gender, background and ethnicity. Target setting procedures are firmly in place. The school office functions smoothly. New technology is increasingly used in accounting, recording registration figures as well as in supporting the curriculum. Financial management is very good. The headteacher has been very well supported by the expertise of the Chair of Governors in establishing effective financial systems. Despite the constraints of the budget, educational priorities identified in the school development plan are very well supported by the school’s financial planning. All grants, with the exception of that set aside for pupils with English as an additional language, are effectively and efficiently used for their designated purpose. Teachers responsible for English as additional language provision, as

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

well as class teachers, need training on the specific needs of the increasing number of pupils who come from homes where English is not the first language if provision is to be fully effective. The school has already identified this as an area in need of further development.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The school applies the principles of best value well. All interested parties are consulted on school development; standards are compared with those of other schools and careful consideration is given to effect improvement. Good work is done to ensure that the school receives best value in its spending and London Fields Primary School - 19 to measure the effect of spending on raising pupils’ standards. The school is continually faced with difficult decisions in relation to its spending as finances are relatively limited and the level of pupil need is high. The teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Standards and pupils’ rates of progress are improving and pupils achieve well in a number of subjects. The school provides a caring and very supportive environment for its pupils and links well with parents. The provision for pupils’ personal development is very good and pupils, therefore, develop very good attitudes to the school. Progress since

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

the last inspection has been good despite financial and staffing constraints. This is because the school is well led and managed. When consideration is given to all of these factors, the school provides good value for money.

p.21

ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

54. The school has not maintained the good provision for pupils learning English as an additional language that was found at the time of previous inspection, nor responded sufficiently to the increase in numbers of pupils attending the school who are at the early stage of learning English.

p.21

ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

55. There are currently 210 pupils who speak English as an additional language and the school has identified 98 pupils at the very early stages of language acquisition and still need support to access the curriculum. The main home languages spoken are Turkish, Yoruba, Bengali and Vietnamese. The school’s intake is changing with more pupils at the early stages of English joining the school, particularly in Nursery and Reception classes and increasingly at other times throughout their school career. On entry to school, pupils have a wide range of attainment and many enter school with little understanding of English. However, by the time they reach Year 6, most pupils have acquired fluency in English and attain standards similar to their monolingual peers.

p.21

ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

56. The school spends the money received through the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant mainly on staffing. Currently the equivalents of 1.5 full time teachers and a learning support assistant are employed. However, they have not all had appropriate training. The support staff work mainly within classes and, where they and the class teachers are experienced in teaching bilingual learners, they employ successful strategies such as the repetition of key vocabulary and visual clues to support pupils’ learning. In one English lesson in a Year 1 class, for example the support teacher used ‘Big book’ and pictures of Goldilocks and Three Bears to explain what a bear is and what a bowl looks like. However, in some other lessons, little use was made of pictures, artefacts or any other visual content to ensure that pupils understood.

p.21

ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

57. The school has good procedures to track pupils’ progress over time. All test results, including those in the National Curriculum tests are analysed and information gained is used to identify weaknesses and improve learning. Some of the pupils who receive focused individual and group support through Reading Recovery, Additional Language Support, Early Language Support, the 15 minutes a day programmes which supports these pupils well and they make good progress. London Fields Primary School - 20

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to continue to raise standards and especially those in English, mathematics and science the headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(i) improve some aspects of the class teaching to ensure that:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• teachers’ planning is sufficiently detailed and identifies the skills that pupils of different abilities will be taught; • teachers use the classroom support staff more effectively to impact on pupils’ learning; • pupils are provided with more opportunities to work independently and to research information for themselves; • marking of pupils’ work provides consistently clear guidance to pupils about how they can improve; and • explore ways of providing more opportunities for some teachers to observe good practice in teaching and to access additional support and training if necessary;

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraph 17, 20, 24, 39, 49, 50, 82, 84, 93, 94, 100, 103, 104, 118, 119, 123, 143, 145)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(ii) Improve the provision for pupils who learn English as an additional language by:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improving the management of the service and the deployment of staff; • providing training for all staff in how best to meet the needs of pupils who learn English as an additional language; • regularly monitor the teaching and provision to ensure that it is of an acceptable standard and meets pupils’ needs;

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 9, 21, 25, 39, 48, 50, 52, 56, 74, 76, 81, 90)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(iii) ensure that pupils have more opportunities to write at length in literacy lessons and as part of their work in other subjects;

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

( Paragraphs 20, 27, 79, 80, 100, 120, 123, 147)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(iv) further develop work in history and geography to ensure that the key subject-specific skills are progressively taught and that resources are extended; and

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(v) continue to work with the Education Welfare Officer and parents to improve the attendance levels and punctuality of a minority of pupils.

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 13, 36) London Fields Primary School - 21

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 39

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very poor

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for 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.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 25 354

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 14 167

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 85

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 210

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 41

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 32

p.23

Attendance

Authorised absence 2001/2002 Unauthorised absence

p.23

Attendance

% % London Fields Primary School - 22 School data 7.8 School data 1.4

p.23

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.24

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 30 25 55

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 14 17 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 20 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 58 (68) 67 (66) 58 (76) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 14 18 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 18 19 20

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 68 (58) 67 (76) 69 (76) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 25 28 53

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 14 16 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 18 20 19

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 58 (56) 65 (72) 69 (87) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 16 17 20 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 19 19 18

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Total 35 36 38 London Fields Primary School - 23 Percentage of pupils School 67 (60) 69 (73) 73 (76) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. London Fields Primary School - 24

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 59 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 3 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 44 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 18 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 91 3 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 2 1 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. London Fields Primary School - 25

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 18.5 Financial year 2001/2002

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18:1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 1,159,268

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 17 Total expenditure 1,152,636

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 320 Expenditure per pupil 2,970

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 17,118

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 23,740

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 27.5

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 5

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 4

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0.5

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. London Fields Primary School - 26

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 60 36 3 0 1

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 55 38 3 0 4

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 49 39 7 4 1

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 62 35 1 1 1

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 67 30 1 1 1

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 69 27 0 0 4

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 53 41 1 1 4

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 62 31 1 1 5

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 56 43 0 1 0

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 53 32 0 4 11 London Fields Primary School - 27

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE NURSERY AND RECEPTION CLASSES

58. At the time of the inspection, children were being taught in one Nursery and one Reception class. In the Nursery, children attend part-time for either the morning or afternoon session. Another Reception class is formed in January when children transfer from the Nursery. Children spend up to five terms in the Nursery and are admitted twice yearly. Many children are from homes where English is not the first language and they begin the Nursery with very little understanding of English. Skills in speaking and listening, personal independence, mathematics, and physical co-ordination are well below those usually found. This is confirmed by initial assessments carried out with these young children. Most children will not meet the expected standards by the time they leave the Reception class, but nevertheless children do make good progress towards them. The good progress that children make in their personal, social and emotional

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE NURSERY AND RECEPTION CLASSES

development, their communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development is the result of the good teaching.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE NURSERY AND RECEPTION CLASSES

59. There have been significant improvements in the Nursery and Reception provision since the last inspection. The Nursery provision has improved considerably and is now good. There is now a clear rationale with good planning, which is monitored regularly. New assessment and tracking systems, which are used methodically to check children's progress in all the areas of learning, have been established with good arrangements for the recording of progress and reporting to parents. The Nursery teacher, who is also co-ordinator for Nursery and Reception class provision, provides good leadership. The teaching and provision for children in the Reception class were judged to be satisfactory at the time of the last inspection. The provision and the teaching are now good. Outdoor play in the Nursery is now good. The recent creation of a fenced area adjacent to the infant playground provides a safe and

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE NURSERY AND RECEPTION CLASSES

appropriate outdoor play area for Reception children. The newly appointed Reception class teacher has had considerable support from the school and the Local Education Authority. A learning support assistant and a nursery nurse provide good teaching support in the Nursery and Reception. The special needs coordinator assists on one day each week, supporting those pupils who have identified needs and this supports children to make good progress. There is also some support for part of the week from the specialist teacher for pupils learning English as an additional language and a Turkish-speaking support assistant. Although this support is barely sufficient to support teachers in meeting the needs of the many children for whom English is a second language, it is satisfactory overall.

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Personal, social and emotional development

60. The low attainment on entry in this area of development has improved considerably by the end of the Reception class and, although most children will not meet the expected standards, they make good progress towards them. This is due to the good quality of the provision for children's personal, social and emotional development and the good teaching. Adults in the Nursery take every opportunity to ensure that children feel safe, happy and secure and develop a sense of trust. As a result, children develop good attitudes to school. Because most children find it hard to concentrate, greater emphasis is placed on opportunities to sit together with adults in small groups. They are encouraged to try out new activities and these are structured, so that children develop an awareness of their own needs and feelings and, with support, begin to be sensitive to those of others. When adding flour to water in the making of salt dough,

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Personal, social and emotional development

hesitant children were encouraged to observe and show interest in the results of others and explore for themselves. In this way, through skilful adult intervention, children gradually develop the confidence to participate, to share and to take turns and are introduced to school routines.

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Personal, social and emotional development

61. Children's independence and self-care develop very slowly. Staff in both classes are vigilant about children who lack a positive self-image or cannot concentrate. With support, children learn to dress and undress independently and manage tasks appropriate for their learning needs. Support for children who have little understanding of English is adequate and at best helps these children to access the learning tasks set in the Nursery and Reception. Teachers constantly observe and check on children’s personal, social and emotional development. In the Reception class, many children, including those with special London Fields Primary School - 28 educational needs, are encouraged to achieve well. High expectations and good classroom management ensure that several children are able to select and use resources and activities independently. During the inspection, Reception children were seen to maintain curiosity, concentration and to sit quietly when

p.29

Personal, social and emotional development

selecting pictures of fruit to stick on a poster; when observing snails and stick insects in the investigation area; when using headphones in the listening centre and when attempting their own independent writing.

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

62. Children enter the Nursery with well below average linguistic skills. Although most will not meet the expected standards in this aspect of their development, they make good progress. This is because the teaching they receive is good in both the Nursery and Reception classes. In the Nursery, many children have difficulty understanding English because it is their second language. Others have speech and language difficulties and are not able to express themselves clearly. They often use single words and gestures to convey meaning. All full-time staff in both classes are knowledgeable about extending children's communication and language skills. Definite times are set for specific speaking and listening skills to be developed, such as small group activities and whole class story and discussion times. The quality of questioning during these sessions is good and contributes to broadening children's vocabulary

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

and accelerating progress. Children with special educational needs make good progress, due to the specific tasks and support planned for them. Other part-time support staff for pupils learning English as an additional language, although sound overall, is sparse and variable in its effect on children’s progress. At its best, it engages these young in the lesson, enables them to access a range of worthwhile activities and experiences and helps to develop their confidence and self-esteem.

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

63. Mark making is practised in a variety of activities throughout the Nursery and Reception. The Nursery children frequently trace, draw, paint, crayon and experiment with dough and clay. In the Reception class, children are mastering copy writing and a few are beginning to write independently. During the inspection, as part of a topic about fruit, attractive teacher-made books were provided in which Reception children illustrated and wrote their own words and phrases. In a book entitled 'Things I like', one child used words she recognised and remembered, alongside words she attempted independently, to write, 'I like sool', to represent, 'I like school'. A few children are interested in the writing and reading process and enjoy sharing their achievements with others. Confusion between the names of letters and the sounds they make and an over-reliance on commercially produced worksheets sometimes slows the progress of

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Communication, language and literacy

potentially higher attaining children. The teacher is addressing this. Her enthusiasm and understanding of children's learning needs ensures that they develop confidence and concentration and are beginning to be more independent in this area of learning. Work on the topic on fruit also helped to extend speaking and listening skills, as children were encouraged to 'interview' each other about their favourite fruits.

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Mathematical development

64. Children's mathematical skills are poor when they enter the Nursery. Many children need more time to achieve the expected standard by the end of Reception. They do, however, make good progress in this area of learning because the good teaching in the Nursery and Reception provides a variety of practical number tasks, which develop children's mathematical skills and understanding. In the Nursery, children begin to develop their knowledge of numbers as they count and sort with a wide range of objects. During the inspection, the teacher carefully checked and recorded the progress of individual children in a small group, as they played with sets of coloured plastic animals. They developed counting skills and started to understand the concept of one more and one less. Children examined pairs of objects such as hands, feet, shoes, socks and gloves as they explored the number '2'. A wide repertoire of number rhymes is

p.30

Mathematical development

included in the Nursery programme. Children begin to understand the order and position of numbers in a sequence, such as 'first' and 'second', as they sing and manipulate the actual objects in a line of 'Ten Green Bottles'.

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Mathematical development

65. In the Reception class this good progress is built upon. Children learn about the consistency of number and work more confidently with numbers to 10. In unsupervised small groups they draw number pictures on a large sheet using felt pen. They can write the numbers to 10 and draw the matching quantity of objects. This good progress in mathematical development is the result of the good quality of teaching they receive. One or two children have a very good grasp of number for their age. For example, one higher attaining child could recognise and add on one or two more to all the numbers, using a 100 square. London Fields Primary School - 29 The teacher, who took over the class at the beginning of the present term, is recognising the need to extend the learning of these children and provide greater challenge to further improve their standards. In both classes in the Foundation Stage, children make good progress in exploring pattern, shape and

p.30

Mathematical development

measurement. They compare their heights as they measure each other, using bricks. Children enjoy pricing goods in the class fruit shop and compare similarities and differences in the shape and pattern of faces in a computer programme.

p.31

Knowledge and understanding of the world

66. Most children enter the Nursery with very limited experiences beyond their home environment and will not attain the expected standards by the time they enter Year 1. Adults in the Foundation Stage compensate for children’s lack of experience and reinforce effectively children's growing awareness and curiosity about a range of objects and events. As a result of good teaching, children make good progress in this area. Children in the Nursery enjoy remembering and talking about things that have happened to them and begin to differentiate between the past and the present and develop a sense of time. They share experiences with the teacher and each other as they look through the books of photographs of themselves as babies and toddlers and compare what they are able to do now compared with when they were babies. Photographs are used widely with the children to reflect on visits to the park where they

p.31

Knowledge and understanding of the world

67. In both classes, children show an interest in using the computer. Several children are developing keyboard skills and know how to use a mouse. They are able to enjoy simple programs and perform basic functions with support. In the Reception class, children explore the natural world. During the inspection, they enjoyed looking closely at the movements and behaviour of a stick insect and a snail, which were housed in the classroom science investigation area. They learn how to use various tools and equipment competently and appropriately to shape, assemble and join construction pieces together. Baking is a popular and frequent activity. Children begin to be aware of their own culture, language and beliefs and those of others. As they taste slices of mango, pineapple, avocado and other exotic fruits, they discover the words for them in several languages. They enjoy examining religious artefacts, which

p.31

Knowledge and understanding of the world

are part of an attractive and interesting classroom display about Islam and Christianity. With support, they begin to think and discuss the characteristics of love, respect and peace.

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Physical development

68. Most children will not meet the expected standards in this aspect of their development when they are ready to start Year 1. At the time they enter the Nursery, they have underdeveloped physical skills and poor co-ordination. As a result of an effective programme of work, careful planning and good teaching, most children in Nursery and Reception have made good progress by the time they are ready to start Year 1. Teachers work hard to develop children's physical skills. In the Nursery, outdoor play experiences give appropriate opportunities for children to practise and improve their manipulative skills. They negotiate an appropriate pathway when walking, running or using wheeled toys and develop co- ordination and control when moving on a large climbing frame. The good work in the Nursery ensures that children experience many opportunities to extend their manipulative and physical skills. They gain finer

p.31

Physical development

control through cutting, painting and building, benefiting from the times allocated to showing them how to use tools, equipment and materials. This work continues in the reception classes and many children can use pencils correctly when they write and demonstrate good control when using paintbrushes, glue spreaders, scissors and malleable materials.

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Physical development

69. Teaching in this area is good. Teachers have high expectations for both achievement and behaviour. In physical education lessons, children are beginning to understand that exercise keeps the body healthy. They learn how to move in different directions and at different speeds as they walk, run and jump. Some children work well with a partner, know how to follow instructions and recognise the changes that happen to their bodies when they are active. During the inspection, children worked in pairs, using a large hoop, and took turns to move in different directions and speeds. Children with special educational needs are given good support to help them make good progress.

p.31

Creative development

London Fields Primary School - 30 70. Most children make good progress in this aspect of their development as a result of the good provision and teaching. Teachers in the Nursery and Reception recognise children's low levels of attainment in creative skills when they enter school and understand the importance of providing opportunities for them to explore and experiment, using a wide range of materials. Most children will need more time to meet the expected standard in creative development at the end of the Reception year, but they will have developed good attitudes and a keen interest and enjoyment in creative activities. Children learn to use colour, texture, shape and form and to develop imagination. In the Nursery, Children are becoming confident in producing bold and colourful images. They paint large life-sized pictures of themselves. They capture the elements of stories they hear and rhymes they learn in literacy. They make simple spider

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Creative development

figures to accompany a large classroom picture of 'Incy Wincy Spider' placed in a web of string. They enjoy experimenting with malleable materials. In the Nursery, a few children can talk purposefully about how to create different consistencies as they explore the process of making dough, using words such as 'thin', 'thick' and 'sticky'. In the Reception class, children make models of a snail, using different types of clay and compare the results to the live snail.

p.32

Creative development

71. Children are creative when using pretend play. In the Reception class, they enjoy making decisions about the price and types of fruit to be sold in the greengrocer's shop. Children are helped to play positively and are given guidance, so that their speaking skills and imagination can be necessarily developed. They make collage pictures, using dried plants to decorate the investigation area. Children show an interest in what they see, smell, touch and taste as they make and eat a fruit salad. Teachers provide opportunities for children to develop a wide repertoire of songs so that they join in enthusiastically and sing well. Even daily registration becomes a musical event as children are encouraged to respond musically, using the same tone and pitch as the teacher as she sings out their names. Untuned percussion instruments are used by the children to accompany the guitar. Children have good attitudes

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Creative development

to music and show an interest in the way musical instruments sound. Teachers plan carefully and provide imaginative environments, so that the children know what is expected of them and make good progress in this area of learning.

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ENGLISH

72. Pupils’ overall attainment at age 11 at attainment is below national expectations. However, about six out of ten pupils achieve standards in English that are in line with national expectations and some higher attaining pupils attain at the higher Level 5. This is a similar picture to that of the national test results in 2002 when overall test results were below the national average, but in line with those in similar schools. Overall standards at age seven are well below the national expectations. This is because of the low level of attainment on entry to school and because a high proportion of pupils in the lower school are still at the early stages of learning English. By the time they take the test, many of these pupils are still on the lower levels of fluency in English and their vocabulary and writing skills are not sufficiently developed to enable them to attain the national standards. This is a similar picture to that evident from test results at

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ENGLISH

73. All pupils, including those form ethnic minorities make at least satisfactory progress in English during their time at the school. Teachers are skilful in managing behaviour and have very positive relationships with their pupils. Pupils who have special educational needs are very well supported and many have individual and group support and make very good progress in relation to their prior attainments. Other pupils who are making slow progress receive extra intensive support through strategies such as Additional Literacy Support, Extra Literacy Support, Reading Recovery and the 15 Minutes a day Programme. Pupils make very good progress within the programmes. The analysis of test results shows that some boys are slower than girls in developing their reading and writing skills at age seven. The school is implementing strategies such as in-service training for staff and more ‘boy friendly’ books to

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ENGLISH

74. The progress of pupils who learn English as an additional language is inconsistent and rather more limited than the progress of pupils with special educational needs. Those who are fairly fluent make satisfactory progress, but those who join the school with little previous understanding of English, particularly those in Years 3 to 6 are currently making unsatisfactory progress. This is due to some of the unsatisfactory teaching provided by the specialist staff and the lack of knowledge and understanding of some class teachers and learning support staff on how best to effectively support pupils. London Fields Primary School - 31 75. Speaking and listening skills are in line with national expectations for the majority of pupils by age seven and 11 and this is a good achievement. This is a result of the good emphasis that teachers give to this. They provide good opportunities to develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills, not just in English

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ENGLISH

lessons, but also as part of their teaching in subjects. This was clearly evident during the inspection period. In a Year 1 English lesson, for example, the teacher provided a good model of language and encouraged children to express themselves clearly. As a result, pupils spoke clearly and confidently about their weekend news and listened attentively to others. In the Year 5 classes pupils were rehearsing their school play and they showed sound skills and made good progress in projecting their voices and speaking with expression. Similarly, in an art lesson, a group of Year 2 pupils were keen to discuss what they were doing and the teacher made very good use of the opportunity to develop and extend pupils’ vocabulary. Higher attaining pupils progress well and are confident and articulate by the end of Year 6. The teachers’ good use of relevant subject-related vocabulary in class discussions plays an important

p.33

ENGLISH

part in this development. However, due to lack of a wide range of vocabulary a significant number of pupils find it hard to explain their opinions and ideas in interesting ways.

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ENGLISH

76. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ overall attainment in reading is well below national expectations. This is mainly because of their low attainment level on entry to Year 1. Teachers place strong emphasis on teaching and learning of letter sounds and blends. This supports pupils’ improvement well. Most pupils make sound progress as a result of an effective combination of direct teaching of letter sounds and other help aimed at developing pupils’ vocabulary. The higher attaining pupils read simple texts fluently. Their reading is usually accurate. They are eager to answer questions about the text and improve their understanding. However, a significant minority, though having a good grasp of letter sounds, still do not have strategies to tackle words that are unfamiliar to them. They do not understand the text well because of their limited vocabulary. Pupils with special educational needs achieve very well in reading, as their

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ENGLISH

specific difficulties and needs are identified early and they embark on well-structured support programmes with realistic short-term targets. Pupils who speak English as an additional language and are reasonably fluent make satisfactory progress, but those who are new to English are currently not making progress at a satisfactory rate.

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ENGLISH

77. In Year 6, pupils’ overall standards in reading are below the national expectations. The books read by pupils in Years 3 to 6 are appropriate to their interests. The range of reading material is extended as the pupils move up through the school and more able readers choose books freely and independently. Pupils read with increasing fluency and accuracy as they progress through the school. However, as many pupils at this stage still have a fairly limited vocabulary, they do not always understand the text well enough to be able to discuss the characters in the stories or talk about their favourite episodes at length. Some pupils find it hard even to explain the text literally. For example, in Year 6, an average attaining pupil, because of a lack of understanding of ‘chocolate gateau’ and ‘asparagus sandwiches’, could not talk about the food served. The higher attaining pupils in Years 5 and 6 can, however, talk about their

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ENGLISH

favourite authors with discernment and have a critical appreciation of a range of books. They show a growing understanding of more complex language, as well as identifying the underlying meaning or appreciating the subtleties of humour.

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ENGLISH

78. The use of the school library provision is currently limited. Pupils use non-fiction books to locate and retrieve information within the classroom, but the independent research and study skills of the majority are not well developed in subjects such as religious education, history and geography. Reading at home is well established and has a positive impact on pupils’ interest and attainment. Pupils make frequent references to reading at home. Guided reading sessions at school also help pupils’ progress in reading. Teachers keep good ongoing reading records, to identify weaknesses and target pupils’ learning.

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ENGLISH

79. Although standards in writing are well below national expectations in Years 1 and 2, pupils do make at least satisfactory progress over time. In Year 1, all pupils are taught the skills of letter formation and begin to understand how to write words by sounding them out. In Year 2, pupils are further extended and learn about letter combinations and common spelling patterns. By the end of Year 2, with good support from their teachers, the higher attaining pupils have mastered these skills and are beginning to think about the overall structure of their writing, such as the setting, characters and plot, when writing stories. They are beginning to spell accurately and to use full stops and capital letters. However, the majority of pupils still experience difficulty in writing independently. Strict adherence to the National London Fields Primary School - 32 Literacy Strategy, however, leaves too little time for pupils to write at length. For example, in a Year 2

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ENGLISH

lesson, pupils discussed their news orally, but had little time to write and, as a result, only the more able pupils completed couple of sentences. A significant number of pupils throughout the school, particularly the pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, need additional thinking time before they start writing. Sometimes, they have only just got started writing when it is time for them to stop.

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ENGLISH

80. Overall attainment in writing by the end of Year 6 is below national expectations, although the more able pupils attain writing standards at the higher Level 5. Pupils’ skills in grammar, punctuation and spellings are developing well, as a result of good emphasis on teaching these aspects. Pupils begin to write for a range of purposes, including narrative, description, letters, poems and instruction. However, pupils do not get enough opportunities to write at length in literacy lessons or develop writing skills in other subjects. In all literacy lessons seen in classes in Years 3 to 6, pupils were being taught grammar skills and had few opportunities for independent writing. There are few examples of pupils having written at any length. Pupils’ handwriting is good at this stage. Most pupils can write neatly and many develop their own personal style and consistently use joined-up script.

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ENGLISH

81. Most pupils who learn English as an additional language attain standards in English that are similar to their monolingual peers and make satisfactory progress. However, those who are on the early stages of English acquisition are making limited progress. This is because of the unsatisfactory quality of the additional specialist support and class teachers’ lack of knowledge about how best to support pupils. In a Year 4 reading lesson, for example, pupils read their books silently. The specialist support teacher did not ask pupils to discuss what they had read or question them to assess their understanding of the text. Most pupils decoded words or relied on their sight vocabulary but they did not understand the text. This hindered their progress. Pupils who have special educational needs are well supported to make good progress in English. The teaching in short intensive group sessions is consistently of a very high

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ENGLISH

82. Teaching is satisfactory overall. Teaching was seen in eight lessons. The quality was never less than satisfactory, was very good in two lessons and good in three lessons. All teachers have received some training in teaching the National Literacy Strategy Variations in teaching occur largely as a result of some teachers not having been trained in this country. As a result, they sometimes lack knowledge about how best to meet the needs of pupils with a wide range of prior attainment. All teachers, however, make sure that pupils know what they are expected to learn and how this links to their previous learning. Most use suitable methods and strategies to develop good listening and to improve pupils’ concentration and the pace of working. The management of pupils is consistently very good. Teachers have very good relationships with pupils and encourage good manners and social skills. However, teachers do not

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ENGLISH

always make best use of the learning support assistants and specialist teachers who are to support pupils learning English, particularly during the whole class teaching part of the lesson. The staff should be directed to support and prompt pupils, to pay close attention or to reinforce the learning objectives for the lesson. Most teachers keep a good overview of pupils’ progress during lessons.

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ENGLISH

83. In two very good writing lessons seen in Years 1 and 2, the teachers had particularly good subject knowledge and constantly challenged pupils through probing questions and having high expectations. Lessons were conducted at a brisk pace. As a result, pupils of all abilities played an active part in the tasks set and put a great deal of effort into meeting the teachers’ expectations.

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ENGLISH

84. Where there are weaknesses in teaching, teachers do not give enough attention to setting work that matches the needs of pupils of different abilities. This was the case, for example, in a lesson in a Year 3 class when pupils of all abilities were given the same work sheet on adding prefixes to make a word with the opposite meaning. A few of the pupils could not actually read the words. Similarly in too many classes, pupils of all abilities get the same spellings to learn and some pupils cannot read the words. The use of computers to draft or word process is currently less advanced than normally seen, but this is now developing well. Computer programmes and language masters are used very well to support pupils with special educational needs in withdrawal groups.

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ENGLISH

85. Although the National Literacy Strategy has been implemented, the school has not yet adapted this sufficiently to meet its pupils’ needs. For example, the additional time needed to improve pupils’ London Fields Primary School - 33 vocabulary skills, to check pupils’ understanding of the text, to improve writing skills is not being taken sufficiently into account. Reading and writing skills are also not currently being promoted well enough in other subjects, such as reading and writing about events in history, and explaining and recording scientific experiments. This represents missed opportunities. The school recognises that pupils learn well from first-hand experiences, staff make considerable efforts and provide a broad curriculum, to regularly take pupils out on visits and to bring visitors into the school. Such opportunities provide potentially very good opportunities for writing and, lower attaining pupils, in particular, would find it easier to write about

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ENGLISH

their own experiences than writing about more abstract ideas. The school has not yet critically evaluated the effectiveness of the Literacy Strategy in improving pupils’ overall standards. Pupils’ test results at age 11 have shown little improvement since 1999 despite the implementation of the Literacy Strategy. In addition the school directs considerable additional time, energy and resources to boosting pupils’ attainments in reading and writing.

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ENGLISH

86. Pupils have positive attitudes towards the subject and this contributes well to their learning. Most pupils are attentive and are eager to answer questions and join in class discussion, where they express themselves clearly. They behave well and concentrate on their work.

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ENGLISH

87. The leadership and management of the subject are very good. The co-ordinator is well aware of the strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning throughout the school and takes effective action to support improvements. She monitors teachers’ planning and pupils’ work to ascertain standards. She has not recently had an opportunity to monitor the teaching and learning in lessons in order to improve it. However, the headteacher and the literacy consultant have regularly monitored teaching and ensured that teachers new to teaching in this country have received support and training. The procedures for tracking and recording pupils’ progress as they move up through the school are very good, the test results are very effectively analysed and information is used to set targets for improvement. Test results are analysed to ensure that different ethnic groups are making appropriate progress and that no group is under-achieving.

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ENGLISH

The marking of pupils’ work is generally helpful. In the best examples, teachers make constructive comments and give good guidance. The funds available for the development of the subject have been spent wisely on purchasing fiction and non-fiction 'big books' and books for guided reading sessions. Resources are good.

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MATHEMATICS

88. Tests results in mathematics at age seven have declined since the last inspection and are well below the national average. Test results at age 11 have improved well in recent years and are usually similar to the national average. Inspection evidence confirms this picture: pupils’ attainment at age seven is below national expectations for a relatively high proportion of pupils and for some pupils their attainment is low. The attainment of the majority of pupils at age eleven is in line with national expectations. The implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy, effective systems for tracking pupils’ progress, the teachers’ enthusiasm for the subject and pupils’ positive attitudes have all contributed to improving standards by age eleven. These compare very well with those in similar schools. Standards at age 7 are affected by a fall in pupils’ attainment on entry to school.

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MATHEMATICS

89. The higher attaining pupils in Year 2 understand place value to hundreds, tens and units, use mental recall of addition and subtraction facts to 20, know that multiplication is repeated addition and are adept at explaining their mathematical reasoning. Average and lower attaining pupils have a good understanding of addition and subtraction facts to 100. They recognise pattern in number sequences, for example, that, if 3 times 4 makes 12, then 4 times 3 makes 12. They use doubles and near doubles to assist in addition and subtraction problems. Most pupils recount confidently number bonds to 20 and use correct mathematical vocabulary.

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MATHEMATICS

90. Pupils with special educational needs are given good support, with staff being aware of numeracy targets and providing them with work to encourage progress. Pupils with English as an addition language receive satisfactory support, but would benefit from more one - to -one assistance in their lessons to assist with the comprehension of tasks.

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MATHEMATICS

91. By the end of Year 6, most pupils demonstrate a good understanding of place value to thousands using all four rules of number and they can check the accuracy of their answers. Higher attaining pupils make London Fields Primary School - 34 sensible estimates of length in standard metric measures and check their answers for accuracy. They collect and record data on bar charts, block graphs and line graphs when, for example, recording temperatures over a period of time. Pupils can estimate length and check the accuracy of their estimations. Higher attaining pupils can accurately predict the size of a hamster that doubles its size every day over the period of a week, thus mastering basic algebraic concepts of some complexity. Most pupils can identify common fractions and their equivalent decimals and percentages, using them to solve basic number problems to 1000, and they are confident to explain their reasoning, using correct

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MATHEMATICS

92. The teachers in Year 3 to 6 are aware of the need to give extra thinking time to the pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. All teachers provide encouragement and praise to pupils which increases their confidence. Teachers ensure good interaction between boys and girls. More open-ended questioning, however, would benefit pupils of all abilities to challenge their thinking. The pupils’ learning is at its best when the teachers encourage the pupils to explain their reasoning and demand that they extend and refine their answers both in written form and orally. A good example of this was seen in a lesson in Year 6; pupils were asked to explain why measuring a playground in millimetres is not a good idea. A good level of discussion is evident in most lessons: most teachers give good attention to developing pupils’ ability to talk about their work.

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MATHEMATICS

93. The learning support assistants work cooperatively with teachers, but need more training to enable them to have an even greater impact on pupils’ learning. The pupils in Years 3 to 6 know their half-termly numeracy targets, but a lack of diagnostic marking detracts from the overall effectiveness of the targets. Planning across Years 1 to 6 is in a consistent format, although the depth of planning varies, particularly in relation to matching the needs of pupils with different abilities. Quick fire oral questions to the whole class at the start of the lessons are effective and give lessons a brisk start. For example, in Year 4 a clapping game, using doubles of 4, provided enjoyment and challenge whilst also providing important reinforcement of number bonds. In a lesson in Year 2, the pupils were eager to show their knowledge of the 3 and 4 times tables by demonstrating with counters the reversibility of these number bonds. In most

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MATHEMATICS

lessons teachers encourage good levels of pupil participation.

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MATHEMATICS

94. Where teaching is satisfactory, but with some shortcomings, the pace tends to be slower with inadequate time given to checking what all pupils understand. Similarly, an over-reliance on undifferentiated worksheets and the desire to move to written strategies before mental ones are secure sometimes detracts from pupil progress. Some teachers would benefit from more opportunities to observe best practice to bring greater consistency and confidence to all of the staff. Nevertheless, the overall quality of the teaching is good and occasionally the teaching seen was very good. As a result, pupils achieve well during their time at the school.

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MATHEMATICS

95. Where teaching was very good, the teacher had very good subject knowledge, pupils of different abilities were given different learning tasks and there was good and precise questioning of all groups of pupils to move their learning on at a good pace. A good example of this was seen in a lesson in Year 4. Questioning of pupils focused on pupils’ own first hand experience of seeing cars in an urban setting. This enabled pupils to see the relevance of mathematics to their own lives.

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MATHEMATICS

96. Pupils enjoy mathematics lessons. Behaviour is good and pupils show very good levels of respect for one another and their teachers. They co-operate very well and are happy to help each other. In lessons seen during the inspection week, little use was made of information and communication technology to support learning. The school has implemented good systems to make regular checks on pupils’ progress. Some of these have been introduced fairly recently and these are showing the way forward. With better and more evaluative marking, better differentiation of tasks in some classes and the sharing of best practice in teaching and learning, there is the potential to continue to raise standards.

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MATHEMATICS

97. The subject is well led and managed. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and knowledgeable. She has a very clear idea of the improvements made to date and is realistic about what still needs to be addressed. Insufficient time is available, however, for the co-ordinator to evaluate teaching and learning in mathematics first hand. However, some of the teaching is observed by the Local Education Authority mathematics consultant and the headteacher and support and training is provided by the consultant. London Fields Primary School - 35

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SCIENCE

98. The school’s results in the national tests at age 11 have generally been improving since the last inspection and the school’s results are frequently better than those in similar schools. However, the school’s results dipped in 2002 due to some weaknesses in the attainment of the particular cohort of pupils. Pupils’ current standards at age seven and 11 are in line with national expectations. Pupils achieve well, particularly in their scientific knowledge and understanding. Pupils, however, need to be given more opportunities to learn from practical investigations in order to extend and develop their skills in the subject.

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SCIENCE

99. By the age of 7, pupils can accurately label a diagram of the human body identifying for example the hands, feet and head. They know about skeletons and bones and have some knowledge of the five senses. They can categorise food into groups of meat, fruit and vegetables. In Year 1 pupils, for example, learn to select materials that will and will not make a good roof, can distinguish between magnetic and non-magnetic objects, identify wood, plastic, metal and paper and say where these materials come from. In Years 1 and 2, the amount of pupils’ written work is limited: this is because of weaknesses in pupils’ literacy skills.

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SCIENCE

100. By the age of 11, the pupils have a sound understanding of the science content in national guidance material. Recent work shows they have learned about germination and growth, about how plants feed and about seed dispersal. Pupils in Year 3 learn about measuring temperatures, about solids and liquids and about which substances will dissolve in water and which will not. In Year 4 pupils discuss how to keep things cool, learn how to carry out a fair test and about the properties of different materials. In Year 5 as part of their work on the human body, pupils develop a sound understanding of the reproduction process, the functions of internal organs, the skeleton and the dangers of smoking and alcohol abuse. They carry out investigations such as those on factors affecting their pulse rate. The presentation of pupils’ work in Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory, but the amount of written work is limited. Samples of work indicate that

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SCIENCE

throughout the school, in too many lessons, all pupils work at the same tasks and there is little indication of challenging or independent work. Teachers are mindful that a significant proportion of pupils in all classes need support with writing, but they need also to let the potentially higher attaining pupils write for themselves and carry out independent research. By the age of 11 pupils are being given useful opportunities to draw their own charts and diagrams and teachers have high expectations about pupils’ presentation and the development of their scientific knowledge.

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SCIENCE

101. Throughout the school the quality of teaching is satisfactory overall although there are variations between classes. This is frequently linked to the level of teachers’ experience and training in teaching the National Curriculum. In some lessons seen the teaching was good. In these lessons there was good planning, lesson objectives were shared with the pupils and the learning support assistants were well deployed. Pupils as a result were keen to learn and interested in the tasks. In a good lesson on materials in Year 1, the final part of the lesson was particularly well structured so that each group of pupils contributed to collating what they had learned about different materials onto a chart. In contrast there was a fine balance between strengths and weaknesses in one lesson in Year 3 when the teacher inappropriately provided the pupils with worksheets that were difficult to read rather than demonstrating or engaging them

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SCIENCE

in practical activities that would have taken their learning forward at a better pace. In a well-prepared lesson on conductors and insulators in a Year 4 class, the pupils had the opportunity to find things out for themselves. There was a good balance of direct teaching and practical activities and an appropriate worksheet was well graded to develop pupils’ use of scientific vocabulary taking into account variations in pupils’ writing skills. Some learning opportunities were lost, however, because of some boisterous behaviour and high noise levels indicating that pupils are not skilled in working independently on practical tasks.

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SCIENCE

102. In a good lesson in Year 5 pupils learned well about the dangers of smoking. The teacher used demonstrations and careful questioning to retain the pupils’ interest and introduced and emphasised key vocabulary. Similarly in another lesson in Year 5 about the dangers of alcohol, pupils developed a secure knowledge of the effects of alcohol on the human body and higher attaining pupils also demonstrated a good knowledge of the organs of the body. The teacher used good questioning and made the lesson lively and interesting. Providing more open-ended research and recording activities would have made the teaching and learning in this lesson even better. There was very good dialogue between pupils and the London Fields Primary School - 36 teacher in a lesson in Year 6 lesson about habitats. The teachers’ good, probing questioning and well prepared resources held the pupils’ interest well so that pupils showed good understanding and made

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SCIENCE

103. In most classes, pupils with special educational needs and those who learn English as an additional language make satisfactory progress, often with individual support from the class teacher. Pupils’ personal development is supported well through the teaching by the positive relationships with class teachers and support staff and relationships between pupils. Pupils work well together in pairs and in groups. There are some general weaknesses in teaching that need to be addressed. Although learning support assistants are usually well deployed during some parts of the lessons their contribution can be improved as they sometimes play only a passive role. Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and, although some encouraging comments are used effectively, there needs to be more constructive comments to take the pupils’ learning forward. Teachers use displays of pupils’ work to support learning. , Some good

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SCIENCE

examples are found for example in “Will it float?” in Year 1, “The water cycle” and “Dissolving” in Years 3 and 4. The curriculum is also well supported by educational visits and visitors to school and the use of the school and local environment. There is an excellent record of the displays from Science Week that was linked to International Women’s Week and the focus was given to the work of famous female scientists.

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SCIENCE

104. There is an effective science scheme. Developing more practical and investigative skills is a current, whole school priority. This is appropriate as currently pupils’ work is too heavily teacher-directed. The co-ordinator samples pupils’ work on a half-termly basis and checks it against planning to ensure that the science curriculum is being covered. Samples of pupils’ work are collected and kept in pupils’ personal files so that their individual progress can be tracked. There is, however, lack of release time for the coordinator to both support and monitor the teaching and learning in lessons. Teachers plan together across year groups, which provides support for less experienced teachers. There are satisfactory resources for science and the school has a good science resource room that is well used. Sometimes when two parallel classes are teaching science at the same time, this results in an unnecessary strain

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ART AND DESIGN

105. Pupils’ attainments in art are well above national expectations by the end of Years 2 and 6, which is a very good improvement since the last inspection. The quality and breadth of work displayed around the school is very good. In keeping with the inclusive ethos of the school, a variety of work from all ages and groups of pupils is displayed with care and pride, thus enhancing the school environment and celebrating the pupils’ talents and achievements.

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ART AND DESIGN

106. By the end of Year 2, pupils demonstrate competence using a variety of media incorporating a range of subjects. An outstanding example of this is evident in finger painting in the style of Seurat. Pupils in Year 1 and 2 produce watercolour images of themselves, collages of their homes and painting based on views from their windows. Collaborative work in producing wooden animal sculptures from Year 2 pupils working with a local sculptor, provide an excellent example of the pupils’ achievements and their enthusiasm for the subject.

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ART AND DESIGN

107. By the end of Year 6, the pupils have also experienced working with a wide variety of materials and tools using a range of techniques. Flower portraits in watercolours, portraits in mixed media, and poetry through art on the topic of the Blitz and pupils’ contributions to the Hackney Hidden Art Schools Project are impressive and all are displayed with care. Pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 experience clay modelling, producing imaginative works such as free-form Greek pots, “My Front Door” tiles and masks. The school art club makes a significant contribution to the subject with pupils of all ages and abilities coming together to produce work such as tie and dye and artefacts in textiles.

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ART AND DESIGN

108. In the lessons seen, teaching and learning were very good and this is also reflected in the quality of work around the school. Pupils were highly motivated by the teacher’s knowledge and energy and by opportunities to have hands-on experience. Discussion and evaluation of each other’s work ensures that pupils learn to respect the efforts and achievements of pupils of all abilities. It is clear that pupils of all ages have opportunities to develop their talents and a wide range of skills. From portraits of ourselves and London Fields Primary School - 37 our families in Year 1 to observational drawing in the style of William Blake n Year 6, a continuity and progression in the pupils’ artistic development and appreciation is clearly evident. Through pastels of mosques, African cloth patterns, self-portraits from pupils of different age groups, the pupils make a significant contribution to improving the school environment, and the subject contributes very well to

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ART AND DESIGN

promoting pupils’ spiritual, social and cultural development.

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ART AND DESIGN

109. Management of the subject is very good, which is a marked improvement since the last inspection. The co-ordinator leads the subject with knowledge, skill and enthusiasm, creating an environment, which celebrates the pupils' talents and efforts. Clear progression in learning is achieved through the use of a scheme of work. Resources are good and used very effectively.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. Pupils’ attainment at age of seven has improved since the last inspection and is now above national expectations. Pupils’ attainment at age 11 is in line with national expectations. There is also evidence of some work of high quality within Years 3 to 6 when working with visiting artists or on school projects. Pupils make good progress over time in the subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111. The pupils in Year 1 produce well-constructed models of cookers, using a variety of materials for dials and knobs as well as for the cooker itself. Transparent doors on some models are very effective. A construction of roads, bridges, flats and a roundabout, using papier-mâché, is another example of good work seen in Year 1. In Year 2, pupils produce a variety of work linked to their topics, for example colourful masks made of tissue and card or papier-mâché, moving shapes of dinosaurs and whales and Diwali lamps which are made from a salt and dough base. The weaving stars and felt flower designs produced by younger members of the art club are also very effective.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112. In Years 3 and 4, there is a range of examples of paper weaving including woven containers. Pupils in Year 3 are currently designing and making tea cosies. They can explain the design and make process and explain why a tea cosy has a particular shape and talk about its purpose. Pupils have constructed well-made tetrahedrons with art straws on a visit to Hackney Building Exploratory. Pupils in Year 4 made cardboard water wheels linked to their geography topic. Models of Tudor houses, a castle, a church and models using card and other materials are good examples of pupils’ collaborative work. In Year 6, pupils have made good models of Hampton Court with opening doors and a very effective frieze shows the characters from Hamlet. A variety of fabrics were used for clothing and paper doyleys were used to make ruffs and cuffs. Some pupils in Year 6 are currently designing and making Tudor outfits worn on special

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

occasions. The most outstanding work on display is that in wood showing mystical creatures from the canal including a “butterfly shark” and a “mermaid tiger.” The work is enhanced by its links with the story, which has been written by the children and included in the display. While there are many examples of good and some excellent work in Years 3 to 6, much of this is produced by groups of pupils working on particular projects: there is less evidence of work produced by all pupils in each of the classes.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113. There was insufficient opportunity to observe direct teaching during the inspection to be able to make judgements about its quality. The work on display, however, shows that pupils are given some good opportunities. Much of the work is linked to topic work and educational visits. This is effective and gives good support to pupils’ learning in other subjects. Many pupils throughout the school are involved in producing designs to improve the school garden and pupils in Year 5 are currently designing stage props and scenery for a forthcoming musical production. Pupils are likely to be well motivated by examples of some outstanding work that is on display around the school. The design and technology curriculum is enhanced by a gardening club and a design and technology club held during lunchtimes. The display of work around the school contributes well to the pupils’ spiritual and social development as does group

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

work in classrooms. Little of the work seen, however, reflects the pupils’ own ethnic backgrounds and diversity.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114. At the time of the last inspection there was no policy in place and resources in the subject were poor. These weaknesses have been addressed. Resources are satisfactory in number and range: each year group shares a box of basic tools and materials. There is a good supply of card, wood and other materials. There is a good scheme of work for all classes that is effectively linked to other aspects of the London Fields Primary School - 38 curriculum. Due to the school’s limited resources there are few opportunities for the co-ordinator to effectively and systematically monitor lessons being taught.

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GEOGRAPHY

115. Although pupils’ attainment at age seven and 11 is below national expectations, pupils make satisfactory progress. While pupils’ often display good knowledge and understanding, there is a lack of progression in the development of basic skills and standards are also adversely affected by weaknesses in pupils’ writing skills, which limits their ability to record their learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

116. Pupils in Year 1 identify types of houses and some can write a simple sentence such as “I saw a flat.” They stick pictures of furniture into the correct place on a diagram of a house. By the age of seven, pupils can produce simple plans of their route to school and of their bedroom. In one lesson observed, pupils made very relevant observations and used maps and plans to very good effect. Pupils learn that geography is about maps and plans, about growing things and about different countries and climates. The standard of written work seen in the sample is variable and some pupils identified as lower or average ability produce work that is as good as, if not better than that of higher attaining pupils.

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GEOGRAPHY

117. In Year 3, current geography work is linked to a history topic about the Celts. Pupils learn about villages, towns and cities and produce a limited amount of independent writing. In Year 4, pupils are working on the water cycle and learning about canals. Pupils in Year 5 are studying the geographical features of the local area and have produced some interesting booklets entitled “All About Me.” By Year 6, pupils study maps, using different scales and they can find the British Isles on maps of Europe and the World. Most pupils at this stage know the main points of the compass and that the sun and the pole star are other means of finding direction. Most can work out a distance using a simple scale.

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GEOGRAPHY

118. The quality of teaching throughout the school is satisfactory, but that seen in lessons does vary in quality. In one lesson seen in Year 2 where teaching was excellent, there was very meticulous planning of work that matched pupils’ prior attainment. Excellent use was made of resources including maps, a Big Book and a globe, explanations and demonstrations were very clear and questioning was highly effective. As a result, pupils learned particularly well, for example about how maps represent a bird’s eye view. Learning support assistants were effectively deployed to give appropriate support to pupils with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs. In a lesson in Year 4, when pupils were learning about river erosion and depositation there was good use of resources, good questioning and clear explanations and pupil progress was good. In another lesson, however,

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GEOGRAPHY

explanations were not clear enough and there was little use is made of the support staff. As a result, pupils lost interest and learning was limited. Work scrutiny shows that there are too many unchallenging work sheets in the Years 3 and 4 classes. This limits pupils’ opportunities to develop their own recording skills and to produce their own maps and charts. Marking of pupils’ work is often limited to ticks or the use of stamps with encouraging, but not necessarily constructive, comments about how to improve.

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GEOGRAPHY

119. The geography curriculum is well supported by educational visits, trips around the local area and the school environment, all of which contribute effectively to pupils’ learning. The curriculum provides many good opportunities to promote pupils’ social and cultural development, but too much teacher-directed work reduces the opportunities for pupils to work independently or in pairs or groups. In some classes, maps of the world are used well to highlight pupils’ countries of origin and national flags.

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GEOGRAPHY

120. The deputy headteacher is currently sampling work each half term and checking these against teachers’ planning. A school priority is to implement systems that support pupils to write about what they have learned. This should lead to a better analysis of standards and pupils’ progress. There are limited opportunities for the monitoring of teaching and learning at the present time. Resources are adequate, but some are rather old and dated. There are a satisfactory number of globes and outline maps around the school.

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HISTORY

London Fields Primary School - 39 121. During the inspection week, teaching was seen in only one lesson in a Year 6 class. The evidence gathered from this and the analysis of a limited amount of pupils’ recorded work and teachers’ planning and interviews with staff indicate that pupils’ attainment at age seven and 11 is below national expectations. The school has not been able to maintain the standards at age 11 at the time of the previous inspection. However, when considering that pupils’ attainment is so low on entry to school, pupils, including those with special educational needs and who learn English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress in history during their time in the school.

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HISTORY

122. Seven-year-old pupils can identify changes that have taken place over time: for example those in their homes. However, historical skills such as their understanding of historical terminology and the different ways in which the past can be represented are not well developed. Eleven-year-old pupils can describe the events leading to Henry the V111’s divorce of Catherine of Argon and its impact on the lives of people in England. However, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of a range of historical periods, the changes and their impact on societies and the importance of primary and secondary sources of evidence in learning about past histories is not well developed.

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HISTORY

123. Pupils have many opportunities to visit places of interest, which contributes well to their learning. For example, as part of Local History topic, pupils visited the Hackney Museum. They had an opportunity to unpack a suitcase that had artefacts from 1940s and to learn from first hand accounts about people’s journeys to Hackney and other reasons for immigration. Pupils however, were not later given opportunities to write independently and at length about their visit, which is a missed opportunity. Throughout Years 3 to 6, pupils use information and communication technology appropriately to write short descriptions and to illustrate their work.

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HISTORY

124. There was insufficient evidence to make a secure judgement on the quality of teaching throughout the school. There are enough resources for teaching history, including some useful videos and some good quality books. However, there are only a few photographs and artefacts to support pupils’ work which limits opportunities for pupils to develop their skills of historical enquiry.

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HISTORY

125. An appropriate scheme of work is in place. There is a long-term overview of topics and detailed guidance to support teachers’ planning. History is taught in rotation with geography and there are some good links with other subjects. An improved system for making regular checks on pupils’ progress is being developed. Developments in history have been limited since the last inspection because the subject has not been a focus for whole school development. However, further developments to work in the subject are identified in the school development plan.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126. The development of information technology has been a major focus for the school since the last inspection when standards were below national expectations at age seven and 11. The school was not then meeting statutory requirements for the subject and progress was unsatisfactory. The school has addressed these weaknesses through well-planned action involving governors, staff, the local education authority and the Education Action Zone funding. Standards have improved and pupils now meet the national expectation by the end of Year 2. Although pupils in Year 6 are making good progress in their learning, they have not yet had time to experience all the elements of the curriculum, particularly in modelling and controlling so that pupils' attainment at 11 is currently below that expected nationally.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127. Improved standards have been achieved through a combination of factors. The school has installed a well- designed computer suite and provided training, so that all teachers are confident in its use. All classes are timetabled there each week and there is well planned scheme of work, linked to national guidance, which shows how pupils’ skills are intended to develop from Year 1 to Year 6. The curriculum is planned well to give both coverage of topics each year and careful development of skills year-on-year. The improvements have been guided by enthusiastic leadership and management of the subject and by the very good support of the headteacher and chair of the governing body, in considering the best design and equipment. The school is developing its use of information and communication technology to support learning in subjects such as history and art. Management has correctly identified the need to make

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

greater use of the facilities now available throughout the school, so that information and communication technology can be used more fully as a tool for learning across all subjects. London Fields Primary School - 40 128. As a result of the training and advice provided, the quality of teaching and learning is now good overall. Teaching and learning were excellent on one lesson observed, very good in two lessons, good in two and satisfactory in one lesson. In one lesson, which was less than satisfactory, weak management of pupils’ behaviour resulted in limited learning. Teachers plan effectively and evaluate their lessons well, so as to identify any areas that need to be emphasised in the next lesson. A good example of this was where a teacher in Year 1 decided that she had planned too much for one lesson and then amended her teaching to ensure she taught pupils how to save and retrieve their work in the next lesson. Teachers’

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

explanations are clear and, consequently, pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, are fully included in lessons and know what to do. In most lessons, pupils’ enthusiasm, their good behaviour and willingness to discuss their work, make a very positive contribution to their learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

129. Pupils in Year 1 and 2 make good progress and are learning to save, retrieve and print their work and they readily describe what they have learned. During the inspection, pupils were being effectively taught how information and communication technology is used to create pictures. By the end of an excellent lesson in Year 2, pupils had learnt to open the paint program and use the flood fill tool to create highlights of colour to design and create Diwali cards. The class teacher was highly effective in motivating pupils to learn, to help each other and in ensuring that boys and girls of all abilities and backgrounds were fully included in the lesson. Support staff were effectively used. The class teacher continued to teach and challenge pupils as they worked, so that there was an excellent balance between direct teaching and independent learning. The teaching also ensured that higher attaining pupils were challenged. In one

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

lesson, which was otherwise satisfactory, the teacher did not challenge pupils of different levels of prior attainment. As a result, higher attaining pupils did not learn as much as they could.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

130. By the end of Year 6, pupils have been taught how to enter text and manipulate it by changing font, size, style and colour. A good example of the developing links being made between information and communication technology and other subjects was seen in a very good Year 6 lesson led by the visiting advisory teacher. Pupils were effectively taught to design a page for a Tudor web site, presenting information about aspects of that period in history in the form of a Tudor newspaper, incorporating text and images. The teacher was very well focused on what she wanted pupils to learn, and both she and the class teacher continued to teach effectively as pupils worked in small groups. This resulted in a brisk pace to learning and a high level of pupil interest and involvement. By the end of the lesson, because of the quality of teaching and their own good attitudes, most were combining pictures with text and

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

confidently composing and editing their work on screen. The support provided by the local authority and the Education Action Zone is efficiently used by the school in developing pupils’ knowledge and teachers’ confidence.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

131. There were many good examples of class teachers having benefited from the training they have received and its impact on learning. In a lesson in Year 4, for example, the class teacher’s confidence in teaching the subject resulted in pupils learning to use tools in a paint program and to cut, copy, paste and resize their paintings, changing colours and adding text. As a result of clear explanations, boys and girls of all abilities and backgrounds were able to set to work quickly. The very positive relationships established in this class, as in most others, result in pupils confidently asking for help from adults and each other. These relationships strongly support the learning of all, but especially those with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language. The school ensures that all pupils have full and equal access to the curriculum and that they are fully included in lessons. Planning shows that

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

by the time they leave the school at the end of Year 6, pupils will have been taught to exchange information and ideas with others in different ways, including e-mail, and to control events in a predetermined way and sense physical data, using information and communication technology systems. This will further support pupils’ social and cultural development. The school realises that this has implications for further staff training.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

132. Regular checks on pupils’ progress linked to the recently adopted national guidelines for the subject have been introduced. When these are fully in use, they will help to ensure the systematic development of skills for all groups of pupils. The school is now well placed to continue to raise standards and to make increasing use of information and communication technology to support the other subjects of the curriculum. London Fields Primary School - 41

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MUSIC

133. The high quality music provision is a strength of the school. Standards of attainment are in line with levels expected for pupils aged seven and above those expected at age 11. This represents a good improvement since the last inspection, when, although teaching was good, pupils were reported to have been making only satisfactory progress and attaining standards as expected for their ages in Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils benefit significantly from the expert knowledge and planning of the subject specialist, who teaches music to all classes.

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134. The quality of teaching and learning is very high. Of the five lessons observed during the inspection, teaching was excellent in three and very good in two. Guided by this quality of teaching, most pupils in Years 1 and 2 sing in tune and with expression and perform rhythmically simple parts requiring a good range of notes. Pupils quickly learn the words to songs and, because of the teacher's high expectations; they listen attentively to recall sounds with developing aural memory. Pupils are highly motivated through an interesting range of teaching strategies, which include stimulating warm up sessions, effective use of drama and use of percussion instruments for pupils to rehearse and to perform for an audience. As a result of the very good learning provision, pupils make very good progress in their learning so that by the end of Year 2, they recognise how pitch, dynamics, duration, tempo, timbre and texture can be combined

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and structured expressively. Pupils’ performances are recorded, so that they can appraise and improve their work. A special strength of the teaching is the way the teacher links the different elements of the subject so that the skills of composing, performing, listening and appraising are taught to sufficient depth. All of these positive teaching qualities were evident in an excellent Year 2 lesson where pupils were being prepared for the Nativity concert. Pupils listened attentively, performed with enthusiasm and without inhibition and worked hard to improve their singing. They readily volunteered to act out scenes, such as that of the Holy Family calling at the Inn, without embarrassment. The interesting range of strategies used resulted not only in improvements in the quality of performance, but also ensured that pupils understood the meaning behind carols such as ‘Knock, Knock, Knock at the Door.’ The teacher’s own infectious

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enthusiasm for the subject instils in pupils a deep love of the subject from an early age.

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135. As a result of musical skills, knowledge and understanding being systematically taught, pupils, by the end of Year 6, sing with clear diction, pitch control and a sense of both phrase and musical expression. In class lessons and in large groupings, such as choir practices, the pupils sing songs in unison with a very good awareness of other performers. The quality of pupils’ singing and the joy with which they perform songs such as ‘People of the World Join Hands’, adds a very valuable dimension to the spiritual development of performers and audience alike. They are able to harmonise skilfully with controlled phrasing, and synchronise their voices to good effect to produce a very high standard of choral singing. The teacher gives due consideration to teaching the correct musical terms such as tempo, pitch, dynamics, structure, timbre and texture. In this respect, the subject makes a good contribution to pupils’

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literacy skills. The subject also makes an excellent contribution to pupils’ social and cultural development, as well as their literacy skills, as they listen to and orally evaluate music from different eras and cultures. A special feature is how well pupils work together, as, for example, when a Year 6 class quickly went into groups and independently produced a short jingle for a sunny destination, using voices, as well as tuned and untuned percussion instruments. Most pupils, through activities such as recorder groups learn to read graphic notation confidently and understand note-values, such as crotchets, quavers and minims. The school is justifiably proud of its Samba Band, which is gaining a good reputation both locally and within London music circles.

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MUSIC

136. Pupils of all ages and abilities enjoy music and get great pleasure from singing and playing together. The standard of behaviour and attitudes in lessons is always very good and all pupils have the opportunity to learn in a happy environment. The school ensures that boys and girls of all abilities and backgrounds play a full part in lessons, and extra-curricular activities, such as recorder groups, samba band, guitars and choir are open to all. These opportunities and events, such as performing with local schools and for local senior citizens, do much to promote pupils’ social development. Regular opportunities for school performances allow pupils to celebrate their attainment in the subject with parents and friends of the school. There is a very good range of tuned and untuned instruments and pupils treat these with respect. The music room is a useful resource and is well used for lessons and extra-curricular music. The use of

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funds to employ a specialist teacher represented very good value for money and is highly valued by the London Fields Primary School - 42 school. Class teachers accompany pupils to lessons and they benefit greatly from observing and supporting the very high quality teaching of music. The specialist teacher has plans to attend a course to be run by the local authority’s music service on the use of information and communication technology in music. This will further help to enhance pupils’ learning and enjoyment of the subject.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. Pupils’ attainments in physical education are in line with those expected nationally. Most pupils make steady progress and the school has maintained the standards of found at the time of the last inspection.

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138. For pupils in Years 1 and 2, progress is satisfactory. Lessons observed in Year 1 involve pupils in warm- up activities during which they begin to develop co-ordination and control. They improve their skills in simple exercises that involve change of direction, speed of movement and balancing. As a result of sound teacher input and demonstration, pupils explore a range of movements such as jumping like a lion. They observe, describe and copy what others have done and use what they have learnt to improve the quality and control of their work. In Year 2 most pupils are aware of how to exercise safely and can describe how their bodies feel in different activities. They show some understanding of simple tactics and ball skills and learn the value of teamwork. Occasionally pupils talk too much in the lesson. This prevents them from knowing precisely what they should be doing because they do not listen carefully to

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139. In Years 3 to 6, most pupils continue to improve and develop their skills and become more aware of the importance of warming up and cooling down. In Year 3 and 4, games activities involve travelling with, sending and receiving the ball and simple tactics for attacking and defending. Support for pupils who learn English as an additional language helps them to participate in the lesson and make satisfactory progress. Pupils were able to apply the skills they had practised earlier in the lesson in a team game and in preparation for netball, basketball and rugby. By the end of Year 6, pupils refine and improve skills of controlling balls, finding spaces and passing accurately to partners and team members. Higher attaining pupils show a clear understanding of a game of football. They attack and defend well, are able to dodge an opponent, pass the ball in a variety of ways and shoot at goal. At present some children are

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allowed to walk barefooted from the classroom to the hall up two flights of steps to physical education lessons. This is an unsafe practice, which should not continue.

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140. The quality of teaching is at least satisfactory and sometimes teaching is good or very good. Teachers generally manage pupils well and in the good teaching seen, effective control, class management and high expectations of pupils' achievement and behaviour enabled them to improve their skills and performance. Pupils' attitudes are satisfactory and they enjoy physical education. Time in lessons is rarely wasted, with the result that pupils have the greatest opportunity to benefit from them. Lessons are too noisy on occasions and this can affect pupils' progress. Teachers ensure that pupils with special educational needs and those who have limited English are not excluded in any way from the lesson. All groups make sound progress and there is no difference between the progress of boys and girls. Similarly, pupils with particular talents have opportunities to develop their skills.

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141. At the time of the last inspection there were shortcomings in the planning and monitoring of the subject. A recently appointed co-ordinator has brought enthusiasm to the subject throughout the school with new ideas for the teaching of physical education. She is currently formulating a new policy and scheme of work and has built up the resources. She shares her expertise with staff and helps teachers with their planning. She has plans for monitoring of the subject including the video recording of model lessons to be shared with staff to improve practice. The school provides an appropriate curriculum including swimming, gymnastics and games and teachers are generally confident in all aspects of physical education. The co-ordinator is developing the teaching of dance and athletics further and has organised future training for staff in these aspects. The only dance lesson seen was the practice of line dancing which would have

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been more suitable for an after school club. The range of extra-curricular activities is good. Pupils are not currently involved in competitive sports activities but there are plans to develop links with other local primary schools for this purpose. London Fields Primary School - 43

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

142. Pupils’ attainment in religious education meets the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus by the time pupils leave the school at the end of Year 6. A significant number of pupils enter the school with well below average attainment in English. In consequence, standards are below what they should be at the end of Year 2 because pupils’ understanding and ability to recall facts is limited. At the time of the last inspection the school was not meeting statutory requirements for the subject and standards were below those expected by the agreed syllabus. The headteacher has assumed responsibility for the subject, which now meets requirements, and good improvement has been made. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, are fully included in lessons.

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143. The quality of teaching and learning in the five lessons observed was satisfactory. Throughout the school, pupils are increasing their understanding of Christianity and other faiths. Teachers feel well supported by the agreed syllabus and planning indicates that there is good coverage. Teachers research the subject well so that they can teach correct facts about the different faiths and traditions. They make good use of artefacts and visits to places of worship such as Christian churches and Mosques, to increase pupils’ interest in the subject. However, there is a need for a wider range of research materials, including information and communication technology programs, to support pupils’ learning. This would help pupils to more easily retain knowledge of aspects they themselves have researched, rather than depending on teachers to provide them with facts about faiths, traditions and religious practices. In this way, the

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subject would make a greater contribution to pupils’ literacy and independent learning skills. The school realises that of the two attainment targets, pupils’ learning about religion is stronger than learning from religion. Personal research opportunities would help pupils to reflect more on what they are learning through thoughtful reading. A significant number of pupils in some lessons lose concentration when expected to sit listening to teachers for long periods of time. The use of worksheets, resulting in gap- filling exercises, also limits opportunities for reflective writing. The school needs to introduce regular checks on pupils’ progress so that their skills and knowledge are systematically developed step by step.

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144. Evidence from lessons observed, an analysis of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning as well as discussions, show that by the end of Year 2, pupils have been given an understanding of the richness and diversity of Christianity and other faiths such as Islam, Hinduism, Judaism and Sikhism. They are taught to appreciate that each shares some common features such as the celebration of festivals like Diwali, Christmas, Holi, Harvest, Ramadan and the birthday of Guru Nanak. In a Year 2 lesson, pupils were being taught about the festival of Diwali and some of the traditions surrounding it. Effective questioning drew on pupils’ understanding of the importance of festivals such as birthdays and Christmas in their own lives. Pupils had previously designed Diwali cards using information and communication technology. They went on to decorate their cards to present to members of their families. This gave pupils a good

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understanding that festivals are occasions to be shared by the whole religious community as a celebration of their common faith. Pupils are taught that a common feature of most religions is that of caring for each other and the environment.

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145. By the end of Year 6, pupils have a deeper understanding of the origins and religious traditions of Christianity and of other faiths. Teachers in Years 3 to 6 build effectively on what has been taught in Years 1 and 2. Pupils are taught that each faith has a Supreme Being, a place of worship and key leaders such as Jesus, Moses, Muhammad and Guru Nanak. They are also made aware that each faith has a Holy Text, for example the Bible, the Qu’ran, the Torah and the Guru Granth Sahib, and develop a deepening understanding of the rules for living contained in these. Pupils are taught about rituals, activities and practices of the variety of religious communities studied, and are stimulated to ask questions about such occasions. Examples of this were seen in Year 4 where pupils were being introduced to the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and in a Year 5 lesson where pupils were learning about traditions surrounding the Sikh Amrit Ceremony. Teachers made effective use of questioning and

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individual pupils’ understanding of these traditions to stimulate interest. Teachers work hard to use a range of interesting teaching methods such as role play activities, but the pace of learning slows when pupils are presented with worksheet activities and when there is not a good enough balance between direct teaching and independent learning. By the end of Year 6, pupils have a good understanding of how people should treat each other through studying the lives of inspirational people and the parables of Jesus as well as from the teachings contained in holy books. Teachers ensure that the subject contributes well London Fields Primary School - 44 to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Having studied the teachings of the Qu’ran, for example, pupils in Year 4 are challenged to think about ‘If you wanted people to be good, what would you write in your own special book?’ In this respect, the subject is well used to develop pupils’ understanding

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of the difference between right and wrong. This is reflected in pupils’ good behaviour in lessons and the respect with which they listen to teachers and each other.

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