Friars Primary Foundation School

FRIARS PRIMARY (FOUNDATION) SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 7 – 10 October 2002

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FRIARS PRIMARY (FOUNDATION) 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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FRIARS PRIMARY (FOUNDATION) 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. Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and junior school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Webber Street Blackfriars London

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1998 Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 4

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

16500 Mr T Richardson Registered inspector Science, information and communication technology, art, music, special educational needs How high are standards; how well are pupils taught; how well is the school led and managed; what should the school do to improve further 9756 Mr K Parsons Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development; how well does the school care for its pupils; how well does the school work in partnership with parents 30418 Ms M Barrowman Team inspector Mathematics, design and technology, French, physical education, religious education, children in the foundation stage 1963 Ms S Raychaudhuri Team inspector English, geography, history, equal opportunities, English as an additional language How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is a foundation, mixed primary school for pupils aged three to eleven. It is broadly average in size with 232 pupils on roll and slightly more boys than girls. There is a designated nursery provision with places for 26 full time equivalent children. Pupils come from a very wide range of ethnic backgrounds and a high proportion (just over half) have English as an additional language. The main home languages are Yoruba, Bengali, Arabic and Creole, and 25 of these pupils are at an early stage in acquiring English. A high proportion of pupils is eligible for free school meals (42 per cent). The school has below average numbers of pupils with special educational needs. These are mainly for moderate learning difficulties, emotional and behavioural difficulties, and speech and communication difficulties and four pupils have Statements of Special Educational Needs. The attainment of most children on entry to

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

the foundation stage is generally below average. The school is a member of the North Southwark Educational Action Zone and has just been classified as a Beacon School.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Friars Primary is a very good school. It provides an excellent range of opportunities for pupils that inspires them to achieve highly, be proud of themselves, and to value one another. Very good leadership promotes a high level of teamwork and a good quality of teaching and learning. The school directs all its efforts to doing the best it can for the pupils and provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Makes excellent provision for personal, social, moral and cultural development and successfully creates an environment where pupils learn to want to give of their best, and do so! • Offers an exceedingly wide range of opportunities and experiences, especially for older children. These raise the self esteem of the pupils, give them pride and high aspirations for their future • Has very good leadership that promotes very successful school improvement, with a strong emphasis on everyone doing their best for the children • Promotes excellent relationships that lead to highly effective teamwork. The result is that the school is a fully inclusive society that shows equal value to all members of the community • Enables pupils to attain very highly in English, mathematics, music, and science, with excellent achievement for a significant number of pupils

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What could be improved

• The school has improved very quickly in a short time and now needs to consolidate this improvement and ensure consistent high quality in all that it does • Subject leaders have yet to take full responsibility for leading further improvements in their subjects • Reports to parents do not provide sufficient information about what children can do in each subject 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 was last inspected in January 1998. Since then it has made very good improvement at a very fast rate. The quality of leadership has improved significantly and this has resulted in a high level of cooperation and teamwork between adults in the school. Staff are strongly motivated, have high morale and there is now a very strong ethos for including and valuing all individuals, whilst providing them with high quality experiences. There has been significant improvement in the curriculum, especially in the provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The quality of teaching and learning has improved and pupils’ standards have risen significantly. In particular, pupils’ levels of self-esteem, confidence and personal pride show exceptional improvement. Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 7

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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

1999 2000 2001 2001 in the top 5 per cent A* English A A A* A* well above average above average A B mathematics A A A A* average below average C D science A* A A A* well below average E

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Key

The school’s standards are well above average and all pupils achieve very well in their academic and personal development. Challenging targets are set each year and these are usually met. The school’s test results are improving faster, and at a higher level, than the national improvement. The outstanding opportunities provided for pupils to experience excellence with professional musicians, actors, scientists and authors etc. lead to pupils feeling proud and confident and, as a result, working hard and achieving very well. Pupils show exceptional achievement in their personal, social, moral and cultural development and this promotes high academic achievement. Children enter the foundation stage with levels of attainment that are usually below average. By the end of Year 2, in most subjects, pupils have achieved well and reached average standards. In English mathematics and science, by the end of Year 6, pupils

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Key

attain standards that are well above the national average. This is a very good achievement and a number of pupils show exceptional achievement having improved from well below average on entry to the nursery to well above average by the age of eleven. Pupils who have English as an additional language gain increasing fluency over time and often show exceptional achievement in English and in their test results. Pupils with special educational needs achieve very well, as do pupils with lower attainment who catch up and usually attain average test results in Year 6. Pupils with higher attainment, boys, girls and pupils from all of the ethnic backgrounds within the school do equally as well. This is a direct result of the school’s very strong philosophy of inclusion. Teachers give a lot of effort to helping pupils improve their speaking and listening skills and the success of this work leads to higher standards. They also include

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Key

the teaching of basic skills of literacy and numeracy effectively in subjects other than English and mathematics. In addition, standards in music are exceptionally high and pupils give performances of a quality usually expected in secondary schools.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are very enthusiastic and highly motivated.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils respond well to the behaviour policy and learn self- discipline. There is a notable lack of oppressive behaviour and racism.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Excellent. Pupils show exceptional respect for the feelings, values and beliefs of others. This leads to a high level of co-operation and teamwork among the pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Satisfactory. Recent data is broadly in line with the national average. Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 8

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The strongest teaching was observed in the nursery and in Years 4, 5 and 6. In other classes, teachers were still adjusting to working with new age groups, or learning about the National Curriculum. The quality of teaching observed in these classes was satisfactory overall, with some good and very good quality lessons also seen. There is a high level of effective teamwork between staff. Teaching assistants are skilled and make a good contribution to the teaching team. Teachers give a lot of effort to supporting one another, morale is high, and all adults share enjoyment at seeing how well the pupils are learning. Excellent specialist teaching of music is provided. Good teaching takes place throughout the school in English (including literacy), science, class lessons for music, and information and communication technology. The teaching of mathematics (including numeracy) and art is sound overall. However, too

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

few lessons were observed in design and technology, geography, history, French, physical education and religious education to make secure judgements on the quality of teaching in these subjects. Teaching of consistent good quality is provided for pupils with special educational needs, the work is carefully matched to the needs of the pupils and presented with rigour, challenge and good humour. Good quality teaching is also provided for pupils with English as an additional language and pupils rapidly develop the skills to take part in their lessons. Teachers provide an outstanding range of opportunities that provide the pupils with excellent role models, and enable them to appreciate how dedication and practice can improve performance. The result is that all pupils are inspired to do well and they learn to take as much benefit from their lessons as they can. Teachers also manage behaviour well and pupils learn successfully to use self-discipline that leads to uninterrupted learning experiences.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Throughout the school, pupils are encouraged well to develop their skill as learners through the positive reward and praise they receive from adults.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The school adds to the National Curriculum with an outstanding range of visits, visitors and experiences for the pupils. There are excellent links with the community and partner institutions and equality of opportunity and educational inclusion are outstanding features of the school. These are very strong contributory factors towards the very good achievement of the pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. All statutory requirements are met and pupils are taught and supported very well.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. Pupils’ needs are assessed very well and good teaching and support are effective in helping the pupils to gain sufficient fluency to achieve very well in national tests by Year 6.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Excellent, with very good spiritual development. Pupils learn to value and respect individual differences. They gain very high levels of self-esteem and confidence, and are proud of one another and themselves. This adds significant value to their development and raises their academic performance.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Child protection and health and safety are good, with sound provision for monitoring progress and academic development. Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 9 Parents have very positive views of the school and there is a sound partnership between parents and teachers. The annual reports provided for each child are insufficiently detailed and only tell parents what pupils should work on next rather than how well they have done, and what they have learnt in each subject.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher and senior management team are very successful, have ‘turned the school around’ and significantly improved pupils’ achievements. Staff are a highly motivated team.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. Governors have a good understanding of what the school does well and are very efficient and business like in their actions.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. Governors and senior managers do this well although subject leaders are not yet contributing as fully as they could to self-evaluation

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. The school is very good at seeing opportunities for pupils and obtaining grants and other funds. These are all used very well with careful strategic planning and the principles of best value are applied very well at all times.

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Aspect Comment

The school has invested wisely in a very good number of teachers and assistants. A good range of learning resources is provided, and as much as possible is being done to improve the buildings. There are also appropriate plans for an extension and improvement of play areas

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improved

• children like school and are expected to work hard and achieve their best. They make good progress because they are taught well • behaviour is good and the school helps children to become mature and responsible • parents are kept well informed about how their children are getting on • the school is well led and managed and works closely with parents • the school provides a good range of clubs and activities. Children benefit from taking part in high quality school performances • the quality of play facilities and the school buildings • the quality of school lunches

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improved

Inspectors agree with the positive views of the parents except that they feel parents could be better informed about how well their children are getting on. The school is about to make improvements to buildings and play areas and inspectors judge the quality of lunches as satisfactory. Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The school’s standards are well above average and all pupils achieve very well over their time in school. The pupils’ achievements are in both their academic and their personal development. In particular, the school provides outstanding opportunities for pupils to experience excellence through, for example, working with professional musicians, actors, scientists and authors. The pupils also take part in performances of exceedingly high quality (for example, presenting a play at the Young Vic Theatre, and the choir performing at The Globe Theatre) and experience events such as accompanying the Queen on her jubilee procession through London. The outcome of this is that pupils feel proud of themselves and confident in their abilities to work hard and do well at a high level of quality. Parents are also enabled to feel pride in their children and are, rightly, delighted at the exceptional achievement they show in their personal, social, moral and cultural

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

development. In addition, the school has a very strong belief in the right of every individual to succeed to the full and this is evident in the way that all pupils are included, valued and respected by everyone in the school’s community. These are the major contributory factors to the pupils’ success and they come from the vision and drive provided by school leaders for pupils to always have the best. The headteacher is particularly good at recognising opportunities that will be of value to the pupils and, together with the senior management team, makes sure that pupils gain the maximum benefit. These activities are also aided by the school’s close involvement with partner institutions, especially the North Southwark Educational Action Zone.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. As a result of the pupils’ very high levels of confidence and self-esteem, they also do very well in their academic development. The broad picture is that children enter the foundation stage with levels of attainment that are usually below average. A high proportion of these children are also well below average in their communication, language and literacy development. During the foundation stage, teachers place an emphasis on developing the children’s communication skills and helping them to adjust socially to the demands and routines of school life. By the time children are ready to enter Year 1 they achieve well in their language development and personal, social and emotional development and show sound achievement in most of the other areas of learning. In Years 1 and 2, pupils consolidate their learning and show good achievement in most subjects by the end of Year 2, compared to their attainment on entry to the nursery. By the end of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Year 2, in most subjects, pupils have caught up and attain standards that match the average for their age. In Years 3 to 6, pupils have increasing opportunities to benefit from the school’s exceptional range of activities and experiences. They are also taught well, particularly in Years 4, 5 and 6, and the high standards that result are a product of the quality of teaching, the impact of high quality experiences, and the pupils’ enhanced esteem and pride. By the end of Year 6, in English mathematics and science, pupils usually attain standards that are well above the national average. This represents very good achievement throughout Years 3 to 6. However, a number of pupils show exceptional achievement over their time in school having improved their attainment from well below average on entry to the nursery to well above average by the age of eleven. Another significant feature is that pupils who have English as an additional language gain

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

increasing fluency over time as a result of the very good provision the school makes for them. Some of these pupils often show exceptional achievement in not only mastering English, but in gaining test results in Year 6 that are well above the national average. Pupils with special educational needs are supported very well and often catch up with their peers over time. This also represents very good achievement. The school is successful in its work with pupils with lower attainment. They achieve very well and the gap between them and their class mates decreases over time so that many of these pupils attain test results in Year 6 that match the national average. Pupils with higher attainment are challenged and enabled to achieve very well too. Boys and girls do equally well, as do pupils from all of the ethnic backgrounds within the school. This is a direct result of the school’s philosophy of making sure that all pupils are included equally in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

lessons. Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 11 3. Since the last inspection, the school has worked very hard and very effectively to raise standards. Pupils’ test results at the end of Year 6 are high and the school’s efforts have, rightly, been rewarded with national achievement awards and the recent classification of the school as a ‘Beacon School’. At the time of the inspection, the 2002 national data was not yet available. The results of national tests taken by Year 6 pupils in 2001 show that: • In English, 93 per cent of the pupils gained the expected standard of Level 4. However, 61 per cent of the pupils gained the higher Level 5. These results are very high, and in the top five per cent of all schools in the country. • In mathematics, 84 per cent of the pupils attained Level 4, with 39 per cent of pupils attaining the higher Level 5. These results are well above the national average. • In science, 90 per cent of pupils attained Level 4 or above. However, 55 per cent of the pupils

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

reached the higher Level 5, with a further three per cent reaching Level 6. These results are also well above the national average. • When these are compared with schools having similar free school meals and circumstances to Friars Primary, the test results of the Year 6 pupils are in the top five per cent for these schools in English, mathematics and science. • Analysis of test results from 1997 shows that, in English, mathematics and science, the school’s average points score per pupil is rising at a faster rate than, and at a level above, the national trend of improvement.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. During the inspection, pupils demonstrated the following standards in their lessons, discussions with inspectors, and through the work in their books and on display in the school. • In the foundation stage, children are achieving well in the nursery and at a satisfactory level in the reception class. Good achievement over time is evident in children’s personal, social and emotional development and also in their communication, language and literacy skills. In mathematical development, knowledge and understanding and physical development the children make sound achievement, but more could be done to help children achieve more in their creative development. By the end of the reception year, the current children are expected to reach the Early Learning Goals in personal, social and emotional development and in their physical development. In most other areas of learning it is likely that a majority of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the children will still be below average when they enter Year 1. • By the end of Year 2, the current pupils are likely to reach average standards in English, science, art and design, history, design and technology, music, information and communication technology and physical education. In mathematics, a large proportion of the pupils still have difficulty with using the correct vocabulary and this is likely to lead to test results just below the average. Insufficient evidence was gained to judge standards in geography and religious education. Pupils are generally achieving well in most subjects, with the exception of mathematics, where achievement is satisfactory. • By the end of Year 6, pupils currently are on target to attain test results in English, mathematics and science that are at least well above average. This represents very good achievement for all pupils in these subjects. Standards observed in pupils’ speaking and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

listening skills are very high and this is the result of the emphasis given throughout the whole school to the importance of helping pupils to develop these skills. In music, pupils in Year 6 currently demonstrate skills and understanding at an exceedingly high level for their age. This is a direct result of the exceptional teaching, and the outstanding opportunities for participating in high quality experiences provided by the school. In all other subjects, standards are likely to be average by the end of Year 6 and pupils show achievement that is satisfactory or better. Insufficient evidence was seen in geography, French and religious education to make secure judgements in these subjects.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

5. The school has built upon the good standards seen at the time of the last inspection. Pupils’ attitudes and personal development are now exceptionally high, making them a major strength of the school. This means that most of the time pupils want to participate fully and work hard, enabling teachers to concentrate on developing pupils’ learning. This is a major factor in the standards of work achieved by the school. Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 12 6. Pupils’ attitudes to the school are very good. They are proud to be part of the Friars school community and they embrace the experiences it provides for them. They see themselves as part of an improving school and hold it in very high regard. They know what the school stands for, particularly the way that it values them as individuals; in return pupils are keen to adhere to the school’s values. The majority of pupils in all year groups and of all attainment levels enjoy their

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

lessons. This has a very positive effect on their learning, attainment and behaviour. Pupils come to their classrooms in the morning willingly and are prepared to put in effort. For example, many classes are timetabled to study literacy and numeracy one after the other before their morning break; most pupils continue to work hard throughout this long session. This commitment is evident in both lessons and in the well-supported extra-curricular activities. For example, the same involvement was seen in the after-school football club for older pupils, where they responded very positively to an external instructor. At the craft club for younger children they were keen to produce their salt dough models, despite the fact it was the end of a day in which they had worked hard. Pupils in all years listen to instructions with care and maintain their concentration well in class. They demonstrate considerable maturity and confidence when expressing their thoughts and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

feelings. Pupils are interested in the subject matter of their lessons, and are enthusiastic about the prospect of gaining new knowledge and skills. Children in the foundation stage, who had been in formal education for only a few weeks, had already absorbed the routines and were enjoying the experience of school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. This is certainly in line with the views of parents, where there is general agreement that the children behave well at school. Pupils themselves clearly understand the school’s expectations regarding behaviour and meet them well. This ensures that most of the time teachers do not have to spend too much time and effort maintaining discipline. This is not to imply that it comes easily to all pupils and, in general, pupils learn how to behave well and increasingly meet the expectations of their teachers over their time in school. In the few lessons where teaching is less good, behaviour can suffer. For example, in a PE lesson the reception children took advantage of a weakness in the planning of the lesson to cause some disruption. This, however, is an exception; more typical was a Year 1 ICT lesson, where pupils were enthusiastic in their participation, or the year 6 pupils who were very attentive and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

studious in their science lesson. Most pupils show very good attitudes to their work. They behave well because they have accepted and absorbed the school’s ethos, expressed in the school’s three Golden Rules, concerning their rights to be safe, to learn and to have respect. This results in pupils being self-disciplined, polite and considerate. Pupils are helpful and usually observe common courtesies such as holding open doors for those following. Just one pupil, who had considerable behavioural difficulties, has been excluded from school in the last year. At break- times, the playground is an unthreatening environment. Incidents of bullying are not common and there have been no recent incidents of sexism or racism.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Relationships within the school are excellent. The staff set a clear example to pupils through the way they work so well as a team. Relationships between pupils and staff are characterised by mutual respect, within high expectations that parents rightly identify as coming directly from the headteacher. In class, pupils follow teachers’ instructions, listen carefully to what they have to say and are willing to accept guidance from them, assisted by the generally high quality of teaching they experience. Relations between pupils are exceptional, being based on co-operation and friendship. In lessons, pupils work collaboratively without close supervision, share resources and take turns to use equipment. For example, in a Year 1 RE lesson, they shared the available Buddha statues without a trace of conflict. Another interesting example is artwork from Year 4, where pupils illustrated a pair of people, the best work perceptively conveying the essence of the

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

relationship between them through their stances. Yet another example was the excellent co- operation between pupils in a Year 3 art lesson, when they helped each other fasten their smocks at the back. Pupils are able to work independently on individual and group tasks. They relate to each other and play together harmoniously in the playground. For example, older girls in a multi- ethnic group showed considerable flair working together on a fast but controlled clapping song with actions. They demonstrate care for each other in practical ways, for example, when a young girl fell over in the playground, an older girl immediately helped her to her feet and took her to find adult help. In class, duties and jobs are given to pupils on a regular basis and they respond to their tasks sensibly. Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 13 9. Pupils’ personal development is excellent. Most of the pupils of the school are delightful young

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

people whom it is a real pleasure to meet. They display an unforced self-confidence and they talk naturally to adults and represent their school exceptionally well. The school’s strong provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development has helped them to prepare for life outside school and encourages them to express and reflect on their feelings. In particular, the passion with which the headteacher and staff try to provide the best experiences possible, both within school and using the local environment, helps pupils respect themselves and others. They feel that their own views are valued. Pupils of all ages are encouraged to take responsibility for their own behaviour. They work collaboratively in lessons and show an excellent respect for the views of others. For example, in an assembly, they listened attentively to a Nigerian boy explaining about an artefact from his culture. In a drama lesson, Year 5 pupils showed exceptional confidence and flair in

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

improvising sketches on a Little Red Riding Hood theme, with even the shyest pupils joining in; as audience, they supported and applauded each other’s efforts with genuine sincerity.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Most pupils want to come to school. In 2000-2001 the recorded attendance figures dipped alarmingly to 90.2%, of which 2.7% was recorded as unauthorised. These figures were caused by a combination of factors. The school reports that there were problems with the externally-supplied computer software used to record the data, where it misclassified one of the attendance codes as absences in compiling the data. This was combined with genuine attendance problems with a small number of specific pupils. The school has responded by putting considerable effort into raising its attendance levels. As a result, attendance is now broadly in line with the average for English primary schools. Many pupils arrive a few minutes late for school, although they are not allowed to delay the start to the school day. Unauthorised absence, at 0.6% for the latest year, is slightly on the high side. This is because a small number of pupils have poor attendance records,

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

which inevitably affect their attainment. These pupils are not drawn from any particular section of the school community.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

11. The quality of teaching and learning is good and has improved since the last inspection. The headteacher, governors, senior managers and external consultants have worked together effectively to identify what teachers do well and to help them to improve. Changes in the teaching staff have been made and the school is successful in retaining teachers once appointed. The most notable strength in the quality of teaching is the very effective teamwork between staff. Teaching assistants, support teachers for special educational needs, and teachers for pupils with English as an additional language work very well together in class and this is very effective in providing pupils with individual support for their learning. An outcome of this approach is that, over time in school, there is a significant reduction in the number of pupils with lower attainment and more and more pupils who found learning difficult, catch up with their peers by Year 6. During the inspection, the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

strongest teaching was observed in the nursery and in Years 4, 5 and 6. In other classes, teachers were still adjusting to working with new age groups, or were new to working in England and still learning about the National Curriculum. The quality of teaching observed in these classes was satisfactory overall, with some good and very good quality lessons also seen. About a third of all lessons observed during the inspection were very good or excellent, a third were of good quality and another third were satisfactory. Three lessons were unsatisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

12. Teaching of exceptional quality is provided by the specialist teacher for music. This motivates the pupils to give their utmost to improving their singing, playing and performance. Good teaching takes place in English, science, class lessons for music, and information and communication technology. The teaching of mathematics and art is sound overall. However, too few lessons were observed in design and technology, geography, history, French, physical education and religious education to make secure judgements on the quality of teaching in these subjects. Teaching of consistent good quality is provided for pupils with special educational needs. This is generally through support in class, although there are occasions when groups of pupils are taught in another room depending on their special needs. In all these situations, the work and support planned is carefully matched to the needs of the pupils and presented with rigour, challenge and good

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

humour. As a result, the pupils concentrate hard and keep trying to do their best. This leads to Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 14 their very good achievement over time. Teaching of consistent good quality is also provided for pupils with English as an additional language. The linguistic needs of each pupil are carefully assessed and this information is used well so that pupils rapidly develop the skills to take part in their lessons. The pupils enjoy developing their English skills and gain increasing fluency as they move through the school. This fluency is also aided by the emphasis all teachers place on helping pupils to improve their speaking and listening skills. New vocabulary in lessons is explained well and teachers provide a good range of opportunities for pupils to practise their speaking skills. For example, drama lessons are included in the curriculum and pupils enjoy taking a role and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

improvising dialogue to match the theme of the lesson. However, the strongest feature in the school that has the maximum impact on the pupils’ learning, is the excellent range of opportunities that teachers provide to extend pupils’ experiences. For example, Year 6 pupils improve their singing through working with an opera singer; Year 5 pupils boost their scientific experience through having lessons in a secondary school laboratory; the school regularly joins with professional actors and artists for projects; pupils improve their ball control with professional sports coaching and so on. These experiences provide the pupils with excellent role models and enable them to appreciate how dedication and practice can improve performance. The result is that all pupils are inspired to do well and they learn to take as much benefit from their lessons as they can. It is this factor, plus the quality of teaching they receive, that leads pupils to give of their best,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

work hard and strive to attain highly. Also, since the last inspection, teachers have worked hard to implement a consistent strategy for managing behaviour. The result is now seen in the improved behaviour of the pupils, their self-discipline, and their cooperation in lessons in not wanting others or themselves to disrupt the learning experience.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

13. In the lessons observed that were very good or excellent, the following contributory factors were noted. • Teachers include all pupils, value their contributions and provide opportunities for pupils to extend their speaking and listening skills. For example, in an English lesson in Year 6, the teacher made sure that boys, girls and pupils from differing ethnic backgrounds all contributed equally to the discussion. Pupils were encouraged to listen with respect to one another and this led to all pupils, including those with special educational needs, gaining in confidence and asking questions of each other and their teachers. • Teachers give very clear demonstrations and explanations and this leads to pupils knowing what to do, and knowing how well they do it. For example in a drama lesson for Year 5, the teacher demonstrated very well how pupils could improvise ‘police’ interviews of the wolf in the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

‘Red Riding Hood Incident!’ This inspired the pupils to develop the theme with creative improvisations at very high levels of skill. The teacher’s careful assessments and positive comments led the pupils to know they were doing well and everyone worked very hard at trying to do even better. • Teachers build on the pupils’ existing knowledge and skills and provide rigorous and challenging activities that motivate the pupils exceedingly well. For example, in a music lesson for pupils in Year 4, the teacher knew the rhythmic and keyboard skills of the pupils and challenged them to develop a whole group improvisation using a pentatonic scale. The pupils were enabled to ‘feel’ how their rhythm patterns could develop and were taught to listen and predict how their playing may contribute to the whole. The result was a sustained performance of exceptional quality with the pupils demonstrating high level skills of musicality

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

in appreciating the overall sound quality and adapting their part to the benefit of the whole performance. • Teachers use a range of methods that interest and involve the pupils. For example, in an art lesson in Year 2, the teacher asked pupils to close their eyes and think what ‘sketching’ meant to them. A pupil was brought in as a model with a very good atmosphere of surprise. This led the pupils to concentrate on their drawing with the result that most pupils used a light touch with their pencils, looked carefully at the scale and proportion of the model, and produced sketches of good quality. • Teachers keep a brisk pace to their lessons that leads directly to the pupils giving consistent effort to their learning. For example, in a mathematics lesson for Year 4, the teacher gained attention from the class by clapping a rhythm pattern, which they repeated as they stopped what they were doing and became immediately ready to listen. The teacher then praised the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

pupils for what they were doing well and pointed out what they should do next. This renewed Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 15 their interest in their number games and these interventions from the teacher were very well timed so that pupils never lost interest and kept up their enthusiasm.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

14. Where teaching and learning were unsatisfactory, the activities planned for the pupils were insufficiently structured, not matched effectively to their needs and behaviour was inconsistently managed. These lessons were, however, the exception. Throughout the school, pupils are encouraged well to develop their skill as learners through the positive reward and praise they receive from adults. Teaching assistants are skilled and enjoy being included as part of the teaching team. Teachers give a lot of effort to supporting one another, helping with lesson plans, offering suggestions and sharing best practice. As a result, morale among teachers and assistants is high and all adults share enjoyment at seeing the pupils learning well and growing in confidence as a result of their efforts.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

15. The school provides a very good broad and relevant curriculum for its pupils with literacy and numeracy at its core. The curriculum makes exceptional use of external resources, especially for pupils in Years 3 to 6, offering them potentially life-changing experiences that help them to aspire to go beyond their immediate community. The curriculum is much broader than the National Curriculum alone and has improved significantly since the previous inspection, particularly in depth and breadth. Within it is deeply embedded the ethos of the school and this makes a major contribution to the raising of standards. The provision for religious education is very good and meets the requirements of the Locally Agreed Syllabus. Since the last inspection, the provision for information and communication technology (ICT) has also improved and these curricular opportunities are now satisfactory.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

16. The school has chosen appropriately to give a high priority to teaching pupils the basic skills and in particular literacy and speaking and listening, providing for high achievement in English, mathematics and science. This is a suitable strategy, though care is required to ensure that all foundation subjects get an appropriate emphasis. Time tabling and the balance of activities are not always well thought out and this results in some loss of learning. For example, there can be a long time between geography-based topics and pupils do not always remember what they learnt in previous lessons. The quality and range of learning opportunities are satisfactory in the foundation stage. All areas of learning are given appropriate emphasis, with a particular focus on the development of the children’s language skills and physical development. For Years 1 to 6, all subjects of the curriculum are planned and taught over the year but there is some discontinuity in

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

developing skills systematically in subjects such as history and geography because of the organisation of the curriculum and the way topics are planned during the school year. The school is working hard to, for example, take opportunities in history lessons for reinforcing and developing writing skills from the literacy curriculum. The school also offers pupils in Years 3 to 6 the opportunity to learn French.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

17. There are many significant, and very good, strengths in the current curriculum such as the provision for personal, social and health education, including sex and drugs education, the provision for pupils with special educational needs, support for pupils learning English as an additional language. The curriculum provides a clear focus on supporting the development of pupils’ literacy and social skills. There is excellent equality of access and opportunity. Very effective provision is made for pupils with special educational needs. Individual education plans identify specific targets. The pupils are supported by the very effective range of strategies to include them fully into all areas of school life. They get very good support from an effective team of teaching assistants. The good focus on individual pupils and their needs results in all pupils being fully included in the life of the school. Provision for special educational needs is a strength of the

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

18. The overall provision for ethnic minority pupils including pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) is very good. The school maximises EAL pupils’ achievement in English through offering them a range of planned opportunities for developing speaking and listening skills in lessons. Careful planning of EAL support addresses specific language skills required in the Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 16 lesson, and also ensures that early stage EAL pupils have similar experiences as the rest of the class.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

19. The curriculum is immensely enhanced by an exceedingly rich programme of visits and visitors. Musicians, theatre groups, artists and storytellers extend pupils’ ideas and experiences in music, drama, literature and art. There is an excellent provision for extra-curricular activities. Over the school year, pupils have the choice to participate in a large range of extra-curricular activities, which include netball, football, craft, computing, chess, Spanish and many others. The school choir is of outstanding quality and benefits from opportunities to perform at professional venues such as the Globe Theatre at Christmas.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

20. The school’s philosophy warmly includes everyone it works with and extends its wish to include the local and wider community. The school makes excellent use of its partnership with business communities in the local area to enhance pupils’ quality of learning. For example, the South Bank Employers’ Group work with the school in liaising with the voluntary groups in the community. A number of members of the community are reading partners for pupils. They also provide very good role models for the pupils, inspiring and challenging them to aspire to achieve both now and in the future.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

21. The whole ethos and atmosphere of the school is one of inclusion. There is recognition and celebration of the diversity amongst pupils, whilst developing a well-integrated school community. Great value is attached to pupils’ cultural traditions and home languages to raise their self-esteem and confidence. There are many useful multi-lingual signs around the school acknowledging the languages spoken by pupils. The curriculum content, books and displays reflect very well the diversity of culture in the school and wider local community.

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22. The emphasis on personal development, including the focus on developing basic skills and encouraging the pupils to work independently, prepares them very well for the next stage of their education. Curricular links with the local secondary schools also help to smooth this transition. There are excellent curricular links in the subjects such as science and mathematics with the local secondary schools. They also send their older pupils to Friars School for work experience. The head teacher makes it a priority to network with these schools. The school provides its pupils with excellent opportunities for becoming confident, caring young people, certain of their own value and accountable in making their own decisions.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

23. The provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural education in the school is excellent. The provision for spiritual development is very good. Opportunities for reflection are offered throughout the school day, in the effective use of discussion and learning. Assemblies provide very good opportunities for reflection. In assemblies, pupils are often invited to discuss and to reflect upon feelings or actions. During the week of the inspection, the theme was ‘respect’. Assemblies accurately reflect the ethos of the school and the exemplary standards in moral and social development when moral elements are frequently reinforced. All these features represent a very good improvement since the last inspection.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

24. Provision for the pupils’ social, and moral development is excellent. Pupils have many opportunities to learn the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. The discipline policy is effectively displayed and implemented in the classroom and outside. Excellent behavioural routines are well established allowing a controlled and happy working and playing environment in school. The pupils have many opportunities to care for each other and become responsible for their own actions. Teachers offer very good role models and opinions are listened to and valued. All members of the school community are treated with courtesy and respect. Effective structures and routines in the classroom allow pupils many opportunities to listen to the views of partners or groups and transmit them to the whole class. The school has created wide-ranging opportunities, and responsibilities are taken on diligently by pupils who are elected democratically

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to the school council. In this area they are able to express their views and to contribute to the decision making of the school. Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 17 25. Provision for cultural development is also excellent. All members of the school community are valued, and this includes the many cultural riches, values and customs brought to the school by its pupils and staff. Pupils talk freely about their own religious beliefs and customs in religious education. Personal achievements and school events are celebrated by displays and pictures. Music contributes significantly to the cultural awareness of pupils by listening, singing, dancing and making music linked to many eras and world cultures. The school celebrates its national heritage through the high profile association in local and national organisations such as the Globe Theatre, the National Theatre, its study of British history and visits to local places of historic

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interest. It is widely and closely connected to its local community. The whole school community supports and celebrates its diversity very well

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

26. The headteacher and all members of staff make good provision for the care and welfare of their pupils. The school has good child protection procedures and liaises as necessary with the local social services department. The headteacher has received appropriate training and the staff have been well briefed on their responsibilities. Appropriate records are kept. The governors and headteacher are active in ensuring that health and safety procedures are in place and followed. There has been a full health and safety risk assessment of the site and all problems are dealt with swiftly. Formal risk assessments are completed prior to school trips. Routine health and safety procedures and testing are in place. No unsafe practice was seen in lessons during the inspection, except for one occasion when parents crossed the playground during a PE session.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

27. The school has very good procedures to monitor attendance and encourage pupils to come to school regularly. This has been an area of considerable effort recently. There are now very good systems in place to identify problems with attendance as they emerge based on the computerised attendance records, which are regularly reviewed by the deputy headteacher. This involves quite sophisticated analysis, for example, monitoring absences by day of the week. The school has effective procedures to contact parents when there are problems with pupils’ attendance. Problem cases are referred appropriately to the Educational Welfare Officer.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

28. There are good procedures to monitor and promote pupils’ behaviour. The school has reacted positively to difficulties it experienced several years ago by adopting a conscious strategy of emphasising an overall ethos, whilst at the same time diminishing the role of formal reward and sanction systems. This has involved staff training on feelings education, but also includes opportunities, such as the Year 6 residential farm visit, to encourage pupil team building. The school’s three Golden Rules are commendably succinct: in essence, everybody has the right to be safe, has the right to learn, and deserves respect. The use of the word “right” reflects the strong stance the school takes. The rules are backed up by a system of rewards and sanctions, of which pupils are well aware and which are consistently applied by staff. Initial responsibility for identifying and addressing problems usually lies with the class teacher, with each class having derived their

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

own class rules. There are clear procedures for involving senior management when this is necessary. PSHE lessons are used to involve the children in resolving behaviour issues, an approach that the children themselves see as effective. Assemblies also reinforce behaviour messages – during the inspection week the theme was “respect” and on occasions teachers are able to integrate such concepts into other lessons. For example, a Year 5 drama lesson based on the Little Red Riding Hood story emphasised redemption rather than the axe for the wolf; pupils acting the role of the wolf had to negotiate how to make amends to the wronged parties. In one vignette, the pupil playing the wolf claimed, “not to do cooking” but was prepared to help with Red Riding Hood’s homework instead! When there are problems, parents are involved from an early stage when necessary. The procedures to prevent bullying are very good, with pupils aware of how

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

to prevent bullying and what to do should there be an incident. Pupils themselves report that the right of all to be respected within the school community ensures that bullying is not acceptable behaviour.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

29. The school provides a caring and supportive environment. All staff make considerable efforts to address the welfare of individual pupils when they need it. This starts right from the nursery and the reception class, where children receive good support to help them settle into school routines. Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 18 The contribution of teachers throughout the school is noted and appreciated by both parents and pupils. The school encourages pupils to take responsibility for themselves and their learning, for example, in the way that all pupils are encouraged to be responsible for many classroom routines. Support from the staff enables pupils to feel safe and valued and to concentrate on their learning, thus helping them to make progress. All teachers are active in the pastoral care of their pupils. Throughout the school, teachers know their pupils well and successfully meet their individual

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

needs. They are effective in supporting them when they need it. The monitoring of pupils’ personal development is satisfactory. In a school of this size, this is largely informal, but there are more formal procedures used on occasion for pupils experiencing difficulties or causing concern. All members of staff, including teaching assistants and lunchtime supervisors, are making considerable efforts to support pupils. For example, a lunchtime supervisor intervened quite forcefully when one pupil tried to exclude another from a game. The school sees its role as extending beyond the school day, with successful breakfast and after school clubs to meet the needs of pupils and parents.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

30. The procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment are satisfactory. The process starts in the nursery, where staff complete a record of progress for each child. These continue throughout the reception year and give an appropriate view of what children can do when they enter Year 1. Further up the school, the emphasis is on English and mathematics, where the national test (SATs) results and non-statutory SATs tests are used effectively to track pupils’ progress through time and to identify any individuals experiencing difficulties, augmented by specific reading testing. The school is in the process of implementing a system of evaluating a defined sample of work for all pupils, but at present assessment in subjects other than English and maths is limited. The school has plans to introduce more assessment opportunities across a range of subjects. Procedures for using this assessment information to guide curricular planning are also primarily in

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

English and mathematics. Teachers analyse the results of tests to see which questions pupils were able to answer and which topics they found difficult, using the resulting information to improve the weaker areas. Less formally, teachers do monitor pupils’ progress in other subjects, amending their short-term lesson planning to meet their needs. They also clearly identify where further support is required, provided through the groupings within lessons and the support given by teaching assistants.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

31. Parents are very supportive of the school and are pleased that their children are able to attend it. The vast majority of them have very positive opinions of it. They believe that the school is well led and managed, that teaching is good, and that the school has high expectations of its pupils. As a result, parents believe that their children make good progress, that behaviour in the school is good, and that the school helps their children to become mature and responsible. The vast majority of parents would feel comfortable approaching the school with a question or a problem, although a small minority think that some teachers are not approachable enough; this is perhaps linked to some dissatisfaction with the length of time it can take to get an appointment to see a teacher. School lunches came in for some criticism from some parents. There is also dissatisfaction with the format of school reports on pupils’ progress. Overall, parents’ views of the school are very

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

good. Inspection findings support parents’ positive views on the school. The inspection team agree with parents that the quality of annual reports can be improved, but find the school meals to be of sufficient quality and the time taken to see a teacher is in line with that in most other schools.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

32. The school provides effective support for parents, for example, by running a Family Learning Group for parents and their children, as well as free computer classes for parents. There are no home visits carried out when children first join the nursery, but at the other end of the school, staff are very helpful to parents trying to negotiate the complications of transfer to secondary school for their children. There is the opportunity, taken by some parents, to use their child’s reading booklet to build a dialogue with the teacher.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

33. The overall quality of information for parents is satisfactory. The prospectus is a good document, which communicates the school’s values and fulfils statutory requirements. The 2002 annual governors’ report to parents provided them with useful information in an accessible style. A Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 19 financial statement, in which the governors account to parents for expenditure, was not included. The school keeps parents informed through a flow of letters home. Parents can see teachers at the end of the day by appointment to discuss any concerns. There is a formal opportunity to discuss children’s progress with teachers twice a year. The written reports on pupils’ progress for the foundation stage are satisfactory documents that tell parents how their children are progressing against Early Learning Goals. However, from Years 1 to 6 the reports provide too little information and hence are unsatisfactory. For most subjects, all that is provided is a series of tick

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

boxes giving a totally inadequate view of each pupil’s attainment, plus a page of areas for development in science, mathematics and English. As a result, much of the space is inevitably taken up with discussion of the pupil’s weaknesses and the reports give an unbalanced picture. This is particularly important for Year 6 pupils when these documents are part of the process of applying for a place at local secondary schools. The school has recognised this problem and is working on an improved format. The school has good arrangements to provide translation facilities when these are needed for parents who do not speak English.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

34. The contribution of parents to the school and their children’s learning is sound. Many parents have made a conscious decision and commitment to send their child to this school and this is reflected in the support they provide. This is also encouraged by the efforts the school makes to involve them. Many parents do support their children’s homework, but not all do all they can. For example, in a reception PE lesson a number of parents had not sent children to school with their kit. A few parents help in school whilst others provide invaluable assistance to supervise school trips. The school is in the process of re-establishing its Parent Teacher Association. Parents support school policies and many have signed a home school agreement. The school fulfils the recommendations of the Code of Practice for pupils who have special educational needs; parents are invited to attend the regular reviews of pupils’ individual educational plans and contribute

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

appropriately towards their Statements of Special Educational Needs.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

35. Very good leadership is provided by the headteacher and key staff. A very clear vision and aims are set and these are addressed exceptionally well in all the school does. For example, the headteacher is passionate about including and valuing every member of the school’s community. As a result, all staff share these views and do their utmost to make sure that all individuals receive the best deal possible from the school. This very strong leadership focuses on doing the right thing for the school and its pupils and results in very good school improvement over time, with significant raising of standards. Since the last inspection, the school has made very good improvement and inspection supports the view expressed by a number of parents and governors that the leadership of the headteacher has ‘turned the school around’ from a very low level to its current high level of success. In this work, the headteacher is helped by a very good senior management team where

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

the strengths of each individual complement each other very well. For example, one member of the team brings new initiatives and creative thinking, another is very good at working out how to implement ideas and the third has expertise in finishing off developments. The result of this very strong team effort is seen in the school’s high academic standards, very high levels of teamwork, the strong motivation of staff, the exceptional opportunities provided for pupils and considerable school improvement over a short space of time. The school has rightly received external recognition for its success and has recently been awarded: ‘Investors in People’; has been given Achievement Awards from the Department for Education and Skills; and has been made a Beacon School so that expertise in school improvement can be shared with others.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

36. In all it does, the school is supported by a very good governing body. Governors have a good understanding of what the school does well and what it can improve. They monitor and evaluate the work of the school effectively and hold very efficient and business like meetings. The school makes very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and the co-ordinator leads this very well, ensuring that all statutory requirements are fully met and that governors are sufficiently informed about the very good achievement of these pupils. There are, however, some areas where improvements in leadership and management can be made. Firstly, the rate of school improvement has been very fast and inspectors judge that time should now be taken to slow the rate of improvement and consolidate the developments already made. This is so that all areas of Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 20 the school’s operations can be raised to the quality standard of its most successful initiatives. For

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

example, hard work on improving behaviour management systems has led to great improvements in behaviour in lessons and this is helping pupils to learn more in class. However, assessment procedures, while working soundly, are not developed to the same high degree of consistency in every class and in every subject. Also, the good practice demonstrated by a large number of teachers is not yet shared by all and so there are still variations in the quality of teaching and learning between some year groups. Secondly, staff who lead and develop a subject are not yet taking full responsibility for this work so that a consistent quality of provision and standards can be attained to match those in English, mathematics and science.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

37. Since the last inspection, there has been an outstanding improvement in standards and pupils’ test results have risen to well above average in English, mathematics and science. The breadth of the curriculum is now exceptional with an outstanding range of visits, visitors and opportunities that inspire pupils to work hard in lessons and see the value of what they are learning. Good improvement has taken place in the quality of teaching and learning and the school’s ethos has improved to an exceedingly high level. This results in excellent provision for moral, social and cultural development and the school is truly inclusive in helping every individual to give of their best. These developments are in addition to good improvement in the quality of leadership and governance. This level of improvement has been achieved as a result of the following: • Staff have worked successfully at improving behaviour so that pupils want to behave well and

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

exercise strong self-discipline; • The headteacher and governors have appointed staff wisely and set high expectations of teaching quality, supported by the views of external consultants; • A drive and passion not to repeat the mistakes of the past and to move forward instead; • A strong emphasis on helping pupils to have fun and enjoy their learning; • An emphasis on teamwork among staff so that new personnel rise to the expectations of the others and enjoy working hard for the benefit of the children.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

38. Teaching and non teaching staff have high morale and give a lot of effort to the school and its pupils. Very good initiatives have been established to give each teacher half a day per week non- contact time for preparation and administration. This adds considerably to the job satisfaction of staff and has helped the school be able to recruit and retain teachers against the local trend. Appropriate procedures are in place for the induction of new staff. Teaching assistants are valued and feel equal members of the school team. They also enjoy their work as a result and give loyalty and commitment to the school. One assistant has been continuously employed at the school for 39 years and obviously still loves her job. There are good arrangements for performance management and all staff benefit from the training and additional qualifications that are supported by the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

39. The school works very well with the North Southwark Educational Action Zone (EAZ) to the benefit of the pupils. Through this initiative, the school has been able to forge links with professional actors, musicians, artists, galleries, museums etc. These links add considerably to the curriculum and motivate the pupils to do well. Also, school leaders have a very good knack of seeing opportunities and using them to advantage in school. For example, they realised that a link with a local independent secondary school was potentially worthwhile and, as a result, pupils in Year 5 experience some science lessons in a laboratory that motivates them to work harder at their science in class. The EAZ also helps the school to obtain maximum grant aid by making a point of knowing what is available and preparing successful bids. The school’s finances are controlled very well and the finance officer carries out her work effectively, with good support from the finance

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

assistant. Spending is monitored well and the principles of best value are applied very well. For example, the school likes to recruit new staff from across a range of experience in order to achieve an optimal mix of experience. The school uses modern technology satisfactorily in the school office for administration and financial control. The headteacher takes an appropriate overview and up-to-date figures are reported regularly to the governors’ finance sub-committee. The school has responded positively to the issues raised by the last auditor’s report. The school has very good financial controls in place to ensure that the specific grants it receives are used for the designated purposes. Sufficient resources are provided for learning and the school is working hard to improve the environment and accommodation for the pupils. Suitable plans are in hand, with finance held in Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 21

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

reserve, to enhance the buildings and play areas. Grants are used very well to support a number of initiatives to raise standards in imaginative and flexible ways and the school now provides very good value for money. Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 22

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

40. To further strengthen and develop the very good work of the school, governors, school leaders and staff should now:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ Consolidate the improvements already made and ensure consistent high quality in, for example (paragraphs 11, 30, 36, 42, 96, 115, 133): o Teaching and learning in every class o Assessment procedures in every subject o Other areas the school identifies through its own quality assurance procedures

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ Enable subject leaders to take full responsibility for leading further improvements in their subjects (paragraphs 36, 87, 102, 119, 129)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition, the school should also: § Make sure that reports to parents provide sufficient information about what children can do in each subject (paragraph 33)*

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

*already identified by the school as an area for improvement . Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 23

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 26 206

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/a 97

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y7

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 6

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 34

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

English as an additional language No of pupils

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 90

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 7

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 25

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

School data 5.8 School data 0.6 Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 24 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 25 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) Year Boys Girls Total

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 16 15 31

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 10 10 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 12 11 14

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 71 (93) 68 (90) 81 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Boys 10 7 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 9 12

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 74 (83) 52 (93) 74 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 13 18 31

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 11 9 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 18 17 17

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 94 (97) 84 (94) 90 (97) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 11 9 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 18 17 17

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 94 (74) 84 (81) 90 (97) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 26 Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 27 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

White – any other White background 10 2 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 1 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 17 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 1 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black or Black British – Caribbean 11 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black or Black British – any other Black background 8 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers and classes Financial information

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 11.2 Financial year 2001/2002

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18.4

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 853,950

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of education support staff 11 Total expenditure 861,480

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total aggregate hours worked per week 215 Expenditure per pupil 3,666

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 163,856

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 156,326*

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26 * includes funds allocated for building improvements

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of education support staff 3

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total aggregate hours worked per week 42

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils per FTE adult 6.5 Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 28 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

FTE means full-time equivalent. Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 29

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 71 22 7 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 71 29 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 47 40 9 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 49 47 0 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 53 33 7 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 78 20 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 53 40 4 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 73 20 2 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 62 31 7 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 47 40 2 2 9 Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 30

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

41. Children enter the nursery in the September after their third birthday. The majority attend on a part- time basis but some attend full-time for family reasons or to cater for a special educational need. Some children have attended playgroup before starting nursery, but for many, nursery is their first experience of an educational setting. They transfer to the reception class in the September after their fourth birthday. Children’s attainments on entry, from observations, discussions with staff and analysis of profiles are below average overall, with communication, language and literacy skills well below average. Children’s standards show a very similar picture to the previous inspection although judgments were then not made against the early learning goals, which have been introduced since that time.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

42. The nursery, which is spacious, colourful and airy, provides a good environment for all children to play and learn. The nursery teacher, who is supported by a qualified, highly skilled nursery officer and a part-time language assistant, provides appropriate, carefully planned experiences based on the requirements of the foundation stage curriculum. There is a general emphasis on promoting the skills of speaking and listening as these represent the major learning needs of the majority of children. The reception class is less suitable as a learning environment and although the teacher and learning assistant also plan experiences based on the foundation stage curriculum, it is not possible for children to have access to all the areas of learning which the curriculum demands. The school is aware of this and there are suitable plans for alterations and new buildings. These are likely to help staff work together to provide progression and continuity for children from the start of

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

nursery to the end of reception and give all children access to the full range of experiences, particularly outdoor play. They are also likely to enable the staff to involve parents more easily as partners in their children's learning to a greater extent than they do at present.

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Personal, social and emotional development

43. Children enter nursery with a wide range of personal and social skills. By the time they leave the reception class to enter Year 1, most children achieve well and reach the early learning goals in this area of learning. On entry, some children are excited and boisterous and some quiet and retiring but as a result of effective teaching, they quickly settle into nursery routines, separate confidently from their parents and relate well to other children and adults. They happily share activities such as riding bikes and looking at books and enjoy involving staff and visitors, for example inviting them to make their own ‘Dear Zoo’ books. Copying from the nursery officer’s example, the children answer the register with ‘Good afternoon’ and listen to each other with respect, taking it in turns to talk. Children manage personal hygiene well and drink and eat their snacks without adult assistance. They keep to nursery rules such as riding bikes only on the hard

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Personal, social and emotional development

surface (the ‘road’). They sit in a circle when asked to do so and always respond promptly to adults’ requests. Following the example of the staff, who as a team provide very good rôle models, the children undertake all activities both in and out of doors with enthusiasm, rarely involving themselves in disagreements. Children, however, are not always expected to show responsibility for tidying away.

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Personal, social and emotional development

44. In the reception class, the children achieve and are taught satisfactorily. Children are taught how to set out equipment and as a consequence become helpful and responsible. They maintain and develop the skills of turn-taking, particularly in whole class activities, listening to each other and co-operating. They develop respect for each other and show interest in other cultures, responding to the register in Yoruba, the language of the week. In more formal lessons such as literacy and in assembly, they sit quietly and respond appropriately. However, in less formal situations, such as small group activities which are not teacher-directed, and in physical education where rules are not firmly established, the children are not taught to consider sufficiently the consequences of their actions for themselves.

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Communication, language and literacy

Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 31 45. On entry to the nursery, children’s skills within this area of learning are well below average. They are still below national expectations by the time the children enter Year 1, and a majority do not reach the early learning goals. However, most children achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. This is because there is a very high proportion of children with English as an additional language and many are learning to communicate in English for the first time. All staff take every opportunity to model spoken English well and incorporate language within every activity. Teaching is always at least satisfactory and in the nursery, it is sometimes very good.

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Communication, language and literacy

46. The nursery provides a good range of opportunities for children to develop their speaking and listening, reading and writing skills, such as Winnie the Pooh reading and writing corners, a rôle play area Post Office, notice board for book and sound of the week and a listening area with tapes. Children’s spoken language is fairly limited. At least 20 per cent say only the odd word or speak indistinctly and have to repeat what they say to make themselves understood. Children learn at their own level. Those who are just beginning English learn the names of colours while those with larger vocabularies learn, with adult support, how to ask for a stamp for their letter at the class post office. Children are naturally inquisitive and readily ask the question ‘What do you mean?’ Through stories, children are introduced to the printed word. They enjoy looking at the big book ‘Dear Zoo’ and join in the repeating phrases. In a small group they play at being the teacher,

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Communication, language and literacy

holding the book, turning the pages carefully and pointing correctly to where the print starts. Those for whom English is an additional language watch then copy. Children are in the very early stages of learning to write. The majority make small marks on the paper or write the first letter of their name and can ‘read’ back what they have written to an adult.

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Communication, language and literacy

47. In the reception class, children continue to develop their speaking and listening skills although there are fewer opportunities for them to practise speaking with an adult. For example, they sometimes play alone in the rôle play corners so the opportunity for guided language development is missed. Most children make a good start with reading. Along with a bear hand puppet they read ‘Brown bear, brown bear what do you see?’ and learn the words ‘author’ and ‘illustrator’. They know that print carries meaning and pictures can be used as cues. About 40 per cent can read simple texts such as ‘Who can Curly see?’ and can match words by looking at their shape or looking at the first sound. There is some teaching of phonics but the children are not confident with all the letter sounds and names by the time they enter Year 1. Children’s writing skills are also limited by the time they enter Year 1. Few can write their names without mixing upper and lower

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Communication, language and literacy

case letters and many form their letters incorrectly. In the reception class, the sessions where literacy is the main focus are too long. Children lose interest and learning is not as efficient as it would be if this area of learning were broken up into smaller, more manageable parts.

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Mathematical development

48. Children’s attainment on entry to nursery is below average and despite good teaching in the nursery and the use of the national numeracy strategy in reception, remains below expectations when they enter Year 1. Children do not reach many of the early learning goals. Secure judgments about the quality of mathematical teaching in reception cannot be made as insufficient was seen.

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Mathematical development

49. In the nursery, children count up to 5 plastic bears and put them into houses, saying how many bears there are of each colour. They enjoy singing the song ‘5 currant buns in the baker’s shop’ and two thirds of the children recognise when there are 3, 2, 1 and zero left. The baker is pleased with his collection of pennies. In the song ‘5 speckled frogs’ the children recognise that when 1 jumps away, 4 are left. The teacher helps them to double check and this helps them consolidate their knowledge of 5. When 1, 2 or 3 model animals are shown to them, they match that number with their fingers. Children’s awareness of number is in line with expectations at this stage of nursery.

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Mathematical development

50. In the reception class, 50 per cent of the children recite numbers to 10 accurately and consistently, and can show the correct number of fingers to match the number. The higher attaining children recognise numerals to 6. The lower attaining children need to touch objects as they count them and then cannot remember how many they have counted. They have little idea of Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 32 the concept of estimation and no idea of conservation, so if the objects are arranged in a different way, they have to count them again, even two. This level of mathematical development is typical of much younger children.

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Mathematical development

51. By the time they enter Year 1, children’s knowledge of mathematical language is patchy. While they all know ‘heavy’ and ‘light’ and that a pot of bubbles is heavy and a piece of paper light because they have just felt those things, when asked if something is large or small, one child replies ‘yellow’, and another confuses ‘high’ with ‘long’. This demonstrates that children need many more practical experiences and repetition of the language of mathematics to have a firm basis for learning. Their knowledge of shape is, however, satisfactory. Because they have had lots of experiences with shapes and have made pictures with them, they all know ‘square’, ‘triangle’ and ‘circle’ and some know ‘rectangle’.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

52. Children do not achieve satisfactorily in this area and, by the time they enter Year 1, they do not reach all the early learning goals. Although planned within the weekly activities, most teaching is incidental and as so little was seen, secure judgments about the quality of teaching cannot be made.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

53. In the nursery, a display shows the journey of the Gingerbread man and this gives the children a good idea of mapping skills. They can relate the map to the story. When making a house for the plastic bears, some can say whether they live in a house or flat but one asks ‘ What do you mean?’ The slightly older children can construct a dragon’s castle making it strong so that it does not fall over and know how to join equipment to make a corner. They know how to press knobs for tape recorders to play and have a basic idea of how to operate the computer although their control of the mouse is not yet developed. They use a magnifying glass to look closely at postage stamps in connection with their topic on ‘People who help us – the postman’ but do not have opportunities to experiment with objects such as magnets and do not have the experience of observing living things. Although many cultures are represented within the nursery, there are few artefacts and

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

pieces of equipment representing different parts of the world to aid children’s cultural development.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

54. In the reception class, many children have limited knowledge of the world about them, largely through lack of experience or lack of knowledge of the vocabulary needed to describe their thoughts. For example, a pigeon is ‘just a bird’ that ‘goes there’, and when asked whether they live in a house or flat, they answer ‘the big one’. They know that apples are green and round like a circle and pears are juicy, and are very interested when the teacher introduces new vocabulary such as ‘stalk’, repeating the word several times to get it right. Children have a sound knowledge of other cultures. They know that some families come from Nigeria, all answer the register in Yoruba and enjoy the experience of listening to a story told by an African lady dressed in ethnic costume. However, there are no dressing up clothes or ‘props’ to enable children to experience living in another culture in their play. The children have experience with the ‘Dazzle’ computer

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

programme but do not find the results satisfying as they have little control of the mouse. They can, however, with support, print their names in colour and are proud of their achievements.

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Physical development

55. In the lessons seen in the nursery, teaching was very good in this area of learning, and satisfactory in the reception class with some unsatisfactory elements. Overall, children achieve satisfactorily and reach most of the early learning goals by the time they enter Year 1.

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Physical development

56. In the outdoor play area, nursery children are offered imaginative and enjoyable experiences in a fun, safe environment. They learn to climb, slither through tunnels, move across ladders, and go up and down steps. The teacher guides children who lack confidence step by step, telling and showing them how to succeed. She encourages them and they practise until they have mastered the particular skill. Children pedal bicycles competently, the slightly older ones going forwards and backwards and steering. As a result of the good teaching, children become increasingly aware of health and safety but at this stage, not all manage to avoid obstacles or other people. All the Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 33 children build with duplo and lego. They put models together and take them apart with dexterity. They roll playdough, fold paper and handle pencils satisfactorily but their skill with scissors and

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Physical development

paintbrushes is under developed mainly because the adult supporting the activity has not shown them the correct way of using these tools.

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Physical development

57. In the reception class, the children have fewer opportunities to develop their physical skills and their progress slows down. The school is aware of this and there are appropriate plans to improve the facilities for the whole foundation stage. Children are given the opportunity to develop and practise skills with small apparatus but teaching is sometimes unsatisfactory because children are not given clear guidelines for their behaviour. They handle equipment and tools with increasing dexterity but many still find scissors and the computer mouse difficult to control.

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Creative development

58. Generally speaking, children achieve unsatisfactorily in this area of learning and they do not achieve all of the early learning goals, although there are some exceptions. This is because there are too few opportunities for children to explore and experiment in art and design, music and dance. Also, while rôle play is beneficial in the nursery because adults participate, it rarely helps develop children’s imagination in reception because there are insufficient boundaries and there is not enough adult participation. Teaching in this area of learning both in nursery and reception is satisfactory.

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Creative development

59. In the nursery, children have some opportunity to explore with paint. Some are still learning the names of colours and none understand that you can mix colours to make a third, preferring to mix all colours together to form a mud brown. They enjoy rolling and moulding playdough and share ‘pretend’ cakes with visitors but have few other opportunities to experiment with materials. They make an imaginary house for the three pigs and enjoy trying to blow the house down. This gives a good link with knowledge and understanding of the world as they learn that you can blow a piece of paper but not plastic walls. With adult support, they play at being post office workers and customers but as soon as the adult moves away, the children lose interest. The children have good opportunities to learn to use musical instruments creatively. In a game called ‘Don’t wake the baby’, they play, clap and tap very quietly with a high level of control until, at a sign, they play

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Creative development

really loudly. They also respond well to a singing and clapping game where they introduce each other by name, and are well on the way to reaching this early learning goal.

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Creative development

60. The reception classroom is the same size as other rooms but the amount of outdoor space is limited so it is not possible for a full range of play activities to be made available. There are few opportunities for child initiated activities, but where there are, children have great fun experimenting with paint colours. They create imaginary worlds in the sand and enjoy simulating Formula 1 racing on a track. This game, however, becomes over boisterous as there are no firm guidelines such as pictures and words of how many children may play. Although the rôle play corner is set up as a surgery, the children offer visitors cups of coffee and ice cream, demonstrating that adult support is required for the activity to fulfil the learning intention. The skill of observational drawing is taught satisfactorily. Children are shown how to draw an apple and are introduced to the word ‘stalk’, the teacher taking every opportunity to increase children’s vocabularies. They add all the

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Creative development

correct details to their drawings then, using carefully prepared equipment, use the cut apples to print a design. This aspect of creative development is in line with expectations. Children in reception are given few opportunities to express themselves in music or dance but they do enjoy joining in singing with Year 1 and 2 once a week in the hall.

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ENGLISH

61. Standards in English have improved very significantly since the previous inspection, for older pupils in Year 6, and are usually well above the national average. Standards for pupils in Year 2 have generally been maintained, although the results of tests in 2001 were lower than previous years. In 2001, the National Curriculum test results for the pupils in Year 6 were well above the national average and well above the average for similar schools. They were also very high in comparison with pupils’ prior attainment and this demonstrates that pupils achieve very well in English over Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 34 their time in school. Some pupils show excellent achievement over time, from starting school with below average reading and speaking skills to leaving school aged eleven with standards that are well above average. The test results for Year 2 pupils for reading and writing were well below

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ENGLISH

average for all schools and below average for similar schools. The trend of test results over the last five years at the end of Year 2 has been uneven. The results reached their high point in 1999 when they were above the national average and went downwards from average to well below average in 2001. By contrast, the trend in test results at the end of Year 6 has improved steadily upwards from above average to very high indeed. School evidence reveals that these variations in standards at the end of Year 2 are attributable to the differing numbers of pupils in each year group who had either special educational needs or English as an additional language (EAL). Many of these pupils came from a low base and the test results are a reflection of the time they need to develop their skills in English before going on to reach higher standards.

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ENGLISH

62. The school is very successful in improving standards in all aspects of English, particularly speaking and listening, which has been a major focus for development since the last inspection. The present inspection findings show that the pupils in Year 2 attain broadly in line with what is expected for their age and show good achievement over their ability in communication, language and literacy in the foundation stage. By contrast, standards seen in Year 6 are well above average with almost all pupils in Year 6 achieving at least the nationally expected levels in all areas of English and a large proportion of pupils attain higher levels. Pupils’ progress in English is faster in Years 3 to 6 than in Years 1 to 2 because of the significant number of pupils at early stages of learning English as an additional language in Years 1 and 2. The school is also very successful in helping pupils with lower attainment, and pupils with special educational needs, catch up with their

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ENGLISH

peers and meet national expectations in the subject by the time they are in Year 6.

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ENGLISH

63. Pupils enter the school with below average attainment in English. The school has introduced opportunities for developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills, which have made a huge impact on pupils’ attainment, particularly for older pupils. Pupils achieve well in speaking and listening in Years 1 and 2. The pupils in Year 2 listen attentively and speak with confidence in whole class sessions. As pupils move up the school, they achieve very well, developing these skills very effectively. Teachers offer pupils effective opportunities to work in pairs and groups, which help them to learn to collaborate and discuss. By the time they are in Year 6, their speaking and listening skills are well above the average for their age. In a lesson observed in Year 6, the teacher used questions very skilfully to enable pupils to speak in an extended way. Also, the teacher ensured that all pupils contributed to the class discussion, and there was a high level of

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ENGLISH

participation of pupils who all spoke with confidence and enthusiasm.

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ENGLISH

64. Pupils’ reading skills are broadly in line with what is expected for their age in the current Year 2. The focus on the teaching of phonics in Years 1 to 2 helps the pupils to learn letter-sounds effectively and achieve well. They develop understanding of what they read through plenty of discussions about their books. Higher-attaining and average pupils read fluently and talk about the characters, plots and main events of the story, and know how to find information from books. They are able to distinguish between fiction and non-fiction books. Lower-attaining pupils know letter sounds but are still unable to read unfamiliar words and often find it difficult to talk about the books they read.

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ENGLISH

65. Pupils achieve very well in reading in Years 3 to 6, where standards improve from average to well above average for their ages. In a lesson observed in Year 6, the teacher frequently checked pupils’ understanding of the text through a range of questions that required higher order reading skills such as prediction and inference. The higher-attaining pupils read fluently and accurately with expression and understanding, and reach very secure standards for their age. They can discuss well the main points and themes of the books they read. They are able to show empathy with the characters in the books they read. For example, during the class reading of ‘Friend and Foe’ by Michael Morpurgo, the pupils discussed how the character felt, using appropriate vocabulary such as, ‘bewildered, confused’. The pupils generally acquire good library skills for finding information from books and other sources. Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 35

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ENGLISH

66. Standards in writing in Year 2 are broadly average. The writing seen in Year 2 shows that pupils are learning to write for a range of purposes but mainly produce short pieces or a sequence of sentences. As teachers remind pupils how to improve sentences, they learn to write in grammatically correct sentences with punctuation appropriate for their age. Spelling is satisfactory but handwriting is not always well-formed and consistent in size. There is an over reliance on worksheets in some classes, which limits the opportunities for pupils to develop different types of extended writing appropriate for their age.

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ENGLISH

67. Pupils achieve very well in writing in Years 3 to 6, and basic skills are very well established for almost all pupils by Year 6. In the current Year 6, most pupils are already reaching the expected level and some are clearly beyond this. Work seen in pupils’ books in Year 6 shows that the pupils write at length, sustaining ideas and using complex sentences to extend meaning. The pupils in Years 3 to 6 are learning to write for a range of purposes and they are attaining high standards. They write holiday accounts, re-telling of stories, news, character descriptions and diaries. The systematic teaching of spelling has contributed to good standards. By Year 6, pupils have a good knowledge of useful strategies to help with spellings. Consequently many words are spelt correctly. Handwriting is generally joined-up but not yet fully fluent for all pupils in Year 6.

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ENGLISH

68. The quality of teaching and learning has improved significantly for Years 3 to 6 since the previous inspection. Overall, the quality of teaching is satisfactory in Years 1 to 2, and good in Years 3 to 6. In a lesson observed in Year 6, the quality of teaching was exceptional with very well prepared stimulating activities that engaged the pupils most effectively. The pupils showed excellent achievement in the lesson through their work, building very effectively on their previous learning, which was reviewed exceptionally well at the start of the lesson. Across the school, the lessons are well planned indicating that teachers have secure subject knowledge. The teachers use questions skilfully to draw on what pupils know. Pupils are keen to show what they can remember and ready to learn new things. Where teaching is only satisfactory, pupils are not effectively managed to remain on task at all times and this often slows down the pace of the lesson. Much of

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ENGLISH

the teaching in Years 4, 5 and 6 is strong and sometimes very dynamic where the teachers maintain a brisk pace through well-planned timed activities. They have high expectations of the work and behaviour of their pupils and manage them very effectively. Consequently, the pupils’ behaviour is good. Teachers across the school ensure that all pupils are included in the lesson. Teachers work in very effective partnership with the special educational needs (SEN) and EAL teachers, who often join in, support and lead lessons. In one lesson observed, the SEN teacher modelled reading with expression and voice for the class as well as paying close attention to the needs of individuals. This helped the whole class, as well as the pupils with SEN, to see how they could improve their reading. The EAL teacher also makes very good contributions to the development of speaking and listening skills through teaching drama and role-play and this gives

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ENGLISH

pupils good opportunities to practise and improve their communication skills.

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ENGLISH

69. Pupils with SEN have individual education plans with clear targets in literacy, which are followed carefully by teachers and addressed successfully in lessons. As a result, these pupils make good progress in Years 1, 2 and 3 very good progress in Years 4, 5 and 6. Pupils who are learning English as an additional language also make similar progress.

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ENGLISH

70. Very good improvement has taken place since the last inspection. The school has made exceptional progress in raising the standards in English for older pupils and in offering planned opportunities for speaking and listening across the school. The quality of teaching has improved from satisfactory to good in Years 3 to 6. The range of writing has improved very significantly within the English curriculum and the school is working hard to help pupils develop and extend their writing skills in other subjects such as history, and religious education. The school has very effectively implemented the National Literacy Strategy. This is having a beneficial impact on the quality of teaching and on pupils’ standards across the school, particularly in Years 3 to 6. The subject is now making an excellent contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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ENGLISH

71. The most significant aspect in English is pupils’ achievement. Achievement is very good for most but exceptional for some. At the heart of this achievement lies not only the good quality teaching Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 36 and effective co-ordination of the subject but also the very significant contributions of the highly enriched whole curriculum. The school is very successful in fostering pupils’ all round personal development that raises their confidence and self-esteem. There are very well planned opportunities for pupils to observe and participate in debates, theatres and dramas. For example, the pupils in Year 5 performed ‘Cinderfella’ at the Young Vic and the Year 6 Pupils performed the Tempest at the Southwark Playhouse. These activities help pupils to develop high aspirations and a willingness to succeed against all odds.

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English as an Additional Language (EAL)

72. The provision for English as an Additional Language is very good. The school has not only maintained its provision since the last inspection but also provided further opportunities for developing speaking and listening skills of EAL pupils through the whole school provision. Nearly three quarters of the pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds, and about two fifths of the pupils have English as an additional language. However, just over a tenth of the school population are at early stages of English acquisition. These pupils receive targeted support under the Ethnic Minority Achievement (EMA) grant.

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English as an Additional Language (EAL)

73. The very good management and co-ordination of EAL helps the school to work effectively towards raising the achievement of these pupils. There are well thought out arrangements for targeting support for pupils, based on their identified needs. The EMA grant has been targeted well through employing an EAL teacher, partly funded by the grant and partly by the school. The EAL teacher co-ordinates the EAL work and provides very good quality support for Years 2 and 3, where there is a concentration of early stage EAL learners. In addition, the school has supplemented the provision by employing Teaching Assistants, who work in the nursery, Years 1 and 5.

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English as an Additional Language (EAL)

74. The standards of work produced by the early stage EAL pupils are well below national expectations, as they have not yet acquired enough English to work at a level expected for their age. However, they make good progress in language acquisition, given that they are beginners in English on entry to the school. The pupils achieve well in literacy skills, particularly in speaking and listening through targeted support given by the EAL staff. This progress continues and towards the end of year 6, the majority have acquired the necessary language skills to participate actively in lessons and achieve very well in the national tests. This is reflected in the school’s results in the national tests.

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English as an Additional Language (EAL)

75. EAL teaching principally consists of supporting the pupils in the classroom. On occasions, however, the school will make flexible individual arrangements that are well matched to the needs of the pupils. For example, one pupil recently new to the country and school is enabled to have some individual support sessions that not only help with learning English, but also help the pupil gain knowledge and understanding of cultural differences. The quality of in-class support is good. In the lessons observed, the EAL teacher showed a secure knowledge of how to develop the English language skills of bilingual learners through literacy and drama. There was a clear focus on developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills. The EAL teacher also teaches seamlessly in partnership with class teachers to enhance the quality of pupils’ learning. The quality of this work is very effective. The teaching assistants use suitable methods and visual resources, which enable

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English as an Additional Language (EAL)

pupils to develop understanding in English. EAL pupils’ fluency in English is regularly assessed by the EAL co-ordinator and information is shared with class teachers. The needs of pupils are very carefully assessed and progress is rigorously monitored. The action plan for EAL shows that the Qualification and Curriculum Authority’s scale for EAL assessment will be introduced in future.

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English as an Additional Language (EAL)

76. There are good out of school hours opportunities that contribute to EAL pupils’ learning of English. The EAL teacher runs early morning and after-school language development clubs for EAL pupils, funded by the Education Action Zone. The Years 2 and 3 pupils are targeted to attend the clubs, which also provide induction for newly arrived EAL pupils. A recent good initiative has started to help parents of pupils new to English to learn how to support their children’s learning of English. The school builds well on pupils’ language and cultural experiences. Great value is attached to their cultural traditions and home languages to raise children’s self esteem and confidence. For example, adults who speak the same language support a newly arrived Chinese pupil. Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 37

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MATHEMATICS

77. Pupils’ levels of mathematical development are generally below average when they enter Year 1. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 usually attain at levels below the average for their age. However, by the end of Year 6, most pupils do very well and attain standards that are well above average. This is because mathematics is well taught in Years 3 to 6, and pupils with special educational needs or low attainment are supported well and catch up with their peers over time. Also, pupils who have English as an additional language gain sufficient fluency to demonstrate their mathematical skills more clearly in Years 3 to 6.

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MATHEMATICS

78. In the national tests at the end of Year 2 the attainment of pupils varies from year to year. In 2001, results were well below the national average and well below that of similar schools. Results were similar in 2002. This represents a similar picture to the last inspection in 1998 but a decline from the 1999 test results when the attainment of pupils of this age was above the national average. Teacher assessments for 2001 and 2002 indicate that, by the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainments are below average and a proportion of pupils could be achieving more. Over the past three years, girls in Year 2 have outperformed boys.

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MATHEMATICS

79. The pupils’ attainment in the national tests at the end of Year 6 was well above the national average in 2001 and in the top five per cent when compared with similar schools. The percentage of pupils achieving the higher Level 5 was well above average. Similar results were recorded in 2002 with slightly less pupils achieving the higher level. In both 2001 and 2002, the pupils exceeded the targets which had been set. Since the last inspection, when standards were in line with the national average, pupils’ attainment has risen steadily and significantly, at a much faster rate than the national figures. Pupils’ levels of achievement are very good and, averaged over the past 3 years, are the same for boys and girls.

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MATHEMATICS

80. By the end of Year 2, there is a wide variation in what pupils are able to do. About half the class have an understanding of place value and have good strategies for adding for example 11 and 20. They use their knowledge of number bonds to ten to find multiples of ten that make 100. They know that multiples of ten always end in zero and multiples of 5 end in 5 or zero. All the pupils know what an even number is and most know what is an odd number. The majority can use everyday and standard measures for length and the more able begin to add measurements, for example, they find the total distance in centimetres travelled by an imaginary beetle across a page. The higher attaining pupils explore with confidence the relationship between addition and subtraction.

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MATHEMATICS

81. A significant proportion, about 20 per cent, of the class however, has a very basic knowledge of mathematics and operate at a level expected of much younger pupils. They are unfamiliar with words such as subtraction and do not realise that the number of objects in a group does not change even if you move their position: that is six animals are still six whether they are bunched in a group or spread out in a line. These pupils can just about choose the correct coins to pay for ‘pretend’ fruit and vegetables but when recording write 6p + 3p = 9p, indicating that they believe 6p and 3p coins exist. Eighty per cent of the pupils can find coins which are equivalent to £1, although very few within the year group are confident and secure in their knowledge. Their oral responses in class are of a better standard than their written work.

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MATHEMATICS

82. By Year 6, pupils’ achievement is very good indeed and the gap between those with special educational needs and the rest of the class narrows. Pupils can cancel fractions to their simplest forms, read temperatures and add and subtract degrees, multiply by 10, 100 and 1000, multiply decimals and undertake long multiplication accurately, choosing between methods. They demonstrate sound knowledge of multiplication tables and know how to use them for division. All, including those for whom English is an additional language, capably explain the strategies they use to work out answers and understand how the mathematics they learn in school applies in real- life situations, for example when it is important to know if the temperature is due to rise or fall and how to measure it accurately. The higher attaining pupils convert fractions to decimals using a calculator and check their answers. They all take the matter of undertaking time-related work very

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MATHEMATICS

Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 38 seriously, and enjoy the challenge of mathematics. They work with enthusiasm and most have a strong awareness of their prowess in mathematics.

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MATHEMATICS

83. Teaching in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory overall, with more lessons of good quality seen in Year 2. Teachers use fun activities such as Bingo games to motivate the pupils to work hard on their skills of counting to 10 and recognising numbers. They remind the pupils of the mathematical vocabulary associated with length but many do not understand, confusing ‘high’ and ‘long’, and they need a lot more practice with using the specific vocabulary in context. Teachers know what level of support the pupils need to undertake the task of measuring their feet with cubes and target the extra support accordingly. In a lesson seen in Year 2, with the aid of large cardboard coins, the teacher showed the pupils how to make 10p, 20p, 50p and £1. When they did this activity themselves, they used practical equipment as long as they needed to and this helped them to understand. The teacher also asked pupils to share something they have discovered with a

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MATHEMATICS

"buddy" and this again helped their understanding and motivated them to achieve more. Teachers have sufficiently high expectations, and encourage pupils to progress, targeting more challenging questions to the pupils with higher attainment. Overall, the work they do orally and practically is better than that recorded in their books. The teaching assistant supports those who have some difficulty with the task and the support teacher undertakes a different activity showing pupils how to exchange a 2p coin for two 1p coins. All pupils make progress because the work is matched to their various levels of ability and the adults work together as a team. The learning in one lesson, however, was not as effective as it could have been as the teacher did not manage behaviour sufficiently well and many of the pupils strayed off task. The lesson did, however, incorporate the use of computers to create a bar chart for the pupils to use in their next ICT lesson.

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MATHEMATICS

84. In Years 3 to 6, the quality of teaching and learning is good, with a significant number of very good lessons observed. These lessons are purposeful with precise learning objectives and the plenary sessions at the end of lessons are used effectively to reinforce them. Teachers plan their work thoroughly, taking pupils’ prior knowledge into account. They have high expectations, challenge higher attaining pupils and set work that is well matched to the ability of pupils with special educational needs. Pupils are encouraged to use every strategy they know to work out the answers and to talk about what they have done. As a result, pupils show a high level of interest in their work and there is a very good working atmosphere in lessons. These pupils also take pride in the presentation of their work.

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MATHEMATICS

85. A strong feature of teaching throughout the school is the identification of learning objectives and the use of targets for classes, groups and individuals. These focus attention on what pupils need to do to move on in their mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding. When marking books, teachers frequently congratulate pupils on good work and sometimes on achieving targets. The most effective teachers are quite specific about what pupils need to do to progress further. The PEAT system of marking for presentation, effort, attainment and targets is used in most of the older pupils’ classes. Towards the top end of the school, this is highly effective in helping the pupils achieve a very high standard. Another strong feature of teaching is the use of regular homework. Most of this involves open ended problem solving and it encourages pupils to think and apply their mathematical skills. The third strong feature of teaching throughout the school is the

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MATHEMATICS

use of an assessment tracking system and the identification of pupils with special educational needs relating to mathematics. Support is targeted at those pupils identified as needing it and as a consequence, those who were way behind their peers at a young age begin to catch up and by the time they reach Year 6, the gap is much narrower. This gap is further decreased by extra lessons or booster classes before pupils take the Year 6 national tests. However, this is not at the expense of the higher attainers as they are always challenged to progress still further. Where lessons are less effective, they are characterised by insufficient assessment of the pupils’ levels of ability and what they need to do to move on. This is particularly the case for average and higher attaining pupils, who are either given work that is too difficult or too easy, or work that ‘darts about’ without giving pupils time to consolidate their thinking. It is not the case for those with special

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MATHEMATICS

educational needs as they are given work which is well matched to their needs and are ably supported by an extra teacher or teaching assistant. Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 39 86. Numeracy skills are used effectively in other areas of the curriculum. For example throughout the school, pupils get into groups of prescribed numbers in various subjects. In Year 6, the teacher tells the pupils that 80 per cent of them managed a particular task in physical education and in science they make charts of observations and measurements related to growing a tomato plant and interpret a simple line graph to show how the mass of a candle changed when it was burning. The National Numeracy Strategy has been implemented appropriately throughout the school. Overall, the use of precise learning objectives and the very brisk mental/oral sessions where pupils practise their mental arithmetic skills at the start of the lesson are the most notable elements. In

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MATHEMATICS

some classes, the plenary at the end of the lesson is used to reinforce learning and check pupils’ understanding. Where the plenary is used in this way, it is highly effective.

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MATHEMATICS

87. The subject co-ordinator has made a detailed and thorough assessment of last year’s end of Year 2 national test results and has discovered that the majority of pupils had difficulty with the language of mathematics. She is now targeting her teaching in Year 3 to remedy some of the difficulties and is encouraging all teachers appropriately to do more practical mathematics. She monitors teachers' planning informally, sits in on lessons on a planned, regular basis and looks at work samples. She has identified areas for development within the school and is moving towards implementing her action plan in the near future.

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SCIENCE

88. Since the last inspection, there has been a marked improvement in standards in science. The results of national tests in Year 6 show that, in most years, the attainment of the pupils is now well above the national average. In 2001, the test results of the Year 6 pupils were also in the top five per cent of schools with similar numbers of pupils with free school meals. During the inspection, the following pattern of attainment was seen: • Children leave the foundation stage and enter Year 1 with average levels of knowledge and understanding for their age; • By the end of Year 2, pupils are in line to attain test results that broadly match the national average; • The pupils currently in Year 6 are likely to attain test results that are well above the national average.

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SCIENCE

89. This demonstrates that pupils achieve satisfactorily and consolidate their knowledge effectively in Years 1 and 2. They then go on to achieve very well in Years 3 to 6. Further analysis of school data shows that, the pupils who completed Year 6 in 2001, were among the top five per cent of highest achieving pupils in the nation, when their test results are compared to how well they did when aged seven. The pupils’ results for 2002 are still a good achievement, and show that 100 per cent of pupils attained Level 4. However, inspection shows that there were fewer higher attaining pupils in that year and that the current Year 6 are, once more, likely to achieve as well as in previous years. Also, a significant factor is the achievement made by pupils with special educational needs and the pupils who have English as an additional language. The support the school gives to pupils with special educational needs helps them, over time, to catch up with their

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SCIENCE

peers and attain test results that mostly match the national average. The pupils who have English as an additional language benefit from the emphasis given by the school to developing speaking and listening skills and gain sufficient fluency to do well in national tests.

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SCIENCE

90. The pupils currently in Year 1 show a clear understanding in their oral descriptions of the sequence from spawn to tadpole to frog. They also appreciate that adult frogs will lay spawn again and that this cycle will continue to repeat. However, they are not yet sufficiently skilled in their literacy development to always record their work in the correct sequence in their books. Pupils in Year 2 know a range of foods that are healthy and that what they eat and drink can affect how they will grow. They also identify a wider range of conditions for growth but find some difficulty in explaining in speech and writing why these are important. Pupils in Year 3 know that food can be classified, for example as carbohydrate, and that teeth have different shapes for different functions. In a lesson observed in Year 4, the pupils were working hard at improving their writing of experiments. They benefited from the opportunities to practise their oral and written explanations

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SCIENCE

and, over a period of three weeks, have increased the speed and accuracy of recording their Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 40 observations and conclusions about the properties of insulators. Pupils in Year 5 show a clear understanding of the importance of oxygen in respiration and the adverse affect that smoking can have on fitness and the capacity for exercise. In Year 6, pupils devise a good range of fair tests to determine accurately the preferred habitats and conditions for woodlice to thrive. They know the need for careful observations and measurements, record their results in appropriate tables and draw effective conclusions from reviewing their work. The books of the previous Year 6 pupils also show a clear knowledge and understanding of all the aspects of the science curriculum and that most pupils are independently writing good quality accounts and explanations of the work they do.

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SCIENCE

91. The quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school, particularly in Years 3 to 6. Teachers are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about science with the result that pupils develop scientific method and learn to observe closely and draw appropriate conclusions from the evidence they gather. Pupils’ books are generally marked well with comments made that help pupils to improve their work. Teachers also have high expectations that work will be neat, well presented and accurate and this leads to most pupils learning to write quickly, using clear and unambiguous sentences. During the inspection, the following good features were noted. • Teachers show pupils that they value their knowledge and reward them for what they do well. For example, in a lesson in Year 1, pupils were praised for realising that the reproduction of a frog is a cycle that will repeat. Also, higher attaining pupils were praised for finding out that

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SCIENCE

butterflies also have a cycle of reproduction. This led the pupils to feel good about what they had learnt and to be keen to find out more. • Teachers have high expectations that pupils with lower attainment will work as hard and as fast as other pupils, with the result that these pupils increase their work rate and give maximum effort to their learning. For example, in a lesson seen in Year 4, the teacher expected that all pupils would write up their experiments well. The headings for the writing were clearly displayed and pupils of all abilities worked studiously to increase the speed of their writing. This was further helped by the teacher praising pupils as they completed each step as this encouraged all of them to work even harder and faster. • Teachers have good subject knowledge and use this well to help the pupils to move on to new levels of understanding. For example, in a lesson observed in Year 5, the teacher asked

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SCIENCE

questions that established they knew the importance of the oxygen supply to muscles before leading the pupils to consider how tar deposits in the lungs from smoking may affect this. Also, the teacher’s knowledge was used well to direct the pupils to consider, and gain new understanding, that drugs can produce a change in body or mind and to consider when the use of drugs may be beneficial or harmful. • Teachers also ask good questions that lead pupils to discuss a range of options before deciding how to conduct their experiments fairly. For example, in a lesson in Year 6, the teacher produced some cotton wool and black paper and asked pupils, ‘how can we use these to test whether woodlice like damp, dry, light or dark conditions?’ As a result, the pupils not only decided how to conduct the experiment but also raised valid predictions about what they may observe, and why this would be.

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SCIENCE

92. Since the last inspection, there has been very good improvement in the provision for science. The curriculum has been re-structured and schemes of work provided that help teachers know better what to plan in their lessons. Training has been provided that has raised successfully the level of teachers’ scientific knowledge. Recent work has strengthened the emphasis on using experiments so that pupils learn through experience and have a secure knowledge and understanding as a result. In addition, the school now takes regular advantage of its location and pupils in Years 4 to 6 routinely visit the Royal Institute for lectures as well as other visits to science museums, exhibitions and events. A particular feature is the link the school has made with a nearby independent boys’ secondary school. This enables Year 5 pupils to visit a laboratory and have some lessons in a more professional scientific environment than their classrooms. These

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SCIENCE

additional activities have a significant impact on the pupils so that they see science as an interesting subject that they want to pursue further and at higher levels. As a result, they are motivated to learn more in their lessons in school.

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SCIENCE

93. The subject is well led by a knowledgeable co-ordinator and appropriate action plans are in place for further refinements and improvements in the subject. There are sufficient resources for all Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 41 aspects of the curriculum to be taught. The co-ordinator has, rightly, identified that developing assessment procedures is a priority so that teachers can more accurately track the progress pupils make over time and make sure that pupils build more consistently on their previous levels of understanding.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. In general, standards in artistic skills are average by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. However, during the inspection, examples were seen of above average standards in some lessons. For example, in Year 2, pupils drew a portrait of one of the class with good scale, proportion and facial features for their age. This was in direct response to the teacher drawing the pupils’ attention to these features in the introduction to the lesson. The pupils who are now in Year 4 drew some good quality portraits last year from photographs that capture individuality and personal characteristics well. Also, in a lesson observed in Year 5, pupils worked well at improving their sketched figure drawings and showed skills in preparing for a final work that were above average. Elsewhere, pupils in Year 1 make clay figures appropriately and include effective features, limbs and poses. In Year 3, pupils use water colours to paint houses and trees, with most pupils providing a blue line for the

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ART AND DESIGN

sky and stylistic trees rather than careful observations of branches. Display in the classroom shows that these pupils draw creative Rangoli patterns with effective symmetry and proportion. Pupils in Year 6 use their drawing skills appropriately in science to record the parts of a flower and are attempting to include perspective in their sketches of buildings. Photographs around the school show that pupils regularly have the opportunity to work with professional artists and benefit significantly from co-operative projects with galleries as well as regular visits to exhibitions. These activities inspire the pupils at the time to produce work of a high standard, and also provide the pupils with above average awareness and appreciation of the importance of art and design in life.

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ART AND DESIGN

95. Over time, pupils achieve well in their appreciation of art and show secure and sound achievement in their artistic skills. This is directly linked to the quality of teaching and learning, which is satisfactory throughout the school. However, there were variations in the lessons seen where the quality of teaching ranged from satisfactory to very good, depending upon the artistic knowledge and skills of the teacher and this had a direct impact on the quality of learning. For example, in a lesson for pupils in Year 2, the teacher drew the pupils’ attention very well to the relation between eyes, nose and ears on a face and this led to most of the pupils working very hard to make sure their sketches demonstrated what they had just observed. In a lesson for pupils in Year 5, the teacher asked pupils to look carefully at their initial sketches, identify areas they found hard to draw, then work at improving these. The outcome was a very focused session where pupils tried

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ART AND DESIGN

again and again, with considerable success, to improve their drawing of features such as hands and noses. This was also aided by the teacher providing very good advice to individuals about how they could improve their sketches. In another lesson, pupils in Year 3 were asked to explore how water colours could be used to create different effects. However, the introduction to the lesson was insufficiently specific and without demonstration and examples of other paintings. As a result, the pupils painted productively and consolidated their brush and water skills but only a minority explored different effects, such as including abstract swirls, or producing different textures through dabbing with a paper towel. In a lesson in Year 6, the teacher gave a good emphasis on sketching what was seen instead of pupils sketching what they expect to see. This led directly to pupils working industriously at improving their drawing of an elephant, but the quality of the finished work

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ART AND DESIGN

was lessened by insufficient demonstration of different techniques and a lack of challenge of view points other than ‘side on’.

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ART AND DESIGN

96. The school has made appropriate and effective improvement in the subject since the last inspection. The main difference is in the wide range of opportunities and inspirational visits that pupils now have. Also, a knowledgeable co-ordinator has been appointed and the curriculum, and teachers’ plans are now more secure than before. Appropriate training has been provided and pupils are gradually compiling a portfolio of their art work that will show their achievement over time. In addition, the external influences of visits and visitors help staff and pupils to expect more and produce some work at a higher standard. However, the school has rightly identified that further monitoring and development is needed to ensure a consistent quality of teaching in all classes. Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 42

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. Too few lessons were seen to make secure judgments but from discussions with teachers and pupils and from displays and photographs of work undertaken, standards are in line with those generally expected both at the end of Year 2 and at the end of Year 6. All pupils are achieving satisfactorily. This is an improvement on the findings of the previous inspection where standards for pupils of all ages were below national expectations.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

98. By the end of Year 2, pupils can measure, mark out and cut paper and card and assemble and join materials. They understand how levers, sliders, and axles can be made and use these to make moving pictures and vehicles. They select suitable tools for making their product from a range made available to them and follow safe procedures when using these tools. Their efforts are initially hampered by immature drawing skills and poor scissor control and they need lots of practice with these basic skills.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. By the end of Year 6, pupils have had a wide range of experiences. They explore the qualities of materials and how to use them. They cut, shape and assemble them satisfactorily and recognise that a product must meet its intended purpose, for example, be strong enough for a young child to use and enjoy. They demonstrate sound knowledge of the specific vocabulary associated with the subject and ably describe how they need to design a product before making it, modifying it as they proceed if necessary. They talk animatedly about the work they have undertaken throughout the school including making sandwiches and papier mâché models and making working models with commercially produced equipment. They describe in detail how they made a Victorian dolls’ house including wallpaper and authentic furniture from everyday materials and how they particularly enjoyed that activity as they worked in groups with people they did not normally work with and got

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100. Too few lessons were seen to judge the quality overall of teaching and learning in the subject. In the lesson seen, teaching in Year 1 was satisfactory. The teacher had prepared the lesson well and showed the pupils effectively how to use levers and sliders to make people or objects move within a picture. However, the activity was over-ambitious and many of the pupils did not complete the work due to the high level of support, particularly with cutting, that they required. Considering this was only the second design and technology lesson they have had, they all made satisfactory progress.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101. Teaching in the lesson seen in Year 4 was good. The teacher had prepared the lesson well, building on knowledge and skills pupils had acquired previously and selecting an activity in which all could participate. The teacher motivated and enthused the class to produce plans for a pop-up book for younger children and taught them the necessity of making their books strong. Good emphasis was also given to the specific vocabulary such as slider, lever and hinge associated with moving components. By the end of the lesson, pupils knew how to make realistic plans and carry them out. They made satisfactory progress

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102. Pupils’ experiences in design and technology have been enriched by visits to the Tate Modern, the local Pizza Express and most recently to a farm where they had the opportunity to weave baskets. An architect helped Year 6 create a model of Crystal Palace using banana trusses and several pupils were chosen to make lanterns and participate in the Queen’s Jubilee Parade at Buckingham Palace. The co-ordinator has a good overview of the subject. He has ensured that the current scheme of work is well resourced and has trained teachers in the techniques needed to teach design and technology. At the present time, the school focus is on developing the skills required to undertake ‘Design and Make’ projects. There are many appropriate plans for the development of the subject in its content, assessment and links with other subjects, particularly with ICT, science and literacy. The implementation of these plans is in the very early stages.

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GEOGRAPHY

103. No geography was taught during the week of the inspection and there was very little recorded work available across the school. As a result, no informed judgements can be made about standards, Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 43 achievement and the teaching and learning of geography. The previous inspection found that the standards of attainment were broadly in line with national expectations in Years 2 and 6.

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GEOGRAPHY

104. It is evident from the curriculum planning that geography is taught during the year but the time allocation is not necessarily sufficient to ensure that sustained progress is made. Geography is taught only in Year 1 in the autumn term, and it is taught in Years 2, 3, 5 and 6 in the spring and the summer term. Years 4 and 6 study geography only in the spring term. The long term planning indicates that there is adequate coverage of themes and places in geography but does not make it clear how geographical skills can be integrated into the topics studied. There is a clear focus on the study of the local area and contrasting localities.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. The provision for geography is satisfactory. The school follows the Qualification and Curriculum Authority’s (QCA) schemes of work the available resources are sufficient to deliver the subject. The subject is also enriched by appropriate visits. However, there is insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement on how the subject has improved since the last inspection.

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HISTORY

106. Evidence gathered during the inspection such as lesson observations, discussions with staff and pupils indicates that pupils reach the nationally expected level in Years 2 and 6. Standards in Year 6 are better now than they were in the last inspection when standards were below those expected nationally.

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HISTORY

107. In Years 1 and 2, pupils learn about the past through studying objects of the past and some of the main events and lives of great people in history. For example, the pupils in Year 2 study the life and time of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole. The pupils in Year1 develop concepts of old and new by studying the history of toys and compare toys used now and then. Pupils learn about the past using pictures, photographs and artefacts. The pupils achieve satisfactorily in these year groups.

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HISTORY

108. In Year 6, the pupils have a sound knowledge and understanding of some of the main periods and events in British history. They also know about the past civilisations, for example, the Egyptians and the Romans. The pupils in Year 6 study the World War II. Pupils’ work indicates that their skills of investigation are well developed for their age. They learn using pictures, photographs, reference books, eye-witness accounts as evidence. The scheme of work indicates that the pupils in Year 3 study the Romans, the pupils in Year 4 study the Tudors and the Year 5 pupils study the Victorians. The pupils learn to engage with the past imaginatively. In Years 5 and 6, the pupils showed an empathy with the people in the past when they studied the Victorian classroom or discussed the experience of an evacuee during the World War II. Pupils, however, have a lesser understanding of chronology or how to interpret information from different sources.

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HISTORY

109. During the week of the inspection only three lessons were observed in history in Years 3 to 6 and this is insufficient to judge the quality of teaching overall in the subject. In these lessons, teaching was satisfactory in Year 3, very good in Year 5 and exceptional in Year 6. There is also insufficient evidence to make judgements about the teaching and learning of history in lessons in Year 1 and 2. The teachers plan their lessons carefully using a secure knowledge of the subject so that pupils can learn through historical enquiry. Teachers encourage them to ask historical questions. The pupils learn to use reference books, pictures and photographs as evidence to know about the past. Where teaching was very good or exceptional the teachers encouraged and motivated the pupils to study the past using both first-hand and second-hand evidence. The impact of this was evident in their study of the World War II through an eye-witness account or learning about the Victorian

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HISTORY

classroom by watching a video. Teachers plan suitable activities and know how to integrate history with other subjects in the curriculum such as English. Teachers generally manage classes effectively so that pupils can learn effectively. This contributes to the development of positive attitudes to learning in pupils and they behave well in lessons. The pupils work with interest and enthusiasm, and make at least good progress in lessons but their progress over longer periods of time is only satisfactory as history is taught infrequently with gaps of time in between. Pupils with Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 44 special educational needs and those with English as an additional language learn well in lessons and make good progress.

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HISTORY

110. There has been satisfactory improvement in the provision for history since the last inspection. The quality of teaching has improved where observed. Standards in Year 6 have improved from below national expectations to at least average for pupils’ age. The school is now well resourced for the subject.

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HISTORY

111. The time allocated to teaching the subject is limited and consequently, skills and concepts are not always built systematically across the school. The school offers pupils very good experience of learning about the past through visits, visiting speakers and the observation of pictures and artefacts. Through these experiences, history makes a good contribution to pupils’ cultural development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

112. Very good improvement has taken place since the last inspection and pupils’ attainments are now average at the end of Years 2 and 6. This represents satisfactory achievement in Years 1 and 2, and also in Years 3 to 6. The computer suite is used well and pupils quickly learn new skills in their lessons. The school has recognised that more opportunities are needed for pupils to improve their skills and confidence through using computers routinely in class. As a result, computers in classrooms are scheduled to be connected to the network and new lap-top computers have recently been provided. These initiatives are likely to promote higher standards. During the inspection, pupils demonstrated that they have the computer skills expected for their age. Pupils in Year 1 understand that software is generated by programs and that computers respond to the instructions given. By the end of Year 2, pupils can log-on quickly to the network and open their

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

personal and class folders. They know how to open applications for word processing: save and print their work appropriately; know how to change font, colour and style; and have keyboard skills appropriate for their age. Pupils in Year 4 know a range of methods for editing their writing with ‘spell check’ and have also used computers for entering data, drawing graphs and editing digital images. In Year 6, pupils are aware which application to use for making a presentation and know how to structure their slides. They import sound and visual effects to add interest to their slides and know what a ‘hyperlink’ will do and where it is appropriate to use one. Pupils with special educational needs do as well in their lessons as the other pupils. Also, pupils who have English as an additional language are helped to understand the vocabulary to use and are equally as skilled as their class mates. Discussions with pupils, and a survey carried out by the school, show that

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

very few pupils have computers at home and that each class has only a small number of pupils with higher levels of computer skills. These pupils are known well to their teachers and given challenging tasks to learn in lessons as well as being able to demonstrate their skills to the others.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113. The quality of teaching and learning is of good quality in all year groups, but the pupils’ general lack of experience with computers limits their achievement. The school has recently focused on helping teachers to develop their own computer knowledge and skills and this is now having a positive impact on the way pupils learn in lessons. For example, most teachers are now confident to use the ‘smart board’ and this means that pupils can see more clearly how to perform functions such as copying and pasting images between applications. In addition, teachers are now using computers routinely for their own work and this provides pupils with an effective role model. The following strengths in teaching and learning were noted: • Teachers let pupils demonstrate teaching points to the class and lead discussions cleverly so that pupils feel they have ‘discovered’ new solutions to problems. For example, in a lesson for

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

pupils in Year 4, a pupil demonstrated how to edit spellings and the teacher’s questions led others to realise that homophones were being accepted as correct by the computer. This, in turn, led the pupils to realise that they would have to edit by reading as well so that, for example, the correct spelling for ‘where’ could be included. During this discussion, the pupils gave full attention and were confident to offer suggestions. Also, in this lesson, the teacher kept telling the pupils the main teaching point of each part of the lesson and this helped them concentrate on what to do next so that they all learnt editing skills very quickly. Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 45 • Teachers give clear demonstrations and this leads to pupils working quickly and independently at improving their skills. For example, in a lesson for pupils in Year 3, the teacher showed the class step by step how to copy and paste a digital image into their word

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

processing. At the same time, the assistant wrote the procedure clearly on a flip-chart. When pupils began to do this for themselves, they were able to remember most of the operation correctly and used the written comments to help them overcome any difficulties. As a result, they quickly learnt for themselves and were able to help one another consolidate the skill. • Teachers organise the class well so that pupils know how to behave and lessons are not disrupted. For example, in most of the lessons seen, pupils knew who they would share a computer with and waited their turn patiently sitting one behind the other so one had full control of the computer while the other could clearly see the screen. • Teachers generally provide good coaching. For example, they move well between pairs of pupils and pick out any difficulties that pupils may have. Teachers then help the pupils quickly to see what to do. For example, in a lesson seen in Year 6, the teacher offered pupils good

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

advice and suggestions about their presentations and this led directly to the pupils concentrating hard and giving effort to improving their work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114. Since the last inspection the school has developed a good quality computer suite and provided appropriate hardware and software for pupils to use. Specific training has been provided for teachers in computer skills and the co-ordinator has provided a good quality scheme of work that sets out clearly what pupils should learn and gives good guidance on how it should be taught. Also, the subject has been included in the weekly timetable for each class so that all pupils have full and equal access to computers. The curriculum provided now meets in full the requirements of the National Curriculum and the school is poised to provide more flexible use of computers and there is a very good shared willingness to further raise standards.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

115. The subject is led well by a knowledgeable co-ordinator. However, there are currently only informal procedures for keeping track of how well pupils do and this means that, occasionally, some pupils are unnecessarily repeating in lessons skills they have already learnt.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES (FRENCH)

116. French is taught in years 3 to 6 but only one lesson was seen due to time-tabling arrangements, so no overall judgment can be made on standards, or the quality of teaching. There can be no comparison with the previous inspection as French was not included in the inspection at that time.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES (FRENCH)

117. In the lesson seen, pupils in Year 4 answered the register with ‘Bon après-midi’. They know the names of colours, numbers and everyday objects and replied in French to questions such as “What is your name?” They found a red and black pen as requested, closed the door, sat down, crossed their arms and listened. They were happy to speak French and copied their teacher’s excellent pronunciation very well. They made good progress and achieved well, attaining higher standards than expected for their age.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES (FRENCH)

118. Teaching in this lesson was good. The teacher spoke French at a moderate speed using gestures to aid understanding. She moved easily from French to English, repeating sentences and phrases, ensuring that everyone understood. The pupils picked out words they recognised from a French menu including ‘jeudi’ and ‘salade de tomate’. They acted out a scene from a café, ordering something to eat and drink and asking for the bill. Another pupil acted out the rôle of waiter. Some pupils were too shy to participate but most, including those for whom English is an additional language, joined in enthusiastically and demonstrated a good grasp of the work covered, ably supported and encouraged by the teacher. They seemed very pleased with their success.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES (FRENCH)

119. French is currently taught by three members of staff. The scheme of work incorporates everyday French within a thematic approach based on French culture and experiences pupils would encounter if visiting France. The approach is based on listening and speaking with games, songs, rôle play and conversation. There is some introduction to the written word but this does not have high emphasis. Pupils’ experience of learning French gives them an advantage when they transfer to secondary school. It also aids their speaking and listening skills, adds breadth to their primary Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 46 school curriculum and enhances their cultural development by introducing aspects of French culture. The lessons also raise the self-esteem of pupils who speak French at home including those who come from the French-speaking parts of Africa.

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MUSIC

120. Standards in music at the end of Year 6 are exceptionally high and significantly in advance of the standards usually seen in primary schools. In Year 2, pupils demonstrate standards that are average. They know the time difference between crotchets and quavers and play un-pitched percussion instruments to accurately match the rhythm of the words they say. Pupils know the correct names of most of the instruments they play and sing tunefully in unison. This is a good achievement over their attainment on entry into Year 1. However, during their time in Years 3 to 6, pupils achieve exceedingly well and the vast majority take part in performances of exceptional quality that also contribute most significantly to higher standards in other subjects. During the inspection, pupils in Year 6 were observed learning to sing Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’ in the original key so that they gave a faultless performance on their second time of singing, with higher attaining

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MUSIC

pupils demonstrating very mature skills of improvisation whilst others sang the song for the third time. The pupils followed this by learning a song from ‘Les Miserables’ and performing this at their second attempt at a quality expected in a professional concert. Before the inspection, parents commented at the exceedingly high quality of performance the pupils give routinely and how this gives them extreme pride in their children. During the inspection, pupils told inspectors that they are very proud indeed of the quality of their musical work and that how performing in places such as the Globe Theatre gives them confidence to work hard and give of their best in other subjects. The performances seen by inspectors in lessons were inspirational and strongly confirmed the views expressed by pupils and their parents. Singing is not the only area where standards are exceptionally high. In a lesson observed for pupils in Year 4, the pupils combined to play a

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MUSIC

sophisticated improvisation over an ostinato in a pentatonic scale. They demonstrated a very high level of skill in listening to one another and adding dynamics that added significantly to the emotional impact of their work. Pupils in Year 5 were observed learning to play the recorder and did very well in their first lesson to produce a good sound without over-blowing. This was because they approached the instrument with a secure musical knowledge and an expectation that they would need to practise and perfect their technique. From Years 4 to 6, the pupils demonstrate standards in their singing and instrumental work that are usually seen in secondary schools. These amazingly high standards are due to: • The exceptional quality of teaching provided by the part time music specialist employed by the school • The expertise and skill of the school’s music co-ordinator • The opportunities provided for pupils, to take part in high quality performances both in school

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MUSIC

and in other venues, such as the Globe Theatre • The role models provided by the school, such as visiting opera singers from the Royal Academy • The emphasis in lessons on building on the pupils’ innate musicality rather than providing the expected musical curriculum.

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MUSIC

121. The quality of teaching and learning provided by the school’s specialist music teacher is exceptionally high and classes are organised well so that as many pupils as possible benefit each week from this considerable expertise. In these lessons, the teacher builds on the personal musical experiences of the pupils and teaches them to feel when music is changing, what should come next and to anticipate how a melody may progress. Pupils are thoroughly appreciative of the need to develop and improve technique and are shown clearly how to do this. In response, pupils work exceedingly hard at listening carefully and improving their singing and instrumental performance skills. Other factors are that the teacher has devised ways in which pupils can succeed musically and be increasingly motivated to higher standards as a result. For example, pupils learning to play the guitar use a different tuning and hold down the strings with a device that

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MUSIC

requires a lower hand pressure and enables a clear chord to be produced. In this way, pupils in the guitar club were able to play a twelve bar blues competently and were clearly enthused to develop their playing by the quality of sound they produced. In a lesson for pupils in Year 4, the teacher used a numbering system for notes, rather than standard notation, that enabled the pupils to Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 47 quickly transpose a melody into a different key. Other music lessons are led by class teachers. The class lessons observed during the inspection were good or very good and, while too few lessons were seen to make an overall judgement about the quality of teaching and learning, the outcomes of very high standards suggest that the lessons observed may be representative of the school as a whole. In a lesson for pupils in Year 5, the teacher showed very good subject knowledge and successfully taught the pupils good technique for recorder playing. In addition, the

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MUSIC

teacher expected the pupils to clap rhythms of their own over a steady beat and they responded to this challenge very well adding syncopation and rests to test one another and further develop their skills. In a lesson observed for pupils in Year 2, the teacher organised the lesson well so that no time was lost in distributing percussion instruments and the pupils also responded to the expectations set by keeping their instruments still when not required and following the conductor well when playing.

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MUSIC

122. Since the last inspection, very good improvement has been made. All pupils, at some stage in their school life, now have the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument. The curriculum has been revised and the opportunities for pupils to meet, work with and listen to professional musicians have been considerably increased. The range of opportunities for pupils to take part in performances of high quality has also increased and the outcomes of improvement in the subject are clearly demonstrated in the pupils’ high levels of confidence and musical skills. Teachers have increased their knowledge and confidence in the subject and the school has appointed specialist staff of exceptional quality, to the benefit of all pupils.

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MUSIC

123. Other factors that contribute to the school’s success in music provision are: • The headteacher is strongly supportive and encouraging of new initiatives in music in school • The school has invested in providing pupils with good quality instruments • Younger pupils are motivated to do what they see the older pupils doing, and at the same quality • Perceptions among pupils have been changed so that music is seen as a skill they can possess and an avenue where they can demonstrate considerable success. This motivates all pupils, regardless of gender, race, or ability to aspire towards high standards in their own musical development. • The subject is led by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic co-ordinator who has a clear view of how to continue to develop the subject, including how to make better use of computers in music.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124. From the limited evidence available, attainment at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 is judged to be broadly in line with national expectations. Pupils achieve satisfactorily overall. This represents a different picture from the previous inspection where standards reached in Years 1 and 2 were unsatisfactory.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

125. In Year 1, in dance, pupils find a space, engage in warm-up activities and tell their teacher why it is important to warm up before strenuous physical exercise. They form a circle, move to the centre and clap, swing with a partner, promenade for a count of eight and then put these movements together into a sequence. Some pupils, particularly boys, have difficulty skipping and need help to refine their movements. They do not comment on their own or each other’s performance but enjoy themselves and behave appropriately. In Year 2, in games, pupils run fast safely without bumping into other people and follow simple rules of a game. By the end of Year 2, in gymnastics, they describe and demonstrate activities involving balance, roll and jump and develop these into a sequence both on the floor and on apparatus such as planks, benches, stools and boxes. Most roll and balance with co-ordination and control but very few land safely after jumping from the box.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Whilst pupils enjoy physical education, some waste valuable time by not listening and by behaving in an immature way while waiting for their turn on the apparatus.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

126. By Year 6, pupils describe the need for warming up activities and understand the relationship between healthy eating, good health and fitness. They demonstrate increasing co-ordination and control in sprinting and pivoting. The majority throw a ball, catch, pivot and sprint in a sequence Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 48 but a small minority still throw a ball with two hands and have difficulty catching. Pupils can describe features of movements but do not as yet use this ability to evaluate performance as a matter of course. Their level of achievement is satisfactory. All pupils in Years 3 to 6 go swimming once a week during the term allocated to their class for swimming. By the end of the last school year, the majority of Year 6 pupils could swim unaided for 25 metres and 30 per cent exceeded this. This represents the expected level of attainment. Pupils participate enthusiastically in games

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

activities. They usually behave well, however, during a Year 6 lesson seen, two boys diverted their attention and engaged in an alternative activity. In all lessons observed, some pupils did not participate due to lack of kit and in a gymnastics lesson pupils’ progress was hampered by the unsuitability of what they were wearing.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127. Too few lessons in Years 1 and 2 were seen to make a secure judgment on the quality of teaching but in the dance lesson seen in Year 1, the teacher demonstrated sound knowledge of the subject. This represents an improvement on the previous inspection where teachers’ knowledge of dance was limited. Teaching was satisfactory and pupils who were having difficulty following the sequence of movements were supported well by a teaching assistant. The pupils improved their sequence but were not taught enough to refine their movements and take smaller steps so that they moved in and around the circle in a more controlled and even way.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

128. Too few lessons in Years 3 to 6 were seen to make a secure judgment on the quality of teaching. In the lessons seen in Years 3 and 6, teaching is satisfactory. Teachers’ knowledge of the subject is sound and their instructions are clear. They tell pupils how to improve and encourage them to describe activities in detail. Those who are afraid of heights and those who cannot throw and catch are ably supported by other adults. However, teachers do not teach pupils to use their knowledge and understanding sufficiently to refine their own and each other’s physical skills.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

129. The physical education programme covers all the requirements of the national curriculum. Every class has games, gymnastics and dance lessons throughout the year. Years 3 to 6 go swimming each week for up to one term and Year 6 have the opportunity to participate in outdoor and adventurous activities when they go on residential visits to places such as Wick Court. Many classes have a very small amount of time allocated for physical education. The use of the hall for after-school activities curtails the last lesson in the afternoon. Also, teachers in Years 3 to 6 who plan to do games outdoors, cannot start their lessons until after the end of the younger pupils’ playtime and have only a short time before parents start arriving with babies in buggies, presenting a health and safety risk. The two physical education co-ordinators are enthusiastic and have undertaken some training but lack expertise in subject leadership. They have written an action

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

plan, which now needs to be developed and implemented. They have increased the resources to an acceptable level and are using some commercially produced schemes for aspects of the physical education curriculum. After-school games activities are well supported and children have the benefit of learning skills from a local football trainer. Pupils’ efforts and successes in physical education are celebrated well around the school in attractively displayed photographs.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

130. It was not possible to make an overall judgment on standards attained in religious education as only two lessons were seen. Also, the implementation of the new scheme of work based on the new locally agreed syllabus is in its infancy and pupils in Years 2 and 6 have had insufficient exposure to the world religions and themes covered within the scheme to be able to make an assessment at this stage. However, pupils show satisfactory achievement and have an increasing awareness and understanding of religious faiths and values.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

131. Pupils in Year 1 have a rudimentary knowledge of Buddhism and remember details of the story of the monkey king. Year 2 have some knowledge of festivals such as Sukkot and understand their significance in Judaism. Years 5 and 6 have a good level of knowledge about Sikhism and Christianity, the particular faiths they are studying. Throughout the school pupils demonstrate respect for the many religious artefacts on display. They are interested in other people’s culture, heritage and religion and can discuss sensitive issues with maturity, for example the value or Friars Primary (Foundation) School - 49 otherwise of dressing up to look like someone from another faith. Year 6, as a result, have aspirations for a more tolerant, open society in the future.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

132. No overall judgment can be made on the quality of teaching as too few lessons were seen, but those seen were satisfactory. In Year 1, the teacher’s knowledge of the subject matter is very good. In the lesson seen, she skilfully used the Buddhist story of the monkey king to portray moral values and the children showed they remembered the general ideas. They looked carefully at the model Buddhas but the objective to create their own Buddhas to help them remember the stories was over-ambitious. All pupils of all abilities and ethnic origins did, however, work well and happily alongside each other. In the lesson seen in Year 5, the teacher handled the five K’s of Sikhism very sensitively and the pupils demonstrated a high level of knowledge acquired previously. They used artefacts and information from books and the Internet to find out more details about these 5 symbols in readiness for a ‘Powerpoint’ presentation. The use of information

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

technology and the digital camera enhanced the teaching and learning in this lesson.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

133. The co-ordinator has been in post for a year. She is knowledgeable and enthusiastic and has devised a scheme of work which incorporates the locally agreed syllabus with a strong emphasis on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism as well as themes and values which permeate all the religions. Progression is in-built but there is currently no method of assessing pupils’ knowledge and understanding to enable teachers to pitch the work at the correct level. Over the past year, very many high-quality artefacts, posters and other resources have been purchased to support the teaching of religious education and this represents a satisfactory improvement on the last inspection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

134. The teaching of religious education and the daily act of worship greatly enhance the moral, social and cultural values of respect and being part of a multi-faith community. Also, the teaching of religious education is enhanced by visits to Buddhist temples, churches and Southwark Cathedral and by visitors to school. Older pupils are also used very effectively as a resource to tell other pupils what being a member of a particular faith community means to them. Parents also give good support to the religious education programme within the school.

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