Lawdale Junior School

LAWDALE JUNIOR SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 16 th -19 th September 2002

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LAWDALE JUNIOR 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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LAWDALE JUNIOR 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. Lawdale Junior School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Mansford Street Bethnal Green London Postcode: E2 6LS

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Email address: head@lawdale.towerhamlets.sch.uk

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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: 27 th November 2000 Lawdale Junior School - 2

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Responsibilities

20609 Carol Worthington Registered inspector Science Music Characteristics of the school How high are standards? How well pupils are taught? How well the school is led and managed? How the school has improved since the last inspection? 19798 Jane O’Keefe Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and behaviour How well the school cares for pupils? Partnership with parents 19041 Roger Linstead Team inspector English Physical education Special Educational needs English as an additional language 31218 Tom Allen Team inspector Art Design and technology Geography How good curricular and other opportunities are?

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Responsibilities

20962 Chris Ifould Team inspector Mathematics History Information and communication technology Religious education

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Responsibilities

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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Responsibilities

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

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Responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Responsibilities

Alexandra House Lawdale Junior School - 3 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Lawdale Junior School - 4

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 8 - 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a slightly larger than average sized junior school with 256 pupils aged seven to eleven on roll; there are slightly more boys than girls, particularly in Year 3. Pupils come from two neighbouring estates in a socially disadvantaged area. Over 71 per cent are eligible for free school meals, which is well above the national average. There are four refugees from Somalia. Seventy-five per cent of pupils do not speak English as their first language, which is very high. Nineteen per cent are at an early stage of learning English. Pupils’ main first language is Bengali. The percentage of pupils who have special educational needs (18) is similar to that in most primary schools. These pupils have learning, physical or emotional difficulties. Two per cent of them have statements - an above average proportion. Attainment on entry is below the national average, particularly in literacy.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an improving school where standards are rising as a result of a significant proportion of good teaching. The recently appointed acting headteacher has very good educational vision and is giving strong leadership, similar to that established by the previous head teacher. She is already working very effectively with the newly appointed deputy headteacher. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in English are well above the average of similar schools. Those in mathematics are above. • Standards in science meet the national average and are above the average of similar schools. • Pupils make good progress in information and communication technology (ICT) in Years 3 and 4. • It provides very well for personal and social development • Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are good as a result of good moral and social education • Leadership is good • Governors and staff are committed to improve further

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What could be improved

• Overall standards in English and mathematics, which are below the national average • The application of literacy, numeracy and ICT across the curriculum • Provision for the foundation subjects, especially history, music, and religious education • Provision for the specific difficulties of pupils with special educational needs • The management role of curriculum co-ordinators 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 by Her Majesty’s Inspector in November 2000, since when it has made satisfactory improvement overall. Over the last four years, standards in English, mathematics and science have risen at a far greater rate than the national trend. The key issue to improve standards has been particularly well addressed in science where standards now meet the national average. The standard of ICT has improved through much better provision, very good leadership and good resources. The management of provision for pupils with special educational needs is still unsatisfactory. Although they receive support in class, it is not always well focused through planning. The provision for children who do not speak English at home has improved through teachers being responsible for this in their own classes and is now satisfactory, though spoken English, writing and reading are still a barrier to learning

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

for younger such pupils. Teaching has improved and is now satisfactory, with a higher proportion of good teaching, which is mostly in Year 6. The school environment has improved greatly, with new windows, decoration and new playground facilities for quiet games and a wild nature area with a pond already being used in the science curriculum. Taking into account the educational vision of the acting headteacher and the senior management team’s united commitment to succeed, the school is now in a good position to improve further. Lawdale Junior School - 6

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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

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

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Key

Standards achieved in English in 2001, although below the national average, were well above those of similar schools. Standards in mathematics were also below the national average, but above the average of similar schools. There has been a dramatic improvement over the last four years and this is particularly marked in science, where in 2001, standards were very close to the national average. In 2002, the unvalidated results in all three subjects were similar. The school did not reach its targets in English and mathematics, but exceeded them by a long way in science.

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Key

Standards seen during the inspection were similar to those shown by the tests. In English, standards are below average. They are lower than those in mathematics and much lower than those in science, because nearly three quarters of pupils do not speak English at home and they are not given enough opportunity to practise English in other subjects. In ICT, standards are better than those expected for children this age. Standards in history and religious education are below average because pupils’ standard of literacy is a barrier to their understanding, resources are poor and there is a lack of leadership. Standards in physical education are average, except for swimming, which is below average. In all other subjects, except music, they are average. Not enough music was seen to make a firm judgement, but from the available evidence, it is at best below average.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are attentive and hardworking, keen to do well.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils behave well in class, which enables them all to learn without disruption. They mix and play together well at break times, which are lively, but not aggressive.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. This is a strength of the school. Pupils are courteous and helpful and very kind to each other, particularly to those who have difficulty with English. They take responsibility seriously in all they are asked to do.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Unsatisfactory, but improving. The rate for the last academic year was well below average; the rate of unauthorised absence was above the national average Lawdale Junior School - 7

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. During the inspection, well over half the teaching seen was good or better. The teaching of English and mathematics is satisfactory, but teachers do not develop literacy, numeracy and ICT by applying them to other subjects enough. Although the majority of pupils do not speak English as their first language when they arrive in the school, by the time they are in Year 6, they do just as well, if not better, than those whose native language is English. In the younger classes, lack of literacy and fluency in English inhibits learning and this is overcome best where teachers make regular provision for children to speak about their work in class, and make a point of continually stressing vocabulary for different subjects. This is done well in science. However, teachers do not develop reading well enough through the understanding of English

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

letter sounds and patterns. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is unsatisfactory, because their individual education plans are not focused enough on specific difficulties.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The curriculum is broad, but lacks balance and depth in subjects other than English, mathematics, science and ICT. History, music and RE are particularly underdeveloped. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Unsatisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs are not making sufficient progress. This is because the school does not identify their individual needs and achievements clearly enough. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory. These pupils form the majority in the school and generally make satisfactory progress, though progress is good in literacy, numeracy and science. More opportunities to develop the English language are needed in the curriculum Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development There is good provision for moral and social development. Pupils are

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Aspect Comment

taught the difference between right and wrong and to respect each others’ values and beliefs. They are given good opportunities to take responsibility. Spiritual development is satisfactory through collective worship, but it is not apparent in the curriculum. Cultural education is satisfactory with visits to theatre and concerts and through art. The variety of cultures in the school provides the background for learning to accept others’ way of life, but not enough attention is paid to celebrating these differences. How well the school cares for its pupils Pastoral care is good. Provision for pupils’ welfare is sound and good attention is paid to health and safety. Assessment of pupils’ progress is good in English, mathematics and science, but underdeveloped in other subjects

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Aspect Comment

The school works hard to maintain a satisfactory partnership with parents, many of whom, however, do not take much interest in their children’s education. Lawdale Junior School - 8

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The acting headteacher has very good educational vision and is already showing herself to be a good manager. She is well supported by the new deputy. Subject managers in English, ICT and science are well established and effective. Those for mathematics and other subjects are newly in post. The management of special educational needs is unsatisfactory, but the deputy head has been appointed to take this over.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governors, although few, play a satisfactory part in the life of the school and know its strengths and weaknesses well. The chairman and vice-chairman work very hard for the school all the time. Parents are under-represented on the governing body.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The previous headteacher and the school’s attached consultant constantly monitor and evaluate its performance in the quest for improvement. Current leadership continues to do so effectively.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. The school has focused all resources towards the raising of standards. The principles of best value are well applied.

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Aspect Comment

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources are all satisfactory overall, but resources in religious education and history are unsatisfactory and the school does not yet have enough books.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The standards their children achieve • The improvement in the school over the past few years, especially in teaching • the amount of homework their children are given • the amount of information the school gives them • the possible inadequacy of foreign teachers in the English school system

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with parents’ views that the school has improved and that standards have risen to be much better than those in most similar schools. The amount of homework given is about right, according to the school policy which follows government guidelines. The school provides satisfactory information to parents through frequent newsletters, general letters and comprehensive termly curriculum letters. Information is also available on the school’s website at any time. Reports give parents useful information about how well their children are progressing in English and mathematics, with targets for improvement, but only describe the work covered in other subjects. The school has a high proportion of foreign teachers in common with many other schools in London. When trained in the English National Curriculum, these teachers teach it well and show good commitment to the school, often taking co-

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

ordinator posts. The school is currently effectively supporting new staff by the use of teaching mentors and training courses. Lawdale Junior School - 9

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Pupils enter the school generally below the national average in literacy. Many young pupils have weaknesses in reading and writing and some are admitted at various times throughout the four junior years with little or no English, although the number of children with special educational needs fluctuates around the average. In general, they make satisfactory progress when compared with national standards, being also below average in literacy when they leave school and do very well compared with pupils from similar schools. There has been a remarkable improvement in the standards achieved in the National Curriculum tests for 11 year old pupils over the last four years, particularly in science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In the National Curriculum tests in 2001, the last reporting year, standards achieved in English were below the national average, but well above the average of similar schools. In mathematics and science, they were below the national average, but above that of similar schools, science being close to the national average. This represents improvement over the three previous years in these subjects, but a slight drop in English. Nevertheless, over the past four years, the dramatic rise in standards has been well above the national rising trend.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The unvalidated 2002 National Curriculum tests results show that standards were very similar to those of 2001, except that there were more level 5s achieved in English and mathematics. There are, as yet, no national comparative figures, but the results are above the average of 2001. They show that still about one quarter of pupils are at the below average level 3 in English and mathematics and about ten per cent failed to achieve level 3 in English. The results in science show what can be achieved and the school recognises the need to aspire to such achievement in English and mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Standards of work seen during the inspection are in line with National Curriculum test results. It was obvious from pupils’ books and from lesson observation that standards are improving from Year 3 to Year 6. In Year 6 science books, for example, it was impossible to tell from their written work which children did not speak English at home and pupils speak more fluently than those lower down the school. Those who have been in the school for the full four junior years have developed standards of spoken English, reading and writing, which ensure satisfactory and sometimes good access to the curriculum.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Speaking and listening develop steadily through the school, but are held back by varying degrees of fluency pupils have in English. Some teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to speak and listen to others, as seen in a Year 5 lesson where pupils worked in pairs then in group discussion on Earth in Space, which greatly improved their ability to speak confidently to the rest of the class about the topic. However, this does not happen in all classes.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The school has worked hard to improve writing and this is evident in the standard of written work, particularly of older pupils. There is not enough use of writing targets and extended writing in subjects such as history, geography and religious education. For subjects such as science and design and technology, technical vocabulary often presents a problem, but there were few examples of such words displayed in classes

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Reading standards are not high enough, particularly in Years 3 and 4. Pupils do not have a satisfactory knowledge of letter sounds and cannot use them with confidence to enable themselves to build unknown words. Many also do not use pictures to work out the meaning of text; teachers do not use visual images enough to enable those who are not fluent English speakers to make these connections. Lawdale Junior School - 10 8. Although pupils are able in mathematics to use the four rules of number accurately, using pencil and paper, they are not so good when calculating mentally because many do not have secure knowledge of multiplication tables that they can recall and use quickly. Shortcomings in standards of literacy also affect mathematical problem solving. Many pupils find it difficult to articulate answers verbally or write them down precisely. Some also have difficulty telling the time on an analogue clock.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Standards in science are average. Scientific knowledge and understanding of the oldest pupils is good. They know about the life cycles of animals and plants, can put forward ideas about how to separate mixtures of materials and recognise the components of an electrical circuit from a diagram of it. Some pupils still have difficulty answering questions because their comprehension is weaker.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Standards in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are below average and not developed enough through the curriculum. Standards in physical education are average, except for swimming which needs more time devoted to it and needs to start earlier so that by the age of 11, pupils can swim the prescribed distance. Standards are below average in history and religious education; achievement in music is unsatisfactory. This is largely because these subjects were subordinated whilst the school concentrated on improving literacy and numeracy in the climb out of special measures. Some subject co-ordinators have just been assigned this term so that these subjects may be developed and the curriculum widened. Literacy could be extended through them. The school has addressed the below average achievement in music by engaging a specialist teacher, though he was not present during the inspection. In art, design and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

technology, and physical education, standards are as expected for children of this age.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Pupils with special educational needs do not make enough progress towards the targets in their individual education plans, since these targets are often not clear enough and work is not geared to pupils’ needs. However, they do benefit from extra support in lessons, particularly with reading and writing, and this enables them to make satisfactory progress in geography, for example. In other subjects, such as art, physical education and design and technology, this does not make a difference to overall achievement. Pupils who start the school part way through their education also get effective extra support to help them settle. They make satisfactory progress.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils enjoy coming to this school and would recommend it to other children. Their behaviour and attitudes to their work continue to be good. In almost all lessons pupils were attentive and hardworking, able, therefore, to make measurable progress. They listen well to their teachers and to each other and are keen to answer the teachers’ questions. Most talk about their work, but some find it difficult to express themselves clearly as they are in the early stages of learning English.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Behaviour is good in lessons and around the school. Pupils move through the building sensibly between lessons. In the playground at lunchtimes and breaks, they mix and play together well; although lively at times, they are rarely aggressive. In the dining hall, lunchtimes are orderly and relaxed, with pupils chatting happily with their friends. Bullying is not a problem within the school; pupils are confidently aware of whom to see if an incident should occur. No permanent exclusions have been recorded in the school within the past year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils are courteous and helpful. They spontaneously open doors for adults around the building, and treat each other with kindness and respect. During the inspection, pupils were seen applauding spontaneously each others’ successes in lessons. Pupils work well together in pairs and small groups, sharing and using resources well. Some pupils were seen sensitively helping some of their classmates who find English difficult, enabling them to join in fully with lessons. As a result, relationships are a particular strength of the school. Pupils say the friendly atmosphere is one of the things that they like best about coming to the school. The school has worked specifically to engender this atmosphere; if a child appears to be alone, others will make friends with them. Lawdale Junior School - 11 15. Pupils clearly show their willingness to take responsibility during class councils. At these weekly

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

sessions, individual pupils are given the opportunity to chair and minute the meetings, whilst the remainder of the class air grievances and suggest areas for improvement around the school. The pupils’ response to this is very good, with all involved taking their roles very seriously, as they do with any other responsibility conferred on them by class teachers.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Although showing some improvement each year, attendance levels still remain below national averages. The rate of unauthorised absence was also above average during the reporting year. However, this is now showing improvement, due to more consistent monitoring of daily absences. The majority of absence is due to pupils being reported as unwell; extended family holidays abroad during term time also contribute. Punctuality is not a significant problem in the school, with most pupils arriving promptly in the mornings. Registers are completed efficiently at the beginning of sessions and most lessons start on time

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Pupils with special educational needs are confident and nearly all have positive attitudes to work. They are well supported and included in discussions, for example. They join in fully because teachers carefully choose questions to match their understanding.

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HOW WELL PUPILS ARE TAUGHT?

18. Overall, teaching and learning are satisfactory. During the inspection, well over half the lessons seen were good and some very good. Many teachers are from overseas and have had training in the English National Curriculum. When they are uncertain of exact requirements, many are resourceful enough to produce lessons of good quality. In one religious education lesson, for example, one such teacher researched the topic she had to cover and gave a good lesson which appealed to the pupils who then made good progress. Only one lesson seen was unsatisfactory; there was not enough challenge to stimulate pupils’ interest and they were not motivated to learn.

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HOW WELL PUPILS ARE TAUGHT?

19. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding are good because of the training they have received and because of their own commitment. The majority are aware of the language difficulties of most of the pupils in their class and they try hard to make them understand. As pupils acquire better English, they make correspondingly better progress. This was very noticeable in children’s books. Year 6 pupils in science, for example, used a wider vocabulary which showed greater understanding of concepts, although there are barriers in nuance and idiom, which hinder comprehension. Although many teachers explain words well in lessons, vocabulary is rarely reinforced by display in classrooms or tested with other spellings.

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HOW WELL PUPILS ARE TAUGHT?

20. The teaching of literacy, numeracy and ICT is satisfactory. The structure of the National Literacy Strategy and teachers’ training and knowledge ensures that in dedicated lessons pupils make good progress, but literacy is not developed in other lessons. There was no evidence of a writing target in other subjects. Numeracy is well developed through science where particular attention is paid to accurate measurement of temperature, for example. However, it is not applied much in other subjects, for example history, where time-lines strengthen the concept of decades and centuries. There is good use of data analysis in science, but, again, not in other subjects, such as geography. Information and communication technology is also developing quite well in science because pupils are used to using it, particularly in Year 6. Lower ability pupils, in particular, find it easy to draw graphs where the axes are laid out for them, for example, and find the scientific

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HOW WELL PUPILS ARE TAUGHT?

pattern without the difficulty of working out the scales. In all subjects, not enough use is made of CD-ROMs or the Internet.

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HOW WELL PUPILS ARE TAUGHT?

21. The teaching of all other subjects is satisfactory, except for science and physical education which are taught well. Teachers all have sufficient expertise in the primary curriculum, but the standard of teaching reflects their training and particular interest. There are shortcomings in the learning of history, music and religious education because of the lack of subject management and resources.

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HOW WELL PUPILS ARE TAUGHT?

22. Teachers’ planning is good, especially in core subjects. In literacy and numeracy it follows the pattern of the particular Strategy and teachers produce work matched to the different groups in the Lawdale Junior School - 12 class. The school has worked hard to ensure that all teachers, including those from overseas, are trained in this essential aspect. However, for pupils with special needs, individual education plans are not referred to for planning and these pupils, consequently, do not learn satisfactorily.

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HOW WELL PUPILS ARE TAUGHT?

23. Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ work are satisfactory, overall. Where they are sure of the outcomes of the school’s schemes of work, expectation is naturally high. In some foundation subjects with which teachers are unfamiliar, expectations are inconsistent. 24. Teaching methods are good and pupils learn at a satisfactory pace. Younger children are hampered by the language barrier. Although the teacher did everything she could in a guided reading session in Year 4, for example, a small group of children were very hesitant, because they did not understand the text. However, they were able to answer some quite difficult comprehension questions about the nature of the poems they were reading. The teacher had encouraged them to read in the group and helped them to understand better what the words meant. Another group was confused by synonyms and gave some very strange examples, which showed their lack of understanding. When they were writing stories in Year 5, the lack of pupils’

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HOW WELL PUPILS ARE TAUGHT?

understanding of nuance in the English language was evident where one of them used the words ‘horrified of’ instead of ‘terrified of’, as the teacher then suggested. Teachers do all they can to help pupils, but pupils rely rather too much on this guidance and are not good independent learners.

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HOW WELL PUPILS ARE TAUGHT?

25. Management of pupils is very good. Teachers give appropriate work and have high expectations of children’s behaviour. If children misbehave, teachers have clear procedures to follow and effectively deal with any incidence of misdemeanour.

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HOW WELL PUPILS ARE TAUGHT?

26. Teachers’ use of time and resources is satisfactory. The assigned time in literacy and numeracy sessions is an easy guide. However, the first lesson in afternoon tends to overrun and encroach onto the second, notably in religious education and physical education lessons. Resources are used well in science, but, in history and religious education, some teachers have to bring in their own resources. Books are not used well because the school is very short of them in every subject, particularly non-fiction; this limits the development in literacy in all subjects. In some lessons, teachers make good, planned use of support staff, but it was often difficult to see what they were supposed to be doing in many lessons, because they did not have any plans. Computers are rarely used for word-processing or to store planning, although useful assessment data and target setting for mathematics are computerised. This aspect of using new technology to

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HOW WELL PUPILS ARE TAUGHT?

27. Assessment is satisfactory. Marking is regular; teachers add useful comments to children’s work, particularly in Year 6. Teachers assess progress well in literacy, numeracy and science, but do no formal assessments in other subjects to gauge progress through the National Curriculum levels.

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HOW WELL PUPILS ARE TAUGHT?

28. Teachers’ use of homework is satisfactory overall. Appropriate work was given, for example when children had been learning about night and day throughout the world, and they had to find out about what people in other parts of the world would be doing at the same time. Inappropriate homework was given after a spelling test to some of the youngest pupils who were asked to write eleven sentences containing these words by the next morning, which was an unreasonable request. There is a whole school policy and guidance by co-ordinators, but this was not consistently followed during the inspection.

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HOW WELL PUPILS ARE TAUGHT?

29. The quality of teaching of pupils with special educational needs is unsatisfactory. This is most noticeable when teachers do not plan work for specific learning needs, often because these pupils’ individual targets are not precise enough, lack timescales and are hard to measure. Teaching staff do not use the individual education plans enough. As a result, the extra help for these pupils in many lessons is less effective than it might be. However, the good teamwork of teachers and classroom assistants ensures that pupils whose special educational needs arise from emotional and behavioural problems rarely disrupt the lesson for others. Pupils with statements make satisfactory progress towards the targets in their programmes of work as they have support, which is efficiently managed. Lawdale Junior School - 13

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PUPILS?

30. The school offers a broad curriculum covering all National Curriculum subjects and religious education. The quality and range of learning opportunities provided by the school are satisfactory. The school has a varied learning environment including a newly created garden section and large playground which are being further improved.

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PUPILS?

31. The curriculum fully meets all statutory requirements and religious education is planned according to the locally agreed syllabus. Provision for personal, social and health education is satisfactory. There is a well developed health education programme; sex education and drug abuse are incorporated into the teaching programme through direct teaching and personal and social health education.

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PUPILS?

32. The quality of the curriculum has improved since the previous inspection. There are now schemes of work for all subject areas, sufficiently detailed to ensure satisfactory rates of progress and the achievement of higher standards. Resources for subjects have been increased and improved. Up- to-date policies are now in place, including those for health and sex education and there is a clear programme of policy review.

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PUPILS?

33. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in some subjects where they are given close support and guidance by classroom assistants, but the school’s provision for individual education plans for these pupils is unsatisfactory. The progress these pupils are making is not good enough, because the school does not identify their individual needs and achievements clearly. However, the school has satisfactory arrangements to give equal opportunities to pupils with special educational needs and to include them in all activities. The school also ensures that pupils with particular needs have special work and expert support to improve their skills. Outside specialist teachers, for example, give very effective help in school to pupils with behaviour problems. The school has good links with teachers responsible for co-ordinating special educational needs in the local infant and secondary schools.

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PUPILS?

34. The provision for teaching literacy is satisfactory, but there is a need to develop a policy for literacy across the curriculum and to establish greater links with all subjects. All teachers follow the National Literacy Strategy and this is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Learning objectives are detailed for each lesson and, at the end of each lesson, pupils evaluate whether these objectives have been met.

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PUPILS?

35. The provision for teaching numeracy across the curriculum is satisfactory. All teachers follow the National Numeracy Strategy, but, again, there is not a whole school policy to teach numeracy in all subjects. Planning and teaching methods are satisfactory and indicate how pupils in each year group will develop their skills over the year.

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PUPILS?

36. A good range of extracurricular activities and clubs enriches pupils’ learning. They have the opportunity to join a variety of clubs at the end of the school day. Over the year these include drama, cricket organised by Essex Cricket Club, football through Leyton Orient, information technology, art, and music. The curriculum is also enriched by educational visits to places of historic and cultural interest and visitors are an important feature of the curriculum. Each year group makes visits to extend their education, for example to the East London Mosque, the British Museum, the London Zoo and the Geffrye Museum. Year 6 pupils attend an annual residential course.

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PUPILS?

37. Equality of opportunity is good. Achievements are acknowledged at celebration assemblies. No pupil is excluded from school activities, including educational visits, because of inability to pay. Boys and girls have equal opportunity to take part in sports such as football and cricket in mixed teams. In order to ensure equality of opportunity for all, the school has provided for a generous staff / pupil ratio including the allocation of learning support assistants Lawdale Junior School - 14 38. Provision for personal, social and health education is good. The staff provide good role models for pupils and the very good relationship between pupils and staff helps to create a caring atmosphere in which pupils develop respect for one another and feel valued as part of the community. Year 5 pupils spend a day at Mulberry Place and participate in activities which concentrate on procedures for fire, home and personal safety. Education in drugs awareness is supported by the local police

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PUPILS?

and sex education is dealt with as appropriate through science lessons as well as specific lessons with the assistance of the school nurse. Participation in class councils and school councils helps the personal development of the pupils.

p.16

PUPILS?

39. The school has good links with the local community, which provides important opportunities to contribute to pupils’ learning. The vicar of St Peters leads the harvest festival, for example. The school works in partnership with the parents in celebrating special days such as Eid and Christmas. Parents help with swimming at the local swimming pool. All classes are taken to the local Bethnal Green library and encouraged to use it regularly.

p.16

PUPILS?

40. Constructive relationships are fostered with partner institutions. There is very close liaison with the adjoining first school which shares the playground. A weekly assembly is held with Year 2 pupils from the first school and Year 3 pupils of Lawdale. Pupils also enjoy science lessons in a particularly useful bridging unit for literacy and numeracy in Years 6 and 7 with the secondary school, to which they transfer. Their Year 7 co-ordinator makes several visits to the school during the year and pupils from Lawdale make a series of introductory visits to the school to which they transfer. French is taught to Year 6 pupils by a teacher from the secondary school. Pupils with special educational needs are discussed regularly with the Educational Psychologist. The Education Welfare officer and the school nurse make regular routine visits to the school.

p.16

PUPILS?

41. The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. The school has a well organised programme for assemblies in which themes provide opportunities for reflection in collective worship. There is sensitive recognition of deity with respect for the beliefs of different groups. Religious education lessons generate awareness and understanding of the beliefs of others. Visits to the mosque, church and Buddhist centre enable pupils to think of the need to worship and the sharing of ideas with others of different beliefs. Relationships fostered in the school help to create harmony and the ability to resolve conflict. In the curriculum, there is a lack of planned spiritual aspects.

p.16

PUPILS?

42. Provision for pupils’ moral development is good. There are clear guidelines to distinguish right from wrong as reflected in class rules which indicate what is accepted as good behaviour. Discussions in assemblies emphasise the right to express considered views on particular issues, but also to take account of other views. Pupils in the school exercise their rights to dress according to the moral code of their own culture and this is accepted by all. They show consideration for others less fortunate than themselves through raising funds for charities such as Barnardo’s and distributing harvest produce to the local sheltered housing for the elderly.

p.16

PUPILS?

43. Provision for pupils’ social development is good and this is demonstrated by pupils’ good manners as they work harmoniously together both inside the classroom and in the playground. They take responsibility for jobs in the class and for the school, generally. Each class has a weekly rota which includes every member of the class working in pairs to perform specified duties. Older pupils become playground friends for younger pupils. In weekly class councils, they listen attentively to one another, show respect for the opinions of others and agree ideas to be submitted to the school council through their representative. Assemblies reinforce the rules which make for harmonious use of the playground and pupils sort out differences amicably. The three-tick system in use provides the opportunity for each pupil to put things right. Year 6 pupils gain experience in living as part of a social group during their residential visit to the Stubbers Activity Centre in Thurrock where

p.16

PUPILS?

they pursue a range of outdoor activities. Staff provide good role models for the pupils and cater for the needs of all pupils, equally.

p.16

PUPILS?

44. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is good. The variety of cultures in the school provides the background for learning to accept the life style of others. The school provides opportunities for cultural awareness through visits by outside agencies, for example Open Wide Theatre who Lawdale Junior School - 15 perform pantomimes, The Kenetic Theatre, story tellers during book week and music through Jazzmatic, among others. Religious education lessons provide insights into aspects of different cultures and visits to places of worship extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding of different ways of life.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARES FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The school has appropriate procedures for dealing with child protection issues. The local authority consultant is trained in this area and the newly appointed deputy head and acting headteacher are awaiting formal training within the next term. The school follows local child protection guidelines and all staff are made aware of these. The many new staff have not yet received any formal training in this area, but they have been given specific guidelines in the meantime and incidents have already been brought up at staff meetings.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARES FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school has satisfactory procedures for dealing with pupils’ general welfare. Two first-aiders are available in the school at any time and training is planned for more members of staff. Pupils know what to do and who to see if they are hurt or feeling unwell and are confident that they will be well cared for. The school has no separate medical room where pupils can be treated and where medicines can be stored more safely, but there is a place where sick children can go. Accident and incident books are kept and monitored. Health and Safety is promoted well. The premises are safe and clean and maintained well by the caretaker and his team. Formal risk assessments take place annually and thorough procedures are in place for dealing with any safety concerns.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARES FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. Attendance is steadily improving due to the vigilance of the school in following up unexplained absences, supported well by the useful involvement of the Education Social Worker and the rewards for good attendance. Parents are telephoned on the same day if a child does not arrive at school and registers are checked weekly for any patterns of absence that may be emerging. The school is beginning to work more closely with parents with regard to attendance, but does not include reminders of the importance of good attendance in written information to parents, such as the prospectus and newsletters. However, its importance is stressed at parents’ meetings.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARES FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. Behaviour is promoted well through the behaviour policy and its consistent use throughout the school. Pupils know what is expected of them with regard to their behaviour; they value and respect the system of sanctions and rewards. The ‘playground friends’ scheme effectively promotes consideration for others, as well as giving those older pupils involved increased skills in dealing with arguments and disputes. The good range of playground equipment available at lunchtimes successfully helps to encourage pupils to play happily together. Procedures for dealing with bullying are clearly stated and respected by all in the school. Pupils are confident that, should an incident occur, it will be dealt with promptly and fairly by staff.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARES FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. Although parents receive some comments on their children’s personal development in their annual reports, there is currently no formal system to record this in operation.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARES FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. There are good procedures for assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics which are very thorough. The results of the statutory Key Stage 1 tests, taken before entry, form the baseline assessment for pupils coming from infant schools. Pupils take the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) tests in English and mathematics at the end of Year 3, 4 and 5 and National Curriculum tests in Year 6. All these data, plus standardised reading tests are plotted onto a spreadsheet for all children, and are used to track progress and to set future targets.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARES FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. The addition of English fluency, gender and ethnicity enables a full analysis to be made and identifies pupils needing extra help, for example through ‘springboard’ mathematics. External analysis by the National Federation for Education Research is taken into account and the QCA and National Curriculum tests are carefully analysed by the school’s management team to identify strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ performance. These led, for example, to the numeracy curriculum for Year 5 to be altered and writing activities to be extended in Year 3. Assessment in Lawdale Junior School - 16 science and ICT is thorough and on-going and enables weaknesses in pupils’ understanding to be pinpointed and addressed. In other subjects, assessment is not developed to any extent.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARES FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. The school’s arrangements to assess pupils’ special educational needs are unsatisfactory, because teachers have not had enough training in using the new Code of Practice and in writing pupils’ individual learning targets. However, the school’s satisfactory overall system of assessment gives teachers a clear view of pupils’ standards in English, mathematics and science. Teachers regularly test and measure pupils’ reading standards against both their age and their previous attainment.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. The small number of parents who responded to the questionnaire and the slightly larger number who attended the pre-inspection meeting expressed their satisfaction with the education and care that the school provides. In particular, they praised the teaching and progress, the high expectations of staff in the school and the way their children are encouraged to become mature and responsible.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. Satisfactory links exist with parents, though the school has recognised that this should be developed further and is keen to involve parents more in the life of the school. The headteacher, her deputy, teachers and the learning mentor are available to talk to parents in the playground before and after school. Very few parents, however, help in the classroom although support on outings is good. Two consultation meetings are held each year and parents are supportive of these. Translators are effectively used at these occasions for those families who need it. Parents are invited to watch their children’s class assemblies each term and many do so. There is currently no parent –teacher association within the school, although there are plans to create a parents’ room in the near future.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. Parents receive satisfactory information through frequent newsletters, general letters and useful termly curriculum letters. The prospectus and the governors’ report to parents meet most of the legal requirements regarding their content. However, they both lack information on how the school’s attendance figures and National Curriculum test results compare with those achieved in schools across the country. The pupils’ annual reports are necessarily brief in nature, but give useful information on progress in English and mathematics, with targets for pupils to work towards. However, although describing the work covered in the remaining subjects, they do not give parents any idea of how well their children are progressing in the other subjects of the curriculum and those who attended the parents’ meeting did not know.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. Parents are happy with the homework given to their children, some expressing a desire for even more. The home-school agreement is fully in place and explained and discussed with parents.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

57. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are kept informed about the progress of their children, especially when there is cause for concern. However, the prospectus does not give parents enough information on the school’s provision for these pupils, including those of higher ability.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The leadership and management of the school are good. The acting head teacher has been in post for three weeks, but has taken up the reins of leadership effectively. She is providing firm leadership and has good vision for the future of the school. There is no sense of temporary leadership; she is working closely with the newly appointed permanent deputy for the school’s improvement. There is already good teamwork; staff are being managed well and there is a corporate identity with a shared capacity to succeed in improving the school further.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The previous head teacher left the school for promotion at the end of the summer term. He successfully led the school out of special measures and put in place the majority of current Lawdale Junior School - 17 management systems, including detailed action and improvement plans. The school improvement plan was so successful in raising standards that the school received an award for being one of the most improved schools in the country. He made very good use of the consultant attached to the school, external consultants and an advanced skills teacher to monitor and evaluate teaching rigorously and to demonstrate good practice, which resulted in tremendous improvement.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The current situation is that the school has lost several members of staff, but has retained a central core. It now has many inexperienced or foreign teachers and only three long-standing co- ordinators (English, science and ICT). They are doing a first-rate job in improving standards by resourcing and monitoring their subjects and the Year 6 teachers in carrying out effective revision. The school has not been able to appoint co-ordinators for design and technology or religious education; others are very new to their posts. The head teacher has taken on the co-ordination of English as an additional language and has managed to appoint history and art co-ordinators. The training for new teachers, particularly in literacy and numeracy, is already planned. The headteacher has informally observed teaching in all classes and has put extra class support where it is needed most, having carried out a very effective evaluation of the school’s major strengths and

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

weaknesses, despite the short time she has been in post.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The leadership and management of the school’s arrangements for pupils with special educational needs are unsatisfactory and have not improved enough since the last inspection. The school does not have a full-time co-ordinator of this work and there are shortcomings in staff expertise. However, the deputy head teacher is set to co-ordinate special needs and is already planning for the future. The school makes satisfactory use of its additional funding for these pupils, almost entirely to provide additional staff.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. Governors are supportive of the school, although only a small number regularly attend meetings. The long-standing governors have worked very hard with the staff to improve standards, especially since the inspection which put the school into special measures. Governors monitor their particular areas of responsibility satisfactorily through co-ordinators’ reports and school visits, for example to the school science week last year. They keep parents well informed about the school through their annual report, although this does not have full details on special educational needs, attendance and National Curriculum test results.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The school’s development plan drives school improvement well. School evaluation was well carried out by the previous head teacher. Governors monitor the budget satisfactorily and set aside sums for improving the building, which has produced a pleasant learning environment. They expect best value from staff they appoint and from goods and services, ensuring that all grants and funds, such as those for special educational needs, English as an additional language and computer training are spent well to improve the pupils’ education.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. Day to day finances are well managed. Good use is made of information technology in the school office, but not by all teachers. Overall financial planning reflects the curriculum and developmental needs of the school and its employees and is well managed. The large sum of money reserved for building purposes has been efficiently spent. Systems of performance management are sound and involve teachers and support staff in annual target setting and review procedures linked to training and development. Performance management objectives relate to whole school measurable targets.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The school is fully staffed with sufficient teachers to meet the demands of the curriculum. A few teachers, however, are from abroad and have required and received extra training and support with regard to the National Curriculum. The school premises are spacious and in good condition having been recently refurbished. There are two halls, a recently established ICT suite and a large playground with new equipment and areas for different activities, such as the wild spot for appreciation of nature and a quiet place to play board games. The school has satisfactory resources, overall. They are good for ICT, science and mathematics. However, the provision of books is unsatisfactory in the school, particularly their number and quality in the library. The school is aware of this and is working with the local authority to improve the situation.

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Lawdale Junior School - 18 66. In order to improve further, the head teacher, staff and governors should

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(i) Continue to improve standards in English and mathematics (paragraphs 2, 75, 82, 89)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(ii) Develop literacy throughout the curriculum; planning for speaking and listening, improving knowledge of letter sounds to aid reading, especially for younger pupils, and ensuring that pupils learn subject vocabulary thoroughly (paragraphs 5, 6, 19, 20, 25, 33, 75, 76, 79, 81, 86, 94, 128)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(iii) Develop the application of information and communication technology through the curriculum (paragraphs 88, 101, 109, 114, 117, 129)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(iv) Improve provision for history, music and religious education (paragraphs 10, 21, 26, 60, 68, 78, 110, 112, 120, 127, 129)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(v) Improve provision of individual education plans for children with special educational needs (paragraphs 11, 22, 29, 33, 91)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(vi) Improve the management of the curriculum by appointing and developing the role of curriculum co-ordinators (paragraphs 10, 60, 61, 89, 101, 105, 109, 113, 121, 129)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

When forming their action plan, the governors should take the following minor issue into account:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• continue to improve attendance (paragraphs 16, 47, 55)

p.20

AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

67. Three quarters of the pupils in this school have English as an additional language. This is a well above average proportion. Thirty-seven of these pupils (19 per cent) are at an early stage of learning English. Most pupils’ first language is Bengali.

p.20

AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

68. Pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactory. In the 2001 National Curriculum tests, they achieved higher overall standards than pupils whose first language is English. Their language development makes learning more difficult in the first two years of the juniors than the next two years. Pupils in a Year 3 science lesson, for example, had a significant lack of understanding and words to talk about their work, whereas Year 6 pupils did not meet such difficulties. In English, history and geography the quality and quantity of their written work are less than expected for their ages in Years 3 and 4. In other subjects their slower rate of learning English is not a barrier to learning, but does delay progress at times.

p.20

AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

69. Pupils have good attitudes to learning. They are very interested in new work, keen to contribute and have good standards of behaviour. This is because teachers develop very good relationships in the classroom and a good atmosphere for work.

p.20

AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

70. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Teachers give pupils work that matches their attainment and have a good knowledge of the National Literacy Strategy and how to teach basic writing skills. However, they do not give them enough opportunity to develop their ability to speak, and there is a lack of classroom display of key words and phrases to improve their knowledge in all subjects and help pupils’ reading. Teachers manage pupils well and make good use of resources.

p.20

AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

71. Pupils have the same opportunities and access to the curriculum as their peers. However progress is slower than in other schools because explanations take longer. Pupils often use and understand fewer words than do those whose first language is English, so it is sometimes difficult for them to record what they learn. Lawdale Junior School - 19 72. Arrangements to assess the achievements and progress have improved since the last inspection and are now satisfactory. The school monitors effectively the progress of each language group so as to match support to need.

p.20

AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

73. The school has satisfactory links with parents, arranging interpreters, for example, for parents’ meetings and translations of letters home.

p.21

AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

74. The acting headteacher has taken over the leadership and management of provision for English as an additional language and it is now satisfactory. This is an improvement since the last inspection. The school uses its extra funding for these pupils effectively to provide extra staffing. Lawdale Junior School - 20

p.21

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 256

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 168

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 5

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 44

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 193

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 25

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 12

p.22

Attendance

School data 6.7 School data 0.8 Lawdale Junior School - 21 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.22

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Lawdale Junior School - 22

p.23

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 41 34 75

p.24

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.24

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

Boys 25 28 34 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 26 22 29

p.24

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

Percentage of pupils School 68 (73) 67 (67) 84 (75) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.24

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

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

Boys 23 28 31 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 26 27 30

p.24

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

Percentage of pupils School 65 (59) 73 (49) 81 (53) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.24

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Lawdale Junior School - 23

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 9 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 2 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 170 1 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 4 1 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 4 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 13.3 Financial year 2001/2

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y3 – Y6 Total income 864797

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 10 Total expenditure 820906

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 241.5 Expenditure per pupil 3063

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 35565

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 79456 Lawdale Junior School - 24

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.26

Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses

Reponses were almost all positive. There was a little disagreement on the amount of homework children are set, and about the information the school provides. Lawdale Junior School - 25

p.26

ENGLISH

75. Standards in speaking and listening, reading and writing are below average. Pupils' standards in English are lower than those in mathematics and science, mainly because three quarters of the pupils do not speak English at home. By the end of Year 6, two-thirds of pupils reach the standard expected for their ages and one in five the standard above. This is a satisfactory achievement as standards are below average at the beginning of the Year 3. Girls reach slightly higher standards than boys, following a national pattern. Results in the National Curriculum tests for 11 year-olds in 2001 showed the same picture. The national tests for 2002 showed the school maintaining these standards. Compared with similar schools. Standards are above average and similar to those found at the previous inspection two years ago.

p.27

ENGLISH

76. Speaking and listening develop steadily. Pupils are good listeners and pay careful attention to their teachers and to each other's answers and questions. Teachers expect high standards of concentration, hold pupils’ interest and create a good atmosphere for work in lessons. Year 6 pupils are more confident and fluent speakers than pupils in Year 3. Most pupils whose first language is not English take longer than others to learn how things are expressed in English and longer to take in and use new words and phrases. Since these pupils, many of whom are learning Arabic at the mosque in the evening, do not speak English much out of school, progress in speaking and listening is delayed as they cannot always follow fully what teaching staff are saying. Not enough opportunities are given in lessons for pupils to practise speaking together so as to overcome these difficulties.

p.27

ENGLISH

77. Reading standards are not high enough, particularly in Years 3 and 4. This is partly because of weaknesses in pupils’ understanding of letter sounds and patterns. It is also because the school library is unsatisfactory and there are not enough interesting books for pupils to read at home. However, three-quarters of pupils reach the standard expected for their ages by the time they leave school at 11. Teachers use literacy hours well to improve the close reading skills of pupils of all abilities, introducing them to extracts from a wide range of good writers. In Year 6, higher ability pupils read a good deal by themselves and often have favourite writers. They read fluently and with understanding, although often with limited expression. They enjoy talking about their reading, comparing books and authors, and use the local library. Lower ability pupils do not read much by themselves because they continue to need help in reading aloud and in understanding meanings of

p.27

ENGLISH

words. Average pupils read accurately by themselves, but also meet difficulties in understanding. Such a Year 6 pupil, for example, did not understand the words ‘clenched his fist’ and ‘violent. Nearly all pupils read their own and other pupils’ writing accurately by the age of 11 and use dictionaries effectively to improve the quality of their work. They use indexes to find information in books. However, library skills are below the expectations for their ages. Pupils do not know how to use catalogues and number systems, for example, or how fiction and non-fiction books are arranged.

p.27

ENGLISH

78. Pupils are making satisfactory progress in writing as the school has worked hard to raise standards through the literacy hour, where teachers give pupils good experience of writing in a wide range of forms. Pupils write stories, letters, brochures, drama scripts, short biographies, interviews and poems. They achieve well in this aspect of the work because teachers closely link reading and writing. Year 3 pupils, for example, wrote carefully-crafted stories, re-telling the poem ‘The Highwayman’, after careful reading and discussion. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 have satisfactory planning, drafting and editing skills. However, the school does not develop writing enough in other subjects. There are still weaknesses in spelling, punctuation and handwriting, as at the time of the last inspection. These may be persisting because of the many pupils also learning Arabic and Bengali each day. In English, history and geography the quality and quantity of bilingual pupils’

p.27

ENGLISH

written work are less than expected for their ages, particularly in Years 3 and 4. In other subjects their slower rate of learning to write in English is not a barrier to learning, but does delay progress Lawdale Junior School - 26 at times. Pupils’ computer word-processing rates, for example, are lower than expected for their age.

p.27

ENGLISH

79. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory, overall. Teachers use the National Literacy Strategy well, but there is not enough use and development of English in other lessons, nor does the school do enough to improve speech or encourage individual reading beyond literacy lessons. The main strengths of teaching lie in very good relationships which encourage pupils of all abilities and backgrounds to contribute well to learning in class. Teachers' good knowledge of English and of each child’s understanding allows teaching and effective learning. The high level of support for lower ability pupils and those whose first language is not English is also a strength. Where teaching is weaker, there is inadequate support for each pupil’s personal reading development and too few opportunities to develop pupils' speech in all lessons. There is too little good quality display of new vocabulary in classrooms.

p.28

ENGLISH

80. In the best lessons, teachers ensure that all pupils are fully involved all the time in speaking, reading and writing. Year 3 pupils, for example, made very good progress in spelling in a literacy lesson because the teacher spoke very clearly and kept them very busy. After repeating words with ‘ay’ sounds quickly and accurately after the teacher, they then, in pairs, had to write them down to dictation, agreeing the spelling. They really enjoyed this work because they were so involved and challenged and then went on to use their newly acquired ability when they made up sentences. In a good Year 6 lesson, well-guided discussion and reading led to effective biographical writing about Winston Churchill. All pupils concentrated on all activities all the time because this was what was expected. Teaching is less effective when learning lacks this sort of focus and interest. In a Year 5 literacy lesson, for example, pupils discussed features of a good

p.28

ENGLISH

story but then went on to study prefixes. Progress was then unsatisfactory because they worked on hard words unrelated to their experience such as ‘autoplasty’, ‘bilinear’, ‘circumvent’ and ‘transit’.

p.28

ENGLISH

81. Good leadership and management resulted in a sharp rise in standards from1997 to 2000 and the maintenance of similar levels since. There has also been an increase in the last three years in the number of pupils reaching standards above those expected for their ages. The school has established the literacy hour well and the quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection. However, teachers are not developing speech and literacy sufficiently across the curriculum, nor is the quality of display and reading provision high enough to meet the needs of the majority of pupils, for whom English is not their first language. The school is fully aware of the shortcomings in book and library provision and has taken steps to upgrade these key resources.

p.28

MATHEMATICS

82. Standards in mathematics are just below those achieved nationally by 11 year-olds. The proportion of pupils attaining the expected level 4 in the 2001 tests was below the national average, but above that found in similar schools. Results in the tests in 2002 were very similar to those in 2001. For the three years from 2000 to 2002, the proportion of 11 year-olds at Lawdale attaining level 4 or better has remained at about two thirds, which is just below the national average. This represents, however, a dramatic increase on the proportion of pupils attaining this level when the school was last subject to a full inspection and, later, put into special measures. In 1998 and 1999, for instance, just 36 and 45 per cent of pupils respectively attained what is expected. However, it is of some concern that improvement has not been made since 2000, although the school is predicting that it will be better next summer with a cohort that attained well

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MATHEMATICS

above the national average in tests for seven year-olds prior to entering Lawdale. The proportion of pupils attaining the higher Level 5 is about half that found nationally, but in line with the proportion found in similar schools.

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MATHEMATICS

83. Most pupils pay good attention to recording pencil and paper methods of adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. These are mostly neat and accurate. The difficulty of the calculations increases in line with expectations as pupils move through the school. At the beginning of Year 3, most of this work involves operating on numbers less than 100. By the time they leave the school, many pupils work with five-figure numbers. Most understand place value well and this contributes Lawdale Junior School - 27 to the accuracy of their answers and presentation. They are not so good when calculating mentally and many of them do not have secure knowledge of basic number facts and tables that they can recall and use speedily.

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MATHEMATICS

84. Pupils have satisfactory knowledge of two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional solids: they identify their mathematical names and the numbers of sides, edges and angles. Again, the difficulty increases as pupils get older. When they join the school, pupils know the number of sides and angles of shapes such as squares, rectangles and triangles. They can explain what a right angle is. Later, they identify the features of irregular as well as regular shapes, including parallel lines. In Year 6, pupils accurately identify faces, vertices and edges of regular and irregular shapes. They locate and draw points and lines of rotational and line symmetry. Average and higher ability pupils list the order of symmetry: the number of turns to make a complete revolution. Pupils know units of measurement of, for instance mass, volume, length, money and time and calculate operations in most of them. There is little evidence of calculations involving

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MATHEMATICS

time and this is an area where pupils’ knowledge and understanding is weak, particularly when trying to tell the time from clocks with hands.

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MATHEMATICS

85. Pupils’ knowledge, understanding and use of graphs and data are developed in other subjects as well as in daily mathematics lessons. This is especially true of science, where pupils record and interpret data from investigations into, for instance, plant growth and moving objects. Younger pupils use Carroll, Venn and block diagrams and continue to do so as they move through the school. Year 6 pupils also use and interpret line graphs. During the inspection, many mathematics lessons involved written problems. Pupils of all ages and attainments have difficulty in understanding the context of such problems and what they need to do in order to get to the required answer. When they do know, most can carry out the calculations required only with the help of an adult or higher ability pupils. Many record their answer in written form, but this is also an area of relative weakness of which teachers are well aware. The high proportion of pupils for

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MATHEMATICS

whom English is an additional language find written problems difficult to understand and do not have the speaking and writing skills to match their mathematical ability; reading is less of a problem for most.

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MATHEMATICS

86. Teaching is satisfactory overall and enables pupils to make similar progress in their learning. It was sound in half the lessons seen and good in the other half, including one very good lesson. Planning of daily mathematics lessons gives a secure base to teaching. It follows the format recommended by the National Numeracy Strategy, and makes the lesson objectives clear and indicates what activities will be carried out. For the main part of the lesson, these activities are well matched to pupils’ attainment. Planning also includes key vocabulary and what is to be done to enable teachers and pupils to check on what has been learned at the end of each lesson. Key vocabulary is not displayed prominently enough in most classrooms to enable pupils to make reference to it. This is also true of many of the charts and posters that are displayed in classrooms. Too few can be seen and read easily by pupils to maximise their use.

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MATHEMATICS

87. Teachers have good subject knowledge and command of an effective range of methods to teach the daily mathematics sessions. Lessons, and especially the mental and oral work at the start, move at a good pace. Younger pupils listen carefully and are keen to respond quickly when playing number bingo. Others count together in fives up to 100 and then follow a chain of calculations listed on cards. Older pupils also listen carefully and draw shapes quickly and successfully in response to their teacher’s description. Teachers and classroom assistants give good support to pupils during the main activity and pay careful attention to encouraging pupils’ literacy as well as numeracy. This was particularly true in the best lesson seen, when pupils were required to answer in full sentences when both speaking and writing. Teachers give good responses and encouragement to pupils’ work in lessons and, in most cases, when marking.

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MATHEMATICS

Positive remarks stimulate pupils to do their best and helpful comments and guidance tell them how best to increase their learning. Pupils benefit from mathematical targets that they know and are working towards. Lessons are well managed; pupils behave well and have positive attitudes to the subject. This is particularly true of pupils in Year 6 whose attitudes and behaviour are exemplary. Lawdale Junior School - 28 88. Most mathematics lessons last an hour or more; forty-five minutes is the recommended maximum time in the National Numeracy Strategy. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 often find such long lessons challenging, especially in the afternoon. Opportunities for developing and applying pupils’ numeracy in other subjects have not been identified and used. The subject benefits from good use of ICT as classes are timetabled to spend one daily mathematics lesson a week in the school’s computer suite. However, not such good use is made of classroom computers, which were rarely

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MATHEMATICS

seen in use during the inspection. 89. The raising of standards in mathematics has been a priority for action since the school was put into special measures. The subject co-ordinator throughout most of this period left in the summer, the replacement being an enthusiastic teacher who has been at the school for two years. She has been given a file containing such guidance as the previous post holder had gathered, but this is not yet a comprehensive document. It contains a useful up-to-date policy, but its action plan contains targets that are not measurable by outcome or the time taken to achieve them. The subject continues to occupy a necessary place in the school’s overall development plan. The subject benefits from good resources, both in classes and in the well-organised central store. There has been good progress overall in the subject since the last inspection – dramatic until 2000, then remaining fairly static.

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SCIENCE

90. The standard of work in science has improved tremendously over the last four years and, in 2001, the results achieved by 11 year-olds in the National Curriculum tests were just below the national average. They were above the average of schools having a similar intake. In 2002, National Curriculum test results were slightly higher than those of the previous year. Whilst the number of pupils achieving a higher level 5 had been maintained, the percentage achieving level 4 was greater.

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SCIENCE

91. The school has made remarkable progress in science since its last full inspection in 1997; standards are now much higher. More investigative practical work is now undertaken, though still not entirely in context. Teaching is generally good; numeracy develops well through science, ICT develops satisfactorily. Pupils’ weak literacy still limits some progress in younger classes, but, by Year 6, this has been overcome to a large extent. Pupils who do not speak English as their first language generally do as well as those who do, if they have four years in the school. Pupils with special educational needs still do not do as well as they might because their individual education plans are not used well enough in teachers’ and class assistants’ planning.

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SCIENCE

92. The standards of work seen during the inspection agreed with the test results; work done by 11 year-olds meets the national average. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of science is good, but the ability to grasp questions and to write clear answers is still not well developed in some low ability pupils and a few whose English is not yet fluent. Standards are also affected by physical science not being taught consistently throughout the key stage. Insufficient work on forces, sound and electricity has been done with younger pupils, leaving a great deal to be covered in Year 6. Work on the human body and other living organisms is not done in sufficient depth for pupils to gain level 5. Higher ability pupils in Year 6, for example, know the link between increased pulse rate, the blood needed by muscles and more oxygen breathed in by the lungs, but not that oxygen is carried by the blood.

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SCIENCE

93. The work of the higher achievers in Year 6 is very good; these pupils have a good understanding of scientific principles and the teaching they receive encourages further development. Year 6 teachers have good expertise and know the most important points to be emphasised, as seen, for example, in a marking comment which reads ‘blocking the light is an important point to make when answering questions about a shadow’. Pupils are taught well and this is reflected in the work seen in their books, which is accurate and well presented with due attention to the use of tables for the results of practical investigation. Good use is made of line graphs to show patterns, for example the changes in length of a rubber band when stretched by force.

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SCIENCE

94. The majority of teaching seen during the inspection and all that seen in Year 6 was good. Year 6 pupils, for example, were fully involved through a good discussion session with their teacher in Lawdale Junior School - 29 deciding how to take measurements to show how the height of a shadow was affected by its distance from a light source. Their resulting measurements were accurate and carefully done, with use of the correct units so that all the line graphs produced showed the pattern of the shadow becoming smaller the further away it was from the torch. The teacher made good use of ICT to pre- draw graphs axes, so that lower ability pupils found it easier to see the pattern. Teachers are well aware of the language difficulties of the majority of pupils, especially the younger ones, and most take special care in enunciating words clearly, insisting on children speaking in loud, clear voices when replying to questions. This is good practice and enables children to learn specific

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SCIENCE

vocabulary and to pronounce it correctly. Few classes at present, however, have the key vocabulary of science displayed or reinforced by display in words from the current topic in the classroom, nor do pupils take lists of key words home to learn for spelling tests. Most classes seen were doing some practical work, confirming the idea that science is a practical subject. One lesson on how the Earth’s rotation causes day and night was made interesting for the children by considering what the teacher’s mother in Australia, their grandparents in Bangladesh and friends in New York were doing at various times of their own day in England. Their homework further strengthened this so that they understood the implications of the relative positions of the sun and earth on their lives, realising why is necessary to use time zones in the world.

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SCIENCE

95. The school has identified some gifted and talented pupils in science. These pupils had designed their own circuit diagrams, for example, to wire up a house while the teacher taught the rest of the class about circuits. Staff have had effective training and the teaching of these pupils is part of the school’s action plan.

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SCIENCE

96. Teachers teach the basic skills of scientific investigation satisfactorily, for example prediction controlling variables to enable a fair test to be made. Sometimes, however, they do not put this well into the context of the factual work being undertaken, which makes it hard for children to understand. The investigation writing frames are well thought out, but it is boring for children to sit and plan an investigation into the use of materials for a whole lesson, particularly those who have English as their second language, who need a strong visual stimulus to illustrate the words.

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SCIENCE

97. Science is well led by the established co-ordinator, who makes sure that all topics have the appropriate resources. She has acquired some very high quality pieces of equipment over the years, including microscopes and electricity kits which do away with the problems caused by children making mistakes with wiring, which prevent lesson objectives from being achieved. She monitors the taught curriculum well through plans and books and by teaching alongside teachers. The school is fortunate to be close enough to the Science Museum and other places of interest to enable pupils to make visits. The new pond and wild area is beginning to be used as ecosystems develop. These enhance the science curriculum well and motivate children to learn.

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ART AND DESIGN

98. Pupils’ attainment in art is in line with the expectations of the National Curriculum by the end of Year 6. All pupils make satisfactory progress. There has been satisfactory improvement in standards and in the provision of resources since the last inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

99. Pupils in Year 3 develop observational drawings from selected objects of their choice and practise the skill of portrait sketching by drawing a half face to match the photograph given. They extend this into drawing portraits of their classmates. Year 4 pupils discuss their experiences of dreams, evaluate surreal paintings of famous artists and use their knowledge to paint pictures of their dreams, using colour effectively to depict the moods expressed in the painting. They discuss the finished work and suggest ways in which it might be improved. Pupils in Year 6 produce lively sketches depicting movements of different kinds such as cycling and hockey playing. They successfully use collage to illustrate the urban landscape. By the end of Year 6, they develop a good understanding of the work of different artists, as they look at numerous famous pieces of art.

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ART AND DESIGN

100. The quality of teaching is satisfactory with some good features and pupils respond accordingly. This is an improving area of the curriculum. Teachers demonstrate adequate subject knowledge. Pupils enjoy art lessons and recall what they have done in previous art lessons, with accuracy and Lawdale Junior School - 30 enjoyment. Planning for lessons is thorough and lessons are well resourced. Teachers give clear instructions, promote subject specific vocabulary well and have high expectations with regard to listening attentively and behaving well, and satisfactory expectations with respect to standards. Teachers interact well within groups and give helpful comments to the pupils who work very well together, are supportive of one another and listen well to instructions. They show respect for property and help with clearing up. The learning support assistants provide good support to pupils with special educational needs.

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ART AND DESIGN

101. It was not possible to see much art work displayed because redecoration of the school took place during the summer and much of the work was taken down and destroyed. There is some use of information technology to support the art curriculum. Although art is included in the ICT curriculum, the newly appointed co-ordinator is aware of the need to increase it and plans to address this. She leads with enthusiasm and has a good knowledge of the subject. She maintains a file of work for reference. The subject is enhanced by visits to museums and galleries such as the British Museum and the Hackney Geoffrey Museum. These opportunities are used to link art with other subjects of the curriculum, including history, design and technology and religious education. A scheme of work is in place and incorporates suggestions from the QCA guidelines. The art curriculum enhances the pupils’ cultural development.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102. The attainment of pupils by the end of Year 6 is in line with expectations nationally. All pupils make satisfactory progress. The school has made satisfactory improvements since the last inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

103. Pupils develop their design and make skills by working with a good range of tools and materials. Pupils plan their work carefully and produce appropriate sketches of their design. Objects are disassembled, as seen in the work of Year 6 pupils before they created individual designs for slippers, to show how they have been made. Pupils understand the importance of choosing the right materials. They list the tools required, the materials to be used and the stages of development. Year 4 pupils designed and made a set of regal chairs impressively displayed in the entrance hall. In association with their science topic, they designed and made electric torches and mounted a display of their designs in the main hall. They discuss and evaluate the advantages of different materials for a specific function. In evaluations of their finished articles, they take into account the importance of aesthetics. By the time pupils leave school at the age of 11, they have

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

learned from a range of experiences of designing and making articles, including electrically powered items and articles in everyday use.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

104. The quality of teaching is satisfactory as reflected in the quality of outcomes, with teachers successfully planning design and technology projects, sometimes linked to other subjects, such as the history of the Romans when pupils made models of Roman buildings. Finished products, such as the chairs on display, are valued by both teachers and pupils and this contributes to their self-confidence and sense of self-esteem. As a result, pupils persevere with the tasks, pay attention to detail and take pride in presenting their work well. Only one lesson was seen during the inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

105. There is no appointed co-ordinator for the subject which is being overseen by the acting headteacher. The school accepts the need to address this issue as soon as possible. Resources for teaching are adequate and a scheme of work based on the QCA guidelines is in place.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. The standard of attainment in geography by pupils at the end of Year 6 is in line with expectations nationally. By the time pupils leave school, they have acquired a good understanding of the local environment by carefully surveying land use in Bethnal Green Road and evaluating how the area might be improved. They show satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the water cycle and extend this into their study of rivers, including case studies. They learn the specific vocabulary Lawdale Junior School - 31 related to the topic, including evaporation, condensation, confluence and meanders. This enhances their literacy skills as well as linking topics studied in science. They make satisfactory progress, so that, by the end of Year 6 they have a critical understanding of different aspects of environment and discuss ideas for improvement

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GEOGRAPHY

107. Standards have improved since the time of the last inspection. The QCA schemes of work have been adopted, ongoing assessment has been improved and new resources have been provided. There is, nevertheless, room for improvement in resources related to the topics of study and greater use of information technology to enhance the teaching of the subject.

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GEOGRAPHY

108. The teaching of geography is satisfactory overall. The teachers have adequate knowledge of the subject, including that of the local environment and pupils make satisfactory progress in learning. They develop curiosity about the local town because of the enthusiasm of the teacher in discussing how things have changed. Pupils have a positive attitude and show a zeal for practical work, such as survey and mapping. They ask searching questions and receive clear explanations. Good class management leads to the maintenance of pupils’ interest in their work and no time is wasted during lessons. The challenges presented to the pupils encourage them to appreciate their locality, apply intellectual effort in analysing the landscape and to consider changes which would improve their environment. The subject provision is improving.

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GEOGRAPHY

109. The subject is managed by a newly appointed co-ordinator who has a clear vision for the development of the subject. Links across the curriculum have been identified and there are plans to use information technology to aid studies in geography. Resources are adequate, but there is a need to increase texts related to topics of study, atlases and computer software.

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HISTORY

110. Attainment in history is below that expected nationally. There is no evidence that pupils gain all the knowledge, skills and understanding required by the National Curriculum. Despite evidence that appropriate topics are covered, there is little to show that the study of history is taught and developed systematically. Although the amount of work increases over time, it is insufficient throughout the school to demonstrate that history is studied meaningfully. Only later in the school does pupils’ own work begin to outweigh photocopied sheets and pictures. Pupils also find it difficult to make full responses to questions, when expressing their own thoughts, or when writing, and these inhibit their learning.

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HISTORY

111. Teaching is satisfactory overall. Lessons seen were well planned and teachers made clear what they intended pupils to learn. In one lesson, the quality and quantity of resources made it difficult for all pupils to have a good view of what was being shown; many lost interest and became distracted. Prior to this and in other lessons, pupils had enthusiasm for learning about the past. Resources were attractive and well used in other lessons. Teachers were knowledgeable and communicated their knowledge well to pupils. In a good lesson in Year 6, activities and resources were well matched to pupils’ needs and stimulated them to carry out the tasks set. The teacher and classroom assistant gave close support to those who needed it. Significant time was spent on identifying appropriate skills and sources of information. Pupils were generally keen to do their best and learn.

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HISTORY

112. The subject has not been a high priority for development in recent years and only last year did the school draw up a long-term plan for how and when history is to be taught and learned. This is based on national guidance and does not cover all the requirements of the National Curriculum. It will be necessary for there to be close checking and evaluation to ensure that coverage is as it should be. Little attempt has yet been made to identify where the best opportunities lie to use and apply pupils’ literacy and numeracy or where good use can be made of ICT. The school takes good advantage of visits to significant sites and collections in the London area to stimulate and support the learning of history.

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HISTORY

113. The co-ordinator joined the school just over a week before the inspection and brings experience of managing the subject in another school. She has inherited a satisfactory policy and a framework Lawdale Junior School - 32 that sets out when and where the subject will be taught. Resources are barely adequate: a commercial scheme has recently been purchased as a core resource, but there is little as yet to supplement it. It is, though, readily accessible. At the time of the last full inspection, most teaching was unsatisfactory, there was no detailed scheme of work and the subject had an inexperienced co-ordinator. There has been satisfactory progress in addressing these issues, but, as the school is well aware, there is further and significant work to be done.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114. Standards in information and communication technology are above average in the aspects seen during the inspection; evidence was not available for the full programme of study, but all aspects are planned in the overall curriculum framework introduced just last year. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 make particularly good progress in ICT, since they have benefited from the systematic teaching of all aspects during their time in school. Pupils in Year 6 experienced the full range of aspects during Year 5, but the picture was far less comprehensive prior to this, so they have a less solid background, but nevertheless are achieving well. 115. Pupils find information from CD-ROMs and the internet to support their learning in a range of subjects, including English, science and history. The overall curriculum plan identifies specific opportunities to link the use of CD-ROMs to finding out more about the Greeks and matter in Year

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

5 and pupils recall doing this. During the inspection, these pupils, now in Year 6, began planning multimedia web pages based on Winston Churchill linked to their study of Britain during the Second World War. They recalled different media readily prior to drafting their page designs on paper. All pupils in the class followed the teacher’s instructions and saved their work successfully. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 type their work and, later, amend and correct it. Again they save their work successfully.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

116. The quality of teaching is good; during the inspection, two good lessons and one very good lesson were seen. All were linked to literacy hours and developed pupils’ English as well as ICT skills. The lessons were well planned and teachers’ subject knowledge was good. Expectations of work and behaviour were high and pupils responded well by working hard and completing the assigned tasks. However, little account was taken of pupils’ differing attainments, their special needs or their stage of English competency. In the context of the lessons seen, a teaching assistant gave good support but, otherwise, teachers worked hard and well to enable all pupils to make good progress. They explained tasks and new skills clearly and used a large interactive whiteboard competently to demonstrate what they wanted pupils to do. The computer suite occupies a large space and it is not easy to keep all pupils busy. Their own enthusiasm as well as teachers’

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

efforts ensured that pupils’ learning was good overall and very good in some cases.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

117. The subject benefits from good policies for both teaching and learning and acceptable use of the internet. The school has recently adopted national guidance, which does not cover all that the National Curriculum requires and has linked its units of work to other subjects in the year-old curriculum plan. It is, therefore, supporting learning across the curriculum as intended. This is relatively new and needs careful monitoring and evaluation to make sure that teaching and learning meet the National Curriculum’s requirements. All classes are timetabled to have two one-hour sessions in the computer suite every week. One of these is linked closely to either the National Literacy or Numeracy Strategy. The other can be used either to develop subject skills or to link ICT to other subjects. The approach to progression is practical and effective. Early in the year, lessons necessarily concentrate on developing ICT skills. Later, when pupils’ skills are better

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

developed, there is more of an emphasis in the programme of study on using and applying those skills to learn more about other subjects.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

118. The co-ordinator took on this role just prior to the last full inspection and has developed the subject successfully through the period of special measures, when improvement in standards in the subject was one of the key issues. The subject has a secure foundation in the policies and scheme of work, the long-term plan and in the training of teachers and teaching assistants through a government-funded scheme. Recently appointed teachers will also be given training. The school’s development plan still includes further measures to sustain the subject’s improvement. Lawdale Junior School - 33 119. The school is well resourced. It has a suite of sixteen computers supported by an interactive whiteboard and a further computer and printer in each classroom. While the suite is efficiently and frequently used, there is insufficient use of classroom computers. These were hardly ever seen in use during the inspection and there is little reference to their use in planning. A limited number of

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

laptop computers is available to staff for use in school and elsewhere. The school also has programmable moving toys, audio recorder/players, a digital camera and a scanner. There is insufficient use of technology by teachers in planning, recording and reporting, much of which is still handwritten. This is very inefficient use of teachers’ time and does not enable ready access to planning that can be easily modified in future in response to evaluation. Overall, though, there has been good progress since the last inspection and very good progress since the last full inspection when a quarter of teaching was unsatisfactory and there were insufficient timetabled opportunities.

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MUSIC

120. Insufficient music was seen for judgements to be made about standards. The school has recognised that there are deficiencies in music provision and has engaged a music specialist to take all classes. He was unfortunately unable to be present during the inspection; only one lesson was seen and this was satisfactory in that pupils learned to sing a song in which they followed the words but not the music notation. This served to show the low standard of singing and musical knowledge in the school. However, in a singing assembly, pupils sang with more enthusiasm and enjoyed the songs, particularly Kum ba yah.

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MUSIC

121. There is no music co-ordinator, but an enthusiastic teacher runs a recorder club ad takes the singing assembly weekly. The school has made very good preparation for improving standards in music by buying new musical instruments and fitting out a spare classroom as a dedicated music room. A commercial scheme of work has been purchased, which supports the non-specialist teachers well and ensures that their lessons cover the National Curriculum, which was not the case at the last full inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

122. Standards in physical education at the end of Year 6 are as expected for pupils this age with the exception of swimming. They progress satisfactorily through the programmes of study for gymnastics, games, dance and athletics in the course of each year. Year 6 pupils also have a term of weekly swimming lessons at the local baths. The school has maintained the standards reported at the previous inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

123. Attainment in swimming is lower than expected. Usually a quarter of pupils cannot swim when they leave school, a quarter can swim five metres and about half, ten metres or more. This is because pupils have less opportunity to learn to swim than in many schools, where swimming lessons are often introduced when pupils are younger.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124. The quality of teaching is good, which is an improvement since the last inspection. Lessons are well planned and give pupils plenty of exercise and opportunities to improve techniques, making good use of the available time. Teachers give good demonstrations of basic skills with good on- going assessment, resulting in step-by-step progress in most lessons. They provide challenging activities for both individuals and teams and display enthusiasm and vigilance. They give effective directions and make sure that pupils with special educational needs and those at the early stages of learning English understand what do. In a Year 6 hockey lesson, for example, pupils made very good progress from a thorough warm-up through individual and pair practice to group and team play. The teacher made sure that each pupil followed directions exactly, giving well-timed pauses for tips and demonstrations. These included his comment on a mistake where he himself lost

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

control. He asked the class to show him control and quality, to which they responded enthusiastically and intelligently, developing both self-discipline and teamwork.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

125. Teaching is less effective when activities are too challenging. At the end of a rudimentary bat and ball lesson, for example, very few pupils succeeded in catching a ball from their partner on their Lawdale Junior School - 34 bats. Occasionally, teachers do not give enough emphasis to safety considerations, for example to ensure pupils do not hurt their faces or fingers when practising chest passes. Learning also slows down when excitement makes activities too noisy so that pupils cannot hear and follow directions.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

126. In the course of the school year, pupils have the opportunity to take part in cricket and football clubs and members of a local professional club visit the school to give extra football coaching. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

127. Standards in the subject are below those expected in the local authority syllabus. Pupils in Year 3 learn basic facts about the Sikh and Hindu faiths. They learn the story of Rama and Sita that gave rise to the festival of Diwali. In Year 4, they extend their knowledge of the Hindu faith and write about the traditions of Christian faith. They learn more facts about Islam, and record some facts about religions in the school’s locality. In Year 5, there are more sustained studies of Islam and Christianity and pupils consider in more depth the lessons to be gained from the holy books. In Year 6, pupils gain knowledge about places of worship, special rules, festivals and celebrations, special people and beliefs associated with Christianity and Sikhism. In all the work seen, the pupils in the same year but different classes, have not completed the same work. Moreover, the two classes in each year group did not follow the planned curriculum in full. There are many

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

photocopied items in some books, while others include more writing by pupils. In none of the year groups was there sufficient work to indicate coverage of what the locally agreed syllabus requires.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

128. The standard of teaching is satisfactory. Only three lessons were seen, but the standard of teaching and learning in them ranged from satisfactory to very good. The below average standards suggest that teaching has been unsatisfactory hitherto; teachers now have good knowledge of their subject and high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour. They communicate their enthusiasm so that pupils listen carefully and are thoughtful and thorough in their responses. Some pupils lack the vocabulary and knowledge of English to express fully what they are feeling and wanting to say. Teachers give every opportunity and encouragement for pupils to contribute fully and meaningfully. In a very good lesson, the relationships between everyone in the class were very good. There was ready applause and praise from pupils for others’ contributions.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

129. The school bases its planning on a combination of the locally agreed syllabus and national guidance. The scheme in place is comprehensive, but some class teachers do not always follow it. Opportunities to use and develop pupils’ literacy and numeracy and the full benefit of ICT are not yet identified. The subject has suffered from the lack of an expert and enthusiastic co- ordinator for the past nine years. Resources are inadequate and poorly stored. However, the school can and does make use of a local lending service for artefacts and visits to buildings of religious significance in the locality and further afield in London. At the time of the last full inspection, standards in religious education were reported as being satisfactory, although the subject lacked a co-ordinator and work was ‘sparse and of poor quality’. The school is aware that it has made insufficient progress in moving teaching, learning and standards forward, and stresses

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