Mitchell Brook Primary School

MITCHELL BROOK PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 20 – 23 January 2003

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MITCHELL BROOK PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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MITCHELL BROOK PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 3 - January 2003

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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: 29 January 2001 Mitchell Brook Primary School - 4 - January 2003

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 22546 Mr J G F Parsons Registered inspector Areas of learning for children in the Foundation Stage What sort of school is it? School’s results and pupils’ achievements What should the school do to improve further? 9736 Mr J Brasier Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 22180 Mrs S Mistry Team inspector Science Design and technology Geography How well are pupils taught?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

26514 Mrs A Tapsfield Team inspector Art and design History Special educational needs 14459 Mr G Owen Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Physical education Educational inclusion How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Mitchell Brook Primary School - 5 - January 2003 11901 Mrs D P Lowe Team inspector English Music Religious education How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

20963 Mrs J Keiner Team inspector English as an additional language

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Strathblane House Ashfield Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 1BB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Mitchell Brook Primary School - 6 - January 2003

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 12

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 35

Mitchell Brook Primary School - 7 - January 2003

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Mitchell Brook is situated in the London Borough of Brent. It is larger than most other primary schools, with 171 boys and 162 girls on roll, aged 3 to 11; in addition, there are 32 part-time children in the Nursery giving the equivalent of 365 full-time pupils. Most of them live locally. There is significant deprivation and social disadvantage in the area, and a high crime rate. Unemployment or low paid work is the norm; 89 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is much higher than during the previous inspection. A high proportion, 71 per cent of pupils, are from minority ethnic groups and almost a third are refugees (32 per cent), mostly from Somalia often accommodated for short periods in nearby social housing. Often, these pupils have no previous schooling when they join. At 47 per cent, almost half the pupils start or leave at times other than at the normal enrolment period; included in this group

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

are some pupils from traveller families (five per cent). Such mobility has a marked impact on pupils’ education in the school. More than half of pupils have English as an additional language (54 per cent) and more than half of these are at the early stages of learning English (28 per cent). Standards on entry are well below average, especially in terms of social development, communication and English language skills. More than four out of ten pupils have special educational needs (41 per cent) but most of these are at the early stages of support and none have a statement of special educational need. Six teachers left in the past two years and eight were appointed. This high staffing turnover represents a strong management challenge.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school. The quality of leadership and management is very good, pupils progress well and the quality of education in the Foundation Stage is good. Standards have improved significantly and teaching is good overall. The school has made very good progress since the previous inspection. It no longer has serious weaknesses and provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Pupils’ progress is good. Standards have significantly improved since the previous inspection, particularly in literacy and numeracy by Year 2 and Year 6. • The quality of leadership and management is very good. • Good quality education is provided in the Foundation Stage. • Teaching and learning are good and checking of quality is very effective. • Assessment of pupils’ progress and the setting of targets to achieve are done well. • Good behaviour, and the establishment of positive attitudes and relationships, contribute to the harmonious atmosphere.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The identification and provision of work for higher attainers and gifted and talented pupils to meet their needs in all subjects. • The use of information and communication technology across the curriculum, in particular to support pupils with English as an additional language in the early stages of their learning. • The quality of support for pupils who have basic competence in English as an additional language. • The monitoring of support for pupils with English as an additional language. • Pupils’ attendance. • The induction and training for new members of staff, especially those teachers who are trained overseas. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made very good improvement since the previous inspection in February 2001. The headteacher and key staff, supported by the governing body and good teamwork, have significantly Mitchell Brook Primary School - 8 - January 2003 raised standards in the basic skills of literacy and numeracy, improved behaviour, introduced effective assessment procedures, kept a check on teaching and learning, and improved the morale of staff. Improvements in areas identified in the previous inspection report include:-

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

All the leadership and management issues have been successfully addressed.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

• The arrangements for pupils with English as an additional language have improved well, but support in withdrawal groups needs further development. • Standards have improved significantly in all subjects. • Schemes of work are in place for the curriculum in history, geography, design and technology. • Playground supervision and behaviour have improved significantly and pupils play well together. • The school has been very effective in developing links with parents. • Very effective child protection procedures are in place; health and safety procedures are good.

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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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STANDARDS

compared with Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English E* E* E B well above average above average A B Mathematics E E* E C average below average C D Science E E* D B well below average E

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STANDARDS

Standards on entry are well below average. Children make good and sometimes very good progress. However, by the time they reach Year 1 many have reached only a basic standard in English. Their communication skills, knowledge and understanding of the world, mathematical and social development are below what is expected for their age. Standards match expectations in physical and creative development.

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STANDARDS

In the 2002, national tests for pupils by Year 2 remarkable gains were made from Reception and standards matched those nationally in reading and writing and were well above average in mathematics. Compared to similar schools, standards were well above average in reading and writing and in the top five per cent nationally in mathematics. Teachers’ assessment in science showed pupils’ standards matched the national average. These are substantially better standards than seen during the previous inspection and a marked improvement on the 2001 national tests. These improved standards reversed a previous downwards trend. By Year 6, in the 2002 national tests, standards were well below the national average in English and mathematics and below average in science. When compared to similar schools they were above average in English and science and matched the national average in mathematics. This is a significant improvement from the previous inspection. It is also a marked improvement on the 2001

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STANDARDS

results. By Year 6 pupils’ progress from their prior attainment by Year 2 was very good in English and science, and good in mathematics. The improvement in all the subjects tested shows that the school is following the national trend.

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STANDARDS

The inspection found that pupils achieve well. Attainment is below average in English but matches the national average by Year 2 in mathematics and science. By Year 6, standards in English have improved, although they are still below the national average in this subject and in mathematics. In science, they match expectations for the pupils’ age. However, the progress of higher attainers and those who are gifted and talented is not as strong, because the school has concentrated on the high Mitchell Brook Primary School - 9 - January 2003 numbers of pupils who are disadvantaged due to poor English skills. Most of this very good improvement by Year 2 and Year 6 is because of good teaching and the class teachers’ effective work with the various groups in this ethnically very diverse school. Very effective assessment procedures Mitchell Brook Primary School - 10 - January 2003 identify the needs of these various groups and targets are set, based upon this assessment. In 2002, in

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STANDARDS

English and mathematics, the school greatly exceeded its targets by Year 6. The 2003 targets, which are slightly higher, are suitable for the group taking the tests this year. In all other subjects — art and design, design and technology, information and communication technology, physical education, music, geography and religious education — standards are satisfactory. In history, standards are below those expected for pupils’ age. Overall, there has been a very good improvement since the previous inspection.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils are enthusiastic and keen to come to school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. In most classes pupils behave well and are polite and courteous around the school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. Improved relationships between pupils and adults and pupils themselves are fundamental reasons for the school’s success.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Poor. Well below the national average but improving.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching is good overall and better than the previous inspection. There is an enthusiasm and spark in the teaching due to good morale. In Nursery and Reception, teaching was good or better in all the lessons. Teachers in these classes use the well resourced facilities effectively. The strong concentration on developing language skills in the Nursery and the tightly structured literacy and numeracy lessons in Reception are effective features. The children of travellers, and especially those from minority ethnic groups or with English as an additional language (who make up the majority in this age group) learn satisfactorily. In Years 1 and 2, all the teaching was satisfactory or better, 82 per cent good or better and 47 per cent very good. The consistently very good quality teaching has led to improved standards, especially in the basic skills of literacy and numeracy. Teachers’ planning and

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

subject knowledge are particularly good. In Years 3 to 6, 95 per cent of teaching is good or better, 43 per cent good or better, and 15 per cent very good. Three lessons (5 per cent) were unsatisfactory. Most of the unsatisfactory and satisfactory teaching was in classes where the teachers had been in the school for a very short time. These staff members were either covering for absence or were very recent arrivals in this country, trained overseas and with limited knowledge of the English system.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The staff themselves come from richly diverse heritages, providing good role models for pupils from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. The teaching of different groups of pupils is good. The use of effective planning – especially assessment procedures – and setting pupils by ability all help these groups to progress well. The identification and support of those who are high attaining or gifted and talented is less successful. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 11 - January 2003

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory overall. The curriculum is enhanced by a wide range of activities outside of school.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. Suitable arrangements are made for them, both in terms of specialist and classroom support.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good overall. Good support is given in class, withdrawal of pupils from lessons is less effective.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The school has good procedures to encourage pupils’ high levels of respect for teachers and each other. Planned very effectively into lessons and assemblies, is the development of pupils’ understanding of right and wrong, and opportunities for them to think about their actions.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. There are very good child protection procedures and careful assessment so that teachers know their pupils well.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school works in partnership with parents Very good. Parents hold the school in very high regard, are very well informed, and appreciate the hard work that takes place.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher has a strong vision for the future that a team of committed key staff members are helping to realise. There is a very strong commitment to raising standards.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. Governors are much more involved in the life of the school than they were at the previous inspection and hold it to account.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. Robust checking of teaching and learning and very good assessment systems have been implemented.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. The governors allocate agreed funds to priorities in the improvement plan but the huge deficit restricts expenditure.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Staffing accommodation and learning resources are satisfactory. Teachers recruited from overseas require additional training and support, accommodation is adequate but in poor condition, learning resources are adequate and the principles of best value are suitably used when ordering goods and services. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 12 - January 2003

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

There were 366 questionnaires issued and 76 returned (20.8 per cent). The meeting held by the Registered Inspector was attended by 22 parents.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Most parents agree that their children like school, that they are making good progress and are well behaved. • They think that teaching is good. • They are well informed, would be comfortable approaching the school and agree that the school works closely with them. • Most consider that the school expects their child to work hard, that it is well led and managed, is helping their child become mature and provides an interesting range of activities. • A few considered that their children did not receive the right amount of work to do at home.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspectors agreed with parents’ positive views and consider that the arrangements for setting homework are satisfactory. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 13 - January 2003

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Pupils achieve well in this school despite the many challenges they face. The standards in the national tests in 2002 showed marked improvements in English mathematics and science by Year 2 and Year 6 from the previous year and from the previous inspection. Improvements have been made by implementing:

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

• more robust checking of teaching and learning; • more effective procedures for assessing pupils attainment; • using assessment information to modify planning of lessons; • raising teachers’ expectations of pupils’ performance.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Arrangements for the development of pupils who do not speak English as their first language have improved since the previous inspection but not enough. They progress well in class but support for them in withdrawal groups is not always effective and they also do not reach their maximum potential. The higher attaining pupils and those who are gifted or talented do not consistently achieve their full potential.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Children start Nursery in the September after their third birthday generally with standards well below those expected for their age. They attend part-time during the autumn, either morning or afternoon, then full time after this. Standards are verified by the school’s own tests (called ‘baseline assessment’) first when they enter and then when they leave the Nursery, so their progress can be checked as they move into Reception. Nursery and Reception classes are good at improving standards in the six areas of learning, especially the development of basic literacy and numeracy skills, which is a whole school priority. There is particularly good development in speaking and listening. This is similar to progress found during the previous inspection and is a result of the good, consistent teaching and learning which has improved since then.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The interaction between teachers and children, both individually and within groups is good. Teachers give good support and build strong relationships with the children in their care. This helps their basic literacy skills, especially speaking and listening and early reading and writing development. For example, much time is spent in the Nursery with children in small groups. The teacher and her assistants talk to children continuously and make sure they reply. In one Reception lesson the pupils were building a setting for Goldilocks and the Three Bears and, after probing questioning, one pupil said ‘these are trees in a forest’ . However, in most instances children speak in single words as a direct response to questioning. As an introduction to learning to read, they learn sounds within words – such as the ‘d’ and ‘l’ in ‘Goldilocks’ – and group letters together – as with ‘ch’ for ‘children’ ’. This is done in a daily session and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

builds word skills in enjoyable lessons where the children rise to the challenge and respond by trying hard. By the end of Reception some high attainers read and write simple sentences, which is particularly good progress. However, because so much development is necessary from the very low standards on entry by Year 1, standards overall are below expectations in communication, language and literacy, social and emotional development, mathematical development, and knowledge and understanding of the world. Pupils do achieve the early learning goals in physical and creative development because they rely less on language skills. The weakest Mitchell Brook Primary School - 14 - January 2003 attainment is in speaking and listening skills and this affects all the other areas of development. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 15 - January 2003 4. Pupils continue to achieve well due to consistently good teaching in Years 1 and 2.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

The priority remains the development of basic skills, especially in literacy and numeracy. In 2002, this culminated in standards that matched the national average in reading and writing and were well above average in mathematics. Compared to similar schools, standards were well above average in reading and writing and very high in mathematics (in the top five per cent nationally). Standards in science were above average. The number of pupils who achieved the higher Level 3 in the tests was particularly good in writing and mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The inspection found that standards had dipped slightly by Year 2. Pupils in this year are not as strong academically and a very high proportion do not have English as their first language and/or have other special educational needs. In particular, the development of more advanced skills for higher attainers and for those that are gifted or talented is not good enough, because teachers prioritise the development of the increasing majority of pupils who do not speak English as their first language. Standards are below average in English and match the national average in mathematics and science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The development of speaking and listening skills is a priority but teachers seldom encourage pupils to respond in whole sentences to improve their speaking skills, and are sometimes content with one word answers. However, there were some good examples. During a Year 2 English lesson, a teacher built on pupils’ prior knowledge effectively; she drew on their ideas and expected individual contributions from all. In another Year 2 lesson when pupils discussed the book ‘The Rainbow Fish and the Whale’ , ’ the detailed literacy planning had objectives for pupils with English as an additional language and for those with special educational needs. The teacher encouraged role-play using a high, apologetic voice when speaking as the rainbow fish and a deep, grave voice for the whale. A good deal of attention was paid to the structure of English and the development of writing skills and good development of the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

understanding of speech marks took place in this lesson. Much work takes place on developing reading skills and pupils learn how to approach reading words through effective development in sounding out letters.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. In mathematics, pupils achieve well. The focus is on developing numeracy skills. Mental agility is developed through much use of question and answer sessions. For example, in one Year 2 lesson, pupils had to calculate halves of numbers such as 10 and 12 sometimes using their fingers. In a following lesson this developed effectively into more general division. In science, the development of a practical approach to the subject has been successful. For example, in one Year 2 lesson pupils make a comparison between people and discuss and write about similarities and differences, choosing two pupils from different heritages. The task enabled pupils to understand each other’s backgrounds, particularly important in this ethnically diverse school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. In Years 3 to 6, pupils continue to achieve well, although the high mobility rate means that they often join classes with little prior experience and need much help to catch up. The very effective assessment procedures enable teachers to successfully plan for these pupils, but sustaining and improving standards under these circumstances is, nevertheless, immensely challenging. However, the recent improvement in standards indicates the school is beginning to be successful.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In the Year 2002 national tests at the end of Year 6, standards were well below average in English and mathematics and below average in science when compared to the national average. Compared to similar schools, standards were above average in English and science and matched the national average in mathematics. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 16 - January 2003 Mitchell Brook Primary School - 17 - January 2003 10. The inspection found that standards by Year 6 in English and mathematics are below average and broadly match the national average in science. Standards are improving. However, this is a challenging task because of the great ethnic diversity, the high level of movement of pupils in and out of the school, and the very deprived environments from which many pupils come. Also the rising number of Somalian refugee pupils who join the school in this age group do not speak English as their first language and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

have little if any previous schooling. This increases the challenge. Because the school spends a good deal of time on the arrangements for these groups, this is at least one of the reasons for higher attainers underperforming, especially those who do not speak English as their first language.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. The concentration on basic skills, especially literacy and numeracy, has been most effective. In addition, the systematic development of speaking and listening skills is a very good feature of progress. By Year 6, for example, the highest attainers are developing their analytical skills. During discussion they read and identify the features of a balanced written argument as to whether girls should be allowed to play in mixed football teams after the age of 12. Great emphasis is placed on key vocabulary to be used in writing presentations. All important aspects are discussed and incorporated in pupils’ speeches. There is a good understanding of English grammar.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. In Years 3 to 6, the setting or grouping of pupils by prior attainment into different classes has been an effective organisational strategy that has raised standards in English and mathematics. For example, in a Year 6 mathematics lesson, a lower set use calculators to help them round up figures. The pupils work enthusiastically on the tasks although many have special educational needs or do not speak English as their first language.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. Because of carefully planned assignments and the good levels of support they receive, pupils with special educational needs make similar progress to their classmates in acquiring literacy and numeracy skills. However, their ability to apply skills without adult support is not sufficiently developed. In other subjects they make good progress within their classwork.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

14. In most other subjects – art and design, design and technology, information and communication technology, physical education, music, geography and religious education – standards broadly match the expectations set nationally for their age but standards in history are below expectations. Overall, standards have made a marked improvement since the previous inspection. The introduction of a computer suite has had a significant impact on standards in information and communication technology and the improvement in teachers’ skills through training has added to improvements. The adoption of national schemes of work has helped to raise standards in other subjects.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Attitudes and behaviour are good and personal development and relationships are very good. This is a dramatic improvement from the last inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. All pupils enjoy school. They are keen to start lessons and settle down to work well. They show much enthusiasm. For instance, in a Year 2 science lesson in which the similarities and differences between people were being discussed, pupils engaged in their tasks with much enjoyment and produced some good work. Their good attitudes are demonstrated in the friendly way they talk to visitors, in the care they take of their environment and the consideration they show for each other. The Mitchell Brook Primary School - 18 - January 2003 school’s culture of mutual respect is reflected in pupils’ attitudes to each other. This relates to the good relationships between teachers, classroom assistants and the pupils and to the enthusiasm of teachers and their very good classroom management. In activities outside lessons, they show enthusiastic participation and relish their involvement.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Behaviour is good in nearly all classes but it needs to be better managed in a few. It is very occasionally unsatisfactory where teachers’ skills are less well developed but is good at lunchtime in the dining hall, in the playground and around the school, and very good in assemblies. There were five temporary exclusions last year. The school’s approach to behaviour management is thoughtful, and parents are involved long before the exclusion option is exercised. Oppressive behaviour does not often occur. The main method of recording behaviour is letters to parents and in the last year none of the letters concerned either bullying or racism. The school’s culture is one of mutual support and respect and pupils have a clear understanding of the impact of their actions on others. This is reflected in the positive relationships that exist between pupils and staff. They are welcoming to visitors and have obvious pride

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Relationships are very good. Teachers and classroom assistants know their children well and enjoy working with them. Pupils are confident in speaking to members of staff about problems. They help each other and give support. For instance, in physical education lessons, they respond very well to working in pairs for the development of ball skills. They assist each other and work together in a controlled way.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Pupils with special educational needs respond positively both to classwork and to their work with the specialist staff. They work hard and collaborate well with their classmates. Other pupils give good support, generously celebrating successes and taking trouble to include their colleagues with special educational needs in group activities.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. There are some good opportunities for pupils to take responsibility, especially in Year 6 where they help the younger children at playtimes, act as register and dinner monitors, distribute free portions of fruit and run the dance club in the lunch hour. Pupils participate enthusiastically in the School Council. In lessons, however, there are fewer opportunities for them to do their own investigation or find things out for themselves. They are acutely aware of the impact of their actions on others and their respect for each others’ feelings and beliefs are fostered by the way they are encouraged to appreciate and celebrate the differences between the cultures present in the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

21. Attendance is poor, but it is much better than it was in 2000/2001. Thanks to the efforts of the office staff and teachers, unauthorised absence has reduced dramatically. Punctuality is a problem, even though parents have to sign in pupils who are late. Despite this, the school day starts on time and there is good timekeeping throughout the day. The registration system is efficient.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. The quality of teaching is very good in Years 1 and 2, and is good in Years 3 to 6 and at the Foundation Stage. The commitment of the teachers and the quality of their work has a strong impact on the standards achieved. Almost two thirds of teaching was good or better and almost a quarter was very good. The remaining teaching was Mitchell Brook Primary School - 19 - January 2003 satisfactory, with only five per cent being unsatisfactory. The teachers’ Mitchell Brook Primary School - 20 - January 2003 subject knowledge and understanding are generally good and they have successfully implemented the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. Teaching in the Nursery and Reception is good. Well planned lessons with a strong emphasis on developing the basic skills of literacy and numeracy give children an enjoyable and effective start to school. The good quality of planning based on national schemes of work in Years 1

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

to 6 supports the good or very good quality of teaching.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. The strategies used by teachers to manage pupils some of whom can show challenging behaviour are particularly effective. Pupils with special educational needs receive good specialist attention, and are well supported by teaching assistants in lessons. There is close and effective co-operation between the special educational needs co-ordinator and class teachers in the drawing up of good individual educational plans. Teachers work hard with support staff to ensure that pupils are fully included in lessons and achieve well in all subjects. Progress is generally good when they are provided with support in small groups or through one-to-one teaching. It is not as good when these pupils work unaided as they lack confidence in their abilities.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Those children with English as an additional language, frequently the majority in classes, are also taught well but this is often at the expense of those pupils who are higher attaining and gifted or talented. In Year 6, good opportunities are provided for ‘writing conferences’. Many support staff in the school target groups to work with in lessons; they support learning effectively, providing good examples of the use of English. The members of staff know their pupils well and have good relationships with the parents. Problems are dealt with early in the pupil’s career.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. In Years 1 and 2 it is the consistently very good quality teaching that has led to improved standards, especially in the basic skills of literacy and numeracy. Teachers’ planning and subject knowledge are particularly good and their management of pupils very good . In Years 3 to 6, the quality of teaching and learning varies between classes and ranges from unsatisfactory to very good. Teachers use questioning effectively to promote and consolidate learning and they employ a variety of effective teaching methods. The priority given to raising standards in English and mathematics has improved the quality of teaching and learning in both subjects. Teaching is generally good, with some very good teaching in English and in some individual lessons in mathematics, science, geography, design and technology, and religious education. Systematic teaching of mental arithmetic is a good feature and pupils are helped to make up much lost ground, though teaching is not yet enabling

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

the highest attainers to reach the standards of which they are capable. In information and communication technology teaching is good and pupils systematically develop the skills necessary. However, little use is made of these skills in other subjects, for example using the Internet to research information.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. In the best teaching teachers’ careful planning, very effective behaviour management and challenging questioning ensured that pupils were busy, very well behaved and met the high expectations set for them. The warmth of the relationship with their teachers encourages pupils to give their best at all times. In a very good English lesson in Year 6, pupils showed respect for others’ contribution when discussing whether girls of 12 or older should be allowed to play in mixed football teams.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. Where teaching was less effective, it is because of inexperience or the teacher being new to the school and /or overseas trained with a restricted knowledge of the English education system. With the effective support procedures that are employed Mitchell Brook Primary School - 21 - January 2003 improvements can be expected during the course of the year. Most pupils have good attention spans and often seek to improve their work through sustained effort that has a good impact on their learning. However, not many are clear enough about their level of achievement and what they need to do better. This especially affects pupils who are higher attaining or gifted or talented, who sometimes do not achieve according to their capabilities in lessons. Homework makes a positive contribution to learning and standards and includes valuable work on reading, spelling, mathematics and research work.

p.20

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

28. The good teaching is a considerable improvement since the last inspection. Class teachers work effectively with the diverse groups that make up the school, including those who do not speak English as their first language. They are less effective at challenging higher attainers and those who are gifted or talented, partly because of the time taken up with the other groups mentioned.

p.21

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

29. Since the last inspection, the teaching and learning of pupils who have English as an additional language have much improved, and are now generally good in the classroom. Specific English language support is provided in the classroom, both for those who are at the very early stages of learning the language and for those who have basic competence but need further support to attain the standards expected for the National Curriculum. Also, there are now withdrawal classes for those at an early stage of learning. Specialist staff and teaching assistants contribute to the support programme and there are now guidelines for all staff on how to support these pupils. However, staff do not have enough knowledge of these pupils’ attainment in their own languages to know their overall attainment.

p.21

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

30. Good examples of this support seen during the inspection included very effective work in Year 6 with a newly-arrived pupil – a beginner in English – where a teaching assistant used a CD-ROM to help her learn words and phrases about the weather. In many lessons seen, teachers explained vocabulary carefully and the pupils being helped made as much progress as their classmates. Less effective support was seen in a few other lessons. Teachers did not follow the guidelines, explain key vocabulary and phrases, or provide the supporting visual material that is recommended. The pupils did not fully understand and their progress was hampered because of this. Some withdrawal class support was less effective because not enough planning had been done to ensure that there was sufficient time to complete work and because the pupils were not given enough opportunities to talk: to use the phrases they were learning. In one Year 2 withdrawal lesson, the boys in the group

p.21

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

had the chance to use a computer to compose the sentences they had been practising, while the girls were in the process of finishing the original piece of work that had been set.

p.21

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

31. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good overall. Teachers plan work according to the underlying abilities of their pupils and seek to address aspects identified within individual education plans. They know their pupils well and their difficulties and are very patient and caring. Where there is sufficient support in lessons, these pupils are taught well and make good progress but teachers do not find it easy to plan activities that promote their independence.

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The shortcomings identified in the previous inspection have been addressed and the school now meets statutory requirements. Emphasis is placed on raising standards Mitchell Brook Primary School - 22 - January 2003 in English and mathematics and, given the school’s particular circumstances and current stage of development, the weight given to these subjects is appropriate. The Mitchell Brook Primary School - 23 - January 2003 curriculum is relevant to the needs of all pupils, including minority ethnic groups and those who have special educational needs, those who have English as an additional language, refugees and the children of travellers. A broad range of learning opportunities is provided including enrichment of the curriculum such as Black History Week, traditional music, dance and visual art as well as visits from local writers.

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. The strong systems developed to promote equality of access to learning opportunities are most effective. There is a general commitment to the principle that everyone is valued equally, irrespective of race, sex, culture, language, sexuality, special educational needs or disability. This commitment extends to the wider community and the school encourages parents and others to respect and participate in bringing about equality of opportunity for all. The school environment reflects the diversity of the local community and encourages and supports first languages with the provision of communications between home and school in some local languages. For example, information to the Somali community is provided and translated into the home language.

p.23

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is good and provides a balanced programme that incorporates the nationally recommended Early Learning Goals. Children have access to a variety of suitable activities and experiences that prepare them well for work in Years 1 and 2. The quality and range of learning opportunities provided for Year 1 to Year 6 are satisfactory. Policy statements are in place for most subjects and are supported by nationally recommended schemes of work. There is a long-term plan that maps out the coverage of the National Curriculum, but the quality of short-term planning for some subjects is variable. For example, the work set does not always challenge higher attaining pupils or those who are gifted or talented.

p.23

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been successfully implemented. The more established teachers use these strategies with confidence and standards are continuing to rise. Recent appointments and staff from overseas are less secure in their knowledge of the strategies, but are being well supported by other colleagues within school. In Years 3 to 6, the introduction of grouping pupils by attainment in these subjects is also having a positive impact on standards. The provision for information and communication technology has improved. The recent refurbishment of the suite has enhanced the quality of provision and is broadening the experiences available to pupils. However, although computer skills are taught there is not enough use of information technology in other subjects, for example to research information for history and geography.

p.23

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. Learning opportunities for pupils with English as an additional language are good in the classroom. This is a significant improvement from the previous inspection. In most lessons, almost all pupils gain full access to the curriculum because the subject matter is usually presented in ways they can understand. For example, visual guidelines provided in information and communication technology lessons show exactly what the screen should look like at each stage and advise which choice to make. Withdrawal classes for pupils who are at the early stages of learning English provide helpful support with extra work on the books their classmates are studying in English lessons. Doing this work further in advance of the main class lessons to enable these pupils to play a fuller part would result in even greater achievements.

p.23

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. Some learning opportunities include books and displays relevant to the home cultures of pupils with English as an additional language. For example, as part of Black History project, there was a prominent and attractive display of the contribution Mitchell Brook Primary School - 24 - January 2003 made in World War II by Afro-Caribbean and Asian Commonwealth countries. Books chosen for whole class reading in English lessons include many which reflect the rich diversity of cultures in Britain and other countries. However, few resources draw more directly on the culture and experience of the Somali and Portuguese communities, the main ethnic groups of pupils currently in the school. The library and classroom book-stocks do not include books in the pupils’ home languages that would help them understand the vocabulary of specific subjects such as mathematics and science.

p.23

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. In a small number of cases, pupils are withdrawn from some subject classes, such as history, for support lessons in English. Although the school’s policy is to ensure they do not regularly miss a particular subject because of this, not enough is done to check that the policy is carried out in practice.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

39. The curriculum for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. Staff make use of a broad range of approaches, strategies and special learning programmes to address each pupil’s needs. Setting for English and mathematics lessons in Years 5 and 6 has also helped pupils gain literacy and numeracy skills. Targets within individual education plans focus on reading, spelling and mathematics. These targets are reflected in lesson plans for many classes, although in some there is not enough emphasis on enabling pupils to work independently. Support staff work effectively with the pupils assigned to them as well as with those close by, thus promoting the full involvement of their pupils in group activities.

p.24

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

40. Tasks covered in withdrawal lessons reflect those covered by the main class. However, the timetabling of out-of-class groups (such as music) run by outside agencies during the school day is not sufficiently under the control of the management team and this could compromise full access to the full curriculum if it is extended any further.

p.24

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

41. The school serves a rich and diverse community and promotes a multi-faith ethos in which all religions, cultures and traditions are celebrated and respected. Because of this, the requirement to have a daily act of Christian worship does not apply. There is general commitment to the principle that everyone is valued equally. The culture is one of mutual support and respect and pupils have a clear understanding of the impact of their actions on others. This caring approach with concern for all is reflected in the positive relationships that exist between pupils and staff. They are welcoming to visitors and have obvious pride and pleasure in their school.

p.24

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

42. Good provision is made for personal, social, and health education. The school is a harmonious place with an emphasis on achievement, individual worth and the promotion of high self-esteem. Though the opportunities are limited, pupils take on responsibilities such as playground monitor and membership of the School Council.

p.24

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

43. The governing body has decided that sex education will be delivered by modifying ‘Brent’s Guidance on Relationships and Sex Education’ . Because of the culturally sensitive nature of the content, sex education is delivered by the school nurse as part of the Health and Hygiene programme. The content of the course is shared with parents beforehand so as to reduce the number of pupils who may be withdrawn from the session. Issues surrounding the use and misuse of drugs are also a regular part of the curriculum and during the inspection the school hosted a local education authority ‘Drug Awareness and Prevention Seminar’ with parents and members of the local community. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 25 - January 2003 44. Provision for extra-curricular activities is good. A range of after-school and lunchtime activities is offered. These include football, rugby and athletics clubs and are generally

p.24

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

well attended by both boys and girls. The school is an active and successful participator in local inter-school sporting events and has developed close links within the local community. Breakfast and after school clubs have been introduced as well as a homework club and extra-curricular French and Spanish sessions.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

45. The school enjoys good links with the local community which help pupils to develop knowledge and understanding of life outside. Police and Fire Brigade representatives visit and run safety workshops; there are close links between the school and leaders within the various local cultural groups. For example, representatives of the Somali, Afro Caribbean, Afghan and Ghanaian community regularly visit to discuss issues which may impact on the lives of pupils.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

46. Relationships with partner institutions are strong. They include a local Beacon School, Brent’s ‘Behaviour Improvement Programme’ and the Learning Support Unit. Some higher attainers also attend occasional extension classes at the local secondary school. Students from the Institute of Education, London University and the North West London College are welcomed into the school. These links are valued and make an effective contribution to learning. Other visitors invited to enrich the curriculum include local writers and storytellers, artists and musicians. Excursions to places of interest are also organised: a Year 4 visit to St Albans supports the work done on Roman Britain for example.

p.25

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

47. The provision for spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is very good overall. Spiritual development is good, work on relationships with others is addressed as part of religious education and challenging experiences such as death, suffering and war are often discussed. Periods of silence and reflection are encouraged in many classes. Older pupils have an awareness of the idea of deity and often discuss why individuals reach certain decisions on spiritual or moral issues. They regularly explore the beliefs and values of others through the study of Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. As a result, they begin to understand ideas specific to their own faith, as well as learning to respect others. Circle time is also used to encourage pupils to value themselves and other people by reflecting on feelings and emotions such as disappointment and fear.

p.25

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

48. The provision for moral development is good. There is a clear moral code that is regularly reinforced. Teachers have appropriately high expectations of behaviour and these are consistently applied throughout the school. Pupils have a good understanding of right and wrong and incidents of an oppressive or racist nature are very rare. When they do occur they are dealt with swiftly and effectively. The principles that the school wishes to promote – tolerance, peace, patience and endurance – are modelled effectively by the entire staff. The very good relationships between teachers and pupils create a positive attitude. Academic and personal achievements are recognised and pupils are regularly reminded to think about ‘what have you achieved today?’

p.25

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

49. The provision for pupils’ social development is very good. There is a common sense of community with a strong set of values that overcome individual differences both racial and religious. The pupils are effectively encouraged to work together and to respect each other, irrespective of their differences. A school council has been introduced to give pupils an opportunity to contribute to the question: ‘How do we make the school a better place?’ There is caring, harmonious and friendly Mitchell Brook Primary School - 26 - January 2003 atmosphere and pupils are expected to help each other as well as visitors. The constant attention given to developing positive self-esteem and consideration of the needs of others is a significant factor in the improving standards.

p.25

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

50. The promotion of cultural development is very good and is strength of the school. Pupils are immersed in different cultural traditions on a daily basis. This is illustrated in the diverse nature of the intake and reflected by the varied background of both teaching and support staff. There are good opportunities for pupils to appreciate different musical, artistic and oral traditions and they study writings in a range of styles. Storytellers from the different local communities are invited into school and they give good opportunities to see text in languages other than English. They have a natural and tolerant understanding of cultural diversity and richness and are well prepared for life in an interdependent multi-ethnic society.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. Pastoral care is a major strength of the school. The monitoring of academic performance and personal development is very good, as is the educational support and guidance given to pupils. This is an improvement from the last inspection and is a major reason for the school’s improving standards.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. The school is a safe environment with all the expected safety measures in place. Safety inspections are undertaken regularly by an outside contractor. All teaching assistants and welfare staff are trained in first-aid. Fire drills are held regularly, Internet safety is provided and external visits are carefully planned and supervised. Child protection procedures are very good. The nominated person, the headteacher, is experienced in this field. She knows the local procedures, has good contacts and is well known by the social services department for her persistence. Almost all staff have been trained. They know what to do if a child starts to divulge details of an abuse and know the warning signs of abuse. The children of families on the child protection register are carefully monitored, as are those with poor or changing home circumstances. Welfare facilities are good and children with health problems are

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

identified to those who need to know. A breakfast and an after-school club are available.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. Procedures for the promotion of attendance are satisfactory. Letters are sent home requesting reasons for absence if none have been provided. Rewards are given for high attendance. The impact on education of poor attendance is stressed to parents on occasions but there is scope for more of this. Each year, every home receives a letter and a brochure emphasising the importance of attendance. The education welfare officer handles the attendance performance of a few families and she is currently running a campaign to reduce the frequency of lateness.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. Procedures for promoting good behaviour are very good. The emphasis is on ‘catching them being good and praising them.' The headteacher's policy is to use praise to build the self-respect of children: they are constantly reinforced by praise. It is regarded as important that staff act consistently in behaviour management and this is reinforced by the headteacher’s constant presence around the school. Teamwork and collaboration are promoted through the house and team-point system. Training is important for midday supervisors who play an important role in behaviour management. The school’s maxim, ‘treat others as you would like to be treated yourself’, is promoted at assemblies and in many day-to-day situations. Animal welfare is regarded as important and progress reports are regularly given on animals rescued from cruelty by the staff. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 27 - January 2003 55. There are no special procedures for eliminating oppressive behaviour but there is a

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

strong belief that behaviour management and moral and social education will achieve what is wanted. The inspection found the school to be a harmonious place.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

56. There are very good procedures for supporting personal development. Teachers closely observe progress and take a keen interest in pupils’ success. They talk sympathetically about their pupils, especially the ones causing them concern. Every term, parents and pupils receive targets for improvement.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

57. Since the last inspection, there has been a major improvement in the school’s admission and induction procedures for pupils with English as an additional language. The procedures include the pupils who join the school in later year groups and after the start of term. Good initial assessments of language needs are now made, using nationally recognised scales to classify the levels pupils have achieved. These assessments include interviews with parents where some particulars are recorded about home languages. All teachers keep information about levels of English language skills, which is cross-referenced with data concerning achievement levels in National Curriculum subjects as the pupils progress through the school. However, there is scope for further improving the effectiveness of these arrangements. For example, by recording pupils’ knowledge of their home language and whether they can read and write in it. Teachers have not yet had enough guidance to enable them

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

to use this information to improve their planning.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

58. There is also room for the better recording and distribution of information about pupils’ previous experience of schooling. This is important when they have recently arrived from another country, and should include their circumstances. For example, whether they have arrived from a conflict zone or have been through distressing personal experiences. Also, the system for checking continuing progress in the English language is not regularly tracked against progress in National Curriculum subjects. For example, the school has begun to analyse its national test results to check progress of pupils with English as an additional language. It has identified that some groups – such as Somali boys – are not doing as well as others. However, the school does not systematically check and record how well the different groups are using their new language skills in comparison with their classmates. Both in the

p.27

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

59. The special educational needs co-ordinator and the co-ordinator responsible for supporting pupils with English as an additional language work well together. They ensure that special educational needs are not presumed. They identify those who are at the early stages of learning English. The requirements of those who also have special educational needs are accurately assessed. However, some staff need further guidance on how to distinguish between special educational needs and early language acquisition.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

60. A successful after-school homework club has been established. It is open to all by pupils, but is intended primarily to help Somalians, who have been identified as lower attainers than other groups of pupils with English as an additional language. The person who runs the club speaks Somali. However, more pupils would benefit form using the club than do so at present.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

61. The support and care for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory, encompassing academic and personal requirements. Experienced staff are quick to identify and address needs as they arise and they monitor progress well. However, there is not enough support for newly qualified or overseas teachers in learning how Mitchell Brook Primary School - 28 - January 2003 to implement the school’s procedures. Pupils’ individual education plans address Mitchell Brook Primary School - 29 - January 2003 aspects of literacy, numeracy and behaviour and are used effectively to monitor progress over time. However, since the school uses a commercial computer program when writing these plans, the distinctive character of the school is missing from them. Strategies might be included such as the use of a home language to aid literacy, or planned counselling for refugees. The school currently has no pupils with

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Statements of Special Educational Need, although some do experience considerable difficulty in learning.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

62. Procedures for monitoring personal and academic progress are good. The development of a system of assessment that is both informative and manageable has been prioritised.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

63. Optional annual national tests and standardised reading and spelling tests are regularly used to look for individual progress and to set class targets. Target setting is clearly focussed on raising standards. Teachers use their professional judgement to choose class targets, allowing them to accomplish the best results possible. Class teachers also agree individual targets with pupils for English and mathematics, which are revised at least termly and discussed at parent consultation meetings.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

64. The co-ordinator’s very thorough analysis of pupils’ performance allows the identification of specific weaknesses in spelling and mental arithmetic. It has shown that, in each year group, very few pupils are working at the top of the range of expectations. Actions taken include greater emphasis on these weaknesses by all teachers and have resulted in improvement in both these areas of the curriculum.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

65. The use of assessment is developing well. Teachers have spent time on checking the level of pupils’ work against national expectations so that a school portfolio of work in core subjects is being built up and matched to National Curriculum levels. The school has recently begun to use commercial on-line testing effectively. There has been a considerable improvement since the last inspection when assessment was found to be unsatisfactory.

p.29

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

66. As it did at the last inspection, the school makes good efforts to involve parents but whilst parents are supportive of the school many find it difficult because of family or personal circumstances to be fully involved. Parents have very high opinions of the school. Over three-quarters of the responses in the returned questionnaires are in the ‘strongly agree’ column. The view of parents, children and staff can be summed up as: ‘thank goodness for the improvements that have been made.’

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

67. The information the school provides for parents is of good quality. There are regular newsletters. The prospectus and the annual report by the governors are well presented and provide a good picture of the school. There is also a very attractive brochure. School reports contain very good descriptions of achievements. Information about attainment is in terms of National Curriculum levels and is provided for Years 2 to 6. There are targets for improvement, and advice to parents on how they can help their children. Many parents attend consultation evenings on progress and there are open evenings every term. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are invited to come to a meeting once a term at which individual education plans are discussed, but attendance is variable. There is room for closer collaboration with the parents of children with special educational needs. Individual education plans are shared with parents at consultation evenings. Parents do not

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

fully contribute to the review of their children’s targets or the setting of new ones. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 30 - January 2003 Sometimes the targets within the education plans are not expressed in easily understandable language, which means that parents do not fully understand what target is to be achieved.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

68. The school is very approachable. Teachers are available informally or by appointment at the end of the school day and parents are made to feel welcome. Information provided is accessible, for example the school ensures that separated parents are both sent the information.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

69. The contribution of parents to their children’s learning at school and at home is satisfactory. There are some good aspects but they are undermined by the failure of some parents to deal with their children’s poor attendance, and the failure of others to support reading and other homework. Parents attend achievement assemblies and shows, such as the ‘International Day’, the Year 6 graduation ceremony and the Harvest Festival. Two parents help with reading, and others assist with trips, the garden and the football team. An enthusiast runs the parent/teacher association, which organises discos, ‘The School Fayre’, a Friday video club (which allows parents to go shopping) and the tuck shop. The association provides useful finance for the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

70. Parents are involved in discussing their children’s behaviour and attendance problems, and their contribution and support is valued. At certain times, they can be directed to help in behaviour management or literacy classes. Induction into the Nursery is preceded by trial sessions for parent/carer and child and, before that, a home visit.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

71. Good curriculum information is provided termly for each year group with a personal message from both class teachers. The home-school agreement is translated into Somali and an interpreter is provided at open evenings. The school would provide more interpreters would if it could afford to.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

72. Since the last inspection, the school has improved its arrangements for promoting partnership with parents of pupils with English as an additional language. They are now interviewed about their children’s home language and knowledge of English as part of the induction procedure but recording is not detailed enough to provide sufficient information about the pupils’ attainment. However, this is being addressed, a successful Somali parents’ group has been established, which is beginning to increase the numbers becoming involved in school life and added to those who interpret and translate documents for other parents (some staff and pupils also help with this). However, there is no system for providing equally good support for translating and interpreting the parents’ most common home languages. The school does not yet draw more widely on local community groups, nor does it have an active policy of seeking to recruit more staff or volunteers who speak these languages.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

73. The leadership and management of the school are very good. At the time of the last inspection, the management and efficiency of the school required substantial improvement. The headteacher has addressed the recommendations of the last report with enthusiasm and determination. Her deputy, the senior management and middle management teams and all the staff support her very ably. All permanent teaching staff manage and lead aspects of school improvement and contribute to the school improvement plan. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 31 - January 2003 74. The headteacher has a vision for the future of the school that is very good and linked to high achievement. She has a strong vision for the future development of the school and has gained the enthusiastic commitment of all teaching and support staff. Everybody involved in the school shares the commitment to improvement, and the school’s capacity to succeed is very good. The action already taken to address

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

development needs reflects the school’s aims and values and has been very successful in creating a harmonious and positive environment. The very effective delegation of significant responsibilities to key staff has enabled the establishment of an effective core structure, which helps to overcome uncertainties that the school used to face on a daily basis.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

75. The role of the subject leaders has been developed, particularly with regard to the assessment and monitoring of learning. However, the assessment of pupils’ attainment in their own language with English as an additional language is at the early stages of development. Improvements in teachers’ planning, assessment procedures, and monitoring and evaluation have been instrumental in raising standards. All staff show competency in identifying priorities, setting targets for improvement and monitoring and reviewing progress towards them. The school improvement plan clearly identifies areas for development and includes time scales and cost implications.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

76. The role of the governors has been strengthened to enable them to contribute more fully to strategic planning and monitor outcomes of spending. They have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and the areas for future development. They fulfil their legal responsibilities well and are developing their role in shaping the direction of the school and monitoring its performance. The headteacher works closely and effectively with them and provides regular detailed reports for meetings on curriculum development, standards, attainment, trends, financial implications and other matters. Individual governors have taken on responsibility for literacy, numeracy, special educational needs and English as an additional language, a good development. Regular and effective checks are made on the school building and grounds to ensure safety.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

77. The headteacher and deputy headteacher are fully involved in monitoring the quality of teaching and learning. Since the last inspection, teachers have extended their skills in monitoring and evaluating learning and have successfully raised pupils’ attainment and progress within their areas of responsibility. Improved planning ensures that learning builds on what pupils already know, understand and can do. This has led to very good improvement in teaching and a rise in standards.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

78. Training is linked to the good procedures for reviewing teachers’ performance and the priorities in the school improvement plan. Plans to extend training to teaching assistants will enable them to have a key role in school improvement. They are keen to participate and have developed their expertise in managing initiatives in literacy and numeracy. They give valuable support to pupils with additional learning or behavioural needs. The positive climate which is a strong feature of the school promotes the professional and personal development of all staff.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

79. There is a good programme of induction for teachers and teaching assistants who are new and the school is becoming increasingly involved in the training of student teachers. Teachers and teaching assistants regularly visit schools that have particular expertise. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 32 - January 2003 80. At the previous inspection, the management of support for pupils who are learning English as an additional language was found to be unsatisfactory and was identified Mitchell Brook Primary School - 33 - January 2003 as a priority. This area of the school’s work has been developed significantly and has improved at a rapid rate in the short period since this inspection. Within lessons it is good. Leadership and management are good overall and continue to improve. There is now an appointed co-ordinator for the area who is committed and enthusiastic and has received extended local education authority training. She has been able to

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

establish an increasingly effective system, providing in-class and withdrawal support. The system has contributed to the school’s recent substantial improvements in national test results. As well as establishing an assessment system that meets national recommendations, she has successfully completed the large task of establishing appropriate and comprehensive records of language needs. She has led the drafting of a school policy, which includes guidance for staff, and has fronted two training days. The school recognises that the policy will have to be regularly reviewed, and there are several areas where new guidance will help the school to improve. For instance, the present policy does not explain how to use visual aids like talking computer programs and digital cameras, or give advice about the best ways of introducing key words and phrases so that pupils can understand. Furthermore, it does not give enough guidance on how to help pupils who have become competent in

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

basic English but need more help – particularly with written English – to reach expected National Curriculum standards.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

81. Many staff, particularly teachers who have recently joined the school from overseas, need further training and guidance, especially on how best to provide for these pupils in lessons. This is particularly important, since specialist in-class and withdrawal support is only available for a small proportion of the total lesson time. Most staff do not know how to plan better by using available information on their pupils’ basic English language skills. It is important to point out that some of these teachers had been in the school only a few days and the school’s induction procedures had yet to have a full impact.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

82. The arrangements for checking teaching and learning in classes are very good. At the moment the school does not monitor withdrawal support and additional support in classrooms enough, checking that the quality of teaching is as effective as the class teachers. The school recognises that more remains to be done in improving support arrangements for pupils with English as an additional language and this is a major focus of the development plans. Grant funds allocated for this provision are now appropriately spent and accounted for.

p.33

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

83. Resources in this area have improved since the last inspection. There is now a specialist support room and the school has acquired some particularly effective ‘talking’ software. However, there is not enough information and communication technology support equipment needed by pupils learning English. For example, there is no printer in the specialist support room and only one computer, which does not have the most appropriate software installed. There is no bilingual word-processing software, too few bilingual books, dictionaries and picture books.

p.33

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

84. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. The teacher with particular responsibility is knowledgeable and teaches her groups well. She maintains all the necessary paperwork and gives helpful support to class-teachers in writing individual education plans and at review meetings. However, because of the high proportion of these pupils in the school, she is unable to observe or work directly with many of them in order to monitor the implementation of individual education plans. However, the relevant staff have received an appropriate range of on-going training. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 34 - January 2003 85. There is effective liaison with most of the outside agencies working within the school. At times, because of lack of detail about their work, these visiting teachers do not always keep the special educational needs co-ordinator fully informed. She is unable to monitor the effectiveness of their work when pupils return to their classroom. The

p.33

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

timetabling of groups of pupils’ with special educational needs is not under the control of any member of the staff. As a result, a few pupils are disadvantaged by the arrangements, especially when pupils are being withdrawn from vital lessons such as English and mathematics.

p.34

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

86. The school has a satisfactory range of resources for special educational needs, although some are rather old. The fact that the building has four floors means it is not entirely accessible for some pupils with physical disabilities. However, efforts have been made to ensure that the ground floor of the main building is fully accessible.

p.34

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

87. Satisfactory use is made of new technology, for example for managing the budget and keeping track of pupils’ progress. All expenditure is budgeted for systematically. The school bursar, ably supported by the welfare assistant, manages the school office efficiently. Finances are managed effectively. Issues highlighted in the most recent audit report have been fully addressed. There is close liaison with the governing body.

p.34

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

88. Procedures for financial management and planning are sound. The school is fortunate in having ready access to outside expertise in managing its finances. The budget process is efficient and the headteacher keeps governors fully informed of spending levels. The use of grants for specific purposes was an issue in the previous inspection report and this has been addressed. Specific funds are carefully used to support educational priorities, such as special educational needs. The headteacher and governors employ the principles of best value to ensure efficient use of resources, but the large inherited deficit restricts the improvement of resources. The governors and staff have a strategic overview and the school’s priorities for development are very suitable.

p.34

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

89. Systems are in place to link the school improvement plan to the constraints of the budget and longer-term financial management. The governors allocate agreed funds to priorities in the improvement plan but the huge deficit which has been carried for a significant period needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. It has had a detrimental effect on development, particularly resources, staffing, training and the school environment. Financial reports show a careful analysis of spending against aims. Nevertheless, pupils continue to be disadvantaged by debts accrued under the previous management.

p.34

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

90. The match of support staff to the demands of the curriculum is very good. Most of the teaching staff are well qualified and effective. A few are from overseas and until induction procedures are completed are less effective. The level of staffing is good. However, it is difficult to recruit teachers and the school has to employ short-term temporary staff, which makes staffing unstable. Teaching assistants are deployed efficiently. They make a significant contribution to the quality of teaching and learning. All staff, including lunchtime assistants, make an active contribution to the development of the school and the good relationships that prevail. The caretaker makes a valuable contribution to many aspects of school life.

p.34

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

91. Accommodation is satisfactory but in a poor state of repair. The outside toilets are disagreeable. The library is adequate in size, but is short of up-to-date books and would benefit from a thorough overhaul. The computer suite is suitable for whole- Mitchell Brook Primary School - 35 - January 2003 class use. This facility has helped to maintain standards in information and communication technology. Outdoor provision is satisfactory; it has been improved for the Nursery and Reception classes, enabling the teachers to give sufficient attention to physical development.

p.34

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

92. Resources for learning are adequate, although many are dated and uninviting. They are very good in music. Resources throughout the school are readily accessible and are used well to support learning. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 36 - January 2003

p.35

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

93. The governors, headteacher and staff should build on the good improvement in standards by:

p.36

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• increasing the challenge for higher attainers and gifted or talented pupils by:

p.36

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- better identification of the particular skills and talents of individual pupils; - providing carefully planned work for them in all subjects; (paragraphs: 1,5,10,28,119,126,139 and158)

p.36

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improving the use of information and communication technology across the curriculum, but in particular for supporting pupils with English as an additional language in the early stages of their learning by:

p.36

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- specifically planning the use of information and communication technology in all subjects; - providing software that supports different subjects; - ensuring that a range of software of a suitable standard is available for pupils who are at the early stages of learning English; (paragraphs: 25,83,115,129,156,171,178 and183)

p.36

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improving standards of those who speak English as an additional language by:

p.36

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- improving the quality of support, in withdrawal groups for these pupils; - identifying those with basic competence in English and ensuring that the pitch of work set is sufficiently challenging; - ensuring that teachers assess the competence of pupils in their own language, to better determine their attainment; - providing more books in the library in pupils’ home languages; (paragraphs: 1,5,10,29,30,58,59,72,75,80,82,83,85,106,114,116,126 and 129)

p.36

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improving the monitoring of support for pupils with English as an additional language, particularly in withdrawal groups by:

p.36

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- including the withdrawal groups in the arrangements for monitoring teaching and learning; - checking that support is relevant to the work taking place in class and extends pupils learning; (paragraphs: 82,83,84 and 85)

p.36

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• developing strategies to improve attendance by:

p.36

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- continuing and developing the good procedures already introduced; - raising the profile and importance of attendance with parents especially in light of new national regulations that are to be introduced. (paragraphs:15,21,53,69 and 70) Mitchell Brook Primary School - 37 - January 2003 The headteacher and staff should:

p.36

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improve the induction and training of new members of staff, especially those teachers who are trained overseas by:

p.37

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- intensive monitoring of teaching and learning; - giving them experience of model lessons; - improving their subject knowledge by the provision of suitable training especially in literacy and numeracy. (paragraphs: 35,61,81 and 90) Mitchell Brook Primary School - 38 - January 2003

p.37

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 27

p.38

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.38

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.38

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.38

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 16 333

p.38

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals - 298

p.38

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.38

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 0

p.38

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 8 149

p.38

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.38

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 200

p.38

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.38

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 90

p.38

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 67

p.38

Attendance

School data 8.1 School data 0.1 Mitchell Brook Primary School - 39 - January 2003 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.38

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 40 - January 2003

p.39

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 19 28 47

p.40

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.40

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

Boys 14 15 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 28 27 28

p.40

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

Percentage of pupils School 89 (60) 89 (71) 98 (82) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.40

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.40

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

Boys 16 19 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 27 28 28

p.40

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

Percentage of pupils School 91 (58) 100 (78) 96 (76) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.40

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

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

p.40

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 2002 20 15 35

p.40

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.40

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

Boys 16 15 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 11 12

p.40

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

Percentage of pupils School 77 (40) 74 (53) 89 (78) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.40

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.40

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

Boys 10 12 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 10 11

p.40

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

Percentage of pupils School 60 (n/a) 63 (n/a) 77 (n/a) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.40

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 41 - January 2003

p.40

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.41

Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.41

Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 34 0 0

p.41

Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.41

Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 5 0 0

p.41

Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.41

Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.41

Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 58 5 0

p.41

Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.41

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.41

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 15 Financial year 2000-2

p.41

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20.8

p.41

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 954,323

p.41

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 10 Total expenditure 1,011,223

p.41

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 82.5 Expenditure per pupil 2,520

p.41

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: Nursery Balance brought forward from previous year -21,236

p.41

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year -78,136

p.41

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 16

p.41

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3

p.41

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 25 Mitchell Brook Primary School - 42 - January 2003 Number of pupils per FTE adult 4

p.41

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 43 - January 2003

p.42

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 6

p.43

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 8

p.43

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.43

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.43

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.43

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.43

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.43

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 78 22 0 0 0

p.43

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 59 33 1 0 7

p.43

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 68 21 7 1 3

p.43

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 79 20 0 1 0

p.43

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 75 24 0 0 1

p.43

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 84 13 0 1 1

p.43

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 75 20 4 0 1

p.43

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 74 22 3 0 1

p.43

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 74 24 0 0 3

p.43

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 47 36 3 1 13 Mitchell Brook Primary School - 44 - January 2003 NB: not all of these scores total 100 per cent Mitchell Brook Primary School - 45 - January 2003

p.43

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

94. The good arrangements in the Foundation Stage maintain the quality of the thoughtful, caring provision and the challenging teaching that children received at the time of the previous inspection. The Nursery and Reception classes form a more stable part of the school and do not suffer from the turnover of staff or mobility of children that other year groups face.

p.45

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

95. Children start the Nursery in the September after they reach three years of age. They attend part-time during the autumn, either in the morning or afternoon sessions, and full-time after that. More than half do not speak English as their first language, are ethnically very diverse and a high proportion have been identified as having special educational needs. These children are carefully identified in the very effective assessment procedures. The same procedures are used when children move into Reception to check the progress they have made.

p.45

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

96. Attainment on entry is well below average for a number of reasons. There is significant deprivation in the area, and much social housing for short-stay families. The high numbers of children from refugee families are placed in this accommodation. Many come from countries in conflict or from deprived backgrounds with little security and therefore have limited social and emotional development and the children of Travellers often do not attend regularly. All these children make good progress in Nursery, and by the time they reach Reception they are confident and participate well in class. Even so, when they transfer to Year 1, they have not reached the early learning goals of communication, language and literacy, personal social and emotional development, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world. As creative development and physical development do not rely so heavily on communication skills, attainment is better in these subjects and

p.45

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

they achieve these early learning goals.

p.45

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

97. During the inspection, all teaching was good or better and in a small amount of lessons it was very good. Lessons are well planned and teachers have a good knowledge of the early learning goals. Teachers work closely as a team to make sure children learn continuously. Their probing questioning, effective group discussions and much one-to-one interaction are good features. Teachers organise their classrooms so that children have various areas in which they can play creatively. Children role-play in a pretend house and effectively develop speaking and listening skills, use a sand tray and weigh things informally, developing their mathematical skills. The reasonable range of outside equipment enables them to develop their physical skills. A particularly good feature of teaching is the way teachers help children to develop their reading skills by helping them sound out letters. The regular daily sessions given over to the sounding of letters enable some high attainers to read

p.45

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

98. The team of teachers is well led and managed by an experienced member of the senior management team who ensures a consistent approach to children’s learning. The good development of all children, especially those who do not speak English as a first language and those with special educational needs, is evidence of this consistency. In all classes, the very diverse ethnic mix of children including children of travellers work harmoniously as a group. They are attentive, try hard, and progress Mitchell Brook Primary School - 46 - January 2003 well. Communication skills and personal development are well below Mitchell Brook Primary School - 47 - January 2003 average on entry, and as a result standards, especially in literacy and social development, are held back. Some higher attainers in Reception achieve all the early learning goals. Most of these are from minority ethnic groups and some have English

p.45

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

as an additional language. Frequently these pupils achieve higher standards than those who are native speakers.

p.47

Personal, social and emotional development

99. Despite their initial immaturity and limited communication skills, children quickly adjust to school life, although many of them have not been given any degree of independence and are sometimes not toilet trained. School is a very strange environment for many and the gentle easing into it by initially attending part-time helps them to cope with it. Children adjust well to the friendly and welcoming environment in the Nursery and in Reception. They overcome their initial shyness because of the way teachers talk to individual children and organise them to play games and talk together. However, many do not achieve this area of learning by the time they reach Year 1.

p.47

Personal, social and emotional development

100. There are good opportunities for children to choose their own activities in order to develop their independence and confidence. Teachers reward any positive effort by praise and recognition of what is done. For example, the teacher will often show a piece of work to others and praise the effort that has been made. In the first session in the morning, children are encouraged to look at books, not only to help the first aspects of reading but also to develop a love of books and learning. The good teaching takes great care to ensure that children’s responses are valued and that they all participate in question and answers sessions.

p.47

Personal, social and emotional development

101. Vulnerable children are identified in the effective assessment systems and using effective strategies and a caring approach in the classroom deal with any potential behavioural difficulties. For example, some recently-arrived refugees had no experience of what is expected in a Western classroom, but they soon adapted because of the friendly, non-threatening and patient approach of the teachers. Children enjoy dressing up and role-play in the play-house and those with more advanced social skills act as role models, showing others the correct way to behave. A few show aggressive behaviour, especially boys who are generally less mature than girls. Teachers explain carefully why they should not behave in that way and by Reception incidents are rare. The school makes it a priority to eliminate aggressive behaviour.

p.47

Communication and, language and literacy

102. Because of the good teaching, progress is good – sometimes very good – but by Year 1 standards are frequently below expectations. In the Nursery, children are confident, though not as articulate as expected, often giving one-word answers and finding it difficult to engage in conversation. This is because more than half do not speak much English. It is not uncommon to find them sitting with others while the teacher is talking, obviously not understanding but watching others and following their reactions. They memorise new words quickly. After registration, all Nursery children recite the days of the week and the majority know it is ‘Wednesday’. Some higher attainers respond more fully saying ‘would you like some?’ or ‘would you like some more?’ when role playing at a tea party.

p.47

Communication and, language and literacy

103. Children enjoy looking at books and sit attentively looking at pictures or reading simple text. The majority know that a book is read from left to right. Although development Mitchell Brook Primary School - 48 - January 2003 is good, Reception children still do not have much English vocabulary. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 49 - January 2003 There are still many children – especially those who have not attended Nursery – who speak using only one word or a short phrase. However, a great deal of attention is taken to sounding out letters or groups of letters. The good teaching enables children to begin to understand the structure of words and leads to reading and writing. In Reception, children are grouped so that higher attainers can develop more quickly and intensive work can take place with children of travellers, those who have English as an additional language or special educational needs.

p.47

Communication and, language and literacy

104. Additional support is given to lower attainers, including those with special educational needs. Higher attainers enjoy linking the letter-sound cards with pictures of animals such as a horse or a bee and they do so accurately. They develop this learning to include sounds of two letters such as ‘sh’ and identify ‘sheep’ and ‘shoes’ during their game. They develop their writing skills using a white board and write letters which are recognisable, sometimes writing their names. In a few instances they copy or write their own sentences, usually with some help from the teacher. Some of the highest attainers’ reading and writing is of a good standard for their age.

p.49

Mathematical development

105. Because of the good teaching, children make good and sometimes very good progress but the extremely low level of skills on entry means that many do not achieve this early learning goal. In Nursery they count the number of children in the class every day and go through the days of the week to identify today, tomorrow and yesterday. They reliably count everyday objects forward and backwards to ten. They learn the early stages of weighing and measuring, playing with sand and pouring it from one container to another. They fill and empty the containers, thus learning about capacity both visually and from weight. This is further developed with good teaching in Reception. In one challenging lesson they learned and understood the words ‘full’ and ‘empty’, but many had difficulty understanding the idea ‘half-full’, ‘half-empty’ and ‘partially full’. A high attaining pupil said, ‘there is little in it’. This work is followed by

p.49

Mathematical development

pupils physically weighing bottles. A third of the class understand that the fuller the bottle is, the heavier it becomes, although many find this difficult to express.

p.49

Mathematical development

106. Spatial awareness is developed by the use of jigsaw puzzles and teaching assistants often explain how pieces fit by their shape and their place in the picture. Children make better progress in mathematics than they do in communication, language and literacy because numeracy development is quite strong in terms of number- recognition and patterns. However, because many children do not speak and understand English well, they have difficulty in working out spoken or written mathematical problems. Teaching is good overall and teachers provide many informal and formal opportunities to develop children’s Numeracy skills, by organising sessions to check the children’s counting skills.

p.49

Knowledge and understanding of the world

107. Most children progress well in this early learning goal but few achieve it by Year 1. Despite coming from a rich diversity of cultural heritages, deprivation has caused many to lead rather narrow lives. Some refugees are traumatised by events they have witnessed before they start school. The caring, but challenging and secure environment offered by the school, together with the good teaching, is effective in overcoming these disadvantages. There were no outside visits during the inspection but they do happen, so that children have an understanding of where they live. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 50 - January 2003 108. Teaching is good and children learn well, for example they learn about the natural environment. In the Nursery, for example, they grow bulbs in jars and identify water, roots and flowers helped by the teacher’s skilful questioning. The teacher encourages discussion and some talk about the bulbs children took home at Christmas. Most

p.49

Knowledge and understanding of the world

children know that the flower is white and the leaves are green and are fascinated by the tall plant growing in the classroom. They use headphones and a tape recorder in their group work and most point to the correct animal on a card as its name is mentioned on the tape. Another group makes biscuits in the shape of animals and observes the change in materials as they mix dough. Their vocabulary is extended to words such as ‘flour’, ‘egg’, ‘sugar’, ‘bowl’, ‘mix’, ‘roll’, ‘cut’ ’cook’ and ‘lemon’.

p.50

Knowledge and understanding of the world

109. In Reception prior knowledge is built upon and there are contributions from outside agencies. In one lesson children talk about what animals make suitable pets and a good discussion takes place about the relative advantages and disadvantages of looking after different animals. A representative of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reinforces this lesson by talking about how to look after pets. This work is well backed-up in a computer lesson in which commercial software is used to paint pictures of animals on the computer. In this lesson pupils were confident in opening the program and used the mouse with control.

p.50

Physical development

110. Most children achieve these goals. They handle glue-sticks, paints, brushes and clay-modelling tools with confidence and dexterity, showing their good fine-control of their hands. The school is fortunate to have a small but well-equipped outside area and a wide range of resources for physical activities including a climbing frame that helps co-ordination and physical movement.

p.50

Physical development

111. More formal physical education is well taught in Reception and children learn to warm-up before the main activity by jumping vigorously and moving around the hall. They show good spatial awareness and move around safely. They learn to balance on different parts of their bodies such as their knees and elbows, although many found it difficult to hold these their positions when asked. All pupils participated well in this lesson and those with English as an additional language or who have special educational needs followed instructions well although often by emulating other children.

p.50

Creative development

112. The majority of children achieve this goal by Year 1. The well thought out, stimulating classroom environments make a strong contribution to standards. Teachers ensure that there are many pictorial opportunities for self-expression and encourage children to use building blocks and construction equipment effectively. Children draw with pencils and paint with brushes and they also have the opportunity to use the computer to paint. In one lesson they drew pictures of animals discussed previously. In Reception they learn the early stages of designing and making as they create the land where Goldilocks and the Three Bears live. Roots are simulated using cardboard tubes that have been splayed at the bottom, and screwed-up green tissue paper in the top makes a passable tree for their forest. They use scissors and glue safely and dextrously and are pleased with their efforts. They also enjoy clay modelling, making

p.50

Creative development

recognisable shapes of animals such as mice. They use modelling tools with skill and confidence. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 51 - January 2003 113. Those children with English as an additional language find creative work a good outlet and frequently achieve standards as good as, or better than, their peers. Children have the opportunity to use computers to paint and draw and higher attainers produce some skilful pictures, a giraffe, for example. Drawings of people are less mature and frequently miss details such as hair or fingers, especially those by pupils with special education needs. They enjoy singing songs like, ‘Old MacDonald had a Farm’ and are accompanied by a visiting saxophonist. Children mostly sing in tune, with gusto and in time to the music. Teaching is good and there are many planned opportunities for pupils to express themselves artistically with a range of materials such as paint,

p.50

Creative development

building materials, sticking and gluing, the classroom computers available. It is evident that children enjoy the creative aspect of their work and it is an area where those whose communication skills are limited can express themselves.

p.51

ENGLISH

114. In the 2002 national tests at the end of Year 2, pupils achieved the national average and were well above average when compared to similar schools. By Year 6 pupils’ results were well below average compared to nationally but well above average when compared to similar schools. By both Year 2 and 6 there was a marked improvement in standards on the previous year. The inspection found that standards in English were below average by the end of Years 2 and 6 because of the very high proportion of pupils with English as an additional language and special educational needs in these year groups. However, this represents a very good improvement since the time of the last inspection when standards were well below average in English by both Year 2 and 6. Despite the increasing number of pupils who do not speak English as their first language, the school continues its good drive to improve standards.

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ENGLISH

115. Good provision in the Foundation Stage contributes to a rise in standards. Pupils enter Year 1 with standards below national expectations, but this is an improvement from their being well below when they entered Nursery. There is a high degree of mobility and many pupils who take the national tests have only been in the school for a short period. Overall, pupils, including those with special educational needs, children of travellers, and refugees make good progress and achieve well. Pupils for whom English is an additional language also make good progress in class but the school does not use visual resources and information and communication technology enough to support them in withdrawal lessons. There is little use of information and communication generally to support the development of English. Higher attaining pupils make reasonable progress, but not enough to enable them to reach the highest

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levels in the national tests. Achievement is good and sometimes very good, often with considerable improvement from Nursery to Year 6. This is partly confirmed in the improvement from prior attainment or ‘value added’ from Year 2 to Year 6 which is recorded as very good .

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116. Standards in speaking and listening are below those expected in Year 2 and Year 6. Nevertheless, this represents an improvement from attainment on entry when the majority of pupils are not able to speak English. They listen carefully to each other and to adults, respond well to questions and discussions, and respect the views of others. This was very evident in a Year 6 lesson on the features of a balanced argument. Strongly-held views on whether girls should be allowed to play in mixed football teams after the age of 12 led to an interesting debate. In two Year 6 geography classes, a further debate between a rain forest tribe and the government was even more vigorous. Year 5 pupils responded imaginatively to the classical, Alfred Noyes’ narrative poem, ‘The Highwayman’ , identifying how poetic language and features are heightened to create momentum, mood and tension. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 52 - January 2003

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ENGLISH

117. There are planned opportunities to develop speaking and listening across the curriculum and reading aloud is a regular feature of lessons. The good use of questioning by most teachers encourages the more reluctant speakers to respond. During daily reading sessions, pupils experience and discuss a wide range of carefully selected material. Drama and role-play provide a range of contexts for formal and informal speech. There are planned opportunities for the development of literacy skills during class discussions and activities in pairs and groups in most subjects. In the best lessons, there is a strong emphasis on the use of subject- specific vocabulary. However, teachers seldom encourage pupils to respond in sentences rather than single words or phrases.

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ENGLISH

118. Although much good development work takes place, standards in reading remain below those expected in Year 2 and Year 6. Enthusiasm for reading is a strength of learning. Pupils learn to enjoy books by having frequent access to them. The provision of a daily, focused session has led to improvement. The use of a structured reading scheme in the early stages is helpful. A good consistent approach to the teaching of letter sounds is proving to be very effective. However, pupils do not read individually to adults often enough to reinforce the good teaching. Many pupils do not have efficient strategies to help them to read unfamiliar words.

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ENGLISH

119. The school library has its shortcomings, for example, there are not enough books in pupils’ own languages or a range of books reflecting the diversity of cultures in the school. In addition to this, teachers do not introduce research and referencing skills early enough. There are not enough opportunities for higher attainers to practice scanning books and the Internet when researching. Many are not able to appraise a text quickly and effectively or to evaluate it. Higher attainers in Year 6 use their understanding of the context of words to guess unfamiliar words in the text. They have developed skills to analyse how mood, feelings and attitudes are conveyed in a piece of writing.

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ENGLISH

120. Some pupils have personal preferences for authors and types of text. However, a significant number lack the skills, knowledge and understanding read at the standard expected for their age and their research skills are limited.

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ENGLISH

121. Standards in writing are below those expected in Year 2 and Year 6. The school’s focus on writing has had a positive effect on standards, and the way it has been emphasised in other subjects has been particularly beneficial. Pupils are more productive and will write at length. Pupils in Year 2 are beginning to write independently for sustained periods, as shown in their writing about an under-water adventure and a story based on ‘The Rainbow Fish’ . By Year 6 they write out a speech they will give on debate.

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ENGLISH

122. During the inspection week, pupils in Year 4 developed their note-taking , linked to the study of Henry VIII in history. Teachers encourage older pupils to plan, draft and revise their own writing, many do this to a good standard. Pupils develop the use of complex sentences with appropriate grammatical sequence, conjunctions and punctuation. Most enjoy reading and writing poetry using different forms, rhyme and figurative language. Pupils’ many, and good, poems are on display on subjects including the weather, black history and war and peace. The publication of the best of their poems and those from pupils in other schools, in a journal, encourages pupils to write well.

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ENGLISH

123. The school places strong emphasis on spelling and most pupils learn to apply basic rules. By Year 2 they spell common words of two or more syllables correctly and Mitchell Brook Primary School - 53 - January 2003 build words by referring to their meaning. Pupils practise handwriting daily with the result that it is generally legible, well formed and neatly presented. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 54 - January 2003 124. The good implementation of the National Literacy Strategy provides the structure for the progressive development of reading, writing and word skills. Investment in a range of resources has helped this development. The school provides effective early literacy support in Year 1 and additional literacy support in Year 3. Where teaching is good or better, teachers share learning objectives with pupils at each lesson and provide opportunities for them to evaluate what they have learned. They transfer their

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ENGLISH

reading, writing and spelling skills to other areas of the curriculum.

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ENGLISH

125. Pupils develop their literacy skills effectively in a wider sense, for example, when they address the whole school in assembly or take part in school productions. Pupils appreciate and experience the emotions in the writings of others. Some express their own thoughts and feelings well in speech and writing. Experiences like these contribute to spiritual development. Class discussion and work in groups and pairs aid social development. The study of texts from a range of countries and cultures enhances cultural development. During discussion pupils consider moral issues as they arise.

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ENGLISH

126. The quality of teaching and learning is generally good and a good working environment prevails in the ethnically diverse classes. Pupils are interested and motivated to learn, work hard and concentrate for long periods. The strong focus on basic skills is a major factor in improving standards. The very good pupil management, good behaviour and relationships are all key factors in learning. Teachers’ good planning and subject knowledge lead to the progressive development of pupils’ understanding, knowledge and skills. Effective teaching methods engage and retain interest and concentration. Teachers’ expectations are high. They plan work to accelerate the learning of higher attainers, but it is at an early stage of development. Teaching assistants provide good support to those who have special educational needs including sometimes children of Travellers. Teachers effectively use homework to consolidate and extend the work in the lesson. Pupils with special

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educational needs make good gains in their learning. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress in class, although additional support out of lessons is less effective. Marking is of a high standard . It is consistent and clearly tells pupils what they should do to improve their work.

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ENGLISH

127. There are good procedures in place for assessing attainment and progress. The use of assessment to guide curriculum planning is very good. The subject leader monitors teachers’ planning and pupils’ work. The monitoring of teaching and learning by the headteacher and deputy headteacher is very effective.

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ENGLISH

128. A strong coordinator leads English very effectively and has implemented very good management systems including the National Literacy Strategy. She has a very clear vision for its development and a strong commitment to high standards. She has established very effective whole school systems that reflect the school’s aims and values and ensure that there is emphasis on basic skills and equality of access and opportunity for all. The subject has a high profile and the systematic development of literacy skills across the curriculum has been effective and standards in most subjects have improved since the previous inspection as a result.

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MATHEMATICS

129. Since the previous inspection, standards in mathematics have improved at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. In the national tests in 2002, standards in mathematics were well above average both compared to all schools nationally and similar schools. By Year 6 standards were below average but compared to similar schools they were Mitchell Brook Primary School - 55 - January 2003 above average nationally. The inspection found that standards are average for Mitchell Brook Primary School - 56 - January 2003 pupils’ age by Year 2 because the year group is not as strong this year, and the standards by Year 6 are still below the national average. However, this represents a significant improvement since the previous inspection when pupils’ standards were well below average. Most pupils achieve well in class including the majority of pupils with English as an additional language, those from minority ethnic groups and the

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MATHEMATICS

children of travellers and refugees. The inspection found that the standards achieved by the higher attainers by the end of Year 6, including gifted or talented pupils, are not good enough and these pupils do not always reach their full potential. The use of information and communication technology is not developed enough in this subject. However, mathematics is being used successfully in other subjects such as science and geography.

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MATHEMATICS

130. By the end of Year 2, pupils show a good knowledge of number and use it well. For example, in a Year 1 lesson they confidently wrote down 100 and doubled it correctly. Knowledge of shape and space is less secure but some pupils recognise and name common shapes such as a square, triangle and a cube and describe them using common language. However, few pupils identify the properties of these common shapes by Year 2.

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MATHEMATICS

131. By Year 6, standards are below average and only a few pupils are working at the more advanced level (Level five in the national tests). There is a relevant focus on number work, which is showing significant improvement. For example, in a Year 3 class, most of the pupils were working at the expected level for their age and about half were exceeding this. Standards in shape, space and measures are less secure and data handling is under-developed. Key skills are improving rapidly and the school has rightly prioritised this area. For example, pupils are made to think in lessons through effective probing questioning by the teacher. Speaking and listening skills are developed through good dialogue between the teacher and pupils and the pupils themselves. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, insufficient opportunities are given to estimate and discuss whether answers are reasonable or not, which means that

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MATHEMATICS

standards in this aspect of mathematics are not high enough. Standards in shape, space and measures are improving but, generally, insufficient attention is given to data handling.

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MATHEMATICS

132. The quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good overall and it is satisfactory in Years 3 to 6 with some good features observed . Introductions are usually brisk with clear learning objectives and there is an appropriate balance between teachers presenting whole class lessons and pupils learning as individuals or groups. In the best teaching, teachers have confident subject knowledge and use challenging questions to extend pupils’ understanding of number. For example, in one Year 2 class, pupils were asked to mentally halve eight, six, and ten. Questioning was then extended to halving 80, 60 and 100. Pupils quickly recognised the pattern and worked confidently with larger numbers. The teacher’s enthusiasm, fast pace and good use of focused questioning in an effective Year 6 lesson enabled pupils to extend their understanding of multiplication and division. Where the teaching was good or better, expectations

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MATHEMATICS

were high, and behaviour was well managed. In teaching which was less effective but judged to be satisfactory overall, there were periods of low-level disruption which were not fully managed and insecure knowledge of some lesson content so that the teacher had to refer constantly to notes. In many instances these teachers were new to the school, trained overseas, or sometimes both.

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MATHEMATICS

133. The current improvement in standards are securely based on the implementation of the national guidelines for the teaching of mathematics and on more focused support in the ethnically diverse classes for pupils with special educational needs and those Mitchell Brook Primary School - 57 - January 2003 who have English as an additional language. The introduction of ‘setting’ (or ability Mitchell Brook Primary School - 58 - January 2003 grouping) in Years 3 to 6 has also had a positive impact on standards including travellers’ children. Great care is taken to ensure all pupils’ needs are catered for. The 2002 tests for older pupils showed that girls achieved less well than boys, but during the inspection there was no evidence of differing standards.

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MATHEMATICS

134. Lessons begin well with a good range of practical resources, including white boards, number lines and number squares. This means that interest is maintained and with questions pitched to challenge pupils of differing attainment, most pupils make an effective contribution. This was well illustrated in a Year 2 lesson on ‘doubling and halving’ when higher attaining pupils were asked to mentally double larger numbers while others visualised them, helped by the use of plastic cubes. Similarly, in one Year 5 class, the higher attainers were asked to count in fours and 40s, while the rest of the class were asked to count in fives.

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MATHEMATICS

135. All lessons end with a final evaluation session, but the quality is variable. In the good examples, teachers return to what they intended the pupils to learn giving pupils a clear idea of what they need to do to move on. In weaker sessions the impact is reduced by poor time management. Often, pupils simply ‘report back’ instead of clarifying and deepening their understanding.

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MATHEMATICS

136. The majority of pupils listen to their teachers and apply their skills in lessons. Most demonstrate good work habits and work together and independently. They remain on task for extended periods. In a few lessons, behaviour was not well managed and some pupils did not pay attention, reducing the impact and effectiveness of teaching and learning. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language receive good and sometimes very good support from classroom assistants who are usually well briefed by class teachers. These pupils make good progress in mathematics throughout the school.

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MATHEMATICS

137. The co-ordinator has only recently taken responsibility for the subject but she is enthusiastic and knowledgeable. She is a Leading Mathematics Teacher and focuses on improving standards. An appropriate action plan has been developed and good tracking procedures have been introduced. Teachers’ planning is regularly monitored and the frequency of formal lesson observations has been increased. Resources are adequate, but the school’s long-term financial deficit has meant that the range of mathematical equipment that is available in each class has not been improved as much as the school would have liked.

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SCIENCE

138. In recent years, the results in science have been much better than in English and mathematics and have moved closer to the national average during the past three years. In the national tests of 2002 at the end of Year 2 pupils achieved above the national average and well above average compared to similar schools. By Year 6 pupils achieved standards that were below the national average but were well above average when compared to similar schools. There are no marked differences in the attainment of boys and girls. The inspection found that pupils achieve well and by the end of Years 2 and 6, standards broadly matched those expected for pupils’ age. This is a good overall improvement from the previous inspection when standards were judged to be below average.

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SCIENCE

139. Although many pupils have English as an additional language and are form minority ethnic groups, most pupils, including the children of travellers achieve average standards. Some classes have a high proportion of pupils with special educational Mitchell Brook Primary School - 59 - January 2003 needs as well as refugees, yet effective support means they invariably achieve Mitchell Brook Primary School - 60 - January 2003 similar standards to their peers. Higher attainers throughout the school are not making as much progress as they should, mainly because of weaknesses in their recording and the quality of written work.

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SCIENCE

140. By Year 2, pupils learn and write about similarities and differences in humans by observing two pupils from the class. They note that both have two eyes, two ears and one nose, whereas the colour of their skin, hair, eyes and the shapes of faces are different. This is particularly effective because of the wide diversity of ethnic heritage. Most pupils know and understand what a plant needs to grow but are not yet confident in recording the experiment scientifically without adult support. By Year 6, they successfully carry out a fair test to find out that a dissolved solid can be separated from a liquid by evaporation. Most predict correctly that water will evaporate from the solution faster when in a hot place. Thus, they decide to leave their solution near a radiator in the classroom. They all understand that, for fair testing, the amount of water, sugar and salt in solution has to remain the same. Numeracy skills are used

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SCIENCE

141. The overall quality of science teaching is good. It was very good in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 to 6. In lessons which are good or better teachers share their enthusiasm for the subject with the pupils and make learning fun. They ask probing questions to check understanding, lessons are well organised and a variety of methods are used effectively. Pupils are well managed. Relationships between pupils and teachers are very good.

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SCIENCE

142. In a very well taught Year 6 lesson, the needs of all pupils were properly considered within the structure of the lesson plans and tasks were set for them. The support assistants and additional teachers were used well to support pupils who have special educational needs or those who have English as an additional language. These pupils make up a majority in classes and show good progress in lessons and display high levels of concentration and perseverance. There is usually a friendly but firm atmosphere in science lessons, which pupils enjoy. However, in some lessons, pupils become unsettled and do not concentrate when taught by new or temporary teachers who do not know them well and are not involved in planning the lesson.

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SCIENCE

143. Teachers’ planning is good. In the majority of lessons, teachers use scientific language and encourage pupils to do so, thus helping them to improve their literacy skills. Pupils practice numeracy by looking at graphs, shapes and designs. The pace of lessons is brisk and this maintains interest and increases the work rate. Sufficient time is given to enable pupils to complete the work they have been set. Behaviour throughout most lessons is good and in some it is very good. Most pupils are motivated and remain focussed on the activity for considerable lengths of time.

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SCIENCE

144. The co-ordinator for the subject has recently taken up the post. The quality of her leadership and management is good. She has been successful in ensuring that there is a good range of learning opportunities and the National Curriculum programmes of study are followed. This ensures consistent development between Year 1 and Year 6. The co-ordinator is very resourceful and has managed to forge very good links with the local secondary school to supplement the current lack of science resources. There is satisfactory monitoring and assessment of the performance in the subject. The requirements for covering the National Curriculum are fully met. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 61 - January 2003

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ART AND DESIGN

145. Provision for art and design is generally satisfactory. Attainment is similar to the standards expected for pupils’ ages and they make good progress in acquiring the necessary skills. The national scheme of work used ensures that, each year, pupils experience a satisfactory range of most elements of art and design - painting, drawing, printmaking, textile work, and sculpture. Thus, pupils build progressively on the skills and knowledge from previous years. The scheme is effective in promoting art from other cultures alongside Western art. This is particularly relevant in this ethnically diverse school and it extends pupils’ understanding. These standards are similar to those found when the school was last inspected.

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ART AND DESIGN

146. There is no significant difference in the standards and progress of boys and girls or between pupils of different cultural backgrounds including children of travellers and refugees. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language attain standards similar to their classmates and make good progress because of the good support they receive. Within art lessons, good use is made of opportunities to extend their speaking and listening skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

147. Pupils are positive about their art and design work and during the inspection they were keen to show and explain their efforts. They concentrate closely throughout lessons and pay good attention to instructions, though some are too dependent on their teacher’s support and are unwilling to work independently. Conversation during art lessons is usually about the work they are doing. However, because of their limited vocabulary, they do not talk easily about the techniques they have used or about their responses to the work of other artists.

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ART AND DESIGN

148. By the end of Year 2, pupils successfully mix paint to make new colours. They experiment effectively with a range of techniques and use a variety of media skilfully such as coloured pencils, pastels and paint. They consider the work of various artists and then produce their own reasonable quality work in a similar style. For example, pupils in Year 2 have painted interesting portraits in the style of Picasso, showing good observation of his use of colour and shape.

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ART AND DESIGN

149. Older pupils use a range of media and techniques with good confidence and skill, such as pencil sketching, paint, pastels, watercolours, collage, textiles and printing. They work carefully from observation and from their imaginations. Although they draw well, their painting skills and brush techniques lack maturity. Three-dimensional work is well developed through activities such as making masks with papier-mâché. Sketchbooks contain some interesting studies of human figures and some of them are of a suitable standard for the pupils’ age. The use of sketchbooks as a permanent record of development is only just beginning. At present, their use across the school is inconsistent and this means much of their value is lost.

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ART AND DESIGN

150. From the lessons observed, teaching overall is generally satisfactory, with some good examples. Positive elements noted include good questioning that encourages observation, promotes consideration of detail and develops awareness of composition. Pupils are encouraged to examine elements of texture as well as colour and shape before commencing their own work. Teachers share their expertise and ideas well with each other. Where the teaching was less successful, it was because demonstrations took too long, and the work pupils were expected to do was not challenging enough. The result was that pupils’ enthusiasm was dampened. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 62 - January 2003 151. Art is used well to support work in other subjects. For example, younger pupils learn about the designs of houses now and in the past. They then print or paint to show the arrangements of the bricks or tiles they had been discussing. Older pupils use

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ART AND DESIGN

paintings as sources of historical evidence, as when discussing the ethnic groups represented in Tudor portraits. Art makes a positive contribution to the environment of the school and effectively celebrates effort and achievement.

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ART AND DESIGN

152. Assessment procedures are in the early stages of development. The co-ordinator is working to develop these to include a focus on research and art appreciation as well as on the development of making-skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

153. The co-ordinator has considerable enthusiasm for the subject and has a clear vision of how he wishes to develop it. He supports colleagues who lack confidence in this area effectively. He monitors standards in art by looking at displays and children’s’ work but there are limited opportunities to monitor teaching and learning. Basic resources are sufficient and are used effectively to promote learning. However, there are very limited supplies of decorative materials and this prevents the planning of some of the more exciting assignments that could be used to support learning in other subjects.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

154. The standards achieved match expectations for their age by Year 2 and Year 6. All pupils achieve well. They make good progress in class especially when they have support. Standards have improved since the last inspection when they were judged to be below average.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

155. Year 1 pupils acquire good skills in planning, designing and communicating ideas. They design four houses for a toy person and talk about the difference between them: the flat or triangular roofs for example. Pupils in Year 2 know how to design a fruit salad after finding out the fruits which are tasty, colourful, attractive and easier to eat that they like and therefore would like to have in the salad. They give their reasons for their likes and dislikes. Pupils in Year 5 select an appropriate design to build a bridge that can take the weight of a dictionary. They develop good skills in folding card in several ways to build a strong and steady structure. By Year 6 pupils learn to evaluate their work as it develops and show good understanding of what is required to ensure designs will be successful. Pupils choose appropriate techniques to make working models. Their work demonstrates a satisfactory understanding of

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

investigating, planning, making and evaluating.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

156. By Year 2 and Year 6 the overall quality of teaching and learning is good. A good feature of the teaching is the quality of preparation, planning and the resources provided. Where the teaching is good or better, the teachers have secure knowledge and understanding and use open-ended questions well to stimulate thinking. In less effective lessons, pupils do not work to their full potential when what they are expected to learn is not made explicit. Most teachers, however, give good feedback to pupils about the success or otherwise of their designs; assessment of work is generally satisfactory. The use of information and communication technology for designing and modelling is insufficient. The good teaching ensures that all pupils are enthusiastic and show sustained concentration when designing and making objects. They show perseverance in overcoming problems, are very well behaved, motivated

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

and keen to discuss their work with adults. They enjoy the subject and work well together . Mitchell Brook Primary School - 63 - January 2003 157. The quality of the leadership and management is good. The co-ordinator is very keen and enthusiastic and works hard to raise standards. The planning of activities is clear and ensures consistently improving standards form Year 1 to Year 6. Good support is offered to teachers by the co-ordinator to help to develop their personal skills. There are effective reviews of these plans and of pupils’ work. The range of resources are limited due to financial constraints but they are well organised in boxes and are readily available during lessons.

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GEOGRAPHY

158. Standards achieved match expectations for their age at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. This is a good improvement since the previous inspection when standards were below expectations. All groups of pupils achieve satisfactory standards. Some pupils are hindered by restricted skills in writing but they try hard. Those with special educational needs are well supported and make satisfactory progress. There is no difference between the attainment of boys and girls. However, higher attainers and gifted and talented pupils are not sufficiently planned for in lessons and do not always reach their full potential.

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GEOGRAPHY

159. In Year 2 pupils learn about St. Lucia. With some adult help, the majority locate London and St. Lucia on a globe and on a map. Numeracy skills are used effectively to calculate distances. Most draw two routes on a world map and correctly list all the countries they will pass through. Pupils in Year 6 develop skills in geographical enquiry through the use of photographs and documents. Their written work shows they know the basic facts about the rain forests and understand the special meaning of selected geographical terms. Learning is also enhanced by field trips. For example, Years 5 and 6 visit the Gordon Brown Centre to look at land use and physical and human features in the environment.

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GEOGRAPHY

160. The quality of teaching and learning is very good in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 to 6. Lessons are well-planned and attractively presented, generating a strong sense of interest and engagement among all pupils. Teachers make sure pupils are clear about what is expected from the lesson at the start and there is very good management of pupils and time. Sometimes the chosen activities do not present sufficient challenge to all pupils, especially the high attainers and those who are gifted and talented. The concluding sessions are put to good use to assess how far the pupils have progressed towards what they were expected to learn. There is a good balance between the teacher making a presentation to the whole class and pupils working on the tasks set independently or with partners. There was no unsatisfactory teaching.

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GEOGRAPHY

161. Pupils’ attainment and progress is enhanced by their positive attitude to work. Behaviour is generally very good. Most enjoy geography, work hard and co-operate effectively in groups. There are satisfactory procedures for monitoring of work and the quality of assessment is generally satisfactory. The school has not yet sufficiently identified the key skills that pupils need to develop from year-to-year.

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GEOGRAPHY

162. The subject is well managed by an able co-ordinator who provides good leadership and supports her colleagues. She keeps a log of development and an action plan in order to monitor and update the scheme of work. She also evaluates pupils’ work to assess standards and checks that all aspects of the subject are taught over a period of time. There has been a number of improvements since the last inspection, for example: Mitchell Brook Primary School - 64 - January 2003 • teaching plans have been rewritten in the light of National Curriculum changes; • the use of information and communication technology has been further developed to support learning; • geography is taught through a series of topics.

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GEOGRAPHY

163. At present, there is a shortage of resources, but the co-ordinator has plans to replenish them in the next financial year. The requirements of the National Curriculum are fully met.

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HISTORY

164. Pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 is below those expected for their age. The majority of pupils have very limited prior knowledge. However, taking into account attainment on entry to the school, they make good progress. This is an improvement on standards at the previous inspection. A new and knowledgeable co- ordinator has been appointed. She is leading development of the provision for history very effectively and has influenced teaching positively.

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HISTORY

165. There are no significant differences in the standards and progress of boys and girls and between pupils of different cultural backgrounds and refugees. The children of travellers and those with English as an additional language, who are the majority in the school, attain standards similar to their classmates and make good progress because of the good support they receive in class. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well from their prior attainment. Good use is made of opportunities within history lessons to extend the speaking and listening skills of all pupils but especially those who speak English as an additional language.

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HISTORY

166. By Year 2, pupils have begun to develop a sense of time as they learn to sequence events in their own lives and consider the differences between themselves now and when they were babies. They make comparisons between old and modern toys and between houses from the past and more recent times. They are encouraged to develop an understanding of historical lives through learning about such people as Nelson Mandela. Teachers help children effectively as they begin to make comparisons between the contributions of different famous people. For instance, they compare the influences on modern nursing practices of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole. However, they do not have a good understanding about when such people lived.

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HISTORY

167. By Year 6, pupils develop research skills as they identify similarities and differences between Celtic and Roman society. They learn to interpret historical evidence as they consider how invading civilisations such as Romans and Vikings influenced life in Britain. Teachers make good use of resources, including pictures, paintings, newspapers, artefacts and transcripts of accounts from the time, to bring the subject alive. In their study of Britain since the 1930s, pupils compare the lives of evacuees with their own and write postcards home that demonstrate their understanding of the changes in these children’s lives. They are motivated, work hard and show interest in their work. Teachers question effectively, involve everyone in discussions and probe pupils’ understanding. An example of this is when they consider the points of view from which different groups in society might have viewed Henry VIII’s break from

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HISTORY

168. The quality of teaching is good overall, teachers carefully plan activities so that pupils with special educational needs are fully involved, either putting them with higher attaining colleagues and an adult support assistant or by simplifying tasks. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 65 - January 2003 Pupils learn well in the guided research, good use is made of literacy skills and these are revised very well through history tasks. For instance, older pupils use evocative vocabulary to express the feelings of the times in their poems about World War II: ‘ War is a ravenous darkness that grows stronger with the piercing screams of death .’ In some instances pupils are drawing on their own first hand experiences.

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HISTORY

169. The good teaching includes making good use of computers for pupils to research. Teachers plan ahead carefully to limit the number of websites, children thus refining the selection of valuable or relevant information. However, overall the evaluation and interpretation of historical sources is limited by poor literacy skills and spoken language is below expectations.

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HISTORY

170. Teaching is less successful when teachers set undemanding tasks that do not fire pupils’ imagination or extend their history skills. For example, in the study of Ancient Egypt, there were missed opportunities to compare and contrast the lifestyles of different groups in the society such as the Egyptians and the Jews.

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HISTORY

171. Pupils undertake either a history or a geography study each term, and the scheme of work is planned to ensure an appropriate balance of these throughout their time in the school. The history units that are selected address a good balance across time and civilisations. However, in Years 3 to 6, assignments are not planned to build successively on skills acquired in previous years. Assessment opportunities are identified within each topic but are not planned systematically across the school. Use of information and communication technology to research the subject is insufficient.

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HISTORY

172. Resources are satisfactory with a range of books, pictures and artefacts available. The co-ordinator has a clear vision of her subject. She has monitored teachers’ planning and looked at pupils’ work. She has not yet had the opportunity to observe colleagues teaching or to talk with pupils to evaluate their understanding of work covered.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

173. During the previous inspection, standards in information and communication technology were judged to match expectations by Year 2 and Year 6. This level has been maintained and standards continue to be satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in relation to their prior attainment. The majority of pupils with English as an additional language, children of travellers, refugees, and those from minority ethnic groups make satisfactory progress as well.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

174. By Year 2, pupils are aware of the ways to type and insert text and to alter it afterwards. They have satisfactory keyboard skills and good mouse control. In one lesson taught in the information and communication technology suite, they made sensible predictions about the number of moves needed to arrive at a destination on a map and they were aware of how to use direction arrows. They access information and select the appropriate icons to move around various screens. Some appreciate that using the computer makes it easy to correct mistakes and are aware of how to use the ‘undo’ button. By the end of the Year 2 most can complete short word- processing tasks and type text appropriately. Many can store and retrieve information, including pictures, and change the size and colour of fonts.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

175. In one Year 3 lesson, they logged on using a Web Browser and a search engine to access the BBC weather site. Some open simple spreadsheets and record temperature information for Sydney, Australia. Most confidently store, save and Mitchell Brook Primary School - 66 - January 2003 retrieve information. Pupils in Year 6 accurately describe how to save information to folders and how to save to a particular file within a folder. One pupil downloaded a significant portion of text about the rainforest from an Internet site and demonstrated correctly how to copy, paste or import a picture.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

176. The quality of teaching observed ranges from unsatisfactory to good and is satisfactory overall. Where the teaching is good, pupils are confident. They open the program on the computer and show good knowledge and understanding of the software packages used once they have been introduced. The teacher maximises opportunities and illustrates how skills and knowledge can be transferred to work in other subjects. For example, in a lesson on predictions and directions, the teacher made connections to work in mathematics and geography. Good lessons include step-by-step demonstrations of the software and are supported by the use of the digital projector so that pupils easily follow what is being taught. In these instances, pupils work independently and often tackle problems themselves before calling on the teacher for assistance. In the less effective lessons the behaviour is not well managed and results in a slow pace and waning interest. Where behaviour does

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

deteriorate, it is often because tasks lack challenge. In some classroom-based lessons, time is not well managed and the lesson ends before everybody has used the computer.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

177. Most pupils have developed good work habits, listen carefully and have obvious enjoyment and interest in the subject. They generally remain on task and concentrate well for extended periods. When necessary, they take turns and share equipment without fuss.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

178. The quality of leadership and management is good but the co-ordinator has only recently taken over responsibility for the subject. She is enthusiastic and is aware that standards have merely been maintained since the previous inspection. Recent difficulties with hardware have now been resolved, and the action plan, drawn up by the previous co-ordinator, is now being systematically implemented. The policy statement is adequate and includes detailed guidance on Internet safety. Medium- term planning is taken from national guidance and is adapted to ensure full coverage of National Curriculum requirements. The quality of short-term planning varies as there is no whole school policy on how to plan lessons. Classroom computers are under-used and the application of information and communication technology in other subjects is limited. Good tracking sheets have been developed by the previous co-

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

ordinator, but have yet to be fully implemented.

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MUSIC

179. Standards in music match those expected for pupils’ ages by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. All pupils achieve well. With support, pupils with special educational needs also make good progress. Very good improvement has taken place recently, with the appointment of a specialist who teaches all classes. Recorder classes are taken by another teacher.

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MUSIC

180. By Year 3, pupils sing tunefully, in unison and in two parts. All pupils confidently play the recorder, improvising and playing repetitive notes in a pattern. They play well on their own and make good progress in reading music. Recorder skills are at an early stage, and work in lessons is reinforced through practice at home. They sing, clap, and play rhythms as a good foundation for future work. By Year 4 pupils are at the early stages of sight-reading music and are beginning to have a good understanding of the values of musical notation. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 67 - January 2003 181. The overall quality of teaching and learning is good. Teachers’ good subject knowledge, effective planning, teaching of basic skills and high expectations lead to good learning in lessons. Pupils have good attitudes towards music and demonstrate good behaviour and relationships. The management of pupils is very good. Their

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MUSIC

interest and enthusiasm are engaged so that they apply creative effort to their work. Time and resources are used well to promote learning. Class teachers benefit from observing a skilled musician at work and their presence at all music lessons helps create a good climate for learning.

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MUSIC

182. Good procedures are in place for assessing attainment and progress. The use of assessment to guide curriculum planning is very good. The quality of teaching and learning is monitored by the headteacher and deputy headteacher.

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MUSIC

183. Leadership and management are very good, ensuring clear educational direction and reflecting the school’s aims and values well. The recently appointed co-ordinator is enthusiastic, gifted and knowledgeable. He has identified the gaps in pupils’ knowledge and is addressing them by establishing a firm foundation of basics skills and ensuring that all the requirements of the National Curriculum are met in each year group. He is planning for the greater use of information and communication technology in music, which is underrepresented at present. Resources are very good and are readily accessible.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

184. By the end of both Year 2 and Year 6, all pupils progress well and demonstrate standards of skill and performance that match expectations for their age. The quality of teaching is good overall. These judgements are similar to those made during the previous inspection. It was only possible to observe one dance lesson in Years 1 and 2, but documentation and planning shows a programme of activities that includes gymnastics and outdoor games. In the lessons observed, pupils were provided with opportunities to think creatively and imaginatively in response to stimuli. They were given time to practice independently and with a partner. A variety of bends and turns were performed confidently and pupils had a good understanding of fast and slow. They moved in a variety of directions using personal as well as general space and they demonstrated an understanding of rhythm. For example, one pupil mimicked the

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

rhythmic movements of a clock by moving his shoulders and legs in sequence for an extended period. Most demonstrated a good range of activities when moving and balancing.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

185. In the lessons observed, the quality of teaching is good overall. Lessons are well planned and have clear learning objectives that are usually communicated to the pupils. Where the teaching is good, the pace is brisk and the delivery confident and lively. Together with encouragement and praise, teachers regularly give good pointers which enable pupils to improve their performance. This was particularly evident in one Year 3 lesson where subject knowledge and good demonstration resulted in a noticeable improvement in ball skills. The subject co-ordinator is on extended leave so the leadership and management in this subject has not been developed. However, an enthusiastic and knowledgeable classroom assistant covers the day-to-day management of the subject. He organises and manages a broad range of extra- curricular activities, including football, netball, athletics and rugby. These provide

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

regular opportunities for competition against other schools. Good links have been developed with local organisations, such as the Sports Academy at Willesden and, with the intention of improving the playground surface, which is currently in a poor Mitchell Brook Primary School - 68 - January 2003 condition, the Sporting Playground initiative. At present, there is no agreed scheme of work, although one is planned, and no means of recording individual progress. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 69 - January 2003

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

186. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6 standards match the expectations for pupils’ age. All pupils achieve well, with good improvement from their prior knowledge. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and achieve at a similar standard to their peers. Children of travellers, refugees and those for whom English is an additional language, the majority, make good progress. This represents very good improvement since the previous inspection when standards were below expectations. High attainers make satisfactory progress but are not yet fully challenged to meet their potential.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

187. By Year 1 pupils discover the importance of light in different religions and how it makes people feel calm, peaceful and happy. There are good opportunities as pupils reflect on a lighted candle and talk about candles in churches, mosques and temples. In one lesson a child noted perceptively the colours that can be seen in the flame. By Year 2, pupils have a good understanding that for many of their faiths, belief in God as a creator is grounded in experiences of beauty and pattern in the natural world. By Year 3, pupils contribute effectively to ideas about the importance of journeys in their own religions and in their own experiences. By Year 4, pupils are interested and enthusiastic as they discuss the obligations arising from commitment to a faith.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

188. Very good use is made of the knowledge and understanding of the Muslims in all classes and this leads to a general understanding of the salient points of the Muslim faith. By Year 6 pupils have a good understanding of the central features of Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism. They effectively compare their own experience with that of others. They debate with understanding how faith can change the way people lead their lives; there is particular reference to Mother Teresa. They make effective links with the present-day charitable work of individuals and organisations.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

189. Teaching and learning are good. Teachers’ good subject knowledge is instrumental in helping pupils to understand that there are faiths other than their own and to gain an insight into the beliefs and values of others. Good planning leads to the progressive development of understanding, knowledge and skill. Teachers’ high expectations inspire pupils to apply intellectual and creative effort to their work. The teaching methods used engage interest, attention and concentration. Pupils are encouraged to express their own experiences and thoughts. They show genuine respect for the beliefs and practices of others. Very good class management enables constructive use to be made of time and resources.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

190. The curriculum builds upon and affirms pupils’ own experiences of festivals, special occasions and cultural identity. They begin to develop a good understanding of specific faiths as they explore religious ideas and meanings and reflect on rules and choices. Stories from different religions and customs are read and discussed in literacy classes that extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Spiritual development is effectively enhanced by questions about the meaning and purpose of life. Pupils begin to effectively develop their own value systems and make responsible moral decisions.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

191. There are good procedures for assessing attainment and progress and the use of assessment to guide future planning is very good. The headteacher and deputy effectively monitor teaching and learning. Mitchell Brook Primary School - 70 - January 2003 192. The leadership and management of religious education are very good and reflect the school’s aims and values. The subject co-ordinator is enthusiastic and knowledgeable and has a clear sense of educational direction. She promotes high standards, regularly updates her own expertise and uses the knowledge gained for the benefit of others. The scheme of work, based on the Brent’s Agreed Syllabus, provides very good guidance to teachers and is supported by the provision of good resources for Christianity. Because of lack of finance, the resources for other major religions are not as extensive as the school would like. However, they are just adequate.

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