Hazelwood Junior School

HAZELWOOD JUNIOR SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 11 th – 14 th November 2002

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HAZELWOOD JUNIOR SCHOOL

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

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HAZELWOOD JUNIOR SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Hazelwood Junior School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Deborah Henson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 1997 Hazelwood Junior School - 2

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responsibilities

20451 Brenda Spencer Registered inspector English Music How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 9519 Sue Pritchard 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? 17939 Gavin Graveson Team inspector English as an additional language 27773 Faith MacKenzie Team inspector Mathematics Art and design Design and technology How good are the curriculum and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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responsibilities

14509 Philip Mann Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Geography Equal opportunities 15011 Marion Wallace Team inspector History Physical education Religious education Special educational needs Hazelwood Junior School - 3 The inspection contractor was:

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responsibilities

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5 - 8

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 9 - 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Hazelwood is an above average sized junior school in Enfield for pupils aged seven to 11 years. Most of the pupils have average socio-economic backgrounds and their attainment on entry to school is above average for reading and mathematics. There are 372 pupils attending full time; 193 are boys and 179 are girls. Twenty-three pupils left and 20 joined the school last year outside the normal times of transfer. Over half of the pupils are from ethnic minorities, the majority being of Greek or Turkish heritage. 146 pupils come from homes where English is an additional language, of whom eight are at an early stage of learning the language. Between them the pupils speak a total of 21 different languages, the most commonly spoken being Greek, Turkish and Gujerati. There are ten refugees and four travellers. Thirteen per cent of pupils are on the special needs register for learning difficulties, which is below the

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

national average. Two per cent have statements of special educational needs, predominantly for speech and communication difficulties. Eighteen per cent are eligible for free school meals. This is broadly in line with the national average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Hazelwood Junior is a good and rapidly improving school. Pupils achieve well. The ethos enables pupils from ethnic minorities and those with special educational needs to make good progress. By Year 6, pupils achieved results well above average in national tests in 2002 for mathematics and above average for English. The quality of teaching and leadership is good overall. Costs are below the London average. The school gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The headteacher, supported well by the whole school community, provides very good leadership in charting a clear direction for educational improvement. • Helps pupils to develop spiritually, morally, socially and culturally very well, resulting in their having very good attitudes to school, developing warm relationships and being broadly educated. • Has very good links with parents, particularly in the high quality information it provides. • Tracks pupils’ welfare and their academic progress very well, particularly in English and mathematics. • Provides a curriculum rich in extra activities, music and community links. • Reaches standards of work above average in English, mathematics and music.

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What could be improved

• Standards in information and communication technology and gymnastics. • The development of skills in geography and in writing for a range of purposes. • Increased intellectual challenge through the development of independent learning skills. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in 1997. The recommendations have been met in most respects. Good progress has been made in improving the school, with better pace in the last year. Standards are now above rather than below average in music. Planning for pupils with English as additional language and special educational needs is good. Higher attaining pupils are better extended, for example, in mathematics, but not consistently enough in a few other subjects. The book provision has improved but there is still not enough non-fiction.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

In addition, the school has an appropriate action plan for improvement, which is already addressing Hazelwood Junior School - 6 significant recommendations of this inspection. The new management systems mean care of pupils, keeping teaching and learning under review and provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are now very good overall. Consequently, pupils’ attitudes to their work are now very good and their behaviour outside lessons is better. Also, the quality of teaching overall is now good. Much needed investment has been made in information and communication technology. Additional training is planned in order to raise standards. The school has a very good capacity to improve.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

Standards reached in mathematics in national tests in 2002 were well above the national average for pupils in Year 6. They were above average in English and average for science. Compared to similar schools, standards were well above average for English and mathematics and in line for science. The trend over time has been for improving results in line with the national trend. The school sets itself high expectations for success in national tests at the end of Year 6 and does well in striving to achieve these.

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Key

Pupils progress well overall and reach good standards on many fronts, which are not easily captured by test results. Standards seen were above national average in English, mathematics, music and personal, social and health education. Most pupils express their views with confidence, regardless of ability or level of acquisition of English. They perform well in music. They are able to apply well their learning from religious education to their own lives. Standards in ICT and gymnastics are below expectation because of limited staff expertise in the subjects and, until recently, an inadequate number of computers. Pupils have weak reference skills because of too few opportunities to use the library for research. They write well but not for a wide range of purposes. Both boys and girls generally work hard. Pupils with special educational needs and those at an early stage of learning English make good

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Key

progress because of the carefully targeted support they are given.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are very positive about school and most work hard.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Behaviour is good at playtimes, during assemblies and in most lessons. There have been no exclusions in the last three years.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. Racial harmony is impressive. Pupils enjoy their responsibilities such as helping others as buddies in the playground.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Pupils are punctual and do not indulge in long holidays. Hazelwood Junior School - 7

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Teaching of pupils in: Years 3 – 6

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

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Teaching of pupils in: Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching is good for English and mathematics. Pupils’ skills in literacy and numeracy are developed well. Strengths include subject knowledge, match of work to pupils’ ability, development of pupils’ vocabulary, organisation to allow pupils to work well together, effective use of additional staff in lessons and pace of learning. These factors help pupils concentrate and be intellectually stretched. A few lessons were unsatisfactory so pupils were not productive enough. Weaknesses include behaviour management in a few lessons, misjudged pace, subject knowledge in physical education and ICT and some lack of challenge. The scrutiny of work reveals most marking makes useful comments on how to improve and on what was done well, but this is not consistently the case.

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Teaching of pupils in: Years 3 – 6

The school meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs and those at an early stage of learning English well because their work is generally well matched to their needs. The good quality of teaching does much to raise pupils’ self-esteem and contributes to their enthusiasm for school. The present focus on different learning styles and opportunities for open-ended tasks is beginning to have positive benefits for higher attaining pupils. Also, the recent training on guided reading is helping pupils to read texts more intelligently and move beyond their evident fluency to reach understanding at a much deeper level. Some pupils need a slower pace in learning numeracy skills to allow better consolidation of their learning.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good overall. Literacy and numeracy are planned well. Extra-curricular provision is strong and music is excellent. Too little time is spent on geography. Pupils do not have access to the full ICT curriculum; consequently, the curriculum does not meet statutory requirements.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good overall. The new legal requirements are fully implemented. The school keeps detailed records and all class teachers have their own SEN file. Pupils receive good support from learning support assistants. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The provision for pupils at the early stages of learning English as an additional language is good and they make good progress. Additional support in lessons is effective in helping them fully participate.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Very good overall. Cultural development is excellent and includes an exciting programme of visitors to school. Pupils have many very good opportunities to develop social skills. Staff provide good role models in helping them develop a moral perspective on life.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good systems are in place to ensure their health, welfare and child protection. Their academic progress is tracked well. Partnership with parents is very good in providing a good education. Hazelwood Junior School - 8

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good in a challenging situation; there have been many recent changes in staff. New co-ordinators are making strong efforts to get to grips with their new roles, supported by the very good leadership and management skills of the headteacher and senior management team.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Committees are effectively organised, governors well informed and questioning. They have provided a continuity and sense of direction for the school in times of staff turnover. Appropriate action is taken to remedy weakness, for example, improving ICT provision.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very effective systems are in place to evaluate teaching and learning. The resulting school improvement plan anticipates most inspection findings and action is already underway.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The budget is carefully targeted to support educational priorities. The school analyses its performance to seek best value well and consults with parents in order that provision meets their children’s needs. There are sufficient staff and they have been deployed well to alleviate difficulties in recruitment. The accommodation is not ideal for some Year 4 classes as they are isolated from the main school, and the library is inadequate. Resources are good overall.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The childrens good behaviour and positive attitudes to school. • The good progress their children make. • How well the school is led and managed. • The quality of teaching. • How the school helps their children to be mature and responsible. • The range of activities outside lessons and richness of the curriculum beyond that which is assessed in national tests. • The information they receive about their children's progress. • The amount of homework their children do.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the parents’ positive views. The school is already doing well on the aspects parents would like to see improved. It provides a broad curriculum, rich in cultural development. The annual reports are very good and homework provision is good. Hazelwood Junior School - 9

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. By the end of Year 6, pupils reached standards in the 2002 national tests above the national average in English, well above the average in mathematics and in line with the average in science. Their results are well above average compared to similar schools in English, mathematics and are in line with the average for science. Overall, results are higher than at the time of the last inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. End of Year 2 results indicate that pupils enter the junior school above the national average in those skills which are tested in reading, writing and mathematics. The reading survey of Year 3 pupils shows many pupils read with evident fluency and sometimes impressive expression. However, some pupils need encouragement and support in reading texts at a deeper level than understanding the literal meaning. When writing creatively without support, overall, pupils on entry have average skills. Pupils are generally confident in number work such as counting to 100, two and five times tables and sums to 20. They are more shaky on solving problems, conducting investigations and in explaining their reasons. Relatively few pupils have special needs; their socio-economic circumstances are average but a very high proportion have English as an additional language. However, the majority of these pupils are fluent speakers of English. Only

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

eight pupils are identified as needing specific support to develop fluency.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Pupils are articulate and even those at the beginning stage of learning English are confident enough to speak in whole class groups and put across their opinions. A focus for improving the curriculum and pupils’ attainment is to increase the opportunities they have for oral work and drama so they can express themselves well. Lesson observations show this strategy is working. Pupils also have meaningful opportunities to develop their powers of communication through discussions held at the school council.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Overall, pupils have very positive attitudes to reading. Recent in-service training on guided reading is having a positive impact on attainment. Teachers in each year group plan the weeks reading together and the questions for discussion. These include exploration of texts at literal levels and also digging for inferred meaning to the benefit of pupils’ deeper understanding. The reading survey suggests pupils of average and below average attainment need this support and the focus on this dimension of teaching of English is well judged. At the time of the last inspection the book provision was unsatisfactory. Since that time much money has been invested. However, it is not enough. The library is not well stocked and is rarely used. Consequently, pupils do not develop their reference skills satisfactorily. In each class there is a core of reference works such as dictionaries and a thesaurus. Some pupils do use them. Others do not do so often enough to

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The scrutiny of pupils’ work done early in the autumn term shows most pupils can write using complex sentences, which are punctuated with commas. Phrases are connected with interesting words. Their creative writing often opens and closes with engaging sentences and their work is generally well organised. At present the diet of writing is predominantly creative and mostly concerns writing stories. This relatively narrow range of writing is limiting pupils’ achievement. Pupils write well in lessons where the teacher models the process and writes the opening with them, carefully selecting words to compose arresting sentences. Pupils of all attainments respond positively to this example and their level of writing is raised. Pupils across the school learn spellings on a weekly basis of words well matched to their attainment. However, not enough time is spent teaching strategies to learn spellings or in discussing the spelling patterns when the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

lists are given. Consequently, some pupils are not confident about how to learn them other than writing them out several times.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The school’s results for mathematics have improved consistently since 2000. Pupils are well Hazelwood Junior School - 10 above average compared to the national average and those of similar schools. In particular, the school is successful in reaching the higher levels. A current focus for improving the curriculum is increasing the opportunities for mathematical investigation associated with these higher levels of attainment. The school’s analysis indicates that girls are more reluctant than boys are in seeking alternative strategies to solve problems. Lessons in Years 5 and 6 are set by attainment for mathematics. This is having a good impact on ensuring that lessons are well matched to pupils’ needs. The regular check on pupils’ progress ensures the grouping is well chosen. However, there is not enough flexibility in following the numeracy scheme for pupils of lower attainment. Sometimes they move on to new learning too quickly and basic skills are not consolidated.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. In science, pupils attain standards in line with national averages in tests and in ongoing classwork. Both boys and girls do equally well in this subject. The curriculum covers the factual content of the subject well but to raise the levels of attainment, the school recognises pupils’ need to improve their skills in considering evidence. In-service training is included in the school development plan to give this area particular priority. Generally pupils have good opportunities to apply their literacy and numeracy skills, for example, drawing simple graphs, completing tables and writing sentences which record predictions and conclusions.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Standards achieved in music and personal, social and health education (PSHE) are above average. They are broadly average for history, art, design and technology, most aspects of physical education, geography and religious education. Standards are below average in ICT and gymnastics. Above average standards partly reflect the quality of in-service training undertaken in music and PSHE. Resources are much improved since the last inspection in music. An inspiring subject specialist teaches half of the lessons pupils have in music. Standards in ICT and gymnastics are below average because of insufficient expertise in the subjects and a relative lack of computers. The school has embarked on a local education authority sports co-ordinators project, which provides a specialist to work in school for three years specifically to raise standards in this area. Higher attainers are challenged for example, by investigative work in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

mathematics and science and by some of their writing tasks, but in order to achieve standards above average in history and religious education the curriculum must challenge higher attainers more frequently through work specifically tailored to their ability. In art and design, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to choose techniques and evaluate and modify their work.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Pupils identified as having special educational needs make good progress in their learning. All these pupils achieve well for their ability in national tests for English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. In history, for example, they explain how to improve a Victorian slum by suggesting ways to make it a healthier place to live. They know about factors which contribute to disease such as rats and sewage. Pupils generally achieve the targets identified on their individual education plans. Pupils make very good progress in their personal development. All pupils are confident and enjoy school. All pupils identified with special educational needs complete work alongside others, with support. Pupils at the early stages of learning English as an additional language make good progress. Pupils who are more confident users of English make the same good progress as those for whom English is their first language. They make

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

good progress in writing. Overall, pupils achieve well, supported by good teaching, given their above average starting points and the standards they reach across a broad curriculum.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. The pupils at Hazelwood Juniors enjoy school. They behave well and have very good attitudes to their learning. This is an improvement since the last inspection. The improved provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development has helped pupils learn to value themselves and others in a culturally diverse community. This and the overall good quality teaching, good behaviour of most pupils and their very good attitudes form a powerful combination that helps create an effective environment for learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils have made gains in their personal development, which is now good. Over their time in the school, they gain in maturity and become self-disciplined members of the school community. Their capacity for independence and initiative is encouraged through educational visits, activities Hazelwood Junior School - 11 in lessons, school council and charitable work. Most pupils develop their personal study skills, for example, by organising their free time to complete the homework activities they are set. However, a few lessons do not develop pupils’ independence in terms of research and investigative skills as much as they could. 12. Pupils’ behaviour is generally at least good. Only in very few lessons were there exceptions to this when pupils did not behave well. In some lessons pupils behaviour was excellent. Behaviour outside lessons, for example, at playtime was always good and has improved since the last

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

inspection. There was no evidence of bullying in school during the week of the inspection, neither was there evidence of any tension amongst different individuals or groups. The school has not found it necessary to exclude any pupil, either temporarily or permanently, in recent years.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Although pupils’ skills of co-operation are very good in most situations, with pupils very keen and eager to learn, a small minority of the younger pupils sometimes struggle to behave well and listen attentively to the least experienced teachers. This is because not enough time is spent on requirements for learning such as sitting properly and not calling out. However, the well-planned behaviour management strategies successfully reach out to help and guide the pupils who occasionally find it difficult to conform. Pupils learn from the many who behave very well and work conscientiously, and from the strong emphasis the school has on promoting and celebrating success. There are shared, social expectations that pupils recognise and encourage others to meet.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils’ attitudes to work and relationships with others in school are very good. They enjoy taking part in the well-planned and interesting lessons that generally challenge their capabilities and intellect. In the majority of lessons, pupils have good opportunities, which they value, to work with one another, such as in measuring their respiration rate after exercise. Pupils acting as ‘school buddies’ draw on the personal qualities of tact and persuasion to help encourage friendly relationships and conduct in the playground and around the school. Pupils with special educational needs are co-operative and work well in their class groups, where they receive good support. Pupils with limited proficiency with the English language have similarly positive attitudes to school. They get along well with their classmates, despite the language barrier, and play and mix freely with them. The school has been successful in creating a harmonious community

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

where pupils, irrespective of their cultural differences or attainment, get along very well. These very good relationships do much to enhance the learning opportunities of all pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils’ attendance is good and contributes to the good progress they make. Because they are so eager to learn, pupils are keen to be in school not just for their daily lessons but also to take part in the very good range of clubs and after school activities on offer to them. Pupils arrive promptly for school. Those who are absent know that the school will be checking with their parents to find out why.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The overall quality of teaching is good and has improved since the last inspection. The proportion of good and better lessons has increased and there are fewer unsatisfactory lessons. One in five lessons was very good or excellent. Over half the lessons taught were at least good. However, about one in fifteen was unsatisfactory or poor.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The following characteristics are found in effective teaching:

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

• Strong teacher subject knowledge which enables pupils to reach better than average standards; • A stimulating pace to the lesson and rhythm of activity which helps pupils remain engaged and interested; • Successful strategies for behaviour management which means no time is wasted and pupils are productive; • Well briefed additional staff who support pupils with special educational needs and in the early stages of learning English to make good progress; • Work matched well to pupils’ different attainments which provides challenge; and Hazelwood Junior School - 12 • Good opportunities to develop subject skills, social skills and extend vocabulary.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. In the best lessons the security of the teachers’ subject knowledge is a significant component. However, all the features listed above are evident so that pupils are kept mentally engaged throughout. Their vocabulary is extended. They experience a fast-moving lesson in which teaching picks up on their responses. The organisation of the lesson is often mixed; for example, it might include an introduction with the whole class, a component of individual work and opportunities to discuss or complete a piece of work with others. The whole lesson is therefore varied and stimulating. In music, Year 6 pupils began with exercises to warm their vocal chords and moved on to playing claves, copying and picking up changes in rhythm. Correct technical vocabulary was used and care taken that instruments sounded correctly. Pupils were taught standard notation for rhythms and then worked in groups composing rhythmical pieces. They

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

recorded these compositions on paper. Throughout, the pupils behaviour was managed with a voice which was close to a whisper.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. A very good mathematics lesson in Year 4 opened with a brisk mental starter. Pupils were immediately put on mental alert with questions such as halve a number, take away three and you are left with seven. What is the original number? The main part of the lesson which focused on data in tables, graphs and charts began with a very good recap on previous learning, making links with work in ICT. Behaviour management was apparently effortless because the pupils were so enthralled. Pupils predicted the problems they might encounter and how to overcome them. Throughout, the questioning was carefully pitched at the right level for pupils of different levels of attainment. This approach to learning reflects the efforts the school is making to encourage discussion and problem solving as a way of achieving higher levels of attainment.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Learning support assistants form a good partnership with the class teacher and are clearly well briefed so that their work with the pupils helps them make good progress. They are often in constant dialogue with the pupils, checking their understanding and helping them have a sense of pride in what they do. As a consequence, these pupils are confident in adding their contribution to class discussions.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. In a very small number of unsatisfactory lessons the following weaknesses were evident:

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

• Ineffective management of pupils behaviour which resulted in lack of progress; • Misjudged pace to the lesson which meant pupils lost concentration; • Lack of challenge which limited potential progress; and • Insufficient subject knowledge which limited attainment.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. The unsatisfactory lessons all occurred on the first day of the inspection and were certainly partly due to tension felt particularly by inexperienced staff. The most significant feature was unsuccessful strategies to manage pupils behaviour. When pupils were allowed to talk at the same time as the teacher, for example, during explanations, gradually and inevitably the learning deteriorated.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. In a few lessons the work the pupils did was not challenging and they made insufficient progress. Sometimes the lesson developed too slowly and progress was negatively affected. In physical education lessons, some pupils were kept inactive for too long. They simply did not do enough to make satisfactory progress in their learning. In ICT, a developing subject in the school, some staff do not have sufficient knowledge to make the use of software the curriculum requires.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Overall, teaching is good in English, mathematics, history, religious education, art and design and design and technology, and is very good in music. Literacy and numeracy are developed well. Teaching is satisfactory overall in science, geography and physical education.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. All teachers and members of support staff provide a good level of support to pupils with learning difficulties that effectively contributes to their achievement. Pupils work successfully towards their targets within the classroom alongside their peers. The school’s planned educational inclusion opportunities are good, such that work is generally well matched to attainment in most classes Hazelwood Junior School - 13 with only a few exceptions. Pupils have full access to the curriculum on offer.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. The school provides good specialist teacher assistant support for pupils at the early stages of language acquisition across all classes each week. There is a clear focus for initial stage learners on learning sounds and the need to make sense of what they read and write. At the same time, the approach is flexible in responding to individual pupils’ preferred mode of learning, such as the use of whole word recognition, and writing as an aid to reading attentively.

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PUPILS?

27. The curriculum offered by the school is appropriately broad. Extra time is allocated to class discussions and free choice activities which complement the school’s objectives for personal, social and health education. It meets the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Statutory requirements are not met for the National Curriculum because of inadequate information and communication technology provision. Since the previous inspection, the school has taken significant steps to follow up the recommendations of the report. The music curriculum has been developed very well. Provision for pupils with special educational needs and for pupils who have English as an additional language has improved and is now good. There have been developments in homework policy and practices, in conjunction with the infant school, which are still under review. The school has undertaken some organisational changes, such as setting in

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PUPILS?

mathematics to address the recommendation to improve provision for higher attaining pupils. The school has recently reviewed nearly all its curriculum policies and is currently reviewing physical education and assemblies. In this inspection, the provision for gymnastics, as part of the physical education provision, has been identified as an area of weakness.

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PUPILS?

28. Following national recommendations, the school allocates more time to the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, with a bias towards English. This is because the school devotes additional time to extended writing in addition to the literacy hour. However, pupils do not write frequently enough for a wide range of purposes in order to develop a breadth of competencies in writing. A generous amount of time is devoted to physical education and swimming, which is beneficial to the pupils. Overall, however, the curriculum is not sufficiently balanced as too little time is allocated to geography, which negatively affects the development of skills in the subject.

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PUPILS?

29. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been introduced well, with appropriate teacher training, and have had a positive effect in raising standards in these subjects. Some good opportunities to promote literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects occur, such as links with design and technology and art and design. For instance, there was a good example in Year 5 of creative writing linked to the art and design based rainforest theme. However, as the school itself has identified in their improvement plan, the use of ICT is unsatisfactory across the curriculum. In the area of literacy, the school library is insufficiently well used and consequently pupils do not read enough non-fiction. This has a negative effect on the development of reference skills.

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PUPILS?

30. Extra-curricular provision is very good. A range of lunchtime and after-school activities is available including clubs in chess, French, dance, badminton, homework and technology, which cater for pupils in all year groups. Pupils have the opportunity to develop musical skills in the string ensemble, the recorder group and the choir, which performs regularly at school and community functions, for instance, ‘Sing Together – The Grand Finale’, which was sponsored by Enfield Arts Support Service.

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PUPILS?

31. The school has fully implemented the new legal requirements which guide the provision for pupils identified with special educational needs. The school uses a range of school based and national tests to determine pupils’ needs. Individual education plans contain clear targets identifying areas for improvement. These needs are identified at an early stage and pupils placed on the register of special educational needs. Once identified, pupils have support throughout the school and this contributes to the good results they achieve for their ability. Targets are reviewed regularly and Hazelwood Junior School - 14 programmes of work are adjusted according to need. The provision within and outside the classroom is good for both these pupils and those at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. For pupils beyond the initial stage, the focus is on the extending their use of vocabulary, sentence structures and conventions. For example, pupils in Year 6 were able, with

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PUPILS?

help, to compose their own complex sentences to describe conditions of poverty illustrated in a painting, after discussion in the whole class. Pupils have access to all areas of the curriculum and the range of learning opportunities. One pupil is disapplied from the National Curriculum and receives specialist support with speech and communication.

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PUPILS?

32. Since the last inspection, the school has introduced a very comprehensive personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme, which has been developed over the last three years. This increases pupils’ understanding of healthy and safe living, rules, rights and responsibilities in school, the community and society and citizenship. This has included a focus on behaviour management, particularly at lunchtime and playtimes, incorporating the introduction of the ‘Buddy system’ where pupils help one another to behave well, and changes to the features and usage of the playground area. This has had a good effect on pupils’ behaviour at playtimes. The school has also introduced a ‘School Council’ system with pupil representatives. There have been many other events which have promoted awareness and involvement in issues concerning society and citizenship, such as ‘Rice to Romania 2000’ and a ‘Multicultural month’ which has focused on

p.16

PUPILS?

peoples in other cultures who experience great difficulties in their lives. The regular class discussions promote development of such skills as handling conflict. Appropriate attention is paid to the teaching of drugs and sex education.

p.16

PUPILS?

33. Links with the local community are very good. Visitors and visits to local places of interest enrich pupils’ learning. For instance, pupils were involved in the ‘Jubilee Arts Festival’ when pupils’ work was displayed locally. This provided an exciting forum to invite visitors into school to share their particular areas of expertise. The school provides many opportunities for pupils to receive external input into their learning, for instance, the ‘Victorian Day’, when pupils were able to try on old clothes and look at artefacts. Pupils are also involved in charity collections, such as the ‘Food Aid’ collection, as well as acknowledging special days and events, for example ‘Poppy Day’.

p.16

PUPILS?

34. The school has forged many close and co-operative links with the infant school over the last few years. This provides pupils with a smooth transfer from one school to the other. The two schools have been involved in joint policy developments in a number of key areas, including teaching and learning and health and safety. There are good induction policies in place for pupils transferring from the infant to the junior school. There is also good evidence of co-operation between the two headteachers in their staff development work, which has gained the schools ‘Investors in People’ status. There are less close links with the main secondary school. Hazelwood is taking steps to develop co-operative contacts with this school and other local secondary schools in the area.

p.16

PUPILS?

35. The provision for spiritual development is good. Assemblies are well planned and fulfil statutory requirements. During assemblies pupils reflect and celebrate the achievements of others. Opportunities to reflect and appreciate the work of others in lessons are less well developed. The school is successful in fostering a sense of belonging and community within the school. The strong family ethos permeates the school and has a positive impact on attitudes and behaviour. The pupils’ spiritual development is supported and enhanced by the very good work in music, particularly the singing and playing aspects. There are good opportunities for pupils to explore values and beliefs and to learn to respect others during their assembly, class discussion and religious education lessons.

p.16

PUPILS?

36. The provision for moral development is good. The school’s behaviour policies and practices are designed to help pupils know the difference between right and wrong and they are supported by moral questions in religious education and PSHE lessons. Pupils are encouraged to consider and understand human feelings and how their actions affect others. Each class discusses and develops its own set of rules to go alongside the school rules. There are clear guidelines for ‘happy lunch hour’. Hazelwood Junior School - 15 37. Provision for pupils’ social development is very good. Relationships and provision for social and cultural development contribute to the strong awareness of the wider world and an appreciation of the school as a family community. The school appreciates and promotes religious equality. The working partners scheme encourages pupils to work collaboratively and co-operatively with each

p.16

PUPILS?

other in lessons. The school has developed lunchtime play and this has had a positive impact on social development. Play leaders have been appointed to encourage lunchtime games. The buddy system encourages older pupils to take responsibility and be aware of the needs of others. The school council provides very good opportunities for all pupils to consider others and to take action to improve life in school.

p.17

PUPILS?

38. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is excellent. Awareness and appreciation of the wider world are enhanced by the excellent opportunities for pupils to explore their own culture and that of others. Workshops enable pupils to take part in Egyptian, African, Asian and American street dance. The end-of-term concerts and arts week celebrate music, art and dance. Visitors to the school enrich cultural development, for example, during Black history month. In lessons, pupils appreciate the traditions and religions of other cultures such as African, Asian, Egyptian and American. The school has very good links with European schools and regularly exchanges information with two French schools, an Italian school and a school in Bulgaria. The wide range of visits, including residential journeys to the Isle of Wight and Norfolk for Years 6 and 5, contributes to pupils’ cultural development. Pupils benefit from visits to other places of worship

p.17

PUPILS?

such as the London Mosque, the synagogue and Buddhapadipa temple.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Overall, the school cares well for its pupils. The procedures for tracking pupils’ academic progress, their attendance and welfare are very good and have improved since the previous inspection.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Procedures that support pupils’ personal development are good. Parents are very comfortable about discussing their children’s development with teachers, which helps the school acquire an informed view of a family’s personal circumstances. Pupils’ views are taken into account alongside their parents’ at open evenings. This helps tailor the right support to the child. The school has a clear commitment to ensuring all pupils can take advantage of the education on offer.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Good systems are in place to promote positive behaviour and to identify and eliminate any incidents of bullying or racism. The school follows up all discovered and reported incidents by counselling the victim and working with the perpetrator and his/her parents. Governors take into account the frequency of incidents when evaluating the success of their behavioural policies. Consequently there is a climate of courteous and respectful behaviour in school and marked racial harmony.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The firmly established system of merits and awards operates successfully throughout the school and continues to act as an incentive for pupils to behave well. The school celebrates success at all levels. Pupils’ accomplishments and achievements are recognised in school assemblies and by displays in school, engaging pupils’ emotions and a keenness to emulate others. One example of this is the very good use made of the school’s accomplished musicians and dancers, giving these very talented pupils regular opportunities to perform in front of the whole school. All these procedures combine to promote the generally good standard of behaviour seen in school.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The school has very good procedures for child protection. Staff are aware of and are regularly reminded about the reporting procedures that apply to all issues of a child protection nature. As a result, pupils learn in a safe environment.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. There are good procedures in place to eliminate potential risks to the safety and to promote the wellbeing of all who use the premises. Teachers are careful to ensure a lesson activity does not present a risk to the pupils taking part in it. Procedures for administering first aid are good. Good links with the school nurse help staff meet the needs of pupils with specific medical conditions. Hazelwood Junior School - 16 Procedures to meet additional needs such as physical access are good.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The very good procedures for checking and improving attendance are strictly enforced. These make parents think twice before taking their child out of school for reasons that cannot be authorised. The end-of-year reports make parents aware of the detrimental effect of absence on their child’s progress. The school keeps a close watch on trends and variations in the attendance patterns of individual pupils in order to provide data that will trigger additional support. Registers are marked with care and strictly in accordance with statutory requirements.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school has made very good progress in improving assessment of pupils endeavours since the last inspection. There is now a comprehensive policy clearly defining all the assessment activities to be carried out each year. Through adopting a well thought out system, the school is clearly informed on pupils’ progress over time. This information enables teachers to set realistic expectations in English, mathematics and science. Procedures for tracking and supporting pupils’ academic progress are very good. A wide variety of data is collected for every pupil and provides essential information for setting appropriate targets for their future learning. The teaching assistants, who stay with the same year group throughout their schooling, supply useful additional information of a social and emotional nature. Consequently, end-of-year reports for parents are useful and informative, giving good details on the progress and achievement of each

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

pupil. With the useful data collected through the school’s assessment procedures and with additional support and assessment data provided by the local education authority, the school sets challenging targets for the Year 6 pupils.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The school keeps detailed records and documentation on all pupils with special educational needs; all class teachers have their own SEN file. This ensures they are knowledgeable about individual difficulties pupils might encounter and ensures pupils receive appropriate support and guidance. Learning support assistants give good support, for example, using sign language to communicate the intention of the lesson, and ensure the pupil is fully involved in learning. The senior management team meets every term to review progress. There are very good links with the infant school and this ensures a continuity in meeting pupils needs as they move on. The school values and places a strong emphasis on the pupils’ views of their own progress. There are regular meetings with outside agencies which support the school in developing appropriate plans for their pupils.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. All pupils with English as an additional language are reviewed each September to establish targets to be achieved by the end of the school year. These targets are intended to be realistic and challenging. They are in part determined after taking account of such issues as length of schooling in this country or elsewhere, domestic circumstances and current proficiency in English. This approach works well. Teachers’ assessment of pupils’ work and progress in language and literacy is systematic and well documented. Within lessons, however, language targets for individual pupils for whom English is an additional language are not specific and this occasionally results in work being pitched at an inappropriate level.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. The school’s partnership with parents promotes very effective links between home and school. The value of this partnership has improved significantly since the previous inspection. Parents find the staff very approachable and easy to work with and as a result feel comfortable about contributing to their children’s learning in and out of school. The quality of information available to parents is very good, particularly that given in the pupils’ annual report on their progress, which is exemplary. The school has successfully engaged parents’ support in improving the overall standard of behaviour in school and in maintaining the pupils’ good rate of attendance.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The majority of parents responding to the questionnaire and all those spoken to during the course of the inspection were very positive about the school and its work. Parents have a very good view of the school and what it provides for their children. They are particularly pleased with the quality of teaching and the fact that their children like school and make good progress while they are there. However, a significant number of parents felt that their children were not getting the right Hazelwood Junior School - 17 amount of homework and that there were too few activities out of lessons. The inspection evidence supports their positive views but found the provision for homework to be good and the range of extra-curricular activities to be wide and very good.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. The overall quality of the information available to parents is very good. The school employs bilingual staff who make every effort to assist and translate for those parents who have English as an additional language. The school finds a number of ways to keep all parents informed about its events and activities, primarily through newsletters but also in posters, flyers and notice boards (some with moving text) and from the timely, verbal reminders from staff.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. Most parents take up the opportunities the termly parent-teacher consultation evenings provide to discuss any factors that may be limiting their children’s progress. Parents have very good opportunities to comment on the usefulness of these sessions and instigate further one-to-one discussion if need be. Parents of pupils with learning difficulties have additional opportunities to work in partnership with the school and to understand the individual steps their children need to take to help them progress. The school works hard and successfully to engage with parents whose own English may not be secure. The school building is used for Greek and Turkish language schools, which allows pupils to speak their home language in a social atmosphere. Many parents help with reading in the classroom. There is also a strong ethos of respect for linguistic and cultural variety; for example, there is a well-illustrated multilingual ‘Introductory

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Album for Parents’ placed in the entrance lobby.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. The end-of-year reports are exemplary. They provide very clear indicators to parents of their children’s progress over the year. Much thought has gone into the language and the style of reporting so that parents can easily understand it. The sections on the pupil’s personal progress are very good and help clarify any mismatch of perception between home and school. The reports make it clear to parents what their child needs to do to improve both academically and personally. The summarised sections also show whether a pupil’s attendance has affected their progress, which is a very effective way of ensuring parents understand the need for regular attendance. The summary information on the back of each report provides a useful indicator as to the topics their children have covered during the course of the year. The whole report is a very useful document that forms a good basis for a constructive dialogue with the school. All parents of pupils with

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

learning difficulties are invited to attend annual meetings to discuss and review the achievement and progress of their children. These meetings are well attended.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. The governors annual report is an attractive and very readable document, complying with most of the statutory requirements laid down for it. However, the omission of a section on the progress made since the last inspection means that not all parents are aware of the many improvements that have taken place since then. The prospectus provides parents with a good introduction to the school’s aims, expectations and teaching methods.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. A significant number of parents come into the school as willing and active volunteers; helping with reading practice, with after-school activities, fundraising, gardening or the pupils’ visits out of school. Members of Hazelwood Parent Staff Association are successful fundraisers whose events and activities not only raise the profile of the school within the local community but also provide yet another route for parents to make their views known to teachers.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. Many parents involve themselves with their children’s learning by encouraging numeracy, reading, spelling, music practice and independent research at home. This leads to improved learning and involvement.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. At the time of the last inspection the school was judged to be well led and managed. Strengths in this area have been maintained and built upon. This is a remarkable achievement given the recent history of substantial change. Following a period of difficulty in recruiting staff, including the headteacher, an entirely new senior management team has been in place for one year. Four teachers have joined the staff in the current academic year and several co-ordinators and other Hazelwood Junior School - 18 class teachers are new to their roles.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The headteacher provides very good leadership in this challenging situation. In a relatively short time she has earned the respect of parents, governors, staff and the senior management team for her positive impact. Much of the improvement made since the last inspection has been achieved under her leadership. She has a keen understanding of the nature of high quality teaching and learning, and the pupils best interests are central to all her work. A particular strength is the robust management systems put in place, for example, to ensure the health and safety of the pupils and to keep an overview of the quality of teaching and the curriculum. She couples this with an ability to develop warm relationships with her colleagues.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. Delegation and the contribution of staff with management responsibilities are good. Those new to the role are being well supported through appropriate training. The systems in place for assessing the effectiveness of the curriculum, the quality of teaching and the school development plan provide a very good framework for their activities. The emphasis on teamwork also supports staff acquiring new skills. The senior management team is a close and effective body. Year groups plan together, moderate work together and discuss their successes and difficulties. The positive atmosphere in which all this happens is reflected in the way teachers welcomed feedback during the inspection, which addressed what they did well and how their teaching could be improved. Clearly, there is a very strong commitment to school and personal improvement.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The special educational needs co-ordinator is supported in the management of special educational needs by the headteacher and they are well supported by the governing body. The school provides specialist teacher assistant support for pupils at the early stages of English language acquisition across all classes each week. This approach has been successfully adopted for the first time since September. A member of the senior management team is an effective co-ordinator.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. During a period of substantial change, the governors have been a source of continuity. They have a good grasp of the strengths of the school and the challenges it faces. They are kept well informed both through their own visits to school and from detailed and accurate briefings by the headteacher. They have influenced the direction of the school in significant ways, for example, by taking the decision after consultation not to amalgamate the infant and junior schools. The body fails to meet its statutory obligations concerning the National Curriculum and ICT; however, it is implementing a carefully considered plan to remedy this.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The plan for school development is very good. The very good systems for keeping the schools work under review mean all significant points for improvement are already identified and action is planned or is in progress. Governors, through an effective finance committee, ensure that the budget decisions are driven by the current developments. At present some sections do not include success criteria which relate to improvements in pupils performance rather than actions to be done.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The school has good systems in place for observing, evaluating and developing the quality of teaching. This is done primarily by the headteacher, although subject co-ordinators look at teachers’ planning and there is also scrutiny of pupils work on a regular basis. These activities are part of a regular system spread across the year and the results of these evaluations help to set the school’s strategic targets for improvement. Teachers’ professional needs are highlighted through successfully established performance management procedures and subject co-ordinators attend regular training updates for their subjects. The school staff development committee is discerning in identifying and supporting the training required in the school’s improvement plan and in also providing for the personal and professional needs of its teachers. New teachers are well supported by a well-produced induction programme.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. Day to day management of finances is good. All recommendations of the latest audit report have been followed. The budget is kept under regular review. The funds carried over from last year are being very beneficially spent on providing additional support staff in lessons to enable targeted pupils to make good progress in their learning. Specific grants are spent appropriately. The grant Hazelwood Junior School - 19 to support English as an additional language is modest, reflecting the very small number of pupils at the initial stage of language acquisition, and is being well used. Funds for special educational needs are also well used and pupils’ interests are foremost when planning the budget and funding allocation.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The school works hard so that the majority of pupils have equal access to the curriculum and equal opportunity to succeed in learning. Overall, educational inclusion is good. School records on pupil attainment and progress are very full. As a result of the annual individual pupil target setting reviews, which are undertaken by class teachers jointly with senior management staff, the school is very knowledgeable about the performance of individuals and of groups of pupils, such as boys and girls. Most lessons take account of the particular needs of different groups of pupils. However, lapses from the overall good practice include a reading and writing curriculum which disadvantages those boys who are enthused by non-fictional material and sometimes too fast a pace in acquiring new mathematical skills for lower attaining pupils. Higher attaining pupils increasingly benefit from investigational approaches in mathematics and science; however, they

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

are not consistently challenged in a few other subjects. Pupils learning English as an additional language, including those at an early stage of mastering the language, are successfully encouraged to express their views in all lessons. The needs of pupils with learning difficulties are most often accounted for in lessons, for example, by tailored work sheets, different spelling lists and constructive assistance provided by well-briefed additional staff.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. The accommodation is satisfactory overall and allows the curriculum to be taught appropriately. However, the library is rather small and two Year 4 classes are isolated in a separate building. The hall has poor acoustics. This makes it a struggle to hear clearly in assembly and, for example, in physical education lessons. Overall, resources in school are good and support the curriculum well. There is a very good range of musical instruments that helps raise pupils’ interest in the subject. The quality and range of resources for design and technology, history, numeracy, religious education and science are good, having improved since the last inspection. However, there is an unsatisfactory range of books on library shelves, particularly in the non- fiction selection.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

67. In order to improve the school further, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) raise standards and guarantee access to the full curriculum in information and communication technology and gymnastics by improving teachers' subject knowledge;

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) give pupils more opportunities to develop independent learning skills and intellectual challenge in their work by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improving and making better use of the library; • focusing on aims in the current school improvement plan to increase opportunities for investigations in mathematics and science; • matching work to prior attainment more consistently in history and religious education; and • by providing pupils with more opportunities to select techniques and evaluate and adapt their work in art and design.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Ensure a smooth progression in the development of pupils skills in geography and writing for a range of purposes by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• reviewing the timetable in the subjects' plans for developing these skills; Hazelwood Junior School - 20 • ensuring that geography is given an appropriate emphasis within topic work; and • ensuring that creative writing does not dominate the writing curriculum.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs: 28, 71, 96) Hazelwood Junior School - 21

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 44

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very poor

p.23

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.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 372

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 67

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 8

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 52

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 176

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 23

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 20

p.23

Attendance

School data 5.4 School data 0.2 Hazelwood Junior School - 22 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.23

Attendance

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

p.24

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 46 49 95

p.24

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.24

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

Boys 38 39 40 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 41 39 43

p.24

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

Percentage of pupils School 83 (83) 82 (82) 87 (98) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.24

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

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

Boys 36 41 44 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 43 43 45

p.24

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

Percentage of pupils School 85 (79) 90 (78) 96 (82) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.24

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

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

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 9 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 10 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 3 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 2 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 12 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 19 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 15.2 Financial year 2001-2002

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y3 – Y6 Total income 942,206

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 13 Total expenditure 926,802

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 243.25 Expenditure per pupil 2,451

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 35,694

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 51,098 Hazelwood Junior School - 24

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 8.4

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 8.5

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Hazelwood Junior School - 25

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 40 55 2 2 1

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 48 48 3 1 0

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 38 42 16 4 0

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 36 48 11 3 2

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 65 29 5 1 0

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 50 41 4 1 4

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 50 39 8 2 1

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 50 42 3 1 3

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 46 47 5 1 1

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 41 40 15 0 4 Hazelwood Junior School - 26

p.27

ENGLISH

68. Pupils achieve standards above average in speaking and listening, reading and writing by the end of Year 6. Since the last inspection, standards have been consistently above the national average in national tests and have risen in line with the national trend. At the time of the last inspection, standards in English were judged to be in line with the national average. In comparison with similar schools, results in English are well above average. Overall, pupils achieve satisfactorily, given their above average starting points.

p.28

ENGLISH

69. By Year 6, pupils generally listen well to each other in a variety of contexts; for example, in conducting discussions in the school council, in organising themselves to make a musical composition and in sharing ideas for solving problems in mathematics. They have a strong sense of audience and behave with appropriate formality when the occasion demands it. The emphasis in teaching across the curriculum on developing vocabulary supports pupils increasing powers to articulate their thoughts. The sensitive and constructive support given to pupils with special educational needs and those learning English means they are also confident in expressing their views in class discussions.

p.28

ENGLISH

70. Most pupils have very positive attitudes to reading. Many bring their own books into school and they talk knowledgeably about their favourite authors and genres. Pupils enter school often very fluent and expressive readers. However, some can be reluctant to engage with texts other than at a literal level. Recent in-service training on guided reading is having a positive impact on their attainment. Pupils’ guided reading is improving their ability to infer meanings and consider the motivation of characters and the potential significance of events. By Year 6, most pupils can develop lines of argument concerning their reading by making reference to the text to support their views. Few pupils have reference skills expected of pupils of their age. There are still relatively few non-fiction books in school, despite substantial spending to address the book shortage identified in the last report; the library is rarely used. This particularly disadvantages boys who

p.28

ENGLISH

expressed a preference for reading non-fictional material. Pupils are able to use dictionaries and the thesaurus, but most do not choose to do so to improve their writing.

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ENGLISH

71. Pupils’ writing in Year 6 shows that many know how to capture a reader’s attention with an engaging opening sentence and well-wrapped ending. Their work is generally well organised because they take time to develop a short but coherent plan. They use connectives with increasing mastery to develop complex sentences and know how to punctuate these using commas. In response to a particular focus in teaching on extending vocabulary pupils are working hard to employ interesting descriptive details in their writing. However, they do not have enough opportunity to tackle a range of types of writing. The diet is predominantly stories and occasionally poetry. This particularly disadvantages boys and goes some way to explain why they are not so successful in the tests as the girls. Pupils across the school learn spellings on a weekly basis of words well matched to their attainment. However, more time should be spent on

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ENGLISH

teaching strategies to learn spellings and in discussing the spelling patterns when the lists are given. At present, some pupils are not confident about how to learn them other than by writing them out several times.

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ENGLISH

72. Pupils both with special needs and those who are in the early stage of learning English as an additional language make good progress because of the good support they receive. Additional staff in lessons discuss the work with the pupils, ensure their understanding and encourage them to make valuable contributions to class discussions. Fluent speakers and other pupils make satisfactory progress overall from their above average starting points.

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ENGLISH

73. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Teachers have a secure subject knowledge, which reflects the national priority given to this subject through the literacy programme. Good explanations are given on, for example, use of connectives to compose complex sentences, the Hazelwood Junior School - 27 rules for forming plurals of words, parts of speech and the punctuation of direct speech. This results in pupils getting a solid grounding in basic literacy skills. Teaching often brings lessons alive through effective use of resources capturing pupils attention well. For example, Year 5 pupils wrote evocative descriptions of a jungle to mood music. In Year 6, pupils examined a Victorian painting of a queue for the workhouse as a prompt for writing descriptive phrases. In Year 4, the flip chart was well prepared with questions to help pupils organise their writing. Lessons are generally well planned and assessment procedures are good. This helps pupils

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ENGLISH

know what it is they are attempting to learn. The very best marking gives pupils specific feedback on what they have done well and how they might improve. In contrast, some responses offer unspecific praise. Occasionally, marking identifies corrections pupils should make but they do not always do so. Good links are made with learning in other subjects, which serves to give a sense of coherence to the pupils’ work. The best teaching challenges pupils, often through thought-provoking questions, for example, in guided reading Which words might the poet have chosen or rejected if the character was not going to school but somewhere else? Challenging questions often acted as a good behaviour management strategy as pupils were too stimulated to allow their attention to wander to other things. Sometimes the pace of lessons slowed, for example, when pupils’ contributions were written on a flip chart or when explanations continued

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ENGLISH

for some time after pupils were ready to move on. Consequently, their attention was lost.

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ENGLISH

74. Literacy skills are taught well. Both guided reading and guided writing sessions are having a positive impact on pupils’ attainment. Whilst writing is evident in other subjects, opportunities for extended writing and to master types of writing other than the narrative form are not sufficiently exploited. For example, in geography and science, a reduction in the use of worksheets would provide an ideal opportunity to develop these skills. Information and communication technology is not a strong enough feature of the English curriculum.

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MATHEMATICS

75. The standards achieved in mathematics by Year 6 in the national tests were well above the national average when compared with schools nationally and with those in similar contexts. The percentage of pupils who gained the expected level was above the national average, and the percentage of pupils attaining above average levels was well above the national average. Over the last two years, there has been a steady trend of improvement in standards in this subject, which reflects national trends. Most pupils make satisfactory progress as they move through the school. This improvement in standards can be attributed to the generally good teaching, and to the developments in curriculum provision which have been undertaken since the time of the last inspection, including the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy, with associated staff training. Other initiatives, such as the setting arrangements in Years 5 and 6, have been

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MATHEMATICS

particularly beneficial to higher attaining pupils. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make good progress owing to the quality of learning support they receive in lessons from additional staff. A recent analysis of pupil performance related to gender indicated that in mathematics, boys were attaining better results at the higher level than girls. The school is aware of these outcomes and is taking steps to address this issue.

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MATHEMATICS

76. The school has analysed well how the subject can be improved still further, and there is evidence of a strong commitment to pursue the objectives outlined in the school development plan, which includes:

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MATHEMATICS

• Developing the implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy, supporting staff and monitoring the effect in pupils’ mathematical development; • Continuing to use the National Numeracy Strategy as a basis for the mathematics planning, and to develop mental mathematics; and • Extending the more able pupils, working on a project with the local authority’s consultants.

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MATHEMATICS

77. There are a number of indicators, which link pupils’ positive learning outcomes to the generally good teaching strategies used. Lessons are well planned, and lesson objectives are shared with pupils. The pace and timing of lessons are mainly good and the discussions at the end of lessons are used effectively to assess pupils’ learning within the session and to allocate or to Hazelwood Junior School - 28 review homework tasks, which are generally linked to classwork. These procedures provide a sound framework in which effective learning can take place. There is a strong emphasis upon leading pupils to analyse strategies used. For instance, in a Year 3 class on arrays, pupils were encouraged to consider work with numbers which can be done in any order, such as addition and multiplication. In a Year 4 class lesson on data handling, the teacher’s good questioning enabled pupils to understand that a symbol can be used to mean different things. In a Year 5 class, the

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MATHEMATICS

teacher related pupils’ earlier learning about triangles in terms of sides and angles to new learning about polygons. In a Year 6 class, pupils were encouraged to explore and describe a number of strategies for doubling numbers with decimals. Teachers encouraged the development of suitable mathematical vocabulary in all lessons and this was evident in pupils’ responses. For example, in a Year 5 lesson on shape, a pupil responded, “This is an irregular quadrilateral”. Teachers also use problem solving activities well to extend pupils’ learning. This was evident in a Year 6 class in which pupils used their learning about digital clocks in interpreting timetabling problems. In a Year 4 class the more able pupils applied their knowledge of the use of tallying to a new investigative problem. In a Year 6 class, the teacher had also made good linkages with art and design and the pupils produced creative designs along two lines of symmetry.

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MATHEMATICS

78. Overall, pupils achieve satisfactorily, given their above average starting points. In those lessons in which pupils’ progress was satisfactory, as opposed to good, there was evidence that some pupils needed more consolidation of new learning. For instance, in a Year 6 class on perimeters, not all pupils were able to calculate perimeters and needed to explore this area further, before moving on to the next step in learning, identified as ‘areas’ in the weekly planning within the National Numeracy Strategy. This strategy provides useful guidance for planning but is not always used flexibly enough to meet the needs of individual pupils. Except in a Year 4 class where there was a good display about data handling, there was not much evidence of the use of ICT to extend pupils’ learning in a variety of exploratory and creative ways. ICT has been already identified by the school as a development focus, for the near future. In those lessons which were

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MATHEMATICS

satisfactory, rather than good, there was more emphasis upon teacher directed activity and less scope for individual pupils, particularly the higher attaining pupils, to undertake open ended exploratory extension tasks. For instance, in a Year 3 lesson, the higher attaining pupils who knew all their tables were not sufficiently challenged by the given activity, which was exploring arrays using a limited range of times tables. Pupils generally showed good attitudes to learning, listened well to the teachers and to each other, and showed good application to task.

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MATHEMATICS

79. The co-ordination of this subject is very good, and the co-ordinator, supported by the school management, has been very active in ensuring that the National Numeracy Strategy has been implemented well, with appropriate teacher in-service. Setting in Years 5 and 6 has also facilitated most pupils’ learning, in that this system allows teachers to match the level of challenge of work more closely to pupils’ abilities. The curriculum is kept under close review. This is evident in the purchase of resources and in the identification of priorities for improvement, for instance, ICT and investigative activities. The school has also introduced additional support classes for some pupils and secured special grant funding to aid less able pupils in Years 3 and 4.

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SCIENCE

80. The standards achieved in science by Year 6 in the national tests were in line with the average when compared with schools nationally and with those in similar contexts. The percentage of pupils who gained the expected level was in line with the national average, and the percentage of pupils attaining above average levels was above the national average. Over the last five years, there has been a steady trend of improvement in standards in this subject, which reflects national trends. In general, pupils’ progress is satisfactory and because teaching assistants offer effective learning support, those pupils with special educational needs or with English as a second language also make satisfactory progress. The higher attaining pupils make good progress, as shown by their better use of scientific vocabulary, more detailed explanations of investigations and better quality diagrams and illustrations. Overall, pupils achieve satisfactorily.

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SCIENCE

Hazelwood Junior School - 29 81. By Year 6 pupils know about the beneficial effects of micro-organisms, the discovery of immunity and the use of inoculations. They understand what happens to breathing during exercise. They know how to make simple circuits with switches and can use correct circuit symbols to record their work. Pupils are able to work well together, discussing their ideas. They use diagrams to explain aspects of how they carry out their investigations. They understand that results can be illustrated in different ways, for different emphasis on what has been found out.

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SCIENCE

82. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Good teaching is characterised by high expectations of both pupils work and behaviour, to which pupils respond well. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of science and investigational activities are satisfactory. Resources are used effectively to support learning and better teaching ensures that all pupils, especially those pupils with English as a second language, have access to key words during lessons to support their understanding and help them when work is written up. Investigations are often supported by informative work sheets outlining the various stages pupils need to work through in setting out their work. This helps them have a clear sense of purpose about what they are doing, especially in the early stages of learning a topic. The most effective marking of work includes supportive remarks often requesting pupils to think why certain outcomes were reached

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SCIENCE

or reminding them to keep to the investigational format in their writing. This helps them understand what they need to do to reach above average standards. Most teachers seek effective links with other curriculum areas, especially literacy, numeracy and art and design. Drama is used particularly well to enhance pupils understanding of significant scientific discoveries. Written descriptions underpin many science activities, while the better teaching encourages open- ended written work and uses few photocopied worksheets which tend to limit these opportunities. Opportunities to develop numeracy skills are frequent in investigation work. Better teaching enables pupils to illustrate their findings graphically using a variety of types of graph, such as bar chart or line graph sometimes using ICT. Where teaching was unsatisfactory, this related to ineffective management of behaviour with a consequent lack of progress being made by the

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SCIENCE

83. The subject is well led and planned improvements are exactly what is needed to raise standards. Resources are good in both quality and quantity and there were a number of stimulating classroom displays illustrating the variety of science work being undertaken. In a Year 5 class, for example, there were some very good observational drawings of plants and a Year 4 class had a stimulating display on Do Our Bones Grow?, both demonstrating how well pupils’ work was valued.

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ART AND DESIGN

84. At the time of the inspection, the current focus of activities was design and technology, which alternates with art and design. As a consequence, only one art and design lesson was seen. Judgements are based upon the scrutiny of art and design work displayed throughout the school, upon discussions with pupils and teachers and upon the scrutiny of documentation.

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ART AND DESIGN

85. Standards in art and design in Year 6 are average. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress. Displays throughout the school are of high quality and enhance the school environment. There are good linkages made to other subjects, such as history and geography, mathematics, and particularly design and technology. Pupils are given encouragement to use and develop a wide range of creative skills, techniques and media.

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ART AND DESIGN

86. Year 3 pupils have been encouraged to develop their observational skills by looking closely at the features, patterns, proportions and textures in masks. This led on to the creation of their own masks, using a range of media, including, paper, clay, paint and pastels. In Year 4, there was good evidence of skills’ development from the drawings of flowers to their use in silk paintings. In Year 5, pupils were focusing upon a rainforest theme and exploring a range of techniques, including the usage of complementary colours in camouflage pictures, silk paintings and observational drawings from real life. This year group has also completed an attractive series of friezes on this theme, using collage techniques. Work on this theme has provided the stimulus Hazelwood Junior School - 30 for good creative writing opportunities and outcomes in English. In Year 6, pupils enlarged detailed observational drawings taken from a drawing by Gustav Dore. These architectural

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ART AND DESIGN

drawings were used in ink printing techniques.

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ART AND DESIGN

87. Pupils show a keen interest and enjoyment in their art and design work and apply themselves well. Pupils in Year 6 are starting to evaluate their own work and make improvements on the basis of their evaluations. However, although much of the art and design work throughout the school is of a high standard, the usage of media and techniques is mainly teacher directed, and pupils are not given many opportunities to choose their own media and techniques to express themselves. Consequently, their achievements are satisfactory rather than good.

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ART AND DESIGN

88. Pupils’ work reflects good teaching in this subject. Pupils are encouraged to develop a wide range of skills and acquire relevant knowledge. High standards of presentation and finish of end product are promoted. Teachers receive appropriate guidance in the form of a recently revised policy and scheme of work. The resources used for teaching have been appropriately developed since the last inspection and, as well as classroom based resources, there are centralised resources, which include art packs related to different cultures.

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ART AND DESIGN

89. There is good co-ordination of the subject. The co-ordinator has conducted a recent policy review and provided structural guidance for the teaching of art and design themes. She checks the standard of pupils’ work. There is rich provision in this area, with good community and cross- curricular links. An example of this was the Arts Week, in which pupils were involved with a visiting teacher, and created plastic flowers for the Lord Mayor’s display. This also involved dance activities to complement the theme of the week. The improved provision, which has been introduced recently, has provided a sound beginning, from which there is good potential to raise standards in this subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

90. Standards are average by Year 6. Since the last inspection the school has taken significant steps to ensure that the recommendations regarding resource provision have been implemented. The school has also successfully taken other measures to improve curriculum provision in the last two years, in order to comply with national recommendations regarding the revised teaching of this subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

91. Pupils throughout the school are given a wide range of opportunities to develop their design and technology skills. For instance, in Year 3, pupils are evaluating the design of photograph frames. They are encouraged to identify materials, for example, metal, plastic, wood, and to characterise their properties. The plans indicate the learning is developed in that this activity is built upon later when pupils will design and make their own frames. Other Year 4 pupils were learning about the stability of structures. As a result of the teacher’s good questioning, they were able to observe features of structures, for example, ‘The base is wider than the top,’ and predicted outcomes: ‘This will topple over’. The teacher guided them to think about objects and buildings in real life. In Year 4, pupils were finding out about the operational functions of levers, which will find its application in the making of ‘Pop-up’ books. By Year 6, pupils are able to work with some

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

accuracy with materials and components, paying attention to the function and quality of the product. For example, pupils in Year 6 were working with fabric and learning by experience about the strength of different types of stitching and other qualities of fabrics, for example, fraying. Pupils’ attitudes to this subject are positive and they achieve well. They are keen to learn and show good concentration and attention to task.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

92. The teaching and learning were generally good and, in one case, very good. Teachers had good subject knowledge and there was good preparation and organisation of lessons. Pupils are encouraged to work safely and to learn from evaluating each other’s work. The teachers related classroom activities to real life activities well, so pupils could see the relevance of their work. Appropriate vocabulary was emphasised, which encouraged pupils to describe their activities accurately, for example, ‘I need to leave a seam allowance’. The good planning and pace of lessons ensure that pupils make good progress. The teaching in this area develops skills such Hazelwood Junior School - 31 as accurate measuring, which are applicable across the curriculum. The teachers and classroom learning assistants offer good support to special educational needs pupils, and ensure that they are able to participate fully in the activities.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

93. The co-ordination of the subject is good. The policy was reviewed in 2001, resulting in a revised plan for coverage of the curriculum. This contains guidance for teachers in the form of lesson plans and help-sheets. The improved resource provision and support for teachers are impacting favourably upon the teaching and learning. There are plans for further teacher training to develop their subject expertise and to extend ways the subject is kept under review.

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GEOGRAPHY

94. Overall, by Year 6, standards are average. Pupils have a sound understanding of issues related to the local environment, for example, development of roads and industry and how the environment can be damaged. They have, however, a limited knowledge of significant places and their physical characteristics. Geographical vocabulary is developed well. All pupils achieve satisfactorily. Those with special educational needs and English as a second language receive good support in lessons and are making satisfactory progress. The pupils show evident enjoyment of the subject in lessons, in the quality of presentation in their displays and in presenting their work in assembly.

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GEOGRAPHY

95. Teaching of geography is good. In particular, teachers make good use of geographical contexts to support learning in history and art and design. Teaching uses drama well to reinforce learning and engage pupils’ interest. For example, in Year 3, pupils were learning the names and shapes of clouds. Using role-play, they acted out the characteristics of each cloud. They made good progress and were able to remember several different types of cloud. Their understanding of different shapes was consolidated when they used white chalk on black paper to reproduce various cloud pictures. Opportunities for discussion support pupils’ social development well and enable pupils to reach good standards of geographical enquiry. In one lesson they were discussing the future use of an historical house from a variety of points of view, such as that of the local children, businesses, the elderly residents and environmentalists. They entered into their

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GEOGRAPHY

discussions enthusiastically and were able to argue for and appreciate the various needs of local people. Appropriate emphasis is placed on developing pupils technical vocabulary, for example, in Year 3, pupils use hemisphere, season, equator, temperate, climate and locality . Teaching exploits the potential of the local environment well. Year 4 used the local school environment, Palmers Green, to develop their mapping skills. They produced some very good maps showing their routes to and from school and the variety in style of local residential houses; this was attractively displayed in the school hall.

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GEOGRAPHY

96. A strength of the school’s plan for coverage of the curriculum is that it enables teachers to make good links with other areas of the curriculum, especially history. This is an improvement since the last inspection. The geography curriculum makes a good contribution to pupils’ cultural development through work carried out on local studies. It enhances development of multicultural awareness through comparative studies of distant lands and cultures such as an Indian village and the South American rainforest. The plan of work in geography is imbalanced. There is not enough coverage of significant places for pupils to reach the expected standards. In some year groups, the emphasis of the humanities curriculum is on history. This has a negative effect on the development of pupils’ geographical skills and knowledge. This is made worse when there are long periods of time between pupils exposure to geography skills and knowledge. It makes it

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GEOGRAPHY

hard for them to build smoothly on previous learning. Pupils make only limited use of the Internet to access relevant geographical information.

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HISTORY

97. By Year 6, standards are average. Since the last inspection the quality of teaching has improved from satisfactory to good. All pupils achieve well. Those with special educational needs and English as a second language receive good support in lessons and are making good progress. Hazelwood Junior School - 32 The pupils enjoy the subject and show enthusiasm for the work in lessons. However, lesson plans are not sufficiently tailored to the needs of higher attaining pupils.

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HISTORY

98. Throughout the school, history has a good focus and there are attractive displays in all classes. There are good links with other subjects such as art and design, geography and literacy. The use of ICT to reinforce and extend learning is inconsistent. A strength of the curriculum is the range of visitors and visits to different places of historical interest such as Wimpole Hall and the London History Museum. Pupils benefit from Black history month and experience a Tudor and a Victorian day. They show interest and enthusiasm for their work and history makes a significant contribution to pupils’ spiritual and cultural development.

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HISTORY

99. By Year 6, the pupils have a sound understanding of aspects of local and national history. They research information about the Victorians and they record dates and facts about Queen Victoria’s reign. They know Queen Victoria married a German called Albert and they had nine children. They write about involvement in the Crimean War and how methods of warfare changed during the nineteenth century as modern technology improved. Pupils are developing a good understanding of social history and the effect of class on lifestyle and life expectancy. Higher attaining pupils compare the work of a working class girl with an upper class girl. Average pupils write about the dangers children encountered in the factories, the length of the working day, poor conditions and low pay. Those with learning difficulties and those at an early stage of learning English are able to explain how to improve a Victorian slum and suggest ways to make it a healthier place to live.

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HISTORY

Pupils have developed a sound understanding of how life in a Victorian slum affected life expectancy. They know that life expectancy depended on social class. They talk about poor sanitation, rats and damp conditions in the Victorian slums.

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HISTORY

100. Pupils in Year 4 use their literacy skills to write and speak clearly about the changes that have occurred in the local area over the years. They use old maps and photographs to identify the changes. Drama is used effectively and pupils perform a historical sketch showing life in Victorian and Edwardian times. Pupils write about how Hazelwood Lane has changed over the years and know that it was a farm. They write a detailed account about the changes to Palmers Green, Broomfield Park and Hazelwood Lane. Higher attaining pupils record that Palmers Green could have been a meeting place for pilgrims or have belonged to a family called Palmer. Lower attaining pupils know John Palmer turned local cottages into a chapel in 1924. Old maps and photographs are well used to explore historical evidence.

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HISTORY

101. Teaching and learning are good overall. Lessons are well planned and give the pupils a sense of purpose about their learning. The good use made of a variety of resources makes the lessons interesting for them. Good input from learning support assistants ensures all pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as a second language, make good progress. In the good lessons, questions are used well to check pupils’ understanding and develop curiosity in studying sources of evidence. In the good teaching, pupils are given pictures to develop their observation skills and learn about unsanitary conditions in Victorian slums. Pupils are interested in the lessons and respond enthusiastically to the tasks. Lessons contain a variety of interesting tasks and drama is used well to extend and consolidate learning.

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HISTORY

102. The co-ordinator for history is good and makes an effective contribution to the subject. She oversees planning to ensure coverage of the curriculum. Resources are good; they are easily accessible and there is an appropriate range of artefacts. The school is following national guidelines for their planning, supplemented well by a study of local history.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

103. By Year 6, standards are below average. This represents an apparent decline since the last inspection, when they were average. However, expectations in the use of ICT as a learning resource have increased over the past few years. At present, overall, pupils make unsatisfactory progress and are not achieving satisfactorily. However, ICT is a rapidly improving subject. Hazelwood Junior School - 33 104. Until recently the school had not maintained the necessary provision to enable pupils to develop their skills and understanding in the use of ICT to support their learning. The school recently increased the hardware provision through the introduction of a mobile system of 16 laptops to supplement the single computers found in each classroom. This brings the pupil:computer ratio to 1:13 and, notwithstanding this improvement, the school has plans to further increase this to 1:11 by the year 2004. Teachers have also recently undergone ICT training. These two factors

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

have impacted positively on pupils’ access and use of ICT. In the lessons observed, taught by teachers who have benefited from the training, all pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as a second language, were making good progress.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

105. There are many indications that the provision is improving. Pupils in Year 3 have used facilities within a word processor to produce colourful posters of their names and were able to use different fonts and colours. Year 4 pupils were able to organise themselves competently with the laptops and made good progress using a word processor, investigating a variety of formatting facilities such as bold text, centring, use of columns and paragraphing. There were good links with recent literacy work being carried out. They had used some effective graphics tools to produce repeated animal patterns and had experimented with the spray tool to produce a pointillist effect. Pupils had also used a variety of graphs including line, bar and pictogram within a database to illustrate patterns in information collected on pets and to illustrate their findings in science. Year 5 pupils, as part of their work on rainforests, were entering temperature information from a village in the rain

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

forest. They made good progress and were able to compare maximum and minimum temperatures in February and August in the rainforest. They had used a graphics program to produce a map containing key features enabling them to use a variety of geographical symbols. Year 6 pupils had used a branching database within mathematics in order to identify specific 2D shapes and in science to identify mammals. During their lesson they were able to access a spreadsheet on their laptops and enter a formula to calculate the area of triangles.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

106. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Teachers are organising the new system of mobile laptops efficiently and this enables them to demonstrate many features of software that the pupils can immediately investigate and use. Pupils, working in pairs, share their findings and expertise and generally make good progress. In these lessons their attitudes to the activities were good. The support of a technician is most beneficial. Teachers rely on him to handle minor technical difficulties and this allows them to concentrate more effectively on their pupils, resulting in increased opportunities for them to learn. Teachers’ knowledge and confidence with the full range of software, however, are limiting pupils’ progress in a number of areas. As a consequence, pupils are not offered enough opportunities to develop skills in more advanced word processing such as the use of a frame-based desktop publishing system. Nor do they have enough use of

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

multimedia software and music, control applications, data logging equipment, Logo or sufficient access to the Internet for both e-mailing opportunities and general reference work. Overall, taking the incomplete provision and varied knowledge and understanding of software into consideration, the quality and balance of the curriculum are unsatisfactory.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

107. The management of ICT is good. It is temporarily being carried out by the headteacher. The school has begun to use the government’s recommended plan of work to direct coverage of the curriculum. Additional information in the form of which software is suitable for each unit of work is not yet available to give teachers further practical support in their planning. The management of ICT, where laptops are shared, offers pupils good opportunities to develop their social skills through both the sharing of resources and the opportunities for paired discussion. The school, unable to develop a computer suite, has successfully improved hardware provision and is aware of what more needs to be done. There is a very pertinent development plan for the subject, new teachers are to receive ICT training and further hardware is to be purchased for pupils in the form of both desktop and laptop computers.

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MUSIC

108. Standards in music are above average and have risen substantially since the last inspection. At that time they were below average. Music is now central to the best of school life, the curriculum is excellent and the pupils make very good progress. They achieve very well. Hazelwood Junior School - 34 109. By Year 6, pupils sing with a sweet tone and good projection in two parts. They have acquired a technical vocabulary of musical terms and hold instruments correctly so they provide a full sound. They recognise the form of improvisations made by groups of players and can record their own improvisations on untuned percussion using standard notation, incorporating quavers and semi- quavers. Pupils have a good awareness and evident love of music from around the world. It features in assemblies and in other lessons, for example, when writing descriptively about a jungle. The pupils singing and musical performances in assembly are deeply moving.

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MUSIC

110. Pupils' enjoyment for the subject is marked. The choir has 60 members with others eager to join. The take up of a wide range of instrumental lessons is very high indeed. Pupils listen in their lessons very carefully and work hard to sing, play and improvise well. They develop impressive social skills in composing together in groups of five and six. They perform in class and at assembly with a quiet composure and confidence.

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MUSIC

111. The quality of teaching and learning is at least very good when the specialist teaches lessons. It is satisfactory for class teachers. All lessons are well planned and have appropriate intentions for pupils learning. In excellent lessons, pupils are inspired by the highest of expectations. They respond immediately to the demands for high quality outcomes and laugh when their teacher imitates a poorly produced sound. These lessons are well structured with, for example, warm up exercise for voices and playing of rhythms. Pupils musical vocabulary is extended and their skill in playing instruments developed well. The pace of lessons is productive and pupils are all involved throughout. Their consequent engagement is clear. In other lessons, sometimes pupils are not required to listen and talk over the teacher in their excitement and consequently lose concentration.

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MUSIC

112. Co-ordination of the subject is very good and is particularly effective in supporting the non- specialist teacher. Determined to improve on the last inspection and supported by allocation from the school budget, the talented subject specialist teaches in each year group alongside class teachers, providing support every other half term and also continuous support in planning. Musical visitors from a diverse range of cultures enrich the curriculum. Pupils are involved in their community, for example, singing at Palmers Green Jubilee Fair, Enfield Sings concert, Holocaust Memorial Day and by carol singing. The resources for the subject are now good but need to be supplemented so that the pupils can explore music technology and refer to interesting books in the library. Music is an example of how successfully the budget has been targeted to educational priorities.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

113. By Year 6, the pupils’ standards are average for most aspects of physical education. At the time of the inspection standards in gymnastics were below average in Year 6. The school is aware of this and has put measures in place to raise standards. The school is working with a school sports officer to develop pupils’ physical education. There is no difference between the attainment of boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs and pupils who have English as a second language make the same progress as their peers. They are well supported in lessons. Pupils achieve satisfactorily.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

114. Standards in physical education have remained the same since the last inspection. The school is implementing new and improved planning which will have a positive impact on teaching, learning and attainment.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

115. By Year 6, achievement in games is sound and progression in the development of skills is satisfactory throughout the school. Pupils in Year 5 dribble a ball around a slalom of cones with developing control. They know how to hold the stick and are developing the ability to manoeuvre the ball to the right, left and around. There were no opportunities during the inspection to see how well pupils apply their skills but discussion with pupils in Year 6 indicates they have appropriate knowledge and can talk about simple attack and defence strategies in a team game. Hazelwood Junior School - 35 116. The quality of gymnastic work seen in Year 6 is below average. Pupils do not develop an increasing knowledge of and ability to perform an expanding range of gymnastic movements. Pupils can not compose a sequence of movements well enough. The school is aware of this and has put measures in place to raise standards and increase teachers subject knowledge and

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

expertise. During the session with the sports co-ordinator, the quality of work started to improve and pupils were encouraged to perform movements skilfully and with control. They are challenged in the quality and content of their work. Pupils run, jump and land with control and move into a balance. They are not confident transferring their body weight onto their hands. When travelling on hands and feet, skills are limited. A few higher attaining pupils perform cartwheels and bunny jumps but the majority use crawling actions more appropriate for younger pupils. Working with the co-ordinator, pupils are beginning to understand and perform basic counter-tension and counter-balance movements with a partner and their ability to combine movements is developing. Pupils’ ability to comment on the skills of others and suggest ways to improve is average. Pupils have sound knowledge of the effect of exercise on the body and can explain the basics of attack

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

117. Pupils in Year 5 swim for 15 weeks and the vast majority achieve the expected standard, being able to swim 25 metres by the time they leave the school. No dance was observed but planning indicates appropriate time is devoted to teaching dance and pupils benefit from opportunities to experience Egyptian, Asian and African dance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

118. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, with instances of unsatisfactory teaching. Teachers dress appropriately and prepare lessons thoroughly but some teachers need to up date their knowledge of warm up activities. All teachers have a very good relationship with their class and ask challenging questions. A weakness in most lessons observed is the lack of activity within lessons. This limits pupils’ progress and learning. During one session pupils spent approximately 11 minutes moving and the rest of the time sitting listening to instructions and answering questions. Levels of activity were insufficient to raise the heart rate to be of benefit to pupils. They are not having enough time to practise and consolidate their skills.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

119. The co-ordinator has only been responsible for physical education since the beginning of term. The school has adopted local education authority planning and appropriate action is being taken to address weaknesses within the subject. Accommodation is satisfactory overall; there are two playgrounds but no grass area. The poor acoustics in the hall make it difficult for teachers to communicate with pupils in gymnastic lessons. Resources are good overall and this is an improvement since the last inspection. There is currently no assessment in physical education. The school plans to develop assessment once the new planning has been implemented. Pupils benefit from clubs such as football, badminton and netball skills. Football club is taken by outside coaches and pupils pay for the sessions.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

120. By Year 6, standards meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and pupils with English as a second language, make satisfactory progress in their learning and achieve well.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

121. Since the last inspection there has been good progress made in improving the quality of teaching and learning, which has gone from satisfactory to good, overall. A strength of the curriculum is the range of visits to different places of worship and the constant application of what is learnt to current day situations. Literacy is used well in all lessons. The use of ICT is inconsistent and could be used better in some classes. In some lessons there is not a sufficient match of work to ability, especially for more able pupils. Religious education has a prominent focus around the school; attractive displays reflect pupils’ work and reinforce learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

122. Pupils make sound gains in their learning as they progress through the school. By the age of nine, pupils’ learning about religion and ability to apply it to everyday life is developing well. Hazelwood Junior School - 36 Pupils know the Bible teaches about Christianity, Jesus and the way they should live their lives. Pupils identify a range of qualities they have learnt from the Bible such as caring, thoughtfulness and love. They are familiar with the Bible story of Zaccheus. Pupils know that Zaccheus was ungrateful, greedy, selfish and unfair before he met Jesus and that he changed after meeting Jesus to become helpful, considerate and kind, giving back four times the amount of money he had taken from others. In Year 4, pupils know God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses to help them live their lives.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

123. By Year 6, pupils are familiar with major world faiths and the significance of customs in other religions. They enhance their learning about other religions by visits to the local mosque, Buddhist temple and synagogue. Pupils in Year 5 know Muslims pray five times a day and the Qu’ran has to sit on the top of everything else because it is a holy book. Pupils have a sound understanding of the Jewish religion and can talk about the importance of the Ark, Torah and synagogue for the Jewish people. Pupils in Year 6 know and can explain the story of the king’s elephant in their study of Buddhism. Higher attaining pupils use the story as a stimulus to create their own version to be used as a guideline for others. Average pupils draw cartoon pictures and write the story of the king’s elephant. Pupils with special educational needs use the computer to write the story and import pictures to illustrate it. Pupils in Year 3 identify the characteristics of

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Rama, Sita and Ravana. They know Sita was kind, Rama was brave and Ravana was evil.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

124. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall, with instances of very good and unsatisfactory teaching. Lessons are well planned and questions are used effectively to challenge pupils to apply their knowledge of religion to situations in everyday life. In the good lessons, clear time targets and expectations are identified which help pupils to focus clearly on what they should be doing. Pupils show interest and enthusiasm for their work and the discussions and reflections on religious issues make a significant contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. When teaching is less effective, the work is not closely matched to ability and higher attaining pupils are not challenged sufficiently. In the unsatisfactory lessons, behaviour management strategies are not secure and pupils engage in their own agenda; this slows down the pace of learning for themselves and for others.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

125. The co-ordinator provides very good support and oversees planning to ensure teachers follow local and national guidelines. Resources are good and are easily accessible; there is a good range of artefacts to support learning.

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