King's Oak Primary School

THE MOUNT PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 23 rd – 26 th June 2003

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THE MOUNT PRIMARY SCHOOL

Full inspection carried out under Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Dickerage Lane New Malden Surrey

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 2 nd February 1998

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE 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. The Mount Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

7269 Mr P Kemble Registered inspector Science Music Physical education What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

9780 Mr J Massey 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?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

12112 Mrs G Carter Team inspector Educational inclusion, including race equality English History

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

11227 Mr J Moles Team inspector Mathematics How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

27426 Mr T Aldridge Team inspector Areas of learning for children in the Foundation Stage Religious education How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

12261 Ms R Adams Team inspector Special educational needs Art and design Design and technology The work of the autistic spectrum disorder unit

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

20832 Dr M Galowalia Team inspector Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Information and communication technology Geography The Mount Primary School - 4 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Bench Marque Limited National Westminster Bank Chambers Victoria Street Burnham-on-Sea Somerset TA8 1AN

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE The Mount Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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OTHER SPECIFIED FEATURES 32

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The work of the autistic spectrum disorder unit

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The Mount Primary School is a larger than average primary school. There are 473 full-time equivalent pupils on roll, with 90 part-time and 15 full-time children in nursery classes. Numbers are higher than at the time of the previous inspection, due mainly to a rising population and the school’s improving reputation within the locality. Pupils come from a wide range of social backgrounds. Part of the local area is one of significant deprivation and the majority of pupils come from there. Pupils’ level of attainment on entry into the nursery is well below average overall. One hundred and sixty-six pupils (36.2 per cent) are eligible for free school meals, a figure well above the national average. There are 142 pupils (31 per cent) on the register of pupils with special educational needs, a figure above the national average. Twenty-two pupils have a statement of special educational need, an above average figure.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Seventeen of these pupils have places in the autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) unit, which caters for pupils from within the borough. The number of pupils from minority ethnic groups has risen significantly since the previous inspection from 97 to 203 and reflects the broad ethnic diversity in the area. The majority of these pupils are from Korea and Afghanistan. One hundred and sixty-eight pupils (36.7 per cent) speak English as an additional language (EAL), with about 80 per cent of these pupils at an early stage of English language acquisition. There are 46 pupils from families who are seeking asylum or who are refugees. Pupil mobility is high, typically 50 per cent annually, as a large proportion of the EAL pupils stay for periods of two years or less. Pupil mobility has a significant impact on the work of the headteacher and governors in managing and organising school improvement and meeting annual

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The Mount Primary School is an effective school with significant strengths. Standards in English, mathematics and science are below average by the end of Year 6. Overall, pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress when compared with their levels of attainment on entry into school. All pupils benefit from outstanding standards of pastoral care and good teaching. Teamwork amongst staff is excellent. Links with parents and the local community in the life and work of the school are excellent. The headteacher provides very effective leadership. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Children receive a good start to life in the Foundation Stage and achieve well. • The quality of teaching and learning is good overall in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 to 6. • Teamwork amongst all teaching and non-teaching staff, and procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare, are excellent; standards of educational inclusion are very good. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs, including autistic pupils, is good. • Provision for pupils’ personal development, especially their moral and social development, is very good; pupils have very good attitudes to their work and form very good relationships. • Pupils benefit from an excellent range of extra-curricular activities. • The school’s links with parents are excellent. • The leadership provided by the headteacher is very good; governors are very supportive of the work of the school and are closely involved in strategic planning.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The Mount Primary School - 7 What could be improved • Not enough use is made of other subjects of the curriculum to promote pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. • Assessment information is not always used well enough to match work closely to pupils’ differing needs. • Provision and support for pupils with English as an additional language has not kept pace with their increasing numbers. • Senior staff and co-ordinators are not sufficiently critical in the way that they monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning and teachers’ planning. • A small number of pupils continue to have poor rates of attendance. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made a good improvement overall since the previous inspection in February 1998. As a result of the headteacher’s very effective leadership, improvements have been made to curriculum provision and teachers’ expectations of pupils’ academic and social achievements. Weaknesses identified in the previous report have been dealt with, mainly successfully. Standards, as shown by the results of national tests, have not improved as much as the headteacher and governors have planned for, but this is largely due to rapid changes in the characteristics of the school, particularly over the last three years. However, a School Achievement Award in 2001 recognised the school’s success in improving pupils’ literacy and numeracy standards over time. Standards in design and technology and information and communication technology have risen well, from below average to average by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. The quality of pupils’ writing is better, but there is still work to be done in this aspect

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

of the curriculum. The quality of teaching and learning in science has improved well and pupils benefit from a wide range of investigations and experiments. The impact of the work of co-ordinators on standards has improved but, along with senior colleagues, there is still work to be done in developing a more critical approach to monitoring and evaluation procedures. There have been other significant improvements. Pupils’ attitudes to school and their work have improved from satisfactory to very good. Links with parents are now a major strength and are excellent. The range of extra-curricular activities available to pupils has improved from satisfactory to excellent. Levels of educational inclusion are now very good.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English D E* E* E well above average above average A B mathematics E E* E* E average below average C D science D E* E D well below average very low E E* The Mount Primary School - 8 Results in the above table show that, when compared with those of similar schools, pupils attain standards well below average in English and mathematics, and below average in science. However, school test and assessment data shows that, when pupils’ attainments are compared with their levels of attainment on entry, they make satisfactory progress overall. Targets for pupils’ attainments set by the school were not met in 2002. This is due largely to high pupil mobility levels, which have a significant impact on the results of the national tests. For example, in 2002, 47 per cent of the pupils in Year 6 joined the school in Years 3 to 6, and of these, about half joined the school in Year 6.

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STANDARDS

National test results do not reflect standards pupils attain on a daily basis in lessons. Pupils’ standards in Year 6 are below average in English, mathematics and science. They are broadly in line with national expectations in speaking and listening, handwriting, art and design, design and technology, geography, history, information and communication technology, music, physical education and religious education. Standards of reading are below average, and in writing they are well below. In Year 2, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are close to the national average. There are no significant differences in the achievements of boys and girls, pupils with special educational needs or pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds.

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STANDARDS

Children in the Foundation Stage make good progress and achieve well from a low base in all areas of their development. By the time they enter Year 1, most children have attained the expected standards in personal, social and emotional development and physical development. Standards are below expectations in mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development. They are well below expectations in communication, language and literacy.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils tackle their work with enthusiasm and interest.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils are polite and courteous to each other and to all adults. A few pupils with emotional and behavioural problems sometimes behave poorly in lessons.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils co-operate very well in lessons and assemblies. Relationships between all pupils are very good and they respect each other’s views and beliefs well.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Unsatisfactory. Attendance rates are improving well but remain just below the national average.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching Good Good Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses. The Mount Primary School - 9 The quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school. Teachers manage and organise pupils’ learning and behaviour very well and pupils benefit from their good subject knowledge and understanding. Basic skills of literacy and numeracy are taught well overall, but, in Years 3 to 6, teachers do not use support staff effectively enough to extend pupils’ reading and writing skills. In all classes, other subjects of the curriculum are not used as well as they could be to promote literacy and numeracy skills. Pupils achieve particularly well in mathematics in Years 1 to 6 because of a strong emphasis on mental and oral activities. All pupils make satisfactory progress in information and

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

communication technology because of teachers’ improved subject expertise and because staff take advantage of pupils’ preference for practical rather than written tasks. All pupils benefit from excellent teamwork amongst teachers and learning support staff. In the best lessons, teachers match work closely to pupils’ differing capabilities, providing them with good levels of challenge. This is not always the case, particularly in subjects such as design and technology, geography and history, where lessons tend to be taught to the whole class. Pupils with special educational needs receive well-planned tasks taught by the special educational needs co-ordinator, class teachers and learning support staff. Pupils with English as an additional language receive good support from specialist staff but there are too few of them and pupils’ quality of learning is satisfactory overall. Autistic pupils are taught well and are well

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

integrated into the life of the school. Relationships between teachers and pupils are very good and make a significant contribution to pupils’ very good attitudes to their work and their achievements.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The emphasis on provision for the core subjects of English, mathematics and science is strong. In other subjects, such as geography and history, planning is not linked as well as it might be to promoting core subject skills. Pupils benefit from an excellent range of clubs, visits and visitors to school.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Individual education plans contain achievable targets that are linked closely to classroom activities.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory. Pupils benefit from teachers’ promotion of correct vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and spelling but there are not enough support staff to help teachers provide more fully for pupils’ needs in lessons.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Very good. Provision for pupils’ social and moral development is very good. Provision for their spiritual and cultural development is good. Provision makes a significant contribution to pupils’ very good attitudes and relationships.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Standards in pastoral care are outstanding. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are good, but the information is not used well enough to meet all pupils’ academic needs all of the time.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The headteacher, staff and governors have worked hard to establish effective links with parents and the local community. As a result, these links are excellent and contribute significantly to the school’s friendly, welcoming atmosphere and pupils’ academic and social achievements. The Mount Primary School - 10

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher’s leadership is very effective and provides a very clear educational direction to the work of the school. However, she does not delegate responsibility sufficiently well to teaching and non-teaching staff. Teamwork is excellent. Senior staff and co- ordinators carry out their responsibilities conscientiously, but procedures for monitoring and evaluating standards are not sufficiently critical.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. Governors have made appropriate decisions in prioritising aspects of school life that require improvement, but do not make full use of individual experience and expertise to share the wide range of responsibilities.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. All staff and governors share in gathering information about the school’s effectiveness and document priorities effectively in the school development plan. However, action taken to raise standards is sometimes too general and does not focus sufficiently on specific skills, knowledge and understanding that require improvement.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good. Accommodation, resources and available finances are used well to support priorities in the school development plan. Opportunities are sometimes missed to deploy non-teaching staff to support more effectively pupils’ learning of literacy and numeracy skills.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• Their c hildren like school, make good progress and achieve well. • Teachers have high expectations, help pupils to become mature and responsible and keep parents well informed about their children’s progress. • The school deals effectively with questions and problems. • The school is well led and managed. • There is a good range of activities outside lessons. • A small minority of parents considers the amount of homework set is not appropriate. • A small minority of parents of younger pupils considers the school does not work closely enough with them.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agree with the aspects that please parents. Inspectors judge the amount of homework to be similar to that found in most other primary schools nationally and that it makes a positive contribution to pupils’ reading standards in particular. Inspectors judge the way that staff and governors work with parents of pupils of all ages to be very good. The Mount Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Strengths • There has been a satisfactory improvement in standards overall since the previous inspection. • Pupils make satisfactory progress overall in relation to their levels of attainment on entry in English in Years 1 and 2, and in mathematics and science in Years 1 to 6. • Pupils make good progress in reading in Years 1 and 2. • Children make good progress in the Foundation Stage. • Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress when taught by specialists. • Autistic pupils achieve well.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Areas for improvement • Pupils do not make as much progress as might be expected in English in Years 3 to 6. • Opportunities are sometimes missed to extend pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects of the curriculum. • Pupils do not achieve as well in national tests as they do in lessons.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The level of attainment of children entering the nursery and reception classes varies from year to year, but is typically well below average. A small minority of children’s attainment is lower than this. Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well and make good progress overall. They receive a positive start to their school life and benefit from very good levels of care and well-planned activities. During Years 1 and 2, teachers plan interesting and motivating activities. Pupils make particularly good progress in reading. Progress in speaking and listening, mathematics and science is satisfactory. Progress in writing is weak, but pupils write neatly, and progress in developing legible, well-formed handwriting is satisfactory. By the end of Year 2, standards are below average overall, but are close to the national average in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In Years 3 to 6, satisfactory rates of progress are maintained in mathematics and science, as teachers take advantage of many pupils’ preference for practical rather than written activities. By the end of Year 6, standards are below average overall in English, mathematics and science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Progress is unsatisfactory in English, particularly in writing. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, pupil mobility in the school is high, typically 50 per cent in any one year. Between September 2002 and June 2003, 180 pupils joined and 62 pupils left the school. Many of the pupils who join the school in Years 3 to 6, and especially in Years 5 and 6, have English as an additional language, and a high proportion of these pupils are at an early stage of learning the English language. The school has not reorganised and adjusted its curriculum sufficiently to establish more effective ways of teaching English to these pupils. However, at present, these pupils The Mount Primary School - 12 benefit from the use of additional teaching and learning support assistants to teach small groups and pupils make good, and sometimes very good, progress during these sessions.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Secondly, during the school’s emphasis since the previous inspection, on implementing national literacy and numeracy guidelines to raise standards, teachers have not made sufficient use of other subjects of the curriculum to promote and extend pupils’ reading, writing and numeracy skills.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Foundation Stage children benefit from close attention to their personal, social and emotional development when they start in the nursery or reception, and they soon settle into school. Staff use assessment information well to identify specific needs. Children make good progress overall in all the required areas of learning and achieve well. However, they are progressing from a low base, especially in their literacy skills. By the time they enter Year 1, achievements are in line with those expected in personal, social and emotional development and physical development. They are below expected standards in mathematics and creative development. Standards of communication, language and literacy and knowledge and understanding of the world are well below expectations.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The results of national tests at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 show that pupils’ achievements have not kept pace with the national trend since the previous inspection. Standards at the end of Year 6 rose between 1998 and 2000 and the school subsequently received a School Achievement Award. However, since then, the rapid rise in the number of pupils on roll, the large increase in the number of pupils with English as an additional language and significantly high pupil mobility amongst older pupils, are factors that have been largely responsible for a decline in national test results between 2000 and 2002. Test results show no significant differences in the attainment of boys and girls, pupils with English as an additional language or minority ethnic pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Although no national comparisons are currently available, there has been improvement in English, mathematics and science results at the end of Year 6 in the 2003 national tests, with improvements in the percentage of pupils achieving the higher Level 5 or above. For example, the percentage of pupils attaining the expected Level 4 or above in science has risen from 59 per cent in 2002 to 70 per cent in 2003. In mathematics, the percentage of pupils attaining Level 4 or above has risen from 36 per cent in 2002 to 53 per cent in 2003; eleven per cent of pupils attained Level 5 in 2003, compared with five per cent in 2002.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Inspection findings are that, because of the particular characteristics of the school’s intake, national test and assessment results do not reflect pupils’ attainments over time in lessons. A similar judgement was made at the time of the previous inspection. Pupils make satisfactory progress overall from their original levels of attainment on entry. By the end of Year 2, standards in reading, speaking and listening are broadly in line with the national average. Standards in writing are well below average. Standards in mathematics and science are below average. Standards are in line with those expected of pupils of their age in art and design, design and technology, geography, history, information and communication technology, music, physical education and religious education. By the end of Year 6, standards are below average in English, mathematics and science. They are in line The Mount Primary School - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

with national expectations in art and design, design and technology, geography, history, information and communication technology, music, physical education and religious education.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Since the 1998 inspection, under the effective leadership of the headteacher, staff have worked hard to raise standards. The school has focused a considerable amount of time and resources on provision for pupils with special educational needs, lower attaining pupils and pupils with English as an additional language who start school with little or no English language. As a result, attainment for these pupils has been raised.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Teachers have used the national guidelines for teaching literacy and numeracy with increasing effectiveness to improve the quality of teaching and learning and pupils’ standards. For example, good use is made of teaching letter sounds, or phonics, as a main approach to the teaching of reading. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 make particularly good progress in reading as a result. Pupils are encouraged to write as often as possible, and staff are successful in avoiding the use of too many worksheets and, instead, expect pupils to write full sentences in much of their work. However, weaknesses in writing affect progress in other areas of the curriculum such as geography and history in all classes.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Staff generally provide a good range of opportunities for pupils to improve their speaking skills, although staff are aware that there is work to be done in making sure that pupils with English as an additional language are given more opportunities to practise these skills.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. Standards in mathematics have benefited from consistent application by all staff of the nationally recommended format for lessons, which encourages discussion amongst pupils about methods used to solve problems. Many pupils who find writing difficult find mathematics more to their liking and they particularly enjoy mental and oral sessions, where they often make good progress in their learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. Standards in design and technology and information and communication technology have improved well because of improvements to teachers’ subject knowledge, implementation of more effective schemes of work and the purchase of up-to-date resources and equipment. As a result, pupils are achieving particularly well in information and communication technology during lessons in the computer suite.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

14. In all subjects, pupils’ weak reading and writing skills affect progress and achievement, but to a greater extent than might be expected, for instance in geography and history. The main reason for this is that staff do not make as much use of other subjects of the curriculum to promote pupils’ literacy skills. Skills learnt in literacy lessons, the vast majority of which are in the mornings, are not transferred to, or extended in, foundation subjects, most of which are in the afternoons. The content of the afternoon lessons is often interesting and motivating for pupils, but learning is not planned to accommodate the needs of pupils’ different capabilities as well as it is in literacy lessons.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

15. For some pupils, the amount of time they have to participate in afternoon lessons is reduced when they are withdrawn for additional literacy support. While this reflects the school’s appropriately strong emphasis on promoting the literacy skills of pupils identified as having a specific need, the interruption to lessons and time lost for pupils means the arrangements are not satisfactory. However, staff are aware of this The Mount Primary School - 14 problem and there are helpful plans in the school improvement plan to adjust the way support groups are timetabled.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

16. Pupils benefit from good levels of educational inclusion overall. Pupils of all capabilities, gender and background have equal access to all aspects of school life. This is reflected in the improvement in pupils’ attitudes to school and improved rates of attendance since the previous inspection. Levels of challenge for pupils of different capabilities are satisfactory overall. However, these vary from class to class because there are inconsistencies in the way similar lessons are taught by the teachers of classes in the same year group. More is demanded of pupils in English, mathematics and science than most other subjects. Higher attaining pupils in Years 1 to 6 are sometimes not challenged enough by their work when lessons are predominantly whole class, for instance in design and technology, geography and history, and they make slow progress as a result.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

17. Pupils with special educational needs receive satisfactory levels of challenge from teachers in class lessons. More is demanded of them in small groups or on an individual basis when working with the special educational needs co-ordinator or learning support assistants, in classrooms or in the special educational needs support room. Pupils make good progress on these occasions. The members of staff involved make effective use of well-planned support programmes, particularly for those pupils identified as needing the support of ‘school action plus’. Pupils make satisfactory progress towards the targets in their individual education plans. Autistic pupils achieve well because of good teaching and good integration into the daily life and work of the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

18. Pupils with English as an additional language make satisfactory progress along with their peers. Class teachers work very well with learning support assistants to provide individual and group support and involve pupils in all class activities. However, there are not enough support staff for the number of with pupils English as an additional language on roll to support pupils and their class teachers in improving provision and standards.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

19. Overall, pupils in all parts of the school benefit from committed, caring teaching and non-teaching staff who plan lessons with care and who work hard to make activities interesting and motivating. The combination of good teaching and outstanding standards of pastoral care make a significant contribution to pupils’ academic and social development. Teachers are becoming increasingly skilful at matching work to meet individual pupils’ needs, especially in English, mathematics and science. Teachers have rightly focused on developing pupils’ basic skills of speaking, reading, writing and numeracy since the previous inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

20. Teachers are successful at building on pupils’ enjoyment of practical activities to help them learn by doing, but are aware that the link between using practical skills, particularly those characteristic of most of the foundation subjects, to develop and extend literacy and numeracy skills, is an area for further development. The Mount Primary School - 15

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Strengths • Pupils’ attitudes to school are very good; they are happy and confident and interested in their work and play. • Behaviour in lessons and at play is good. • Pupils’ personal development and relationships with each other and adults are very good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Area for improvement • Attendance is just below the national average.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

21. At the time of the previous inspection, pupils’ attitudes, behaviour, relationships and personal development were all reported to be good. These strengths have been successfully built upon since then. Pupils’ attitudes, relationships and personal development are now very good. Good behaviour has been maintained. Attendance levels were reported to be well below average at the last inspection. The school has worked hard to involve parents and pupils in ways to improve attendance; attendance rates are much better and are now just below the national average.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

22. Nursery and reception children settle quickly and confidently into school routines. Their attitudes and behaviour are very good, due mainly to the consistent approach by all staff to behaviour management and the provision of interesting and motivating activities. Most children listen carefully and follow instructions well. Children soon develop very good relationships with each other and all adults who teach them. They share and take turns without fuss. The good quality care and attention they receive gives them confidence to enjoy making discoveries and learning more about the world around them. They are prepared well for their work in Year 1.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

23. Older pupils continue to have very good attitudes to school and work. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 very much enjoy coming to school and are happy and cheerful when they arrive in the morning. They show interest in their work and the activities provided for them and concentrate well throughout the day. Pupils work together with good co- operation. This is seen when autistic pupils join classes for lessons. Minority ethnic pupils are actively involved in all activities. At breaks, all pupils play energetically and happily together.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

24. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 want to do well at school, working hard in lessons, for example when using the computer suite or carrying out investigations and experiments in science lessons. Pupils have a marked preference for practical rather than written activities and interest and concentration are often at their greatest in lessons of this kind. However, during the inspection, there were a few occasions when pupils lost concentration or disturbed other pupils by fidgeting or other distracting behaviour when working on less popular tasks. On the few occasions when this did occur, it was often because teachers talked for too long or tasks were not sufficiently challenging.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

25. Standards of behaviour are good and relationships formed are very good. The behaviour of autistic pupils in the unit and in classrooms is very good. Pupils are very polite and show respect for each other and especially for adults in the school. They are generally sensible when moving around the school. In lessons, learning is maintained well because of pupils’ good behaviour. On other occasions, pupils conduct themselves well. For example, the two Year 4 classes completed the long The Mount Primary School - 16 walk to and from the local swimming pool extremely well and, despite hot weather, were sensible and co-operative in the way they listened to adults and took notice of the general public.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

26. Older pupils look out for and help the younger ones as ‘buddies’ in the playground, as prefects and as playground patrollers, looking out for pupils who are lonely or having problems and sometimes resolving conflicts. These very good relationships were often reflected during the inspection in the way pupils helped each other in lessons. For example, a Korean pupil who had been in the school for only a short time was helped to join in a scientific investigation by her partner, who successfully encouraged her to become part of her group.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

27. There were many instances observed where pupils of different capabilities and backgrounds worked with each other and gave each other support or help. Autistic pupils, in particular, were welcomed into classrooms. One Year 4 autistic pupil was helped to enjoy a games lesson on the school field by one pupil in particular who helped him to join her group and encouraged him to take part in the activities.

p.16

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

28. Pupils’ personal development is very good. Formal timetabled lessons take place, including group discussions called circle time, in which pupils try to see things from each other’s point of view and, with effective guidance and encouragement from their teachers, develop an understanding of their own and each other’s feelings. The very varied nature of the school community brings them into daily contact with different religions and cultures, with considerable benefit to their understanding and appreciation of their differences and common interests.

p.16

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

29. Pupils undertake a range of responsibilities and duties. Prefects and playground patrol pupils carry out their tasks conscientiously. The school council , of elected representatives and their own chairperson , meet regularly with the headteacher in attendance. They discuss issues raised by their classmates and consider ways in which they can contribute to school life, for example by publishing a school newspaper with contributions from each class.

p.16

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

30. Levels of attendance overall are just below the national average. The attendance and punctuality of most pupils is good and they arrive on time. However, there are several pupils whose attendance is irregular, requiring constant intervention from school staff and, in the worst cases, the local authority education welfare service. Some pupils of overseas origin are absent for long periods when their families make extended visits to their relatives abroad and some of the youngest pupils are frequently absent with medical problems. These absences have a detrimental impact on pupils’ learning and overall progress.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Strengths • The quality of teaching and learning throughout the school is good overall. • Teachers manage and organise lessons very well. • Teamwork amongst teachers and learning support assistants is excellent. • Teachers develop very good relationships with their pupils, and this helps them to have very good attitudes to their work. Areas for improvement • Opportunities are missed in some lessons to promote pupils’ literacy and The Mount Primary School - 17 numeracy skills. • Some lesson plans and teaching methods are not always the most appropriate for the wider range of pupil capabilities and backgrounds in each class.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

31. At the time of the previous inspection, the quality of teaching and learning was reported to be satisfactory or better in 92 per cent of lessons, with eight per cent of lessons judged as unsatisfactory. There has been a satisfactory improvement since then. Of the 96 lessons observed, only one was judged to be unsatisfactory, with the others satisfactory or better. Two out of every three lessons were judged to be good or better.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

32. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall in mathematics, science and physical education in all classes, and in English in Years 1 and 2. It is satisfactory in geography, history, information and communication technology, music and religious education in all classes and in English in Years 3 to 6. Not enough lessons were seen in art and design and design and technology to make secure judgements about the quality of teaching and learning.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

33. Improvements in teaching since the previous inspection are due to higher expectations of what pupils can achieve, especially in mathematics, science and information and communication technology, a strong emphasis on training to extend teachers’ subject knowledge, for example in information and communication technology, and effective use of national strategies to focus on improving pupils’ literacy and numeracy standards.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

34. The quality of teaching and learning is better overall in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science than it is in the foundation subjects because of the school’s drive to improve pupils’ reading, writing and numeracy skills since the last report. During this time, teachers have not always used other subjects of the curriculum, such as art and design, design and technology, geography, history and information and communication technology, effectively enough to extend pupils’ learning.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

35. The quality of teaching is good overall in the two nursery classes and the three reception classes. Teachers plan with a good knowledge and understanding of the value of play and children’s active involvement in purposeful tasks. When teaching is good, for example in knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development activities, children are given many opportunities to express their ideas and opinions, work co-operatively in pairs or larger groups and benefit from a good range and quality of resources. When teaching is less effective, but is satisfactory, for instance in some communication, language and literacy activities, the purpose of children’s tasks is not always clear and work is not matched closely enough to their differing capabilities.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

36. Teachers’ planning is based firmly on the nationally expected early learning goals and recognised ‘stepping stones’ linked to a half-termly topic. Teachers in the reception classes meet weekly to carefully plan communication, language and literacy and mathematical development lessons. This ensures that children receive The Mount Primary School - 18 similar experiences across the three classes. However, plans do not cater sufficiently for the different ability groups within classes, so that children often undertake the same level of activity with insufficient challenge for some children.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

37. Teachers often complete planning for other areas of the curriculum individually. These lesson plans are generally satisfactory, but do not make effective use of teachers’ time or ensure children receive similar experiences. Religious education is planned satisfactorily and taught well, using the locally agreed syllabus. Links between the two nursery teachers are less well developed and, although a common planning format is used, weekly lessons are planned independently. Planning is an area identified by the Foundation Stage co-ordinator as needing further development.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

38. In Years 1 and 2, the quality of teaching and learning is good overall. The most effective lessons are characterised by very good management and organisation of pupils’ learning and behaviour, effective teaching of basic skills and high expectations of pupils’ academic and social achievements. Teachers plan interesting and motivating activities and give good support to pupils of differing capabilities. Liaison with learning support assistants and other adults is excellent and pupils benefit from opportunities to learn in small groups with an adult to guide them. For example, a class of Year 1 pupils made good gains in their learning about adjectives because the teacher used glove puppets in a lively and stimulating way, and a group of pupils with English as an additional language received well-planned support from a learning support assistant.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

39. In Years 1 to 6, literacy and numeracy lessons are characterised by regular contact by the teacher with individuals and groups of pupils, checking they have resources and information necessary to complete their tasks. As a result, in most lessons, pupils not under direct supervision by an adult at any one time work hard and achieve well.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

40. Teachers are enthusiastic about the lessons they teach and this is conveyed to pupils, helping them to show interest and maintain concentration. This is particularly evident during whole-class sessions at the beginning of lessons. For instance, in a very good Year 5 music lesson, the teaching was lively and imaginative and the teacher used facial expressions and variations in her voice effectively to stimulate pupils’ interest. As a result, pupils were constantly engaged in learning during the lesson and achieved well as a result. Teachers often use questions well during opening sessions to try and involve as many pupils as possible in discussion, especially pupils new to the class or pupils with English as an additional language who are at an early stage of learning English.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

41. In lessons where teaching is satisfactory, the purpose of lessons is not always clear, making it difficult for pupils to appreciate the relevance of what they are doing. Pupils of differing capabilities tackle similar tasks so that levels of challenge are not sufficiently high for some pupils. These weaknesses occurred in several different subjects and reflect a lack of critical analysis in the monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning and in teachers’ planning by senior staff and subject co-ordinators.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

42. In Years 3 to 6, the quality of teaching and learning is good overall. In the best lessons, teachers plan activities that take account of pupils’ different capabilities and backgrounds. This is reflected in well-organised groups catering, for instance, for pupils who have only recently joined the school, pupils with special educational needs, pupils with English as an additional language, autistic pupils and pupils with emotional The Mount Primary School - 19 and behavioural difficulties. All classes are equally as complex in their composition and, in most literacy and numeracy lessons seen, teachers made effective decisions about pupil groupings.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

43. In Years 1 to 6, teachers manage and organise pupils’ behaviour and learning very well. Behaviour management procedures are consistently applied and interruptions to pupils’ learning are rare. Movement from one part of a lesson to another, for instance from a whole-class discussion to independent work, is smooth and very little time is lost. Classrooms are prepared well beforehand so that resources required for a lesson are in place and ready for use. Teachers manage and organise pupils’ movements around the school efficiently and effectively, to the hall for physical education, to the library and to the computer suite. These good qualities help to maintain pupils’ concentration and interest in lessons and contribute well to their achievements.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

44. Teachers share the purpose of the lesson clearly with pupils at the start. They use a system called: ‘I can…’ to identify with pupils what they should be able to do by the end of the lesson. When this is used well, learning moves at a good pace as pupils know what they are trying to achieve. When the ‘I can…’ statements are not well thought out, pupils’ quality of learning is less effective.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

45. Teachers do not always give enough importance or time to the last part of lessons, called plenaries, when the whole class gathers to review what has been learned, to consolidate learning and help teachers and pupils evaluate the success of lessons. This method was used well in physical education lessons. For example, Year 4 pupils talked about what they had found difficult as they practised jumping techniques and the teacher was able to give additional helpful advice. However, in some lessons, teachers had planned too much for the time available and the plenary was either very short or left out altogether, limiting the impact of the rest of the lesson on pupils’ learning.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

46. Teachers throughout the school plan lessons conscientiously, basing activities on national subject guidelines and school schemes of work. In most of the lessons seen during the inspection which were judged to be no better than satisfactory, it was evident that teachers had tried to fit the expectations of the national guidelines or schemes of work to the pupils’ needs in the class, rather than clearly assessing pupils’ needs and then using relevant parts of guidelines or schemes of work to meet those needs. This is partly due to the school’s emphasis on using national guidelines, in particular to help to raise standards in literacy and numeracy, but also reflects uncertainty amongst staff as to how imaginative or adventurous they can be in their use of national subject guidelines. This is one of the reasons why teaching in English in Years 3 to 6 is no better than satisfactory overall.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

47. In class lessons, support for pupils with special educational needs or English as an additional language is normally provided by well-trained and experienced learning support assistants, who work hard to ensure that pupils have full access to the curriculum. However, generally, class teachers do not have sufficient knowledge and understanding of how pupils with English as an additional language acquire language. Pupils from the ASD unit integrate into mainstream classes in the afternoons or for any other lessons that are considered to be appropriate. A learning support assistant, who ensures that pupils are able to keep up with their peers, or who mediates the tasks set to make them suitable, normally accompanies them. However, withdrawal sessions in the afternoon sometimes mean that pupils miss parts of their lessons, for instance in art and design, and design and technology. The school is aware of this

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

The Mount Primary School - 20 and is considering ways to manage pupils’ attendance at literacy and numeracy groups more effectively.

p.20

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

48. Teachers plan for and use learning support assistants to help pupils take part in the full range of curriculum activities rather than providing different tasks for pupils with additional needs. Whilst this strategy is successful when there is sufficient support available, it does not always help pupils to become more independent or responsible.

p.20

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

49. Some pupils are selected for special arts and social development groups, where pupils work on developing speaking and listening, self-esteem and confidence. These groups usually take place in withdrawal sessions, and are effective in dealing with the very issues that can make pupils feel excluded. Teaching in these sessions is very focused and encouraging, so that pupils begin to feel valued and secure.

p.20

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

50. Satisfactory use is made of homework to extend pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. Regular reading, spelling and number activities have had a positive impact on standards since the previous inspection. Many parents give good support by helping their children at home and teachers have developed positive links between home and school as a result.

p.20

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

51. A consistent characteristic of teaching throughout the school is the very effective promotion of the school’s aims and values. Teachers provide good role models for pupils in their commitment and enthusiasm. As a result, relationships between teachers and pupils are very good. Pupils’ contributions are respected and valued and, in turn, pupils respond well to the caring way they are treated.

p.20

PUPILS?

Strengths • Provision for children in the nursery and reception classes is good. • Provision for pupils’ personal, social, health and citizenship education is good; promotion of pupils’ moral and social development is very good. • The range of extra-curricular activities is excellent. • Provision for special educational need s is good. • Pupils’ learning benefits from the school’s very good links with the community.

p.20

PUPILS?

Areas for improvement • More use could be made of information and communication technology across the curriculum to support pupils’ learning. • Insufficient use is made of other subjects to support learning in literacy and numeracy.

p.20

PUPILS?

52. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is good. It has a good breadth, is well balanced and is relevant to the needs of children as they enter school for the first time. The curriculum for pupils in Years 1 to 6 is satisfactory. It is appropriately broad and balanced and meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. All pupils have equal access to the curriculum offered, including pupils with English as an additional language, those with special educational needs, and pupils in the autistic spectrum disorder unit, although when pupils are withdrawn from class lessons for additional support, parts of lessons The Mount Primary School - 21 are sometimes missed. All pupils are well integrated into school life; educational inclusion is a major strength of the school.

p.20

PUPILS?

53. A large proportion of time has been appropriately allocated to the teaching of literacy and numeracy, and satisfactory use is made of these strategies to plan and structure lessons. In literacy, effective use is made of additional adults and national initiatives to teach small groups of pupils. However, in Years 3 to 6, the management and organisation of the curriculum is not as successful as it is in Years 1 and 2, and the school has appropriately identified further development in its improvement plan.

p.21

PUPILS?

54. In mathematics, pupils are taught in groups of similar ability, called sets. This arrangement helps teachers to plan activities that are particularly relevant to pupils in each set. Additional support is provided for those pupils who experience difficulty with the subject and this is effective. As a result, pupils achieve well in mathematics during their time in school.

p.21

PUPILS?

55. In all classes, insufficient use is made of other subjects of the curriculum, such as science, geography and history, to support and extend pupils’ learning in literacy and numeracy. As a result of an increase in teachers’ confidence and expertise, pupils develop satisfactory computer skills in the computer suite and in classrooms, but these skills are not used as effectively as might be expected across the curriculum.

p.21

PUPILS?

56. Children in the nursery and reception classes benefit from a good variety of relevant and interesting practical activities and experiences. Provision is good because all members of staff share a good understanding of how children learn and the need for social development to enable them to get the maximum learning from their time in school. Children remain interested, co-operative and active throughout the day, even when they are very new to school.

p.21

PUPILS?

57. The curriculum promotes educational inclusion well. It is well organised to meet the requirements of pupils with particular learning needs such as special educational difficulties or English as an additional language. For example, the respect given to pupils with special educational needs contributes significantly to their positive view of themselves and the progress they make. Pupils are carefully identified and monitored and offered withdrawal and mainstream teaching. The school runs all the main catch- up strategies nationally recommended for literacy and numeracy and this is to the advantage of pupils selected for the programmes. Additionally, extra-curricular facilities, such as the breakfast club and the homework clubs, allow pupils to benefit from experiences they may be unable to have at home.

p.21

PUPILS?

58. Provision for pupils who have special educational needs is good. The special educational needs co-ordinator provides effective specialist support and learning support assistants provide good support in classrooms. The school has effective contacts with a wide range of agencies outside school and many individual pupils The Mount Primary School - 22 benefit from their knowledge and expertise. Individual education plans and personal education plans are in place and identify appropriate activities and measurable targets. The provision fulfils statutory obligations.

p.21

PUPILS?

59. High priority is given to the provision for pupils’ personal, social, health and citizenship education and lessons are a regular part of the weekly timetable. Sex education is satisfactorily taught to older pupils as part of the programme. The dangers of drug misuse are explained and discussed as part of the health education programme. Citizenship is addressed well through the school council and through visiting civic buildings. Debates in the classrooms, such as those challenging social stereotypes and bullying, as well as preparation for transfer to secondary school and junior citizenship training, all make a significant contribution.

p.22

PUPILS?

60. A significant contribution is made to pupils’ personal development by arts and social development classes. This imaginative addition to the curriculum uses the creative arts to promote identified skills of particularly talented pupils. It is also helping pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties, certain special educational needs pupils and pupils experiencing difficulties in their home life, to gain confidence and self- esteem, in order to help their learning in other aspects of the curriculum. Pupils have achieved significant successes in local speech and drama festivals and there are many recorded examples of how individual pupils have benefited from the programme. Parents are very pleased with this aspect of the curriculum and would like to see the programme extended to include a wider range of pupils.

p.22

PUPILS?

61. The range of extra-curricular activities is excellent. Pupils in all classes benefit from visits related to classroom projects. For example, pupils visit the Tate Gallery and a Covent Garden theatre group where they learn about make-up and stagecraft in preparation for the school production of ‘Bugsy Malone’. The school welcomes volunteers such as members of Age Concern; the intergenerational work done with them, and of the faith groups represented in the school, is good. Visitors help considerably to broaden pupils’ understanding of the world around them and of how members of the community can help one another. Visiting authors help pupils to understand the human endeavour involved in writing and how authors draw on different cultural backgrounds for inspiration.

p.22

PUPILS?

62. The contribution of the community to learning is very good. A local vicar is a regular visitor, and the school uses the local church for the celebration of collective worship at various times during the year, thus providing good opportunities for parents and the whole-school community to gather and celebrate together. Members of the community and of the governing body provide support in the classrooms, including hearing pupils read and teaching pupils who have high ability in mathematics. Several student teachers train at the school and find they are well prepared for their careers.

p.22

PUPILS?

63. The school provides an excellent range of clubs, before school starts and at the end of the day, which are very well supported by pupils. Some extend into the school holiday periods. They are strongly appreciated by the vast majority of parents. Activities successfully extend pupils’ learning in many aspects of the curriculum and include football, gymnastics, swimming, Tae kwon-do, pottery and several dance groups such as traditional and modern Indian dance. Residential visits successfully develop the social, outdoor and adventurous aspects of the curriculum.

p.22

PUPILS?

64. Provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is very good overall and makes a significant contribution to pupils’ personal development. Provision has improved well since the previous inspection. The Mount Primary School - 23 65. Provision for spiritual development is good. Well-planned acts of worship address a wide variety of themes and, through interesting presentations and stories, encourage pupils to reflect on many human conditions. Empathy and compassion are developed well in personal, social, health and citizenship lessons. Opportunities are missed to extend these good examples of provision for spiritual development to some class lessons, for example in literacy, science, art and design and music.

p.22

PUPILS?

66. Provision for pupils’ moral development is very good. Pupils benefit from the consistent application of the school rules and the high standards of respect given to pupils and expected by all staff. A high level of care and concern for the individual pervades school life. Pupils are taught clearly the difference between right and wrong and have a good understanding of the need for rules to promote an orderly community.

p.23

PUPILS?

67. The promotion of pupils’ social development is very good. All staff successfully promote equal rights and responsibilities throughout the school. There is a strong sense of community and all pupils are proud of their school. Many pupils join the school during the academic year and all staff and pupils help newcomers to settle rapidly into school life. Pupils have raised considerable sums of money for a children’s hospice, seeing this as their social and moral duty to support children and families at a desperate time in their lives. Residential visits for pupils give them the opportunity to experience life away from home and to learn good social skills.

p.23

PUPILS?

68. Provision for the promotion of pupils’ cultural development is good. Pupils learn much about the city and area they live in through making good use of the free public transport system or walking to the distant swimming pool, carrying out a local survey on the way. They are surrounded in school by positive images of the traditions and beauty of the lands of origin of the many ethnic groups represented in the school. They study the major religions of the world and have members of many faiths come into school to talk to them. Pupils are well prepared for life in an interdependent multi- ethnic society.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Strengths • Standards of pastoral care are outstanding. • Procedures and staff awareness for ensuring pupils’ welfare and safety are excellent. • Pupils benefit from excellent procedures for promoting good behaviour, and for minimising oppressive behaviour, bullying and racism. • Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are very good. • Procedures for supporting pupils’ personal development are good. • Arrangements for assessing pupils’ academic achievements are good.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Area for improvement • Insufficient use is made of assessment information for setting pupils targets for learning in class lessons. 69. At the time of the previous inspection, provision for pupils’ support, guidance and welfare was reported to be good. These high standards have been successfully improved upon so that, in many respects, they are now excellent. Teachers know the pupils very well. Many pupils have particular difficulties, some of which are severe, and these pupils are very well understood and appropriately helped by all staff. The Mount Primary School - 24 70. The school is justly proud of its outstanding pastoral care for pupils and their parents. Staff work hard to offer pupils life chances which might otherwise be denied to them. A policy of ‘wrap around care’ for all pupils and their parents includes the provision of breakfast, after-school and homework clubs, holiday provision and clinics offering

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

help and advice on medical, social and housing problems, run by the appropriate agencies, but located in the school. Confidential counselling is available to pupils and their parents from a local organisation. The school has a strong link with Age Concern, and a team of twelve volunteers help particular pupils to make progress. All pupils and many parents have been involved in a project to develop a garden, promoted and supported by the local Archway Trust. The local police support the school, talking with pupils on a range of issues and are involved in the junior citizenship programme.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

71. Procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare, health, safety and security are excellent. There is a very strong family atmosphere, in which pupils readily go to teachers if they need help, seeing teachers and other adults as friends and confidants. The safe and secure atmosphere inside the school contributes to pupils’ confidence and their good attitudes to work and play. The excellent relationships between all adults in the school set a compelling role model for pupils. Child protection procedures and co-operation with the other agencies are excellent, involving all the adults in the school. Health and safety procedures are very good. Formal health and safety inspections take place regularly with governor involvement, and fire evacuation procedures are regularly practised.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

72. Procedures for promoting good behaviour and responsible attitudes are excellent. Teachers and non-teaching staff are trained in behaviour management and use praise and encouragement very effectively, so that sanctions are often not needed. Several pupils with behavioural difficulties are helped by their teachers to adopt the good behaviour of their classmates. There have been a few recent recorded incidents of bullying but, when questioned about this, pupils and parents confirmed that they were not overly concerned by bullying or unkind behaviour because, when it occurs, it is quickly and effectively dealt with. Prefects and the playground patrol pupils play a valuable part in this.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

73. The innovative programme in arts and social development closely monitors some pupils who need nurturing and additional support for their social development.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

74. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are very good and this has improved markedly since the last inspection. Most pupils now attend well, but some parents do not make sufficient effort to ensure good attendance and need frequent encouragement from the school to improve. A few do not respond well to the school’s efforts and need the intervention of the education welfare officer and sometimes the courts.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

75. The main reason for absence for a few of the younger pupils is sickness, and the school nurse plays an important part in helping to ensure that these pupils receive appropriate medical help. A significant factor in the absence of some pupils is extended visits by families of overseas origin to their relatives abroad.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

76. Although overall attendance is still lower than in schools generally, when assessed in the context of the social problems in the area the school serves, improvement is good. The school is aware, however, that maintaining and improving attendance rates The Mount Primary School - 25 needs consistent effort by the school and the support agencies. Registration procedures meet the requirements.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

77. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment are good. Staff gather a considerable amount of data from statutory and non-statutory tests, and information and communication technology is used well to help them analyse this. Nursery and reception class teachers have good systems for recording what children know, understand and can do and how they achieve. All classes have pupils who have recently joined the school. The needs of these pupils are often wide. Assessment data is used well to identify specific support for them, for pupils with English as an additional language and for pupils with special educational needs. The team responsible for pupils with English as an additional language make effective use of this data and collect a good range of additional information to support their work.

p.25

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

78. Not enough use is made of assessment information for target setting in main class lessons. Teachers do not use it consistently in all classes to adjust their lesson plans to accommodate the differing capabilities of pupils in their classes, especially higher attaining and average attaining pupils. The assessment co-ordinator is providing useful support for teachers to help them identify the factors that ensure pupils are provided with activities that are consistently demanding and challenging. The school recognises this as an area for development and has set in place a formal system to use the data collected to track individual pupils’ complex needs as they move through the school and to give support to teachers in their planning. The assessment co- ordinator is the deputy headteacher and she is well placed to oversee the further development and refinement and impact of assessment procedures.

p.25

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Strengths • The school’s relationship with parents is excellent. • Parents value the school very highly and their help makes a very good contribution to the work of the school. • Information provided for parents about school life and their children’s progress is very good. • Parents are treated with empathy, warmth and sympathy. • The parents and staff association provides very good practical and financial support. • Parents make a valuable contribution to their children’s learning in school and at home.

p.25

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

79. At the time of the last inspection, the school’s relationship with parents and the local community was judged to be good. This relationship has been successfully developed and improved upon and it is now excellent. Parents have a very high The Mount Primary School - 26 opinion of the school and the education it provides for their children. The school’s improving reputation in the local community has been one of the main reasons why numbers have risen steadily over recent years.

p.25

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

80. Comments made at the parents’ meeting prior to the inspection, and the results of the parents’ questionnaire, show that parents highly value the school and are pleased with the education and care provided for their children. Parents consider the school to be well led and managed, that teachers and other staff are easily approachable, flexible and accommodating, and that they consider the whole family when responding to problems and requests. Suggestions from parents are welcomed and concerns are sympathetically dealt with.

p.26

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

81. Parents are pleased that their children like going to school, and that they make good progress, behave well and are helped to become mature and responsible. Most parents are pleased with the information they receive about their children’s progress, particularly at the interviews on parents’ evenings. They are pleased with the quality of teaching and like the fact that teachers have high expectations of their children. Parents are generally satisfied that their children get the right amount of homework.

p.26

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

82. Inspectors endorse these positive views of parents.

p.26

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

83. The school is very pro-active in promoting its place in the local community. Staff are particularly successful at encouraging and working with parents who initially may be reluctant to be involved. Classes are run for parents, including language and computer skills and parenting issues such as behaviour management. Parents trust, and feel comfortable in, the school and are helped to sort out medical, social and housing problems. Many parents help with their children’s learning at home, mostly by hearing them read and with spelling and number work. Several parents help in school and on trips. Regular meetings and consultation evenings are held and well attended. The annual governors’ meeting to parents, which is combined with a social event involving pupils, is very popular. An effective ‘open door’ policy operates, with parents receiving a warm welcome. The headteacher and staff see any parent as soon as

p.26

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

possible. Parents report that they very much appreciate this openness.

p.26

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

84. The quality of information provided by the school is very good. Parents receive regular newsletters and much other helpful information, although a small minority of parents felt that some information gave very little notice of events. Inspectors could find no evidence to support this view.

p.26

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

85. Some parents would like to see more information being produced in languages other than English. Inspectors feel that the school accommodates the main home languages well, but are aware that 36 different languages are spoken at home and that there is room to develop this aspect of information for parents over time. The school prospectus and annual governors’ report to parents meet requirements and are well produced. Pupils’ annual reports are clearly written and meet statutory requirements.

p.26

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

86. The school has very close involvement with parents of pupils with special educational needs. They are kept well informed of their children’s progress, formally three times a year, but informally on many occasions.

p.26

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

87. The parent and staff association is very active in organising social events which help to promote very good relationships between parents, the local community, the nearby church and the school, as well as raising valuable funds for the school. The Mount Primary School - 27

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Strengths • The headteacher provides very good leadership and a clear educational direction to the life and work of the school. • There is a shared commitment amongst all staff to school improvement; teamwork is excellent. • Governors fulfil their statutory duties well and give good support to the work of the headteacher and staff. • Financial planning is good. • Pupils benefit from effective use of accommodation, resources and available finances.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Areas for improvement • Procedures for monitoring and evaluating school improvement by staff and governors are not sufficiently rigorous. • There are not enough staff to support pupils with English as an additional language.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

88. Leadership and management provided by the headteacher and key staff are good. Since the previous inspection, there have been many changes to the school with greatly increased pupil numbers, high pupil mobility and a big increase in the number of pupils from homes where English is not the first language. This has meant that the nature of the school has changed considerably. The headteacher and senior staff have managed the changes well and improvement since the last inspection has been good.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

89. The leadership and management of the headteacher is good overall and she has a strong sense of purpose. Over the past five years, she has provided clear educational direction for the school and shown total commitment to the school’s aims of developing learning skills, educational inclusion and raising standards.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

90. The headteacher’s qualities of leadership are very good. She has led by example and taken personal responsibility for developing many initiatives. As a result, she has been successful in establishing a compassionate ethos where all pupils feel safe and secure, and are fully included in all aspects of school life. Teamwork amongst all staff is excellent. Under her leadership, the school has developed into a community school providing high standards of care for pupils, as well as their parents and carers. Parents are very pleased with the attitudes and values that the school teaches and the way all staff care for their children. The many quality marks and achievement awards received by the school in recent years have been justifiably deserved.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

91. The headteacher has established and put in place many effective systems and procedures which she managed successfully when the school was much smaller. However, it is not possible for her to continue to personally manage and monitor many of these because of the present large size of the school. The need to delegate more has been recognised by the headteacher and school governors. Plans are in place to increase the size of the senior management team from September 2003 in order to provide more effective monitoring and sharing of responsibilities and develop more specific strategic thinking and planning. The headteacher is well supported by the deputy headteacher and members of the senior management team, who carry out their roles and responsibilities conscientiously. The Mount Primary School - 28 92. The school’s aims are reflected very well in the work of the school. They include raising achievement, developing initiatives to increase access to learning for all,

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

improving pupil self-esteem, social skills, behaviour, attitudes to learning for all and promoting effective learning skills. However, they have remained the same for some time and staff and governors are aware of the need to review the school aims to develop a clearer mission statement which reflects the current size and needs of the school.

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

93. The headteacher and senior staff are very committed to educational inclusion and see the promotion of good relationships and equal opportunities as essential. The provision made for groups of pupils, such as those with special educational needs or English as an additional language, has priority in the school’s planning and these pupils make satisfactory progress. The care and concern shown to all pupils is impressive and pupils’ cultures are celebrated as an enrichment to the school. The management team has been willing to put money into the provision of a teacher for an arts and social development programme to raise the self-esteem of pupils who might not feel fully included, and their success in local competitions and drama examinations has resulted in a great increase in confidence.

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

94. Some responsibilities for achieving the current aims are delegated to members of the senior management team and subject co-ordinators. Guided effectively by the deputy headteacher, senior management team members analyse national and school test and assessment information on a regular basis to identify areas for improvement. English, mathematics and science co-ordinators also analyse results and undertake lesson observations. These arrangements help staff to develop a good understanding of strengths and areas for improvement in standards. Computerised procedures have recently been established to help analyse data.

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

95. Co-ordinators vary in their impact on standards, depending on how critically they analyse the quality of teaching and learning, teachers’ planning and pupils’ standards. Some co-ordinators undertake a limited amount of monitoring of teaching and learning to identify good practice and so help to raise standards. They are released from teaching for either a morning or afternoon session each week to manage subject responsibilities. However, current systems are not as effective as they could be. This is because co-ordinators are released at the same time each week and can only observe a limited number of teachers. All co-ordinators have budget responsibilities and undertake an effective annual review of their subject.

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

96. The Foundation Stage co-ordinator provides satisfactory leadership, support and management. She often meets with reception teachers during weekly planning sessions. She has observed a few lessons and undertakes some informal monitoring and evaluation of planning, but these procedures are not sufficiently critical in order to identify strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning and to raise expectations of what children can achieve.

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

97. The special educational needs co-ordinator manages provision very well. Teachers are fully involved in identifying, setting and reviewing individual education plan targets. Co-operation between the co-ordinator and staff in the ASD unit is good. The co- ordinator liaises well with members of outside agencies and uses their expertise and knowledge well to benefit pupils and to improve their provision. Resources are managed and organised effectively. However, in the financial information received from the local education authority, the special educational needs budget is combined with the budget for gifted and talented pupils and the budget for pupils at risk. The Mount Primary School - 29 Consequently, governors and the co-ordinator are not always able to accurately identify how effectively funds are spent on pupils with special educational needs.

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

98. The co-ordinator of provision for pupils with English as an additional language carries out her duties and responsibilities well. Despite the small number of staff compared with the large number of pupils, provision is well targeted and focused on particular individuals and groups of pupils and many pupils benefit from her work and that of her colleagues over time. Close attention is paid to pupils’ specific needs and, as a result, pupils often make good, and sometimes very good, progress in small group activities.

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

99. Staff and governors are involved well in identifying priorities for development in the school improvement plan. The plan clearly identifies these priorities and is a useful tool for continued development and raising standards. Governors monitor and evaluate the success of the plan through their visits to school. Staff are invited to governors’ meetings to report on the progress made in school and explain new initiatives. Policies are regularly updated and presented to the governing body for approval. However, the criteria for checking on the success of the plan are sometimes general rather than specific and this makes evaluation of effectiveness difficult. There is clear commitment amongst staff and governors to raising standards, and the capacity to succeed is currently satisfactory.

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

100. The headteacher, senior management and governors are aware that, as the school grows in size, so does the need for more rigorous and focused monitoring and evaluation of procedures and standards in order to take effective action to tackle areas identified for improvement. For example, although there are regular staff meetings, minutes do not always clearly indicate decisions made and who is responsible for their action and monitoring.

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

101. The governing body fulfils its statutory duties well. It is effectively led by an experienced, hardworking and knowledgeable chair. Governors work well with the headteacher and staff, based on an open exchange of information and views. They have a good knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and improvements made over recent years. The governors’ role in relation to raising standards and monitoring the curriculum is less well developed. Opportunities are missed to give individual governors specific responsibilities to help them have a clearer view of how to be involved in school life and help raise standards. The present arrangement of working parties, headed by a strategic committee to which all governors are invited, is currently under review to see if a more cohesive system, making more effective use of individual governors’ wide ranging expertise, can replace it.

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

102. Strategies for appraisal and performance management are satisfactory and policies and procedures are fully in place. The headteacher has agreed measurable targets with the governors in relation to her performance. Team leaders are in place to undertake the performance management of teaching staff in accordance with the policy and they are fully aware of their responsibilities. There is currently no appraisal or performance management review for non-teaching staff.

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

103. Budget planning is carefully carried out before the beginning of the financial year by the headteacher and senior administrative officer. Local education authority staff set the budget profile for the school. However, the format in which the headteacher and governors receive budget information from the local education authority is often difficult to monitor effectively without referring to local education authority staff. The budget is presented to the governing body for approval in March, when it is fully discussed. A monthly local education authority budget statement is carefully The Mount Primary School - 30 monitored by the headteacher, administrative assistant and governing body. The school does not have its own financial procedures to formalise roles and responsibilities but uses the more general procedures provided by the local education authority for all schools in the area.

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

104. Specific grants and funds are spent effectively and monitored carefully by the headteacher and administrative assistant. The school satisfactorily applies the principles of best value well and has been involved in consulting and involving those concerned in decision-making about spending. Some limited consideration has been given to alternative providers for services and resources in order to acquire cost effectiveness. Overall, money is spent carefully.

p.30

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

105. The headteacher and senior administrative officer manage the day-to-day financial procedures of the school satisfactorily. The computerised systems in place ensure that the school runs smoothly and that finances and money are handled securely. Income and expenditure are carefully recorded and there are monthly checks on expenditure. The most recent audit report identified some minor areas for improvement which have been successfully addressed. Separate accounts are kept for private school funds which are audited annually. Other day-to-day administrative procedures are effective and communication systems within the school are good.

p.30

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

106. Office staff have clearly defined responsibilities and support each other well. They work in an efficient, calm and professional manner and support the work of the school extremely well. Satisfactory use is made by the school of new technology in the administration of the school.

p.30

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

107. Taking into account the below average standards achieved by the pupils at the end of Year 6, pupils’ satisfactory rates of progress in Years 1 to 6, their very good attitudes, values and personal development, the very good quality of education, good leadership and management, good improvements since the last inspection and the high costs per pupil, the school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.30

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

108. The school has adequate numbers of teachers and support staff. This helps in the smooth running of the school. All teaching and support staff except one are permanent. Between them, they have a good range of experience and expertise for meeting the demands of most subjects of the curriculum. Support for pupils who are learning English as an additional language is inadequate. Whilst the number of pupils needing support has increased very significantly in recent years, professional The Mount Primary School - 31 support for them has remained very limited. Teaching assistants work well with small groups of pupils to promote pupils’ literacy skills in Years 3 to 6, but opportunities are missed for them to work more effectively in class lessons.

p.30

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

109. The school building has been extended effectively over time, mostly in keeping with the original structure, and now provides generous accommodation which is well maintained and efficiently and effectively used. A recent addition for autistic pupils is of good quality with many special features. Some classrooms are in temporary buildings, some of which are linked to the main structure by a covered walkway. These classrooms are of a good size. Classrooms in the main building are mostly spacious, many with high ceilings, and provide good learning environments. The main hall is just big enough to accommodate the whole school now that numbers have risen. It provides a good covered space for physical education lessons and is used effectively as a dining hall at lunchtimes, but this limits its use for physical activities. The school grounds are spacious, with adequate playground space for pupils of all

p.31

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

ages and a good sized playing field. The accommodation is cleaned and maintained to a high standard by the school caretaker and cleaning staff.

p.31

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

110. There is a sufficient quantity and quality of resources to support the curriculum in the Foundation Stage and Years 1 to 6. Foundation Stage children benefit from a good range of outdoor equipment. In Years 1 to 6, deficiencies found in the last inspection have been made good. There are now sufficient fiction and non-fiction books in classrooms and the school library, but there are many reading scheme books, in particular, in poor condition. However, replacement books have been purchased and will be in use in September. New computers have been purchased and incorporated in a computer suite, and the suite is making a significant contribution to improved standards in information and communication technology. More computers are to be bought for classrooms when funds allow. Science equipment is regularly audited and a wide range of items are available for investigations. There is good range of physical

p.31

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

education equipment for indoor and outdoor use. The school grounds are slowly being developed into a resource to support environmental education and work in science.

p.31

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

111. To further improve standards, in English, mathematics and science in particular, the headteacher, governors and staff should:

p.31

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Make more effective use of other subjects of the curriculum to:

p.31

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i) promote pupils’ literacy skills, particularly writing; ii) provide more opportunities for pupils with English as an additional language to develop their speaking skills; (Paragraphs: 4, 10, 14, 20, 34, 46, 53, 55, 189, 191, 198, 201, 220, 224, 227, 228, 236, 246)

p.31

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Make more effective use of the information gathered from the good assessment procedures to:

p.31

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i) plan activities in lessons that improve specific, rather than general, aspects of pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding; ii) provide challenging and demanding tasks for pupils of all capabilities in lessons, but particularly higher attaining pupils; iii) make adjustments to future planning so that activities are more closely matched to the particular characteristics of pupils at the school. The Mount Primary School - 32 (Paragraphs: 16, 36, 46, 78, 128, 146, 172, 188, 200, 238, 266)

p.31

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Look for ways to increase the support of, and provision for, pupils with English as an additional language. (Paragraphs: 3, 11, 18, 47, 108, 115, 118, 140 )

p.32

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Introduce a more critical analysis of the quality of teaching and learning and teachers’ planning into the monitoring and evaluation procedures of senior staff, subject co-ordinators and governors. (Paragraphs: 41, 95, 96, 99, 100, 175, 202, 219, 231)

p.32

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(5) Continue to look for ways to further improve attendance. (Paragraphs: 21, 30, 74, 75, 76 )

p.32

Other point for consideration by the school

Review the arrangements for the withdrawal of pupils for additional support. (Paragraphs: 15, 47, 212, 217)

p.32

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language

112. The number of minority ethnic pupils in the school has risen rapidly during recent years. These pupils originate from 40 countries and provide a rich diversity of languages and cultures. Numbers now stand at 203 (43 per cent). One hundred and sixty-eight of these pupils (83 per cent) have English as an additional language, and of these, 132 are at an early stage of acquisition.

p.32

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language

113. Pupils make satisfactory progress because of overall satisfactory teaching and learning. They are taught mainly in the mainstream classes. A small number of pupils who are at a very early stage of English acquisition also receive support in small withdrawal groups prior to the formal start of lessons in the morning. Pupils in these groups make rapid progress. In one group, four Year 2 pupils developed good speaking and listening skills. The language support staff made effective use of picture cards and encouraged pupils to sequence them and tell a story. Excellent relationships and a secure environment helped pupils to use picture clues to make and tell a story with confidence. Pupils exhibited keen interest in their work.

p.32

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language

114. Five pupils from Years 3, 4 and 5 learnt how to read a poem, first to their partner and then to the whole group. The language support teacher provided good models of language and opportunity for repetition. Setting of challenging objectives, sharing of these and making effective use of well-selected short pieces of poems developed pupils’ sight vocabulary and subsequent reading of these poems clearly, fluently, accurately and with expression. Pupils made good progress as a result of good teaching.

p.32

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language

115. In mainstream lessons, pupils make uneven progress because teachers do not always use their knowledge and understanding of how pupils acquire language effectively enough. They do not provide sufficient opportunities for effective interaction between pupils and for speaking and listening. Where this does happen, for example in a geography lesson observed, pupils made good gains in acquiring language and in learning how people can help in improving the environment. The Mount Primary School - 33 116. Procedures for assessing pupils’ language development are satisfactory. The current practice of assessing in terms of four stages of language fluency is being replaced by nationally recommended stages of language acquisition.

p.32

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language

117. The school provides a very supportive environment. This helps pupils to rapidly acquire language for interpersonal communication. Involvement of parents is good. Standard letters translated into several languages are used effectively where English is a barrier. Parents are well received in the school. They help in making resources, in reading and at social events.

p.33

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language

118. Leadership and management of language support are good. The staff funded through the national ethnic minority achievement grant is deployed well to support the pupils. However, the number of staff, consisting of a part-time teacher co-ordinator and two part-time language support assistants, is inadequate, particularly in view of the rapid increase in the number of pupils who need language support. There is a significant proportion of these pupils in each class and the school is aware that it urgently needs to raise the skills, knowledge and understanding of all mainstream teachers to meet the language development needs of these pupils more effectively. The school uses its current small amount of grant effectively for its intended purpose, supplemented by additional funds from the school budget.

p.33

The work of the autistic spectrum disorder unit

119. The good standard of provision for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder reported at the time of the last inspection has been successfully sustained. All pupils make good progress in English and mathematics, and especially in the development of their personal and social skills. Staff, using appropriate autistic specific approaches, support pupils effectively. Pupils work towards challenging specific targets. Although not all pupils achieve these targets, they make good progress overall.

p.33

The work of the autistic spectrum disorder unit

120. The unit consists of two classes, one for the younger pupils and a new purpose-built class for older pupils. Most pupils remain in the unit for English and mathematics, but are integrated effectively with mainstream pupils for most of the other subjects. This arrangement greatly enriches their curriculum and provides very good opportunities for pupils to develop effective social and communication skills. Higher attaining pupils make very good progress and join a main class group for the majority of the school day, achieving standards appropriate for their age.

p.33

The work of the autistic spectrum disorder unit

121. The curriculum is broad and balanced and enhanced through inclusion into the mainstream school for science and foundation subjects. Pupils have an individual curriculum designed to meet their particular needs. Effective systems are in place to track pupils’ progress in English, communication, mathematics and personal and social education. Class teachers undertake assessment in the other subjects of the curriculum but are not as consistent in their interpretation of standards as unit staff, especially where pupils are functioning below National Curriculum levels. 122. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Staff make good use of a wide range of resources, including information and communication technology, to support pupils’ communication and learning to enable them to work independently. However, in mainstream lessons, the same resources are not available and pupils are more dependent upon learning support assistants to help them access the curriculum.

p.33

The work of the autistic spectrum disorder unit

123. The unit is led by an experienced and knowledgeable teacher who is well established and respected by parents. The two classes operate independently of one another, and the allocation of staff resources is uneven. For example, the older class group The Mount Primary School - 34 has a vacancy for a speech and language therapist. Very good use is made of other visiting professionals to provide appropriate additional help and support for the pupils and their families. Arrangements for the management of the unit are not as formal as might be expected and this leads to some inconsistencies between staff in the way the work of the unit is monitored and evaluated, in order to improve the effective use of resources and the quality of teaching and learning. The Mount Primary School - 35

p.33

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 52

p.35

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.35

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.

p.35

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.35

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 60 413

p.35

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 14 166

p.35

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.35

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 22

p.35

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 141

p.35

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.35

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 168

p.35

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.35

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 97

p.35

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 79

p.35

Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

p.35

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. The Mount Primary School - 36

p.35

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 31 29 60

p.36

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.36

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

Boys 18 14 18 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Girls 17 14 19

p.36

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

Percentage of pupils School 58 (54) 47 (61) 62 (63) at NC Level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.36

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.36

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

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

p.36

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

Percentage of pupils School 62 (43) 60 (61) 65 (61) at NC Level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.36

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

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

p.36

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 26 18 44

p.36

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.36

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

Boys 10 11 18 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 4 and above Girls 7 5 8

p.36

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

Percentage of pupils School 39 (42) 36 (36) 59 (69) at NC Level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.36

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.36

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

Boys n/a n/a n/a Numbers of pupils at NC Level 4 and above Girls n/a n/a n/a

p.36

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

Percentage of pupils School n/a (n/a) n/a (n/a) n/a (n/a) at NC Level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.36

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. The Mount Primary School - 37

p.36

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.37

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 17 0 0

p.37

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 2 0 0

p.37

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 13 0 0

p.37

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 9 0 0

p.37

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 32 0 0

p.37

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 1 0 0

p.37

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.37

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. The Mount Primary School - 38

p.37

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 16 Financial year 2002/2003

p.38

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21

p.38

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 1,335,520

p.38

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 17 Total expenditure 1,319,883

p.38

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 110 Expenditure per pupil 2,889

p.38

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 54,612

p.38

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 90,249

p.38

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26

p.38

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

p.38

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 65

p.38

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 7

p.38

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 9.2

p.38

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.38

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.38

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.38

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. The Mount Primary School - 39

p.38

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.39

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.39

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 60 35 2 1 1

p.39

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 53 41 3 1 3

p.39

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 36 44 11 5 4

p.39

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 59 32 7 2 1

p.39

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 72 19 5 2 3

p.39

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 70 23 5 1 1

p.39

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 57 32 7 1 4

p.39

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 63 29 3 2 2

p.39

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 60 33 5 1 3

p.39

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 62 31 3 0 4 The Mount Primary School - 40

p.39

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Strengths • Children benefit from a good range of resources, equipment and accommodation. • Children make good progress in the nursery and reception in all areas of learning. • Relationships between all staff are very good.

p.40

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Area for improvement • Teachers’ planning does not always cater for the wide range of attainment in the nursery and reception classes.

p.40

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

124. Provision and the quality of teaching and learning are good and most children, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make good progress. Standards are similar to those reported at the time of the last inspection. Since then, there has been a rapid increase in the number of children entering school with limited language skills and from homes where English is not the first language. The management and organisation of children’s learning has been successfully adjusted to accommodate the rising numbers and good standards of provision have been maintained as a result.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

125. The nursery has an admission limit of 30 full-time and 20 part-time children. Children are admitted into the nursery for half-day sessions the term after their third birthday and are offered a full-time place after their fourth birthday. In reception, children are organised into three parallel classes with a maximum of 30 in each class. The normal planned admission limit is 60 in two classes, but the school was asked to create a third class this year because of increased numbers in the area. There are currently 78 children spread equally between the three classes. All children born between September and the end of March are admitted into the reception classes in the September of the year in which they are five. Those who are five between April and August may attend part-time if parents so wish, and these places are invariably taken up.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

126. Admission and induction arrangements for the nursery and reception are satisfactory. Parents and carers are invited to a meeting with their children during the term before they enter school. They receive a helpful information booklet about the nursery. Usually, all nursery children transfer to reception classes. There is regular daily contact with parents and carers who are supportive of the work of the staff and report that they are pleased with the links that exist with them.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

127. Many children enter the nursery with levels of attainment in all areas of learning, with the exception of physical development, that are well below expectations. About half the children are from homes where English is not the first language spoken and are at the earliest stages of English acquisition. Most children make good, and sometimes very good, progress because of the good teaching and support from adults. However, teachers’ records and inspection evidence show that, although most children make good progress in the Foundation Stage, especially in personal, social and emotional development and physical development, only a few are likely to achieve the targets, known as the early learning goals, in communication, language and literacy, The Mount Primary School - 41 mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development, by the time they enter Year 1. This is because limited language skills affect most

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

128. Daily assessment procedures are satisfactory and are an area for further development in the school improvement plan. Staff use tick sheets to record children’s experience of literacy and numeracy and other adult-led activities. Staff also keep written records of the achievements of children with whom they are working. However, these records do not always clearly indicate what children can do and understand in relation to the curriculum ‘stepping stones’. Teachers are not consistent in the way they assess children and so records do not give a true picture of attainment across the Foundation Stage.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

129. A major strength of the Foundation Stage is the very good relationship between all staff, who work well together. All provide very good role models for children and are fully involved in working with, and assessing, children. However, although adults are used well to support groups and sometimes lead activities, they are often not used effectively during the introduction time and at the end of lessons in a support or monitoring role.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

130. Children benefit from good accommodation in the nursery and reception classes; outdoor provision is very good. Classrooms have immediate access to outdoor activity areas and there is a large covered area which enables children to work outside during wet weather. The outdoor activity areas are very well resourced with fixed and movable climbing apparatus, large wheeled toys and garden areas where children grow and investigate plants and mini-beasts. Rooms vary in size but are adequate for delivering the Foundation Stage curriculum.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

131. The accommodation is very well organised, secure and self-contained. It allows children to move freely and all areas are used effectively to develop a range of skills and knowledge. Children in reception have access to the computer suite and the hall for games, gymnastic and dance. There is a wide range of good quality and well- organised resources which support children well in their learning. Daily routines are well established and a wide range of stimulating activities are provided, creating a good learning environment.

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Personal, social and emotional development

132. Most children enter the nursery with low levels of attainment in personal, social and emotional development and this area is given a high priority by staff, helping children to make good progress and achieve well. Many children come from families where English is not the first language and staff work very hard to make them feel welcome and secure.

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Personal, social and emotional development

133. The nursery provides a very welcoming, calm and secure atmosphere with clearly established daily routines. Daily activities, such as self-registration, counting and sharing of weather and other information at the beginning of morning and afternoon sessions, are well planned to encourage independence, observation and build confidence. A good range of adult-directed and child-chosen activities, with easily accessible resources, encourage children to play and work together, share materials, show consideration for others and build relationships. By the time children enter reception, most put on coats unaided and go to the toilet and wash their hands independently. The Mount Primary School - 42 134. In both nursery and reception, children learn to sit and talk together as they share their morning snack of milk and fruit, listening to others, stories, singing rhymes and sharing their news. This develops self-control and encourages good behaviour well.

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Personal, social and emotional development

Children follow clear instructions from adults and try hard to please. However, many have limited concentration spans and find it difficult to persevere for extended periods of time at an activity of their own or the teachers’ choosing. They are beginning to collaborate well together, showing developing independence and confidence, for example when playing in the ‘Vet’s’, the ‘Farm’ and the ‘Pet Shop’ role play areas.

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Personal, social and emotional development

135. Teaching and learning experiences are carefully planned in the nursery and reception classes. All staff provide very good role models and most children respond positively to the care they receive. From the time they start in the nursery, teachers encourage children to take responsibility by providing opportunities for choice and by involving them in jobs such as tidying away at the end of sessions.

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Personal, social and emotional development

136. Children develop a clear understanding of right and wrong in a firm but positive way. This ensures they develop good attitudes to school and form good relationships with adults and with each other. Staff in reception classes maintain these very good relationships, providing a good range of opportunities for children to work and play together. This leads to children developing good levels of independence and co- operation. Most are likely to achieve the range of expected standards by the time they enter Year 1.

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Communication, language and literacy

137. Nursery staff place a high priority on developing this area of learning because of the low level of attainment that most children have on entry and because of the large number who have English as an additional language. As a result, children make good progress and achieve well.

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Communication, language and literacy

138. Good opportunities are provided to stimulate speech through role-play areas, although adults are not always present to stimulate talk. In the nursery, children develop an enjoyment of books through designated weekly texts such as ‘Handa’s Surprise’ and ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’.

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Communication, language and literacy

139. By the time they enter the reception class, most children turn pages correctly and are beginning to understand that print and illustrations convey meaning. Most enjoy books, handling them carefully and enjoy talking about pictures in books. Many recognise and write their own names, although many do not form letters correctly. Most are becoming familiar with letter sounds, recognise these sounds in their names and initial letters in words. Children regularly take words and reading books home and are beginning to recognise some of the high frequency words that they are expected to know by the time they enter Year 1. Many reception children are still at an early stage of writing and are unlikely to achieve the expected standards by the time they enter Year 1.

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Communication, language and literacy

140. The quality of teaching and learning in the nursery is usually good and teachers provide effective activities to develop literacy skills. Effective use of questioning helps to increase children’s vocabulary, although not all children are involved in group discussions or encouraged to answer in sentences. There are regular daily opportunities for talking, sharing stories and books, and for singing rhymes and songs. The Mount Primary School - 43 141. In the reception classes, teaching varies from satisfactory to good and is satisfactory overall. Children make satisfactory progress. Some of the introductory carpet sessions are too long so that children lose interest. There is insufficient support for developing phonic and writing skills, especially for the many children who are at an early stage of learning English. Activities sometimes proceed too slowly so that learning is not as good as it could be and there is insufficient attention paid to planning

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Communication, language and literacy

challenging activities for children of different abilities.

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Communication, language and literacy

142. In writing, children are not always sufficiently challenged or given enough opportunities to develop writing activities. There is limited support to develop writing confidence, for example by providing key words to aid them in their writing. Imaginary settings and role-play, such as the ‘Vet’s’, the ‘Pet Shop’ and the ‘Farm’, provide good opportunities for children to engage in conversations with others, to use their imagination, contact imaginary people by telephone and write imaginary notes. These activities are particularly helpful for the many children who are at the early stages of learning English. Very few children are on course to achieve the full range of expected standards in communication, language and literacy by the time they enter Year 1.

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Mathematical development

143. On entry to the nursery, most children have very little understanding of counting, number, shape, space and measures. Staff provide a good range of well-planned activities to develop these and, as a result, children make good progress. However, few are likely to reach the expected standards by the time they enter Year 1.

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Mathematical development

144. Most children show an interest in number and counting, attempting to count in the right order during registration activities and milk and fruit time. They play counting games such as ‘Snakes and Ladders’ and matching games. Staff help children to see mathematics all around them, through playing with and looking at shapes around the classroom.

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Mathematical development

145. In reception, children extend their knowledge by beginning to represent numbers using fingers. Many are still developing the ability to find the total in two groups by counting them all, although a few higher attaining children are beginning to record simple additions. They are beginning to talk about and recognise two-dimensional shapes such as squares, triangles and rectangles, but are unsure of the properties. They have limited understanding of how to order two or three items by length, height, weight and capacity.

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Mathematical development

146. The quality of teaching and learning is good in the nursery and reception. In the nursery, staff use many opportunities to develop children’s mathematical language and reinforce number activities in other areas. For example, in both the nursery and reception classes, teachers give children the opportunity to take part in counting and matching tasks during early morning activities and milk and fruit time. They plan effective activities for counting, matching and singing number rhymes to reinforce their understanding. In reception, teachers provide good opportunities for children to become confident and competent in mathematics through daily counting activities and combining groups of objects. However, sometimes activities are not sufficiently challenging for higher attaining children. Carpet sessions are too long and children find it difficult to sustain concentration.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

The Mount Primary School - 44 147. Children’s attainment is well below expectations on entry to the nursery. Despite good teaching and well-structured activities, many are still well below expected standards when they enter reception because of limited language skills, but most achieve well.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

148. In the nursery and reception classes, children use listening centres and computers, controlling what happens on the screen by using a mouse or keyboard confidently. For example, in reception, they draw and print pictures of themselves, move shapes and learn to control a programmable toy around a farm track. They listen attentively to computer stories, although the limited use of headphones means the learning is not as effective as it could be. Activities are not always clearly identified in daily plans and not all children have regular access.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

149. In both the nursery and reception, children are introduced to a wide range of things from the natural and man-made world through displays and structured activities. Natural materials, such as sand and water, are constantly in use. Children manipulate pliable materials, such as clay, in the nursery to make pots and observe how materials change when making biscuits in reception. They learn to care for seeds and plants in the classroom and garden and use magnifying glasses to look at different plant parts and search for mini-beasts such as spiders and ladybirds. Children in both the nursery and reception classes develop a sense of the past by talking about things that have happened to them and their families and friends.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

150. The quality of teaching is good in the nursery and reception classes, with well-planned activities which build on children’s natural curiosity. Many successful opportunities are provided through direct teaching, such as cooking, as well as independent play. Visits to a local pet shop and farm develop children’s understanding of the local area and wider world, although many have limited language skills to talk about differences and similarities in the local area. A wide range of activities, such as identifying different fruits in the nursery before making a fruit salad, encourages independent thought and investigation and lays early foundations for scientific enquiry.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

151. In reception, teachers provide children with the opportunity to develop an understanding of life on a farm through small world play toys and animals. Children in reception are taught religious education in accordance with the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus, gaining an awareness of the cultures and beliefs of others. As a result of good teaching and provision, children make good progress and achieve well, but most are not likely to meet the expected standards by the time they enter Year 1. The Mount Primary School - 45

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Physical development

152. Children enter the nursery with attainment well below expected levels. As a result of good teaching and provision in the nursery and reception classes, they make good progress. Standards are broadly in line with expectations when they enter Year 1.

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Physical development

153. Nursery and reception children have regular daily access to a range of outdoor equipment, including climbing and sliding activities, pushing wheeled toys such as prams, as well as small apparatus such as balls. These activities develop co- ordination and confidence and children’s awareness of space, direction and other children. Most nursery children start and stop on request and move without bumping into objects or other people.

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Physical development

154. Reception children show increasing control in using large equipment for climbing and sliding, using alternate feet as they climb the ladder. They develop hand/eye co- ordination well through throwing, catching and hitting activities. They explore different materials, such as sand and paste, to practise writing their names and practise letters, and use cutters to cut out biscuit shapes. Most show a good awareness of space as they move around the outdoor play area and most respond quickly to instructions.

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Physical development

155. The quality of teaching and learning is good in the nursery and reception classes because of the wide range of daily opportunities. There are child-chosen and teacher- directed activities for drawing, painting, cutting and sticking, as well as climbing, running, throwing and jumping activities in the outdoor play area. Good management and control of behaviour in the nursery ensures that children follow instructions and move safely in the outdoor play area. Good adult intervention in reception challenges the higher attaining children and gives support to those with less confidence. Planning indicates that activities are well thought out and organised. Children benefit from a good range of well-planned activities which develop their manipulative skills well, using pencils, brushes, scissors and small apparatus such as jigsaws, small world toys and construction toys.

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Creative development

156. On entry to the nursery, most children’s attainment in creative development is well below expectations. Teaching and learning are good in the nursery and reception classes. Despite the provision of a good range of activities and the good progress they make across the Foundation Stage, most children are unlikely to attain the early learning goals for creative development by the time they enter Year 1.

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Creative development

157. Nursery children have good access to a wide range of creative experiences and are given many opportunities to experiment with paint and colour, working in small and large scale. Displays of butterfly pictures and hand-print flowers show children that their work is valued.

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Creative development

158. In reception, children have good access to role-play areas, where they engage in imaginative play and act out adult roles, making imaginary phone calls and shopping lists, dressing up as vets and nurses, ‘helping’ the animals and ‘writing’ prescriptions. However, adults are not always around to extend children’s speaking and listening.

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Creative development

159. In reception classes, activities promote speaking and listening well, encourage making, cutting and sticking, as well as acting out stories, such as ‘Pig in the Pond’, with toys. Children use a range of malleable materials, such as clay, to make pots The Mount Primary School - 46 and biscuits. Singing and music in both the nursery and reception classes are a regular and important feature of the day, extending and reinforcing language. They use tools such as scissors, glue sticks and printing materials well, both imaginatively and in a more directed fashion. They learn to handle and make musical instruments carefully and generate sounds, as well as singing favourite songs and rhymes in music sessions.

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ENGLISH

Strengths • Pupils in Years 1 and 2 make good progress and achieve well in reading. • Pupils take great care with their handwriting in all classes. • Teachers make effective use of assessment information to identify pupils’ strengths and areas for improvement. • Learning support assistants are used well to support pupils of differing capabilities in lessons. • The subject is well led by the co-ordinator.

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ENGLISH

Areas for improvement • Pupils’ standards in Years 3 to 6 could be higher. • Activities are not always matched closely enough to pupils’ needs. • Some resources, such as reading scheme books, are old and require replacement.

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ENGLISH

160. There has been an overall decline in standards in English since the last inspection in both key stages. This is partly accounted for by the gradual change in the school population, with many more pupils arriving with English as an additional language, and by the constant arrivals and departures of pupils throughout all classes and key stages.

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ENGLISH

161. Currently, standards in English are well below average in writing and below average in speaking and listening and reading. However, results of the recent end of Year 2 national tests show a significant improvement in standards, particularly in reading, and this improvement is supported by observations made by inspectors during the week of the inspection. There are no significant differences in the attainment of boys and girls.

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ENGLISH

162. Initiatives implemented by the school are paying off as pupils make a sound and thorough start on literacy skills and, as a result, progress in Years 1 and 2 is good. In Years 3 to 6, the impact of recent initiatives is not so great and progress is satisfactory. Overall, though, pupils make sound progress, since they generally enter the school with very low standards in language and literacy.

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ENGLISH

163. When pupils enter the school, their language and communication skills are poor. Staff in Years 1 and 2 work very hard at giving them every opportunity to become good listeners, to take turns in discussion and speak out clearly and confidently when they contribute in class. Consequently, pupils achieve well and make good progress. For example, when pupils in Year 2 were writing the summary of a story, they spoke out confidently, even though their range of vocabulary was limited. This progress continues in Years 3 to 6. By the end of Year 6, pupils organise themselves into groups, for instance to make a history presentation. They show that they have a good The Mount Primary School - 47 understanding of how to speak in public and are aware of the appropriate language to use.

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ENGLISH

164. Pupils achieve well and make good progress in reading through Years 1 and 2. By the end of Year 2, their standards in reading are satisfactory. Higher attaining pupils read quite fluently at their level, guessing new words confidently from the general sense of the text, and showing that they can discuss and evaluate the plot and comment on the characters. Other average attaining pupils who are not making quite such good progress sometimes falter because of their own lack of language and experience. One pupil, for example, found it difficult to explain what might be happening in a story because she did not know the word ‘fox’ and was unaware that such a character might be wily and scheming. A few lower attaining pupils are not achieving well and have made less progress than might be expected.

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ENGLISH

165. Pupils’ achievement in reading through Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory, but progress is less satisfactory. Although the majority do manage to consolidate their skills sufficiently to read what they need across the curriculum, few become really enthusiastic readers who read for pleasure, know a range of authors and use books to find out information. They know how to use the library and to find information in non- fiction books, but prefer to use the Internet to find what they need and their overall standards are below average.

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ENGLISH

166. Standards in writing are well below average throughout the school, and this has an effect on what pupils are able to achieve in all subjects of the curriculum. However, standards in handwriting are developing well and in most of the books seen, work was legible and neatly laid out. Higher attaining pupils in both Year 2 and Year 6 use spelling and punctuation effectively, and extend their sentences to explain ideas logically. What they find difficult is using language imaginatively to create atmosphere and effect and this prevents them from achieving higher standards. This is why higher attainers generally only achieve, at best, average standards as compared to eleven- year-olds nationally.

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ENGLISH

167. Lower attaining pupils continue to find the basic skills of spelling and punctuation difficult, especially in Years 1 and 2 and, when they write spontaneously, they sometimes make many errors. Average attaining pupils in Year 6 write straightforward accounts with a fair degree of accuracy, but they do not always manage to extend their ideas logically or use interesting vocabulary.

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ENGLISH

168. Pupils with English as an additional language make satisfactory progress, but their writing shows grammatical errors, particularly difficulties with tense.

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ENGLISH

169. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in Years 1 to 6, responding well to the efforts of special educational needs staff working with groups to help them develop good speaking skills and to master the basic structure of reading and spelling. The school has adopted the additional national strategies for boosting achievement in English and these are having a good effect on standards, particularly in Year 2.

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ENGLISH

170. Teaching and learning are good in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactory overall in Years 3 to 6, though with some very good features. Good quality lessons for pupils in Years 1 and 2 include a number of effective strategies. For example, teachers share a piece of a pupil’s writing and work collaboratively with the class in order to improve it, or use the special educational needs co-ordinator to work with a group to sequence a piece of writing and develop the necessary vocabulary. Reading is well taught by providing a The Mount Primary School - 48 range of suitable activities for guided reading sessions which involve pupils, either in sharing and discussing a book with an adult, or in pursuing some other structured activity to promote their learning.

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ENGLISH

171. In Years 3 to 6, the best lessons offer some opportunities for pupils to work collaboratively so as to develop their speaking and listening skills. Objectives for lessons are clear and shared with pupils, and work is broken into small steps so that pupils achieve success at every stage. In a very good lesson in Year 4, pupils working on persuasive writing related their task to real experience and photographs, and benefited from the teacher’s constant reminders about spelling and punctuation as they worked in their groups to make their work as effective as possible.

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ENGLISH

172. In less successful lessons, objectives are unclear or unrealistic, or teachers talk too much without using any visual stimuli or collaborative strategies, leaving pupils little opportunity to develop their own communication skills and every opportunity to become restless. Other subjects of the curriculum are not used well enough to promote and extend literacy skills.

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ENGLISH

173. In Years 1 to 6, expectations of what pupils of differing capabilities can achieve are often based on how much adult support they receive or by encouraging some pupils to write more than others, rather than by matching tasks to pupils’ levels of attainment. This means that some groups of pupils are unable to work or progress without adult intervention and does not help pupils to develop responsibility and independence.

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ENGLISH

174. The subject is well managed by an effective co-ordinator who is working hard to put strategies in place to improve standards. She uses the data gained from regular testing and tracking to define the areas of the curriculum that need refining. For example, in order to improve both reading and writing, the school has taken guided reading sessions out of the literacy hour, increased the focus on phonics in Years 1 and 2, and devised cumulative strategies for developing writing throughout the school. The subject is used well to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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ENGLISH

175. Assessment procedures are good, and help teachers to focus on particular groups and strategies. The quality of marking, although satisfactory overall, provides little guidance for pupils on how they can improve. Some over-generous comments give pupils a false impression of their performance. Arrangements for monitoring teaching are good. The co-ordinator’s effectiveness in this respect provides a good example for colleagues to follow.

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ENGLISH

176. Resources are adequate, but many reading books are old and use the sort of language that does not provide a good role model for pupils whose own language is not a strong feature. However, the school plans to replace the stock gradually, and has already made a start with the purchase of an up-to-date reading scheme. The Mount Primary School - 49

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MATHEMATICS

Strengths • The quality of teaching is good; effective use is made of national subject guidelines to plan lessons. • Pupils have good attitudes to their work; they behave well in lessons and achieve well as a result. • Effective use is made of learning support assistants to give additional support to lower attaining pupils, pupils with English as an additional language and pupils with special educational needs. • The co-ordinator manages the subject well.

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MATHEMATICS

Areas for improvement • Assessment data is not used as well as it might be to make adjustments to teachers’ lesson plans and to set individual pupil targets. • Insufficient use is made of other subjects of the curriculum to support pupils’ learning in numeracy.

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MATHEMATICS

177. At the time of the previous inspection, standards were reported to be broadly average by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Standards by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are now below the national average. This is due largely to the rapidly changing size and nature of the school’s intake. For example, of the pupils currently in Year 6, only approximately half were in the school at the end of Year 2. This situation is replicated in other classes of the school. Staff are very conscious of this and have set in place many strategies to enable pupils who join the school, in Years 3 to 6 in particular, to catch up and standards are improving as a result. For instance, pupils are grouped by ability, called sets, for mathematics lessons; the set of Year 6 higher attaining pupils attains standards expected for their age. Throughout the school, all pupils, including those with English as an additional language and those with special educational

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MATHEMATICS

needs, make satisfactory progress. There are no significant differences in the attainment of boys and girls.

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MATHEMATICS

178. Staff have worked hard to improve standards in mathematics. They have made good use of the National Numeracy Strategy to improve provision. Mental mathematics activities at the beginning of lessons are effectively linked to group activities later in the lesson and form a good warm-up session so that pupils are keen and ready to undertake later activities. As a result, throughout the school, pupils are achieving well.

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MATHEMATICS

179. One example of this was in a Year 3 lesson about giving directions using the four points of the compass. The pupils started the session by pretending to be on a ship heading west. As they travelled, the class teacher called out compass bearings for things she had spotted such as a shark due south and an island to the north. Pupils were required to quickly point in those directions. The teacher skilfully followed this up by giving pupils a chart of a treasure island on which they had to give compass directions and right-angled turns for various expeditions on the island.

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MATHEMATICS

180. By the end of Year 2, most pupils accurately share by counting out an odd number of coins between an even number of people. They tell the time to the quarter hour and The Mount Primary School - 50 are beginning to translate this into a twelve-hour digital time display. They carry out simple investigations into such things as which month of the year contains the most letters.

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MATHEMATICS

181. By the end of Year 6, higher and average attaining pupils calculate the perimeter of a complex shape and work out the number of bricks required to provide a kerb at a number of pence per brick. They draw and measure accurately to the nearest degree and name angles using correct mathematical terms. Lower attaining pupils have difficulty with their mental recall of multiplication facts.

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MATHEMATICS

182. Pupils’ attitudes to mathematics throughout the school are good and sometimes very good or excellent. This means that teachers engage in lively mental mathematics activities. As a result, most pupils develop a sound understanding of number bonds or other basic mental skills to apply to the main activity in a lesson. Pupils willingly join in these activities. This is because teachers have set secure relationships in class such that pupils feel confident to put forward answers or ideas even if these prove to be incorrect. Teachers confidently set independent work knowing that the pupils will concentrate on the work set and learn well as a result.

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MATHEMATICS

183. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning throughout the school is good, and sometimes very good. Group activities are used well to promote pupils’ social and moral development, by giving pupils opportunities to co-operate and make decisions for themselves. Teaching is often lively, interesting and engenders confidence and enthusiasm for the subject. Teachers make good use of the start of lessons to introduce and reinforce mathematical vocabulary.

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MATHEMATICS

184. Some very good quality learning was observed in lessons where teachers had carefully planned tasks which closely matched the capabilities of pupils in the sets. They engaged pupils in lively discussion about the concept being taught and followed this discussion with well-matched practical activities to reinforce learning. Pupils in these sessions were attaining standards closer to those expected for their age and making good progress when compared to their previous work.

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MATHEMATICS

185. In a Year 6 set, pupils were challenged to undertake an imaginary shopping expedition to buy items with a limited amount of cash. The teacher made effective use of information projected onto a whiteboard to engage the whole class in rapid mental money calculations, matching the complexity of the calculations to the different ability groups within the set.

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MATHEMATICS

186. Learning support assistants are used very well to give additional support to lower attaining pupils, pupils with special educational needs and pupils with English as an additional language. A governor provides good support for pupils with particular ability in mathematics by taking a special class for these pupils once a week.

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MATHEMATICS

187. The co-ordinator provides good leadership. He is working hard to ensure all teachers have a secure knowledge of the subject and more effective use is made of sessions at the end of the lessons to assess pupils’ understanding of the learning objective of each individual lesson. Whilst some pupils enter the objective of the lesson in their books, and teachers mark work to show how well pupils have achieved against these learning outcomes, this good practice is not common. As part of the co-ordinator’s The Mount Primary School - 51 monitoring and evaluation work, he has observed colleagues teach and this has been effective in helping to raise standards. This is an improvement since the previous inspection.

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MATHEMATICS

188. As a result of the school successfully analysing school and national test assessment data, setting is used effectively to group pupils of similar ability. This helps teachers to reduce the very wide spread of ability found in most year groups and to provide effective support for those many pupils who join the school in the upper years. However, teachers have not yet been sufficiently well trained to use the considerable amount of assessment data to precisely set individual pupil targets. The co-ordinator has useful plans to help teachers with this aspect of their planning.

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MATHEMATICS

189. Insufficient use is made of work in other subjects, such as design and technology and geography, to practise skills being taught in mathematics lessons. Satisfactory use is made of information and communication technology to analyse practical work in other subjects. For example, in physical education, pupils are using information and communication technology to analyse data from a series of exercises carried out over a period of weeks to see if they have improved their fitness.

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SCIENCE

Strengths • Pupils are given many opportunities to practise skills of scientific enquiry. • Pupils in all classes are acquiring skills, knowledge and understanding across a broad range of scientific areas of study. • Pupils generally record results neatly and carefully. • The co-ordinator provides effective leadership.

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SCIENCE

Areas for improvement • Many pupils find making predictions and drawing conclusions difficult. • Opportunities are missed to promote pupils’ literacy skills. • Higher attaining pupils are not always sufficiently challenged by their tasks.

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SCIENCE

190. At the time of the previous inspection, standards were reported to be below average by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils made satisfactory progress. Teachers did not provide enough opportunities for pupils to experiment and investigate. There has been a satisfactory improvement since then in provision. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 now benefit from a wide range of opportunities to experiment and investigate. Standards are, however, similar to those at the time of the previous inspection, but with more pupils achieving the expected Level 4 or above in the end of Year 6 national tests. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress. There are no significant differences in the attainment of boys and girls.

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SCIENCE

191. By the end of Year 2, pupils make satisfactory progress in their knowledge and understanding of life processes, materials and their properties and physical processes. Activities are mainly interesting and motivating, successfully sustaining pupils’ concentration and effort and most achieve well. Examples of pupils’ past work show neat and careful recording of activities. However, many pupils find making predictions and drawing conclusions from results difficult. This is mainly because of pupils’ weak literacy skills. 192. Higher attaining pupils make good attempts. For example, a Year 2 pupil wrote in the conclusion about an investigation to test the best surface to help a toy car travel the The Mount Primary School - 52 furthest: ‘We found that the carpet worked the best because it was smoother than the rest’. Other pupils require adult help to gather their thoughts to write about what they have found out.

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SCIENCE

193. During the inspection, the vast majority of lessons were related to the study of plants and conditions for healthy growth. Teachers had planned a range of good opportunities for pupils to learn about germination, seed dispersal and what plants need to grow well. Pupils in the two Year 2 classes were observed setting up an investigation into conditions for healthy growth. At the start of the lessons, pupils showed a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of parts of a plant and recalled several facts from work they had done in Year 1 about plants’ need for sun and rain. Their teachers built on this previous learning well to encourage pupils to think about how they might prove that light and water are key factors in helping plants grow well. Higher attaining pupils offered useful and thoughtful suggestions, but many pupils needed their teachers’ effective use of questions to stimulate ideas.

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SCIENCE

194. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 maintain their interest and enthusiasm for science and make satisfactory progress. They benefit from a continued emphasis in teachers’ planning on investigations and experiments. As a result, pupils of all capabilities make satisfactory progress in learning by doing. Teachers take full advantage in this respect of many pupils’ preference for practical rather than written activities, and this is particularly helpful for pupils with special educational needs and pupils with English as an additional language who are at an early stage of language acquisition.

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SCIENCE

195. For example, Year 4 pupils talked keenly about the outcomes of their investigation into woodlice habitats but effort and concentration were not so evident when they began to record their findings. A learning support assistant worked well with pupils with English as an additional language and they made good gains in their learning of appropriate vocabulary. Lower attaining, special educational needs and autistic pupils were well supported by the class teacher and learning support assistants and were fully included in all activities.

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SCIENCE

196. By the end of Year 6, pupils show a satisfactory knowledge and understanding across a broad range of areas of learning and a satisfactory understanding of how to make investigations fair. Standards are below average overall because many pupils find drawing conclusions from their results difficult. Most pupils are keen to carry out investigations and experiments, but are not always able to do this in a systematic and careful way.

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SCIENCE

197. For example, pupils were observed tackling a commercial science project in which, by carrying out several investigations, pupils would discover who had committed a crime. Pupils worked in groups and were given good levels of responsibility by their teacher to make decisions for themselves about how to complete the tasks. However, only a small number of pupils could see the importance of a systematic, step-by-step approach and many needed intervention by the teacher to help them complete the investigations so that the results were valid.

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SCIENCE

198. A study of pupils’ written work in Years 1 to 6 shows that many pupils, including higher attainers, often do not write and record as much as might be expected. This partly reflects a general weakness in many pupils’ thinking and logical skills, which is apparent in other subjects such as mathematics and geography.

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SCIENCE

199. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. In the lessons seen, teachers’ subject knowledge was good and this helped them to use questions well to promote The Mount Primary School - 53 pupils’ thinking and move them on in their learning. Teachers are enthusiastic about the subject and convey this enthusiasm to pupils in lessons, helping to sustain and maintain their interest. Management and organisation of lessons is good, with effective use made of additional staff to support pupils of different capabilities.

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SCIENCE

200. Lessons are planned with care and teachers use national subject guidelines and school materials to provide interesting and motivating activities. However, pupils’ past work shows that there is often very little difference in what is planned for pupils of different capabilities. This is because teachers regularly plan a task for the whole class and then, for instance, extend higher attaining pupils’ learning with additional tasks during the lesson. This practice is appropriate occasionally, but means that opportunities are missed to set more challenging tasks straight away, so that pupils do not have to work through the same activities as others before tackling more demanding work. Assessment procedures are satisfactory but the information is not used well enough to make sure that levels of challenge are appropriate for pupils’ differing needs.

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SCIENCE

201. Satisfactory use is made of other curriculum subjects to extend pupils’ learning, especially in the use of data handling and measurement. Year 5 pupils made good gains in their ability to interpret information as they presented results from an investigation into heart rate as bar graphs. Information and communication technology is used well in this way. Opportunities are missed to use the subject to promote pupils’ literacy skills and this is reflected in the limited amount of written work throughout the school.

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SCIENCE

202. The co-ordinator is providing good leadership. She has successfully led staff in improving pupils’ ability to investigate and experiment since the previous inspection. She has a good knowledge and understanding of pupils’ strengths and areas for improvement. The co-ordinator has produced a well-prepared action plan to improve the quality of teaching and learning and standards over time. She has carried out an extensive programme of lesson observations, with critical analysis of methods and planning, providing a very good example for co-ordinator colleagues to follow as they continue to develop their roles and responsibilities.

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SCIENCE

203. Science activities promote the aims of the school well. They make a significant contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development through shared excitement of discoveries and group activities. Resources are satisfactory in quantity and quality, well labelled and stored and easily accessible to staff.

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ART AND DESIGN

Strengths • Standards of drawing are above expectation. • Pupils enjoy art and design and have very good attitudes to their work. • The subject is well led and managed by the co-ordinator. The Mount Primary School - 54 Areas for improvement • The time allocated to art and design varies from class to class. • Some pupils have less time to complete their activities than others when they are withdrawn for additional literacy and numeracy activities.

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ART AND DESIGN

204. Pupils’ standards of attainment by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are in line with national expectations. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress. Standards are similar to those reported at the time of the previous inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

205. It was not possible during the inspection to observe enough lessons to make a secure judgement about the quality of teaching and learning. Evidence for judgements about standards is drawn from two lessons, a scrutiny of pupils’ past work, discussions with staff and a study of teachers’ planning.

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ART AND DESIGN

206. A scrutiny of pupils’ work showed that pupils use a wide range of materials and techniques. For instance, when painting self-portraits, children in a reception class used primary and secondary colours. They selected and used a range of different paintbrushes, confidently talking about what they were doing and the effect they were aiming for. Displays in the classroom illustrated effective designs using collage techniques, printing using sponges and stamps and a range of painting techniques. Other samples of pupils’ past work indicate a suitable range of activities and teaching that promotes satisfactory development of skills in using materials, pastel, felt-tip pens, fabric and paint.

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ART AND DESIGN

207. Pupils enjoy art and design and take great care and pride in their efforts. For example, Year 2 pupils completed carefully observed representations of Eric Lessing’s buildings, taking careful note of light and shade creating a good match of the colours in the photograph they were working from. They showed that they recognise primary colours and know how to mix those to produce subtle secondary shades.

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ART AND DESIGN

208. By the end of Year 2, pupils confidently explore ideas and experiment with a range of material and processes to create designs and express their ideas visually. They show a good understanding of the effects and qualities of different media. For example, a display created by using printing techniques depicted trees in different seasons, while paintings in the art gallery displayed examples of Year 2 pupils experimenting with colour blends using tissue paper designs. Their work is bold and colourful with a strong sense of texture and pattern.

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ART AND DESIGN

209. In Years 3 to 6, the use of sketchbooks supports development in art and design, although this practice is not consistent over time. When used well, sketchbooks show evidence of good progress in design. However, there is little evidence of teachers and pupils evaluating the designs or commenting on the finished piece. In one lesson for Year 4 pupils, the teacher attempted to encourage pupils to provide notes with their designs of a dream sequence. However, this technique appeared unfamiliar to them and they required constant reminders of the purpose of the activity. The process of designing is used to particularly good effect in Year 3 where pupils based their work on Kandinsky’s style and some on Van Gogh’s sunflowers.

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ART AND DESIGN

210. As pupils progress through the school, their work shows greater attention to detail and a developing ability to record experiences from first-hand observation. Year 5 pupils’ study of trainers demonstrates their ability to produce pattern and texture, shape and The Mount Primary School - 55 form in their pencil drawings. Drawings in Year 6 sketchbooks show pupils developing a satisfactory understanding of perspective, as their drawings of buildings possess depth and interest through the range and quality of textures of the building materials. However, although pupils’ drawing standard is above expectation, there is limited evidence of Year 6 work overall.

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ART AND DESIGN

211. Throughout the school, teachers value pupils’ work highly and this is reflected in the high quality of displays, making classrooms and corridors bright and attractive. The current displays, photographs and evidence of the school’s ‘gallery’, pupils’ sketchbooks and lesson observations indicate that art and design makes a significant contribution to pupils’ personal development and the very positive ethos of the school. Every pupil is encouraged to be confident and aware of detail, to look at the world carefully and to blend colours and study shape and design to achieve a result that is harmonious.

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ART AND DESIGN

212. The co-ordinator provides good leadership. She supports teachers well with their planning, giving them access to appropriate materials and information and helping them with the development of specific skills and techniques. She monitors pupils’ progress by sampling their sketchbooks and has recently provided greater guidance in their use to ensure that they become a sound record of progress in the mastery of specific art skills. However, the allocation of time given to the teaching of art and design is inconsistent between classes and this has an adverse affect on the rate of progress made by pupils. This is further compounded by the custom of withdrawing pupils from lessons for additional literacy and numeracy lessons, reducing the amount of time these pupils have to further develop their skills.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Strengths • Provision for the subject has improved well since the previous inspection. • Practical making skills are taught well.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Areas for improvement • Some pupils have less time to complete their activities than others when they are withdrawn for additional literacy and numeracy activities. • Procedures for the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and standards are not sufficiently rigorous.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

213. At the time of the previous inspection, standards were reported to be below national expectations. Design skills were not taught well and the scheme of work was not helpful for teachers when planning their lessons. There has been a good improvement since then. The present scheme of work gives good support to teachers and design skills are taught systematically throughout the school. As a result, standards by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are in line with expectations. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

214. It was not possible during the inspection to observe enough lessons to make a secure judgement about the quality of teaching and learning. Evidence for judgements about standards is drawn from two lessons, a scrutiny of pupils’ past work, discussions with staff and a study of teachers’ planning. The Mount Primary School - 56 215. Practical making skills are taught systematically; as a result, pupils make better progress in this aspect of the subject. In a reception class, children were making musical instruments. They had experience of unpitched percussion instruments in music lessons and were making shakers in their design and technology lesson. Children were concentrating on selecting the content for the shaker to make a sound of their choice and on the final decoration of the instrument. The teacher showed the children how to join the two halves of the shaker and she helped lower attaining children to join the parts of their instruments securely. They made good gains in their

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

216. Year 4 pupils experimented with different ways of joining materials to select the best method to make a purse. They worked in pairs and explained to the rest of the class how they joined their material together. In addition to developing their craft skills, the activity also made a positive contribution to pupils’ personal and social development. Pupils were paired so that higher attaining pupils worked with pupils with special educational needs and those with limited English. They shared ideas and helped one another. Although the higher attaining pupils provided clearer explanations about the methods they used for joining the materials, there was no significant difference overall between the standards pupils achieved and the quality of their work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

217. Pupils learn to work with a wide range of materials because the curriculum is now planned effectively. For example, Year 4 pupils in both classes have designed and made cards using moving parts, pop-up books and a purse, while Year 5 pupils designed and made puppets last term, using wood, fabric and plastic parts. Year 6 pupils are working with fabric and designing their own T-shirts. Teachers structure the projects carefully so that pupils are able to explore and practise specific skills in order to have the necessary knowledge to assemble the final product successfully. However, some pupils are withdrawn during lessons for extra literacy and numeracy and they have less opportunity to explore techniques for themselves and have to rely on the findings of other members of the class.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

218. As pupils move through the school, teachers plan projects to provide more opportunities for older pupils to develop design skills. For example, Year 6 pupils were seen designing T-shirts to be used in the end of term production of ‘Bugsy Malone’. The project started with a thorough investigation of different ways of creating a design. Pupils confidently practised their sewing skills so they could build up a two-colour appliqué design.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

219. The newly appointed subject co-ordinator provides satisfactory leadership. She has attended a number of courses that have enabled her to have a good understanding of the provision required to meet the National Curriculum Programmes of Study. However, she is yet to undertake any monitoring or evaluation of the provision in the school other than discussing with teachers their termly plans. She is aware that closer monitoring is necessary because there are inconsistencies in the allocation of time given to the subject that adversely affects the breadth of learning experiences offered to some pupils.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

220. The subject makes a positive contribution to pupils’ learning in literacy and numeracy because teachers instinctively take advantage of opportunities that arise during the lesson. However, systematic planning for literacy and numeracy in design and technology is not in place and the contribution the subject makes to promoting pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills is not sufficiently recognised and valued.

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GEOGRAPHY

The Mount Primary School - 57 Strengths • Pupils’ mapping skills are good. • The subject is well led and managed by the co-ordinator.

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GEOGRAPHY

Areas for improvement • Pupils’ use of geographical vocabulary is weak. • Weaknesses in writing hinder written communication of pupils’ ideas.

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GEOGRAPHY

221. Pupils’ attainment by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 is broadly in line with national expectations. The school has maintained similar standards since the time of the last inspection. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress in the acquisition of skills and knowledge.

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GEOGRAPHY

222. By the end of Year 2, pupils recognise geographical features in pictures of a beach resort and sort them into human or geographical features. They have good mapping skills and identify a number of countries. They have sound knowledge of local geography and describe how to get to familiar places such as the local swimming pool.

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GEOGRAPHY

223. By the end of Year 6, pupils have satisfactory skills, knowledge and understanding of geography. They are aware of environmental issues and present arguments in favour of, or against, an imaginary development. Their knowledge and understanding of river systems is satisfactory. However, they are less secure in the use of geographical terms such as delta, source, erosion and gorge. Pupils use maps and symbols competently, for example to locate places. They have good understanding of the geographical features of Bournemouth, a contrasting locality to their own.

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GEOGRAPHY

224. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory and leads to satisfactory achievement. Management of pupils and keeping them engaged in learning is a common strength of teaching and help pupils’ learning in a good environment. Where teaching is most effective, teachers provide challenging work and expect all pupils to learn well. Year 2 pupils benefited from a well-resourced and planned lesson, which helped them to recognise physical and geographical features of a beach. Year 4 pupils’ awareness of environmental issues, including how people can improve or destroy the environment, was successfully raised in response to good, enthusiastic teaching and effective use of resources. However, weak writing skills hindered pupils’ communication of their ideas in writing.

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GEOGRAPHY

225. In a lesson for Year 3 pupils, good opportunities for speaking and listening helped pupils learning English as an additional language and those with special educational needs to make good progress in developing skills in asking and responding to geographical questions. In all classes, boys and girls work with equal interest and concentration and make similar progress. Teachers use the subject well to promote pupils’ personal development, through group discussions, co-operative activities and a study of cultures other than their own.

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GEOGRAPHY

226. Leadership and management of the subject are good. The co-ordinator has prepared a good quality action plan to improve provision. Monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning, pupils’ work and curriculum plans are well established. Resources have been audited and are being replenished, for example with atlases and globes, to improve learning. The scheme of work follows the national recommendation, as do The Mount Primary School - 58 procedures for assessment, and both are satisfactory. The use of information and communication technology is developing well. For example, Year 4 pupils made effective use of a digital camera to record examples of environmental problems, such as graffiti and scattered rubbish, as they walked to a local swimming pool for a swimming lesson.

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HISTORY

Strengths • Teachers use drama and role-play effectively to promote pupils’ learning. • Pupils have good attitudes to their work and behave well in lessons.

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HISTORY

Area for improvement • Procedures for the monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning and teachers’ planning are not sufficiently rigorous.

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HISTORY

227. No teaching of history was seen in Years 1 and 2 during the inspection, but examination of pupils’ books and discussion with the co-ordinator show that pupils’ standards are in line with expectations. Similarly, by the end of Year 6, pupils attain average standards, especially where knowledge and understanding are concerned. In some classes, pupils have little opportunity to carry out research or develop their historical skills, and are weaker in this area of the curriculum. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress. In all classes, pupils’ difficulties with recording in writing prevent them from demonstrating their knowledge in a subject which they almost universally enjoy.

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HISTORY

228. In Years 1 and 2, pupils understand the differences between holidays past and present and know about the life and work of Florence Nightingale. Much of their work is recorded in worksheet form because pupils are slow at writing and there are constraints on the amount of time available in history. However, pupils have used a range of photographs from which they have drawn sensible conclusions about how holidays have changed. A useful wall display in a corridor helps pupils to further understand how holidays in the past differ from those of today.

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HISTORY

229. In Years 3 to 6, pupils demonstrate satisfactory understanding of the units of study they have undertaken, and have enjoyed their work. Progress is sometimes difficult to check, because some elements of the curriculum, such as a Victorian diary, are recorded in their English books. However, this illustrates effective use of the subject to promote literacy skills. In lessons, drama, role-play and debate are used well to help pupils understand about life in the past. For example, Year 6 pupils were involved in a series of animated discussions with volunteers from Age Concern and the Rotary Club, asking them what life was like in Britain in the 1950’s. Findings were recorded accurately, together with additional research, in a series of group presentations. Such topics interest the majority of pupils, though pupils coming from a different cultural heritage find it difficult to see the threads linking 1950’s Britain to the present day.

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HISTORY

230. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall but is inconsistent throughout the school. Some teachers use drama, ‘hot-seating’ and collaborative group work to encourage pupils to do their own research and record their own evidence about the past. In other classes, methods are teacher dominated, mostly unrelieved by visual stimuli or artefacts. There are too few opportunities to do individual or collaborative research. This latter approach does not help pupils to The Mount Primary School - 59 develop the skills of enquiry, evaluation or communication. As a result, pupils sometimes become restless as they try to listen and attend. Even when teachers do use a suitable mix of methods, including research and reflection, for example on why the Egyptians paid so much attention to burial routines, pupils are often at a loss to draw their own conclusions, because they lack the general knowledge to place the

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HISTORY

subject in any sort of context. Teachers make good use of trips to places of historical interest and involvement in historical events, such as a Victorian day, to extend pupils’ learning.

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HISTORY

231. The subject has had a low priority in the school improvement plan over recent years and the co-ordinator has had little opportunity to develop the curriculum, assessment or the quality of resources. Although the subject appears in the school improvement plan, targets are very general. Attempts to link the subject with literacy, especially in terms of reading of appropriate texts and certain forms of written assignments, are not fully implemented. There has been very little monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning and teachers’ planning. The co-ordinator is aware that monitoring and evaluation procedures need to be improved in order to raise standards and to make more effective use of the subject to promote pupils’ literacy skills.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Strengths • Standards have risen well since the last inspection. • Older pupils are particularly successful at producing multimedia presentations. • The scheme of work, resources and equipment have improved and these help pupils to make satisfactory progress and achieve well. • Procedures for assessing pupils’ achievements are good. • Leadership and management of the subject are good. Areas for improvement • Opportunities are sometimes missed to use information and communication technology to support learning in other subjects. • Tasks are not always sufficiently challenging. • The subject is not used well enough to support the needs of pupils with English as an additional language.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

232. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils attain expected standards. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress. This represents good improvement since the previous inspection when attainment in both Years 2 and 6 was reported to be below expectations. Improved standards are due to more effective teaching and an improvement to resources.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

233. Expected standards by the end of Year 2 are seen in various areas of pupils’ work. When using computers, they enter, save and retrieve their work confidently. They make satisfactory use of information and communication technology to help them generate ideas and amend and record these, for example wordprocessing poems and riddles. They use a range of software programs to draw pictures and enjoy trying out the effect of different drawing tools and colours. Pupils talk enthusiastically of their experience of information and communication technology, both inside and outside school, for example their use of playstations, remote control toys and calculators. The Mount Primary School - 60 234. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ work shows expected standards. Pupils understand the need for care when framing questions when collecting, finding and interrogating information. For example, Year 4 pupils used a classification program to identify a

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

range of fruits. Many discovered the importance of thinking carefully about the questions to ask, but made good gains in their knowledge and understanding of the process by the end of the lesson. Production of multimedia presentations is above average because teachers build successfully on pupils’ enjoyment and pleasure in presenting information in colourful and interesting ways. As a result, Year 5 and Year 6 pupils combine text, pictures, sound, animation and colour, showing good awareness of audience and purpose. Higher attaining Year 6 pupils achieve particularly good standards in this aspect of their work. However, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of how to use sensors and data logging is weak.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

235. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Teachers have secure knowledge and understanding of the subject and use this effectively for planning lessons and promoting learning. Learning is better in lessons where teachers set high expectations of work and develop independent skills, for example in Year 6 classes. Close monitoring of pupils’ learning , and provision of appropriate support , help in good acquisition of knowledge and skills in these classes. Where this does not happen effectively, pupils make slower progress.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

236. Pupils benefit from regular use of the computer suite to learn new skills and practise and refine previous learning. Skills teaching is effective and teachers use their good subject knowledge well to extend pupils’ learning. However, opportunities are missed to use information and communication technology to extend pupils’ learning in other subjects. Pupils have regular opportunities to use mathematical data to create graphs and pupils have good opportunities to use information and communication technology for research, for example on the Internet or using CD-Roms. Use of information and communication technology to support literacy skills is not as strong as might be expected.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

237. Management of pupils’ learning and behaviour, and relationships between teachers and their pupils, are good in most lessons and create a positive learning environment for all pupils. Teachers often organise pupils’ learning so that they work in pairs. However, working with partners is not always used as effectively as it could be. For example, opportunities are missed in some classes to use this method to promote learning for pupils with English as an additional language.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

238. In general, boys and girls have good attitudes to their work and make similar progress. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress because of the well-managed support they receive from class teachers and learning support assistants. Whilst there is a good focus on meeting the needs of pupils by support, tasks planned do not always meet the needs of the wide range of differing capabilities in all classes and so levels of challenge vary.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

239. Leadership and management of the subject are good. Monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning and pupils’ work are well established. Good improvements to provision have been made since the last inspection. For example, a computer suite has been established, with up-to-date facilities, and the quality of the curriculum and assessment procedures has also improved. Assessment procedures are good. Pupils are assessed at the end of each unit of study, scores are recorded and pupils’ National Curriculum levels of attainment established at the end of each year. This helps the school to track pupils’ progress and is steadily raising standards further. The Mount Primary School - 61

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MUSIC

Strengths • Standards of singing are above expectations. • Pupils have very good attitudes to the subject and sing and play well together.

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MUSIC

Area for improvement • The potential for music to be used in conjunction with other subjects to promote pupils’ academic, as well as their personal, development has not been fully explored by the school.

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MUSIC

240. Pupils’ standards of attainment are broadly in line with expectations by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Standards of singing are good. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress. Standards are similar to those reported at the time of the previous inspection.

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MUSIC

241. Pupils benefit from well-planned opportunities to perform together. As a result, standards of singing in class lessons and assemblies are often above average, and parents report that they are pleased with the high standards pupils achieve in school concerts.

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MUSIC

242. By the end of Year 2, pupils develop a satisfactory awareness of how to play percussion instruments properly, to compose and play simple pieces and to listen and respond to music. For instance, Year 1 pupils were observed learning how to follow and sing notation based on doh-ray-me. They made good progress in the lesson because of their interest and enjoyment in performing together. Pupils who played chime bars did so well, holding the strikers carefully so that they achieved good resonance from the chime bars.

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MUSIC

243. Year 2 pupils used percussion instruments to compose sounds that represented sun, rain and snow and used these to accompany a song. They played and sang together with evident pleasure. They worked in small groups to compose sequences of sounds. Their concentration and effort were good and this helped them to achieve The Mount Primary School - 62 well. They listened carefully at the end of the lesson as their teacher played contrasting versions of an extract from the ‘Four Seasons’ by Vivaldi and several pupils made thoughtful observations about the performances.

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MUSIC

244. By the end of Year 6, pupils sing and play well together. They co-operate well in group music-making activities. In this way, teachers are successful in using the subject well to promote pupils’ personal development. For example, in a Year 5 lesson, pupils learned how musical sounds create moods. Pupils showed interest from the start as their teacher played three contrasting pieces of music. Several pupils were keen to offer their views and opinions as to how the music made them feel. One pupil said: ‘I felt joyful and wanted to dance’. Another pupil commented that one piece, played by a steel band, sounded ‘as if they were playing kitchen things’ and another that some sounds were like ‘someone scraping their nails down the blackboard’. Levels of concentration and effort were good as pupils worked in pairs to use unpitched percussion to hold a musical dialogue, with contrasting moods in the sounds

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MUSIC

produced. The teacher had set high, but achievable, expectations. Her relationship with her pupils was very good and, as a result, they made good progress and achieved well.

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MUSIC

245. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. Teachers vary in their expertise and confidence and this is reflected in variations in the quality of pupils’ learning in lessons. However, all teachers take their own classes and work hard to plan lessons together, basing activities on a commercial music scheme, which gives good support and guidance to staff. In this way, pupils receive a wide range of musical activities in class lessons over time as they move through the school and make satisfactory progress in the development of skills. Teachers make good use of CD-Roms and percussion instruments to plan listening, composing and performing activities.

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MUSIC

246. Teachers use the subject well to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Group activities, shared enjoyment of performing together and experience of music and instruments from different world cultures help to extend pupils’ personal development and to develop confidence in responding to the emotions that music creates. For instance, in an assembly, pupils listened with rapt attention as the choir performed a song for them and applauded loudly to show their appreciation. However, opportunities are missed over time to use the subject more effectively, in conjunction with drama and other creative activities, to promote pupils’ academic, as well as their personal, development.

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MUSIC

247. Standards in singing are particularly good because pupils respond well to varied accompaniments and styles of performance promoted in the commercial scheme and supported by good quality CD-Roms. Pupils enjoy singing together in assembly and do so with enthusiasm. The choir achieves high standards, partly as a result of very good teaching provided by a part-time subject specialist employed by the school.

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MUSIC

248. The co-ordinator provides satisfactory leadership. Although she is not herself a music specialist, she provides good support for her colleagues as they plan their lessons. She has made a significant contribution to the musical life of the school by working with the headteacher and governors to extend the opportunities for pupils to receive instrumental tuition. As a result, 60 pupils learn to play the violin, keyboard, woodwind and brass instruments and just over half of these do so as a result of bursaries from a local organisation to help parents pay the tuition fees. Assessment procedures are satisfactory. The range and quality of resources are satisfactory and are well managed and stored. The Mount Primary School - 63

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Strengths • Pupils make good progress in developing their games skills. • Pupils have very good attitudes and take part with enthusiasm.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Area for improvement • Procedures for assessing pupils’ achievements are largely informal.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

249. Pupils’ standards of attainment are broadly in line with expectations by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress. Standards are similar to those reported at the time of the previous inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

250. During the inspection, activities were mainly related to the development of games and athletics skills and so it is not possible to make judgements about other areas of development. Standards in games are broadly in line with those expected. Most pupils understand the elements of rules and fair play. In all the lessons seen, pupils moved with good levels of agility and there were very few pupils who had difficulty in sustaining physical exercise for extended periods of time.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

251. Pupils are making satisfactory progress in controlling balls of different sizes and this is an improvement since the previous inspection. Year 2 pupils practised throwing and catching skills in pairs and showed satisfactory co-ordination of their hand and eye movements, with a good proportion of pupils catching a ball confidently. Year 3 pupils practised hitting skills and many used a rounders bat effectively to direct a ball back towards the bowler.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

252. Throwing skills are not so well developed and many pupils in these two lessons were not particularly accurate in sending the ball towards their partners in order for them to catch or strike the ball comfortably. No lessons were observed in which Year 6 pupils used balls, but pupils were seen playing football and catching games during playtimes and many showed good skills for their age. School football teams have achieved notable successes recently in competitive tournaments with other schools.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

253. Pupils make good progress in developing a range of athletics skills as a result of good teaching and the provision of good quality equipment. Year 4 pupils worked hard to practise and refine their jumping skills as they followed their teachers’ close attention to detail in ways of improving distance and height. Many pupils made very good progress during the lesson as they developed co-ordination of arm and body movements to improve their performance, successfully motivated by their teachers’ effective use of praise and encouragement.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

254. Year 6 pupils benefited from the provision of practice javelins, shots and discus to improve their techniques after a good session of skills instruction from their teacher. The Mount Primary School - 64 Although many pupils did not find it easy to replicate the sequence of steps and foot movements that their teacher had demonstrated, they tried very hard and the equipment helped them to make good progress and achieve well.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

255. Year 4 pupils attend a series of swimming lessons at a local pool. In the lesson seen, all pupils were confident in the water and worked hard to improve performance. The vast majority of pupils swam short distances using competently at least one swimming stroke. Higher attaining pupils swam on their front and back at least ten metres. School records show that, by the end of the series of lessons, a good proportion of pupils swim further than this.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

256. Pupils benefit from a good range of extra-curricular activities that promote physical education skills, and these include football, gymnastic, dance and Tae kwon-do. Attendance is good and approximately a quarter of the school population take part. The school’s participation in tournaments within the borough, for example in events for football and cross-country, provides additional opportunities for some older pupils to extend their skills and talents. Professional football and cricket teams within the locality provide training sessions each year for all pupils in Years 3 to 6.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

257. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. Teaching is planned using national subject guidelines, and all required elements are taught during the year. In the lessons seen, teachers’ relationships with their pupils were very good, and these made a significant contribution to pupils’ effort, concentration and productivity as they tried hard to meet the targets set. Teachers demonstrated good subject knowledge and skills, and promoted personal health and safety well. For instance, all lessons were characterised by well-planned warm-up and cool-down sessions at the start and finish, during which teachers discussed with pupils the reasons for, and importance of, the exercises. Teachers promote improvement well by asking pupils to evaluate their own and others’ performance and to say how they think performance could be improved.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

258. Teaching is less successful when too much time is taken up with talking and making arrangements for the management and organisation of lessons. On these occasions, pupils are sitting inactive and some lose interest and concentration.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

259. The co-ordinator is new to the post but is providing satisfactory leadership. She has carried out a well-documented review of provision and standards. As a result, she has identified useful ways of raising the status of the subject in the life of the school, of increasing the demands made on pupils in lessons to help improve their fitness and of using the subject more effectively as a means of promoting pupils’ academic achievement as well as their personal development. Assessment procedures are largely informal but the co-ordinator has helpful plans to introduce formal assessments in the autumn term in order to link improved assessment procedures with pupils’ skills development. Resources and equipment are of satisfactory quality and quantity and are well managed and maintained. The Mount Primary School - 65

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Strengths • Pupils have good attitudes to their work and enjoy listening to stories from different faiths and religions. • The co-ordinator provides good support and guidance for staff.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Areas for improvement • The co-ordinator does not have enough opportunities to see her colleagues teach. • Assessment procedures are not used well enough to provide challenging tasks for pupils of differing capabilities. • Not enough use is made of information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

260. Standards are broadly in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Standards are similar to those reported at the time of the last inspection. All groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make steady gains in their knowledge and understanding as they progress through the school.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

261. Progress since the last inspection has been good. A subject co-ordinator is now in place, some lesson observations are undertaken and resources have been improved. Assessment procedures have been established.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

262. By the end of Year 2, pupils talk about their homes and belonging confidently. They understand the need for rules and look at guidelines for behaviour in the classroom. They identify a person special to them and understand that people belong to different groups which often have special symbols. They have a satisfactory understanding of Christian festivals, such as Christmas and Easter, although their understanding of religious festivals of religions other than their own is less well developed. They understand that the Jewish religion is similar to Christianity and that they speak a different language called Hebrew.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

263. Most pupils are aware of some stories that Jesus told. They are aware of characters and stories from the Old Testament such as Moses and Noah and his ark. Pupils say they enjoy their lessons; they show a good level of interest in their work.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

264. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ knowledge is broadly similar to the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Most know that religious writings are common to the major religions and are aware of their names, although they are not so confident in knowing to which religion they belong. They have a satisfactory awareness of the symbols, artefacts and festivals associated with the major faiths such as Ramadan, Eid and Diwali. They have learnt about aspects of Judaism and Sikhism and understand the different ways that groups express their beliefs through special celebrations, rituals and duties and compare these with their own. They have visited the local Church of England church and most satisfactorily describe the inside and the significance of the furniture found such as the altar, pulpit and font. However their understanding of the names of religious buildings of other faiths is less secure. They have a good

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

understanding of the Easter story and make predictions as to where Jesus went after he was crucified. 265. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Although three of the five lessons observed were judged to be good, scrutiny of pupils’ workbooks indicates The Mount Primary School - 66 inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and learning between classes during the year. Good use is made of teacher expertise in Years 2, 4 and 6, where the same teachers teach lessons in both classes in each year group. This ensures continuity and that pupils receive a similar entitlement. In other year groups, evidence indicates that there are inconsistencies in how effectively the subject is taught and in the presentation of pupils’ work.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

266. Most teachers have at least satisfactory subject knowledge and use pupils from different faiths well to share their knowledge with others. Lessons are planned in accordance with the school’s subject guidance, but do not always clearly indicate what pupils are expected to learn and do. All pupils in a class usually undertake the same activities, which means that higher attaining pupils in particular are not challenged enough. Relationships between teachers and their pupils are very good and pupils’ behaviour is managed well.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

267. Teachers share the purpose of lessons well with pupils, so that they are aware of what they are learning. However, there are missed opportunities for pupils to undertake focused conversations to develop discussion, speaking and listening skills. Some introductory sessions are too long, so pupils start to lose concentration. Questioning is often directed to those who put their hands up so not all are involved. There is some good and imaginative use of literacy, for example writing as a reporter, writing a play-script, or translating a story into a modern day example. The quality of marking, although satisfactory overall, provides little guidance for pupils on how they can improve. Some over-generous comments give pupils a false impression of their performance.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

268. The subject is well led and managed by the co-ordinator. She provides good support for colleagues, helping with knowledge and support materials when necessary. She undertakes an annual subject review with input from other staff, who identify what went well and not so well in their lessons. This information becomes part of the school improvement plan. The co-ordinator has produced a clear subject overview. This is helpful to teachers, showing them when topics should be taught and which aspects of the locally agreed syllabus and national subject guidance are appropriate.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

269. There has been some helpful monitoring of teaching and learning to identify strengths and weaknesses but the co-ordinator’s regular non-contact time is not used effectively enough for this purpose. The co-ordinator is developing a collection of work samples assessed against the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus to help teachers with assessment.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

270. Links with the local Church of England church and vicar are well established. There is a satisfactory range of videos and resources to support teaching which includes a set of Bibles donated by the local church but the co-ordinator has appropriately identified the need to purchase more artefacts. Resources are well organised and readily available in a central area but there is no up-to-date list of resources to help teachers know what is available. The use of information and communication technology is underdeveloped. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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