Keir Hardie Primary School

KEIR HARDIE SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 30 th September – 3 rd October 2002

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KEIR HARDIE SCHOOL

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

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KEIR HARDIE 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. Keir Hardie Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Edwin Street Canning Town London Postcode: E16 1PZ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr David Bain

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 16 th October 2000 Keir Hardie Primary School - 2

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responsibilities

7541 H Hutchings Registered inspector Design and technology The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 9465 E Cooke 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? 3574 K Singh Team inspector Science Geography English as an additional language 27629 P Brooks Team inspector English Physical education Educational inclusion How good are curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 24216 M Roberts Team inspector Foundation stage Art and design Music 20457 B Fletcher Team inspector Mathematics Religious education 25437 A Redpath Team inspector Information and communication technology History Special educational needs

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responsibilities

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Keir Hardie Primary School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 8 - 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Keir Hardie School serves a diverse community in an area of high social deprivation. The school is larger than most with 396 children on roll, 202 boys and 194 girls. There is a nursery with 38 children attending part time. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is well above average. Children come to the school from a wide area and their attainment on entry is low. The number of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds is high and the percentage of children speaking English as an additional language is well above average. The school has a higher than average percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs, including statements. There are currently five pupils with a statement of special educational need. There is significant mobility with a high proportion of pupils entering the school at times other than the normal time of entry. The school forms part of the Newham

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Education Action Zone and receives funding from the Single Regeneration Budget.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school that provides a happy environment where pupils develop responsible and mature attitudes and values. Pupils improve their learning steadily as they move through the school. Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 are above the national average and very high when compared with similar schools. Teaching is consistently good throughout the school and strategies to manage behaviour are outstandingly effective. The leadership and management of the school by the senior team are good. Given the improvement in test results and the quality of teaching, and the good attitudes of the pupils, the school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Achieves results in the national tests at the end of Year 6 which are very high when compared with similar schools. • Establishes good attitudes to school and behaviour so that pupils learn well. • Teaching is consistently good across the school. • Relationships throughout the school are very good. • Provides an interesting range of activities in lessons and a very good range of extra-curricular activities. • The headteacher provides strong leadership and other staff with responsibilities fulfil their roles well.

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What could be improved

• Attainment in the national tests in Year 2. • The long term planning for the financial viability of the school and the development of the premises. • The capacity of the governing body to support the school. • The direct involvement of parents in the work of the school. • Toilets in the main part of the school. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in October 2000 and was judged to have serious weaknesses in the quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 to 4, so that pupils in this part of the school were not making sufficient progress. There have been significant improvements since that inspection. Teaching is now consistently good in every year group. Behaviour is now good in lessons and around the school. Pupils make good progress in the nursery and reception classes. Their language development is consolidated Keir Hardie Primary School - 5 and improved in their early years in the main school, so that pupils become responsible for their own learning and make good progress in all their subjects in the later years. The school now monitors teaching and individual pupils’ progress closely. The governing body monitors the work of the school through reports at governing body meetings, but has been unable to get to know the work of the school

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

through regular monitoring visits. This has had an adverse impact on its capacity to plan clearly for the future development of the school.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

English E D B A* Well above average above average A B mathematics E A A A* Average Below average C D science E A A A* Well below average E

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Key

Pupils enter the nursery with skills well below the expected levels for their age, particularly in their language and social development. They make good improvement from their starting point and, by the end of the reception class, they are shown by baseline assessment to be below, rather than, well below the national expectations.

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Key

In the national tests, taken at the end of Year 2 in 2001 and the latest year for which comparisons are available, pupils’ attainment was in line with the national average in writing, below average in mathematics and well below in reading. Standards in science, as measured by teacher assessment, were well below average. When comparisons are made with similar schools, the school’s performance is well above that of other schools in writing and in line with attainment in reading and mathematics. Standards have been improving steadily and although results in 2002 show a slight fall from the previous year, they are in line with those expected, bearing in mind pupils’ achievements when they entered Year 1. The standards of work of pupils currently in Year 2 are below national expectations in English, mathematics and science. In other subjects, pupils are working at the expected levels for their age.

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Key

As pupils move through the school they make good progress. Pupils currently in Year 6 are working in line with national expectations in English and above expectations in mathematics and science. When compared with similar schools, the performance in all three subjects in 2001 is very high and amongst the top five per cent in this group. As over an eighth of pupils enter the school at times other than the normal age of entry and have thus experienced disruption to their learning, this level of performance represents a considerable achievement for the school. In 2002, the results exceeded the school’s statutory targets and the improvement trend is above the national trend. Standards in art, history, information and communication technology, music, physical education and religious education are in line with national expectations. As there was little teaching of geography and design and technology

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Key

during the inspection, it was not possible to make a judgement on standards in these subjects.

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Key

There is no significant difference in performance between boys and girls or between different ethnic groups. Keir Hardie Primary School - 6

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy school and show growing interest and concentration as they move through the school. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils are friendly and helpful. They are keen to welcome visitors to their school. Pupils in Year 6 provide good role models for the younger ones. Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils are kind and supportive towards each other. They show respect for each other’s background and abilities and are accepting of differences. Attendance Satisfactory, overall. Attendance at the school is broadly in line with national figures. There are some inconsistencies in registration procedures that adversely affect unauthorised absence statistics. Most pupils attend punctually and regularly.

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

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.

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

Teaching is consistently good across the school. During the inspection, over half the lessons were good and a further one in five was very good. All other lessons were satisfactory. Teaching in the nursery and reception classes appropriately places a strong emphasis on the good use of language. This good foundation is built on well throughout the school, so that pupils become increasingly confident in their learning and make progressive improvements as they move through the school.

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

Literacy and numeracy skills are taught well and information technology is used effectively to enable pupils to think about and consolidate what they are learning in other subjects. Teachers use their expertise well to plan activities which stimulate pupils’ interest and involve all. Pupils respond well and work hard to do their best. Teachers use praise appropriately and, whilst poor behaviour or lack of effort is challenged, sanctions are rarely necessary.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum is well matched to pupils’ needs. There is very good provision of extra curricular activities. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils with special educational needs learn well and make good progress in their learning Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory. Pupils who are fairly fluent in English make good progress similar to their peers. However, those who are on the early stages of fluency in English do not receive sufficient structured and expert support to make the desired progress. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. All aspects are promoted very well through assemblies, religious education and other lessons. Children are actively encouraged to have pride in their own cultural traditions while respecting the beliefs and

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Behaviour management strategies are outstanding. Keir Hardie Primary School - 7 The school’s links with parents are satisfactory. Teachers are available for informal chats and the school is regarded as open and welcoming by parents. The curriculum is good and has been tailored to meet the needs of all its pupils, reflecting both their social circumstances and cultural backgrounds.

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Aspect Comment

The school has good procedures to ensure that pupils are well cared for and safe. The school is generally a pleasant, safe and secure environment. However, toilets in the main building are in urgent need of refurbishment.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The school is well led. There is very good teamwork in the school and the school’s values are shared and implemented consistently.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. The governing body is supportive and statutory requirements are met. The capacity of the governing body is limited because a number of vacancies have not been filled.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The monitoring and evaluation of how well the school is doing is good. Staff have a good awareness of the school’s strengths and of areas requiring further development.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. The school makes effective use of the resources available.

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Aspect Comment

There are sufficient teachers and a good number of teaching assistants. Accommodation is satisfactory, overall. Learning resources are adequate for most subjects.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• They feel welcome at the school. • Their children enjoy school. • Their children progress well. • Teaching is good. • Extra-curricular activities. • The amount of homework given. • Information about how their youngsters are getting on.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with parents’ positive opinions of the school, but finds that information given to parents is adequate. The amount of homework set is appropriate, is marked regularly, and extra- curricular activities are very good, both in choice and availability. Keir Hardie Primary School - 8

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The attainment on entry to the nursery is wide, but most enter with skills in the areas of learning well below the expected levels for this age group, especially in their language and social development.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Children achieve well in the nursery and reception classes as a result of good teaching, so that by the time they reach the start of Year 1 they have a good foundation for learning. By the end of the reception class children are below rather than well below the national standards, as measured by baseline assessment. This represents a good improvement from their starting point. Weaknesses remain in language attainment, which is largely due to the numbers of children who are just beginning to speak English. Attainment in mathematics is closer to the national average. Personal and social skills are very variable, but, in many cases, remain below what is expected by this age.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The standards attained at the end of Year 2 have been improving steadily since 1999. The most recent year for which national comparative data are available is 2001. In this year, although their standards, overall, were below national averages, results in the national tests, as measured by the average points scored, were in line with the national average in writing. Reading skills remained well below the national average and mathematics results were below the national average. Results in 2002 show a slight fall from the previous year, but they are in line with those expected, bearing in mind pupils’ achievements when they entered Year 1. There are no national tests in science. Standards as measured by teacher assessments are well below the national average. When comparisons are made with schools with similar proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school’s performance is well above that of other schools in writing and in line with

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Pupils make satisfactory progress through Years 1 and 2. The standards of pupils currently in Year 2 are below national expectations in English, mathematics and science. In other subjects studied, pupils are working at the expected levels for their age. Pupils recognise familiar words and use picture clues to help with unfamiliar words. They can write instructions, for example, to log on to the computer. A small minority are beginning to develop their handwriting from a printed to a joined script. Most pupils know how to halve and double numbers to at least twenty, can identify patterns in numbers and are reasonably confident in chanting multiplication tables for 2, 5 and 10 in unison.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. As pupils move through the school from Year 3 to Year 6 they make good progress. Pupils currently in Year 6 are working in line with national expectations in English and above expectations in mathematics and science. In 2001, the results in the national tests were above the national average in English and well above the average in mathematics and science. In science, attainment was amongst the top five per cent of schools nationally. When compared with similar schools, the performance in all three subjects is very high and amongst the top five per cent of similar schools. Bearing in mind that over an eighth of pupils enter the school at times other than the normal age of entry and whose continuity in learning is disrupted, this level of performance represents a considerable achievement for the school. In 2002 there was a slight lowering of standards, but pupils attained levels higher than was expected, taking their prior

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

attainment into account, and exceeded the statutory targets set for the school. Pupils develop their confidence as readers and express a preference for a wide range of authors. They write effectively in a wide range of styles and for a range of audiences. For example, pupils have written a persuasive letter about school uniform for the school council. Most pupils are confident in their use of number and shape to solve problems. For example, they find the perimeter and area of simple and complex shapes and begin to apply this knowledge to everyday situations such as fitting carpets. Most pupils are competent in number and know about averages. Keir Hardie Primary School - 9 6. Standards in art, history, information and communication technology (ICT), music, physical education (PE) and religious education (RE) are in line with national expectations. There was insufficient evidence of current work to make a judgement on the standards in geography and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Pupils with special educational needs (SEN) achieve well in relation to their individual ability and learn good social and independence skills.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) who are fairly fluent make progress that is similar to other pupils throughout the school and attain standards that are similar to their monolingual peers. Pupils who are on the early stages of learning English are not receiving any additional focused and expert support; therefore, their standards remain low.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. The school analyses its results by gender and by ethnic group. This shows that there are no significant differences in performance between groups. Girls achieved better than boys at the end of Year 2 in 2001, while boys did better than girls at the end of Year 6. In both cases, achievement was in line with what would be expected, taking into account their previous attainment.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Standards have improved, overall, since the last inspection and the trend for performance at the end of Year 6 is above the national trend.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are good and their personal development is satisfactory. Relationships are very good. Attendance is satisfactory. Standards of behaviour and relationships are substantially improved since the last inspection. Parents are pleased with this aspect of the school’s work. They comment that their youngsters enjoy school and that they develop and mature well as they move through the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Attitudes are good amongst all groups of pupils, although some younger pupils show immaturity that hampers their efforts to learn. For example, in a Year 1 science lesson, pupils responded well to their teacher, but needed considerable adult support to get started on their task of deciding how different animals move. This is markedly different from a Year 5 art lesson when pupils settled and applied themselves well to their task of drawing in chalk.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Most pupils settle quickly at the start of each day and are ready to begin work promptly. They respond politely during registration and are respectful to their teachers. Pupils usually respond willingly to teachers’ instructions and enjoy their lessons. The good attitudes have a positive effect on learning, because pupils try hard and enjoy school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils’ behaviour in and around the school is good; this is a significant improvement since the last inspection report. Behaviour management strategies are well understood by all adults in school and are consistently applied. These strategies are positive and outstandingly effective. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions and rewards and sanctions are well understood by all. All groups of pupils are helped to behave well by the strong team approach and high expectations shown by all staff. All adults in the school provide very good role models for pupils; they are calm, good humoured and respectful. Teachers’ positive management of pupils contributes well to learning. In a Year 6 mathematics lesson, for example pupils responded well to the teacher’s very good use of praise, enjoying their learning and taking pride in their achievements.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils move around the school sensibly and play together well at break and lunchtimes. Lunchtimes are noisy and boisterous, but no spiteful or bullying behaviour was seen during the inspection. Children report that they get on well together and that there is little bullying or racist behaviour at the school. There have been no exclusions from the school in recent years. Pupils’ learning is supported by their good behaviour, especially in Key Stage 2 classes. Keir Hardie Primary School - 10 16. Relationships throughout the school are very good. Pupils show interest in other cultures and beliefs. Displays of books and artwork around the school encourage this interest. The school is a harmonious place. Older pupils in particular show maturity in supporting less able and younger pupils through buddying and peer mediation schemes. Younger pupils run errands and help to tidy their classrooms with a minimum of fuss.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Pupils’ personal development is supported well by the range of extra-curricular activities offered by the school. Pupils are carefully supervised in and out of lessons as many find managing themselves difficult. As pupils move through the school they are given more opportunities to work independently and develop initiative, dependent on their individual needs and abilities. Learning by some younger pupils is slowed by difficulties they experience in sharing and retaining concentration.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. The school is well decorated with displays of work and photographs. Pupils respect the displays and their environment as a whole. Pupils are keen to talk to visitors to their school and to share their work and ideas. For example, in discussions with members of the school council, inspectors heard of their pleasure at teachers’ positive responses to their ideas of how the school might be improved. The very good relationships enhance learning, because pupils feel settled and valued in school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Attendance is satisfactory. Rates of attendance are broadly in line with those seen nationally, but the rate of unauthorised absence is higher than the national average. Although the figures for unauthorised absence have improved since the last inspection they remain high. The inspection identified some inconsistencies in recording these absences so that the actual level is better than the reported figures. Registers are taken promptly and lessons start on time. Few pupils arrive late. Learning benefits because the great majority of pupils attend regularly and so miss few sessions.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. Pupils have positive attitudes towards each other and those with SEN are accepted alongside their peers.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The quality of teaching and learning is consistently good across the school. Over half of the lessons are good and about one lesson in five is very good. All other lessons are satisfactory. This is a significant improvement from the last inspection where weaknesses were found in the teaching in Years 1 to 4.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. In the Foundation Stage, teachers place a strong emphasis on the good use of language. They produce very clear plans which identify appropriate learning objectives. Teachers systematically provide a good basis for children to begin to develop their social skills and take personal responsibility for their own learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. This good foundation is built on progressively throughout the school. In particular, teachers in the first years in the main school plan carefully for pupils to embed their language skills so that they are able to learn effectively in all other subjects. By the time pupils reach Years 5 and 6 their good learning skills and the responsibility they take for themselves means that they make good progress. Vocabulary is consistently well-used across the school. Teachers explain things clearly and provide good visual contexts, so that those pupils with less well developed English skills can learn effectively. Teachers also introduce technical vocabulary successfully by presenting key words systematically and insisting on their accurate usage. For example, in a Year 1 science lesson the teacher allowed pupils to share their existing knowledge and understanding so that they were able to suggest appropriate technical language for themselves

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

and to understand that muscles are used in legs and arms in movement. Keir Hardie Primary School - 11 24. Teachers have a good understanding of the age groups and subjects they teach. This firm knowledge of what their pupils need to learn results in very good detailed planning with clear learning objectives. This security enables teachers to give clear instructions and they use their good questioning skills to probe pupils’ understanding and take their thinking forward. They also have confidence to try different approaches. For example, in a Year 5 science lesson the use of drama, art and oral presentations helped to strengthen pupils’ understanding of the rotation of the earth and moon and of how the rotation of the earth creates night and day.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Teachers are enthusiastic about their teaching and plan activities which stimulate pupils’ interest, so that pupils of all ages respond and concentrate well, working hard to do their best. Classrooms are characterised by an atmosphere of enjoyment and purpose. Teachers use a good range of strategies to challenge pupils. In a Year 4 history lesson and in a Year 3 RE lesson, the use of pictures and artefacts prompted pupils’ thinking. A very good history display was linked well to the personal history of pupils, many of whom had lived in other countries.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Teachers’ very good knowledge of their pupils’ previous achievements means that individual tasks are well matched to pupils’ needs to enable them to be successful and gain a sense of value in their work. For example, in a Year 1 mathematics lesson the teacher had organised a range of activities which provided challenge when pupils sorted shapes, some looking for a sequence only, while others had to look for the pattern of both shape and colour. The way in which teachers share learning intentions means that pupils are able to assess their progress at the end and match it to their group learning targets. Although teachers regularly reinforce success throughout the lesson, they use it very effectively during plenary sessions to underline their high expectations of behaviour and effort and regularly give pupils reward points in line with school policy. Praise is always given appropriately and, whilst poor behaviour or lack of effort is challenged, sanctions are

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. Teachers also have the confidence to adjust their planning and the development of the lesson when a particular approach proves less effective than they had anticipated or when pupils show a particular interest and enthusiasm for one aspect of the topic and it is appropriate to allow them to pursue this line of enquiry. Classrooms are well organised and displays are of a high quality, making a significant contribution to the quality of learning and the environment.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. The teaching of pupils with SEN is good in both key stages. Teachers have good knowledge of the needs of individual pupils and differentiate tasks well to enable them to achieve. Computer programmes are used well to support pupils’ learning and pictures and symbols enable those at the earlier stages of learning to make progress. Classroom management is good and learning assistants give appropriate support to pupils with special education needs, either individually or in small groups. School staff have a consistent approach to discipline which helps those pupils with behavioural difficulties to learn appropriate social skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29. The quality of teaching received by pupils who have EAL is satisfactory, overall. Pupils who are fairly fluent in English receive good teaching in most classes and make good progress. Those who are on the early stages of learning English do not receive structured and expert support and their progress is only satisfactory. A teacher responsible for EAL pupils has recently been appointed to remedy this situation.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30. Teachers’ positive acceptance of a diversity of languages in their classes adds significantly to bilingual pupils’ ease in the school. They are generally enthusiastic and highly motivated learners. They were seen to be willing participants in lessons and were keen to express their ideas.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

31. Literacy and numeracy skills are well taught. Teachers structure lessons and objectives from the national strategies and this, along with teachers’ expertise, results in the progressive improvement in standards and pace in learning as pupils move through the school. Good teaching takes place in all other subjects. Information and communication technology is used well to support and enhance learning. In many lessons, interactive whiteboards are used effectively and appropriate software is used to provide pupils with an alternative way of thinking about the topic being studied or the skill being developed. For example, in a Year 5 mathematics lesson, pupils improved their Keir Hardie Primary School - 12 understanding of using a protractor to measure angles up to 180° and, as a result, their accuracy in using this piece of equipment manually.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

32. The management of pupils is a particular strength. Teachers have very high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and achievements. They have very good relationships with their pupils and command high levels of respect. Pupils also have similar levels of respect for one another which enables them to co-operate well when they work in groups or when they use computers in pairs. Teaching assistants work well alongside teachers and are consistent in their reinforcement of school policies and expectations.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

33. There are no significant weaknesses in teaching. For a variety of reasons, a few lessons are satisfactory rather than good. On occasion, pupils are tired towards the end of the day and, combined with a lack of pace in the lesson, some become inattentive. In a few lessons there is insufficient specialist equipment or the teacher does not provide enough visual stimulation so that learning becomes abstract and pupils’ interest begins to wane. It is very rare that work lacks challenge for any groups in the class.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

34. Prior to the inspection a few parents identified homework as an area of concern. The findings of the inspection are that homework is used effectively, overall, mainly to consolidate learning. It is set in line with school policy. Pupils’ written work is marked regularly with constructive comments on how work could be improved.

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PUPILS?

35. The curriculum is good. It has breadth, covering the Early Learning Goals, the National Curriculum and includes RE. It has been tailored to meet the needs of all its pupils, reflecting both their social circumstances and cultural background. It is well balanced, with time allocations being appropriately distributed between the discrete subjects. The quality and range of learning opportunities for all pupils is good with a strong commitment to performing arts and extra-curricular activities. The curriculum serves its pupils well and has improved since the last inspection, which judged that the curriculum was not well balanced and did not provide enough depth.

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PUPILS?

36. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are used well throughout the school. These strategies, together with good teaching and effective short term planning, have resulted in an improvement in the pupils’ attainment at both key stages in English and mathematics. Booster classes are used to target individual children, bringing about an improvement in their attainment, particularly in Key Stage 2. Plans for booster classes for pupils in Year 2 were not fully implemented last year.

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PUPILS?

37. The school has used the national subject guidance provided by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to develop schemes of work reflecting the particular needs of the pupils at the school. This has had a positive effect on teachers' short-term planning which indicates the knowledge and skills to be covered. However, further work is needed to provide a longer-term plan to secure both continuity and progression and linked to assessment.

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PUPILS?

38. Pupils with a wide range of backgrounds and needs attend the school and all staff are committed to ensuring that all children are treated equally and given full access to the curriculum. Effective procedures are in place so that any issues related to racial harassment are dealt with firmly, recorded and reported to the local education authority (LEA). Both boys and girls are encouraged to take part in all events and clubs, the only exception being the boys’ football club. This is being addressed with plans for a mixed club.

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PUPILS?

39. A co-ordinator for pupils, who are judged as gifted or talented in any area, has recently been appointed. A register has been compiled and these children are now targeted for additional support. More able pupils in Key Stage 1 further develop their skills by attending the dinner time ICT club. Pupils with SEN have full access to the curriculum and the building has been modified Keir Hardie Primary School - 13 to allow wheelchair access. There is a link with a local special school which enables two pupils with behavioural difficulties to attend part time.

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PUPILS?

40. Pupils who speak English fairly fluently receive a broad and balanced curriculum and take part in all school activities. However, pupils who are at the early stages of learning do not currently receive sufficient additional support to access the curriculum fully. The school is successful in providing a curriculum that reflects a positive attitude towards other cultures and languages. Pupils get good opportunities and gain confidence through the celebration of festivals and study of world religions, geography and history. The notices, signs and many books in other languages show that the school values pupils’ home language.

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PUPILS?

41. The school provides a wide range of extra-curricular activities, which add a very good extra dimension to the life of the school. The school’s commitment to this area is marked by having a co-ordinator to monitor and support these activities. A large number of pupils, particularly those in Key Stage 2, take part in physical activities, ranging through netball, football, and sports hall athletics. The performing arts are a strong feature of the school with children attending a recorder club and an excellent, vibrant dance club, which is extremely popular. Pupils are able to use the library, with their parents, well beyond the end of the school day. A computer club runs for children over the lunch period. Much thought has been given to providing a homework club which gives strong support to children with their after school studies, providing teaching support and access to resources which pupils may not have at home. Children in Key Stage 1 are able to take

p.15

PUPILS?

part in the computer club at lunchtime and the homework club, held after school. This limited provision reflects their younger age and is appropriate to their needs.

p.15

PUPILS?

42. The provision for personal, social and health education (PSHE) is satisfactory and is linked well to subjects throughout the curriculum. There is an agreed sex education policy, which allows sex education to be taught specifically. The school has adopted the current LEA guidance on the monitoring and delivery of drug education, but this guidance has not yet been fully incorporated into the whole school programme for PSHE to ensure that drugs education is fully taught.

p.15

PUPILS?

43. There are further good, well established, links with the local secondary school which provides extra facilities and resources to support the pupils. This was seen in action during inspection with the provision of an excellent session of Kwik Cricket for Year 6 pupils. Effective links with the local community extend and enhance pupils’ learning. Visitors from the local Methodist Church and the London Mission are regularly invited to take assemblies. The East London Study Sports Centre offers a good range of IT activities to pupils in Year 5. The 'Big Foot' drama group is a regular, welcome visitor, giving performances and running workshops. As part of the Newham Education Action Zone (EAZ), the school is supported in a number of ways that have helped to raise standards of attainment. For example, an artist in residence for a dance project was linked to raising the achievement of boys in particular. Provision has also been made to add additional

p.15

PUPILS?

supply teaching staff to the school, allowing the school curriculum co-ordinators to observe and support teaching and learning in their own subject.

p.15

PUPILS?

44. The provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Spiritual development is satisfactory with assemblies held daily, following a theme for the week. At the time of the inspection the theme was 'peace' and this was referred to and followed up in the classroom. Good opportunities are provided for reflection, with a lighted candle indicating that assemblies signify a special time. Throughout the school, pupils are encouraged to think about what motivates them and teachers value pupils’ questions.

p.15

PUPILS?

45. Provision for moral development is very good. The school provides a consistent moral code for behaviour, based upon its home-school agreement, which is prominently displayed. There is a strong commitment to assertive discipline, which clearly indicates to pupils the effects of their own actions and the impact this may have on others. Rules written in a positive way are displayed clearly throughout the school, reminding pupils about the consequences of their behaviour, good as well as bad. Circle Time is also used to develop a strong moral code, with pupils exploring how the actions of others can affect them personally. An effective system of rewards recognises Keir Hardie Primary School - 14 achievement through certificates and badges. Pupils are particularly proud to be recognised in this way and this has a positive effect in raising their self-esteem.

p.15

PUPILS?

46. Provision for social development is very good. There are many opportunities for pupils to work together during the school day and they do so well. They are usually supportive of each other and of those children who have special educational needs. Pupils support a range of charities, including Dr Barnados. During a visit of the Pearly King and Queen pupils raised funds, which supported the Salvation Army and their work in the City. A school council meets regularly to consider issues that the pupils believe are important to school life and the developing use of peer mediation helps pupils to resolve conflicts. The 'mediators' have already been identified, with their photographs prominently displayed. They now await training for this very important role. Pupils from Year 6 help children at lunch times and support children in the foundation stage. A 'Buddy System' operates effectively to support children who are new to the school.

p.16

PUPILS?

47. Provision for the pupils’ cultural development is good. Wall displays and artefacts encourage children to develop their own understanding of a wide range of cultural traditions. Resources have been improved in this area with a good range of artefacts, folders, videos and dual language books. Cultural development is further enhanced through a wide range of visitors, particularly in the performing and creative arts that are supported by the EAZ. Children are actively encouraged to have pride in their own cultural traditions while respecting the beliefs and values of others.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The school has good procedures to ensure that pupils are well cared for and safe. It has improved the good provision previously reported, particularly in behaviour management. Parents feel confident that their children are looked after well in school. The school has a good understanding of the needs of all its pupils and all teachers know their pupils well. This is particularly important in this school where there are a high number of pupils from needy or vulnerable backgrounds and high pupil mobility.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. A satisfactory range of policies supports health and safety provision and the required checks for safety and security are up to date. The school is generally a pleasant, safe and secure environment. However, toilets provided for pupils in the main building are unacceptable. They are old and poorly maintained. In addition, they are not always supplied with soap and toilet paper, essential if young children are to learn good hygiene and manage themselves effectively.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. The school has satisfactory child protection procedures. The school policy complies with local Area Child Protection Committee requirements and is currently under review. The named person responsible has undergone local authority training this term in child protection matters and learning support assistants have been briefed appropriately on child protection procedures. The school works closely with outside agencies to support vulnerable children and their families. This good provision for pupils’ support and guidance has a beneficial effect on learning, because information is gathered and shared efficiently and key staff have designated time to plan and support.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. The school’s learning mentor works effectively with the education welfare officer (EWO) to promote prompt, regular attendance. The school’s strong commitment to meeting individual needs is demonstrated by her recent appointment. She also offers support to pupils who are having difficulties at school or at home and she is also responsible for settling new pupils arriving mid- year. The inconsistencies identified during the inspection in the recording of lateness and unauthorised absences were addressed immediately. Procedures for following up absences and problems relating to attendance are effective. Incentives to pupils for good attendance are well- understood and the school gives regular reminders to carers about the need to attend school regularly and on time.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. Procedures to monitor and promote good behaviour are outstanding. Many pupils join the school with poor social skills. The school’s excellent strategies to develop these basic skills for all pupils Keir Hardie Primary School - 15 and to encourage responsible, sensible behaviour are key to the academic progress made as pupils grow and mature. Behaviour management is consistently positive, secure and calm. This is especially impressive as most staff at the school are young, relatively inexperienced or new to the school and the inspection took place at the start of the school year. Teachers have had their classes for only a few weeks.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. The procedures for assessing pupils' attainment and progress are satisfactory. The use of the information gathered through assessment, to monitor the curriculum and plan for further improvement in the attainment of pupils, is good. This is an improvement from the previous inspection where the monitoring and evaluation of individual pupil progress was considered to need improvement.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. In the nursery and reception classes, assessment is used well to ensure that all children, including those with SEN and EAL, make progress. Individual target setting, resulting from good assessment procedures, is, therefore, thorough. Baseline assessment, carried out in the reception class, is used, not only to monitor achievement, but also to predict the likely level of attainment at the age of seven. This provides information on groups of children, including ethnicity and gender and is used well to construct clear targets for improvement.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

55. A timetable for assessment is used to monitor the attainment of children in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, with a sample of each pupil's work being assessed each term. Each year group uses national optional tests in Key Stage 2, providing further valuable information to allow the school to monitor its performance against nationally expected standards. The information gathered is used to discuss targets for improvement at a joint meeting with both the parent and the pupil and is effective in raising pupils’ expectations and developing an enthusiasm for learning. The national results achieved by pupils at the school are analysed well, by both the school and the LEA, providing a good profile of achievement, relating to both individual pupils and the school as a whole. This profile indicates the educational value added by the school and reflects the good improvement in pupil's attainment that has been achieved over time.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

56. Teachers' weekly planning sheets have assessment built in and this is used well in some subjects. The link between planning and assessment is not a regular feature of all teachers' work in all subjects. The school’s improvement plan for assessment recognises the need, not only to assess in the core subjects, but also to plan assessment opportunities in all other areas.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

57. The co-ordinator for assessment is providing good leadership and her work since her appointment is focused on improving whole school practice. Currently, the policy for assessment is being re- written before being presented to the governing body. A recently introduced policy for marking will provide a much greater level of consistency in marking. Good use is being made of ICT through the use of a software package. It is an identified priority that all staff receives training in its use, so that they are able to enter and access current information, relating to their pupils’ achievements.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

58. There are good systems in place to ensure that pupils with SEN receive the support they need. Individual education plans (IEPs) have clear targets for pupils which are regularly assessed by teachers. The school is effectively encouraging pupils to reflect on their progress by involving them in setting and reviewing their own targets. In some cases, targets are not sufficiently broken down and, consequently, pupils find it more difficult to understand how well they are doing over a short period of time. Individual education plans are reviewed termly in accordance with the Code of Practice and annual reviews take place for pupils with a statement of special educational need and meet statutory requirements. The co-ordinator monitors these procedures well and ensures that pupils receive appropriate help from visiting support services.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

59. The school has a supportive learning environment for pupils with EAL to develop their understanding of English. They are well integrated in the school life and are well cared for by the school. Mutual respect and tolerance of others’ feelings, values and beliefs, underpin the good relationships within the school. Keir Hardie Primary School - 16

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

60. At the time of the last inspection, parents’ views about the school were positive. The school has successfully maintained the good opinions of parents and carers. In their responses to the questionnaire and at their meeting parents praised the school. They are particularly pleased with the teaching, that their children make good progress, the welcome they receive in school and that their children enjoy school. A minority express dissatisfaction with information that they receive about how children are progressing, the amount of homework set and the provision of extra curricular activities. The team agrees with parents’ positive opinions of the school, but find that information given to parents is adequate. The amount of homework set is appropriate and it is marked regularly. Extra-curricular activities are judged very good, both in choice and availability.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

61. The school’s links with parents are satisfactory. Teachers are available before and after school for informal chats and parents regard the school as open and welcoming. There are regular open evenings for carers to discuss their children’s progress and those whose children have particular problems and needs are invited into school promptly to meet with staff. Reports are written clearly and contain all the required information. The reports note targets set for pupils, include information on national test results and are of consistent quality across all classes. Teachers provide brief topic based curriculum information for parents each term and effectively provide families with day- to-day information through prominently displayed notices.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

62. The school usually manages to communicate effectively with families without using the LEA translation services, but information available in the school is not translated routinely in community languages. The nursery has its own clear information leaflets and staff make home visits before children start at the school to ensure they make the best possible start. The learning mentor makes a good contribution in settling children who start at the school mid-year, by ensuring that documentation is received from previous schools and that parents understand rules and expectations. The school provides good information for parents about how the school supports pupils with special educational needs.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

63. Most parents are keen to help their children with homework, sharing books and helping them to learn spellings. They attend parents’ evenings and school events regularly and have positive attitudes to the school that they share with their children. The great majority of parents send their children to school regularly, on time and ready to learn. This makes a satisfactory contribution to children’s learning. However, the impact of parents’ involvement on the work of the school is unsatisfactory. There has been no change in this since the last inspection when it was noted as underdeveloped. Few parents come into school to help in classes and there is little support for outings and trips. There is no parent teacher association, although the school has preliminary plans to form one. At present, parents have very limited formal opportunities to influence school policies because of this.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. At the time of the last inspection the leadership and management of the school were reported as satisfactory. There have been continued improvements in standards since that time. The school is a friendly, happy and inclusive place, mainly as a result of the very good relationships between all members of the school community. A new headteacher has been in post for less than a year. Her leadership is strong and her professionalism and attention to detail provide a good role model for other managers. She is clearly focused on building a united team and securing developments to achieve further improvements in standards, whilst retaining the positive ethos in which all pupils and adults are valued and respected. The extent to which the school’s values are understood and shared is exceptional.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The strong teamwork amongst all staff in the school enables teachers to have clear expectations of, and receive support from, one another. Most teachers have curriculum responsibilities and they have a good understanding of their roles. The headteacher and deputy head have a high profile around the school both during lessons and break times so that there is a calm entry to the school Keir Hardie Primary School - 17 after lunch and playtimes and a brisk start to lessons. Minor issues are dealt with firmly and pleasantly at these times.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. The headteacher has a good understanding of the areas in the school requiring further development and has strategies to address these. She has introduced a monitoring and evaluation schedule and provided resources to ensure that the plan is properly implemented. There is a good awareness of performance data across the school, but a clearer interpretation of whole school outcomes would provide stronger evidence for the targeting of available resources.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The work of administrative staff is efficient and helps to support the management of the school. The caretaker has undertaken much redecoration and minor refurbishment projects to enhance the facilities available to pupils and staff.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The governing body is supportive of the school and statutory requirements are met. The progress of developments is monitored at the formal termly meetings. However, there have been difficulties in recruiting sufficient governors and the governing body is currently under-strength, so that its capacity to see the work of the school through regular visits and to adopt the role of ‘critical friend’ is limited. Many of the committees are no longer active and there are no formal terms of reference for many of these groups. The governing body has taken a reactive role in shaping school’s direction. For example, there are no long term plans to ensure financial viability or development of the school premises. Issues relating to the way in which governors support the school are addressed in the school development plan, but these plans have not yet been implemented successfully.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. Overall, financial planning is unsatisfactory. The school carried forward an overspend of six per cent of its overall budget from the last financial year. Current spending is within the allocation for 2002/3 and the new head teacher has taken creative steps to reduce the deficit. Governors’ monitoring of the previous year’s budget was inadequate to predict the overspend and, although the school has agreed the current budget with the LEA, there is no long-term financial recovery plan or strategy for managing the budget which links it to the overall development of the school. The roles and responsibilities of the headteacher and governing body are not clearly documented.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. Current spending is linked to the immediate priorities in the school improvement plan and the headteacher is developing systems for evaluating the impact on pupils’ learning. Additional income from the New Opportunities Fund, Education Action Zone, Standards Fund and Single Regeneration Budget are all appropriately targeted. Although the headteacher is aware of the principles of best value, the school is not yet in a position to apply them and measure its costs against the effectiveness of provision.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. There are good systems in place for the payment of invoices and day-to-day management of financial transactions. The latest LEA follow-up report to a previous audit indicates that all recommendations have been satisfactorily implemented.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

72. Special educational needs are effectively managed. There is a good policy in place which informs the work of the school and is currently being updated to include reference to the Disability Act. Both teachers and classroom assistants have benefited from attending a wide range of relevant courses and they are currently increasing their knowledge of teaching strategies for pupils with more complex learning needs. Although systems for monitoring the work and deployment of staff are underdeveloped, there is a good level of support for pupils with SEN which ensures that their needs are well met. The co-ordinator is aware of the need to monitor classroom support and increase staff knowledge of assessment and teaching strategies for pupils with more complex needs. These have been identified as priorities in the school improvement plan.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

73. The sensory room, built and furnished by self-help, is a valuable asset. It gives opportunities for pupils with more complex needs to respond to changes. It could be enhanced by adding equipment that enables pupils to develop control skills as part of the ICT curriculum. Generally, ICT is used well to support pupils who have special educational needs and software is closely matched to the particular needs of individual pupils. However, at Key Stage 1 there is a lack of Keir Hardie Primary School - 18 appropriate equipment for fully meeting the needs of one pupil who has more severe learning difficulties.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

74. The co-ordinator for EAL is new and there are no clear procedures set up, as yet, to support pupils who are on the early stages of learning English. However, the school has set up procedures to monitor and record pupils’ progress, using LEA guidance.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

75. Teachers throughout the school are well qualified by training and experience for the age group they teach. They are well deployed. There is a good balance of experienced and more recently qualified staff. All teachers are enthusiastic about their work and are committed to further improvements in the standards achieved by the pupils. Teachers work closely together to plan their approaches to teaching. The quality and quantity of learning support assistants is good. They give invaluable support to class teachers and pupils. A learning mentor, appointed from the EAZ budget, provides support for pupils new to the school and works closely with the EWO and the SEN co-ordinator.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

76. Newly qualified teachers are given good support by the school and by the LEA. Each teacher has a mentor who is responsible for ensuring the quality of support. A policy for performance management is satisfactorily established. Teaching and learning are well supported by the administrative and clerical staff, by the midday supervisors and by the site manager. All adults contribute well to the smooth and efficient running of the school and to the creation of a safe and secure learning environment.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

77. Accommodation is satisfactory, although, as was noted at the previous inspection, some classrooms are cramped. The school and grounds remain clean and, although externally the buildings are drab, the school has made efforts to ensure that it is welcoming. Internally there has been much redecoration to improve the environment for learning and the displays of pupils’ work in the classroom and in the public areas are very good. The toilets do not provide adequate accommodation in any part of the school. The new drama and dance block, now being built, will provide some additional toilets, but are at a distance from classrooms being used by young children.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

78. The computer room is used regularly by classes in rotation and is a good facility. The library is very well appointed and is used well to support learning, although there are too few factual books. The provision of outdoor apparatus for the reception class is still insufficient, although the nursery is well provided.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

79. Resources for learning are good in English, mathematics, ICT, SEN and PE. They are satisfactory in science, design and technology, art, music, and RE. They are unsatisfactory in geography and history, which was noted at the previous inspection. There are now two computers in every classroom, which together with computers in the computer suite provide good access to ICT for all pupils.

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

80. In order to take the school forward the headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(i) raise attainment in English, mathematics and science in Key Stage 1 by:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• implementing its existing plans to provide booster classes for pupils in Year 2 (paragraph 36);

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• devising a recovery plan to address the current financial deficit (paragraph 68); Keir Hardie Primary School - 19 • establishing a clear view for the future of the school, including a premises maintenance and development plan (paragraph 69);

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(iii) increase the capacity of the governing body so that it is able to provide more support for the headteacher and staff by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• recruiting governors to fill current vacancies (paragraph 68); and • ensuring that all committee groups meet regularly (paragraph 68);

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(iv) improve the involvement of parents in the life of the school by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• creating more formal opportunities for parents to influence school policy (paragraph 63);

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(v) refurbish the toilets in the main building (paragraphs 49 and 77). Keir Hardie Primary School - 20

p.21

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 39

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 30 382

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 184

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 8

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 69

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 166

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 60

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 51

p.22

Attendance

School data 4.6 School data 1.2 Keir Hardie Primary School - 21 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.22

Attendance

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

p.23

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 2001 25 26 51

p.24

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.24

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

Boys 17 19 20 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 23 24 24

p.24

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

Percentage of pupils School 78 (71) 84 (71) 86 (74) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.24

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

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

Boys 17 19 20 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 23 21 22

p.24

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

Percentage of pupils School 78 (67) 78 (76) 82 (79) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.24

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

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

p.24

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 28 20 48

p.24

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.24

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

Boys 21 25 28 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 19 20 20

p.24

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

Percentage of pupils School 83 (73) 94 (88) 100 (94) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.24

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

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

Boys 21 23 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 18 16 11

p.24

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

Percentage of pupils School 81 (65) 89 (78) 100 (78) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.24

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Keir Hardie Primary School - 23

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 10 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 2 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 10 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 12 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – African 136 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 20 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Keir Hardie Primary School - 24

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 14 Financial year 2001/2002

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 27.6

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 1,240,448

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 8 Total expenditure 1,312,736

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week Expenditure per pupil 2,998

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year -1,589

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year -73,877

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 29

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 10

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Keir Hardie Primary School - 25

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 61 33 3 0 2

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 53 39 2 0 3

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 62 24 6 5 2

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 62 27 8 3 0

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 67 27 2 2 3

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 67 27 2 0 3

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 53 38 6 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 45 47 2 0 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 65 27 5 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 55 32 8 2 3 Keir Hardie Primary School - 26

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

81. The nursery has 49 part time places and 11 full time. There are two intakes each year in September and January for children who are at least three years of age. Full time places are allocated on the basis of family need; some are identified by the social services. Children also move up to the reception classes twice a year at the same times. Currently, there are two reception classes, each of which caters for ten children until the January intake. This is a deliberate policy to try and give the children a concentrated boost. During the inspection, due to staff illness, one class was shut for three days and all the children were amalgamated into one class. The reception teacher coped well with the situation, but, inevitably, some children who had been in the school only a few weeks, were unsettled by the change. These classes have a high proportion of children with special educational needs; this also had an impact on the situation.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

82. Standards are well below those expected for children of this age as they enter the nursery. However, they make good progress on the Stepping Stones Programme for young children’s education and, by the end of the reception class, they are shown by baseline assessment to be below, rather than, well below the national standards. This represents a good improvement from their starting point. There is a weakness in language attainment, which is largely due to the numbers of children who are just beginning to speak English. Mathematics attainment is closer to the national expectation. Personal and social skills are very variable, but in many cases remain below what is expected by this age. Creative and physical skills are at least at the expected standard and sometimes beyond this. Children develop a good understanding of the world around them.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

83. Teaching in the nursery and reception classes has remained good across all areas of learning, as at the last inspection. There have been very positive developments to the facilities and the educational programme. These are having an extra impact on children’s learning. Music and physical development are now very good. Language development is also encouraged effectively, but the number of children who do not have English as a mother tongue has increased. Thus, the trend in related statistics looks downward, while actually the reverse is true. Children with special needs and those learning English as an additional language are well supported by staff and they broadly progress as well as the other children. For those who have only just started to learn English, progress is as expected for new learners. Assessment in all six areas of learning in all classes is of a very high standard and is generally well used to plan the next stage of teaching.

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Personal, emotional and social development

84. While many children will reach the Early Learning Goals for this area, a substantial number will still struggle with some aspects. The breakfast programme in the nursery helps children settle in the mornings and then begin their learning in a good frame of mind. The daily routine of the nursery is very well established and parents and carers are helpful in getting children to find their name cards and put them in the registration box. Children are developing independence in hanging up their coats and choosing an activity from the splendid variety on offer. A small number of children at this early stage in the year are still uncertain and chose to watch the activity rather than participate. Staff are very adept at dealing with this and reassure children and gently encourage them to participate whilst avoiding any undue pressure. Parents are encouraged to stay and help their children to settle when they start in the nursery and the policy is flexible

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Personal, emotional and social development

enough to support all children, including those who are hesitant to leave their parents. Children can easily access the toilets and are quite independent in matters of personal hygiene. The day runs smoothly due to good management by the staff. Children learn to co-operate with staff when they work on focused small group tasks and larger group times such as the end of the morning activities. However, most children play alongside rather than with each other. The exceptions to this are outdoors with the bicycles and, sometimes, in small world imaginative play or the role play Keir Hardie Primary School - 27 corner. The inhibiting factor is largely a lack of knowledge of English which limits conversation and negotiation skills. 85. In the reception class on the first three days of the inspection children were a little disconcerted by the change in routines, but they did their best to co-operate with the very clear and patient

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Personal, emotional and social development

instructions given by the teacher. They showed empathy and sorrow that one teacher was ill and were delighted to welcome her back on the last day of the inspection. On this morning they showed good social skills and the effectiveness of the normal routines as they settled more quickly to their work. Children in this age group still do not have the expected skills of sharing and taking turns; this is especially noticeable in the outdoor play. In their preparation for physical education in the school hall they demonstrate good skills in taking on and off their shoes and socks; only a small number still need help.

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Communication, language and literacy

86. Communication, language and literacy skills remain below those expected and many children will not achieve the early learning goals as they have yet to gain the fluency required to do so. The provision for this area of learning is very rich in both the nursery and reception classrooms. A new alcove has been created in the corridor and this includes a quiet area for looking at books and a well resourced and labelled area for role play. This is an improvement since the last inspection. During this inspection role play was linked to the story of Little Red Riding Hood. The structured vocabulary and repetitive refrains help children develop their knowledge of English. Through a phonics programme children are introduced to letter sounds in all classes. Here learning is inhibited somewhat by the new intake of children in the reception classes, some of whom have had no nursery experience. Higher attaining pupils in all classes are not fully challenged in this

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Communication, language and literacy

aspect of the curriculum as staff focus on bringing all learners up to the basic standard.

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Communication, language and literacy

87. In the nursery, each area includes wall posters showing the basic vocabulary that staff intend to promote when talking to the children. This is an effective strategy and ensures that children are all encouraged to learn the basic words describing their play and learning. The sessions at the end of the morning are also carefully devised to include elements of repetition so that children gain confidence in speaking in front of others. At present, they are learning to say good morning and their names in answer to the formal register. Some show a response with a smile only. In the reception classes most are able to respond verbally during this process. Plans in these classes also show vocabulary to be targeted during the session but, staff are not consistent in using it.

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Communication, language and literacy

88. Big books are used effectively in all classes to interest children in stories. Staff are all skilled at making story time exciting. Small groups in the nursery get a great deal of pleasure from the use of supporting puppet animals as they retell the story of Brown Bear. In reception classes, a pointer is used to good effect to show children the words spoken and the pictures linked to the words; this helps those learning English to follow what is happening. The book corner is well used in the nursery with children often quietly choosing a book. Books are well cared for and children generally turn the pages correctly and use the books from front to back. In the reception classes, perhaps due to the unusual staff situation during the inspection, no children were seen selecting a book of their own accord and no staff member modelled this behaviour. The teacher, however, very effectively introduced a non fiction book when working with the children in the water tray to

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Communication, language and literacy

illustrate an idea that came up in conversation. Children are encouraged to take books home on a regular basis, but very few at this stage of the year are reading many words. Some can tell the story with reference to the pictures. Many could do this, using the class big book about a girl who found some multi-coloured glasses. Writing is encouraged through play with telephones and pads in the nursery and in relation to the big book, but at this stage of the year it is not advanced, with few children producing any identifiable letters. In the reception classes writing is also limited. Ways of encouraging more mark making and attention to letters during play are underdeveloped in all classes in the Foundation Stage; this was also noted at the last inspection.

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Mathematical development

Keir Hardie Primary School - 28 89. Children meet the early learning goals well in their knowledge of number and shape, but are less successful with problem solving and mathematical reasoning. They are given very good opportunities to count and to sequence their numbers in all classes. In the nursery, the outdoor riding toys are numbered and staff refer to these; this practical strategy helps pupils learn to recognise the numerals. In the reception class, good work was seen with children sequencing numbers according to their previous knowledge. Some higher attaining pupils were able to reach twenty with just a little help. This work is very carefully adapted to individual pupil’s needs and offers a good level of challenge to all. Activities that promote pattern making are abundant and in the nursery children print patterns in their artwork. Knowledge about shapes is enhanced by playing games involving feeling them in a bag and then describing them in the reception class.

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Mathematical development

This activity also very successfully promoted discussion and the extension of vocabulary, including mathematical terms. On occasion, a few opportunities were missed to make more use of every day practical mathematical problem solving and extend vocabulary such as ‘one more’ or ‘a few less’.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

90. Children are given a good range of activities to help them learn about the world around them and succeed in many practical activities so that they achieve several early learning goals. Access to the computers is good and children have developed a high level of competence. Reception children have a weekly time slot in the school’s computer suite. Here, they work in pairs where a more confident individual shares with a less confident one. This works well and most can log on and start a programme. They worked well in an art programme. Some were skilled at dragging icons and making the cursor do as they wanted. In this work, they were focused and rather better at taking turns than in some other areas of their work. Exploration and investigation activities are well planned. Nursery children tried a lot of different materials to make items on their design table. They were also intrigued by a task involving filling containers with cornflour and salt. Higher

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

attainers could comment on the differences between the substances. In water play, they also learned about under sea animals and the aid of a good pictorial chart stimulated a lot of conversation about the sea and the creatures that live there. In the reception classes, children were investigating making musical instruments. Occasionally this work was over directed; children do not choose the ways of joining materials or indeed cut the sticky tape for themselves. There are topics that allow children to find out about the local area and people who help them. The children develop some understanding of time passing and how they have changed since they were babies.

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Creative development

91. Children reach the early learning goals in this area. They have excellent access through both the nursery and the reception classes to use their imaginations. There are good role-play areas and plenty of provision for small world play such as with cars, road layouts and doll’s houses. Boys and girls use all types of toys without stereotyped play. Staff interact well in this play, extending it and promoting language development. In the nursery ‘fire station’ there was conversation about what the fire fighters would want for breakfast. In reception, role play indoors centred around Red Riding Hood, but outdoors children were free to devise their own plays. This they found hard as they lacked the required language for negotiation, but staff intervened as necessary. In music, children learn very well. Even the newest and youngest were able to cooperate to share instruments and to name some. They accompany their singing and are learning a variety of

p.30

Creative development

songs. Reception children were making their own instruments and discuss the various sounds made. Access to free expression through painting and drawing is very good.

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Physical development

92. Children reach the early learning goals in this area. Since the last inspection, the nursery has had an extensive new climbing apparatus installed. Children show good levels of confidence climbing it, balancing along the integral walk way and sliding down from it. They also enthusiastically use the riding toys and enjoy running around the outdoor area using the space well. The reception Keir Hardie Primary School - 29 class has also been provided with a fenced off outdoor area, and a covered outdoor space as well as a large shed for the storage of outdoor equipment. The outdoor provision is consequently better and there are a good variety of challenges for children. Children ride two wheeled bikes as well as tricycles. They have opportunities to use scooters and balance equipment. Sometimes they find staying in the designated area hard, but this is more a lack of social skill than a physical issue.

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Physical development

Indoors they worked very well with their teacher and support staff in their physical education class in the hall. They are learning to find spaces, follow directions and to learn from each others’ demonstrations of movements. In finer movements, such as controlling paintbrushes and pencils, skills are average. Construction toys are popular and are well manipulated.

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ENGLISH

93. In the year 2001, in the Key Stage 1 tests, standards in reading were below the national average, with standards in writing closer to the national average. When comparing these results with those achieved at similar schools, standards in reading are average, with the results in writing judged as well above average. This is an improvement on the findings of the last inspection.

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ENGLISH

94. In the end of Key Stage 2 tests, in the same year, 2001, compared with all schools nationally, standards were above the national average. In comparison with similar schools, the performance was very high. This is an improvement since the last inspection and confirms a continuing trend of improvement in the attainment of children in the school, in both key stages.

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ENGLISH

95. Throughout the school, pupils' skills of listening are good, as was observed in their responses to questioning and in their attentiveness during lessons. This has a positive impact on their development in English. Pupils in Year 2 listened well when their teacher explained the process to be followed when logging onto a computer. This allowed them to progress to preparing an instruction sheet, which gave precise instructions. Year 6 children had to listen carefully to an old version of The Lords Prayer, which was part of their work relating to how language changes over time. Pupils also listen well to each other and are very supportive of the speaker.

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ENGLISH

96. The pupils' skills in speaking develop well as they progress through their time at school. A good feature of the work of the school is the opportunity and encouragement given to children to share and talk about their work, which builds up their confidence in public speaking. In Year 2, pupils, discussing the toppings of a pizza, showed strong opinions about their likes and dislikes. In a Year 5 class, pupils were introduced to the story of 'The Phantom Sausage Stealer' and spoke very dramatically when acting out their own short play script, which was related to the story. Pupils make good progress in both speaking and listening skills and, by the time they reach the age of eleven, the majority have developed as confident speakers who are beginning to appreciate and value the opinions of others.

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ENGLISH

97. At the time of this inspection, which is early in the school year, the attainment in reading of pupils aged seven, remains below that expected nationally. However, pupils have made significant progress since they started school. The good work in the foundation stage is well consolidated, with children now recognising familiar words and beginning to develop further their knowledge of sounds. They are also using picture clues to help with unfamiliar words. The higher attaining children are starting to correct themselves if the story does not make sense and are willing to talk enthusiastically about their favourite books. The good record system allows both home and school to comment on the pupils' progress.

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ENGLISH

98. The attainment of the majority of pupils in Year 6, in reading, is in line with national expectations. This is a significant improvement and reflects the good work of the whole school. In Year 3, children have developed the ability to use contents pages to locate information and, by Year 4, they are able to discuss the plot and identify their favourite characters in a story. Throughout both Years 5 and 6 , pupils develop their confidence as readers and begin to express a preference for a wide range of authors such as Michael Rosen, Dick King Smith, Quentin Blake and Roald Dahl. Higher attaining children show knowledge of classic novels and other reading materials, such as magazines and newspapers, which they read at home. A pupil, reading an extract from Carrie’s Keir Hardie Primary School - 30 War, read fluently, with expression, picking up the mood of the passage accurately. Progress in reading is supported by the good school library, which is a well-used resource. The library is kept

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ENGLISH

open after the end of the school day for both children and parents to use. This is a very good feature of school life.

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ENGLISH

99. Attainment in writing in Year 2 is below what is expected nationally, but, for pupils in Year 6, writing is at levels which are in line with the required level of attainment. Again, this is due to the consolidation of the good work of the foundation stage and Years 1 and 2, which provide a sound foundation for the work carried out throughout Key Stage 2. Pupils make increasingly rapid progress as they move through the school. In Year 1, pupils drew a circle around a passage relating to Kipper’s Birthday, identifying a complete sentence, while, in Year 2, children were identifying verbs and investigating the difference between past and present tenses. In both year groups, pupils are developing an obvious enthusiasm for language, which is having a positive impact on their self-confidence. Further good work was being achieved in instructional writing, with children creating an instruction sheet to log on to the computer. This good example of writing for a

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ENGLISH

purpose links well with the pupils’ work in ICT. A small minority of children are beginning to develop their handwriting from a printed to a joined script.

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ENGLISH

100. The writing of pupils in Year 6 is in line with the attainment levels expected nationally and, again, this is as a result of significant progress being made during their time in the school. Children in Year 3 have been writing play endings for a situation requiring a response about whether to own up when in trouble. This moral dilemma created enthusiastic discussion and a good range of well- argued responses. In Year 4, pupils were introduced to personification to improve the style of their writing. One pupil wrote 'Dark clouds are crying, big tears are falling to the ground'. In Year 6, pupils were introduced to the language of the Lord’s Prayer and Good King Wenceslas, before comparing how written language changes over time. Their investigations led them to the dual meanings of some words, such as flesh, dwelling, fuel, coach and mint. Pupils are required to write in a wide range of styles and for a range of audiences. This has included a discussion paper

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ENGLISH

on school uniform, writing a persuasive letter to the school council, and arguing for and against capital punishment. This range of writing activity makes a positive contribution to the development of pupils’ skills. Pupils' handwriting develops, for some, into a well constructed printed script. However, for the majority, handwriting lacks consistency and, as a result, presentation of work can sometimes be poor. This is further compounded by children crossing out their own work, which suggests a lack of pride in their own performance. The school has already included this important issue to extend pupils’ writing in the improvement plan, together with appropriate further in-service training.

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ENGLISH

101. Pupils respond well during their English lessons and this can be attributed to the high expectations of their teachers, who work very effectively to ensure that all stay on task. At times, a minority of pupils, because of their behaviour, require the teacher to spend time with them and this has a negative impact upon the learning of the rest of the class. However, the vast majority of pupils are attentive and concentrate fully on their work. During discussions, pupils listen well to each other and are respectful of each other's point of view.

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ENGLISH

102. Pupils with special needs make satisfactory gains in their learning, being well supported by additional adults in the classroom. Every effort is made to ensure that all children have full access to, and partake, fully, in the curriculum for English. Pupils with EAL also make satisfactory progress.

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ENGLISH

103. Teaching is good. It is always at least satisfactory throughout the school, with the majority of teaching being judged as good, with examples of very good practice. This is an improvement on the previous inspection. Teaching is marked by its enthusiasm, good subject knowledge and a clear commitment to the success of all children, whatever their ability. As a result, the climate for learning is good and lessons proceed in a calm and productive way.

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ENGLISH

104. Teachers' planning is good, with targets and objectives for the lesson clearly shared with the pupils at the start, and referred to frequently, giving a sharp focus. Teachers manage behaviour well, using a positive approach to behaviour management, which avoids conflict. Children are made very Keir Hardie Primary School - 31 aware about how their actions affect others. Good use is made of teaching assistants who are used to model the teaching and to support individuals and groups of pupils. There are good examples of teachers’ marking which not only correct, but also give clear targets for improvement. However, marking is not consistent. To improve this aspect the school has recently introduced a marking policy and has indicated that this is a topic for further discussion as a whole staff.

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ENGLISH

105. Good use of computers is made, during lesson time, to enhance pupils’ learning. In Year 1, pupils were using a programme to identify sentences in text, while in Year 2 , pupils were using the computer in their instructional writing. Throughout Key Stage 2, teachers encourage pupils to search databases for information and this work takes place both in the classroom and in the computer suite. A good example of this was in writing in the style of a diary, the stimulus being given through a website providing information relating to Anne Frank.

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ENGLISH

106. The literacy hour is implemented throughout the school and is being used effectively. However, sometimes, teachers spend too much time at the beginning of the lesson on whole class activities, particularly with younger children, so that too little time is given to complete the written task. Plenary sessions are well used, both to reinforce the lesson objectives and to celebrate success, when pupils share their work. Homework is used appropriately to enhance and extend the learning of the pupils. It is set at different levels of challenge to meet the needs of individual children. The set tasks are also well supported through the provision of the homework club.

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ENGLISH

107. The curriculum for English is good, being well based on the National Literacy Strategy. There are clear links to on-going assessment procedures, which feature in the teacher's weekly plans. Targets are set for improvement with children and these are shared with the parents regularly. Subject management is good, providing a clear vision about what is required to bring about further improvement. The literacy improvement plan fully identifies the key areas to be reviewed. The co- ordinator for English has plans to provide a school portfolio of work and this will become an essential tool in supporting school review and identifying areas for further development. This, together with a review of the school policy for English and the establishment of monitoring and supported classroom visits, is part of the school’s planning to improve standards further.

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MATHEMATICS

108. Since the previous inspection, attainment in mathematics in Years 1 and 2 has been variable, but has remained marginally below national standards. The proportion of pupils with English as an additional language is high and the initial lack of basic literacy skills effects performance in mathematics, particularly in written tasks. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is rising, although it is broadly in line with the national averages. Pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is well below the national average. When all these factors are taken into account, all pupils in Years 1 and 2 make at least satisfactory progress and most achieve all that can reasonably be expected of them.

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MATHEMATICS

109. As the children move through the school, standards improve and pupils make good progress and achieve well. The good support for pupils with special educational needs and the sound support for pupils with English as an additional language make a significant impact upon the pupils’ capacity to learn. The good standards noted at the previous inspection have been wholly maintained and are above national standards. Pupils’ skills in mathematics develop steadily throughout the school and in Year 6, many pupils demonstrate their readiness for secondary school work.

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MATHEMATICS

110. In the national tests in 2001, all but seven pupils in Year 2 attained the national average for children of their age or above. Overall, the results were below the national average, but better than the previous year and in line with the average for similar schools. The unconfirmed results for 2002 are similar to those of 2001. The trend is broadly upward. There is no significant difference in the performance of boys and girls. The attainment of pupils currently in Year 2 is marginally below that expected nationally. The school is to address this issue of improving attainment for this year group by providing additional classes in Year 2, prior to the national tests. Keir Hardie Primary School - 32 111. In the national tests in 2001, only two pupils in Year 6 did not attain the national standard and a significant proportion attained above it. This result was much better than that of 2000 and was well

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MATHEMATICS

above the national average. The school’s performance in the mathematics tests was very high in comparison with similar schools. The unconfirmed results for 2002 show that these high standards have been maintained. The trend is upward and above the national trend. Boys and girls perform similarly over time. During the inspection week, pupils’ attainment in mathematics in Year 6 was consistently above the national expectation.

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MATHEMATICS

112. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 make satisfactory progress in counting, ordering, adding and subtracting numbers. Most know how to halve and double numbers to at least twenty. Pupils identify patterns in numbers and can name, for example, the next number in a sequence of odd numbers. Pupils are reasonably confident in chanting the multiplication tables for 2, 5 and 10 in unison, but are individually less confident in applying what they know to simple tasks in measurement. Pupils estimate the dimensions of classroom shapes fairly well but are sometimes confused by the units of metric measurement. Pupils draw simple block graphs to illustrate information they have collected from the class, such as favourite cereals and this helps to enhance their knowledge of number and shape. Most pupils can tell the time on the quarter and half hour and are able to identify coins and make up simple shopping bills. They know the names of two and three

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MATHEMATICS

dimensional shapes and are able to count corners, faces and sides accurately. Pupils’ previous work revealed a wide range of attainment from pupils who need help in writing numerals to those who are able to identify symmetrical shapes in the classroom. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress in acquiring the basic skills of numeracy.

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MATHEMATICS

113. The rate of progress quickens in Years 3 to 6 as the key skills of reading and writing are acquired. Most pupils in Year 6 are confident in their use of number and shape to solve problems. For example, pupils find the perimeter and area of simple and complex shapes and begin to apply this knowledge to everyday problems such as fitting carpets. Pupils understand place value to at least two places of decimals. Their knowledge of fractions and percentages is secure and they readily convert one to the other. Overall, pupils are competent in number, but do not have enough practice in applying what they know to challenging mathematical investigations. Pupils use the computer well, independently of the teacher, to draw and measure angles. They know about averages and explain correctly, in conversation with the inspector, the difference between mean, median and mode. Pupils know how to reflect and rotate shapes on a grid that includes negative

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MATHEMATICS

numbers as they anticipate the co-ordinate geometry of the secondary school.

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MATHEMATICS

114. Many pupils, particularly those in Years 5 and 6, use number skills competently in other subjects. Pupils enjoy practising their skills when looking at a database on the computer. In history, pupils use a time line to chart historical events and, in science, they use number skills to prepare and conduct experiments.

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MATHEMATICS

115. The quality of teaching across the whole school is good and it has several very good features. Teaching is better than at the previous inspection when teaching in Years 3 and 4 was described as unsatisfactory. All the lessons observed were good or very good. The best lessons begin with crisp and demanding mental work that is followed by precise, sequential and careful teaching. Lessons, without exception, are very well planned and teachers ensure that the work set is matched to the individual needs of the pupils. This allows pupils to progress at their own rate and to gain confidence in their developing skills. Pupils are encouraged to work together to solve problems and to discuss their methods. This leads to co-operative working. Everyone is included. Teachers use questions well to find out what pupils know and understand. Pupils are asked to explain their answers so that they become familiar with the language of mathematics. Classes

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MATHEMATICS

are firmly but sensitively managed so that pupils know where the boundaries are. This creates a secure learning environment and in many classes there is a productive ‘buzz’ as pupils go about their tasks with enthusiasm. Teachers mark work well and suggest ways in which it might be improved. Not quite enough use is made of day-to-day assessment in the planning of future lessons, although all teachers are aware of what their pupils know, understand and can do. Very occasionally, teachers talk for too long at the beginning of a lesson, with the result that pupils become inattentive and restless, particularly when they are asked to sit on the carpet for a long Keir Hardie Primary School - 33 time. Overall, teaching is well planned and carefully delivered, which ultimately enables pupils in Year 6 to achieve standards in national tests that are well above the national averages

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MATHEMATICS

116. Good management and leadership support good quality teaching. The development plan has a single and most appropriate objective: to raise the standards of mathematics teaching and learning across the school. This objective is being achieved through the willingness of all staff to work energetically in the pursuit of higher standards. Provision for the use of information technology is better than at the previous inspection and is used well to supplement other good resources to support learning. Good use is made of test data to identify weaknesses in learning and to develop strategies to remedy them. The school has plans in place to monitor teaching more frequently and this will allow all teachers to share good practice. Overall, the environment for teaching and learning is good.

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SCIENCE

117. There are no tests in science for the seven year-old pupils, but teacher assessments of pupils’ attainment show that in 2001, the proportion of pupils gaining the expected Level 2 was well below the national average. However, the proportion of pupils attaining the higher Level 3 was above the national average. When compared to those schools that have a similar intake, the overall attainment at Level 2 and above was average and the proportion of pupils attaining the higher Level 3 was well above average. The teacher assessments for 2002 are similar to the previous year for Level 2 and above, but the proportion of pupils attaining the higher Level 3 has dropped.

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SCIENCE

118. During the inspection, the attainment of Year 2 pupils was below national expectations, but is slowly improving. Considering the number of pupils who are learning English as an additional language and those who have special educational needs, pupils make satisfactory progress.

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SCIENCE

119. The results of National Curriculum tests for pupils aged 11 in 2001 showed that the overall standards were very high when compared with the national average and with those of similar schools. The proportion of pupils attaining the higher Level 5 was very high too. The results for 2002 are similar to the previous year, but the proportion of pupils attaining Level 5 has dropped. This is because of the higher number of pupils who had special educational needs in the cohort. The school’s improvements indicate a higher than the national trend.

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SCIENCE

120. The attainment of pupils currently in Year 6 is above average. This is because of the successful strategies that the school has implemented. For example, the co-ordinator gave demonstration lessons and monitored teaching where teachers’ skills in science needed improving. Good attention is given to improving pupils’ skills in scientific enquiry through investigative work. Booster classes for 11 year-old pupils help a great deal in improving standards. The school needs to implement further strategies such as booster classes, enlisting parental help to improve standards for seven year-olds. There is no significant difference in the achievement of boys and girls and pupils from different ethnic backgrounds.

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SCIENCE

121. Progress since the previous inspection is good. The standards of attainment have been maintained. The quality of teaching and learning is now good as compared to only satisfactory when the school was last inspected.

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SCIENCE

122. In their study of living things, pupils in Year 2 successfully carry out investigations to find out what nutrition plants need to grow. They planted seeds with and without water, soil and light. The teachers provided a variety of resources to enhance pupils’ learning. Pupils are beginning to develop an appropriate understanding of a fair test. However, the tests are designed by the teachers and pupils, particularly the higher attaining, are not challenged enough to design their own tests. Pupils make sound progress in developing and using scientific vocabulary that is well emphasised in the teaching. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 conduct careful investigations. Year 5 pupils were able to explain fully how the seasons result from the earth’s orbiting around the sun. In Year 6 classes, pupils were learning about different plants and animals and their habitats. They classified them and gave reasons for their survival in those habitats. Higher attaining pupils

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SCIENCE

supported their peers in writing. Opportunities to discuss in pairs and groups further supported Keir Hardie Primary School - 34 pupils’ learning and most pupils produced good work. Pupils’ recorded work is well presented and reflects their good understanding of the subject.

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SCIENCE

123. The quality of teaching in the lessons is, overall, good, although it ranged from satisfactory to very good. Teaching was good in over half of the lessons seen and very good in over a quarter. Teachers have good knowledge and understanding of the subject. Most teachers explain new concepts and introduce new ideas well. They plan activities with specific learning intentions very well and explain these to pupils. The organisation and use of time and resources to support learning is consistently effective.

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SCIENCE

124. Where the teaching was very good teachers challenged pupils and used probing and open-ended questions to elicit full responses from pupils and to prompt further enquiry. In these lessons, pupils responded particularly well and were clearly excited by their work. For example, Year 1 pupils were highly motivated in working on how different animals moved. Year 2 were guided by the teacher and helped by the teacher assistant to carry out a ‘fair test’. Year 3 pupils, as a result of good teaching, confidently described how they have found out through their tests and investigations which bag was the strongest.

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SCIENCE

125. Most teachers provide a list of associated words and key vocabulary and make sure that pupils understand the meaning of each and every word before they start the task. Good use of resources and hands-on practical activities support all pupils, particularly those for whom English is an additional language. Teachers give good attention to the important elements of investigative and experimental work. However, more emphasis is needed on developing pupils’ ability to devise and set up their own experiments, to seek patterns and evaluate results in investigations. Pupils are well guided on how to record their work efficiently and present their findings systematically. In most lessons, pupils are enthusiastic, listen well and take an active part in discussions. They work safely and co-operatively, share equipment and help each other. Pupils clearly enjoy science and are excited by it. Most teachers manage behaviour well and have good constructive

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SCIENCE

relationships with their peers and this encourages effective learning.

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SCIENCE

126. The coverage of all aspects of science is assured through careful planning based on nationally recommended schemes of work. Teachers regularly mark pupils’ work and praise good effort. Most teachers use day-to-day assessments well and match work to pupils’ needs appropriately. Procedures for assessing pupils’ work and tracking their progress in science have recently been introduced.

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SCIENCE

127. The co-ordinator provides good leadership and manages the subject well. She has supported colleagues through demonstration of lessons, monitoring of planning and teaching and learning in classes where teaching needed improving. She monitors all teachers’ planning and gives valuable feedback for further improvement. This has resulted in planning being very effective across the school. She has not had the opportunity to monitor pupils’ work to ascertain standards. Considering the below average results for seven year-olds, this is a priority for development. There are sufficient resources and these are effectively organised for ease of access and used well by all staff.

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ART AND DESIGN

128. The standard of pupils’ work in art and design is that expected nationally in Years 2 and 6. All groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs, English as an additional language and those who are talented, make satisfactory progress as they move up through the school. Since the last inspection, standards have been maintained in both key stages.

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ART AND DESIGN

129. Pupils in Year 2 are starting to include some good detail in their drawings. This is seen, for example, in their sketches of birds with feathers. Awareness of detail and pattern are combined well in drawings of the stripes on beach towels and of objects from the story of ‘Where the wild things are’, such as a frightening animal mask. In pencil, crayon and paintings of their friends, pupils show an awareness of the proportions of faces. Their awareness of proportion and use of detail in figure drawing is average for their age. Pupils are competent in using paint. They also use Keir Hardie Primary School - 35 a range of tools in activities such as weaving. In Year 1 they successfully use clay to make tiles with pictorial illustrations.

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ART AND DESIGN

130. Year 6 pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve good standards in still life drawings. In painting faces, they observe and record detail of how the eyes change depending upon a person’s mood. They note, for example, the appearance of the skin when a person frowns. In observational drawings, such as of shoes, there is good use of shading techniques. Almost all pupils understand perspective and are able to apply this in their drawings of buildings. Pupils have good skills in drawing and apply this in their studies of a number of subjects, including work in the style of Lowry. They also competently use a range of media such as work in textiles to produce Native American patterns. They use a computer program to work in the style of the various artists. Pupils have a well-developed understanding of the work of a wide variety of famous artists, including Impressionists and the Fauvists. They are very successful in experimenting in their own

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ART AND DESIGN

work with the styles and techniques of famous artists.

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ART AND DESIGN

131. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory throughout the school. Teachers provide appropriately challenging tasks for pupils and have appropriate expectations of the standards they are capable of achieving. Support during lessons is matched well to pupils’ individual needs, so that all groups of pupils are helped to make effective progress. Those with special educational needs are given the extra attention they require to develop skills and techniques. This was seen in a Year 5 lesson in which a pupil with physical difficulties needed extra help to complete the work. Those just learning English are able to follow directions, due to good initial demonstrations of techniques by the staff. Teachers in all classes have at least adequate subject knowledge. Not only do they develop pupils’ skills effectively through clear instruction and demonstration, they also support pupils well in developing a good body of knowledge of the work of famous artists.

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ART AND DESIGN

.Sketchbooks are used satisfactorily throughout the school for exploration and experimentation, but they are not passed on as the pupils move through the school, so it is hard to see the exact progress each pupil is making, overall. Pupils persevere, even if an activity proves hard, and have positive attitudes to the subject. There are insufficient comments made in sketchbooks to guide pupils to higher standards, as marking is often with a tick only.

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ART AND DESIGN

132. A good range of learning opportunities is provided throughout the school. A strong feature maintained since the last inspection is the work undertaken on famous artists. The range of artists studied covers a variety of cultural traditions. Through the expression of ideas and feelings and pupils’ personal response to works of art, the subject contributes well to pupils’ spiritual development. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to use and develop their skills in art and design in other subjects. For example, it enhances the historical understanding of pupils studying the Great Fire of London. Some pupils took part in a project that involved three-dimensional art work which included the use of ropes and mud sculpture.

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ART AND DESIGN

133. The co-ordinator was absent during the inspection, but her leadership is evident in the way she has ensured that adequate priority has been given to art in the school. There are many vibrant displays of last year’s work; including that in the styles of the Pop Artists and Mondrian. There are however, no apparent assessment procedures other than end of class evaluations and in class ongoing teacher assessments. Pupils are not given written guidance on how to evaluate their work or the work of others. Resources are adequate and consumable materials are regularly replenished. Teachers adapt the scheme of work as necessary for the needs of their individual classes; they report that they are well supported by the co-ordinator. There are appropriate links to ICT, with some good work done on Pointillism. Wherever possible, pupils participate in external art programmes that they recall with much enthusiasm.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

134. Design and technology is taught in alternate half terms. Only Year 1 classes were timetabled for the subject during the inspection and two lessons were observed in this year group. It is not possible to assess the quality of teaching or pupils’ standard of attainment across the school, because there were was only a limited range of their final products available for scrutiny. Teachers’ planning for the subject and a record of photographic evidence were analysed. Keir Hardie Primary School - 36 135. Provision for the subject is satisfactory and has improved since the last inspection. The subject now has a higher status and an appropriate time allocation across the school. There is a good policy and scheme of work in place, based on national guidance and developed by the co-ordinator to make it relevant to the school. Topics are chosen to provide pupils with an interesting range of activities and, where possible, to link with other subjects. Planning for the subject ensures that

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

most of the requirements for the subject are met, although records from last year indicate that not all modules of work were completed in line with the intended planning framework. Necessary skills are identified and taught for pupils to be successful in designing, making and evaluating their products. They are given activities to enable them to design for specific purposes and to produce artefacts and systems of increasing complexity, using a wide range of materials, tools and joining skills.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

136. Subject planning is well-organised and provides a good basis for teachers’ short term planning. In the two lessons seen, good detailed lesson plans clearly indicated what was to be taught and how. Teachers introduced the activity effectively, drawing well on pupils’ earlier design drawings following their visit to a playground, so that pupils were confident to make their own models. Pupils showed their ability to manipulate straws and plasticine and join straws, using masking tape to shape frames for swings and slides. They had developed a simple understanding of the stability of different shapes and were using this effectively to produce some imaginative representations of what they had observed. Teachers used plenary sessions very well to question pupils about what they had achieved, the materials they had used and those used in equipment in a real playground. Teachers’ whole class discussions and conversations with individual pupils are

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

very effectively introducing technical vocabulary whilst extending pupils’ general development of language. They also set the scene for the next lesson when pupils would think more carefully about how to finish their models to simulate processes used for actual equipment. Good quality classrooms displays provide an effective record for pupils about what they have learned and produced.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

137. The subject is managed well. Since the last inspection, resources have been purchased to meet the needs of the topics for the coming year and there is a clear plan of how these can be improved further as budgets permit. The co-ordinator works hard to provide individual support for teachers to strengthen their expertise in the subject by helping them to plan their lessons. Currently, there are insufficient planned opportunities for the use of ICT within the subject. Monitoring of the subject is developing and is helpful in providing support for colleagues through, some team teaching. However, it is not yet fully effective in assessing the standard of pupils work in order to clarify the expectations of pupils in each year group. These weaknesses are fully recognised by the co-ordinator and she has a development plan of how these aspects are to be addressed.

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GEOGRAPHY

138. During the week of the inspection, only two lessons in Year 3 and 5 were observed. There was very little recorded work in pupils’ books. Therefore, no judgements on pupils’ attainment and progress or the quality of teaching can be made. Scrutiny of the curriculum planned for the whole school indicates that National Curriculum requirements are met. There is insufficient evidence to make secure judgements on improvements since the last inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

139. In Year 3, pupils are studying the effects of climate on human activity. They were writing post cards describing the weather and the activities undertaken while they were on holiday. They achieved well, as a result of good teaching. However, their attainment was below national expectations in the lesson seen. In Year 5, pupils were discussing the issue of too much traffic in the High Street and gave their arguments in favour of and against pedestrianisation. As a result of good teaching, pupils achieved well and indicated standards of attainment in line with national expectations.

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GEOGRAPHY

140. A co-ordinator has been appointed since the beginning of this term. He is keen and enthusiastic and realises the need to improve standards, resources and teaching and learning in the school. Currently he has had no opportunity to monitor teaching and learning and standards attained by Keir Hardie Primary School - 37 pupils. There is no policy for geography, but the school has adopted the nationally recommended schemes of work that offer useful guidance to staff. It has not been implemented long enough to evaluate its success in raising standards. As yet, the school has not implemented any formal procedure to assess and track pupils’ individual progress.

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HISTORY

141. In both key stages, pupils’ standards are in line with national expectations. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils can describe events relating to the Great Fire of London and most know when it happened. They are able to answer questions about why the fire spread and how it was eventually stopped. Year 2 pupils also study the life of Nurse Mary Seacole and can construct a simple time line around her life. In Year 1, pupils are learning how homes were different in the past and can identify some household items used today and by the Victorians.

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HISTORY

142. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils can describe the experiences of people during the Second World War and give reasons for events, such as the evacuation of children from London due to air raids. In Year 3, pupils show some understanding of religious and cultural aspects of life in ancient Egypt. Year 4 pupils compare different accounts of the past when they study Queen Boudicca’s conflict with the Romans. In Year 5, pupils write independently about how life has changed in their local area since Victorian times. Throughout the key stage, pupils use ICT to search for information, for example, in Year 6 using the Internet to find out about the life of Anne Frank.

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HISTORY

143. Pupils make satisfactory progress in their work. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language make good progress.

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HISTORY

144. The standards in both teaching and learning have been maintained since the last inspection. Teaching is good in both key stages. Teachers use questioning well to check pupils’ understanding and review what they have learned. As a result, pupils gain confidence in talking about history and learn to listen to the views of others. Lessons are well managed and teachers are particularly effective in praising pupils for their achievements and establishing good classroom routines. Consequently, pupils are keen to learn and concentrate well on their work. Teachers modify work and deploy classroom assistants well to meet the individual needs of pupils. However, the marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent and sometimes lacks suggestions for improvement.

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HISTORY

145. The resources for teaching history are unsatisfactory. There are a few useful videos, but there is a lack of good quality books, photographs and artefacts to support topics. This limits opportunities for pupils in both key stages to develop their skills of historical enquiry.

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HISTORY

146. An appropriate scheme of work is in place. History is taught in rotation with geography and there are some good links with other subjects. However, there is no system for assessing pupils’ progress. Planning for history has been limited since there has been no co-ordinator for the subject until the post was filled at the beginning of the current term. However, areas for development are appropriately identified in the school improvement plan.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

147. Pupils in both key stages are achieving standards in line with those expected nationally. In the last inspection, standards, overall, were below national expectations. Since then, the school has made good progress in both key stages in improving pupils’ learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

148. By the end of Year 2, pupils are familiar with ICT terms such as ‘field’ and ‘database’ and can save, retrieve and present their information. They can also use ICT to develop their own ideas, such as when they use software to design a pizza. In Year 1, pupils are able to use a mouse, understand the toolbar, draw shapes freehand, use templates and create colour. Almost all can log on independently, vary the texture of colours and save their work. Keir Hardie Primary School - 38 149. In Year 3 pupils use an art program effectively to make a repeating pattern and create pictures in the style of famous artists, using the symmetry tool and diffuser. In Year 5, pupils are able to use multimedia to add text to pictures. By Year 6, pupils are confident in using word processing skills to amend their work and a desktop publishing program to compose their own newspaper. Pupils can use the Internet and CD ROM to retrieve information; for example in history, when they find out

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

about the life of Anne Frank, or in RE when they research Islam. Pupils are able to discuss ICT processes and how they have been used to enhance their work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

150. Pupils make good progress in developing their ICT skills. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language make good progress overall.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

151. Teaching is good in both key stages. Teachers have secure knowledge of the software and use the interactive whiteboard well to demonstrate lessons. Teachers question pupils well to check understanding and praise pupils for their achievements. This encourages pupils to talk about what they have learned and they take pride in their work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

152. Lessons are well paced and teachers and support staff move around the class well to resolve any difficulties. As a result, pupils generally stay on task and work hard. In the best lessons, classroom assistants are familiar with the teacher’s lesson plans and have good ICT knowledge. In a small minority of lessons, assistants are not fully confident in using ICT which limits the help they can give and some pupils who find it difficult to work independently become restless waiting for help. There is a well attended lunchtime computer club which develops pupils’ interest in ICT further.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

153. Resources are sufficient and are used well for the benefit of children’s learning. Pupils have access to computers in their classroom. Additionally, pupils benefit from being taught in a separate computer suite each week. The school meets the recommended ratio of computers to pupils and there is additional equipment, such as scanners, computer-linked microscopes, roamers and digital cameras. The interactive whiteboards in the ICT suite and in some classrooms are used well to interest and inform pupils’ learning. The ICT suite lacks ventilation and towards the end of the day it gets hot and stuffy which sometimes affects pupils’ ability to concentrate. A technician visits the school each week to service the equipment so that computers are kept fully in use.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

154. Information and communication technology is well co-ordinated and the school has appropriate plans to develop the subject further. The school uses a comprehensive scheme of work designed by the local authority and there is a clear strategy in place which views ICT as a central part of the curriculum. Teachers use ICT well to support numeracy and literacy and in other subjects such as art and history. There are some good displays, showing pupils’ work and information on ICT operations. Samples of pupils’ work are collected from each year group to monitor standards. A check list is currently being developed in conjunction with the Education Action Zone to monitor more closely the acquisition of skills. Training for teachers is good. Classroom assistants have received some training, but, in some cases, this could be further developed.

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MUSIC

155. The standard of pupils’ work in music is as expected nationally in Years 2 and 6. All groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress as they move up through the school. The standards achieved and the pupils’ rate of progress are better at Key Stage 1 than when the school was last inspected.

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MUSIC

156. Pupils in Year 2 have the skills expected for their age in using percussion instruments for composing and performing simple sound patterns. They follow a conductor as they are guided to make louder and softer sounds. When listening to music, pupils differentiate between ‘high’ and ‘low’. They count beats with the expected accuracy. Pupils enjoy singing in their assemblies and are tuneful and confident in this aspect of music. Keir Hardie Primary School - 39 157. Pupils in Year 6 have a good awareness of rhythm. They clap a rhythm with reasonable accuracy and identify the number of beats in Indian drum music. When listening to music, they identify different techniques in drumming and are beginning to understand how the different components contribute to the overall effectiveness of the music. Pupils have the expected knowledge of musical instruments and the different ‘families’ to which they belong, such as strings or woodwind.

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MUSIC

They sing with gusto in assemblies. Those who attend the music club are developing more phrasing.

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MUSIC

158. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory; this is better than at the last inspection. In a Year 4 lesson, the teacher was clear about what she wanted pupils to learn. The pace of the lesson was appropriate, although pupils struggled to link their instruments to the lyrics of the poems they were using. The activities in this lesson helped pupils to make effective progress in listening critically and to gain some ideas of recording musical notes for others to play. Since pupils do not maintain a record of their practical activities there is no quick reference point to previous work. Teachers provide a suitable range of activities to cover the areas of composing, performing and listening. In a Year 1 lesson, the pupils made effective progress in understanding the role of a conductor and the methods used when controlling an orchestra. This lesson was well structured to build on pupils’ prior learning, but the teacher had to slow the pace to deal with quite

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MUSIC

a few incidents of immature behaviour. Those just learning English are able to follow directions, due to good initial demonstrations by the teacher. In this lesson, a member of support staff was present and gave good assistance to pupils with special educational needs.

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MUSIC

159. The co-ordinator provides clear leadership. She has identified ways in which teaching might be improved and encouraged staff to gain more knowledge of the subject by providing external training for all staff. Despite recent investments the resources are barely adequate and for some Year 6 activities are not as plentiful as they need to be. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are effectively linked to the end of year reports. Weekly lessons are reviewed and used effectively by teachers in planning subsequent lessons. Some pupils benefit from individual tuition on instruments, but this is a fairly small number compared to the total on roll. The co-ordinator works hard to raise the profile of music in the school through school productions, alternated with choirs and recorder groups, but few other staff are sufficiently skilled to ensure that pupils’ musical capabilities are fully extended. Music is not used sufficiently in assembly times to allow pupils to

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MUSIC

identify composers and to listen to a good range of pieces from various cultures.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

160. By the age of seven, pupils reach the expected standards in physical education. They develop the appropriate skills for their age and show good co-ordination in running, jumping, turning, throwing and catching. They understand the need to warm up before an activity and have learned how to use space well.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

161. By the age of eleven, pupils again attain the expected standards for their age. Teachers use imaginative and varied warm-up exercises to share clearly the objectives for the lesson. In gymnastics, pupils have developed good control of their bodies, show a wide range of balances and plan sequences involving a wide range of movements. In a Year 6 lesson, children were exploring the differences between symmetrical and asymmetrical balances, providing some challenging and interesting shapes. Nearly all children work together well and enjoy their sessions.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

162. The quality of teaching is good and this is an improvement on the previous inspection, when it was judged as satisfactory. Teaching is marked by the teachers’ good subject knowledge and careful planning, which provides for well-structured lessons. They use a wide variety of methods to sustain and improve pupils' performance and make effective intervention to model the required activity. For example, in a Year 2 lesson the teacher made well-judged interventions to increase the challenge to pupils to improve their throwing and catching skills. The session started with simple bounces, progressed through bouncing a ball through a hoop and ended with bouncing the ball with only one hand. Teachers are constantly involved with the activity, enthusiastic, giving good instruction and encouragement, which allow the pupils to improve their performance. Pupils Keir Hardie Primary School - 40 are given many opportunities to evaluate their own performance and that of others and, at these

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

times, they demonstrate good speaking and listening skills. Teachers manage their classes well and, as a result, the attitudes and behaviour of all pupils are never less than satisfactory. Good use is made of teaching assistants to support and model the teaching. All children, including those with special educational needs, take a full part in the lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

163. The management of physical education is good. The co-ordinator has compiled a good scheme of work that is linked to the national guidance document. A good assessment record is included to monitor and raise standards of attainment. The school policy has a high emphasis on dance and this is used to build pupils' self-esteem, particularly that of boys, and enhance their work in other curriculum areas. Dance features strongly in the school development plan as the school continues to raise its profile. Resources have been audited recently and are satisfactory. Pupils’ learning is very well supported throughout Key Stage 2 by a range of after school clubs, including football, netball, sports hall athletics and cricket. There is an excellent dance club which is extremely popular, providing a unique opportunity for the children to develop their skills and enjoyment of this particular art. The school has appointed a co-ordinator for extra -curricular

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

activities and this marks the commitment to a continuing high level of provision.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

164. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils’ attainment in RE meets the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. The sound standards noted at the previous inspection have been maintained. Pupils are taught how to compare the principles and the practices of many world religions. Over time, pupils begin to understand that different religions have many aspects in common and that belief plays a significant part in many people’s lives.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

165. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make sound progress throughout the school. Pupils make good progress in lessons where they are encouraged to take an active part or where the symbols of religion are on display. The lighted candle in assembly, for example, makes a significant impact upon the pupils’ experience of a quiet and reflective time. For most pupils, knowledge and understanding grow steadily and they achieve all that could be reasonably expected of them. Teaching in assembly, including a guest speaker from the local Church and the displays of pupils’ work around the school, strongly support teaching and learning in the subject.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

166. Pupils in Year 2 learn to understand the parables of Jesus and how they might be interpreted in contemporary life. After listening quietly to the story of the Good Samaritan, pupils offer their own responses to the question: what does it mean to be a good neighbour? The consensus amongst the seven-year olds is that you should be kind to people whether you know them or not. Pupils retell the story in their own words. Pupils also learn about famous people, such as Mary Seacole, a nurse in the Crimean war, whose behaviour was influenced by religious belief.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

167. In Years 3 to 6 pupils learn about the importance of Passover to people of the Jewish religion. They learn that food may be used as a symbol to remember events. Some pupils effectively recall the Harvest Festival. All have a chance to look at the Seder plate used in Judaism for the ceremonial meal at Passover. Pupils then illustrate their own favourite meals and talk about their significance. Pupils learn about Hindu worship in the temple and at home. They perform a simple mime to show that they have understood. Pupils learn about the importance of festivals in religion and tell their own stories, for example, of Christian baptism, Divali and Eid. A Year 5 class dramatises a story from the Bible to show that they understand the meaning of forgiveness.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

168. The quality of teaching throughout the school is good and it is better than at the previous inspection. Teachers are well prepared to teach comparative religion and they do so with enthusiasm and commitment. The best lessons are those where pupils have the opportunity to contribute actively. The lesson where pupils enacted the story of ‘The unmerciful servant’ was well received by the class and was a positive turning point in the quality of the pupils’ understanding. This lesson was bold and imaginative and made full use of the pupils’ talents. Teachers do not always use the full range of resources available to them and, occasionally, pupils become bored Keir Hardie Primary School - 41 and restless, because they have to listen for too long. Pupils are managed well. Good work and behaviour are expected. Most pupils rise to the challenge and enjoy learning about and from religion in a positive environment. There is no formal assessment of pupils’ progress. This is a

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

weakness that was noted at the previous inspection. However, pupils now keep a good written record of what they do, despite not having a designated exercise book.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

169. Religious education has a firm place in the curriculum and contributes positively to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The curriculum would be strengthened by the inclusion of more visits to places of worship and from a wider range of visiting speakers.

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