Holbrook Primary School

HOLBROOK PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 17 th – 20 th March 2003

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HOLBROOK PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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HOLBROOK PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Holbrook Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1997 Holbrook Primary School - 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

22361 Mrs M Gough Registered inspector Music English as an additional language Equal opportunities The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught What could the school do to improve further 9619 Mr R Miller Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school work in partnership with parents 31807 Mr D Carpenter Team inspector The Foundation Stage How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils 32301 Mr J Clements Team inspector English How well does the school care for its pupils 10228 Mrs S Russam Team inspector Art and design Design and technology Special educational needs 31453 Mrs J Hill Team inspector Mathematics How well is the school led and managed 31975 Mrs K Andrews Team inspector Science Religious education Physical education 32048 Mr R Grigg Team inspector Information and communication technology History Geography

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Lynrose Marketing Limited Bungalow Farmhouse Six Mile Bottom Newmarket Suffolk CB8 0TU

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Holbrook Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 12

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 34

Holbrook Primary School - 7 Holbrook Primary School - 8

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is situated on the outskirts of the city of Coventry. It caters for four hundred and twelve pupils, including forty four Nursery children who attend on a part-time basis. Most pupils come from the local area and are Asian. Ninety four percent of the school population has English as an additional language, and 37% of these pupils are at an early stage of learning English. The main spoken languages, other than English, are Mirpuri, Punjabi, Gujarati and Urdu. The school currently has 11 refugee children from Kosovo. One hundred and fourteen pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals. This represents 29% of the school population and is above average, but does not reflect the true socio-economic circumstances of the pupils and their families. The school is in an area of high unemployment and there are high levels of poverty. The school is aware that a number of eligible families do

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

not claim free school meals. This is partly because the LEA does not provide Halal food. Ninety five pupils are on the school’s special educational needs list, including three who have a statement of special educational needs. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs is 23% and is above average. The attainment of children when they start school is very low. Children often come to school having had little experience of play, and have only limited life experiences. Many children have little English when they join the Nursery class. The percentage of pupils leaving and joining the school other than at the usual points of transfer and entry is higher than is usually found.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very effective school that has many significant strengths and few areas for development. Under the very good leadership of the current headteacher, who was appointed just over three years ago, the school has improved at a very good rate. Teaching and learning are good throughout Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, and very good in the Foundation Stage. Although standards in English are below national expectations at the end of both key stages, pupils make good progress, and achieve well. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment in mathematics and science is at the expected level, and this demonstrates good progress from all ability groups. Pupils’ behaviour is good, and their attitudes to school and to work are very positive. The headteacher enjoys the full support of a very good Governing Body, and a very loyal and hard-working staff. The school gives good value for money. What the school does well

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

 The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is very good overall, and is a strength of the school.  Teaching and learning are good in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.  Support assistants are very effective and make a significant contribution to teaching and learning.  Pupils’ behaviour is good, and they have very positive attitudes to school and to work.  The way in which the school promotes inclusion is excellent, and provision for pupils with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs is very good.  The provision for pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good, and the school has a very good programme for pupils’ personal, social and health education.  The school provides good levels of support and guidance for all pupils, and has very good procedures for promoting good behaviour.  There is a good partnership between home and school.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Holbrook Primary School - 9  The headteacher provides very good and strong leadership, and the roles of the deputy headteacher and key co-ordinators are very well developed and established.  The Governing Body is very effective and provides very good support for the school.

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What could be improved

 Standards could be even higher in some aspects of art and design, geography, history, information and communication technology and music.  Effective, reliable and manageable assessment systems and procedures are not yet in place for subjects other than mathematics, English and science.  Attendance is below the national average and could be better. 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 June 1997, and almost all of the issues raised at the time of the last inspection have been fully addressed. Overall, the rate of improvement has been very good, although there is still more work to be done on assessment, and in continuing to improve the ratio of computers to pupils. The headteacher, with the support of the LEA, has worked very hard to eradicate the unsatisfactory teaching that was reported in the last inspection, and the quality of teaching has improved significantly. The concerted effort of all staff has had a very positive impact on the quality of pupils’ behaviour, and the school’s very good behaviour management policy is now consistently applied in all classes. The role of key staff, including many subject co-ordinators has been very well developed in recent years, and roles and responsibilities have been fairly and clearly divided. The senior staff, and the

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Governing Body monitor the school’s work closely, and are effective in highlighting and addressing shortcomings. The school is very well placed for continued development.

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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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schools

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

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schools

The table shows that, on the basis of the 2002 end of Key Stage 2 national test results, pupils’ attainment, in comparison with the national average, is very low in English, placing the school in the bottom five per cent of schools nationally, well below average in mathematics and below average in science. In comparison with similar schools, based on the percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, pupils’ attainment is well below average in English and mathematics and above average in science. Standards have been slowly, but steadily rising over recent years, but this is not reflected in the 2002 results. The 2002 group Holbrook Primary School - 10 of Year 6 pupils contained an unusually high percentage of pupils who had joined the school in the latter stages of Key Stage 2, and who had little command of the English language. In addition, a higher than usual percentage of pupils had special educational needs. The

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schools

inspection findings paint a much more positive picture of attainment, and indicate that at the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment is below national expectations in English, but in line with national expectations in mathematics and science. The school sets appropriate and realistic targets for pupils, and pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, and those with English as an additional language, make good progress and achieve well. Overall there is no significant difference between the attainment of boys and girls, although the Key Stage 2 2002 test results show that girls perform significantly better than the boys. This is because the newcomers to the school were mainly boys.

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schools

The results of the 2002 end of Key Stage 1 national tests, show that pupils’ attainment in reading is below the national average, but above average in comparison with similar schools. In writing and mathematics, pupils’ attainment is well below the national average, and average in comparison with similar schools. On the basis of the end of key stage test results, standards are rising slowly but steadily, reflecting the good effort that the school has put into raising standards in recent years.

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schools

Pupils’ attainment in art and design, geography, history, information and communication technology and music is below national expectations at the end of both key stages and could be higher. In religious education, pupils’ attainment meets the expectations of the Locally Agreed Syllabus at the end of Key Stage 1, and their attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 exceeds expectations. In physical education and design and technology, pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages.

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schools

Despite making very good progress from a very low starting point, the majority of the Reception children do not achieve the Early Learning Goals in communication language and literacy, mathematical understanding, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development by the time they complete the Foundation Stage. Most children achieve the Early Learning Goals in terms of their personal social and emotional development and physical development by the time they enter Year 1.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils of all ages are keen, enthusiastic and willing to participate in activities. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils respond well to the agreed school rules, and behave well at work and at play. Incidents of inappropriate behaviour are rare. Personal development and relationships Very good. Relationships are very good at all levels and pupils work very well in groups and pairs. However, although pupils are hard-working and very productive in lessons, they are not always sufficiently independent. Attendance Unsatisfactory. Despite the school’s good efforts, parents continue to withdraw their children for extended holidays in term time. Holbrook Primary School - 11

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching Very 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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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Teaching is good in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and very good in the Foundation Stage. Throughout the school, basic skills of literacy and numeracy are well taught, although there are not enough opportunities for pupils to use and practise their information and communication technology skills across the curriculum. Very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language ensures that they make good progress. Lessons are well planned, and are often characterised by very good introductory discussions which enable teachers to contextualise the pupils’ learning by recapping on what has gone before, before explaining the next stage of their learning. Where the teaching is at its best, very good use is made of learning resources to capture the pupils’ interest and to enliven teaching. In all classes, the behaviour of a small number of potentially disruptive pupils is very well managed. Support staff play a crucial role, and their role is very

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

clear within lessons. Teachers and support staff work very closely together, and the very good team spirit amongst staff helps to create a positive and purposeful working environment for the pupils. In some classes, teachers provide very good opportunities for the pupils to evaluate their work, and to develop skills of critical appraisal. However, this good practice is not consistent across the school, and especially in physical education sessions, opportunities for pupils to evaluate their own work and that of their classmates are sometimes missed. The quality of learning is good in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and often very good in the Foundation Stage. The vast majority of pupils are highly enthused and motivated and take a full and active part in lessons. They work very well together and are co-operative and friendly when sharing tasks.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good for children in the Foundation Stage. Satisfactory overall for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils. The school provides a very good range of extra-curricular activities, and a very good programme of personal, social and health education. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils with special educational needs are identified quickly and accurately enabling the school to provide very good levels of support. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. Classroom assistants and bilingual support staff play a very good role in supporting pupils, and work closely with teachers. The school makes very good use of a wide range of effective teaching and learning strategies which significantly enhance the pupils’ progress. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social Very good overall. The school is very effective in the way in

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Aspect Comment

which it promotes pupils’ spiritual and moral development. Provision for their social development is excellent, and provision Holbrook Primary School - 12 and cultural development for their cultural development is good, but could be even further extended through subjects such as history, geography, art and design and music. How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school has good procedures in place to ensure the pupils’ well-being, health and safety, but formal risk assessments have not been recorded. How well the school works in partnership with parents The school has a good relationship with parents, and provides some very good opportunities for parents to come into school to learn how to support their children. However, few parents help out in school. Holbrook Primary School - 13

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides very good and strong leadership for the school. She enjoys the full support of a hard-working deputy headteacher. Key co-ordinators are in place for important aspects of the school’s work, and their roles are clearly defined and very well developed.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very well. Although some of the governors are relatively new, key governors are well established, and are very effective. Statutory requirements are met, with the exception of the formal recording of risk assessments. The principles of best value are well understood and applied.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The headteacher, key senior staff, and the Governing Body have a very clear understanding of the school’s strengths and relative weaknesses, and understand the need to regularly monitor and evaluate the school’s provision.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. All designated grants are used for their intended purpose, and financial decisions reflect the educational priorities identified in the School Development Plan.

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Aspect Comment

The adequacy of staffing, accommodation and learning resources Good. The school employs an appropriate number of teachers and a generous number of support staff. The renovated parts of the school provide very good accommodation, but in other parts, shared classrooms are distracting for both the pupils and teachers. Overall resources are good, although the ratio of pupils to computers is still too high. Holbrook Primary School - 14

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

 Parents are happy with the education the school provides, and say that their children are very enthusiastic about coming to school.  Parents are pleased with the quality of teaching, and agree that their children make good progress.  The vast majority of parents feel very comfortable about approaching the school with a problem or concern.  Parents for whom English is an additional language, appreciate the provision the school makes when they need to converse in their mother tongue.  Parents of younger children speak very highly of the initiatives the school has introduced to make reading more interesting and exciting.  Parents are very positive about the daytime classes for adults, and are very appreciative of the crèche facilities.  Parents are very pleased with the cultural diversity of the school.  Parents agree that bullying and racism are not problems, and that occasional incidents are dealt with very effectively.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

 The amount and frequency of homework.  A small number of parents do not think that the school provides enough out of school activities for the pupils.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

There are high levels of parental satisfaction, and the inspection findings fully support the parents’ positive views of the school. However, although a high number of parents think that the amount and frequency of homework are inappropriate, the inspection findings indicate that the level of homework is typical of that found in most primary schools, and that pupils would in fact benefit from a wider range of homework tasks drawn from all subjects of the curriculum. The parents’ view that there are insufficient out of school activities is inaccurate. The school provides a very good range of extra-curricular activities, including a breakfast club. Holbrook Primary School - 15

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The children’s attainment when they join the Nursery class is very low for their age across all areas of learning. Because of very good teaching in the Nursery and Reception classes, children of all abilities, and those with English as an additional language, make very good progress in their learning. However, despite this very good progress, the majority of the children do not achieve the Early Learning Goals in communication language and literacy, mathematical understanding, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development by the time they complete the Foundation Stage. Most children achieve the Early Learning Goals in terms of their personal social and emotional development and physical development by the time they enter Year 1.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The results of the 2002 end of Key Stage 1 national tests, show that pupils’ attainment in reading is below the national average, but above average in comparison with similar schools. In writing and mathematics, pupils’ attainment is well below the national average, and average in comparison with similar schools. On the basis of the end of key stage test results, standards are rising slowly but steadily, reflecting the good effort that the school has put into raising standards in recent years.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The inspection findings paint a similar picture to the test results, and indicate that at the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment is below national expectations in English and mathematics. In science, pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, and those with English as an additional language, make good progress overall, often from a very low starting point. The main weakness in pupils’ learning is their lack of vocabulary, and this means that they often have difficulty in explaining their ideas. Most pupils listen well to one another and to their teachers, but sometimes have difficulty in processing information. They read with enthusiasm, but although they are reasonably fluent by the end of the key stage, most are working at a lower level than expected. Standards in writing are adversely affected by the pupils’ lack of vocabulary. Although they write structured

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

pieces quite well, their work often lacks imagination and ‘sparkle’. In mathematics, pupils’ knowledge of number is reasonably secure by the end of Key Stage 1, but they are often only confident when dealing with small numbers. Most pupils have difficulty in explaining their methods of working, and are not confident about making estimates of length, weight or capacity. In science, pupils are sometimes hampered in their learning by their lack of ‘real-life’ experiences, but although not all are secure about the notion of fair-testing, most have a satisfactory scientific knowledge. Throughout Key Stage 1, pupils have good opportunities to use and apply their literacy and numeracy skills in their work in other areas.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. On the basis of the end of Key Stage 2 2002 national test results, pupils’ attainment in English is very low in comparison with the national average, placing the school in the lowest five per cent of schools nationally. In mathematics, pupils’ attainment is well below the national average, and in science, pupils’ attainment is below the national Holbrook Primary School - 16 average. In comparison with similar schools, pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics is well below average and their attainment in science is above average. The 2002 results are not typical, and do not reflect the steady improvement that has been taking place over the last few years. The Year 6 group entered for the tests contained an unusually high number of pupils who had joined the school in the latter part of Key Stage 2, and whose command of English was at a very low level. In addition, the group contained more pupils with special educational needs than usual.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

These factors adversely affected the results.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The inspection findings paint a much more positive picture of attainment at the end of Key Stage 2, and indicate that although standards in English are below national expectations because of the small number of pupils working at the higher Level 5, pupils’ attainment in mathematics and science is broadly in line with national expectations. Pupils with English as an additional language benefit from very good support in class, and this enables them to make good progress and to achieve well. However, the school needs to balance this support in the upper part of the key stage with the need for pupils to be independent in their learning so that they are well prepared for working under test conditions when adult help is not available. As in Key Stage 1, some pupils are hampered in their learning by their limited vocabulary, although teachers work very hard to address this and encourage pupils to acquire and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

practise subject specific vocabulary so that they can express their ideas clearly. In English, pupils communicate effectively, but often using a limited vocabulary. They read well, but at a lower level than usually found, and few pupils have the higher order skills of skimming and scanning to help them in tasks such as research. In writing, few pupils are working at a higher level, and many have difficulty in organising their ideas, and in expressing their ideas imaginatively. In mathematics, most pupils have a satisfactory grasp of number, but have some difficulty with subtraction. Although they have a rudimentary understanding of all aspects of shape, space and measure, they do not always measure with sufficient accuracy, and their drawing of angles is not always sufficiently precise. In science, pupils tackle practical tasks with high levels of enthusiasm and have some good ideas about how they might test their ideas. Their

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

written work however, does not always reflect their knowledge and understanding.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Pupils’ attainment in art and design, geography, history, music and information and communication technology is below national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. With the exception of information and communication technology, which is an ongoing area of development within the school, the other subjects have not had enough emphasis in recent years, as the school has justifiably and successfully been putting its efforts into raising standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Staff have received little training in subjects such as art and design, music, geography and history, and as a result sometimes lack the necessary confidence and expertise to really stretch the higher attainers. Although all subjects are taught regularly, some receive only a limited amount of time, and this restricts the range of learning experiences that can be offered. Some good work can be seen across all subjects, but in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the main, topics are not covered in enough depth. In geography and history especially, pupils are hampered in their learning by their lack of inquiry skills, their limited ‘real- life’ experiences, and their lack of subject specific vocabulary. In information and communication technology, pupils are now making satisfactory progress, and standards are poised to rise, but because of weaknesses in the past, there are still some gaps in Holbrook Primary School - 17 pupils’ learning which have not yet been fully addressed. Pupils of all ages and abilities often make satisfactory progress in individual lessons in art and design, geography and history, but their breadth of experience is too narrow, and they could achieve more. Pupils make good progress in music.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Pupils’ attainment in design and technology and physical education is in line with national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Pupils make satisfactory progress in design and technology and good progress in physical education. In design and technology, the making aspect of the subject is the stronger element of pupils’ learning. Although pupils in both key stages have some opportunities to plan and evaluate their work, these aspects could be further developed. In physical education, pupils throughout the school enjoy taking part in a wide range of activities. They are often energetic and enthusiastic in lessons, and keen to demonstrate their work to others. However, their ability to evaluate their own work and that of their classmates is a relatively weaker area of their learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. In religious education, pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is in line with the expectations of the Locally Agreed Syllabus, and at the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment exceeds expectations. Pupils benefit from taking part in a wide range of learning experiences, and from studying and comparing different faiths. They understand the impact religion has on peoples’ lives, and show high levels of respect for the faiths and views of others.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. The school’s programme of support for pupils with special educational needs is very good enabling them to make similar progress to their classmates, and good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans. Arrangements for supporting pupils who have statements of special educational needs are very effective and ensure they attain standards which are in line with their prior achievements. Pupils who are withdrawn from class to receive additional help with literacy gain additional competence in basic reading, writing and spelling skills.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. The vast majority of pupils in the school have English as an additional language. These pupils make very good progress in learning English, because of the very good support they receive from teachers and support assistants. Bilingual support assistants especially play a crucial part in ensuring that pupils with English as an additional language take a full and active part in all lessons. The ‘talking partner’ strategy, where pupils can turn to their partners to discuss answers to questions, or rehearse their ideas before presenting them to the rest of the class, is extremely effective, especially when pupils at the early stage of learning English are encouraged to converse in their home language, sometimes with a bilingual support assistant.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. The school has done much over recent years to raise standards in English, mathematics and science, and because of the excellent team spirit amongst staff, and their high levels of commitment, is now well placed to improve standards in other subjects.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good, and have improved since the time of the last inspection. From a very early age the Nursery and Reception children are encouraged to Holbrook Primary School - 18 respond enthusiastically to their learning, and they do so readily because of the very good provision in the Foundation Stage. As they move through the school pupils become increasingly confident about expressing their ideas and views, and the vast majority are very keen to take a full and active part in lessons. A real strength of pupils’ learning is the way in which they co-operate and work with others in groups and pairs. When they work in their ‘talking partner’ pairs, where they rehearse their answers, or discuss new learning, often in their mother tongue, pupils willingly and generously share their ideas, and are animated as they consider the task they have been set. Pupils of all ages and abilities tackle new learning with very good levels of confidence and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

enthusiasm, and often they can not wait to start practical activities. A very good example of this was seen during the inspection in an excellent Year 6 science lesson where pupils were extremely eager to try out their hypotheses about shadows. In class, pupils settle quickly to work, and they are extremely productive, often showing very good levels of concentration and perseverance. They listen very well to one another and to adults, showing high levels of respect for the view of others.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Behaviour in and around the school is good overall, and has improved at a very good rate over the last few years. With the exception of a small number of pupils who have difficulty in managing their behaviour, pupils respond very well to the high expectations set by the school. They understand the small number of school rules, and older pupils appreciate the need for conforming to the agreed rules so that the school can function as a harmonious and orderly community. There have been no exclusions in recent years. Pupils of all ages play and work well together, and incidents of bullying or racial tension are extremely rare. Pupils are polite and friendly to one another, and are very keen and proud to share their work with adults and visitors. The vast majority of pupils show high levels of respect for their own property and that of the school, and treat resources with care. Occasional incidents of disruptive behaviour are well handled

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

by staff who consistently follow the school’s behaviour management strategies. The deputy headteacher and other senior staff, play a crucial role in supporting colleagues who have pupils in their classes who have difficulty in managing their behaviour. This consistent and corporate approach sends a clear message to all pupils about the expectations the school has about their behaviour.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Relationships amongst pupils and between staff and pupils are consistently very good, and have been further strengthened since the time of the last inspection. Teachers and support staff are excellent role models in the way in which they relate to one another and to the pupils, and set high standards through their own very positive relationships. Teachers encourage pupils to work co-operatively, and they do this well, but pupils are not as effective in terms of carrying out personal study and independent research tasks. Often pupils rely quite heavily on adult support, and this means that when working under test conditions, they are sometimes lacking in confidence. Parents are very pleased with the values the school promotes and agree that their children are becoming mature individuals. Pupils of all ages and abilities are keen to undertake monitorial roles.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils with special educational needs generally respond very well to their lessons and demonstrate a very positive attitude to learning. A minority of pupils who are withdrawn from their lessons for additional help with their literacy are very appreciative of the assistance they receive. Pupils who have emotional and behavioural problems Holbrook Primary School - 19 generally respond well to the help the school provides which enables them to come to terms with their difficulties and to build meaningful relationships with adults and their classmates.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The rate of whole-school attendance is unsatisfactory and has declined since the time of the last inspection. Despite reminders from the school about the adverse impact on the pupils’ learning, many families take extended holidays during term time. The vast majority of pupils arrive punctually and lessons start and finish on time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. During the inspection, seventy lessons were observed. The quality of teaching was excellent in 11% of the lessons seen, very good in 31%, good in 34%, satisfactory in 21%, and unsatisfactory in 3%. Overall, the quality of teaching is very good in the Foundation Stage, and good in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. The quality of teaching has improved significantly since the time of the last inspection when it was described as being ‘sound’ overall.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. The quality of teaching overall is very good in the Foundation Stage, and teachers and support staff have created an excellent learning environment for the children, that is stimulating, colourful and exciting. The promotion of the English language is a priority, and bilingual support staff play a crucial role in enabling the children to access all areas of learning. Many of the activities for the Foundation Stage children are very exciting, especially in the Nursery class where the teaching is often excellent. Teachers and support staff are very effective in promoting independent learning skills, and encourage the children to make choices and decisions about their work. There is a very good balance between activities that the children select themselves, and those that are closely directed by an adult. Teachers have high expectations of the children, and the children respond very positively, showing a real keenness to respond to new challenges.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

Teachers in the Foundation Stage are vigilant about monitoring the children’s progress, and quickly pick out children who are having difficulties with their learning and who may have special educational needs. This early identification enables swift intervention.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. Many of the pupils have English as an additional language, and a real strength of the teaching in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 is the use of ‘talking partners’ to enable the pupils to clarify their thinking, rehearse their answers, and to consolidate their learning. Throughout discussion sessions, teachers will ask pupils to turn to their ‘talking partners’ for one or two minutes, to focus on a given topic or question. Often bilingual assistants are ‘partners’ especially when pupils are at a very early stage of learning English. Pupils discuss issues in English, or sometimes in their mother tongue, and then present their answers or ideas to the rest of the class. These ‘talking partner’ sessions are always very well paced, and because pupils are introduced to them at an early age, there is no fuss or confusion. Pupils use the time very well, and often the exchanges between pupils are rapid and intense, especially in the upper part of Key Stage 2.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. Throughout the school, teachers often use resources very well to enliven their teaching and to capture the attention of the pupils. Where teaching is at its best, teachers put a great deal of thought into the resources they use, and often introduce them with flair. Holbrook Primary School - 20 For example, in a Year 1 lesson seen during the inspection, the story of Cinderella was told using puppets. In addition to maintaining the pupils’ attention, the puppets also helped the pupils to understand the role and nature of the characters, and the sequence of events in the story. In the upper part of Key Stage 2, classrooms have been equipped with interactive whiteboards. These are often used very well by both teachers and pupils, and are effective in promoting the idea of information and communication technology as a tool for learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. The school is committed to maintaining high levels of support staff, including general classroom assistants, bilingual support assistants, and special educational needs support assistants. The overall input by support staff is very good, and in some cases excellent. Support staff and teachers have a very good relationship and work very well together to ensure that the pupils have the best possible learning experiences. Training has enabled support staff to take a full and active part in lessons, and they know exactly how and when to intervene when working with individual pupils so that the learning of others is not disrupted. There are occasions when small groups of pupils are withdrawn from the main part of a lesson to work with a support assistant on a specific task. These sessions are extremely well organised and managed, and are very focused, enabling the pupils to make good progress. Very good planning ensures that the withdrawal groups follow

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

work that is complementary to the work of the main part of the class, and this makes it easy for pupils who have been withdrawn to rejoin the class at a later point. Bilingual assistants achieve a very good balance between using the pupils’ home language to ensure they have assimilated new learning, and promoting the use of English, so that the pupils acquire new vocabulary. The role of the bilingual assistants is pivotal in ensuring that pupils at the early stages of learning English as an additional language can take an active part in all aspects of lessons, and in providing a very good link between home and school.

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22. The school has a very positive behaviour management strategy that is used consistently throughout the school, and in the main, teachers are very skilful in the way in which they manage the behaviour of the small number of pupils who have the potential to disrupt lessons and the learning of others. However, where teaching is sometimes less effective, the management of pupils’ behaviour is intrusive, and too much is made of relatively minor incidents. The deputy headteacher and senior staff are very supportive of teachers who experience problems in managing pupils’ behaviour, and the concerted whole-school approach is very effective in ensuring that pupils and their parents are clear about the school’s expectations.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. Most teachers are very effective in the way in which they present lessons to pupils. In almost all cases, pupils are asked to reflect upon their previous learning so that they can see how the new learning builds on what has gone before. At the end of sessions, teachers then often explain to the pupils what the next stage of their learning will be. This practice gives pupils a real sense of security and understanding, and helps them to see their learning as a continuum. Where the best teaching occurs, teachers are highly effective in asking pupils to evaluate their own work and that of their classmates. These evaluation sessions help the pupils to monitor their individual progress, and to become more critically aware. Where teaching is less effective, opportunities for pupils to evaluate their own work are sometimes missed. This is most evident in physical Holbrook Primary School - 21 education lessons where although pupils are asked to demonstrate their work, they are

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not always invited to appraise the performance of others.

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24. The teaching of English and mathematics is good overall in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, and some very good lessons were seen during the inspection. The National Literacy Strategy and National Numeracy Strategy are firmly established, and the most creative and effective teachers are very flexible in the way in which they adapt these strategies to meet the needs of the pupils. Basic skills of numeracy and literacy are well taught in all classes, and there are some good opportunities for pupils to use these skills in their work in other areas. However, currently there are too few opportunities for pupils to carry out independent research and personal study, and there are times when older Key Stage 2 pupils especially, are over-reliant on adult support.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. The teaching of science is good overall, and some very good and excellent teaching was seen in both key stages during the inspection. The notable feature of science teaching is the emphasis that teachers place on pupils developing investigative skills. Where the best teaching occurs, pupils are highly enthused about carrying out investigations and experiments, and are encouraged to make choices and decisions independently. There are times however, when teaching is less effective, when activities are over-prescribed and this limits the range of outcomes.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. The teaching of music is good in both key stages, although this is a recent improvement. Teachers are now providing a broad and well balanced range of learning experiences, and although standards have yet to rise, pupils are beginning to make good progress. There are some very good opportunities for pupils to explore instruments and sounds, and to perform and evaluate their work. The practice of the co-ordinator teaching the parallel Year 3 class is highly effective, both in terms of maximising her expertise, and in ensuring parity of provision across the two Year 3 classes.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. In art and design, design and technology, history, geography, information and communication technology, physical education and religious education, the teaching is at least satisfactory in both key stages. However, there is some variation in the quality of teaching and learning that has not yet been picked up and addressed because the monitoring of classroom practice in subjects other than English and mathematics is at an early stage of development. Teaching varies according to the individual expertise and experience of teachers. The variation is most noticeable in physical education where, during the inspection, teaching ranged from unsatisfactory to excellent. Currently the school is not focusing enough on ensuring parity in terms of the quality of teaching between parallel year groups, with the result that it is possible in some subjects, despite joint planning, for pupils in the same year group to be receiving

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different learning experiences. Teachers have not undergone a great deal of professional development in the last few years in subjects other than English, mathematics and information and communication technology, and therefore lack confidence in some aspects of some subjects. In information and communication technology where a great deal of professional development has taken place, teaching is continuing to improve. However, there is still more work to be done to ensure that teachers provide ongoing opportunities for pupils to use information and communication technology to support their learning across the curriculum. Holbrook Primary School - 22 28. The quality of learning directly reflects the quality of teaching and is at its best when the teaching is most effective. Throughout the school pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional

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language, have very positive and enthusiastic attitudes to learning. They concentrate very well and persevere when they encounter difficulties. Pupils are exceptionally productive when working in small groups or pairs, but lack the confidence to be as independent in their learning as they might be. Pupils are keen to share their work with others, and are confident when performing in physical education or music lessons.

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29. Although homework is satisfactorily used in English and mathematics to extend the pupils’ learning, more use could be made of homework in other subjects, such as art and design and music. Not all pupils benefit from support with their work at home, especially when they come from families where little English is spoken, and this hampers the progress of these pupils.

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30. The school provides a very good curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage. Activities promote effective learning, and are well matched to the children’s needs. Structured play activities are pivotal to the children’s learning, and provide very good opportunities for staff to extend the children’s spoken language skills. The curriculum for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils is broad, and meets statutory requirements, but the time is not always fairly shared between the individual subjects. All subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education are taught regularly in all classes, but some subjects, such as art and design, do not have enough time allocated to them. There has been good improvement in the curriculum since the time of the last inspection, and ‘fine-tuning’ to ensure that all subjects have an appropriate amount of time will improve it even further.

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31. The school makes very good provision for pupils who have English as an additional language enabling them to achieve well and to make good progress. The school has a very strong inclusion policy, and the very good use of support staff enables all pupils to have full and equal access to all aspects of the school’s provision. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good, and targeted support enables them to make good progress towards their individual targets. The school fully meets its statutory obligations in respect of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs.

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32. The school offers a very good range of extra-curricular activities during the year. There is an appropriate range of sports clubs, such as football, basketball, athletics, hockey and cricket. Pupils in Key Stage 2 have opportunities to learn a musical instrument and to participate in extra-curricular dance. For younger pupils, the school offers a range of family learning opportunities to encourage close working partnerships with parents. The curriculum is enhanced well by a range of outside visits and visitors to the school. These have included visits by environmental officers, who have helped promote better understanding and respect among pupils for their school grounds. Members of the local community take part in school assemblies and the school provides Punjabi, Gujerati and Urdu classes. Pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 have the opportunity to visit a residential Holbrook Primary School - 23 environmental centre in North Wales and to take part in booster courses in mathematics

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and writing. The school runs a breakfast club which makes a positive contribution to pupils’ personal and social development.

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33. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education. It is one of the strengths of Holbrook. Under the very clear direction of the co-ordinator, an appropriate policy has been put in place, which reflects and is consistent with, the ethos and aims of the school. A planned programme for the teaching of sex education has been carefully and sensitively discussed and agreed with governors and parents. Similarly, the school has successfully implemented a programme of drugs education. In recent years, the school has made great strides in raising pupils’ awareness of the importance of healthy lifestyles. For instance, Year 6 pupil representatives have contributed to a regional conference on ‘making schools healthy.’ The school is moving towards attaining the status of becoming an eco-school and has in place active ‘eco rangers’ for each year group. Involvement in such initiatives makes a valuable

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contribution to pupils’ personal and social development. Time is scheduled weekly for pupils in each class to discuss matters relating to their personal and social development. These sessions are well taught. 34. The school regularly participates in national and local initiatives to raise pupils’ awareness of health-related matters, such as the national fruit scheme. The school also values the mental health of its pupils and has successfully introduced strategies such as peer mediation and ‘brain gym’ to create a supportive, caring and reflective ethos. Pupils are learning to take an active role as members of society. In one very good lesson observed during the inspection, following an item in the school assembly, pupils in Year 4 went on to discuss in more detail the issues associated with the war in Iraq which had started the day before. The teacher handled the session with sensitivity without patronising the pupils. As a result, they talked openly and reflected upon the

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different views currently held. The flexibility here shown in addressing present concerns and events illustrates well how the school is preparing its pupils to play an active role as citizens.

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35. The school has good links with the community it serves, which have a very positive impact on the life of the school and the pupils’ personal and social development. Pupils visit local places of worship for the faiths represented in the school and also visit other places of significance in the local community such as the fire station, the library, the city farm and supermarkets. Links with other schools are good, enabling staff to share matters of common concern and to exchange ideas of best practice. The majority of pupils go on to their secondary education in two local high schools. Links with these schools are also good. Teachers from the secondary school liaise on a regular basis and the pupils have opportunities for making transitional adjustments to their secondary education particularly in the fields of literacy and numeracy. A twinning link, promoting friendships between two contrasting schools, has been established with

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Hampton Lucy School and pupils from each are working together on a sponsored project associated with Charlecote House, a property of the National Trust. Children from the Foundation Stage are involved with a local initiative to produce a multi-media guide to Coventry. The school is in partnership with the University of Warwick in the training of teachers and also hosts students training as bilingual support assistants. Recently, following a grant from the Nuffield Foundation and in association with the LEA language advisory staff, the school has been involved in a pilot scheme to raise the Holbrook Primary School - 24 profile and awareness of modern foreign languages. Classes for parents are provided in the field of family literacy and there are plans to extend this into a family Numeracy group. Discussions with representatives from the local community during the course of the inspection confirmed their high regard for the links established by the school.

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36. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is very good overall. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is very good. The shared assemblies provide the children with many opportunities for reverence and reflection. During the inspection children from the Reception class led an especially joyful assembly to celebrate the Festival of Holi, which was also attended by members of their families. Following the outbreak of hostilities against Iraq the headteacher joined with the pupils in a sensitive and profoundly thoughtful assembly during which the children reflected on the violence that touched their young lives. In lessons opportunities arise for pupils to consider their responses in a spiritual light as in a Year 1 English lesson when pupils were spellbound by the artefacts used to illustrate the story of Cinderella. Displays around the school encourage pupils in seeking the spiritual elements of their

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educational experience and responses of awe and wonder are a regular feature in all classes and age groups. At present the delivery of the curriculum in art and music fails to take advantage of further opportunities for the promotion of spiritual experience and awareness. 37. Provision for pupils’ moral development is very good. Staff provide very good role models for the pupils and there is a noticeable adherence to the school’s code of conduct. In the playground the ‘peer mediators’ provide a first point of help and refuge for other pupils in distress and all pupils are safe in the knowledge that help is available from caring adults. The few pupils whose behaviour is challenged by learning difficulties are helped in a sensitive and inclusive manner and are usually able to reflect on the impact of their behaviour on other members of the school community. Pupils from Year 6 show considerable appreciation for the way in which the school has

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prepared them for dealing with many of the dilemmas they will face as they mature.

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38. Provision for pupils’ social development is excellent. The whole school is an integrated and happy community. Teachers and other adults in school act as good examples in their own behaviour and the friendly rivalries between the parallel classes in each year encourage the cohesive nature of the relationships that exist. The regular brain gyms and the sharing of ideas in group work bring the pupils together as members of teams. Older pupils have the opportunity for further development of their social relationships when they take part in residential visits although a significant number choose not to participate in these.

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39. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is good overall. Visitors into school and educational support visits in the wider community help pupils explore the culture of the society around them. Teachers take many incidental opportunities for using the knowledge and experience of the diversity deriving from the varied cultural roots of the pupils. An assembly celebrating St Patrick’s Day and the celebration of the Festival of Holi, especially by children in the Foundation Stage brought children from a variety of faith backgrounds into a happy sharing of culturally significant events. Further opportunities for expanding the breadth of cultural experience through the curriculum in art, geography, history and music have yet to be realised although teachers do make use of incidental opportunities for doing so. Holbrook Primary School - 25

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The school provides very good levels of care for the pupils, as it did at the time of the last inspection. The school has satisfactory arrangements for child protection. The headteacher is responsible for this aspect of the school’s work, and has been involved in recent training. However, although the school policy has recently been reviewed, there has been no recent whole-school training to ensure that all staff are fully up to date with the schools’ procedures. The school has satisfactory health and safety procedures, but formal written risk assessments have yet to be undertaken.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Good procedures are in place for monitoring attendance and promoting punctuality. An attendance policy was introduced in 2002 that highlights the need to continually reward good attendance. Unexplained absences are quickly followed up. Despite these procedures the school has not been as successful as it would wish in deterring parents from taking extended family holidays in term time. There are good links with the Education Welfare Officer who deals effectively with individual problems when they arise.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school’s behaviour policy is very good and very effective. Positive features of pupils’ behaviour are celebrated and rewarded, and the vast majority of teachers and support staff are very effective in the way in which they use praise to promote and encourage good behaviour. There are well understood routines in place for managing poor behaviour both in class and on the playground. However, there is rarely any need to implement these routines, as a gentle reminder is often all that is needed. Lunchtime assistants are fully involved in monitoring pupils’ conduct and in promoting good behaviour. The whole-school approach to behaviour management ensures very good levels of consistency across the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The school provides very good support for pupils with English as an additional language and those who have special educational needs. The Governing Body is committed to employing a generous number of support staff, all of whom are very effectively deployed throughout the school. The school achieves a good balance between individual support for pupils with very specific problems, and support for groups of pupils who are experiencing the same difficulty. Wherever possible, additional support is provided in class so that pupils are not withdrawn from their lessons. The school provides good levels of personal support and guidance for the pupils, largely through daily activities, such as assemblies, and lessons such as those for personal, social and health education. Pupils of all ages are given very clear and consistent messages about the school’s expectations in terms of behaviour, values and attitudes, and those pupils who have difficulty in complying are identified and

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supported. Where pupils have opportunities to evaluate their own work, this helps them further in their personal development, but this practice is not consistent throughout the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The school has a very effective assessment co-ordinator who plays a crucial role in monitoring standards through the careful and thorough analysis of test data. This analysis is very useful in helping the school to track the performance of different groups Holbrook Primary School - 26 of pupils, and in monitoring attainment in terms of ethnicity and gender, for example. Good procedures are in place in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 for assessing, tracking and monitoring pupils’ progress in English, mathematics and science, and teachers use the information well when planning lessons. However, in other subjects, assessment is unsatisfactory, and there is little in the way of formal assessment procedures. This makes it difficult for teachers to track pupils’ progress as they move through the school, and for them to adjust their planning according to what the pupils already know and can do. In the Foundation Stage, very good use is made of ongoing assessments to monitor

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the children’s progress, and assessment information is used particularly well when planning the next stage of the children’s learning.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. The school has developed this aspect of its work well since the last inspection, and has successfully strengthened its links with parents. There are high levels of parental satisfaction, and a good partnership exists between the home and school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. Parents are happy with the education the school provides, and say that their children are very enthusiastic about coming to school. Parents are pleased with the quality of teaching, and agree that their children make good progress. The vast majority of parents feel very comfortable about approaching the school with a problem or concern, and those parents for whom English is an additional language, appreciate the provision the school makes when they need to converse in their mother tongue. The parents of younger children speak very highly of the initiatives the school has introduced to make reading more interesting and exciting, and parents are also very positive about the daytime classes for adults, and are very appreciative of the crèche facilities. A relatively high number of parents are not pleased about the amount and frequency of homework, but the inspection findings indicate that homework tasks are typical of those found in

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most primary schools. A small number of parents do not think that the school provides enough out of school activities for the pupils, but the inspection findings indicate that, on the contrary, the school provides a very good range of extra-curricular activities, including a pre-school breakfast club. Parents are very pleased with the cultural diversity of the school and are especially pleased with the way in which the school marks and celebrates important events from many different cultures and traditions. Parents agree that bullying and racism are not problems, and that occasional incidents are dealt with very effectively.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The vast majority of parents conscientiously attend consultation evenings, and have signed the home-school agreement. Although there is no official ‘Parent Teacher Association’, a member of staff has responsibility for organising fund raising activities, and these events are generally well supported by parents. Parents are invited to attend some school visits, including the annual school visit to the seaside, and these opportunities do much to strengthen the links between home and school. Few parents help out in class, and this is mainly because the school employs a generous number of support staff, and the ratio of adults to pupils could easily become unbalanced. Some parents provide good levels of additional support for their children at home, but in some cases, pupils are not well supported with homework tasks. Holbrook Primary School - 27 48. Parents of pupils with statements of special educational needs are appropriately

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involved in annual review meetings. They are invited to contribute both in writing and verbally to the discussions about the continuing needs of their children, and the progress they have made since the previous review. However, the school is less effective in the way in which it consults parents of pupils who have individual education plans. Although parents are fully and promptly informed of their children’s needs, they are not always sufficiently involved in setting targets, and are not always given enough information about how they can support their children at home to enable them to achieve their targets more quickly. The school is aware of the need to develop this aspect of its work, and the special educational needs co-ordinator is in the process of refining current practice.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. The school provides good levels of information for parents. Although most of the written information that parents receive is in English, parents are satisfied with this arrangement, and know that they can approach the school for further information in their home language if this would be more helpful. A regular newsletter provides good information about forthcoming events in the school, and the home-school diary is a good source of informal communication between teachers and parents. Pupils’ end of year progress reports are good, and clearly identify targets for individual pupils. The school prospectus and the Governing Body annual report are comprehensive documents that meet statutory requirements. Holbrook Primary School - 28

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. Overall, the leadership and management of the school are very good. Since her appointment three years ago, the headteacher has led the school forward in a very purposeful manner, enabling significant improvements to be made. Since the last inspection, the focus has rightly been on raising standards in English, mathematics and science, although the school now needs to turn its attention to some of the other curriculum areas. In addition, there has been an extensive building programme which has greatly enhanced the learning environment for the older Key Stage 2 pupils especially. More building work is planned in the near future to bring the other parts of the school up to the same high standard. A strength of the headteacher’s leadership has been the way in which she has addressed the problems in teaching that existed three years ago, and the way in which the pupils’ behaviour has improved. The pace of

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overall improvement has been rapid and highly focused, and identified weaknesses have been tackled with determination. The headteacher has enjoyed the full support of the staff and the Governing Body throughout this period of immense change, and there is a very strong team spirit within the school and a shared commitment to continued development that places the school in a very good position for further improvement.

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51. A strong Senior Management Team is in place and is very proactive in raising standards, and in supporting the headteacher. There is a good level of delegation within the Senior Management Team, and individual roles are clearly defined and understood. The team meets regularly to discuss the school’s development, and decisions are shared, ensuring high levels of commitment from all those involved. The deputy headteacher has a clear management role within the school, and is very effective in supporting the headteacher. Co-ordinators are in place for all subjects, and for important aspects of the school’s work. Most subject co-ordinators are effective in their role, but a number are new in post, and are at an early stage of learning about their areas of responsibility. Although a good amount of monitoring has taken place in English, mathematics and science, more now needs to be done in other subjects so that co-ordinators have a clear

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idea of how to take their subjects forward. A good and effective strategy that has been introduced by the new headteacher is the termly subject reports from co-ordinators, which inform the headteacher about developments in the individual subjects, as well as demonstrating how non-contact time has been used.

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52. The provision for pupils with English as an additional language is very good, and this aspect of the school‘s work is led in an excellent manner by the co-ordinator. The school’s policy for inclusion is excellent, and is fully reflected in practice, with the result that there is a harmonious and very pleasant atmosphere in the school. Relationships at all levels are characterised by very high levels of mutual respect, and there are rarely any incidents of racial tension. The needs of pupils with English as an additional language are recognised, identified, and very well catered for, and there are very high expectations of what pupils with English as an additional language can achieve. Very good support is provided by a range of experienced and very effective support staff, including bilingual assistants, and the Governing Body is very committed to directing funding appropriately to enable this high quality support to continue. Very

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good assessment procedures enable the progress of pupils with English as an additional language to be very closely tracked, and this means that support is very well targeted and highly successful. The teaching role of the co-ordinator enables her to monitor Holbrook Primary School - 29 teaching and learning through direct classroom observation, and this monitoring is very effective in highlighting relative strengths and weaknesses in the school’s provision. 53. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good overall, and this aspect of the school’s work is very effectively led by an experienced co-ordinator. The school makes a very clear distinction between pupils who have special educational needs and those who have English as an additional language, and the English as an additional language co-ordinator and the special educational needs co-ordinator work very closely together to ensure that the needs of all pupils are fully met. The special

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educational needs co-ordinator provides good support for the team of special educational needs staff, all of whom are very effective in terms of the contribution they make to teaching and learning, especially when they are deployed to support pupils in whole class lessons. The additional support provided for pupils with statements of special educational needs is very effective enabling these pupils to be taught alongside their classmates. The special educational needs co-ordinator currently has a significant class teaching commitment, and therefore only limited non-contact time. As a result, there are not enough opportunities for her to directly monitor and evaluate the work of colleagues, and the use made of individual education plans across all subjects of the curriculum. The policy for special educational needs is appropriate and reflects the new Code of Practice. The governor who has responsibility for special educational needs has

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a secure knowledge and understanding of her role and offers good support to the co- ordinator. The school provides a very good level of staffing and satisfactory resources to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs.

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54. The Governing Body is very good and very effective, and fulfils its statutory duties. Although some governors are relatively new to their roles, a core of long-standing governors, including the Chair of the Governing Body and the Chair of Finance, gives a good deal of stability to the Governing Body, and provides very good levels of expertise and support. The Governing Body has a very good overview of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, and was instrumental a few years ago in helping the then newly appointed headteacher to enable essential change to take place by commissioning an in- depth whole-school review by the LEA. The outcomes of this review became the basis of a School Development Plan which resulted in very good improvement across many aspects of the school’s work.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The Governing Body monitors school development regularly and rigorously, and in addition to the very good information provided by the headteacher, governors themselves seek out additional information, enabling them to be very effective in the way in which they perform their role of ‘critical friend’ to the school. Several governors have established good links with subject co-ordinators, and this practice enables them to be well informed about the life and work of the school. A relatively weaker area of the Governing Body’s work is its ability to fully understand and interpret test data, and training is to be arranged in the near future to help governors to become more confident about this aspect of their work. The Governing Body is led by an effective chair who is well informed and aware of the issues facing the school.

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56. The School Development Plan reflects the input of the headteacher and Senior Management Team, the staff and the Governing Body, and identifies clear priorities, which are contextualised within given timescales. The plan appropriately shows how targets will be achieved, and how the outcomes will be monitored. However the plan Holbrook Primary School - 30 lacks costings. The School Development Plan reflects the vision and ethos of the school, and the school’s commitment to providing a good quality of education for all pupils. The plan is regularly reviewed, and progress is carefully monitored.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. Financial planning and the strategic use of resources are very good and are clearly directed towards raising standards wherever possible, and to maintaining the good and very good provision that currently exists across many aspects of the school’s work. Governors are fully involved in the financial management and strategic decision making process, and are very well led in this by the Chair of the Finance Committee. The principles of best value are applied when making decisions about school development to ensure that the available finances are used wisely. The headteacher, Senior Management Team and Governing Body are very effective in the way in which they measure the cost-effectiveness of spending decisions. For example, having identified that on occasions, some support staff were not used to their full capacity during introductory sessions in literacy and numeracy lessons, a programme of training was

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The day to day monitoring and management of the school’s expenditure are very effective. The finance team has a good grasp of issues and can provide information quickly. Monthly financial statements are generated and the Finance sub-committee of the Governing Body meets on a termly basis to monitor and align income and expenditure. The school has been holding a large carry forward figure which is due to be reduced to the recommended 5% of the school’s total income by the end of the current financial year. The carry forward is ear-marked for building projects and staffing. The school is very successful in accessing additional grant funding to support the raising of standards, pupils’ personal development and safety, and parental involvement. For example, in the recent past, external funds have supported pupil counselling, the setting up of the breakfast club, extra curricular clubs, personal, social

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

and health education activities, security fencing and gates, information and communication technology whiteboards, hall refurbishment, building the ‘trim trail’ and additional staffing, including Learning Support Assistants. The LEA recently conducted a financial audit of the school and the report noted only two minor issues. Both of these have been tackled and are no longer an issue.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The school employs a generous number of teachers and support staff, all of whom are very effectively deployed. The Governing Body’s commitment to maintaining high levels of staffing enables the school to make very good provision for all pupils, including those who have English as an additional language, and those who have special educational needs. There is an excellent team spirit amongst teaching and support staff and this helps to create a very positive and purposeful learning environment. Staff are clear about their individual roles, and conscientious in carrying out their duties. All staff are invited to attend a good range of professional development courses, and priorities are often linked to the School Development Plan, and to the outcomes of performance management. Newly qualified teachers receive very effective support and mentoring to ensure they carry out their teaching and subject co-ordinating

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

roles to a high standard. The office staff provide an excellent first point of contact for parents and visitors, and are fully involved in the life of the school. Holbrook Primary School - 31 60. The accommodation is good overall and is well maintained by a very committed and conscientious caretaker, and cleaning staff. There have been very good improvements to the accommodation since the time of the last inspection. The school now has an additional information and communication technology suite, and several of the upper Key Stage 2 classrooms have been completely remodelled, greatly improving the pupils’ working environment. The school has firm plans to remodel the other classrooms in the near future. The office and entrance have been refurbished, and the library has been relocated. The outside large playing area is a mixture of grass and tarmac. A very valuable, additional feature, since the last inspection, is a ‘Trim Trail’

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

adventure play area, which is well used by the pupils.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The quality, range and accessibility of learning resources are good overall, although the ratio of computers to pupils is still too low. Although the library is a valuable resource, it is not used as fully as is might be for older pupils to carry out personal research and study.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. Since the last inspection the school has improved at a very good rate and is very well placed for further and continued development. Standards in English, mathematics and science are rising as the result of new initiatives, and the school has the capacity to quickly raise standards in subjects where they are currently too low. In the light of the frequently good progress made by all groups of pupils as they move through the school, the very good provision for Foundation Stage children, the good teaching, very positive attitudes of pupils, and very good leadership by the headteacher and the Governing Body, the school is giving good value for money. Holbrook Primary School - 32

p.31

and communication technology and music by:-

 ensuring that all of these subjects are given a good amount of time so that the National Curriculum programmes of study can be covered thoroughly;

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and communication technology and music by:-

 ensuring that staff who lack confidence in individual subjects take part in professional development to increase their expertise and understanding;

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and communication technology and music by:-

 ensuring that curriculum co-ordinators become more involved in monitoring classroom practice so that good practice can be shared and shortcomings addressed. (paragraphs 6, 27, 51, 123, 126, 127, 133, 136, 137, 138, 142, 148, 154)

p.32

2) The school should introduce effective, reliable and manageable assessment systems

and procedures for subjects other than mathematics, English and science. (paragraphs 44, 127, 132, 137, 142, 148, 154, 159, 164)

p.32

3) The school should continue with its efforts to improve attendance by encouraging

parents not to take extended holidays during term time. (paragraphs 16, 41)

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OTHER MINOR ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL:-

 the school should encourage pupils to become more independent in their learning, especially in the upper part of Key Stage 2; (paragraphs 5, 14, 24, 96, 98, 114, 140, 141, 153, 163)

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OTHER MINOR ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL:-

 the school should continue to reduce the ratio of pupils to computers, and should encourage more use of information and communication technology across the curriculum; (paragraphs 61, 148)

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OTHER MINOR ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL:-

 when monitoring standards, teaching and learning, co-ordinators and senior managers should focus more closely on the parity of provision between parallel classes; (paragraph 27)

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OTHER MINOR ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL:-

 the school should formally record risk assessments. (paragraph 40) Holbrook Primary School - 33

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 43

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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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.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR– Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 22 390

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 114

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 3 92

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 386

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 47

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 28

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Holbrook Primary School - 34

p.33

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 34 25 59

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys 29 26 27 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 24 24 22

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

Percentage of pupils School 90 (77) 85 (68) 83 (86) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 26 27 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 24 22 23

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

Percentage of pupils School 85 (70) 83 (75) 83 (72) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

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

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

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 27 31 58

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 7 12 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 20 20 29

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

Percentage of pupils School 50 (64) 55 (53) 86 (76) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 6 12 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 14 21 30

p.34

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

Percentage of pupils School 54 (57) 57 (59) 90 (78) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Holbrook Primary School - 35

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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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 15

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background

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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. Holbrook Primary School - 36

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 26.1 Financial year 2001/2002

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 1213571

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 20 Total expenditure 1167579

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 640 Expenditure per pupil 2754

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 88137

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 134129

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 11

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 100

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 11.4

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 11.3

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Holbrook Primary School - 37

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Questionnaire return rate

Percentage of responses in each category

p.37

Questionnaire return rate

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

p.37

Questionnaire return rate

My child is making good progress in school. 49 44 6 1 0

p.37

Questionnaire return rate

Behaviour in the school is good. 48 45 0 0 7

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Questionnaire return rate

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 34 33 23 7 3

p.37

Questionnaire return rate

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 48 41 10 0 1

p.37

Questionnaire return rate

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 53 38 3 3 3

p.37

Questionnaire return rate

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 50 45 4 0 1

p.37

Questionnaire return rate

The school works closely with parents. 45 42 8 1 4

p.37

Questionnaire return rate

The school is well led and managed. 50 38 3 1 8

p.37

Questionnaire return rate

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 45 44 3 0 8

p.37

Questionnaire return rate

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 37 33 14 1 15 Holbrook Primary School - 38

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is very good overall and is a strength of the school. The children in the Nursery class currently attend on a part-time basis, and the vast majority of these children will transfer to the Reception Class. Nursery and Reception classes occupy a suite of accommodation that allows for communication between both areas and also joint access to an excellent outdoor classroom and play area in a secure setting. Overall there has been very good improvement in the Foundation Stage since the time of the previous inspection.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. The children’s attainment when they join the Nursery class is very low for their age across all areas of learning. Because of very good teaching in the Nursery and Reception classes, children of all abilities, and those with English as an additional language, make very good progress in their learning. However, despite this very good progress, the majority of the children do not achieve the Early Learning Goals in communication language and literacy, mathematical understanding, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development by the time they complete the Foundation Stage. Most children achieve the Early Learning Goals in terms of their personal social and emotional development and physical development by the time they enter Year 1.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. The quality of teaching overall is very good in the Foundation Stage, and teachers and support staff have created an excellent learning environment for the children, that is stimulating, colourful and exciting. The planning of all activities takes full account of the nationally defined Early Learning Goals. Very good teamwork is a notable feature amongst the staff in the Foundation Stage, and the very good contribution made by learning support staff is crucial to the very good progress made by all children. The vast majority of children arrive in the Nursery class with very little English. The bilingual members of the support team, who also take part in pre-school home visits, play an especially important role in ensuring that those children for whom English is an additional language take a full and active part in all activities. Teachers and support staff are vigilant about monitoring the children’s progress, and quickly pick out those

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

children who may have special educational needs. This early identification ensures that remedial action can be taken swiftly.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. The teachers and support staff form very good relationships with parents which are very effective in ensuring that the transfer of children from home to school is successful and as relaxed as possible. Teachers are always available when children are brought to, or collected from, school and parents are also able to approach bi-lingual staff when they wish to do so. Parents are encouraged to help their children in their learning, and the Foundation Stage staff reach out to the home in as many ways as possible to gain the help and support of parents. Holbrook Primary School - 39 67. The Foundation Stage co-ordinator offers excellent leadership and management and provides an excellent example through her own excellent classroom practice. She has a very good understanding of the developmental needs of young children and a sense of vision for the future growth of the Foundation Stage department within the school. She

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

has a very good overview of the school’s provision for the Nursery and Reception children and a clear view about how the provision can be developed even further.

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Personal, Social and Emotional Development

68. The vast majority of the children start in the Nursery class with very poorly developed personal social and emotional skills. Because of very good teaching in both the Nursery and Reception classes, they make very good progress, and by the time they transfer to Year 1, most children attain the Early Learning Goals in this aspect of their learning.

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Personal, Social and Emotional Development

69. In both the Nursery and Reception classes, the teaching and support staff are very effective in promoting skills of independent learning. The bilingual support staff play an crucial part in ensuring that the children understand what is being asked of them so that they can quickly learn and understand the necessary routines. Wherever possible, children are encouraged to make choices and decisions about their own learning and they are quickly able to do so. For example, in a ‘free – choice’ period seen during the inspection, two children in the Nursery class quite independently selected an audio tape, inserted it in the tape-recorder, and then danced to the music they had chosen. Although adult help is always available, the Foundation Stage children are expected to put on and take off their own hats and coats at outside playtimes, and to be independent in attending to their personal hygiene. Children of all abilities respond very well to the

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Personal, Social and Emotional Development

high expectations of staff, and are keen to take on duties such as returning the register to the office.

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Personal, Social and Emotional Development

70. By the end of the Reception year, the children’s behaviour is very good and they have very positive attitudes to all aspects of their work. They show very high levels of interest and concentration, and work very well together on shared tasks. The children quickly learn the conventions of playing games, such as taking turns, and do so with good levels of tolerance. The children are often very aware of the needs of those around them, and are respectful of the ideas of others. Through their daily activities, the children are gaining an increasing understanding of important events, such as the celebration of Holi seen during the inspection, and are gaining a real sense of occasion when participating in celebrations.

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Personal, Social and Emotional Development

71. Through the very good example of adults, the children are learning how to respond to different events, and how to express their feelings of happiness, sadness and annoyance in an appropriate way. The very good combination of individual, paired and group activities ensures that the children develop very good social skills, and almost all interact very well with one another.

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Communication, Language and Literacy

72. The vast majority of children enter Nursery with little or no command of English. Twelve different home languages are currently spoken by the Foundation Stage children, some of which do not have a written form. Although the Nursery and Holbrook Primary School - 40 Reception children make very good progress, only a minority achieve the Early Learning Goals by the time they enter Year 1. Teaching is very good and places an appropriate emphasis on the development of spoken language.

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Communication, Language and Literacy

73. Teachers and support assistants provide many very good opportunities for promoting the children’s language development, but the key to much of the children’s progress lies in the quality of the dialogue between adults and children. Adults have an excellent rapport with the children, enabling them to communicate very effectively, using the children’s home language, or English, as appropriate. The children work in a language rich environment where very good use is made of labelling in displays, and on objects that are in daily use. Teachers and support assistants make very good assessments of the children’s language development when they are engaged in spontaneous role-play, and the information that is gathered is incorporated into the planning of more structured language opportunities. This ongoing assessment ensures that the teaching of the English language is relevant and meaningful to the children.

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Communication, Language and Literacy

74. For many of the Foundation Stage children, writing skills come very late, and few children attain the Early Learning Goals in this aspect of their learning. However, even the youngest children associate simple mark-making with written communication, and they are quick to acquire the associated motor skills of pencil, crayon and brush control. Older children are sufficiently adept at identifying their individual ‘writing’ style to be able to point out work they have produced in displays and ‘anthologies’ of drawing and painting. In the Reception classes, children order sequences of illustrations, and make simple number chains to five or ten, and find no difficulty in switching from the right/left orientation of some of the language sequences already familiar to them, into the left/right orientation of English. With adult help they follow the sequence in a story, and have a good understanding of the link between writing and reading.

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Communication, Language and Literacy

75. In both Nursery and Reception classes, children are presented with a variety of stories in English and, where possible, in their home language. The book collections are good, and the children enjoy looking at the books and, with adult help, deciphering the stories they contain. Both classrooms have good quality audio equipment that enables the children to listen to a variety of taped sounds and stories. By the end of the Reception year, children have begun to acquire rudimentary skills in reading although none achieve the Early Learning Goals in this aspect of their learning. Some children have begun the process of reading individually, and more know the link between pictures and words even when they are unable to read them.

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Communication, Language and Literacy

76. The children make very good progress in developing their speaking and listening skills, and by the end of the Reception year, many have good levels of self-confidence. During the inspection, Reception children led part of the Holi assembly, and announced the elements of their presentation with great confidence and pride in their achievements. Children throughout the Foundation Stage listen well to their teachers and support assistants and to one another. They are confident about trying out newly learned words, and although their English vocabulary is often small, are keen to communicate and share their ideas. The excellent use of bilingual assistants is crucial in terms of the children’s spoken language development, and throughout the Foundation Stage, there is an excellent balance between the promotion of English, and the use of the children’s home languages. Holbrook Primary School - 41

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Mathematical Development

77. The children’s mathematical knowledge and understanding is well below the expected level for their age when they start school in the Nursery class. Although overall the children’s attainment is below the expected level by the time they enter Year 1, a minority of children attain the Early Learning Goals. The main weakness in the children’s learning is their ability to explain their mathematical ideas because of their lack of English vocabulary. Very good quality of teaching ensures that children of all abilities make very good progress, and bilingual staff work very effectively to ensure that the children can access new learning through their home language.

p.41

Mathematical Development

78. In the Nursery and Reception classes, counting at registration and during other group occasions is regularly used to encourage the children to know the pattern of number. In their play, and in structured activities, the children are encouraged to count, sort and classify, and very good intervention by adults means that the associated vocabulary develops alongside the mathematical concepts. Frequent ongoing assessments of the children’s progress ensure that activities are very well matched to their individual needs. Very good structured sessions, which are led by an adult, are very effective in helping the children to solve simple mathematical problems, and in these focused sessions, some of the most valuable assessments are made as adults take notes of strengths and weaknesses in the children‘s learning. In the Reception classes, ‘Elmer the Elephant’ plays a prominent role in the creation of number lines, and he is

p.41

Mathematical Development

instrumental in motivating the children in their learning. By the end of the Reception year, a small number of children count to ten and sometimes beyond, but they are in the minority. Although many children classify objects according to given criteria, very few can decide upon their own sorting criteria.

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Mathematical Development

79. Through taking part in very well structured play activities, the children gain an understanding of the language of comparison, such as ‘fuller than and emptier than’, ‘longer than and shorter than’ and bigger than and smaller than’. As the children play in the sand or water trays, or roll dough, adults draw the children’s attention to mathematical ideas, and extend their thinking through carefully directed questions. A number of very good activities help the children to learn the names of common two dimensional shapes such as circles, squares and triangles, and most children have a satisfactory knowledge of this aspect of their learning by the end of the Reception year.

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Knowledge and Understanding of the world

80. Children enter Nursery with very low attainment in terms of their knowledge and understanding of the world. By the time they reach Year 1, although a significant minority achieve the Early Learning Goals in this aspect of their learning, overall, their attainment is below the expected level. Children of all abilities make very good progress, but much of their learning takes place in isolation, and is not reinforced at home. Teaching overall is very good in both the Nursery and Reception classes, and all adults encourage children to respond as they discover the world around them.

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Knowledge and Understanding of the world

81. The children have good skills of observation, and even when they cannot express their ideas clearly because of difficulties with vocabulary, they notice and respond with Holbrook Primary School - 42 excitement to important or interesting features of nature. For example, during the inspection, children from the Nursery class were deeply fascinated by the progress of the frogspawn in the tank in the outdoor play area. The children’s observations provided a very useful opportunity for the teacher to develop their spoken language and their mathematical development as they considered how much the frogspawn had grown, and the changes that had taken place since the previous visit. The use of a small digital camera to record the events provided further learning opportunities, and promoted a continuing sense of awe and wonder as the children relived the experience later in the day. The sensory play area in the Nursery class provides an excellent opportunity for the

p.41

Knowledge and Understanding of the world

children to experience the magic of light and shade, the reflection of mirrors and the tactile sensations of a variety of materials, and promotes very good levels of discussion.

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Knowledge and Understanding of the world

82. Children in both classes have daily access to computers, and show rapid progress in developing their information and communication technology skills. A small number of children in the Nursery class have the confidence to use the mouse, and can click the left button, and guide the cursor on the screen. Children in the Reception Class continue to make good progress in the use of computers, and use them well to support their learning.

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Knowledge and Understanding of the world

83. Most of the children have some difficulty in expressing their understanding of the difference between the past and the present, and in describing the relationships within their families. Their geographical understanding is developed well through the use of stories, and children are familiar with geographical features such as bridges, forests, woods and streams. Very good use is made of daily observations of the weather to help the children to learn about the seasons of the year, and to associate the types of clothes that are worn at different times of the year.

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Knowledge and Understanding of the world

84. Construction toys are very popular, and children in both the Nursery and Reception classes use them imaginatively to make block constructions, or to make more complex models. Adults very successfully work with the children to develop their language, and to help them to learn about building secure structures. Most children have good levels of manual dexterity as they join pieces together, and show good levels of concentration and perseverance when making models and artefacts.

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Knowledge and Understanding of the world

85. Children from the Reception Class take a regular part in assemblies and are joined on occasions by the children from the Nursery class. Celebrations from all faith backgrounds are shared, and the school meets statutory requirements in terms of teaching religious education to the Reception class children.

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Physical Development

86. As they move through the Foundation Stage the Nursery and Reception children make very rapid progress in the acquisition of physical skills. By the time they enter Year 1, the vast majority have attained the Early Learning Goals in this area of their development. The teaching of physical development is very good and there is a very good balance between structured and free-play activities.

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Physical Development

87. The use of the outdoor play area allows children to practise their skills on a range of wheeled toys and other apparatus, and most show good levels of co-ordination when Holbrook Primary School - 43 doing this. They move skilfully in different directions and at different speeds showing a good awareness of others and of the space around them. The enthusiastic participation of adults in the same physical activities as the children spurs them on to win the friendly competition with teachers and support workers. When indoors, the Nursery and Reception children move around and between activities and apparatus with care. During the inspection, Reception children responded with tremendous enthusiasm to an audiotape of ‘Sticky Kids’ and they danced and marched with a good sense of rhythm and co-ordination, showing very good spatial awareness. In the classroom, most children have good control over pencils, crayons, brushes and scissors, and their skills

p.42

Creative Development

88. The Nursery and Reception children make very good progress in their creative development, and at least half of them attain the Early Learning Goals by the time they reach Year 1. The teaching of this aspect of learning is very good, and the very attractive classrooms provide a rich source of inspiration to the children.

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Creative Development

89. Teachers provide very good opportunities for the children to explore the properties of materials and to combine them in different ways. In the Nursery class, the children are encouraged to paint, cut and glue, and to use malleable materials for modelling their ideas. Much of what they do consolidates and extends their learning in other areas. For example, the mixing of dough of different colours enhanced the Nursery class children’s understanding of how secondary colours are made, and promoted very high levels of awe and wonder as the colours changed before their eyes. Children in the Reception Class share their paintings and other works of art and craft with visitors to their classroom, and are very proud of their achievements. During the inspection the traditional throwing of paint as part of the spring festival of Holi was a matter of great excitement, and the children made great strides in their learning about the properties of

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Creative Development

paint and water, as well as benefiting from the collective participation in a culturally important event. By the time they reach Year 1 the majority of the children know that art can be used to represent the world and they portray their impressions of the events and objects around them.

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Creative Development

90. All children have frequent and regular access to a range of musical instruments, and have opportunities for playing with them individually or as part of a group. From an early age, the children are encouraged to listen to different types of music, such as the Bangra music that is available for them to dance to in class, or the European music that they listen to in lessons or assemblies, for example. In the Reception Class the children enjoy singing as a class and were hugely proud of the song they had prepared for their assembly. Even those children making slower progress in the development of their command of English join in well with the singing, and this aspect of their creative learning does much to build their confidence in acquiring an additional language.

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Creative Development

91. Role-play is an important part of the planned and free activities in both the Nursery and Reception classes. Children often act out roles from the stories and tapes available to them and also use their free-play very creatively. They continue to be creative when playing outside the classroom, where they adopt roles from taxi-driver to mural artists Holbrook Primary School - 44 with great enthusiasm. Adults are always on hand to encourage the children in their creativity and in the development of the language associated with it.

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ENGLISH

92. The results of the 2002 end of Key Stage 1 national tests show that pupils’ attainment is below the national average in reading and well below the national average in writing. In comparison with similar schools, pupils’ performance is above average in reading, and average in writing. Over the last few years, standards have risen steadily in Key Stage 1. At the end of Key Stage 2, the 2002 national test results indicate that pupils attainment is very low in comparison to the national average, placing the school in the lowest five per cent of schools nationally. However, in comparison with similar schools, pupils’ attainment is a little better, although well below average. Standards on the basis of the test results dropped in 2002 for the first time in four years. The results of this group of pupils were significantly affected by high levels of pupil mobility. Many of the new pupils who joined this year group, could not speak English. Furthermore, some were

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from war torn areas, and had emotional needs which affected their academic performance. There is no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls, although the school closely monitors the results of different groups of pupils. There has been good improvement since the time of the last inspection.

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93. The inspection findings indicate that, although pupils’ attainment is below national expectations at the end of both key stages, pupils of all ages and abilities, including those with English as an additional language, make good, and sometimes very good progress. The inspection findings paint a more positive picture of attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 than the national test results. This is because pupils perform better in class, where they benefit from very good additional support, than when they are working independently under test conditions. Although many pupils have English as an additional language, teachers have high expectations, and set challenging, but achievable tasks, that promote high levels of self-esteem, and that encourage the pupils in their learning. High levels of pupil mobility have significantly more impact on the overall attainment of pupils in Key Stage 2 than in Key Stage 1. This is because a high

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percentage of pupils who join the school have little English, and when these pupils join Year 5 or Year 6, there is too little time before they transfer to high school to bring these children up to the same level as their classmates.

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94. The very good provision for pupils with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language, is a crucial factor in the good progress made by pupils of all abilities and backgrounds. Classroom support assistants work very closely with teachers to target individual pupils and groups of pupils, so that they have full and equal access to all activities. Bilingual assistants are invaluable in helping pupils, who are at an early stage of learning English, to express their ideas and to understand explanations.

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95. Standards of speaking are below national expectations at the end of both key stages, although standards of listening are at the expected level. Pupils throughout the school make very good progress in speaking and listening. They benefit from very good opportunities to take part in group and class discussions, where the promotion of Holbrook Primary School - 45 subject specific vocabulary is often an ongoing priority. Throughout the school teachers very effectively use the strategy of ‘talking partners’, where pupils are asked to turn to the person next to them, either adult or classmate, to very briefly discuss a question or idea. Often pupils are partnered with someone who has the same mother tongue, and initial discussion is often in this language. The practice of ‘talking partners’ works extremely well in all classes, and across many subjects, as pupils engage in rapid conversation that helps them to clarify or rehearse their answers and suggestions. Role-

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play activities provide very good opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking skills in a fun way, and teachers use these opportunities very well to promote speaking and listening. For example, in a Year 1 lesson seen during the inspection, pupils enacted the story of Cinderella. They worked hard to capture the emotions and feelings of Cinderella as she suffered at the hands of the ‘ugly sisters’. The teacher very effectively introduced new vocabulary to help the pupils to express feelings of sadness, and the pupils quickly picked up and practised the new words and phrases. Although pupils throughout the school communicate well with one another and with adults, some have only a limited vocabulary, and are working at a very literal level. This makes it very difficult for them when they have to interpret the meaning of words in a context that is different from the one they are used to. For example, during a physical education lesson

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seen during the inspection, Year 1 pupils were asked to ‘send’ a ball around a circle. Until the teacher explained what she meant, pupils were at a loss to know what to do. Most pupils also have great difficulty in expressing abstract ideas, as they lack the necessary vocabulary to convey the nuance they intend.

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96. Pupils’ attainment in reading is below national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1. Pupils make good progress in school, although most have little additional support at home, especially in families where English is not the main spoken language. Pupils have very positive attitudes to reading, and they generally read with good levels of confidence. Teachers and support staff encourage reading in a number of ways, and there are regular opportunities for pupils to practise reading individually, in pairs, in groups and as a whole class. Most pupils know a variety of strategies for sounding out unknown or complex words, and use pictorial clues well to help them in their understanding. Although most pupils are reasonably fluent by the end of Key Stage 1, they are reading at a lower level of difficulty than is usually expected for their age. Although pupils continue to make good progress as they move through Key Stage 2,

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their attainment is still below the expected level by the end of the key stage. Although they have a satisfactory sight vocabulary, and often sound out new words accurately, they are hampered in their reading by their lack of understanding of some of the contexts and experiences that are described. Pupils are encouraged to read a variety of books, and this is evident from the reading journals that older pupils complete to track their reading progress. Few pupils have read a sufficiently wide range of books to be able to express opinions about favourite authors, and many pupils do not have access to a wide range of additional reading material at home. The school library is well used by classes of pupils, but currently pupils do not have enough individual access to the library, and this limits opportunities for them to engage in independent research. Throughout the school pupils have good access to dictionaries and thesauri, and from

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an early age learn how to access sections in non-fiction books by using the index page.

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97. Pupils’ attainment in writing is below the expected level overall, and few pupils in either key stage are working at a higher than expected level in this aspect of their work. Holbrook Primary School - 46 Good opportunities are provided for pupils to write their own accounts in subjects other than English, and this additional practice helps pupils to consolidate their literacy skills. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils are beginning to organise their ideas in order, in their writing, but use only a very limited range of vocabulary to express their ideas. Because of good teaching in literacy lessons, pupils of all abilities make good progress in learning the basic rules of grammar, but although they recognise devices such as ‘speech marks’ when reading shared texts, most pupils do not confidently use this level of punctuation in their own written work. As they move through Key Stage 2, pupils of all abilities continue to make good progress, but attainment at the end of the key stage is

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below the expected level. Although the majority of pupils attain average levels in their work, and a small number of pupils attain good standards, the overall picture of attainment is depressed by the relatively high number of pupils who are working at a much lower level than is expected. Often these pupils have joined the school in Key Stage 2 with poor levels of English, or they have special educational needs. The highest attaining pupils produce writing that is varied and interesting to the reader. They organise and develop their ideas well, and know how to develop characters and a sense of mystery. The use of paragraphs to separate ideas is consistent, and pupils use punctuation well throughout their work. Conversely, the lowest attaining pupils are working at a very low level, and often have difficulty in expressing their ideas clearly and imaginatively. They do not systematically develop their ideas, and the organisation

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of their work is sometimes haphazard. Pupils of all abilities try hard to present their work neatly.

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98. The quality of teaching and learning in English is good throughout the school, and during the inspection, some very good and excellent lessons were seen in both key stages. Planning is good, and takes full account of pupils’ individual needs. Very good support from classroom assistants ensures that the needs of pupils with special educational needs, and those who are at an early stage of learning English, are fully met. Bilingual assistants are particularly effective in the way in which they enable pupils who are at an early stage of learning English to understand explanations, and to formulate their answers to questions. A strength of teaching throughout the school is the way in which teachers use resources to enliven teaching and to enhance learning. For example, during a Year 1 lesson about Cinderella, resources such as a ‘magic wand’ and a ‘sparkly slipper’ really captured the pupils’ interest and promoted very good

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levels of discussion. Teachers ensure that all pupils take an active part in lessons. Teachers often effectively recap on previous learning before moving on to new learning, and where the best teaching occurs, teachers spend time at the end of a session explaining to the pupils what the next stage of their learning will be. This pattern of recapping and forward planning helps the pupils to have a very good context for their learning. Teachers and support staff create a very positive learning environment where pupils know that their suggestions and views will be treated sensitively and valued. Mistakes are gently corrected and used effectively to advance pupils’ learning. Pupils are very productive in lessons and work hard. They can be relied upon to work well and to the best of their ability, even when not under the direct supervision of an adult. They are very effective when working in small groups, and show very good levels of

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concentration as they work upon their given tasks. Currently there are few opportunities for pupils to work independently, in the library or computer suite for example, and the school recognises the need for pupils to develop independent research skills. Pupils show very good levels of respect for the views of others and listen well when others are Holbrook Primary School - 47 speaking. Homework is set regularly in all classes, but some pupils do not have support at home, especially when the family’s main language is not English.

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99. The subject is very well led and managed. The co-ordinator has a very good grasp of the school’s strengths and areas for development. Her monitoring role is very well developed and she has taken a lead in monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching and learning, and the standards pupils attain. Systems for assessing pupils’ attainment and for tracking their progress are well established, and the pupils’ role in evaluating their own learning is a planned area for future development. Resources are good, and pupils have access to a good selection of fiction and non-fiction books. The school library contains a very good selection of books, and is manned by a part-time librarian who supports the pupils well as they choose their books. Pupils help at break-times, and a club is run for older children who want to learn how the library works. The school has very successfully introduced a number of initiatives designed to promote literacy skills.

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‘Footsteps to Fathers’ is open to all fathers and is designed to encourage fathers to read with their children and the ‘Leap into the Library’ scheme aims to encourage Year 3 pupils and their parents to share additional books borrowed from the school library each week. The National Literacy Strategy is firmly in place, and is beginning to be adapted more sensitively to meet the needs of the pupils. The school offers a range of additional strategies to boost pupils’ learning at different stages of their school career, and classes are run on Saturday mornings for Year 6 pupils who are preparing for the end of year national tests.

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100. On the basis of the 2002 end of Key Stage 1 national test results, pupils’ attainment is well below the national average, but average in comparison with similar schools. On the basis of the end of Key Stage 2 test results for 2002, pupils’ attainment is well below the national average and also well below average in comparison with similar schools. Standards are broadly the same as they were at the time of the last inspection for Key Stage 2 pupils, although standards in Key Stage 1 have risen steadily. The 2002 end of Key Stage 2 results are disappointing for the school, and they do not reflect the progress the school has made over recent years in terms of raising standards. The 2002 group of Year 6 pupils contained a high proportion of pupils who had joined the school in the upper part of Key Stage 2. Some of these pupils were at a very early stage of learning English, and their performance adversely affected the overall results. There is no

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significant difference between the performance of boys and girls, although the school closely monitors the results of different groups of pupils.

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101. The inspection findings paint a much more positive picture than the test results, and indicate that standards at the end of Key Stage 1 are below national expectations, and standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are in line with national expectations. There are two main reasons for the discrepancy between the inspection findings and the test results. Firstly, the school has worked hard in recent years to raise standards, and some of the initiatives are now having a positive impact on pupils’ progress and attainment. Secondly, many pupils do not perform well under test conditions. Pupils throughout the school have very good support in class from their teachers, and from classroom assistants, and they tend to rely heavily on adults to boost their confidence and to reassure them that they are tackling problems in the right way. Holbrook Primary School - 48 102. Throughout the school, pupils of all abilities make good progress. Pupils benefit from

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good teaching, and from very good classroom support. ‘Booster’ classes, and strategies such as ‘Springboard’ help to support the lower attainers in their learning, and pupils who are at an early stage of learning English benefit from the input of very effective bilingual assistants, who help pupils to fully understand what is being asked of them, enabling them to develop important mathematical concepts. Across the school, the strategy of ‘talking partners’ works very well. Periodically throughout numeracy lessons, pupils are invited to turn to a classmate or nearby adult to consider a question or to think of suggestions. ‘Talking partner’ sessions are very brief, promoting the rapid exchange of ideas, and when pupils talk to one another in their home language, they also serve as a very positive cultural opportunity.

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103. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment is below national expectations in number. Despite the best efforts of teachers, pupils’ mathematical vocabulary is weak, and this means that pupils often have difficulty in explaining their ideas. Most pupils are working at below the expected level for their age, and although they know and understand the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, they are only really confident when working with small numbers. Most pupils understand doubling as a type of multiplication, and higher attainers double numbers up to fifty. Although most pupils count forwards in ones, twos, fives and tens, they are not as secure when counting backwards. Lower attaining pupils are not yet secure in ordering numbers up to twenty from a given starting point, and most pupils have difficulty in taking away two digit numbers from other two digit numbers. Most pupils find it

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difficult to distinguish between fractions, including halves and quarters. Pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of money, and solve simple problems, but lack confidence with amounts over one pound.

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104. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils are aware of a wide range of two dimensional and three dimensional shapes although they are not confident in the relationship between the number of sides and corners. Most pupils know the names of standard units of measure for length, weight and capacity, but are not secure about making reasonable estimates.

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105. As pupils move through Key Stage 2, their range of mathematical vocabulary improves and increases, and they continue to make good progress across all aspects of the mathematics curriculum. By the end of Key Stage 2, most pupils have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of number. However, although pupils accurately calculate using addition, they are less reliable when carrying out subtraction problems. Pupils use a good range of different strategies for working out their answers, and where the best teaching occurs, very good opportunities are made for pupils to explain their methods of working to their classmates. In addition to promoting mathematical language, this strategy is also effective in giving lower attaining pupils ideas for how they too might carry out and solve problems. Although a small number of higher attaining pupils confidently convert decimals to fractions and percentages, most pupils

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struggle with this. Pupils do not always use inverse operations to check their answers, and pupils of all abilities often have difficulty in making sensible estimates.

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106. By the end of Key Stage 2, most pupils have a satisfactory vocabulary with which to describe shapes, and to explain their properties. Higher and average attaining pupils have a satisfactory understanding of line symmetry, but are not as confident about Holbrook Primary School - 49 explaining rotational symmetry. Pupils are confident in plotting points in all four quadrants, and have a satisfactory understanding of co-ordinates as a mechanism for locating exact points. Pupils have a satisfactory understanding of angle as a measure of turn, but are not always sufficiently accurate when measuring and drawing angles themselves. Pupils have good opportunities to collect, represent and interpret data, and know how to make tally charts and how to draw simple pictograms and pie charts. Good use is made of information and communication technology to support this work, and pupils have recently made a graph on the computer to show the categories of

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rubbish disposed of at home the previous week. There are some good opportunities for pupils to use their data handling skills in subjects such as science where they design their own charts for recording their findings.

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107. The quality of teaching and learning is good in both key stages and some very good lessons were seen during the inspection. Teachers make good use of the National Numeracy Strategy framework to structure lessons, and this is contributing to the good progress pupils of all abilities make during lessons. Oral ‘mental-starters’ are used effectively and good use is made of whiteboards, number fans and other practical resources to motivate the pupils in their learning. Support assistants are particularly effective in these sessions, and in Key Stage 1 especially, bilingual support ensures that pupils have a very good and clear understanding of what is being taught and what is expected of them. Teachers have good subject knowledge and put good emphasis on developing pupils’ mathematical vocabulary, using visual images, modelling and practical demonstrations wherever possible. Good use is made of ‘partner-talk’ in Key

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Stage 1 and the early part of Key Stage 2, enabling the pupils to rehearse explanations before repeating them aloud to the rest of the class. Generally lessons proceed at a good pace, and this maintains the pupils’ interest, but there are times when introductory discussions are too long and pupils become restless. Relationships between teachers and pupils are very good, and this creates a very positive learning environment where pupils are not afraid of making mistakes or giving a wrong answer. Pupils are well behaved and show very good levels of interest in activities. They work productively, although they tend to rely quite heavily on adult support, and their capacity for personal study is a little limited. The vast majority of pupils concentrate well and show good levels of perseverance even when they find the learning difficult. Pupils of all ages co-operate very well with one another, and genuinely celebrate the achievements of their

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classmates. Support staff are very well briefed, and are used very effectively to support pupils with English as an additional language and special educational needs. Pupils are encouraged to present their work well. Marking is positive and encouraging although it does not always give pupils strategies for further improvement. Homework is set regularly in both key stages, and often extends class work well.

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108. The leadership and management of the subject are very good. The co-ordinator is very effective, enthusiastic and confident in her role and is keen to continue to raise standards. Along with a colleague, the co-ordinator has observed teaching in most classes. This has led to the clear identification of strengths in teaching and learning, and has enabled the co-ordinator to see the next stage of development. Professional development has been well organised. Most teachers have attended the five day National Numeracy Strategy training, and support staff have received training for additional programmes. Good assessment tracking systems are used to monitor the progress and attainment of individual pupils and groups of pupils. Pupils who are not Holbrook Primary School - 50 performing as well as they might, receive additional support through ‘Springboard’ programmes, booster classes in Year 6 or additional teacher or assistant support within

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lessons. The school has made a good effort to raise parental awareness through curriculum evenings, although the take up of such invitations is often low. The shared accommodation in Key Stage 1 poses some organisational problems for teachers, and the noise level from adjacent classes can be distracting, especially when practical activities are underway. The subject is well resourced.

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109. Overall, good progress has been made since the last inspection in developing the curriculum and improving standards. The time allocation within Key Stage 2 is now appropriate and there are greater opportunities for pupils to apply mathematical skills in new situations. There are also greater opportunities for pupils to use information and communication technology to support their learning, although there is still some way to go. Pupils who are gifted and talented in mathematics are identified, although currently there is no specific additional provision made for this group of pupils. The school caters very well for pupils with special educational needs and for those for whom English is an additional language. Since the last inspection, there has been a significant improvement in teaching, and in the way in which pupils’ progress and attainment are recorded, tracked and monitored.

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110. The 2002 end of Key Stage 2 national test results show that pupils’ attainment is below the national average, but above average in comparison with similar schools. The 2002 teacher assessments for Key Stage 1 pupils paint a similar picture. There is no significant difference between the standards attained by different groups of pupils.

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111. The inspection findings are much more positive than the results of the 2002 tests and teacher assessments, and indicate that pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages. The discrepancy between the test results and the inspection findings is the result of the significant and recent improvements that have been made in terms of the curriculum, and the quality of teaching and learning. In the past year, there has been a real thrust throughout the school to develop pupils’ investigational skills, and this has had a very positive impact on pupils’ learning. More pupils in both key stages are now attaining higher levels than expected for their age. There has been good improvement overall since the time of the last inspection.

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112. Pupils of all ages and abilities, including those with special educational needs, and English as an additional language, make good progress in science as they move through the school. However, for some pupils, the experiences they enjoy in school are not always built upon or extended at home, and this slows down their progress and limits their breadth of experience. The promotion of scientific vocabulary is an ongoing priority, and is still a problem for some of the pupils who are at an early stage of learning English. Teachers are very well supported by a dedicated team of support staff, and the input of bilingual staff, especially in Key Stage 1, is crucial, especially for pupils who are struggling with some of the technical vocabulary or new scientific concepts. As in other subjects, the practice of ‘talking partners’, where pupils turn to the person next to them for a quick discussion, or to prepare an answer to a question, works

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Holbrook Primary School - 51 very well, and in this context, pupils are sometimes encouraged to communicate in their native language with classmates or bilingual assistants. In addition to ensuring that pupils have a thorough understanding, this opportunity is culturally valuable.

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113. As they move through Key Stage 1, many pupils make rapid and often very good progress in developing skills of scientific enquiry and investigation. Teachers are skilful in the way in which they encourage pupils to make predictions, using their existing knowledge as a starting point, and pupils are keen to do so. Pupils record their findings in a variety of ways, and during the inspection, Year 2 pupils used their mathematical skills effectively when they made a graph to show their favourite fruit. When making observations, the pupils concentrate well, and use their senses to help them reach conclusions. For example, they describe the touch and feel of a variety of materials, and the appearance of different types of fruit. By the end of the key stage, higher attaining pupils are beginning to gain an appreciation of what constitutes a fair test, although this concept is not fully established for all ability groups.

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114. Pupils continue to make good progress in developing investigational skills as they move through Key Stage 2, and attain the expected level in this aspect of their work by the end of the key stage. Without exception, pupils tackle practical work with very high levels of enthusiasm and confidence, and their ability to work well in small groups enhances their learning and progress. Older pupils are very confident about what constitutes a fair test, and understand the need to maintain a ‘control’ when altering variables. An excellent example of this was seen during the inspection when Year 6 pupils investigated how the size of a shadow might be altered. As part of a very well led class discussion, pupils considered the factors that they thought would alter the size of a shadow, and systematically set about testing their ideas one by one. A small number of higher attaining pupils know how to go about setting up their own experiments and

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investigations, but not all ability groups are confident about doing this, and the promotion of independent learning is an ongoing area of development. Pupils record their findings in a variety of ways, but currently do not make enough use of computers to support their learning. 115. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils demonstrate a satisfactory knowledge of living things and their attainment in this aspect of the science curriculum is at the expected level. Through their investigations into the differences between old and young, pupils have come to understand that living things grow and change. However, their ability to draw generalisations about the needs and characteristics of all living things is not secure for all pupils. Most Key Stage 1 pupils know the main parts of the human body, and understand that exercise is necessary for healthy living. Pupils confidently describe the effect of exercise on the heart and muscles, and know that a healthy diet is important.

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116. As they move through Key Stage 2, pupils continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of life processes and living things. They know the main systems of the human body, including the respiratory and circulatory systems, and have a satisfactory knowledge of the human skeleton, and describe the similarities and differences between a human skeleton and an animal skeleton. Pupils have drawn good quality diagrams to show how the heart and muscles work, and accurately group animals into vertebrates and invertebrates. Through carrying out controlled experiments, pupils have found the conditions needed for germination, and they explain well how plants and animals have adapted to live in certain habitats. Older Key Stage 2 pupils use a mature scientific Holbrook Primary School - 52 vocabulary when explaining how food chains work, and the contribution of fertilisers to good growth. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to learn about the effects of

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drug abuse, and the adverse impact of smoking, for example, on their bodies.

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117. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of materials and their properties. They identify common materials around them and effectively categorise them according to whether they are natural or manmade. They enthusiastically record the properties of different materials and experiment to see how they can be changed. Most pupils from all ability groups understand the difference between reversible and permanent change, and give appropriate examples.

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118. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils’ have a good knowledge of materials and their properties. Pupils carefully observe different rocks and record similarities and differences. They consider the different materials used in the construction of a house and explain why they have been chosen. In their recent work, pupils have carefully observed different types of paper, recorded their appearances, and related them to their uses. Pupils talk with animation about a subsequent investigation they designed to find out which paper was most absorbent.

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119. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ knowledge of physical processes is at the expected level, although some pupils have difficulty with some of the vocabulary associated with explaining how light and sound travel. Pupils recognise and name a variety of light sources, and recognise that the sun is a natural light source. They identify various tuned and untuned instruments and record how they make sound, for example by plucking or blowing. Pupils listen carefully to the sounds around them, and effectively describe them in their own words. Some good work was carried out when pupils conducted an investigation to find out if sound could be prevented from reaching their ears, by putting hands over their ears, for example. This work was particularly successful in reinforcing the notion of a fair test as pupils recognised the need for maintaining a constant volume of sound whilst the different ways of blocking it were considered.

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Most pupils have a satisfactory understanding of forces in terms of pushes and pulls, and higher attainers know that force can cause an object to change shape.

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120. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils' knowledge and understanding of physical processes is in line with national expectations overall, although their knowledge of the earth and beyond is limited. Through their ongoing topic, younger pupils have gained a good knowledge of different kinds of magnets. In a good lesson seen during the inspection, pupils communicated very well with their ‘talking partners’ discussing and planning a fair test to find out how many paper clips a magnet could attract and hold. This opportunity for pupils to talk in their home language ensured they were very much at ease, and fully engaged in the discussion. Pupils are gaining a satisfactory understanding of forces as they move through Key Stage 2, but for older pupils, there are some gaps in their learning arising from unsatisfactory teaching in the past. For example, pupils are not always sure of the outcome when a force is matched with an

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equal and opposite force, and sometimes have difficulty in finding the appropriate vocabulary to explain air resistance and gravity. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the earth and beyond are patchy, and some pupils have not got a clear idea of the relationship between the sun, the moon and the earth. Holbrook Primary School - 53 121. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall, and some very good and excellent lessons were seen during the inspection. Teachers have a very good subject knowledge, which enables them to teach basic scientific skills well. Teachers’ planning is very good, and takes good account of what the pupils have previously learned. Teachers share learning objectives with pupils at the start of each lesson, so that pupils know what is expected of them, and how the lesson relates to previous work. Across the school pupils are encouraged to plan their own experiments and investigations and to

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record their own views and ideas. Work is well planned for the different groups of pupils in the class, and takes full account of pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. A strength of teaching is the way in which teachers motivate the pupils through their own enthusiasm for the subject. Where teaching is excellent, teachers inspire the pupils so that they can hardly wait to start their given tasks. Very good relationships and high expectations are evident in most classes, and pupils are very well managed so that lessons run smoothly. Where teaching is less successful, teachers are sometimes too prescriptive, and do not allow the pupils enough freedom in setting up their own investigations. Throughout the school, support staff are exceptionally well deployed and well briefed, and they work very closely with teachers, and make a very good contribution to pupils’ learning. In both key stages,

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work is marked positively and regularly, but not enough use is made of marking to inform pupils how they might improve their work further. Homework is used to extend pupils’ learning but is not set consistently in all classes. Teachers assess work at the end of each unit of work and information gained from this is used to plan work to match individual pupils’ needs.

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122. The leadership and management of the subject are very good. The deputy headteacher, who has been the co-ordinator for the past two years, now shares responsibility with another teacher. Both co-ordinators are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their roles. They are very well organised with a clear vision of where they want the subject to go. Due to their commitment, and the support of the rest of the staff, the school is in a good position to improve even further. Many improvements have already been implemented which have had considerable impact on the raising of standards. The ongoing emphasis on pupils learning through an investigative approach has been very successful, and teachers’ confidence has improved through regular training. Test results are thoroughly analysed to see if particular groups of pupils fare less well than others, and the school has a good tracking system to ensure that pupils progress at the expected

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rate. The monitoring of teaching and learning has been thorough and has led to appropriate future areas for development. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and there are very good and appropriate links with the school’s programme for personal, social and health education. Resources for the subject are good, and are used well to enliven teaching and learning.

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123. Pupils’ attainment is below national expectations at the end of both key stages. At the time of the last inspection standards were slightly higher. The dip in progress is accounted for by the natural differences in the ability of the pupils and the fact that at the time of the last inspection the school employed different teachers who had a more Holbrook Primary School - 54 secure knowledge of the subject. In addition, the school has in the past few years, justifiably given its attention to raising standards in English, mathematics and science, and although art and design is taught regularly, the amount of time given to the subject is sometimes minimal. Pupils of all ages and abilities, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make satisfactory progress in individual lessons, but would benefit from a wider range of learning experiences.

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124. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils confidently mix colours to make a variety of shades and tones. In their observational drawing work, pupils show satisfactory attention to detail, and use different grades of pencil and crayon well to achieve a range of effects. Pupils understand that colours can convey moods and feelings. For example, in a lesson seen during the inspection, Year 2 pupils successfully selected a range of warm and cold colours to accurately record their observations of oranges and kiwi fruit. Linked to their work in science, pupils have used wax crayons to complete prints of autumn leaves, and have made rubbings of different materials. This work is of a satisfactory standard, and reflects the care that most pupils took when carrying out these tasks. Although pupils have had the opportunity of studying the work of some well known artists, their knowledge and recall of the work and styles of famous artists are weaker

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aspects of their learning. Pupils have some recall of the artists Cezanne and Mondrian, but have difficulty in explaining their distinctive styles, or choice of subject matter. As they move through Key Stage 1, pupils have some experience of working in three dimensions, but their work is mostly on a small scale and does not fully challenge their imaginations. In Year 2 satisfactory use is made of sketchbooks for the pupils to make preparatory sketches, and to record some of their design ideas. However, these books could be even more useful to the pupils if the work was titled and annotated. The introduction of sketchbooks is very recent and pupils are not absolutely clear about their purpose, seeing them mainly as ‘drawing books’.

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125. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ overall attainment is below the expected level, although the standard of some individual pieces of work is good. Pupils’ observational skills develop at a satisfactory rate, and they produce a range of observational drawings of still-life arrangements, including books, glass, plants, jars and bottles, using pencils and pencil crayons. The quality of pupils’ drawings varies, but most pupils show satisfactory skills of observation in their work, and they make an effort to convey the idea of perspective. Pupils make inconsistent use of sketchbooks to practise their skills, and for recording their initial ideas, and this is an aspect of their work that could usefully be developed further. Most pupils have a satisfactory appreciation of colour as they create colour palettes and examine the use of colour in modern art. Pupils have some opportunities to examine the work of well-known artists and craftspeople, and to

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adapt the styles for use in their own work. Most pupils recall the distinctive features of the work of Monet, whose work they have studied more recently, but are less secure in recalling features of the work of the other artists they have studied. Some good links are made with other subjects which give a meaningful context to the pupils’ learning. For example, Year 5 pupils have recently made papier mache Greek style pottery as part of their history work, which they have decorated imaginatively and attractively. Pupils’ experience of working with textiles and natural objects is limited, and there are too few opportunities for them to create sculptures. Holbrook Primary School - 55 126. Overall the quality of teaching is satisfactory. Teachers present activities with good levels of enthusiasm, but sometimes tasks are over directed and this constrains the pupils’ creativity. Although some of the teaching seen during the inspection was good,

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some teachers lack confidence because of their own lack of expertise in the subject, and there has not been any recent staff training to address this issue. This means that teachers sometimes are hesitant about showing pupils how to develop their skills further, and are reluctant to use some of the more adventurous resources such as those for batik, silk-screen printing and textile work. In lessons, very good support from classroom assistants and bilingual assistants ensures that pupils are clear about what they have been asked to do. Where the most effective teaching occurs, pupils are encouraged to evaluate their own work and that of their classmates, and this gives them useful insight into their own learning, and shows them how they might improve their work further. Some good links are made with other subjects, such as geography and history, and Year 2 pupils, for example, have recently used a computer painting

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program to produce computer generated patterns in the style of Mondrian. Teachers use the subject well to promote the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, as they encourage them to reflect on the feelings a picture conjures up, or to work on a shared project. However, even more could be done to promote the cultural dimension through visits to galleries and museums, and through the exploration of artefacts. Only in a minority of classes is effective use made of art and design homework to support and extend the pupils’ learning. Recently homework was used well in Year 6, when pupils were given the task of researching ‘animation’ as part of the preparatory work about the way in which artists depict figures and forms of movement. Pupils throughout the school have very positive attitudes to learning and try hard to do their best. Pupils work well on shared tasks, showing very good levels of co-operation. They are

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enthusiastic about art and design and enjoy their learning.

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127. The leadership and management of the subject are good. The co-ordinator is a specialist in the subject, and has a very good knowledge and understanding of how art and design can be taught effectively, and how the subject can be developed throughout the school. The subject has not been a recent priority for development, and the co-ordinator has therefore had few opportunities to share her expertise with other staff, or to influence standards of teaching and learning. There has been little monitoring of teaching and learning to identify where the relative areas of strength and weakness are in the school’s provision, and the school has not yet developed a manageable and practical method of assessing the pupils’ progress and attainment as they move through the school. Although very good support is provided for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, the school does not yet offer

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additional provision for those pupils who have been identified as being particularly talented. A long-term curriculum plan is in place, but it does not adequately promote all elements of the National Curriculum. Resources for the subject are satisfactory overall.

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128. Pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages. Standards are broadly the same as they were at the time of the last inspection. Pupils, of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language, make satisfactory progress as they move through the school. Holbrook Primary School - 56 129. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils’ making skills are at a satisfactory level, and pupils use a range of tools and equipment appropriately. Pupils have satisfactory opportunities to work with a range of materials, and have recently planned and made a fruit salad. This activity provided a good opportunity for pupils to apply their mathematical skills as they considered the most and least popular fruits, and used this information as a guide. Good use is sometimes made of a digital camera to record pupils’ work, such as

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when they made toast, and this pictorial record provides a good reminder for pupils of what they have learned and a good focus for subsequent discussion. The ability of pupils to plan and evaluate their work is a relatively weaker area of their learning. Although pupils plan their work verbally, either in small groups or as a class, they have few written records to show their initial ideas, the materials they will use, and the expected outcomes. Likewise, although there are some opportunities for pupils to evaluate their work in general terms, the lack of an initial plan makes it difficult for the pupils to compare the finished product with their initial design, and to evaluate any changes that have occurred during the making process.

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130. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils attain satisfactory standards in their work, and develop satisfactory skills of designing, making and evaluating. Pupils respond to design and technology activities with high levels of interest and enthusiasm, and their ability to work well together in groups, means that teachers can provide a good range of activities, knowing that pupils will rise to the challenge, and work productively. Of particular note are the Victorian dolls’ houses that Year 5 pupils have recently made. This activity provided pupils with good opportunities for reinforcing their literacy skills as they researched the designs and styles of the Victorian era. Pupils then worked in separate groups, designing and constructing one of the rooms, and then ultimately the entire house was assembled. Pupils learned a great deal through this activity, as they remedied the problems they encountered, such as adhesives not being sufficiently strong

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for the materials being used, and the need to strengthen joints that started to sag. Often pupils’ work shows good attention to detail, and the decorative slippers made by upper Key Stage 2 pupils are a good example of pupils understanding the need to make a product attractive to the consumer. As they move through Key Stage 2, pupils have the opportunity to use mechanical and electronic components in their work. For example Year 3 pupils have made sea monsters, which incorporate pneumatics, and Year 6 pupils have made powered cars. By the end of the key stage most pupils confidently and realistically evaluate their work against the initial design, and discuss how their ideas changed during the making process, giving reasons for any modifications they make. However, pupils do not always put the same amount of effort into recording these evaluations in their sketchbooks, or in other written forms, and their written records do

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not fully reflect their actual knowledge and understanding.

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131. Teaching is satisfactory overall. The subject is taught regularly, and is often linked to work in other subjects such as history. However, in some classes not enough time is devoted to developing specific subject skills, knowledge and understanding. Teachers generally have a secure knowledge and provide a suitably broad range of learning experiences. However, the skills in the long-term curriculum plan are not always taught in the right order, and this leads to some lack of continuity in the pupils’ learning. Good attention is paid to matters of health and safety. Teachers provide good instructions for the pupils, enabling them to get on independently with the set tasks. However, sometimes the outcomes of the activity are too tightly prescribed and this constrains the Holbrook Primary School - 57 pupils’ creativity. Learning support assistants work very effectively with individual pupils and groups of pupils offering additional support to those pupils who are

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struggling. This input is invaluable in ensuring that all pupils can take a full and active role in the activities. Where pupils are given the opportunity to evaluate the outcomes of their work against an initial plan this is very effective in advancing their learning, but this practice is not consistent across the school. Not enough use is made of homework to enhance and extend pupils’ learning.

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132. The co-ordination of the subject is good, although the co-ordinator is relatively new to the post, and has not devised a manageable programme of monitoring teaching, learning and standards. Although the school has a satisfactory scheme of work, there is more work to be done in ensuring that long-term curriculum planning ensures that skills are taught in a progressive way throughout the school. Although teachers know their pupils well, and assess their progress informally, there is no whole-school approach to assessing pupils’ progress and attainment, and therefore no mechanism for tracking pupils’ progress, and highlighting relative strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning. Resources are satisfactory overall and this is an improvement since the last inspection, although some now need replenishing. Too little use is made of information and communication technology in either key stage to enhance the pupils’ learning, and

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their appreciation of how advances in technology have impacted on the design process in commercial contexts is therefore limited. The school is very well placed to address these areas for development and thus improve standards further.

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GEOGRAPHY

133. Standards of attainment are below national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. This represents a decline in standards since the last inspection when they were judged to be broadly average. This is because in recent years the school has concentrated on raising standards in the core subjects and as a result opportunities for pupils to develop geographical skills and knowledge have been limited. Pupils of all ages and abilities, including those with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language, make satisfactory progress as they move through the school within the range of experiences provided. Although a reasonable amount of time is allocated to the subject, the practice of teaching geography in alternate terms, is sometimes counter-productive, especially for those pupils who have difficulty in retaining and recalling their learning.

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134. By the end of Year 2, most pupils trace their route to school on a simple map and draw a plan of their classroom, accurately noting key features. Most pupils have learned how to use a simple atlas and name some cities of the British Isles. The vast majority have a satisfactory sense of place by the age of seven, and the school makes good use of pupils’ family connections with other countries, such as India, Pakistan and Africa, to provide a meaningful context for the pupils’ learning. These links are also highly effective in contributing to the pupils’ identity and cultural awareness. Higher attaining pupils recognise and explain differences between their own locality and countries abroad. For instance, Year 2 pupils know the kind of clothes to pack for a holiday to a hot country such as India. Through their study of the local area, most pupils also know about local features, such as shops. Pupils are less secure in their knowledge and

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Holbrook Primary School - 58 understanding of physical patterns and processes. For example, although pupils record positive and negative effects of strong winds in terms of damaging houses or allowing kites to be flown, their work lacks sufficient depth and focus with regard to the impact physical or human changes have on a particular place or environment.

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135. By the end of Year 6 the majority of pupils demonstrate a satisfactory, but somewhat superficial knowledge of places both near and far. Although they have considered contrasting localities in other places of the world, their ability to link cause and effect, such as the impact of climate on leisure activities, is limited. As part of a National Trust sponsored project, Year 6 pupils have compared their own school with another in a village community. This was a very worthwhile project, which, in addition to improving pupils’ geographical skills, also promoted very good social development, as the pupils of the two schools worked together, producing a web page for children visiting Charlecote House. The strongest aspect of pupils’ learning in Key Stage 2 is their knowledge and understanding of environmental issues. Pupils in Year 6 know that there are different ways of managing waste, and higher attaining pupils, for instance,

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explain clearly the advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of landfill sites. Most pupils are beginning to ask geographical questions that are related to their studies, and they use different geographical sources with increasing confidence, including reference books, the Internet and maps of different scales. However, older pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to undertake inquiry-based geographical research. Learning is not always sufficiently focused through key questions, and as a result older pupils’ recorded work often lacks coherence and depth.

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136. The teaching of geography is satisfactory overall, but varies within and between key stages depending on teachers’ individual levels of expertise and experience. Where the most effective teaching occurs, key questions are used to guide pupils to think about geographical ideas. For example, in Year 2, a geography display contains several questions which prompt pupils to think about travel arrangements, differences in climate, and features to look out for when visiting another country. The use of travel documents, globes, artefacts, money, a passport, musical instruments and a world map add authenticity and interest for pupils. There are some good opportunities for pupils to develop their literacy skills, but these are not consistent throughout the school. For example, in Year 6, pupils have recently evaluated a leaflet produced by the National Trust for one of its properties with the view of suggesting improvements so that it could

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be redesigned for children. Such challenging work helped pupils see the relevance of fieldwork and other approaches. The use of information and communication technology to support the pupils’ learning is limited, although some good work was observed in Year 6 during the inspection. In this lesson, two higher attaining pupils were in the process of editing, re-sizing and describing digital photographs of the school grounds in readiness for a class publication. Pupils in both key stages display positive attitudes towards their geography lessons. Their behaviour is also well managed and teachers take opportunities to promote social skills whenever possible.

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GEOGRAPHY

137. The subject is satisfactorily led and managed. However, although colleagues’ planning is monitored, there has been little in the way of formally monitoring standards, teaching and learning through classroom observation or the rigorous sampling of pupils’ work. Teachers make ongoing assessments of pupils’ work, but there are no formal whole- school assessment systems in place to enable the careful tracking of pupils’ progress Holbrook Primary School - 59 and attainment as they move through the school. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Resources for teaching geography are satisfactory and include a range of maps suitable for different ages.

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HISTORY

138. Standards of attainment are below national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. This is mainly because the language demands posed by the subject represent a considerable challenge to the vast majority of pupils in the school, for whom English is an additional language. At the time of the previous inspection it was reported that pupils’ attainment was broadly in line with national standards. The apparent decline since the last inspection can be attributed to the fact that in recent years, history has not had a sufficiently high profile, as the school has focused upon raising achievement in English, mathematics and science. Pupils of all ages and abilities make satisfactory progress as they move through the school in relation to their ability.

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HISTORY

139. By the end of Year 2, most pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of famous historical people. For instance, they accurately recall basic facts about the life of Florence Nightingale, and higher attaining pupils describe in good detail why she is remembered and her contribution to the lives of those injured in the Crimean War. Pupils’ knowledge of famous historical events is unsatisfactory, and there has not been enough coverage of this aspect of the curriculum within lessons. Key Stage 1 pupils are beginning to acquire a basic sense of change over time by comparing everyday life in the past to the present. The majority of Year 2 pupils understand that they can learn about the past from different sources, such as television programmes and books, but their skills of historical enquiry are not firmly established.

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140. By the end of Year 6, pupils have a satisfactory sense of chronology, and they understand that the past can be divided into different periods. They know, for instance, that the Victorians followed the Tudors but only higher attaining pupils are able to give the approximate dates of when particular people lived in the past. Pupils’ historical knowledge is often secure. Most older pupils are beginning to appreciate difference experiences within the same historical period. For example, Year 5 pupils know that Athenians and Spartans had very different approaches to life in ancient Greece. In their study of the Victorians, higher attaining Year 3 pupils know that many orphans in the Victorian period did not go into the workhouse but lived on the streets. They also recall accurately the long hours and dangerous working conditions which faced children in Victorian coal mines. Pupils in Year 6 are beginning to understand what motivated

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people in the past and why certain developments occurred. In their study of the Tudors, pupils describe Henry VIII as a selfish and greedy villain, using his treatment of his six wives and the lavish clothing he wore as examples to support their arguments. However, a weakness in the pupils’ learning is their ability to think about how the past can be interpreted in different ways. By the end of Year 6 pupils have an adequate grasp of how to find out about the past, but there are not enough opportunities for the pupils to carry out independent research.

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HISTORY

141. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory throughout the school. Teachers make effective use of visits, television programmes and visual sources to stimulate the Holbrook Primary School - 60 pupils’ interest in the past. As a consequence, pupils enjoy their history lessons. They also behave well because of good classroom management by teachers. Many pupils find describing and explaining the past difficult. To address this, the school has rightly identified as an area for development the use of drama and role play to support learning in history. Teachers have already effectively introduced a range of general techniques, such as ‘talking partners’, which are beginning to have a good impact in raising the pupils’ confidence in speaking. In their planning and within lessons, however, teachers do not always identify the key historical vocabulary which may cause difficulty for pupils, particularly those for whom English is an additional language. When teachers

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take language understanding for granted, as for instance when devising worksheets, pupils can struggle to undertake the tasks set and become frustrated. For instance, in one lesson observed lower attaining pupils in Year 5 found it difficult to answer a worksheet question because they did not know what the word ‘event’ meant. As a result they became distracted, and their learning was not as effective as it might have been. Teachers in all year groups make adequate use of history to develop pupils’ mathematical skills. In one good Year 4 lesson observed on the Vikings, the teacher discussed the splitting of planks into halves when the Vikings constructed their ‘long boats’, thereby linking historical knowledge to the pupils’ work on fractions in mathematics lessons. The school has recently sought ways to extend literacy skills in history lessons for older pupils and there are signs that this is beginning to have a

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positive impact on learning. For example, following their visit to the British Museum, pupils in Year 5 were able to debate the rights and wrongs of keeping the Elgin Marbles in Britain, rather than Greece, as part of their study of the ancient Greeks, thereby promoting the idea of persuasive argument. Teachers provide pupils with a satisfactory range of opportunities to present their historical findings in a variety of ways, but the use of information and communication technology is underdeveloped in history lessons. Satisfactory use is made of homework to support and extend pupils’ learning, although more could be done to promote independent study for older Key Stage 2 pupils.

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HISTORY

142. The subject is led in a satisfactory manner. Although colleagues’ planning is monitored, too little monitoring of teaching and learning takes place currently through classroom observation and the sampling of pupils’ work. The school has not yet devised and implemented appropriate systems for assessing pupils’ progress and attainment, and this means that teachers do not always have a clear idea of strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ learning. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and pupils show good levels of empathy when they are considering the hardship experienced by people like Florence Nightingale, or Victorian children. The school has a good range of learning resources which are often used well to enhance learning, and to bring learning to life for the pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

143. Pupils’ attainment is below national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 as it was at the time of the last inspection. The school has done a great deal over recent years to improve the provision for information and communication technology, and standards are now starting to rise. The school now has two computer suites, and these have provided increased opportunities for pupils to develop their skills and knowledge. Moreover, levels of staff confidence have been raised following the Holbrook Primary School - 61 provision of in-school training, and the appointment of a part-time technician. These measures are having a very positive effect upon pupils’ learning. Pupils of all ages and abilities, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, are making satisfactory progress, and this represents a good improvement since the previous inspection when pupils’ progress was reported to be

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144. By the end of Year 2, the majority of pupils can ‘log on’ unaided when using the computer. They are able to give examples of where information and communication technology is used in society, such as in household appliances, toys and computer devices, such as scanners. Most Year 2 pupils use simple computer programs to good effect, for instance to produce paintings of leaves. Higher attaining pupils can save and print their work with satisfactory levels of independence, although lower attaining pupils often require a great deal of adult support to save and retrieve their work. Pupils who are at an early stage of learning English often find it difficult to input the letter sequence for their passwords into the computer without adult or peer support, and are slow in their keyboard skills.

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145. By the end of Year 6 most pupils present information in a lively and effective manner using multimedia programs which combine text and images. These skills have helped to raise the pupils’ self-esteem and promote good social development, especially when pupils are asked to make presentations in school assemblies and to external audiences. However, by the end of Year 6 pupils have not yet had sufficient experiences in using the control aspects of information and communication technology. For instance, they lack sufficient opportunities to use devices with sensors to monitor events such as changes in temperature or light. As pupils move through the school, their confidence in sharing and exchanging information arising from information and communication technology increases. By Year 4, the majority of pupils produce simple computer-based bar graphs, while older pupils are beginning to use spreadsheets effectively to interpret

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data such as average food prices and class sizes. Pupils in Year 3 are beginning to learn about e-mail although arrangements for pupils to receive and send e-mails have not yet been fully implemented. Opportunities for older pupils to appraise their own work and that of others, with the view to improvement, are too infrequent. As a consequence, pupils are not having enough time to re-visit their saved work which sometimes remains unfinished.

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146. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in both key stages, and is improving continually as teachers become more confident through training. Planning has improved since the previous inspection through the adoption of a nationally-recommended scheme, which has provided greater focus to lessons. One particular strength of the teaching in Years 4 to 6 is the very effective use of ‘interactive classroom whiteboards’ to introduce new skills and ideas. As a result pupils’ interest is aroused and maintained, especially when they have opportunities to use the whiteboards themselves. For instance, in one good lesson observed during the inspection, a Year 6 teacher invited different individual pupils to use the class computer to demonstrate their learning to the rest of the class as they viewed the interactive whiteboard, prior to working in the computer suite. In lessons, the main teaching weakness relates to a lack of challenge in the tasks set for

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higher attaining pupils who usually follow the same work as others in the class. As a result, they are sometimes held back from exploring new areas of computer learning. Holbrook Primary School - 62 For example, in one Year 4 lesson observed an opportunity was missed to allow higher attaining pupils to go beyond using the basic tools featured in a particular program which they quickly mastered. Throughout the school the use of information and communication technology to support learning in other subject areas is underdeveloped. Occasionally, there are good examples of teachers using information and communication technology to extend literacy and numeracy skills in both key stages. For instance, Year 1 pupils use a suitable program to consolidate their understanding of money problems in mathematics, while Year 5 pupils accessed a particular Internet site to read about ancient Athens in their history lesson. However, teachers do not make

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enough use of class-based computers on a daily basis, and as a result, pupils sometimes see ‘computers’ as a subject, rather than as a tool to learning.

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147. Pupils have very positive attitudes towards their information and communication technology lessons due to good management by teachers and stimulating resources. Pupils behave very well in lessons, settling very quickly when using the computer suites and listening attentively to instructions given in their classrooms. They know the school rules for using computers and follow them with few reminders. They are respectful of the equipment and understand that it must be treated carefully. When computers ‘crash’ some pupils show good individual initiative by re-starting the computer, as witnessed in one lesson observed during the inspection, although this ‘know-how’ is not extensive among younger pupils. While working in pairs, more confident and capable pupils offer help to those with limited computer skills, thereby developing good relationships. Pupils with special educational needs particularly benefit from the support of more able

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classmates and adults. Similarly, pupils for whom English is an additional language made sound progress because of focused adult and peer support. However, the heavy reading demands posed by some pre-selected web sites proves frustrating for older lower attaining pupils for whom English is an additional language.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

148. The subject is very well led. The recently-appointed co-ordinator has been very active in addressing long-standing weaknesses in the subject, such as low levels of staff confidence and subject knowledge. The recent investment in laptops, computer software and staff training, is already having a positive impact on learning. The school is aware that the present ratio of computers to pupils, at one to fifteen, is well below national and local recommendations. As a result, pupils are currently not receiving enough learning opportunities, and this hinders their progress. However, the school has put in place a five-year plan to address the comparative lack of resources and makes good provision for pupils without computers at home by arranging use of the computer suites during out-of-lesson hours. The co-ordinator is also beginning to monitor pupils’ subject performance, and keeps folders of pupils’ work on the computer hard drive, but

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recognises that monitoring and assessment are areas for improvement so that tasks match the differing needs of pupils. The main weaknesses have been clearly identified by the co-ordinator in a well-conceived action plan which places the school in a good position to build upon the clear advances realised in the last year.

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MUSIC

149. Pupils’ attainment is below national expectations at the end of both key stages. Standards are broadly the same as they were at the time of the last inspection, although Holbrook Primary School - 63 pupils of all ages and abilities, and those for whom English is an additional language, are now making good progress. Teachers are now making good use of several commercial schemes of work to guide their planning, and pupils are taking part in a wider and more interesting range of learning experiences than they were previously. The school offers instrumental tuition, for the harmonium, tabla, guitar and recorder, but the small number of pupils who take up this additional opportunity rarely continue for any length of time. The school has recently started a small choir, and this is proving to be popular. 150. The standard of singing is below expectations at the end of both key stages. There is no tradition of singing in the school, and as a result, the older pupils are not able to take a

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real lead in whole school singing sessions, such as in assemblies. Singing is now taught on a regular basis to all classes, and pupils are starting to become familiar with a small range of songs. However, pupils often struggle to sing in tune, and have some difficulty with complex rhythmic patterns. Younger pupils in Key Stage 1, enjoy singing action songs, and in a lesson seen during the inspection, were very keen to perform a song about an imaginary volcano. They are making good progress and firm foundations are being laid for the future. Older Key Stage 2 pupils are often embarrassed when singing, and this affects the quality of their performance. No group of pupils is yet at the stage of singing confidently in parts.

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MUSIC

151. Pupils’ composing skills are below national expectations at the end of both key stages, but because of good teaching, pupils are beginning to make good progress, and gaps in the learning of older pupils are being plugged. Younger pupils in Key Stage 1 are learning the sounds that different instruments make, and in a good session observed during the inspection, Year 2 pupils listened to a range of instruments and categorised them according to whether they were tapped, scraped or shaken in order for the sound to be produced. These pupils responded very well when the teacher introduced graphical notation to record the different type of sounds, and quickly learned to join in a class composition made up of tapping, scraping and shaking sounds. In Key Stage 2, because of gaps in their learning arising from lack of opportunities in the past, pupils are still at an experimental stage in their composition which is much more typical of

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younger pupils. For example, in a very good lesson seen during the inspection, Year 3 pupils had great difficulty in finding instruments to represent different animals, because they did not know the sounds some of the instruments were capable of producing. The teacher responded very well, and realised that the pupils needed a period of experimentation before they could carry out the activity she had planned. Older Key Stage 2 pupils have not had enough opportunities in the past of composing music to reflect different moods, and their experience of different types of notation is poor.

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MUSIC

152. There are some good opportunities for pupils to appraise different type and styles of music as they enter and leave the hall for whole-school assemblies. This music is carefully selected to reflect the music of different cultures and traditions, and pupils listen attentively and thoughtfully. However, not enough appraising and listening opportunities are provided in class, and teachers are not yet linking appraising to singing and composing activities. As a result, pupils throughout the school have very little knowledge of well-known composers, their work, and their individual style. There are currently missed opportunities in most classes for raising pupils’ awareness of music from different cultures and traditions. Holbrook Primary School - 64 153. The quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school, and all teachers are working hard to address past weaknesses in pupils’ learning by providing a broad and

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well balanced music curriculum. Music is taught regularly, and for an appropriate amount of time in most classes. Lessons are well planned and prepared, and in shared teaching areas, they are very carefully timetabled so that they coincide with times when the paired class is working in another part of the school, in the hall or information and communication technology suite, for example. Often teachers start lessons with short musical games, which involve pupils in practising or devising rhythmic patterns. These activities are fun for the pupils, and help to promote music as an enjoyable activity. Where the teaching is at its best, teachers encourage pupils to be creative, to explore the potential of the instrument they are working with, and to work collaboratively in small groups. Where teaching is not quite as effective, the tasks are too prescribed, and this means that pupils do not have enough opportunities to take control of their own

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learning, or to develop independence in making choices and decisions about their work. Year 3 pupils have recently learned a song in Punjabi, and this activity promoted very high levels of enthusiasm across all language groups. There are firm plans for this good practice to be extended so that pupils come into contact with more languages, and songs from different cultures. Pupils of all ages have very good attitudes to music making activities, although older Key Stage 2 pupils find singing a little embarrassing. Pupils contribute well to lessons, and are extremely co-operative when working in small groups. Pupils are very productive and have very good levels of concentration, especially when they are highly motivated by challenging activities. Pupils are rarely given homework to extend their learning in music, and more use could be made of homework tasks to raise attainment more quickly.

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MUSIC

154. The leadership and management of music are satisfactory overall. Temporarily, the subject is being led and managed by the headteacher, until the designated co-ordinator has completed her first year of teaching. However, the newly qualified teacher works closely with the headteacher, and has been instrumental in bringing about an enthusiasm for music in the school through her own very good classroom practice. The school is currently using a combination of different commercial schemes of work, and whilst they are providing good ideas and support for the non-specialist teachers, there is no whole-school overview to ensure that all aspects are being systematically and progressively addressed. Teachers are enthusiastic in the way in which they present lessons, but some would benefit from taking part in training courses which would bring them up to date with current trends, boost their confidence, and enhance their musical

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knowledge. As yet, there has been no monitoring of teaching and learning, and this means that pockets of very good practice have not been identified and shared, and minor weaknesses have not been rectified. Teachers make regular ongoing observations of the pupils at work, but the recording of pupils’ progress and attainment is currently too haphazard, and there is no means of tracking pupils’ progress as they move through school. Currently too little use is made of information and communication technology to support teaching and learning, mainly because of the lack of appropriate software, and this is an aspect the school is addressing. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, although more opportunities for appraising the work of composers from different cultures would impact positively on pupils’ spiritual and cultural development.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

155. The attainment of pupils in physical education is in line with national expectations at the end of both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. This is an improvement from the time of the previous inspection when, although standards were broadly average at the end of Key Stage 1, they were below average at the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils of all ability groups achieve well and make good progress overall, although there is some inconsistency in Key Stage 1 because of differences in teachers’ expertise. Much has been done recently to improve provision in physical education, although the school is aware that more still needs to be done. The school is involved in a three year school sport project sponsored by the LEA, which enables the head of physical education from the local high school to be released to work with teachers and co-ordinators from the five main feeder primary schools. The school has seen many benefits from this initiative

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in its push to raise achievement. Sporting links with other schools were poor at the time of the previous inspection. They are now good as a result of the increased level of extra- curricular activities and input from the co-ordinator. An improvement in the variety and level of extra-curricular activities, including residential experiences for older pupils, has also enhanced standards and improved the social skills of pupils. There is a comprehensive programme of swimming for pupils in Year 5, and most pupils in this age group can now swim ten metres and the school expects that by the end of the summer term most will be able to swim the expected twenty five metres. The school is extending the programme to pupils in Year 4. The extensive school grounds are well used for adventurous activities, particularly the new ‘Trim Trail’. Pupils with special educational needs are very well supported in lessons to enable them to play a full part in

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

156. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils have experienced a wide range of physical activities. Most pupils get changed quickly and suitably, and demonstrate good spatial awareness as they move around the room to warm-up, showing an understanding of the importance of exercise to healthy living. When developing ball skills, younger pupils across the ability range work at the expected levels and benefit from the teachers’ suggestions as to how they can improve their skills. They confidently demonstrate their skills to others but are not at the stage where they effectively evaluate their own work and that of others. A few pupils have good levels of hand-eye co-ordination, but most pupils are only accurate when passing over short distances. Most pupils demonstrate satisfactory skills of bouncing, catching, throwing, and rolling a ball but dribbling skills are as yet underdeveloped. Pupils generally have satisfactory skills when hopping and satisfactory

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

body control when jumping. In gymnastics, they demonstrate good body control. They hold a balanced shape with stretched limbs, and when travelling, they stop quickly and hold a ‘freeze’ shape. There are times when Key Stage 1 pupils not make the progress of which they are capable. On these occasions weaknesses in teaching mean that the lesson is insufficiently focused, and skills are not clearly taught.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

157. As they move through Key Stage 2, pupils continue to develop their skills and techniques across the range of physical education activities. During the inspection, many younger pupils showed good levels of co-ordination and precision in their ‘Dreamcatcher’ dances. Pupils work well together in groups in dance sessions, and work to an agreed pattern that reflects the input of all pupils. They work at different levels to add interest to their work, pushing, pulling, twisting and circling as they move Holbrook Primary School - 66 to the music. In games sessions, pupils demonstrate satisfactory hand to eye co- ordination when using a racket to aim at a target. In swimming sessions older pupils are acquiring good skills. Their activity is concentrated and they make good progress. Year 6 pupils are very enthusiastic about gymnastic activities. Higher attainers ably create their own warm-up sequences, including work to raise heartbeat and stretch of major

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

muscle groups. They confidently demonstrate good body shape and tension when moving on, across and off the apparatus. They show they are clear about the points of contact in a balance, and demonstrate them appropriately. Lower attaining pupils however find it difficult to maintain their balances for more than a short period. Their performance lacks some precision and fluency of movement, although they try hard to improve their performance by following the suggestions of their teachers. Pupils thoroughly enjoy the challenges of outdoor and adventurous activities and engage in them enthusiastically. Pupils with special educational needs are very well supported to ensure they can play a full part in all lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

158. During the inspection, the quality of teaching was very variable in Key Stage 1, ranging from unsatisfactory to excellent. In Key Stage 2 all teaching seen was at least good and sometimes very good. Where teaching is unsatisfactory, teachers’ subject knowledge is insecure and this means that teachers can not help the pupils to improve their work. Where teaching is most effective teachers have a very good subject knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject, which is communicated to pupils. Lessons are very well planned across the whole curriculum. Learning objectives are thoroughly shared with pupils, who show they are quite clear about teachers’ expectations. Good quality skill teaching is evident throughout the lesson and pupils are given many opportunities to demonstrate their skills to other pupils. However, opportunities for pupils to evaluate the performance of others are not provided in all classes, and this means that pupils are

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

not always sufficiently critical of their own performance or that of their classmates. The management of pupils’ behaviour is usually very good and pupils listen attentively to teacher's instructions and behave accordingly. Relationships are very good and pupils are highly motivated and excited by their activities.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

159. The leadership and management of the subject are good. The co-ordinator is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and due to her energy and commitment the school is in a good position to improve even further. She has drawn up a new and broad curriculum, which is supported by plentiful good quality resources. She has raised funds through sponsorship and other means to provide regular coaching in order to improve pupils’ skills further. Monitoring has identified areas for future development, and many of these have already been dealt with through a comprehensive action plan, for example, higher attaining pupils have been identified and steered towards suitable sporting activities in the community. Assessment is currently informal and is the responsibility of individual teachers, but new procedures are being trialled in co-operation with other local schools so that there is a more formal system for tracking pupils’ progress and

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

attainment. The subject makes a good contribution to the pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Holbrook Primary School - 67 160. Pupil's attainment in religious education meets the requirements of the Locally Agreed Syllabus at the end of Key Stage 1, and exceeds the requirements at the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils of all ages and abilities, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make good progress. Standards are broadly the same as they were at the time of the last inspection. The enthusiasm and very good knowledge of the co-ordinator has had a very good impact on the subject, particularly through provision of a programme of work that is fully inclusive of all the faiths evident in the school and wider community around the school. These faiths include Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism and Sikhism. Religious education makes a very good contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural provision at the school.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

161. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of the faiths they have studied, but because of language difficulties, often have problems in expressing their ideas clearly, despite very good support from bilingual assistants. Pupils respond sensitively to the views and feelings of others, and after a visit by a Sikh parent and a Christian parent, they talked respectfully about their own faiths and views. Pupils ably discuss why these people had become members of their religious families and then pondered upon how they themselves came to belong to their own religious families. Pupils consider things that are important to people of different faiths, and what is important to them. Pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of important festivals such as Divali, Christmas and the Jewish light festivals, and describe their significance quite well. They draw and describe relevant artefacts, such as divas and Chanukah lights, and

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

relate these to the candles they use to celebrate their own birthdays. They show in their writing their understanding of some of the characteristics of different religions, for example, when they describe how Advent is a time when Christians get ready for the birth of Jesus. They identify aspects of their own experience, such as the importance of friendship to them, belonging to their own families and trying to keep promises they have made.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

162. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their work in religious education and discuss it in a thoughtful and mature way. They say they feel more valued because all of their faiths are discussed and people learn about them. They enjoy discussing and recording aspects of their own personal faith and beliefs. They appreciate the many opportunities they are given to reflect and think about different faiths, and they are encouraged to think about them through the eyes of others, and show they have a good knowledge of the key beliefs and teachings of the religions that they study. A good example is when comparing stories and people from the Torah, Bible and Koran, they found there were many similarities that they could relate to, such as the story of Noah. They enjoy opportunities to debate moral issues and take time to prepare speeches to support their arguments. In their topic on ‘Community’, pupils used

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

the Internet to help draw up a community web and through discussion learned that the meaning of ‘community’ is co-operation. They have a good understanding of what belonging to a religion means, and this is extended through such activities as brainstorming to gather ideas on ‘worship’, and discussing the moral issues involved, such as how people should treat one another, as equals, being caring and kind, for example. They ask questions about significant personalities, such as Moses, picking out the main emotions he might have felt, and recording them appropriately. The pupils’ knowledge of the world faiths they study is good. Holbrook Primary School - 68 163. The teaching of religious education varies from satisfactory to very good, and is satisfactory overall in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. A regular focus on staff training means that teachers have good subject knowledge, their planning is thorough

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

and the teaching programme is interesting and very relevant to the lives of pupils in the school. Key concepts and specific vocabulary are dealt with purposefully enabling pupils not only to learn about religion but also to learn from it. Learning objectives are thoroughly shared with pupils ensuring they are clear about the teachers’ expectations for the lesson. In most classes teachers provide very good opportunities for pupils to express their own views and ideas in their practical and recorded work and older pupils are encouraged to investigate aspects of their work for themselves. Generally teachers’ questions are challenging and aimed at extending pupils’ thinking, but occasionally, teachers talk for too long, and time for pupils to engage in independent learning can be very limited. Where this happens pupils are disappointed and express some dissatisfaction when they have to stop a piece of work they have only just started.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Currently some good use is made of information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning, but even more could be done.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

164. Co-ordination of the subject is good, enabling the school to continue to improve this subject. The co-ordinator is very knowledgeable about guidance within the Locally Agreed Syllabus and has carefully linked the programme of work to relevance within the local community, ensuring it is fully inclusive. She has been part of a Coventry Working party ‘think tank’ and this has been beneficial to the school, particularly in ensuring that pupils are more active in lessons, discussing and thinking about issues raised. The school has staff who represent all the major faiths studied and they have been encouraged to contribute effectively. This is having a very good impact on pupils’ learning. Monitoring of the subject to ascertain strengths and weaknesses has started, but the school recognises that much more needs to be done to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning and to monitor pupils’ progress through assessment. The school

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

has a good range of learning resources that effectively enhances teaching and learning.

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