Little London Community Primary School

SCHOOL AND NURSERY

Dates of inspection: 24 th – 27 th February 2003

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SCHOOL AND NURSERY

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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SCHOOL AND NURSERY

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. Little London Community - 3 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and Junior School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Alex Sobel

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 1998 Little London Community - 4 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 23647 Mr GW Cooper Registered inspector Educational inclusion Science Physical education Religious education What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 13462 Mrs R Mothersdale Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 30724 Mrs D Hiscock Team inspector Areas of learning for children in the Foundation Stage Information and communication technology Music 22380 Mrs P Parrish Team inspector English English as an additional language Geography History Little London Community - 5 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery 21910 Mr G Longton Team inspector Mathematics Art and design Design and technology Special educational needs

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Strathblane House Ashfield Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 1BB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Little London Community - 6 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 12

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 35

Little London Community - 7 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery Little London Community - 8 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Little London Community Primary School and Nursery is a community school, admitting 213 boys and girls aged three to eleven. Its is in a very challenging situation, close to Leeds City centre. About half of the pupils come from a white British background. Others come from a rich range of backgrounds including African and Asian origins. An average proportion of pupils is identified as having special educational needs. The number with a statement of special needs is high. Attainment on entry to full- time school is very low, reflecting the challenging circumstances of school. Nine pupils come from a refugee background. The school re-integrates back into mainstream education pupils who have been excluded from other schools. About 23 per cent of pupils do not speak English as the language of the home. More than half of these pupils are at an early stage of acquiring English language. Many pupils bring to their education social difficulties that are a barrier to learning. There is a high mobility factor 1 of

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

about one pupil in three. Of prime importance to the school is the celebration of the richness found within the community and that it is truly a community school reflective and supportive of the area and its people.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Little London Community Primary School and Nursery is a very good school. Its academic standards remain below average but its standard test results are improving in line with the national rate of improvement. Achievement is good, given the pupils’ attainment on entry and their complex needs. Many areas of school life reflect excellent practice. This is particularly the case in ensuring that all pupils are included in the wide range of opportunities offered by the school. Teaching and learning are good. Leadership and management are very good with elements of excellence. The leadership of the headteacher is inspirational and articulate. Overall, the school provides very good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Achievement overall is good, including the personal and social standards set by pupils. • Excellent provision for pupils’ care and personal development results in excellent relationships, very good attitudes and good behaviour. • Teaching and learning are consistently good throughout the school. • Provision for partnership with parents, and links with the community and partner institutions is excellent. • The headteacher, governing body and key staff provide visionary leadership and very good management. • The school ensures that all pupils are included in everything it offers. • School aims are very well realised through the commitment of all adults.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards in English, mathematics and science, particularly for boys, are below average by the end of Year 6. • Information and communication technology (ICT) is not used well in cross-curricular activities. • Pace and challenge in some lessons, particularly for potentially higher attaining pupils. • The way assessment is used to promote further progress. 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

1 Mobility or transience: those pupils who join or leave the school at times other than the usual time. Little London Community - 9 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery The previous inspection was in February 1998. Very good improvement has been made since then. Progress has been made against all the key issues of the previous inspection. While standards have risen considerably, they remain below average overall. Improving standards are keeping pace with the Little London Community - 10 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery national trend of improvement. The quality of teaching is better. Assessment has improved although information is not used incisively enough to promote faster progress. Management functions, including the role of the governing body and the role of subject managers, have improved. Overall, all areas of school life and work show a great deal of improvement. Much of the school’s provision is excellent.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools Similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

2000 2001 2002 2002 well above average above average A B English E* E* E D average below average C D Mathematics E E* D B well below average very low E E* Science E* E* E D

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STANDARDS

The results of National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6 in 2002 were well below average in English and science and below average in mathematics when compared with all schools nationally. When compared with schools with a similar proportion of free school meals, English and science were below average but maths was above average. National Curriculum tests results at the end of Year 2 in 2002 were very low in reading and mathematics (within the lowest five per cent) and well below in writing when compared with all schools nationally. When compared with the standards of schools with a similar free schools meal entitlement, results were well below in reading and maths and average in writing. Results show a rising trend that is keeping pace with the national trend of improvement. Not enough pupils achieve the higher than expected levels at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. In the tests boys perform better

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STANDARDS

than girls overall, but this is not the case in the work seen. Challenging targets are set when prior attainment is taken into account. The 2002 targets were missed, by a considerable margin in English and by a smaller margin in mathematics. The targets for 2003 have been set lower. They are still challenging and the school is finding them difficult to achieve. In the work seen during inspection, standards in art and design are above average by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Standards in design and technology, geography, history, ICT and physical education are average by the end of Year 2. They are below average in English, mathematics, science and music at this age. Standards are average in design and technology, geography, history and physical education by the end of Year 6. They are below average in English, mathematics, science, music and ICT. Standards achieved in religious education match the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Children enter

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STANDARDS

full-time school with very low achievements, especially in language and personal, emotional and social development. Good progress is made, but by the time they enter Year 1, some pupils have not acquired the Early Learning Goals 2 for their age. Pupils continue to make good progress throughout the school. Although most achieve the standard expected for their age, few achieve the higher than expected standards and some remain on levels below those expected. Overall, achievement is good given the very low starting point of many pupils. The school promotes good progress overall. This includes the progress made by pupils learning English as a new language, those identified as having special educational needs and those pupils joining the school from a stressful background.

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STANDARDS

2 Early Learning Goals: the expected standards of achievement for children in the Foundation Stage. Little London Community - 11 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are eager and interested in their school life.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils make the most of their school opportunities because they behave well. A few have specific behaviour difficulties.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Excellent. Pupils get on positively with each other and with adults throughout the school. This is a considerable enhancement to their learning.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Below average but improved. Getting to school on time is a problem for some pupils.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The teaching of English and mathematics is good. Basic skills in literacy and numeracy are well taught. The school does well to meet the wide and varying needs of its pupils. This is particularly the case for pupils with English as an additional language and for those identified as having learning difficulties. The consistent strength of staff is the management of pupils. This ensures that all pupils have good opportunities to concentrate and work hard. Occasionally the pace of lessons is slow and tasks do not demand enough of pupils. More can be done to challenge potentially higher attaining pupils in some lessons. All teachers contribute well towards the overall quality of teaching. Learning support assistants make a good contribution to the work in the classroom, but occasionally they are not actively deployed during the full class part of lessons. Instructors, who have a wealth of subject expertise but who do not

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

have a teaching qualification, make a very good contribution to the quality of teaching. This is particularly the case in music and physical education. Some music and physical education lessons were excellent. Staff working in the classroom are representative of the community and of the rich cultural diversity of the pupils, and represent good role models. This gives all pupils encouragement and motivation to be good learners. All but a small number with quite severe behaviour and emotional difficulties concentrate and try hard.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The school provides a well-enriched curriculum that meets statutory requirements. Excellent work with the community and partner institutions is a considerable enhancement to pupils' learning opportunities.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. There is some exemplary practice in the support given to pupils with learning difficulties. Due regard is given to the revised code of practice for special educational needs. Little London Community - 12 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. The school does all it can to provide for the progress that these pupils make while they learn in a different language to that spoken at home. It ensures they are included in all school opportunities.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Excellent. The school plans very well for pupils’ personal development. Policies are very well put into practice to ensure that the heart of the school beats strongly in the best interests of all pupils.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. There is excellent practice in monitoring and supporting personal development. Good strategies exist for measuring attainment and progress but information is not used fully to promote faster progress. Effective strategies prevent bullying and racism. The school meets legal requirements for the care, protection and welfare of pupils.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Partnership with parents Parents are very strongly positive about their views of the school. The effectiveness of links with the school is excellent. The school is strong in its endeavour to get a good contribution from parents in pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides excellent and visionary leadership. The leadership of the school is very good overall. The deputy headteacher plays a significant role in the work of the school. They are well supported by all adults working in the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The role of governors is very good and significantly improved since previous inspection. They know the school well because of their deep personal commitment to its work but have no formal strategy for visits.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The school knows its standards and provision well and is clear about what it needs to do to improve. Very good use is made of the principles of best value to ensure improvements take place.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good. Both human and material resources are deployed efficiently.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources The match of teachers and support staff is very good for the range of learning needs and the curriculum. Very good use is made of subject expertise, including the work of instructors. Learning resources are good. The accommodation is good and currently undergoing significant improvement with the building of ‘space@littlelondon’. 3

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

3 ‘space@’ or ‘space@littlelondon’: a new building development providing much enhanced provision for the school and the community for the arts and for information and communication technology. Little London Community - 13 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What a small minority of parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• Their children like school and make good progress. • Leadership and management and teaching are good. • The ease with which they can approach the school and the close working relationship between home and school. • The school’s high expectations of their child. • The quality, quantity and consistency of homework. • The range of activities out of school hours.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team agrees wholeheartedly with the positive views of parents. Parents have a good understanding of the strengths of the school. The inspection team disagrees with the minority views of parents. Homework is satisfactory overall, addressing the need for pupils to learn independently and to follow up what has been learned in lessons. Homework may not be given consistently across all classes. Very good provision is made for activities out of school hours, including music, physical activities and computer clubs. This provision is mainly for older pupils. Parents of younger pupils may not be aware of the range of activities provided by the school. Some activities happen during lunchtime, out of lesson time and this is therefore ‘activities out of school hours’. Some parents may not be aware of this.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

One or two parents mentioned to inspectors a concern about school security. School strategies for the safety and well being of pupils have been seen in action during the inspection and these are as effective, caring and safe as can be expected of a school. Little London Community - 14 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Standards of work seen in the inspection in English, mathematics and science are below average by the end of Year 6. Although pupils of all ability levels achieve well during their time in the school, there are occasions when expectations of potentially higher attaining pupils are not high enough. Standards have been maintained since the previous inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

• the progress made by children in the Foundation Stage 4 ; • pupils generally make good progress throughout the school; • standards in art and design are above average by the end of Year 6.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

• standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT are below average by the end of Year 6; • the use of subject specific vocabulary to support learning in a range of subjects; • the use of ICT to support learning in a range of subjects; • the attainment of boys; • the attainment of those pupils identified as being able and talented.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Standards in the subjects of the curriculum seen in lessons and in the scrutiny of pupils’ work are as below:

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

for children in the Foundation Stage: on target to achieve the learning goals in personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world, creative development and physical development; not on target to achieve the expected goals in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development:

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

for pupils at the end of Year 2: above average in art and design, average in design and technology, geography, history, ICT and physical education but below average in English, mathematics, science and music:

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

for pupils at the end of Year 6: above average in art and design, average in design and technology, geography, history and physical education but below average in English, mathematics, science ICT and music.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Pupils make good progress through the Foundation Stage. Despite this good progress, however, few are on target to achieve the Early Learning Goals in the key areas of communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. In other areas of learning, many pupils make good progress to attain expected standards by the time they start the subjects of the National Curriculum in Year 1. They enter school with particularly low prior achievement in personal, social and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4 The Foundation Stage contains the children of Nursery and Reception age. Little London Community - 15 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery emotional development, in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. Good provision in the Nursery and Reception classes enables many pupils to progress successfully through the ‘Stepping Stones’ to the targets of the Early Learning Goals.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The results in the National Curriculum tests in Year 2 in 2002 show standards in reading and mathematics to be very low, and well below average in writing when compared with all schools nationally. When compared with schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, standards were average in writing and well below average in reading and mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. In the National Curriculum tests in Year 6 in 2002, standards were below average in mathematics and well below average in English and science when compared with all schools nationally. These results show an improving trend when compared with results of previous years. Many more pupils now get the levels expected for their age. The improvement is particularly marked in mathematics. When compared to schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, the results were below average in English and science but above average in mathematics. An unusual feature of the school’s three year trend in National Curriculum test results is that boys perform consistently better than girls, although more boys than girls are to be found in groups being specifically targeted for special educational support teaching.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Standards are above average in art and design by the end of Year 6. This maintains the standard set at the previous inspection. The major reason for these standards is the extremely rich range of opportunities planned by the school and enjoyed by the pupils. These opportunities interest and engage the pupils and ensure that progress is good throughout the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. However, there are occasions when higher attaining pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable because some lessons lack pace and do not set high enough expectations. This is evident in the results of standard national tests where very few pupils achieve the higher than expected standards for their age.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. The pupils who use English as an additional language make good progress. The good provision for discussion within lessons to develop both speaking and listening skills and the personal and social skills of all pupils supports bilingual and ‘bicultural’ pupils well. Because a high proportion of pupils have similar needs, staff provide good support, for example, in understanding specialist vocabulary. A high proportion of the work in English is focused on analysing the language in texts to improve the pupils’ comprehension of books they are reading. Specific support is planned for the small number of pupils in most classes who are in the very early stages of learning English. Pupils who enter the school at a very early stage of English generally make rapid progress. Staff represent a range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds and this means that help is sometimes available in the pupils’ home language. In addition,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

bilingual pupils with a fluent command of English are able to help others where necessary. This is both reassuring for the pupils and very helpful in promoting their progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. The school makes good provision for pupils with learning difficulties. This ensures that they make good progress given their previous attainment. Many of these pupils have quite profound barriers to learning not associated with their school life. Little London Community - 16 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery The school has been very successful in reducing the number of pupils identified as having special educational needs. Those currently identified as having learning difficulties make good progress but in small and measurable steps.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Attitudes to learning are very good and have improved since the previous inspection. Behaviour of pupils is good overall. This is an improvement, too. The behaviour of a few pupils is challenging and usually related to their special needs. Relationships and personal development are now excellent whereas previously they were judged good. Attendance remains below the national average but is good in comparison to similar schools in the area. Attendance, too, has improved since the previous inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

• pupils’ pride and enthusiasm for their school; • willingness of pupils to take on and seek out initiatives and responsibilities; • respect that pupils and staff show to each other and pupils’ kindness towards each other; • keenness of the majority of pupils and their excitement about school life; • behaviour of most of the pupils in school; • role of the school council in reflecting and leading the views of pupils in the school; • improvement in attendance since the previous inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

• an understanding by the families of some pupils in the school not to take their children on extended holidays during school time as this affects the overall attendance of the whole school; • necessity for punctuality by a few pupils; • behaviour of a minority of pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils enjoy their school. Indicators of this enthusiasm are in their early arrival, the work they do in the classroom before school and attendance at the breakfast club. Members of the school council approve of what the school stands for: they could find little to improve ‘ the best school in the country ’ and ‘all the teachers are fun, but we still feel respectful to them, as they respect us, and they are like our friends ’. Pupils are especially enthusiastic about the community aspect of their school and are eagerly anticipating the opportunities that will be available to them and their families when the new facility is completed. Pupils are keen to participate in the wide range of extra-curricular activities and clubs on offer. For example, choir membership is strong and pupils happily rehearse and practise with verve and enthusiasm. Pupils are eager to take part in the many activities provided by the school. Pupils’ very good

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

attitudes to learning reflect the gains being made in their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in all areas of school life.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The behaviour of most of the pupils in the school is generally good, but the behaviour of a few pupils is sometimes unsatisfactory. A range of behaviour plans, strategies and rewards counter any volatility in these few pupils’ conduct. These plans are always decided between pupil and their parents or carers, and help to create a happy and organised school. Good provision is made for the occasional Little London Community - 17 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery pupil who requires the attention of the headteacher, or a learning mentor, or even just a quiet moment in a supervised area of the school, whilst they regain their self-control enough to rejoin a lesson. This is not the general pattern of pupil behaviour. There have been no exclusions and taken as a whole the school is very happy and secure. This is noteworthy as the school includes pupils who have been excluded from other schools in the city. Pupils say that they feel safe and that, if they have any concerns

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

about bullying, staff quickly deal with the matter. Bullying is not an issue that worries them. Pupils are aware of being kind to each other and spontaneously hold doors open for each other and visitors. In discussions with pupils, they did not feel that there were any elements of true bullying in the school and tolerate the occasional disruptive behaviour of their friends very well. At break and playtime pupils of all ages play well together. They respond very well to the range of playtime activities that are organised for them, many of which emphasise the importance of team games and the acceptance of, for example, a referee’s decision. Pupils know the rules of the school well and have helped to draw up lunchtime and break time rules themselves. Pupils’ behaviour out of school and with visitors is excellent.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Personal development amongst pupils is excellent and supported by the excellent relationships that exist between pupils and staff. Pupils have many opportunities to take on whole-school responsibilities, which they seize with enthusiasm. The school council offers pupils in Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 the opportunity to make suggestions and influence school issues after canvassing the views of all of the pupils. An indication of pupils’ commitment to the school is that they have produced a ‘Pupil Induction Pack’. This is to let new pupils know how friendly the school is, the general routines of school life and to allay the fears of any child by an instruction to ‘come and see anyone and they will answer any question ‘u’ have’. Pupils are familiar with evaluating their own work and activities. For example, they participated in a questionnaire about how they consider the fairness, discipline, opportunities and help in the school. They

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

gave evidence to support the awarding of the schools’ Healthy Schools Standard level 3 by commenting on the partnership that the school has with the West Yorkshire Playhouse and the arts activities on offer. They respect their own worth and know that their views are important and will be listened to.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Attendance remains just below the national average but has improved significantly since the previous inspection. It is good in comparison to similar schools in the area. A few families take their children away on extended holidays during the school term, and this has a significant impact on the school’s overall attendance. Lessons start on time, although there are nearly always a few families who bring their children after the start of registration each day and who are therefore recorded as late arrivals. Unauthorised attendance is just above the national average. Not all parents and carers let the school know why their child is away from school or absent them for reasons that the school cannot consider as authorised.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. This represents an improvement since the previous inspection. More than four in every ten lessons were very good and three were excellent. No unsatisfactory lessons were seen. Little London Community - 18 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery Strengths in teaching and learning are:

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

• the teachers’ knowledge of the subjects they are teaching; • the teachers’ planning; • the relationships that exist in the classrooms, creating an environment conducive to learning; • the use of subject specific expertise of instructors and coaches, especially in music and physical education; • the use of resources to retain the pupils’ interest and enthusiasm; • the range of backgrounds of staff in the school, reflective of the community, that enables adults to be good role models for pupils; • the contribution of support staff and other adults to the pupils’ learning; • the teachers generally make good use of questioning; • teachers make good provision for pupils with learning difficulties and for those who are learning English as a different language.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

• the pace and challenge in some lessons; • the deployment of some classroom support; • the design of some tasks and activities; • the way ICT is used as a learning tool across the curriculum; • some use of assessment does not allow the teachers to plan effectively for the next stage in pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. The overall quality of teaching is good. Some general strengths are typical of the teaching throughout the school. Teachers have a good understanding and knowledge of how to teach the different subjects of the curriculum. Their subject knowledge enables them to teach the content of lessons convincingly. They plan well. Plans are careful in identifying learning objectives (what pupils need to learn), main activities and how pupils of different abilities are going to be supported in their learning needs. Teachers are successful in identifying how pupils with learning difficulties are to be supported. Relationships between teachers and pupils are outstandingly good. There is warmth, understanding and humour. This quality of relationships is reflected in the attention pupils pay, the way they concentrate on their work and their willingness and the interest they show. It makes them effective learners.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. The school makes very good use of the skills and background of expertise of instructors and coaches. This is particularly the case in music and physical education. Staff teaching these subjects have great expertise and enthusiasm. Lessons go briskly and are taught with verve. The excellent lessons were all taught in these areas: by the music subject leader, by a visiting unqualified music teacher and by the physical education instructor with the support of staff from the local swimming pool. In these lessons, pupils' achievements were frequently better than expected for their age.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. Not only does the school make good use of human resources but it also has a good range of learning resources that are used well. This is a good incentive to learning, stimulating interest and enthusiasm. The school employs a good range of teachers and other classroom staff. They reflect the full range of cultures within the community. The determination of all adults, their interest and enthusiasm, makes them good role models for pupils. The result is that all pupils enjoy learning, want to do well and pupils of different backgrounds achieve well. This is good practice in Little London Community - 19 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery ensuring that all pupils are included in everything the school has to offer. Learning support assistants pay close attention to what pupils need to learn. They have a good understanding of what they need to do to promote progress during these sessions. Volunteers are well used to support, for example, readers who are struggling in their

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

acquisition of the basic skill of reading. Teachers made good use of questioning as a strategy for checking up on learning, stimulating interest and getting pupils involved in the lesson. This is particularly so at the beginning of lessons as teachers outline what is to be learned and at the end of lessons when they check up on the progress pupils have made.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. Pupils with learning difficulties are identified as soon as possible in the Nursery and Reception classes. The special educational needs co-ordinator works with class teachers and external consultants to design individual education programmes to meet the needs of each pupil on the special needs register. Targets are set to guide pupils’ development, particularly in areas of language, mathematics and behaviour. Most targets for learning contain a series of small well-focused steps, with an outline of how each target is to be met. This gives teachers and teaching assistants good guidance in planning suitable tasks within lessons to guide pupils’ progress over time. However, not all learning plans are as well developed. When providing for pupils learning English as a new language, discussions based on good questioning are a successful feature of most lessons, with vocabulary explained and used well. This,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

with the excellent relationships that exist between staff and pupils, explains the good progress pupils make in speaking and listening. The pupils learning English as an additional language benefit well from this effective provision and make good progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. Some lessons do not make sufficient demands of pupils. This is particularly the case for some pupils who have the potential for higher attainment. The school is successful in that an increasing number of pupils work to the levels expected for their age. Few work above that level. Sometimes introductions are long and do not do enough to stimulate pupils’ thinking. This slows the delivery of lessons and lowers expectations. At times tasks and activities are designed so that all pupils cope with them but do not require a higher level of thinking. For example, in a science lesson, pupils had too much prepared for them and were not sufficiently challenged to think. Higher attaining pupils quickly finished the task without having their thinking challenged.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Support staff do well when working with their target pupils. However, there are times in lessons when their role is a passive one. This is particularly so during whole-class teaching. Support staff can do more at times like this, for example, in making careful observations of pupils’ response and on-going needs. Staff make little use of ICT on a day-to-day basis. Pupils acquire good skills in dedicated lessons in the computer suite, but get few opportunities to use those skills in other lessons. There was little work to be seen supporting the recording and editing of English through word processing, learning spellings, using computers for the acquisition of numeracy concepts, using spreadsheets to present data collected in science or using CD- ROMs for research in history, geography and religious education. Teachers lack confidence in their use and application of ICT skills as a learning tool. While the

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

school gathers a substantial amount of data about the progress pupils make, sometimes the volume of information is insufficiently focused on precisely what needs to be learned next. While pupils make good progress overall, they will not achieve the school’s aspiration for better progress until there is very precise and sharp use of assessment. Little London Community - 20 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

22. A good quality, interesting and stimulating curriculum is provided for all pupils from different backgrounds and with different abilities. It fully complies with the legal requirements to teach the National Curriculum. Religious education is taught according to the local agreed syllabus. The key issue from the previous inspection concerning children under the age of five has been fully addressed. The provision for the pupils’ personal development and for pupils with special educational needs is very good. Arrangements for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are excellent.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

• the pupils enjoy a very full and rich curriculum; • pupils with special educational needs have a very good curriculum; • very good arrangements are in hand to provide for the pupils’ personal, social and health education. They are encouraged to be aware of society through citizenship; • activities out of normal school hours are very good; • excellent use is made of links with other schools and with the community; • the school’s provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is excellent.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

• to plan opportunities for pupils to practise their skills in information and communication technology during lessons to support learning in other subjects.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

23. There are good and well-used policies and schemes of work for all subjects of the curriculum based on the latest national guidance. Planning carefully identifies what pupils are expected to learn, understand and do both over the term and in lessons. The monitoring of teaching and learning in mathematics is good and has resulted in improvements in teaching.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24. As a consequence of the implementation of the National Literacy Strategy, standards of attainment are beginning to improve in literacy, admittedly from a very low starting point. In mathematics, too, standards are rising. The satisfactory introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy and the introduction of the new scheme of work have been key factors in the improvement being made.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25. Pupils with special educational needs enjoy a well-developed curriculum. The recommendations of the Code of Practice are met. The extra staff support these pupils get is usually in the classroom so they are able to follow the same curriculum as the rest of the class. Some pupils are withdrawn for specialist teaching in small groups for the development of literacy skills according to their need. Individual education plans refer to specific targets for each pupil and these are reviewed and revised accordingly. The identified targets for pupils with special educational needs are effective in enabling them to make good progress. In mathematics a small number of pupils have been identified as more able and have been provided with special work or given opportunities to study with a higher age group in order to meet Little London Community - 21 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery their needs. Generally though, planning for gifted and talented and potentially higher

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

attaining pupils is in the early stages of development. All pupils with special educational needs have the same opportunities to take part in every aspect of school life.

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. The school has very good policy and practice for personal, social, health education and citizenship. This aspect of the curriculum permeates the whole school and contributes to the very good ethos. There is a suitable sex education policy and lessons on drug misuse are given. Much is done to broaden pupils’ experiences within the area as well as beyond the community in which they live. There are visits to places of interest such as Harewood House, the Eureka museum, a mosque and a local Baptist church. A well-planned residential experience for pupils in Year 5 is organised annually.

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. The curriculum is well enriched through a large number of visits from people with specialist knowledge and expertise such as the group of people from a national supermarket who worked with pupils on a study of food. This included very good art and elements of science that helped the school to attain the healthy eating award. Other visitors include a Zulu dance troupe, an African Children’s Choir, a Viking visitor and many visitors from sporting organisations and local services such as the police and fire brigade who have a special link with the school since it was totally destroyed by fire six years ago.

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. The school has a very good range of extra-curricular activities at the well-attended lunchtime and after school clubs that are very well organised and make good use of the expertise of many additional staff and volunteers. In addition to a range of sporting activities there are opportunities in music, including the chance to learn an instrument.

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. The development of pupils’ language skills is good in most lessons, providing a supportive curriculum for the pupils with English as an additional language, enabling them to make good progress. The school’s excellent arrangements for personal and social development ensures that pupils using English as an additional language develop confidence and self-assurance in the same way as other pupils, and consequently are willing to contribute to group and class discussions.

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The school has excellent links with a very wide range of organisations including the University, businesses, the local theatre, retirement groups, gardening associations, social services and housing associations and close links with many places of worship and religious leaders reflecting the exciting ethnic mix of the whole community. Good relationships are established with local secondary schools. There are good arrangements for transfer to the next stage of education for which pupils and parents are well prepared.

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. Pupils’ personal development is given very high priority, seen as the basis of all other development and progress. This is excellent in all respects. There has been very good improvement since the previous inspection, evident in the significant rise in standards in relationships, attitudes and behaviour within the school. All aspects of personal development are interwoven into the whole fabric of the school with high expectations of good moral values, successful social interaction and respectful and knowledgeable awareness of the diversity of cultures in world society and at the heart of the school. The headteacher is vigilant in monitoring the school’s provision and its outcomes. Little London Community - 22 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery 32. The school’s well-established aim to be a place where ‘everyone is valued equally for their individuality ’ is the starting point. This, combined with expectations of ‘ politeness,

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

tolerance and respect’ sets the tone. It is evident that all members of staff share this common purpose and, consequently, what the school does is consistently of a very high standard throughout the school. A positive, friendly and supportive atmosphere characterises the school and provides positive support for the personal development and equilibrium of pupils and adults within the community.

p.22

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. School assemblies are of high quality, provide pupils with daily opportunities for reflection and confirm the high aspirations of the school for the pupils’ spiritual development. The headteacher, for example, likened the value of a person to the unchanging value of a £10 note, however small it might be folded; people, too, keep their high value whatever the difficulties of their current circumstances, such as homelessness, illness or destitution. Plentiful examples of similar opportunities are provided for reflection within lessons. In a history lesson in Year 6, for example, pupils considered the plight of the children evacuated from cities during the Second World War and the variety of ways they were treated by people in their host communities. The experience and feelings of a pupil of refugee status were shared, helping others to understand the situation first-hand. Religious education gives pupils

p.22

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

a clear awareness of the belief of many people in the existence of a ‘Supreme Being’, and the differences and similarities between world religions. The spirit of the pupils is nurtured through the sharing of rich experiences in, for example, music, poetry and dance. Pupils are encouraged and reminded to hold high aspirations for their lives.

p.22

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. Moral values are interwoven into the daily life of the school and the fact is emphasised that choices are open to pupils. The school’s clear policy for encouraging good behaviour is backed up by simple but important school rules, supplemented within classes by guidance devised by pupils themselves. Moral values such as fairness, honesty and respect are stressed within school assemblies, displays and whenever the opportunity arises and held as features of personal worth. Staff emphasise that individuals benefit from making choices wisely in exercising their rights and responsibilities. The school’s ‘Book of Achievement’ records examples of pupils’ successes in ‘not giving in’, keenness to succeed and persistence with their work. Stories, both fact and fiction, are used to highlight the moral qualities of people and how these affect both their own lives and those of others. The great achievements of

p.22

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Nelson Mandela, for example, are acknowledged and pupils remember with great excitement the visit that he made to Leeds. In Year 2, pupils identified the main character in a story as brave and determined but also calm.

p.22

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. Social values, the respect and care that others deserve, are upheld vigorously. The school is dedicated to racial equality and the understanding and celebration of differences. The celebration of cultural similarities and diversity is evident in all that the school plans and achieves. Within its brochure, the school emphasises its commitment to racial harmony and the ‘world basis’ for its curriculum through a clear list of values and actions written in celebration of the life of Stephen Lawrence. An acknowledgement of its work has been the Stephen Lawrence Award in 2001. This success is due to the concerted efforts of members of staff who provide consistently good role models and who treat everyone with courtesy and good humour. Everyone looks out for ways of helping one another. ‘Buddies’ are available at playtimes outside for pupils in need of support or friendship. Pupils take turns to carry out a list

p.22

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of classroom tasks, older pupils help younger ones, such as is seen Little London Community - 23 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery when pupils in Year 1 visit the Nursery each Tuesday afternoon. Volunteers working as ‘mentors’, such as students from local universities, are available for pupils who feel the need for support and encouragement. A consistent, caring community spirit permeates all that the school does and is recognised and appreciated by parents who rightly praise the way that the staff promote the good behaviour and social skills of their children.

p.22

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. Pupils’ cultural development is a key strength of the school and starts with the very wide-ranging ethnic community represented by the families of the pupils attending the school. Celebrations of customs and traditions, such as Eid, Divali and Hanukkah, as well as Christmas and Easter, make links with many cultural backgrounds and help to reinforce the way the school values and respects the community it serves. Stories from a range of cultures are included within lessons and school assemblies. The story of the Creation, for example, is told from the African, Caribbean, Aboriginal and Hindu perspectives. Visitors and outings from school linked to art and design, history and geography, for example, further enhance the social and cultural skills of pupils. Specialists such as musicians and dance teachers are invited into school on a regular basis. Musicians give concerts in school assemblies and tuition in lessons so

p.23

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

that pupils become familiar with a wide range of music, such as brass bands, African dance and drumming in the Sikh tradition. The school displays the work of a variety of well-known artists to inspire the work of the pupils, with comments such as ‘ What do you feel about this artist’s choice of colours ?’ Main notices around the school observe the needs of the school’s community and present pupils with experience of a wealth of scripts and languages, such as Cantonese, Urdu, Panjabi and Vietnamese.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. This is an overwhelming strength of the school and is much improved in all areas since the previous inspection. Procedures for child protection and ensuring pupils welfare, and monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are all excellent. The procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour and ensuring that no oppressive behaviour or racially divisive incidents take place, and that the school is fully inclusive, are also excellent. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are very good.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

• extremely knowledgeable and alert staff with responsibility for child protection; • very close working partnerships with a wide range of health, educational and community professionals; • before and after school care through the breakfast club and after school club; • commitment to the well being of the families and carers of pupils; • awarding of Active Gold Mark and Healthy Schools Standard; • first aid provision in school; • risk assessment procedures; • daily scrutiny of attendance patterns amongst pupils; • exemplary behaviour and anti-racist policies and strategies; • inclusive approach to the needs of children and adults with special needs in the school; • involvement of pupils to evaluate the standard of care offered in the school; • the wealth of information about pupils’ progress and attainment. Little London Community - 24 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery Area for development:

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

• ensuring that all holidays in term time have governor authorisation; • ensuring that information about progress and attainment is used incisively to promote even better progress.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Care arrangements for pupils are excellent. Child protection arrangements in the school are extremely well known to staff and shared by the designated child protection co-ordinator, the Learning Mentor, and the headteacher. The education welfare officer is also closely involved in any referrals that may be made to the Area Child Protection Committee or Social Services. Whole-school training in recognition of abuse and referral procedures in child protection takes place regularly. The designated person for child protection is also the person responsible for overseeing the work of the midday supervisors and for supervising the organisation of sports activities. She is very well placed to access any concerns that may arise at these times on child protection issues. Health and safety arrangements and procedures are meticulously defined and organised in the school. Most teaching staff and many support staff are qualified in First Aid at work and there are First Aid boxes in every

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

area of the school that are regularly restocked and checked by a member of staff. Risk assessments are thoroughly completed for curriculum areas, the school building and outside activities and the school has been commended by the local education authority Health and Safety adviser for the health and safety measures in place. School cleaning and caretaking rigorously maintains the cleanliness of the school building. All appropriate safety checks on portable electric appliances, fire fighting equipment and physical education equipment are regularly carried out. The audit that has led to the awarding of Level 3 Healthy School Standard ensures that the well being of the pupils is of the highest priority for the school. For example the identification of potential hazards of the school building site and security issues has ensured that effective emergency evacuation procedures are in place. The recent award of the Sports Active Mark is contributing to physical activities in school,

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

especially the sports clubs. The school is developing systems for Brain Gym activities, and pupils are frequently encouraged, for example, to have a drink of water or to stop what they are doing in a lesson to take part in a vigorous exercise to stimulate their brain.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Procedures for monitoring and promoting behaviour and discipline are excellent. The emphasis on good behaviour is an intrinsic feature of everyday school life. Records of incidents are kept and used to decide if there has been for example any deterioration in a pupil’s behaviour or if there is a necessity to involve the educational psychologist or outside behavioural support. When it is felt that parental support is important for modifying a pupil’s behaviour, the school will ask for their help. Pupils can speak to their elected councillors if they are concerned for example about bullying, and councillors then refer the matter to a member of staff on behalf of the pupil. In the playground, school councillors take on a special role in befriending or bringing to the attention of staff, any pupil who feels they are unhappy or not included in an activity. Lunchtime supervisors have received training in behaviour management skills and

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

there are plans for all staff to receive training in the Team Teach approach to behaviour management from a school with experience and trainers in these procedures. The school is open in its acknowledgement of the challenging behaviour of a few pupils and the impact that this has on school life. So for example, extra staff are now on duty in the playground at break times and there are specifically organised activities to involve the whole range of pupils. This supports the safety of the pupils and contributes to their good behaviour. An Little London Community - 25 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery extremely high standard has been set for inclusion and the school is determined that its anti-racism policies are far more than statutory pieces of paper and bind the school together in a spirit of inclusion, openness and harmony.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are very good overall and a strong feature of the school. Families are regularly asked not to take their children away on holiday in term time, but only prolonged absences of more than three weeks need seek the authorisation of the governors or headteacher. A significant number of families take their children for extended holidays abroad, and this impacts on the school’s attendance figures. The school sets targets for attendance and has been rewarded with a significant improvement in attendance over the last few years. Regular visits by the education welfare officer ensure that a rigorous check is kept of any pupils whose punctuality or attendance patterns causes concern. The learning mentor has a specific brief to monitor and improve attendance. She is also responsible for checking on pupils where there has been no information about an absence, such as for example contacting a family when a pupil does not come into

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

school that is expected to be there. The school rewards classes that have the best attendance each week and the learning mentor has a range of rewards for individual improved attendance or punctuality amongst pupils. The school maintains a late book for any pupils who arrive after registration time and this is also monitored on a daily basis. Registrations are made with an optical mark reader and the school finds this very useful to extract an accurate record of an individual pupil’s attendance and punctuality record. The setting up of the school’s breakfast club not only offers pupils the opportunity for a healthy start to the day, but has also had a significant impact on the punctuality and attendance of pupils.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The school has good arrangements in place to check on the progress of its pupils. There are satisfactory measures taken to use this bank of information to improve pupils’ progress and the standards attained. Previous shortcomings, in establishing progress in subjects other than mathematics, English and science - identified in the previous inspection - have been tackled and form a basis from which the school can begin to accelerate the pace of learning for all its pupils. The school uses information to identify those groups of pupils who have common learning needs and who would benefit from additional support. However, the targets are not sufficiently measurable and specific, for the momentum of learning to be accelerated, so that pupils achieve more over a given period of time. This is particularly the case for pupils with the potential to achieve more. For instance, higher attaining pupils do not know how to

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

move on quickly in their learning. They do not know exactly what to do next so that they make greater progress. In addition, for teachers to plan work that deepens understanding, the incremental steps that measure attainment need to be available for all.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. There are good measures of progress in place for those pupils who have a mother tongue other than English as their first language. These are used well to check pupils’ progress. In lessons, once their use of English is enough, they achieve as well as other pupils. In addition, the progress of pupils from different ethnic heritages in the school is well tracked and takes suitable account of the high degree of transience in the school. There are specific record systems available to check the language development of these pupils. These are overseen by the teacher with responsibility for multicultural education, who was on study leave from school during the time of the inspection. Little London Community - 26 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery 43. Good account is taken of information to identify and support pupils with special educational needs, including those with a statement of their learning need. Careful

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

checks of targets set in pupils’ individual learning plans are sensitively matched by the kind of care and support provided. This makes a difference to the amount of progress these pupils make, to their confidence and to the quality of their relationships with others. The school cares for all special needs pupils very well. Difficulties are identified early and targets set. The school has good relationships with all agencies, which are used regularly. Inclusion is a strength of the school. The building has been adapted very effectively to cover all the problems of pupils with special educational needs.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. In the Nursery and Reception classes, there are very good profiles of information for each child. These capture the moments where children climb the many learning steps (the ‘Stepping Stones’) as they move towards the start of the national curriculum. Everyone involved in the learning journey, including parents, shares them.

p.26

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. Parents are exceptionally positive about their views of the school and have a good understanding of its strengths. The school works extremely hard to create links with parents and carers in order to inform, educate and involve them in their children’s learning. This is an area of improvement since the previous inspection in an area which was already considered a strength of the school.

p.26

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

• parents’ delight in their children liking school; • high approval of the teaching, and staff in the school; • total approachability of all staff in the school to discuss problems and share views; • strong partnership in the high expectations of parents and school for their children; • wide range of information for parents; • tremendous drive by the school to create and sustain links with parents; • overwhelming support and inspiration for parents.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

• ensuring parents understand the nature of ‘activities out of school hours’ fully.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. Parents have extremely positive views and they are very open in their support and commitment to ‘their school’. Staff are regarded as friends as well as teachers. Parents respect the opportunities that the school gives them to involve themselves in the school and to be considered as partners in their children’s learning. Parents’ views vary slightly in the standards that they feel the school achieves for their children but, overall, parents judge that the school has high expectations and that teaching is good. Again, there are some differences in the perception of parents in the giving of homework and of the range of activities available to pupils outside of school hours. Overall, parents appreciate the inclusive, multicultural nature of the school, the fact that their children are happy to come to school and the availability and approachability of all staff, and especially the headteacher, to any parent or

p.26

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Little London Community - 27 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery carer who wants to speak to them. A few parents have had concerns over the way that the building work that is taking place for ‘space@’ has limited the playground and affected some aspects of school security. Parents are particularly happy about the relationships between children and staff and consider that they have had a strong impact on the confidence of their children and of the quality of learning overall. They approve of the family service at school lunchtime and the breakfast club and after school club (both of which are run by parents). Parents have a few concerns over aspects of the behaviour of a few pupils in the school, but overall parents view this as an opportunity for their own children to respond well when problems arise with other pupils.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. Parental participation is actively pursued at all levels in school activities. From the start of the day parents flood into the school with their children. The parents are to be seen in every classroom settling their children in, talking to staff, looking at examples of work or just talking to other parents and carers. The school frequently seeks parents’ views. Questionnaires are regularly sent out to gauge parental feelings and views on different topics and strategies and policies, for example, the new behaviour policy. A number of workshops have been held to improve parental understanding of what their children are learning in school, and to support their potential for helping, for example, with homework. A new scheme to teach parents ICT skills, which can be passed on at home with the provision of computer resources, has had a successful introduction, and the school is considering further plans to increase choices and

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

courses for parents. Historically the school has been inspirational to many of the parents who have gone from being voluntary helpers to acquiring qualifications that can further both their careers, and their potential as partners with the school in educating their children. There is no longer a formal parents group in the school as all parents are considered to be part of the school’s community. Successful fund raising by parents has enabled the school to purchase a range of playground games for pupils, the choice of which was largely decided by the school council and includes some very popular ‘DCTs’ (‘dem catching things)!

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Information to parents is good and is based in the wide range of newsletters and home/school information, such as reading records, for parents. Annual written reports meet statutory requirements and the new format, the outcome of a parental working party, is brief. Overall, parents are pleased with the new format, despite perceiving that subject reporting is not as comprehensive as in previous reports, and acknowledge that the written reports are only one element of the wide range of other information that they receive. For example, the formal consultation evenings where their children’s targets are discussed and the open access that they have to teachers in their classrooms at the start and end of the school day. Regular newsletters inform parents of school events and successes. The administration office keeps a close contact with parents on a day-to-day basis, for example when receiving information

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. As far as possible the school establishes close relationships with parents of pupils with special educational needs. Parents are always invited to reviews and an increasing number now accept the invitation. Little London Community - 28 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The school is very well led and managed. The excellent leadership of the headteacher is articulate, passionate and inspirational. The deputy head fills an important role very well. Staff with leadership and management responsibilities work conscientiously. The governing body is very effective in ensuring that statutory requirements are met in full. Good strategies for checking on what the school provides have resulted in very good improvement since the previous inspection, especially in improving teaching and learning and achieving higher standards. The school is adept at making very good use of the finances available to it and deploying all resources well. Very good use is made of comparison, challenge, consultation and competition in ensuring that the school provides very good value for money.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Strengths in leadership and management are:

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

• excellent leadership that provides very clear and convincing direction for the work of the school, particularly in its determination to be a full and meaningful part of community life and to be inclusive on behalf of all its pupils; • the way school aims and values are reflected in all that it does; • the shared commitment of all those working in the school; • the way the school uses the money available to it in planning for its future development; • the effectiveness and commitment of the governing body; • the school’s use of performance management as a tool for caring about the professional development of teachers and for securing improvements in its provision; • the match of teachers and support staff to support the needs of the school and of all its pupils.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The headteacher’s leadership is excellent. He is a determined and convincing advocate on behalf of the school, its pupils and the community. He sets the example for the excellent relationships that are enjoyed throughout the school. His leadership is well supported by the deputy head who carries important responsibilities. They get the good support of all staff with leadership responsibilities – for the management of a subject or for leadership in an aspect of the school’s work. Because the school’s aims and values are expressed so clearly, they are well realised in its work. The school is a very significant feature of community life. It is highly successful in ensuring that all elements of the rich and disparate mix of backgrounds of pupils are valued, recognised and included in all that the school has to offer. Because the school’s aims are clear and well expressed, all those working in the school identify with them and

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

put the full weight of their work and endeavour behind them. This is done very successfully. School policies are very clear about what direction the school needs to take. For example, the school has a very good policy for the support of pupils with learning difficulties, which is used very effectively.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. Very good leadership ensures that money is well spent in maintaining present standards and in ensuring that the long-term vision for the school becomes reality. School improvement planning is very good. It identifies what needs to be done next and it is clear about how developments are to be achieved. The school is creative about seeking – and getting – funding beyond the money delegated by the local authority and government. All funds are used very carefully and imaginatively. These leadership skills ensure a very effective school. Little London Community - 29 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery 53. Governors are very committed to the work of the school. They fully reflect the aims and aspirations of the community. The school’s aims and aspirations are theirs, too. The school’s work is all the more effective because school and governing body speak with one voice and one determination to succeed. Governors are successful in

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

ensuring that they meet all legal requirements. Beyond this they are determined to promote the continued progress of the school. Collectively and individually, governors are good friends of the school. However, they are quick to challenge where necessary. This ensures that they support and shape the school’s future direction. There is a named governor with responsibility for special educational needs. Other governors take on different specific responsibilities.

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The school is very clear about the value of performance management, where the work of individual members of staff is very carefully and sensitively scrutinised, supported and developed. This is an example of the deep commitment to ensuring staff feel valued, supported and cared for. This brings great benefits in the satisfaction staff feel in their work, in reducing absence and in ensuring that staff care for pupils as well as they are cared for. The school is successful in ensuring that performance management and the careful watch kept on the work of the classroom is seen as caring and not threatening.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The school does well to provide a very good level of teaching and support staff across the school. Teachers and support staff work in a spirit of good co-operation and this is instrumental in ensuring that pupils get very good support in the classroom. The special educational needs co-ordinator is very experienced. She is very enthusiastic and provides very good leadership in special educational needs throughout the school. She has established excellent relationships with all staff and support agencies. Good human resources are supported by the provision of good material resources. For example, the school has provided good resources for special educational needs pupils that are carefully stored and constantly being updated and renewed. The situation is similar for learning resources in religious education. No resource deficiencies are identified. Good staffing, resources and the curriculum provision ensure good support to pupils learning English where it is not the language

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

of the home. They make good progress and begin to speak, read and write with suitable fluency and accuracy. The dedication evident in the school to multicultural education provides a strong foundation for this work.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The school has very high aspirations for pupils’ achievement. At present pupils make good progress. To fully capitalise on pupils’ potential, very good progress is needed. This can only be achieved by improving the quality of teaching further and making more consistently focused use of measurements of attainment. At present, teaching is consistently good, but it does not yet inspire and challenge in all lessons. Good use has been made of strategies to keep a careful eye on the quality of teaching and to put measures in place to make improvements. There is room to intensify this without adding to the heavy workload of teachers.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. Governors know their school very well, because so many of them have strong connections with it, because they are parents, work in the school or have community responsibilities. However, they have no formal strategies to make regular and focused visits. At present, because of their personal involvement, they know the school’s strengths and areas for development very well. There is no guarantee that this will continue to be the case should their membership alter in the future. Little London Community - 30 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery 58. The school makes very good use of its computer suite and of the specialist ICT skills of its subject leader. However, computers are rarely used on a day-to-day basis in lessons. While pupils acquire good skills across the ICT curriculum they are not provided with sufficient opportunities to use these skills. During lessons, support staff are sometimes passive and underused during whole-class teaching sessions. There

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

are ways in which their considerable skills can be better used during this time. Little London Community - 31 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

p.30

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

59. The headteacher, governors and staff of the school should:

p.31

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise standards in English, mathematics and science (Paragraphs 1, 2, 56, 78, 90, 98, 101, 102) by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improving the quality of teaching across the school and the rate of progress of all pupils; • ensuring that the design of activities and tasks is calculated to challenge and inspire pupils across the ability range; • raising expectations of higher attaining pupils; • raising expectations of boys; • using ICT consistently as a tool to promote learning in these subjects.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Raise standards in ICT (Paragraphs 2, 22, 56, 58, 88, 101) by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring that the skills pupils learn are well used in lessons on a day-to- day basis to support learning in a range of subjects; • developing teachers’ skills and confidence in how ICT can be best used to promote progress.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Make further improvement in the quality of teaching (Paragraphs 21, 22, 56, 100) by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• finding ways to improve pace, challenge and expectations in lessons; • designing tasks and activities that make demands of pupils’ intellectual and creative input; • making better use of support staff during whole-class teaching sessions; • making and using careful measurements of pupils’ progress to ensure that it is clear what needs to be learned to make progress even better, especially in the work expected of higher attaining pupils.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Improving the use made of assessments of pupils’ attainment and the progress they make (Paragraphs 37, 41, 56) by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• capitalising on the good information already gathered about progress; • sharpening and refining the focus of assessments; • using measurements of progress and potential to accelerate learning.

p.31

the following less important issue:

• The establishment of a strategy for systematic and well-focused visits to the school by the governing body. (Paragraphs 57) Little London Community - 32 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 33

p.32

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y 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 almost two percentage points.

p.32

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) 24 189

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/a 85

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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 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 5 45

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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 56

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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 30

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 27

p.32

Attendance

School data 5.6 School data 0.7 Little London Community - 33 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.32

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Little London Community - 34 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

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 13 15 28

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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 5 8 8 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 13 13

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

Percentage of pupils School 64 (57) 75 (67) 75 (67) 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 7 8 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 13 13

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

Percentage of pupils School 71 (63) 75 (67) 79 (83) 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.

p.34

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 11 10 21

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.34

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

Boys 6 10 10 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 4 4 8

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

Percentage of pupils School 48 (33) 67 (23) 86 (57) 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

p.34

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

Boys 7 9 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 4 4 5

p.34

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

Percentage of pupils School 52 (36) 62 (32) 67 (50) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.34

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Little London Community - 35 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

p.34

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

White – any other White background 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 18 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.35

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 17 0 0

p.35

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 12 0 0

p.35

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.35

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 19 0 0

p.35

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 4 0 0

p.35

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10 Financial year 2001-2002

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 706,290

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 11 Total expenditure 678,600

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 331 Expenditure per pupil 3,299

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year -19,910

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 7,780

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 65 Little London Community - 36 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery Number of pupils per FTE adult 12

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Little London Community - 37 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

p.36

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 4

p.37

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3

p.37

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.37

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.37

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.37

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Little London Community - 38 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

p.37

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.38

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.38

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 69 27 3 0 1

p.38

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 62 29 6 0 3

p.38

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 57 28 10 1 4

p.38

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 71 23 2 1 3

p.38

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 84 15 1 0 0

p.38

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 79 16 3 0 2

p.38

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 70 23 6 1 0

p.38

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 72 20 7 1 0

p.38

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 66 29 4 1 0

p.38

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 58 27 10 2 3

p.38

Results of the survey of parents and carers

A small number of parents raised concerns about the safety and security of school premises. It is the view of the inspection team that the school does all that can reasonably be expected of a school to ensure that pupils are safe and well-cared for. Arrangements for dealing with security contingencies are very good. Little London Community - 39 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

60. The school has improved the provision for children in both the Nursery and Reception since the previous inspection. The progress children make continues to be good overall. This includes the progress of those with special educational needs, for whom provision is both caring and supportive of their learning. Children’s early language skills are emphasised, as are their personal and social skills. The shortcomings in teaching plans identified in the previous inspection have been positively addressed. Planning for both Nursery and Reception classes ensures that all the children have good opportunities to grow and develop towards the Early Learning Goals - the expected levels for the end of their Reception Year. The quality of teaching is good in all the areas of learning. Development of the curriculum, provision and improvements in standards have benefited from the clear and committed leadership of the

p.39

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Strengths in the provision for Nursery and Reception are:

p.39

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

• the variety of activities that draw children into play that helps them to learn; • the very good provision for pupils’ personal and social development; • early identification and support for children with special educational needs; • very high quality learning with computers.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

• adult support for language development in the Nursery.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61. Children are admitted into the Nursery from the age of three years and most of them move into the Reception Class in the term in which they are five. The school has admission arrangements that can be flexible according to the development and the need of the individual child. In an endeavour to raise achievement, some children attend the Nursery full-time but most attend part-time. Parents welcome the home visits and the communication that takes place. This helps to ensure that children are aware of the routines before they start.

p.39

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. The plans for teaching have undergone radical change since 2001. National guidance has been taken into account in planning the curriculum and now reflects the six areas of learning set out for the Foundation Stage. Much effort and teamwork has developed the series of topics to ensure that children in both Nursery and Reception make important links in their learning so that they get off to a flying start. In addition, much work has gone into the very good profiles that record each child’s progress along the ‘Stepping Stones’ towards the Early Learning Goals. These observations indicate that children start Nursery well below levels usually seen in all areas of learning. Prior attainment is significantly low in communication, language, literacy and mathematical development. By the time they enter Year 1, many of the children have met the expectations for personal, social and emotional development, creative,

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

knowledge and understanding of the world and physical development. Despite the good progress, which accelerates in the Reception Class as children’s skills develop, only the higher attaining children meet the expectations for communication, language, literature and mathematics. Most children have much headway to make. Little London Community - 40 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

p.39

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

63. Provision in this area is a strength of the school. The teaching is very good and pupils make very good progress from a low starting base. Achievement is very good because pupils make rapid progress through the ‘Stepping Stones’ in personal, social and emotional development and most acquire the Early Learning Goals in this area by the time they leave the Reception class. The school begins its provision before children start in the Nursery. For example, the toy library is used as a tool for supporting children before they are admitted as they begin to be learners through play. This is an effective way of channelling children’s energies and preparing them for playing with others. Both the Nursery class and the Reception class have efficient routines that help children to be calm and settled. Teachers and other adults deal consistently and supportively with children, which helps children to accept routines

p.40

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

64. Adults have high expectations of behaviour. They expect children to do a great deal for themselves and this is good provision for learning to be independent. For example, children register themselves when they arrive for school. Children acquire a growing confidence in approaching adults, including visitors and occasional helpers. Children are interested in their learning. They listen well and begin to organise their own learning. The school is careful about its embedded routines and care.

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Communication, Language and Literature

65. Children’s speaking is very limited when they enter Nursery. Many resourceful opportunities develop their language skills, often on a one-to-one basis with adults, through painting, planting and delving into sand and water in purposeful play and investigations. Although children make good progress, some do not have enough informal opportunities to engage with adults in their independent play activities where they might reap the benefits. There is much lively work that continues on into Reception. Children enjoy playful rhymes and join in with familiar stories. They chant “Fi-fi-fo-fum” with endless satisfaction as Jack climbs the beanstalk, but for many children, their use of words and phrases remains below those of the Early Learning Goals. Evidence from children’s work indicates that standards in writing are lower than would normally be found but that those capable of meeting the Early Learning

p.40

Communication, Language and Literature

66. In Reception, children are expected to register by signing in. They copy simple words and phrases and very good teaching of writing ensures that the early skills of letters, words and simple phrases bring many of the more able children towards the expected levels. This is because there are a rich variety of very well planned opportunities to record. They include lots of questions that the children have asked when interviewing people who work in school.

p.40

Communication, Language and Literature

67. Although standards in reading are lower than normally found when children start Year 1, very effective teaching links between reading and writing helps to entice the children into the world of story – with letters from “Jack” and “the giant” to the children. These skilful teaching links, early letter sounds, rhyme and word work ensure that learning is consistent across the areas of learning. This quality provision includes lists, notices, letters and questions and means that children achieve well. Little London Community - 41 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

p.40

Mathematical development

68. The teaching of counting and dealing with numbers is well focused. Much of this work is constantly reinforced so that children in Nursery begin to order numbers routinely, as they sing counting rhymes to ten. These help children to learn with fun and with constant repeats - which they love. A good number of the children in Reception count numbers to 20 with reasonable accuracy. A few above average children work out how many of the class are absent if there are 24 present out of their class of 30. Although children achieve well, the standards are below those usually found. Local authority measurements of attainment and progress at this age show pupils achieve standards higher than those in similar schools locally.

p.41

Mathematical development

69. Children’s knowledge of measures, shape and patterns develop well. In Nursery, they measure scoops of mixture as they bake buns. Reception children estimate how many leaves there are in Jack’s basket and learn how to “tally” the number of leaves. Good teaching of mathematical language such as 1 more and 1 less helps children to use a number line for themselves.

p.41

Mathematical development

70. The teaching is good overall and significantly so in the Reception class, where lots of mathematical ideas, comparisons and estimates are very well planned into children’s activities, covering all the aspects of mathematics with close attention to children’s interests and needs.

p.41

Knowledge and Understanding of the world

71. Standards in this area of learning are close to those expected for children of this age. The very youngest children have a much greater awareness and understanding of computers than usually seen. Very good teaching from the earliest opportunity brings delight and some amazement as children use fingers to draw a picture on an interactive screen and see it saved to a page that can be stored and retrieved. Children have a growing understanding that people have different festivals and celebrations in their families.

p.41

Knowledge and Understanding of the world

72. Although the children are hampered by their use of language as they learn about the past and the world around them, the good teaching in both Reception and Nursery is planned to further their knowledge and understanding in these aspects. Children in Nursery describe well the fire-fighter’s work, the equipment used and how they respond to serious events. They explore fruit and their seeds; they plant and watch the growth. As they observe crocuses they planted outdoors in the grass, adults help them to look more closely at the qualities in the natural world. This continues in Reception with experiences that widen their understanding. They use information books and understand that they can be used to find things out. They undertake construction work and consider the strength of the “ladders” they make for Jack to climb the beanstalk. The very regular opportunities to explore, construct and investigate ensure that learning in this area is wide-ranging and robust.

p.41

Creative development

73. Most of the children achieve the Early Learning Goals in this area of learning because teaching is good. A broad range of activities in Nursery provides opportunities for children to use and mix primary colours. Thoughtfully, they paint daffodils in a vase and also express their excitement of the visiting fire engines in their “Fantastic Fire- fighters”. There are lots of activities to explore in different media Little London Community - 42 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery - to print, make patterns, build 3D shapes and select their own tools for the job. Spirited adult support of role-play activities encourages children to join in with the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, the repeated phrases and the re-telling as they make up their own version. They especially enjoy building Jack’s house with wooden blocks with the guidance of an adult.

p.41

Creative development

74. The children sing pleasantly and with some delight when familiar and well-loved songs are included in the daily sessions. They remember rhymes and try to keep together as they sing. Good teaching and the high quality relationships in these classes foster some sensitive responses from children as they learn to express themselves.

p.42

Physical development

75. Teaching is good. Children make good progress in their time in Nursery and Reception. The improved outdoor arrangements in Nursery contribute well to this provision. Most are on course to attain the Early Learning Goals across the whole area of learning by the time they start Year 1. However, limited communication skills adversely affect their learning as they listen and respond to instructions.

p.42

Physical development

76. Children in Nursery and Reception have a daily outdoor session to develop their skills of scrambling, racing, manoeuvring and balancing. Although there is limited large apparatus, children move around with some agility. They learn quickly to avoid collisions and to gauge the space around well enough. The children are given a good range of opportunities and resources to strengthen their muscles and develop increasingly fine control. These include activities with one and two handed tools and glue sticks, scissors, pens and brushes – all of which ensure that control is developed well.

p.42

Physical development

77. Adults maintain a keen eye on supervision and safety. There is an increasing expectation of children that lessons in the hall are well ordered and that they managed themselves well as they move from room to hall. Children are expected to change themselves with a degree of dexterity by the time they are ready for Year 1. They do.

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ENGLISH

78. Standards are below average overall. For pupils in Year 2, attainment is below average in reading and writing and well below average in speaking and listening. For pupils in Year 6, attainment is below average in reading and in speaking and listening and well below average in writing attainment. There is a wide range of attainment in each class. Fewer pupils than average reach the higher levels in the subject. For a small group of pupils in each class, attainment is low because they are in the very early stages of English, having recently arrived in this country, sometimes with refugee status. Most pupils, including the high proportion of pupils with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs, work hard and achieve very well. Standards in English show good improvement overall since the previous inspection. Given the complexities brought to the school by pupils and given their prior

p.42

ENGLISH

attainment on entry to school, pupils make good progress and achieve well. The National Literacy Strategy has been fully integrated. Teaching is now good overall, sometimes very good, and a good range of support systems is in place to meet the differing needs of pupils. Not enough use is made of ICT to support learning in English. Little London Community - 43 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery Strengths in the subject are: • the consistently good quality of the teaching challenges pupils well; • the high number of support staff in most lessons helps to meet pupils’ differing needs; • the very good management of the pupils enables concentrated effort; • the use of constructive discussion to improve pupils’ speaking and listening skills and their understanding of what they read has a very positive impact on their learning.

p.42

ENGLISH

Areas for development are: • the further development of the pupils’ speaking and listening skills; • the linking of pupils’ writing skills to a systematic series of targets set across the whole school, matched to the levels of learning identified by the National Curriculum; • continuing work with pupils with learning difficulties, particularly boys; • for a significant number of pupils, their handwriting and the presentation of their written work.

p.43

ENGLISH

79. The school has worked hard to get the youngest pupils off to a good start and for the pupils in Years 1 and 2, the quality of teaching is never less than good overall, and often very good. Lessons are well planned and taught at a brisk pace. Teachers and support staff manage the pupils very well. No time is wasted and excellent relationships mean that pupils are keen to learn. From a lower than average starting point, pupils in Year 1 achieve very well and, despite their limited speaking skills, most pupils make good progress with reading and writing, and are on course to attain at least an average level for their age by the end of the year. Higher attaining pupils in Year 1, for example, showed their confidence in writing sentences about Cinderella in the style of a diary with a good level of independence. Average attaining pupils wrote two or three sentences, using wipe clean boards to enable first tries to be easily

p.43

ENGLISH

corrected. Lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs worked with more support from adults to compile sentences together, mostly showing a rapidly increasing awareness of letters and their sounds. Very thorough teaching and daily practice of letter sounds, blends and frequently used words begin in Reception and continue systematically through Years 1 and 2, supporting both reading and writing well. Support staff are plentiful and sometimes include extra teachers. This ensures good opportunities for pupils to extend their learning within small groups, with frequent opportunities to engage in dialogue with adults to promote language skills.

p.43

ENGLISH

80. In writing by the end of Year 2, the majority of pupils meet the nationally expected level for the age group (National Curriculum level 2) but none reaches a higher level. Pupils show a good level of confidence in approaching their work and this confidence is nurtured very well in Year 2, where most pupils write sentences with little need for support from the teacher. A routine is well established whereby pupils build on the first draft of their work by correcting spellings and adding more interesting and descriptive words until the finished version, when copied out, is suitably polished. Pupils enjoy listening to stories from a range of cultures, which helps their own ideas for stories to build up well over time.

p.43

ENGLISH

81. In reading in previous years, fewer pupils in Year 2 have reached the average level than in writing, but reading fluency is improving and the gap is closing. Reading is practised less at home than in most schools and this lowers standards. This is Little London Community - 44 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery despite the school’s efforts to help pupils to read to adults more frequently than in many schools. Plenty of opportunities are provided for pupils to develop their understanding of what they read, working in whole-class or small groups. Teaching is most successful when a suitable means is found to highlight features of texts shared as a class, such as through the use of a clear plastic overlay or an overhead projector. Occasionally the school’s high expectations mean that a book is presented for class study that is too complex, reducing opportunities for learning for most pupils.

p.43

ENGLISH

82. For the pupils in Years 3 to 6, teaching and learning are good, overall, but range from satisfactory to very good. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills make good progress because discussions based on good questioning by teachers are successful features of most lessons. Vocabulary across all subjects is explained and used appropriately. The pupils with English as an additional language benefit well from this effective provision and make good, and sometimes very good, progress. Poetry provides a successful vehicle for the study of language. In Year 4, an average attaining pupil wrote, for example, in a poem about a witch’s kitchen, ‘ The bubbling potion, green as grass, …. (with) green snails, big and black whales and no sound except the old witch’s cackling. ’ Pupils in Year 6 achieve a good level of discussion on subjects such as, ‘ Should mobile phones be allowed in school ?’ Discussions in history and

p.44

ENGLISH

geography focus on differing viewpoints, for example, on the decisions facing countries on the verge of war.

p.44

ENGLISH

83. By Year 6, pupils’ attainment in reading is ahead of their writing, reflecting the national position. Pupils know what types of books they enjoy and experience a suitable range of both fiction and non-fiction, but few give the name of favourite authors and discuss their books. Additional resources have been purchased recently to extend and support further the school’s arrangements for reading in small groups. Additional resources and reading in small groups is raising standards further. Again, opportunities to practise reading at home are limited and the older pupils tend to read fewer books than in many schools. The analysis of characters within texts and their motivation is supported well by the excellent provision in the school for personal and social development. Suitably challenging texts are shared with whole classes but facilities are not always available to highlight and mark the text to support the good

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ENGLISH

teaching. For example, in a lesson in Year 4 the rising anxiety within the text was very usefully likened to a ‘ mood thermometer ’ but places where the increasing tension was made evident were not clearly identified on the text to aid pupils’ understanding. Occasionally not enough time is given to emphasise particular teaching points. For example, brief teaching meant that pupils in Year 3 made a superficial analysis of a text that included instructions. In other lessons, the whole-class start to the lesson carries on for too long and, consequently, the pace of learning slows and pupils have too little time to practise skills individually.

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ENGLISH

84. The teaching of writing in the classes for older pupils is not generally so well co- ordinated and tracked as it is in Years 1 and 2. When marking the pupils’ written work, the teachers of the pupils in Years 4 and 6, however, generally identify very clearly successful element and points for development and the pace of progress improves as a result. Punctuation skills are relatively slow to develop, with the use of full stops and capital letters for the punctuation of sentences being particularly slow to become established. Teachers give frequent reminders but innovative methods to catch pupils’ attention more successfully are not evident. Teachers have quite rightly Little London Community - 45 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery made the development of pupils’ writing a priority for improvement, giving more lesson time to extending writing skills in Years 5 and 6 since the previous inspection. In

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consequence, test results have more than doubled but standards remain well below average.

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ENGLISH

85. Handwriting varies in quality between classes. It is of a good standard in Year 1 and for most pupils in Year 4 but weak overall. Joined handwriting is slow to develop and much of the pupils’ work is presented without the good care that most show in the oral part of lessons. Standards vary in Year 6, but most pupils write in neat and legible mainly joined writing when working at their best.

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ENGLISH

86. Teachers and support staff combine their work conscientiously to help the pupils with special educational needs and those in the very early stages of speaking English to make good progress in relation to previous learning. Most pupils in the lowest attaining groups are boys and this accounts for the difference found between the attainment of boys and that of girls in National Curriculum tests. Individual education plans set for pupils with special educational needs provide suitable targets but are sometimes not expressed in sufficiently small steps to provide good support for teaching and learning. Nevertheless, support is readily available, teachers are clear on what is to be achieved in each lesson and this leads to very good achievement and good progress with literacy skills.

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ENGLISH

87. For pupils learning English as an additional language, progress is good because of the frequent opportunities provided for practising speaking and listening, backed up by the confidence pupils generally develop in expressing their own opinions. For these pupils, the teachers’ investment of hard work in helping pupils to understand their reading and to develop their writing skills earlier pays off well and most pupils are able to make consistently good progress in both reading and writing.

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ENGLISH

88. Literacy skills make a satisfactory contribution to learning in other subjects. Lessons in history, for example, provide useful extra practice and purpose for reading and writing. ICT is increasingly used to support learning in reading and writing but it is not used sufficient on a day to day basis in lessons.

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ENGLISH

89. The subject leader works hard to support staff in developing the teaching and learning in the subject through the school and this has paid off in rising standards. However, checking systems are not consistent or rigorous enough to ensure that learning is of the same high quality throughout the school. Measurements of progress in reading are a good support to further teaching and learning well. Targets for writing in Years 3 to 6 are not always sufficiently linked to specific skills to maximise pupils’ opportunities for learning.

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MATHEMATICS

90. Standards in the work seen during inspection are below average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. However, there has been a significant improvement in the pupils’ National Curriculum test results in the past two years after a fall in standards following the previous inspection. Pupils now make good progress through the school due to good teaching and their own interest in the subject. Many pupils are now approaching the national average at the end of both year groups with an increasing number exceeding the required standard. Little London Community - 46 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery Strengths in the subject are:

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MATHEMATICS

• the quality of teaching and learning; • the progress that pupils are making; • the very good help provided for many pupils by learning support assistants and other helpers.

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MATHEMATICS

• to make more use of ICT in the subject during lessons; • provide more challenge for higher attainers in those classes using the new scheme of work.

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MATHEMATICS

91. An analysis of pupils’ work in different age groups shows that attainment is improving. The effect of the introduction of the new scheme of work within the numeracy strategy is that already an increasing number of pupils are performing almost at the expected level and a higher number are reaching above the national average. The teachers are very good at encouraging pupils to think for themselves. They are expected to explain to the rest of the class why they have used a particular strategy. For example, in a Year 2 lesson, pupils enjoyed explaining which coins they would use to buy certain articles and in a Year 6 lesson pupils were challenged to explain how they arrived at the answer to questions involving high numbers and decimals. The ability that pupils gain from this thinking enables them to apply their knowledge to new problems.

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MATHEMATICS

92. The quality of teaching is good overall. The numeracy strategy has been developed well and teachers link it effectively with the new scheme of work, which has so far been introduced in Years 1, 2 and 3. Pupils are becoming more secure in their use of number and their use of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. The mental mathematics sessions at the beginning of lessons are helping to increase the pupils’ confidence, speed and accuracy in number calculations. Pupils’ competence in other areas of the subject such as shape, space and measure is satisfactory. Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to practise different elements of mathematics in subjects such as design and technology. For example, Year 6 pupils measured very carefully as they designed their garden shelters and Year 3 pupils made very good use of their knowledge of two dimensional shapes as they prepared a printing design

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MATHEMATICS

in the Asian style. Pupils prepare graphs in science and understand time lines in history.

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MATHEMATICS

93. Excellent relationships in lessons create a purposeful working atmosphere. The classroom assistants are used particularly well in every class to support the learning of individuals and small groups of pupils. Pupils with special educational needs are given every opportunity to learn and the support they receive is very much appreciated by many parents who made a special effort to mention this at the time of the inspection.

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MATHEMATICS

94. Marking is always at least satisfactory and in many classes it is good. Pupils’ work is marked regularly and thoroughly, and there is a good analysis of pupils’ strengths and weaknesses. Good work is celebrated and useful suggestions are made for further improvement. As a result of this assessment the evidence in pupils’ books shows that many pupils are making good progress, learning well and are gaining in confidence over time. Little London Community - 47 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery 95. The school makes good use of information from assessments including the National Curriculum tests at the end of Years 2 and 6, and the optional tests at the end of Years 3, 4 and 5. This information is used well to identify any areas of weakness so that future teaching and learning can address them. For example, the development of mathematical language is now a focus of attention in every lesson.

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MATHEMATICS

96. The majority of pupils enjoy mathematics but in most classes there are a few boys who do not achieve as well as they should due to their behaviour problems. Teachers and support staff use the school’s well-developed strategies to manage these pupils very effectively. In the last resort the headteacher spends time with individual pupils combining endless patience with his calming authority.

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MATHEMATICS

97. The management of the subject is good. There has been monitoring of teaching and learning in all classes, which has led to an improvement in the standard of teaching. During the inspection a group of pupils were observed making very good progress in their mathematics in the ICT suite. However this facility is under-used at present in classrooms and pupils need more opportunities to practise on a regular basis. Homework is set and carefully checked when pupils return it to school. The school is in a strong position to move forward with this increasing level of improvement.

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SCIENCE

98. Standards are below average by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Despite this, pupils make good progress and overall they achieve well. This includes pupils from different backgrounds, those learning English as a new language and pupils with special educational needs. Pupils with the potential for higher attainment do not do as well as they could. Most pupils in the school attain the expected standard for their age. However, very few achieve the higher than expected levels for their age. A higher proportion than is usual stay at a level below that expected. Teaching in science is good overall and enables most pupils to be good learners. The school has maintained its standards and provision since the previous inspection.

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SCIENCE

• pupils’ understanding of the investigative nature of science; • their knowledge of the principles of ‘fair testing’; • teaching and learning are good overall.

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SCIENCE

Raising standards overall through – • promoting better progress for higher attaining pupils; • intensifying the use of subject specific vocabulary to promote scientific thinking; • finding a better way of collating pupils’ written work, especially in Years 1 and 2; • designing better and more challenging tasks in some lessons; • using ICT as a tool for learning and recording.

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SCIENCE

99. Pupils in Year 6 have a clear and mature understanding of the nature of science. They know that science makes a close examination of the wonders of the natural world. They have a good insight into the way that an investigation is structured. They find difficulty in using the scientific words for hypothesis and the use of prediction as a scientific tool. However, they discuss these principles in everyday words of their own choosing. Their knowledge of ‘fair testing’ to ensure that an investigation is Little London Community - 48 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery reliable is well established. They talk about ‘ keeping some things the same ’ and ‘ changing other things’ . However, they are unable to use the term ‘control’ and ‘variable’. They know that an investigation must be subjected to testing and re-testing to achieve scientific validity. Overall, throughout the school, pupils demonstrate a

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SCIENCE

satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the full breadth of the curriculum. Some have a good understanding of how to go about scientific research independently. One girl rose to the teacher’s challenge in class, ‘ Why don’t you try to find out for yourself at home? ’ by using the Internet as a learning tool, finding the factual information required and communicating the information to friends through mobile phone texting. This good and spontaneous use of ICT for learning in science is the only example seen in the school during the inspection.

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SCIENCE

100. Most lessons seen were good. Teachers manage pupils well and have good subject knowledge that they use effectively. Resources are generally well thought out and many lessons go with a swing. As a result, pupils learn well. They are engaged and interested. Concentration at a good level means many produce a good volume of work. The most successful lessons made pupils think. This was achieved through good questioning and through imaginative tasks and activities. Occasionally, too much is done for pupils in preparing their tasks. This does not stimulate thinking and therefore does stifle higher attainment at times.

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SCIENCE

101. While most pupils now achieve the standard expected, few go on to be successful in the higher than expected levels for their age. A significant minority continues to achieve below the level expected for their age. This evidence from inspection week discussions, observation of lessons and analysis of pupils’ written work confirms the school’s trend of results in standard National Curriculum tests. Many pupils have specific barriers to learning that are not connected with their school life. The school does all it can to provide a suitable learning environment for all pupils. However, pupils with the potential to higher attainment are sometimes insufficiently challenged. They are not comfortable in the use of subject specific language. Some tasks do not expect enough of them, of their thinking and creativity. Pupils rarely have opportunities to use ICT in lessons. There were no whole-class examples of using ICT to collect

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SCIENCE

and analyse data from investigations. No work was produced using pupils’ word processing skills, except for one example from a pupil with very specific learning needs. The only example of using ICT as a tool for research was in work done by a well motivated and higher attaining pupil at home. Some pupils do use ‘Grid Club’ as an aid to learning.

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SCIENCE

102. Pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 record their science written work in a topic book that is used for many purposes, or sometimes on loose pieces of paper. It was clear in discussion with pupils in Year 2, that although they have covered the essential parts of the curriculum, they have difficulty in identifying what is science and what is another subject. This, then, makes it difficult for them to think in scientific terms. This in turn hampers higher achievement. It is significant that while most pupils achieve the expected level in Year 2 National Curriculum assessments, none have achieved the higher levels in recent years. Pupils are currently unable to discriminate between scientific thinking and thinking to support learning in other subjects. This is attributable, at least in part, to the way they record and collate their written work in science. Little London Community - 49 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

103. Standards in art and design are above average and in design and technology they are average at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. These standards have been maintained since the previous inspection in both areas of the curriculum.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

• the use of sketch books in Years 1 to 6 to sketch and design ideas and to develop original plans; • the use of both subjects in other curriculum areas throughout the school; • the use of good resources to develop pupils’ skills; • the good use of support staff to assist groups of pupils in lessons.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

An area for development in the subject is:

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

• to make good use of the exciting opportunities presented in both subjects on completion of the new SPACE @ building attached to the school.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

104. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 do sufficient work in both subjects. Pupils in the Year 1 class were observed weaving with a wide variety of materials. During a discussion before they carried out their tasks, the teacher stressed the development of language, which formed an important link with their literacy lessons. Work was carefully matched to the pupils’ prior attainment. Classroom assistants and volunteers provided good support for all pupils. This support was particularly helpful for those pupils with learning difficulties. It enabled the whole class to make good progress and helped boost their self-esteem when they proudly showed their finished articles to the whole class. Year 2 pupils had walked round the area making sketches of buildings before finishing their pictures in the classroom, providing a good display to help their understanding in geography and history.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

105. In Years 3 to 6 there are clear links between the two subjects. Sketchbooks are used very well to help pupils design or plan their work. In both subjects they are used at the end of a unit of work to assess how successful it has been and note what improvements could be made. Sketchbooks were particularly effective in the Year 5 class when pupils were making pots from clay. At the end of the lesson, while most pupils were satisfied with their design and the finished product, a few realised their design had been rather too elaborate and noted the improvements they could make.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. In discussion with pupils it was obvious they all enjoyed both art and design and design and technology. They were very enthusiastic about visits to art galleries and other places of interest, such as the Sculpture Park. They had enjoyed working with staff from a local supermarket who had taught them how to make bread and given them more understanding of the different types of bread from other countries around the world.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. Display throughout the school shows that teachers use pupils’ growing skills to enhance learning in other subjects. For example in a science lesson Year 1 pupils made very good sketches of flowering plants before labelling the different parts. In history Year 4 pupils had made models of Viking shields and produced skeletons in black and white to help their understanding in science. Year 6 linked their art and design and physical education by producing excellent paintings of pupils taking part in a variety of sports. In their sketchbooks they had practised improving their drawing Little London Community - 50 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery of faces, paying particular attention to eyes and mouths before attempting their final piece of work. This improved their ability to reflect different expressions on faces. Their understanding of movement was very good and their attention to detail made the

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. The scheme of work meets National Curriculum requirements and enables teachers to ensure that skills are developed. The assessment procedures are simple but effective. The subject leader monitors provision by evaluating teachers’ planning and keeps a check on standards by examining pupils’ finished work. There is a suitable range of good quality tools, materials and objects to use as stimuli such as artefacts in religious education displays, and these make a good contribution to pupils’ attainment. The school works hard to celebrate pupils’ achievements as well as using art work to create an attractive and stimulating environment for learning. Art and design make a significant contribution to pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development. The school is eagerly awaiting the completion of the new arts building when even more exciting opportunities will be available to enhance the teaching of

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

109. Standards meet expectations set nationally in history and geography, as they did at the time of the previous inspection. The achievement of most pupils, including girls and boys and those with special educational needs, and those for whom English is not the language of the home, is good overall and sometimes very good. Teaching is good and bearing in mind the lower than average starting point for most pupils, particularly with reference to their speaking and listening skills, progress is good.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

• how to find and research historical and geographical evidence; • good opportunities for discussion ensure the pupils’ participation and extend learning; • educational visits enrich the pupils’ learning well.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

No areas for development specific to history were identified.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

• the establishment of a clear plan for the progressive use of mapping skills through the school.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

110. In history by the end of Year 2, pupils know that changes take place over time, such as in equipment used in the home. Teachers make lessons interesting and enhance pupils’ understanding well by arranging for artefacts to be loaned from local museums and organising, for example, washdays in the style of times past. Pupils analyse past events, such as the fire that burned down their own school, by studying photographs and interviewing eyewitnesses. Visits out of school and first hand sources enhance pupils’ learning. For example, in geography, pupils in Year 1 make simple maps of their journeys to school or to a relative’s home. In Year 2, pupils study photographs of the seaside town of Whitby and contrast features with those in Leeds. They identify which are man-made and which are natural features of the environment. Later in the year, pupils visit a local valley trail to provide experience of a field study. The school’s

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

commitment to helping pupils to understand other Little London Community - 51 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery countries and their inhabitants is evident in the work on Africa, which includes making models of Ndbele houses. Pupils have a good general geographical knowledge, for example, they name a long list of countries of the world.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

111. In discussion, pupils in Year 6 show that they analyse historical events from different standpoints, such as the differing viewpoints of the German people in response to Hitler’s ambition to establish an Aryan race. Similar skills were usefully brought to bear on a review of current events in the Iraqi arms situation, linking with work in geography. A good use of contemporary newspaper accounts helped pupils to analyse and compare the evidence well. Pupils in Year 3 considered the features of life in Ancient Egypt that made conditions for the people harder or easier. This deepened their understanding of ancient civilisation. In Year 4, pupils viewed Tudor times from the perspective of both rich and the poor people, giving them a deeper insight in social conditions. In Year 5, pupils wrote a letter of complaint to a ‘factory owner’, highlighting the poor working conditions for children in Victorian times. They

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

made relevant comparison of children’s lives then with their own. Geographical skills are linked to history where possible through the use of maps, although in general mapping skills are not clearly defined through the school, leading to some lack of extension of skills. By Year 6, pupils describe the rain cycle clearly and give examples of rivers in both Great Britain and other countries, showing an awareness of the climates that are characteristic of different regions and why. Work on a contrasting location, such as a village in Africa, helps pupils in Year 4 to understand the differences in the lifestyles of the people compared to their own city. Visits to the village of Clapham in the Dales for pupils in Year 6 and to Lineham Farm for a residential visit by pupils in Year 5 provide useful comparative fieldwork and opportunities for river studies.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

112. Valuable opportunities are provided for discussion within history lessons, in particular, such as when pupils in Year 6 discussed the evacuation of children from cities during the Second World War and when pupils in Year 1 described a modern toy to a partner. Pupils develop reading skills through finding out from books and sometimes from computer websites in both subjects. Written work is extended through, for example, letter writing ‘in role’ in history and devising a pamphlet of information for visitors to Leeds. Sequential timelines are compiled, which add to pupils’ skills in mathematics, as do the co-ordinates used on maps in geography. Few opportunities are found to use ICT for either research or for recording evidence in either subject. There are some examples: for instance Year 2 pupils visited a web-site to research their Butlin's project while older pupils used ICT to find out about World War II

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

113. The subject leaders are in the process of modifying the curriculum as the school adopts nationally devised schemes of work in both subjects. The curriculum is in a transition phase at present and this means, for example, that the Ancient Greeks have been studied in both Year 5 and Year 6 classes this year. Portfolios of work are being compiled and provide useful opportunities to establish standards for written work and depth of study for each year group. Both subjects have identified priorities for improvement in the school’s strategic planning. The particular focus is on checking the quality of teaching and learning in lessons. Assessment systems are clearly linked to subject skills and provide a useful check on learning at the end of each topic. Little London Community - 52 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114. Inspection evidence indicates that attainment is close to that expected nationally in Years 1 – 2. Although achievement is often good and sometimes very good in lessons, attainment is below that expected in Years 3 – 6. This is largely because there are not enough opportunities in other subjects for pupils to apply their skills despite the tremendous efforts of the subject leader. Achievement continues to rise because she underpins most of the successful teaching and learning in the school. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good because their needs are particularly well supported. There have been substantial improvements in the subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

• outstanding subject leadership; • the quality and impact of the specialist teaching; • the very high level of extra-curricular activities for Years 3 – 6; • training and support for all staff, especially for classroom assistants; • the contribution the subject makes to the way that pupils work with each other.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Taking into account elderly nature of some classroom computers, an area for development in the subject is:

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

• the day-to-day use of computers in other subjects.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

115. Curriculum activities are particularly well planned. They assure that all the pupils gain computer skills in a clear step-by-step approach. Pupils with special educational needs are guided towards the expected learning points in lessons so that they achieve them. Although the opportunities for pupils to practise these skills using classroom computers are hindered by older hardware in most classrooms, there are rich opportunities for those pupils who want to use the computers during break times and lunchtimes. This provides prime time to browse the Internet site selected and to use skills taught. In the specialist lessons in the computer suite, there are many opportunities for pupils to deepen their knowledge and gain an understanding of the transforming effect of information handling and electronic communication. This is not yet the case in day-to-day lessons, even though support staff bring groups of pupils to

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

the computer suite for short profitable sessions.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

116. In the computer suite, lessons are designed to build on pupils’ understanding and skill. Of significant note are the many occasions when learning really does challenge pupils – and not just the more able ones. In one such example, the specialist teacher explained the wider computer environment, the links between computers and the exciting effects that control brings. One child (in the early stages of acquiring English) was particularly amazed by the experience as he suddenly grasped the complex idea.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

117. The quality of teaching is good overall. Much of the specialist teaching is of a high quality. Very good use is made of subject knowledge. The teaching is brisk and interesting. The commitment to pupils’ progress is found in the daily clubs arranged to extend pupils’ skills and knowledge. Specialist teaching skills are very well used to guide and advise less well experienced teachers. Other teachers are just beginning to use computers in their teaching other than for ordinary and simple programmes that support simple routine tasks. They have some way to go to use computers as Little London Community - 53 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery powerful tools for teaching and learning. As confidence and skills grows, teachers are beginning to use the linked whiteboards effectively in their lessons. Pupils’ progress is closely checked and very skilfully used in the following lessons by the

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MUSIC

118. Although attainment remains below that seen nationally in Years 1 to 6, recent improvements in the subject provision since September 2002 have contributed to the high quality of learning for many of the pupils in Little London School. The outstanding quality of the teaching of the subject leader and the contribution of a vibrant musician from the local area contributes in no small measure to the very good achievement in the subject.

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MUSIC

• very good leadership; • the specialist knowledge of the subject leader and the visiting musician; • steel pans, brass and woodwind and band tuition for pupils in Years 5-6; • some excellent lessons; • resources that are customised to enrich the subject; • the very strong planning and checks on pupils’ progress.

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MUSIC

• music is not usually played and commented upon during whole-school events such as assembly.

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MUSIC

119. The rich breadth of music the pupils experience ranges from traditional brass instrumental work, steel pan playing and singing in Swahili. This ensures that pupils get a very rich experience playing and singing in a wide range of musical traditions.

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MUSIC

120. Many of the pupils in Years 1 and 2 have difficulty copying and repeating patterns when clapping to a beat. Sensitive teaching helps pupils to gradually come to terms with what is expected of them. Because teachers have good musical skills, they use their music to bring about a calm and controlled learning environment. The very great efforts of all the musicians and support staff in these lessons are well worth the emphasis on live performance. Pupils learn to work together and in groups of similar instruments. The discipline of the subject makes a remarkable contribution to pupils’ sense of self and of teamwork. The range of teaching activities has been revamped recently by the subject leader and already, there is a positive impact on pupils’ understanding of the technical words. Very few of the pupils in Years 1 – 2 use these musical terms. The underlying patterns in musical pieces they encounter add an

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MUSIC

important mathematical dimension pupils’ achievement.

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MUSIC

121. In Years 3 to 6, pupils are enthusiastic and increasingly skilled in their knowledge and their use of these musical features. Much of the pupils’ music lessons are through band practice. This adds rigour to learning to play a chosen instrument. It adds a great deal to pupils’ curriculum experiences. It works well in extending learning opportunities. This brings challenge, increased discipline and kindles enthusiasm. Pupils have a sense of achievement as they compose musical phrases. Achievement is high. Pupils gain a sense of value, whatever their additional or Little London Community - 54 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery different learning difficulties they may have. Often they do not want these sessions to end. In one example seen, a Year 5 boy led the orchestration of a train journey, with some self-possession. This was an outstanding moment that gave a child the chance to shine. He did.

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MUSIC

122. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress. They develop a sense of rhythm and pitch with increasing accuracy. Listening skills are well developed through “sound-stories” composed by the pupils themselves but this is does not come easily. Provision for those pupils with musical talent is very good. In one notable example, the school choir sang for Nelson Mandela on his visit to the city.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

123. Standards in physical education are average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. In some lessons where teaching is very good and excellent the standards attained are above average. Pupils make good progress. This includes the progress made by pupils of different prior attainment and the progress made by pupils learning English as a new language. The teaching of physical education is very good and is at times outstandingly good. Most of the teaching seen was the work of a specialist sports coach who is not a qualified teacher. A visiting dance teacher gave one lesson and another lesson had the support of qualified swimming coaches from the local swimming pool. The enthusiasm and rigour of teaching make for an outstanding learning environment. Pupils approach their lessons with eager anticipation. The quality of teaching and learning and the standards achieved have improved since the previous inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

• the verve and enthusiasm with which the subject is taught; • the enthusiasm of pupils; • the way pupils are managed and inspired during lessons; • the comprehensive nature of the curriculum and the efficient shape of lessons; • pupils’ self-discipline and the use of established routines to make best use of available time for practice; • standards achieved; • the enhancement and enrichment of the curriculum through activities out of hours.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

• ensuring that warm-up sessions are briefer; • involving in lessons those pupils who need to sit out for medical or fitness reasons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124. The teaching is very good overall and lessons seen range from excellent to good. Very good use is made of sporting experience and knowledge. Lessons are then taken at a good pace, confidently and with enthusiasm. Skilful establishment of very good relationships, the use of elements of humour, suspense and surprise ensure that all pupils are engaged and inspired. The teaching is so vigorous, warm and welcoming that pupils cannot fail to make progress. Teaching ensures that pupils have to make choices and decisions. Good use is made of warm-up sessions and cool down. Activities ensure a good balance of strength, mobility and agility. Little London Community - 55 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery Resources are well chosen and distributed efficiently. The teacher has established very good routines and disciplines that the pupils follow very efficiently. This makes it possible to use time well for practising and refining skills. Visiting teachers make a

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

strong impact on learning. For example, a visiting dance teacher was a very good role model, through her attitudes, subject knowledge and enthusiasm. All the pupils were well focused on the learning objectives. It was not untypical of the school and its pupils that one boy, not normally well disposed to dance, approached the visiting teacher at the end of the lesson saying, ‘ Thanks for the lesson. I’ve really enjoyed that .’ In all the lessons seen, teachers were role models of the highest order, well able to establish a meaningful learning environment.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

125. Because teaching is very good and because pupils are so well engaged, standards are frequently above average. This was the case in the outcomes of the swimming lesson seen and it was the successful outcome of other very good lessons. Most pupils achieve at least the expected standard. Many pupils achieve above average standards. For example, in the dance lesson seen, a number of pupils were inspired to develop remarkable skills in agility and grace. Pupils throughout the school have a very good understanding of health and safety expectations, of the reasons for warm- up and cool down sessions and the effect of vigorous activity on the heart/lung function. This is the result of good teaching and well-established routines in lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

126. The range of activities to enrich the curriculum out of school hours is good. These activities engage a good number of pupils and are a particular stimulus to those pupils with specific gifts and talents in physical education and sport. For example, pupils play on football teams and netball teams. In summer they participate in athletics events. Some of these opportunities are in competitive matches but many activities occur during lunchtime and after school. The range of activities available involves opportunities for both boys and girls. Discussion with pupils gives a good indication of the enthusiasm with which the different opportunities are approached. This provision has a strong impact on the overall standards achieved.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127. Occasionally warm up sessions are too long. For example, in the Year 6 lesson seen, the warm up lasted for more than 20 minutes. The lesson was well-designed and made very good use of pupil choices and knowledge. However, it was clear that they were sufficiently well warmed up within ten minutes of the start of the lesson and that they were ready and eager to begin the main activity long before the teacher was. Only high quality relationships ensured that pupils remained well focused on their work during this waiting period. Sometimes pupils need to sit out of lessons for medical or other reasons. During inspection, pupils not directly involved in the lesson were well behaved but expected to be passive. There are ways in which such pupils can be involved and engaged in the lesson, for example, as recorders of time and repetitions and evaluators of the performance of other pupils.

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128. Standards in religious education meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Given their starting point, pupils make good progress and achieve well. This is the case for pupils with learning difficulties and for those learning English as a new language. The school is particularly good at engaging pupils from a wide range of backgrounds and using their knowledge of their own culture and faith traditions. Few lessons were seen and no overall judgement is made about the quality of teaching. The lessons and parts of lessons seen were good in content. Standards have been maintained since the previous inspection. Little London Community - 56 - February 2003 Primary School and Nursery Strengths in the subject:

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• the way learning in religious education is inclusive and encourages good understanding of a range of faiths and cultures; • the use teachers make of their subject knowledge; • the range of resources available to promote learning; • the balance achieved in the school between learning about religion and learning from religion.

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• improving the range and challenge of tasks and activities.

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129. Teaching and learning in religious education are very supportive of the overall aims and aspirations of the school. Good attention is paid to ensuring that all pupils are included. For example, Year 4 pupils were encouraged to reflect on their own faith culture, to identify ways in which different traditions are the same and where they differ. Pupils were quick to capitalise on the atmosphere of understanding, acceptance and respect to make their own contribution to the lessons. The work of pupils makes it very clear that they have good learning experiences in Christianity, Islam, Judaism and other religions. There is a great deal of sensitivity applied that gives confidence to pupils with family backgrounds of belief and non-belief. In the lessons seen, teachers have good subject knowledge and make good use of it to promote effective learning. Allied to their subject knowledge is their knowledge of

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pupils’ family and faith backgrounds and the way this knowledge is used to promote educational inclusion, understanding and good relationships. This is a considerable enhancement to the school’s provision for the personal development of pupils.

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130. The school provides a good range of resources to promote learning. For example, there are good collections of artefacts from a wide range of different faiths and culture backgrounds. The school library has a small collection of books for learning in religious education but it is a good and select collection. There are support books for teachers and posters for display use. During the inspection there was a good level of display in many classrooms well calculated to support learning. One of the features highlighted by discussion with pupils is the balance achieved between learning about religion and learning from religion. Older pupils, particularly, have a very clear understanding of different faiths, worship styles and places of worship, of holy books and central beliefs. Additionally, they have a good understanding of what different religions contribute to society by way of social and moral expectations, rules and

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expectations of life within family and faith. Pupils are of one mind about the fact that learning about different religions is of prime importance in developing understanding, acceptance and patience within the community of the school and area and within society in general.

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131. Occasionally pupils are not sufficiently directly involved in their learning. Sometimes teacher talk is too long. Occasionally strategies for involving pupils are not well enough thought out. At times, this is related to the pace at which the lesson is taken. For example, in an otherwise good lesson, instead of using the teacher’s considerable presence and story telling skills, the story was drawn out slowly from the children through questioning. More benefit would have been gained from a brisk telling of the story with role-play employed to see how far pupils had taken on the messages hidden within the story. Some tasks do little to challenge learning and do not make enough use of pupils growing skills in literacy.

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