Parkside Community Foundation Primary School

PARKSIDE COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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PARKSIDE COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Parkside Community Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and junior with nursery

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Tennyson Avenue Canterbury Postcode: CT1 1EP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs B Letchford

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 1998 Parkside Community Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

21184 Mr Alan Fullwood Registered inspector English Information and communication technology Music Physical 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? 1165 Mr Peter Dannheisser 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? 20614 Mr Don Kimber Team inspector Mathematics Religious education Geography History How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 30691 Mrs Kath Yates Team inspector Foundation Stage Science Art Design and technology English as an additional language Special educational needs Equal opportunities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Full Circle division of Parkman The Brow 23 Trewartha Park Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset BS23 2RT Parkside Community Primary School - 5 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 Parkside Community Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 13

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Parkside is a smaller than average sized primary school situated in the Northgate ward of Canterbury. There are 165 boys and girls on roll taught in six mixed or single age group classes. There is also a 52 part-time place nursery which currently caters for 37 part-time pupils. There are at present 23 Foundation Stage children in the reception class. There are currently more boys than girls. The school mainly serves two nearby local authority housing estates. The school serves an area of significant social disadvantage. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs, 74 per cent, is slightly higher than that found at the time of the last inspection. A very high proportion is subsequently identified with a very wide range of special educational needs. These needs range from moderate learning difficulties to emotional and behavioural difficulties, and include pupils with speech, language and specific

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

learning problems. Some pupils have profound and multiple learning difficulties, emotional, behavioural and physical difficulties. Eight pupils have Statements of Special Educational Need. There are a significant number of pupils who transfer in or out of the school at times other than the normal entry or leaving points, causing some problems over continuity of education for pupils. There are eight pupils with English as an additional language and 18 Traveller pupils, some of whom are now housed in the area. Approximately 50 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals. These figures are well above national averages and show that the school is working in exceptionally challenging circumstances. Furthermore, the school has experienced a high turnover of staff in recent years and, during the inspection, three classes were being taken by temporary teachers. The attainment of children on entry

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

to the school, although wide ranging, is generally very low.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Parkside Community Primary is an effective school where pupils, the majority of whom have learning difficulties, make good progress overall given their very low starting points. It provides a good education for its pupils and successfully encourages them to develop satisfactory attitudes to learning and to behave appropriately. The school is led and managed very well. It provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Provides very well for children in the nursery class and the provision in the reception class is good and this enables children to make a good start to their education. • Provides good support and very good care for the large numbers of pupils with special educational needs who make good progress overall. • The provision made for pupils’ moral and social development is very good. • The school is led and managed very well by the headteacher and senior management team.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Pupils’ standards of attainment in English, mathematics and science. • Pupils’ independence in their learning. • The level of some pupils’ attendance. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Parkside Community Primary School - 8

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress since it was last inspected in February 1998, when the quality of education it provided was requiring some improvement, as was the management and efficiency of the school. The school has worked hard and effectively to address all the key issues of the last inspection. Provision for information and communication technology and music have improved and pupils’ standards of attainment have improved as a result. Standards in geography, history and physical education have improved. This is due to the good quality of teaching pupils receive and the effective assessment and tracking procedures established to match work more accurately to pupils’ widely differing needs. The school improvement plan has clear success criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of new developments and the school has established effective procedures for recording pupils’ progress. The school now benefits from a spacious and purpose built nursery classroom

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

and pupils make a very good start to their education. Despite many changes of staff, the headteacher and governors have worked well together so that staff have a shared sense of purpose in improving the quality of education the school provides and the standards pupils achieve. The school is well placed to make further improvement.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The above table shows that in the 2002 National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, pupils’ standards of attainment in English and science were in the lowest five per cent when compared to all schools nationally and well below average in comparison with similar schools. Their attainment in mathematics was well below the national averages for all and similar schools. Inspection evidence indicates that the attainment of the current group of pupils in Year 6 in English, mathematics and science is well below national expectations but that most pupils make good progress in relation to their prior attainment. Standards have been maintained in these subjects. Standards in other National Curriculum subjects and religious education are in line with national expectations. Generally, pupils make good progress and achieve well in relation to their attainment at the end of Year 2 when aged seven. Standards have been improved since the last inspection, except in art and design

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STANDARDS

and technology where they have been maintained. In 2002 the school’s targets for English were exceeded but not achieved in mathematics.

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STANDARDS

National Curriculum test results for pupils at the end of Year 2 in 2002 showed standards of attainment in reading to be in the bottom five per cent of all schools nationally, and well below average in comparison with similar schools. In writing, standards were well below average in comparison with all schools, and below average in comparison with similar schools. Standards in mathematics were well below average in comparison with all schools, but Parkside Community Primary School - 9 average in comparison with similar schools. Standards in reading and writing have shown an upward trend in recent years whilst standards in mathematics have shown a consistent upward trend since the time of the last inspection. Evidence from the inspection indicates that the attainment of the current group of Year 2 pupils is well below expectations in reading, writing, mathematics and science but that pupils make satisfactory progress in relation to

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STANDARDS

their attainment on entry to the school. Standards in other National Curriculum subjects and religious education are in line with national expectations, and pupils make satisfactory progress in these subjects.

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STANDARDS

The vast majority of children in the nursery make very good progress and good progress is made in the reception class. However, most pupils do not attain the Early Learning Goals 1 in all areas of learning by the end of the Foundation Stage 2 because of their low starting points on entry to the school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Concentration spans are often short and many pupils have difficulty staying on task for even short periods of time. Staff are skilled in behaviour management strategies and most pupils know the boundaries well and keep to them. However, a significant number of pupils have behavioural difficulties and their concentration can easily wane. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory. Many pupils are keen to work hard and in most lessons behaved well. Good support procedures and consistent application of the school’s behaviour policy ensure that all pupils know what is acceptable or unacceptable behaviour. Behaviour is good around the school and in the playground, especially in the older playground. There was a high incidence of exclusions in the last reporting year but school records show that so far this year, the number of exclusions has fallen significantly.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Satisfactory. Most pupils display a passive attitude to their learning but are willing to take on general responsibilities around the school and in the classroom, for example, the ‘buddies’ who look after pupils without friends in the playground. Relationships between pupils are satisfactory and between adults and pupils they are good.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

1 Early Learning Goals - these are expectations for most children to reach by the end of the Foundation Stage. They refer mainly to achievements children make in connection with the following six areas of learning: communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; personal, social and emotional development; knowledge and understanding of the world; and physical and creative development. There are many goals for each area of learning, for example, in language and literacy pupils should be able to write their own name and other things such as labels and begin to write simple sentences.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

2 The Foundation Stage begins when children reach the age of three and finishes at the end of the reception class year. It is a distinct stage in preparing children for later schooling and is based on the six areas of learning above. Parkside Community Primary School - 10 Attendance Unsatisfactory. Attendance is well below the national average for primary schools. The level of unexplained or unauthorised absences is well above average although there are indications that it has fallen this year. However, the school monitors attendance well and tries hard to improve pupils’ attendance. Latecomers consist usually of the same few names.

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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 Satisfactory 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 quality of teaching is good overall, and varies from very good to satisfactory. The overall profile of teaching has improved since the last inspection due to better planning through the use of effective procedures to track individual pupils’ attainment and progress.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Overall, the quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is good. It is very good in the nursery. Planning is good and covers the full range of opportunities expected for children of this age. There is good early recognition of children with learning difficulties and remedial action is swift and effective

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching in English is good overall but not enough opportunities are provided for pupils to talk in small group discussions or use drama to improve their speaking and listening skills. The teaching of numeracy is good but pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to engage in practical and investigative work developing their own enquiry, and have insufficient encouragement to use more informal written jottings when solving number problems. Teaching and learning in music, geography, physical education and information and communication technology are satisfactory. The quality of teaching and learning in science, art, design and technology, history and religious education is good.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. Teachers understand their needs well and teaching assistants provide good support. Pupils’ progress is good and pupils achieve well in relation to the specific targets in their individual education plans.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Homework is used satisfactorily to support pupils’ learning but few pupils regularly complete it. The quality of marking is good in Years 3 to 6 and varies from satisfactory to unsatisfactory in Years 1 and 2. Good use is made of assessments of pupils’ attainment and progress to plan future work. Parkside Community Primary School - 11

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The quality and range of learning opportunities for pupils in Years 1 to 6 are satisfactory; they are good in the Foundation Stage. The school places a high priority on teaching English and mathematics. It actively promotes equality of access and opportunity to the curriculum for all pupils. Extra-curricular activities enrich the curriculum well.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The school manages and provides very well for the large numbers of pupils with special educational needs who make good progress in relation to the targets in their individual education plans. Teaching assistants are also trained to carry out Speech & Language & Occupational Therapy programmes with children who require this support.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. The school caters well for pupils who have English as an additional language.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school makes good provision for this aspect overall. This is an improvement since the last report. The provision for moral and social development is very good. The provision for cultural development is satisfactory.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils The quality of care and support pupils receive is very good. Health and safety procedures are well established. Procedures for promoting good attendance are rigorous. The school’s behaviour policy is good. The systems for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are also good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school works hard to develop effective links with parents who feel welcome in the school. However, only a minority of parents make a contribution to their children’s learning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The school is led and managed very well. The headteacher gives a strong lead in co-ordinating a strong and committed staff team who, despite the many setbacks that teaching in such a challenging environment brings, work very hard on behalf of the pupils. Rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning is systematic and is helping to improve pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors take a keen interest in the performance of the school and are united with the headteacher in their commitment to raise standards by the recruitment of quality staff and the provision of quality resources. Parkside Community Primary School - 12 The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. School development planning is detailed and based on rigorous monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning and the close scrutiny of pupils’ attainment and progress.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The governing body is shrewd and effective, and applies the principles of best value well, and financial management and administration are efficient.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school has experienced a great deal of staff mobility over the last two years. However, procedures for inducting new staff into the school are good. The school is adequately staffed and there is a good number of teaching assistants. The accommodation is good and there is a good range of learning resources.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their children enjoy coming to school, are encouraged to work hard and are becoming more mature. • Staff are approachable. • The school keeps them well informed. • The school is led and managed well. • Pupils’ behaviour at school. • The large turnover of staff.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agree with parents’ positive views of the school but are concerned with the lack of involvement of many parents in their children’s education. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils’ behaviour is satisfactory but inspectors recognise that there are a significant number of pupils with severe emotional and behaviour difficulties at the school. However, the school deals with instances of inappropriate behaviour effectively and efficiently when they occur. There has been a large turnover of staff at the school in the recent past but the school works hard to attract quality staff and does all it can to recruit and retain teachers sympathetic to the needs of the pupils in the school. Parkside Community Primary School - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The starting point for the vast majority of children when they enter the school is very low indeed. Many have great difficulty forming the simplest of sentences. Their understanding of number is negligible. Social skills are very poor and communication is minimal at first. Through good provision, children soon settle down and begin to acquire some basic skills, especially in speaking and listening and in their personal and social education. All children, including those who have English as an additional language, Traveller children and those with special educational needs, make good progress. However, because of the low starting point, the majority of children do not reach the Early Learning Goals in the six areas of learning by the time they leave the reception class.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In the year 2002 National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment in reading was in the lowest five per cent of all schools nationally. It was well below average in comparison with similar schools. Pupils’ attainment in writing was well below the national average for all schools and below the average for similar schools. Only half the pupils achieved the expected Level 2 and very few pupils achieved the higher Level 3. However, the trend in pupils’ attainment has been upward in the last two years in reading and rose sharply in writing in 2002 due to the focus on non- chronological writing within the school. Girls perform better than boys but not significantly so. Inspection evidence indicates that the attainment of the current group of pupils in Year 2 is well below expectations in all aspects of English but that pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve appropriately in relation to their attainment on

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

entry to Year 1. Pupils make satisfactory progress in speaking and listening due to the many opportunities they have to speak in class discussions but more opportunities could be given for pupils to speak in small groups and in role-play situations. Pupils make satisfactory progress in reading. They read regularly both at school but few pupils do so at home. A small minority of pupils read simple texts confidently but the majority are not yet able to read independently and need much adult help. Standards in writing are well below average in Year 2 and pupils’ progress has varied from satisfactory to unsatisfactory. In the autumn term pupils made little real progress in their writing and much of their work is unmarked. Since January pupils have made satisfactory progress but few pupils are working at the expected level for their age. A few more able pupils write simple stories but the majority of pupils are working at

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Level 1 of the National Curriculum in communicating meaning through simple words and phrases and make little use of punctuation or accurate spelling in their work. Most pupils form their letters correctly and consistently. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In mathematics, the results in the year 2002 National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2 were well below the national average in comparison to all schools but average for similar schools. Since 1998 the trend in pupils’ standards of attainment has been upward but below the nationally improving trend. Standards rose sharply in 2002 due to better teaching in the subject. The performance of boys and girls was similar. However, inspection evidence indicates that the attainment of the current group of Year 2 pupils is well below national expectations, although pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve appropriately in relation to their attainment on entry to Year 1. Special educational needs pupils make good progress in relation to the targets in their individual education plans. The majority of pupils can order numbers to 20 and add Parkside Community Primary School - 14 two single digit numbers using apparatus. However, the vast majority of pupils have

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

an insecure understanding of place value to 100 and limited understanding of using money. They can name basic two-dimensional shapes, such as circles, triangles, squares and rectangles.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Teacher assessments in science at the end of Year 2 in 2002 show the percentage of pupils reaching the expected Level 2 to be in the lowest five per cent of all schools nationally. The attainment of the current group of Year 2 pupils confirms these results. Many pupils have limited experiences and in Year 1 can name some appliances that use electricity but only a few can identify that some appliances produce heat, sound or light. Many Year 2 pupils understand that materials, such as leaves and flowers, occur naturally and can separate some materials into natural or man-made groups. However, only a few pupils are able to place items such as a sieve. Pupils make satisfactory progress in relation to their low attainment on entry to Year 1.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ standards in information and communication technology are in line with national expectations. Standards have improved since the time of the last inspection due to the better provision made for the subject and teachers’ increased confidence in using computers. By the end of Year 2, most pupils are able to use simple word-processing programs to compose short pieces of writing and change the size and type of the font, for example when producing posters. They show appropriate control in using a ‘mouse’ to click on icons when using art or control technology computer programs. Pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve appropriately in relation to their abilities.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. By the age of seven, pupils’ standards of attainment in religious education are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Pupils make good progress in their understanding of Christianity and other world religions. Year 2 pupils are aware of the significance of sharing food in a number of different faiths and cultures. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ understanding of different cultures.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ standards of attainment in art, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education are in line with national expectations. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. Standards have been improved in history, geography, music and physical education.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. The results of the 2002 National Curriculum tests in English for Year 6, show their attainment to be in the lowest five per cent in comparison with all schools nationally and well below average in comparison with similar schools. Standards have shown a slight upward trend since the last inspection until 2001 when they fell sharply due to a very high number of pupils with language difficulties. They improved significantly in 2002. This was despite the fact that approximately eight out of ten pupils had some form of special educational needs. Writing, particularly non-narrative writing, was a focus for improvement last year. Generally, girls perform better than boys but not significantly so. Evidence from the inspection confirms these findings with standards in reading, writing and speaking and listening being well below national expectations. However, pupils make good progress and achieve well in relation to their attainment at

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the end of Year 2. Generally, good quality teaching and good support from teaching assistants ensure that pupils’ wide range of learning needs are met, and that their work is suitably challenging. However, this is not able to compensate for the very low starting point, and the special educational needs of many pupils remain significant by the time they leave the school. Standards in English have been maintained since the last inspection. Parkside Community Primary School - 15 9. In the year 2002 national tests in mathematics at the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment was well below average in comparison with all and similar schools. Standards rose in 1999 but fell in the next three years, before rising in 2002. Boys performed better than girls but not significantly so. Evidence from the inspection confirms these findings. However, pupils make good progress in Years 3 to 6 in relation to their previous

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

attainment at the end of Year 2. Pupils show good progress in their number and calculation skills but have greater difficulty with solving number problems. They have a satisfactory understanding of shape, space and measure, but limited understanding of data handling and using graphs. Pupils benefit from the good quality teaching they receive but have insufficient opportunities to carry out their own mathematical investigations or to make use of informal jottings when solving number problems.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. In science, the results of the year 2002 National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, showed pupils’ attainment to be in the bottom five per cent of all schools nationally and well below average in comparison with similar schools. The attainment of the current group of Year 6 pupils confirms these results, with pupils’ attainment well below national expectations. This is the same as the findings at the time of the last inspection. However, all pupils make good progress and achieve well in relation to their attainment at the end of Year 2 due to the good quality teaching they receive and the good support pupils with special educational needs receive from teaching assistants.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology is in line with national expectations at the end of Year 6. This is an improvement in the standards found at the time of the last inspection. The school has made good progress in this area due to the greatly improved resources and the training teachers have received in their use. Pupils make satisfactory progress in the skills of word processing, data handling, control technology, simulation programs and in using the Internet to research information. They make sound use of their information and communication technology skills across the curriculum and this aspect is improving.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ standards in religious education are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. All pupils, including those with learning difficulties or who have English as an additional language, make good progress in understanding the main Christian festivals and similar festivals in other world religions, with work on Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Hinduism. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ social and moral awareness, and is also a significant factor in their understanding of spirituality in different cultures. Standards have been maintained since the time of the last inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ standards of attainment in art, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education are in line with national expectations. Pupils generally make good progress and achieve well in relation to their attainment at the end of Year 2. Standards have improved since the last inspection, except in art and in design and technology where they have been maintained.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

14. The progress of pupils with special educational needs, measured in terms of the specific targets in their individual education plans, is good. However, pupils have poor retention and memory. Given the linguistic difficulties that many pupils experience, they perform poorly in national tests when they have to interpret or investigate, as a significant number are not certain of what is required. Parkside Community Primary School - 16

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils’ attitudes to school are good and have been maintained since the last inspection. This is despite the very wide range of pupils who have come to the school, a significant number of whom have emotional and behavioural difficulties and join at different stages of their education.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Pupils with special educational needs enjoy coming to school and are well integrated into classes. Many have behavioural problems too, but staff are skilled in behaviour management strategies and most pupils know the boundaries well. Good relationships exist between staff and children and good behaviour is always duly praised. Concentration spans are often short for pupils with special educational needs and staff understand this well. Work is suitably tailored to meet their needs.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Pupils say that they like their school and their teachers, but despite the predominance of good teaching seen during the inspection, interest in lessons by some pupils, often identified by the school as having special behavioural difficulties, can easily wane.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Pupils are happy to come to school. Year 6 pupils said that they enjoyed the clubs, their friends and break times with the wide selection of playthings provided. They trust the adults in the school who they feel will sort out any problems that might arise.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Many pupils in the school have no pre-school experience before they come to the nursery. Children rapidly learn to enjoy the structure and calm of the nursery and they enjoy learning and playing in small groups. They are given early responsibilities such as handing out healthy snacks and sharing birthday cake. The majority of children starting in the nursery are ready and able to learn by the time they move on.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. Children in the Foundation Stage enjoy coming to school. Throughout their time in the nursery and reception class, the children respond positively to the caring ethos of the classes and their behaviour improves.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

21. Most pupils develop reasonable levels of independence. Many are able to share, take turns and act with self-restraint but are also clearly enjoying themselves. They work quietly in small groups and collaborate in pairs. They understand their class routines well and know what is expected of them. This was particularly evident in a cricketing skills lesson for the oldest pupils. Often working in pairs, fielding and throwing tennis balls, a lesson which might have been quite chaotic was calm and productive, and also very much enjoyed by the pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

22. Many pupils are keen to work hard and include each other in all the activities. In many lessons seen, attitudes and behaviour were good or better. In all others they were satisfactory and very rarely unsatisfactory. Support for the pupils with special educational needs ensures that they are totally included and able to participate in lessons. Some have only limited ability to remain on task, but because of the presence of sufficient adults in the classes, they are well supported and do not distract others. In an art lesson a pupil with a Statement of Special Educational Need and a learning assistant nearby was encouraged to persevere by himself with a task involving cutting out a complex shape. He was determined to succeed and in doing so both his skills and self-esteem were reinforced.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

23. Behaviour is good around the school and in the playground, especially in the older playground. This is helped by a number of older pupils given the task of keeping an Parkside Community Primary School - 17 eye and supporting those who may need a friend. Some younger pupils have not yet learnt to channel their energies into social activities and there is some rough-housing, and despite the clearly displayed rules, play fighting, which can easily develop into angry behaviour.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

24. Pupils’ behaviour as they enter and leave the school and use the corridors and stairs is good, and pupils are helpful, friendly and polite with visitors. Behaviour in the dining hall at lunch times is good. Midday staff have had training in behaviour management, are aware of child protection issues and many have had some first aid training. School records show that the rate of exclusion is falling but that there were over 50 fixed period exclusions in the previous year. This reflects the school’s insistence on high standards of behaviour. The school has developed a number of positive strategies, such as timeout, to deal effectively with pupils’ behavioural difficulties.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

25. Pupils make satisfactory progress in their personal development. Most pupils display a passive attitude to their learning and are reluctant to take responsibility for their own learning. Older pupils are given roles and responsibilities and jobs are shared out in classrooms. There is a ‘buddies’ scheme whereby pupils, who look after other pupils without friends in the playground, are chosen by their peers. Teachers and teaching assistants encourage pupils to take responsibility, and encouraging pupils’ independence is currently a target in the school development plan. Discussions are being held on whether to set up a school council.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

26. Attendance is well below the national average for primary schools. However, the school works hard to improve pupils’ attendance through rigorous monitoring and more effective liaison with outside agencies, such as social services and the education welfare officer, to improve some pupils’ attendance rates. The level of unexplained or unauthorised absences is well above average although there are indications that it has fallen this year. Latecomers consist usually of the same few names.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. The quality of teaching is good overall, and varies from very good to satisfactory. It was good or better in approximately seven out of ten lessons, of which approximately a third of lessons were judged to be very good. The overall profile of teaching has improved since the last inspection due to better planning through the use of procedures to track individual pupils’ attainment and progress.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. The overall quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is good, varying between satisfactory and very good. Teaching in the nursery was very good in three-quarters of the lessons observed. Children receive a very good start to their education in the nursery. Children are involved in a good range of activities and there is high challenge to which they respond well. In the reception class teaching is good. All teachers and support assistants have high expectations of behaviour and enjoy good relationships with the children. Resources are prepared well and are attractive.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29. The quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory overall. In the lessons seen during the inspection it was good overall and varied from very good to satisfactory. It was good in approximately three-quarters of the lessons observed. Temporary teachers manage pupils well and provide appropriate activities to match the widely varying needs of the pupils in their classes. However, from a scrutiny of pupils’ previously completed work, teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. The school Parkside Community Primary School - 18 dealt efficiently with issues of effectiveness in one class prior to Christmas and this situation has now been resolved. The quality of teaching in Years 3 to 6 is good and varies from very good to satisfactory. It was very good in a quarter of lessons and good in approximately four out of ten lessons.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30. Teachers have a good understanding of the National Curriculum and plan suitable activities to promote pupils’ basic literacy and numeracy skills. Generally, teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and make good use of the school’s assessment and tracking procedures to provide suitably adapted work to meet the widely differing needs of individual pupils. Lesson planning is generally of good quality. Teachers successfully increase pupils’ self-esteem and confidence by the good use they make of praise and encouragement. Pupils are involved in their own learning by teachers clearly identifying what it is they hope the pupils will achieve in lessons and by evaluating how well these objectives had been achieved at the end of the lesson. Pupils’ independence in carrying out their own work is beginning to be improved and is a target for improvement in the school development plan. In the better quality lessons,

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

teachers ensure a brisk pace to pupils’ work by maintaining a tight time structure to activities to match the short concentration spans of many pupils. Consequently, pupils make good progress. For example, in a Year 4/5 information and communication technology the teacher’s good planning effectively demonstrated the power of the search function when using a database program. By preparing pupils beforehand in the classroom, she ensured that all pupils knew what they had to do when working in pairs in the computer suite. Her good subject knowledge ensured that pupils who encountered problems were quickly helped and the activity was well matched to the needs of the different ability groups within the class. Where teaching is satisfactory, the teacher’s management of pupils is less secure and pupils’ pace of their work slows as a result. All teachers make satisfactory use of pupils’ developing information and communication technology skills to support their work in other

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

31. Teaching and learning in English are satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 to 6. Teachers have a good understanding of the curriculum and make good use of questioning to ensure pupils understand what they are doing. Their enthusiasm and lively approach motivate most pupils to take an active part in lessons. Rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning by the co-ordinator has ensured that there is now more consistency in teachers’ marking towards pupils’ learning targets and in making use of the summary parts of lessons to involve pupils in evaluating their work. Although many opportunities are given to pupils to practise their speaking and listening skills in class discussions, fewer opportunities are given to pupils to speak in small groups or to use role-play situations to improve their oral skills.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

32. The quality of teaching and learning in numeracy is good throughout the school and there is some very good teaching in Years 3 to 6. Teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of the curriculum and use a variety of resources to motivate effectively pupils’ involvement in lessons. Teachers’ questioning strategies challenge pupils to think and explain how they arrived at their answers, and foster their appreciation of number and use of mathematical vocabulary. Good use is made of assessment data to group pupils according to ability, provide appropriate support and challenging work as well as identifying areas of weakness. Teachers make satisfactory use of pupils’ information and communication technology skills in promoting their mathematical knowledge.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

33. Teaching and learning in science is good. Teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of the curriculum and make good use of a range of resources. Pupils Parkside Community Primary School - 19 are informed what it is they are to learn in lessons and teachers’ planning identifies opportunities for pupils to actively participate in their own learning. In Year 6, good use is made of revising topics such as ‘forces’ which pupils found difficulty with in previous work. However, many pupils’ literacy skills prevent them from understanding written questions and there is good support from teaching assistants who act as scribes and readers for them.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

34. Teaching and learning in music, physical education and information and communication technology are satisfactory. The quality of teaching in art, design and technology, geography, history and religious education is good. However, in geography the lack of a coherent whole school scheme of work is reflected in the variable quality of teachers’ planning, and assessment procedures have yet to be developed.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

35. The majority of pupils in almost every class have some form of special educational need. Teachers plan for pupils to learn basic skills and ensure that there are good levels of support in place to help them. Staff are patient and caring and understand their needs well. Support assistants play a vital role in helping the large numbers of pupils with learning difficulties improve their performance. Progress is good towards the carefully and well-written targets on the individual education plans. In some cases, additional information and more specialised targets have been added through consultation with the educational psychologist and other visiting specialists. All teachers have high expectations of pupils who are generally very well managed in all classes.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

36. Homework is used satisfactorily to support pupils’ learning. It is regularly set but few pupils complete it. The quality of marking in Years 3 to 6 has been improved by teachers marking to pupils’ learning targets. Marking in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory. Good use is made of assessments of pupils’ attainment and progress to plan future work.

p.19

PUPILS?

37. The curriculum is broad and relevant and is satisfactory overall. It meets statutory requirements including sex and relationships education, and drugs awareness, and it addresses the needs of all pupils well. The provision for special educational needs is very good. The provision for extra-curricular activities, for personal, social and health education, and for ensuring that all pupils have equal access to the curriculum is good. In the nursery, pupils are well provided for in all areas of their development. Pupils in the reception class are suitably provided for.

p.19

PUPILS?

38. Successful action has been taken to address some of the key issues raised in the last inspection. Long term planning has been improved by identifying the areas of knowledge, skills and understanding pupils should attain each year in English, mathematics and science. The school development plan identifies targets for curriculum developments, and provision for information and communication technology has been improved to meet National Curriculum requirements. At the time of the last report there were polices only for English, mathematics and religious education. There are now policies for other subjects, including one for personal, social and health education. Parkside Community Primary School - 20 39. Schemes of work are developed well in English, mathematics and science, where there are detailed outlines of learning objectives, possible learning activities, key skills and understanding to be developed. In English and mathematics, there is provision for

p.19

PUPILS?

the close tracking of pupils’ progress through the school. The quality of schemes of work in other foundation subjects are variable and are at different stages of development. Teaching plans are often developed from units drawn from nationally recommended guidelines which ensures progression in the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills. However, the school is in the process of evaluating these units before setting out more precisely the lines of progression in pupils’ learning, and assessment opportunities, as pupils pass through the school. Planning for religious education is based on the Kent Locally Agreed Syllabus.

p.20

PUPILS?

40. The school has implemented the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and these are improving pupils’ basic skills. Other positive effects include the increased enthusiasm and enjoyment by staff, as well as pupils, especially in mathematics. The plenary or review is well established in literacy and mathematics lessons, and is usually adopted in other lessons. The school identifies school targets for the end of Key Stage 2 in English and mathematics.

p.20

PUPILS?

41. The curriculum provided for pupils with special educational needs and those with statements meets the legal requirements. All staff are aware of procedures for identifying and providing for pupils with special educational needs. Reviews are appropriately carried out. The school ensures pupils with special educational needs have full access to extra-curricular opportunities. All pupils have equality of access to the curriculum. The school responds fully to the new legal requirements for pupils with special educational needs. All pupils have detailed individual educational plans, which provide pupils with clear and detailed targets and strategies for improvement. The school does not currently have a register of gifted and talented pupils. As soon as children are identified as having special educational needs the co-ordinator for special educational needs maintains close contact with parents and carers. The quality of

p.20

PUPILS?

information provided is very high. Very effective links are made with outside agencies who are regular visitors to the school.

p.20

PUPILS?

42. This very good provision for pupils with special educational needs is very much part of the ethos of the school. Pupils enjoy a warm and secure learning environment, which is sustained by the concern to foster the personal and social development of all pupils, and to give all of them equal opportunities in all curriculum activities. The calmness and stability often seen in the classroom, which enable the curriculum to flourish, are only achieved by the constant effort, management skills and good humour of teachers and assistants. These approaches also contribute to helping all pupils enjoy a good level of equality to participate fully in the range of learning experiences. The inclusive approach of the school is well illustrated in the building up of positive links with pupils and families in the Traveller community. Lessons are generally well planned to meet the needs of all pupils, including the more able.

p.20

PUPILS?

43. There is good provision for personal, social and health education. Personal, social and health education lessons are now well established, and the curriculum includes health, sex and drugs education. Good examples of the pupils’ developing personal and social skills are also found in ‘circle time’ lessons, when they are helped to develop their own self-esteem, along with respect for others. Pupils have also become more involved in taking responsibility for their own learning through target setting. They are helped to become aware of choices relating to their health, including young pupils learning about the care needed when taking medicines, and having substances such as bleach around the home. Pupils can also share their work as Parkside Community Primary School - 21 well as any problems they have with the headteacher, who is always available to talk to pupils. This provides further opportunities for pupils’ social development.

p.20

PUPILS?

44. A good range of extra-curricular activities enriches the curriculum. Pupils are able to sign up to use the computer suite before school. Lunchtime clubs include Italian, computers and art. After-school activities include netball and Soccer International, (both with girls and boys involved), cricket, sewing and gardening. The curriculum is enhanced by visits to places of interest, and by visitors to the school. For example, the science curriculum gains from visits to a farm, a museum (Year 5) and the Environmental Centre. Pupils’ learning in English is enriched by a visit to the Traveller site (Year 3/4) to study Traveller culture, and by a visiting theatre group. The school provides facilities for a popular after-school care club. There are also connections with the local Rotary group, a local building firm, and a steel company which the pupils have been able to visit. Although only a few parents responded to the questionnaires

p.21

PUPILS?

in the pre-inspection survey, almost all said that they felt the school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons.

p.21

PUPILS?

45. There have been multi-cultural fun days, visits by the local vicar, a theatre group and strong links with the traveller community. Students from a local art college help in class and are presently engaged in making a Harry Potter mural for the school.

p.21

PUPILS?

46. The community makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ learning. Pupils have visited the Parker Steel works, and members of the Traveller community have shared accounts of their traditions and their experiences with pupils. Church links are established and the vicar takes an assembly each half term. The links with partner institutions also contribute well to pupils’ development. Staff ‘compare notes’ with colleagues at the Bridge School - a Beacon school - on curriculum and other matters. The Chaucer Technology College provides productive links, for example, to support information and communication technology. Pupils benefit from sports links with Canterbury High School. Students from the University of Kent and from Christchurch College come to the school on ‘placements’.

p.21

PUPILS?

47. The school makes good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development overall. This is an improvement since the last report. The provision for moral and social development is very good.

p.21

PUPILS?

48. The provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good. Within lessons, teachers show pupils respect as individuals, and develop an ethos for all pupils to grow spiritually and be respected. In a Year 5 literacy lesson a sense of calm and wonder was set with the playing of quiet music, and the passing around of flowers to smell. Pupils are given space to share their own thoughts and innermost feelings. In a Year 2 class assembly, at the end of a busy day, all pupils responded well to the time of quiet. They talked about ‘What has made you smile today?’ - ‘nice lunch’ and ‘helping one another’ were among the responses. Then they were asked ‘Anything made you sad inside?’ and ‘in playground left on own’ was one reply. Thinking about ‘Pancake Day’, and of people going to church to say sorry to God, pupils were able to share thoughts of what they were sorry for - ‘for fighting’, ‘for being unkind’, ‘for calling people names’.

p.21

PUPILS?

In other lessons teachers show that they value pupils’ ideas, and often lead class discussions well to ensure that all pupils are drawn in.

p.21

PUPILS?

49. The provision for pupils’ moral development is very good. Pupils are helped to distinguish right from wrong in various ways, such as stories told in assembly and in class; and through the day to day fostering of values of fairness and respect for others. Classroom rules are posted in rooms, and are presented in a way to affirm Parkside Community Primary School - 22 good behaviour and awareness of others. Activities such as collecting for books for children in developing countries, and Children in Need, also encourage empathy, a considerate attitude to others and a respect for their needs. These values feature strongly in the personal, social and health education lessons, and in the well-planned ‘circle time’ lessons.

p.21

PUPILS?

50. The provision for social development is very good. Strong efforts are made from the day pupils enter the school to help build relationships between pupils, and between adults and pupils. Pupils respond positively to the supportive and inclusive ethos of the school. In classrooms, pupils are encouraged to work well with others, often in different groups or pairings. When conflicts arise, pupils are given some responsibility in helping to resolve them satisfactorily. Support for anger management is provided for some pupils, and sometimes weekly targets are provided to help others.

p.22

PUPILS?

51. The provision for cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils are able to share their knowledge of Traveller community traditions. In religious education, pupils study aspects of major faith traditions such as Judaism and Islam. Opportunities are missed to feature non-western elements more strongly in music and art, and to develop insights into other communities when studying appropriate geographical topics. Pupils’ awareness of different cultures is strengthened by other experiences such as taking part in the multicultural fun day, and performing ‘Christmas Around the World’.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. The quality of care and support pupils receive in school was found to be good during the previous inspection and is now very good. All staff have had training in child protection issues and the headteacher works closely with the appropriate authorities. There are pupils on the children at risk register and a general awareness of child protection issues and procedures. There are no so-called ‘looked after children’ in the school – that is pupils who do not stay with their families. However, the school is aware of requirements concerning the monitoring of their welfare and progress. Arrangements for helping sick children and those who have had mishaps are good and a number of staff are trained in emergency first aid.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. Health and safety procedures are well established. Regular professional checks of fire prevention, physical education and electrical equipment are undertaken. Governors, the well-trained and informed premises manager and headteacher undertake regular formal checks on the school with respect to health and safety. The school premises and site are well looked after. The school has sought professional advice relating to concerns raised at the previous inspection report about the emergency exit from the first floor classrooms. The building does comply with fire regulations and, although not ideal, alternative exits are available from the first floor in emergencies.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. Pupils’ own awareness of health and safety issues and their attitudes and relationships to others are fostered through weekly personal and social education lessons. Circle time in which pupils are encouraged to share their experiences and learn about relationships in a permissive and nurturing atmosphere helps pupils develop social skills, as do outside agencies and specialist staff who are able to counsel and guide pupils. Parkside Community Primary School - 23 55. The school is well aware that average attendance is poor and having a significant impact on many pupils’ learning. The school staff are doing a great deal to monitor and promote attendance. Since September 2002, a home-school link worker has joined the staff and works closely with parents. She focuses on those pupils whose attendance levels present particular problems. This work is supported by the deputy headteacher in close co-operation with the educational welfare officer from the local

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

56. Friendly office staff note the few latecomers and unexplained absences, and families are telephoned on the same morning. There are certificates for those pupils who have perfect attendance during the year and in any term. Registers are completed very soon after school starts and conform to requirements. Punctuality is satisfactory. The school carefully analyses patterns of absence, and has identified several pupils with particular attendance problems. Many of these have social service involvement and have had complex family problems. However, the attendance of the other pupils is also below average. The impact of poor attendance on the standards attained by many pupils is significant and the school is rightly concerned to do as much as possible to encourage better attendance.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

57. The school’s ethos successfully promotes pupils’ behaviour through a behaviour framework that pupils understand well. Success is recorded and rewarded, and pupils and their families are kept informed. Pupils understand the range of rewards that they can earn through good behaviour and effort. There is an emphasis on encouraging good behaviour, but there is a range of sanctions that includes a ‘time out’ room, and forgoing a few minutes of Golden Time – the free choice of structured activities. Class teachers and support staff set good examples for pupils through their own behaviour and warm relationships. Their standards are clear and consistent, so that pupils know what to expect. Teachers monitor and assess pupils’ personal development, and those pupils with difficulties are supported and tracked. Information about their progress is shared with their families.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

58. There have been incidents of bullying and some fighting or angry behaviour in the playground. Incidents are treated seriously and investigated and all parties are involved in an effort to deal with the problems. Incidents are logged and parents consulted. During the inspection there was plenty of play materials to keep pupils engaged in the playground and the equipment available to nursery children is very good.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

59. Pupils are given some responsibility as they move up the school. They all enjoy and benefit from trips out of school. The school has plans to create a school council to which pupils will be elected by their classmates. Pupils are also given jobs around the school and this helps their growing confidence, self-esteem and maturity.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

60. The systems for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are good overall, and the data obtained is used well to guide planning, especially in the core curriculum subjects of English, mathematics and science, and also in information and communication technology. This constitutes significant progress since the last inspection when the establishment of effective assessment procedures to enable the attainment and progress of individual pupils to be monitored effectively was identified as a key issue. In other subjects, teachers often assess pupils’ attainment at the end of topics but this does not yet contribute to an ongoing record of the progress they make. The school analyses the tests in English and mathematics very carefully to ensure future teaching addresses any issues raised. Test results are also analysed to check on any significant differences in attainment on the basis of gender, ethnic grouping, or pupils

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Parkside Community Primary School - 24 for whom English is an additional language. The procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic progress are good.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

61. Initial tests are used to assess children’s knowledge and skills when they enter the Foundation Stage. The recently initiated P scales (national guidelines for assessing progress in all subjects for pupils working towards Level 1 of the National Curriculum) have been adopted by the school. The results of information gained from home visits assist the class teacher in initial planning for children in the nursery. Information received from the nursery assists the teacher in planning effectively in relation to the Early Learning Goals for reception children. Regular observation and discussion with support assistants in both classes ensure children are provided with appropriate targets.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

62. In addition to the statutory end of key stage national tests in English, mathematics and science, the school also uses non-statutory tests at the end of Years 3, 4 and 5 to monitor pupils’ progress, and to refine forecasts of what they might achieve. There is often good day to day assessment of pupils by teachers, and often by classroom assistants. Information from these varied assessments is then used to support pupils in different ways. Thus pupils are identified to work in groups best suited to their needs, and are provided with individual targets so that they know how they can best make progress.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

63. There is good early recognition of children with learning difficulties. Individual education plans, behaviour and other individual targets allow pupils, parents and staff to identify developments made.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

64. The school now has an established and effective marking policy. The quality of marking has improved, with many comments now identifying strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ work, and relating work in pupils’ books to the learning objectives which have been achieved.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

65. At the time of the previous inspection, there were good links with parents. Parents expressed strong approval of the school but their involvement in their children’s learning was poor. This is still the case.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

66. Almost all of the few parents who responded to the questionnaires sent out before the inspection and others spoken with during the inspection agree that their children are happy in school. Parents think that the school is helping their children become mature and responsible and they are very positive about the school and the staff. They feel that the school is open and all say that they are always welcome to speak to staff at any time. There has been concern about staff turnover in the recent past and is due to the number of supply teachers the school has had to use and the difficulty of recruiting more permanent staff.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

67. Almost all parents think the school provides good information about how well their children are progressing. Inspection findings confirm that the quality of information provided by the school is good. The newsletters are informative and useful, friendly and accessible. There is a wealth of information about events and there is regular information about the topics their children will be covering, an improvement since the last inspection. Pupils’ reading diaries are a good means of communication between parents and teachers but the level of use is low. Annual reports on pupils’ progress Parkside Community Primary School - 25 provide information regarding the elements in each subject taught but do not always indicate clearly what pupils know, understand and can do. However, most parents who responded to the questionnaire feel well informed about their children’s progress.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

68. There is a growing team of parents helping to organise the parents and friends association. It is strongly supported by the staff and has raised useful funds. Parents of children with special educational needs are invited to be closely involved with the school when educational plans are reviewed.

p.25

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

69. Each class is featured in a termly assembly to which a reasonable proportion of those pupils’ parents and carers come. Most parents come to parents’ evenings but few have attended meetings on aspects of the curriculum such as literacy or numeracy. In addition to these more formal meetings, the school offers weekly coffee mornings to parents who feel like dropping in and up to a dozen parents are taking advantage of this opportunity.

p.25

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

70. These efforts and the attitudes of the headteacher and all staff are aimed at fostering a growing relationship between home and school to the benefit of all pupils. Although the impact of this work is developing, it is currently limited and the school has plans to increase ways in which parents are encouraged to become involved – starting with the parents of nursery and reception children.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. The school is led and managed very well. The headteacher gives a strong and clear educational direction to the work of the school and leads by example in ensuring all staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and how they should behave. In these endeavours she is ably assisted by her senior management team and all staff.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

72. The headteacher, together with the senior management team, has worked hard and effectively to ensure that pupils feel valued and that there is a strong feeling of community in the school. Good assessment tracking procedures have been introduced and are used effectively to ensure that pupils’ attainment and progress are closely noted. Setting pupils by ability in English and mathematics and the use of focus group targets are clearly helping to raise pupils’ standards of attainment. A policy for monitoring the work of the school by staff and governors has been established and regular, systematic monitoring of teaching and learning takes place.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

73. The headteacher supports staff, making clear her high expectations and involving all concerned with the school in decision making. She has been very successful in ensuring that pupils’ personal development is promoted well. Her approach ensures that the school is an inclusive community.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

74. Generally, subject co-ordinators carry out their responsibilities well but many staff are new to their roles. Through monitoring teachers’ planning, co-ordinators have a clear idea of the provision made for their subjects and the standards that pupils attain. Despite the absence of a number of members of staff, temporary co-ordinators are knowledgeable about their new subject responsibilities and are ensuring that curriculum provision is being maintained.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

75. School development planning is good. The headteacher and senior management team meet on a regular basis to oversee how well school development targets are Parkside Community Primary School - 26 being met. Targets in the plan are detailed and relevant and closely linked to the school’s aims. A policy for performance management is in place and is used to provide relevant professional development for individual staff. The school has good self-evaluation procedures through rigorous monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning and closely scrutinising the progress of pupils.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

76. The governing body is very supportive of the pupils and staff and works hard to involve itself in the everyday life of the school. Governors are well informed about the school’s strengths and weaknesses through detailed reports from the headteacher and presentations from subject co-ordinators as well as their own visits to the school. A great deal of effort has been put into improving, for example, the quality of outside agency support the school receives for dealing with pupils who have poor attendance rates. This has led to the school co-financing a full-time home to school link worker who liaises closely with parents and outside agencies, such as social services. The situation of poor attendance is, therefore, slowly improving. Governors have an appropriate committee structure in place and meetings are minuted and outcomes presented to full governor meetings. Meetings are well attended. Each governor has

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

an area of the curriculum which they have adopted and, through training and visits to the school, are concerned to help with the provision of a broad and relevant curriculum for the pupils. Governors fulfil their statutory duties.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

77. The management of the provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. The governor for special educational needs is very involved in the life of the school and supports the staff effectively. Together with the headteacher and co- ordinator, she has a clear view of the direction the school needs to take to improve the performance of pupils with special educational needs. Priorities include a firm desire to maintain the current level of staffing in order to secure the high quality support the pupils currently receive. The co-ordinator, along with the headteacher and governors, monitors provision methodically and updates her knowledge and that of the staff frequently. Teaching assistants are also trained to carry out Speech & Language & Occupational Therapy programmes with children who require this support. Resources for the teaching of pupils with special educational needs are satisfactory.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

78. The school has experienced staff mobility in the last two years so that five new teachers have been appointed. There is now one class outstanding which awaits the appointment of a full-time teacher. However, temporary staff contribute well to provide a team of suitably qualified teachers to teach the age range of pupils. The support staff work well with teachers in providing extra support. Classroom assistants also undergo appraisal, and elect for further training courses to refine their skills and expertise.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

79. The procedures for inducting new teachers are good, and ensure that they have a sound understanding of the practices and ethos of the school. Newly qualified teachers are well supported, with good mentoring arrangements providing a programme of monitoring and non-contact time for professional development.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

80. The accommodation is good, with generous space including a large hall and dining area. These areas, along with classrooms, are polished and cleaned well, which improves the learning environment for pupils. There is good outdoor play provision for the nursery, and shutters can be used to shield against weather. Reception children have a smaller outdoor play area which is adequate. Space is well used in the school, in part to provide attractive and informative displays. There is a good range and quality of learning resources overall. Good quality resources to support learning are found in the nursery; those used to support pupils with special educational needs; and in the Parkside Community Primary School - 27 core subjects and also in information and communication technology. Libraries are well stocked, and there are plentiful collections of books in book corners, along corridors, as well as in classrooms.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

81. The governing body is shrewd and effective, and is aware of the best value principles. It takes a keen interest in the performance of the school. It makes good use of detailed analysis of assessment results, including comparisons with other schools, to target its spending to bring about improvements in standards. Governors and management staff are united in their commitment to raise standards by the recruitment of quality staff. The governing body regularly monitors school’s spending and is set to make considerable savings for the school by their decision to change the heating from oil to gas fuel. Together with the headteacher, the finance officer and the administrative officer comprise a very efficient and effective team. They all receive regular training and display proficient skills in the use of new technology.

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

82. The governors, headteacher and staff, with the support of outside agencies as appropriate, should continue to improve pupils’ standards in English, mathematics and science by:

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improving pupils’ speaking and listening skills by providing more opportunities for them to take part in discussions in small groups and in drama activities. (Paragraph 95)

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Improving the opportunities given to pupils to carry out their own mathematical enquiries and make use of informal jottings when solving number problems. (Paragraph 105)

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Improving the quality of teachers’ marking in Years 1 and 2 to match the good quality marking seen in Years 3 to 6. (Paragraphs 36, 99)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Ensuring that pupils are more independent in their learning and have frequent opportunities to organise their own resources and, for example in science, to solve problems for themselves. (Paragraphs 25, 114)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(5) Improving the attendance levels of some pupils so that their attainment and progress do not suffer as a result of poor attendance. (Paragraph 26)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(6) Establishing coherent whole school schemes of work and manageable assessment procedures for all subjects. (Paragraph 39)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

These are all priorities in the current school development plan.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

83. In addition to the key issues above the following more minor points for development should be considered for inclusion in the action plan:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Continue to make efforts to involve more parents in their children’s education. (Paragraphs 65, 67, 70) Parkside Community Primary School - 28

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 38

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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 more than one percentage point.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 19 146

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 80

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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 1 7

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 13 98

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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 8

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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 39

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 47

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Parkside Community Primary School - 29 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Parkside Community Primary School - 30

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 14 15 29

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 7 6 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 8 7 8

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

Percentage of pupils School 52 (18) 45 (43) 66 (64) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 6 8 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 9 8 8

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

Percentage of pupils School 52 (46) 55 (36) 72 (64) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Parkside Community Primary School - 31

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 14 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Parkside Community Primary School - 32

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10.2 Financial year 2001 –

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 17.8:1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 654,550

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 11 Total expenditure 627,045

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 248.75 Expenditure per pupil 3,183

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 27,303

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 19:1 Balance carried forward to next year 54,808

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 19

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 65

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 5

p.32

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 6

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 2

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 2

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Parkside Community Primary School - 33

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 61 25 11 0 4

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 36 36 21 0 7

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 29 50 11 4 7

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 57 39 4 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 71 21 7 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 57 36 0 0 7

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 50 32 7 4 7

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 57 25 7 0 11

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 57 32 4 4 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 50 39 0 4 7

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

There were no further issues. Parkside Community Primary School - 34

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

84. Children receive a very good start to their education in the purpose built nursery which is an attractive and well-resourced addition since the last inspection. Good liaison procedures with parents and carers are in place. Before the children enter nursery the nursery teacher and teaching assistant visit the homes of the parents of the new children, to discuss procedures and expectations. Assessments made from these visits enable the teaching staff to identify the needs of the children and to plan appropriately for them.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

85. The quality of the teaching in the nursery is very good and enables children to make good progress. Children also make good progress in the reception class, where overall the teaching is good. Both class teachers have a good understanding of the social, emotional and educational needs of the children, many of whom have been identified as having special educational needs. The teachers and teaching assistants in both classes plan activities thoroughly and have a clear understanding of what is to be achieved in lessons and how. They communicate this very well to the children. Procedures for recording how well children are doing are good. Informative records are kept on both children’s academic progress and achievement and their personal and social development. These records are passed on to the next year group teacher when the children complete their reception year.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

86. All children make good progress. However, it is unlikely that the majority of children will reach the Early Learning Goals by the time they leave the reception class

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Personal, social and emotional development

87. Children enjoy coming to school. Teachers and support assistants in both classes have high expectations of behaviour and enjoy very good relationships with the children who know the daily routines well.

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Personal, social and emotional development

88. The stimulating environment in the nursery enhances children’s learning and the good ratio of adults to children ensures children feel safe and secure. The arrangement of small groups enables teachers to work alongside children, to get to know them well, to value what they are doing and to interact appropriately. By receiving such close attention, children are developing positive relationships and beginning to grow in confidence. In both classes, adults consistently encourage children to share and show consideration for others and are duly rewarded by most children who respond positively to this very caring ethos. The children are developing a respect for school equipment, and tidy up efficiently at the end of lessons. Children learn to take turns and share and co-operate well when playing with outdoor toys in the nursery and when using scissors and glue in the reception. In both classes, resources are well

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Personal, social and emotional development

prepared, attractive and inviting. Children are given abundant encouragement and praise to raise their self-esteem. They show pride in their work and are beginning to act with more independence in their own learning. Considering that many of the children have special educational needs, they interact very well together, often helping each other if a need arises. Children’s personal confidence, however, is still at an early stage of development. Parkside Community Primary School - 35

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Communication, language and literacy

89. Many of the children enter the school with poor speaking and listening skills; they do not speak with confidence and need much reassurance. They make good progress in the nursery where every opportunity is given for children to talk, for example, about the feathers they will choose to make a Mardi Gras mask or as to how they will care for their sick animal. Despite this, the ability of the majority of the children to express themselves is at a very low level when they enter reception. Although good progress is also made in the reception class, many children find difficulty in selecting appropriate words to describe the dinosaurs they are making. Initially, children of all levels of learning really enjoy the stories they hear in their literacy lessons. In a nursery session about half of the children confidently join in the refrains to traditional stories while others look on. A few children in reception make appropriate attempts at

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Communication, language and literacy

predicting the ending of a story. However, many children from both classes find difficulty in maintaining their concentration. Teachers recognise this well and in the best lessons the pace is brisk and the teacher accurately judges just how much the children are capable of absorbing. Books are displayed prominently to encourage children to browse and share them with friends as well as adults. Only a small minority of children in nursery can write their own name. Most of the children in reception write their Christian name correctly, but the majority have writing skills that are still undeveloped for their age. The higher attaining children (about a tenth of the class) handle books correctly and read simple words and short sentences correctly. The majority of the children are at the very early stages of reading.

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Mathematical development

90. In both classes, mathematics is linked very securely to other areas of learning. Nursery children are counting alongside adults as they add four tablespoonfuls of flour to the pancake mixture. As yet they have very little understanding of number, but adults constantly engage them in number in songs and stories. From knowing very few of the numbers reliably, on entry to the reception year, about a third of the children now know the numbers to ten and correctly match objects to numbers. This still leaves many children who are still learning how to use numbers and match them to objects and vice-versa. As a result of the poor writing and drawing skills, number formation is still in need of development for many children. Teachers take every opportunity to use numbers daily and encourage the children to see pattern in number. Nursery children are encouraged to develop literacy skills as they go ‘under’ and ‘over’

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Mathematical development

climbing apparatus. Reception children enact ‘five little speckled frogs’ on the painted outdoor area and begin to use and understand the mathematical vocabulary of ‘more’ and ‘less’. In other areas of mathematical development, children are beginning to use the comparisons in measurement correctly. They use ‘longer than’, ‘shorter than’ and ‘taller than’ when comparing objects. The teacher and the assistants are skilled in reinforcing mathematical language in reviewing learning. This helps the children to consolidate knowledge and understanding in their mathematical development. Overall, considering the number of pupils with special educational needs in the class, only a minority are in line to meet expected levels by the time they complete the reception year.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

91. Although many children have few experiences from home on which to build, all children in both classes are encouraged to be inquisitive and to explore. In the nursery, there were some very effective activities that increased pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the world. Children find out about changes in materials as they Parkside Community Primary School - 36 take part in a pancake making exercise. They are fascinated to see how the liquid mixture has changed into a solid pancake and also notice the steam which rises from the heat of the frying pan. Children in the reception classes also make good progress as they work alongside the school nurse in the class Parkside Doctor’s Surgery and gain knowledge and understanding of lives of people familiar to them. They examine items such as bandages and stethoscopes as they learn about their uses and the importance of hygiene and a balanced diet. There are good opportunities for children

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

to share ideas and, as a result, they make good progress in learning the science of their bodies as well as developing their speaking and listening skills. In the lesson seen in the computer suite, there were few opportunities for pupils to develop their computer skills as the children are not yet able to read the instructions and too much time is spent waiting for adult assistance.

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Physical development

92. Children in the nursery class show growing control when using small tools such as scissors, glue and paintbrushes. They take turns in using a whisk with growing independence as they beat up the mixture for a pancake. Every child also breaks an egg and adults draw children’s attention to the white and the yolk. Later, children demonstrate growing independence as they squeeze lemon juice onto their pancakes, roll them up or cut them. In reception classes children are becoming more skilful when attempting jigsaws and assembling materials to construct a dinosaur. They dig in the outside area to find ‘buried treasure’. However, for most children control skills are not developed well enough at this stage of their learning.

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Creative development

93. Children in the nursery class have numerous opportunities to express themselves. Higher attainers work confidently with large brushes as they mix colours and paint. Others gain skills in cutting and sticking activities, for example, when making masks. In the role-play corner, which features a vet’s practice, teaching assistants demonstrate the correct vocabulary to use when making an appointment to bring in a sick pet. Children attempt to copy this and are becoming more confident in taking various roles in their imaginative play. In reception, pupils dress up as nurses and doctors and a few children use the correct vocabulary, for example, ‘stethoscope’ to describe the instrument used to listen to the patient’s heartbeat. Many children in both classes show interest in handling the equipment in the role-play areas, painting and construction areas. However, they often find difficulty in expressing themselves and

p.36

Creative development

because of their undeveloped control skills many children need the additional support of an assistant to achieve the finished product of their work. Their work is valued by both teachers and assistants and this helps to raise all children’s self-esteem.

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ENGLISH

94. Standards attained by pupils at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are well below national expectations. Standards are well below average in speaking and listening, reading and writing. However, recent improvements in the school’s overall test results at the end of Year 6, although still low, are attributable to the school’s better use of assessment data to identify individual pupils’ strengths and weaknesses. Also, changes in personnel and organisation have led to better standards in teaching and learning. By the time they leave the school, pupils are achieving as well as they can and those with special educational needs are achieving well. Some pupils’ progress is not as expected due to frequent absences and/or poor behaviour. Last year’s Parkside Community Primary School - 37 results, whilst well below those of similar schools, show that by the end of Year 6 most pupils made satisfactory progress in relation to their attainment at the end of

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ENGLISH

Year 2. Approximately three out of every ten pupils made good progress. Overall, standards have been maintained since the last inspection.

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ENGLISH

95. Throughout the school, standards in speaking and listening are well below average. In Year 2, approximately a third of pupils are on track to achieve national expectations by the end of the year. In Year 6, approximately a half of the pupils will do so. Most pupils listen carefully in lessons but are not always interested in what others have to say. This improves as pupils move through the school and is much better amongst Year 6 pupils. Good teaching and appropriate pace in lessons encourage pupils to listen well. Teachers regularly provide opportunities for pupils to speak during all parts of the lessons but have to repeatedly prompt pupils as many are still unwilling to speak even though they know that their responses will be valued. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 were effectively encouraged to take part in reading a poem aloud and many had the confidence to do so. They clearly enjoyed the repetitive nature of the poem and most

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ENGLISH

pupils took an active part. Many children in this particularly challenging class are confident in speaking but are poor listeners and still have to be frequently reminded not to call out their answers. In informal situations they will discuss their ideas and feelings but use a limited vocabulary and often use irregular verbs incorrectly, and miss the ‘g’ out of words ending in ‘ing’. Pupils answer well teachers’ questions needing a quick one-word answer but are less confident when they require an explanation or a more extended reply. For instance, in a literacy lesson in Year 6, even higher attaining pupils, who could identify the difference between a simile and a metaphor, could not explain verbally what the difference was. Many pupils are passive in their learning and wait to be told what to do; for example, they ask if they can have a rubber to correct a mistake, even when these are freely available and accessible. In

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ENGLISH

oral work, in some instances this leads teachers to ask too many closed questions until pupils use the exact word the teacher wants rather than using appropriate alternatives. Teachers’ planning identifies key vocabulary they want pupils to learn but this is not always given enough emphasis in lessons and is therefore not as effective as it might be. Some opportunities are given for pupils to express themselves through role play, such as when some lower attaining pupils in Year 6 played being giants in the garden. The teacher had set the scene well using a range of audio and physical resources and pupils acted this out using words such as ‘playful’ and ‘joyful’ as they described the giant and made good progress in their speaking skills. However, many pupils have a limited vocabulary and little use of drama or role-play situations was evident in other lessons. Pupils make satisfactory progress in their speaking and

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ENGLISH

listening skills and the school is aware of the need to improve these skills in small group discussion and drama sessions. This is a current target in the school development plan. Year 5 and 6 pupils are aware of the need to alter their style and language when talking in different situations but need much prompting in class to answer their teachers’ questions. For example, in a Year 6 literacy lesson, top ability pupils identified the features of the story text, such as characterisation and the use made of punctuation, but few noticed the use of similes and metaphors by the author. They prefer to speak in small group and more informal situations. However, even in cases such as these their spoken vocabulary is limited.

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ENGLISH

96. Standards in reading are below expectations throughout the school. In Year 2, standards in reading are well below average. A small minority of pupils read simple texts confidently and are beginning to self-correct their mistakes when their reading does not make sense. They use a variety of approaches, such as picture clues and their developing sound-to-symbol relationship when reading unknown words. However, although able to read ‘forest’ and ‘monstermarket’ easily they can struggle Parkside Community Primary School - 38 with simpler words such as ‘would’ or ‘poured’. Many pupils are not yet able to read independently and need much adult help. A few higher attaining pupils know how to use the index and contents page to find relevant information in non-fiction books. In discussion, few pupils say that they regularly read at home and that most of their reading is done in school. By the end of Year 6 about half the pupils read confidently

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ENGLISH

and fluently and are reaching expected levels for their age. In lessons, teachers and teaching assistants ensure that lower attaining and special educational needs pupils are supported in reading texts so that they can take a full part in activities. A few higher attaining pupils read fluently and confidently a range of complex texts. They are aware of the author’s meaning beyond the literal and how atmosphere within a story is created by the use of a mixture of short and more complex sentences. Approximately half of the year group is reading at the expected level for their age. They read accurately and with some expression and understand the main ideas and themes in the text and can describe the main events that have taken place and the characters that have been involved. Many other pupils are still finding difficulty in reading unknown words and need adult support in accessing a range of texts. Many pupils do not read

p.38

ENGLISH

97. Teachers manage reading well. The range and level of books provide a good challenge in lessons and in daily guided reading sessions. There is a good balance between reading scheme books, books from children’s literature and non-fiction texts. Teachers try to involve parents in their children’s reading by the use of home to school reading records. However, only a minority of parents regularly hear their child read and approximately half of the pupils read for themselves at home. Class records show that pupils are encouraged to read at home by the award of personal points. Throughout the school, there is extra time for guided reading sessions planned into the school timetable. Teachers plan a range of activities for these times, including the use of information and communication technology for research on the Internet. Teachers and teaching assistants give pupils good support to enable them to

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ENGLISH

progress. By the time they leave the school at the end of Year 6 many pupils are familiar with the library system and can confidently explain how to find books. School tracking records of pupils’ attainment and progress show that most Year 1 and 2 pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve appropriately in relation to their attainment at the end of the Foundation Stage. Most pupils make good progress and achieve well in Years 3 to 6 in relation to their attainment at the end of Year 2.

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ENGLISH

98. Pupils’ standards in writing are well below expectations at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. From a scrutiny of Year 2 pupils’ previously completed work in the autumn term, pupils made unsatisfactory progress in their writing. Work is unmarked and poorly presented and no discernible progress was made. Pupils’ progress since January is satisfactory with work being regularly marked in relation to individual pupils’ literacy targets and comments made by temporary teachers on what pupils have done well and what they need to improve. A few more able pupils write simple stories which have a beginning, middle and a conclusion. They can write in different formats such as instructions, poetry and reports. However, they make little use of punctuation to demarcate their sentences and their spelling is weak. They can spell some simple words, such as ‘with’, ‘me’ and ‘had’, but misspell words such as ‘face’ and ‘pretty’.

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ENGLISH

Most pupils are working at Level 1 of the National Curriculum, communicating meaning through simple words and phrases. However, they rarely use capital letters and full stops when writing simple sentences. Spelling of a few simple words is accurate but their writing contains many misspelt words. Many pupils demonstrated poor co-ordination skills at the start of the year but have made satisfactory progress in forming their letters correctly and keeping the size of their letters consistent. Parkside Community Primary School - 39 99. Pupils’ progress in writing in Years 3 and 4 is good but still well below national expectations. Higher attaining pupils can write extended pieces of work and their writing is more structured. However, they make little use of punctuation beyond full stops and capital letters. They are beginning to write more imaginatively by using a greater variety of words but, generally, their writing lacks sufficient description. Writing

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ENGLISH

more descriptively is a current target for their development and pupils are aware of what their target is. Most pupils were making erratic use of capital letters and full stops in September and their writing was short and lacked the structure of sentences. Now pupils are writing more extendedly and developing their imaginative ideas by making better use of adjectives to describe an object. Spelling remains a problem for many pupils. Most pupils are beginning to join their letters but standards of presentation are variable. Constructive marking and comments detailing how pupils may improve their work are ensuring that pupils make good progress in their writing. By the end of Year 6, higher attaining pupils’ writing contains good ideas, good use of vocabulary and a clear structure. They describe a box as "fashioned with love and fire" or that they will put in their box "the power of a raging tornado". Again their

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ENGLISH

punctuation lets them down and although pupils write in sentences, they make little use of speech marks or commas in dialogue or more complex sentences. About half of the pupils write appropriately in a range of formats including diaries, stories, letters and play scripts. They begin stories with good descriptive openings using a variety of words for effect, such as "The windows were smashed, broken and worn out," or "The turrets stand still like soldiers proud of themselves”. However, many are unable as yet to maintain this level of description throughout their work. Pupils’ spelling is unpredictable but generally phonetically plausible, such as spelling ‘another’ as ‘anuther’ or ‘noisy’ as ‘nose’. Many pupils make good progress and achieve well in relation to their attainment at the end of Year 2.

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ENGLISH

100. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and varies from very good to satisfactory. It was good or better in seven out of ten lessons. Teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of the curriculum and make good use of questioning and praise to encourage pupils to respond to the texts used. They are enthusiastic and lively in their manner and this encourages most pupils to involve themselves in the stories that are read and to take an active part in lessons. In the better quality lessons, teachers make good use of tight time structures to quicken the pace of pupils’ work and use a variety of resources to bring texts alive. The quality of marking is good as teachers increasingly mark towards individual pupils’ literacy targets and involve pupils more in their learning. In the best lessons, good use is made of discussion in the summary part of lessons for pupils to evaluate what they have

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ENGLISH

101. The management of the subject is good. The co-ordinator regularly observes lessons and scrutinises teachers’ marking. Regular feedback is given to teachers about their strengths and areas that need developing and this is supportive in nature and often leads to professional training. These procedures give consistency to the quality of teaching and learning that pupils receive. Good use is made of focus groups and literacy targets to demonstrate to pupils what they need to do to improve based on sampling the quality of their work. Regular assessments are made of pupils’ attainment and progress. Good progress has been made in the provision made for the subject and pupils’ standards of attainment, although still low, are improving as a result.

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MATHEMATICS

Parkside Community Primary School - 40 102. Standards of attainment are well below average in Year 2 and Year 6. This reflects the unsatisfactory standards recorded at the time of the last inspection. Pupils enter Key Stage 1 with levels of attainment in mathematical knowledge well below average. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1, and good progress in Years 3 to 6. Boys and girls both make similar progress. Teachers and support colleagues strive to ensure consistently good support for pupils with special educational needs in lessons, and they make good progress.

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MATHEMATICS

103. The National Numeracy Strategy has been implemented effectively throughout the school. It has helped to develop teaching styles, including those which increase pupils’ level of involvement in activities. Also pupils are encouraged to recognise that there are often different approaches to a calculation or problem, and as their confidence grows they share their different methods with the rest of the class. The school makes very good use of their analysis of test results. Pupils are placed in various groups which can provide more focussed support and challenge appropriately their current capabilities in mathematics. Also areas requiring greater emphasis have been identified, such as using and applying mathematics, and the fostering of pupils’ appreciation of number. The encouragement teachers give to the careful use of mathematical vocabulary makes a useful contribution to pupils’ development of

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MATHEMATICS

literacy skills, as do the opportunities teachers make for pupils to speak and listen attentively to each other when sharing ideas about mathematics. The school is currently promoting the increased use of information and communication technology skills in mathematics.

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MATHEMATICS

104. Most Year 1 pupils can put numbers in order on a number line to 20. Many Year 2 pupils build on these skills, with some able to add missing numbers in a sequence to 30. Some Year 2 pupils can add three single digit numbers to total 30. However, many know just the basic two-dimensional shapes, and they have had limited experience of working with money problems.

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MATHEMATICS

105. Pupils show good progress in their number and calculation skills in Years 3 to 6, although many older pupils have not developed a strong facility in working with numbers and choosing the appropriate operations to solve word problems. Most increase their understanding of shape, space and measure, but have more limited experience of data handling and using graphs. Most pupils evidently enjoy mathematics, and this is the outcome of teachers’ successful efforts to draw all pupils into activities and build up their confidence so as not to be afraid of making errors. Higher and middle attaining Year 6 pupils responded keenly to challenging real life problems involving car or drivers, mileage, petrol consumption, and converting kilometres to miles. Generally pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to engage in practical and investigative work developing their own enquiry, and have insufficient

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MATHEMATICS

encouragement to use more informal jottings.

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MATHEMATICS

106. The high level of pupils’ interest, and the generally good behaviour in lessons, has a positive impact upon their learning. This is the outcome of the skill and patience of staff who, with great endeavour and with good humour, are usually successful in achieving and maintaining a calm classroom environment in which all pupils feel secure.

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MATHEMATICS

107. The overall quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school. There is some very good teaching in Years 3 to 6. Teachers have good subject knowledge and understanding of mathematics. A variety of resources is used well to help maintain a good pace, provide a strong visual stimulus, and often to increase pupils’ involvement. Teachers’ questioning strategies challenge pupils to think, invite them to describe or Parkside Community Primary School - 41 explain their strategies, and sometimes involves queries posed to individual pupils at a level appropriate to them, which are features of the best lessons. Questioning is one of the ways in which pupils’ levels of understanding are assessed, and by which all pupils are included in the ongoing activities. Often pupils work together in pairs, and this helps their social development. Teaching assistants also work well with the teachers to support pupils’ leaning. The personal targets which pupils have in

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MATHEMATICS

mathematics also have a positive impact upon their learning. The practice of introducing learning objectives and consequent review of them to assess learning at the end of lessons is well established.

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MATHEMATICS

108. The management of the subject is very good. The co-ordinator is knowledgeable and has identified strengths and areas for development in the subject. The procedures for the assessment and monitoring of pupils’ progress throughout the school have recently been greatly improved, and are very good. Also, very good use is made of the analysis of assessment data to assist planning. Areas for improvement, in line with current priorities in the school development plan, include: increasing the pace and the level of pupils’ involvement in the starter activities; improving pupils’ mental ability in calculating numbers; expanding the practice of using informal jottings; promoting more independent enquiry, and investigational and practical work; and building experience of problem solving, and of choosing appropriate operations. The new marking policy is already helping to address the problem of inconsistent marking, and better informs

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MATHEMATICS

pupils of how they can improve their work.

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SCIENCE

109. Standards in science are below average at the end of both key stages. This is the same as the findings at the time of the last inspection. In the present Year 2 and Year 6 classes there are a large number of children who have special educational needs, as there is in most classes. Despite this, all pupils, including the large proportion of children who have special educational needs, make good progress. Traveller children and those who have English as an additional language also make good progress.

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SCIENCE

110. Most pupils in Year 1 are able to name appliances that use electricity such as microwaves, televisions and irons. Higher attaining pupils are able to identify that appliances such as a hairdryer provide heat, a television produces sound and a lamp provides light. Many pupils in both Years 1 and 2 have poor speaking and listening skills and their vocabulary is very limited. In the Year 2 class most pupils’ understand that materials such as leaves and flowers occur naturally. However, despite the teacher’s careful questioning and the provision of many resources to stimulate interest, only a minority of the class are able to name items, such as sieves and other materials, which do not occur naturally. The pace of the lesson is slow and the majority of pupils are working below the expected level for their age.

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SCIENCE

111. In a very good lesson in Year 4, a life size skeleton is used to focus pupils’ attention, and a good balance of teacher direction and pupil interaction ensures pupils remain motivated. Because of the short concentration span of the majority of pupils, the teacher ensures the pace of the lesson is brisk and activities are short and meaningful. Teaching assistants are effectively briefed, so that they know what the pupils should learn, and how to best support them. Higher attaining pupils work independently as they draw around the frame of one member of the group, and then add labels to name each important bone. In addition, pupils learn the medical or Latin name for that part of the body, for example, the skull or cranium. Parkside Community Primary School - 42 112. Pupils in Year 6 revisit topics identified in analysis of previous work as requiring more attention. They explore and investigate forces in action. With varying levels of

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SCIENCE

guidance, pupils make careful measurements of force using Newton meters or a force meter. They use their numeracy skills well to record their findings accurately on graphs.

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SCIENCE

113. Many pupils have difficulty in reading instructions and in remembering the purpose of activities. They benefit greatly from the support of teaching assistants who help by explaining the focus of the lesson and ensuring that pupils with special educational needs make progress in simple steps. Frequent revision builds up their confidence and enhances their learning. Assistants scribe and act as ‘readers’ for pupils with special educational needs when taking tests.

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SCIENCE

114. Teaching and learning are good. Planning of the science curriculum has improved. Teachers have good subject knowledge and resources are used well. Learning objectives clearly identify specific areas of knowledge, skills and understanding, which pupils should attain; opportunities are now identified for pupils to actively participate in their own learning.

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ART AND DESIGN

115. Standards in art and design are at the expected levels. Progress in all classes is at least satisfactory, and for many pupils it is good. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

116. Throughout the school, pupils are learning a range of skills and techniques, using a variety of media. Overall, attitudes and responses to art and design are good and all pupils, including those identified as having learning difficulties, make good progress.

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ART AND DESIGN

117. Pupils in Year 1 talk enthusiastically about how they have blended colours to make flesh tones in their self-portraits. In a Year 2 lesson, taught by a temporary teacher, pupils are given good opportunities to explore a range of materials. Pupils are learning to share materials, and make choices of colour and texture. They are developing skills of tearing, twisting and scrunching as they experiment with different papers, such as doilies, crepe, tissue and foil to produce individual collages. Pupils’ skills in speaking and listening are poor, and the teacher uses every opportunity to promote their literacy skills, for example, by encouraging them to use descriptive words such as ‘shiny’, ‘stretchy’ and ‘crinkly’ to describe the various papers.

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ART AND DESIGN

118. The picture of ‘The Haywain’ by John Constable is used well to promote the understanding of Year 6 pupils in their study of features of the landscape. They talk about the ‘distance’ as depicted in his picture. Through collage and paint, pupils use their imagination and observation of landscape features to skilfully develop three- dimensional pictures showing foreground, mid-ground and distance.

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ART AND DESIGN

119. The school has a number of Traveller children and knowledge of their culture is promoted well in a display, which features their caravans and recipes for the traditional ‘Stone Soup’.

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ART AND DESIGN

120. Teaching and learning of art and design are good. Throughout the school pupils’ work is displayed very attractively; this enhances pupils’ learning and helps to raise their self-esteem. Good opportunities are provided for pupils at the end of the lesson to evaluate their work Parkside Community Primary School - 43 121. The co-ordinator teaches all junior classes and has very secure subject knowledge. Lessons are well planned with very good management of pupils and good methods to teach the subject in a systematic way. All staff have high expectations for what the pupils can achieve and basic skills and techniques are taught very carefully. Resources are good.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

122. Standards in design and technology are at the expected levels. Pupils achieve well in relation to their prior learning, making good progress from Years 1 to 6. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

123. Many pupils arrive at school with poorly developed hand and finger control. They have to learn how to handle a pencil or paintbrush effectively, and to develop eye to hand co-ordination when controlling scissors and other simple tools. Teachers and teaching assistants aid and support them very well. At the same time they encourage all pupils to develop as much independence as possible.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

124. Evidence indicates that all pupils make good progress within a range of design activities. Pupils in Year 1 learn that sliding mechanisms such as levers, springs and coils can be used to create movement. They demonstrate their skills of cutting, gluing and attaching strips to card to produce a moving slide for a rabbit. Many find difficulty in using scissors accurately. Year 2 pupils make simple drawings of puppets and label individual parts. Lower ability pupils stick labels on while higher attainers write their own. Work in pupils’ sketchbooks and on display shows pupils in Year 5 follow the design and technology process in full. Pupils have taken slippers apart in order to study their construction. They learn that many different materials are used for different purposes, some to provide hardwearing surfaces, such as rubber, and some for appearance, such as ribbons. They communicate ideas through drawing and

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

modelling as they design slippers for a specific type of person; this includes the sequencing of construction methods, the selection and use of materials, the drawing of objects to scale and the evaluation of the finished product. Pupils in Year 6 design and make African masks and shelters for specific purposes.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

125. Teaching in design and technology is well planned, organised and managed. Teacher’s good exposition and clear instructions at the beginning of lessons ensure that pupils have a clear understanding of the activities to be carried out and the skills to be developed. Teachers focus on constructional techniques and give pupils the opportunity to take some control of their own learning by deciding on their own interpretation of the design of the finished products. Pupils’ work throughout the school is very well displayed and helps to raise pupils’ self-esteem.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

126. Most pupils normally display positive attitudes towards their activities but work with varying degrees of concentration. Most listen with interest to teachers’ introductions, and try to follow their instructions. However, in a lesson seen where a minority of pupils repeatedly call out, the teacher manages this poor behaviour well and appeals successfully to those children to channel their thoughts to the focus of the lesson. Most pupils are keen to improve the quality of their work and treat all tools and materials in a safe and sensible manner.

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GEOGRAPHY

Parkside Community Primary School - 44 127. Pupils attain the expected standards of work in geography by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Most pupils make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1, and good progress in Key Stage 2. Generally, levels of attainment have improved since the last report. Pupils with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language, make good progress through the school. Achievement is stronger in gaining geographical knowledge and understanding, and in developing map skills, than it is in those recording skills which depend more strongly upon writing. Boys and girls make progress at similar rates.

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GEOGRAPHY

128. Year 1 pupils develop their ideas of place in their work on the school area. They increase their knowledge of geographical vocabulary concerning common landscape features, such as houses, flats and buildings, and make use of simple maps. Year 2 pupils extend their appreciation of places and of environmental change when looking at traffic and roads in their local area, and going on a farm visit. Following the travels of Barnaby Bear provides them with further knowledge of how places are linked together.

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GEOGRAPHY

129. Pupils in Key Stage 2 expand their knowledge of maps. Year 4 pupils, asked about maps, offer a range of ideas, including ‘when lost you can follow a map’ and ‘when you look down on a map, you can’t see and include everything’. Pupils improve their ability to recognise similarities and differences between their own locality and distant places. They can also recognise some physical and human processes and appreciate how these can affect environments. Year 6 pupils, enjoying their discussion on ‘Mountain Environments’, showed their knowledge of volcanic and fold mountain formation, and their understanding of some ways in which climate influences vegetation as well as human activity.

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GEOGRAPHY

130. Pupils use basic skills taught in literacy, but the use of numeracy and of information and communication technology is less developed. Some pupils use the Internet as a source of geographical information, but they are not always encouraged to focus and to be selective. Other opportunities are missed for using graphs to present fieldwork observations when appropriate.

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GEOGRAPHY

131. The quality of teaching and learning ranges from satisfactory to good, and is satisfactory overall. The good teaching has featured more consistently in Years 3 to 6. In the best lessons, pupils clearly understand what is expected of them, and their interest and concentration are promoted with attractive resources, and by opportunities for active learning. All pupils are included well in the work, although sometimes an emphasis upon closed questions can limit the level of participation for many pupils.

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GEOGRAPHY

132. The lack of a coherent whole school scheme of work has been reflected in the variable quality of planning. As a basis for curriculum planning, the school is drawing upon topics from national guidelines, augmented by references to a commercial programme. The school recognises the need to develop a coherent scheme of work following the evaluation of the units currently being used. This will facilitate teachers’ planning, will underpin progression in pupils’ knowledge and skills, and enable the development of the regular assessment and recording of progress made by pupils. Fieldwork and visits contribute to pupils’ interest, and to the standards they achieve. There are useful cross subject links with history, as well as with English. The school geography action plan aims to strengthen the use of information and communication technology, and to extend fieldwork by increasing use of the environmental centre.

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GEOGRAPHY

Parkside Community Primary School - 45 Opportunities are not fully exploited for investigative work, or for cross subject links with science and mathematics, which would both enhance pupils’ learning.

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HISTORY

133. Standards for seven year olds and 11 year olds are average compared to those nationally. This is an improvement since the last report. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1 and good progress in Key Stage 2 in their knowledge and understanding of people and events in the past. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress. Boys and girls make similar progress.

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HISTORY

134. By the age of seven pupils are developing their sense of chronology, and they recognise how their own lives are different from those of people in the past. Year 1 pupils study changes in the way people have lived in their study of housing, as well as differences between rich and poor people living in them. Pupils in Year 2 record personal memories which are special to them. They also increase their knowledge of sources we can use to learn about the past, and develop sequencing skills in their work on the Great Fire of London.

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HISTORY

135. Year 3 to 6 pupils continue to build their chronological understanding and their knowledge of characteristic features of past societies in their work on topics including Ancient Egypt, the Victorians, and Britain since 1948. Pupils’ learning is supported by the prominent display of timelines for particular topics. Year 6 pupils used the Internet as a source for information about changes in Canterbury since the time of the Roman occupation. This timeline records other historical periods as well. Pupils have less understanding of how aspects of the past have been represented and interpreted in different ways. Some pupils offer interesting written accounts of history topics, but such opportunities for written work to communicate or record their work are limited.

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HISTORY

136. Pupils enjoy history and generally work well. Their enthusiasm was shown when Year 5 pupils researched what life was like at sea in Tudor times. Having identified items which they would likely be taking on board for a sea trip, they then quizzed two of their peers who acted the role of sailors. The enjoyment and success of this lesson owed much to the firm, but gentle, reminders to some pupils of what was expected, and acceptable, to the teacher. Visits, such as the archaeological dig (Year 4) at Canterbury College, and the survey of medieval Canterbury (Year 5), also have a positive impact upon pupils’ learning.

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HISTORY

137. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Good teaching has been more prominent in Key Stage 2, but good teaching was observed in Key Stage 1 during the inspection. Features of the good teaching include good pace, and successful methods of classroom management to ensure the motivation and inclusion of all pupils. Pupils’ concentration is also helped by the effective use of resources, which promote visual, and oral, engagement by pupils. Artefacts are used effectively in some topics, but enquiry approaches, which also see history as ‘looking for clues’, are insufficiently emphasised.

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HISTORY

138. The subject co-ordinator who has recently been appointed, provides satisfactory leadership. The curriculum draws upon national guidelines, and pupils’ progress is currently assessed at the end of topics. The school recognises the need to develop a Parkside Community Primary School - 46 scheme of work from these topics, which will underpin the progression in pupils’ skills and concepts, and provide a system of regular assessment and recording. Pupils’ learning is supported by cross subject links between history and literacy, and the use of information and communication technology.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

139. Standards by the end of Years 2 and 6 are in line with national expectations. The unsatisfactory standards noted at the time of the last inspection have been improved. This is due to better curriculum and resource provision and the training provided for staff to increase their confidence and expertise in teaching the various aspects of the subject. As a result, all pupils are making satisfactory progress.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

140. By the end of Year 2, pupils are able to use simple word-processing programs to write short pieces of work, such as introductions to well-known fairy tales. Pupils can change the size and type of the font and are beginning to show an awareness of audience in the choices they make. Inevitably, pupils’ word-processing skills are constrained by their limited literacy skills. They show appropriate control in using a ‘mouse’ to click on icons when using art programs, such as ‘Colour Magic’, to change the function they require. They make good use of their imaginations to create their own pictures using the ‘line’, ‘stamp’ and ‘spray can’ functions. Pupils are able to give a short, simple set on instructions to make a programmable toy follow a given route although they often confuse left with right when commanding it to turn.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

141. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 were observed using a simple database program to produce a classification key to sort out different insects and spiders. Despite the fact that they had never done this before, pupils showed confidence in using the program and clicking on the icons to achieve the objective. They showed good co-ordination in using the ‘mouse’ to click on a picture and drag it to its required position. However, many pupils needed help in reading the instructions on the screen but with good support from the teacher and support assistants they overcame this difficulty well. Year 4, 5 and 6 pupils access Internet sites to find information about seafaring life in Tudor times. They import pictures from the sites and write simple pieces of information to accompany them. In conversation they were able to explain correctly how they would use the edit function to reorganise the text by highlighting and cutting

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

and pasting it. By the end of Year 6, pupils can set up a simple database, such as creating a simple menu for a party and calculating the cost according to the number of guests. A few pupils are aware of short cuts, such as using the shift key to write a single capital rather than the caps lock or using the arrow keys rather than the ‘mouse’ to move the cursor to a particular cell in the spreadsheet. Pupils’ skills are improving with the good use made of the computer suite and the good teaching they receive, but their learning is slowed by their limited literacy skills. No work in control technology or using the computer to sense physical data such as temperature was observed during the inspection but this is planned for the summer term.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

142. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall and varies from good to satisfactory. Good use is made of staff with specialist knowledge in the teaching of the subject to ensure that activities are well planned and appropriate to the abilities of the pupils. Planning takes into account the literacy and numeracy levels of the pupils but their work is limited by these skills. Teachers manage the use of the computer suite well, building on pupils’ existing information and communication technology skills and ensuring that the curriculum is covered effectively. The teachers’ good Parkside Community Primary School - 47 relationships with the pupils ensures that they are well behaved and apply themselves appropriately to their work. Teachers are confident, knowing the sorts of problems that pupils are likely to encounter and reminding them of basic commands which they are likely to forget. Lessons have clear introductions which usually take place in the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

classroom so that teachers are sure that pupils are listening attentively and know what to do when in the computer suite.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

143. The subject is well managed by the co-ordinator and teachers’ planning closely monitored. The improved range of hardware and software in the computer suite is used well to support pupils’ learning and to ensure that they have opportunities to use their skills in other subjects of the curriculum as well as improve their computer skills. A collection of pupils’ completed work has been established which helps to level work according to the level descriptors in the National Curriculum Programme of Study. The school follows nationally recommended guidelines for the curriculum and regular assessments are made and recorded of pupils’ work. The school also offers pupils opportunities to use the computer suite from eight in the morning on two days a week. This allows pupils, who do not have a computer at home, to enjoy using a range of programs including games and simulations.

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MUSIC

144. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils’ standards of attainment are in line with those expected for pupils of these ages. Pupils make satisfactory progress. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

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MUSIC

145. By the end of Year 2, pupils sing a range of songs from memory although a significant minority are very self-conscious when doing so. Most pupils have good pitch and are enthusiastic in enjoying action songs and simple rounds. Most pupils have yet to develop a sense of rhythm or to be able to keep a steady pulse as they have poor co- ordination. The school is making use of the ‘writedance’ programme to improve these skills. By the end of Year 6, pupils are able to sing with appropriate pitch and enjoy two part songs. A few pupils still find it difficult to keep to their own part which causes some hilarity with their classmates, but the majority have mastered this skill. Pupils accompany simple songs using keyboards and untuned percussion instruments. They can play a simple ostinato to accompany a catchy song but have more difficulty in composing their own. Pupils sing enthusiastically in assemblies and most are able

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MUSIC

to keep a steady beat when clapping a rhythm. Pupils show interest and concentrate well in lessons. In Years 3 and 4, pupils are able to repeat quite complicated rhythms clapped by their teacher using their hands or untuned percussion instruments. Although pupils know how to treat instruments correctly, a significant minority do not do so and bang them as hard as they can to make the most noise. Their immaturity slows the pace of the lesson and limits the progress they could make.

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MUSIC

146. The quality of teaching was satisfactory in the lessons observed during the inspection. Teachers have a good knowledge of the subject and provide suitable work for the ability levels of the pupils. They manage pupils very well, ensuring that inappropriate behaviour is quickly checked and pupils stay on task throughout lessons. Good use is made of the school’s improved resources. Teachers make good use of musical vocabulary, such as pulse, dynamics and ostinato, when explaining to pupils what they have to do and show an enthusiasm which most pupils adopt. Many pupils, particularly in Years 3 and 4, have short concentration spans. The best teaching was seen where teachers changed activities frequently to keep pupils’ interest and ensured Parkside Community Primary School - 48 that time was well used. Where activities were not well structured, pupils quickly became bored and the pace of learning was slowed.

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MUSIC

147. The co-ordination of music is good. Provision for the subject has improved and weekly lessons are now evident in all classes, a criticism at the time of the last inspection. Many new instruments have been purchased, including some from a range of different cultures. Teachers’ planning is monitored well and through involvement in whole school singing activities the co-ordinator is able to monitor pupils’ standards of attainment. The school has participated in area musical events, such as the ‘Wildest Dreams’ event, which allowed some pupils to be involved with the Canterbury Symphony Orchestra. A variety of published schemes are used to plan the curriculum and support teachers. Resources are satisfactory.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

148. Pupils’ standards in physical education at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are in line with national expectations. Pupils make satisfactory progress. Standards have been improved since the time of the last inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

149. Generally, Year 2 pupils follow instructions and demonstrate satisfactory co-ordination and appropriate control when running, twisting and turning while carrying out a variety of movements to imitate the mood of a piece of music. A few pupils can skip in rhythm to the music. The teacher’s firm discipline, and tight structure to the activities, ensures that some pupils’ tendency to be silly when excited by what they are doing does not get out of control. Pupils enjoy physical activities and work well together as they build a number of short dance steps into a sequence of movements to create s short dance. They link arms with one another as others pass through the ‘arch’ created. Year 3 and 4 pupils show appropriate control and hand/eye co-ordination when playing short tennis. They listen carefully to instructions and are able to maintain a short rally of strokes in volleying or driving the ball to a partner. They work

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

well together, ensuring that through endeavour and suitable concentration they improve their performance. Year 5 and 6 pupils were observed learning the batting, bowling and fielding skills of cricket. They listened attentively, behaved very well and worked hard to improve their skills. Most pupils were able to stop a small ball but few could catch it without it bouncing out of their hands. However, they persevered and made very good progress during the course of the lesson. Pupils are developing confidence in throwing and striking a ball and in positioning themselves correctly when fielding. Most pupils meet national expectations in being able to swim 25 metres by the time they leave the school. As few pupils go to the swimming baths except with the school, this is a significant achievement. Teachers make appropriate use of ongoing assessments of pupils’ work to inform their future planning.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

150. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall, but varies from very good to satisfactory. Teachers have a clear knowledge and understanding of the curriculum. They manage pupils very well and ensure that safe procedures are always followed. Pupils respond well to the work provided for them and enjoy improving their performance through repetition. Teachers ensure that all pupils, including those with emotional and behavioural difficulties, take a full part in lessons and are given the support appropriate to their needs. In the better quality lessons, teachers make good use of demonstrating the skills pupils are to learn and keeping a good pace to the work by frequently changing the activities so that pupils’ short concentration levels do not adversely affect their learning. Parkside Community Primary School - 49 151. The subject is satisfactorily managed. The co-ordinator is presently absent through

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

illness and the headteacher is overseeing development of the subject. Teacher’s planning is monitored to ensure the curriculum is suitably covered and there is a satisfactory range of resources to support pupils’ learning. The school makes good use of outside specialists to provide coaching for pupils in sports such as rugby, tennis and cricket, and is involved in a number of inter-school sports fixtures. The school also provides a number of after-school sports clubs, including one provided by a local police officer.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

152. The standards of seven year olds and 11 year olds are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. This maintains the position at the time of the last report. During their time in school, pupils make good progress overall. Pupils with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language, also make good progress.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

153. Pupils are interested in the topics and stories covered, and this is shown too in the care which many, including lower attaining pupils, put into their work. Pupils are able to record their work in different ways including drawings, sequencing pictures, and some in extended writing. This provides tasks which are appropriate to the needs and recording ability of the pupils. Together with the teaching methods practised, this helps to ensure the full inclusion of all pupils in their learning about faith traditions, and how they might choose to respond to their increasing understanding

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

154. By the age of seven, pupils consider their own importance, and how they relate to others. In Year 1 they think about feelings we can experience of sadness and joy at different times. This was in response to hearing the story Jesus told about two brothers - the ‘Prodigal Son’. They enjoyed the story. “That was a great story” - was the immediate comment from one pupil when it ended. Year 2 pupils think about and share their own experiences of celebrations. They recognise how food is often a feature of celebrations, and become more aware of the significance that sharing a meal together enjoys in different faiths and cultures.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

155. In Years 3 to 6, pupils continue to develop their knowledge and understanding of the distinctive features of religious traditions, and of the central beliefs and values of individual religions. They gain further insight into the significance of religious symbols for believers. Year 6 pupils learn about Buddhism and the journey to enlightenment. In their study of Islam, they are reminded of the concept of sacred books, and of the practice of prayer which is common to many faith traditions. Year 4 pupils cover aspects of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. When the class had heard and discussed the story of Jesus being tempted three times in the desert, a pupil takes the role of Jesus and answers questions posed by his peers: “I do not want to listen to the devil because I am the Son of God, and want to teach people about the love of God”, was one of his answers.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

156. Religious education, with work on Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Hinduism, makes a good contribution to pupils’ social and moral awareness, and is also a significant factor in their understanding of spirituality in different cultures.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

157. The quality of teaching and learning is good. This is an improvement since the time of the last report. Teachers make clear their expectations of strong efforts from pupils, and intervene quickly to ensure pupils are not distracted. Various methods are used well, including story, role play, and visual resources to involve all pupils. Questioning Parkside Community Primary School - 50 techniques are used skillfully to prompt pupils’ thinking and to maintain their concentration. Most pupils are keen to share their ideas, and sometimes share their feelings.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

158. The range and quality of resources available in school have improved since the last report. However, the acquisition of more religious artefacts would enrich pupils’ learning, as would more opportunities for visits to local places of worship. The school is in the process of reviewing the balance of the curriculum. The school recognises the need to develop a more coherent scheme of work for religious education, which will provide a basis for progression in teaching and learning, and will facilitate the systematic assessment of pupils’ progress. The management of the subject is satisfactory.

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