Morecambe and Heysham Grosvenor Park Primary School

GROSVENOR PARK 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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GROSVENOR PARK 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. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Roeburn Drive Grosvenor Park Morecambe Lancashire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 19 January 1998 Grosvenor Park Primary School - 4

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Aspect responsibilities

23647 Mr G W Cooper Registered inspector Educational inclusion English as an additional language Special educational needs Music Religious education Science What sort of school is it? How high are standards? The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further?

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Aspect responsibilities

1305 Mr B Rance Lay inspector How high are standards? 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? 32377 Mr D Courtney Team inspector Art and design Design and technology Mathematics Physical education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Aspect responsibilities

20368 Ms S Macintosh Team inspector English Geography History 30590 Mr P Tuttle Team inspector Foundation stage Information and communication technology How well is the school led and managed? Grosvenor Park Primary School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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Aspect responsibilities

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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Aspect responsibilities

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

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Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Grosvenor Park 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? 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Grosvenor Park Primary is a community school set in a suburb of Morecambe. It has 270 boys and girls from the age of four to eleven, including 26 children in the Reception class. Almost all pupils come from a white British background. A very small number come from a range of origins including white European and Asian backgrounds. English is not the language of the home for four pupils and one of these is at an early stage of language acquisition. A very small proportion of pupils come from a traveller background. The school admits pupils who have been excluded from other schools and pupils from families under stress. An average proportion of pupils are identified as having learning difficulties. However, the proportion of those with a greater degree of learning difficulties (those with Statements of Special Educational Needs) is much higher than in most schools. When children enter full-time school,

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

their acquired knowledge and skills are below average. Pupils come from a very wide range of backgrounds. Overall, the school’s context is more disadvantaged than advantaged.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school’s effectiveness is satisfactory. Grosvenor Park has many strengths. Very largely owing to factors beyond the school’s control, standards in English and mathematics are below average in Year 6 but are keeping pace with the national rate of improvement. Pupils’ personal standards – their behaviour, attitudes and relationships – are good and frequently very good. Teaching and learning are good in each key stage 1 of the school. Leadership and management are good overall. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• The school is well led and managed. The role of the governing body has improved substantially since the last inspection. • Teaching and learning are very good in the Foundation Stage 2 and good elsewhere. • Children get off to a good start in the Reception class. • The school provides well for the care and personal development of pupils and this promotes positive outcomes in their behaviour, attitudes, values and personal development. • The school is successful in making sure that all its pupils are included in the educational opportunities offered. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good and for those learning English as a new language provision is good. • Parents have a great deal of confidence in the work of the school.

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What could be improved

• Standards of attainment in English, mathematics, information and communication technology, art and design and design and technology by Year 6. • Teaching and learning to ensure that pupils develop and apply skills independently. • The breadth and balance of the curriculum to consolidate the effective development of skills. • The use of information and communication technology relevantly and regularly across the curriculum. • Improving the role of the subject leaders to ensure that they know what needs to be done to improve their subjects. • Ensuring that financial management does not allow an unnecessarily large underspend to accumulate. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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What could be improved

1 Key stage: Foundation Stage includes Reception class children, Key Stage 1 pupils are in Years 1 and 2 and Key Stage 2 pupils are in Years 3 to 6. 2 Foundation Stage: provision for the education of children before they begin work on the National Curriculum Programmes of Study, in this case, for children in the Reception class. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 8

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was previously inspected in January 1998. Good improvement has been made since then. Although still well below average, standard test results have improved a great deal. Improvements are to be found in most areas of the school’s work. Much successful hard work has gone towards making progress against the key issues of the previous inspection. There remains room to improve the role of subject leaders. Although strategic financial planning is better, the school still holds more than is usual in its reserves.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

In 2002 standards in National Curriculum tests were well below average in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. Compared with the results of schools with a similar proportion of free school meals, results were below average in English and science but well below average in mathematics. Girls did significantly better than boys. The school has kept up with the national trend of improvement. Test results were well above average in reading and mathematics and average in writing by the end of Year 2. Compared to schools with similar proportions of free school meals results in reading were very high (in the top five per cent of results nationally), well above average in mathematics and above average in writing. Boys did a little better than girls. Results for pupils of this age showed significant improvement compared with those of the previous year group, most notably in reading and

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Key

mathematics. Targets are set for eleven-year-olds in the light of their prior attainment. Some difficulty is found in making accurate targets as quite a number of pupils enter and leave the school at different times from the usual time of joining. This applies to up to one pupil in four in any one year. The targets for 2002 were missed by a considerable margin. Targets for 2003 have been set lower and at a more realistic level. Most pupils are on course to meet the targets set for them.

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Key

In the work seen, children in the Foundation Stage get off to a good start. They make very good progress towards the Early Learning Goals 3 . By the time they begin studies in the National Curriculum their attainment is above that expected for their age. By Year 2, standards are above average in English and average in all other subjects of the National Curriculum. Most pupils make satisfactory progress and for some progress is rapid. By Year 6 standards are average in science, geography, history, music and physical education but below average in English, mathematics, art and design, design and technology and information and communication technology (ICT). Where standards are above average, the teaching has promoted good progress and pupils achieve well. The factors involved in below average standards are very largely beyond the school’s control. These are the high proportion of pupils with

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Key

significant learning difficulties, those with social barriers to learning, the high degree of pupil mobility and the successful integration of pupils from a range of different backgrounds but who come with gaps in their prior learning. Despite good teaching, it is difficult for many of these pupils to make the progress required to catch up for lost time. School assessments indicate that some make good progress and others do not make enough progress. Given attainment on entry, achievement overall is satisfactory.

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Key

3 Early Learning Goals (ELGs): targets set nationally for the learning of children in Nursery and Reception classes. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 9 Grosvenor Park Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are positive and enthusiastic about their school life.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Most pupils live up to the school’s high expectations of their behaviour. A few pupils find it difficult to behave well.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils take pride in themselves and their work. They usually get on very well with adults and other pupils. They lack opportunities to be independent learners.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Average. The school’s data matches the national average for attendance. Most pupils get to school on time.

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

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

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

Children are very good learners in Reception because the teaching is so well focused on their needs and on the Early Learning Goals. In Years 1 to 6, the teaching in English and mathematics is good overall. Expectations of children in the Reception class are excellent. A consistent strength in the teaching, especially in Years 3 to 6, is the way pupils are managed. This is a great support to the quality of learning because, as a result, pupils listen well to the teacher, settle quickly to tasks and concentrate with quiet determination. Literacy and numeracy are well taught overall. Although standards are not rising as quickly as the school would hope, pupils are making progress as they acquire the basic skills of reading, writing and number. The school does well to ensure that pupils of different backgrounds benefit from good teaching and well-targeted support. Pupils with learning difficulties are well supported

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

and this helps their good progress. Sometimes lessons do not do enough to challenge pupils with higher learning potential. They do not get enough opportunities to be independent in their learning and to apply the skills they develop through imaginative tasks across the curriculum. Within the good teaching, the role of learning support assistants is well developed. They use their knowledge and skills well to promote the learning of individuals and groups.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The school meets statutory requirements. Provision is very good in the Reception class, good in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactory in Years 3 to 6. There is room to develop the breadth of the curriculum and the way in which pupils use the skills they acquire.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. There is a clear link between the identified needs of pupils, the plans made for their learning and the work they produce.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. There are very few pupils in this category. The small number of pupils learning English for the first time are well supported and given the experiences they need. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 11 Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. Good opportunities are provided for spiritual development. Moral and social development is very good. Cultural development is satisfactory. Not enough is made of education for life in a diverse society.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good pastoral and social care is provided. The school has all the provision necessary to cover legal requirements. The measurement of pupils’ attainment and progress is good but the information could be used better to improve progress, especially in Years 3 to 6.

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Aspect Comment

Partnership with parents Parents know a great deal about the school’s strengths and have confidence in its provision.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The head provides a calm and purposeful vision for the direction of the school. She is ably supported by the deputy head and members of the senior management team.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors have developed their role well since the previous inspection. They ensure that statutory requirements are met.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school knows itself and what needs to be done to improve further. Satisfactory use is made of the principles of best value.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. Staff are well targeted on pupils’ needs but some resources are insufficient to support the breadth of the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources Good. The school has sufficient qualified and experienced teachers. Their work is well supported by the work of learning support assistants. The accommodation is good and well used. Learning resources are adequate overall but with shortcomings in some subject areas.

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like to see improved

• The teaching, leadership and management are good. • Their children make good progress and like school. • The school encourages their children to become more mature and responsible. As a result, behaviour is good. • The school has high expectations of their children and works closely in partnership with parents. • The consistency of giving and marking homework. • Activities out of school hours. • The information they receive about progress.

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like to see improved

The inspection team agrees wholeheartedly with the positive views of parents. They know the strengths of the school well. The team disagrees with the very small number of parents who expressed concerns. Sufficient homework is given regularly and marked. However, this may be more consistent in some Grosvenor Park Primary School - 12 classes than in others. The school provides a good range of activities out of school hours. This is mostly for older pupils, as is usual in primary schools. Staff give their time freely at lunchtime and after school to make this provision. The team believes that the information parents receive about progress is good. Reports give sufficient detail. There is the usual range of consultation meetings during the school year and the school welcomes discussions with parents at other times. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Achievement is very good for children in the Foundation Stage. They begin full time schooling with acquired skills and knowledge that are below average but by the time they leave the Reception Class most are on target to exceed the expected learning goals. Achievement is good in Years 1 and 2. Although progress is not even across the classes, all pupils make some progress and many in Year 2 make good progress. In Year 2 attainment is in line with the standard expected nationally in most subjects but above that standard in English. Although progress in lessons is now satisfactory in Years 3 to 6, there is a considerable legacy of underachievement to overcome. The situation is complicated by the high incidence of pupil mobility, the unusually large number of pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs and the incidence of pupils with gaps in their education. This challenge to the school becomes

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

increasingly complex as pupils move from Years 1 and 2 and into Years 3 to 6. This is largely why the school finds accurate target setting difficult and why targets have been missed recently. By Year 6 attainment is below the standard expected, especially, but not only, in English, mathematics and science. Acknowledgement of some of the school’s improvement in standards was recognised by the recent award of a Department for Education and Skills school achievement certificate.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The results of National Curriculum tests have improved over recent years and by the end of Year 6 test results in 2002 were a great deal better than they were at the time of the previous inspection. Despite this, by the end of Year 6, results were well below average. In the tests at the end of Year 2 in 2002 results in reading and mathematics were well above the national average and when compared with the results of schools with a similar proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals they were very high in reading and well above average in mathematics. Results in writing were not as good: average in comparison to all schools nationally and above average compared to those in a similar setting. More pupils gained the expected level than is usual. In reading and mathematics more pupils than is usual achieved the higher than expected grades possible. There is little difference in the achievements of boys and girls over three years. Results are rising

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

steadily, most noticeably in reading and mathematics. Writing is improving only slowly by comparison. In science Teacher Assessments, more pupils than is usual gain the expected levels but fewer achieve the higher than expected levels.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In the tests at the end of Year 6 in 2002, results in English and science were well below the national average and below average when compared with results of schools with a similar proportion of pupils entitled to a free school meal. Mathematics results were also well below the national average and well below average compared with the results of similar schools. The challenge for the school is that fewer pupils gain the higher than expected levels, particularly in English and in mathematics. . The cumulative impact of gender difference over three years is that girls consistently perform better than boys in all areas tested. This was also the case in the 2002 results. The school’s trend of improvement is keeping pace with the national trend of results. However, in English and mathematics, results vary from year to year and fell in 2001. This is not the case with science where results have improved dramatically and consistently from

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

year to year, although they are not at the national average yet. There is continuing underachievement for some pupils by the end of Year 6. School analysis of the results of those pupils who remain with them for the whole of their primary career shows that these pupils make expected progress. Factors included in this have been indicated above: the high number of pupils with a Statement of learning difficulties, the proportion of pupils who enter the school late and are still settling in when they take National Standard tests, the proportion of pupils with gaps in their education, for example, pupils from a traveller background, and pupils entering school with complex barriers to learning, for example, pupils from families under stress. This is why statutory targets for Year 6 are difficult to set. The school makes good provision for all these pupils and Grosvenor Park Primary School - 14 they make good progress. Pupils of all different groups are included in all that the school has to

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

offer. However, the progress they make is rarely sufficient to make up for lost time. 4. The targets set by the school are challenging. This year they have been set realistically lower for the current group of pupils in Year 6. Most pupils are on target to achieve the standard set for them.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Standards in the work seen during the inspection:

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development

Communication, language and literacy On target to exceed the expected goals Mathematical development On target to exceed the expected goals

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world

Creative development On target to exceed the expected goals Physical development On target to exceed the expected goals

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Year 6

English Above average Below average Mathematics Average Below average Science Average Average Art and design Average Below average Design and technology Average Below average Geography Average Average History Average Average

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communication technology

Music Average Average Physical education Average Average Religious education In line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus In line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus

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communication technology

5. Children in the Foundation Stage (Reception class) are well on course to exceed the recommended targets for learning at this stage. Although they began full-time education with a limited range of knowledge and skills, the very good provision in the Reception Class enables them to make rapid learning gains. They are well settled and responsive in their personal development. They get on equally well with adults and each other. Most speak audibly and with sense and listening skills are well developed. Many have acquired the first steps in reading skills and some already read at the first levels of the National Curriculum. They count and add on accurately. One girl confidently read numbers above three digits, far in excess of the mathematical development expected for this age. They are naturally curious about the world about them and have a mature level of early understanding in this area of learning. They enjoy the

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communication technology

range of experiences provided for them to be creative and imaginative. Physical skills are well developed: pupils concentrate hard as they practise using strength and agility in lessons.

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communication technology

6. Standards of attainment for pupils in Years 1 and 2 are average in mathematics, science, art and design, design and technology, geography, history, information and communication technology, music and physical education. Standards are above average in English. Work in religious education matches the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Pupils are arranged in three classes: one class with Year 1 pupils, one class with some Year 1 and some Year 2 pupils and a third class with Year 2 pupils. There are significant differences in attainment between classes and this relates directly to the quality of teaching. Pupils in the Year 2 class make good progress and achieve well. Pupils in the mixed Year 1 and Year 2 class make progress but their progress Grosvenor Park Primary School - 15 is not as good as that of other pupils. Provision for learning in ICT has improved a great deal since the previous inspection and standards have been raised significantly. Standards in English

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communication technology

are now above average because there is a very sharp focus on what needs to be learned next to build successfully on what pupils already know. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 16 7. In Years 3 to 6, the school is in the position of having to catch up on a legacy of under- achievement. The work seen does not reflect standards in the results of National Curriculum tests. The school is performing better than that. Standards are average in science, geography, history, music and physical education. Work in religious education matches the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. However, standards remain below average in English, mathematics, art and design, design and technology and ICT. Whilst the results of National Curriculum tests are showing evidence of improvement, in some subjects, standards have declined since the previous inspection. Despite some element of underachievement, progress is seen in the work of

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communication technology

almost all pupils. The school’s standards are affected by the mobility factor, by the incidence of special educational needs and by those pupils who have gaps in their prior education. It is also affected by the underachievement of boys and to some extent by the underachievement of pupils with the potential for higher attainment. Some subjects are below average because not enough is expected of pupils as independent learners and investigators. For example, in mathematics, while a strong emphasis is placed on good number work, insufficient emphasis is placed on mathematical investigations. Some restrictions in attainment are caused by a lack of exciting activities with a range of stimulating materials and media to use. In ICT, while some very significant improvement is being made, teachers are not yet confident enough to use computers regularly to support and reinforce learning across a range of subjects.

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communication technology

8. There are very few pupils for whom English is not the language of the home. Fewer still are at an early stage of English acquisition. These few pupils are very well integrated into all the work of the school. The school admits a proportion of pupils from the traveller community. Most of these pupils have gaps in their prior learning. Pupils and adults work hard to overcome these gaps in learning. Pupils with learning difficulties are very well provided for through targets for learning and the attention of LSAs. Overall, the school makes every endeavour to include all pupils from the full range of ability and background. This good provision helps them to make good progress. Pupils with the potential for higher attainment make satisfactory progress. However, some lessons do not provide enough pace and challenge for them to make better progress and to achieve more. Some of the tasks set for them are too simple and do not expect sufficient

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Overall, pupils' attitudes to learning are very good and have improved since the previous inspection. Pupils' behaviour in class and around the school is good, as it was in the previous inspection. Relationships throughout the school are very good and have improved since the previous inspection. Overall, pupils’ attendance at school is satisfactory and has improved since the previous inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Strengths in this area of school life are:

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

• positive attitudes to school work and the life of the school; • good behaviour; • very good and improving relationships; • improving attendance.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils’ attitudes to their work have a positive impact on their learning. They like coming to school, enjoy learning and are articulate when discussing their life in school. Pupils know and understand the well-established routines of the school, and pupils who are new to the school quickly settle into them as well. They work independently on the tasks they are given and try hard to complete them in the set time. They are encouraged to help each other and to treat one another with respect. They are particularly good in classroom discussions at waiting to take their turn to speak or answer questions and do not do so until invited to by the teacher. They therefore listen to each other and the teacher. Pupils with special educational needs are fully Grosvenor Park Primary School - 17 integrated into the work of each class and are well provided for. They also have positive attitudes to school and their learning. The school crossing patrol is quick to point out the good behaviour

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

and positive attitudes of pupils when crossing the road.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. The role models provided by all the staff in the school together with consistent implementation of the behaviour policy are both significant contributory factors. The schemes for rewarding good behaviour, good effort and good work are enjoyed by the pupils. A good example is the weekly team points awards for good manners. The practice of assigning monitor duties to Year 6 pupils also has a positive impact on pupils' behaviour in the school. In the playground pupils play sensibly, if somewhat boisterously. They play in a mixture of groupings, by age and by gender groups. They would benefit from having more constructive play equipment available at playtimes. When incidents do occur they are well managed by the staff and the headteacher records and monitors these incidents very carefully. There is no evidence of bullying, and there have been no exclusions in recent years.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Boys and girls and different age groups all mix well together and are totally inclusive in their attitudes towards one another. There are a number of pupils from traveller families, a few from ethnic minorities and some with special educational needs, and they all work and play seamlessly alongside the other pupils. The relationship between pupils and staff, not just the teachers but also the learning support assistants, welfare assistants, midday staff, the caretaker and voluntary helpers, are similarly very good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils’ personal development is good and this is an improvement since the previous inspection. In class they work hard on their assigned tasks as well as assisting the teachers with numerous housekeeping tasks that help the smooth running of the lessons. They share duties such as returning registers to the office and holding doors open for the class to pass through when moving around the school. Year 6 pupils have a wider range of responsibilities on a rota basis involving the distribution of registers and post around the school, answering the telephone when no adults are available at lunchtime and administering the team points scheme for the good manners awards.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Overall, pupils’ attendance at school is satisfactory and has improved since the previous inspection. The school has worked hard on this aspect and parents have co-operated in explaining when pupils are absent so that unauthorised absences are now very low. The level of authorised absence is close to the national and Lancashire averages for primary schools. Apart from just one or two pupils, the great majority of pupils arrive at school punctually so that the day gets off to a prompt start.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. Teaching and learning are good in the school overall. They are very good in the Foundation Stage. Almost three in four of the lessons seen in the school were good or better. One lesson was excellent and there was one lesson judged to be unsatisfactory. The quality of teaching has improved significantly since the previous inspection. The chart below summarises the quality of teaching. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 18

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Quality of Teaching - Grosvenor Park

Where 1 = excellent teaching, 2 = very good, 3 = good, 4 = satisfactory and 5 = unsatisfactory

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Quality of Teaching - Grosvenor Park

• The quality of teaching in the Reception Class. • The management of pupils in the school overall. • The support given by LSAs. • Provision for pupils with learning difficulties and for those from different backgrounds. • The use of subject knowledge. • The use of resources. • The progress made by most pupils in lessons. • The interest and concentration shown by pupils. • Their acquisition of knowledge and understanding.

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Quality of Teaching - Grosvenor Park

• Teachers’ planning. • The use of assessment on a day to day basis. • The management of a few more restless pupils. • Opportunities for pupils to be independent and creative. • The development of skills in some curriculum areas.

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Quality of Teaching - Grosvenor Park

16. The quality of teaching in the Reception Class is very good. Children get off to a very good start in their full-time education. All aspects of the curriculum for children of this age are taught equally well. The room is bright and busy, providing a stimulating atmosphere for learning. Children’s behaviour is very good because the teacher has very high expectations and controls what happens quietly, consistently and with great wisdom. The teacher plans very effectively and this is a very good stimulus to learning. Children have been taught to listen effectively. They get the right messages for good learning and make good or better progress as a result. Very good links with the home, through discussion with parents, through welcoming parents to visit the classroom and through homework, are strong factors in the children’s achievements in learning. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 19 17. The management of pupils in the school is very good overall. The school’s effective policies for

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Quality of Teaching - Grosvenor Park

the management of pupils are well observed by teachers and LSAs. The vast majority of lessons are calm and orderly. A purposeful working environment is created. Teachers capitalise on this to ensure good teaching and learning in English and mathematics. Pupils have good opportunities to listen well, to concentrate, to respond to questions and get through a good volume of work. Occasionally, some pupils are restless and not all teachers have the very sharp pupil management skills necessary to maintain the focus on learning. The support given by LSAs is good. They know the pupils well and work closely in partnership with teachers. They are well targeted on specific pupils, frequently, but not always, those with learning difficulties. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties and for those from different backgrounds is very good. Teachers and LSAs are acutely aware of the targets on these pupils’ learning plans. They give good

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Quality of Teaching - Grosvenor Park

practical support during activities. Pupils with learning difficulties often get searching questions that keep them involved in the lesson. Teachers and other adults deal sensitively with a range of pupils with particular needs. This helps them to remain confident and well supported. There is equally good provision for pupils from the traveller community and for those for whom English is not the language of the home. This provision enables all pupils to be effective learners and to make progress.

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Quality of Teaching - Grosvenor Park

18. Teachers make good use of their subject knowledge. This helps them to take lessons confidently and briskly. However, not enough is made on a regular basis of pupils’ growing ICT skills. Resources are used thoughtfully. As a result of the quality of teaching and learning, few pupils do not make the progress expected of them. Many make good and very good progress. This is partly the result of the interest and concentration shown by pupils and partly because pupils are positive in their attitudes to learning. As a result, they acquire the knowledge and skills expected of them in the light of their prior attainment. The planning of most lessons in the short term is good. Other lessons are less well planned. Some plans are brief to the point of brusqueness and do not give teachers sufficient support to maintain the focus and tempo of the lesson. Although teachers have sufficient experience and skill, and continue to manage pupils effectively, these

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Quality of Teaching - Grosvenor Park

lessons rarely flow as briskly as those that are well planned. There is some inconsistency that the observation of lessons and the development of teaching has not yet eradicated. Allied to this is the presence of a small number of restless pupils who are not as well controlled in some classes. Where the teacher is not as well prepared, these pupils slow down the delivery of lessons.

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Quality of Teaching - Grosvenor Park

19. In a proportion of lessons teachers do too much for pupils. This inhibits the development of skills. This is particularly the case in pupils’ use of investigative and practical skills. For example, not enough is made of pupils’ thinking and creativity in mathematics investigations. In science, pupils are not expected to begin to shape their own investigations from an early age. Consequently, Year 6 pupils are very hesitant about the nature of scientific methodology. The same is the case in physical education where not enough demands are put upon pupils and in art and design and design and technology where the use of first-hand skills, the ‘doing’ element of the curriculum, is not sufficiently well developed. In some cases, this leads to a lack of challenge for pupils, particularly higher-attaining pupils, and in other cases, it leads to underachievement in the subject. There are insufficient opportunities in some classes for pupils to be independent and

p.19

Quality of Teaching - Grosvenor Park

creative. Some use of assessment on a day-to-day basis is sharply focused. However, marking is inconsistent and occasionally unhelpful to pupils. The same can be said of questioning. Some questioning is brisk and well focused and demands thinking on the part of pupils. Some questioning focuses on factual recall and the content of lessons, and this does not make enough demands of pupils’ thinking, especially in the challenge to higher-attaining pupils.

p.19

TO PUPILS?

20. The quality of the curriculum is satisfactory overall. It complies with the legal requirements to teach the National Curriculum. Religious education is taught according to the locally agreed syllabus. The provision for pupils’ personal development is good overall and is very good for Grosvenor Park Primary School - 20 moral and social development. The provision for cultural development is satisfactory. The school has maintained the good practice seen at the time of the last inspection and has made considerable progress in addressing the deficiencies identified at that time.

p.19

TO PUPILS?

• The provision for pupils in the Reception class. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs. • Provision for the moral and social development of pupils. • The partnership the school has with local business. • Activities out of school hours.

p.20

TO PUPILS?

• The allocation of time to non-core subjects of the curriculum. • Further development of assessment to inform planning and provide more effectively for the needs of all pupils, especially the more able. • The use of information and communication technology to support teaching and learning across the curriculum. • Awareness of cultural issues, including life in a diverse and complex society.

p.20

TO PUPILS?

21. The curriculum is broad and balanced, but with some detail to attend to in deepening its effectiveness. Policies and schemes of work, to guide and direct the work of staff, are in place and these are managed and monitored by subject leaders. The school has addressed the issues, identified in the previous inspection report, relating to policy documents and there is now a coherent overall structure to the curriculum. The school is working very hard to ensure that the curriculum is relevant to all pupils and this leads to very good provision for children in the Foundation Stage, for pupils with special educational needs and for pupils from traveller families. At present, all pupils from traveller families and pupils with special educational needs are fully integrated into all school activities and are well supported by the policies and systems the school has in place. There is still a need to address more fully the needs of higher-attaining pupils,

p.20

TO PUPILS?

especially in Years 3 to 6. This weakness is currently leading to underachievement by these pupils and this is seen in the percentage of pupils attaining Level 5 in the end of Year 6 tests. This issue was identified in the last inspection and, although some steps have been taken to address it, more work is still needed. Much work has been done since the last inspection to develop the use of information and communication technology but further work is still needed to continue this development to enable staff to use current technology to support teaching and learning across the curriculum.

p.20

TO PUPILS?

22. Because of the size of the school a number of mixed age classes are necessary. These are well catered for, on the whole, and pupils of different ages are making appropriate progress. One of the mixed age classes is currently experiencing some problems resulting in the needs of the older and higher-attaining pupils not being fully addressed. The school is aware of the issues here and is currently taking steps to address them.

p.20

TO PUPILS?

23. The school makes a priority of literacy, numeracy, science and physical education and these subjects are allocated more curriculum time than other subjects. This means that the time currently allocated to art and design and design and technology is insufficient to enable teachers to deliver the full National Curriculum in these subjects effectively. At the time of the last inspection attainment in art and design in Years 3 to 6 was judged to be above national expectations. This is no longer the case. Currently, pupils in Years 3 to 6 are not making satisfactory progress and standards are unsatisfactory in both art and design and in design and technology. This is mainly due to insufficient time for teachers to teach the subjects to satisfactory standards. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 21 24. Literacy and numeracy are well planned for; as a result, pupils acquire a good range of basic skills in reading, writing and number and they apply these skills to a range of subjects and

p.20

TO PUPILS?

situations across the curriculum to good effect. The work undertaken in classes is well supported and extended by a range of extra-curricular activities during lunchtime and after school. These include sporting activities as well as art and information and communication technology. The range of activities available illustrates the commitment of the staff to the school and the pupils and, although some parents feel that the school should provide a greater range of activities, the inspection team believes the provision is good. Excellent links are maintained with partner schools and there are good arrangements for transfer to the next stage of education. The work of the local Education Business Partnership is co-ordinated by the deputy head and the school benefits in a number of ways from this. For example, school links with local firms have led to pupils going out on visits to businesses and representatives of the firms coming in to support work

p.21

TO PUPILS?

in classes. The partnership also provides funding for pupils to undertake visits to a number of local events and places of interest.

p.21

TO PUPILS?

25. The school’s provision for personal development is good overall. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. The provision for the development of moral and social awareness is very good and a strength of the school. It is this provision that runs through the heart of all school policies, affects all lessons and results in good behaviour and very good relationships. It is seen at its strongest in assembly and in personal, social and health education lessons. Policy documents make it clear to all staff what is expected of them and they live up to the high expectations of policies. Staff are consistent role models – in their relationships with each other and in the way they talk with and deal with pupils. Qualities of fairness, justice and a determination to find and celebrate the best in all are found in almost all areas of the school. It is particularly moving to see the way pupils with quite profound learning difficulties are honoured and

p.21

TO PUPILS?

valued in the achievement assembly. Staff ensure that pupils know what the boundaries of acceptable behaviour are and the vast majority of pupils accept them willingly. Good opportunities are provided to work together – in pairs, in small groups and teams. From the Reception Class to Year 6 pupils are content to take these opportunities and use them as part of their growing maturity.

p.21

TO PUPILS?

26. Spiritual development is good. The school is skilled at ensuring that pupils are given good opportunities to develop self-confidence and self-esteem. These qualities are clear in the way pupils take opportunities to discuss issues maturely, offer their own solutions to problems and are keen to take responsibility where it is offered. Assembly gives pupils brief opportunities to reflect on the messages being promoted. However, while cultural development is satisfactory, there are few opportunities to reflect upon and learn about a range of different cultures and their contribution to literature, the arts, sport, science and mathematics. Pupils acquire a good understanding of the common themes of religions, such as places of worship, holy books, festivals and celebrations. They have some understanding of the principles by which different faiths stand and how they affect those in particular faith communities. They have some understanding of the

p.21

TO PUPILS?

impact of music and art on society. Through the curriculum they come to understand aspects of society in the past (through history) and society at present (through geography). However, there is a lack of appreciation of different musical cultures or the art of different cultures. There is no overt recognition of the place of Asian and Black societies to mathematics and science, or indeed to popular music and sport. Opportunities are missed to draw such themes into work across the curriculum.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

27. The school has very good procedures for child protection and child welfare. It is very good at providing a structure for watchfulness about personal development and supporting pupils where necessary. Good information is collected about attainment and progress. Satisfactory use is made of this information. The school ensures that its legal requirements for the care of pupils are well covered.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Strengths in this area: Grosvenor Park Primary School - 22 • Procedures for child protection and welfare. • Procedures for checking on attendance and improving it. • Turning policies for good behaviour and for eliminating racism and bullying into good practice observed by all staff. • Very good provision for pupils with Statements of Special Educational Needs. • Gathering good information about progress. Areas for development:

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

• The further encouragement of punctuality. • The very sharply focused use of information about progress to help plan what comes next. • Improvement of the safety of pupils from the hazards of parents’ cars as they arrive at and leave school each day.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

28. The school provides an environment where the headteacher, teachers and all the support staff know the pupils very well so that the care that they take of the pupils is very good. It is a positive strength of the school, which has improved since the previous inspection, and provides a good basis on which teachers can teach and pupils can learn. For example, one worthwhile development has been the introduction of the breakfast club, which a number of pupils attend before the start of the school day. The steps taken to ensure pupils’ welfare, health and safety are very good. Child protection procedures are in place, with the headteacher undertaking the role of designated person, and another senior (male) teacher sharing this role. Relationships with social services and other support agencies are well established. New members of staff are fully briefed on their responsibilities in this regard as part of their introduction to the school and all

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

members of staff are regularly reminded at staff meetings. Routines for dealing with first aid, medicines and accidents are in place, fourteen staff having been trained in emergency first aid. A sub committee including a governor and the caretaker reviews health and safety risks regularly. Safety checks on potentially dangerous equipment take place annually, alarms are tested regularly and practice evacuations of the premises take place each term with their timings and any difficulties recorded.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

29. The inspection team has one serious health and safely issue but it is not strictly within the school’s responsibility. This concerns cars bringing pupils to and from school at the beginning and end of the school day. Thoughtless parking and manoeuvring of vehicles in the vicinity of the school whilst pupils are coming into and leaving the school grounds on foot is a significant hazard and is “an accident waiting to happen”. This has some impact on punctuality. A number of pupils arrive late for school because parents in cars find difficulty parking close at hand.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

30. The procedures for promoting attendance and punctuality are very good. The great majority of pupils arrive at school in good time and are settled ready for registration, which is taken promptly so that the day gets off to a good start and the pupils have the chance of a full day’s learning. Parents co-operate fully with the school by notifying reasons for pupils' absences, and in the rare cases where a pupil is unexpectedly absent in the morning the school calls home to check. The school has made significant progress in this area and this has been achieved in part by the introduction of attendance and punctuality rewards for meeting individual and class targets. It is also well supported by the education welfare officer from the local education authority.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. The procedures for promoting good behaviour and eliminating oppressive behaviour are very good. The school has a discipline policy that is based on self-discipline and reinforces the school’s aims and ethos; it is applied consistently by all staff throughout the school. Each class develops its own code of conduct. Pupils win points for good behaviour as well as good work and procedures such as the weekly team award for good manners have a positive effect on the calm way that pupils move around the school.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. The procedures for monitoring pupils’ personal development are good overall. In Reception this aspect is one of the formal pupil developments that the assessment procedures cover. As pupils move up the school, recording is less formal and done on an exception basis when there are issues of concern, or progress is noticeably less than it should be. Nevertheless, the annual Grosvenor Park Primary School - 23 reports on pupils include mention of personal development and demonstrate the good understanding that teachers have of their pupils.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The school has recently developed good strategies for assessing the academic performance of its pupils. There are now good systems and procedures in place for assessing pupils’ progress. Teachers’ confidence in assessing their progress has increased due to recent training, including opportunities to meet and assess pupils’ work together. From pupils’ performance in tests and teachers’ own assessments, teachers set a predicted target level for each pupil to achieve. This is reassessed regularly and adjusted in light of how well they perform in subsequent tests. This has helped to raise teachers’ expectations of how well pupils will achieve. In this way pupils’ progress in English, mathematics and science (the core subjects) is now tracked throughout their time in the school.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. Subject leaders carry out detailed analyses of test results to see where pupils are achieving well and where not. From this information they set targets for year groups on aspects of the subject where they need to improve. Teachers use this information to form groups of similar attainment within their classes and set appropriate targets so that teaching matches their level of need closely. This is reflected in teachers’ planning. This is particularly the case in English where teachers work with these groups to improve their reading and writing skills. Their group targets are regularly assessed and all pupils are familiar with them and know what they need to do to improve. Teachers support this further by providing verbal as well as written feedback to pupils on their work. The information from an analysis of pupils’ performance in tests is also used to identify underachieving pupils for additional support to help them develop the skills they need to

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

improve. Using this information to guide planning and teaching is not as well developed in mathematics and science as it is in English. For example, where higher-attaining pupils do not have sufficiently challenging work, they do not make as much progress as they could.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. In some other subjects, subject leaders have a good understanding of the national levels pupils are achieving in their subject. In others, no formal systems are in place for assessing pupils’ progress, so the use of assessment and its impact on planning in those subjects are inconsistent.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

36. Parents’ views of the school are very positive and have improved since the previous inspection. The school’s links with parents are very effective, except in the response to requests about parking. Parents get very good information – about the progress of their child, about the school and its curriculum and about forthcoming events.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

• Parents have a great deal of confidence in the school, its staff and its work. • Parents get very good information about the progress their child makes and about other aspects of the school’s work.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

• Continued home and school liaison about parking before and after school.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

37. In meeting parents at school and from responses to the questionnaire there has been very little criticism. In particular, responses show a very high level of satisfaction with the school, especially teaching. Parents appreciate the caring ethos of the school, the approachability of the headteacher and staff, the standards that pupils achieve, and the good behaviour and discipline that they learn.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

38. The information provided by the school to parents is very good. The general information provided through a series of frequent letters is good, and includes (each half term) a curriculum report on Grosvenor Park Primary School - 24 what all pupils will be covering over the next few weeks in all subject areas. The prospectus and the governors’ annual report were criticised in the previous report; they are now detailed and well presented and conform to national guidelines. Consultation evenings are held three times each year and the school tries hard to ensure that parents do not miss the opportunity to learn about their children’s progress. At the end of the summer term parents receive the annual reports on individual pupils. These reports are good: they contain clear indications of the progress that the pupil is making in each subject and what needs to improve; there is a commentary on personal

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

development; there is an opportunity for parents to add their observations. Targets for further improvement are drafted by pupils themselves, agreed with teachers and reported to parents, usually at consultation evenings. Results of National Curriculum test results are correctly reported to the parents of Year 2 and 6 pupils. 39. Parents’ involvement in the life and work of the school is good and has also improved since the previous inspection. Pupils and their parents have signed an individual home/school agreement. For the younger pupils, parents actively support their children in learning to read and make good use of the reading record books. Parents positively encourage their children in their other homework assignments as they progress through the school. A number of parents come into school to assist in a variety of ways in the classrooms and in some extra-curricular activities. The efforts of all the voluntary helpers are well managed and appreciated by the staff. Volunteers

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

make a significant and useful contribution to pupils' learning. The friends of the school association is very active in organising fund-raising and social events at the school. The money raised is used, for example, to enhance some of the schools’ facilities, to arrange extra events such as theatre trips for the children and to purchase special commemorative books when they leave the school.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. Despite working hard with parents and despite having made a suitable alternative arrangement, the school is concerned that many parents still bring their cars to the school gate. Because the school is in a cul-de-sac, a great deal of turning of vehicles is necessary. The local council and the police have both been involved, so far without solving the difficulty. The situation causes some concern on the part of local residents. The inspection team has a health and safety concern on behalf of pupils. The school does everything possible to find solutions to the problem. However, more co-operation is needed from parents to make the situation safe for children and acceptable for local residents.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

41. The previous report identified many areas for improvement within the leadership and management of the school. The response from the headteacher, staff and governing body was to produce a planned programme of action resulting in the issues of the report being addressed. This programme has been implemented well. At present there are a few areas in need of further development.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

42. The quality of leadership and management of the school is now good.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

• The headteacher, staff and governing body have a clear vision for the school, with a policy of inclusion for all. • The senior management team gives very good support to the headteacher, sharing the commitment to raise standards. • The governing body is knowledgeable and very effective in carrying out its statutory duties. • The governors have a secure understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. • There is a shared commitment by everyone to improve and succeed.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

• To continue to develop the role of the subject leaders, giving time for them to monitor and evaluate teaching and learning, with a view to raising standards in all subjects. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 25 • To improve budgetary spending and control, to both reduce the large under-spend and to ensure areas of the curriculum are adequately funded within each phase of education at the school.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. The leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher gives a good lead and she is well supported by her able deputy and supportive senior management team. All have a strong, enthusiastic commitment to the school. Teachers, support assistants, pupils and parents feel valued and likewise share a firm commitment to the school. The management of the school is well aware of the need to raise standards achieved by pupils by the end of Year 6 but there is a strong commitment to do this and the school is well placed to succeed over time.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The governing body has developed well since the previous inspection. Governors are knowledgeable and meet their statutory duties very well. They provide good support to the teachers, linking with subject leaders and classes. The governors are well informed about the school and have a clear understanding of its strengths and the specific areas for further development, which are the focus of the school improvement plan.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The management of pupils with special educational needs is good. The special educational needs co-ordinator is new to the school but is very knowledgeable and experienced. There are good procedures in place for identifying pupils with additional needs. The requirements of the recently revised Code of Practice for special educational needs are met. The needs of the pupils are well addressed through the good targeting of support assistants. The school has a clear policy for inclusion, supporting pupils with a range of academic and sensory disabilities. There is good liaison with all outside agencies and the school works closely with a referral unit, helping to integrate pupils with specific difficulties into full-time mainstream education at the school. The school is well respected for its work with pupils from the traveller community.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. Monitoring of teaching and learning is satisfactory, although, as yet, not all subject leaders have observed their colleagues teaching and they are still developing their leadership roles. The school is aware that some subject leaders have not yet had the opportunity to fully develop their role. The school analyses its performance. Raising standards of attainment is the major focus of subject leaders and the school overall. The school is fully committed to effectively carrying out the performance management requirements. Good procedures are in place and agreed targets are, as far as possible, linked in with the school improvement plan as well as the needs of each member of staff.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The school development plan and school improvement plan are good documents in planning for the immediate and future development of the school. Clear priorities are identified, anticipated impact shown, costs required, actions to take, personnel involved and intended outcomes indicated. The school has a programmed release of subject leaders to fulfil their responsibilities. This is a positive step in identifying areas for development within the curriculum, with a view to improving the standards achieved by the pupils.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The governors and the headteacher make good use of all specific grants. Financial planning and monitoring are satisfactory. The school employs a local education authority finance officer to help with budget management decisions. This was felt necessary following issues of the previous inspection, when a large under-spend was identified. Funding was then targeted at raising provision for the resources and the improvement of the teaching and learning in information and communication technology. A major portion of the under-spend was used to good effect, as standards in information and communication technology have started to rise.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The school is well staffed. The number of teachers is adequate for the size of the school. They are well deployed to make best use of their experience and talents. The school provides a good number of learning support assistants. They complement well the work of the teachers and provide good and well-planned support to individuals and groups. They work with groups targeted for additional support to improve basic skills in English and mathematics, and with pupils with special educational needs. Office staff and those responsible for school meals and the Grosvenor Park Primary School - 26 cleanliness of the school make a good contribution to the efficient and hygienic day-to-day life of the school.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. Accommodation is good overall. As a recently built school, it has a good and attractive building that is well maintained. It has three separate playgrounds, a grassed area and markings for games and the whole site is nicely secure. Staff make good use of space in the classrooms and outside in the corridors. High glass roofs provide space and light. However, no storage space has been provided in the school, which is difficult for big items of equipment for physical education and for under fives. Additional space for storage is now being built which will accommodate these and other items. This accounts for some of the previous considerable under-spend of funds. The school library now shares its space with the well-used ICT suite. Because of this there are few opportunities for pupils to use the library independently, for research purposes.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. Learning resources are adequate in most subjects with a satisfactory range. Subject leaders pay for consumables out of their allocation of money for resources, which means there is less funding available to purchase additional resources, as in equipment for physical education. They raise the money, or receive additional funding from the friend’s association to supplement their allocation. In religious education and ICT learning resources are good in number and quality. For the latter this is a vast improvement since the last inspection. In design and technology resources are unsatisfactory. There are insufficient resources to deliver the full curriculum in the subject. There are comparatively few resources for the underfives. They do not have use of large toys and vehicles owing to the present lack of storage. Generally, there are few resources available to pupils at lunchtime to play with.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The school still has a large under-spend. The majority of it has been targeted for this academic year in order to ensure stability in organisation of the classes within the school, to sustain levels of staffing, and to support the curriculum. This is appropriate given the school’s circumstances. It is very difficult for the school to set budgets as the uptake of offered places at the school is unpredictable. Indications are that on current information the school is likely to have reduced numbers for the future and funding will be reduced accordingly. However, there is a continued need to support the resourcing of the curriculum; at present, there are some areas that are not resourced sufficiently and this has a negative impact on raising standards in some non-core subjects 4 throughout the school.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. Taking into account all relevant factors, the school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

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

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise standards of attainment in the subjects of the curriculum, and particularly in English, mathematics, information and communication technology, art and design and design and technology by the end of Year 6, through:

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• providing greater opportunities for pupils to develop and use skills in these areas; • raising the attainment of boys; • improving teaching and learning so that there is pace and challenge in all lessons; • designing tasks that make all pupils think, especially higher-attaining pupils; • promoting further learning through the application of practical and investigative skills. (paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 76, 85, 86, 98, 100)

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Raise the already good quality of teaching and learning, and in particular by;

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• giving support where learning is slowed by restless behaviour;

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

4 Non-core subjects: the core subjects of the curriculum are English, mathematics and science. Other subjects are defined as non-core. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 27 • providing in-service training to enhance teachers’ understanding across the breadth of the curriculum; • developing skills in encouraging the use of practical and investigative skills and independence in learning; • developing teachers’ questioning skills that provoke thinking and enhance learning; • creating challenging and imaginative activities to stimulate learning further. (paragraphs 18, 19, 88, 127)

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Provide the planning, understanding and resources necessary to make the curriculum broader and more balanced, especially in its emphasis on the development and use of pupils’ skills. (paragraphs 21, 22, 23) Grosvenor Park Primary School - 28 (4) Make better use of information and communication technology by:

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• appropriate and relevant use of pupils’ skills wherever the use of computers can support learning in lessons; • planning how more advanced technology can be used, for example using sensors to monitor events. (paragraphs 20, 79, 96, 114, 177)

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(5) Give subject leaders more opportunity and more responsibility to manage and develop their areas of responsibility through;

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• closely looking at plans to ensure that the curriculum is sufficiently broad and balanced; • looking at lessons to see where teachers’ strengths lie and how weaknesses can be rectified; • using samples of pupils’ work to understand the standards being achieved and how they can be improved; • giving subject leaders the power to provide training and resources where areas for development are identified. (paragraphs 42, 44, 110)

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school has already identified the need to raise standards, make greater use of ICT, develop teaching and learning and continue to review the curriculum.

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Additionally, governors should consider in their action plan:

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• what steps to take to control the accumulation of unusually large reserves; (paragraphs 48, 52) • how best to work with parents, the local council and police to control traffic around school at the beginning and end of the school day; (paragraphs 29, 40) • education for life in a multicultural and diverse society. (paragraph 26) Grosvenor Park Primary School - 29

p.28

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 30

p.29

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.29

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 about two percentage points.

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 270

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 48

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 10

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 59

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 4

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 24

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 30

p.29

Attendance

School data 5.6 School data 0.1 Grosvenor Park Primary School - 30 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.29

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 31

p.30

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 20 13 33

p.31

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.31

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

Boys 18 16 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 11 13

p.31

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

Percentage of pupils School 94 (81) 82 (76) 97 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 18 19 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 13 13

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

Percentage of pupils School 94 (81) 97 (95) 97 (95) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

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

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

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 24 19 43

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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 12 10 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 14 15

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

Percentage of pupils School 65 (63) 56 (42) 77 (70) 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 14 11 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 15 16

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

Percentage of pupils School 70 (58) 60 (60) 79 (65) 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. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 32

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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 0 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 2 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 1 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.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 12.77 Financial year 2001-2002

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 636,611

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 16 Total expenditure 635,144

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 295 Expenditure per pupil 2,183

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 113,894

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 115,361 Grosvenor Park Primary School - 33

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 34

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 54 43 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 57 40 1 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 38 50 9 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 47 41 9 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 68 29 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 65 32 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 41 54 3 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 47 47 3 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 54 37 7 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 40 44 7 0 9

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Other issues raised by parents

• One or two parents raised the matter of traffic around the school at the beginning and end of the school day. It is a considerable irritation to local residents and some parents see it as a heath and safety issue. The school works closely with parents on this and has consulted both the police and local authority. There is an arrangement close at hand for better parking of parents’ cars when delivering their child to school. The inspection team agrees that the traffic is a problem, to the school, to parents and to local residents. It does constitute a health and safety concern over which the school has no direct control or authority. The school has done as much as can reasonably be expected of it. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 35

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55. Attainment on entry to the Reception year is considered to be below average when compared with national figures. The school gives all its children a very good start to their education. By the end of the Reception year, standards attained by children are above average in all six areas of learning. They make good and very good progress through the 'stepping stone' stages of the Early Learning Goals of the Foundation Stage. This is a notable development since the previous inspection.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

• Very good overall provision for the education of Reception age children. • Very good management of the Foundation Stage. • Very good links made with parents, prior to their children entering the school. • Good school/parent partnership in the education of the children. • Very good teaching and nursery nurse support that enables children to learn and develop well. • Success in building children's confidence and social skills and helping them to develop good moral standards. • The children respond very well in lessons and they make good progress. • The children reach good standards by the end of the Reception year. • Good records showing how children are progressing, particularly in communication, language and literacy.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

• Provision of large toys and wheeled vehicles to promote children's physical and social development

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

56. The majority of the children have experienced some pre-school activities, prior to joining the school. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage at the school is within a Reception class setting for four year old children, reaching five by the end of the academic year. The provision is very good. The very good links with parents, which start early in the Spring Term prior to the children starting in September, ensure that their children are well prepared for school. There is a clear Early Years policy and scheme in place. This is another improvement since the previous inspection. Work is well planned for the children by the Foundation Stage leader, who is the class teacher and the very supportive nursery nurse. All six areas of learning are well covered in planning and teaching and the work is effectively matched to the needs of the children. All children are fully included in the day-to-day lessons and activities. Children who may have

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

learning difficulties are identified early. These children receive additional help and support. The Foundation Stage leader/teacher is a member of the senior management team and has other responsibilities throughout the school.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

57. Attainment on entry is based on a recognized scheme for assessing children at this early stage of their learning. Assessments show that the overall attainment of children is below average on entry to the Reception Year. Good assessments and records of progress and achievement are made continually throughout the year, particularly in reading and writing, within the communication, language and literacy area of learning. Formal assessments are still developing in other areas. The progress children make is good. By the time they enter the National Curriculum stage of their learning, the vast majority are likely to have achieved the Early Learning Goals (the expected levels of attainment for children as they start the subjects in Year 1) in the six areas of learning, with many already working within the early levels of the National Curriculum subjects. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 36 Grosvenor Park Primary School - 37

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58. Resources for the education of the children are generally good. However, there are few large toys and wheeled vehicles for playground activities. This means that children's physical development and social interactions are limited. Storage areas are small and access to them is difficult. The school is aware of this and plans are in place to rectify this problem; a new storage area has been designated for the Reception equipment.

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Personal, social and emotional development

59. Children make good progress in developing their skills in this area of learning. They have very good attitudes to school. Children quickly settle into school life as a result of very good guidance and support given by the teacher and nursery nurse. During the inspection the children were seen to start the day with much confidence. They entered the classroom alone, hanging up their coats sensibly, putting their personal belongings into their trays, returning their book bags to the designated box, then assembled quietly on the carpeted area eager to start the day. In preparation for a physical education session, the children showed independence in sorting clothing and then showed intense concentration during the physical activities. They have learned how to respect one another's views and interact well as a social group. Children work well together in pairs or in groups and are keen to tackle any activities they are asked to do. They

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Personal, social and emotional development

have a very positive attitude to learning. In making free-play choices, they select activities, sharing small toys and other play resources. All children show they have developed a good sense of what is right and wrong and their behaviour is very good. They show respect for their teacher and nursery nurse and respond well to the care and help they receive. They show politeness and respect to visitors and confidently show or explain the outcomes of their work. The majority of the children are well in line to achieve the Early Learning Goals and many will achieve beyond this expectation. Overall standards in their personal, social and emotional development are good.

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Communication, language and literacy

60. The children are given a wide range of experiences to develop their language skills. Very good provision is made for children to speak and to listen to other children and to the teaching adults in the classroom. Well-planned tasks including story-time, role-play and free-choice activities are good examples of the provision made for the children to develop their language skills. Children make good progress and achieve very well as a result of good quality teaching.

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Communication, language and literacy

61. The standard of reading in the Reception class is very good. Higher-attaining children already have a good understanding of the layout of their reading books. They know the author writes the story and the illustrator makes the pictures. They read with confidence and accuracy and recall the main characters and the sequence of events in the story. These children are already reading within the early levels of the National Curriculum for English. Average-attaining children read with some errors but use pictures and phonic clues to help them. They recall events in their stories and correctly sequence them. In a reading development group session, children correctly identified words that rhymed; words such as ‘pen’ and ‘hen’, ‘fish’ and ‘dish’. One child, who was initially hesitant, in suddenly realising how words rhymed, beamed with delight on recognizing that 'wall' and 'ball' did. His self-esteem was really lifted and his confidence undoubtedly grew.

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Communication, language and literacy

Average-attaining children are well in line to achieve the Early Learning Goals in the reading strand of communication, language and literacy. A very small minority of lower-attaining children nevertheless make good progress in the early stages of reading. The overall high standard of reading is as a result of very good teaching and the continuous support given by parents in hearing their children read at home.

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Communication, language and literacy

62. Children are given many opportunities to write their names and to write words to link with their pictures. Higher-attaining children write sentences to express their feelings. One child writes with accuracy, I like playing on the computer . Other sentences written by these children all start with capital letters and end in full stops. Average-attaining children are starting to use capital letters and full stops but not always with accuracy. However, they write their names correctly. Lower-attaining children are at the early stages of writing. They are beginning to write initial Grosvenor Park Primary School - 38 letters for words as seen in work following a visit to a builders' yard, in support of work on knowledge and understanding of the world. Overall the standard achieved by the Reception Year children in communication, language and literacy is above expectation.

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Mathematical development

63. For their age, the children have good mathematical knowledge and understanding, and their mathematical skills are good. The class teacher provides many opportunities for children to learn and use numbers to twenty and beyond. In registration, children learn their own number, on the register and learn the order of the numbers. One child was praised for correctly calling her number twenty-eight. She had struggled with the order of numbers prior to this time. The children are later challenged by the teacher to find the number after and one less than a number. The majority achieve ‘one after’ a number but few find ‘one less than’ as accurately. This was recorded by the teacher as an area for re-visiting at a future date. In group-activities, the nursery nurse sets challenges for average and lower-attaining children to estimate and then count objects taken from a box. Progress for these children is steady and some gain an understanding of this

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Mathematical development

process. Higher-attaining children, as well as ordering numbers to twenty fairly quickly, show a good understanding of how to estimate and then to count objects to twenty and beyond. Some do this with a high degree of accuracy.

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Mathematical development

64. Children make good progress when learning the names of shapes and how they are used. One average-attaining child experiments with the use of a cone and a pyramid for the nose of his rocket in his construction work. Other children find that some shapes can be linked together to cover all the space on their paper. They are making a very early start in understanding the idea of tessellations within their mathematical development.

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Mathematical development

65. The very good progress children make in their mathematical development is as a result of very good teaching from the class teacher and assistant. The good use of mathematical language, high levels of challenge set and the very good use of resources help children to learn very well.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

66. Children make very good progress in the work they do within the knowledge and understanding of the world area of learning. This is as a result of very good planning and teaching. The children are provided with a wide range of learning activities within school. They get good opportunities to make out of school visits to give them additional experiences. Visits to the local college of further education, a building contractor's yard and a garden centre give children opportunities to listen to and to talk and work with other adults. The children's knowledge and understanding are developed and they learn new skills as well.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

67. Within the classroom setting, all children learn how seeds turn into plants and what are the necessary factors needed to do this. The very good selection of resources provided for the children and the high quality of teaching and support enables children to learn well. When questioned, an average-attaining child explains that, Seeds only grow into plants if they have soil, water and the sun to help them . This is evidence of a very good understanding of a life process, with children achieving above expectations for their age. When children are provided with a good range of vegetables and fruit to investigate, they quickly identify the fruits but struggle to identify all the vegetables. This information is recorded by the teacher and used for future planning purposes.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

68. Children's skills in information and communication technology (ICT) are being developed extremely well. Most are already using the computer mouse to click and drag to very good effect. One higher-attaining child was seen to carry out this skill with ease when dressing a 'screen teddy'. Average-attaining children use this skill well, when they match words and ideas to support their work on 'Floppy the Dog'. Some children are so confident that, on completing tasks, they have the skills necessary to print out their work. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 39 69. It is very clear from observations and the analysis of children's achievements that the quality of teaching in this area of learning is very good. Children have developed very good attitudes to learning; the progress they make is very good, the majority being in line to meet the goals expected, with a significant number attaining above them.

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Physical development

70. Children's progress and achievement are very good in this area of learning. Most children hold pencils and crayons correctly and manipulate construction pieces well in producing models. When manipulating brushes, their painting skills are still developing. The children are very keen during physical development lessons and they make very good progress in their learning. The quality of teaching is very good. The organization and management in a session observed were very good. The teacher and nursery nurse make a very effective partnership in providing very good learning experiences for the children. Very high expectations are set for the children. They respond extremely well and rise to the challenges set.

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Physical development

71. Children are given many opportunities to practise, refine and to improve their performances. Children of all attainment levels show a good sense of balance and control in their activities. The teacher’s and assistant’s use of individual coaching, timely interventions and the constant stream of praise and encouragement mean that the children know what to do, work hard to achieve the expectations of the lesson and respond very well. At present, little use is made of children’s observations of their own performance as an aid to improvement.

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Physical development

72. Opportunities for children to develop and practise their skills, both in and out of lessons at break- times, are limited by the lack of access to large toys, wheeled vehicles and climbing structures. The school is aware of this and plans are in hand to rectify it. However, the progress and achievement made by the children across this area of learning are very good and the majority are likely to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Reception Year. A significant number are working comfortably at the first level of the National Curriculum for physical education.

p.40

Creative development

73. Children make good progress in this area of learning. They enjoy singing, making good progress in learning words for the songs and rhymes they sing. They develop a good sense of beat and are starting to learn about rhythm. This was observed during a music lesson, when the teacher provided good opportunities for individual children to use percussion instruments to beat out the rhythm of a tune. Most of the children successfully follow a single beat but have difficulty following the rhythm when more than one beat is required. The children applied themselves really well and enjoyed their performances as a result of good organisation of the instruments. Many other opportunities are made for children to sing and perform musical activities. Children were heard singing, In a Cottage in a Wood , Five Little Monkeys and Little Green Frog . They sang with real enthusiasm, using actions that developed their physical and creative skills.

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Creative development

74. Children are provided with a full range of creative art experiences. They are developing the use and appreciation of colour and texture, through colouring, painting, printing and making collages. Early paintings of their self-portraits show a good awareness of colour as well as proportion. Higher-attaining children mix colours successfully, but others are still learning this skill. Children develop good skills and make good progress in collage. Children across the full attainment range, produce some good examples of moonscapes and seed collages. Good planning and provision by the teacher enable children to develop their painting skills in supporting work in language development. By using cut-out circles and triangles, together with straws, children made cats’ faces, then wrote Cats begins with 'c' . In an art focus on spaceships, children used shapes they had learned about in mathematical development lessons to produce an alien. Higher-attaining

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Creative development

children make good collages showing autumn scenes.

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Creative development

75. Children are making good progress in creative development and they are in line to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Reception year; many are likely to achieve above the expected level. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 41

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ENGLISH

76. In Year 6, standards are average in speaking and listening, close to average in reading and below average in writing. Overall, at the age of eleven, standards are below average as fewer pupils are attaining the expected levels and above than nationally. However, most pupils make at least satisfactory progress between Years 2 and 6, including pupils who join the school at different times. In Year 2, standards are above average in speaking and listening, reading and writing. This is good progress from the time pupils enter full-time education due to good teaching, particularly in Year 2. Pupils with special educational needs are well catered for by teachers and learning support assistants. They achieve well because the work they do matches their needs very closely and with encouragement most participate fully in lessons. Teaching is mainly good. Since the previous inspection, standards have remained below average at the end of Year 6, and

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ENGLISH

have improved from average to above average at the end of Year 2. Also, teaching has improved from satisfactory to good. Over the last three years, boys have performed less well than girls overall in tests at the age of 11, particularly in writing. Strategies put in place to counteract this include additional support for those who are underachieving, identified through the tracking of pupils’ progress throughout the school, and the purchase of library books that specifically appeal to boys to encourage them to read.

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ENGLISH

• Above average standards in Year 2. • Teaching overall. • Systems and procedures for assessing pupils’ progress. • Setting targets for pupils so they achieve well and improve. • Pupils’ knowledge of their learning and how to improve.

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ENGLISH

• Improve standards by the age of 11, particularly in writing. • Develop strategies to help boys reach higher standards by the age of 11, particularly in writing. • Build up a portfolio of moderated pupils’ writing and use it to moderate pupils’ work regularly.

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ENGLISH

77. Attainment is above average in speaking and listening at the end of Year 2 and average at the end of Year 6. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills develop well because teachers plan good opportunities in lessons for this to happen. A particularly good example was in Year 2, where pupils listened intently to the story Rama and the Demon King . They then asked the teacher, in role as a character, questions such as, Which was the happiest bit in your life ? and Which person did you find the hardest to defeat ’. Teachers ask probing questions, giving pupils time to reflect and expand on their answers, so they speak at greater length and become more confident speakers. Pupils have a wide variety of opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills, such as when they work in pairs or groups, and when they report back at the end of the lesson on what they have achieved and learnt. For example, in Year 6 pupils rehearse arguments

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ENGLISH

for and against smoking. Smoking is an expensive way of damaging your body. But the money we spend on cigarettes goes towards hospitals . Most pupils listen well to the teacher and other adults and each other, as when visiting parents and grandparents show some of their old toys to Year 2 in history. A few pupils find it difficult to concentrate, particularly where the pace of the lesson slackens, and so contribute and learn less.

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ENGLISH

78. Attainment in reading is above average in Year 2 and close to average in Year 6. Pupils’ knowledge of sounds, letters and simple word building develops well in Year 1. This is developed further by the very good opportunities in Year 2 where pupils sequence a familiar story accurately then read it out together, unaided. They read confidently and fluently, using appropriate expression and taking note of the punctuation. They understand and explain the purpose of the index, contents pages and glossary. They find information in non-fiction books. One pupil suggested looking for the second letter in a word in the index, to speed up the process. Another Grosvenor Park Primary School - 42 explained that only words in bold are to be found in the glossary, showing good knowledge and understanding. Effective planned opportunities to teach reading in groups, and pupils reading regularly in class and to adults, increase pupils’ progress in reading throughout the school. They

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ENGLISH

read with increasing fluency and appropriate expression. They develop a range of strategies that they use to help them read unfamiliar words. For example, older pupils know to read on to help them understand the meaning. They develop a taste for preferred authors and types of books, such as fantasy or diaries, and explain why. Their reading development is also well supported in other subjects such as history when they undertake research from books or the Internet. This also helps to develop their understanding of a variety of types of text effectively.

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ENGLISH

79. All pupils have regular access to the school library to change books and a range of books in each class library, in addition to reading schemes and group readers. However, the library shares the same room with the ICT suite. This limits pupils’ access to the library at other times and opportunities for independent research and study. Not enough is made of ICT as an aid to learning in English.

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ENGLISH

80. Attainment in writing is above average at the end of Year 2 and below average at the end of Year 6. Pupils have regular opportunities to develop their writing at length and basic skills are well taught so they achieve well at the end of Year 2. Many pupils’ story writing shows elements of appropriate structure and language, such as, Just then I woke up … at the end. Pupils learn how to use speech marks and use them in their own writing, and they plan their stories with a beginning, middle and end. By Year 6 pupils learn to write for a range of purposes. Higher- attaining writers create interest and excitement in their writing, building up tension. They employ a wide vocabulary, use complex sentences and structure their writing appropriately in paragraphs. Average writers use some of these features, but their use of punctuation and spelling is not secure. This prevents them from attaining at a higher level. Teachers’ comments in books,

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ENGLISH

spelling sheets and grammar exercises help pupils to understand and improve. Presentation and handwriting are usually neat and joined for most pupils. Pupils have opportunities to develop their range of writing in other subjects, for example in history, where they produce a book from their own research about the Tudors in Year 5. In Year 2 pupils prepare lists of questions to ask the visitors.

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ENGLISH

81. Teaching is good. This is an improvement since the last inspection when teaching was satisfactory. Teachers have a secure understanding of the National Literacy Strategy, as is evident in their detailed planning. This is partly due to the training opportunities and support they receive from colleagues and the local authority. A major recent improvement has been the introduction of group targets for pupils’ reading and writing, so that teachers regularly assess pupils’ progress against their targets. This emphasis on teaching pupils particular reading and writing skills in small groups works well and pupils are making good progress as a result. Pupils are knowledgeable about their targets and know what they need to concentrate on to improve. They have a sense of achievement when they reach them and move on to new ones, motivating them to improve even further. This is particularly effective in Years 2, 3 and 4. All teachers use

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ENGLISH

these newly introduced strategies consistently and keep good records of how well pupils achieve in these sessions.

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ENGLISH

82. Some other strengths of the good teaching are the sharing of learning intentions with pupils, good use of strategies such as guided writing and reading, a brisk pace, a good knowledge of the subject and high expectations of pupils. Pupils are interested and keen to learn and achieve well in lessons as a result. There is a wide range of abilities and needs in most classes, as well as movement, with pupils leaving and joining the school at different times. Teachers take this into account in their planning so that the work is appropriate and challenging for all, as when they gear their questions to the range of abilities in their class so all are involved. Some pupils, particularly those with special educational needs, have very effective adult support, in a group or individually, so they achieve well. For example, working with a learning support assistant in Year 3/4, a group writes a joint plan including all the main points and two read it out to the class at the end of the

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ENGLISH

lesson. With this support these pupils learn well and achieve the learning intention of the lesson. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 43 83. In a small number of lessons teaching was less secure in parts of the lesson. For example, in the teaching of spelling rules, the work was not always sufficiently challenging for higher-attaining spellers in the class, particularly at the top end of the school. Also, a few group activities planned by teachers were not clear enough or not explained well enough for pupils to understand. This led to some confusion, so pupils learnt less. In all year groups throughout the school, teachers establish good relationships with pupils, so they behave well, are keen to learn and please their teachers. Pupils work well together, in pairs and groups, settling to their work quickly, discussing in pairs and sharing resources such as whiteboards.

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ENGLISH

84. There are now good systems and procedures in place for measuring pupils’ progress. The school analyses test results to ascertain areas where pupils perform less well. These areas become targets for that year group in reading and writing to help pupils improve. Each pupil’s progress is now tracked throughout the school. Those found to be underachieving are selected for additional support programmes that help them catch up with their peers. This applies to older boys, who tend to achieve less well than girls, particularly in writing. When the whole school moderated pieces of pupils’ writing, they found that many pieces were short and not sustained. As a consequence, pupils now have at least one additional session a week to develop sustained pieces of writing. The school is beginning to moderate samples of pupils’ work according to national guidelines, but this is not yet happening regularly enough to increase further teachers’

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ENGLISH

confidence in assessing pupils’ work. The curriculum is enriched by visitors such as storytellers, a drama group (Peter Pan), an author, a reading club, librarians and book weeks, that excite and interest pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

85. Standards are above average in Year 2 and below average in Year 6. Pupils make good progress in Years 1 and 2 but less than satisfactory progress from the beginning of Year 3 to the end of Year 6. Teaching overall is good and progress since the last inspection has been satisfactory. There is a growing use of ICT to support learning in mathematics, although the school acknowledges that this is an area for continued work to raise the confidence of all staff.

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MATHEMATICS

• The clear and appropriate planning, which provides for the needs of pupils in most lessons. • The structure of mathematics lessons. • The range of teaching strategies used in most lessons. • The effective use of the available resources to support learning. • The management of the pupils in most classes. • The identification and use of learning objectives in lessons.

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MATHEMATICS

• The use of assessment to ensure that all teachers know exactly what it is that pupils know and understand and are then better able to plan for the next stage of their learning. • Opportunities for pupils to plan and undertake more independent investigative work related to aspects of the mathematics curriculum.

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MATHEMATICS

86. Pupils enter the school with below average levels of knowledge and understanding of mathematical concepts but leave Year 2 above average. This is due to a range of very good experiences in Reception, where the teaching is good, and in Years 1 and 2, where the quality of teaching overall is satisfactory. The standards by the end of Year 6 have risen year by year since the last inspection but are still below the average for similar schools nationally. Most lessons are planned in accordance with the National Numeracy Strategy, having a clear opening mental mathematics section, a carefully planned main activity section and an ending that draws the lesson to a meaningful conclusion. A subject leader, whose personal knowledge of mathematics and drive to raise standards are beginning to make a difference, monitors teachers’ planning. Teachers ensure that pupils know and understand the focus for the lessons by identifying the

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MATHEMATICS

Grosvenor Park Primary School - 44 learning objective. This is usually written on the board in the class, read and discussed and this helps pupils to understand what they are learning and where it fits in with other work they have done. At the end of the lesson the teachers go back to the learning objective and ask pupils to consider how well they have done. For example, in one lesson the teacher asked pupils to put their hands up if they understood odd and even numbers better at the end of the lesson and in another the teacher asked pupils to give a ‘thumbs up’ if they found using money easy or ‘thumbs down’ if they found it difficult. In most lessons teachers plan work that is appropriate for the needs of different groups of pupils. In a minority of lessons there is a need for the work to suit the ability and age of the pupils better. Opportunities for pupils to take some responsibility for their

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MATHEMATICS

own work and to do investigative work are limited, as teachers in most classes tend to organise everything for the pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

87. The range of resources available to support the teaching of mathematics is limited and some teachers have spent a lot of time and money in making extra resources for their own classes. The subject leader’s budget has also been supplemented with a donation from the Friend’s Association and this has been used to good effect. However, teachers are making very good use of what is available and pupils’ learning is well supported in many lessons. For example, in a Year 3 lesson pupils were using number fans to work out and display a number 100 more than a number given to them by the teacher. This enabled all the pupils to participate as each had his or her own fan and was required to hold it up for the teacher to see. In another lesson the teacher made very effective use of an overhead projector and prepared transparencies for work on the angles of a triangle.

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MATHEMATICS

88. The quality of teaching is good overall and ranges from satisfactory to very good. During the inspection some examples of very good teaching were seen across the school, with most of it in Years 3 to 6. Teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of the National Numeracy Strategy and use a very good range of techniques to organise their classes and make learning enjoyable and meaningful for all pupils. However, there is a lack of challenge for higher-attaining pupils in most classes. This is particularly the case in Years 3 to 6 and this leads to underachievement by higher-attaining pupils in the end of Year 6 tests. This was identified as an issue at the time of the last inspection and it has not yet been addressed satisfactorily. Recent work by the subject leader and the assessment manager is beginning to address the issue and the school expects to see this bear fruit over the next couple of years. A new strategy for

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MATHEMATICS

89. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ attitude and behaviour and this results in a calm atmosphere that enables pupils to concentrate and work without inappropriate disruption. Homework is used effectively to support and extend learning and parents contribute to this by ensuring work is done and returned on time. Pupils’ work is marked regularly but comments and suggestions made by teachers in exercise books are not consistently followed up and the full benefit of the marking is lost. The reason why progress is not very good in Years 3 to 6, despite the good teaching, is the shortcomings of the assessment system. With the more consistent use of assessment, the strong leadership of the subject leader and the good teaching seen across Years 3 to 6, the school is well placed to build on the good progress being made in Years 1 and 2 and to improve standards at the end of Year 6.

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MATHEMATICS

90. The management of pupils by most teachers and support staff is very good and this leads to very positive relationships between staff and pupils. The behaviour in most lessons seen was good or very good. Pupils respond promptly and positively to questions and instructions and are very respectful of each other and adults. This leads to a calm positive atmosphere in most classes where teachers are able to focus on teaching without inappropriate interruptions and pupils are able to concentrate on learning. Teachers make some use of mathematics in other subjects, especially in recording work in science and geography.

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SCIENCE

Grosvenor Park Primary School - 45 91. In Year 2 and Year 6 standards are average. This is rather better than the recent National Curriculum test results indicate. Standards have improved a great deal since the previous inspection. Standards in science, as reflected in the results of National Curriculum tests, are rising more quickly than in any other subject by the end of Year 6. Whole-school progress over time is good. In the short term, progress is satisfactory for all groups of pupils, including those learning English as a new language and those with identified learning difficulties. Some lessons do not make enough demands of those pupils who have the potential for higher attainment. Despite this, most teaching is good. As a result, pupils achieve well, given their prior attainment. Strengths in the subject:

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SCIENCE

• The progress pupils make, especially in extending their scientific knowledge base. • The quality of teaching and learning, especially in teachers’ control and management of pupils and in their use of subject knowledge. • The enthusiasm and attitudes of pupils towards learning in science.

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SCIENCE

• The development of an understanding of scientific methodology. • Extension of pupils’ skills, especially in designing their own investigations. • The use of ICT as a tool for learning.

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SCIENCE

92. Pupils make steady progress throughout the school. They are given the opportunity to learn many new facts and most have an extensive scientific knowledge. Year 2 pupils are confident about discussing the frog’s life-cycle from spawn to young adult. They quickly identify the uses of different sorts of material. They know that the melting of chocolate is a physical process that can be reversed, but that eating the chocolate produces a chemical change that cannot be reversed. Year 6 pupils know a great deal about the way creatures adapt to their environment and discuss such issues as camouflage, adaptation to cold and warm places and how animals adapt to live in air, on land and in water. Some pupils make very good use of subject-specific vocabulary to support their explanations in discussions.

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SCIENCE

93. Most lessons are good and some are very good. Lesson objectives are made clear and discussed with pupils. As a result, they have a good understanding of what they are expected to learn and what needs to be done. Teachers have good skills in the management of pupils. Only occasionally do a very small number of restless pupils affect the quality of learning by slowing down the delivery of the lesson. In one class, where a number of pupils with learning difficulties were working, the teacher had to point out which were the pupils with specific attention difficulties. They were as well controlled and involved in the lesson as all other pupils. Because pupils are well managed, there is no waste of time and they pupils concentrate and get through a good volume of work. Teachers take lessons confidently because they have good subject knowledge and prepare the content of their lessons well.

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SCIENCE

94. Pupils have enthusiastic and positive attitudes towards their learning in science. This is a considerable enhancement to the quality of learning. Because they have a thirst for knowledge, pupils join in discussions eagerly. They are keen to read and use the Internet to research for themselves. They get on with tasks, recording their findings and reporting on the results of investigations.

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SCIENCE

95. Pupils’ development of an understanding of scientific methodology is less acute than the way they extend their knowledge base. Pupils in Years 2 and 6 had difficulty talking about the way scientists go about their work. Discussions with Year 2 pupils reveal that they do understand that scientific prediction – a key element of investigation – is a ‘thinking guess’ but they have little understanding of a scientific process. Year 6 pupils need a great deal of prompting to explain how a material is tested for its suitability when made into a man’s shirt. Although they identify several key stages in the testing, they need step by step prompting and it is clear that they are not used to the regular use of a scientific methodology nor are they used to designing their own investigations. In some lessons teachers prepare too much for the pupils and this does not Grosvenor Park Primary School - 46 challenge pupils sufficiently. This is particularly the case for those pupils who have the potential

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SCIENCE

for higher attainment. Not enough is expected of their creative and intellectual input.

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SCIENCE

96. The use of ICT for learning in science is limited. One good example of using the Internet was seen in the Years 5/6 class. Pupils logged on to the Internet independently, chose their own search engine and successfully narrowed the search so that they were provided with relevant material to aid their studies in adaptation for different environments. However, there is no evidence of pupils using spreadsheets to collect, tabulate and graph data for interpretation and analysis. There was no inspection evidence of computers being used to sense and monitor external events.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. Art and design and design and technology are planned separately but blocked together for teaching purposes. During the inspection there was a limited amount of either subject to inspect and evidence is based on some observations of lessons, a scrutiny of pupils’ work, discussions with pupils, the art and design subject leader and the design and technology subject leader and a detailed scrutiny of pupils’ work displayed in classes and around the school.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

98. Standards in design and technology and in art and design are average in Year 2 and below average in Year 6. Pupils make satisfactory progress in both subjects to the end of Year 2. Progress from Year 2 to the end of Year 6 is unsatisfactory in both subjects. Teaching of art and design in Years 1 and 2 is very good and in design and technology it is good. Teaching of both subjects in Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory. Progress since the last inspection has been unsatisfactory in both subjects, as standards by the end of Year 6 are now judged lower than at that time. There is insufficient allocation of curriculum time for teaching to have sufficient impact on pupils’ learning and the progress they make.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

• Teachers’ subject knowledge in art and design. • Lesson planning in most lessons, especially in art and design. • Effective use of resources. • The use of sketch books throughout the school. • Pupils’ observational and drawing skills. • Classroom management skills. • Marking of work in Years 1 and 2.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

• Consistency in planning across the school. • Quality, range and quantity of work in both subjects in Years 3 to 6. • Range of resources available for both subjects. • Greater opportunities for pupils to create designs and evaluate their own work and that of others. • Opportunities for pupils to react to a range of stimuli using materials of their own choice.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. Pupils enter Year 1 having had good experiences in Reception, exploring colour, texture, and shape and learning a range of techniques that enable them to access both subjects. Throughout Years 1 and 2 they are presented with a range of experiences that enable them to make satisfactory progress and by Year 2 they reach a standard that is average for their age in both subjects. During this period teachers use their knowledge of the subjects to plan effective lessons and with their good classroom management skills and effective use of the available resources teaching is very good in art and design and good in design and technology. Pupils develop and refine their observational and drawing skills and they acquire a good understanding of materials and their uses. They begin to use sketchbooks to record their drawings and to plan and evaluate designs for models. Teachers use effective marking to assess pupils’ work and to guide

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

them in the next stage of their development. There was little evidence seen during the inspection Grosvenor Park Primary School - 47 to show that pupils are given opportunities to build on their experiences of working with paint. Evidence of progress in the way they manage colour and tools was sparse.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100. In Years 3 to 6 work in design and technology is alternated with art and design and the total allocation of time to these subjects is insufficient to enable the National Curriculum in both subjects to be delivered effectively. Teachers continue to show good classroom management skills. Planning across these year groups is inconsistent. The range and quality of resources are poor. Pupils are not provided with an adequate range of opportunities to enable them to acquire and develop the knowledge and skills they require to reach a satisfactory standard by the end of Year 6. The result is unsatisfactory progress from Year 2 to Year 6 and below average levels of attainment. Pupils spend a great deal of their time doing observational drawings in their sketchbooks and insufficient time on designing, making and evaluating models, exploring the use of colour, texture and shape and in improving their use of a range of tools. The work seen in

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

sketchbooks is not always marked regularly. There is little evidence of the assessment of pupils’ progress or of effective planning for the next stage of their development. The only models seen were a small selection of musical instruments, made from junk material, which were displayed without labels, names, designs or evaluations. A good example of artwork was seen in a Year 4 classroom where pupils had experimented with colour and texture, using paint, before producing pictures illustrating relationships. Pupils attending Art Club had also produced portraits using torn strips of coloured paper. However, these examples and this standard are the exception rather than the rule.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101. Work has been undertaken by the subject leaders in both subjects to evaluate planning and compile a portfolio of work. Both recognise the need for better resourcing and the challenge of delivering the National Curriculum in the time available. Pupils are very well behaved in lessons. They themselves feel that they are doing too much drawing and not enough work with paint or model making.

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GEOGRAPHY

102. By Years 2 and 6 standards are average, as they were at the time of the last inspection. The school has adopted and recently amended the national guidelines as its scheme of work to incorporate more time developing pupils’ skills in the subject. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well due to planned activities that closely match their needs and effective adult support. In Years 1 to 4, geography and history share the same time allocation. More time is allocated to both subjects in Years 5 and 6. This provides for a more in-depth study of the topics in those years, and further development of geographical skills. During the week of inspection, geography was not on the timetable in Years 1 and 2.

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GEOGRAPHY

• The amended scheme of work which now meets pupils’ needs more effectively. • Samples of pupils’ work collected and kept for teachers’ reference matched against levels in national guidelines.

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GEOGRAPHY

• Monitoring of teaching in the subject to share the good practice. • Relating assessment of pupils’ progress to national guidance for judging standards in the subject.

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GEOGRAPHY

103. Pupils’ mapping skills and their knowledge of the world develop well through the frequent opportunities provided in the amended planning in geography. For example, they learn about continents and countries when plotting various routes to Peru from the UK, by sea and air, including via the Panama Canal. They use atlases to locate the countries and cities, and provide a colour-coded key on their maps. Younger pupils develop an awareness of places beyond their own local area by finding out about Australia, its location and its geographical contrasts – Grosvenor Park Primary School - 48 mountains, forests, deserts and sandy beaches. They show good understanding of contrasting climates and their effect on humans, such as in Greenland and San Francisco. They use their research into local leisure facilities to design a leaflet to promote the area. Older pupils make good use of the advantages of the local area by investigating their own coastline. They identify

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GEOGRAPHY

the main features of a coast and the effects of erosion on a coastline. They discuss how people use the coast, using their own and the teachers’ local knowledge as well as what they find out from their research. They transfer what they find out to a map of the local coastal area. This topic incorporating fieldwork and research gives pupils good opportunities to develop their geographical skills and understanding.

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GEOGRAPHY

104. Teaching in geography is satisfactory overall. Where most effective, teachers’ good subject knowledge and enthusiasm create stimulating learning opportunities for pupils, who respond and learn well as a result. Probing questions and a brisk pace help to develop interesting discussions, with many pupils contributing. Teaching is less effective where activities are insufficiently challenging for higher-attaining pupils, and where worksheets are not clear. As a result, pupils do not achieve as much or as well as they might in these lessons. Pupils develop their literacy skills effectively, as when younger pupils describe in some detail their route to school and what they pass on the way. Teachers make good use of geography websites, incorporating them into topics. For example, being able to see an animated illustration of erosion and its effects increased older pupils’ understanding of the concept and added to their interest.

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GEOGRAPHY

Pupils respond to teachers well generally. However, where the pace is less brisk, they achieve less in the time.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. Underdeveloped mapping skills have led to recent changes in the scheme of work. This now provides more planned opportunities for pupils to develop these skills. Monitoring of teachers’ planning and sampling pupils’ work take place, but there is no monitoring of teaching in the subject. Teachers make good use of the local area in investigations and fieldwork, such as the canal in Year 2 and Heysham Head and Half Moon Bay in Years 5 and 6. Linked to their topics, it brings the subject alive and makes it meaningful. Teachers assess whether pupils have achieved the learning intentions of the topics.

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HISTORY

106. In Years 2 and 6 standards are average. This is good improvement since the last inspection when standards at the end of Year 6 were below average and this was a key issue. The subject has been a recent focus for improvement in the school. The scheme of work has been rewritten incorporating the local authority and the new national guidance to provide for better development of historical enquiry and research skills in the topics studied. Assessment opportunities are built in to the new scheme with aspects of planning matched to national guideline levels. This now provides good guidance for teachers. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well in lessons due to planned activities that closely match their needs and adult support. More time is allocated to history in Years 5 and 6, a weekly hourly slot. This provides for a more in-depth study of the topics in those years, and further development of historical skills. In other years,

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HISTORY

history and geography share the same time slot of an hour. During the week of inspection, history was not on the timetable in Years 3 and 4.

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HISTORY

• The new scheme of work. • Beginning and end of unit assessment. • Teachers annotate the planning and evaluate it at the end. • Link with national guideline levels in planning to help teachers track pupils’ progress and standards.

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HISTORY

Areas for development: Grosvenor Park Primary School - 49 • Monitoring of teaching in the subject to build on good practice and ensure continuity and progression in the subject. • Assessing samples of pupils’ work to build up a portfolio of moderated pieces of work to increase teachers’ confidence.

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HISTORY

107. A recent ‘History Buzz Day’ for the whole school brought the subject to life. Pupils and staff dressed up in costumes from different periods of time: from Romans to 1960’s pop stars. The day provided pupils with good opportunities to develop their enquiry and research skills and their understanding of chronology, for example with a real-life time line of all the different costumes. Younger pupils interviewed historical figures, such as a musketeer, about their lives. They learnt about homes in the past through the opportunity to handle a wide selection of artefacts. A visitor from the local museum service talked to older pupils about the Victorians and archaeology in the local area, adding to what they already knew from their own research. Artefacts such as heavy chain-mail armour really impressed pupils. The chain armour was so heavy that no one could hold it out in front of them. The day was the best school day yet! wrote another pupil in Year 6.

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HISTORY

Producing work for a time capsule, to be buried in the building extension, increased pupils’ understanding of past, present and future effectively.

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HISTORY

108. In lessons, older pupils develop their enquiry skills well when they find out from their research changes that happened in Victorian times, such as, Before the 1840s surgeons didn’t use anaesthetics . Younger pupils, finding out about toys in the past, are fascinated when four parents and grandparents bring in their old toys. They ask their prepared list of questions, such as, How is your toy similar or different to my toys ? and additional ones as they are so interested, with one of the group recording what they find out. All check the date of their toy: Did you say it was 1914? They know which toys are the oldest and which the youngest, showing good understanding of chronology for their age.

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HISTORY

109. Teaching in history is good overall. A well-planned and organised lesson with interesting visitors provides pupils with very good opportunities to understand and learn and is very effective. Planned research opportunities present pupils with a challenging task and develop their enquiry skills effectively. Pupils have a good understanding of what they are finding out about and why and respond well. Teaching is less effective where an undemanding activity for older pupils adds little to their knowledge of the period. Pupils develop their literacy skills effectively, for example through taking notes, and make satisfactory use of ICT, particularly history websites and CD- ROMs, for their research.

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HISTORY

110. There have been good improvements made in history since the last inspection. There is now a clear sense of direction and the ability to improve further, as teachers become more familiar with the new scheme of work. At present, assessing samples of pupils’ work together and building up a portfolio of moderated pieces of work to increase teachers’ confidence does not take place. Teachers’ comments on their planning sheets help the subject leader to monitor the delivery of the curriculum. However, she does not yet have the opportunity to monitor teaching in the classroom and build on the existing good practice. In the new scheme of work there is a clear emphasis on pupils doing their own research, as in the project on the Tudors in Years 5 and 6, and developing their enquiry skills very effectively as a result. Events such as the ‘History Buzz Day’ and visits and visitors linked to topics enhance the curriculum, such as Hadrian’s Wall and

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HISTORY

Wigan Pier visits. It brings the subject alive and makes it meaningful.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

111. Standards in ICT in Year 2 are average and in Year 6 they are below average. However, the progress pupils are making is now good. This is an improvement since the previous inspection when standards were well below national expectations throughout the school and the progress pupils made was unsatisfactory. Overall, there have been many improvements since the previous inspection and the school is well placed to improve further.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Strengths in the subject: Grosvenor Park Primary School - 50 • The improvement made since the previous inspection. • The resources now available for the subject. • The strong leadership of the subject leader. • The quality of training provided for the staff. • The quality of teaching and learning. • The enthusiasm and positive attitudes of pupils for ICT. • The use of ICT to support the work of pupils with special educational needs. • The commitment of the school to raise standards.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

• To extend pupils’ knowledge, understanding and use of modelling, control and sharing information via e-mails. • To review the agreed Internet protection policy for the pupils and staff. • To use ICT to support learning in a wider range of subjects.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

112. The school has worked very hard to address the weaknesses identified in the previous inspection. There has been a major investment, with over a half of the school's previous under-spend being directed towards the improvement of this subject to provide good quality resources and to raise standards. There are now eight computers in a designated area within the library (Learning Zone). Additionally, there are thirteen laptops and other computers in classrooms or learning areas.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113. The high investment and good quality training provided by the subject leader have resulted in improved standards. From an early age most pupils show they are confident using the mouse to log-on to their computers, access programs, amend and improve their work, and save it and print it out. Older pupils understand the use of the digital camera and how to import pictures to use in their work. They use the Internet to access web-sites to gather information to support their research into topics. A good example is when pupils used a web-site to find out about animal habitats during a Year 5/6 science lesson. Some of these pupils showed their work in an upper school assembly. One pupil with specific needs celebrated his own work in this assembly and his self-esteem was notably raised by the experience. This was a good example of planned provision for pupils' personal development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114. During the inspection, the whole school focus was on presentation of information for a variety of audiences , using ICT to support pupils' work in English. Pupils across all year groups made good progress, particularly those in Year 2 and Year 5/6. Pupils have a positive attitude to their learning and show a real enthusiasm during ICT lessons. Pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 produce good quality ICT enhanced presentations after a field trip to Silverdale. They show good skills in importing text, graphics and digital photographs in their focus on coastal erosion . The result of their work is a very good poster presentation. With the concentration mainly on ICT supporting English, opportunities are missed for pupils to use ICT across the whole curriculum. There are instances of ICT supporting science and physical education but there are few overall.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

115. Pupils with special educational needs make equally good progress in ICT lessons. Additionally, they are given access to laptops to help them in other areas of the curriculum. It is through this careful planning in the use of ICT for these pupils that they are fully included in this subject of the curriculum.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

116. Teaching and learning of the skills and use of ICT are very good and in one lesson they were excellent. In the best lessons teachers show a good knowledge and understanding of the focus of the lessons. They set specific objectives to develop pupils' keyboard and mouse skills and access programs for purpose. Pupils are taught how to manipulate text and graphics. More experienced pupils learn how to introduce sound into their presentations. The training given to all staff has had a real impact on pupils' learning. This, together with a clear policy, scheme of work and vastly improved resources, has resulted in standards rising. Pupils’ achievement over time is good. The school clearly has the capacity to improve standards further. There is the commitment to do so. The school is aware that its pupils should be protected from undesirable Grosvenor Park Primary School - 51 web sites and e-mails and are reviewing the whole-school agreed Internet protection policy to

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

117. The subject leader gives good guidance and support to colleagues. He has managed and delivered the New Opportunities Funded training. He has worked alongside staff and supported them in building up their individual skills and confidence in teaching ICT. He has developed the new scheme of work and introduced the strategy of having a whole-school focus on each area of study. He is aware that the standards are improving but that they are not yet high enough by the end of Year 6. The older pupils have not had the opportunities to explore all areas of exchanging and sharing information , namely the use of e-mailing. Nor have they had experience in the modelling and control aspects of the ICT curriculum. These areas of the curriculum are essential for standards to be in line with national expectations.

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MUSIC

118. Standards are average in Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils make satisfactory progress. This is the case for the small number of pupils learning English as a new language and for those pupils identified as having learning difficulties. The current standards are an improvement since the previous inspection. Singing is a strength of the school. Much of the credit for improving standards is due to the competent work of the skilled subject leader. Teaching is consistently good and frequently very good. Strengths in the subject:

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MUSIC

• The quality of singing throughout the school. • The work of the subject leader. • Teaching overall.

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MUSIC

• More opportunities for pupils to compose their own music and to perform it for an audience.

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MUSIC

119. The quality of singing is good. This is the case in assembly and in the classes seen. In assembly, pupils sing enthusiastically but with great control. Their words are clear. They have a good sense of pitch. All join in with resulting good tone. They sing the words meaningfully. The reason why this is the case was demonstrated during one assembly where a new song was practised. Pupils paid very close attention to the teaching they were given during the practice. They listened carefully to the teacher’s high quality demonstrations and role-modelling. They mirrored phrases and words back, quickly mastering the pitch of a new tune and briskly learning new words. Instruction is no less rigorous in lessons. For example, in a Year 2 lesson, shared between the class teacher and a teacher with musical expertise, pupils soon sang a new song and went on to sing it with rhythmical accompaniment. Discussions with Year 6 pupils show that

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MUSIC

they continue to enjoy singing as a meaningful part of their music curriculum. However, it is also quite clear that they get experience in lessons right across the breadth of the curriculum.

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MUSIC

120. At the time of the previous inspection, standards were judged to be below average at the end of Year 2. This is no longer the case. Much of the credit for this is due to the work of the subject leader. She is very skilled and experienced and much of the work in music reflects the impact of her work. There is a suitable policy supported by a logical scheme of work that details the progress needed through the skills and knowledge required by the curriculum. Where teachers lack confidence, workshops have been provided aimed at enhancing subject expertise. The scheme of work is well supported by the use of a commercially produced syllabus with a great deal of practical support for teachers. The subject leader has collected in samples of work and assessed them against the levels of the National Curriculum. She demonstrates year-by-year progression through the curriculum through her portfolio of assessed work.

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MUSIC

121. The teaching is good in the lessons seen. Discussions with pupils show that they are interested and positive about all aspects of their lessons. Their general knowledge shows that they are Grosvenor Park Primary School - 52 taught well, across a wide and varied curriculum. Although some aspects of teachers’ subject knowledge are not strong, teachers have worked hard to improve use of their knowledge. Most plan well for the lessons they teach. Pupils are well managed and this helps with the quality of learning overall.

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MUSIC

122. Much of the teaching seen during the inspection was of singing. Discussions with pupils and scrutiny of work in the subject leader’s portfolio of samples show that pupils have good experience in other areas of the curriculum. However, discussions reveal that pupils are less confident, and less experienced, in aspects such as listening to and appraising music and in composing and writing down their own music for performance to an audience of peers. At present, not enough is made of first-hand creative and imaginative experiences. However, opportunities for some pupils to learn to play musical instruments and opportunities to perform for an audience of parents and others enrich the curriculum. Some aspects of music enhance pupils’ cultural and multicultural awareness, although this is an aspect that can be developed further.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

123. Standards are average in Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils make satisfactory progress throughout their time in the school. Teaching overall is satisfactory and progress since the last inspection has been satisfactory. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 53 Strengths in physical education:

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

• The planning in some lessons. • The structure of lessons. • The range of extra-curricular activities available.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Areas for development in physical education:

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

• Consistency in planning across the school. • Pace and challenge in some lessons in Years 3 to 6.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124. All elements of the physical education programmes of study were not seen during the inspection but it is clear, from discussions with pupils and the subject leader, that the National Curriculum is being delivered in full. At the time of the inspection dance, games and swimming were being taught to different age groups. All lessons seen had a common structure, with an introductory warm-up session, a main activity and a plenary at the end. Time has been spent teaching pupils the importance of warming up before exercising and they are also clear about the benefits of exercise on the human body. This was not happening at the time of the last inspection. However, there is some inconsistency in the extent to which teachers raise these issues with pupils.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

125. There is no common approach to planning. Where planning is thorough the quality of lessons is noticeably better, with good levels of challenge and pace and all pupils purposefully engaged throughout the lessons. Where planning is weak, time is being lost in organising pupils and resources and the pace of the lessons is too leisurely. This results in some pupils becoming bored and restless, causing some disruption to the lesson. Where the best pupil response was seen the teachers had planned the lessons in detail, had thought through the activities and were clear about the structure and pace of the lesson. In a Year 2 dance lesson on the theme of water, the teacher was very clear and confident about the content and structure of the lesson. This was communicated to the pupils in a calm and positive way and resulted in very high standards of behaviour. The pupils created a sequence of movements, in response to a musical

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

stimulus, which had very good variations of rhythm, speed, levels and direction.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

126. The standards reached by pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 are in line with national expectations. Having being taught swimming each week throughout Years 5 and 6, a good majority of eleven- year-olds reach the expectation for swimming – being able to swim 25 metres. Pupils work towards a range of other awards in swimming and clearly enjoy this activity. The work seen in games during the inspection indicates some variation in standards within age groups. Most pupils throw a ball well in a variety of ways. During the inspection they were working on chest passes and talked about the differences between chest and shoulder passes. The ability to vary the speed, direction and accuracy of the pass was seen in a number of lessons. Pupils’ ability to catch a large ball is less well developed and a number of Year 6 pupils lack confidence when attempting to catch a ball thrown by a partner. Whereas the level of skills observed is generally in

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

line with expectations, there was little evidence to show that the pupils had benefited from the extra allocation of time to physical education.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127. Teaching ranges from very good to unsatisfactory but it is satisfactory overall. Teachers have good subject knowledge and this enables them to explain and demonstrate a variety of techniques in a meaningful way. There is a need to ensure that the games lessons in Years 3 to 6 show year-on-year progression and that they build on existing skills to ensure that pupils are not being presented with similar tasks and challenges, regardless of age and ability. Some tasks lack appropriate challenge. These create boredom among pupils. Occasionally, behaviour becomes disruptive. This interferes with the flow of the lesson, as teachers have to stop lessons to deal with the unacceptable behaviour. The issue of ineffective use of assessment, identified in the last inspection, has not been totally addressed. Grosvenor Park Primary School - 54 128. The physical education curriculum is supplemented with a very good range of extra-curricular

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

activities. This includes football, rounders, dance and athletics. Pupils undertake outdoor and adventurous activities during the Year 5 visit to Borwick Hall and a link with Lancashire and Morecambe College presents opportunities for pupils to participate in a range of out-of-school activities.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

129. Standards in religious education match the expectation of the locally agreed syllabus in Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils, including those with learning difficulties and those from different backgrounds, make sound progress. The teaching seen was good. The curriculum meets the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

• Pupils’ understanding about what they can learn from religion. • Teachers’ understanding of the themes and areas that they teach. • The resources available for the subject.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

• The systematic use of visitors and visits to enrich the curriculum.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

130. In the work seen, pupils begin to show an understanding about what communities gain from religion. They recognise that well-known stories carry deeper meanings. They know that faith communities observe a set of rules communicated by reading and teaching within the faith. For example, pupils know that Christians read the Bible, worship in church and aspire towards the set of rules known as the Ten Commandments. They recognise that Jesus was the inspiration and example for modern day Christianity. However, they also know that those who follow Islam have their own inspirational figure, have a similar set of rules that govern family life and read the Koran. Pupils begin to show an understanding and sense of respect for different faiths, acknowledging that everyone has the choice to believe or not believe and to worship in his or her own way. Year 6 pupils particularly discuss religious themes with confidence and openness.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

131. The lessons and parts of lessons seen were good overall. Discussions with pupils confirm that they are taught religious education regularly. Many pupils are knowledgeable about the things they have been taught. Teachers have a great deal of knowledge and understanding, which they impart to pupils. For example, in a Year 6 lesson, the Buddhist story of Kisagasami was taught with conviction. The story and related activities stimulated a great deal of discussion among pupils as they sought out the deeper meaning of the tale. To supplement pupils’ studies and understanding the teacher had provided Buddhist music to listen to and a range of Buddhist artefacts to handle from a local Buddhist centre.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

132. The subject leader has acquired a good range of resources and artefacts for the subject. These are a considerable enhancement to learning. They include faith boxes across the full range of religions that the agreed syllabus expects to be taught.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

133. There are some links with visitors and places to visit. Most of them are connections with local Christian churches. There have been some visitors from other religions. However, opportunities are lost to confirm pupils’ understanding across the full range of religions taught in the school and to broaden their understanding of the diverse and culturally rich nature of modern society.

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