Linden Primary School

LINDEN 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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LINDEN 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. Linden Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Headland Road, Evington, Leicester, Postcode: LE5 6AD

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Ms L Chaplin

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 02 February 1998 Linden Primary School - 4

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responsibilities

23785 Mr. M. Massey Registered inspector Mathematics Physical education English as an additional language What sort of school Is it? How high are standards? a) The school’s results and acheivements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 11104 Mr. M. Fleming Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 32180 Mr. D. Sleightholme Team inspector Art Music How high are standards? b) Pupils’ attitudes values and personal development. 32168 Ms. A. Keen Team inspector Design and technology Foundation stage. How good are the curriculum and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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responsibilities

28320 Mr. R. Willey Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Educational inclusion Special educational needs 21910 Mr. G. Longton Team inspector English Religious education Linden Primary School - 5 32351 Ms. P. Ball Team inspector Geography History The inspection contractor was:

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responsibilities

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Linden 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? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Linden Primary School is situated in the Evington district of Leicester, in Leicestershire. It is bigger than other primary schools with 483 pupils on roll, including the part-time pupils in the Nursery; 291 boys and 192 girls. Children's attainment on entry to the Nursery is below average. They are admitted to the Nursery part-time in the Autumn and Spring terms, usually in the term before their fourth birthday. Pupils are admitted to the Reception class at the beginning of the Autumn term if their birthday is before the end of December and at the beginning of the Spring term for pupils born before the end of April. Pupils born from May onwards are admitted straight into Year 1 at the beginning of the Autumn term. Pupils come from a wide range of family backgrounds and there is a high rate of pupil mobility. Around 11 per cent of the pupils qualify for free school meals, which is below average. The school takes pupils from a wide range of different

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

ethnic backgrounds, including British, Pakistani, African and Caribbean. The largest group is of Indian origin. Around 88% per cent of pupils speak English as an additional language, which is very high. About 31 per cent of pupils are at an early stage of language acquisition. Around 18 per cent of the pupils have been identified by the school as having special educational needs, which is slightly below average. The main area of need is to improve poor speech and communication skills. There are only a few pupils who have a Statement of Special Educational Needs.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Linden Primary School is a good school, with some very good features. Pupils make good progress in their time at the school and as a result standards for the present group of pupils are above average in English and mathematics and average in science. The teaching is good throughout the school, with some very good and excellent teaching, particularly for older pupils. The headteacher and senior staff provide very good leadership and give the school a clear sense of direction. The pupils behave very well and have a very good attitude to their learning. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• There is very good leadership by the headteacher and senior staff. • The teaching is good and as a result pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress and achieve well. • Staff give clear guidance to pupils and as a result they behave very well and have a very good attitude to learning. • Relationships within the school are excellent. • Pupils with English as an additional language receive very good support.

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What could be improved

• The outdoor provision for pupils in the Reception and Nursery classes could be improved. • Ensure effective use of the time allocated to music. • Assessment in subjects other than English, mathematics and science is unsatisfactory. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has improved well since it was last inspected in February 1998. Overall, standards have risen broadly in line with the national average over the last five years. However, in mathematics standards have risen faster than this. There have been good improvements in teaching and pupils' attainment in design and technology and information and communication technology . The role of the subject co-ordinators has improved well and they are now having a good impact in many areas of the curriculum. The teachers' planning is good, based on established schemes of work. The use of assessment in English and mathematics is very good, although it needs to be improved in other subjects. There has been a satisfactory improvement in the evaluation of new developments and reports to parents. The governing body have also made a satisfactory improvement in their systems for monitoring the work of the school.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

Over the last five years standards for pupils completing Year 6 have risen broadly in line with the national average. There are challenging targets set for pupils completing Year 6 this year and they are in line to achieve these targets. In 2002, national test results for pupils at the end of Year 2 showed that, compared to all schools and to similar schools, standards were well above average in writing, above average in reading and average in mathematics.

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Key

Younger children achieve well in their time in the Nursery and Reception classes. By the time they complete the Reception Year they are in line to meet the expected standards in all the six areas of learning. For the present group of pupils in Year 2 standards have improved in mathematics and they are now good. In reading and writing, high standards have been maintained. This reflects the very good work done to support pupils with English as an additional language. For the present group of pupils in Year 6, standards are above average in English and mathematics and average in science. This is a reflection on the high quality of teaching seen in Years 5 and 6 and represents a good improvement overall, compared to last year. The high pupil mobility has an adverse affect on standards for pupils leaving at the end of Year 6 and the school is doing well to attain standards that are above average in English and mathematics. In

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Key

mathematics, the pupils' mental skills are very good and they deal with large numbers confidently. They use their English skills well to carry out research in other subjects, although their handwriting could be neater.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are enthusiastic about their learning.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils behave well in the classroom and around the school. They respond quickly to adult instructions.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils' personal development is very good. Relationships in the school are excellent and this makes a good contribution to their learning.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Unsatisfactory. Attendance is below the national average in spite of the very good strategies that the school has for encouraging attendance.

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Aspect Comment

The respect that pupils have for teachers and one another is a feature of the school and has a positive impact on the progress that the pupils make. There is a noticeable absence of oppressive behaviour in the school, so that pupils feel secure and confident. Linden Primary School - 9

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Teachers in the Nursery and Reception classes plan varied and stimulating activities that successfully keep the children motivated and eager to learn. There is a good emphasis on developing children's number and language skills.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Throughout the rest of the school there are examples of very good and excellent teaching in all areas of the school, but particularly in Years 5 and 6. This is an improvement since the last inspection. A strength of the teaching is the excellent relationships between staff and pupils. This means that lessons are carried out in a positive atmosphere, often with an element of fun that the pupils really enjoy. Lessons are well prepared and conducted at a good pace that keeps pupils interested. Where teaching is less successful the pace of the lesson is slower, often due to interruptions by pupils. Teaching in English and mathematics is good. The skills of literacy and numeracy are taught well. In particular the whole class introductions to lessons are often skilfully conducted, with good questioning that engages pupils' interest. The plenary sessions at the end of these lessons could be improved by more focused questioning that extends pupils'

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

learning. The teaching of reading in the school is very effective and the intensive reading programme works well. Pupils with special educational need are well supported and those with English as an additional language receive very good support. Pupils have very good mental skills in mathematics. There are weaknesses in the pupils' vocabulary but staff are aware of this and ensure that new vocabulary is carefully explained.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good overall. In the Foundation stage all the areas of learning are covered but there is no secure outdoor provision. There is a broad and balanced curriculum in the main school. Teachers use a range of thinking and learning skills to make the lessons more interesting and relevant to pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils are fully involved in activities and they receive good support from learning support assistants.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. The subject co-ordinator works closely with other senior teachers to ensure that pupils are correctly identified. Very good support is given to individuals and groups of pupils in class and as a result pupils make very good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Pupils are introduced to a wide range of beliefs and they have the opportunity to study different cultures as well as their own. They are given clear guidance on how to behave and get on with other pupils and adults.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Assessments are used well to support pupils' learning in English, mathematics and science. In other subjects assessment needs improving. The school is a safe and secure environment where teachers know and support pupils well.

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Aspect Comment

Too little time is devoted in individual lessons to music and as a result pupils do not make as much progress as they could. The school has a sound partnership with parents and the vast majority of parents Linden Primary School - 10 have a positive view of the school. The school works hard to get parents involved in improving reading and this is a particularly successful initiative. There is no active parent teacher association but parents have easy access to teachers in order to discuss their children's progress. The prospectus covers all the statutory requirements and reports to parents on how well their children are doing are satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher and senior staff work well together and share a deep commitment to improving standards in the school. Many of the subject co-ordinators are recently appointed and they are already having an impact on provision and standards.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. The governors have a good knowledge of the school but are overreliant on the headteacher and senior staff in setting priorities for future development.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. National test results are carefully analysed and, together with the school's own assessments and evaluations of teaching, used to identify areas for future improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. The school is well resourced but there is a large carry forward, some of which should be spent on improving provision for pupils currently at the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school is very well staffed. Teachers are well qualified and support staff are used effectively to support pupils' learning. The accommodation is generally good. However, there is no secure outdoor provision for pupils in the Reception and Nursery classes and the Reception building is inadequate. Resources are good. The school applies the principles of best value well.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • Children make good progress and behaviour in the school is good. • Teaching is good and children are expected to work hard. • The school helps children to become mature and responsible. • Some parents are uncomfortable approaching the school with questions or problems. • There are not enough interesting activities held outside lessons. • There is not the right amount of work to do at home.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The school fully agrees with the positive views expressed by parents. A small minority of parents do find it difficult to approach the school with problems or difficulties and the school should investigate how it could improve communications with these parents. The team judged that the provision for activities outside lessons was good and that the amount of work to do at home was satisfactory. Linden Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children enter school with a wide range of attainment. However, assessment on entry to the school and inspection evidence shows that attainment on entry to the Nursery is below average. The good teaching in the Nursery and Reception classes means that children make good progress. The large majority of children reach the early learning goals in their personal, social and emotional development, in their communication, language and literacy development and in their mathematical development by the time they start in Year 1. They also reach the expected levels in their knowledge and understanding of the world and their physical development and creative development.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Around 88 per cent of pupils speak English as an additional language and a substantial proportion of these pupils receive intensive support throughout the school. As a result of this support these pupils make very good progress and many of them achieve at, or above, the expected levels by the time they complete Year 2. This progress is maintained throughout Years 3 to 6. The school has a good approach to improving pupils' vocabulary in lessons other than English, for example through focused vocabulary work in mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The results achieved by pupils in the national tests in 2002 shows that by the end of Year 2, compared to all schools, standards in writing were well above average, standards in reading were above average and standards in mathematics were average. When compared to similar schools, standards were well above average in reading and mathematics and in the top 5 per cent for writing. A major strength in the school’s performance is the well above average proportion of pupils who attain higher than expected National Curriculum levels in both reading and writing at the end of Year 2. The present group of pupils is maintaining these high standards. Although some children move straight from the Nursery to Year 1 there is no evidence that their attainment by the end of Year 2 is lower than those children who moved in to Year 1 from the Reception class.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. In English, by the end of Year 2, pupils develop their speaking and listening skills well. They can explain why they like their favourite books and they listen to one another and the teacher very well. The school places a high priority on developing this aspect of the pupils' English skills in order to improve their vocabulary and communication skills. Pupils make very good progress in this area. The pupils' reading skills are also very good. Many pupils read fluently and with good understanding. Higher attaining pupils talk knowledgeably about the books that they have read. Pupils make good progress in their writing, using their skills for a variety of purposes. They complete reviews of their favourite books, write interesting stories and make their own diary of the Fire of London. They are developing a good use of language and use interesting words and phrases in their writing.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. In mathematics, by the end of Year 2, pupils have made good progress. They have good mental skills, adding and subtracting numbers up to 100 in their heads. They can identify right angles in various two-dimensional shapes and name three-dimensional shapes like prisms and cylinders correctly. Pupils can identify odd and even numbers and multiples of five and ten accurately and they can extract information from charts, such as pictograms.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. In science, pupils have made good progress by the time they are in Year 2. They know about how electricity works and can explain how to make a bulb light up in a circuit. They know about the habitats of different creatures and can explain why some creatures are found in different places and at different times. They are developing good investigative skills and record their work in a variety of ways, such as in lists or reports. They use the skills that they have learned in subjects like mathematics and information and communication technology well, for example to record results of their experiments in graph form.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6 in 2002 show, compared to all schools, standards in mathematics were above average, standards in English were average and standards in science were below average. When compared to similar schools standards were well above average in Linden Primary School - 12 mathematics, above average in English and average in science. The lower test results at the end of Year 6, compared to Year 2 is because of the proportion of pupils who join the school in Years 3 to 6. These pupils do not do as well in the national tests as pupils who have been in the school since Year 2. The present group of pupils in Year 6 are in line to meet the challenging targets set by the school. Throughout the school, both boys and girls achieve well.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. By the end of Year 6 pupils' English skills have continued to develop well. Their listening skills are very good and this is seen in lessons such as mathematics as well as in English, when pupils listen to one another and the teacher well. They are given good opportunities to improve their speaking skills both in lessons and through performances, and standards in this area are good. Pupils continue to make good progress in their reading, reading complex texts with accuracy and enjoyment. They are good at finding information and this is used effectively in lessons like geography when they research life in other countries. The Three-Week Reading Programme is a very effective way of promoting reading and many pupils now read for pleasure at home and belong to the local library. By the time they complete Year 6 pupils have developed good writing skills. They write interesting autobiographies and their writing is often mature and reflective, for example when

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

expressing their views about whale hunting. They use their skills well in other lessons, such as science and religious education. Lower attaining pupils are given good support to ensure that they improve their written work and higher attaining pupils often write creatively to produce interesting work.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In mathematics, pupils have continued to make good progress when they are in Year 6 and an above average proportion of pupils are working at a higher level than might be expected. The pupils' mental skills are very good with higher attaining pupils quickly working out 1 per cent of 400. They can extract information from tables, for example in travel brochures, and use their problem-solving skills well to work out the cost of holidays at different times of the year. Lower attaining pupils need support to complete some of the task but this is always available and enables them to take a full part in lessons. Pupils' vocabulary is a weak point but key words are taught in maths lessons to ensure understanding. Pupils' work in shape is good, with higher attaining pupils working out the area of a right angled triangles by multiplying the base by the height and dividing by two.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. In science, pupils' progress from Year 2 to Year 6 is satisfactory. The high levels of pupil mobility affect standards adversely. The subject co-ordinator is aware of this. The present good levels of teaching in Years 5 and 6 and the work of the co-ordinator are raising standards successfully but it will be another year before the full impact is evident. However, pupils are still achieving at the expected level overall. They understand the principles of fair testing and use these in setting up their own investigations. They can describe the different properties of materials, such as liquids and gases and they are developing a sound scientific vocabulary. The skills that they have learned in English and mathematics are used effectively to record the results of their investigations.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. In religious education, the pupils exceed the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus by the end of Year 6. The standards in information and communication technology are average by the time pupils are in Year 6, which is an improvement since the last inspection. By the time pupils leave the school in Year 6, standards are above average in art, geography and history. In design and technology and the games element of physical education, standards are satisfactory. In music, it was not possible to make a judgement on standards due to the ineffective use of the time allowed for teaching, which makes the provision unsatisfactory.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. The standards of the majority of pupils on the special needs register are below average despite them having achieved well since entry into school. The good tracking of pupils’ achievement shows that the majority of pupils achieve well in comparison with prior attainment. This is confirmed by comparing attainment at Year 2 and Year 6 for a sample of pupils in Year 6. Pupils make good progress in developing their speech and communication skills. Their improvement is the result of good provision by the school and high quality support by teachers and support assistants.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils’ attitudes to school and to their learning are very good. They enjoy coming to school and feel it is a friendly and caring environment where they achieve well. Pupils are very enthusiastic about Linden Primary School - 13 school activities. Those in Year 6 say they enjoy lessons because the teachers make learning fun, and because they tell them how well they are doing, and what they need to do to improve their work. Pupils value the excellent relationships they have with teachers, and know they can approach them if they have a problem. Pupils throughout the school are proud to talk about their work and successes, and enjoy receiving stickers, certificates or team cups when their very good work and behaviour are recognised in the sharing assembly. Attendance is below average because of the amount of holidays taken in term-time, in spite of the very good procedures to discourage this.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Behaviour in and around school is very good. Good examples of this are seen in the dining hall where pupils respond immediately to adult instructions. In assembly, pupils enter and leave in silence and in the playground planned activities promote co-operation and the development of pupils’ social skills. Behaviour in classrooms is very good overall and only minor incidents of inappropriate behaviour were witnessed during the inspection. The school has very good procedures for promoting positive behaviour and appropriate working habits. They do this by giving pupils guidance on ‘what working looks like and sounds like’. For example, pupils are reminded they only need to use a ‘30 centimetre voice’. The staff have very high expectations of pupils in all aspects of school life and this contributes significantly to the harmonious relationships seen during the inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. There is a noticeable absence of oppressive behaviour in school, including bullying and racism. The school reacts quickly and positively as soon as it becomes aware of any incident of inappropriate behaviour. Pupils in Year 6 said that everyone relates well to one another and they feel happy and secure in school. There have been no fixed term or permanent exclusions in the last year. The school’s assemblies, and programme of personal, social, health and citizenship education, contribute to pupils’ very positive attitudes to the school. For example, in an excellent Year 6 lesson, pupils were debating whether they would prefer to live in a dictatorship or a democracy. They engaged in a lively and interesting debate about decision making. The debate was very skilfully managed by the class teacher. By the end of this lesson pupils had developed a much greater understanding of how people’s actions impact on others, and they were able to relate this to their life

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Relationships are excellent throughout the school. The respect pupils have for their teachers, and support staff, contribute to successful learning. Pupils are co-operative and eager to please adults, and this has a positive impact on the amount of progress they make in lessons. For example, in an excellent Year 2 lesson, pupils were writing simple evaluations of books. They made excellent progress in their learning because they willingly joined in with the high quality activities provided by the three adults in this classroom.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Pupils who have special educational needs, and those who have English as an additional language, play a full part in all aspects of school life. Confidence building sessions in the school’s nurture groups help pupils to develop social skills and join in with all school activities. The school is committed to ensuring that the many pupils who join the school throughout the year are able to make good progress, even if they are recently new to speaking and writing in English.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Pupils’ personal development is very good. They are developing a sense of responsibility and learning to show initiative. Pupils readily accept responsibility by doing small tasks around the school. For example, Year 6 pupils visit the classrooms of younger pupils to sharpen pencils at lunchtimes; some act as playground monitors and others listen to pupils read twice a week. They regularly collect for charities, and recently organised a ‘bring and buy sale’ in aid of the ‘Blue Peter Waterworks Appeal’, raising over two hundred pounds. A satisfactory range of homework activities is helping pupils develop independent learning skills, and exercise an increasing amount of responsibility for their own learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. Teaching is good overall. There is a high proportion of good teaching and some teaching that is excellent. There is no unsatisfactory teaching. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Linden Primary School - 14 20. The teaching of those pupils in the Nursery and Reception classes is good. The teachers' planning ensures that activities are varied and stimulating and consequently the children join in enthusiastically. Teachers successfully create a calm and ordered learning environment in which children feel secure. Teachers place a good emphasis on developing children's number skills and well-planned language activities support those pupils for whom English is not their first language.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. The quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good overall, often it is very good. This is an improvement since the last inspection. In the best lessons teachers have high expectations of pupils’ attainment and very good classroom management skills. The excellent relationship between teachers and pupils means that classrooms are quiet and orderly places where pupils can get on with their own work. They are not afraid to ask questions and are actively encouraged by teachers to answer questions and listens to others. This makes for a very good working atmosphere in the classrooms. Hard work and effort is praised by the teachers and pupils work hard to please their teachers. The teachers' very good knowledge in subjects like English and mathematics enables them to plan well for pupils at all levels of ability. Where teaching is less successful, the pace of lessons is slower than it could be due to some pupils occasionally interrupting the teacher or talking and distracting

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

others. In physical education teaching is satisfactory but could be improved if activities were more challenging.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. The quality of teaching in Years 3 to 6 is good, often it is very good and there is a good proportion of excellent lessons. A high proportion of the very good and excellent teaching is seen in Years 5 and 6. In these lessons teaching is very well prepared and organised. The teachers have high expectations of what the pupils can achieve and they conduct the lessons at a good pace. Their questioning is very good and include pupils of all abilities, which means that pupils stay on task well. The technique of using "numbered heads", which means that any pupil can be identified to be spokesperson for their group following discussion, is an excellent technique for ensuring that pupils concentrate. The excellent relationships that teachers have with pupils means that lessons are carried out in a positive atmosphere that often involves humour as well as praise to encourage pupils. Where teaching is less successful, better use could be made of learning support assistants and the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

use of the plenary session at the end of lessons could be improved.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is very effective. The national strategies are used very effectively and this is having a good impact on the pace of the majority of lessons. This is particularly noticeable in the whole class introduction where the vast majority of teachers use well- planned activities and skilful use of questioning to keep pupils interested and working hard. Teachers are beginning to use their own judgements well to change their short-term planning if they feel that pupils would benefit from more practice in the next lesson. This was seen to good effect in numeracy lessons in Year 2 when the extra practice at the beginning of the next lesson successfully consolidated their learning and provided a good platform for future learning. In both literacy and numeracy lessons the emphasis on partner work to improve understanding and encourage discussion is good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. There is some good teaching in subjects other than English and mathematics. In geography and history, for example, the best teaching is enthusiastic and generates an excitement amongst the pupils that makes them want to learn. In art lessons good links are made with other subjects like English and teachers use computers well to enable pupils to enhance their art displays through designing and printing labels. There is some very good teaching in information and communication technology, which is an improvement since the last inspection when teachers lacked confidence and expectations were too low. In music, lessons were too short to accurately judge the quality of teaching, although there were excellent features in some of the lessons. Overall, however, the use of the time allowed for music is unsatisfactory. In science, more opportunities are needed for higher attaining pupils to extend their learning and in physical education more challenging tasks could be

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

set to extend pupils of all abilities. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support from the class teachers and learning support assistants. They take a full part in lessons and make good progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. The teaching of pupils with English as an additional language is very good and as a result these pupils do very well. Teamwork is a key feature of the school's approach to teaching these pupils. There is close liaison between the subject leaders for English as an additional language, the special Linden Primary School - 15 educational needs co-ordinator and the English co-ordinator. As a result individual pupils needs are quickly identified and there is an accurate distinction between pupils with language needs and those with special educational needs. The Three-Week Reading Programme which was designed to improve reading throughout the school has also successfully improved the learning of pupils with English as an additional language. Pupils are given good support in lessons and teachers have a good understanding of the strategies for teaching English as an additional language. They refer to a

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

list of strategies for pupils, such as the use of visual tools and the careful planning of writing activities to ensure that they are successful in their learning.

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TO PUPILS?

26. In the Nursery and Reception classes the curriculum is satisfactory. It is based on national guidelines and provides for all six areas of learning. It also includes religious education. Children make good progress overall. However, with no designated outdoor play area some curricular opportunities are limited. In the rest of the school structured planning provides a good curriculum, teaching all the national curriculum subjects and religious education. Plans about what children are expected to learn and policies match the national requirements so that pupils generally have the opportunity to attain the intended levels of knowledge and understanding. The school has had a lot of new staff and a high turn-over of children; consequently not all the pupils have had the benefit of the existing good provision for the whole of their school life.

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TO PUPILS?

27. The school is very strong in using a range of thinking and learning skills throughout the curriculum and this is having a positive impact on learning. Pupils are taught to listen and the learning skills which the pupils are being taught provide a solid basis for future education. Through effective planning the school provides a broad and relevant curriculum.

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TO PUPILS?

28. The role of the subject leaders is being developed well. A programme of ‘learning walks’ to monitor the work in the school has been set up so that teachers provide each other with professional development and guidance. Subject leaders check teachers' planning to ensure that the curriculum is being covered and a sufficient amount of time is provided to ensure that the curriculum is covered well enough to raise standards.

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TO PUPILS?

29. The school is implementing the government's recommended National Literacy Strategy very well. This results in pupils of all levels of attainment being provided with a good range of learning opportunities to develop their skills in literacy. The numeracy strategy is being taught very well throughout the school and there is a secure understanding of what should be taught in order to develop pupils' skills. Lessons are well structured according to national guidelines. The curriculum provided ensures that pupils receive very challenging lessons resulting in very good teaching and learning in Years 5 and 6. In Years 1 and 2, good teaching results in challenging work for the children. Teachers do not always allow enough time to consolidate the learning at the end of lessons; however, very high standards are being produced in mental mathematics by the end of Year 6.

p.15

TO PUPILS?

30. A good range of extra-curricular activities is provided to enrich the pupils' learning in Years 3 - 6. Pupils have opportunities to participate in physical activities such as cross-country running and a range of musical activities, like African drumming. Music tuition is also available. A range of after- school clubs is provided to broaden the curriculum, such as a French club where pupils are taught by teachers from Judgemeadow Community College. Other clubs include paper engineering, cricket and an enterprise club. Events like the kaleidoscope, a local drama activity, provide breadth to the curriculum, ensuring that pupils have the opportunity to extend their experiences.

p.15

TO PUPILS?

31. The school provides well for personal, social and health education. It helps to provide pupils with information and skills to make informed decisions about a healthy life style. Drug awareness education is included in the curriculum. The governing body have approved the sex education programme and parents have been consulted. Linden Primary School - 16 32. There is good provision for pupils with special educational needs and they are involved in all the school’s activities. This is an improvement since the last inspection. The pupils' individual education programmes have specific targets and usually identify clearly when these have been achieved. Learning support assistants are very familiar with pupils’ individual education programmes and work well to ensure pupil success. The school has recently introduced a policy for gifted and talented pupils. Although there is no register of these pupils the school is very aware of its talented pupils.

p.15

TO PUPILS?

The co-ordinator is aware that extension opportunities for these pupils have

p.16

TO PUPILS?

been limited to literacy, numeracy, science and art and that they have not always been carried out in a systematic way. The school is now looking for opportunities to use community expertise and pool ideas and resources with neighbouring schools in order to implement its policy fully.

p.16

TO PUPILS?

33. There is very good provision for pupils learning English as an additional language. Their needs are quickly identified and an individual programme designed for them if this is necessary. The pupils are fully integrated into lessons and class teachers are skilled at involving them through careful questioning and integration into group work.

p.16

TO PUPILS?

34. The school has good links with its partner institutions including the local secondary schools to which many older pupils transfer when they leave. Specific days like a design and technology workshop and ‘World On Line Day’ are provided for the school by partner secondary schools. The school has links with local colleges and students from a variety of colleges also undertake work experience in the school. A wide range of educational visits is provided by the school such as the residential trip for Year 6 and regular visits to the library by all age groups from Nursery to Year 6.

p.16

TO PUPILS?

35. The school has no specific policy for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development but these aspects of their personal development are promoted very effectively during assemblies and lessons in all subjects, which are supplemented by wall displays, visits, and extra-curricular activities.

p.16

TO PUPILS?

36. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is very good. Assemblies provide good opportunities for pupils to consider and experience spiritual aspects of life. Pupils are introduced to a wide range of religious beliefs during religious education as well as in assemblies. Celebrations associated with each faith are treated with equal respect. Pupils are encouraged to think carefully about their feelings and responses, for example in music and art. In many lessons pupils are given opportunities to experience the ‘wow’ factor; these include exciting discoveries during science lessons, the pleasure of hearing their peers demonstrate a Sikh musical instrument during religious education, and the delight that many experience when learning mathematics. Pupils enjoy music and are enthusiastic participants in school productions. They are rightly proud of their school and their work, which they take care to present well.

p.16

TO PUPILS?

37. Moral development is promoted very effectively. Pupils are led to a clear understanding of rules through the school’s high expectations of behaviour and frequent discussion of reasons why particular actions are desirable or should be avoided. Teaching and non-teaching staff provide good role models for respect and trust. Pupils are encouraged to discuss the rationale of decision making and to take responsibility for their actions. In PSHE they are given the opportunity to discuss different ways of reaching agreement and even singing practice is used to reinforce a moral message. Consideration for others is promoted very effectively, resulting in excellent relationships among all members of the school community, regardless of age or background.

p.16

TO PUPILS?

38. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ social development. Teachers take care to ensure that all pupils are fully involved in lessons. Good guidance is given in assemblies and lessons to help pupils understand relationships and teamwork and to help them cope with difficult situations. In lessons, pupils are given many opportunities to brainstorm together in pairs or to work in larger groups. This leads to very effective learning because of pupils’ excellent relationships and their attitudes to work. Other opportunities for collaboration occur during after-school clubs and on school visits. When given the opportunity to discuss democracy and dictatorship, pupils show they are accustomed to dealing with such complex concepts. Older pupils help younger pupils by hearing them read, to the benefit of both. Virtually all pupils are polite and considerate to other members of the school community, such as when moving around the school or tidying up after a lesson. Pupils

p.16

TO PUPILS?

Linden Primary School - 17 are encouraged to have consideration for society beyond their school, and their suggestion of organising an event to collect money for a Blue Peter appeal was welcomed.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

39. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is very good. Through many subjects, pupils are given a wide range of experiences of cultures from different times and places as well as the culture that surrounds them. Pupils enjoy a good variety of stories, music and art, as well as what they discover in history or geography. The pupils' own different ethnic backgrounds are often strongly reflected in the cultural experiences presented to them. Pupils are introduced to many aspects of a good range of faiths, including the food, dress and art associated with them. Well-presented wall

p.17

TO PUPILS?

displays supplement pupils’ lessons as well as celebrating their activities and successes. Pupils appreciate other experiences provided outside the classroom, such as the ‘wild’ area on the school site, and visits to museums or further afield.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The school takes good care of pupils’ health and safety. Procedures for dealing with Child Protection issues are good. There are termly fire practices. A recently installed closed circuit camera system contributes to security throughout the school site. External advice and regular surveys are integral to the efficient systems for the maintenance of a safe and secure learning environment. Staff are aware of the specific needs of pupils with conditions such as asthma or diabetes; four members of staff have been trained as first-aiders. Documentation of health and safety issues is good; even minor incidents are recorded meticulously. Good attention is paid to pupils’ health and safety during lessons and there is a very up-to-date policy for internet security.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Arrangements for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are informal but very effective. Teachers know their pupils well, which enables them to provide appropriate work for pupils’ individual needs. The atmosphere of mutual support which pervades the school ensures that pupils of all ages feel secure and well supported. A broad range of strategies for encouraging good behaviour and eliminating poor behaviour is used well by staff in order to minimise conflict and help pupils acquire a mature approach to social interaction. Pupils are effectively encouraged to develop positive attitudes to learning and to other people; they are left in no doubt concerning the nature of desirable and undesirable behaviour. They have confidence in the school’s handling of the rare incidents of aggressive behaviour. The fact that racially motivated incidents are very rare in the school is an accurate reflection of its success in fostering excellent relationships.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school has a very good range of strategies for encouraging good attendance. Rewards for full attendance support pupils’ positive attitudes to attending school. The electronic system used for registration is efficient and allows any patterns of absence that might cause concern to be identified swiftly. Pupils’ homes are contacted promptly when their absence is unexplained, and an educational welfare officer supports the school well with further investigation or action as required. Pupils’ families are frequently reminded of the importance of full attendance. The school takes a firm stand in the face of persistent requests for permission to withdraw pupils for holidays during term- time.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Pupils with special educational needs are well integrated into the caring environment of the school. The school has procedures in place to identify pupils who may have a learning or physical disability. When a concern is first raised, either by the parent or class teacher, the pupil is monitored. If necessary, the pupil is placed on the appropriate stage of the school’s special needs register. Pupils requiring specialist help with speech, sight or a specific learning difficulty, have the necessary support and guidance provided. The school uses specialist help well and, between reviews, classroom assistants support pupils in line with the specialist guidance.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Assessment procedures are very good in English, mathematics and science. There is a rigorous assessment schedule. The results of these assessments are used very effectively to ensure that pupils are making the progress that they are capable of. All pupils have targets that they should reach by the end of the school year and class teachers monitor individual pupils' progress regularly. Teachers have a good understanding of National Curriculum levels through portfolios of moderated Linden Primary School - 18 work. However, assessment in the other subjects, such as geography and history, is not systematically carried out. In the Nursery and Reception classes assessment is not carried out according to the six areas of the Early Learning Goals. These areas of provision require improvement.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The assessment of pupils with English as an additional language is very good, although the school does not yet monitor and report on the achievement of each ethnic group. Nonetheless the school system ensures that the progress of individual pupils is tracked efficiently and as a result pupils from all ethnic backgrounds make very good progress in developing their English skills. Pupils are well integrated into lessons through the very good support given by teachers and classroom assistants.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. The school maintains satisfactory relations with pupils’ parents. Parents express generally favourable views of most aspects of the school and the school enjoys the confidence of all communities. Almost everyone who answered the pre-inspection questionnaire wrote that their children like school and that behaviour is good. Parents have confidence in the standard of teaching and the progress that results. They believe that the school expects pupils to work hard, and that it helps them to mature. Some parents are less than confident about approaching the school with questions or problems, or have concerns about the amount of homework that is set. A significant minority of parents are unhappy with the range of activities provided outside lessons.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. Inspection evidence supports parents’ positive views of the school. Communications between parents and the school were judged to be satisfactory. There is no regular formal newsletter but numerous communications are sent which inform parents about forthcoming events and communicate the school’s policies effectively. Parents take the opportunity to speak to teachers when delivering or collecting their children. Some approach a governor for help with translation or to mediate contact between home and school. The prospectus and governors’ annual report comply fully with statutory requirements. Since the last inspection, considerable thought has been devoted to improving annual reports on pupils’ progress, which are now satisfactory. They meet statutory requirements and present information about what pupils know, understand and can do in English, mathematics and science. Comments about other subjects are less detailed; some are formulaic.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Individual targets are provided to help focus pupils’ efforts to improve but some suggestions are too general to be useful. Information about levels of attainment require further explanation beyond what is printed in the report; this is offered during discussion with parents.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. The school has surveyed parents to discover their opinions on several matters, such as the amount of homework provided. Fewer parents were dissatisfied in this respect at the time of the inspection than when they were surveyed by the school, two years earlier. Inspection evidence showed the amount of homework provided to be satisfactory and the range of extra-curricular activities good for a school of this type. There is currently no parent teacher association but some parents help in lessons when volunteers are requested, and many accompany pupils on school visits. Consideration could be given to improving communication with the parents who find it difficult to approach the school with problems or concerns. School events such as performances are well supported by parents. A good boost to parental support is provided by the intensive Three-Week Reading Programme which encourages them to hear their children read. Further parental involvement is

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

promised by the Share project in which the school is about to participate.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. The school has good relationships with parents of pupils with special educational needs. Parents know who the special educational needs co-ordinator is and teachers have regular contact with the parents of pupils who have individual education plans to review the targets that have been set. Parents generally afford good support for the school and their children and play a significant part in the progress made by pupils with special educational needs.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The leadership of the school by the headteacher, senior staff and core subject managers is very good. They share a deep commitment to improving standards in the school whilst promoting an Linden Primary School - 19 atmosphere of care and respect. Although a number of the senior staff, including the deputy headteacher, are recent appointments they are already having an impact on standards as can be seen by the work of the present group of pupils in Year 6. The headteacher is enthusiastic and willing to be innovative in her desire to improve the school and this is shared by the senior management team. The pace of change has been very swift in the last year or so and a few members of staff are having to work very hard to cope with this. The headteacher is happy to delegate tasks to subject managers and they are thriving on the responsibility that is being given to them. The excellent relationships that were apparent during the inspection reflect the school's

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

commitment to promoting an ethos that values the contributions of all the pupils and successfully promotes race equality and harmony. The school has robust performance management procedures that are securely linked to priorities in the school improvement plan. Linden Primary School - 20 51. Teamwork is a key feature of the school's approach to working with pupils who have English as an additional language. There is close liaison between the co-ordinator, the deputy headteacher, who is also the special needs co-ordinator, and the subject manager for English. This system works very well in ensuring that individual pupils' needs are quickly and correctly identified, with an accurate distinction between those pupils needing support for improving their English and those who have special educational needs. This area of work is a strength of the school.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The approach to monitoring and developing teaching is very innovative and is having a definite positive impact. The headteacher has developed a system called a Learning Walk in which three or four members of staff, with the headteacher, visit classes throughout the school together. Following the visit the teaching and learning that they have seen is discussed and feedback on how to improve is given to individual teachers who have been observed. Discussions with staff shows that the vast majority appreciate the opportunity that this gives them to observe and discuss teaching in an open manner. It improves their professional skills through discussion with others and enables them to reflect on how they can improve themselves. Some teachers feel that there are sometimes too many adults observing teaching in the classroom but the overall benefits outweigh this concern. Subject co-ordinators also monitor pupils' work and teachers' planning on a regular basis. All this evidence is

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

used to produce a subject managers' action plan, which outlines how their subject will be developed during the year. This is good practice that encourages reflection and continued improvement.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The governing body is supportive and committed to improving the school and governors are enthusiastic about developing their own understanding of their roles. There is a good system of governor visits, although not all governors complete the written evaluation of their visit. The governors are well informed about the standards in the school and the overall performance of the school. They are given comprehensive financial information about the school enabling them to identify areas of spending. The governing body fulfils its responsibilities for pupils on the school’s special educational needs register efficiently and the special educational needs governor is very supportive and meets regularly with the co-ordinator in order to keep the governing body up-to-date about school provision. However the governors are over-reliant on the headteacher and senior staff in deciding the school's priorities for development.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The school improvement plan is a comprehensive document that is supported by the subject managers' action plans. Responsibilities are clearly indicated in the plan and budget allocations are identified. There is an annual evaluation of the previous year’s priorities but this could be more clearly focused if success indicators in the plan were more precise. Because the plan is so comprehensive clearer prioritisation would be beneficial in identifying the most important areas for development. This would clarify links to the performance management system.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The school has worked hard to address the key issues from the last inspection and has made good progress. Attainment in design and technology and information and communication technology has improved well. The subject managers now take a very active role in school development and there are schemes of work available in all subjects. There have been some very good improvements in the use of assessment in English, mathematics and science, although more needs to be done in other subjects. The planning in the school is now good and provides a secure foundation for teaching and learning. The governing body has established satisfactory systems for monitoring the work of the school but is not yet using this information sufficiently to help shape the direction of the school. The quality of reports to parents has improved and the school is still working on making them more accessible.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The school now has very thorough procedures for monitoring the budget. This was a key issue from the last inspection. A very recent financial audit of the school showed that there were only very minor areas for improvement and these have now been addressed. The school makes good use of additional grants to support the raising of achievement through the school. However, over the last few years a substantial carry forward has built up. This is largely due to the fact that the school operated without a deputy for around three years and that younger staff have been recruited as older staff have left. The headteacher and governors need to look at the carry forward and ensure that some of this money is spent effectively to support the learning of pupils at the school. Both the headteacher and Chair of the Finance Committee are aware of the need for this and they have started to reduce the amount accordingly.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Linden Primary School - 21 57. Staffing levels in the school are very good and teachers and support staff are well qualified. There has been a lot of staff mobility in the last two years but new staff have settled in well. There are sound procedures for ensuring that new staff are informed about how the school works and given the necessary support to ensure that they can settle in quickly. Overall the accommodation is satisfactory and meets the demands of the curriculum. The exception to this is the Reception block, which is in a very poor state of repair. It is held up by metal props to support decaying woodwork. There are no internal toilets, which disrupts pupils' learning when children have to go in pairs into the main building. Some of the drainpipes empty directly on to the ground and there is no secure outdoor area, which severely inhibits curriculum provision. The local authority has plans to develop

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

this site but it will not be ready for the next academic year. Resources are used appropriately and the school applies the principles of best value well.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

58. In order to improve the quality of education the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve outdoor provision for the Nursery and Reception children by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• establishing a secure outdoor area; • equipping the outdoor area to ensure adequate provision to develop the six areas of learning; • ensuring that the area is available to children throughout the day.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Improve learning opportunities in music by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring that there is sufficient time allocated within lessons for pupils to access the full range of learning opportunities for the subject to be taught effectively; • ensuring that all teachers teach music to all the pupils in the class at the allocated time.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Improve assessment in the non-core subjects to ensure that the school can easily easily identify when pupils have completed designated areas of study and whether they have achieved standards in line with expectations for their age.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 44, 115, 126, 138, 144,148, 153)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition the school should consider including the following in its action plan:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Identify how some of the carry forward can best be used to effectively promote pupils' learning; (Paragraph 56)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensure that children's progress in the Nursery and Reception classes is assessed according to the six areas of the Early learning goals. (Paragraph 62) Linden Primary School - 22

p.21

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 37

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 30 423

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 45

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 3

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 77

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 375

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 56

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 32

p.22

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Linden Primary School - 23 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Linden Primary School - 24

p.22

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 37 17 54

p.24

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.24

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

Boys 33 33 35 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 15 16

p.24

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

Percentage of pupils School 91 (92) 89 (94) 94 (94) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.24

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

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

Boys 32 35 36 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 16 16

p.24

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

Percentage of pupils School 89 (94) 94 (95) 96 (92) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.24

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

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

p.24

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 41 31 72

p.24

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.24

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

Boys 28 33 36 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 22 22 23

p.24

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

Percentage of pupils School 72 (71) 80 (71) 86 (84) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.24

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

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

Boys 31 32 34 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 24 23 24

p.24

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

Percentage of pupils School 76 (71) 76 (76) 81 (81) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.24

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Linden Primary School - 25

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 4 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 8 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 28 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 3 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 39 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 18.8 Financial year 2001/02

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 925,914

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 14 Total expenditure 783,301

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 347.4 Expenditure per pupil 1,764

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: Nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 77,267

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 142,612

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 30

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 49.6

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 15 Linden Primary School - 26 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 11

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 3

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Linden Primary School - 27

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 54 39 4 0 3

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 59 39 1 0 1

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 47 34 13 2 4

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 48 40 8 2 2

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 47 32 10 5 5

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 67 24 4 1 3

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 37 44 7 6 6

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 46 35 7 7 5

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 47 44 3 1 5

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 30 25 18 11 16 Linden Primary School - 28

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

59. Children are normally admitted into school in the term before they are four years old. Children with Autumn birthdays enter the Reception class in the Autumn term and those with Spring birthdays start in the Spring term. In line with the local education policy, those children born in the summer do not go into a Reception class but go straight from the Nursery to Year 1 in the Autumn term after their fifth birthday. The children's level of attainment when they start the Nursery is below children of similar ages.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

60. The quality of teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception classes) has been maintained since the last inspection. The children with special educational needs are identified early and staff are particularly good at ensuring that all children have full access to the curriculum.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61. Overall, the quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is good so that the children's progress by the time that they reach the end of the Reception classes is good and their attainment is in line with national expectations. Staff plan a varied and interesting programme of activities, which the children participate in enthusiastically. The planning is appropriate and relates to the early learning goals, illustrating the teachers' good knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Staff form good relationships with the children enabling the children to feel secure and happy. Consequently the children are relaxed and learn in a calm environment. The teaching assistants are used well to support children. Parents are welcomed into the classrooms so that the children feel secure and they are able to talk to staff, if they wish.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. Children are assessed on entry to the school and further observations and assessments are made regularly. This is particularly strong in parts of the areas of communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and personal, social and emotional development. The areas of creative development, physical development and knowledge and understanding of the world are less well developed. The reports to parents also only include three of the six areas of learning.

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Personal, social and emotional development

63. Overall, the children progress well in their personal, social and emotional development by the end of the Reception classes. Staff provide good role models for the children by treating them patiently, kindly and with respect. Consequently, the children learn to treat others in the same way. Children are independent enough to go to the toilet accompanied by another child as the toilets are in a different building. The teachers and teaching assistants have very good relationships with the children, creating an atmosphere where the children will comply to acceptable standards of behaviour. Role-play is used well in the Nursery to ensure that the children learn to work together, taking turns and being a member of a group. Children are learning to play well together and take turns which means the children are learning that other people have needs which have to be met as well as their own.

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Personal, social and emotional development

64. The quality of teaching and learning in this area is satisfactory. When children are able to sustain concentration in group times it is because they are interested in the stimulating activities. At times when the group sessions are too long, children become restless and learning is lost. The outside is not used as well as it could be to provide the children with opportunities to develop their independence and initiative as well as balanced and varied learning experiences.

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Personal, social and emotional development

65. The children have a good understanding of the classroom routines and children with special educational needs are effectively included in the activities. Adults are particularly good at developing the children's self-esteem by praising them so that they learn that they are able to achieve. By the time children leave the Reception, many of them are on course to attain the early learning goals in this area. Linden Primary School - 29

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Communication, language and literacy

66. Those children whose first language is not English are being helped to acquire language skills through careful teaching and well-planned language activities. Group times are used well to extend the children's ideas. When interested, they listen intently and are learning to use their 'thinking thumbs' very well if they wish to speak, consequently they are learning good skills of communication. The Foundation Stage children are generally confident and chat to staff and visitors enthusiastically which helps to support their language skills and enables them to express their ideas.

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Communication, language and literacy

67. Children enjoy listening to stories and looking at books. Children take books home every day and some of them are able to read sentences. Children are being encouraged to write their names and some of them are able to do this well.

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Communication, language and literacy

68. Displays are labelled so that the children are being helped to understand that the written word has meaning. Children are beginning to write meaningful sentences for themselves, helped by staff. They have the opportunity to experiment with writing starting in the Nursery, through the use of writing tables.

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Communication, language and literacy

69. The quality of teaching and learning is good in the Foundation Stage in this area of learning. Staff plan the children's learning according to national guidance and they have high expectations of what they expect the children to learn. The management of the children's behaviour is good which means that most of the time the children listen, participate and are able to benefit from the learning on offer.

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Mathematical development

70. By the end of Reception, the children's mathematical learning is good, due to good teaching and consequently the children are attaining the level that would be expected. Good emphasis is placed on using numbers in context; for example the children count the number of children present that day and know that there is one less because a child is absent. Consequently the children are learning about using mathematical language as a meaningful activity.

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Mathematical development

71. They have a growing awareness of mathematical vocabulary and attention is drawn to mathematical language, such as taller and shorter. Children are supported well through focused groups. Focused activities with a teacher or teaching assistant are used effectively to concentrate on specific mathematical teaching points such as addition and subtraction.

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Mathematical development

72. All children have the opportunity to fully participate in activities during the sessions and lessons are organised to provide for different stages of ability. Group times are used appropriately to help the children consolidate their learning and to give them an opportunity to learn from each other. Behaviour is good so the children's time is not wasted and they enjoy their experience of being in school.

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Mathematical development

73. The quality of teaching and learning is good in the area of mathematics. Individual targets are set so that staff and children know what they are aiming to achieve. Suitable methods of teaching mathematics are provided and children's interest is stimulated by involving them in practical activities. The teacher recaps on children's learning well to help them remember what they have done in the sessions.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

74. Good teaching in the Foundation Stage, based on a well-planned range of activities ensures that the children make good progress in this area of learning. The children have access to a range of interesting resources so that they can investigate and explore. Adults use good questioning to encourage the children to think about what is happening. Children were fascinated by the baby brought in and enjoyed comparing their stage of development now with themselves as babies. They explored the toys brought in and compared them to the toys they use now. As a result the children's curiosity was developed and they began to ask questions for themselves. Linden Primary School - 30 75. In the Nursery, particularly, the children have good opportunities to use all their senses to support their learning. The children learn through investigating playdough, bubbles and coloured water, for example.The children have a wide range of construction toys, which are used effectively to initiate

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

their own learning. Nursery children have the opportunity to experience a range of materials that they use purposefully to join, shape and assemble constructions.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

76. The computer is available in the classrooms and the children enjoy using it in independent learning sessions. Reception children are able to use programs to label parts of the body. They are beginning to see it as a tool to help them learn and it is planned well to reinforce previous work. Information and communication technology is used in a variety of ways so that children see it as a normal part of their learning experience. A good lesson using the roamer helped the children to begin to understand how control devices work.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

77. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning in this area is good. Children are helped to experience a range of activities to stimulate their natural curiosity. They cook, grow beans and make puppets, for example.

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Physical development

78. By the end of Reception the children's physical development is at the level that would be expected for their age. Resources could be improved to provide better outside facilities and support children's independent physical activity.

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Physical development

79. The outside play area is used mainly for school playtimes for Reception-aged children. Although this provides some independent physical development, it does not support other areas of the curriculum very well. Good use is made of the inside physical facilities in directed activities. Children work productively both independently and with good adult support to increase their skills. They follow instructions very well and are learning to control of their movements successfully. Consequently children are learning a sense of space and moving with growing confidence.

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Physical development

80. In the Nursery, children use a selection of simple tools and small equipment to develop their fine manipulative skills effectively. The children enjoy creating musical instruments such as 'shakers' using beans and seeds, which helps to develop their physical control. They display accuracy in controlling the computer and handling writing materials.

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Physical development

81. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is good in this area of learning. The children develop skills in using a variety of small 'tools' like the computer mouse or paintbrushes, for example. Overall, they have the opportunity to experience a variety of physical activities using some large equipment like wheeled toys. The children are being taught the foundations of how their bodies work; for example, they are made aware of their heart beat after they have exercised.

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Creative development

82. The children are achieving what would be expected for their age in the area of creative development. Role-play and 'small world' play contribute successfully in helping the children to expand their imagination and express their thoughts. Their role-play depicts their ideas and expressions of interest as they use language creatively. During the inspection, the role-play area was transformed into a garden centre and used effectively to develop the children's creativity.

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Creative development

83. They have the opportunity to create shape and form, for example by making faces from clay. In the Nursery, they created crocodiles from egg boxes using materials such as pasta and paint to give texture and colour to their designs. Displays and plans show that they have the opportunity to paint and draw their own pictures.

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Creative development

84. The quality of teaching is good and children enjoy a wide range of experiences. They are well supported by teaching assistants so that children's individual needs are met. The children are well behaved, enjoy creative activities and have a good attitude to their work. The curriculum is well planned so that the children receive a breadth of creative experiences. Linden Primary School - 31

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ENGLISH

85. The results achieved by pupils in the national tests in Year 6 in 2002 show that pupils attained the national average when compared to all schools nationally but attained above the national average when compared to similar schools. This is an improvement since the previous inspection.

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ENGLISH

86. From work seen during the inspection it is clear that standards in the present Year 2 classes have been maintained at their previous high levels and that those in Year 6 have improved significantly during the past year. Pupils are now attaining above the expected level. This is mainly due to the excellent teaching in the two Year 6 classes by the two teachers appointed in September 2002. The lower test results at the end of Year 6 compared to Year 2 is because many pupils join the school with little or no English in Years 3 to 6. Pupils who attend Linden Primary School from the Reception class to Year 6 attain at least average standards with a significant number attaining the higher level 5. Pupils of all attainment from Year 1 to Year 6 are now achieving well. There is no significant difference in the attainment of boys and girls.

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ENGLISH

87. English is not the first language for most pupils. Many children enter the Nursery with underdeveloped communication skills in English. Teachers and support staff place a high priority on the development of speaking and listening skills. Time is allocated for this important aspect of pupils’ development: for example, during the inspection, Year 2 pupils were encouraged to explain to the whole class why they liked their favourite books and a large group of Year 5 and 6 pupils were observed practising for a drama festival to be held in a local theatre at the end of term. Every pupil produced a high standard of speaking and acting as they enjoyed taking part in the production. Pupils in all age groups are often given the opportunity to report back to their class at the end of lessons and this helps develop speaking skills. Pupils’ listening skills are very good. They listen to teachers’ instructions and to each other very well. Pupils are very attentive in assemblies and take a

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ENGLISH

88. Pupils make very good progress in reading in Years 1 and 2. Many become fluent readers of texts appropriate for their age and they read with good understanding. High attaining pupils in Year 2 read with good expression and talk confidently and knowledgeably about the books they read for pleasure.

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ENGLISH

89. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 continue to make very good progress in their reading. They retell stories in great detail, showing obvious enthusiasm and enjoyment in reading. By Year 6 many pupils read with confidence and those of average and high attainment read complex texts with accuracy. Most pupils show understanding of significant themes, events and characters in a range of texts. Progress in developing skills of finding and summarising information is well developed: for example, Year 6 pupils were using these skills during the inspection to help them plan their projects. Pupils are encouraged to take their reading books home each night to read to their parents and many parents now give good support to their children in this way.

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ENGLISH

90. Pupils of all attainments improve their writing skills very well from Year 1 to the end of Year 2. For example they work in pairs discussing a book of their choice and write a review including their likes and dislikes. Many write fluently, thinking of good endings for their stories; for example, they write a diary based on The Great Fire of London, making excellent choices of the words and phrases and expressing their ideas very well.

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ENGLISH

91. Pupils of all attainments in Years 3 to 6 develop good writing skills as they write for a wide range of purposes. A good example of this was seen in a Year 3 class, who based their work on a study of the book "Cinderboy", to write a diary and a letter. Pupils in Year 6 wrote a letter to express views about whale hunting as well as writing some very interesting autobiographies. Teachers constantly try to extend writing to other areas of the curriculum; the pupils report experiments in science lessons and write accounts of events in their religious education studies. By Year 6, pupils’ writing is often mature in style and expression. Pupils of high and average attainment are adventurous and creative in their choice of phrase while pupils of lower ability are provided with very good support, which helps them improve their written work. Appropriate attention is given to the development of grammar, punctuation and especially spellings which most pupils enjoy learning.

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ENGLISH

Linden Primary School - 32 92. The teaching is good overall. Some very good and excellent teaching was seen in Years 1 and 2. In these lessons the teachers engage the pupils' interest well. A good example of this was seen in a group reading session in Year 1, when the teacher encouraged pupils to predict the ending of the story and engaged in good discussions with them about the relationships between the words and the pictures. Some excellent teaching in Year 2 was characterised by the very high quality of the preparation through the plan for the lesson, reflecting the teacher's excellent subject knowledge. Big Books were used effectively to engage pupils' attention and the lesson was carried through at a brisk pace. Some very good and excellent teaching was also seen in Years 3 to 6, with a high proportion in Years 5 and 6. This is the main reason why standards are rising in this part of the school. In

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ENGLISH

these lessons relationships are often excellent. Pupils are treated maturely by the teachers who respond appropriately. Consequently they are not afraid to ask and answer questions and this helps their learning. Lessons are carried out at a brisk pace and pupils are prepared to work hard from the very start of the lesson. The teachers make very good use of praise to encourage pupils to work hard. The learning environment in these lessons is very good. Where the teaching is less successful the pace of the lesson is slower when teachers take up too much time on areas that are not the main focus of the lesson. Time is also lost in some of the plenary sessions at the end of lessons when pupils take too long to come back together as a class to work with the teacher.

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ENGLISH

93. The school’s initiative in developing the intensive “Three Week Reading Programme,” which involves pupils and parents, is very well supported by the deputy headteacher and other staff and has been very successful in raising standards. A good number of pupils of all ages belong to the local libraries and read an increasingly wide range of fiction and non-fiction books for pleasure.

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ENGLISH

94. The school teaches literacy very effectively. Whole class sessions are often used by the teacher to get pupils to share and develop ideas through well-focused work in pairs. This provides pupils with good opportunities for discussion and pupils are comfortable about learning from one another. The pace of these whole class sessions is good. In the main activities, work is well matched to pupils' abilities and good support is given to those who need it. Higher attaining pupils are presented with work that is challenging and rewarding. There is very little use of worksheets and pupils are often presented with open-ended and thought provoking work. The pupils settle to work quickly and work very hard.

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ENGLISH

95. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported through well-structured individual education plans that detail the learning targets these pupils should achieve. As a result, pupils make good progress. One-to-one support is given where possible and appropriate and it is successfully providing pupils with that extra spur to their learning.

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ENGLISH

96. Pupils with English as an additional language are given very good support. For those pupils who arrive at times other than the start of the school year assessments of their needs are carried out immediately on entry to the school. As a result of this their needs are quickly identified and a specific teaching programme is set out for them. This is the result of very good collaboration between the senior staff responsible. Some individual support is given to pupils outside the classroom but for the majority of the time, support is available in the classroom. Teachers and support staff have a good understanding of the skills needed for teaching these pupils and consequently they make very good progress.

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ENGLISH

97. The curriculum is well planned and organised by the enthusiastic and knowledgeable subject managers who work very well together. Procedures for regular assessment and evaluation are in place. The data gathered provides valuable information on pupils’ progress, which is used to identify pupils who will benefit from additional support. Pupils are now encouraged to use their improving skills in information and communication technology to improve their work. There is good use of computers in classrooms and many excellent pieces of word processing are displayed throughout the school. Resources are good overall but the school has plans to improve the school library in the near future.

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ENGLISH

98. There is a shared commitment to further improvement in the school and it is now in a very good position to go on and improve further. Linden Primary School - 33

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MATHEMATICS

99. The school has made good progress in raising standards in mathematics since the last inspection. The standards attained by the present groups of pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 are above average. This is because the work is well matched to the pupils' abilities and the teaching throughout the school is good. Higher attaining pupils are consistently challenged and pupils with special educational needs receive good support and make good progress. An analysis of assessment information shows that pupils who have been at the school from Year 3 to Year 6 do significantly better than pupils who have arrived in the school more recently. More than 85 per cent of pupils who have been at the school from Year 3 are working at the expected levels or above, compared to around 55 per cent of other pupils. Bearing in mind the high pupil mobility the school is doing well to maintain above average standards. The National Numeracy Strategy is being used very effectively and is having a particularly

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MATHEMATICS

good impact on the pupils' ability to carry out mental calculations. There are no significant variations between the achievement of boys and girls. By the time they leave the school, boys' attainment is slightly above the national average and girls' attainment is in line with the national average. Pupils with English as an additional language make very good progress.

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MATHEMATICS

100. The pupils in Year 1 have good mental mathematics skills and they work confidently adding and subtracting numbers up to 10. They enjoy this part of the lesson and join in enthusiastically. When they are doing written calculations pupils can add numbers up to 20. Higher attaining pupils enjoy using the shop and successfully add three amounts of money up to 20p. They know and are able to use the vocabulary of addition and subtraction with confidence. By the end of Year 2, pupils have a good knowledge of shape. They know about rotational symmetry and can identify right angles. They name shapes like prisms and cylinders correctly and higher attaining pupils know the characteristics of shapes like hexagons and pentagons. They successfully read information from pictograms, for example identifying how many ice-cream cones were sold at a given time. They have good mental skills, though they often support their work in mental maths by using whiteboards. However, this

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MATHEMATICS

enables them to put numbers up to 1000 in the correct order. Pupils with special educational needs have support from the classroom assistant to enable them to fully take part in these activities. Pupils are able to accurately identify odd and even numbers and multiples of 5 and 10. Higher attaining pupils can subtract numbers up to 100, such as 54-11, in their heads. Pupils are confident and happy doing mathematics and they are eager to take part throughout the lessons.

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MATHEMATICS

101. Pupils continue to make good progress in mathematics as they move through the school. In Year 3 they can tell the difference between regular and irregular shapes and they can identify shapes like rectangles and triangles in irregular shapes. They are developing a good mathematical vocabulary, using words like trapezium and irregular in their discussions. In Year 4, pupils further develop their work on shape by exploring different ways of working out the area of four sides shapes. They know about the different types of triangles and use a set square to identify whether angles are obtuse or acute. By the time pupils are in Year 5 they are continuing to develop good mental skills in mathematics. They understand the relationship between multiplication and division and use this successfully to check their answers to various calculations. By the end of Year 6 pupils know how to find the perimeter and area of shapes such as squares, rectangles and triangles. Higher attaining

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MATHEMATICS

pupils can find the area of a right angled triangle by multiplying the length of the base by the height and dividing by 2. They are confident in measuring length and volume and know how to record their answers correctly. Pupils' mental arithmetic skills are very good, reflecting the challenging teaching in this area of mathematics. They can work out 10 per cent of 400 and higher attaining pupils can work out 1 per cent of 400 quickly. Discussion and paired work is often a feature of the mental skills part of the lesson and pupils are very good at sharing information and problem solving during these intense brainstorming sessions. A good example of this was seen when a group of three higher attaining pupils worked out how to find 29 per cent of 400 and developed the correct strategy for working out 47.25 per cent of 400. The pupils' data handling skills are good. They can read information from travel brochures and they improve their problem-solving skills by working out the

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MATHEMATICS

cost of a holiday for a given number of people; comparing the cost at different times of the year and for different hotels. Lower attaining pupils need support to carry out the activity but this is always available and they succeed in the tasks set because of this. The weakness in the pupils' learning is with their understanding of mathematical vocabulary but the teachers are aware of this and take great care to explain new words and ensure that pupils have remembered key words that they have learned Linden Primary School - 34 previously. As a result of this approach pupils with English as an additional language make very good progress.

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MATHEMATICS

102. The teaching is good overall. In Years 5 and 6 it is often very good and sometimes it is excellent. Very good teaching was also seen in other parts of the school. There was no unsatisfactory teaching. In the very good and excellent lessons teaching is carried out at a good pace and activities are challenging for pupils of all abilities. In the mental arithmetic part of the lessons teachers question pupils well, at an appropriate level for the individual. This means that all pupils are included and motivated to pay attention. In written work and when carrying out investigations, activities are set at three different levels in all classes and the activities covered show that the teacher has a good knowledge of the pupils' abilities. However a key feature of the teaching in these lessons is the enthusiasm, energy and good subject knowledge displayed by staff. This affects the pupils who join in with equal enthusiasm and try really hard for the teacher. There is a sense of fun

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MATHEMATICS

and no sense of failure. Pupils are being given an excellent example of mathematics as an enjoyable learning experience. In discussion with pupils it was noted as one of their three favourite subjects. In less successful lessons the pace of the lesson is slower and this is often because some pupils talk too much or interrupt and the teacher is slow in stopping this. In the few lessons that this happens it is very noticeable because the classroom control of the vast majority of teachers is very good. Teachers use the plenary sessions at the end of lessons effectively but this is an area that could be improved. Opportunities are sometimes missed to further challenge pupils' thinking in these sessions. They are often used to reinforce the main objectives of the lesson and they are successful in this. However, teachers do not often plan key questions that are designed to extend pupils' learning. A very good example of teachers using time well was seen in a Year 3 class when

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MATHEMATICS

the pupils were purposefully employed in a mathematical activity during registration at the beginning of the day. This meant that the pupils settled quickly as well as giving them extra time to practise their mathematical skills.

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MATHEMATICS

103. The two subject managers work very well together. They have both attended 5-day training courses for subject leaders and are very knowledgeable about the subject and standards in the school. They have identified area for improvement as a result of their evaluation of standards in the school and as a result have held staff training sessions to improve standards in data handling and the transition from mental to written work. They both monitor teachers' planning and regularly look at the quality of pupils' work. Following this, feedback is given to the whole staff about strengths and weaknesses in mathematics. Both managers have had the opportunity to look at teaching in the subject through the ‘learning walk’ approach and have found this very useful for developing their own professional expertise as well as gaining a good knowledge of how mathematics is taught in the school. The two managers have a very clear idea of what needs improving in the school and inspection evidence

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MATHEMATICS

shows that they are having a good impact on standards. The school is now in an excellent position to make further progress.

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SCIENCE

104. Inspection evidence indicates that, compared with both schools nationally and similar schools, current standards in science are average by the end of Year 2 and by the end of Year 6. All pupils in Years 1 and 2, including a high proportion for whom English is an additional language and those with special educational needs, achieve well compared with their prior attainment and in Years 3 to 6 they achieve satisfactorily. The high mobility factor experienced throughout the school also affects these standards; for example, there has been 23% mobility in Year 6 this year. Almost half the pupils in the Year 6 classes have joined the school since Year 2. Nevertheless, standards in science have been maintained at the level seen during the last inspection.

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SCIENCE

105. Pupils’ workbooks in Year 2 indicate that they have a good understanding of electrical circuits, healthy foods and changes of state. They can explain why a bulb will not light in a circuit and indicate where the connection should be made and know about the dangers associated with electricity. They have looked at special foods for babies and special occasions and have heated chocolate and water. During the inspection week, pupils were learning about habitats. A good link was made with ICT by showing a video clip of the previous week’s visit to the nature area. This stimulated their memories and was a good start to the lesson. Pupils understand terms such as Linden Primary School - 35 ‘hibernation’ and can give reasons to explain why the same animals may not be seen each time they visit the nature area. They make good progress in developing their skills of scientific enquiry. In the lesson seen, pupils used a selection of books to discover the life cycles of a number of creatures.

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SCIENCE

106. They executed the cutting of the card circles carefully and drew and annotated the stages of the life cycles neatly on them. Pupils record their work using a variety of different writing styles including lists, notes, instructions and simple reports. Few worksheets are used so literacy skills are

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SCIENCE

developed well in science as is the pupils’ ability to lay out work neatly. Good links are also made with mathematics and ICT as, for example, when pupils record the favourite foods of the class as computer-generated block graphs.

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SCIENCE

107. Pupils in Year 6 carry out a range of investigations about thermal insulation. They draw on prior knowledge to predict which material will keep a liquid coolest. They set up experiments using principles of fair testing, record appropriate data in tables and use it to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of their work. They benefit from the use of ‘Log IT’ sensor devices. They learn about materials and their properties and describe the different properties of solids, liquids and gases. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding, and the skills of scientific enquiry seen in their work, meet national expectations. Pupils have a good understanding of ‘fair testing’ and use subject specific vocabulary with understanding. They used words such as ‘factor’, ‘control’ and ‘conditions’, for example, with confidence. They write explanations linking cause and effect and draw simple conclusions from their work. Their literacy skills are applied well in writing reports and explanations

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SCIENCE

of their investigations. There are also links with their learning in numeracy, particularly in the use of line graphs to display data. Pupils in Year 4 learn more about the body and that bones move because the muscles contract. In Year 3 they learn what a plant needs to keep it healthy. Throughout Years 3 to 6, pupils regularly import digital photographs into their work and use the computer to produce block and line graphs.

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SCIENCE

108. Teaching of science is good throughout the school, very good in Year 5 and outstanding in Year 6. Teachers’ planning and the work in pupils’ books indicate that teachers have a good understanding of the subject and plan lessons well to develop knowledge, understanding and skills. All pupils in a class cover the same work but activities and methods of recording are sufficiently open-ended to allow them to achieve at levels according to their abilities. However, there are few opportunities for higher attaining pupils to extend their learning beyond the common task and this is a weakness. Teachers use questioning effectively to draw out and develop pupils’ understanding. Pupils were eager to discuss their work and took care to produce labelled drawings of a good quality in response to the teacher’s high expectations. They worked well together and supported each other when working in pairs or groups.

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SCIENCE

109. The subject is well led and managed. The subject manager has a good understanding of the subject’s requirements and a clear vision for its development. A well-organised portfolio of pupils’ assessed work in science has been collected and gives a good indication of the range of work undertaken. It is especially helpful for teachers new to the school and to newly qualified teachers. Planning is based on the latest national guidance. Key learning objectives are identified for each year group and pupils’ attainment is assessed at the end of each unit of work. The manager monitors work in the subject by examining teachers’ planning and pupils’ work to ensure appropriate progression of skills and understanding. There are good learning resources which have been improved further since the co-ordinator reviewed them at the beginning of the year. The school has a conservation area that is used effectively to develop pupils’ understanding of living things, habitats

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SCIENCE

and environment. Visits to the Space Centre and Beau Manor enrich pupils’ experiences of science.

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SCIENCE

110. Inspection evidence indicates that the high quality of teaching now in place in Years 5 and 6 has improved standards this year and should have an even greater impact on test results next year. Overall, the school has made satisfactory improvement since the time of the last inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

Linden Primary School - 36 111. Standards of attainment are above national expectations at the end of Year 2 and 6, and pupils make good progress throughout the school. This is an improvement since the last inspection when standards were average and progress satisfactory. The improvements have come about because the school has continued to value the subject and its contribution to pupils’ learning; a new scheme of work has been introduced, and support and training for staff has given them the confidence and skills to teach the subject well. Very good quality artwork on display, in all parts of the school, reflects the importance attached to the subject, serving to inspire pupils to even greater efforts. Work by famous artists is displayed around the school, providing pupils with exemplars that will further serve to inspire their efforts, and contributes to a rich learning environment. Pupils of all

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ART AND DESIGN

abilities, including those with special educational needs, or English as an additional language, achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. The subject promotes pupils’ spiritual, cultural and personal development very well. Work in art and design is a strength of the school.

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ART AND DESIGN

112. By the end of Year 2 pupils study different textures and use colour and monochrome well for effect. Photographic evidence indicates pupils use a variety of media to print with. Their string prints, press prints and monoprints reflect pupils’ ability to use the skills and techniques of printing very well. Work with chalks and charcoal demonstrates pupils’ increasing awareness of how to use these in still life studies to vary depth, shade and tone. Pupils have opportunities to study the work of famous artists such as Kandinsky and create abstract paintings in his style by closely observing an example of his work. Pupils used ‘an explosion of colour’ on palettes to produce imaginative interpretations of a typical Kandinsky. The completed paintings reflect good observational skills, an ability to mix colours well and a flair in using colour for effect.

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ART AND DESIGN

113. Pupils in Year 5 have painted wallpaper designs in the style of William Morris. The finished results are stunning because colours have been skilfully mixed; there is an attention to detail that faithfully reflects the originals, and pupils have demonstrated a high degree of skill and care when using paintbrushes. By the end of Year 6 pupils have very well developed skills in painting, drawing and printing using a variety of media. Pupils’ work in drawing demonstrates they are using the language of art well. For example, they have made lists of words used to describe lines, such as, ‘bold’, ‘flowing’, ‘sweeping’, and’ straight’. Teachers explore good links with other subjects when pupils use computers to design and print labels for art displays, ensuring that they write in sentences, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

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ART AND DESIGN

114. Four lessons were observed during the inspection, and the quality of teaching was good in two, and very good in the others. This is an improvement since the last inspection when teaching was sound. In a very good lesson on paper sculpting, pupils in Year 2 represented ‘The Great Fire of London’. They worked with partners to discuss the events leading up to the fire. Good links were made with English as pupils used adjectives, such as, ‘roaring’, ‘fierce’ and ‘flickering’ to describe the flames and fire. The teacher used work from history and read a pupil’s diary account of the aftermath of the fire, written in the style of Samuel Pepys. The teacher made very good use of information and communications technology by projecting a computer video clip of the fire’s location, accompanied by the sound of roaring flames. Pupils were taught paper sculpting skills, such as, ‘twisting’, ‘curling’ and ‘crumpling’. Higher attaining pupils used these skills very well, and their learning was

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ART AND DESIGN

extended, as adult support was deployed very well to teach them additional skills as the lesson progressed. This was a very good lesson because the teacher used links with other curriculum areas and taught the vocabulary, and skills of paper sculpting, very well. Pupils’ very positive attitudes and behaviour contributed to the very good rate of progress in learning in this lesson.

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ART AND DESIGN

115. The subject is well led and managed by an experienced subject manager who has monitored the subject well by visiting all the classrooms and giving feedback to staff on how to improve the quality of teaching and learning. The subject is well-resourced and materials are readily available and stored systematically in a dedicated stock cupboard. Assessment in art is unsatisfactory as there is no system for recording pupils’ progress and attainment, and it does not guide daily curricular planning. A scheme of work has been introduced that ensures key skills are taught progressively, and pupils have opportunities to experience working with a variety of media and techniques. The activities are organised so that the whole school is often focusing on developing skills in a specific area during the same part of the term. This enables staff to share resources and information, and the co-ordinator to

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ART AND DESIGN

Linden Primary School - 37 target training effectively. This has a positive effect on the quality of teaching and the standards of work achieved. At the time of the inspection a number of year groups were working on paper sculpting. A Year 3 teacher used work produced by pupils in Year 2 as an exemplar in order to highlight the skills used, and to act as a benchmark on which pupils in Year 3 can develop.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

116. Design and technology is organised into blocks of work in the school. Therefore there were not many lessons being taught during the inspection. Judgements are based on analysis of work, displays and talking to staff and pupils. One lesson was seen during the inspection and a discussion was undertaken with the co-ordinator. Planning was scrutinised. A range of work, which meets the requirements of national guidelines, is in evidence. Overall, pupils make steady progress throughout the school in the development of a range of knowledge and skills. Since the last inspection improvement has been good so that the level of attainment the pupils achieve is satisfactory.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

117. By the age of seven the balance between designing and making is good and pupils are given opportunities to use a selection of materials to design, make, evaluate and modify their designs and models. The children achieve well and make satisfactory progress. They make interesting pieces of work such as models of swings and slides from commercially produced plastic construction materials, for example. This enables all children to successfully create designs. The children in Year 2 have made models of cars to help them realise that materials can be joined together in a variety of ways. An effective feature of the work in this subject is the children's ability to evaluate their own work. This is particularly good in allowing the more able children to develop their ideas and think how they can improve their designs.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

118. By the age of eleven the pupils are aware of the properties of some materials and how they can be used in designs. The use of 'thinking skills' is a strong feature of the school and pupils work together to problem-solve. They are adept at modifying their designs and discussing their ideas with others in groups. During the inspection the pupils in Year 6 enjoyed investigating types of paper and discussing its use. They were well supported by the adults and pupils with special educational needs were helped to succeed in the task. Higher attaining pupils are given opportunities to generate imaginative ideas and they are very used to deciding how their work could be improved. A project to create shelters produced interesting discussions and creative ideas.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

119. A judgement on the quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2 can not be made because no lessons were seen during the inspection but the work produced would indicate that teaching is at least satisfactory. One lesson was seen in Year 6 and the standard of work produced by the children throughout the school indicates that the quality of teaching is at least satisfactory in Years 3 to 6. Pupils receive an adequate breadth and balance in the curriculum, however, the range of opportunities is still being improved. This will ensure that the teaching incorporates a wider range of tools for the children to use to broaden their experience and skills. Good emphasis is placed on independent thinking and creating imaginative ways of working. Teachers provide challenging, interesting lessons, which motivate the pupils to learn. Resources are well organised and the lesson seen was conducted at a good pace so pupils learnt, concentrated and their interest was held.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Consequently their behaviour was very good.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

120. The leadership and management in this subject is sound. A clear policy for the subject is in place. National guidelines provide the framework for work throughout the school and ensure a degree of progression in the development of knowledge and skills across the school. The subject manager is aware of improvements that need to be made. He has started monitoring the teaching through classroom observations in line with the school's procedures. He has not yet had the opportunity to provide training for colleagues, although he monitors planning and all staff are encouraged to look at pupils' work. Resources for this subject are adequate and computers are used to enhance the subject.

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GEOGRAPHY

Linden Primary School - 38 121. Geography was only observed in Years 3 to 6. For Years 1 and 2 there is evidence from teachers’ planning, pupils’ completed work, co-ordinator monitoring and discussions with staff. Evidence of completed work indicates that attainment at the end of Year 2 is in line with national expectations. Attainment by the end of Year 6 is good. There is insufficient evidence to make a judgement on progress during from Year 1 to Year 2. In Years 3 to 6 , progress is at least satisfactory, with some very good progress evident in Years 5 and 6. This very good progress has yet to impact fully on standards of attainment.

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GEOGRAPHY

122. Pupils in Year 1 develop their understanding of the local environment through studies of the area surrounding the school and can confidently draw maps of their routes to and from school. In Year 2, they increase their understanding of other localities through a study of a seaside location and of a fictional Scottish island. Analysis of their work shows that they have identified the similarities and differences between their life and that on the island. They have considered the impact on the island of a growth in tourism, such as the need for additional hotels or a lighthouse, and have compared transport on the island with transport in Leicester. At the end of Year 2, lower ability pupils are aware of some of the differences between island and urban life. Higher attaining pupils have a deeper understanding of contrasting characteristics of different environments and can explain, for example,

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GEOGRAPHY

123. In Years 3 and 4, pupils extend their study to consider aspects such as settlements, weather symbols and holiday destinations around the world. They investigate their local area in greater detail, locating on sketch maps the position of public amenities such as churches, post boxes and health surgeries. A study of a small Indian village provides opportunities for them to make comparisons with life in Evington. By the end of Year 2, pupils are confident in their use of atlases and globes to locate places around the world. The pupils respond to geographic questions and know where to find information such as the climate or population of a country or the location of a river. Higher attaining pupils pose relevant geographical questions to research an issue and can use their knowledge to study different parts of the world. A good example of this was seen when pupils successfully researched information about the location, the climate, and the terrain in their study on Greece. They

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GEOGRAPHY

investigated countries bordering on Greece and identified very high temperatures and heavily polluted seas and lakes.

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GEOGRAPHY

124. The overall quality of teaching is good, with very good teaching in Year 6. This is an improvement since the last inspection, when teaching was satisfactory and often good. In the best lessons, teachers’ enthusiasm generates excitement and involvement in the subject and pupils are challenged to work at a fast pace. The strong subject knowledge of some teachers enables them to develop pupils’ learning through the use of extended questioning. Pupils work well together in groups and this increases the rate of learning. In a Year 6 class, for example, pupils worked in teams of six to create a visual ‘map’ of Greece, in words and pictures. The combined result included a range of aspects and pupils learned from each other as well as from the teacher and from secondary sources. Where teaching is less effective, it is usually because behaviour management strategies are under- employed, as a result of which the lesson lacks pace and the pupils’ rate of learning is slower.

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GEOGRAPHY

125. Good links are made with other areas of the curriculum, which reinforce pupils’ learning in a variety of ways. Year 2 pupils were developing their skills in art by developing a pictorial representation of the Fire of London. In Year 4, pupils shared their research of Chembakolli, a small village in India, through a PowerPoint presentation, and in Year 6 pupils made confident use of the internet to research information about Ancient Greece. Links with other areas of the curriculum include the use of block graphs for traffic surveys in Year 4 and 3-dimensional models of possible environmental developments on the fictitious Scottish island in Year 2. Good use is also made of co-operative and collaborative learning, effectively supporting the language development of those pupils for whom English is a second language.

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GEOGRAPHY

126. The recently appointed subject manager has made a satisfactory start to raising the status of, and standards in, Geography. A policy for the subject is in place. The scheme of work, which ensures that the curriculum is fully covered, is under review and has been recently adjusted to include an additional unit of work in Year 6. The role of the manager has improved since the last inspection. There is good evidence that monitoring of teachers’ planning and of pupil outcomes is conducted regularly. There is little evidence of the recording of pupil progress in Geography, nor of assessments Linden Primary School - 39 of pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Geography related to National Curriculum expectations. The manager has recognised a need to develop a deeper personal understanding of the subject. Further resources, particularly linked with ICT and other technologies, would improve the development of work within the subject. These elements are included in the subject action plan.

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HISTORY

127. Standards of attainment in history are satisfactory at the end of Year 2 and good by the end of Year 6. This is an improvement since the last inspection report, when standards were satisfactory at the end of Year 6. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 and very good progress during their final two years at the school. Linden Primary School - 40 128. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 talk about the past, and about changes in clothes and toys since the days when their grandparents were children. They are beginning to understand the contribution made to modern life by famous people, for example the impact of Florence Nightingale on nursing and medicine. In their work on ‘The Great Fire of London’., pupils in Year 2 understand that houses burned easily because they were made of wood. They can explain about King Charles and the reasons for his determination that houses should be pulled down to help to stop the spread of the

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HISTORY

fire. They bring their knowledge from other learning, such as the Plague, into their discussions and understand how things change over time. They know that information can be found from a variety of sources, such as artefacts and books, to find out about the past.

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HISTORY

129. In Years 3 to 6, pupils discuss their understanding of the differences between Victorian times and modern day, with particular reference to clothes, hygiene, employment and housing. They can talk about the discoveries of Francis Drake and Columbus and understand some of the reasons for invaders wishing to settle in this country. In a lesson on the Vikings, pupils studied pictures of artefacts, such as a Viking helmet. From their study, they were able to infer that people in Viking times could work with metal and were warriors. Pupils are developing their abilities to enquire about the past and are gaining a deeper understanding of chronology. By the end of Year 6 most pupils know about events that happened during World War 2. They understand some of the feelings of children who were evacuated for their own safety and are aware that some men may not have returned from the fighting. Higher attaining pupils debate both current and historical events, such as

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HISTORY

the war in Iraq and the effects of World War 2 on the lives of ordinary people. They also show a sound awareness of religious differences, such as those between the Catholics and Protestants in Tudor times.

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HISTORY

130. Teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good, and sometimes very good. In the best lessons, teachers use their extensive knowledge of the subject to develop pupil discussion through expert questioning and pupils are eager to listen and respond. Teachers use both primary sources of evidence, such as questionnaires completed by grandparents, and secondary sources, including extracts from Samuel Pepys’ diary, to stimulate pupils’ learning. In Years 3 and 4, teaching is satisfactory, although less effective class control limits the pace of teaching and learning. The pace of teaching and learning in Years 5 and 6 is very good, and pupils respond to the enthusiasm of their teachers with increased efforts in their work. The most effective lessons include collaborative work and historical research and debate. Pupils with special needs are integrated well into group activities with sensitive use of classroom support staff. The school arranges a variety of visits to local museums and other places of

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HISTORY

historical interest, accompanied by parents, and pupils talk animatedly about what they have learned from the visits. Pupils enjoy the subject, talking with confidence and in detail about what they have learned about history.

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HISTORY

131. In some classes, teachers use questioning as a basis for informal assessment, but assessment opportunities are not usually identified in planning and the use of assessment in the subject is under developed. Similarly, recording of pupil attainment against National Curriculum expectations needs further development.

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HISTORY

132. Teachers’ use of technology in history contributes to the enthusiasm of pupils. In Year 2, pupils have made a digital video of their school museum and Year 5 pupils made a PowerPoint presentation of their visit to Abbey Pumping Station, linked to their Victorians topic. Pupils are confident in their use of the internet, for instance when researching information on Ancient Greece. Links are made with English, when pupils describe the events of the Fire of London, and art when they make pictorial representations of London at the time of the fire. Collaborative learning provides good opportunities for pupils who are learning English as a second language to extend their vocabulary and use of English through their work in history.

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HISTORY

133. The leadership of history is good and has improved since the last inspection. As a result of the knowledge and enthusiasm of the subject manager, the subject has a high profile in the school. Monitoring of teachers’ planning and pupils' work shows that the scheme of work is contributing effectively to developing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of history. The priorities identified for development indicate a good understanding of the current position, combined with a clear vision for the direction of history in the school. Planned improvements include an increase in resources, in line Linden Primary School - 41 with changes to the scheme of work, and an increase in the number of visits to places of historical interest.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

134. Standards by the end of Year 2 are average and most pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, are achieving satisfactorily. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection. Standards in Year 6 have improved since the last inspection and they are now also average. All pupils are achieving satisfactorily, building upon their prior knowledge. Throughout the school, information and communication technology is used well to support other subjects across the curriculum. The computer suite is timetabled to ensure equitable use across the school. Class-based computers are very well used to support English and mathematics during morning sessions but less effectively used during the afternoon.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

135. In Year 2, pupils create pictures such as firework scenes using a ‘paint’ program. They choose and paint with different colours, using appropriate brush sizes and styles. Pupils enter instructions to control a Roamer , a programmable floor device. They visit web sites and use CD Roms to find information and make good use of digital photographs to enhance work in other subjects. They have filmed a video to record the making of their museum in history. Much work in Literacy is word- processed. In Year 3, pupils learn to alter text by changing the font, the font size and colour and in Year 4 they learn how to re-arrange material by cutting and pasting.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

136. In Year 6, pupils use word processing to support their work, record data to support work in science and use digital cameras to record models made in design and technology. They can compile multi- media presentations and download information and pictures from the web. Good use is made of ‘Log IT’ sensors to support work in science requiring accurate measurements.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

137. The quality of teaching is good overall and some very good teaching was seen. This is an improvement since the last inspection when lack of teacher confidence and expertise resulted in unsatisfactory lessons with work pitched at too low a level. Teachers’ subject knowledge is now good and lessons are well planned and executed and proceed at a good pace. The confidence of staff is now good and they demonstrate techniques well, as in a Year 2 lesson when the class teacher and classroom assistant captured the attention of the class by going through a pre-arranged routine with the Roamer . Good questioning is used to recap on previous learning and praise is used well to encourage pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

138. The recently appointed subject manager has good subject knowledge and knows the direction in which she wants the subject to develop. She has identified areas for future development, the first of which is work with animation. Her appointment has coincided with a high expenditure on new hardware, peripherals and software and the new mini computer suite adjacent to Year 1 and 2 classes is shortly to come into use. The overall affect has been to move the subject forward very well during this school year. The manager has enabled teachers to improve their subject expertise and self-confidence. This has impacted on pupils’ attitude toward the subject and pupils are very enthusiastic. This is reflected in the number of Year 6 pupils who work in the suite before school each day. Supervised by a learning support assistant, they work on individual projects and many were producing PowerPoint slide presentations. A portfolio of work to illustrate the systematic

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

development of the subject from Nursery to Year 6 has been collected. This provides a good resource for class teachers as it is annotated and provides information about the skills and programs used for each item. It will be even more useful when the work has been assessed and graded.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

139. There has been significant improvement in the subject since the time of the last inspection, when there were serious concerns about subject provision. The recent high profile of information and communication technology has already impacted on standards. Inspection evidence indicates that the school is now in a very good position to raise standards further.

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MUSIC

Linden Primary School - 42 140. Evidence is drawn from the observation of some very short lessons, two singing practices, a discussion with the subject manager, talking to Year 6 pupils, and by looking at pupils’ work in books, on displays, or in the school portfolios. It is not possible to make a judgement about standards of attainment because most classes cover music in ten-minute sessions at the end of each morning and there is insufficient time to judge what pupils can do. This also affects curriculum continuity and progression because the teaching of music is fragmented. As a result, pupils’ musical skills in some classes are underdeveloped because there is insufficient time to cover the full range of musical activities, in depth. For example, in a Year 5 class the music lesson did not take place one morning because the numeracy lesson overran, and in a Year 1 class the lesson started late and did not include all the pupils as they were finishing off another activity. Therefore, some

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MUSIC

pupils are not making as much progress as they should because learning opportunities are limited. Pupils with special educational needs, and those with English as an additional language, make progress at a similar rate to their classmates, based on their prior attainment.

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MUSIC

141. By the end of Year 2 pupils listen to extracts of music and respond to the mood of the music through movement. They are beginning to explore, select and structure sounds, using these in simple compositions where they represent high, middle and low sounds on three lines. Pupils are developing a sense of pulse and tempo through performing simple actions to accompany songs and they play simple repeated patterns on instruments as an accompaniment to songs. For example, in a good Year 2 lesson, pupils split into two groups to sing ‘London’s Burning’ as a round. They maintained their singing parts well, and successfully added percussion accompaniment. Those playing percussion instruments were split into two groups led by higher attaining pupils, who clapped a rhythm for their group to follow. Each group maintained their part well. This ensured the class met the intended learning outcomes of singing a round, with percussion accompaniment. The lesson

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MUSIC

ended with pupils carrying out an evaluation of their work where they talked about what worked well, and what could be improved next time. In this lesson, taught over three days, pupils’ work was in line with national expectations because the teacher planned activities well, she successfully built upon prior learning, and pupils’ positive attitudes and behaviour contributed to good progress in learning.

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MUSIC

142. By the end of Year 6 pupils listen to music and talk about their feelings and emotions, representing these in words and pictures. For example, they have listened to ‘California Dreaming’ and described how the music made them feel. Pupils’ writing about this song demonstrates their ability to interpret the music well, with many of them stating the music made them feel sad because they thought it was about the end of a friendship. Pupils have listened to instruments of the orchestra and are able to place them in families, percussion or woodwind, for example. They have started to write music on a staff, identifying crotchets, minims and quavers. There is limited evidence of pupils developing compositional skills, except in Year 3 where pupils received specialist teaching from an outside provider, and time was blocked into longer sessions. Pupils used computer software to help them create, and record their compositions onto a disc. The finished compositions demonstrated the good

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MUSIC

progress pupils had made because of the specialist teaching, their well-developed computer skills and the extended time that was devoted to the work. Overall, information and communication technology is used insufficiently in the teaching of music, especially in composition.

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MUSIC

143. It is not possible to comment on the quality of teaching, overall, as most of the lessons were too short to judge. However, some lessons were observed where the quality of teaching had excellent features, and where pupils’ progress would have matched the teaching if their starting point had been higher. In Year 6, for example, pupils were expected to play tuned and untuned instruments with control and rhythmic accuracy, and to sing in unison with clear diction and control of pitch. Most pupils could explain the difference between tuned and untuned percussion instruments, and some were aware of differences in pitch between instruments, using appropriate vocabulary to describe this. Pupils were introduced to ‘The Telephone Song’ which they sang well and with good diction. They were put into groups to create an accompaniment for the song, each having a higher attaining pupil leading the activities. Only one group was successful, because in the other groups some

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MUSIC

pupils preferred to work independently, exploring the sound the instrument made, rather than creating a group accompaniment. Many pupils were unfamiliar with this kind of task, or lacked the skill to undertake it effectively, and therefore the outcomes were less successful than they could have been. The quality of teaching had included excellent features over the three daily sessions, but the pupils’ Linden Primary School - 43 below average prior attainment, in this aspect of music making, limited the amount of progress they made during the lesson.

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MUSIC

144. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The subject manager has spoken to pupils about their work in music, but has not had an opportunity to monitor the quality of teaching, and this aspect of subject management is underdeveloped. There are good links with other subjects, especially design technology where pupils have made instruments and evaluated the results. There is no formal system for recording pupils’ attainment and progress in music and this is unsatisfactory. Resources for music are good, and they are well used to support pupils’ learning. Pupils have opportunities to take part in school celebrations, and festivals throughout the year, and these are contributing well to their skills in performance. A number of pupils benefit from the lessons provided by peripatetic musicians, in violin or tabla, for example, and pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 particularly enjoy the ‘African Drumming Club’ as an extra-curricular activity. There has been little progress in

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MUSIC

most aspects of music since the last inspection. The provision for music, in ten minute lessons, limits pupil progress and attainment. The subject manager is not responsible for these time allocations. The subject is making a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual development, and a satisfactory contribution to their social and cultural development.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

145. During the inspection it was possible to see only a small number of lessons in gymnastics and games. Discussion with staff and pupils shows that all the aspects of the National Curriculum are covered. By the age of seven standards are in line with national expectations in gymnastics. By the time they leave the school, the pupils attain standards in games that are expected of eleven-year- olds. In these areas pupils make satisfactory progress and the standards achieved at the time of the last inspection have been maintained.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

146. In Year 1, pupils can talk about the work of others and are beginning to make judgements about what they have seen. They are developing acceptable co-ordination skills through their work with bats and balls. By the end of Year 2 pupils have satisfactory levels of co-ordination and their balancing skills are good. They understand the importance of warming up and they move around the hall making good use of the available space. They are starting to put together short sequences of movements but these are all on one level and there is no linking activity. As they move through the school pupils continue to develop good use and awareness of space. This means that they can perform vigorous activities in a fairly limited space without getting in each other's way. They co-operate well together and their co-ordination continues to improve. This was seen in lesson in Year 4 where the large majority of pupils could throw and catch using one hand. By the time pupils leave the school at

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

eleven, they have developed sound games skills. They can throw and pass a large ball using both hand, practising the skills necessary for games such as basketball. The pupils understand the need for a warm up and they are aware of the importance of co-operation in team play.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

147. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall, with some good teaching. The teachers plan their lessons well, although in some lessons there are not enough challenging activities. Where teaching is good activities are vigorous and varied, allowing the pupils' enthusiasm for the subject to be used positively. Teachers are very aware of safety during lessons and they have good control of the pupils and as a result behaviour is good. A feature of all the lessons seen was the willingness of the teacher to demonstrate activities and participate in lessons. This successfully encourages pupils to try hard and they enjoy the fact that the teacher, and often learning support assistant, are joining in with them.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

148. The subject manager works part-time at the school and has been in post for around three months. She has already started to have a good impact on teaching and learning. She has been able to monitor some of the teaching, particularly of the younger staff. She also works with some of the teachers in lessons to share her expertise and help them to develop theirs. In the one lesson observed where this happened the two teachers worked extremely well together and the pupils benefited from their shared expertise. This is a very good model for improving teaching and standards in the school. The manager is in the process of suggesting modifications to the existing Linden Primary School - 44 scheme of work in order to improve provision for the pupils. Pupils go to two local pools for swimming lessons but there are no records of their achievement in this area.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

149. Religious education is taught in accordance with the locally agreed syllabus though the school is waiting for the new edition to be published. By the age of eleven pupils attain standards that are above those expected in the syllabus. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. This is achieved because pupils have a good range of opportunities to visit places of worship used by people of faiths other than their own. The teachers are knowledgeable about the subject, promoting a strong interest in the faiths and traditions of others and the school is alert to the opportunities to learn from experts in their own faith and to use the skills available to increase the knowledge of pupils. The pupils’ personal knowledge and understanding of their own religious customs and traditions is shared sensitively with others in lessons.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

150. During the inspection pupils in Year 2 were discussing what it is like to be a Sikh and the influence of music in the Sikh faith. One pupil had brought her own book about Sikh music. She was able to tell the whole class about the instruments and how they were used in worship. The pupils compared Sikh music with that used in Christian churches. The pupils were very excited and interested in the performance when two Year 6 pupils played their own Sikh musical instruments and explained to the class how they had learned to play them and how they were used in worship.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

151. Year 3 pupils were observed discussing their recent visit to a local mosque. As they sat in a circle on the carpet, every pupil was given the opportunity to say what they remembered about the visit. This helped to improve their speaking and listening skills as well as showing just how much they had remembered about the Muslim faith. It was very interesting to hear in discussion with Year 6 pupils that they all liked religious education lessons because they learned about each other's religions and, they said, it helped them to “get on better” with one another. This is a strength of the school. The school celebrates the festivals of all religions represented. Pupils say they enjoy these activities and learn a great deal from them.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

152. Teaching is good. Lessons are well planned. Teachers are careful to avoid dogma and give respect to artefacts and beliefs, even when not from their own personal faith. They use pupils’ first hand experience of different faiths very well to make cross-faith links, for instance between Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Judaism amd Christianity, their sacred texts and prophets. Teachers maintain a good pace in lessons and have high expectations that lessons will contribute to pupils’ personal as well as academic development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

153. The subject manager had only been responsible for the subject for three weeks before the inspection but the previous manager was handing over very smoothly and giving very good support. Steps have been taken to ensure that all pupils, including those pupils with special educational needs and those who are learning English as an additional language are taught all of the agreed areas of the syllabus. Assessment opportunities are in the very early stages of development. Resources have been improved, are carefully labelled and readily available. There is also a supply of books on the various religions available for use by staff and pupils. Religious education makes a strong and important contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and to the school’s excellent ethos.

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