Bushmead Primary School

Bushmead Primary School

Dates of inspection: 20 th - 23 rd January 2003

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Bushmead 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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Bushmead 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. Bushmead Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Bushmead Road Eaton Socon St Neot's

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: Not Applicable Bushmead Primary School - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

22424 Kathryn Taylor Registered inspector History Art and design Standards How well are pupils taught Educational inclusion 31754 Charlotte Roberson Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils. How well does the school work in partnership with parents. Pupils’ attitudes and values. 319 75 Kay Andrews Team Inspector Science Religious education The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3574 Peter Clarke Team inspector The provision for pupils with special educational needs Mathematics Design and technology 20932 Tim Boyce Team inspector Geography Physical education How well is the school led and managed? 20003 Susan Metcalfe Team inspector The provision for pupils in the Foundation Stage of Learning Information and communication technology How good are curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

23977 Anna Smith Team inspector The provision for pupils who learn English as an additional language English Music

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Evenlode Associates Ltd 6 Abbey Close, Alcester Warwickshire B49 5QW.

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Bushmead Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 27

Bushmead Primary School - 6 Bushmead Primary School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Bushmead Primary School is a new school that was formed just over two years ago following the amalgamation of the infant and junior schools. The school is bigger than most primary schools and has 329 boys and girls aged between 4 and 11. Pupils are currently arranged into 12 classes. The school does not have its own nursery; the children join the Reception classes in the September following their fourth birthday. The children’s overall attainment when they start school is well below that usually found. The vast majority of pupils at the school are white and a very small number of pupils are drawn from ethnic minority backgrounds. Six pupils speak English as an additional language. Their first languages are Portuguese, Bengali and Russian. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is in line with the average. A proportion of pupils in line with the national average are identified as having special educational needs, although a higher proportion of pupils than found nationally

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

have a statement of special educational need, currently nine pupils. The socio-economic circumstances of pupils are very mixed and for some pupils are well below those experienced by the large majority of people nationally. The school has had a high turnover of teachers in the past two years and experienced some difficulty in attracting teachers. The movement of pupils in and out of the school has also been high.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is inclusive: all pupils are welcomed and valued. Pupils enjoy good relationships with one another. Although the staff are working well as a team and there is some good and very good teaching, there is also a high level of unsatisfactory and sometimes poor teaching. Standards of work are not high enough and are not improving fast enough. Although the leadership and management of the school has been successful in amalgamating two very different schools and staff have worked hard to develop a whole school curriculum and to reorganise, improve and extend resources, too little attention has been given to ensuring that standards improve. The school is not effective and value for money is unsatisfactory. I am therefore of the opinion that special measures are required in relation to this school, because it is failing to provide an acceptable standard of education and Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector agrees.

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What the school does well

• The provision for children in Reception is very good which enables all children to make a very good start to their schooling. • In several classes there is some good and very good teaching. Teaching was good or very good in about half of all lessons seen during the inspection period. • Children throughout the school enjoy coming to school and most have good attitudes to learning. • Relationships between pupils are good. • The provision for pupils’ social and moral development is good • The teaching and non-teaching staff work well as a team and they support each other well.

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What could be improved

• Standards of work are not high enough. • In several classes the quality of teaching is not good enough: throughout Years 1 to 6 teaching was unsatisfactory or poor in about three lessons in every ten seen. • Monitoring of teaching and learning by the headteacher and senior managers are unsatisfactory; they have been slow to take action to improve teaching and to raise standards. • Attendance levels are too low. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Bushmead Primary School - 8

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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 D E E* well above average above average A B mathematics E E E* average below average C D science E E* E* well below average very low E E* Similar schools refers to schools nationally that have a similar proportion of pupil entitled to free school meals.

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Key

The table above shows that in the tests in 2002, at age eleven, overall standards in English and mathematics were well below the national average. Standards in science were very low and in the bottom five per cent of schools nationally. When compared to similar schools, standards in all three subjects were very low. In the tests at age seven , pupils attained overall standards in reading, writing and mathematics that were well below the national average. Teacher assessment in science indicated that results were well below those achieved nationally. Pupils’ results in reading and in mathematics were well below those in similar schools while those in writing were very low.

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Key

Inspectors judged that in the current Year 2 and 6 classes, standards in English, mathematics and science are of a similarly low standard to those achieved in the tests last year. Few pupils are working towards the higher levels of attainment, which also depresses overall standards.

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Key

Inspection evidence shows that children in the Reception make very good progress across all areas of learning. As pupils move up the school, the progress they make across all subjects is very uneven. As a result, standards are below those expected nationally in a number of subjects by age seven and are below those expected in most subjects by age eleven. Inspection evidence did not highlight any significant differences in pupils’ attainments or progress based on their gender or racial background, but judged that pupils of all abilities could achieve better standards with greater consistency in the teaching. The amount of progress that pupils in each class are making is very uneven: in some classes pupils are making good progress while in others pupils’ progress is unsatisfactory.

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Key

Pupils with special educational needs, including those pupils with a statement of special educational need, make satisfactory progress. Pupils who learn English as an additional language make satisfactory progress in acquiring English. Bushmead Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Most pupils have good attitudes to school and want to learn. They enjoy coming to school and want to do well. They respond well and work hard when they are encouraged and expected to do so. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory. Behaviour in the dining hall, around the school, in assemblies and in the playground is often good. In some classes pupils behave well. However, when the teaching is not good enough, pupils’ behaviour is sometimes unsatisfactory. In Year 6 pupils’ behaviour in lessons is frequently unsatisfactory. Personal development and relationships Boys and girls enjoy good relationships with each other. They care for and support one another well. Pupils have some opportunities to show initiative and take responsibility, but this is an area that needs extending. Attendance Well below the national average.

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

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

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

Teaching and learning are very good in Reception classes. Children are provided with a good range of activities and the basic skills are taught very well. There is a good balance between teacher directed work and children learning through practical activities. In Years 1 to 6, although there is some good and very good teaching in some classes there is a high level of unsatisfactory teaching that needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. All classrooms are well organised. The teaching of English and mathematics needs to be improved and strengthened because in too many classes the work is not challenging enough and teachers do not give pupils enough to time to practise their own skills. The teaching of science and information and communication technology is improving: appropriate attention is being given to teaching basic skills. There are examples of good or better teaching in almost all subjects. In lessons that are unsatisfactory this is frequently because

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

management of pupils’ behaviour is either weak or too harsh, expectations of pupils are too low and explanations are sometimes confusing to pupils. Bushmead Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The curriculum includes all subjects and follows national guidance. A high proportion of time is given to teaching English and mathematics and this does squeeze out the time for other subjects especially in Years 3 to 6. The provision of extra-curricular activities is limited. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory with strengths. Pupils’ needs are identified promptly and their progress checked regularly. The specialist teaching is good and sometimes it is very good. Learning support assistants provide good support for pupils. Some teachers need to do more to plan appropriate work for pupils and check their progress. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory. Very few pupils attending this school learn English as an additional language. Class teachers and the support staff provide satisfactory

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Aspect Comment

support. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Satisfactory overall, but good provision for moral and social education. The school has a strong moral code and good attention is given to pupils' social development from the time when they start in the Reception. The teaching and the curriculum promote pupils’ spiritual and cultural development satisfactorily. How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory. The headteacher and staff know the pupils and support and care for them well. Some pupils’ academic progress however, is not being checked carefully enough.

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Aspect Comment

Parents’ views of the school are satisfactory overall and many parents express strong support for the school. The headteacher and staff work hard to develop and maintain links with parents. A good number of parents regularly help in school and this is a positive feature.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Unsatisfactory overall. Management has been successful in bringing together the two schools and in establishing a happy and secure environment for the pupils. The headteacher and senior managers have a clear idea about what still needs to be done, but have not acted quickly enough to make improvements to teaching and standards. The headteacher and recently appointed deputy headteacher work well together. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Unsatisfactory overall. The governors are very supportive and fulfil their statutory responsibilities. However, they are not sufficiently involved in monitoring and in holding the school to account. The school’s evaluation of its performance Unsatisfactory. The monitoring and evaluation of teaching learning and pupils’ standards and progress is weak. Co-ordinators for subjects also need

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Aspect Comment

more opportunities to check standards. The strategic use of resources Unsatisfactory. During a period when much time an energy has gone into improving the accommodation and resources and establishing a whole school curriculum and team work, not enough focus has directed towards improving standards and the quality of teaching. As such the school is not doing enough to ensure best value in its spending. The headteacher and governors also need to improve financial planning and keep within the school budget. Good use is made of the support staff.

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Aspect Comment

There are enough teachers and support staff. The turnover of teachers has been high and the school has experienced difficulties in getting suitably trained teachers. The new accommodation has recently been completed. This accommodation is good and is attractive. It has been refurbished to a high standard. The resources have been improved and the school is well resourced. Bushmead Primary School - 11

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The good start their children get in Reception. • Children enjoy school • Children make good progress • The quality of teaching • Parents feel that the staff are approachable • The way in which the school helps their children to become mature and responsible • The way that the school works with parents and the amount of information they receive about their children’s progress • Pupils’ behaviour • The amount of homework • The range of activities outside of lessons • Less frequent change of teachers

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspection findings largely confirm the positive views expressed by parents. Inspectors agree that children get a good start in Reception, that the staff are approachable and that children enjoy coming to school. Inspectors also agree that extra curricular activities and the information for parents about their children’s progress could be better. They judged that homework is used satisfactorily and that the behaviour of the majority of pupils is at least satisfactory. Inspectors were aware that there had been a number of changes of teachers in some classes, and appreciate that while this may have affected pupils negatively in some instances, this is not always the case. They did, however, find that there are wide variations in the quality of teaching and learning from one class to another and judged that the school needs to do more to ensure that all of the teaching is of at least a satisfactory

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children enter Reception at the age of four with much lower attainment levels than is usually found. The children’s communication, language and literacy skills, mathematical knowledge, physical skills and their personal and social development are particularly weak. However, they make rapid progress in the Reception classes and many children are likely to achieve the expected levels of attainment by the time they leave Reception. The attainment levels of a small number of children , however, will still be below that expected. Children make very good progress during Reception , particularly in English, mathematics and in their personal and social development.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In the national tests and assessments for seven year olds in 2002, the percentage of pupils that attained the expected Level 2 in reading, writing and science was well below that found nationally and , in mathematics was below the national average. The proportion attaining the higher Level 3 in reading, mathematics and science was well below the national average. In writing , the proportion was below the national average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In the tests at age 11 about half of all pupils attained the expected Level 4 in English and mathematics and six pupils in every ten attained Level 4 in science, proportions that were well below the national average. In English and science, a very low proportion of pupils attained Level 5 and in mathematics the proportion was well below the national average. The results at age 11 were significantly lower than the targets agreed with the Local Education Authority (LEA). It is unclear on what the targets agreed with the LEA are based upon since the school targets does not yet have clear pupil tracking systems on which to make secure predictions.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Since the amalgamation, standards in English and mathematics have remained stubbornly low. Standards in writing are particularly weak. This is despite the additional time given to teaching both subjects and the intensive support that the school has received from the LEA’s literacy and numeracy consultants. In the current Year 2 and 6 classes standards in English, mathematics and science are similar to those achieved in tests last year, and again there is little evidence of potentially higher attaining pupils working towards the higher levels of attainment. The school is very unlikely to meet its agreed targets in 2003, which are 75 per cent of pupils in Year 6 to attain Level 4 in English and 85 per cent in mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Test results over the past two years indicate that girls performed better than boys in reading and writing at age seven, although variations between boys’ and girls’ attainments at age 11 were less marked. Inspection findings did not highlight any significant differences in pupil progress based solely on pupils’ gender.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The school has recently established systems for analysing pupils’ test results and tracking individual pupils’ progress as they move up through the school. This should help the school be able to determine and explain trends across the school, and take action to effect improvements. However, such systems are still at a very early stage of implementation.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Evidence from lessons and scrutiny of pupils’ work shows that pupils’ current rates of progress are very uneven and this is directly related to the quality of teaching. Pupils get a very good start in Reception. Good progress is being maintained into Year 1. Progress falls off in Year 2 so that by the end of Year 2, although pupils’ attainments are likely to be in line with national expectations in information and communication technology, art and design, religious education, history, music and design and technology, pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics, science and geography will not meet national expectations.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. A similar pattern is evident in Years 3 to 6. Pupils’ work, discussions with pupils and evidence from lessons shows that in Year 3 and 5 pupils are making at least steady and sometimes good progress. However, in Year 4 and 6 pupils’ progress is compromised by too much unsatisfactory teaching. The Bushmead Primary School - 13 situation in Year 6 is also compounded by past events: both classes have experienced instability in the past due to teacher absences and changes of teachers. Consequently, too many pupils have become disinterested and are no longer trying hard enough. As a result, standards in Year 6 are below national expectations in history, geography, art and design, physical education, science, religious education and information and communication technology and are well below national expectations in English, mathematics, music and design and technology.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Pupils with special educational needs, including those pupils who have a statement of special educational need, achieve standards that are in line with their capabilities and they attain standards that meet national expectations in some subjects. Pupils make at least satisfactory progress and, where class teaching is effective, pupil progress is good. In withdrawal groups when taught by visiting teachers or by specifically trained support staff, pupils also make good progress. Very few pupils who attend the school learn English, as an additional language. Those who do make satisfactory progress in acquiring English during their time at the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Although pupils’ attitudes vary throughout the school, they are nevertheless good overall and in some classes pupils have very good attitudes.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. In the Reception classes, children’s attitudes to school and learning are very good. Parents also say that their children enjoy coming to school and develop very positive attitudes to learning. Children show a great interest in the wide range of activities available and value their own and other’s achievements. They respond particularly well to the very good teaching which helps them to clearly understand tasks so that they work quickly and independently with high levels of concentration. Children love getting their answers right and enjoy discussing their work with adults. Most children quickly learn the behaviour that is expected of them and behave well showing respect and consideration towards others. They learn to take turns and share, and most resolve their differences without using physical force or angry words.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. In lessons across the school pupils most often show at least satisfactory and frequently good attitudes to their work and learning. Most pupils are keen to attend school and are eager to start their day. They want to succeed and speak enthusiastically about what they enjoy and why this is the case. Older pupils are very proud of their new buildings and appreciate the space and facilities. All pupils respond well when asked they are asked to do jobs or to help others. Older pupils help younger pupils and talk fondly about them, as for example when describing how they showed them the way to the dinner hall when children first started school. In the Year 6 classes, however, there is a high level of pupil disaffection, which is also too often accompanied by poor behaviour. This would appear to be a direct result of some very unsettled periods pupils have experienced and the class teachers need help, support and advice about how to effect

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Relationships between pupils are good. Boys and girls and pupils of different ages and abilities relate well to each other and this was clearly evident, both in lessons and in less formal settings. Pupils work happily together and listen each other's points of view. Most children also enjoy positive relationships with members of staff and polite and are courteous. They can be relied upon to carry out jobs without much prompting, for example, helping to tidy away pencils and toys at the end of lessons. Pupils respect school property and take good care of resources. Throughout the day , there is scope to give pupils just a little more say in how they view things and to use their own initiative

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. A number of parents, about three in ten who responded to the pre inspection questionnaire, expressed dissatisfaction with pupils’ behaviour. Inspectors judged that behaviour is satisfactory overall and is good in certain contexts. Where unsatisfactory behaviour was evident, this was during class lessons and was frequently linked to the quality of teaching and to teachers’ limited skills in managing pupils’ behaviour. When teaching was at its weakest, behaviour deteriorated and was sometimes poor. This usually related to small groups of boys and girls who were disruptive and failed to consider the consequences of their behaviour. All pupils demonstrate that they can behave well and with respect. During most assemblies, for example, and in the dining hall and playground and during wet playtimes, standard of behaviour are good. Lunchtimes are positive occasions where pupils enjoy the company of

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

each other, the headteacher and deputy headteacher, the teachers, and lunchtime staff. Many pupils are Bushmead Primary School - 14 developing into considerate young citizens with strong opinions of their own, who respond well to the moral code provided for them and show they can be trusted. They are friendly and open and keen to talk to visitors. The majority understand what is right and what is wrong, that they must make their own choices and take the consequences when things go wrong. Some pupils however, do not demonstrate respectful attitudes towards their teachers and a minority present challenging behaviour. There were ten fixed period exclusions last year. During the current year the rate of exclusion has fallen.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils with special educational needs have a positive self image and display an enthusiasm towards their work. This is clearly reflected in their response in many class lessons, especially when pupils receive specific support from the learning support assistants and teachers, and in withdrawal sessions when pupils are taught individually or in small groups. In such instances pupils’ concentrate, and cooperate very well. The small minority of pupils with English as an additional language develop positive relationships with other pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. In the last school year, the rate of attendance fell to 91.5 per cent, which was well below the national average. Unauthorised absence is low: illness is the main reason given for non-attendance. Attendance needs to improve because inevitably some pupils’ progress is being depressed because they are not in school as often as they should be. As the level of attendance for last term has not yet been worked out, it is not possible to say whether it has since improved. The majority of pupils arrive at school on time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. Teaching in Reception classes is very good. Effective planning achieves a very good balance between child-initiated and adult-directed activities and offers challenge to the higher attainers and effective support for pupils with special needs. Staff provide a wide range of activities that are particularly effective in supporting children’s language and social development. The direct teaching of basic skills in English and mathematics is very effective, enabling children to achieve well. Teaching provides many good opportunities for children to express themselves creatively, through for example music, painting, construction and role-play in the jungle. All adults have high expectations that all children will work hard, behave well and achieve as well as they can. The very effective teamwork between teachers, the nursery nurse and classroom assistants enables children to gain maximum benefit from the available adult help and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

so learn at a good rate. Very effective use is made of both formal and informal assessments to ensure that lessons build on existing skills. Very good relationships, good classroom organisation and excellent management of the children, with high expectations of effort and achievement complete the support for children’s very good learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. In Years 1 to 6, the overall quality of teaching is unsatisfactory. This is because in about three lessons in every ten teaching was unsatisfactory and was sometimes poor. Teaching was at its best in Years 1, 3 and 5 and is weakest in Years 2, 4 and 6. This situation needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency because it is having a very negative effect on pupil progress in some classes and limiting the school’s attempts to improve standards by age seven and 11. Common elements of much of this unsatisfactory teaching are weaknesses in teachers’ subject knowledge, weak and sometimes poor management of pupils’ behaviour which leads to strained relationships. Occasionally inappropriate disciplining and harshness makes matters worse.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. There is some good and better teaching across Years 1 to 6. Teaching was good or better in three lessons in every five in Years 1 and 2 and in three lessons in every ten in Years 3 to 6. Across all year groups there are some positive features to teaching, for example teachers come to lessons prepared, classrooms are well organised, good routines are established and lessons start promptly. General areas for improvement in teaching are to improve the use of assessment and marking. While there are some examples of good marking, in general teachers could do much more to provide written feedback to pupils about how they can improve. In some instances pupils’ work is not marked.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. There are wide variations in the quality of English and mathematics teaching, which ranges from poor to very good. Despite considerable training in the implementation of the National Literacy and the National Numeracy Strategies, there is still some confusion about the methods each of the strategies advocates and the purpose of certain activities. A common weakness , in too many lessons, is that teachers do too Bushmead Primary School - 15 much of the talking. As a result pupils have too little time to talk about their own ideas, clarify their own thinking and practise their own written skills. This is also clearly reflected in the small amount of pupils’ written work in books in some classes. Teachers’ use of questioning to check pupils’ understanding and to move pupils’ learning on, both in the introductions and ends of lessons, was also weak in a number of lessons seen. There are also indications from the teaching that some teachers’ own subject knowledge is

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

not strong enough. In some lessons, not enough attention is given to ensuring that the work set is matched to the needs of pupils of different abilities, especially the potentially higher attaining pupils and, on occasions, those pupils with a statement of special educational need.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. In classes where teaching of English and mathematics is good or better, teachers have a clear understanding of the recommended teaching methods and have high expectations of their pupils. In these instance teachers usually have a good understanding of the strengths and weakness in pupils’ current attainments and plan work that challenges all pupils, including higher attaining pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. Science teaching and that in information and communication technology shows an improving picture. In science most teachers are placing a greater emphasis on the use of practical work and there are examples of good and sometimes challenging investigative work. Pupils are being encouraged to record their learning in their own way and some older pupils are being taught to devise and set up their own experiments. All of this is contributing to raising standards and to improving pupils’ interest. Where teaching and learning were less than satisfactory, this is most often directly attributable to weak management of pupils or unclear explanations of tasks, rather than weaknesses in teachers’ knowledge and understanding.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. Teaching in five out of the six information and communication technology lessons seen was at least satisfactory and was good or very good in half of lessons. In most of the lesson seen teachers were confident in delivery, gave good attention to the development of skills and made sure that pupils had enough time to practise. Some teachers in the school are not as confident in teaching the subject, but some further training is planned and there is some good practice that could be shared. Teachers are not making the best use of information and communication technology to support work in subjects across the curriculum, for research purposes for example.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. The teaching seen in art and design, physical education, religious education and history was at least satisfactory in the majority of lessons and there is some good and very good practice in teaching which has not been shared. Strengths included examples of good attention to the development of key skills, such as those of historical enquiry, of colour mixing and printing techniques in art and design, and, in religious education, opportunities to reflect on beliefs and values. In many instances, activities and resources had been carefully chosen to both match pupils’ age and interests and pupils had a good amount of time to practise their own skills. Consequently, pupils’ learning was often good, as were pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and concentration levels. In many instances, boys and girls were also seen to cooperate well and with a good level of independence. All of this offers potential for pupils to do well in

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

these subjects and achieve standards that are in line with those expected. What compromises pupils’ progress over time is the infrequency with which some pupils are taught some of these subjects and, in some classes, general weakness in teaching and pupil management.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. Very few lessons in geography, design and technology and music were seen during inspection. When taking into account pupils’ current level of skill and from talking to pupils in Years 5 and 6, it is clear that in some parts of the school too little time is also given to these subjects. Some teachers lack confidence in teaching music and aspects of physical education; providing further training for teachers is an identified school priority.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. The specialist support teaching of pupils with special educational needs in withdrawal sessions and the support pupils receive from the learning support assistants in class, is good or better. The best teaching is very specific, precise and focused. The pace of lessons is brisk, so that pupils progress at a good rate. Good use is made of assessment, both to monitor pupils’ progress throughout lessons as well as to plan the next steps in learning and staff give good attention to promoting pupils’ personal development and well-being which impacts positively on pupils’ confidence and their willingness to work to overcome any difficulties. Bushmead Primary School - 16 27. The quality of support pupils with special needs receive from class teachers is variable. In many lessons support assistants are effectively deployed to support pupils. The school has recognised the need for further training to support teachers in linking individual education plans into their teaching, and the need

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

to be more specific in terms of identifying and supporting individual pupils’ needs, especially when related to activities in subjects other than English.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. The curriculum meets statutory requirements and follows national guidance. The curriculum for Reception children is very good and this prepares them very well for the introduction of the National Curriculum in Year 1. Learning is securely based on the six areas of learning recommended for young children and provides a very good range of interesting and relevant activities. Planning to support children’s personal, social and emotional developments is particularly good and this is carefully linked to supporting other aspects of learning.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. In Years 1 to 6 pupils follow the National Curriculum in all subjects except religious education in which they follow the Locally Agreed Syllabus. Planning for each subject in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory and ensures that work builds systematically on pupils’ prior knowledge and skills. Some subjects are appropriately linked together through common themes. The quality of the curriculum for pupils in Years 3 to 6 has weaknesses, because it lacks balance and sometimes progression. Pupils in Years 4 and 6 study the same topic themes as pupils in Year 3 and 5. While there are some valid reasons for this, not enough attention is being given to ensuring that teachers plan work for older pupils that is more challenging and aims to develop more advanced skills. In addition, because the development of literacy and numeracy is emphasised here, as elsewhere in the school, other subjects are given less than the average amount of

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

time. Furthermore, sometimes when lessons have been planned and are on the timetable, they do not take place. This is the case with art and design and music, for example. Although there are some good examples of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology being used to support work across other subjects, relevant opportunities are not yet fully exploited.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The school’s implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies is not effective so that standards remain low, despite recent training and a good amount of additional support. This is because the school is not rigorously and consistently acting upon the training and advice that it receives.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. The provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is satisfactory. An appropriately planned and structured scheme of work enables pupils to develop an understanding of what being a member of a community means. A good example of its impact is the support that Year 6 pupils provide to Reception children: pupils volunteer to ensure that children always have someone to play with at playtimes and lunchtime. Sex education and the development of an awareness of the danger of the misuse of drugs and medicines prepare pupils for future life. Key messages are reinforced in science and health education work. Extra curricular activities are limited, being confined to a narrow range of sports, currently football, and recorders. When a special occasion is approaching, a choir is formed and in the summer pupils learn country dancing. The activities that do occur are usually focused upon the older pupils. The school

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

organises two residential trips: in Year 5 pupils visit an environmental centre in Britain while Year 6 pupils have the opportunity to visit France. Visitors to the school include members of theatre and music groups, but the use of visits to support learning could be extended.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The school ensures that all pupils are included in activities regardless of their gender, ethnicity, social background or prior attainment. Pupils with special educational needs often receive good support to meet their individual needs, and most make satisfactory progress in developing their literacy targets which are the main focus of their individual education plans. The school is aware that a minority of individual education plans written by class teachers do not have a sharp enough focus. Targets such as, ‘improve spelling’ or ‘behave sensibly in class’ do not provide specific enough targets and need to be broken down into small steps against which pupils’ progress can then be measured. The school’s provision for the very small number of pupils who are learning English as an additional language is satisfactory. Class teachers and support staff provide pupils with sound support to improve their knowledge and

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

understanding of English. Pupils take a full part in lessons and make progress that is line with their peers. Bushmead Primary School - 17 They are respected and valued members of the school. No one has overall responsibility for monitoring of provision, however, and this is unsatisfactory.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. Links with the community make a sound contribution to pupils’ learning, for example those with the local church, community workers, police, fire, first aid, medical services. The new school has been built with the intention that the community share its use: currently two local children’s support groups and several sporting associations make use of it. Links with other schools, colleges and training institutions are satisfactory and the school has very good relationships with the nearby pre-school groups. The staff meet regularly to ensure a smooth transition into Reception. Reception staff are familiar figures to the pre- school children as they regularly attend special events at their playgroup. Resources are shared, as is staff expertise and advice, and children’s records are passed between the two. A particular strength is that the curriculum is planned between the two settings. This ensures a smooth, progressive and

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. The provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory, and systems have been established, which, if used consistently, have the potential to continue to strengthen the provision. Teachers’ awareness has been raised and spiritual occasions are regularly provided in school assemblies and through the curriculum. In lessons pupils have opportunities to spend time reflecting on issues that affect their own lives and the world around them and, when this is the case, pupils benefit well. In some lessons for example, time was given for pupils to think for a moment, as they settle to their work while listening to strains of gentle calming music. Pupils have some good opportunities to express themselves creatively in art and to reflect on their own work and that of other artists. Religious education makes a positive contribution. In a lesson in Year 4 for example, some pupils engaged in quiet meditation and were

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

led to reflect on what this meant to them. The school aims to raise pupils’ self esteem and this is successful in many classes.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. Provision for pupils’ moral development is good. The school has a clear set of aims which are likely to produce good outcomes. The school rules are understood and are helping to create a positive and supportive atmosphere, where pupils’ sense of self worth can flourish. Achievement assemblies and reward systems are an important feature of the school and pupils say they look forward to these times. Strong relationships are promoted through some of the teaching and through assembly themes, such as those on caring, kindness and sharing. Pupils are encouraged to support charities for example the Salvation Army, Help the Aged and provide toys for children in a deprived area of Newcastle each Christmas.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. Provision for pupils’ social development is good. Good procedures are in place to promote better relationships and this is emphasised from the time when pupils start at school. The impact of this is evident in most classes. Incidents of bullying and racism are dealt with quickly and effectively which pupils say they are happy about. Class and friendship rules are on display in many classes and, because they have contributed to them, pupils understand their relevance. Strategies such as circle time, citizenship, and personal, social and health education lessons are generally effective in promoting good social skills and co-operative working. These also support pupils to express their opinions sensibly and learn how to be a good friend and to be polite and courteous to one other. Some teachers plan well to incorporate independent working and paired work into their lessons, which is also fostering good

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

relationships and enabling pupils to take some responsibility for their own learning. ‘Buddy Pairs’ are also being used well in some classes. Residential trips have the potential to contribute to pupils’ social skills. Members of the recently established School Council are being supported to develop their own mature ideas on how their school can be improved. Older pupils are taught to be caring of younger pupils and are given opportunities to induct Reception children into school routines.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory. Subjects such as religious education, art and design and history make a positive contribution to pupils’ understanding of their own cultural heritage. In some parts of the school subjects such as geography and music receive too little attention to be able to contribute more positively, although where they are taught, pupils’ cultural development is enhanced. The school recognises the need to do more to celebrate cultural diversity and differences so as to extend pupils’ understanding of people from other cultures, beliefs and backgrounds. Progress has already been made in addressing this aspect; for example the religious education curriculum has also been reviewed and, in assemblies, themes and music from other cultures and faiths are regularly incorporated. Bushmead Primary School - 18

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Standards of care and of pupil welfare are satisfactory with some good feature. The headteacher and deputy headteacher take a key role in supervising, supporting, guiding and talking with pupils throughout each school day and they have a clear presence in and around the school. Pupils speak highly of them and say they feel confident to approach them if they have a problem. Pupils are very well supervised during playtimes and in the dinner break, both inside and out of the building. During wet periods they have access to a good range of games and activities, which they share and enjoy. The midday supervisors know the children well and relationships with pupils are friendly. A choice of good quality hot dinners is provided and pupils say they enjoy these.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The school follows the local authority’s guidance on Child Protection and when necessary gets an immediate response from outside agencies. Current arrangements are satisfactory overall, although practices to ensure that records are securely locked away need to be reviewed and training needs to be extended, as currently only the named person is trained. There is also a need to review arrangements for the very small number of pupils in the school who are in public care, to develop a personal education plan and share this with outside agencies, carers and the pupils.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Staff give good attention to pupils’ health and safety. The building is kept very clean and tidy. Procedures for first aid are good and the named persons are very caring and ensure thorough record keeping. Medicines are properly administered, stored and overseen according to safe practice. Risk assessments are completed for most activities, although it is a weakness that the school has yet to check that all parents and pupils have completed an Internet awareness and protection document. Governors do not yet take an active role in carrying out risk assessments.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Procedures to promote good behaviour are satisfactory. The behaviour policy is based on self-discipline with the need for rules clearly expressed. Most teachers and staff successfully encourage pupils to behave well. Older pupils, however, need to be given more opportunities to be involved and have ownership of their class rules. Bullying is not a common occurrence but if it does occur, pupils report it and they say it is dealt with fairly. The school has appropriate procedures for logging and dealing with any racist incidents. Procedures to monitor attendance need to be more rigorous given the fall in attendance levels. Parents are regularly reminded of the importance of good attendance and letting the school know immediately if their child is absent. Class teachers record attendance twice a day and office staff check figures at the end of the week but without a computerised system in place, regular checks on

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

attendance are not an easy task. The school has yet to make any detailed analysis of the attendance of different groups of pupils nor does it yet set targets to improve attendance. No individual person has overall responsibility for monitoring attendance which is unsatisfactory since attendance is falling and the school needs to take action to find out why and address this. The school reports that it receives good support from the education welfare service. Some teachers, despite clear, written reminders, are still using out of date codes to explain absences.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Good procedures are in place to effectively assess children’s skills in Reception. Using information from an assessment of skills when children enter the school, adults plan work that helps children to progress. At the end of group activities, children have the opportunity to discuss their learning with adults. Future lessons and experiences build on these. Adults also effectively track the progress of individual children through the completion of tracking sheets. These show the range of activities and also highlight achievements and any difficulties and are used during the weekly planning meetings to plan future activities.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Although in Years 1 to 6 most teachers know their pupils reasonably well, formal procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ attainment and progress are generally unsatisfactory. Statutory assessments at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are carried out, and the co-ordinators for English and mathematics have begun to analyse test results to identify strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ attainments. Recently, new procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ progress more regularly in both subjects have been introduced. However, the implementation of these systems is currently not being carried out with Bushmead Primary School - 19 sufficient rigour. Furthermore, they are not being used to best effect by some teachers to ensure that future work build on previous learning and extends the pupils, especially higher attaining pupils.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. There are as no formally agreed whole-school systems for assessing and recording pupils’ achievements in subject other than in English and mathematics. Most teachers keep some records of pupils’ achievements that reflect their own approach and there is some good practice, which could be extended. For example in Year 1 there are highly effective systems that inform teachers’ planning well. Nevertheless, because the quality, content and use of written records is inconsistent teachers are not always aware of what pupils have learnt in previous year groups. The school is aware of the need to develop and use assessment more precisely to inform school improvement targets at a more realistic level.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The school has satisfactory systems in place to assess and monitor the progress of pupils with special educational needs. On a termly basis class teachers and the special needs co-ordinator together check pupils’ progress against the targets set for them in their individual education plans. Decisions are then made regarding what action to take next. The school is aware of the need to develop systems to involve pupils in the reviewing of their own achievements and of the need to monitor more closely the link between targets contained in individual education plans and tasks set for pupils in their classwork. Currently the school does not have an educational psychologist to refer to, and this would seem to be delaying the assessment process for some pupils on the higher stages of the code of practice.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. The school has satisfactory links with parents. The headteacher and the deputy headteacher always give time to talk to families as and when the need arises. Teachers are also available to talk with parents and discuss any concerns. Parents say they feel able to share their opinions and anxieties with the school. There are strong links and good communication with parents of Reception children. Parents praise the flexible arrangements, the quality of provision for their children, the approachability, professionalism and friendliness of the staff. Because teachers meet with children and parents before they join the school, the children quickly settle into school routines when they do begin full time education.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. Parents’ views of the school are satisfactory. Eighty-two parents responded to the questionnaire and 19 attended the pre-inspection meeting. In addition, parents and carers talked to inspectors during the week of the inspection and a number of letters were also received. All of the evidence makes it clear that there is both strong support for the school and an acknowledgement of some of the difficulties it faces. Many parents are very loyal to the school and express much support. They are correct in thinking it is an inclusive school where pupils are treated equally and encouraged to share, care for and help each other. Most parents say their children are happy at school and they like the new buildings and resources. Many respond favourably about the personable qualities of the headteacher. However, some parents also express significant concerns about a number of things. Since the amalgamation , staff turnover has been

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

something, which has particularly concerned parents. Many of the concerns expressed by parents highlight the effects that this has had on their children; especially when there are have been a number of changes to teachers or where they have not felt confident that the teaching was good enough.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. The information provided for parents is satisfactory. The prospectus and handbook are well written and give plenty of useful advice and sensible guidance. There are regular newsletters, which give advance notice of events and the report from governors to parents fulfils statutory requirements. Teachers have begun to provide more information about what is being taught, but there have not been any meetings to explain the curriculum. Parents have regular opportunities to attend open evenings, which are well attended. The quality of written feedback to parents through reading diaries and home-school books is however variable and end of year reports lack detail about pupils’ progress in subjects other than English, mathematics and science, nor do they provide targets for improvement. The school has not yet been proactive in seeking the parents’ views on a range of issues. However, on one occasion when opinions

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

were sought on midday meals the school was pleased with the level of response and this enabled parents’ views to be taken into account. The school works well to keep parents of pupils with special educational needs informed. Parents are promptly informed if their child is identified as being in need of specific extra help, or is to be moved to a different stage of the school’s special needs register. Pupils’ individual education plans are written in a style that is fairly easy to understand and future targets are shared with Bushmead Primary School - 20 parents at pre-arranged meeting. However, as only just over a half of the parents attend such meetings, additional support from home may well be rather ineffective for some pupils .

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. There is good encouragement and a warm welcome given to parents who want to get involved in helping in school and a number give generously of their time to help in the school with activities such as football, cookery, art, information and communication technology and design and technology. This help is well organised and much appreciated. The Friends of Bushmead raise funds and many parents attend planned events, which brings parents together. Parents are invited family assemblies and many attend. This was evident during inspection , a large number of parents, siblings, family and friends proudly watched the Reception children sharing their work. Many parents support their children’s learning at home and reading records indicate many regularly listen to their children reading.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The school successfully promotes a happy, caring ethos that seeks to ensure all pupils are valued and included. Since his appointment, the headteacher has, with the support of his senior staff and governors, worked very hard to amalgamate two very different schools, to bring them together in a spacious new and well-equipped building and to establish teamwork and a common set of aims. This area of his work has been achieved with considerable success and, due to his clear direction in this regard, the school is now working as a cohesive unit that is suitably placed to face the many challenges that must be addressed.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The headteacher’s leadership and management of some other key areas have been unsatisfactory. Insufficient attention has been given to monitoring teaching, learning and pupils’ work, to raising standards and to ensuring that the quality of teaching for all pupils is of an at least satisfactory standard. Despite the fact that standards in English and mathematics have remained very low the headteacher and senior managers have not done enough tackle these weaknesses.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The new and recently appointed deputy headteacher is developing her role effectively and is playing an increasingly important role in the overall leadership and management of the school. The headteacher and deputy headteacher work well together thus strengthening the overall leadership. The deputy headteacher is also responsible for coordinating the provision for pupils with special educational needs. Her knowledge and understanding in this area, and of pupils and their needs is a strength. Consequently, there are effective procedures and strengths in a number of aspects of the special needs provision. The recommendations of the revised Code of Practice have been implemented.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. A new management group, the Headteacher’s Management Group, has been established since the two schools amalgamated and members of the team have received external training to support them in developing their roles. Members are responsible for managing one of each of the three teams. They meet regularly with their colleagues and support the planning and day-to-day activities. However, their impact on improving the overall provision for pupils in each team is variable and is not always effective.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. There are co-ordinators for most subjects. Although there is currently no named co-ordinator for history, geography or physical education, there are some existing and new teachers to the school who are able to take a lead in these subjects. Some subject leaders provide effective support for colleagues. A common weakness in their management of subjects is that they do not have an overall view of pupils’ work across the school, or enough opportunities to identify the good practice, which exists so that it can be built upon. In some instances, there are weaknesses in co-ordinator’s own teaching of the subjects they are responsible for. The Foundation Stage is well led by an experienced, trained infant specialist. Having taught pupils in Year 1, and as she also manages Years 1 and 2, she is fully aware of the knowledge, skills and understanding the Reception children will need to develop to access the work in Years 1 and 2. She

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

effectively leads the team and ensures that all staff have up to date training and plan an appropriate curriculum.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The governing body has appropriate structures and meets its statutory requirements including those relating to the curriculum, acts of worship and for pupils with special educational needs. Governors are very supportive of the school. However, they rely too heavily on the headteacher and senior staff to provide them with information. This means they are not always well enough informed to enable them to Bushmead Primary School - 21 ask difficult questions and to hold the school to account for its actions and for pupils’ standards. Because governors do not formally monitor provision and tend to receive information rather than gather some of this for themselves, they do not always have sufficient information on which to base decisions and to prioritise future developments.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. There are enough teachers and support staff. However, the school has experienced a very high turnover of teachers and has not always been successful in attracting suitably qualified and experienced teachers. There have also been a number of long-term staff absences that have sometimes resulted in pupils being taught by a series of supply teachers. All of this has had a very negative impact on the progress of pupils in some classes. The headteacher and governors have yet to develop a clear strategy for how they will endeavour to attract and retain high quality teachers. Furthermore, the headteacher must as an immediate priority set up rigorous internal systems to ensure that he monitors the teaching and learning and takes prompt action to address unsatisfactory teaching. The accommodation is now good and has been refurnished and refurbished to a high standard. The staff have worked very hard to sort and reorganise

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

resources from the two previous schools and spending on new resources has been high so that resources are now good and of good quality.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. New teachers to the school, including newly qualified staff, are largely supported well by their more experienced colleagues within their teams. However, at a practical level teachers do not receive enough support or clear guidance. Problems have also arisen when the team leader is absent and inexperienced teachers and supply teachers are then sometimes left to struggle. The school has put in place systems for appraisal and performance management, but these are neither rigorous enough nor sufficiently well co- ordinated to have had an impact on raising standards or informing school improvement priorities. Although staff are given pupil progress objectives to work towards, not all teachers have ownership of these targets or understand clearly how they will seek to achieve them. Staff training over the past two years has largely focussed on improving teachers’ skills in the core subjects of English, mathematics and

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

science and high staff turnover has also resulted in the need to revisit some areas already covered. The school should now seek to extend the training opportunities to support teachers to develop their expertise in some other subjects, particularly in teaching music, aspects of physical education, design and technology and geography.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. Spending on support staff is high; however, a good number of these staff are specifically employed to support pupils who have a statement of special educational need, while others provide more general support to all pupils. Most of the support staff have undertaken additional training, which enhances the good quality support they provide. In discussions they expressed a desire to further develop their information and communication technology skills in order to support pupils’ learning more effectively.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The headteacher and governors need to be more prompt in taking action to address financial problems as soon as they arise and to improve the overall financial planning processes. The school currently has a large budget deficit as a result of many complexities, including the new building and heating costs, the cost of additional teachers to cover absent colleagues and a significant reduction in pupil numbers, when in September fewer children than had been anticipated were on the school roll. Although action was taken last November to reduce spending by reducing the number of classes and therefore reduce the number of teachers, this resulted in disruption to several class groups and their class teachers. The headteacher and finance committee now need to be proactive in exploring different patterns of spending. They also need to assess the impact of spending decisions because although the school’s priorities have

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

been clearly identified and are linked to the budget, given the weaknesses in teaching and learning and the lack of effective monitoring to bring about improvements, there are currently no effective strategies in place to ensure that the objectives are met.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The governors are aware of the need to update with a measure of urgency the recording of selected equipment onto the school’s inventory and the request for a local authority audit of financial practice, now that the new school is established. Day-to-day financial control, which carried out by the school bursar is effective, with clear agreed systems for the ordering, receipt and payment of all goods that reflect sound financial practice. Teachers value the efficient work of the school secretaries. Daily procedures are efficient and support the day-to-day running of the school. The funds designated for specific purposes, for example those for staff training, are used appropriately and those designated for pupils with special educational needs are used effectively. Bushmead Primary School - 22 61. The principles of best value are not applied with sufficient rigour. Not enough has been done to gain the

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

views and opinions of parents, or to compare the performance of the school with similar schools. Taking into account the low standards achieved in many subjects, the overall unsatisfactory quality of too much of the teaching and learning and high unit costs per pupil, in its present state the school provides unsatisfactory value for money. Bushmead Primary School - 23

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

62. In order to raise standards the headteacher and governors should:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. Take immediate action to address the high level of unsatisfactory teaching and learning by ensuring that; • The headteacher and senior managers ensure that all pupils’ work is regularly monitored and their progress is tracked;

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• The headteacher and senior managers regularly ensure that in those classes where teaching is unsatisfactory, the teaching is supported and regularly monitored and that they provide teachers with clear feedback about what needs to improve;

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Where appropriate teachers are provided with practical support as well as advice and training, in order to develop better strategies for managing pupils’ behaviour and promoting good behaviour;

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• When necessary that teachers have opportunities to observe and learn from the good teaching that exists within the school.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

( Paragraphs 7, 8, 14, 18, 19, 23, 24, 51, 56, 78,86,91,95,101,102,103,115,121,128,134,140)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2. Raise standards in English and mathematics across the school by ensuring that: • Teaching provides better challenge for all pupils and for the potentially higher attaining pupils in particular;

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Time in lessons is better used to ensure pupils have enough time to practice their own skills and do not spend too long being expected to listen;

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Pupils have more opportunities to write at length both in English lessons and , where relevant , as part of their work in other subjects;

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• In mathematics, improve teachers’ questioning skills and their understanding and teaching of the mental mathematics part of the lesson.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 7,19,20, 21, 30, 51, 78,80,83,93,95,97,98)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

3. Raise standards in other subjects by ensuring that: • All teachers, including temporary teachers, follow the planned timetables and programmes of work and by exploring ways of giving more time to teaching some subjects, in particular geography, music and design and technology;

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Marking of pupils’ work provides feedback about how to improve;

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Subject co-ordinators gain a better overview of work in their subjects.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

( Paragraphs 4, 25, 29, 54, 89, 98, 104, 107, 108, 109, 112, 113, 117, 121, 123, 131, 133, 141, 143, 146, 147)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

4. Take action to improve attendance levels by: • Implementing systems to regularly calculate the school’s attendance levels;

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Carrying out a careful analysis of patterns of non attendance to find out which pupils are not attending regularly and why, and then taking action to address this.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 16, 41) Bushmead Primary School - 24

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 39

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.24

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.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 329

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 67

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 8

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 65

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 30

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 54

p.24

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Bushmead Primary School - 25 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Bushmead Primary School - 26 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 Year Boys Girls Total

p.24

Attendance

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 29 27 56

p.26

Attendance

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.26

Attendance

Boys 18 16 24 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 25 26 26

p.26

Attendance

Percentage of pupils School 77(71) 75(77) 89(92) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86(86) 90(91)

p.26

Attendance

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attendance

Boys 20 19 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 26 23 22

p.26

Attendance

Percentage of pupils School 82(75) 75(90) 70(90) at NC level 2 or above National 85(85) 89(89) 89(89)

p.26

Attendance

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

p.26

Attendance

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 Year Boys Girls Total

p.26

Attendance

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 18 27 45

p.26

Attendance

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attendance

Boys 8 7 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 17 16 18

p.26

Attendance

Percentage of pupils School 54(64) 50(38) 59 (71) at NC level 4 or above National 75(75) 73(71) 86 (87)

p.26

Attendance

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attendance

Boys 5 3 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 6 18

p.26

Attendance

Percentage of pupils School 35(60) 38(62) 59(74) at NC level 4 or above National 73(72) 74(74) 82(82)

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Attendance

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Bushmead Primary School - 27 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Attendance

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

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Attendance

White – any other White background 6 0 0

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Attendance

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

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Attendance

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

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Attendance

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 1 1 0

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Attendance

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 2 0 0

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Attendance

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

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Attendance

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

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Attendance

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 16 Financial year 2001/2002

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 889, 987

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 12 Total expenditure 945, 116

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 237 Expenditure per pupil 2, 693

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 30, 160

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year -24, 969

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Bushmead Primary School - 28

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 10.5

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Bushmead Primary School - 29

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 41 38 11 6 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 22 49 22 6 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 29 41 15 13 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 25 38 28 9 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 53 33 9 5 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 44 41 10 3 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 22 44 29 4 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 27 46 17 8 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 34 47 10 6 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 11 23 37 13 16 Bushmead Primary School - 30

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is a strength of the school and gives the children a very secure basis for future learning. The children enter the school with much lower levels of knowledge, understanding and skills than would normally be expected for children of this age. The children’s communication, language and literacy skills are particularly poor, as are their mathematical knowledge, their physical skills and their personal and social development. The children make very good progress, so that, by the time they leave the Reception the majority of children will be approaching or achieving the nationally expected early learning goals. A small group of children will be well into transition into the National Curriculum. There are no differences in attainment of boys and girls or between children from different ethnic groups but the standards of the younger of the children is generally lower than that of the

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

older ones. Very good provision for those children identified as having special educational needs ensures that they take part in all activities and make equal progress to other children.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. The quality of teaching is very good. Key strengths include:

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

• Very good knowledge of what children should be learning and the planning of a range of activities to give children experiences and support matched to these learning needs • Very good teaching of English, mathematics and personal and social skills to enable children to achieve very well in these areas • Very good teamwork between teachers, the nursery nurse and class assistants to ensure that lessons meet the learning needs of all children • Excellent class management skills, especially in English and mathematics sessions, with the grouping of children with others of similar ability to fully develop basic skills and knowledge • Very good relationships ensuring children settle down well and grow in confidence • Very clear tracking of individual children in class to identify any weaknesses, confusion and the development of knowledge and skills

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. Teachers ensure there is a very good balance between teacher-directed learning and child-initiated and directed activities. Many activities enable the children to learn purposefully through investigation and play. The quality of direct teaching is very good. Adults ensure that these lessons have very good pace and challenge but do not go on for too long. Very occasionally, however, teachers over direct and although children have the same experiences, they do not all work as hard as they could towards expected outcomes.

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Personal, social and emotional development

65. Children have positive attitudes to their learning. They enjoy coming to school and form good relationships with the staff and each other. In both classes, children work hard and play happily together with a good degree of independence and increasing confidence. Routines are well established so that children know what is expected of them and feel secure. As a result of this, their behaviour is generally very good. Children concentrate well in groups and whole class sessions. They are beginning to listen to each other and most know how to take turns in speaking, as well as how to signal that they wish to contribute or answer questions. Children are learning to persevere and stay on task when working independently at a chosen activity. A few children still prefer solitary play activities, but the majority of children are beginning to co-operate and to play together, for example, in role-play areas such as in the

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Personal, social and emotional development

‘Jungle’. This shows their increasing maturity.

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Personal, social and emotional development

66. A strong emphasis is placed on personal and social development in order to support learning in other areas, especially physical and creative work. Most children say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, for example, because of the emphasis on politeness. They practice these skills at snack and drinks time when the two ‘helpers’ give out children’s beakers and collect them in again at the end of the session. All staff listen carefully to what children have to say and value their contributions, often repeating to a wider group or Bushmead Primary School - 31 asking questions to include others within the discussion. Adults are sensitive to the needs of all children and work hard to increase confidence and self-esteem. Praise is used well to acknowledge achievements, even when the child’s comments do not develop a particular train of questioning, for example, “Hold on to that idea, we’ll need it in a moment”. Teachers hold high expectations that children will care for

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Personal, social and emotional development

themselves independently, that after visits to the toilet they will wash their hands and accept some personal responsibility, such as when changing for physical education lessons. Children rise to these expectations with many able to do this without any adult support or support limited to tying a shoe lace or helping to turn items such as tights the right way round. Children are encouraged to have a go first and then ask an adult for help if needed, enabling them to develop independence.

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Communication, language and literacy

67. Children make good progress overall in this area and achieve very well. Many children enter the school with poor communication skills and limited vocabulary , but they soon learn to speak in simple sentences and with developing confidence. In both classes most children are willing to speak in whole class discussions and are learning to listen and take turns in conversations. They have learned a wide range of action rhymes and enjoy performing them. Children have regular opportunities to share their news and to talk about their experiences. They enjoy listening to stories and sit attentively for an appropriate length of time. Children are developing their early reading skills well. All recognise their name card when they register themselves at the start of the day and read others names to see if they are in school. Children know the outline for a story, recognising that print has meaning. They can recognise rhyming words and

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Communication, language and literacy

repeating patterns, joining in the chorus of such as “We’re going on a Bear Hunt”, considering actions to match the sounds. High and average-attaining children have started reading simple texts and instructions. They are learning a number of frequently used words and attempt to make sense of unknown words using the initial sounds and picture clues. Lower-attaining children explain what is happening in stories read to them and use pictures to predict what might happen next. Children are aware of the words ‘author’, ‘illustrator’ and publisher’ and know the difference between the three. Early writing skills are well developed and most children make marks to represent writing, incorporating correct letter symbols into their writing and ‘read’ back what they write. Some higher-attaining children write simple sentences using known sight words, putting capital letters to start and stops to end their work. When

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Communication, language and literacy

teachers ‘forget’ these when writing on the board, a forest of hands goes up to tell the teacher what is missing. Children enjoy practising correct letter formation, for example when using their fingers in sand, dribbling water into the tray or using glue spreaders in creative work.

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Communication, language and literacy

68. Teaching is very good, particularly in the development of spoken language in both formal and informal situations. In teacher-directed activities children are given time to express their thoughts and ideas. The basic skills of reading and writing are taught very well in short, well-focused sessions in which children learn very quickly. For example, when reading a large book with the class, teachers point to words as they read and emphasise that words carry meaning. Letter sounds are taught well and reinforced in activities , such as matching objects to their initial sounds when considering what you would take in a backpack during a jungle walk. The children are introduced to a wide range of books to stimulate their interest. While waiting for the teacher to return after ‘snack’ time , the class assistant and nursery nurse read stories in such an enthralling way that children kneel up, creep forward, hanging on every word,

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Communication, language and literacy

absorbing the pace, tempo, timbre of reading ‘ordinary’ stories. The children take books home to share with parents, which helps to develop their interest and skills. Children are encouraged to use their early writing skills to share their news. Good opportunities are always available for writing, especially during role-play for example in the shop, taking messages from over the telephone. Displays of children’s writing around the classrooms reinforce the message that it is important and valued.

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Mathematical development

69. Children have a wide range of mathematical ability and skill when they enter the school but standards are generally low. Some higher-attaining children can count objects up to 10 or more correctly whilst others have little understanding of the idea of number. Through well-planned practical activities, including play, children develop an understanding of number, pattern, shape and measurement, with an appropriate vocabulary such as ‘big’ and ‘little’, ‘tall’ and ‘short’ and ‘full’ and ‘empty’. They learn about two- dimensional shapes through a range of activities, including being grouped by ability for English and mathematical activities. Children are beginning to understand the idea of one more and one less and most Bushmead Primary School - 32 were able to order numbers correctly to 20+. They demonstrate this daily when counting how many are having dinner and how many packed lunch during registration. Using the ‘Jungle’ topic children cut out

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Mathematical development

and arrange giraffes by size, from the tallest to the smallest. All know that fingers help you count in 10’s and 5’s.

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Mathematical development

70. A wide range of structured and unstructured activities to develop learning is provided. These are well chosen for interest and enjoyment and are matched closely to the children’s level of understanding. Teachers make use of every opportunity to encourage children to count, to recognise numerals and to do simple addition and subtraction as they play. For example, when ‘fun singing’ together, children use their fingers to count up and down as well as act out such as “five little freckled frogs” and “one elephant went out one day…” developing and consolidating their understanding of ‘one more’ and ‘one less’. Good use is made of a range of computer programs to reinforce learning in all areas of mathematics and children use these independently. In child directed activities children make good use of the sand and water trays to investigate capacity and volume. This very good teaching promotes very good progress.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

71. Children's natural curiosity is nurtured by effective teaching that gives plenty of opportunities for them to explore the natural and man-made environment. For example, using the stimulus of the topic ‘The Jungle’ children have been finding out about plants and animals, the climate, what you need to survive and where ‘jungles’ are on the globe. Activities are planned to enable children to investigate a backpack, recognising what would be useful in the jungle and how they would help survival. Artefacts such as a compass to help you find your way, long trousers to keep snakes and biting insects away, a hat and sun cream to protect you from sunstroke, a pair of binoculars to enable you to see birds and creatures high in the trees and a telephone to call for help, were included. Children used this backpack in their role-play, travelling through the jungle to a ‘tree house’, imagining all the creatures they would see, how they

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

moved and what they would eat. Children use construction materials competently to build recognisable structures and vehicles. What would be the best vehicle to get through a dense jungle? They use computers regularly to reinforce work on all areas of learning, using the mouse and keyboard with expected levels of confidence.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

72. Staff-led activities are used well to teach and establish new vocabulary related to the topic. Learning is good, and often very good, in activities led by the teacher. Good planning ensures that the children are encouraged to explore and apply what they have learned through activities of their choice.

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Physical development

73. Children control a range of equipment with skill and confidence and an awareness of space. In the dance lesson seen, children showed good co-ordination and control as they travelled under, over and through different levels. They listen well to instructions and learn the routines of physical education lessons, paying good attention to safety, especially when moving rapidly round the room as an elephant or snake. Finer physical skills are less well developed than would be expected as children enter the school but good teaching ensures that now most pupils can hold tools such as scissors, pencils and paintbrushes correctly.

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Physical development

74. The quality of teaching in the dance lesson was good, enabling the children to achieve well. Warm-up activities help children to recognise changes as they exercise. Good support and encouragement is used to help children to refine and improve movements, including demonstrations by particular children. Class management is good and children listen and behave well; this has a positive effect on their learning. Activities in the classroom are well chosen to develop children’s fine physical skills. For example, in mathematics children cut round giraffes of different sizes and colour them in, keeping within the shapes before ordering them by size. Assessment is used well to identify children who need extra support in developing control with hand-held implements.

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Creative development

75. Achievement is satisfactory in this area of learning. Opportunities are given for children to express their feelings through a range of media and materials as well those to explore and experiment to which supports Bushmead Primary School - 33 children to develop their fine physical skills. Most of the examples of artwork seen on display in classes are outcomes of structured activities rather than free painting and drawing, so there is insufficient evidence to judge the quality of this aspect of children’s creative development. Children know a wide range of songs and rhymes and sing together with real enjoyment. Their response to music and rhythm is good when, for instance, they listened to and matched the sounds from a range of percussion instruments to ‘jungle’ sounds, choosing those that match a range of creatures, considering their movement and size and to make a good attempt at performing together. Through the sensitive intervention of adults, children

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Creative development

are learning to play together imaginatively in the role-play areas, for instance, with the nursery nurse going through the jungle to the ‘tree house’.

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Creative development

76. Teachers' planning shows that a good range of activities is provided to enable children to express their feelings whilst they explore and create. Children have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of materials to create colourful and attractive collages. Children enjoy singing because of the obvious enthusiasm of the staff who join in with the actions. The staff’s involvement contributes to children’s good progress in developing tuneful singing and a sense of rhythm. Thoughtfully prepared role-play areas are linked well to the class topic to enable children to build on their own experiences through imaginative play.

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ENGLISH

77. In the National Curriculum tests at age seven in 2002, overall standards in reading were well below the national average and were very low in writing. In the tests at age 11, overall standards in English were also very low. At both age seven and 11, few pupils attained the higher levels, Level 3 and Level 5. Inspection findings highlight a similar picture in the current Year 2 and 6 classes. Pupils’ attainment in English at age 7 is below national expectations and at age 11 is well below that expected. Standards in writing, in particular are depressing overall standards.

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ENGLISH

78. Significant inconsistencies in the quality of teaching, low expectations of pupils’ abilities, in particular that of potentially the higher attainers, and insecure use of ongoing checks on pupils’ progress contribute to these low standards. As a result, pupils make unsatisfactory progress over time. The progress that pupils with special educational needs make, however, is satisfactory and pupils attain standards that are in line with their capabilities.

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ENGLISH

79. Standards of speaking and listening are below national expectations at the end of Years 2 and 6. Too many lessons are teacher directed and do not give pupils enough opportunities to develop their speaking skills. There is no planned programme for the development of speaking and listening as a discrete activity; progress is unsatisfactory with many pupils not developing their awareness of the listener or their abilities to speak with confidence. In lessons where pupils are encouraged to participate in discussions for example, as seen in a Year 1 class when pupils were asked to brainstorm what they might find in a non fiction book, they talked with animation, their replies showed insight and they became very interested in the text they were reading. Similarly, in a Year 5 class when given opportunities to talk about the text they had read, pupils spoke animatedly about feelings of panic, excitement and fear. Discussions

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ENGLISH

with individual pupils during the inspection period show that many of them are keen to enter into conversations, they are happy to talk to adults on a range of issues and are genuinely interested and interesting. Pupils for whom English is an additional language participate well in discussions and in ‘one to one’ conversations and they make good progress in spoken English over time.

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ENGLISH

80. By the end of Years 2 and 6, attainment in reading for both average and potentially higher attaining pupils is in line with national expectations: there is little evidence of pupils reaching the higher levels of attainment. Lower attaining pupils are reading at levels that are in line with their current abilities and their attainment, although below national expectations, is not significantly so. The majority of pupils are enthusiastic readers and they enjoy reading. They talk about characters and events in the stories they have read and many of them have favourite authors. Parents hear their children read regularly and this is contributing well to the progress that pupils make.

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ENGLISH

81. Younger pupils in Year 1 know the letters of the alphabet and most know how to sound out and build up words. Support staff work extremely effectively with lower attaining pupils on early literacy support programmes, helping them to make satisfactory progress in relation to their abilities. By the end of Year 2 Bushmead Primary School - 34 many pupils use pictures, phonics and context to help read texts and have built up a sight vocabulary. Potentially higher attaining pupils, however, do not read with expression, their understanding of differences between fiction and non-fiction books is insecure and they do not use books often enough to find out things for themselves.

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ENGLISH

82. In Years 3 to 6 most pupils read a variety of texts accurately and have an understanding of significant themes. In Year 3 for example, pupils describe the moral of ‘The Hare and the Tortoise’, whilst in Year 5 pupils identify the key elements of ‘legends’ such as in the story of Odysseus. Many pupils have under- developed library skills, are unable to find books on particular subjects and some pupils do not yet know the difference between content pages and indexes.

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ENGLISH

83. Pupils’ attainments in writing are below national expectations by the end of Year 2 and well below national expectations by the end of Year 6. Pupils’ progress in writing is poor, despite the school having identified this element of the curriculum as a priority. Furthermore, although boys and girls make similar rates of progress in other aspects of English, boys’ writing develops at a slower pace than that of girls. In some classes in Years 1 and 2, pupils are given opportunities to write in different ways. In Year 1 for example, pupils write poems, retell familiar stories such as ‘Billy Goats Gruff’ and write descriptions of Fireworks and in Year 2, pupils describe characters from Goldilocks. However, in other classes there is an over dependence on worksheets and the completion of grammatical exercises. Many pieces of writing consist of no more than a couple of sentences.

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ENGLISH

84. In Years 3 to 6, the inconsistency in pupils’ progress continues. In Year 3, pupils write in a range of styles, complete diaries, compose ‘Silent’ poems and write play scripts entitled ‘The Haunted House’. Some of this work is broadly in line with that expected for their age. In one Year 4 class however, an over emphasis on grammatical exercises and worksheets is not supporting the development of pupils’ writing skills. When extended writing is the focus for learning, the pupils are unable to sustain ideas or write in complex sentences. In Year 5, pupils’ written work is hampered by poor presentation; handwriting is currently being taught well but pupils do not apply what they have learnt to their own work. Pupils in Year 6 struggle with applying skills they have been taught, for example those in editing. Pupils’ spelling is poor, words are not chosen imaginatively and use of punctuation is inconsistent. Across Years 3 to 6, the

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ENGLISH

purpose and organisation within writing is weak.

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ENGLISH

85. Pupils’ attitudes to their work are generally satisfactory, the majority of them settle to work quickly although for some of them concentration spans are short. In some year groups, where too much time is spent listening to the teacher, where work set is unimaginative or lacking in challenge and explanations are not clear, pupils’ attitudes deteriorate. Some pupils also approach their written work in a passive manner and, whilst not disruptive, they do not exert themselves.

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ENGLISH

86. Satisfactory teaching was seen in half of lessons and very good teaching was seen in one lesson. The overall quality of teaching throughout Years 1 to 6 is, however, unsatisfactory. Teachers’ planning, use of support staff, resources and homework is satisfactory. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the teaching of basic skills, particularly in writing, is not secure in some year groups and this is hampering pupils’ progress. The use of national guidance with reference to ‘Grammar for Writing’ is underdeveloped and is weak overall. Management of pupils is also unsatisfactory in some classes. Pupils are not challenged sufficiently and teacher expectations are often too low, as evidenced in the activities provided and in the lack of differentiation in planned activities. Assessments are not being used to move pupils’ learning forward. Marking of work is inconsistent across the school and whilst there is evidence of target

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ENGLISH

setting in pupils’ books, this is not as yet impacting on standards.

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ENGLISH

87. In lessons in Years 1, 3 and 5 where teaching was at its best there was a good focus on learning with work matched to the pupils’ different abilities. Teachers managed behaviour well through interesting and well- thought out activities. Pace of lessons was sometimes good with an appropriate balance of the teacher teaching and pupils having time to practice the skills taught.

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ENGLISH

88. The school has received considerable advice, input and support from the LEA’s literacy consultant during the past two years, but this has not significantly impacted on improving the quality of teaching. Inspection evidence indicates that this is because the recommendations made by the consultants are not being implemented with sufficient rigour, nor is there enough checking to ensure that teachers are Bushmead Primary School - 35 following up on and implementing the training they have been provided with. The teaching of literacy across the curriculum is also weak and low levels of ability in writing are hampering the pupils’ progress in some other subjects. The use of information and communication technology to support work in English is poor. There is little evidence of word processing skills being used.

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ENGLISH

89. The role of the co-ordinator is under-developed and is unsatisfactory overall and this needs addressing as a matter of urgency. Whilst some monitoring of planning takes place there have been too few opportunities for monitoring of classroom practice and pupils’ work. This has recently been hampered by staff illness. Furthermore senior managers have not implemented the LEA’s recommendations linked to improving the school’s own monitoring.

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MATHEMATICS

90. Pupils’ standards in mathematics are not high enough. National Curriculum tests for pupils at the end of Year 2 in 2002 show that overall standards in mathematics are well below those achieved nationally. Results at the end of Year 6 are well below those achieved nationally. Inspection evidence from lesson observations, talking to pupils and scrutiny of pupils’ work clearly indicate that standards presently being achieved in Year 2 and Year 6 remain well below national expectations. However, between 2001 and 2002 the proportion of pupils attaining the expected Level 4 rose from 38 per cent to 50 per cent. The number of pupils achieving the higher Levels 3 and 5 at age seven and 11 is well below the national average. The current Year 6 pupils have experienced several changes of class teacher, which is also having a detrimental effect on their achievement over time.

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MATHEMATICS

91. Pupils’ achievement from Year 1 to Year 6 is like a roller coaster, with more ‘downs’ than ‘ups’ in crucial year groups. Overall, pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory. Pupils enter Year 1 with a below average understanding of numbers. As a result of very good teaching in Year 1 that builds successfully on the very good teaching in Reception, pupils achieve very well and standards attained are broadly inline with those expected. However, in Year 2 standards fall due to unsatisfactory teaching and low levels of challenge. In Year 3 standards are gradually improve and then fall again both in Year 4 and in Year 6.

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MATHEMATICS

92. The implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy is unsatisfactory. The school has received a large amount of additional support from the LEA over the last two years; however, standards have remained stubbornly low, reflecting the present fragmented implementation of the strategy. In some classes for example, the pace of the mental starter remains fairly pedestrian. The use of resources, including white boards is often ill conceived with large groups of pupils seated on the carpet for over twenty minutes being required to scribe their answers in a very confined space. Teachers do not make effective use of the last part of the lesson to consolidate and assess pupils’ learning by rushing this part or omitting it all together.

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MATHEMATICS

93. Scrutiny of pupils’ work clearly indicates that the school has rightly focused on raising standards in the basic operations of addition, subtraction and multiplication. However, other aspects, such as shape recognition and data collection, receive too little attention. The planned use of information and communication technology to support pupils’ understanding in mathematics is unsatisfactory. Most pupils have a very limited range of strategies to recall number facts accurately to one hundred. For example, in Year 5 pupils had great difficulty giving a number that, when added to fifty-seven, makes one hundred. Some higher attaining pupils achieved limited success in accurate and quick recall; however, the majority of pupils responded via a range of inaccurate guesses. In some lessons, for example in Year 2, the overuse of photocopied worksheets and low teacher expectations have a negative effect on pupil

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MATHEMATICS

progress. Potentially higher attaining pupils often undertake the same work as the average attaining pupils and consequently they underachieve because of unnecessary repetition of tasks. Pupils with special educational needs and those who learn English as an additional language, receive good support in the majority of lessons. This enables them to achieve targets set for them and therefore their progress is satisfactory.

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MATHEMATICS

94. Teaching is inconsistent in quality, ranging from very good to poor, and is unsatisfactory overall. In Year 1 teaching is very good, reflecting good planning, which clearly identifies learning tasks for each lesson. Activities are well organised and build well upon pupils’ needs and previous learning. The teaching provides a suitable balance of whole class, individual and group work. Pupils’ positive attitudes and Bushmead Primary School - 36 enjoyment are established during the initial mental mathematics session. This involves all pupils and clearly celebrates individual successes, as for example when pupils confidently counted to one hundred in correct sequence, recognising numbers and names accurately. When given one number, the majority of pupils indicated a second number that, when added to the first, would make ten. Discussions at the end of the lesson are well planned, clearly reviewing the progress pupils have made. Calm, well-organised

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MATHEMATICS

routines are very well supported by the good relationships between pupils and adults, resulting in very good behaviour. In Year 5, a good lesson included a strong link to working with numbers in real life situations for example, the number of packing boxes required to pack a given number of table tennis balls. However, this aspect of enabling pupils to see the relevance of mathematics to their everyday lives was not evident in many lessons. The consistent use of homework is developing in Year 5, which, when given consistently and checked by the class teacher, has a direct good effect on consolidating previous learning.

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MATHEMATICS

95. The unsatisfactory , and sometimes poor, teaching observed in lessons in some Year 2, 4 and 6 has classes has several common shortcomings. Often inappropriate activities were selected which do not build upon pupils’ prior attainment. This was the case for example, in a Year 6 lesson when pupils were set the task of multiplying hundreds, tens and units and many pupils had not previously learned how to do this successfully. In Year 2, work lacked challenge and tasks were not clearly explained at the start of the lesson due to weaknesses in the teacher’s subject knowledge. The use of time is poor as seen for example in Year 4 where pupils remained inactive on the carpet for long periods, resulting in poor behaviour due to restlessness and boredom. In these lessons, the final part of the lesson was reduced to less than five minutes, which fails to provide opportunities for pupils to talk about their work or to revisit the main

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MATHEMATICS

teaching points. In these lessons the development of pupils’ mental mathematics skills lacks progression and teachers miss opportunities to encourage pupils to extend their thinking: an incorrect answer is dismissed as ‘wrong’, without exploring pupils’ strategies and building on these to help children find out why their answers are wrong and the teachers understand how pupils are thinking. Although appropriate mathematical language is outlined in teachers’ planning, this is not always shared with pupils. The weaker and less exacting lessons also lack challenge and pace, sometimes resulting in pupils’ loss of interest.

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MATHEMATICS

96. Resources are good are, well organised, accessible and clearly labelled. These good resources have yet to be used effectively in all classes to have a marked effect on the implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy and efforts to raise attainment. Classroom displays are limited and fail to promote pupils’ mathematical interest or celebrate their work.

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MATHEMATICS

97. The use of assessment is unsatisfactory. There are developing systems that include the use of test material and the subsequent setting of projected targets; however these do not relates sufficiently to pupils’ actual learning nor is assessment used consistently to plan work for pupils of different abilities. In the majority of classes, marking of pupils’ work by teachers is minimal and does not support pupils in knowing how they can improve. There are few well-planned activities that encourage pupils to apply mathematics skills in other subjects.

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MATHEMATICS

98. Leadership and management of the subject is ineffective in raising standards. Time has been allocated to the subject co-ordinator to enable some monitoring and support to be available to teachers in the classroom as well as at the planning stage. Monitoring however fails to check on and evaluate the standards and progress being achieved by various ability groups within each class, so the overall picture of pupil achievement is, at best, clouded.

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SCIENCE

99. In the tests in 2002, the percentage of pupils in Year 6 who attained the expected Level 4 was well below the national average. A very low proportion of pupils attained the higher Level 5. In Year 2, teacher assessment indicated that the proportion of pupils attaining both the expected Level 2 and the higher Level 3 was well below the national average.

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SCIENCE

100. Inspection evidence shows that standards and progress in science are variable across the school. In some classes, pupils make very good progress to attain standards are in line with those expected, but because of erratic progress, standards are still below those expected at age seven and 11. In part, this Bushmead Primary School - 37 failure to raise standards is due to the school's inability to present challenging enough work for pupils, particularly the potentially higher attaining pupils, in many classes across the school. The school is, however, effective in the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs: the good quality support that they receive in most lessons, enables them to engage purposefully in the practical activities, thus they make satisfactory progress in relation to their prior attainment.

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SCIENCE

101. Pupils in Year 1 are making very good progress in science, building on the very good start they have had in the Foundation Stage, and standards here are in line with what would be expected and achievement is good. Pupils accurately identify and classify materials by their properties, observing objects carefully and using a correct scientific vocabulary. This is because teachers are very well prepared with practical activities for every ability group, with interesting resources for pupils to study, and because pupils are given sufficient time to explore and handle their objects guided by teacher's use of challenging questions. Pupils are interested and they concentrate and work very well together because they have such good relationships with their teachers and each other, and because "fun" strategies are used to keep them focused on their tasks. Reflective moments are well planned, such as inviting pupils to listen to calming

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SCIENCE

music as they work in their groups to ‘help them think’.

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SCIENCE

102. This very good progress is not being maintained in Year 2, where pupils’ progress falls off. Discussion with pupils shows many have a secure understanding of scientific processes. They can explain, for example, the forces of push and pull and how an object can be moved or stretched with elastic bands. They know how to make predictions. In a lesson seen in Year 2, pupils’ although the lesson was well planned with good quality practical activities, pupils’ behaviour was not well managed and they took a long time to settle to their activities. The pace of the lesson then slowed and many good opportunities for learning were lost because the teacher's attention was diverted to deal with disruption from a significant minority of pupils.

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SCIENCE

103. In Year 3 to 6 the picture is a similar one. Current standards are at least satisfactory in Years 3 and 5, where teaching is satisfactory or better and pupils are making good progress. Standards plateau in Year 4 and to a greater extent in Year 6. There are some very positive recent improvements, however. Most teachers now plan well together and are putting a greater emphasis on giving pupils a wider range of practical work. There are good examples of investigative work and pupils being encouraged to record their own views and ideas in their own way, rather than having their responses limited by simple worksheets. This is paying off as pupils say they are interested in their science work when this happens. Inspection evidence shows that, where behaviour in investigative work is well managed, lessons are successful; pupils enjoy their work and learn well. In Year 3, for example, pupils used appropriate

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SCIENCE

scientific vocabulary to describe how they set up their own independent investigations about magnetism, starting from their own key questions. This task challenged their scientific understanding and enabled them to develop a better knowledge. In Year 5 pupils effectively set up and conducted enquiries comparing rates of evaporation under different conditions. In pairs they enthusiastically brainstormed ideas of how to set up their own experiments and in plenary confidently share their proposals and predictions with the rest of the class.

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SCIENCE

104. There are areas, however that need immediate attention. Teaching is not as successful in some classes in the upper school. This occurs for several reasons. Planned work is sometimes mundane, repetitive, and has insufficient challenge, particularly for potentially higher attaining pupils in Year 6, causing them to become disengaged and go off task. In some classes behaviour management is weak and where this happens, the flow of the lesson is disrupted and learning is affected. Sometimes, good opportunities to promote pupils’ personal development are missed; for example in a lesson in Year 6 pupils were thrilled to see the bread that they had made, but disappointed that they could not eat it because it was made under unhygienic conditions. Pupils across Years 3 to 6 are not encouraged sufficiently to apply their ICT or numeracy skills to collect and analyse data. Pupils in Year 6 say they have covered the same work on

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SCIENCE

magnetism and evaporation several times, as they have moved up the school and although they have good recall of this work, their recall of other work covered is scant, indicating that in the past at least systems to ensure the planned curriculum has been followed, have not been implemented.

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SCIENCE

105. A new curriculum plan has recently been put in place providing good guidance for teachers who now plan their lessons well. Management of the subject overall, however, is unsatisfactory. This is because the co-ordinator does not have a clear understanding of where attainment lies across the school, because Bushmead Primary School - 38 there has been no monitoring of standards, teaching or learning. It is also because there is no formal system for checking pupils’ progress that would enable work to be matched to the ability of individual pupils and to drive standards up. Some teachers, for example those in Year 1, have established their own rigorous system of assessment. This is providing them with a clear picture of where pupils are at when they wish to report to parents, and, is helping them plan work at the right ability levels. This good practice is not applied throughout the school. Bushmead Primary School - 39

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ART AND DESIGN

106. Evidence from work seen indicates that pupils in Years 1 to 4 make sound progress in art and design and pupils’ attainments are in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2 and 4. In Years 5 and 6 only one piece of work from last term was available for scrutiny and no past teaching plans were available. Work in pupils’ sketchbooks provides little information about standards and progress in Years 5 and 6 as recent entries suggest pupils have been allowed to use these as a casual drawing book, rather than a record of the development of taught skills. In Years 1 and 2, pupils demonstrate competence in using a range of media and techniques. For example , they produce observational drawings of constructions they have previously made using building bricks. They use colour mixing effectively to create pictures on the theme of autumn. There is some good printing work using a range of techniques and printing materials,

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ART AND DESIGN

and some good quality paintings of hats and shoes. In Years 3 and 4, finished work shows sound development of the skills in printing. Pupils sometimes create fairly complex and effective patterns, as for example in those using pencil shading. Portraits show some good use of colour mixing to create skin tone and indicate that focussed attention has been given to teaching the skills of proportion and perspective.

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ART AND DESIGN

107. In the three art lessons seen during inspection, in Year 1, 4 and 5, teaching and learning were good. Lessons started promptly, were well organised and pupil management was very effective. Good attention was given to teaching skills and pupils had plenty of time to practise and to get on with their own work. Good opportunities were provided for pupils to appreciate the work of other artists and learn from their techniques. In all three of these lessons, pupils with special educational needs, including some pupils with a statement of special educational need, were seen to produce work of a good standard. This provided an important opportunity for them to succeed and to show their talents to their classmates and in each of the lessons, they were well motivated and their teachers and support assistants encouraged them well. Discussion and evaluation of each other’s work ensured that all pupils learned to respect the

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ART AND DESIGN

efforts and achievements of pupils of all abilities.

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ART AND DESIGN

108. Teachers are well supported in their teaching because the school’s scheme of work is very clear and detailed and provides good guidance for non-specialists. The co-ordinator has worked hard to put this together, in order to endeavour to ensure progression in pupils’ learning as they move up through the school. Resources are good and art is timetabled regularly in each class. The only factor that limits pupils’ progress over time is that some teachers would appear to choose not to follow the timetable. The subject makes a positive contribution to pupils’ spiritual, social and cultural development. This could be extended if more opportunities for artwork were provided.

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ART AND DESIGN

109. The co-ordinator leads the subject with good subject knowledge and enthusiasm and provides effective advice for teachers. A weakness in management is that she does not monitor pupils’ work and teachers’ planning to ensure that all pupils receive their full entitlement to the curriculum.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. Pupils attain standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 that are below the nationally expected levels for their ages due to the subject’s low status on the timetable during a time when the school has rightly focused on raising standards in literacy and numeracy. Only two lessons were observed during the inspection. Further evidence was gained from looking at teachers’ planning, pupils’ work and discussions with staff and pupils. Pupils’ progress over time is unsatisfactory because pupils do not spend enough time on the subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111. In some aspects pupils receive a sound start in developing the skills they need. In Year 1 for example, they learn to make party hats that are fit for the purpose using a range of suitable materials. Scissors are held correctly when cutting paper and the final designs decorated by using a good range of suitable materials. In Year 3 there are some elements of satisfactory progress seen when pupils design a moneybox. There are, however, weaknesses in pupils’ ability to design, plan and evaluate because there is a lack of cohesion to the curriculum and the skills pupils need are not taught in a systematic way. In a Year 6 lesson, pupils enjoyed the manufacture of paper structures in the form of columns and flat sections, recording the weights these could support before collapsing. A suitable link with mathematics and science was established as one group of pupils found that the wider the span between supports, the

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Bushmead Primary School - 40 less weight could be taken and that round sections of paper are stronger than simple flat sections of the same material. Pupils are very keen and eager to talk about their work and they enjoy activities: in the few lessons seen pupils concentrated hard on their tasks.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112. The limited teaching observed during the inspection was satisfactory; however, evidence indicates that the subject has not been taught systematically across the school. Pupils’ progress over time is compromised because skills are not developed systematically and pupils’ progress is not assessed effectively so that tasks build on what pupils know and can do. Many pupils have not been taught the skills they need, for example, cutting accurately to a given outline or how to evaluate and improve their finished products. Where teachers are secure in their subject knowledge and are interested in the subject, then pupils make progress in the lessons taught. There is little evidence of the use of information and communication to support pupils’ work in design and technology.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113. The subject has suffered from a lack of clear leadership and a lack of monitoring means the school does not have a firm grip on standards or the quality of teaching and learning. Resources are barely adequate as there is a limited range of tools for cutting and shaping materials.

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GEOGRAPHY

114. Pupils make unsatisfactory progress during their time at the school and the majority of pupils attain standards that are below the national expectations by age seven and 11 because pupils in several classes have only completed a very small amount of work and have not been given enough opportunities to develop the required concepts, skills and understanding.

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GEOGRAPHY

115. The curriculum follows national guidance but there are indications that this is not being taught in depth. Discussion with pupils in Year 2 reveal that they have a limited knowledge of the geography of their school and they know that they live in England. However, they have little knowledge and experience of using mapping and can make few informed observations about features in the immediate locality. Scrutiny of the work in Year 1 and 2 reveals that pupils in Year 1 have examined the sorts of clothes that are appropriate for warm weather, the types of vehicles that work best on land, at sea and in the air, and the different places in the world that pineapples come from. Pupils ’ in Year 2 have produced a map of the United Kingdom showing its constituent countries and have observed and recorded weather during a given week.

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GEOGRAPHY

116. Teaching is enabling pupils Years 3 to develop a suitable knowledge of pollution and other environmental issues and they can explain reasons why we should recycle as much as we can. They design an attractive range of stickers to promote recycling and take full advantage of the opportunities that are provided for them to conduct their own research into the recycling of glass and plastic. In a lesson seen in Year 4 on the same topic however, the pupils did not develop a clear understanding of the concepts being studied and had little understanding of the key vocabulary being used or the task set because the teaching was unsatisfactory. As a result most pupils were unable to design an “eye catching” poster to encourage people to recycle products. Furthermore there wasn’t an expectation that the pupils in Year 4 would produce work of a higher standard on this topic than pupils in the Year 3 classes. No teaching was seen

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GEOGRAPHY

in Years 5 and 6 but past work and discussions with a group of pupils show they have undertaken a comparative study of St Lucia. Discussions with pupils showed that most could not find St Lucia on a map of the world and could not name either the continents or the main oceans and seas. These pupils have only a simple knowledge of the local area and their knowledge of maps does not include a clear understanding of either scale or a key. Pupils’ technical vocabulary is very limited and pupils experienced difficulty comparing and contrasting features St Neot’s and St Lucia.

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GEOGRAPHY

117. Across Years 1 to 6 pupils’ progress is unsatisfactory because the subject has not been given sufficient emphasis and has not been allocated enough curriculum time. In the two lessons seen teachers’ subject knowledge highlighted weaknesses. Teachers’ expectations could be higher and this is reflected in the quality of marking particularly in Year 6 where pupils' work is not always marked and when it is, the marking does nothing to encourage pupils to apply themselves and to produce work of an acceptable standard. In the two lessons seen , pupils’ enjoyment of the subject and their enthusiasm was directly linked to the quality of the teaching. In one lesson which was carefully planned and interesting, pupils Bushmead Primary School - 41 applied themselves with vigour and produced work of an appropriate standard, but in the second lesson because teaching was not effective pupils were inclined not to listen and to go off task.

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GEOGRAPHY

118. The planned curriculum is sufficiently broad, but geography is not given sufficient prominence in the curriculum to enable pupils’ to have an in depth understanding of topic they cover. There is also too little emphasis on fieldwork that would help to bring the subject alive and promote enjoyment. The leadership and management of the subject are unsatisfactory as there is no active co-ordinator, no agreed procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ progress and no monitoring of teaching and learning or curriculum coverage.

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HISTORY

119. During this half term, history is taught in Years 1, 2, 5 and 6. Lessons were seen in each of these year groups. Evidence gathered from lessons, from talking with pupils and the analysis of a fairly limited amount of pupils’ past work, indicates that pupils’ attainment at age seven is in line with national expectations and at age eleven it is below national expectations. Pupils’ progress is, however , uneven and is unsatisfactory overall. This is a result of number of factors: some unsatisfactory teaching; disruptions to some pupils’ education because of frequent changes of teacher, as well as a lack of attention to ensuring the history curriculum is taught in sufficient depth and work in each year group builds on and extends pupils’ previous learning.

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HISTORY

120. Teaching is very variable, ranging from very good to unsatisfactory and unsatisfactory overall. The teaching was at it best in Year 1 and Year 5. In both lessons seen here, very good attention was given to key historical skills and the use of secondary sources. The support staff were particularly well deployed to encourage pupils’ learning. What made the teaching and learning in Year 5 particularly good was the teacher’s high expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour and very good use was made use of available time to maximise all pupils’ learning. In the lesson introduction the teacher built on pupils’ homework and their previous learning. Video footage, about Life in London during the Blitz, was well chosen and the teacher explained clearly what pupils should look out for, interjecting occasionally throughout to clarify and check on what pupils understood. All pupils, boys in particular, were fully engaged and the video

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HISTORY

prompted them to want to find out more. As a result, when set some research tasks to do, the higher attaining pupils were well motivated and got on with their work, leaving the teacher and support staff time to focus on supporting and extending other pupils’ learning.

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HISTORY

121. In a very good lesson in Year 1, pupils made very good strides in their learning. They were completely captivated to see their teacher dressed up as a housemaid and acting out the role, which included performing a clog dance! This provided pupils with an exciting experience and an example of living history. Pupils then went on to explore other artefacts and to develop a better understanding of chronology by placing hats and shoes in the order of when they would have been worn.

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HISTORY

122. Some of the teaching seen in Year 6 was of a satisfactory standard and provided pupils with opportunities to develop and apply their research skills. What is limiting the progress of all of the pupils in Year 6, however, is the high level of pupil disaffection and disinterest: pupils’ behaviour has deteriorated to an unacceptably low level, which also inhibits the progress of a minority of pupils who do want learn. Immediate action needs to be taken to improve attitudes and behaviour, while at the same time ensuring that the teaching inspires, interests and motivates the pupils. Discussions with Year 6 pupils also indicate a very limited knowledge of work covered last term. Teaching seen in Year 2 was unsatisfactory. In a lesson on chronology the planning was sound, the teacher’s explanations, however, were not always clear and the task and exposition did not match the learning objective identified.

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HISTORY

123. In lesson in Year 5 and 6 pupils used books and information and communication technology appropriately to research information. Reference books were of good quality and well matched to pupils' reading abilities. Scrutiny of pupils’ past work however, shows pupils have few opportunities to write about their work in history and some of the recorded work is of poor standard and, poorly presented. This occurs not least of all because teachers in some classes give scant attention to marking pupils’ work and challenging pupils to do their best. Bushmead Primary School - 42 124. The scheme of work follows national guidance. Teachers plan work in teams but they give insufficient attention to ensuring that older pupils in each of the teams are expected to work at a higher level and produce work which clearly is of a higher standard than that of younger pupils. Although there are no formally agreed whole school systems for assessing and recording pupils’ progress, where teaching is

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HISTORY

good individual teachers’ questioning is used effectively to assess their pupils’ progress against the key skills identified in teachers’ planning. There is currently no history co-ordinator since the last one left the school. This needs to be addressed so that standards can be improved and regular checks can be made on pupils’ progress.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125. Standards are in line with those expected for pupils across Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 and pupils are currently making satisfactory progress in the subject. In Years 5 and 6 standards are below national expectations and pupils in these year groups still have some catching up to do. Not many of these pupils demonstrate dexterity in their use of the keyboard, even the most experienced pupils are still using one finger to type and spending some considerable time locating letters. There is no discernible difference between the standards of boys or girls or those from different ethnic backgrounds. Pupils with special educational needs generally make the same progress as the rest of their classes.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126. Pupils are generally competent in their use of computers within the computer suite. Pupils in Year 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were seen using the suite and they could all access computer programmes following instructions from their teachers. They select from a menu, complete their task and log off, leaving the computer ready for the next user. Pupils use a mouse to move the cursor round the screen and click the correct button on the mouse to highlight and move text. Pupils recognise a range of icons – cut, paste, file and spell check - and use the mouse to control the cursor to activate these different tools. Many older pupils save their work and exit efficiently from programmes at the end of lessons. Only a very limited amount of work was seen in books that showed information and communication technology supporting other curriculum areas. Few pupils have folders demonstrating the range of the taught curriculum or the different skills practised.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Although each classroom, as well as the computer suite, has Internet access, there is little too little evidence of the development of researching skills or pupils drafting and editing directly on the computer. There is clear evidence of pupils now being taught how to use databases and spreadsheets but standards by age eleven are below those expected. Throughout the school there is as yet evidence of pupils learning to use the e-mail facility.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127. Other communication equipment is used throughout the school. Pupils have access to mobile computer units, ‘roamers’, to develop control skills. Classes have overhead projectors and tape recorders but again there is little evidence of pupils having independent access to this equipment.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

128. The curriculum is drawn from a published scheme of work and is broadly planned so that, as they move through the school, pupils should build up a good skills base across a wide range of information and communication technology equipment . Unfortunately, not all teachers have as yet completed training to ensure they have the skills, knowledge and understanding to enable pupils to do so and the frequent turnover of staff in certain classes has resulted in big gaps in the systematic and progressive development of some pupils’ knowledge and skills.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

129. Teaching was at least satisfactory in all but one lesson with some good teaching in one lesson and very good teaching in two lessons. When the teaching was at its best as for example in Years 1, 3, and 5 teachers and support staff have good skills of their own and have high expectations of pupils so that they develop confidence as well as a secure skills base across a range of techniques. They encourage pupils to ‘have a go’, having high expectations of pupils’ ability to use the equipment correctly. Pupils enjoy the opportunities they have to experiment independently within these practice sessions and the result is an improving understanding of their work. In an unsatisfactory lesson, the pace was slow as efforts to control pupil’s’ behaviour superseded subject development and the teachers over directed pupils in an attempt to control them.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

130. A new co-ordinator has recently taken over leadership and management of the subject. Her knowledge and skills are good and she is encouraging teachers to draw on her expertise to enhance the quality of their lessons. She has no discrete time to monitor the quality of teaching and learning throughout the Bushmead Primary School - 43 school or give support to teachers during lessons, which is a weakness. Training for staff using the New Opportunities Funding is planned in the near future and, the co-ordinator and the external provider have drawn up a programme of study based on teachers’ needs.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

131. Resources are good and are continuing to be updated. Besides the equipment in the computer suite, including peripherals such as the scanner and printers, all classrooms have at least two computers each. Unfortunately, the chairs and workbenches in the suite are of fixed height. This results in smaller pupils leaning back and stretching their necks and arms to see the screen and to use the keyboard, while older and taller pupils have to stoop to see the screen and this causes unnecessary strain on the neck and spine. All machines have access to the Internet. The co-ordinator is still to check that all parents and pupils have completed an Internet awareness and protection document in line with recent changes in policy

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MUSIC

132. Attainment for seven-year-olds is broadly in line with national expectations, whilst for eleven year olds it is below that expected. In Years 1 to 3 pupils make satisfactory progress. In Years 4 to 6 however, pupils’ progress is unsatisfactory because the provision is unsatisfactory due to the irregularity of lessons.

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MUSIC

133. Pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 are taught by the music coordinator and have regular opportunities to sing and play instruments. As a result they sing with confidence. They learn songs by heart and can accompany their singing by clapping out rhythms and maintaining steady beats on percussion instruments. They listen appreciatively to music and describe in simple terms how it makes them feel. In discussions with pupils they display an enthusiasm for the subject and are eager to perform to adults. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language are fully included in lessons and they make satisfactory progress.

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MUSIC

134. In Years 4 to 6, there is a lack of continuity in teaching and the curriculum and this prevents progression of pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding. In discussion with pupils a Year 6 pupils stated ‘I think it is one of the most fun lessons we do…but we don’t do it very often’. Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to compose music, to produce musical patterns, explore, select and organise sound. They lack expressive musical language and too few opportunities are provided for them to develop their listening and appreciating skills.

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MUSIC

135. In the two music lessons observed, teaching and learning was good in one lesson and unsatisfactory in the other. In a lesson in Year 3 taught by the music co-ordinator, subject knowledge, teaching strategies used, pace and expectations were good. As a result, pupils were enthusiastic and involved in their learning and quickly developed their use and knowledge of ‘ostinato’. In a Year 4 class, because the lesson was poorly planned, teaching techniques were unimaginative and subject knowledge was limited, very little learning took place.

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MUSIC

136. Discussions with pupils in Years 2 and 6 clearly demonstrate that they enjoy music, the older pupils in particular express a desire to learn more in this area of the curriculum. Observations in assemblies and hymn practices show they sing together tunefully with obvious pleasure. Instrumental tuition is available from the LEA music services and a small number of pupils take part in brass and violin lessons, this provision effectively enhances their learning. Management of music is satisfactory. The co-ordinator is well aware of what needs to be done and has good expertise in the subject herself. She has not had opportunities to monitor the impact of the new scheme of work on classroom practice and standards of learning. Resources for music are satisfactory.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. The rate of pupil progress varies from class to class, depending on the skill and subject confidence of the teacher, but overall pupils make satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2 and the majority attain standards that are in line with the national expectations by age seven. Pupils in Years 3-6 make similar progress, irrespective of their gender, ethnicity special needs or prior attainment. Those who learn English as an additional language also make similar progress to that of their peers. Bushmead Primary School - 44 138. Pupils in Year 1 warm up enthusiastically and travel with suitable poise, balance and control. They pick up heavy apparatus with due regard for their personal safety and work hard to improve their performance as they move around the hall. Pupils in a Year 1 class travel and balance in a variety of ways, jumping and landing on two feet with suitable control. In the one Year 2 lesson observed, pupils did not settle to the

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

tasks set, made insufficient progress and did not improve the quality of their movements.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

139. In Years 3 to 6 because insufficient attention is given to the systematic development of dance and gymnastic skills, the overall rate of progress in these areas is unsatisfactory. In swimming and games, however, the majority of pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations. There were some differences in attainments of boys and girls in some lessons seen, with girls out performing the boys in a range of dance and gymnastics activities. Pupils of all abilities generally make similar progress, although in some lessons the highest attaining pupils could have been more consistently challenged.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

140. Pupils in the Year 3 classes build effectively on the broadly satisfactory start made in Years 1 and 2. They are reasonably light on their feet when they move in dance lessons and have a suitable awareness of space. Levels of fitness are below those usually found, however, and many pupils needed to rest after only brief periods of brisk exercise. The standards observed in Year 4 classes were not as good as those in Year 3 and most pupils did not apply themselves with sufficient enthusiasm. As a result, their movements lacked sufficient balance and poise. Whilst individual pupils, particularly the girls, demonstrate appropriate gymnastic skill, the quality of performance overall was unsatisfactory, with insufficient care being given to the quality of endings. Pupils in the Years 5 and 6 showed limited skills when practising racket skills. In a lesson in Year 5 for example, most pupils could not bounce a sponge

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

ball on the floor whilst walking around the hall. However, pupils made significant progress in the lessons observed and the majority attained broadly average standards by the end of the sessions.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

141. The quality of teaching and learning in most of the lesson seen during the week of inspection was at least satisfactory and in three lessons teaching was good or very good. Where teaching was at its best, teachers’ planning was good and teachers paid due regard to safety and ensured that all the required elements were included. Teachers gave pupils ample opportunities for sustained exercise and pupils were encouraged to evaluate their performances and, because pupils were building upon their prior learning, they made at least satisfactory progress. However, some teachers lack confidence and expertise in teaching the subject. Their expectations are not always high enough. Pupils enjoy their lessons when they are well planned but they quickly become restless if they were inactive for long periods or the tasks lack sufficient challenge. In some of the weaker lessons the application of the girls was generally better

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

than that of some of the boys, who quickly lost concentration and, on occasions, became disruptive.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

142. The planned curriculum is broad and balanced and contains all of the required elements. In Year 3 to 6, however, not all skills are given enough attention. The school has identified the subject as one requiring development and further staff training. The last co-ordinator has recently left the school. The headteacher has taken over the role and he has plans to use a much more user-friendly approach which is required if skills, particularly in dance and gymnastics, are to be developed systematically as pupils move through the school. The curriculum is enhanced, for some pupils by a small number of extra-curricular sporting activities. These have a very positive impact on the learning and the standards attained by those pupils who chose to take part. These activities, plus matches against neighbouring schools, make some contribution to pupils’ moral and social development. Assessment is a weakness and despite the

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

fact that some talented individuals have been identified, the school has no effective procedures for ensuring that work is matched to the individual needs of the pupils. No monitoring of planning, teaching and learning has taken place.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

143. Pupils’ in Year 1 achieve well in religious education but there is a dip in progress in Year 2 so that by age seven they are broadly in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. In Years 3 to 6 the picture is a similar one. Pupils in Year 3, 4 and 5 attain standards that are broadly as expected, but there are some dips in pupils’ progress, particularly at Year 6, where pupils demonstrate limited recall of work covered so that standards are below expectations by the end of Year 6. Bushmead Primary School - 45 144. In Years 1 and 2 , the quality of teaching and learning varies from good to unsatisfactory. In Year 1 teaching is good and pupils learn and behave well. They are very interested in their work and achieve well. Exciting, purposeful lessons are very carefully planned to provide work that is suitable for pupils of all ability levels and this gives pupils confidence to contribute to discussion. They eagerly talk, for

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

example, about their recent visit to a local church and accurately describe the furniture they saw and its significance to Christian celebrations. They share their own prayers together in moments of reflection. They engage enthusiastically in simple role-play to enhance a Christian moral story and because the teacher asks questions very sensitively, they are able to reflect thoughtfully on the issues raised. In discussion pupils in Year 2 showed maturity and are keen to talk to visitors about their learning, but have some difficulty remembering their previous learning. They have some recall of Christian stories and some parts of the story of Rama and Sita. They describe Divali as a festival of light and remember creating Rangoli and henna hand patterns, but not the significance of them. They say they can remember work "before the long holiday". Recorded work for this year group is superficial, lacking quality and range.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

145. Across Year 3 to 6 the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Where teaching is good, as it is in Year 3, teachers have good subject knowledge, plan practical independent activities, and manage behaviour in their classes well. Pupils are encouraged and supported to share their learning at the end of lessons and, because relationships are good, this gives pupils confidence to contribute in discussion and to reflect on difficult concepts. A good example seen was when pupils showed a clear understanding of current work about the eight paths that Buddhists should follow. They knew the purpose of meditation and the need to clear the mind before practising. They understand that selfishness and anger are emotions that need to be controlled.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

146. In a lesson in Year 5 teaching and learning was at least satisfactory and pupils confidently look up Bible references, discussing the passages they find and show a developing awareness that the Bible contains many different kinds of literature. In their recorded work pupils demonstrate a range of knowledge about the Jewish faith. Teachers’ planning for spirituality is effective and this was evident for example when pupils were given opportunities to experience moments of meditation with candles and incense, and also when they were both intrigued and excited to handle Buddhist artefacts.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

147. Some pupils in the past have not received their full curriculum entitlement and now have gaps in their knowledge and understanding. The teaching in Year 5 is aimed appropriately at trying to correct this but this means less time can be given to independent work. Progression is also affected because pupils of all ability levels across two year groups, are given the same work without the expectation that the older, more able pupils in the band are capable of and will do more. Where this happens, higher attaining pupils can lose interest and disengage from their tasks.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

148. The new co-ordinator is very enthusiastic and is well organised. She has the potential to make further improvements to the provision. She is has already made major changes in the programme of work to ensure that it is fully inclusive of major world faiths. She is aware that she does not, as yet, have a good understanding of strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ work and progress across the school. This is because she has not monitored work in the subject nor has she checked whether the appropriate assessment system that she has put in place is being properly used or whether it has had any impact on standards. Lack of suitable resources has been a problem, but she is confident that she is gradually tackling this. She is also trying to increase links with local churches and the local Sikh community.

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