Highfield Primary School

HIGHFIELD 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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HIGHFIELD 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. Highfield Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Highfield Road Winchmore Hill London Postcode: N21 3HE

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: Not previously inspected Highfield Primary School - 4

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Aspect responsibilities

19115 Eileen Chadwick Registered inspector Mathematics Design and technology Educational inclusion What sort of school is it? How high are standards? a) The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further? 9779 Suzanne Smith Lay inspector How high are standards? b) Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 20142 Malcolm Childs Team inspector Science Music Religious education How well is the school led and managed?

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Aspect responsibilities

16773 Raminder Arora Team inspector English Art and design Special educational needs 21103 Val Ives Team inspector Information and communication technology Foundation stage How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Aspect responsibilities

8696 Abul Maula Team inspector Geography History Physical education English as an additional language Highfield Primary School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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Aspect responsibilities

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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Aspect responsibilities

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

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Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Highfield Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Highfield Primary School is a large primary school educating boys and girls aged between three and eleven. It serves a residential area containing privately owned and rented homes close to Winchmore Hill. Of its 410 pupils, including the 60 part time children in the Nursery, just over two-thirds come from minority ethnic backgrounds and are mainly from Turkish, Greek, or African communities. Forty-nine pupils are from refugee families mainly from Somalia or Eastern Europe. A very high proportion, over a half, speak English as an additional language. The 75 pupils who are at an early stage of learning English are mainly younger pupils. Many different languages are spoken and the main languages are Turkish, Greek, Somali and French. The rate of mobility is particularly high, with a similar number joining and leaving other than at the normal entry time. The school has an above average proportion, 98

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

pupils, on its register for special educational needs. A below average proportion, four pupils, have Statements of Special Educational Needs. Pupils' difficulties are mainly for literacy or behavioural difficulties. Over a third of the pupils receive free school meals, which is above average. Whilst the overall attainment on entry is well below average, there is a wide range of ability from well above average to low. Numbers of pupils entering the school have dropped slightly this year.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Highfield Primary School is a good school with significant strengths. The school successfully provides for the diverse community it serves. Expectations are high and the quality of teaching is often good. This leads to pupils achieving very well in English, mathematics and science by the time they leave to go to secondary school. The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide excellent leadership and direction to the school. Staff work hard and strive to ensure that pupils make good progress whatever their starting point, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. The school has rapidly improved standards in national tests since it first opened less than three years ago and has a very good capacity to continue to improve in the future. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The excellent leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher, and their very effective teamwork with senior managers and governors, are resulting in improved standards. • The quality of teaching is good and this enables pupils to make good progress and reach average standards in English, mathematics and science by the age of eleven. • The quality of teaching in Nursery and Reception is very good and this gives the children a very good start to their education, including in learning basic skills. • The very good provision for pupils’ personal development, including their moral and social development, leads to pupils behaving well and making the most of their time in school. • The quality of relationships is very good and this promotes a very high degree of racial harmony. • Parents think highly of the school. They are very pleased with the improvements made since the amalgamation.

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What could be improved

• The proportion of pupils reaching satisfactory standards in reading by the age of seven and the consistency of the development of pupils' speaking, handwriting and presentation skills through the school. • Standards in design and technology by the age of eleven and aspects of investigative science through the school. • The consistency of provision for more capable pupils. • Attendance, which is below average, and procedures for improving attendance. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Highfield Primary School - 8

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was first opened in September 2000 and has not been previously inspected. Since then much hard work has gone into raising standards and this has resulted in rapidly improving standards in National Curriculum tests. This has been brought about by very thorough management systems, including those for assessing, monitoring and improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress. There is a strong sense of purpose and clear commitment to improvement by all staff. Parents and governors are very impressed with improvements in pupils’ attitudes to school, their behaviour and their progress.

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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 N/a D C A well above average above average A B Mathematics N/a E D B average below average C D Science N/a E C A well below average E

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Key

This table shows that standards reached by eleven-year-olds improved significantly in 2002 and were well above those of similar schools in English and science and above those of similar schools in mathematics. The school has set demanding targets for the current Year 6 and is on course to reach these. Inspection shows that, compared with all schools, the current Year 6 pupils are reaching average standards in English, mathematics and science. The improved standards in mathematics are being brought about by a very thorough analysis of Year 6 pupils' performance, rigorous improvement and monitoring of teaching and learning, teaching in ability sets and improved opportunities for higher and lower attainers to make good progress. The school's results are commendable as a significant minority of pupils with limited English and special educational needs join the school as late entrants and the school works very hard to ensure these pupils catch up. Pupils make satisfactory progress and reach

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Key

average standards in all other subjects except design and technology, in which they are below average because pupils are not given enough time to learn the subject.

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Key

The inspection findings for the current Year 2 pupils show overall good improvements compared with the standards reached by Year 2 pupils in their 2002 national assessments. Inspection evidence shows that Year 2 pupils make good progress in English and mathematics and reach average standards in mathematics, although the standards in English are still below average. Standards are below average in science and average in all other subjects. Pupils make satisfactory progress overall in these subjects.

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Key

Children in Nursery and Reception make very good progress and reach average standards in most areas of learning. However, the proportions reaching satisfactory standards in communication, language and literacy in English and in mathematical development are still below average, despite the very good progress being made. This is mainly because a significant minority enter directly into Reception and have not had the benefit of nursery education, or they enter Reception with little English.

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Key

The school has placed much emphasis on improving standards in literacy and numeracy with success throughout the school. However, there is still work to be done in ensuring that there are consistently good opportunities for speaking in lessons, that pupils develop a consistent style of handwriting as they go through the school and that they present their work neatly. Pupils' independent science enquiry skills do not always build steadily enough. Highfield Primary School - 9 Overall, pupils’ achieve well by the time they leave the school. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make good progress. Higher-attaining pupils' progress is generally good, although inconsistent for the very able pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy school and apply themselves to their work. They thrive in the school’s learning climate because it is dedicated to helping them enjoy learning and make progress.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good throughout in lessons, at play and during lunch-times. Pupils are well mannered and polite to adults and to each other. They move around the school in an orderly way, even when not directly supervised.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Relationships between pupils and with adults are very good and result in a happy atmosphere. Pupils work well together and make joint decisions, for example during games and when running the School Council.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Unsatisfactory. Some families take holidays during term-time, which causes pupils to miss their lessons. Too many pupils arrive late.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching is good and this has a favourable effect on the pupils' attainments. Some good teaching is seen in all classes through the school, although it is not yet consistently good in each class in all year groups. The quality of teaching is nearly always good or better in Nursery and Reception. In these years careful planning links together all the areas of learning and there are very good opportunities for children to learn through talk and practical work and to develop their literacy and numeracy skills. Throughout the school teachers have high expectations, plan very well and often manage pupils well. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is well done and this accounts for the improvements in standards. Teaching programmes build systematically from lesson to lesson and assessment is used very effectively to plan work and to group pupils according to their prior attainment. Teaching in ability sets in

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Years 5 and 6 is raising attainment in English and mathematics. In the very small amount of unsatisfactory teaching seen, and in weaker aspects of satisfactory lessons, weaknesses were mainly due to a slowing of pupils' pace of learning during group work.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school provides a good, broad curriculum that is relevant to pupils. It is very good for pupils in Nursery and Reception.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with Very good assessment of pupils' needs, good planning and target setting Highfield Primary School - 10 special educational needs and rigorous extra support in literacy and numeracy result in their good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good, overall. There is good support for pupils at early stages of learning English but this is not as good for pupils at higher stages of learning English. Teachers do not always provide enough opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking skills, in small groups, through practical work.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development This is very good. Provision for social and moral development is very good whilst provision for spiritual and cultural development is good. The systematic implementation of the very good procedures for ensuring pupils behave well contributes to the happy climate for learning.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Pupils are well cared for. Procedures for child protection are very good and procedures for pupils' general health and welfare are good. Pupils' progress is monitored very rigorously in English, mathematics and science, although procedures are not as well established in other subjects.

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Aspect Comment

Parents are very pleased with the school. The school works closely with parents, who see it as a caring community and feel comfortable approaching the school with any questions.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides outstanding leadership and, in partnership with his excellent deputy headteacher, provides a very clear direction for improving the school. Both leadership and management systems are excellent. The senior staff and governors provide very good support. Subject co-ordinators' roles are developing well.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is very effective and very well led by a knowledgeable Chair of Governors. Governors are very supportive and their "critical friend" role is well developed. They hold the school to account for the standards of its work.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Excellent. The school collects, analyses and uses assessment data very thoroughly in order to make constant improvement to its teaching methods and pupils’ progress. The monitoring and support of teaching are rigorous. An important factor in the rapid pace of improvement has been the school’s ability to accurately evaluate its strengths and weaknesses and prioritise actions.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. All staff and resources are managed very well for their maximum impact on raising standards. Teachers and other staff are valued as the school’s best resource and rigorous and regular training ensures they are able to provide high quality provision. Financial management is very good and there are very good procedures for judging how well money is spent.

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Aspect Comment

The teaching staff and classroom assistants are very well deployed. Resources are satisfactory and are well used. The new computer suite provides a good quality learning resource. Although the accommodation is good in most respects, the distance of the Nursery and the dining hall from the main school causes difficulties. Highfield Primary School - 11

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The very good leadership of the headteacher. • The good teaching. • The school's high expectations for standards of work and behaviour. • Their children enjoy coming to school. • The approachability of staff. • Opportunities for extra curricular activities out- side normal school hours. • The consistency of homework and its steady increase as children get older.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with parents' positive views. The team also agrees that the quality of homework needs to be more consistent to bring it up to the standards of the best in the school. However, the inspection finds that extra-curricular activities are good. Highfield Primary School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Overall, pupils achieve well. Pupils enter school with well below average standards and it is a mark of the school's success that they reach average standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they leave to go to secondary school. By Year 6 their achievement in English, mathematics and science is very good and satisfactory overall in other National Curriculum subjects and religious education. Pupils make very good progress in the Nursery and Reception and good progress in Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) and Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6).

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The overall attainment on entry to the school is well below average. A substantial proportion of pupils join the school at an educational disadvantage mainly because of their limited English. However, this often masks the true ability of pupils and the school is quick to recognise and address this. The overall attainment on entry of children to the Nursery at three years of age, although wide ranging, is well below average. It is also well below average for pupils who enter directly into Reception not having been to the Nursery and for the high proportion of pupils who enter later throughout Years 1 to 6, a significant proportion of whom enter with limited English and, in some cases, are refugees.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. As a result of high mobility, the school has to work even harder to raise standards by the end of Years 2 and 6. For example, in the current Year 6, one third of pupils joined the school in Years 5 and 6 and the majority of these pupils had limited English or special educational needs. A similar number have left. In the current Year 2, only three-quarters had been in Reception and only a half had attended the Nursery. One quarter joined the school after Reception, often with limited English, and a significant proportion left between Reception and Year 2.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Children make very good progress throughout Nursery and Reception, although standards are still below average in communication, language and literacy in English and in mathematical development by the time they enter Year 1. Standards are average in all other areas of learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 make good progress in English and mathematics and reach below average standards in reading and writing and average standards in mathematics. These standards are higher in reading than the standards reached by Year 2 pupils in their 2002 national tests, although lower in writing. In 2002 tests, compared with all schools, pupils attained well below average standards in reading and average standards in mathematics and writing. Compared with similar schools, these standards were average in reading and well above average in writing and mathematics. Over the past two years, standards improved rapidly in writing and mathematics, although standards in reading remained static. The improved standards observed in reading, for the current Year 2 pupils, are the result of the school's thorough drive in improving reading standards. Over the last two years, in national tests, there was no significant difference

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

between the performance of girls and boys in reading, although boys did slightly better than girls in writing and mathematics. The inspection found no significant differences between the attainment or progress of boys and girls.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The assessments made by teachers in 2002 matched test results well for reading and writing but, in mathematics, test results were higher than assessments made by teachers. The assessments made by teachers showed that pupils’ speaking and listening skills and standards in science were well below average. The inspection findings show that standards in speaking and listening and science are below average and higher than 2002 results. Pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics and satisfactorily in all other subjects. However, there are still some weaknesses in investigative science, where more time is needed for pupils to systematically develop their enquiry skills. Highfield Primary School - 13 7. The inspection indicates that the school is maintaining the average standards in English and science for eleven-year-olds and standards in mathematics are also average. Inspection shows

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

that, in mathematics, higher proportions are reaching Level 4 and Level 5 than are found in 2002 national tests. This is the result of rigorous assessment of pupils' needs, the vigorous action in providing for lower and higher-attaining pupils in Year 6 and the impact of setting in older classes. The school has a significant minority of very able pupils and it is to the school's credit that, in 2002, three pupils reached Level 6 in English. The school also now provides enrichment for very able pupils in mathematics in Year 6. Pupils' overall achievement is satisfactory in all other subjects except design and technology, where not enough time is devoted to this subject, particularly in Year 6. Although the school is improving investigative science through the school, more attention is needed to the systematic development of pupils' ability to design, plan and make their own experiments.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. No significant differences were observed between the standards reached by boys and girls; however, over the two-year period since the school opened, girls outperformed boys in English, although girls did not do as well as boys in mathematics. There were no significant differences in science. The school has begun to analyse the standards reached by girls and boys and by different ethnic minorities. It has correctly identified the progress being made by different year groups, different abilities and individual pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Pupils develop their subject vocabulary well and apply their literacy skills well to science, although there is limited recorded work in religious education, history and geography. Pupils do not develop their capacity for writing at length in these subjects, especially in Key Stage 2. They do not always present their written work neatly or develop their capacity for neat handwriting and by Year 6 pupils do not use joined up script consistently. Pupils' ability to research information, through reading, is not fully developed in history and geography.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Pupils apply mathematics satisfactorily to their subjects, especially in science in Key Stage 2. They generally apply information and communication technology (ICT) satisfactorily, particularly in mathematics, where ICT is a regular feature. However, pupils do not use word processing in English often enough for enhancing their literacy skills.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Compared with their attainment on entry the standards pupils reach in English, mathematics and science represent very good achievement overall. The high expectations and excellent assessment and target setting by the headteacher and deputy headteacher for each pupil’s academic and personal development ensure that pupils make good progress. Rigorous provision for pupils with special educational needs, including extra reading programmes and the extended and adapted use of the Additional Literacy Strategy and Springboard mathematics, ensures that pupils with special educational needs make good progress. These factors, as well as setting for older pupils and consolidated periods of revision in their last year before pupils leave the school, are raising standards very well in English, mathematics and science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. Another very important aspect is that pupils with English as an additional language often make good progress. Those at an early stage of learning English make a very good start in beginning to learn the language through very good support in Nursery and Reception. Progress is generally good through the rest of the school. However, pupils who are at intermediate stages of English are not always given enough support in learning to speak English. Opportunities for speaking in small groups through practical work are often good in Key Stage 1 and the early part of Key Stage 2 but, by Year 6, time for practical subjects is more limited, for example in art and design and technology.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. Higher-attaining pupils often make good progress through the regular provision of challenging work. However, whilst this is usually good in English and mathematics, in Key Stage 1 higher- attaining pupils are underachieving in science. Very able pupils make satisfactory progress overall in Key Stage 2 but unsatisfactory progress in younger classes in English, mathematics and science because they are not yet systematically provided for, although the school is making good headway in identifying their abilities. The school has also started to identify pupils' specific talents, for example in sport or art, but is at an early stage of providing for them. Highfield Primary School - 14 Highfield Primary School - 15

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Inspection evidence confirms the views of most parents that their children like coming to school and have good attitudes to learning. Pupils are conscious of its growing status in the community and have pride in the school and a willingness to play an active part in improving the school even further. Pupils often concentrate well, enjoy the range of learning experiences provided, are enthusiastic and persist even when they find something difficult. The very positive relationships between teachers and pupils result in high levels of co-operation. However, some pupils do not present their work neatly enough.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. A significant majority of children are hindered by a lack of English language skills when they first join the school. Many have difficulty in communicating verbally in sentences of more than a few simple words. However, almost without exception, the children show an enthusiasm for learning and a willingness to adapt to school routines by the time they leave Reception. Despite high levels of pupil mobility and the limited English of a minority who enter later than Reception, pupils often adjust to school. Pupils work very well together in pairs and small teams, which enables them to learn from each other as well as developing their social skills. Pupils value the good quality extra curricular-activities, including homework club, and the take-up is good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Pupils' behaviour is good and results from staff's consistent expectations of high standards. This results in a calm, quiet environment for learning. In lessons observed behaviour was almost always at least satisfactory, nearly always good and was very good in over one third of all lessons. Although there are a few pupils with challenging behaviour, school rules are understood well and it is unusual for any pupil’s behaviour to disturb the learning of others. This is because pupils have adopted the school rules, like their teachers and are clear about rewards and sanctions. On the very few occasions when there are lapses, pupils respond very well to the strategies used. Pupils are usually well mannered, polite and courteous and, in the playground, they usually socialise and play happily. There were seven fixed term exclusions in the last year, with one pupil being excluded twice. In each case the school excluded only as a last resort when

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

other methods of modifying behaviour had not worked. Pupils show high levels of respect for their environment: displays of work and artefacts around the school are not tampered with, there is no visible graffiti and very little litter is dropped. Behaviour during visits out of school is reported as good and supports personal safety well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Relationships between pupils and with adults throughout the school are very good and there is a strong sense of community. Pupils thrive in an environment where bullying is not only unusual, but disapproved of by pupils to an extent where they have no hesitation in telling an adult if they suspect someone is being bullied. Social awareness develops very well in response to the high expectations of staff. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 are quick to notice and offer help where they see someone is feeling isolated and in need of friendship. Despite high pupil mobility, members of staff rapidly establish positive relationships with newcomers, which results in their quickly feeling secure and becoming confident. The goodwill evident between pupils enables them to express their own views and opinions with confidence. There is a very high degree of harmony throughout the wide range of cultural backgrounds present in the school community. Incidents of a racial

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

nature, for example name calling, are rare as a result of the seriousness with which staff take these. The encouragement pupils are given leads to impressive gains in social skills and willingness to take responsibility. For example, in Year 6 they willingly support staff with activities for younger pupils during ‘wet’ playtimes. Members of the newly established School Council carry out their duties responsibly. Those pupils going on residential visits planned for the summer term look forward to these.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Although levels of attendance have improved since the school opened, they are below the national average at 93.2 per cent and have not improved over the last year. Unauthorised absence has been reduced significantly because of rigorous checks done by the school when parents do not routinely provide information about their children’s absences. It is broadly in line with the national average at 0.2 per cent, although not all holidays of more than ten working days during the school year are recorded as unauthorised. Reasons for the high levels of absence include extended holidays and a high proportion of families experiencing social problems, some of whom move in Highfield Primary School - 16 and out of local hostel accommodation with little notice. There are occasional instances of parental condoned absence. Too many pupils do not arrive on time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. The overall quality of teaching and learning is good. Very nearly all lessons were at least satisfactory, over two-thirds were good and a quarter were very good, including two lessons which were excellent. As this is a new school, comparisons cannot be made with a previous inspection. However, through the rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning and pupils' progress, the school is constantly trying to improve the quality of teaching and learning and its provision. The school has, quite rightly, concentrated on improving teaching and learning in English, mathematics and science, whilst ensuring that the overall quality of teaching in other subjects is at least satisfactory. Very high priority is placed on developing teachers' subject knowledge and inspiring teachers to teach subjects, for example through mathematics and science weeks. High quality teaching and learning processes often characterise English and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Teaching is good in Key Stages 1 and 2 and very good in the Foundation Stage. In Key Stages 1 and 2 there is also some very good teaching. The teaching of pupils with English as an additional language and that for pupils with special educational needs is good. Both of these areas have high priority and the good specialist teaching and the good quality class teaching have a favourable impact on the overall standards pupils achieve and the progress they make.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Teaching and learning in Nursery and Reception are very good overall. Children are very well managed and this makes them feel secure and confident. Planning is very good and based on very thorough assessment of children's prior attainment, using the "Stepping Stones". The teachers and support assistants are sensitive to both children's personal and academic needs. Teaching methods are very effective and there is a very good balance between opportunities for play and more formally organised group and class teaching. There is a strong emphasis on children learning through practical work, developing speech and reading, mathematics, and creative development. The nursery nurses and bilingual and teaching assistants are very well deployed. They are very effective and make a valuable contribution to the children’s learning. The very good specialist teaching for children with English as an additional language provides the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

children with a very good start. The Foundation Stage staff recognise that a significant minority of children have potentially very high ability and the processes of identifying these children and providing for them has begun. There is good liaison between Reception and Year 1 teachers. The teaching in Year 1 continues to have a strong emphasis on learning through practical work and talk and continues the work of Reception very well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. In Key Stage 1 the quality of teaching is good. All lessons observed were at least satisfactory and three quarters were good, including a quarter which were very good. The quality of teaching observed in Year 1 was consistently at least good across both classes, and just over a third of lessons were very good. In Year 2, whilst the quality of teaching was good overall and always at least satisfactory, only just over a half of lessons were good, including two which were very good. The quality of teaching is not as consistently good across both classes in Year 2, including in English and mathematics, as it is in Year 1.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. In Key Stage 2 the quality of teaching is good overall. Nearly all lessons were at least satisfactory, nearly two-thirds were good and one-fifth were very good, including two excellent lessons. One lesson was unsatisfactory. The quality of teaching in Years 3 and 6 is more consistently good than in other years. The two excellent lessons were observed in music in Year 4, taught by an outside specialist teacher from the "Enfield Sings" project and in a lower-attaining maths set for Year 6 pupils. In both lessons the teachers had very good subject knowledge and were able to put their very high expectations into practice by their skilled teaching methods. The music teaching was inspirational and enabled the pupils to sing gospel songs with feeling and joy. In the Year 6 mathematics lesson, there was an excellent balance between direct skill teaching and problem solving. The pupils rose to the challenges because their learning was very well

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

matched to their previous learning and they were able to succeed continuously throughout the Highfield Primary School - 17 lesson. In both lessons the pace of learning was rapid for pupils and there was a high practical content.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Throughout the school major strengths are the way teachers make the learning relevant to pupils’ daily lives and provide interesting work so that pupils want to learn. In the most successful lessons pupils’ work often has a practical content and real-life link. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and they are often skilled when managing pupils, which promotes good learning. Teachers ensure that pupils know the purposes of lessons and they often use a good range of teaching styles, including instruction and questioning and problem solving. In the best lessons, there are also opportunities for pupils to share and discuss ideas in small groups and learn from each other. Throughout, teachers use pupils as role models effectively and the pupils know that teachers value their contributions. Teachers' planning is very good and usually they ensure work is well matched to the needs of all abilities. Teachers have very good relationships

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

with pupils and they create happy, calm and purposeful atmospheres for learning. In the most effective lessons, they give time deadlines and ensure pupils work productively throughout. Teachers often make very effective use of whiteboards so pupils can show their thinking and use high quality resources.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. However, in an unsatisfactory lesson in mathematics in Year 4 and in weaker aspects of satisfactory lessons, for example in a Year 2 mathematics lesson, there are some common features. Teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to explain and to discuss in pairs or in small groups; the practical content is more limited and very able pupils are not always provided for. A common thread in weaker aspects of lessons is that the pace of learning slows during group work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. The teaching of English and the implementation of the National Literacy Strategy are good overall. In Key Stages 1 and 2 teachers have a good understanding of how to implement the strategy and their planning is very good. Assessment is used very well to place pupils in ability groups. In Years 5 and 6 the teaching of pupils in ability sets is raising standards because pupils' learning is well matched to their needs and lessons are brisk. Teachers' subject knowledge is often good and, over time, there is a good balance between skill learning and creative work. In a very good literacy lesson in Year 5 on "Myths and Legends" the lesson built very well on pupils' previous learning and the context greatly appealed to pupils. The role modelling of reading by adults and the teacher's visual aids were of a high quality and set high standards for pupils. Pupils are given extra reading sessions, if they need to catch up. However, the teaching of handwriting is not

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

regular and the school does not follow a uniform style rigorously enough.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. The teaching of mathematics and the implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy are good overall. Lesson planning is often very good. Assessment is used very effectively to place pupils in ability groups or in the ability sets and to plan the right level of work. Strong features include high expectations of teachers, practical applications of mathematics and the systematic build up of pupils' knowledge and skills over time. Problem solving is used effectively throughout the school. A very good mathematics lesson on early multiplication in Year 2 provided a very good balance between practical activities and for the pupils to develop their mental skills. The pace of learning was just as good during the group work as in the initial whole-class session. The whole class session prepared pupils very well for their group work. In very good lessons teachers constantly check to make sure everyone understands and provide many opportunities for pupils to

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

explain their thinking. A weakness is that there are some potentially very high-attaining pupils in the infants, who are marking time in their learning because the pace of new learning for them is not as suitable as for other pupils. Although there is some suitable enrichment for Year 6 pupils, the very able pupils also mark time sometimes even when taught in the top set. This is because they have already mastered concepts during their enrichment lessons.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. The systematic programme for teachers to improve their subject knowledge has led to them having good subject knowledge in many subjects. However, there are weaknesses in some teachers' expertise in investigative science. Teachers' subject knowledge in design and technology is variable. Highfield Primary School - 18 29. The quality of teaching and learning for pupils with special educational needs is good overall. There is a suitable mixture of in-class support and specialist support by the special needs co- ordinator and teaching assistants when pupils are withdrawn and taught separately. A key to success is the strong liaison between the co-ordinator, class teachers and learning support assistants over how well pupils are learning. This information is successfully used to plan pupils' work and to move pupils forward. The learning support assistants are well deployed to support pupils with special educational needs. Setting in Years 5 and 6, the very rigorous and innovative

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

use of the Additional Literacy Strategies, extra individual and group reading sessions and Springboard are raising achievement. However, in Years 3 and 4 pupils who are well below average in mathematics do not always learn as well as the pupils who are below average as they are not given as much extra support. In class sessions the help provided by learning support assistants in mathematics is not always as good as in literacy.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30. The teaching and non-teaching staff, funded under the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant, give high priority to enabling pupils to learn English. They support pupils very well in Nursery and Reception. In the rest of the school teaching and non-teaching staff are generally aware of the need to provide bilingual pupils access to the curriculum and achievement by teaching them English. However, teachers' planning does not consistently show the levels of pupils' English needs, especially for those who are at any intermediate stage of learning English. Pupils benefit from classroom strategies such as questioning employed by many of the teachers who explain teaching points in a way that encourages all pupils to participate in activities. Some pupils also benefit from opportunities to use their home language to facilitate their subject learning and acquisition of English.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

31. Marking is usually good. It encourages pupils and tells them how they can improve in ways they can understand. Homework is satisfactory overall. However, the inspection confirms parents' views that there is not always a steady enough build up of homework for some younger pupils in Key Stage 2.

p.18

TO PUPILS?

32. The school provides a good curriculum that is balanced and broadly based, and includes all the National Curriculum subjects. The National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy are properly planned and are having a good impact on raising standards. Religious education is suitably planned from the agreed programme of work for Enfield schools. The quality and range of the learning opportunities are further enriched through educational visits and out-of-school clubs. Parents are kept up to date about curriculum matters through carefully produced newsletters, meetings and workshops held in the school.

p.18

TO PUPILS?

33. The curriculum offers children in the Nursery and Reception classes a very stimulating programme of learning experiences, which provide a good balance between structured imaginative play and more formal work. It is based on the recommended six areas of learning and gives the children a very secure start, developing positive attitudes to learning and good preparation for work in Year 1.

p.18

TO PUPILS?

34. All subjects have clear guidelines and suitable documentation is used as a basis for planning the subject areas. Strategies for planning and monitoring the curriculum are effective and undertaken by the phase and the subject co-ordinators. Any concerns are reported back to the senior management team. Subject co-ordinators produce suitable plans to identify further areas for improvement across the curriculum. Curriculum planning and monitoring ensure that pupils in the same year group in different classes have similar experiences.

p.18

TO PUPILS?

35. However, because of the school's need to raise standards in literacy and numeracy, and spend more time on literacy in particular, the school has reduced the time for some subjects and this limits the standards pupils can reach, for example in art and design and technology. Also, the plans for the development of pupils' scientific enquiry skills do not always progress steadily from class to class with enough time for the pupils to develop the ability to plan their own experiments. Highfield Primary School - 19 36. The school works successfully to ensure equality of opportunity and access to all aspects of the curriculum. A carefully prepared policy is in place, which states clearly that all pupils, regardless of gender, ethnic origin and physical or intellectual capacity, should have equal opportunities to make good progress. The policy is being implemented effectively and this is reflected in the

p.18

TO PUPILS?

provision and strategies used for supporting pupils with special educational needs and English

p.19

TO PUPILS?

as an additional language. The school has started a register for gifted and talented pupils and is planning appropriate provision and support for the pupils identified. Very good racial harmony is ensured through the effective implementation of the school’s inclusion policy.

p.19

TO PUPILS?

37. Curriculum provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and supports the learning targets identified in Individual Education Plans. The new comprehensive policy provides guidance for staff. There are no pupils for whom the curriculum is disapplied.

p.19

TO PUPILS?

38. The curriculum is enriched by the provision of a good range of learning opportunities that take place at lunchtime and before and after school. These include football, homework, dance, science, recorder and ICT clubs. They are all keenly attended. Competitive matches are played, for example, in girls' football league, which provides pupils with good opportunities to develop teamwork and personal skills. Pupils from all classes are nominated to spend time in the ‘Sanctuary’ during lunchtime, which usefully provides pupils with a quiet area in which to play board games. Annual residential visits for pupils in Years 5 and 6 give older pupils access to outdoor adventure activities and develop their self-awareness and ability to respond to the needs of others. Visitors to school, who enhance the curriculum, include theatre groups, local religious leaders, musicians and parents, who share some cultural customs with the pupils. In addition,

p.19

TO PUPILS?

the school profits from the use of the facilities for mathematics through the Tottenham Football Club’s Maths Trail project.

p.19

TO PUPILS?

39. Good provision is made for health education and drugs awareness. This is incorporated effectively within the personal, health and social education programme. The governors have adopted an appropriate policy for sex and drugs education and review its effectiveness annually.

p.19

TO PUPILS?

40. There are good links with the community that support the pupils’ personal development and learning. Parents volunteer their time to help in classrooms. The Parents Association raises extra funds, which are used for the benefit of the pupils. The school provides effective opportunities for students from local colleges, for example, teacher-training students, nursery nurses, and work experience students, to spend valuable time in school. The school has established good links with other primary schools and the local secondary school. The local authority has recognised the skills of two teachers to lead in the development of numeracy and literacy across the Borough. These teachers successfully provide training, demonstrate lessons, observe teaching and learning and give feedback in their subject areas for teachers in other schools. Constructive initiatives have been set up in partnership with the local secondary school,

p.19

TO PUPILS?

for example, in sharing expertise to promote music, art and sport in the curriculum.

p.19

TO PUPILS?

41. The provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good overall. Support for pupils' spiritual development is good. Staff receive and value pupils' ideas and encourage them to have a positive self-image. They are very good role models and inspire a sense of trust. The school provides a wide range of opportunities for pupils to find out about what they, and others, believe. Assemblies, religious education lessons, stories and visits to local places of worship all contribute to pupils’ spiritual awareness. There are suitable opportunities for reflection in assemblies and pupils respond particularly well to occasions when they listen to prayers. In subjects such as science, music and art, opportunities are provided for pupils to develop a sense of wonder at the beauty of the world. This was particularly noticeable when some of the pupils in Year 1 successfully created musical instruments that played at the pitch

p.19

TO PUPILS?

they had intended. Similarly, the way in which Year 6 pupils responded to the description of a Greek Orthodox Church lit by candles and smelling of incense was a very spiritual moment. Inspirational teaching by a teacher from the “Enfield Sings” project raised the level of Year 4 Highfield Primary School - 20 pupils’ singing beyond the average, making the resulting sound a real moment of awe and wonder for them.

p.19

TO PUPILS?

42. There is very good support for moral development. Pupils are aware that they are expected to behave well and they are proud of their good behaviour. They are taught well the difference between right and wrong, and they fully understand that it is their responsibility to behave well and also to help others to do so. There is helpful discussion about bullying and pupils know what to do if it occurs, although no examples of such behaviour were observed during the inspection. Those pupils with identified behavioural needs are set clear and appropriate targets, and the staff work hard to help them to be successful in meeting these. This results in their making particularly good progress in this aspect. The respect and sensitivity observed in religious education lessons, and which form an essential part of circle time discussions, make an important contribution to pupils’ moral development. The seriousness with which School Council

p.20

TO PUPILS?

members approach their responsibilities is a further illustration of the effectiveness of the school’s provision.

p.20

TO PUPILS?

43. The provision for pupils' social development through the daily life of the school is very good. Adults are exceptionally supportive of the pupils and have established very good relationships with them. A bond of mutual respect and trust permeates everything: people really do matter and the needs of the pupils are the prime concern. The school is particularly successful in ensuring that pupils help and care for one another: older pupils readily help younger ones. In class and elsewhere, pupils are effectively encouraged to work together and support the whole school community. They are encouraged to take responsibility and develop their independence. They do this well in many ways; for example, when the pupils take on specific jobs for the whole school, such as operating the music system in assembly, or in their classes. The degree of social cohesiveness that has been achieved is quite remarkable, given the relatively short life of the

p.20

TO PUPILS?

44. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to develop their cultural awareness. They develop their understanding well through visits to local places of interest, when visitors come to school, and through their lessons, notably in music, art, history, geography and religious education. For example, pupils have enjoyed a rich cultural experience in music through the opportunity to listen to orchestral playing, Asian dance, Egyptian dance, African drumming and gospel music – together with the many opportunities to perform that such visits have provided. The contribution to the quality of singing and performance made by “Enfield Sings” is significant. A good contribution to this aspect is also made by studies about other countries: for example, when pupils learn about the lives of different peoples in their geography lessons. Pupils' understanding of different faiths and cultures is also promoted through learning about Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism

p.20

TO PUPILS?

and Sikhism in religious education. Books appropriately include information about the diverse range of cultures represented in society. There is a suitable policy to encourage positive race relations and, taken overall, the school ensures that pupils learn about life in a multi-cultural society well.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Arrangements made by the school for the health, safety and welfare of pupils are good and ensure that pupils are happy and secure. Where possible, staff make home visits prior to children starting in the Nursery or Reception. These, together with opportunities for children to visit the school prior to beginning school, provide very well for ensuring children settle into school confidently. Child protection procedures are fully in place. The designated person with responsibility has been suitably trained and is supported by other knowledgeable staff. The school works closely with support agencies, where necessary, to meet the needs of individual pupils. Within the provision for personal, health and social education pupils learn about their personal rights and safety. This is reinforced effectively by visits from the police liaison officer. The welfare officers based at the school keep very effective records of individual pupils and their

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

needs. They monitor health and welfare problems very thoroughly, ensuring that concerns are communicated to the appropriate person. There are suitable arrangements in place to deal with Highfield Primary School - 21 first aid emergencies and with prescribed medicines. The person with overall responsibility for health and safety has a suitable understanding of what is required and risk assessment procedures are in place. The recent focus on security has resulted in effective improvements, and these are kept under constant review. The school is aware that dining arrangements at lunchtime are not ideal, particularly in bad weather, and is seeking to resolve this.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. Procedures to promote and monitor good attendance are not effective in ensuring good attendance and are therefore unsatisfactory overall. Arrangements for registration at the beginning of morning and afternoon sessions meet statutory requirements. However, late registration procedures are not used consistently well to ensure there is an accurate record of those who are late, and the reasons for it, so that this can be monitored effectively. Reasons for absence are always required. However, arrangements for parents or carers to be contacted on the first morning of unexplained absence are not given high enough priority. The education welfare officer visits every two weeks and works well with the school to identify and make personal contact with families with whom there are serious attendance problems. There is good liaison across the various agencies supporting individual pupils and follow-up arrangements are very

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. Letters sent to parents and carers of pupils for whom attendance is poor make clear the impact of this on their children’s learning. However, they do not set high enough expectations when stating that an attendance rate of more than 81 per cent is good. Where poor attendance has had an adverse impact on a pupil’s learning this is usually made clear in annual reports about his or her progress. Pupils usually value the awards they receive for all aspects of school life, including attendance. In some instances they are set targets for improving their attendance and receive awards when these are met.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The behaviour policy provides effective guidance for staff and is consistently applied and it is unusual for learning to be interrupted because of unsatisfactory behaviour. Where the behaviour of individuals does cause concern the school is prompt in seeking the involvement of parents or carers in finding a way forward. Procedures to deal with those occasions when exclusion is needed are appropriate. Exclusion is used only where absolutely necessary and subsequent monitoring and support are usually effective in securing improvement. The school seeks specialist support and advice for individual pupils where needed. Procedures for dealing with occasional bullying incidents that occur, including the rare incidents of racially motivated name- calling, are effective. Pupils value the boxes provided for them to communicate concerns anonymously and teachers use these sensitively.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. Teachers carefully assess pupils’ performance from when they first enter to when they leave by setting clear targets for their pupils and using this information to group pupils in classes or in ability sets. This process is monitored very carefully by the headteacher and deputy headteacher. This often involves gradually setting more demanding targets because of the good progress pupils make. It is commendable that the school, in the short time since it has been opened, has succeeded in raising attainment so that the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in Year 6 was well above that in similar schools in English in 2002. Assessment involves all teachers and the headteacher and deputy teacher. The headteacher and deputy set rigorous targets for each class and, through the use of rigorous testing and analysis, monitor how well each class has done in meeting these targets. Assessment is used very well to

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

identify those pupils who need extra support for English as an additional language and for pupils with special educational needs. Assessment for identifying and providing for gifted pupils is thorough for older pupils in literacy and numeracy but is at an early stage for younger pupils, as is provision for pupils who have specific talents. Assessment procedures for English, mathematics and science are very good but underdeveloped in the Foundation subjects.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. There are good arrangements for the personal support and guidance of pupils. Teachers know individual pupils very well indeed and this supports them in monitoring their personal development. Annual progress reports to parents show an effective evaluation of their children’s academic progress, personal development, attitudes to school and behaviour. The school is effectively Highfield Primary School - 22 using a new programme for pupils' personal, social and health education that incorporates Citizenship.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. There are very high levels of satisfaction amongst parents from all its communities about what the school provides and achieves. They are very appreciative of the improvements made since the amalgamation of the two schools and speak very highly of how well changes have been supported by effective leadership and management. The value they place on these improvements is reflected in the high proportion who have taken the time and trouble to complete pre-inspection questionnaires. They say they feel comfortable about approaching the school with queries and concerns. Most say that their children like school, are taught well, are expected to work hard and are helped to become mature and responsible. Inspection findings support these very positive views. Some parents are not happy about the amount of homework set, especially in Year 4. Inspectors find that the homework set overall is broadly satisfactory; however, it does not increase

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

consistently. A few parents do not feel that there are sufficient activities provided for their children in addition to lessons. A surprising proportion, 21 per cent, did not express a view about this. Inspectors are able to reassure parents that the arrangements made by the school, either during the lunch period or after school, for activities that extend and enhance classroom learning are good overall. Inspectors are not able to agree with parents who feel they are not well enough informed about how well their children are doing at school. Annual progress reports provide good quality information, particularly about progress in English and mathematics, and the opportunities provided to discuss progress with class teachers are generous.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. The school’s partnership with parents is very effective. The school provides very good opportunities for parents and carers to find out more about the curriculum through workshops. In the last year there has been a focus on literacy and numeracy, resulting in two six week courses called ‘Keeping up with your Children’. The governors’ annual report, together with the prospectus, provides comprehensive information about routines, expectations and performance. Teachers ensure that parents and carers have a good understanding of the work they intend to cover during the year and offer advice on how they might support their children at home. School documents are provided in a range of languages to meet the needs of parents and carers. In addition, translation services are arranged when required. There is also a weekly clinic for Turkish families and a half-termly clinic for Somali speakers. Newsletters are sent home to parents every

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

two weeks and provide a good range of information about news and events at the school, together with useful dates for the diary.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. The arrangements for parents to find out about how well their children are doing are good overall. Annual progress reports to parents provide a very effective evaluation of what pupils are achieving in English and mathematics and show clear targets for improvement. However, in science these targets are not as clear and, in other subjects, reporting frequently focuses more on work covered rather than standards achieved and targets for success. The personal development of pupils is reported well and parents are provided with clear targets for development. Where attendance is a particular concern the impact of this on learning is made clear. There are suitable arrangements for parents to meet with teachers to discuss how well their children are doing. Parents also have good levels of access to teachers before registration and after the end of the school day. The involvement of parents and the interest that most take in their children’s learning have a good

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

impact on the work of the school. There is an effective Parents-Teacher Association, which holds a range of successful social and fund raising events. This association publishes information through its own newsletter. There is good support from parents in the classrooms and, in addition, attendance at class assemblies, consultation evenings and other events involving their children is usually high. Most parents take high levels of interest in how well their children are doing. Highfield Primary School - 23

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide excellent leadership with a clear focus on ensuring that pupils achieve their best. The very good support given to them by the other members of the senior management team, all other staff and the governing body means that there is a strongly shared vision and that everyone, without exception, is working as part of a team. There is a common sense of purpose and a very strong commitment to continuous improvement and high achievement. This is quite remarkable, given that the school was only opened in its amalgamated form in September 2000. The headteacher leads well by example, and his greatest strength is the way in which he empowers people. The deputy headteacher has an informed understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and has played a key role in putting into place the outstanding management systems which have made the school so effective.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Together they have gained the confidence of all those connected with the school. The senior management team undertakes systematic monitoring of pupils' achievements and of the quality of teaching and learning, so that they are very clear about what needs to be done to improve standards. The school has a high capacity to maintain the process of improvement already established. Highfield Primary School - 24 55. The governing body has made a significant contribution to the development of the school. The governors are well informed, exercise thoroughly all their statutory responsibilities and, given their wide range of expertise, exercise their responsibility for the general oversight of the school very well. They are willing to make suggestions and act as a critical friend when this is appropriate. The relationship between the governing body and the management of the school is based on a clear understanding of roles, combined with mutual trust and respect. Governors make good use

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

of a range of training opportunities and keep abreast of national and local initiatives. Their committees have clear terms of reference. Many of the governors visit the school regularly, especially those responsible for literacy, numeracy and special educational needs, and are fully involved in the life of the school. They carry out informal monitoring visits and report back their findings to the governing body. These visits help to give the governors high levels of awareness of what is happening.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The management structure is of high quality with clear and effective delegation which takes account of the needs of the school and each individual's expertise. There are co-ordinators for all subjects except religious education, with most staff covering more than one area. Teachers and support staff are reflective, they evaluate their work and are very keen to develop and improve. The performance management system is implemented very well and is integral to the school development cycle. It is effectively supported by a comprehensive programme of staff training and the mentoring arrangements that are in place for new staff. From the very first training days for staff the emphasis has been on effective planning, based on an objective assessment of pupils’ needs that will drive standards forward. This objective has been achieved exceptionally well. To date, in English, mathematics and science, the co-ordinators have analysed data, checked the

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

standards achieved and started to implement strategies to raise standards. In these subjects and in information and communication technology, the co-ordinators have also undertaken a wider range of monitoring activities, such as classroom observations and scrutinies of pupils' work. These rigorous processes are now being established in other subjects on a rotational basis that will reflect the priorities in the school development plan.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The school's aims can be clearly seen in its day-to-day work and this is a significant achievement, given all the challenges brought by the amalgamation of two schools. The headteacher, staff and governors work closely together to promote the ethos of the school, which particularly enhances the pupils' personal and social development. Pupils are well cared for and even the newest pupils feel secure in their surroundings. Very good relationships are established and all are made to feel welcome. The school's administrator provides an efficient and welcoming point of contact for visitors and parents and manages the school's financial procedures well. The school uses ICT effectively in managing its finances, for other administrative procedures and for shared curriculum planning.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The school is strongly committed to providing equality of opportunity for all its pupils. The management of the provision for pupils with special educational needs is good, as is that for pupils who speak English as an additional language. Staff are given a very clear understanding of the needs of the individual pupils with whom they work which is based upon a comprehensive range of objective data.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. Financial planning is very good, with a planned programme of spending linked to the school development plan. The school's budget is monitored closely by governors and the school uses specific grants well for their purposes. Applications for grants such as the recently introduced funding for Easter Revision Classes have been successful because, as the headteacher stated, ‘They are aware that we are driving up standards.’ The school makes sure that money is spent wisely by researching and making decisions about goods and services that represent best value. Governors also challenge and debate before making major spending decisions, and they are beginning to compare, contrast and challenge how effective the school is in helping the pupils to achieve the best possible standards. This process is well developed and its operation is systematically monitored.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The accommodation is good overall and very good use is made of the available space. However, the management of the school is concerned about the distance that pupils have to travel in all Highfield Primary School - 25 weathers to the dining hall and the relative isolation of the Nursery from the rest of the school. The inspection team agrees that this arrangement is unsatisfactory. Resources are good overall. The provision of an ICT suite has significantly improved resourcing for this subject, while the process followed to fund this large project provides detailed evidence of the rigorous pursuit of best value followed by the school. The accommodation and resources are very well maintained.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The numbers of pupils are a little lower this year and the school has prudently saved a larger amount of its annual budget than usual in order to minimise the effect of this on the quality of the education provided for the pupils. The senior management team and the governing body believe that their most important resource is the people who provide the teaching and support of the pupils, and so the surplus in this budget is to retain a safety cushion and maintain the best possible levels of staffing. The school also was allocated a sum of money to help ease the process of amalgamation over the first few years. The large safety cushion also includes part of this sum.

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

62. In order to improve the pupils’ quality of education further, the governors, headteacher, senior managers and staff need to:

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve the proportion of pupils reaching satisfactory standards in reading* by the

p.25

handwriting and presentation skills through the school by:

• improving the consistency of good quality literacy teaching across all classes in the same year group; • providing even more rigorous support for lower-attaining pupils in reading by identifying early those at risk from underachieving and providing very regular opportunities for them to learn the small steps in reading and to read to adults; • providing more consistent opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking in small groups in lessons; • teaching the same style of handwriting through the school, ensuring pupils have very regular opportunities to practise their handwriting and providing training for teachers; • always expecting high standards in the way pupils present their work. (paragraphs 1-12,26,30,83-85,120,125-128,154,157,158)

p.25

handwriting and presentation skills through the school by:

(2) Improve standards in design and technology by the age of eleven and aspects of

p.25

investigative science* through the school by:

• providing more curriculum time for design and technology and ensuring that the time is evenly balanced through the year; • ensuring pupils are given opportunities for learning a balanced curriculum in design and technology, for example, ensuring older pupils undertake longer designing and making projects with construction materials and moving parts; • planning carefully for the development of the steady build up of pupils' scientific investigative skills, including pupils' ability to suggest ideas and to design, plan and make some of their own experiments; • ensuring enough time is allowed for pupils to develop their enquiry skills and to take responsibility for some of their own learning in science; • providing practical training for teachers so they can teach science and design and technology to a high standard. (paragraphs 6,7,12,28,35,100,103,105,114-119)

p.25

investigative science* through the school by:

(3) Improve the consistency of provision for more capable pupils by *: • identifying potentially very capable pupils early and consistently providing enrichment and high level work for them, including in mathematics in Key Stage 1; • monitoring carefully the progress of very capable pupils and ensuring they do not mark time; Highfield Primary School - 26 • ensuring higher attaining pupils are always given opportunities for learning at higher levels, for example in science in Key Stage 1; • identifying talented pupils in sport and the arts and providing enrichment through rigorous subject teaching. (paragraphs 13,27,49, 90, 96,98,100,106) (4) Improve attendance, which is below average, and procedures for improving

p.25

attendance by:

• setting specific, measurable, achievable targets and deadlines for improvement in each class; • establishing a new sense of urgency about this issue amongst pupils, staff and parents; • ensuring parents understand the importance of not taking their children out of school for holidays during term time; • identifying groups of pupils who have unsatisfactory attendance (below 95%) and rigorously monitoring and improving the attendance of these groups; • improving the procedures for ensuring pupils arrive at school on time; • recording reasons for lateness and rigorously monitoring the punctuality of pupils. (paragraphs 18,46,47,156)

p.26

attendance by:

• Other issues which should be considered by the school

p.26

attendance by:

• Improving the accommodation so the dining room and Nursery are close to the school; the dining room is on the school premises and these premises are not shared with other establishments*. • Improving the consistency of homework so that, throughout the school, it is used as a powerful tool for raising standards. (paragraphs 31,45, 51, 60)

p.26

attendance by:

* where marked, the school has already identified these areas for improvement. Highfield Primary School - 27

p.26

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.27

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.27

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.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 30 380

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/a 134

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 98

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 219

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 59

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 61

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Highfield Primary School - 28 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Highfield Primary School - 29

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 25 21 46

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys 19 21 23 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 17 19

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

Percentage of pupils School 76 (74) 83 (75) 91 (85) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 19 22 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 17 16

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

Percentage of pupils School 76 (74) 85 (68) 76 (77) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

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

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

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 30 36 66

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 21 23 28 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 31 22 32

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

Percentage of pupils School 79 (68) 68 (60) 91(74) at NC level 4 or above National 75(75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys N/a N/a N/a Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls N/a N/a N/a

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

Percentage of pupils School N/a (n/a) N/a (n/a) N/a (n/a) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Highfield Primary School - 30

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 139 3 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 6 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 5 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 10 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 30 1 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 16.8 Financial year 2002/3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.6

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 1,189,271

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 18 Total expenditure 1,218,997

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 328.5 Expenditure per pupil 2,878.39

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: Nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 200,274

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 170,548

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 30

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 52 Highfield Primary School - 31 Number of pupils per FTE adult 12

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 11.7

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 12.0

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

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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. Highfield Primary School - 32

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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. 47 42 6 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 44 44 4 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 38 40 14 2 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 42 44 11 2 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 63 28 4 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 57 36 2 1 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 40 46 5 2 8

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 54 37 4 2 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 50 40 4 0 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 31 32 12 4 21

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Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses

• The parents are delighted with the improvements in the school since the amalgamation. • Several parents wrote to say that they were concerned about the distance of the dining hall from the school. The inspection team agrees that this arrangement is unsatisfactory, although the staff supervise pupils very effectively during this time. Highfield Primary School - 33 Highfield Primary School - 34

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. The provision for learning for the children in the Foundation Stage is very good. Children enter the Nursery part time in the September after they are three years old and enter Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. There are good induction procedures for settling the children thoughtfully and sensitively into school routines. For example, class teachers and the nursery nurse make very worthwhile visits to the homes of the children before they begin Nursery or enter directly into Reception class. Very helpful "taster" sessions are planned for parents and children before they begin school.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. Children’s attainment on entry to the Nursery covers a wide range, but is well below average, overall. Children make very good progress but, despite this, attainment on entry to Reception is also well below average and a number of significant factors contribute to this. For example, over half the children on entry to the Nursery have little or no English and many of these children still have limited English by the time they leave the Nursery. Only about 60 per cent of the children from the Nursery enter Reception as the others attend other schools in the area. Additionally, the mobility of families is high and over a quarter of children come in or leave during the Reception year.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. The children in the Nursery and Reception classes make very good progress overall, because they have very many worthwhile and stimulating opportunities in all areas of learning. Those children with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language are identified quickly and fully integrated into the classes and they make very good progress. The assessment information gained when the children first join the Nursery and Reception is used very effectively to plan activities for them.

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Personal, social and emotional development

66. By the end of Reception most children achieve the expected standards. This is because considerable emphasis is placed on the personal and social development of the children from the moment they enter Nursery through Reception. Many of the children do not have any English and are very reluctant to speak when they enter the Nursery. With helpful encouragement and sensitive handling they begin to form positive relationships and to communicate confidently with one another and with adults. Relationships are very good as a result of the very effective way in which staff create a warm and caring learning environment in which the children develop good attitudes to learning and become self-confident. Children become very aware of routines, and by Reception, they successfully adjust to learning in a whole class group, in focused group activities or learning through play. They gradually develop their independence: for example, they help to

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Personal, social and emotional development

clear away after completing activities. This reflects the patience and understanding of the teachers and support staff in promoting independence and confidence in the children. Children learn to understand the difference between right and wrong. Simple classroom rules are appropriately displayed for the children to appreciate. For example, We never hurt anyone. The children's spiritual and cultural development is fostered well through stories, assemblies and the general ethos of the classes in both Nursery and Reception. There is a high expectation that all children can do well.

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Personal, social and emotional development

67. Teaching and learning are very good throughout Nursery and Reception. Staff are particularly sensitive to children who arrive mid-term or who are experiencing particular problems. Staff assess children's personal needs very carefully and provide very good support matched to their needs. All the staff, including the bilingual assistant, nursery nurses and teaching support assistants, work extremely well together to provide for the children and provide very good role models. All staff use skilful questioning to enhance language and thinking and always fully involve themselves with children during self-chosen as well as more formal activities. Highfield Primary School - 35

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Communication, language and literacy

68. By the end of Reception the proportion of children reaching average standards is below average. Children make very good progress in all aspects throughout Nursery and Reception. By the end of the Reception year, nearly a half of the children reach satisfactory standards in their English speaking and listening skills. However, over half of the children do not yet communicate fully effectively in English. For example, many of the children for whom English is an additional language lack essential vocabulary and cannot always identify objects in the classroom or in pictures. The staff provide many practical opportunities for the children to learn language and, in order to do this link areas, for example scientific experiences. When making a miniature spring garden in the Reception classes and when planting bulbs together in the ‘Garden Centre’ in the Nursery, the staff ask many helpful questions which enable children to speak in phrases and

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Communication, language and literacy

sentences in order to describe what they are doing. In the Nursery, the children effectively explore the texture and feel of salt in a tray and make some good attempts, for example, to explain what it looks like and what happens when they hold some in their hands. For example, one child said, It falls out because it’s soft while another said , It looks like snow. It’s like Christmas. Most children in Reception can recognise their name cards and are beginning to read simple words. They write their names, with varying degrees of success; a few more able children in each Reception class write simple words. Children enjoy stories and learning sounds and some have made a start on reading simple books. A few more able children use a number of methods to read stories. For example, they use the sounds of the letters to help them read words or the pictures to give them an idea of what the writing is about.

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Communication, language and literacy

69. Teaching and learning are very good throughout Nursery and Reception. Teachers and support staff put a strong focus on developing speaking and listening skills and use very skilful questioning to encourage children to express their ideas and increase their vocabulary. Teachers encourage all children to take home their books to share with their family and most do this regularly. Information and communication technology is used effectively to support reading, for example, through using letter sounds, shapes and word matching programs.

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Mathematical development

70. By the end of Reception the proportion of children reaching average standards is below average. However, children, including those with special educational needs or English as an additional language, are making very good progress. This reflects the high quality teaching that they receive. However, the still limited English vocabulary of a minority adversely affects their ability to reason verbally in English for mathematics. In the Nursery, the children are beginning to count and recognise numerals one to five. They develop their understanding of mathematical language, such as ‘heavy’ and ‘light’ and can sort by colour and shape. The Reception children count and sort numbers to 10 orally and are beginning to add and take one away. They compare, sort and match everyday objects . All children are learning to order in size when, for example, comparing the heights of the children or the sizes of the three bears. The children enjoy many worthwhile

p.35

Mathematical development

experiences . They are developing an understanding of mathematical language, such as ‘long’, ‘longer’ and ‘shorter’, ‘heavy’ and ‘heavier’ and recognise circles, squares and triangles.

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Mathematical development

71. The quality of teaching and learning are very good throughout Nursery and Reception. The staff provide many valuable opportunities to enable the children to understand number through consistent repetition of ordering numbers, in the singing of various number rhymes and in counting those children present each day. Learning is effective because the children have many practical opportunities for learning and they learn from and with each other. They are keen to learn and are given effective challenges to build on what they have learned. Practical resources are well chosen and helpfully support them to solve problems that are posed to them.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

72. By the end of Reception children are on course to reach average standards overall. However, levels of attainment are varied across this aspect of learning. For example, in some aspects, Highfield Primary School - 36 such as building and constructing with a range of objects, most children are on line to reach the nationally expected standard. In other aspects, such as asking questions about how things work in English, they remain below the nationally expected standard. Children use the computer with skill. The computer is used successfully throughout, particularly for communication, language and literacy, in mathematics and creative development. Children carefully handle a variety of tools when using, for example, play dough or cutting and sticking flower parts. In the scrutiny of the children’s past work, good links are evident with writing and creative development. For example, the children learn about worms by observing them through a viewer and writing, I have drawn six

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

worms. Good opportunities are provided in the Nursery for them to observe changes that happen over time when, for example, they compare photographs of themselves as babies to what they are like now; in Reception, they see differences when they look at the changing seasons.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

73. The quality of teaching and learning are very good throughout Nursery and Reception. There are very good opportunities for the children to gain a wide range of experiences in this area of learning. Opportunities are well planned and interest the children. There are strong links with other areas of learning because children are encouraged to talk about practical experiences.

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Physical development

74. Children are on course to reach average standards by the end of Reception. They make good progress overall in this area of learning. Children's progress is very good in the Nursery and good in Reception. This is because of differences between the outdoor play areas in Nursery and Reception. The variety of apparatus in the outdoor area in the Nursery, which includes a large climbing frame, slides and a wide selection of large wheeled toys, supports learning very well. Children use this apparatus sensibly and with confidence and make very good progress in developing their ability to climb and balance. The outdoor area for the Reception classes is not so well equipped and, as a result, children make only satisfactory progress. However, children handle small apparatus in physical education sessions in the hall with confidence. By Reception children dress and undress themselves independently and carefully listen to different instructions.

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Physical development

Children develop their practical skills very well throughout Nursery and Reception and by Reception the majority are beginning to skilfully control and manipulate such objects as pencils, glue spreaders, paint brushes, construction apparatus, modelling tools and scissors.

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Physical development

75. The quality of teaching and learning is very good in the Nursery and good in Reception. The more limited outdoor equipment in Reception limits the teaching and learning of larger physical skills. However, physical education sessions in the hall are taught well. Appropriate warm-up activities such as following the actions of the teacher to jump, crouch and run at a given signal enable the children to gain control over their movements. There are many worthwhile experiences for children to control small tools. Teachers and support staff are careful to teach the children the skills required to safely use scissors and the importance of using glue sensibly.

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Creative development

76. By the end of Reception most children are likely to reach average standards. Children, including those with particular needs, make very good progress, reflecting the very good teaching. The activities provided ensure that the children receive a wide variety of experiences throughout Nursery and Reception. For example, they have very regular opportunities to express themselves by drawing, painting, engaging in imaginative play, and handling malleable materials, such as play-dough. The quality of their pictures from Nursery to Reception reflects the very good progress they are making. By Reception, they produce pictures using a wide range of techniques and materials and create collage pictures with, for example, a variety of materials such as paints, pastels, sticks, wool, buttons and cardboard. Role-play areas are provided, which are linked to familiar experiences for the children, for example, a ‘Garden Centre’ in the Nursery and a ‘Florist’s

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Creative development

Shop’ in the Reception classes. They have regular opportunities to sing nursery and number rhymes to support their mathematical and language development. They particularly enjoy a song with actions about a frog that effectively reinforces their understanding of the life cycle of the frog. Highfield Primary School - 37 77. The quality of teaching and learning is very good. Very skilful questioning provides effective opportunities for all the children to participate in the activities provided. In addition, all adults interact well with the children, particularly in discussion, to ensure that they understand what is being said and exploit any opportunities to increase children’s vocabulary and to enable them to suggest ideas. Resources are carefully selected and well prepared prior to lessons, and are chosen to appeal to the children's interests and to develop their understanding.

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ENGLISH

78. By the age of eleven, pupils attain average standards. Standards for the seven-year-olds are below average, but show a little improvement on performance in 2002 national tests. The school has put into place very effective measures for continuous improvement of standards. Improvement in all aspects of English is a key target for the school. Teachers have worked hard to address weaknesses in the subject. Very effective use is made of initiatives such as the Additional Literacy Strategy and Further Literacy Strategy in junior classes. This extra support is targeted, particularly to pupils identified as in need of more intensive help to boost their progress in the acquisition of basic skills in literacy. In lessons, pupils are organised in small groups where specific language skills are practised and reinforced. The well-established individual target setting in English is also used effectively by teachers to focus on what needs to be improved. All these

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ENGLISH

measures are impacting on standards and overall achievements of pupils across the school. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is well organised. It ensures early identification and teaching of a well structured literacy programme with realistic short term targets. Most teachers are skilful in planning and teaching the basic skills in English, and have high expectations of all pupils. From a low starting point, pupils including those with special educational needs and most of those who speak English as an additional language, achieve well as a result, and make good progress from Year 1 to 6.

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ENGLISH

79. Speaking and listening skills are below average by Year 2 and improve as pupils move through the school. By the end of Year 2, pupils begin to be aware of the appropriateness of a formal vocabulary and when to use it. However, they do not always have opportunities to speak at length, especially where questions sometimes require more detailed responses and a need to substantiate opinions with examples or reasons. Most Year 1 pupils have a limited vocabulary and find it difficult to organise accurately what they say or respond confidently to questions and ideas in discussions. However, most pupils’ listening skills are well developed. Bearing in mind pupils’ limited starting points, their overall progress in speaking and listening is good. Pupils sustain concentration and listen carefully to others’ reactions. Pupils are keen to talk about their work at the end of lessons. For younger pupils, small group work provides opportunities for adults

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ENGLISH

to act as good language models and to encourage pupils to express themselves clearly. In a Year 2 lesson, pupils confidently discussed the story of ‘Anancy and Mr Dry-Bone’, and the higher attainers answer most questions about the story accurately.

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ENGLISH

80. By the end of Year 6, speaking and listening skills are average and most pupils are generally confident and articulate. Most pupils listen carefully to teachers and each other, follow instructions without fuss and contribute positively in discussions. Pupils with English as an additional language, where supported well with key vocabulary and sentence structures, interact confidently and make suitable contributions to class discussions. Most pupils know how to explain their opinions and ideas about stories in interesting ways. However, there are too few opportunities, especially for the higher-attaining pupils, to speak at length and use a variety of expression and vocabulary. In some lessons, speaking skills are well promoted and pupils are given opportunities through suitably planned activities to use speaking skills of a good quality across the curriculum. In a very good lesson, Year 4 pupils were effectively encouraged to

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ENGLISH

articulate their thinking and guided by the good modelling of both the class teacher and the assistant, learnt to answer questions about Sir Isaac Newton’s discovery of ‘gravity’ in full phrases with confidence. Another teacher involved Year 6 pupils thoroughly in discussing and illustrating how to write a ‘formal’ letter. Highfield Primary School - 38 81. In Year 2, pupils attain below average standards in reading. Most pupils make good progress as a result of an effective combination of direct teaching of phonics and other help aimed at developing pupils’ sight vocabulary. There is suitable emphasis on the teaching and learning of letter sounds and blends. In a good lesson, Year 1 pupils showed satisfactory grasp of basic reading skills when they joined in the class reading of ‘Cinderella’. Most pupils master new words with reasonable confidence, for example, ‘invitation to the ball’. In another session, a small group

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ENGLISH

of non-English speakers working on the same story were effectively supported through role-play. The higher-attaining pupils in Year 2 read simple text fluently. Their reading is usually accurate and often expressive. They are eager to answer questions about the text and improve their understanding. Pupils learn that reading offers both enjoyment and information and they are beginning to appreciate the qualities of different texts, but most lack familiarity with the range of popular authors or series of books.

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ENGLISH

82. Pupils in Year 6 are on course to attain average standards in reading. Pupils read with increasing fluency and accuracy as they progress through the school. Most pupils talk about favourite authors with discernment, but their critical appreciation of books is limited. While lower-attaining pupils still interpret their reading literally, most average and higher-attaining pupils show a growing understanding of more complex language. However, pupils do not easily identify the underlying meaning or appreciate the subtleties of humour. The books read by pupils in Years 3 to 6 are matched to their interests and levels of attainment. The range of reading material is extended as the pupils move through the school, and more able readers choose books freely. Pupils use non- fiction books to locate and retrieve information within the classroom, but the independent research and study skills of the majority are not fully developed, particularly in subjects such as history

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ENGLISH

and geography. The school library provision has been recently enhanced with new books and is now used consistently to borrow books and develop information skills.

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ENGLISH

83. Reading at home is well established and has a positive effect on pupils’ interest and attainment. Guided reading sessions also help pupils’ progress in reading. Teachers keep ongoing reading records, to identify weaknesses and target pupils’ learning, but all teachers do not consistently monitor to make checks on the match of book to ability. The extra guided reading sessions for pupils who need to catch up are helping to raise standards. However, these could be even more rigorous in Years 1 and 2 for helping any pupils who may not reach level 2B+.

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ENGLISH

84. Standards in writing are below average by the end of Year 2 and improve as pupils go through school. Pupils make good progress overall. The most capable seven-year-olds are beginning to write neatly and present their work well. They are beginning to think about the overall structure of their writing, such as the setting, characters and plot, when writing stories. Younger pupils are regularly taught the skills of letter formation well as they begin to understand the sounds of particular letters. Year 2 pupils are further extended, and learn about letter combinations and common spelling patterns. In Years 3 - 6, the scope of writing is extended well and signifies good achievement for the majority of pupils. However, most pupils do not present their work neatly. Pupils do not regularly practise handwriting in most classes or use joined script consistently in their writing.

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ENGLISH

85. Pupils in junior classes write for a range of purposes including narrative, descriptions, letters and instructions. Competence in spelling and punctuation is developing steadily. Pupils are aware of features of good quality text. For example, one child wrote in his ‘rap song’, ‘ We are born to sing and swing, we are born to dance and take a chance.’ Pupils are introduced to the main features of specific genres, for example play-scripts and writing reports. Most pupils write neatly and develop their own personal style, but many do not consistently use joined-up script or present work neatly. Although a few are still striving to express themselves clearly in writing, most pupils are beginning to write fluently. However, opportunities to produce extended writing across other areas of the curriculum, for example when reading and writing about events of the past in history, or explaining and recording conclusions of a geographical investigation, are limited. The use of

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ENGLISH

ICT is satisfactory overall. Where computers are regularly used in lessons, some pupils work with speed and accuracy. However, the use of computers to regularly draft or word process is inconsistent. Highfield Primary School - 39 86. Teaching of English is good overall with some very good features in both infant and junior classes. In the best lessons, teachers constantly challenge pupils through probing questions, and conduct lesson at a brisk pace. As a result, pupils of all capabilities are actively engaged and put in a lot of effort into meeting the expectations set for the lesson. Teachers across the school have a good understanding of how to teach reading and writing. They make sure pupils know what they are expected to learn and how this links with what they have covered previously. In the main, pupils’ achievements parallel the quality of teaching.

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ENGLISH

87. The National Literacy Strategy has been incorporated into the scheme of work, and teachers implement it effectively. Lessons are well planned and organised, with a good mix of whole-class, group and individual work. Most teachers use suitable methods and strategies to develop good listening, and to improve concentration and the pace of working. Most teachers are skilful at managing pupils’ behaviour. They have good relationships with them and encourage good manners and social skills. Teachers, who know their pupils well, set clear targets of work for individuals and groups of pupils. The quality of most teachers’ marking supports improvement. In the best examples, teachers make constructive comments and give suitable guidance. Most pupils have good attitudes towards the subject, and these contribute well to their learning.

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ENGLISH

88. The management of the subject is very good. The co-ordinator has very good expertise and awareness of the strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning throughout the school. The procedures for tracking and recording pupils’ progress are good. Resources are good for effective teaching.

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MATHEMATICS

89. By Years 2 and 6 pupils reach average standards after making good progress. Standards are similar to those reached by pupils in their 2002 national tests in Year 2 and higher than the below average standards reached by the 2002 Year 6 pupils in their national tests. The improvements seen for the current Year 6 are due to several factors. These include: the effective application of the National Numeracy Strategy; setting for older pupils; effective systems for supporting lower attaining pupils; enrichment for very able pupils in Year 6.

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MATHEMATICS

90. The overall progress of pupils, including those with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs, is good. Most higher-attaining pupils are making good progress; however, the progress of very able pupils is unsatisfactory because it is inconsistent until Year 6. The school has made significant strides this year in providing for older very able pupils. However, there remains work to be done providing for younger more able pupils to ensure they are identified early and consistently achieve their best.

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MATHEMATICS

91. By Year 2 pupils often work in hundreds, tens and units and have a sound understanding of place value. They skilfully add and subtract with numbers to 20, count in twos, threes and tens and halve and double numbers. They use their number skills to work with money, measurement and time. Higher-attaining pupils are beginning to multiply in 4s, 5s, 6s and 7s by adding on. Lower- attaining pupils can often add and take numbers up to 10. They are aware of numbers to 20 although they often need to use practical materials for counting. Pupils recognise two and three- dimensional shapes by their basic properties and have a sound understanding of how to collect and compare data using pictograms and bar charts. They solve multiplication problems such as finding out how many crayons there are in several packs. Pupils are becoming confident in trying different approaches to solving problems and explaining their reasoning. A few very able pupils

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MATHEMATICS

are very advanced and are able to easily see mathematical patterns. They have a very good understanding of the four rules of number, and can use this information when solving problems.

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MATHEMATICS

92. By Year 6 pupils often have a thorough understanding of the four rules of number, including multiplication and division. Their understanding of decimals is good and they can often add, subtract, multiply and divide decimals to two places. Higher-attaining pupils can calculate fractions or percentage parts of quantities whilst very high-attaining pupils interchange decimals fractions and percentages with ease. Lower-attaining pupils are beginning to understand the Highfield Primary School - 40 decimal equivalents of fractions and can express money as decimal amounts. Average attaining pupils use different approaches for solving problems and higher-attaining pupils are very competent in this respect. Lower-attaining pupils are often confident when solving one step problems, although not always able to use several different approaches to work out answers. Many pupils have at least a sound understanding of co-ordinates, algebra, data handling and

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MATHEMATICS

geometry. Higher-attaining pupils' knowledge of algebra and co-ordinates is particularly good. Inspection evidence indicates the proportions reaching Level 4 and Level 5 are likely to be higher than in the 2002 national tests.

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MATHEMATICS

93. Evidence from lessons observed and an analysis of pupils' past work shows that the quality of teaching and learning is good overall in Years 1 to 6. Lessons are very well planned and assessment is used very well to plan work and for placing pupils in ability groups in their classes or in sets or for providing extra help where needed through small group "Springboard" sessions. A strong feature of all the teaching observed is that mathematics lessons are based in practical contexts that are relevant to pupils' daily lives. Teachers make sure pupils know the purpose of lessons, their visual aids are of a high quality and they carefully explain technical vocabulary. Lessons are made very meaningful to pupils. Other strengths include the way teachers make use of white boards. This enables pupils to try their own approaches for working out answers during whole-class and group work time. In the best lessons, teachers use this information for

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MATHEMATICS

assessing how well the pupils are learning and adjust their teaching accordingly. In Years 1, 3, 5 and 6 the quality of teaching is consistently good across all classes in the same year group. This raises attainment. Although there is good, and sometimes very good, class teaching in other years, this is not yet consistent across each class in each year group.

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MATHEMATICS

94. Very good lessons are characterised by teachers' high expectations and the rigorous way in which teachers develop pupils' thinking skills throughout the lesson, involve all pupils and expect pupils to do a lot of work. In a very good lesson in Year 2, pupils were learning to multiply numbers by adding on sets of numbers in different contexts, for example bunches of bananas or bowls of goldfishes. The teacher provided very good opportunities for each pupil to participate during the class session, constantly checking how well each pupil was learning by checking whiteboards or by asking the pupils to put their "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" to see if they had understood. There were many opportunities for pupils to explain their thinking during this session. The group work was equally effective because of the way pupils were encouraged to develop their mental skills - "Can you work it out in your heads, please" - yet there were practical resources for

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MATHEMATICS

95. Setting for older pupils is having a very positive impact on raising standards, especially for lower and higher-attaining pupils. In an excellent lesson for lower-attaining pupils in Year 6 the teacher demonstrated the school's high expectations. There was an excellent balance between the pupils consolidating previous skills, for example multiplication facts, and learning new concepts. The teacher provided very challenging work yet in small steps so that all pupils could succeed. She skilfully taught problem-solving as a skill to be learned. The effective use of practical resources, for example 1/2 of 600 on a metre stick, enabled the pupils to visualise their answers when calculating fractional parts of quantities. The teacher's excellent questioning was very well matched to the diverse learning needs of the group and firmly based in her excellent assessment of pupils' previous attainment.

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MATHEMATICS

96. The school has begun to identify very able pupils but there is insufficient enrichment for them until they reach Year 6; this is causing them to underachieve. Provision for lower-attaining pupils is often good and some very good work for pupils who are just below average is provided through "Springboard". Teaching assistants often provide high quality teaching during “Springboard” sessions and support pupils well during groupwork. However, occasionally in unsetted classes, expectations for lower attaining pupils are not high enough and teaching assistants are not as skilled at promoting pupils' learning as when “Springboard” is taught. Homework is set and there is a very good homework club based on “Springboard” for older juniors. However, there is not a steady build in the juniors leading to larger amounts of homework by Year 6. This prevents the pupils developing fully their capacity for independent learning. Work is marked consistently,

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MATHEMATICS

showing comments, linked to assessment, that inform pupils how well they have done. Highfield Primary School - 41 97. Good use is made of mathematics in other subjects. For example, in Year 2 pupils record and compare eye colours using bar charts; Year 5 pupils compare their pulse rates after different forms of exercise; in art and design they create patterns using shapes and symmetry. Satisfactory use is made of ICT to support learning in mathematics. Pupils find out about direction and turn when using ‘Roamers’, and regularly use mathematics program during numeracy lessons, for example when older pupils find the equivalence of percentages and fractions. Highfield Primary School - 42 98. The co-ordination of mathematics is very good. The mathematics subject manager is a leading mathematics teacher and she has provided support for other teachers by training, demonstrating lessons and regularly observing lessons. Much has been done to improve the profile of

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MATHEMATICS

mathematics through "fun" and relevant mathematics activities. For example, a mathematics trail has been designed and made in the school grounds. Assessment procedures are very good and this information is used well to organise support for pupils, for example through setting arrangements. The school keeps a very close watch on pupils' attainment and how well pupils are learning in each year. However, this is not yet systematic for measuring the progress of very able pupils. In Year 6, there is enrichment for two sessions each week. This means that these pupils are often in advance of their peers in the top ability set, and sometimes make slower progress in their lessons in the top ability set because they have progressed to more advanced concepts than are being taught. Resources are good and well organised and used.

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SCIENCE

99. By Year 2 standards are below average and by Year 6 they are average. While this is a similar position to the results in the 2002 National Curriculum tests, which were average for pupils in Year 6, improvements made in pupils' skills in investigative work have raised standards this year. In Year 2 standards are higher than in the 2002 national assessments made by teachers. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2 and good progress between Years 3 and 6. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make similar progress to other pupils. The standards achieved and the rates of progress made have to be seen within a context of high levels of pupil mobility, which have an adverse impact on standards.

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SCIENCE

100. Although they are higher than they were last year, standards are below average at the end of Year 2; this is partly because opportunities for pupils to make predictions, suggest ideas and begin to plan their own experiments do not systematically develop. Additionally, higher-attaining pupils are not always given enough opportunity to learn at higher levels. The school is now giving more attention to developing pupils' enquiry skills.

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SCIENCE

101. By Year 2 pupils' knowledge is average; for example, most pupils know that light comes from a variety of sources and how to make a bulb light up in a simple electrical circuit. They also have a satisfactory knowledge of living things and properties of materials. Their skills in problem solving and investigation are less well developed but, nevertheless, improving. Within the constraints imposed in some cases by their early stages of English language acquisition, most pupils are able to say what they have found out from their work and offer simple explanations for their observations and results. Many pupils are beginning to appreciate the need for a fair test when carrying out research.

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SCIENCE

102. In a Year 2 lesson pupils worked in small teams to identify the differences and similarities between themselves. They responded positively to this work but their lack of previous experience of taking responsibility for their own learning and research showed in the time that they took to organise themselves and to make decisions. In Year 1, pupils were observed learning about pitch and designing their own instruments to make low, middle and high sounds. In these lessons, pupils worked enthusiastically to make their instruments and to achieve the sounds that they had intended. Good quality provision for pupils with English as an additional language ensured that there was a great deal of language reinforcement and support through practical work which enabled all pupils to understand all parts of the lesson.

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SCIENCE

103. By Year 6, overall standards are average. Pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of science, for example about electricity and the life cycles of different animals. In the lessons observed they showed secure understanding of the effect of forces and were able to measure them as they pushed a balloon into water using force meters, measuring in Newtons. Pupils drew sensible conclusions from their readings and recorded their findings appropriately. Most can explain why it is important to ensure tests are 'fair' and to carry out scientific tests more than once. However, their skills in prediction are weaker and pupils do not steadily build their ability to Highfield Primary School - 43 design their own experiments, select their own equipment, carry out their own research and evaluate and improve their work. This is because there are not enough opportunities for these aspects of investigative science.

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SCIENCE

104. Pupils in Year 4 were observed learning about the differences between solid and liquid states as they melted ice cubes. In this activity the change of state from ice to water was effectively dramatised through the use of a number of pupils who played the parts of molecules. Initially they were squeezed close together, shivering and still as they pretended to be solid ice, then with a push from their teacher they flew apart as they were heated and changed to water.

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SCIENCE

105. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall in Years 1 and 2 with good features, and it is good in Years 3 to 6. Teachers manage classes very well and this results in positive attitudes to learning and good behaviour in lessons. The way in which teachers include all pupils in class discussions is a strength. However, when pupils undertake independent activities in groups the pace of learning sometimes slows; this results from the fact that not all of them are confident in knowing how to go about an investigation in a systematic way and in managing their own learning. Nevertheless, pupils show enthusiasm and curiosity, and overall learning is satisfactory in the infants, and good in the juniors. Across the school, teachers are working hard to plan more opportunities for investigation. In the infants, opportunities for this work are not yet consistently planned over time to ensure that enquiry skills develop systematically. Where this is

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SCIENCE

being done well, the levels of co-operation required make an important contribution to the moral and social development of pupils. The provision of an exciting science week each year based around investigative science has made an important contribution to the development of science. In the best lessons, for example in Year 1 and in the juniors, teachers’ planning carefully ensures there is a steady build up of skills and knowledge. Teachers’ expectations are often high, especially in the juniors. In such lessons the pupils are given a very clear purpose and are very clear what they have to do to improve. In these lessons, the teachers question the pupils, constantly asking them to explain their thinking.

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SCIENCE

106. Opportunities for pupils to use mathematics in science are satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 to 6. Pupils effectively record information in tables, charts and line graphs. As more opportunities for scientific enquiry are being developed and utilised, increasing use is being made of skills learnt in numeracy lessons. For example, Year 2 pupils talked confidently about their use of graphs and tables to record their investigations. Pupils apply literacy satisfactorily to science, although in Year 2 higher-attaining pupils too often work at the same level as average- attaining pupils. ICT is used satisfactorily to support the science curriculum. For example, in Year 5, pupils were observed accessing information about the solar system from the Internet and reporting back to the class on what they had discovered.

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SCIENCE

107. Assessment procedures and tracking of pupils' progress are very good and assessment information is used well for planning work. The school has analysed national tests and assessments and identified the need for a greater emphasis on developing enquiry skills rather than mainly focusing on the acquisition of knowledge. This is having a positive impact on pupils' learning. Teachers mark work thoroughly, and comments are supportive but generally there are too few evaluative comments to assist pupils in developing their scientific ideas. The co-ordinator is providing a clear structure and sense of direction for the future. The school makes effective use of national guidance in curriculum planning and this is supported by a policy statement which outlines the school's high expectations and the effective use of a published scheme. The detailed information kept about the needs of pupils who are in the early stages of learning English as an

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SCIENCE

additional language enables them to be supported well in lessons. The needs of pupils with special educational needs are also fully addressed in lesson planning.

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SCIENCE

108. Rigorous analysis of performance data has enabled the co-ordinator to identify staff development and resource needs. The priorities within the school improvement plan are appropriate and levels of resourcing are good. There is regular monitoring of teaching on a twice-yearly basis. Similarly, consistent monitoring of planning to ensure secure progression of skills across the school and match of task to the prior attainment of individual pupils is fully in place. Highfield Primary School - 44 Highfield Primary School - 45

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ART AND DESIGN

109. During the inspection, because of the inspection timetable, it was only possible to see one art and design lesson during the inspection. Evidence was therefore gathered from examining pupils’ previous work, discussion with teachers and pupils, and from looking at teachers’ plans. This evidence shows that standards are average by the age of seven and eleven. Pupils make satisfactory progress, including those for whom English is an additional language and those with special educational needs. More capable pupils make satisfactory progress when they get extra challenging work that stretches them; however, this is variable through the school because of teachers’ subject knowledge. There are some very good examples of work on display, for example, weaving using unusual looms like the garden trellis and the bird-cage by seven-year- olds.

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ART AND DESIGN

110. By Year 2 pupils draw and experiment with line, colour, tone and texture satisfactorily in both two and three dimensions. Pupils apply their art skills satisfactorily when designing and making their moving vehicles in design and technology. Throughout Key Stages 1 and 2 pupils successfully apply art skills when learning other subjects. For example, when Year 1 pupils design and make musical instruments for science, design and technology and music, they develop their practical skills with a range of easily worked materials and select and combine these for the artistic effect they wish to create.

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ART AND DESIGN

111. By Year 6 pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of the work of famous artists and know how to create pictures using the style of some famous artists. In Year 6 pupils created paintings in the style of George Seurat after practising and perfecting "the brush stamping" technique. Pupils created mountain scenes combining different techniques to convey their ideas. Their ability to use colour is good whilst their skills in representing real or imaginary objects are satisfactory. Some good work by Year 6 pupils was seen when they created silhouettes showing gymnastic and dance movement. This was a good example of how work in another subject can enhance art. Pupils created their silhouettes after changing their own body shapes and observing those of others in a gymnastics lesson. Pupils are able to evaluate their own and others' work to make improvements. There are also some good examples of computer-aided design artwork. There is

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ART AND DESIGN

some very good work in Year 3 when pupils design and make prints in the style of Aboriginal art. In Year 6 pupils undertake a joint art and design and design and technology project later in the year when they design and make slippers. This is a good example of the skills of one subject being used to enhance another.

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ART AND DESIGN

112. In the lesson observed teaching was satisfactory. The work on display shows that some teachers bring considerable skills in art to their teaching. They teach basic skills well, for example the work on blending colour, and pupils have made good progress in understanding how to use shades of colour together for effect, for example, portraits of Henry VIII and his wives by Year 4. Teachers’ planning and the lesson observed show they plan, prepare and organise well. Tasks are interesting and in line with the National Curriculum requirements.

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ART AND DESIGN

113. The subject leadership is strong. Art has a good profile, although not enough time is allocated to the teaching of art, especially in Year 6. Good artwork is displayed effectively through the school. This means that there is ready access to examples from which pupils can learn through observation and discussion. However, there is no world art and design on display, and so the possibility of developing pupils’ multicultural awareness is missing.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114. During the inspection the teaching of design and technology was observed only in one Year 4 lesson. Judgements are based on these observations, the analysis of pupils’ work throughout the school, discussions with pupils and teachers and on the school’s planning and records. The evidence shows that standards are average by Year 2 but below average by Year 6. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1 and unsatisfactory progress in Key Stage 2. The time for design and technology is low in both key stages but particularly in Key Stage 2. The Highfield Primary School - 46 subject has received little priority, although there is some good work in some classes, for example in Years 3 and 4, but this quality of work is not consistent across each class in whole year groups.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115. By the end of Year 2, pupils' ability to generate and represent ideas and their practical skills are average. Pupils' ability to evaluate and improve their work as it develops is a weaker element. In Year 2 pupils design and make moving vehicles and apply their art skills satisfactorily. In Year 1 pupils make good progress when they design and make musical instruments and apply their scientific knowledge to their designing and making. They are able to take some responsibility for their own learning and apply their art skills well.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

116. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ designing and making skills are below average. Pupils have limited understanding of different users’ preferences or that designs need to meet different purposes. They do not communicate ideas by drawing or plan ahead adequately. Their ability to design and make with a variety of materials is also weak, for example food and construction materials such as wood strip and plastic sheet. Their product knowledge and knowledge of

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

mechanisms are also weak and therefore not successfully applied to designing and making. Pupils spend very little time on design and technology in Year 6, with most work occurring after the pupils have taken their tests towards the end of the summer term.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

117. Some good work was seen in Year 3 when pupils designed pizzas after visiting a pizza café and learning about the processes of pizza making. In one Year 4 class, pupils reached average standards when they designed and made torches from reclaimed materials, including plastic bottles. Pupils applied their knowledge of products well and suggested ideas for ingenious designs. Pupils also applied their science particularly well when they showed they knew how to make circuits and use switches and applied their understanding of which materials reflect light. In Year 5 strong business links and industry links were seen when pupils worked with an employee from a major oil company. Pupils designed and made vehicles so they would travel as far as possible from a limited energy source. However, there are very few examples of longer projects which are done by both classes in the same year group.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

118. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and unsatisfactory in Key Stage 2. In Key Stage 1 there is a satisfactory emphasis upon pupils learning through practical work and teaching and learning are consistent across classes. However, in Key Stage 2 not enough time is devoted to the subject and provision is too inconsistent across the two classes in each year group. In Year 6 opportunities for pupils to learn design and technology are poor overall and pupils have limited designing and practical skills. In the good lesson observed in Year 4 there was a good emphasis on designing and encouraging pupils to take some responsibility for their own learning. However, pupils found this difficult at first, as there had not always been the steady development of pupils' designing and making skills previously. In the lesson observed, the teaching of practical skills was generally satisfactory, although occasionally assistants did too much for pupils.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

119. Long-term plans are in place but teachers do not always have enough subject knowledge to be able to implement them in Key Stage 2. Long term planning shows their time for design and technology is too low. Although a satisfactory range of materials are planned to be used, in practice this does not always happen, especially in Year 6. The co-ordinator has not had an opportunity to lead and develop the subject. She does not have the time to monitor lesson planning, the standards of pupils' work or the quality of teaching and learning. Although there are some sound links with art and science, there are not enough planned links with other subjects. Resources are unsatisfactory. There are not enough resources for construction materials or enough suitable tools. A lack of construction kits for teaching moving parts is also a weakness. There is very little evidence of ICT being used to support pupils' learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

Highfield Primary School - 47 120. Very few geography lessons were observed during the inspection because of the inspection timetable. Judgements are based on the analysis of pupils’ work throughout the school, on discussions with pupils and teachers and on the school’s planning and records. This shows that standards are average in Years 2 and 6. Pupils make satisfactory, and sometimes good, progress in developing their geographical knowledge, understanding and skills. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make satisfactory progress overall, though their recording skills are not well developed.

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GEOGRAPHY

121. By the end of Year 2 pupils know about some aspects of their locality, particularly their route to school. They are aware of some of the places visited by Barnaby Bear. Some pupils have visited far off places like Jamaica and America and have a good awareness of countries other than England.

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GEOGRAPHY

122. By the end of Year 6 pupils show a growing understanding of physical features such as climate and other living conditions associated with mountains. Pupils in Year 5 know what makes water dirty and how contaminated water affects life in many developing countries of the world. Pupils in Year 3 compare different types of land use in investigating their local area while those in Year 4 compare their locality with places like Llandudno and an Indian village.

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GEOGRAPHY

123. The quality of teaching is satisfactory with some good features. In the lessons seen in two Year 5 classes teachers’ secure subject knowledge and effective management of pupils ensured pupils successfully learned. There was a suitable balance between consolidating and extending pupils' map reading skills. Most pupils concentrated well, and the use of the Internet by some higher attainers enhanced their geographical knowledge and understanding. Effective questioning encouraged the use of appropriate geographical vocabulary associated with map reading. There was no significant gender difference in pupils' learning. The use of ICT in geography is satisfactory.

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GEOGRAPHY

124. The planned curriculum is broad, although time allocations are below average. The school has adopted the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority scheme and its associated assessment system. However, assessment is not yet systematic through the school. The subject has sound cross-curricular links, for example with numeracy and science, but written work is limited. There are periods of time when geography is not undertaken. The co-ordinator has drawn up an action plan and already acquired some maps and globes. She is fully aware of the need for resources to be further upgraded and for teaching and learning to be monitored.

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HISTORY

125. During the inspection history lessons were observed in Year 1, Year 4 and Year 5. Judgements are based on these lessons and the analysis of pupils’ work throughout the school, discussions with pupils and teachers and on the school’s planning and records. This evidence shows that standards are average in Years 2 and 6. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make satisfactory progress. No significant gender difference was noted in pupils’ learning. The progress of higher-attaining pupils is generally satisfactory although there is not enough extended writing and research.

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HISTORY

126. By Year 2, many pupils demonstrate a developing knowledge of past events such as the Great Fire of London and Remembrance Day. They also show some understanding of how hospitals and nurses’ uniforms have changed since the time of Florence Nightingale. Younger pupils are aware of old and new houses and have started to recognise the difference between old and new household objects.

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HISTORY

127. By Year 6, most pupils demonstrate some understanding of chronology by ordering developments relating to music, sport and films in the 70’s, and particularly the life of Dr Martin Luther King. Pupils in Year 4 are aware of the reason for, and results of, King Henry’s marriage to Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour, while those in Year 5 explore similarities and differences in schooling in Highfield Primary School - 48 Ancient Greece and modern Britain. In all of this, pupils’ understanding throughout school is relatively more secure in respect of historical facts than of chronology, though some higher attainers have used the timeline to show the sequence of events in their personal lives. Pupils’ recording skills are not well developed. The use of ICT in history is satisfactory. Highfield Primary School - 49 128. The quality of teaching is satisfactory with good features. In a good Year 1 lesson the pupils

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HISTORY

learned to recognise household objects from a long time ago and to observe the differences between those and the ones designed and made today. This lesson was relevant to the pupils' daily lives and enabled the pupils to learn by active involvement when they sorted pictures of old and new objects into sets. Infant teachers have set up "rooms" made from small boxes, which are "museums". This is an effective teaching strategy for providing practical experiences for infant pupils and engaging their interest in history. In a satisfactory Year 4 lesson, effective questioning encouraged pupils to recall previous learning and careful explanation of special terminology such as ‘courtiers’ and ‘noblemen’ ensured their understanding of key vocabulary. Teachers organised activities and managed their pupils well. Lessons are well resourced: for example, a collection of artefacts on ancient Greece was provided. The Internet is used for research, although there are

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HISTORY

limited opportunities for pupils to take initiative. There is not enough emphasis on recording, especially in Key Stage 2.

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HISTORY

129. The planned curriculum for history is broad, but block timetabling raises the issue of continuity and progression in pupils’ learning. Teachers' subject knowledge is at least sound. The co- ordinator has a clear vision for improving the subject, although her monitoring role is underdeveloped. Assessment is not formalised through the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

130. Standards in Years 2 and 6 are average. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, make good progress in their learning. The school has created a computer suite and all classes have weekly access to it. All classrooms have one or two computers and the school is appropriately linked to the Internet. The training from the New Opportunity Funding (NOF) has helped to improve the expertise of all teachers in relation to their planning and confidence in teaching the subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

131. By the end of Year 2, pupils use the computer to record their ideas in words, pictures and on charts. They use the computer to collect information, for example, about Florence Nightingale and a famous author, to usefully support their history and literacy. Year 2 pupils effectively learn to program a floor turtle, the computer controllable toy, in order to program its movements. They clear its memory and successfully enter simple instructions. Most pupils develop secure keyboard skills by the end of Year 2.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

132. By Year 6 pupils have at least satisfactory skills across all aspects. They use "Power Point" for making class presentations, with good awareness of different audiences. They have satisfactory word processing skills and use data handling software with skill. Pupils’ problem solving skills are developing well and by Year 6 many pupils can write simple program for a robot to lift a heavy box. Lessons are well planned and benefit from the use of the scheme of work that enables skills to be built up systematically as the pupils move through the school. By Year 5, they are beginning to create spreadsheets by effectively utilising a ‘number magic’ program. For example, they input information into cells and use the calculator box to support the tasks. The teacher carefully guides the class to observe the effects of changing the data. Pupils in Year 4 learn how to enter data about themselves to produce a ‘pie chart’ and then look at the similarities and

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

differences with another class’s data. They work well in pairs, sharing ideas and the information gained.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

133. Across the school, pupils show increasing confidence in their use of computers and are able to research information from the Internet, incorporating what they find into their studies. For example, in Year 6, pupils research information about World War II, Flags, ‘Macbeth’, the Water Cycle and Sukkot to enhance their work in history, geography, literacy and religious education. In Year 3, pupils competently use the Internet to research information about an Outdoor Activity Centre. Computers and other equipment, such as listening centres and programmable devices, are being used to support learning in a wide range of subjects. For example, in mathematics in Year 6, more able pupils skilfully use a program to calculate percentage and fraction equivalents, Highfield Primary School - 50 while in Year 5 pupils thoughtfully use an Interactive Smartboard to build on case studies for a ‘ Water and Poverty’ project in geography.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

134. Overall, teaching is good. Teachers have worked hard to improve their own skills, knowledge and understanding. All are enthusiastic about ICT and have developed their own confidence using computers. Most lessons are well organised and delivered at a good pace. Targets are shared with pupils at the start of the lesson, so that they know what they are going to learn. When teaching is less effective, planning does not identify appropriate work for the more able pupils, who are not always extended or sufficiently challenged by demanding work. Teachers use questions well to check on pupils’ learning and understanding. Explanations and demonstrations are effective and methods and organisation ensure that pupils have regular hands-on experience. The effective lessons contribute to pupils’ positive attitudes. They clearly enjoy their lessons and show real joy when acquiring new skills, as in Year 4, when pupils learned how to compare

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

135. A new co-ordinator has very recently been appointed. The subject has been well managed by the previous co-ordinator; there is a clear and comprehensive action plan for the development of the subject. The newly appointed co-ordinator has had insufficient time in the school to judge his impact on the subject, but is well supported by the curriculum co-ordinator. The school follows national guidelines and there is clear progression in the planning. Lesson plans are monitored but the monitoring of lessons is an area for development. The subject makes a good contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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MUSIC

136. In Year 2 and in Year 6, pupils attain average standards and they clearly enjoy music-making activities. There are particular strengths in the quality of singing by the end of Year 6. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and pupils with English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress across the school. The subject makes an important contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of all pupils.

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MUSIC

137. Singing is average by Year 2 and in the early years of the juniors. However, by Year 6, many pupils are achieving above average standards. It was evident that this is an activity that pupils enjoy: their pitch is accurate and their tone is pleasant to listen to. Most pupils follow and maintain the beat, with improving control of diction and phrasing. They are developing a repertoire of songs - religious and otherwise - that they enjoy as they progress through the school; many of these they can sing from memory. Pupils gain suitable understanding about making music and how to appraise the outcomes of their work. Opportunities are provided for pupils to learn the guitar, trumpet, violin and keyboard. In addition, there are chances to hear and watch visiting musicians perform, such as the Enfield Gospel Choir, orchestral music, Asian dancing, Egyptian dancing and African drumming. The singing and performance aspects of the curriculum receive

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MUSIC

significant enhancement from the “Enfield Sings” project.

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MUSIC

138. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 learn songs and particularly enjoy accompanying their singing using percussion instruments. In Year 1 lessons, pupils responded well to rhythm and pitch in music, and they showed secure understanding of these concepts as they designed, made and played a range of scraping, percussion and stringed instruments that, while untuned, would play at different pitches. The way in which teachers, including the specialist teacher for English as an additional language, constantly reinforce musical language makes an important contribution to the development of pupils' speaking and listening skills.

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MUSIC

139. By Year 6, pupils have a sound understanding of western music and the music of other cultures, and they recognise the works of some major composers. They also enjoy the opportunities given to perform in class, in assemblies and in school concerts. However, opportunities to develop their skills in composition are less well developed and are generally below average. This area of relative weakness is currently being addressed. Highfield Primary School - 51 140. The significant contribution made to the enrichment of the curriculum by outside professionals was evident in a Year 4 music lesson led by a teacher from the “Enfield Sings” project. The high levels of challenge, the enrichment of both spoken and sung language, the high levels of

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MUSIC

co-operation as the pupils sang in parts and the evident enjoyment of all involved (including teachers and support staff) led to excellent learning, attitudes and behaviour. It is through such specialist input that the above average standards in singing present in Year 6 are achieved.

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MUSIC

141. Overall, teaching is satisfactory and this leads to satisfactory learning. Teachers show suitable understanding of the subject and some are able to play an instrument. Lessons are thoroughly planned and there is usually sufficient pace and challenge to gain the interest of all the pupils. Pupils co-operate well in whole-class situations and in groups, valuing each other's contributions and helping and encouraging. There is very effective classroom management in lessons. Opportunities are provided for pupils to participate in good quality performances not only in lessons but also in whole-school productions.

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MUSIC

142. The subject co-ordinator is providing good leadership and she has planned a clear structure for future development. The subject is well resourced, and enriched by the use of high quality specialist music teachers from outside the school. The co-ordinator has not yet monitored standards of teaching and learning or work produced across the school to ensure consistency in judgement of standards. Assessment procedures are not yet fully established. Out-of-school clubs, run by school staff, enhance music provision. The good use of keyboards makes a contribution to the overall use of ICT and computers are beginning to be used to aid pupils in their musical composition.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

143. Standards of attainment in physical education are average in Year 2 and Year 6. The majority of Year 2 pupils use different parts of their body satisfactorily to travel, roll and balance on floor and low apparatus. A few higher attainers have started combining their movements in a sequence, while some are unable to hold their balance and change their direction or speed while travelling.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

144. By Year 6 pupils explore different ways of travelling and balancing with a partner, using different parts of their body, and adapting their skills from floor to mat. A minority of pupils are more agile and have a relatively better control of their body. Pupils generally show a developing awareness of space in making different shapes at different levels. However, their skills relating to change of direction and speed of their movement are not well developed, and their jumping and landing lack precision. In indoor and outdoor games, pupils throughout the school demonstrate appropriate bat and ball skills. Pupils in Year 4 have started adapting techniques to keep possession of the ball, with some capable pupils working at a level higher than what is expected for their age. Many Year 5 pupils develop appropriate water skills in swimming, and the majority of pupils who participated last year received their Blue or Yellow awards. The only dance event observed was

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

an activity associated with an after school club run by a visiting teacher from the local secondary school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

145. The quality of teaching observed was good with some very good features throughout the school. Clear lesson objectives, instructions and effective questioning reflect good, and sometimes very good, subject knowledge. Teacher involvement in demonstrating skills often enhances pupils’ participation. Most teachers remind pupils of safety issues involved in gymnastics. Team teaching involving the Schools’ Sports Programme is well developed. However, warm-up sessions tend to be rather short and there is little evidence to suggest that pupils are sufficiently encouraged to evaluate each other’s performance, though opportunities are usually available for them to observe one another. Nevertheless, teaching impacts on pupils’ learning. Many pupils throughout the school work enthusiastically in developing individual and group strategies relating Highfield Primary School - 52 to gymnastics. They are well behaved and collaborate in a group situation, reflecting positive

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

attitudes to teamwork and sportsmanship. This often enables them to make good progress in individual and group work. There is no significant gender difference in pupils’ learning. Pupils with English is an additional language and those with special educational needs make the same progress in physical education activities as their peers. Highfield Primary School - 53 146. Documentation reflects a broad physical education curriculum being offered. This includes the government recommended scheme and guidelines. The subject is well resourced, and the school benefits from a well developed games programme and well established external links (e.g. Tottenham Football Club), and there are separate boys' and girls' football teams. The subject is well managed and the post holder is aware of the need to develop her role further in the monitoring of teaching and learning as well as assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress. The other

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

aspects needing immediate attention are the development of dance and monitoring of the pupils who do not participate in physical education activities.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

147. Standards are in line with the expectations set out in the locally agreed syllabus. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and with English as an additional language, benefit from teaching which emphasises a practical approach and the importance of discussion. This ensures that most pupils make satisfactory progress and attain satisfactory outcomes in terms of their knowledge and understanding, although standards of written work are often lower.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

148. In Years 1 and 2, the majority of pupils develop a secure knowledge and understanding of stories and/or festivals from the Christian, Hindu, Jewish and Sikh traditions. Pupils were observed learning about the Easter story and the symbols that Christians use, such as the palm cross and the crucifix. The pupils came from a range of faith backgrounds, but they treated the story and the contributions made by others with sensitivity and respect. They are provided with frequent opportunities for reflection as they consider the impact of the behaviour of the different characters in the stories that they study. In assemblies and lessons they also consider the impact of their own actions on others. 149. By Year 6, pupils recognise the significance of special books, such as the Holy Bible, the Holy Koran and the Granth Sahib. By Year 6, most pupils have a secure understanding of the customs, practices and festivals of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism. They are

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

used to discussing major spiritual, religious and moral issues in some depth, although their ability to record what they have discussed is less well developed. It was evident in one Year 6 lesson where the pupils were being introduced to the way that, the Greek Orthodox Church celebrates Easter that they are used to discussing each others faith, or lack of faith, with maturity and sensitivity. There were moments in this lesson when the pupils were hanging on to every word of the teacher as she talked about the use of icons to aid worship and the smell of incense burning in a darkened church. Such lessons make an important contribution to the development of pupils’ speaking and listening skills.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

150. The meaning of Christmas and the Easter story, together with the meaning of other festivals, such as Diwali and Eid, is studied in increasing depth as pupils move through Years 3 to 6. Pupils in Year 3 study festivals such as the Hindu and Sikh Diwali, learn about the Christian Bible and the stories of Jesus, consider what it is like to live as a Muslim, and learn about The Torah and stories of the Jewish people. Year 4 pupils reflect on 'the important things in life' and the teachings of the prophet Muhammad, amongst other topics that include further studies of Hinduism and Christianity. Pupils become increasingly sensitive and reflective about their own behaviour and feelings and those of others. Pupils in a Year 3 lesson discussed the idea of giving up some things for a period of time, as a reminder of those less fortunate than themselves. There were good links in this lesson with the importance given to fasting in Islam. Pupils' learning is

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

enriched by opportunities to visit local places of worship and by visits from representatives of local faith groups, such as the Christian Pathway Group. Pupils particularly enjoyed "The Big Lunch Club" as they learned more about Christianity.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

151. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory, but has some good and very good features, such as those observed in Year 6 where pupils of different faiths were encouraged to contribute and where the pupils who were members of the Greek Orthodox Church were affirmed – including the use of their Greek language. In lessons observed, teachers engaged in good discussions with pupils to consolidate and extend their knowledge and understanding. Pupils behaved very well, were sensitive to the contributions of others and worked hard. Teachers have secure knowledge Highfield Primary School - 54 and understanding of faiths other than Christianity, and this helps to give pupils an understanding of different cultures and affirms the beliefs of the pupils who come from those faiths. In the assemblies observed, good teaching made an important contribution to the topics being studied. Relationships between teachers and pupils are very good, enabling pupils to make comments

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

with confidence and often with insight. Teachers' planning is thorough and closely based upon the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

152. There is currently no co-ordinator and the headteacher has maintained a watching brief in order to ensure that all elements of the locally agreed syllabus are taught. The appointment of a new co- ordinator has been identified as a priority. Planning is effective and covers all the expected areas. Assessment procedures are at an early stage of development and there has been little direct observation of teaching. Relevant priorities are contained in the school improvement plan. There is a wide range of good resources and artefacts for religious education, including some CD- ROMs, which are supplemented by outside resources when required. They are used well to promote pupils' learning throughout the school.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

153. There are pupils from many ethnic backgrounds in the school. Pupils speak over 30 different languages and over a half speak English as an additional language. There are 75 pupils in the early stages of speaking English. The pupils' good progress, which is similar to that of other pupils, is a reflection of the school's commitment and striving to ensure all pupils have equal opportunities for learning.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

154. Pupils at the early stages of learning English are mainly, but not solely, found in the Foundation Stage and in Year 1. These pupils make very good progress overall because of the very good opportunities for learning through talk and practical work, and the support of specialist staff, including the specialist teacher and bilingual assistant. However, although the progress of pupils at intermediate stages of learning English is good overall, it is slower than that of the pupils at the very early stages. This is because there is limited extra specialist support for these pupils and there are fewer planned opportunities for speaking in small groups and learning through practical work.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

155. Pupils' attainment covers the whole spectrum and pupils with English as an additional language are well represented in the high and very high attaining groups, for example in mathematics. Some are also on the special education register, although most are at lower stages of need.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

156. Pupils respond well to their teachers, reflecting their positive attitudes to learning. This, combined with the care that the school takes of them, enables many to integrate well into the life of the school, even when they join the school later than the normal point of entry. They relate to each other and adults with care and courtesy, and are generally well behaved. There is no evidence that these pupils are poorer attenders than other pupils or are more regularly late; however, some of these pupils contribute to the low attendance rate because their families take them on extended holidays.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

157. Teaching and non-teaching staff are generally aware of the need to provide bilingual pupils with access to curriculum and achievement by teaching them English. Their support relates to classroom activities, though planning does not take these pupils’ needs into account consistently.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

158. A specialist and a bilingual assistant teach pupils in the early stages of English acquisition, usually within group teaching in class work. These groupings are effective. However, when lessons are unsupported by the specialist, teachers do not always plan for enough speaking opportunities in lessons, in small groups, for pupils who are at intermediate stages of learning English. This is generally better in practical subjects, for example science and art, than in subjects such as mathematics. Nevertheless, a very close watch is kept on the progress of all Highfield Primary School - 55 pupils with English as an additional language and a very strong feature is the way the school uses the Additional Literacy Support and “Springboard” (mathematics) programmes. Pupils at intermediate stages of learning English, who are in danger of not reaching the expected standards by Year 6 in English and mathematics are given very regular, systematic help in small groups

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

through the use of these programmes. Tuition is of a high quality and there are many worthwhile opportunities for pupils to improve their English and understanding. For example, during Additional Literacy Support, pupils say phrases and then express them in sentences verbally as well as in written form. Some pupils at an early stage of learning English benefit from opportunities to use their home language(s) to facilitate their concept development and acquisition of English.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

159. The presence of pupils from diverse cultural backgrounds makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Staff representing non-European cultures provide further opportunities for pupils to develop this aspect of their education. Baseline assessment of pupils when they enter school is very good. Their overall progress is rigorously monitored in English, mathematics and personal development by senior staff. Day-to-day assessment of pupils with English as an additional language is very good in the Foundation Stage and good overall in the rest of the school. However, teachers in older classes do not always show the stages of need for those pupils who are at intermediate stages of learning English. The help they are given through homework club has a significant impact on the progress they are making. Teachers and support staff are committed to the well-being of these pupils. As already indicated,

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

this enables them to integrate well into the school community. However, there is little evidence to suggest that mainstream staff have recently received any specialist training to alert them to the needs of these pupils.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

160. The school enjoys strong links with parents whatever their background. Individual work with pupils sometimes requires specialist staff to liaise with and re-assure their parents about their progress. The Turkish speaking classroom assistant makes a good contribution in this respect by running a surgery for parents. The provision is well managed, overall. It reflects a fairly well established system which enjoys the full backing of the headteacher, who is aware of the limitations of the present level of specialist support.

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