King Edward Primary School & Nursery

KING EDWARD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 03 - 06 February 2003

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KING EDWARD 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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KING EDWARD 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. King Edward Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: St Andrew Street Littleworth Mansfield Nottinghamshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr R Robinson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: N/A King Edward Primary School - 4

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Aspect responsibilities

1028 David Page Registered inspector English Design and technology Information and communication technology Educational inclusion What sort of school? How high are standards? a) The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further? 9798 Vivienne Ashworth 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? 32227 Sally Howard Team inspector Science Geography History How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 11901 Pat Lowe Team inspector Art Music Foundation stage 28320 Robert Willey Team inspector Mathematics Physical education Religious education Special educational needs How well is the school led and managed? King Edward 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 King Edward Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

King Edward Primary School was opened in September 2001 as a result of local reorganisation. The school is bigger than most other primary schools with 320 pupils on roll compared to the national average of 242. Pupils’ attainment on entry is broadly in line with national expectation. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals (10.6 per cent) is broadly in line with the average. The percentage of pupils whose mother tongue is not English is low and none of these pupils is at an early stage of language acquisition. The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs, (25.3 per cent), is above the national average. There is a wide range of need, including dyslexia, dyspraxia and autism, although, most of these pupils’ needs centre around emotional and behavioural, communication or physical difficulties. None of these pupils has a statement of special educational

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

need. There is very high pupil mobility, and differences in the levels of attainment in different year groups. Half of the pupils come from an area of Mansfield exhibiting very significant social deprivation. The school has experienced some staffing difficulties.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is very effective. Standards on entry, and in national tests at the end of Year 2, are broadly in line with national expectation. To achieve these standards pupils make very good progress due to the very good teaching. Leadership and management are both very good. Given how effective the school is, the school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The head has a very clear vision for the school and is very effective at involving staff, governors and parents in its successful development. • Pupils' achieve very well through very good teaching. • All pupils are enabled to play a full part in the life of the school, and work undertaken to support pupils with special educational needs is very good and a strength of the school. • The nursery and reception provision is very good and gives a very good start to pupils’ schooling. • There are very good relationships between pupils and adults and between pupils and their peers. • Pupils’ behaviour is very good. • Procedures for child protection and monitoring and promoting good behaviour are particularly strong.

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What could be improved

• The priorities in the development plan are not always sufficiently well linked to the school’s long- term objectives. • Attendance is unsatisfactory. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has only been open for just over four terms and there is no previous inspection report with which to compare current performance. However, the school has made substantial progress in this short time it has been open. King Edward Primary School - 8

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 based on National Curriculum test results. The school has not been open long enough to have any results from national tests for pupils at the end of Year 6.

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Key

Reading N/A N/A D D well above average above average A B Writing N/A N/A C D average below average C D Mathematics N/A N/A C C well below average E

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Key

The school has only be open since 2001 and so it is not possible to look for trends over time. By the end of Year 2 in 2002, standards in writing and mathematics were broadly in line with the national average, while standards in reading were below the average. When compared to similar schools on the basis of free school meals, standards in mathematics were in line with the average while those for reading and writing were below the average. There is no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls, or between pupils of different prior attainment.

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Key

Throughout the school, pupils achieve very well, regardless of gender; ethnicity; special educational need, or whether they are learning English as an additional language. The majority of pupils with special educational needs were found to be making very good progress towards targets on their individual educational plans and this is due to the quality of support afforded them by all teachers, learning support assistants, pupils and parents. Standards in lessons and work seen are broadly in line with national expectation throughout the school. Where the school’s results in national tests are lower than average, it is due to the very high pupil mobility, and the differences in levels of attainment of particular year groups. By the end of the Reception year standards of virtually all pupils match those expected nationally for pupils of this age. They make very good progress and a significant minority of pupils

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Key

exceed the expected standards and are working at the first level of the National Curriculum. In all aspects of English, pupils standards are in line with national expectation throughout the school. In reading, pupils’ skills in analysing text in order to identify the main points, are particularly well developed. However, in attempting to read unfamiliar words, many pupils do not have a sufficient range of strategies. In mathematics, throughout the school, pupils are working at the same standard as those in most schools nationally. In science, standards are in line with national expectation. In science, pupils make good progress. Where progress is less good, the higher attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenged to work at a greater depth. Standards in other subjects are also in line with national expectation, except in physical education, where pupils’ standards in the upper school are above

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are keen to come to school and keen to learn.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils play well together at breaks and lunchtimes and behave very well in lessons. They are very courteous to adults and each other.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Relationships between pupils and teachers and teaching assistants, and between pupils and their peers are particularly strong. King Edward Primary School - 9 Attendance Unsatisfactory. Despite the school’s best efforts, attendance is unsatisfactory, although improving. King Edward Primary School - 10

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching Very good Very good Very 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

Overall, teaching at the school is very good and leads to pupils making very good progress. There was a high proportion of very good lessons. In a very few lessons the teaching was unsatisfactory. Particular strengths in teaching were: the management of pupils’ behaviour; the support for the development of basic skills; and the use of support staff to ensure all pupils make very good progress, regardless of their gender; ethnicity, special educational need, or whether they are learning English as an additional language. In the unsatisfactory lessons, the range of activities was over-ambitious or insufficiently well- planned. Occasionally teachers did not manage pupils’ behaviour well enough to ensure that all pupils were kept on task and made as much progress as they could.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

In the nursery and reception, the quality of teaching is very good and leads to very good learning. Teaching of English and literacy across the school is very good. The teaching of grammar is a particular strength of the subject. In one lesson where the teaching was excellent, the teacher’s exemplary rapport with the pupils ensured that they were transfixed by his exposition and attended extremely well. In mathematics and numeracy, teaching throughout the school is very good. Lesson planning is thorough and learning objectives are shared with pupils. The very good lessons are also delivered at a pace that maintains pupils’ interest and generates enthusiasm for the subject. In science, the quality of teaching and learning is good overall, although it ranges from unsatisfactory to very good.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The school ensures very good access to the whole curriculum for all pupils at the school. There is a good range of extra-curricular activities.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. The school is particularly adept at involving all pupils fully in what the school has to offer.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. The school has good systems in place to support pupils learning English as an additional language.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The school creates many opportunities to foster pupils’ personal development, particularly their social and moral development where the school’s programmes are very good. Good opportunities are provided for spiritual and cultural development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Procedures for child protection and monitoring and promoting good behaviour are particularly strong.

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Aspect Comment

The school works very well in partnership with parents, actively seeking to involve them in the education of their pupils, particularly in the nursery. King Edward Primary School - 11

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher is very successful in motivating the staff and creating a shared sense of purpose and direction. The school improvement plan needs to be further developed in order that priorities in the plan are well linked to the school’s long-term objectives.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. An active, committed and well-informed governing body serve the school very well. The governors have a very good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, and are beginning to develop the role of the school’s “critical friend” effectively.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The headteacher and senior staff do much to monitor teaching and pupil achievement.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. The school uses its funds very well. The governors have made a significant commitment from the school’s funds to the support of pupils with special educational needs.

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Aspect Comment

The match of teachers and support staff to the demands of the curriculum is very good. The school is currently facing some difficulties due to short-term staffing issues. These have resulted in the responsibilities for the leadership of some subjects having to be reallocated. It is coping with this pragmatically and with clear plans for the future. The team of learning support assistants is excellent and they are very effectively deployed. The headteacher and governors have a sound awareness of the principles of best value, which they applied when purchasing and tendering for equipment.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• the teaching is good • the school is helping their children become mature • they would feel comfortable approaching the school • the school expects children to work hard • the school is well led and managed • behaviour is good • their child gets the right amount of work to do at home • the school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team found evidence to support all of the parents’ positive views. The inspection found that pupils are given appropriate amounts of work to do at home and that the school provides a good range of activities outside lessons. King Edward Primary School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The school has only been open since 2001 and so it is not possible to look for trends over time. The school only gained Year 6 pupils last September and as a consequence there are no national test results available for the upper school. By the end of Year 2 in 2002 in national tests, standards in writing and mathematics were broadly in line with the national average while standards in reading were below the average. When compared to similar schools on the basis of free school meals, results are similar, except in writing, where they are below the average. There is no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls, or between pupils of different prior attainment.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. By the end of the Reception year standards of virtually all pupils match those expected nationally for pupils of this age. They make very good progress and a significant minority of pupils exceed the expected standards and are tackling work from the National Curriculum.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In all aspects of English, pupils’ standards are in line with national expectation throughout the school. In reading, pupils’ skills in analysing text in order to identify the main points is particularly well developed. However, in attempting to read unfamiliar words, many pupils do not have a sufficient range of strategies.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. In mathematics, pupils are working at the same standard as those in most schools nationally. There is very good coverage of the aspects of mathematics to do with number, shape and measures but very limited opportunities for data handling and graphical representation and this is a weakness.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. In science, standards are in line with national expectation. Pupils make good progress in their learning. Where learning is less good, the higher attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenged to work at a greater depth. Standards in other subjects are also in line with national expectation, except in physical education, where pupils’ standards in the upper school are above expectation. Throughout the school, pupils achieve very well, regardless of gender, ethnicity, special educational need, or whether they are learning in English as an additional language.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The majority of pupils on the special needs register achieve below average scores in national tests at the end of Year 2 and in standardised tests for older pupils, despite having made very good progress since entry into school. In a recently conducted sample of eleven pupils with special educational needs in Years 1 and 2, 72 per cent were making very good or excellent progress. The quality of the individual educational programmes, the majority of which are designed to support literacy, is very good. Targets are specific, realistic and often challenging. They are measurable and attainable and reviewed regularly. When they are not met, they are sympathetically amended in order to make them more accessible. An evaluation of the targets set for a whole school sample of 18 pupils shows that 92 per cent of targets are fully or partially met. This indicates that very well-focused and appropriate targets are being set for pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. The pupils have very good attitudes towards their school, their work and each other. Their personal development is very good and their behaviour and relationships with each other and members of staff are very good. These make a great contribution to the harmonious and friendly atmosphere which is immediately evident in the school. Attendance is unsatisfactory.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. The pupils show great enthusiasm for their school both in lessons and other activities. They enjoy the sense of belonging and would not wish to be at any other school. Those spoken to during the inspection were unanimous in their respect for the staff, and in their praise of how well they are cared for. Most pupils show a keen interest in their work and share and co-operate with others. There is a very positive attitude to learning which is greatly encouraged from the moment they enter the nursery or reception. Most pupils show very good levels of effort and concentration King Edward Primary School - 13 in lessons and are very keen to join in all activities. They want to learn, and most try hard with their work. 9. Behaviour throughout the school is mainly very good. There has been one permanent and three temporary exclusions during the past year. The school’s emphasis on forming relationships and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

social development generally has had a very positive impact on behaviour. The headteacher and staff consider it a very high priority to develop positive relationships, particularly as this is a reorganised school. The school recognises the need for the pupils to be secure and happy in their learning environment. The staff provide very good role models and the caring attitude is evident throughout the school community. Pupils are polite to adults coming into the school and are willing to enter into conversation when given the opportunity. They are very courteous, springing quickly to hold doors open for adults and peers. There is no evidence of bullying in the school. Any incidents which do occur are dealt with quickly and appropriately. Pupils are taught to think about what they do and to respect each other’s feelings and this is evident in their attitude towards each other.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils are very willing to use their initiative and take responsibility when this is offered. There are opportunities to help in assembly; be monitors in class, and return the registers to their boxes. The newly formed school council is very effective. The clear code of conduct displayed around the school is a good example of their work. There are also plans to increase the good behaviour in the playground with a playground patrol and a quiet area. The residential excursions to the North East and the Lake District are good examples of further experiences where the pupils are taught to take responsibility and become more confident. There is, however, scope for providing opportunities to exercise greater responsibility, and the school has started to identify further areas for development.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils with special educational needs form very effective relationships with their peers (who often give very good support within class) and all adults. They feel perfectly secure when contributing to the discussion elements of lessons and teachers positively encourage their contributions.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Attendance at the school is unsatisfactory and below the national average but during this academic year is showing good improvement. While the school works hard to improve attendance the policy concerning contacting parents on the first day of absence should be reviewed.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

13. In the nursery and reception, the quality of teaching is very good and leads to very good learning. Particular strengths are the teaching of basic skills, the very good management of pupils, the use of time and resources, and the quality of ongoing assessment, which is used to inform future work. All adults make a very valuable contribution to pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

14. Teaching of English and literacy across the school is very good. The elements of the National Literacy Strategy are being effectively addressed. The teaching of grammar is a particular strength of the subject. Where teaching is excellent the teacher’s manner with the pupils ensures that they are transfixed by his exposition and attend extremely well. Where teaching is less strong, the learning objectives are not frequently reinforced for pupils and the teaching includes a number of related issues which detract from the key focus of the lesson.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. In mathematics and numeracy, teaching throughout the school is very good. Lesson planning is thorough and learning objectives are shared with pupils. Teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge and use open-ended questions well to stimulate pupils’ thinking.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. In science, the quality of teaching and learning is good overall and ranges from unsatisfactory to very good. As a result of good teaching, pupils become enthused, co-operate, work well and make good progress in knowledge and skills. The skills of literacy and numeracy are taught very well across the school. Many examples of teachers supporting the development of basic skills were seen in other subjects. King Edward Primary School - 14 17. When marking is very good it is detailed, celebrates the strengths of pupils’ work and indicates the next steps they should take in order to improve. However, the quality of marking is variable and sometimes consists only of compliments. Information and communication technology (ICT) is used well to support pupils’ learning in other subjects of the curriculum.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. As a result of verbal feedback, most pupils have a good knowledge of their own learning, however, the marking of pupils’ written work is inconsistent. Where it is good, it helps pupils to recognise what they do well, and how they can improve their performance. It is less effective when it is confined to ticks and comments which do not include guidance on how to improve. In some subjects, such as art and music, pupils are encouraged to review their own progress; as a result, they are beginning to develop more independence in their learning. The use of assessment information to guide curricular planning is very good. Pupils’ progress in individual lessons and units of work is taken into account in teachers’ planning.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

19. The school provides pupils with a satisfactory range of learning opportunities and all statutory requirements are met. Teachers plan in class groups and this helps to ensure that there is consistency in what is taught to pupils. Classes are organised in mixed-year groups and this has resulted in the need for a two-year cycle of work which effectively ensures work is not repeated at the same level. Teachers' termly and weekly plans provide a good and effective indication of teachers' intentions for pupils’ learning.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

20. The school is rightly proud of its very good work in ensuring all pupils are fully included in all aspects of school life. This is evident throughout the school and includes the adaptations made to improve access, such as ramps, wide access toilets, a wheelchair lift and sign language on labels, as well as the positive and supportive attitude and behaviour of all staff and pupils.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

21. The school has adopted the national guidelines in all subjects, and all the school’s planned programmes of work for are in place, including the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Some policies are fully in place while others are being addressed in line with the school’s appropriate priorities. The school has successfully established the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. These have provided good structure to lessons and have helped the pupils make very good progress since the school opened in September 2001. Sex education is currently being addressed through the National Curriculum science strands. A drugs awareness programme has recently been introduced to Years 5 and 6 and involves the police in the lessons. The curriculum for pupils in Years 1 to 6 is good in both its quality and range.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

22. Extra-curricular activities enrich the school's basic curriculum, and provide a good range of activities, which are very popular with the pupils who participate. During the past year, clubs and activities have included: a choir, drama club, football, fitness club, recorders, and a lunchtime reading club. Year 4 takes part in an exciting annual residential trip to Northumberland. Visitors to school, such as a nurse and police officer, also enrich the basic curriculum.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

23. The school’s programme for personal, social and health education is good. Although this is not taught in a discrete lesson, aspects are well addressed as part of other subjects. For example, in a Year 1 and 2 class, pupils sat in a circle at the start of an English lesson and gave positive comments to a pupil in the 'hot seat'. A school council works well to identify and address issues within the school. The school cook has been involved in discussions regarding the introduction of a healthy tuck shop as part of their Healthy School Initiative.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24. The school’s programme for pupils' spiritual development is good. In many lessons, including those in religious education, pupils are given opportunities to reflect on the deeper meaning of issues, and to appreciate the feelings and beliefs of others. In a Year 6 religious education lesson, pupils studied the Christians' Lord’s Prayer and considered the meaning of different phrases in relation to their own lives. The very good teaching valued pupils' questions, and gave them time to reflect on their own thoughts and ideas. In a Year 3 and 4 class, pupils created their own personal shields having reflected on their relationships both at home and at school. King Edward Primary School - 15 25. The school’s programme for pupils' moral development is very good. The school's viewpoint, of valuing all individuals and promoting mutual respect, is very well reflected in its daily life. There is clear understanding of the difference between right and wrong as seen in a display created by

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Year 5 and 6 pupils against racism. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their own

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

actions. School rules are understood well and observed. Teachers and support staff provide very good role models for their pupils, and the quality of relationships, based on fairness, integrity, and mutual respect, is very good.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. When pupils move around the school, and while playing outside, they show care for their environment, and awareness of the effects of their actions on others. Pupils are rewarded for achievement and good behaviour. There is a celebration of good work through a special assembly on Friday, which gives a good opportunity to celebrate the success of individuals and classes as well as reflecting on what can be developed or improved.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. Social development is very well supported throughout the school. Once again the quality of relationships is the key to pupils' very good social development. In many lessons, pupils are required to consider the needs of pupils with limited mobility, and these occasions give many opportunities for them to share and co-operate and consider other peoples’ points of view.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. Pupils' cultural development is well supported. Pupils are given the opportunity to participate in literature, dance and art representing both their culture and a range of other world cultures. The school's religious education curriculum includes the study of different religions. Pupils from different ethnic groups are fully included in lessons, being chosen to show work, answer questions, and participate in activities equally with other pupils. These pupils are fully included in all aspects of the school's life and cultural diversity is well celebrated in the daily life of the school.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. There are good links with the community including a close relationship within the group of local schools. At the time of the inspection, two student teachers were being supported in school. A successful morning and afternoon club has been created by parents and fully supported by the school. This is self-financing and is managed by two experienced classroom assistants and is over-subscribed.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

30. The school takes very good care of its pupils and has established a warm, friendly atmosphere which offers pupils every opportunity to do their best. There are very effective measures in place to ensure that pupils receive appropriate support and guidance.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. Procedures for child protection are well established and effective. The headteacher is the designated person responsible for child protection and he receives regular updated training. All the staff are trained and the local authority procedures are followed. The school has a good working relationship with social services. There are very effective procedures in place to check on the health, safety and well-being of all those in school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. The monitoring of pupils’ personal development is very good. The teachers know the pupils very well and understand when and where support and guidance are required. Throughout the school day, academic and personal achievements are recognised, both in lessons and around the school, through praise and encouragement. At the end of each week the school celebrates personal and class success in assembly.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. Effective procedures are in place for promoting good attendance. Registers are completed quickly and efficiently and are monitored closely on a weekly basis. Parents understand that the school must be informed of any unexpected absence early on the first day and most do so. The school expects the pupils to be punctual and is rigorous in the recording of latecomers. The school has good support from the education welfare officer where families need more help in getting to school on time. Pupils are very aware of the importance of regular attendance and those with excellent King Edward Primary School - 16 records are rewarded with certificates. The pupils want to be in school. However, a few parents continue to take family holidays during term time. This does affect the attainment and progress of those pupils who miss valuable teaching and learning time.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. There are very good procedures to support and promote appropriate standards of behaviour amongst all the school’s pupils, regardless of gender, ethnicity, special educational need, or whether they are learning English as an additional language. The behaviour policy works very well. Pupils are aware of the sanctions if behaviour is not good. Behaviour is monitored at all times and incidents are recorded when necessary. The school is very successful at eliminating oppressive behaviour. The accepted practice is one of prevention through positive means, such as giving praise for good behaviour. Pupils are taught and encouraged to behave well in order to sustain an orderly community.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The monitoring of pupils’ academic performance is very good. There are clearly defined procedures for assessing and monitoring pupils’ attainment and progress in all policy documents. Assessment at the school is integral to teaching and learning, and recording and reporting, and is based on national guidance. Pupil targets are set in English and mathematics throughout the school and are reviewed on a regular basis. As pupils progress through the school, the results of national tests are collated and a profile, which commences in the nursery, is beginning to be built up for each child. Attainment is recorded in terms of National Curriculum levels. This forms the basis for reporting to parents, the governing body and the child’s next teacher. Targets are not yet set in science and the tracking of pupils’ attainment and progress is less formalised. In other subject areas, assessment is planned for at the end of each unit of work. Assessment and

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

recording are viewed as a means of improving the quality of teaching and learning and raising standards of attainment.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are good. The school is beginning to analyse national tests in English and mathematics, in order to highlight strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ attainment, assess future performance and take effective action. This includes setting suitably challenging work for groups of pupils of different attainment in each class. The school has very good procedures for identifying and assessing pupils with special educational needs and providing them with specific support. It recognises the need to identify difficulties as early as possible. The assessment of pupils on entry to the nursery effectively highlights specific needs. All available information is used in setting and reviewing appropriate targets for each pupil, tracking their progress and providing support for those who need it.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Gifted and talented pupils are well supported through extra-curricular music and sport. The school recognises the need to identify gifted and talented pupils in other areas of the curriculum, and provide them with suitably challenging work and more opportunities for independent learning.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Special educational needs support is very well organised. There is an excellent working relationship between the special educational needs co-ordinator, teachers and learning support assistants. Learning support assistants are well briefed and form a very strong, knowledgeable, dedicated and caring team. They feel very well supported by teachers, the special educational needs co-ordinator, headteacher and each other. Pupils with special educational needs are well integrated into the caring environment of the school. The school has procedures in place to identify pupils who may have a learning or physical disability. When a concern is first raised, either by the parent or class teacher, the pupil is monitored. If necessary, the pupil is placed on the appropriate stage of the school’s special needs register. Pupils requiring specialist help with speech therapy, or with a specific learning difficulty, have the necessary support and guidance

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

provided. The school uses specialist help well and, between reviews, classroom assistants support pupils in line with the specialist guidance.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. There are no statements of special educational needs. This is unusual in a school with such a high percentage of pupils, almost 25 per cent, identified as having special educational needs, particularly when there is a wide diversity of needs. The school’s efforts to statement pupils have been unsuccessful. The register of pupils with special educational needs is well maintained and up-dated each half term by the co-ordinator. The new register, which is held on computer, fully reflects the requirements of the new Code of Practice. King Edward Primary School - 17 40. The school places a strong emphasis on identification at the earliest possible stage. This is well justified in relation to the growing number of pupils on the school’s register, and the very high rate of pupil mobility. The school fulfils this difficult task very well. Staff are well aware of the new Code of Practice, and of school policy documents for special educational needs.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The fact that pupils with special educational needs often make very good progress is testimony to the degree and quality of support and encouragement that they receive both from class teachers and learning support assistants. Learning support assistants have individual timetables and all work throughout the school with targeted pupils or groups. This is a very efficient and effective use of their time. 42. The majority of pupils with special educational needs were found to be making very good progress towards targets on their individual educational plans and this is due to the quality of support afforded to special educational needs pupils by all teachers, learning support assistants, pupils and parents. In English and mathematics lessons in particular, activities and tasks are well differentiated for these pupils. Teachers and assistants know their pupils very well, are very involved in target setting for them and give very good support through carefully fashioned tasks to

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

ensure that targets are met. This was evidenced in a Year 5 and 6 lesson where the class teacher followed the guidance on the pupil’s individual educational programme and firmly, but fairly, resolved a behavioural problem. Pupils on an individual programme, record what they have achieved on the computer, access their next element of the programme, and demonstrate confident ownership in managing this aspect of their learning.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. The school is developing strong links with parents. The survey of parents’ views before the inspection, and at the pre-inspection meeting, showed that parents are largely very satisfied with the school’s provision. Only a few parents commented that they were not sure about the quantity of homework, or whether school provides an interesting range of activities. The overriding view is that their children like school and that they are expected to work hard. Parents feel comfortable about approaching school with any problems and are satisfied that their pupils make good progress. They also agree that the teaching is good and that the school is well led and managed. It is agreed that behaviour is very good and that school helps the pupils to become mature and responsible. The parents show a high regard for the school’s work throughout, and the inspection findings are in agreement with these positive views.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. The school’s links with parents are good and start early with a good induction process. Parents are welcome in school at the beginning or the end of the day to speak to staff if necessary. The teachers see parents as partners in the education of the pupils and are anxious to form trusting relationships.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. Parents receive good quality information. The school prospectus and governors’ annual report to parents are informative and clear. Parents are given information on the work to be covered each term and there are topic meetings. The newsletter, ‘Spotlight’, is sent to parents with additional information on school life. There are termly parents’ meetings, and an annual written report to parents, which is in the process of further development, gives good information on pupil progress. Home/school agreements are completed and parents are very supportive of the school’s aims.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. There are good opportunities for parents to become involved with the work of the school. Some parents are able to hear readers or help with sport, spellings and art and craft work. They are encouraged to come into school and share their skills. This voluntary work and the impact it makes, is greatly appreciated.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. Parents contribute well to the learning of their children, by supporting homework, hearing their children read and recording work done at home. The King Edward Home School Association is a strong group. It is imaginative in its fundraising and spending, and provides a valuable link between parents and school. ‘Ed’s Club’ was formed by parents and is greatly appreciated by those parents who need care for their children both before and after normal school hours. King Edward Primary School - 18 48. The school has very good relationships with parents of pupils with special educational needs. Parents know the special educational needs co-ordinator. Parents are informed immediately the school has a concern regarding a potential special educational need. Teachers and learning support assistants have regular formal and informal contact with the parents of pupils who have individual education plans to review the targets that have been set. Parents afford good support

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

for the school and their pupils, and play a significant part in the progress made by pupils with special educational needs. King Edward Primary School - 19

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The school is very well led and managed. The very good leadership of the headteacher has ensured a successful start. A favourable image within the community has already been established. This was recognised by parents at the meeting with inspectors when they were quick to praise the headteacher for the assured manner in which he has established the new school. He has forged a strong team of teaching and support staff and has gained their commitment and willingness to help him develop the school’s provision for all pupils regardless of gender, level of prior attainment, ethnicity, special educational need, or whether they are learning English as an additional language.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The headteacher possesses very good inter-personal skills. His open style of leadership, and collegiate approach to management has enabled all to share his vision for the school and feel fully included in decision-making processes. The headteacher is very successful in motivating the staff and creating a shared sense of purpose and direction. His purposeful, caring approach together with his competence in developing others’ skills and expertise has been the key to the sense of shared purpose and shared responsibility. All who work in the school show the same high level of commitment to King Edward Primary School, the pupils and to making things even better.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. A very able deputy supports the headteacher very well. Their complementary skills have created a very strong leadership team. Both are conscious that the current school development plan does not fully utilise these combined skills. The current format is geared to the short-term needs of establishing the new school. Longer-term objectives and targets are now needed, more clearly rooted in the school’s laudable aims.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. An active, committed and well-informed governing body serve the school very well. They discharge their responsibilities, including their statutory duties, very well. The governors have a very good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, and are beginning to develop the role of the school’s “critical friend” effectively. The governing body fulfils its responsibilities for pupils on the school’s special educational needs register efficiently.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The headteacher and senior staff do much to monitor teaching and pupil achievement. This is reflected in the quality of teaching seen throughout the school and in the progress that pupils make. Teachers new to the school are welcomed and very well supported by the other staff. Excellent procedures are in place to ensure that newly qualified teachers are very well mentored. Appraisal and performance management for teachers is in its second cycle and is very well established. Senior staff appraise small teams of teachers; the deputy head teacher is appraised by the headteacher; and three governors, with support from an external professional agency, set targets for the headteacher. Subject leaders play a full role in monitoring their subjects and each has an annual budget to cover learning resources, release time and courses. This arrangement is suffering some disruption due to a number of temporary teachers covering maternity leave and

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

recent resignations. However, teaching is generally unaffected and temporary arrangements are all due to be resolved by the end of the school year. This represents good pragmatic management by the headteacher in the face of staff recruitment difficulties currently faced locally.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The school is served by an excellent team of learning support assistants all of whom are very effectively deployed, particularly in support of pupils with special educational needs or for whom English is an additional language. The school’s special educational needs policy has been recently reviewed and is in line with the new requirements and affords very clear guidance in procedures for identification and support of pupils on the special educational needs register. The school has a designated governor for special educational needs who is very knowledgeable, visits frequently and is actively supportive. The governing body is kept well informed as a result. The governors add considerably to the allocated funds and this provides a good level of support particularly in English and mathematics lessons. Supporting documentation, including behavioural management, is also in place. The match of teachers and support staff to the

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The headteacher and governors have a sound awareness of the principles of best value for money and are able to illustrate that they have used them in purchasing and tendering for equipment. King Edward Primary School - 20 The school is providing good value for money in raising pupils’ self esteem and in providing a good standard of education for its pupils. 56. The school’s buildings are satisfactory. Classrooms are adequate for the size of the classes using them. There are two small but useful rooms for use with groups. There is no centrally located room of sufficient size for a school library. Consequently, there are two libraries, one in the infant and the other in the junior building. This does not help raise the status of the library within the school. The school is currently without a playing field. This is a serious weakness, especially as the ground is available and simply awaits levelling. The three buildings, nursery,

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

infant and junior, have no inter-connecting covered ways and this is a severe limitation. As the school has only one hall, located in the junior building, younger pupils have to cross a very large, sloping playground to reach it for assemblies and physical education lessons. In very cold and wet weather, such as experienced during the inspection, this is a very uncomfortable experience for pupils and adults.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The number and range of learning resources is good in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science and reflects the high focus on these subjects over the last two years. In the other subjects, however, resources are only satisfactory.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The school uses money allocated to special educational needs very well. The specific budget for spending on learning resources for these pupils is used to support a wide range of special needs including mobility, dyslexia, dyspraxia and autism in addition to behavioural and academic learning needs. This does not meet the total expenditure on special educational needs. The balance is met from the school’s basic budget. This reflects the school’s strong commitment to supporting pupils with special educational needs.

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

59. In order to improve the quality of provision and the standards attained by pupils, the governors, headteacher and staff should address the following:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. improve the link between the priorities in the development plan and the school’s long-term objectives by: a. ensuring the long-term objectives are explicitly addressed within the action plans. 2. improve attendance by: a. continuing to implement its plans, and b. by reviewing the policy concerning contacting parents on the first day of absence. (Paragraph numbers: 53, 7, 12, and 35) King Edward Primary School - 21

p.20

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.21

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.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 40 310

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 28

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 0

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 5 56

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 22

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 16

p.21

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.21

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. King Edward Primary School - 22 King Edward Primary School - 23

p.21

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 22 27 40

p.23

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.23

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

Boys 17 16 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 23 24 26

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 82 (n/a) 82 (n/a) 96 (n/a) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (90)

p.23

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

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

Boys 18 21 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 24 26 27

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 86 (n/a) 96 (n/a) 96 (n/a) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.23

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

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

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other ethnic group 2 0 0 King Edward Primary School - 24 No ethnic group recorded 1 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 13 Financial year 2001 - 2002

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 19.5

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 428050

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 8 Total expenditure 439025

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 178.5 Expenditure per pupil 1372

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 5808

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year -5167

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 40.1

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 65

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 1

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. King Edward Primary School - 25

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 61 34 5 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 47 48 4 0 1

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 28 52 12 7 1

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 40 50 7 2 1

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 69 28 3 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 67 28 3 0 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 44 47 7 0 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 56 39 2 1 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 55 42 2 0 1

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 28 44 12 1 15 King Edward Primary School - 26

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Overall, the quality of provision in the Nursery and the Reception year (Foundation Stage) is very good.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Strengths: • experienced leadership; • a clear sense of educational direction; • a very good understanding of the needs of young pupils; • a very good start to pupils’ learning; • an enriched and supportive learning environment; • a strong emphasis on the basic skills; • encouragement of independent learning; • very good teamwork on the part of all staff; • the integration of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language; • the partnership of parents in supporting pupils’ learning at home.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Area for improvement: • to further develop the use the outdoor area as an extension to the work in the classroom.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

60. The new curriculum for pupils in the Foundation Stage has been implemented well and the quality and range of learning opportunities are good. The curriculum is detailed for each area of learning and is linked to the national early learning goals. It is based on specific topics, such as the seasons, weather, festivals, growth, light and travel. As a result, all pupils, regardless of ethnicity, gender or prior attainment make very good progress and achieve very well.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61. Preliminary visits to the school, followed by written guidance, help parents to prepare pupils for school. Formal assessment takes place on entry to the Reception year. Very good records are kept of pupils’ academic and personal progress and these are used to inform the planning of future work. Equality of access to the curriculum is very good. Children of all prior attainment, and boys and girls, are given equal attention and encouragement, and additional support where necessary.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. The quality of teaching is very good and leads to very good learning. Particular strengths are the teaching of basic skills, the very good management of pupils, the use of time and resources, and the quality of ongoing assessment, which is used to inform future work. All adults make a very valuable contribution to pupils’ learning. They have high expectations and pupils respond with enthusiasm which, together with their very good behaviour and relationships, leads to very good learning. Other strengths of learning are the very good development of pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding, their interest, concentration and independence and the effort which they put into their work.

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

63. Personal, social and emotional development is an important feature of all areas of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Children settle quickly into the routines of the Nursery, as they participate in carefully planned, well-focused activities. Colourful, visually stimulating displays and the use of background music is effective in creating a calm, purposeful learning environment. Children’s knowledge of the school and their social development is enhanced through walks around the school, visits from the headteacher, the site manager, the bursar and the cook. Other visitors include the school nurse, a mother and baby, the local police officer and officers from the Fire Brigade.

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

64. Children show increasing independence in selecting and carrying out activities. Those who experience difficulties are carefully monitored and given very good support. Children enter the Nursery with confidence each day, show a sense of belonging and talk freely about their home King Edward Primary School - 27 and family. Every opportunity is taken to reinforce appropriate language and behaviour. Children are expected to listen to what others have to say and to take part in small group activities, taking turns with others. They develop a sense of healthy eating and the need for hygiene, and learn to pass and share during sessions when they have milk and snacks, such as cucumber and pear slices.

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

65. Children in the Reception classes continue to be interested, excited and motivated to learn. They are confident in trying out new activities and maintain attention. Their developing sense of their own needs, views and feelings begins to incorporate sensitivity towards others. They have a developing respect for their own culture and beliefs and those of other people. All pupils begin to understand the difference between right and wrong and the consequences of their words and actions for themselves and others. In talking about school and class rules, they begin to accept the need for a common code of behaviour and agreed values.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

66. In the Nursery, there are very well planned formal and informal opportunities to develop language skills in every area of the curriculum. Very good relationships between the staff and parents are an important factor in the very good progress that pupils make. Parents help their pupils to self- register and settle to activities. Book sacks, made by a small group of parents, containing books, games, tapes, and advice on how to make the most of them, are very popular with the pupils. They provide a good learning aid for use at home. The early emphasis on phonics and word building skills in the Nursery is crucial to pupils’ language development. There is a good balance between direct teaching and practical activities to introduce and consolidate knowledge of letter sounds and other early reading and writing skills.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

67. During the inspection, pupils listened with interest to favourite rhymes, songs and stories, such as ‘The Bad Tempered Ladybird’. They identified the title, described a real ladybird, noted the background to the story and developed their word recognition skills. The fact that the ladybird was angry and didn’t want to share her food, led to a fruitful discussion on how to overcome anger and learn to share. Children were very firm in their condemnation of the ladybird’s bad behaviour. The inclusion of pupils with learning and physical difficulties was seamless and the care that they were given was of high quality. Children joined in with refrains, anticipating key events and important phrases.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

68. The National Literacy Strategy is introduced well into the Reception year. Children build up their vocabulary and use a widening range of words to express their thoughts and ideas. The majority of pupils talk confidently to visitors to the school. They increase their knowledge of the local area and develop their communication skills through visits to the local post office, supermarket and travel agents and write ‘thank you’ letters, with help, after their visits. Most pupils recognise and know letter sounds and names and they develop the ability to hear and say initial and final sounds, and sounds within words, using their knowledge to write their names and simple sentences. During one lesson, four pupils chose to work in the writing corner, making a book about travel. They talked about where they were going and how they would get there. Children use a tape recorder independently to consolidate their letter sounds and listen to tapes, such as

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

a memory tape. The word wall display is used well to teach and consolidate frequently used words. Most pupils make very good progress in reading. They read a range of familiar words and begin to show some understanding of the elements of stories. Adults hear pupils read frequently and most pupils benefit from being given support in their reading at home.

p.27

Mathematical development

69. Children in the Nursery show an interest in numbers and counting. Adults facilitate learning by means of questions, observations and the reinforcement of mathematical and language skills. Children enjoyed joining in number rhymes and songs and used number names and mathematical language in play. They compared two groups of objects saying whether they had the same number and used size language, such as ‘big’ and ‘little’, ‘more than’ and ‘less than’. Most pupils observed and used positional language and showed an awareness of similarities and differences in shapes. King Edward Primary School - 28 70. The National Numeracy Strategy is introduced well into the Reception year. Children learn to count up to twenty and their understanding is developed through number songs, rhymes and stories. Most pupils recognise that certain numbers may be missing from a sequence and correctly write them in. In an activity on number recognition, some pupils demonstrated a good

p.27

Mathematical development

grasp of number recognition, knowing that 5 was bigger than 3 and that infinity means a very large number. They used number fans to show ‘bigger than’ using numbers up to 9. A few pupils were able to use numbers ‘bigger than’ 10. Children who found it difficult to find ‘one more’ than a number were given good support. Displays were used effectively to clarify teaching points. In another lesson, they used positional language, ‘high’, ‘low’, ‘above’, ‘below’, ‘over’, ‘under’, ‘round’, ‘through’ and ‘beside’, by placing a car in different positions in relation to a box. They developed their understanding of capacity and weight through practical experience with sand and water, using words such as ‘more’ or ‘less’ and ‘heavier’ and ‘lighter’. Practice on the computer helped to develop their ability to match shapes. Work is well matched to pupils’ prior learning and adults encourage them to explain what they have learned. Parents play an active role in their pupils’

p.28

Mathematical development

learning by working with them on mathematics packs on shape, number and time which pupils take home from school.

p.28

Knowledge and understanding of the world

71. Children in the Nursery become familiar with the school environment as they move around the school and explore the grounds in different seasons. They explore objects and show an interest in why things happen and how things work. Children learned about the changes that occurred when the ingredients of a sponge cake that they made were heated. They developed their sense of touch, as they selected objects in the sand and water and explained what they felt like. There was great excitement, as they played in a large scale boat, sharing their ideas, and co-operating with one another. They investigated construction materials, joined pieces together and tried out a range of tools and techniques safely. Their computer skills were developed throughout each day. By the end of their time in the Nursery, they can control the mouse, click select, drag pictures, find numbers and letters on the keyboard, type their name and complete a simple program.

p.28

Knowledge and understanding of the world

72. They are taught to use the tape recorder and CD player independently and instruct a programmable toy to go forward and reverse. Children in the Reception year showed a good understanding of the immediate past, as they talked about their families. As they investigated natural materials, they were encouraged to express their thoughts about them. A range of activities increase their understanding and the use of their senses. They explore the environment and talk about the features that they like and dislike. A gradual awareness of the cultures and beliefs of others develops. Computer skills are developed progressively and pupils use a range of software to support the development of reading, phonics, number, sorting, matching and sequencing. They develop word processing skills through the writing of their names and simple words and sentences. During the inspection, groups of pupils explored the paint program. One

p.28

Knowledge and understanding of the world

child drew and coloured a monster with legs, demonstrating fine motor control. Others used the spray can, brush and pen effectively. The teacher’s supportive approach was instrumental in the progress made.

p.28

Physical development

73. Children in the Nursery moved spontaneously within an available space. As a result of very good teaching and example, they responded maturely to rhythm, music and stories by means of movement and gestures and were able to start and stop on request. Their ability to negotiate an appropriate pathway when walking, running, or using a wheelchair both indoors and outdoors is clearly developing. They have learned to use pushing and pulling movements to operate equipment. With support, they engaged in activities requiring hand/eye co-ordination and used one-handed tools and equipment safely. Greater use could be made of the outdoor area to extend the work of the classroom.

p.28

Physical development

74. Children in the Reception year demonstrated their ability to move with confidence, imagination, control and co-ordination, in safety, with an awareness of others, in the hall and outside. A variety of challenging activities kept them fully occupied. Very good adult support, teamwork, management and high expectations led to very good learning for all pupils and developed their skills and self-esteem. They showed respect for other pupils’ personal space. Social skills were King Edward Primary School - 29 developed, as pupils practised their throwing and catching skills and learned to skip together. Children progressively develop their skills in using a range of small and large equipment. Gradually, they learn to travel around, under, over and through balancing and climbing equipment. They climb on to apparatus, balance and jump off safely and use large apparatus to perfect the skills taught. Most pupils apply a very good level of physical and creative effort to their work.

p.28

Physical development

They learn about the importance of exercise and a healthy diet and recognise changes that happen to their bodies, when they are active. Physical skills in the classroom are taught very well. Adults ensure that equipment and tools are used safely and pupils demonstrate increasing skill and control in handling tools, objects and malleable materials safely.

p.29

Creative development

75. In the Nursery, pupils’ creativity is developed within stimulating learning areas which are well organised and resourced. All pupils show great interest in what they see, hear, smell, touch and feel. Good displays focus on the topics that pupils are exploring and pupils’ own work. They are encouraged to use their imaginations and a variety of media, such as pastels, chalks, paint and crayons. They demonstrated their ability to differentiate and mix colours, and use primary colours to paint textured paper with brushes, rollers, spreaders, trigger sprays and body puffs. Their skill in cutting different types of paper, joining card, paper and boxes and creating dark and light shades is developing well, as a result of adult guidance and support. Children joined in favourite songs and circle games, responding to sound with body movements.

p.29

Creative development

76. Children in the Reception year worked well together in groups, negotiating plans and ideas and selecting appropriate resources. They mixed paint and ingredients such as sand, cornflour, rice, oatmeal and glitter to produce different textures. On another occasion, they showed considerable creativity as they investigated natural materials and made pictures with pebbles, cones, shells, branches, feathers and leaves. As adults worked alongside pupils, they talked to them about their work, thereby developing appropriate vocabulary. Children demonstrated good control as they sang familiar songs and tapped out rhythms. They explore and learn how sounds can be changed and use instruments to provide rhythmic accompaniment to the singing of familiar songs. They listen to music from other cultures, recognise specific tunes and rhythmic patterns and explore long and short sounds. Adults encourage them to use their imaginations and

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Creative development

communicate their ideas through music and participate in role-play.

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ENGLISH

Overall, the quality of provision in English is good.

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ENGLISH

Strengths: • In lessons and work seen, standards of pupils’ attainment are equally good across all aspects of the subject; • All pupils, regardless of their individual need, are fully involved in lessons and supported to make very good progress; • Teaching is very good; • Subject leadership is very good.

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ENGLISH

Areas for improvement: • Greater consistency in the quality of marking; • Further develop the use of the library areas.

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ENGLISH

77. Standards in lessons and work seen were in line with national expectation throughout the school in all aspects of English. By the end of Year 2, higher attaining pupils show an awareness of their listeners’ needs by incorporating appropriate detail, they listen carefully and use a different tone of voice. Lower attaining pupils listen well and will respond appropriately with gathering confidence. Overall, their standards are in line with national expectation.

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ENGLISH

78. Pupils in Year 2 show a wide spread of attainment in reading. Higher attaining pupils read simple passages of writing with understanding and generally with accuracy. They are very good at analysing text to determine the most important events or ideas. However, their range of King Edward Primary School - 30 strategies to establish the meaning of unfamiliar words is a very limited. Middle attaining pupils have a clear understanding of the main points but are less secure about expressing their opinions. Lower attaining pupils recognise familiar words in simple reading matter and can read aloud sometimes with assistance. While they express simple opinions about their reading, they are unable to use their knowledge of letter sounds to work out unfamiliar words.

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ENGLISH

79. The writing of higher attaining pupils conveys meaning using apt and interesting vocabulary. Ideas are developed into sequences of sentences and capital letters and full stops are used frequently. These pupils are working around level two and their standards are in line with national expectation. Average attaining pupils are able to communicate meaning through simple words and phrases, occasionally using full stops. However, their handwriting is often inconsistent in size and not always accurately formed. Overall, pupils' standards in writing by the end of Year 2 are around national expectation.

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ENGLISH

80. By the end of Year 6, higher attaining pupils talk and listen confidently and are able to describe events clearly, mostly listening with concentration. Many of these pupils are not yet questioning others during their discussion. Most pupils in the class talk and listen with assurance in a range of situations demonstrating an understanding of the main points in discussion. Overall, pupils' standards in speaking and listening are in line with national expectation.

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ENGLISH

81. By the end of Year 6 lower attaining pupils are able to write in a well structured imaginative and clear way. Punctuation is usually used and handwriting is legibly informed and generally joined. Sequences of sentences extend ideas logically. Middle attaining pupils are able to spell more accurately, including polysyllabic words. Higher attaining pupils write in a lively and thoughtful fashion, sustaining their ideas and developing them interestingly in a well organised way. Some words are chosen imaginatively and spelling is usually accurate. Punctuation is used well and handwriting is fluent and joined. Overall, standards in writing are around national expectation.

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ENGLISH

82. Pupils in Year 6 are generally able to explain their preferences for books and demonstrate an interest and enthusiasm for them. Many have books at home, although some have a clear preference for non-fiction books as opposed to fiction. Higher attaining pupils show a clear understanding of the significant ideas and characters and are beginning to refer to the text when explaining their opinions. Middle attaining pupils are also good at identifying key themes but are not yet making consistent reference to the text when explaining their ideas. Lower attaining pupils are generally able to read fluently and readily analyse text for the main points. However, the range of strategies used to establish the meaning of unknown words is very limited. Overall, pupils' standards in reading are in line with national expectation by the end of Year 6.

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ENGLISH

83. Teaching of English and literacy across the school is very good. The elements of the National Literacy Strategy are being effectively addressed. The teaching of grammar is a particular strength of the subject. In an excellent Year 2 lesson, the teacher’s lovely manner with the pupils ensured that they were transfixed by his exposition and attended extremely well. Miscreants were dealt with very thoroughly, but in a measured way which left them clear why they had been admonished. This was extremely successful in correcting their behaviour. Masterfully-timed changes of activities led to pupils maintaining their concentration throughout the session. Resources and activities were exceptionally well-matched to the focus of the lesson and this contributed to the lively progress made by all.

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ENGLISH

84. In a good Year 6 lesson, the learning objectives for the lesson were shared with pupils, and as a consequence they were clear about why they were carrying out their tasks. Subject specific language is well-supported. For example, when the teacher talked about collectives and encouraged pupils to choose a broad range of these in order to add interest to their writing. This precise, well-structured guidance ensured pupils made good progress which was tightly linked to the lesson’s objectives.

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ENGLISH

85. All pupils, regardless of special educational need, ethnicity, gender, level of prior attainment or learning whether they are English as an additional language, are helped to make very good progress through teaching which is very well matched to their needs. For example, in a good Year 6 lesson, two pupils of different gender and race worked extremely well together. In one very good Year 2 lesson, 2 pupils were patiently helped to walk from their wheelchairs to sit in King Edward Primary School - 31 amongst their friends on the carpet. This simple strategy meant that these pupils were able to more easily integrate with their peers and take a full part in the question and answer section of the lesson. The contented smiles on their faces was reward indeed. In an excellent Year 2 lesson, one boy with very limited self-esteem was encouraged by the teacher to stand in front of the class and speak a line from the Gingerbread Man. The patient and sensitive encouragement

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ENGLISH

from the teacher acted as an excellent role model for the class. As a consequence, there was an almost palpable sense of support for him from the hushed group. King Edward Primary School - 32 86. A good pace is often maintained when the teacher provides pupils with frequent reminders of how long they have left. Teachers use a very good range of different contexts in which pupils are asked to write. For example pupils analyse the text of Alice in Wonderland, they produce creative writing including poems, and they write for a purpose such as when they produce a travel brochure.

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ENGLISH

87. Teaching assistants make a very significant contribution to the lessons. They support pupils with special educational needs in a very well-focused way and thereby ensure that these pupils make the same progress as their peers. In many cases their contribution to the lesson is greater than this when, for example, they help admonish misbehaving pupils who are near them.

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ENGLISH

88. Where teaching is less strong, the learning objectives are not frequently reinforced for pupils and the teaching includes a number of related issues which detract from the key focus of the lesson. When marking is very good it is detailed, celebrates the strengths of pupils’ work and indicates the next steps they should take in order to improve.

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ENGLISH

89. While there is no previous inspection report with which to compare improvements, the subject has been established very well in the four terms that the school has been open. The curriculum is good. The National Literacy Strategy has been well incorporated into teachers’ practice and has been suitably augmented using other materials. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ social and moral development. The teachers make very great efforts to ensure that all pupils regardless of gender, special educational need, ethnicity, or learning in English as an additional language, are integrated fully into the life of the school.

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ENGLISH

90. Subject leadership is very good. Due to staffing difficulties, the current subject leader has been in post for two weeks. However, she has had extensive previous experience of the National Literacy Strategy. She has a clear and appropriate job description. In the short time that she has been in post, she has identified a number of clear and appropriate priorities.

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ENGLISH

91. The English policy is a comprehensive document which provides teachers with effective guidance on a broad range of issues including: approaches to teaching, planning, special needs, assessment, and the contribution English can make to other areas of the curriculum. The school’s planned programme of work for English covers the National Literacy Strategy effectively. In addition to this framework the school has drawn upon a number of relevant materials. The school has recently involved the local education authority literacy consultant in helping them to analyse the provision for English in the school. This work included joint observations of lessons and led to the identification of specific development points.

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ENGLISH

92. The school library is used on a weekly basis and pupils are clear on how to use the classification system to find specific non-fiction subjects. This classification is based on the national system used in libraries. Fiction books are colour coded according to the level of reading challenge and these are generally stored in classrooms. Library resources are satisfactory overall and the school makes the best use possible of the corridor sites of the upper and lower school libraries. Many pupils have an interest in books and have them at home. The school does not currently capitalise on this as much as it could with its current use of the libraries. The school pays for use of the local education authority’s library service and this makes a significant impact on provision.

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MATHEMATICS

Overall, the quality of provision in mathematics is good.

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MATHEMATICS

Strengths: • Standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 match national averages and are improving; • The subject is very well organised by a talented subject co-ordinator; • Teaching is very good across the school and as a result pupils are currently learning well; • Work in number, shape and measures are strong areas of the mathematics curriculum.

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MATHEMATICS

Areas for improvement: • There are insufficient data handling opportunities to ensure pupils progress at the same level as in King Edward Primary School - 33 other aspects of mathematics; • Marking needs more consistently to show pupils how to improve their work. 93. Throughout the school, pupils are working at the same standard as those in most schools nationally. An analysis of their work showed no significant differences between that of boys and girls. National tests for pupils at the end of Year 2 show that pupils achieve results that are in line with those nationally.

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MATHEMATICS

94. By the end of Year 2, pupils have a secure grasp of number facts and their skill at manipulating numbers mentally is developing well. They recognise odd and even numbers, know the two, five and ten multiplication tables, and can share by two. Practical tasks are used well to develop their understanding of the mathematical ideas of multiplication and division as, respectively, repeated addition and subtraction. Teachers focus on the development of a sound mathematical vocabulary and pupils understand and correctly use words such as ‘subtract’, ‘minus’, ‘length’ and ‘width’. They identify many two, and some, three-dimensional shapes and explain some of their properties. Children understand some basic measures; for example, they tell the time on digital and analogue clocks and are developing an understanding of units of measure for weight and length. They have an understanding of simple fractions such as halves and quarters and relate

p.33

MATHEMATICS

this to doubling and halving numbers. Lower attaining pupils order numbers to 100 and have a basic understanding of hundreds, tens and units. They add coins to a value of ten pence and understand the concept of halves.

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MATHEMATICS

95. The standards of attainment of pupils in Year 6 are on target to match national expectation by the end of the year, if not exceed them. Inspection evidence indicates that standards across the school are rising and pupils in Year 5 should achieve results above the national expectation by the end of Year 6. The co-ordinator recognises that the introduction of setting in Years 5 and 6 has been very successful and intends to extend this arrangement into Years 3 and 4 at the earliest opportunity.

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MATHEMATICS

96. By the end of Year 6, most pupils have developed sound strategies for manipulating numbers mentally as a result of good teacher focus on mental and oral work. They have a secure understanding of the four mathematical operations and the relationship between them. The know multiplication tables to 10, multiply four-digit numbers by two-digit numbers, add and subtract decimals up to two decimal places and understand the processes of long division and multiplication. Children’s knowledge of shape and space is sound. They understand lines of symmetry, rotational and reflective symmetry, area, volume, ratio and proportion. They explore laws of probability, frequently estimate what answers will be, and know connections between fractions, decimals and percentages. They have a sound knowledge of metric units of measurement. Lower attaining pupils round to one decimal place, have an understanding of the

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MATHEMATICS

properties of two and three-dimensional shapes and multiply three-digit numbers by one and simple two-digit numbers. Throughout the school, there is very good coverage of the aspects of mathematics to do with number, shape and measures but very limited opportunities for data handling and graphical representation and this is a weakness.

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MATHEMATICS

97. The overall quality of mathematics teaching is very good. Lesson planning is thorough and learning objectives are shared with pupils. Teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge and use open-ended questions well to stimulate pupils’ thinking. For example, children of average prior attainment in Years 5 and 6, were asked which of five questions would be the easiest to answer. This exercise allowed the teacher to discuss a range of strategies with the class. All teachers give pupils opportunities to explain the strategies they use and, in the light of their answers, adjust their questions to provide relevant challenge and opportunities for all to achieve success.

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MATHEMATICS

98. Very good lessons are also delivered at a pace that maintains pupils’ interest and generated enthusiasm for the subject. Teachers generally are enthusiastic and make learning interesting. In a lesson about two and three-dimensional shapes with pupils in Year 1, the teacher immediately engaged their attention by opening a box that contained a set of progressively smaller boxes. Investigational opportunities are being well and increasingly used with older pupils, however, there are fewer opportunities for pupils in Years 1 and 2.

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MATHEMATICS

99. All teachers make very good use of resources and promote mathematical vocabulary very well. In particular, teaching assistants make an effective contribution to lessons. Teachers brief them King Edward Primary School - 34 well about their roles and check on the effectiveness of their input during lessons. Marking often consists only of ticks but if comments are made they are usually encouraging. There are, however, very few comments structured to help pupils improve their performance and this is a weakness. 100. Children have very good attitudes to the subject and participate fully in lessons. They answer questions and explain strategies, without fear of being wrong or ridiculed by others for giving wrong answers. Most take a pride in their work and, apart from pupils in Year 1, very few reverse numbers or present their work untidily. Due to the effective way teachers include all pupils in

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MATHEMATICS

lessons, they are totally involved and sustain concentration well.

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MATHEMATICS

101. Progress in the subject is good overall. Those with special educational needs, and pupils for whom English is a second language, make very good or excellent progress compared with their prior attainment due to very effective classroom support. Children in Years 3 to 6 progress at the same rate or better as a result of the very good teaching they receive. Those in Years 5 and 6 are also being helped by newly introduced setting arrangements that allow higher attaining pupils to be constantly challenged whilst lower attainers receive good support from class teachers and teaching assistants.

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MATHEMATICS

102. Numeracy skills are being effectively developed within other subjects. For instance, in art and design pupils learn about symmetry and pattern and shape; and in design and technology, measuring skills are developed. Information and communication technology is beginning to have an impact, although, the co-ordinator recognises that this needs further development.

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MATHEMATICS

103. The very capable co-ordinator affords very good subject leadership and this is reflected in her ability and willingness to give demonstration lessons and run training courses for the whole staff, such as one on addition methodology. She monitors teachers’ planning, pupils’ work and has observed teaching. In this, she has worked closely with the Local Education Authority advisor but now feels sufficiently confident to do it alone. Last year she analysed both the national tests done by pupils in Year 2 and commercial tests done by pupils in Years 3 to 5 to identify strengths and weaknesses in the subject. Testing is also carried out on a half-termly basis to establish what pupils have learned. Class teachers set individual targets for pupils and track their progress. However, at present, there is no consistent formal system for doing this throughout the school, or for recording test results. Children, therefore, have no direct access to information about their

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SCIENCE

Overall, the quality of provision in science is good.

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SCIENCE

Strengths: • Very good relationships between teachers and pupils; • Support and attention for special educational needs helps them make good progress; • Teachers management of pupils is good; • Resources are well prepared and activities well-matched to interest.

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SCIENCE

Areas for development: • Use of information and communication technology, such as data logging equipment in Year 6; • Challenge higher attaining pupils more consistently; • More consistency in marking to ensure pupils know how to improve.

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SCIENCE

104. By the end of Year 2, standards are around national expectation. The majority of pupils work with great interest and concentration and make good progress in acquiring knowledge and the development of skills. Pupils undertake investigations with enthusiasm. Recording of observations take a variety of forms, such as completing simple tables or drawing pictures to show changes such as what happens to different materials when heated. Most pupils have a good understanding that sound travels in all directions and gets louder the closer you are to the source of sound. In a mixed Year 1 and Year 2 class some pupils' were starting to appreciate that vibrations caused sounds having seen and felt a ruler vibrate as they 'twanged' on the edge of a table. King Edward Primary School - 35 105. By the end of Year 6, standards are around national expectation. Pupils are able to carry out simple investigations and make good progress in their learning. In a mixed Year 5 and 6 class

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SCIENCE

pupils showed high levels of interest and enthusiasm. Pupils were able to explore a range of solutions and then separated them by filtering. Some pupils were able to correctly describe

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SCIENCE

what went through the sieve, what was left and what went through the filter paper and what remained. Where learning is less good, the higher attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenged to work at a greater depth.

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SCIENCE

106. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and ranges from unsatisfactory to very good. In their work on sound in a mixed Year 1 and 2 class, teachers challenged the pupils through careful questioning and, as a result, pupils were able to explore how well sound travels through different materials. Where teaching is good pupils become enthused, co-operate, work well and make good progress in knowledge and skills.

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SCIENCE

107. In the best lessons, planning is detailed with scientific investigations taking a high priority. Teachers make clear what pupils are to learn and do. In many lessons all pupils are required to learn the same things and carry out the same task. On occasions, there is limited additional classroom assistance for pupils with special educational needs. However, in these circumstances, teachers provide a significant amount of additional support, such as giving physical assistance to ensure pupils can move around the room, and be fully included in all activities. As a result of the teacher's good relationships with pupils, and the co-operation between pupils, all pupils, including those who are learning English as an additional language and those with special educational needs, are fully included in all aspects of science. For example in a Year 5 and Year 6 lesson pupils worked together and supported each other in their investigation

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SCIENCE

108. A strength of the teaching in science lessons is the good management of pupils. Teachers are good role models, treating the pupils with respect. The teachers value pupils’ contributions in lessons, and, as a result, self-esteem is high and pupils are keen to participate. All teachers are secure in their knowledge of the subject. They provide interesting activities and most pupils are well motivated by these.

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SCIENCE

109. The marking of work is inconstant and needs to include development points for the pupil to follow. Assessment of pupils’ understanding is good in Year 1 and Year 2 and is carried out at the end of each topic. This approach has recently been introduced at Year 5 and Year 6 but has not yet had time to impact on pupil progress. Homework in Year 5 and Year 6 is often linked to completion of class work, or revision of work in preparation for end of topic tests. The use of information and communication technology in science needs to be further developed. The school has already identified the need to purchase additional resources, for example, Year 6 requires sensing equipment to carry out data logging activities.

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SCIENCE

110. The quality of leadership and management of science is satisfactory. The co-ordinator has only been in post since September 2002, and prior to this there was no subject co-ordination. As a consequence, very little monitoring or evaluation has been carried out. The development of investigative skills, and the need for the higher attaining pupils to be challenged more effectively, have been identified as areas for development.

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ART AND DESIGN

Overall, the provision for art and design is very good.

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ART AND DESIGN

The key strengths of the subject are: • Experienced leadership; • The quality of teaching which is very good and which ensures that all pupils make very good progress; • A very good subject policy and planning for what will be taught; • The emphasis on the development of skills and techniques. King Edward Primary School - 36 An area for improvement is: • To further develop portfolios of assessed work for each year group.

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ART AND DESIGN

111. By the end of Year 2, standards match those expected for pupils of this age. All pupils make very good progress and achieve very well. This is due to very good teaching and the use of visual aids to learning. The value placed on pupil achievement and the active participation of all pupils is reflected in the very good learning that takes place in lessons. In a lesson in Years 1 and 2, pupils created masks and containers of various shapes, inspired by the teacher’s introduction to sculpture, using the ‘Angel of the North’ as an example. The knowledge of a pupil in the class whose father is a sculptor, and the description of the sculpture by a pupil who had seen it in reality, brought the lesson alive. Pupils’ earlier work shows high quality close observational drawings of local houses and of the house of artist and designer, Friedensreich Hundertwasser in Bad Soden in Germany.

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ART AND DESIGN

112. By the end of Year 6, standards match those expected for pupils of this age. All pupils are fully included in all activities. They make very good progress and achieve very well, because of very good teaching and opportunities for pupils to develop and refine their skills in mixed media drawing, fine brushwork, collage, printing techniques, sculpture and ceramics. During the inspection, pupils in Years 3 and 4 explored the composition of a picture with two people in relation to each other. The teacher’s good figure drawing on the board was used to model the skills of drawing, shading and proportion very well. As a consequence, pupils made very good progress in their ability to draw and shade, in charcoal, two figures, one sitting and one standing, using pupils as models. Many of them built on their prior learning by referring to their previous sketches of parts of the body. No lessons were observed in Years 5 and 6, but pupils have

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ART AND DESIGN

produced work of a high quality on graded tones, and have used their observational skills well in emulating the work of many of the ‘Old Masters’.

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ART AND DESIGN

113. Teaching is very good, as demonstrated in the lessons observed and the quality of pupils’ work, over time. Common characteristics of most lessons are teachers’ very good subject knowledge, planning to interest and motivate pupils of all abilities and the teaching of basic skills. Teachers’ high expectations inspire pupils to try to achieve success and effective teaching methods promote very good learning for all pupils. Pupils show respect for the ideas and work of others. Ongoing assessment is used constructively to facilitate learning. Pupils are managed very well, enabling maximum use to be made of time and resources.

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ART AND DESIGN

114. Pupils’ learning is very good. As a result of very good teaching, their acquisition of knowledge, understanding and skills is very good and they apply a high level of creative effort to their work. They maintain interest, concentration and independence. Through opportunities to appraise their own work and the work of others, they have a good knowledge of their own learning.

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ART AND DESIGN

115. The quality and range of learning opportunities are good. An enriched curriculum is in place. The policy and the school’s planned programme of work give full guidance to teachers, enabling them to deliver a satisfactory range of learning opportunities. Pupils’ spiritual development is enhanced through the appreciation of works of art and the expression of their own feelings through art. Their literacy and social development are promoted through discussion, group and paired work, research on the computer and appraisal of each other’s work. Pupils use their mathematical knowledge to create geometric shape designs and to print repeated patterns with reflective and rotational symmetry.

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ART AND DESIGN

116. Leadership and management of the subject are very good. The subject leader is enthusiastic. She has a very clear sense of educational direction and the school’s aims and values are reflected in the work of the subject. The procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are good and assessment information is used very well to guide curricular planning. The subject leader has an overview of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work and is developing a portfolio of work for each year group, levelled to National Curriculum standards. She gives good support and guidance to colleagues. Resources are adequate and are used well.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

King Edward Primary School - 37 Overall, the provision for design and technology is good.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Strengths: • Subject leadership is very good; • The range of experiences given to pupils is good and the curriculum is enriched by involvement in the community.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Areas for improvement: • The control technology aspect of the subject needs to be further developed.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

117. It was not possible to observe lessons during the inspection. However, a substantial portfolio of pupils’ work and photographs was scrutinised. By the end of Year 2, lower attaining pupils are able to think up ideas and make plans with help. They can use tools and materials with assistance. Higher attaining pupils are able to produce plans of what to do next, demonstrating some knowledge of materials. Overall, pupils' standards are in line with national expectation.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

118. By the end of Year 6, lower attaining pupils are beginning to understand that their designs must address a variety of different needs. The quality of their plans shows that they have realistic ideas. The accuracy with which they can cut and shape materials is improving. Higher attaining pupils can carry out research in order to generate a broader range of ideas and have a much clearer understanding of constraints on their work. They are beginning to be able to evaluate their work. Overall, pupils' standards are in line with national expectations.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

119. In Years 1 and 2, pupils used felt and other materials, such as wool, to make attractive glove puppets. They are able to sew, somewhat unevenly, and are proud of the work they have done. They derive much fun from this collaborative activity. A trip out to a convention where pupils are encouraged to make things raises the profile of the subject. Further enrichment of the curriculum is supported when the school takes part in a local project to design bronze plates to go on benches in the local park. The pupils are clearly excited when they are taken to watch as their designs are cast into bronze in the park. Food technology is well supported when pupils from Years 1 and 2 work on salads. Year 5 pupils are proud of the mechanisms they have made using card, dowel rod and cams. The mechanism allows the hat of their snowmen to rise up and down. While no teaching was observed, the pupils’ work and progress over time is testament to effective

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

120. The curriculum for design and technology is very good. The curriculum is effectively based on national guidelines. Pupils get good opportunities to work with a good range of materials, cutting and joining these in a wide variety of ways. The school has an effective policy of arranging for pupils to work in groups of mixed gender and varying levels of prior attainment as part of their efforts to ensure equality of access for all. Further development of the control technology aspect of the curriculum is needed. National guidelines on assessment are applied at the end of each unit giving pupils a level of attainment which is related to the National Curriculum. The design and technology curriculum makes a significant contribution to pupils' literacy and social development when that they are given opportunities to discuss their work in groups.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

121. The co-ordination of the subject is very good. The co-ordinator monitors pupils' work closely at the end of each unit, studying finished pieces of work. The policy for design and technology includes laudable aims and makes appropriate reference to national guidelines. The action plan for design and technology contains well-focused priorities. The co-ordinator has carried out an audit of equipment and identified priorities for purchase and has a comprehensive file of the support materials for the subject. The co-ordinator takes part in the appropriate in-service training which ensures she is well informed of current developments.

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GEOGRAPHY

Overall, the quality of provision in geography is good.

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GEOGRAPHY

Strengths: King Edward Primary School - 38 • Very interesting activities planned with engaging resources; • The quality of teaching and learning is good.

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GEOGRAPHY

Areas to develop: • More consistent challenge for higher attaining pupils; • Consistency in marking to include informative points.

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GEOGRAPHY

122. By the end of Year 2, standards are in line with national expectation. Pupils have a growing awareness of signs and symbols on maps and have used photographs of the local area to identify features. They have a developing understanding of weather. They recognise a good range of jobs that people do and are learning how to ask relevant questions and find answers from a range of sources.

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GEOGRAPHY

123. By the end of Year 6, standards are in line with national expectation. Pupils' have extended their knowledge of weather to include the Beaufort scale and can interpret information from simple climate graphs. They are developing their confidence to use a range of maps to locate places and features including major rivers such as the Nile and have used the Internet to access pictures and information. Relationships are good and teachers value pupils' views.

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GEOGRAPHY

124. The quality of teaching and learning is good. This is as a result of pupils being actively engaged in their work and having purposeful discussions with each other. For example in a mixed Year 5 and 6 class, pupils worked in similar attainment groups using holiday brochures to discover more about Kenya. As a result the higher attaining pupils were able to give additional information to others in the class, and together, they were all able to recognise how to persuade a tourist to visit by highlighting the positive features of the country.

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GEOGRAPHY

125. Pupils respond positively to the subject and enjoy their learning. This is as a result of well- planned stimulating activities and the mutual respect between teachers and pupils. For example, in a mixed Year 1 and Year 2 class the teacher used a range of child-sized uniforms, representing the police, Fire Brigade and health services, to stimulate pupils’ interest through role play. They were then prompted to ask questions about the jobs people do. By working together they were able to use a number of simple books and find information. The teacher then helped them to devise a set of questions and interview a visiting nurse about his job. This gave good opportunities for co-operation and speaking and listening as well as having a positive experience that challenged stereotypical views about gender and jobs.

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GEOGRAPHY

126. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are suitably supported in class by the teacher through effective questioning and grouping. In a mixed Year 1 and Year 2 class the teacher had adapted the teaching materials well and gave additional support to the lower attaining pupils. This resulted in all pupils making good progress.

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GEOGRAPHY

127. The teachers’ planning clearly identifies relevant learning objectives and gives suggested activities including possible opportunities for information and communication technology. These follow the National Curriculum guidance. However, it does not identify how the needs of the higher attaining pupils, or the gifted and talented could be met.

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GEOGRAPHY

128. The newly appointed subject co-ordinator is covering for maternity leave. She has a good understanding of the subject and has ensured that the subject area is well managed. She has a good understanding of the available resources including the potential use of the Internet. Year 3 and Year 4 attend a residential trip to Northumberland that develops their understanding well in geography.

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HISTORY

Overall, the quality of provision in history is very good.

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HISTORY

Strengths: • Learning is very good due to stimulating activities; • Good range of artefacts to match the activities. King Edward Primary School - 39 Areas for development: • More consistency in marking to include development points; • Higher attaining pupils need to be challenged more consistently.

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HISTORY

129. By the end of Year 2, standards are in line with national expectation. Most pupils have a very good understanding of the past. For example, they are able to compare life in Victorian Britain with their own education and social life. This is as a result of having good teaching through a range of interesting activities. As a result they can see the differences and the similarities. A good sense of chronology is being developed with good examples of time lines being used both in the pupils’ work and as part of large displays. King Edward Primary School - 40 130. By the end of Year 6, standards are in line with national expectation. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 are able to select and combine information from a variety of sources, such as books, artists impressions, artefacts, and the Internet, as seen in their study of life in Ancient Egypt. They understand that our knowledge of the past is dependent on sources of evidence such as these.

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HISTORY

They are developing their understanding about fact and opinion.

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HISTORY

131. The quality of teaching and learning throughout the school is very good overall, as seen in their work, and in discussion with pupils. Learning is very good because interesting and stimulating activities are planned for them. Pupils' positive attitudes to their work, and the very good relationships in class, enable pupils to make good gains in their learning. There is inconsistency in marking across the school. Where it is good, it reflects why the work is good and indicates what needs to be developed.

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HISTORY

132. The newly appointed subject co-ordinator is covering for a maternity leave. She has a good understanding of the subject and has ensured that the subject area is well managed. Resources are stored in a central area. There are good ranges of resources to support the History curriculum. For example, in Years 1 and 2, toys from the past are available for them to handle and compare with toys they have today. The teachers' planning indicate a range of activities to utilise information and communication technology such as the Internet for reference information and pictures. Display of pupils’ work shows good evidence of this. Years 3 and 4 topic on the Tudors involved researching the Mary Rose, and this was done using the Internet.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Overall, the provision for information and communication technology is very good.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Strengths: • Teaching in information and communication technology is very good; • Leadership and management is very good; • The curriculum for information and communication technology is very good and ensures that pupils use information and communication technology in real-life situations.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Areas for development: • Implement the school’s plans to improve the computer facilities.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

133. Overall, pupils' standards throughout the school in information and communication technology are in line with national expectation. In Year 2, all pupils were able to the CD-ROMs to explore information and can type in different key words in order to get the information they want. Higher attaining pupils are able to discuss their experiences clearly.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

134. In Year 3, pupils are given the opportunity to work with simple databases developing a good understanding of the significant elements. Pupils are able to log on to the network and start the programme. They can use the mouse to draw free-hand shapes as well as trigonometric shapes using the mouse buttons. They are able to plan and make things happen as they convert their early designs for a duvet cover into designs on the screen. They enter and retrieve work very competently and are around national expectation. From the scrutiny of pupils’ work, standards by the end of Year 6 are in line with national expectation.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

135. Overall, teaching in information and communication technology is very good, although one unsatisfactory lesson was seen. In a good Year 2 lesson held in the information communication technology suite, pupils' worked effectively with an encyclopaedia based on a CD-ROM. Good questioning involved the pupils well. The interactive whiteboard was highly motivating for the pupils who were very keen to come up and use it. Pupils attention span was relatively short during the teacher's exposition but they worked with greater perseverance on the computers. None the less, they behaved well and shared even in mixed gender groups. Specialist subject language was well supported and pupils were helped to use such language themselves as a result.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

136. A particular strength of the teaching is the way that teachers help pupils to appreciate potential difficulties in using computers and work out appropriate solutions. This thorough treatment of King Edward Primary School - 41 information and communication technology results in pupils being better prepared to use computers in various situations. Information and communication technology is taught in such a way that pupils can see how it can be applied in different situations. For example, in one lesson, they used the technology to extend their study of the Jewish faith by using an encyclopaedia based on a CD-ROM. The teacher had a very good level of knowledge and understanding of information and communication technology, and this contributed positively to her ability to engage the pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

137. In a very good Year 4 lesson, pupils were able to use commercial software to transfer their designs to the computer. Very good use was made of the interactive whiteboard to engage pupils and model the activities they were about to do. Clear learning objectives ensured that pupils knew exactly what to do and why they were doing it. Pupils had already thought out their designs and made paper sketches before coming into the information and communication technology suite. This level of preparation ensured that pupils could easily see the advantages and disadvantages of using the software.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

138. All pupils, regardless of prior attainment, ethnicity, gender, or special educational need were fully involved in the lesson and the teacher made it very clear that all their contributions were much valued. Where teaching is less strong, the focus of the lesson is insufficiently sharp and pupils do not readily understand what they have to do to succeed.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

139. The information and communication technology suite is a good resource, but the current number of working computers leads to pupils working in groups of three. Replacement computers are on order.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

140. The curriculum in information and communication technology is very good. A particularly strong feature is the way information and communication technology is set in contexts drawn from life, and taught through other subjects. Additionally, pupils are encouraged to gain understanding of how to tackle problems with information and communication technology and evaluate its use. This puts them in a good position to be able to use such facilities in various situations. The nature of the information and communication technology curriculum is also well-designed to ensure that pupils build up a very good understanding of the nature of information and how to use it. Extensive resources have been produced to support pupils' work in other subjects. Pupils keep an Internet diary of sites they have visited. This encourages them to evaluate how useful the sites are, and what features they found most attractive. The school has used the National Curriculum

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

guidelines as a basis for its planned programme of work and augmented this from appropriate resources. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ social and moral development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

141. Leadership and management of the subject are very good. National training for staff in information and communication technology has helped to raise staff confidence. Further training has been provided by the co-ordinator for both teaching staff and teaching assistants. A comprehensive set of guidance notes have been produced before teachers, teaching assistants and administrative staff. The co-ordinator has had a good opportunity to work alongside colleagues to support their development in this subject during lesson time. Clear development priorities include a further development of control technology in Years 5 and 6 including data logging. A set of new computers to replace those in the information and communication technology suite have been agreed.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

142. The school has a comprehensive and detailed policy for information and communication technology. This includes a clear statement of what pupils will be able to do by the end of each year in the school. This provides teachers with an extremely helpful guide and effectively addresses the National Curriculum programme of study. There are explicit references to the provision for special needs and equal opportunities. Appropriate reference is made to national guidelines on assessment. King Edward Primary School - 42

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MUSIC

Overall, the provision for music is very good.

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MUSIC

Strengths: • The quality of teaching which is very good and leads to very good progress on the part of all pupils; • A very good policy and planned programme of work.

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MUSIC

Area for improvement: • To extend pupils’ musical experience through visits by a range of musicians.

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MUSIC

143. By the end of Year 2, standards match those expected for pupils of this age. All pupils achieve very well and make very good progress. This is due to very good teaching and the fact that through music, many of the difficulties faced by pupils academically are overcome. The active participation of all pupils is encouraged. In a lesson in Years 1 and 2, the teacher built on pupils’ prior knowledge of pitch and the experience of a recent sound walk. All pupils were actively involved. Resources were readily to hand and a computer was used to play a range of instruments and check pitch. In another lesson, pupils responded very well to changes in pitch as they listened to an opera sung by Pavarotti and tunes played by the teacher on a guitar. Pupils demonstrated very good progress, as they repeated short, rhythmic and melodic patterns and created and chose sounds in response to given starting points. They responded to different

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MUSIC

moods in music and recognised well-defined changes in sounds, as a result of very good teaching, good listening and full involvement.

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MUSIC

144. By the end of Year 6, standards match those expected for pupils of this age. All pupils are fully included in all activities. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 demonstrated very good progress and achievement in a lesson on cyclic patterns. The teacher engaged their interest through the use of three very different styles of music. Pupils listened with deep concentration to the Brandenburg Concerto; some quietly conducted; others moved gently to the pulse. When questioned, they knew what it was called, that the composer was Bach and that it was classical music. They recognised that the chief instrument was the violin; they knew that it was a stringed instrument and that it produces the highest note of the string family and that the double bass produces the lowest sound. The teacher introduced the ‘kaherva’, a structure of a particular cyclic pattern, which was new to them. Half the class worked on rhythms at full speed, the others at half speed,

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MUSIC

putting it together very well. They are a talented class; all pupils understand notation, 12 pupils play an instrument and most pupils understand the terms, ‘pulse’, ‘rhythm’, ‘timbre’ and ‘duration’. In groups, they produced their own cyclic patterns on unpitched instruments. All pupils identified and explored the relationship between sounds. They maintained their own part with awareness of how different parts fitted together and the need to achieve an overall effect.

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MUSIC

145. Teaching in music is very good. The strengths of teaching are teachers’ very good subject knowledge, effective planning, teaching of basic skills and high expectations. The management of pupils is very good and leads to very good learning. The use of ongoing assessment is very effective in developing pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Time and resources are used very well to maximise learning.

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MUSIC

146. Pupils’ learning is very good and their very good behaviour and relationships are instrumental in helping them to progress. They enjoy music and their interest and enthusiasm are engaged, with the result that they apply creative effort to their work and maintain concentration. As a result of very good listening and active participation, they extend their knowledge, skills and understanding. Their knowledge of their own learning is good, as demonstrated by pupils in Years 5 and 6. After each group demonstrated their compositions, other pupils commented on the strategies used by each group and how they had put their composition together. They did this very professionally. All groups were keen to refine their cyclic patterns and improve them and all pupils appreciated the efforts and contribution of others.

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MUSIC

147. The quality and range of learning opportunities are good. The curriculum is enriched by opportunities for pupils to join the choir and learn the flute, clarinet and violin. Good procedures are in place for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress. The use of assessment to guide curriculum planning is very good. Music actively promotes communication skills. The rhythm King Edward Primary School - 43 and structure of music is mathematically based. Music contributes to pupils’ social development by building up self-confidence and providing opportunities for group work. In a science lesson on how sound travels and enters the ear, the teacher sang a number of questions and pupils tried hard to mimic the ‘cadence’. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on music and its effect on people’s moods, senses and quality of life.

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MUSIC

148. Leadership and management of the subject are very good. They ensure clear educational direction and reflect the school’s aims and values very well. The temporary subject leader and all teachers are determined to maintain the standards. The subject leader has an overview of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work and gives good support and guidance to colleagues. Resources are adequate and are used effectively.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Overall, the quality of provision in physical education is good.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Strengths: • Attainment matches levels attained in the majority of schools; • Teachers work hard and successfully to provide a full programme of physical education for pupils in spite of the lack of a field and only one hall; • The school’s programme for swimming is very good and pupils achieve well; • The subject is well supported through club activities.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Areas for improvement: • Assessment of pupils’ progress; • Resolution of the current problems with the school field.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

149. At the end of both Year 2 and Year 6, attainment matches that expected nationally. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. Specialised programmes of warm-up activities have been devised for pupils with particular physical problems to ensure that they prepare properly for physical activity. The very good attitudes and behaviour of all pupils make a significant contribution to learning. All are enthusiastic and most are patient when waiting for their turn to take part.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

150. As they progress through the school, pupils are given a satisfactory range of opportunities to acquire and develop new skills and apply them to their own performances. Children in Years 1 and 2 demonstrate good body control as they stretch, balance and hop whilst warming up. They understood the skills needed for successful dribbling, a term that they understand. Their co- ordination and ball control are developing well.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

151. By the end of Year 6, pupils have been given regular structured opportunities to acquire and develop skills, techniques and ideas through dance, games, gymnastics, cross country running, athletics and swimming. Groups of pupils in a Year 5 and 6 lesson worked hard to design a sequence of balances that used a variety of speeds, levels and directions. They approached the task thoughtfully, co-operated well and discussed improvements sensibly. Boys and girls were equally enthusiastic in this lesson and all were willing to demonstrate their actions for others. Provision for swimming is especially good, with high quality teaching and regular annual opportunities for all classes to use a well-appointed local swimming pool. More than 85 per cent of pupils in Year 6 and 90 per cent in Year 5 are already achieving the nationally expected standard.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

152. The quality of teaching is good and is enhanced by football training provided by a local club. Teachers’ explanations are clear, and enable all pupils, including those with special educational needs to take a full part in all activities. They use praise well to encourage and motivate pupils. They demonstrate techniques, which helps pupils improve their performance. As a result of good quality teaching pupils’ skills develop well. Good use is made of the resources available for this subject. These need to be increased, however, especially to allow younger and older pupils to use equipment suited to their stature. King Edward Primary School - 44 153. Physical education makes a positive contribution to pupils’ social, moral and spiritual development. Levels of co-operation and collaboration in lessons are good and the various after- school sports clubs successfully develop a positive team spirit. Rules are understood by

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

pupils of all ages and followed in a sensible and mature fashion. There are also good opportunities to take part in dancing to music. Dance also provides a good cross-curricular link for pupils in Years 5 and 6 when they study Kenya in geography.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

154. Subject leadership has been satisfactory. The present co-ordinator, who only took on the role in January 2002, has qualifications in athletics, gymnastics and rugby. The policy for physical education was ratified by school governors in 2002 and the school‘s plans ensure that the National Curriculum guidelines are followed in detail. Staff training is kept up to date. As yet, assessment of pupils’ skills in the subject is limited. The best methods of tracking pupils’ progress are currently being considered.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

155. Teachers work very hard to offset the limitations presented by the lack of a field and only one hall. This has been the situation since the school opened over a year ago and is beyond its direct control. During that time, staff have successfully devised ways of offering pupils as full a curriculum as possible.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Overall, the quality of provision in religious education is good.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Strengths: • Standards meet national expectations; • There is full coverage of all the required aspects of the subject; • The co-ordinator affords good subject leadership and support for colleagues; • There is a clear vision for subject development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Areas for improvement: • Ensure the quality of planning for individual lessons is consistently high.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

156. Pupils’ attainment throughout the school matches that of pupils in most schools and shows no significant differences between girls and boys. By the end of Year 2, pupils acquire some knowledge of Christianity and an awareness that it is not the only religion practised in Britain. They look at aspects of Christianity such as baptism and the stories surrounding Christ’s birth, from Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, to their flight into Egypt; at Judaism, especially the structure of a Jew‘s week and the celebration of Shabbat; and follow a unit of work about families and relationships within them. A good link was made with information and communication technology when pupils accessed a Hebrew dice on a classroom laptop.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

157. By the end of Year 6, most pupils have covered the key features of the world‘s six major religions and have a good understanding of Christianity and two others. They use appropriate terminology to explain matters of religious belief and practice, for example explaining the Torah and Menorah when describing a synagogue. In a Year 6 lesson, pupils showed a good understanding of the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer and demonstrated their understanding of the feelings and beliefs associated with prayer generally when composing their own prayers for today‘s world. They were able to compare Christian prayer life with that of Jews.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

158. Many pupils express their ideas clearly and maturely and demonstrate good progress and growing understanding of the meaning religion can have in people’s lives. When supported by teaching assistants, pupils with special educational needs or English as an additional language are able to complete the same tasks as those set for the rest of the class. Work is generally presented neatly. Older pupils take part in Southwell Minster’s schools’ programme and learn about the Christian church, its beliefs, history and architecture. As this is a county-wide project, during the course of the day they meet and work with pupils from other schools. This benefits their social skills as well as enhancing their religious education. King Edward Primary School - 45 159. Teachers are generally knowledgeable, work is usually well planned, and pupils complete both worksheets and pieces of free writing that help to develop their literacy skills. In a very good

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

lesson, the teacher built effectively on the pupils’ prior learning and used good questioning

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

techniques to elicit information. He expected high standards of work and behaviour and the pupils responded well. In a good lesson about Shabbat, artefacts and subject specific vocabulary were used well to help pupils recall information they had learned earlier.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

160. They work in two-year cycles on topics that are closely in line with the latest national guidance in Years 1 and 2 and the locally agreed syllabus in Years 3 to 6. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs or those for whom English is an additional language, make good progress.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

161. The subject co-ordinator is a committed theologian who has a degree in religious education. She wrote the present programme of work for pupils in Years 3 to 6 and has clear plans to amend it to bring it into line with the new locally agreed syllabus. It is based on a series of key questions covering the six major world religions. The school has a good bank of artefacts to support teaching which the co-ordinator plans to increase further. Last year, she conducted an audit of staff skills and knowledge so that she can provide good support for her colleagues. She believes that pupils value talking to people from the various faith communities so she has built good links with representatives of the three local Christian churches. She now wants to develop similar links with other faith communities in the county. As yet there is no formal system of measuring pupils’ progress and attainment in the subject, nor is there a school portfolio of representative samples of

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