Woodlane High School

WOODLANE HIGH SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 23 rd – 26 th June 2003

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WOODLANE HIGH 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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WOODLANE HIGH 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. Woodlane High School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Du Cane Road Hammersmith London

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr G Vincent

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: November 1997 Woodlane High School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 8810 Mrs S Aldridge Registered inspector Educational inclusion, including race equality, special educational needs, science, information and communication technology, modern foreign languages What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further? 9537 Mrs C Marden Lay inspector 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? 18498 Mrs D Morris Team inspector English as an additional language, English, art and design, design and technology, music How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

3055 Mr C Tombs Team inspector Mathematics, geography, history, physical education, religious education How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Bench Marque Ltd National Westminster Bank Chambers Victoria Street Burnham on Sea Somerset TA8 1AN

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Woodlane High School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is a mixed, community special school that caters for 39 pupils from age 11 to 16 years. There are more than twice as many boys as girls. Most pupils are white; there are eleven black pupils and three of Asian origin. Five pupils are from homes where English is an additional language, although none are at an early stage of acquiring English. Three quarters of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is very high. Thirty-eight pupils have statements of special educational needs; one who does not is being assessed for a statement. Most pupils have emotional, social and behavioural difficulties; seven have physical difficulties, four have autism, two have speech and communication difficulties and one has visual impairment. Many pupils enter the school having had unhappy experiences of other schools, and have attended poorly. Attainment on entry is therefore well below average. Factors that affect pupils’ learning are low self-esteem, difficulties in developing social

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

relationships, a sense of failure and distrust of new challenges, anxiety and a lack of motivation. Since the last inspection, the school has moved twice, and is now in new, purpose built accommodation. A new headteacher was appointed shortly after the school was last inspected.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good and rapidly improving school. Pupils achieve well; their attitudes to school are good, and so is their behaviour and personal development. Very good leadership and management have transformed the school since the last inspection. The school provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Pupils achieve very well in English, art and design and music. • The school provides a very calm, safe and caring community with a high quality learning environment. • Teachers develop pupils’ literacy skills very well through subjects other than English. • The headteacher provides very good leadership. • Staff know the pupils and their families very well; this helps them to support pupils most effectively in improving their behaviour, learning and attendance. • There is a very good programme of personal, social, health and citizenship education which helps pupils to become effective learners and prepares them well for adult life.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Attendance is unsatisfactory. • Governors do not fulfil their responsibility to ensure that the curriculum meets requirements. • There is no teacher qualified to teach physical education, and insufficient subject planning. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the action plan prepared by the appropriate authority.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was inspected in November 1997. Since then there has been very good improvement, despite considerable turbulence, staffing changes and a period of high staff absence. Pupils’ attitudes to the school and to learning have improved. A clear focus on teaching and learning has secured a significant improvement in teaching, and pupils now achieve well, despite an increase in the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals. The curriculum is better balanced; provision for mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT) has been further developed. Improvements in assessment have helped to ensure that pupils’ individual needs are now met well. A high quality, well- resourced programme of personal, social and health education and citizenship (PSHE(C)) has been introduced. The school now monitors expenditure carefully and evaluates resources to assess their impact on learning. Value for money has also improved. The school has been supported well by

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

personnel from the local education authority. Woodlane High School - 7

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STANDARDS

The table summarises inspectors’ judgements about how well pupils achieve.

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STANDARDS

speaking and listening A A very good A reading A A good B writing A A satisfactory C mathematics C C unsatisfactory D personal, social and health education B B poor E other personal targets set at annual reviews * * * Insufficient evidence for a judgement to be made

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STANDARDS

The school sets challenging targets, and takes suitable action to ensure that these are reached. These have been particularly successful in raising achievement in English and science, but less successful in mathematics, where teaching is satisfactory. Very good achievement in English, art and design and music is associated with a very broad range of relevant learning experiences that are taught most effectively. In general, pupils’ positive attitudes help to promote achievement. In science, French and PSHE(C), achievement is good overall; this is linked to good teaching. In science, pupils do not progress as well in developing investigative skills as they do in knowledge and understanding of the subject; this is linked to the lack of technician support. In design and technology and ICT, pupils’ achievements are satisfactory; pupils have not been taught these subjects in their present form for long

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STANDARDS

enough to enable them to reach the standards of which they are capable. In geography, history and religious education, satisfactory achievement is linked to satisfactory teaching. No judgement could be made on pupils’ achievements in physical education because there was insufficient evidence available. Boys and girls achieve equally well, as do pupils of minority ethnic origins. A small number of pupils in Year 10 do not achieve as well as their peers because they occasionally find it difficult to behave in class and are withdrawn from lessons. Inevitably, pupils whose attendance is erratic do not achieve as well as others.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Aspect Comment Attitudes to the school Good. Younger pupils have particularly good attitudes to school and to learning. They are proud of their work and keen to show it to visitors. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. All pupils are polite to visitors. Behaviour in classes ranges from very good to unsatisfactory, but it is mostly good. Pupils behave well at lunchtimes and breaktimes. The school building, displays of work and resources are respected well. Personal development and relationships Good. Most pupils get on well with one another; relationships between staff and pupils are very good, and this helps to create a harmonious learning environment. As they grow older, pupils develop their independence skills, and mature into confident young adults, with a clear idea of what they would like to do in the future. Attendance Unsatisfactory. Attendance statistics do not compare favourably with other similar schools nationally. Although much absence is legitimate,

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

and often for medical reasons, there are a few parents who condone their children’s unauthorised absence from school. Attendance has improved in recent years. Woodlane High School - 8

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils: Years 7 – 9 Years 10 − 11 Quality of teaching Good Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching is good; it is very good in English, good overall in science and PSHE(C), and satisfactory in mathematics. The successful management of pupils in Years 7 to 9 is a particular strength, and is underpinned well by the positive relationships that staff have established with pupils. Management of older pupils is satisfactory. Literacy skills are very well developed across the curriculum, and there are good opportunities for pupils to develop their numeracy skills. Teachers have developed the three-part lesson well; they share learning intentions with pupils and review learning at the end of a lesson. Teachers have good subject knowledge, so they are able to answer pupils’ questions, thus extending their knowledge and deepening understanding. There are high expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour. Learning is most effective when teachers plan a wide range of relevant learning experiences, as these motivate pupils very well. Good relationships between pupils enable them to learn from one

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

another. Teachers plan well to meet pupils’ individual needs, mainly by identifying different learning outcomes and providing additional support for certain pupils in lessons. However, they rarely provide different tasks or resources and this occasionally limits pupils’ ability to work independently. Assessment is good in class, but teachers’ marking of work is inconsistent as pupils’ mistakes are not always corrected, and comments rarely tell pupils what they need to do to improve.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Aspect Comment The quality and range of the curriculum Good; it is broad, balanced and particularly relevant to pupils’ needs. There are very good arrangements for developing pupils’ literacy skills and a high quality PSHE(C) programme. Links with the community are very effective in enriching the arts curriculum. Extra-curricular activities are satisfactory, so are links with other schools and colleges. The school strives to make sure that all pupils have equality of opportunity, but withdrawal of pupils from lessons compromises this. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language There is no additional provision for these pupils as none are at an early stage of learning English. However, the school supports parents well by arranging for translators, and the school improvement plan formally recognises the need to translate key documents into other languages. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual,

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

moral, social and cultural development Good. The arrangements for encouraging pupils’ moral development are very good. Provision for promoting pupils’ spiritual, social and cultural development is good. The PSHE(C) programme makes a strong contribution to pupils’ personal development. How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. The school has most effective arrangements for child protection and ensuring pupils’ welfare. Very good personal support is given to pupils. It is very successful in meeting the needs described on pupils’ statements. Assessment is good and the school uses assessment information well to identify needs and plan future work.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school works well in partnership with parents to secure improvements in pupils’ behaviour, learning and attendance. Woodlane High School - 9

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Aspect Comment Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher has a clear vision for the school and aims are reflected well in the school’s work. Delegation of responsibilities is good, and there are high expectations of part-time, as well as full-time, staff. Performance management is embedded well in the improvement process. The headteacher has built up good relationships with local education authority personnel and other external agencies. How well the appropriate authority fulfils its responsibilities Satisfactory. The chair of governors has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for further development. Governors are involved in approving policies and the school’s improvement plan; they make occasional visits to classrooms. However, they do not fulfil all their statutory duties because they have no independent means of keeping a check on the work of the school, and this is unsatisfactory. The

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

prospectus and governors’ annual report to parents both omit certain information required by law. The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. Although there has been no training in school self-evaluation, the headteacher has carried out a most accurate evaluation of the school’s provision and outcomes. Targets set for raising achievement, and those within the improvement plan both provide a means of evaluating success. Assessment information is used well to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and the curriculum. The strategic use of resources Good. The school makes good use of its own budget as well as other sources of funding. There are good reasons for accumulation of unspent funds, and clear plans for their expenditure.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Staffing is satisfactory. The accommodation is very good. Learning resources are good. The school applies the principles of best value well.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • The school helps pupils to become mature and responsible. • Expectations are high, teaching is good and pupils make good progress. • The school is well led and managed. • Parents are comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. • A few would like more homework to be provided.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agree with parents’ positive views of the school. They find that although the provision of homework is good, a few parents do not know what homework opportunities are available. Woodlane High School - 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Overall, pupils achieve well. There has been a significant improvement in achievement since the last inspection; it has improved in most subjects, but particularly in English, mathematics, science, art and design, information and communication technology (ICT), French and design and technology in Years 7 to 9. There is now a wide range of subjects where pupils are entered for GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) examinations, and the school has improved its average points score for GCSE results in recent years, despite an increase in the number of pupils eligible for free school meals. It has also increased the percentage of pupils who gain distinctions in Certificate of Educational Achievement, and the percentage who reach National Curriculum Level 3 in national tests in Year 9. Pupils in Year 10 achieve Bronze level of the Youth Award Scheme, accredited by the Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN). Last summer, several

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Year 11 pupils achieved seven GCSE D to G grades. An increasing proportion of pupils leave to continue their education.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The school sets a number of challenging targets to raise achievement. These are generally reached best in English and science. Targets are less likely to be reached in mathematics; teaching in mathematics is not as good as teaching in English and science. Where the school seeks to raise its average points score in GCSE examinations, ambitious targets are not always reached, but this is largely due to a few pupils who do not attend regularly.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The school also sets individual targets for pupils who have additional support, such as literacy sessions, but because target setting in its present form is relatively recent, there was too little evidence for a judgement to be made about progress against individual targets.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Good achievement is associated with good teaching, a broad and relevant curriculum and pupils’ generally good attitudes to learning. Teaching, the curriculum and the learning environment have all improved since the last inspection, and these factors promote achievement well.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Across the school, pupils achieve very well in English. Many enter the school with very low attainment because they have not been in school at all, or have not thrived in previous placements. They are assessed well and intervention is provided for those with particular difficulties. The very high quality of teaching, the broad and relevant curriculum and the effectiveness of the school’s strategy for teaching literacy skills through subjects other than English all help to ensure that pupils make rapid gains. By the time pupils leave school they are confident and competent communicators; older pupils converse well with visitors, express their opinions and can describe clearly how they have carried out tasks. Pupils enjoy reading and the library is used well. There is also a very good range of reading materials, so pupils can read widely. Older pupils read fluently and accurately; they read for information as well as for enjoyment. Very

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

good progress in writing is associated with the high quality teaching of skills, including spelling and punctuation, and the wide variety of writing for different purposes, provided through a range of subjects. Older pupils write reports in science, compile grammatically correct accounts, keep diaries, compose poetry and write contributions to a school magazine. Woodlane High School - 11 6. In mathematics, achievement is satisfactory. This is a considerable improvement since the last inspection, when pupils made unsatisfactory progress. The Key Stage 3 Strategy has been implemented well and pupils have good opportunities to consolidate their numeracy skills in subjects other than mathematics. Last summer, six pupils achieved GCSE passes at grades D to G, and others in the group obtained a pass in Entry Level Certificate of Educational Achievement.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. In science, achievement is good overall; it is good in Years 7 to 9 and satisfactory in Years 10 and 11. Pupils make best progress in knowledge and understanding of science; development of investigative skills is less well evident. The school is limited in the extent to which practical approaches can be used, because there is no technician, and the science teacher is the deputy headteacher and has limited time to devote to preparation of practical, investigative work. Progress in Year 10 slows, because the behaviour of a small number of pupils in this class makes safe practical work difficult. Progress picks up again in Year 11 though, and last summer, all pupils who entered the Entry Level examinations obtained distinctions. Examination results in science are steadily improving.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Pupils achieve very well in art and design and in music. This is associated with the high quality of teaching of these subjects, and with the wide range of highly relevant and motivating learning experiences provided. There are many links with the community, which enrich these subjects. In art and design, pupils achieve high levels of independence in their work. In 2002, all Year 11 pupils achieved GCSE passes; a few achieved high grades in line with national expectations. Music is taught up to Year 9 only, but pupils’ achievements by the end of Year 9 are very good.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Achievement is good in personal, social and health education and citizenship (PSHE(C)). Pupils are provided with a very broad, balanced and highly relevant range of learning experiences that meet their particular needs well. The subject is very well resourced, and teachers are well trained and supported in teaching the content. By Year 11, pupils have increased their knowledge and understanding of aspects such as personal health, sexually transmitted diseases, drugs and alcohol use. In addition, they have developed their self-esteem, social and learning skills, as well as their independence skills. These gains in personal skills enable many to make a successful transition to further education.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. In French, pupils also achieve well. This is linked to good teaching, by a skilled subject specialist.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. In design and technology and ICT, pupils’ achievements are satisfactory. In ICT, the subject has not been taught with its current level of resources for more than five terms, so although pupils are progressing well enough, they have not yet reached the standards of which many are capable. The situation in design and technology is similar; teaching by a subject specialist, using a specialist room, is relatively recent, so although pupils make good progress in lessons, they have not yet reached attainment levels of which they are capable.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. In geography, history and religious education, pupils’ satisfactory achievements are associated with satisfactory teaching and learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. There are no differences in the achievements by boys and girls, pupils of different ethnic origins, or those with different special educational needs. However, pupils in Year 10 do not achieve as well as those of other age groups, although their achievement is satisfactory. Inevitably, pupils who have poor attendance do not achieve as well as others. Woodlane High School - 12

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils behave well and have good attitudes to school. As pupils arrive at school in the mornings they come sensibly into school and greet staff cheerfully. In lessons, almost all pupils are keen to learn and therefore they listen attentively and readily answer questions or take part in the activities. Pupils are proud of their work and are keen to show it to visitors or have it displayed in the classroom. They also value one another’s efforts; when pupils showed their PowerPoint presentations to an inspector, one boy remarked of a girl’s presentation, ‘Hers is the best’.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. The behaviour of most pupils is good overall; it is often very good, both in lessons and around the school. They follow instructions and move sensibly between classes. Pupils say they are happy at school and feel safe. Pupils and staff who have been at the school for some time say that behaviour has improved considerably in recent years. In Year 10, a few pupils are occasionally disruptive, and when this happens it affects the learning of the whole class. The composition of this class has changed a number of times during the school year, which has affected the dynamics of the group. A strong feature is the calm working atmosphere that pervades the school, which creates a good climate for learning. There have been two fixed-term exclusions for physical violence against other pupils in the last year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The relationships within the school community are good; those between staff and pupils are very good. Pupils like and respect their teachers; most want to please, so they work hard and produce high quality work. Pupils are happy to help each other, when working on the computer, for example. They also listen attentively to each other’s contributions to lessons or when pupils are performing; this was seen when pupils sang their own composition in assembly. At breaktimes, many pupils play football or cricket co-operatively while others play sensibly on the computers. Pupils of different races work and socialise together well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Personal development is good and this is reflected in the letters from employers who have provided work experience placements for pupils in Year 11. One wrote of the invaluable help that a pupil had given in a local library, and of the pupil’s competence in dealing politely with members of the public. In lessons, pupils respond well to teachers’ expectations that they work independently, such as using dictionaries to look up word definitions, or following written prompts. When pupils are consulted, through annual reviews, about the school’s provision, they make sensible suggestions. For example, one highlighted the need for a performing arts studio. Pupils also set personal goals when they are preparing for work experience, such as becoming competent in using public transport. Many become independent travellers by the time they reach this stage.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Attendance is unsatisfactory. Although a large amount of the absence is fully justified due to medical reasons there are a few pupils whose large amount of unauthorised absence adversely affects the school’s attendance figures. The school has worked hard to improve the attendance of pupils and attendance has improved steadily since 1999.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Teaching and learning are good overall. Altogether, inspectors saw 39 lessons or parts of lessons. Of these, three were excellent, twelve were very good, fourteen were good and ten were satisfactory. Woodlane High School - 13 20. Across all subjects, literacy skills are consolidated very effectively. Teachers use subject specific vocabulary well, and explain meanings clearly. Word searches are provided to help pupils recognise and spell new vocabulary. As a result, pupils use terms with confidence and understanding, and learn to read and write them too. In general, teachers give pupils good opportunities to speak as well as to listen. Probing questions are used to check pupils’ understanding, and open questions encourage pupils to answer at greater length. Reading for information is encouraged well and pupils are challenged to look for underlying meanings as well as simply retrieving facts. There are good opportunities for pupils to write, for a variety of purposes, in

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

most subjects. For example, writing frames in science help pupils to produce factual reports of investigations they have carried out. Collaborative writing has proved helpful in improving the motivation of pupils, so they write at some length.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Numeracy skills are consolidated well in most subjects. In science, design and technology and geography, pupils measure in a wide variety of contexts; they consolidate their skills of telling the time in French and compare prices of similar goods from different supermarkets in PSHE(C).

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Teachers make satisfactory use of new technology. There is frequent use of the Internet to enable pupils to find information themselves. Overhead projectors, the digital video recorder and digital cameras were also seen in use during the inspection. ICT is used very well in the teaching of literacy, numeracy, PSHE(C) and design and technology. However, there is limited use of ICT in science, French, geography and religious education. The school is currently evaluating the use of interactive whiteboards with a view to purchasing more, should they prove useful.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Teachers have implemented the recommendations of the Key Stage 3 Strategy well. Most lessons have a clear introduction, followed by main activities and close with a review of pupils’ work and learning. All teachers identify different learning outcomes for pupils of different abilities and they assess pupils well during lessons, by questioning them and checking their work. In the best practice, teachers set clear success criteria, so pupils know when they have demonstrated that they have achieved a learning outcome. This was seen in English lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Many teachers are subject specialists and their good knowledge of their subjects is an asset. For example, in science, pupils are curious and ask questions; because the teacher is able to answer their questions at length, this helps pupils to extend their knowledge and deepen their understanding. In French, the teacher uses French widely and with a good accent. As a result, pupils quickly pick up the language and they pronounce words correctly.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. As teachers plan a good range of learning experiences, pupils steadily acquire knowledge, skills and understanding. Learning is most successful where teachers plan a wide range of relevant tasks, such as in English, music and art and design. Where teaching includes linking with the community, and visits from adults other than teachers, pupils are particularly well motivated. For example, to enable pupils to separate fact from fiction in English, the teacher chose the subject of unidentified flying objects, and pupils were fascinated by this. In music, a visit to a recording studio gave pupils the impetus to produce a professional piece themselves, and in art and design, pupils produced artistic interpretations inspired by their visit to the Bodyworks exhibition. In geography, relevance is lost because there is little use of the local area, and in French there is no link with native French speakers or a visit to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

France. Woodlane High School - 14 26. Provision of homework is good. Relevant tasks are set in several subjects, and pupils are pleased to be able to complete tasks. For example, pupils are regularly given French vocabulary to learn and they are then tested in lessons; this helps them to acquire vocabulary and to spell words correctly. In addition, there is a termly pack of tasks across the range of subjects which pupils can tackle if they wish. In response to concerns about loss of reading skills during the summer holidays, the school has compiled a pack of holiday work, which serves to reinforce reading skills. It is too early to say whether there is any impact of this development.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. Pupils’ individual needs are generally met well. Support staff are effective in supporting pupils who have behaviour difficulties, ensuring that they remain on task. Advice from other professionals is taken into account well in ensuring that pupils with complex difficulties are included in all lessons. For example, the speech therapist has drawn up a list of strategies for teachers to use with pupils who are selective mutes. These were seen being implemented well in a French lesson; as a result, the pupil took part in all activities. The pupil wrote on a small whiteboard to make responses, and a classmate was asked to speak for him during the pelmanism game. The classmate was able to help and to benefit from the extra practice.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. Similarly, advice from the visual impairment support teacher is used to good effect. For example, teachers are careful to use a new black pen on whiteboards, rather than red or green ones, as these are not as easily seen. Adapted software, an adapted keyboard and different worksheets are also used for visually impaired pupils. All staff have been trained in teaching pupils with autism. A variety of strategies are used to help pupils with autism to learn. For example, some pupils use two trays, one for completed work and another for work that needs to be done. This works well, as it is effective in reducing pupils’ anxiety.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29. Teachers use two main methods of ensuring that pupils of different abilities are included well in lessons. They plan different learning outcomes, and human support is provided for those pupils that find some aspects of the work difficult. However, all subject policies show the intention for teachers to use a wide variety of methods for meeting individual needs. It is rare for teachers to provide different tasks or resources for pupils of different abilities. In mathematics, worksheets given to pupils to consolidate learning are always the same, and this means that a few more able pupils are not sufficiently challenged. Occasionally, tasks provided are too difficult for a few pupils, so they need much support to complete these; this limits their opportunities for independent learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30. Teachers have high expectations of work and behaviour; they make their expectations clear to pupils who generally rise to these. Challenging tasks are set, and pupils seem to enjoy this. Because teachers are quick to curb inappropriate comments, teaching contributes well to pupils’ personal development, as well as to academic progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

31. The best teaching and learning were seen in Years 7 to 9. Here, pupils’ attitudes are consistently good and teachers manage pupils very well. They have very good relationships with pupils, who they know thoroughly. Pupils are keen to co-operate in the learning process; they are productive throughout lessons, which generally proceed at a good pace. In addition, pupils help one another and learn from one another at this stage. For example, one pupil was seen to successfully correct another’s technique during a scientific investigation. In Year 10, a small number of pupils do not always behave well, for example persisting with low-level disruption. On such occasions, teachers apply the school’s behaviour policy and ask pupils to leave the room after three warnings. Pupils then work alongside the headteacher or deputy headteacher in another room. In most cases, they are able to continue with related

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Woodlane High School - 15 tasks, but in a few lessons, such as French and ICT, this is not possible. Although the school is working on devising short-term targets for pupils, to support them in behaving well in lessons, this has not yet been implemented.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

32. Although teachers assess pupils well during lessons, using a variety of strategies, the marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent. At best, helpful comments indicate what pupils need to do to improve. However, whole sections of work, in many subjects, are not marked at all and some errors go uncorrected.

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PUPILS?

33. The curriculum on offer at the school is good overall, with many significant strengths and a few weaknesses. It has improved since the last inspection. As a whole, the curriculum is broad and subjects are allocated suitable amounts of teaching time. All subjects are taught, but within some subjects there are small areas of non- compliance. Hence, the planned curriculum does not meet statutory requirements fully. Requirements for religious education are not met; although the school has adopted the locally agreed syllabus, religious education is not taught in Year 11. There is a lack of data logging in science. In physical education, although visiting sports specialists cover many physical areas, plans to ensure that pupils continue to build on their knowledge, skills and understanding have not been completed.

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PUPILS?

34. The curriculum is particularly relevant to the needs and abilities of the pupils. Because of this, pupils engage well in lessons and enjoy coming to school. There are also particular strengths in English, art and design, music and PSHE(C). The English curriculum contains many exciting and relevant texts for pupils to share, and the practical nature of the activities keeps pupils focused and on task, helping them to achieve high standards. In art and design and music, the wide range of practical, relevant and exciting community activities are a real strength that promotes high achievement and contributes very well to pupils’ personal development.

p.15

PUPILS?

35. Provision for PSHE(C) is very good. The school provides a very well-planned and resourced programme that successfully teaches the required areas of sex and relationships education, drugs education, and careers education. In addition, it helps to address pupils’ particular needs, as it contains activities that are designed to improve self-esteem, anger management and pupils’ ability to get on with others.

p.15

PUPILS?

36. The National Literacy Strategy has been very well implemented in Key Stage 3, and many aspects of it are also taught at Key Stage 4. This has helped to improve reading, writing and spelling standards. The use of literacy is effectively extended into English lessons so that very good progress is made. Literacy is very well planned for and used in other subjects.

p.15

PUPILS?

37. The numeracy strategy is good and has been successfully implemented. Appropriate support to improve skills has been received from the local education authority and good attention has been focused on the use of numeracy across the curriculum, and this is now a key feature in most teachers’ plans.

p.15

PUPILS?

38. Provision for extra-curricular activities is satisfactory and has improved since the last inspection. The school has introduced a breakfast club, and pupils often come to school early to read the papers and magazines that are placed in the school library. A lunchtime singing club is well attended by both boys and girls, and songs are practised, composed and improved, and often performed in assemblies. Woodlane High School - 16 39. Equality of opportunity is satisfactory. The school strives to achieve equality of opportunity whilst meeting individual needs. For example, where pupils have discrete sessions for additional literacy support, mobility training or speech and language therapy, sessions are rotated so that pupils do not miss the same lesson each time. The behaviour programme also necessitates withdrawal from lessons when behaviour becomes challenging and disruptive. At times, these withdrawals last for a

p.15

PUPILS?

whole lesson. Although work is provided for pupils to complete during withdrawal, their access to the lesson is reduced.

p.16

PUPILS?

40. There are no pupils at the school at the early stages of English language acquisition. A small number of pupils with English as an additional language are well supported and their needs are fully met.

p.16

PUPILS?

41. Careers education is part of the PSHE(C) programme, and is very good. Pupils begin learning about career options from Year 9. In Years 10 and 11, many opportunities are open to them to explore these options, find out about the different careers available, and take part in work experience. Each pupil has a block work practice, in which they develop their personal skills and learn about life after school. College links are good, with pupils attending a weekly course in preparation for life at Post-16. The Youth Award Scheme enables them to acquire skills and knowledge of vocational options, alongside their GCSE studies.

p.16

PUPILS?

42. The contribution of the community to pupils’ learning is very good. There are many examples of pupils being involved with local projects. For example, the school is part of a Healthy Schools’ Initiative, pupils undertake successful work experience placements with many local businesses, there is coaching with a local football club, and pupils have been involved in many arts workshops at local galleries. These all enrich the curriculum.

p.16

PUPILS?

43. Relationships with partner institutions are satisfactory. Some good initiatives have been established. For example, pupils in Year 9 have made books and written stories that they have read to children in a local infants’ school. Although there are advanced plans to enable pupils to work collaboratively with their peers from mainstream schools on a variety of projects, these plans have not yet been implemented.

p.16

PUPILS?

44. Provision for the personal development of the pupils is good, with a particular strength in provision for moral development, which is very good and a strength of the school. Provision has improved since the last inspection, when it was satisfactory.

p.16

PUPILS?

45. Pupils’ good spiritual development is fostered through very good assemblies, which enable reflection on aspects of their own lives and on their behaviour in and out of school. Within the arts curriculum, spirituality is secured through the many awe- inspiring arts and musical experiences that are on offer. For example, opportunities to learn about the beliefs of others were created through art as pupils learned about the lifestyles of native Americans. The artwork in and around the school inspires interest and wonder. In music, pupils are inspired by the work of musicians that they work with. During a lesson in Key Stage 3, pupils were amazed at the impact of their own actions on technology as they composed their own pieces. In religious education in Years 7 to 9, pupils learn about world religions and discuss the different cultures and lifestyles of the people in other countries, but not enough is done to foster this further

p.16

PUPILS?

in Years 10 and 11, or in other subjects across the curriculum.

p.16

PUPILS?

46. Provision for moral development is very good because of the strong PSHE(C) programme, which impacts positively on pupils’ understanding of right and wrong. The very good moral code of behaviour plays a significant part in helping pupils to Woodlane High School - 17 manage their own behaviour and work together to achieve their aims. Good role models among staff foster this understanding and help pupils to behave well in and around the school. Involvement in the Arts Line charity fosters awareness of the needs of those less fortunate than themselves. Anger management programmes are very successful in helping most pupils manage their own behaviour.

p.16

PUPILS?

47. Provision for social development is good. In lessons, pupils are encouraged to work closely with others, share resources and help where possible. For example, in an art and design lesson, one pupil in Year 9 was observed helping another to complete his image for a mono-print because the other pupil found it difficult. In another lesson, pupils gave out resources and tidied the art room. In music, pupils helped each other to compose a sound, offering sensible comments to improve each other’s work. Pupils are mostly polite to adults and understand the rules and routines of lessons. However, there are too few links with pupils in mainstream schools to enable social skills to improve further. Not enough curriculum links to foster collaborative working practices have been established. This has an impact on pupils’ abilities to socialise with others outside of school life. Because of the lack of a physical education

p.17

PUPILS?

specialist, there are no opportunities for pupils to experience team games and competitive sports against other schools.

p.17

PUPILS?

48. The provision for cultural development is also good, enabling pupils to develop a good awareness of the cultural diversity of British society. There is very good expressive arts provision at the school, which has recently been awarded the ‘Artsmark’ in recognition of the very good practice. Pupils learn about the art and music of other cultures as part of their daily activities. They have benefited from involvement in an African drumming workshop, visits to the National Portrait Gallery, and working closely with a range of local artists. They have many opportunities to learn about the art and music of other countries. Involvement in the performing arts is often outstanding, contributing significantly to pupils’ cultural experiences. However, pupils do not have the opportunity to visit France in their foreign language studies, neither do they learn enough about other cultures within religious education, particularly in Year 11.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. There are many strengths in this aspect of the school’s provision. The school has improved its care for pupils, and it is now very good. All staff are strongly committed to supporting pupils and know them and their families very well. The school has successfully created an environment in which pupils feel safe and have the confidence to learn.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. The school has rightly identified low attendance as an area to be improved and has very good procedures to monitor attendance and to encourage pupils to attend regularly. These are effective for many pupils, but there is a minority who do not respond even when outside agencies are actively involved. When pupils are absent for medical reasons, and are keen not to fall behind in their work, the school provides work for them. This can include work sent home on a laptop computer.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. The school’s policy on behaviour is very clear, and most teachers consistently apply it across the school. This effectively promotes good behaviour both in lessons and around school. Pupils are confident that they can talk to staff about any concerns they may have and that staff would deal with any issues of bullying swiftly. Teachers and staff do not accept racist or sexist behaviour and confront such views when they surface. Woodlane High School - 18 52. Child protection procedures are securely in place; staff have a thorough knowledge of the procedures and who they should inform if they have any concerns. Procedures for health and safety are sound, and the school has recently reviewed the health and safety policy. The school’s Internet policy was not available for scrutiny during the inspection.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. Assessment is good. On arrival at the school, pupils are tested in several areas, and information is recorded so that gains in the future can be identified. The school is aware that numeracy should form part of this assessment and is researching to find suitable tests. Teachers know their pupils well, and they keep detailed records that show pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding in each subject. Teachers use this information to plan future work and to assign National Curriculum levels in their subjects. However, there is no moderation of these levels and teachers do not keep moderated samples of work as evidence of pupils’ achievements in Years 7 to 9. In Years 10 and 11, where coursework is moderated by external bodies, evidence of pupils’ achievements is required and is provided. Teachers could usefully replicate this practice in Years 7 to 9.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. There are very good procedures for supporting pupils in making academic progress, and for checking that they are progressing well. The school sets challenging targets. For each pupil in Years 7 to 9, these are expressed as anticipated grades for every subject by the end of Year 9. For pupils in Years 10 and 11, targets are expressed as anticipated examination grades at the end of Year 11. The school makes good use of measurements, to show the value that it adds for pupils, and therefore it is able to demonstrate its success. There has been a significant increase in the number of externally accredited courses since the school was last inspected.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

55. The guidance in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (DfES 2001) has been implemented well. The school no longer has individual education plans for pupils. Instead, it maintains an education profile for each pupil. This is a simple document, on a single sheet. One side has the personal details of the pupil, shows the needs outlined on the statement and states how these needs are met. Most needs are met through the school’s ‘generic’ provision; where there are additional needs, the profile describes how these are to be met. For example, pupils with particular literacy difficulties, will receive additional literacy support, others may need support from a peripatetic teacher of the visually impaired, speech therapy or physiotherapy. On the reverse of the education profile, the results of pupils’ twice- yearly assessments are shown. This side of the sheet will, at a glance, give a complete picture of the progress that a pupil makes in his or her time at school.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Although the education profiles are recent, they are proving to be useful documents for monitoring progress, and for ensuring that additional needs on pupils’ statements are met well.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

56. At pupils’ annual reviews, the school correctly reviews the provision made for each pupil, progress made in the year and considers whether the statement is still appropriate. Parents and pupils contribute well to this process, as both are invited to complete a questionnaire. The school’s administrative assistant supports pupils well in this task. Key personnel, who support pupils in overcoming their difficulties, either attend annual review meetings or provide informative reports. Thus reviews are a thorough, and useful, review of provision and progress. If any further intervention is required, it is provided. Parents who attended the pre-inspection meeting were well satisfied with the support that pupils receive.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

57. Through annual reviews, the school also keeps pupils’ personal development under review. Pupils have a range of difficulties, but a lack of self-esteem is common to Woodlane High School - 19 many. The school makes good use of an assessment device to measure self- esteem, learning and social skills. It provides a very good range of opportunities for pupils to develop in this important respect. Central to the provision is the school’s systems for recognising, celebrating and rewarding achievement and the high quality PSHE(C) programme. The latter teaches pupils vital skills, such as reading others’ body language and managing their own anger. Personal interactions between staff and pupils also suggest that pupils are valued for themselves, which helps to build their self-esteem and confidence.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

58. The school is responsive to particular difficulties, too. For example, the Year 10 class is a group that do not get on well together, and their differences occasionally interfere with learning. The school has initiated a confidential weekly discussion session for this group, in which pupils seek to resolve their differences in a supportive atmosphere.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59. The school has successfully developed a good partnership with parents, who think highly of the school. They particularly appreciate the good teaching that enables their children to make good progress. They feel that behaviour and personal development are good. The one area some parents would like improved is homework. The inspection team agrees with all the parents’ positive views, and they find that arrangements for homework are good. Some comments made at the parents’ meeting suggest that not all are aware of the homework packs that are available.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

60. Parents rightly feel that the school keeps them well informed about their children’s progress. In Years 7 to 9, a yellow sheet goes home nightly to parents informing them of their children’s attitudes to lessons. Teachers also use these to pass on messages to parents. A learning support assistant checks the next day that the parent has signed it. Parents find these sheets very useful. The annual review report and the pupils’ annual progress report give parents a clear idea of their children’s attainment and progress. Currently there are no procedures for regularly informing parents about events and achievements during the school year, and this is a priority in the school development plan.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

61. Parents make a satisfactory contribution to their children’s education with many of them working with the school to improve the attendance or behaviour of their children. However, a small number of parents condone persistent non-attendance. The school provides termly homework packs, plus packs of work to do during the summer holiday, and encourages parents to support their children’s work at home. In addition the school regularly contacts parents by telephone to advise them of significant achievements of pupils and any concerns they have. This is particularly useful, as many parents live a considerable distance from the school and so do not often come into school.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

62. Parents have a satisfactory impact on the work of the school, mainly through their contribution to the annual review of special educational needs. The school invites parents to fill in a questionnaire before the meeting that gives them the opportunity to inform the provision for the next year.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The headteacher’s personal leadership is very good and has a positive impact on the work of the school. He leads very well by demonstrating commitment and perseverance. He provides clear educational direction and a high concern for raising Woodlane High School - 20 standards. He has maintained staff and pupil morale and commitment to improve, through a period of uncertainty, including the upheaval of two school moves, changes and recruitment of staff, high staff absence rates, and a rapidly changing school population. His effectiveness is amply demonstrated in the very good overall improvement in all aspects of the school, so that it is almost unrecognisable from the one described in the previous inspection report. This improvement was recognised in spring 2002 when the school received the DfES School Achievement Award. The headteacher acknowledges the consistent support the school has received from the

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

local education authority inspectors and consultants.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. Day-to-day management of the school is very good. It operates as a calm and orderly community. Pupils are punctual, busy, settled and well behaved. They respect the buildings, displays and equipment. A clear and appropriate set of aims informs all the work of the school. Relationships between staff are very good. Equal opportunities are positively addressed in all aspects of the school with the exception of the withdrawal of some pupils from lessons for extra literacy or because of poor behaviour. This is an issue, which the school should rationalise. Good documentation, regular meetings and appropriate training ensure a shared sense of purpose. All staff are clear about their role in promoting the aims of the school and this they do consistently well engendering a strong team spirit. The commitment to improvement is self-evident. The capacity to improve is also good, given the priority the school gives to the

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

professional development of its entire staff.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. There is effective delegation to the deputy headteacher and clearly defined areas of responsibility. For example, the deputy headteacher has taken the lead for the appraisal and professional development of learning support assistants. This has made them feel valued members of staff and improved their contribution. The school has benefited from its active involvement in a number of national initiatives such as the Key Stage 3 Strategy, healthy schools, the development of a policy for race equality and performance management. In addition, it has become involved in a number of local community initiatives, particularly those to do with the arts, which have enriched the curriculum, raised the profile of the school, but also the self-esteem and achievements of the pupils concerned.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. There are very good procedures for monitoring and evaluating teaching. These include systematic classroom observation by the headteacher with appropriate feedback and follow-up meetings. In this way, strong elements of teaching and those that require further development are shared. As a result, the quality of teaching overall has improved considerably since the last inspection, with no unsatisfactory teaching and a high percentage of lessons where teaching is good, very good or excellent. In addition, performance management is very well established and closely linked to professional development opportunities for all staff.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The school makes good and improving use of new technology, including ICT. For example, the use of a digital video camera and the Internet enriches pupils’ learning experiences. Significant resources and recent training have enhanced teachers’ use of new technology.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The school development plan is a comprehensive three-year document, which builds carefully on the previous one. It identifies suitable priorities for development, the target, task, success criteria and a suitable time frame. It provides a clear focus on what needs to be done and the action necessary to achieve them. As such it is a powerful instrument for driving the school forward. However, it could be further improved if costed and linked more closely with the budget. The school is efficient in collecting and analysing data on a range of aspects, including pupils’ attainment, Woodlane High School - 21 attendance and exclusions. This informs priorities, evaluates strengths and weaknesses, and helps in the setting of whole-school targets for raising standards.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. The governing body is supportive and has recently become more involved in school activities. Governors monitor the information provided by the headteacher and recognise the improving achievement of pupils. They regularly review school policies. Although they make occasional visits to the school and report back on these visits to full governing body meetings, they are heavily reliant on the headteacher to keep them informed. They have insufficient training and knowledge about their statutory responsibilities. As a consequence, they do not fulfil their statutory duty to ensure that the curriculum meets requirements. Some required information is missing from the governors’ annual report to parents and school prospectus. This was an issue in the last inspection, which has not yet been addressed.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. Procedures for controlling the finances of the school are both secure and professional. The administrative officer makes a valuable contribution, having responsibility for the general management of the budget. Good use is made of information technology to ensure accurate control of the budget and the headteacher ensures that governors on the finance committee receive regular updates on income and expenditure. Specific grants are used appropriately to improve the quality of education. A recent auditor’s report revealed no major weaknesses in the records and documentation and there are sound reasons for the significant underspend, as well as suitable plans for its expenditure.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. The principles of best value are clearly understood and well applied. The school uses its data well to compare its costs and performance with other schools; it also challenges itself to improve by setting high targets. It consults parents and pupils on matters such as the introduction of school uniform, and is careful to obtain a number of tenders/costs before ordering new work or equipment. The school wisely buys back a full support package from the local education authority School Management Support Service, and carefully considers such decisions each year.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

72. There are sufficient, well-qualified support staff, and considering the small size of the school, satisfactory teaching staff. While there are specialist teachers for English, mathematics, science, art and design, music, design and technology and modern foreign languages, there are no specialists for humanities, religious education or physical education, and the modern foreign language teacher is a long-term supply teacher. Support staff are well deployed and give good support to pupils. Procedures for the induction of new members of staff need to be formalised in a policy, but in practice are satisfactory.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

73. The accommodation, in a new purpose-built school, is very good. There are specialist rooms that allow for the effective teaching of a secondary curriculum. Accommodation has been improved by exchanging the art and music rooms to create a more suitable music/drama area. The accommodation is significantly enhanced by the vibrant display of pupils’ work celebrating their achievements in every area of the curriculum, but particularly in art and design. This creates a stimulating learning environment reflecting high standards and expectations. The site manager and his staff keep the buildings spotlessly clean. Learning resources are good overall. They are noticeably very good in English, art and design, and PSHE(C). Computer hardware is very good, but there are some shortfalls in software. Good resources motivate pupils to learn, provide them with a range of learning opportunities, and contribute to raising standards.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

74. The governors, headteacher and staff should: a) improve attendance.* (Para ref: 18)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

b) ensure that the curriculum meets requirements by: • extending the role of the governors’ curriculum committee so that it has a means of independently checking that requirements are met; • providing religious education for pupils in Year 11; and • including data logging in the science curriculum. (Para refs: 33, 69, 93, 141)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

c) appoint a qualified teacher of physical education and developing planning that ensures that pupils continue to build on their knowledge, skills and understanding.* (Para ref: 14)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* These targets are formally recognised in the school’s improvement plan.

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Governors should consider including the following minor points in their action plan:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• reducing withdrawal from lessons by setting short-term targets for pupils that can be achieved within classrooms; (Para ref: 31)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• providing technician support for science so that a wider range of practical methods can be used; (Para ref: 86)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• extending the range of methods for meeting individual needs by including different tasks and resources for pupils of different abilities; (Para ref: 29)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• including clear guidance about marking in school policies and monitoring pupils’ work to ensure that this is implemented; and (Para ref: 32)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring that, between them, the school prospectus and governors’ annual report to parents include a financial statement, and mention parents’ right to withdraw pupils from religious education and collective worship. (Para ref: 69) Woodlane High School - 23

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 23

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than two percentage points.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll 39

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 29

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 5

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 4

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 0

p.23

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 3 (Year 9)

As fewer than 11 pupils were eligible, results are not shown here Woodlane High School - 24

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4 (Year 11)

As fewer than 11 pupils were eligible, results are not shown here Woodlane High School - 25

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 21 0 0 White – Irish 0 0 0 White – any other White background 3 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 0 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 0 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 0 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Indian 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 2 2 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 0 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 7 0 0 Black or Black British – African 4 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 0 0 0 Chinese 0 0 0 Any other ethnic group 1 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 0 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and classes: Y7 – Y11 Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7.6 Financial year 02/03 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 5.1 Average class size 7.8 £ Total income 595,982 Education support staff: Y7 – Y11 Total expenditure 538,206 Total number of education support staff 7 Expenditure per pupil 14,546 Total aggregate hours worked per week 207 Balance brought forward from previous year 5,269 FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance carried forward to next year 57,776

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0 Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1 Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 Woodlane High School - 26 FTE means full-time equivalent. Woodlane High School - 27

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 88 12 0 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 76 18 6 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 47 29 18 0 6

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 65 29 0 0 6

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 88 12 0 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 100 0 0 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 76 24 0 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 94 0 0 0 6

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 100 0 0 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 59 29 6 0 6 Woodlane High School - 28

p.27

ENGLISH

75. Achievement in English is very good across the school, in all aspects. This represents very good improvement since the last inspection. The high achievement is because of the very good provision for English, including the National Literacy Strategy, which has been very well implemented and the very good and sometimes excellent quality of teaching that takes place. All pupils achieve equally well, because their individual needs are met well.

p.28

ENGLISH

76. Achievement in speaking and listening is very good. This is because of the very good provision made in many lessons to promote interaction and communication. For example, in an excellent drama lesson in Year 9, pupils were able to show very good awareness of how speech can inform moods, such as ‘fear’, ‘anger’, ‘timidity’ and ‘pompousness’. They were re-creating the scene from Oliver Twist in which Oliver asks for ‘more’. Their mature attitudes to the activity led to high levels of discussion about the task. One pupil was able to direct the others into positions and actions that he felt were necessary, in an appropriate manner, negotiating and suggesting ideas carefully. From the start, pupils are encouraged to talk about matters of interest to them on a regular basis. They develop confidence and self-esteem through PSHE(C) lessons in which they learn to describe their feelings and discuss issues relevant to

p.28

ENGLISH

school life. Pupils of all ages listen carefully in class, speak clearly to express themselves and are beginning to develop standard English. By Year 10, pupils are able to explore more complex language. In one lesson, they were able to identify metaphors in speech, and were able to construct sentences using metaphors to relate to the class. Pupils talk politely to visitors and enjoy engaging them in conversation, showing very good progress over time.

p.28

ENGLISH

77. Achievement in reading is also very good. This is closely linked to the very good range of reading materials that are relevant to pupils’ interests and abilities. It is also due to regular support and guidance, daily reading activities as part of literacy lessons and opportunities to use the library on a daily basis. Pupils in Year 7 were observed learning about the use of dictionaries. They were able to identify words accurately and put them in alphabetical order. They read aloud, with enthusiasm and expression from a shared text, expressing opinions about the main ideas in the story. Additional teaching for those pupils who have difficulties, enables them to improve their skills and catch up with their peers. Pupils enjoy reading papers and magazines in the library. A good range of material is located there for pupils to peruse on a daily basis. They have chosen these materials themselves, and the library is generally full before

p.28

ENGLISH

school and during breaktimes, with pupils making good use of their time. Pupils in Year 10 were observed reading a poem. They were mostly able to read accurately and fluently. Support for lower attainers ensured that they also succeeded very well.

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ENGLISH

78. Achievement in writing is very good across the school. From a low base, pupils learn to write through a good range of activities so that, by the time they reach Key Stage 4, they use a clear, imaginative and well-organised style. In Year 8, for example, pupils were given writing frames to help them successfully focus on writing descriptive pieces. Because of this, they were able to succeed very well and develop their imaginative writing skills to include similes and adjectives. The good range of writing includes many examples of stories, letters, accounts, descriptions and characterisations. The widespread use of dictionaries is a key feature of lessons. This is helping to improve spelling and also promotes good independence in writing. For example, in Year 7, pupils used dictionaries to find out about ‘persuasive’ words. Woodlane High School - 29 The proactive support of staff enabled success, and pupils’ understanding was

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ENGLISH

reinforced by writing sentences containing persuasive adverbs. By Year 11, pupils’ writing, including handwriting and punctuation, is generally accurate and neat and good use of grammar is evident. Spelling is very good for the highest attainers, whilst lower attaining pupils spell the majority of monosyllabic words accurately. In Year 11, pupils write about a range of texts. For example, they have studied the text ‘Of Mice and Men’ and have written short accounts of it, exploring the different themes within it very well. Their work shows a mature approach and evidence of very good progress from their low starting point.

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ENGLISH

79. The quality of teaching and learning in English is very good and sometimes excellent. There are major strengths in teaching that enable pupils to achieve high standards. For example, staff have very good knowledge of the National Literacy Strategy. Lessons are planned well to include activities linked to the strategy that are very relevant for the pupils. Many practical activities take place that encourage pupils to join in and enjoy English. In a Year 8 lesson, pupils were being encouraged to identify the difference between fact and fiction. The topic was unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and the interactive approach used was very successful. The very relevant nature of the activities, which included discussion, a sorting task, a video and reading aloud, meant that pupils worked at a fast pace and were kept fully on task, enjoying the various opportunities. By the end of the lesson, pupils were able to produce a report

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ENGLISH

about UFOs using facts from the evidence given. In another lesson, the teacher’s very good use of questioning enabled pupils to think carefully about the use of suffixes. Pupils’ own contributions were valued so that they felt confident to ‘have a go’. Very good relationships are a strength within lessons and enable pupils to feel confident in their answers. The major strength of teaching in English is the use of a very good curriculum, which promotes a progressive range of learning tasks. Careful success criteria are established in lessons to ensure each pupil achieves their objectives. Relevant activities are a key feature of the subject’s success in raising achievement.

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ENGLISH

80. Leadership of English is very good. The co-ordinator has developed a very good department that is helping to raise standards and enable pupils to enjoy literature. Resources have improved since the last inspection and their relevance to pupils’ needs and abilities is a key strength. Pupils enjoy reading the texts. Good accreditation is available in Years 10 to 11 and pupils achieve very well in their GCSEs and Entry Level exams. Enrichment, through English, is good. During a ‘Black History’ project, pupils benefited from working with a visiting poet. They perform plays, including Shakespeare, visit theatres locally as well as local bookshops. Year 9 pupils have made books and written stories that they shared with a local infant school. ICT is well used to support English and present work. Research on the Internet is a strong feature of many lessons, particularly in Years 10 to 11. Literacy is very well

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ENGLISH

used in other subjects. This helps to reinforce learning and develop pupils’ confidence and skill. As yet, a portfolio of pupils’ work has not been developed, but this is planned for next term.

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MATHEMATICS

81. Provision for mathematics is satisfactory at both key stages. Boys and girls, and pupils with different special educational needs, achieve equally well. The mathematics co-ordinator was on sick leave at the time of the inspection, and an experienced supply teacher took the lessons. However, a scrutiny of pupils’ work confirms this satisfactory progress over time. This represents a good improvement since the previous inspection when teaching and learning and pupils’ attitudes to the subject were all judged to be unsatisfactory. Woodlane High School - 30 82. In Year 7, pupils are developing well their skills, knowledge and understanding of fractions of shape. They use their small whiteboards to practise writing fractions. They identify halves and quarters, such as half a triangle or a third of a square. In Year 8, pupils identify common shapes and their properties. They find perimeters of simple shapes and work out areas by counting centimetre squares. They consolidate

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MATHEMATICS

mathematical language, for example, area, breadth, width and length. By Year 9, higher attaining pupils recognise and name different triangles such as equilateral, isosceles, right angle and scalene. They work out and fit different triangles into a 4cm square and create four isosceles triangles by folding, with difficulty, a rectangular piece of paper along the diagonal. They use mathematical terms such as ‘diagonal’, ‘symmetry’, ‘vertex’ and ‘vertices’ with understanding. Lower attaining pupils need the help of the learning support assistant to complete the same tasks and become familiar with the mathematical language.

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MATHEMATICS

83. In Year 10, learning is occasionally disrupted by the poor behaviour and attitude of two pupils. Those who attend, learn well the properties of parallel and perpendicular lines. They understand that parallel lines never meet and are always the same distance apart, and that perpendicular lines are upright and at right angles to the horizon. They are able to identify parallel and vertical lines in the classroom. By Year 11, higher attaining pupils follow a course leading to accreditation in the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). Last year, six pupils obtained grades from D-G. Lower attaining pupils are accredited through the Entry Level Certificate or through the ASDAN Bronze Award for the numeracy module. The provision of accreditation is a very good improvement since the last inspection.

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MATHEMATICS

84. Teaching is satisfactory. The supply teacher is a non-specialist and this shows in the relatively slow pace of lessons, her occasional hesitancy and need to address her notes. On the other hand she is well prepared, and uses the overhead projector well to introduce the lesson. She questions and challenges the pupils to think about what they are doing and what they are learning from an activity. For example, in the lesson on area with Year 8, when pupils find out that the area of a square is the same as the area of a rectangle, she asks, ‘What does this mean?’ The teacher generally manages behaviour well and has a good relationship with most of the pupils. Their attitude to the subject is positive; they settle quickly and sustain their concentration over a long period. The main issue for the school to consider is that worksheets, whilst used appropriately to reinforce learning, are at the same level, and cannot

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MATHEMATICS

match the needs of all pupils in a class. Learning support assistants are deployed to assist lower attaining pupils, but this occasionally prevents them becoming independent learners, while higher attaining pupils are insufficiently challenged. The other area for development is that of marking pupils’ work. At best, work is marked with a cursory tick, with no grade, target, or evaluative comment on how a pupil might improve. There is no moderation of pupils’ work to show the level reached, or annotation describing the circumstances in which it was completed. Such practice would better inform predicted grades in Key Stage 3 National Curriculum Tests and/or accreditation in Year 11.

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MATHEMATICS

85. The co-ordinator for mathematics is a mathematics specialist and leadership of the subject is satisfactory. There is a good policy and scheme of work in place to guide teachers’ planning. The Key Stage 3 Strategy is having a positive effect on standards. For example, key staff have been trained and the local education authority mathematics inspector and numeracy consultant have given the school good support. The school’s mathematics co-ordinator has observed a leading mathematics teacher in a local primary school. Importantly, the best features of the strategy have been incorporated into teaching, including the three-part lesson structure. There are good Woodlane High School - 31 cross-curricular links with literacy with key words being reinforced in mathematics lesson and elements of mathematics being identified in other subjects. For example, deliberately planned links to mapping and graphing skills in geography, and the

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MATHEMATICS

creation of regular and irregular number patterns in music. The use of ICT to support mathematics is developing with an inter-active whiteboard now stationed in the dedicated mathematics room and independent learning software, such as ‘Success Maker’ being considered. Homework is used at least satisfactorily and contributes to pupils’ progress. Accommodation is very good and resources, that make mathematics more exciting, are good.

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SCIENCE

86. Provision for science is good overall; pupils make good progress in Years 7 to 9, and satisfactory progress in Years 10 and 11. Better progress in Years 7 to 9 is associated with pupils’ positive attitudes to the subject. A small number of pupils in Year 10 interfere with one another’s learning in lessons, and the teacher finds that practical tasks are very difficult to manage safely. Across the school, the best progress is made in knowledge and understanding of science; progress in investigative skills is less marked, although it is satisfactory nonetheless. There is no technician support for the subject. The science co-ordinator is also the deputy headteacher, and supervises pupils at the start and end of each day, as well as at lunchtimes, so it is not possible for him to plan and prepare a wide range of practical, investigative work.

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SCIENCE

87. Teaching and learning are good in Years 7 to 9, and satisfactory in Years 10 and 11. In Years 7 to 9, pupils are well motivated and they learn from adults as well as from one another. They are curious and ask questions; because the teacher is a science specialist, he is able to answer questions in detail and this deepens pupils’ understanding and extends their knowledge well.

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SCIENCE

88. Literacy and numeracy skills are reinforced very effectively in science. Key words are identified for each session and pupils compile a personal dictionary of these. The teacher uses scientific vocabulary well, and so pupils become accustomed to terms and use these with increasing confidence. Where texts are used, they are at a level that pupils can understand, yet challenging, because they require pupils to look beyond the obvious, to find information that is inferred as well as explicit. Good use is also made of writing frames and collaborative working to enable pupils to compile reports. Pupils weigh, measure and learn about different units, such as ‘kilohertz’ for measuring sound frequencies. Teaching clarifies units of measurement. For example, when Year 7 pupils were measuring liquids, using a measuring cylinder, the teacher explained the difference between square centimetres and cubic centimetres; one

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SCIENCE

pupil observed that cubic centimetres are so called because they are three- dimensional. When pupils went on to test the solubility of solids in the water they had measured, the teacher carefully demonstrated the correct method for agitating a test tube of water to get the solid to dissolve. This helped most to get it right, but one pupil was assisted by his neighbour who remarked, ‘You’re patting it! Like this – fingers outstretched’. This helpful tip, accompanied by a demonstration, resulted in an improved technique.

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SCIENCE

89. In a very successful lesson for Year 9 pupils, the teacher provided a wide range of activities for pupils on the topic of sound. The investigation was successful in supporting pupils’ understanding of how pitch varies with the volume of air in a test tube. All pupils were able to set up the investigation by following verbal and written instructions. Graphical information was then used to establish that humans lose their Woodlane High School - 32 ability to hear a wide range of sound frequencies as they grow older, and written information enabled pupils to extend their understanding of how bats find their way around in the dark. By the end of the lesson, the most knowledgeable pupils were able to say that bats are ‘nocturnal’, and that they find their way around by using ‘echo- location’. Pupils were then set a simple homework task, to use written information to work out why there are no bats found in Green Park in London. This task extended

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SCIENCE

pupils’ knowledge, was highly relevant, and was simple for pupils to do.

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SCIENCE

90. The three-part lesson has been developed well as part of the Key Stage 3 Strategy. Lessons start with an introduction where learning objectives are shared with pupils, and there is often a starter activity that gets pupils thinking. For example, at the beginning of a Year 10 lesson on hydrocarbons, pupils were engaged well in making models of different hydrocarbons. This helped them to understand how carbon bonds with hydrogen molecules. During lessons, good questioning and monitoring of pupils’ work helps to establish whether pupils have reached the objectives set, and a review at the end gives pupils an idea of how well they have done. However, pupils’ work is not consistently marked and a few errors go uncorrected.

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SCIENCE

91. In general, teachers provide work that challenges pupils adequately. However, on a small number of occasions, work is set that is too difficult and pupils therefore rely on support staff to help them with most of it. This limits pupils’ ability to work independently; if a different task was set, that offered a challenge, but was not reliant on support, pupils would be able to work more independently.

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SCIENCE

92. At present, although pupils’ progress in science slows in Year 10, samples of work show that progress picks up again in Year 11. Pupils are able to apply their knowledge to solve problems. For example, the most skilful pupils are able to calculate the power of an electric fire, when one, two or three bars are switched on, and they can work out the cost of using the fire over a period of time. Last year, all Year 11 pupils achieved distinctions in Certificate of Educational Achievement (CoEA). Examination results in science are steadily improving.

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SCIENCE

93. Leadership in the subject is satisfactory. There have been several improvements in science since the last inspection; pupils now make good progress in Years 7 to 11, the accommodation has improved, and there is more time allocated to the teaching of the subject. However, National Curriculum requirements are not met, as pupils do not use data-logging equipment in their investigations as required, and use of ICT to support pupils’ scientific learning is limited.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. Achievement in art and design is very good across both key stages. This represents very good improvement since the last inspection and is due to the very good quality of provision, particularly teaching, that has been established since that time.

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ART AND DESIGN

95. Pupils in Years 7 to 9 benefit from a very good range of learning opportunities as they develop their art and design skills. They develop good skills in all aspects of the subject, but are particularly skilled in working with both two- and three-dimensional media. In Year 7, for example, pupils were observed learning how to join clay by using ‘slurry’. A very good demonstration by the teacher enabled all pupils to understand the process, and they showed that they could manipulate their clay tiles so that they could join their own surface decorations very well.

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ART AND DESIGN

96. By Year 9, pupils show very high levels of independence in their artwork. For example, in one lesson they were learning how to create a mono or poly-block print by drawing Woodlane High School - 33 an image, rolling ink and printing on paper. They achieved very high levels of success due to their mature approach and prior knowledge of how to develop the process. They were able to organise their resources, prioritise the steps required, make valid decisions, giving reasons for their choices, and complete the task and clear away for themselves. They responded very well to the challenges set, so their skills improved significantly during the lesson.

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ART AND DESIGN

97. Pupils in Years 10 and 11 undertake a very good range of activities as they work towards external accreditation. Their success is evident in the results that they achieve. For example, in 2002, all pupils passed GCSE art and design with several achieving high grades. During the inspection, Year 11 pupils were on study leave. Pupils in Year 10 were undertaking a three-dimensional design project in which they were combining lettering and images to design a fruit juice carton. They explored and collated visual information from a wide range of sources, including the Internet, before deciding on their own design. They achieved very well in the lesson due to very high quality teaching and support, which guided them carefully through the stages required to achieve success. They showed very good understanding of the link between designing and making. Many pupils go on to study art and design courses at college

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ART AND DESIGN

98. The quality of teaching and learning in art and design is always very good and often excellent. Teaching promotes very effective learning because of the high level of skills, knowledge and understanding within the department. The very successful use of the surrounding environment, and the London exhibitions, galleries and architecture, enables pupils to acquire very high levels of achievement in their art projects. For example, Year 8 pupils recently visited the ‘Body Works’ exhibition and used it as a focus for some excellent three-dimensional sculptures and drawings that show their own personal viewpoints on what they have witnessed. Similarly, in Year 10, the visit to the National Portrait Gallery fostered an interest in portraits, and pupils have produced some very good quality drawings and paintings that are displayed around the school. Teaching broadens and extends pupils’ horizons and helps them

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ART AND DESIGN

to be observant of the world around them and reflect on the work of many other artists. Lessons are very well planned to ensure systematic acquisition of skills, and pupils enjoy the practical approaches used. Good questioning promotes thought and careful observation, so that pupils gain new knowledge in every lesson and look forward to it. This leads to good behaviour and high levels of interest. High quality additional support and encouragement is provided in lessons to ensure that pupils of lower ability and confidence have access to help and guidance, promoting very good inclusion for all.

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ART AND DESIGN

99. In art and design, pupils develop their speaking skills well. They are given many opportunities to discuss their projects, and negotiate the different techniques that they will use. Limited evidence of the use of numeracy skills was seen, but ICT skills are well used as pupils search for images to draw upon in order to improve their work.

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ART AND DESIGN

100. Leadership of the subject is excellent and has a major impact on the quality of the provision and on the achievement of the pupils. The very good range of learning opportunities, with excellent enrichment, are key features in the success of the subject across the school.

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ART AND DESIGN

101. Innovative approaches to assessment show how well pupils are achieving. A particular strength is the continuous striving for the next challenge by the co-ordinator. Some very successful links have been established with local arts groups, artists and exhibitions, which promote very high levels of self-esteem and confidence amongst pupils. For example, pupils in Year 11 have been involved in a Borough Arts Project Woodlane High School - 34 with the artist Kate Farley, to produce hand-painted books about journeys and places. They successfully produced many interesting examples from their own journey. The subject makes a very valuable contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness; pupils become involved in a wealth of community projects and develop their skills through a range of different ethnic art styles. For example, a Totem Pole project, in which pupils researched the life-styles of native Americans, involved

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ART AND DESIGN

finding out about the beliefs and cultures of the people, visiting the Commonwealth Institute, using the Internet, and developing their skills in two- and three-dimensional art. The finished totem pole in the entrance is a stunning welcome to the school and, with many other exhibits, helps to provide a rich and stimulating backdrop to the school environment.

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CITIZENSHIP

102. Citizenship is an integral part of the PSHE(C) programme, and is evaluated as such.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

103. Achievement in design and technology is satisfactory overall, although pupils make good gains in learning due to good teaching in their lessons. Achievement over time, however, is not as good because pupils have only been covering design and technology for the past two years. They are catching up fast, and this is an improving subject, due to new leadership and greatly improved accommodation and resources. There has been good improvement since the last inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

104. Pupils in Years 7 to 9 undertake a range of projects, mostly with wood and plastic. Younger pupils have designed and made appropriate key fobs from two layers of acrylic, using light machinery and abrading techniques. They analysed their finished product, highlighting where improvements could have been made. Their designs were two-dimensional. Older pupils in Year 8 have made bird boxes accurately, using the Internet to research London garden nesting birds, construction plans and styles. They created an A3-sized presentation of their designs. Simple hand tools were used to nail and glue the wood, and they are using a sanding disc to finish their product appropriately. Year 9 pupils have used traditional woodwork methods to create a softwood cassette tape storage unit. Pupils in Years 7 to 9 are able to generate their own ideas and plan what they hope to achieve. They select appropriate tools and use

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

the workshop safely, assembling and combining components in different ways.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

105. In Years 10 and 11, pupils follow GCSE projects in wood and plastic. During the inspection, they were involved in designing and making a lamp for a child’s room. They had completed designs and made decisions about materials. They were observed disassembling and assembling a three-pin plug to consolidate and learn how it worked. They were very interested in this task and despite some challenging difficulties among the group, they were able to achieve well because of the practical nature of the task and the good support they received. Their plans were realistic and they used words and labels to clarify their ideas well.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. The quality of teaching and learning in design and technology is good overall with many strengths. The design and technology teacher has good knowledge and skill in the subject aspects taught. Effective demonstrations are part of each lesson, so pupils learn the correct way to use tools safely. For example, in one lesson in Year 9, the teacher modelled safe and accurate use of a plane. This enabled pupils to use the tool safely, and they succeeded in shaping the wood. Management of lessons is good; pupils know and understand the rules of the workshop and enjoy the practical Woodlane High School - 35 activities. Additional support for lower attainers helps them to be fully included in lessons. Pupils are proud of their models. They are willing to show them to others and explain clearly how they have made them. Ongoing assessment is effective in improving learning.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. There are times when pupils watch for too long in lessons, while they take turns. At these times, the pace of learning dips, leading to minor restlessness.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. In design and technology, pupils make good use of their literacy skills as they plan and document their procedures. They follow lines of enquiry well and write good accounts of the processes that they have used. Numeracy skills are also used effectively in lessons as pupils estimate and measure materials, and work out simple calculations. Good use is made of ICT skills within design and technology as pupils are beginning to use computers to aid their design processes.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. The design and technology curriculum meets requirements. However, there is a lack of relevance within the taught curriculum due to the lack of food technology in Years 7 to 9. This limits the subject’s contribution to the pupils’ personal development at this stage. There are strengths in the organisation and management of the workshop, and the good range of activities provided. A clear development plan has identified the current weaknesses in the curriculum and these are rightly being addressed. Overall, leadership of the subject is satisfactory.

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GEOGRAPHY

110. Pupil achievement in geography is satisfactory. Pupils make satisfactory and often good progress in lessons and, when considering their work in books, satisfactory progress over time. This is as a reflection of teaching that is always at least satisfactory. Pupils’ attitudes to the subject are always positive. They enjoy the subject and this shows in their good behaviour. This maintains the standards noted in the previous inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

111. Pupils in Year 7 are following a unit of work on settlements. They make sound use of Ordnance Survey maps of north London to locate their school, Wormwood Scrubs and famous tourists spots around London, such as Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace. They understand some basic information about settlements and are able to recognise symbols along with grid references. In Year 8, pupils learn about population and factors that affect population. They use population maps in atlases to identify areas that are densely or sparsely populated and give reasons for this. They become familiar with key technical vocabulary such as distribution, population explosion and feature. By Year 9, they follow a module of work on cities, patterns and change with a case study of Tokyo. They learn about land use in such a city in the past and the future. They become familiar with terms like congestion, pollution and regeneration

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GEOGRAPHY

and describe geographical patterns and locations. Higher attaining pupils have a deeper understanding of the problems faced by a city like Tokyo and appreciate some of the solutions. Lower attaining pupils make effective use of atlases and aerial photographs to find appropriate information.

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GEOGRAPHY

112. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, although some good lessons were seen. The teacher is a non-specialist but has a real interest in the subject. Lessons are always well planned and prepared and proceed at pace. Pupils are immediately engaged, often with activities locating places on a large world map. This improves their knowledge of cities and physical features. Good use is made of maps, atlases, pictures and photographs to increase pupils’ understanding and involve them in practical activities. These develop pupils’ geographical enquiry. For example, in an Woodlane High School - 36 earlier unit on weather, Year 7 pupils made weather vanes and anemometers to measure the direction and force of the wind. Questions and answers are well used to get pupils’ thinking and to assess how much they understand. In some lessons, learning support assistants are not sufficiently pro-active and worksheets not

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GEOGRAPHY

sufficiently challenging for higher attaining pupils. While the subject supports pupils’ literacy skills by emphasising key words there are few opportunities for pupils to write or talk at length. Links with numeracy are more secure. ICT is underused in support of this subject. The marking of pupils’ work is a weakness, with little evaluative comment as to how they might improve.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. The subject is led in a satisfactory manner by an enthusiastic, long-term supply teacher. The curriculum is carefully planned with appropriate progression through the programme of study. This is supported by the standard school assessment system. While visits have taken place, for example, to Kew Gardens during a study of rain forests, the use of field-based work is not a regular feature of the subject. Accommodation is good and resources are satisfactory. The school should look to offering pupils some form of accreditation in geography at the end of Year 11. The subject makes a sound contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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HISTORY

114. Pupils’ progress in lessons is at least satisfactory and occasionally good. Their achievement over time, judged by a scrutiny of their work, is satisfactory. This maintains the standards noted in the previous inspection, although in this time, there has been an improvement in pupils’ attitudes and behaviour, and also in planning, assessment and resources.

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HISTORY

115. In Year 7, pupils learn about the murder of Thomas á Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury and the continual struggle between the Church and kings in the Middle Ages. They make satisfactory progress in extending their knowledge and understanding of the causes of Becket’s death because they are required to use sources of evidence to interpret the events of the past; an historical picture and an eyewitness account of the actual murder. By Year 9, pupils make good progress in understanding and empathising with the civilian population during a World War Two air raid. They learn about life in an Anderson shelter and the importance and reasons for the ‘black out’. Higher attaining pupils read fluently and with expression extracts from a 1940 woman’s magazine – ‘Noisy Nights’ and ‘Bestway Woollies for Wardens’. They express opinions about what it showed about life of ordinary people at that time. They show respect for historical evidence, ask questions to clarify their

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HISTORY

thinking and relate one period of history to another. Lower attaining pupils show a developing sense of chronology by using terms concerned with the passing of time. They respond with enthusiasm to historical evidence and use this to answer questions, on the basis of simple observation.

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HISTORY

116. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, although some good lessons were seen. The teacher is a non-specialist but has a knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject. He uses a range of teaching methods, resources and activities, to interest and motivate pupils. He gives out well-deserved merit awards for both achievement and behaviour at the end of each lesson. He ‘tells a good story’, when setting the scene for the World War Two video ‘Hope and Glory’. For example, ‘It’s 1939. You’re at home. Everywhere is black. The sirens go. You hurry to the air-raid shelter . . .’ and then he starts the video. He stops the video from time to time, to ask questions and confirm understanding. Pupils learn key words relevant to that time such as ‘blitz’ and Woodlane High School - 37 ‘blackout’, and one pupil makes reference to a history book series in the library that he has read. There are good links with literacy and good reinforcement of speaking,

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HISTORY

listening and reading skills. Worksheets are used to reinforce learning; these would benefit from adaptation to cater better for higher and lower attaining pupils. Appropriate homework is set that will extend and consolidate pupils’ knowledge and understanding, such as to talk to someone who lived through the ‘Blitz’, and then report back to the class.

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HISTORY

117. The long-term supply teacher provides enthusiastic and satisfactory leadership for the subject. The scheme of work is planned carefully so that pupils build on prior learning. Though a visit to the War Museum is planned, there are not sufficient opportunities for pupils to see first-hand evidence through visits to museums, historic buildings and archives. Accommodation is good and resources are satisfactory. In common with other subjects, marking is an area for development and ICT and role-play/drama could be used more frequently to support learning. There is no external accreditation in history for pupils in Year 11. The subject makes a sound contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

118. Pupils’ achievements are satisfactory. The subject has only been resourced and taught in its present form for five terms, so although pupils are making satisfactory long-term gains in the subject, they are not yet reaching the standards of which they are capable. Pupils make the best progress in using the Internet to find information, as this is widely used in other subjects as a means of independent learning. Pupils’ progress in ICT is promoted well by their good motivation; they are keen to use computers, and they use them sensibly.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

119. During the inspection, the teacher responsible for the subject was away on sick leave, and there was limited information available on which to base judgements. For example, records provided were incomplete and the school’s Internet policy was not available for scrutiny. A temporary teacher, who is not a specialist in the subject, taught most of the lessons seen.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

120. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, although some good classroom teaching was seen in Year 10. Pupils are given a satisfactory range of learning experiences in discrete ICT lessons, although simulation, which is included in the subject overview, is not evident in records or pupils’ work, and no software for this was found on the network. Pupils are steadily acquiring knowledge, understanding and skills in ICT. For example, pupils in Year 7 can stretch, compress and manipulate images, such as a car or a dragon; those in Year 8 have designed and formatted a single page newsletter, and pupils in Year 9 have made a multimedia presentation about themselves, incorporating text, images and sound. Pupils in Year 10 were busy researching on the Internet to find information to incorporate into a web page of their own design. Records show that by Year 11, pupils have acquired skills in the use of

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

spreadsheets, databases, web publishing, sending electronic mail, wordprocessing, desktop publishing, Internet research and control.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

121. Teachers use the vocabulary of the subject well, and explain the meanings of terms, which helps pupils to understand these. For example, in compiling a database of weather statistics, pupils in Year 10 showed that they understood the terms ‘field’ and ‘sort’. Higher attainers understood the terms ‘alphabetic’, ‘numeric’ and ‘alphanumeric’. Woodlane High School - 38 122. Permanent staff have a good understanding of the subject, and most use ICT well as a tool for supporting pupils’ learning. Evidence of ICT being used in all subjects was found, but in French, geography, history, mathematics and science there is room for improvement. Suitable software is used well to support pupils who have particular literacy and numeracy difficulties. Planning for the subject takes into account the lack of ICT teaching in the past, particularly for older pupils. As a result, pupils in Years 10 and 11 are taught some units that are similar to those taught lower down the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

123. In the good lesson seen in Year 10, pupils were creating their own web page. The teacher introduced the topic with an amusing example; this helped to secure pupils’ interest and clarify the task. Pupils were keen to get onto the computers, and the teacher monitored each one carefully to ensure that all were searching for suitable text before starting to compile their presentation. Pupils were well supported, either by support staff, or by being given written instructions. This meant that pupils of all abilities and levels of confidence were able to get on at their own pace. One pupil worked independently and well, throughout the session, constructing a table, merging cells at the top and creating a title, then inserting images into cells and labelling these.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

124. The subject has developed well in recent years, particularly since the ICT suite has been installed. This year, pupils in Year 11 are being entered either for Certificate of Educational Achievement or GCSE. Much of the impetus for development has come from the headteacher, and a whole-school approach to training has helped staff to acquire relevant skills. Additional government funds have been used wisely and well. There are satisfactory arrangements to ensure that pupils cannot gain access to unsuitable Internet sites. Resources for the subject are good; hardware is very good, but there are some shortfalls in software in French, science and ICT itself.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

125. The school has recently appointed a specialist teacher to co-ordinate the subject from September. Areas for further improvement are to ensure that National Curriculum requirements are met, and to revise the subject plans so that pupils continue to build on their knowledge, skills and understanding as they move from Year 9 to Years 10 and 11.

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French

126. Provision for French is good and pupils in all years make good progress in the subject. Teaching and learning are good overall, and some very good teaching was also seen. The teacher plans a broad range of learning experiences within the classroom, but there is no visit to France, so pupils do not have a powerful motive for learning the language. However, there is an opportunity for pupils to have their achievements externally accredited, through both GCSE and Certificate of Educational Achievement (CoEA), and pupils do have positive attitudes to the subject, which they enjoy.

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French

127. Pupils in Year 7 have little or no experience of the subject, but they soon begin to acquire an understanding of vocabulary, because the specialist teacher uses French, followed by English, very well. His accent is good, and he provides a good model for pupils to follow, which they do, persevering to improve their pronunciation. They quickly become confident in returning common greetings, and grasp common classroom commands. A good variety of activities is used to help pupils acquire listening and responding skills, as well as reading and writing skills. For example, pupils are given vocabulary to learn for homework, so they learn to read and write Woodlane High School - 39 words that they already understand. Listening skills are tested in class, often using cassettes of native speakers. Songs and games are also used; pupils enjoy these, and teaching encourages personal development well when merits are awarded for

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French

good losers as well as those that win. When introducing new vocabulary, the teacher helps pupils to understand this by making gestures, such as patting his stomach to help pupils understand that ‘J’ai faim’ means ‘I am hungry’. Pupils are encouraged to make the same gestures as they repeat the words; this helps to fix meanings in their minds. The teacher has good relationships with pupils, and he deals sensitively with those that are reticent; this gives pupils confidence, and they are well used to speaking and carrying out role-play in front of the class. He also has high expectations of their work and behaviour; a sexist comment was not allowed to go unchallenged in one lesson, for example. Teaching ensures that all pupils make equally good progress. For example, the teacher makes good use of strategies recommended by the speech therapist to ensure that selective mutes are included well in activities.

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French

128. By Year 9, pupils are competent in giving and returning greetings, they understand, read and write vocabulary associated with topics such as colours, classroom objects, and the weather. The most skilful speak confidently in short phrases, which they also read and write. By Year 11, pupils have sufficient language skills to get by in France. For example, they are able to order food, ask for goods in shops and read common social signs. The most able talk about themselves in depth; they give information about their families and pets, for example. They can talk about their leisure pursuits, and understand someone who describes their occupation in French. They enter for GCSE and CoEA examinations.

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French

129. Leadership of the subject is good. The part-time teacher who co-ordinates the subject shows a strong commitment to improving provision and there has been good improvement since the last inspection. Pupils’ achievements have improved, because they are no longer taught in mixed-year groups; this makes it easier to plan so that pupils continue to build on their knowledge, skills and understanding. Resources are satisfactory; there is a need to provide some interactive software to make the best use of ICT as a tool for learning. There are few French artefacts to bring the subject to life and help to promote pupils’ awareness of French culture.

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MUSIC

130. Achievement in music is very good. It is only taught in Years 7 to 9, and has improved significantly since the last inspection. This is due to the very strong teacher expertise and the wide range of exciting opportunities that are provided.

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MUSIC

131. In the two lessons seen during the inspection, pupils made significant gains during their music lessons and showed a good level of knowledge and understanding of music. Using technology, pupils in Year 9 were able to compose quite sophisticated pieces, even though they would not be able to play them themselves. They worked with the teacher and a visiting musician to develop the shape, dynamics and velocity of their compositions. Because they were so well motivated by the technology, pupils worked very hard and shared high levels of commitment to perfection. The project, sponsored by the National Foundation for Youth Music, included a holiday workshop and a visit to a local recording studio. Pupils’ enthusiasm spurred them on to develop their compositions, and this helped them to improve their skills throughout the lesson. Pupils in Year 8 were observed using a Karaoke machine to listen to music and

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MUSIC

appraise it. They benefited from the varying styles offered. For example, they listened to a piece by the pop singer Ronan Keating, commenting on where they thought the composer started from in his composition. They identified rhythm, beat, lyrics and Woodlane High School - 40 imagery as the main focus for writing music. One pupil commented that the piece may have been written as a result of a stimulus such as a ‘roller coaster ride’. He likened it to the impetus of Beethoven, who used his knowledge and experiences of the countryside to write his ‘Pastoral Symphony’. Pupils were able to clap the beat of the music and identify different sounds. They used a painting by the artist Kandinsky as the stimulus for a composition of their own, and many pupils were able to choose sounds which represented the images very well.

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MUSIC

132. The quality of teaching and learning in music is very good, with several excellent features. The very relevant activities are a key strength, helping to keep pupils well focused on their tasks. The skills and knowledge of staff are also major strengths in the success of pupils’ learning. Because they exhibit good role models, demonstrate and model tasks, join in and show pupils how to achieve, teachers’ relationships with pupils in lessons are very strong. Consequently, behaviour is good and pupils concentrate very well. Lessons are very well planned to take account of pupils’ interest and abilities. Because of this, achievement is very good. For example, pupils are encouraged to sing popular songs, ones they have composed themselves and songs that they enjoy. Similarly, with composition and appraisal, they work with music that they enjoy and are encouraged to share their own styles and preferences with

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MUSIC

others. In one lesson, pupils brought their own CDs to appraise. Regular assessment of skills helps to promote progress well.

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MUSIC

133. In music lessons, speaking and listening skills are well used. Pupils listen carefully to music, and to the contributions of others. There was limited evidence of the use of numeracy skills, and the use of ICT skills within music are at the early stages of development; plans are rightly in place to improve this next year.

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MUSIC

134. Leadership of music is excellent. The co-ordinator has very good skills and knowledge in the subject and provides an enriched curriculum that is very relevant to the pupils’ musical tastes and abilities. A very good range of community involvement in musical activities and drama productions enhances learning and ensures that pupils are very focused on success. For example, pupils perform at the Borough Music Festival annually. They have been involved in a dance project, in which they choreographed dances and performed them on video. They have benefited from a visit by the New London Orchestra and were involved in a music and science week with them, learning about soundwaves and vibration. A good music studio is being developed at the school. This is an ongoing project and staff and pupils are enthusiastic about the expected outcomes.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL, HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP (PSHE(C))

135. Provision for this subject is good. There is a very broad and particularly relevant curriculum, which is taught well. Pupils see the relevance of their learning and their attitudes to the subject are positive. As a result, pupils achieve well.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL, HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP (PSHE(C))

136. In Year 7, pupils are given a good induction to the school. They learn about the Learners’ Code, personnel who work in the school, about the timetable and school uniform, for example. The programme includes sex and relationships education, friendships, personal hygiene and healthy eating. By Year 9, pupils know their personal strengths, and they acknowledge those of their classmates. They are aware of ways of managing anger, and understand what assertiveness is. Pupils know about the dangers of drugs, alcohol and tobacco, and they have considered the pros and cons of banning smoking in public places. Most are able to identify a range of environmental problems, such as global warming, acid rain and industrial pollution. All Woodlane High School - 41 have begun to think about the world of work, and developed an idea of their preferences by identifying jobs they would not want to do.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL, HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP (PSHE(C))

137. By Year 11, pupils recognise the physical and psychological effects of fear, anxiety and stress. All pupils have completed a personal health check and devised a personal action plan. They can relate personal interests to future career choices. Pupils develop tolerance and respect for others’ points of view. Before pupils complete their work experience placements, they identify personal aims, such as being able to travel independently to work. They keep a diary of their work experience and learn in some detail about the jobs they undertake.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL, HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP (PSHE(C))

138. Teaching and learning are good. In a successful lesson in Year 7, pupils were learning about interviewing techniques. The teacher questioned them well, so that they were able to share what they recalled from a previous lesson. For example, they remembered that it is important to maintain eye contact with the person being interviewed. In the review at the end of the lesson, the teacher involved pupils well in assessing how well they had done. ‘What could you have done better?’, he asked, and pupils were able to identify areas for improvement. Literacy and ICT skills are developed well through the subject. In a successful Year 9 lesson, pupils were using the Internet to research aspects of pollution. There was a clear rationale for this task, as articles were to form part of a magazine for parents. High expectations of work and behaviour were made clear, and independent working was encouraged well. Pupils

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL, HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP (PSHE(C))

worked quickly and sensibly; by the end of the session they were able either to save their work for completion next time or print it out for sharing with the group. The teacher valued all efforts and pupils listened respectfully to others reading their work out. Numeracy skills were developed well, in a social context, during a Year 10 lesson where pupils compared prices of goods sold in different supermarkets. In this lesson, pupils were keen to compare prices of alcoholic drinks; the teacher used the opportunity to make clear that underage drinking is a breach of the law. These pupils were working towards an externally recognised award, the Bronze level of the Youth Award Scheme, which accredits many aspects of PSHE(C). Last year, all Year 10 pupils achieved this award.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL, HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP (PSHE(C))

139. Leadership of the subject is very good, and has secured very good improvement in the subject since the last inspection. The headteacher has improved subject planning, all teachers have been trained to teach the programme, and resources have been organised very well so that teachers can easily access these. Teachers feel well supported in this respect. The subject plans have been audited to ensure that the subject meets the requirements for citizenship, and areas for development are included in the school improvement plan. For example, the intention to establish a school council appears in the plan, although pupils do have a voice through the annual reviews and assemblies. There is a suitable range of clear policies that guide teachers in their teaching of the subject. Assemblies, which are well planned, include a number of themes that supplement the citizenship component. For example, democracy, poverty, being a good citizen and ‘about your city’ are all planned topics.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

140. It was not possible to see the teaching of physical education during the inspection as it was taught outside the inspection period. Judgements on teaching and learning, and achievement, could not therefore be made. The school arranges for pupils to have access to physical education activities by employing a part-time qualified coach from a private sports agency. Pupils follow a range of activities including, basketball, short tennis, indoor hockey, five-a-side football and keep fit. The school is aware that this is Woodlane High School - 42 a temporary ‘best fit’ option and is trying to appoint a suitably qualified teacher in the near future. This teacher will need to develop an appropriate policy and scheme of work in line with National Curriculum requirements, so that pupils can develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of physical education in a planned way, building steadily on prior learning. Accommodation, in the form of a purpose-built gymnasium,

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

is very good. Resources are satisfactory, but will need to be supplemented as the curriculum is developed. It is not possible to judge overall improvement since the last inspection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

141. For those pupils who are taught religious education, achievement is satisfactory, as it was at the time of the last inspection. However, the subject does not meet statutory requirements because Year 11 pupils do not follow a taught programme of religious education.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

142. Only two lessons of religious education were observed, both in Years 7 to 9. Pupils are following a module of work entitled Codes for Living, which deals with beliefs and values. In one of these lessons, Year 7 pupils were read a poem about feelings by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, entitled ‘Who am I?’ Pupils listened carefully and readily commented on their reaction to the poem. Pupils were reasonably articulate and able to speak clearly and with expression. They became familiar with key words like ‘hypocrite’ and ‘confinement’ and the teacher explained the meanings of these words well. Pupils shared their own feelings about recent personal events, sadness at the death of a pet dog, for instance. The teacher tried to gather ideas on the board about pupils’ personal code for living under the heading ‘How I see myself’, but pupils found the task too difficult and the lesson petered out. In Year 8, pupils were also involved in

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

discussion work, this time around the statements, ‘love is patient and kind’ and ‘love is not selfish’. The lesson lacked a strong enough stimulus to encourage discussion, teaching was rushed and the teacher talked too much. Only higher attaining pupils were able to explain what the statements meant to them, for example giving up a seat to someone else.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

143. Teaching and learning in religious education is satisfactory. Strengths are in the planning and preparation and the quality of relationships. Areas for development include the use of a greater range of methods, activities and resources to interest and motivate pupils. These should include increased opportunities for pupils to visit churches and other places of worship, use of ICT, and be involved in role-play/drama to extend their understanding and moments for reflection. Support assistants are rarely deployed to record pupils’ responses to questions or contribution to discussions; as a result, their skills are not always used well in lessons. Lessons are very short, and are not always concluded properly to review pupils’ progress and confirm their understanding.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

144. Leadership of the subject is satisfactory. The subject is co-ordinated by the headteacher, but taught by other teachers. None of them are specialists. The scheme of work has been written to meet the requirements of the Hammersmith and Fulham SACRE syllabus. It is supported by a resource pack that accompanies each module. The scheme of work, and resources, need adapting to more easily match the range of pupils’ special educational needs. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and reinforces their literacy skills, particularly those of speaking and listening. A small amount of curriculum time is allocated to religious education, which means that topics cannot be covered in any depth. Woodlane High School - 43

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