Eastlands Primary School

EASTLANDS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Bogusia Matusiak-Varley

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EASTLANDS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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EASTLANDS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Eastlands Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Lansdowne Place Rugby Warwickshire

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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 Gordon Cook

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 2 March 1998 Eastlands Primary School - 4

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Aspect responsibilities

19938 B Matusiak-Varley Registered inspector English as an additional language Foundation Stage Art and design What sort of school is it? How high are standards? a) The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 11084 Jane Hughes Lay inspector How high are standards? b) Attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 17709 Alan Giles Team inspector History Mathematics Physical education 19164 Steven Dobson Team inspector Equal opportunities Design and technology Geography Religious education Science 17456 Angela Smithers Team inspector Special educational needs English Information and communication technology Music How good are curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Eastlands Primary School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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Aspect responsibilities

Cambridge Education Associates Limited Demeter House Station Road CambridgeCB1 2RS

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Aspect responsibilities

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

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Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Eastlands Primary School is located in Rugby and caters for pupils aged 4-11. It is a broadly average sized school with 218 pupils on roll, 107 boys and 111 girls. Ten per cent of pupils are of ethnic minority backgrounds; nine per cent are of Indian origin and one per cent is of Pakistani origin. Eight per cent of pupils are at an early stage of English language acquisition, which is above average, and these pupils are supported by a teacher and support assistant, funded by the Ethnic Minority Travellers Achievement Grant. Ten per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals; this is below average. Twenty-one per cent of pupils are on the special educational needs register; this is broadly average. Three children have Statements of Special Educational Needs; this is below average. Overall, children’s attainment on entry to the school is average. Most have attended playgroups and nursery settings.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Eastlands Primary School is a good school and provides an effective education for almost all of its pupils except those in the Foundation Stage of learning. The school is very well led and managed by the recently appointed headteacher and deputy headteacher, who know its strengths and weaknesses well, give good support to teachers where it is needed and have a clear vision of what needs to improve. The school works hard to include pupils from many different backgrounds and children are valued for their uniqueness. Hard working and dedicated staff strive to provide a welcoming, caring and supportive education for all. From inspection evidence by the end of Year 6, standards are well above the national average in English, mathematics and science. Pupils’ achievements are good and all groups of pupils are well prepared for secondary school. Pupils have very good attitudes to learning because of the good

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

learning opportunities provided for them and the good teaching generally throughout Years 2 to 6. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils’ attainment is well above average at the end of Year 6 in English, mathematics and science and they are well prepared for secondary school. • In Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 generally all groups of pupils make good progress. • Pupils have very good attitudes to learning and behave well. Their personal development is very good because of the overall very good provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. • The quality of teaching in Year 2 and Key Stage 2 is good overall, with some very good and excellent features seen, and, as a result, pupils make good gains in learning. • Pupils are very well cared for and the monitoring of their academic progress in the core subjects is good overall. • The leadership and management of the school are very good and the headteacher and deputy headteacher are providing a very clear educational direction for the school. They are very well

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What the school does well

supported by a hard working and well-informed governing body.

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What could be improved

• Provision for children in the Foundation Stage of learning, the quality of teaching and children’s achievements in all areas of learning. • Standards in science (Key Stage 1) and foundation subjects (both key stages). • Curriculum planning in all subjects, with the exception of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology, to ensure that specific skills are taught progressively and that they are clearly identified in teachers’ planning. • Assessments in foundation subjects and their use in challenging the higher-attainers further. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in 1998. Since then improvement has been good overall. Schemes of work have been developed for English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology, but further improvement still needs to be made to the science scheme of work and those for Eastlands Primary School - 8 foundation subjects. Teachers‘ knowledge of National Curriculum level descriptors to support assessment has improved, but it is variable across year groups. The best examples are in Years 2, 5 and 6. The deputy headteacher has provided a very good lead in monitoring and recording pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science, and this very effective practice needs to be extended into foundation subjects. Very good improvement has been made in widening pupils’ reading experiences and the library is now appropriately resourced. Overall good improvement has been made in

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

developing pupils’ attitudes and personal development, provision for pupils with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs, teaching overall, leadership and management and the learning opportunities offered to pupils. Standards have improved in English and mathematics by the end of both key stages and in science standards have improved by the end of Year 6.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is not as good as previously judged because insufficient attention has been placed on introducing the Literacy and Numeracy Hours in the third term of children’s learning. Planning for all areas of learning has not been sufficiently well developed in the light of nationally recommended guidelines. The school has recognised this weakness and is giving continuing support to rectify this, but as yet this is not evident in pupils’ achievements because the good systems implemented by the headteacher need time to take effect in practice. Under the present very good leadership and management of the school, its capacity for improvement is good.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

In 2001 standards in Year 6, in comparison with all schools and similar schools, were well above the national average in English and above the national average in mathematics and science. At the end of Year 2 standards were below the national average in reading and mathematics and in line in writing in comparison with all schools nationally. In comparison with similar schools, standards were well below average in reading and below average in writing and mathematics. The school’s performance in science Teacher Assessment was well below the national average. Standards are improving due to the good monitoring of teaching and the very good analysis of assessment data.

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Key

Inspection findings show that by the end of Year 2 standards in English are above average and are well above average at the end of Year 6. In mathematics standards are well above average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and, in science, standards are broadly in line at the end of Year 2 and are well above average at the end of Year 6. In religious education, at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6, standards are broadly in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. In information and communication technology and in all other subjects, standards are in line with national expectations at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Overall standards are good by the end of Key Stage 2 in English, mathematics and science, but they could be higher in other subjects. Higher-attaining pupils are under challenged in Year 1 and in foundation subjects across the school.

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Key

Whilst pupils generally attain the Early Learning Goals in the Foundation Stage their achievements are not good enough in all areas of learning. This part of the school is a current focus for support by senior Eastlands Primary School - 9 management. Challenging targets have been set for the pupils, which this year have been increased. In relation to pupils’ abilities these are achievable. The school has consistently met its targets.

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Key

Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language achieve well in relation to their prior attainment due to the good provision made for them by the special educational needs co-ordinator and the English as an additional language support teacher.

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Key

Overall standards in the school are rising because of the very effective school self-evaluation undertaken by the headteacher and deputy headteacher and the improvements in teaching and assessment of core subjects.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils concentrate well in lessons and respond very well to adults.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils understand the rules and follow them well. This is a happy school. On occasions at lunchtime behaviour could be better.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good relationships flourish throughout the school. Pupils become increasingly independent and relish challenges.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Satisfactory. Pupils enjoy coming to school and generally arrive punctually.

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

Quality of teaching Unsatisfactory 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 of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Inspectors observed 47 lessons during the week they were in school. Some excellent and very good practice was seen, but also, some teaching was unsatisfactory in the Foundation Stage and Year 1. The majority of excellent teaching was in Year 5 in English, science and geography and in two lessons when the special educational needs co-ordinator supported individual pupils with special educational needs. The school is addressing weaknesses in teaching and staff are working hard to improve their practice. Overall teaching is good, with examples of very good practice in Years 2 to 6, and the scrutiny of pupils’ past work confirms the picture of good teaching and learning. Basic skills of literacy and numeracy are generally taught well. The good teaching has a positive effect on pupils’ learning but inconsistencies of practice throughout the school result in patchy progress for higher-attaining pupils,

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

especially in the Foundation Stage, Year 1 and on rare occasions in Year 3. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is generally good, but it is excellent when taught by the special educational needs co-ordinator. The teaching of pupils with English as an additional language is good and their needs are met effectively.

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Aspect Comment

Eastlands Primary School - 10 The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory overall with elements of good practice in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, but unsatisfactory in the Foundation Stage. The curriculum is relevant and meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Since the appointment of the new headteacher, good provision is made for extra- curricular activities, visits and visitors.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. These pupils make good progress in lessons and very good progress when they work with the special educational needs co- ordinator. Targets in their Individual Education Plans are appropriately structured and non-teaching staff give good support at all times.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Pupils who speak English as an additional language cope well with their work and they speak, read and write English as effectively as the other pupils by the time that they are 11 years old.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Major strengths in moral and social development are complemented by good spiritual and cultural development. Pupils are becoming active citizens and care deeply about their environment.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Staff take good care of pupils. They understand their needs and generally set them challenging tasks. Assessment procedures are good in English, mathematics and science and direct teachers’ planning.

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Aspect Comment

The school maintains good communication with parents and encourages them to participate in its life. Partnership with parents is good; they are supportive of the school and are seen as true partners in their children’s learning.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The recently appointed headteacher is very ably supported by the deputy headteacher. The headteacher has a clear vision for the future and determination to succeed and to raise standards even further. The headteacher offers very good support in rectifying any apparent weaknesses in the school’s performance, such as the provision for the Foundation Stage. The majority of the co-ordinators fulfil their duties well, though, whilst they are generally aware of the strengths and areas for improvement in standards in their subjects, they still need to sharpen their knowledge of monitoring the development of pupils’ skills.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. Governors are proud of the school’s successes and are very supportive. They are knowledgeable, hard working and are fully involved in school improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and governing body know the school’s strengths and areas for improvement very well. Very good monitoring and evaluation of teaching and standards have been undertaken by the headteacher and link inspector and have shown the main weaknesses in teaching identified by this inspection. Steps are being taken to remedy the problems.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. Finance is well planned and managed, and funds for boosting standards and for pupils with special educational needs, and English as an additional language, are used well. The school is careful to undertake Eastlands Primary School - 11 the principles of best value in its purchases.

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Aspect Comment

There are generally good quality learning resources with the exception of resources in the Foundation Stage of learning. There is a good number of teachers and support staff for the work of the school and the accommodation is of good quality. Displays of children’s work are well presented throughout the school.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like school and make good progress. • Behaviour is good; children become mature and responsible. • Teaching is good. • Staff are approachable and they work closely with parents. • The school is well led and managed. • The school has high expectations of the children. • A few parents are unhappy about the amount of homework set. • Some are unhappy about the range of extra- curricular activities available. • Some do not feel well informed about the progress their children make. • A few would like closer links between school and parents.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with parents’ positive views. They agree that there are inconsistencies and irregularities in the way homework is being given out, although the amount given is satisfactory overall; the headteacher has plans in place to rectify this. However, inspectors disagree with parents’ views on extra-curricular activities, as many children participate in sports, music activities and French club, and these are judged to be good. Inspectors disagree with parents’ views on information about their children’s progress and links between school and parents. Staff are approachable and the school operates an “open door” policy when, at any time, parents can come and enquire about the progress their children are making. End of term reports on pupils’ achievements are good. Eastlands Primary School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The 2001 test results show that standards by the end of Year 2 were below the national average for reading and mathematics and in line with the national average in writing in comparison with all schools. In science, Teacher Assessments indicate that standards were well below the national average. In comparison with similar schools standards were well below average in reading and below the average for writing and mathematics. In comparison with all schools and similar schools by the end of Year 6, standards were well above average in English and above average in mathematics and science. Overall, in all core subjects standards were above average in comparison with all schools and well above average in comparison with similar schools.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In Key Stage 1 too few pupils attained the higher levels in writing. In mathematics and reading, the proportion reaching the higher levels was close to the national average. In Key Stage 1 over three years the performance of pupils in reading exceeded the national average for their age, in writing pupils’ performance was in line with the national average and in mathematics it fell below the national average. There was no significant difference in achievement by gender.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In Key Stage 2 over time the performance of pupils exceeded the national average in all core subjects. There is no significant difference in attainment by gender. The reason why Key Stage 1 2001 test results were low was that many pupils in Year 2 were on the register for special educational needs and a significant proportion of pupils were below average attainers. Whilst standards were low, pupils’ achievements in relation to their prior attainment were satisfactory.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Children enter the Reception class with standards of attainment that are broadly average in all areas of learning. Many have attended playgroups and pre-school groups and generally their skills of socialisation, language and mathematics are appropriately developed for their age. There is limited value added in relation to children’s average attainment on entry as by the end of the Foundation Stage children attain the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning, but their achievements in relation to their prior attainment are unsatisfactory due to unsatisfactory teaching, lack of planning of stimulating learning opportunities, unsatisfactory assessment and its use and insufficient challenge of higher-attaining attaining pupils due to the lack of use of assessment and the unsatisfactory implementation of the national guidelines relating to the introduction of the Literacy and Numeracy Hours.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Inspection findings show a slightly different picture at the end of Key Stage 1 in pupils’ attainment in relation to test scores of 2001. The school recognised that standards were too low at the end of Key Stage 1 and the headteacher and deputy headteacher analysed the assessment data, monitored teaching, set targets for improvement, sent staff on courses and set appropriate priorities in the school development plan in order to raise standards. This paid off well and, as a result, inspection findings show that pupils’ standards at the end of Year 2 are now above national averages in speaking and listening, reading and writing and pupils achieve well in relation to their prior attainment; however, above average pupils need to be challenged further, especially in Year 1, as, on occasions, they could be making better progress in writing. The best rates of progress are made in Year 2 because the teacher has very good subject knowledge and at the start of Year

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2 ensures that pupils catch up on any weaknesses that they may have experienced in Year 1. By the end of Year 6, standards in English are well above average and pupils make very good gains in their learning. As a result, they achieve well in relation to their prior attainment.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. In mathematics, standards are well above average and at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 all groups of pupils achieve very well in relation to their prior attainment. This is a good improvement on last year’s test results and is largely attributable to the good use of assessment to inform planning, more focused and precise teaching of mental mathematics and increased opportunities for pupils to carry out problem solving exercises. Eastlands Primary School - 13 7. In science, standards at the end of Year 2 are in line with national expectations, but pupils’ achievements in Key Stage 1 are only satisfactory. In Year 2 they are very good. This is because there have been elements of underachievement in both the Foundation Stage and Year 1 in science and in Year 2 the class teacher has had a lot of catching up to do in order to ensure that pupils are adequately prepared for the national Teacher Assessments. Pupils with special

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

educational needs and English as an additional language make good gains in their learning and attain standards that are appropriate to their ability.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. On entry to Year 2 pupils have gaps in their knowledge in relation to physical processes and scientific enquiry; plans are in place to rectify this. By the end of Year 6 standards are well above average and all groups of pupils make very good gains in their learning; their achievements are very good. Overall in foundation subjects, by the end of both key stages, pupils attain standards which are broadly in line with national expectations, and their achievements are satisfactory.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In art at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils attain standards that are in line with national expectations and make sound gains in learning. Overall, very good gains are made by pupils when they work with artists, especially in developing their skills of designing, observational drawing and pattern work.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. In design and technology standards are broadly in line with national expectations and by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 pupils make sound gains in their learning, but in Key Stage 1 pupils’ skills in planning and labelling diagrams and evaluating finished products are not as well developed as other skills. In geography, history, music and physical education pupils meet the national expectations of 7 and 11-year-olds and overall the achievements of all the groups of pupils are satisfactory. In geography, in Year 5, for example, pupils with English as an additional language were very well supported by the ethnic minority and support teacher and, as a result, made good gains in understanding concerns about land use, because the teacher made every effort to ensure that pupils understood the learning objectives to translate the main concepts of the lesson. However, in both key stages, too many worksheets are used, especially in history and geography,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

and this prevents pupils from further developing their extended writing skills across the curriculum. Furthermore, standards of presentation of pupils’ written work are, on occasions, not as neat as they could be. Whilst they are satisfactory overall, more attention needs to be paid to the way pupils set out their work in exercise books.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. In information and communication technology, standards are broadly in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2 and Year 6, but pupils’ achievements are good because the school has recently purchased a well-equipped information and communication technology suite and staff have undertaken training to improve their knowledge of information and communication technology.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. Since the last inspection standards have improved in English and mathematics at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and in science at the end of Year 6. In all foundation subjects average standards have been maintained, but pupils’ achievements in information and communication technology have improved. Provision for pupils in the Foundation Stage is not as good as previously judged because insufficient attention has been placed on introducing the Literacy and Numeracy Hours and planning for all areas of learning is at present not rigorous enough in defining clear learning objectives. Assessments are unsatisfactory, as is the overall quality of teaching.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. Overall, throughout Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, standards are generally high enough for all groups of pupils but the rates of progress are very variable. This is largely due to the fact that during the week of inspection the quality of teaching was better in Key Stage 2 than in Key Stage 1, with the exception of Year 2 where it is consistently good or better. Pupils’ rates of progress in the foundation subjects in both key stages are only satisfactory because, at present, there has been more time devoted to raising pupils’ standards in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology, and there are inconsistencies in practice throughout the school in relation to the way information from assessments is used to guide the next steps of pupils’ learning. Pupils with English as an additional language achieve levels which are appropriate to their abilities and are performing as well as all other pupils. The school has recognised the need

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Eastlands Primary School - 14 to streamline its best practices and continues to develop its schemes of work in the foundation subjects and review time allocation.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils have very good attitudes to learning and bring enthusiasm to their work. They are extremely keen to participate in every aspect of school life and their response to teachers’ requests is usually very positive. This eagerness to participate enables pupils to gain as many benefits as possible from their time in school. Pupils across the ability range show similar levels of interest in activities and this is usually as a result of stimulating introductions to lessons and subsequent teaching by adults. An excellent example of this was a one-to-one additional teaching session by the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO). This took place towards the end of the school day and comprised a short, highly focused session aimed at improving specific aspects of a Year 1 pupil’s literacy skills. He bounced into the room and was immediately absorbed in the teacher’s questions. She was very skilful and soon had him

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

producing letter shapes in the salt tray. While he was working, he was very keen to make sure that he would carry on with these sessions after the summer holiday, asking, “Next year when I’m in Year 2, will I still be able to come to you?” His teacher reassured him and he happily identified letter sounds and outlines for her. Her excellent support gelled well with his positive approach to the session, and this enabled him to make the very best use of his time. Pupils across the school react similarly to very good, challenging teaching and this is particularly noticeable in Years 2, 5 and 6. When teachers do not set high enough expectations for pupils, then their response to tasks is diluted, as for example, in a Year 3 numeracy lesson and Year 1 science lesson when the teaching lacked pace during the introduction and pupils were easily distracted as a result. Once they split into groups, they became more motivated and worked well together.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Children in the Foundation Stage have satisfactory attitudes to learning, but they have difficulty in staying on task because the level of work is not sufficiently stimulating to engage their interests. The best attitudes are displayed during story time and when they are working on their creative development with the support assistant.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Standards of behaviour are good overall. The headteacher and staff create a harmonious climate for learning through very effective behaviour management, and pupils enjoy school and make good progress. There have been no exclusions from school. Pupils demonstrate a very clear understanding of the school’s code of conduct. They help to draw up their own class rules and respond very well to the regular ‘Achievement Awards’ given by staff. They make a mature response to visitors’ questions and are undeniably proud of their school and work. Children in the Reception class are often faced with less challenging activities during lessons. They become restless and do not learn as quickly as older pupils in the school. Also, they are still not sure about some of the school’s expectations and routines and this can result in some inappropriate responses. On rare occasions some of the behaviour in Year 1 and Year 3 is not as good as in

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

other classes, and this is partly attributable to the less successful implementation of the Literacy and Numeracy Hour strategies in the Year 1 class. In Year 3, occasionally, when the pace in lessons slows down and insufficient extension activities are provided for higher-attaining pupils, they do not behave as well as they could. Generally, pupils behave well as they move around the school and behaviour during wet playtimes is of a consistently high order. However, there are times during lunch sessions in the canteen when behaviour deteriorates and pupils become very noisy. Classrooms are full of fun as children enjoy a variety of games and activities – they interact very well with lunchtime supervisors, who have received some training in this area. There are a few instances where standards of behaviour dip – notably in the dining hall when pupils can sometimes be overly boisterous and do not display appropriate table manners.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Very good relationships are central to this school’s success. Pupils relate extremely well to their classmates and different age groups also mix together well. There is clear affection between adults and pupils and mutual trust is a strong feature of the teacher-pupil relationship. The way in which pupils with particular needs are supported by adults and children is particularly impressive as they are able to play a full and important role in the life of the school. Teachers encourage pupils to recognise and value their relationships with others and this helps them to work successfully as a team or group members. A good example of this was seen at the end of a Year 4 lesson, where pupils made positive comments about working together and sharing tasks in their Eastlands Primary School - 15 evaluations at the end of the lesson. It is common to see older pupils supporting younger children as they go about their daily lives. An effective ‘buddy’ system also operates in the school and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

helps younger children acclimatise when they first start school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Pupils’ personal development is very good and they exercise responsibility in many situations. Staff have offered some striking opportunities recently and pupils have risen extremely well to these challenges. Setting up the new School Council has allowed pupils to experience the democratic process at first hand and this has fired their imaginations. Pupils are quick to discuss some of the ideas already introduced by their representatives such as a change to the use of footballs in the playground. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 explained how and when issues were discussed, some would like more discussion time as they do not feel they have enough. A great source of interest and enthusiasm is the school’s organic allotment, which recently received national acclaim. Parts of the allotment are tended by different groups – the acorn club and gardening club, for example, although all pupils have some involvement. Since their visit to an

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

established organic garden, interest in the project has grown considerably. Pupils make gains in their personal development on many levels as they busy themselves in the allotment. Some are given responsibility for the key to the communal gate and take great care to lock it securely as they leave. They have a very good knowledge of all the vegetables growing in the various beds and talk at length about the benefits of organic gardening. They also experience at first hand the additional weeding involved, “You don’t use any weedkiller or anything unnatural”. Pupils talk with pride about the produce they take back into school for everyone to eat – radishes, lettuce and butternut squash, for instance. Pupils are also very aware of how their patch of land is linked to others who garden in the same allotment. They realise they have to be careful not to spoil other people’s crops and talk with irritation about someone mowing down part of their wild flower area by

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

mistake. Pupils are learning to recognise and celebrate the wonders of the natural world. Their very good attitudes and personal development are largely attributable to the overall very good provision made for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Pupils are trustworthy lunchtime office helpers, answering the telephone and taking messages. The school ensures that all efforts pupils make to extend their experiences, at home or in school – are displayed on the Achievement Board in the school hall. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 take part in two residential school trips and these help them to adapt in different social settings.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Levels of attendance are broadly in line with the national average. Most pupils arrive on time and there is a prompt start to the school day.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. Since the previous inspection there has been good improvement in pupils’ attitudes, behaviour, relationships and personal development.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is good in both key stages but there are more examples of very good practice in Key Stage 2. Teachers are hard working and keen to improve on their previous best performance and all have the skills necessary to raise standards even further. This is because senior management has placed a high emphasis on performance management and teachers have been given lots of opportunities to improve their practice.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. At present teaching is variable across year groups; the best teaching is in Years 2, 4, 5 and 6 and in these classes pupils make the best progress. Some examples of good teaching were seen in Year 3 but, on occasions, teachers’ expectations were not high enough for higher-attainers, there was a lack of opportunities for pupils to work independently and on rare occasions behaviour was not managed effectively. However, good relationships, secure subject knowledge and effective use of time ensured that pupils generally stayed on task and enjoyed learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Teaching in Year 1 is inconsistent and ranges from unsatisfactory to good. When it is unsatisfactory this is largely due to unsatisfactory use of time, low expectations and lack of clear learning objectives, so that pupils are unsure of what they need to do. Furthermore, there is a Eastlands Primary School - 16 lack of extension activities for above average attainers, insufficient use of data from assessments to match tasks to pupils’ needs, lack of opportunities for independent learning and insufficiently rigorous methods for managing behaviour. In order for pupils’ achievements to be better throughout the school, there needs to be consistency of approach in teaching subject specific skills, clearer guidelines as to what expectations are of all groups of pupils by the end of each year, consistency of building upon pupils’ prior attainment, improved use of assessment procedures and consistency in their application throughout both key stages, and further

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

opportunities given to pupils to improve their skills of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology in all other subjects. Co-ordinators, whilst knowledgeable, are not yet checking curriculum plans for both consistency of approach and incremental development of skills. When teaching is good, as in information and communication technology, the pace is brisk, secure subject knowledge moves pupils on in learning, explanations are clear and the atmosphere is relaxed with humour being used effectively.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. During the week of inspection, 47 lessons were seen, five were excellent, nine were very good, eleven were good, sixteen were satisfactory and six were unsatisfactory. All of the unsatisfactory teaching was in the reception class and Year 1; the best teaching was seen in Year 5 English and Science, two excellent lessons were taken by the SENCO, and there was one excellent geography lesson which was taken by a part time member of staff who is on a temporary contract. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory overall. Teachers’ planning does not take into account the needs of the pupils. Insufficient emphasis is placed upon the correct teaching of the basic skills of literacy and numeracy including rigorous development of writing and number formation. Time is not used effectively and above average attainers are under-challenged. Resources to support teaching and learning are inadequate; they do not build upon children’s

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natural curiosity and many of them lack a multi-cultural focus, especially those supporting learning in the role play area. The best rates of learning occur in creative development when children work with the support assistant. This is because they develop their skills of painting, drawing and colour mixing well due to the very clear modelling and explanation provided. The management of children is variable; it is satisfactory overall but at times, when the children, especially the higher- attaining pupils, are not sufficiently challenged, they experience difficulty in staying on task.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. In both key stages, teachers have a secure understanding of most of the subjects that they teach. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good in Key Stage 1 and very good in Key Stage 2. Since the last inspection teachers’ subject knowledge has improved in information and communication technology and this is having a positive impact on standards in the subject. Teachers are increasingly using information and communication technology to good effect in other subjects, but they now need to identify it formally in their planning and provide more opportunities for pupils to consolidate their learning. Teachers have a secure understanding of literacy and numeracy and teach it effectively.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. A common area for improvement is day-to-day assessment and its use in foundation subjects. At present this is inconsistent throughout classes, with some teachers having better knowledge of their pupils’ achievements than others. There is a lack of a uniform approach in assessing pupils’ achievements in the foundation subjects because the school has rightly channelled all of its focus into successful raising standards in English, mathematics and science. The lack of a whole- school approach in assessing pupils’ work in foundation subjects results in activities not always being suitably graded to support the next steps in pupils’ learning. Teachers’ planning indicates that teachers focus more on outcomes rather than planning suitably graded tasks to meet pupils’ requirements. For example, this results in higher-attaining pupils mostly writing more than other pupils, but they could be more effectively stretched if tasks set for them in lessons were more

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

challenging. A very effective example of this was seen in a Year 4 lesson in religious education when higher-attaining pupils were asked to research the lives of saints and did this very well; as a result they made good gains in writing independently and improving their skills of synthesising information. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do are variable, but are good overall. They are generally high in literacy and numeracy and, as a result, standards are high . Teachers use good methods and styles to help most pupils learn, but, on occasions, expectations of what pupils can do are not high enough in Year 1 and Year 3. This is largely due to the lack of assessment data used in planning and the lack of extension activities. Eastlands Primary School - 17 27. Many teachers successfully divide their lessons into three parts. They begin with an introduction, have a main activity and a time towards the end of the lesson when pupils gather together to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

review learning. This time enables pupils to consolidate their learning because teachers have good questioning skills enabling them to see if pupils have understood the main parts of the lesson. In the excellent lessons seen teaching was dynamic, a range of teaching strategies were used, such as the use of drama and brainstorming (checking pupils’ previous knowledge), very effective explanations were given so that pupils were clear as to what was expected of them, and all groups of pupils were challenged to their full potential by having plenty of extension activities to support their learning. The most effective learning takes place when teachers maintain a good pace throughout the lesson and provide plenty of variety in the teaching styles. For example, in a geography lesson in Year 5, pupils developed their understanding of land use. The teacher deepened pupils’ learning by providing good examples of how different people had vested interests

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

in the use of land. The lesson was conducted at a brisk pace and thought provoking issues were raised by the teacher, making the pupils think deeply. The pupils responded very well to the challenge and different ideas were tossed back and forth from teacher to pupils. Support staff, for pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language, helped with explanations so that pupils were clear about what they needed to do. Pupils had a thirst to find out as much as they could, their attitude to their work was admirable, they behaved very well and learning was fun.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. In the best teaching, teachers have high expectations of what pupils can do and share the learning intentions with pupils so that they are clear about the focus of the lesson. When teachers set a time target for the completion of a task, as seen in literacy in Year 5, it has a positive effect on the rate of work and learning. However, not all teachers share the learning objectives with their pupils and time targets and extension activities are not a common feature in lessons. Where teaching has weaknesses and is unsatisfactory (the Reception class and Year 1), learning objectives are too broad, the lesson proceeds at too slow a pace, and teachers’ assessments of what pupils need to do next to improve are ineffective. Too many lessons, especially in foundation subjects in both key stages, fail to provide higher-attaining pupils with sufficient challenging work on a regular basis because of teachers’ limited use of their knowledge of pupils’ prior attainment. As a result

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

pupils do not make the progress that they are capable of.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29. Teachers generally mark pupils’ work regularly and some very effective targets for improvement have been set in Years 5 and 6. These are having a positive effect on learning as guidance is offered to help pupils improve their work. However, standards of presentation are not always consistently met and this is an area which needs to be improved. Teachers use homework appropriately to support learning but at times it is inconsistently given out and parents are not always clear about what is expected of their children; an area the school is addressing.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language is good. Pupils are generally provided in lessons with activities which are matched effectively to their needs, and supported in groups or individually and sometimes out of the classroom. When taught by the SENCO they make very good progress, not only because their Individual Education Plans are fully used to support their learning, but also because a full range of learning opportunities are provided. Pupils love having individual attention when they come out for focused group work and the very positive relationships help build their self-esteem.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

31. Since the previous inspection the quality of teaching has improved in all but the Foundation Stage where it has regressed. Whilst a considerable number of lessons were unsatisfactory, this did not constitute a serious weakness because of the very good support that has been offered by the management to improve practice. Furthermore, the rigorous monitoring of teaching and target setting has not had enough time to have had a marked effect on practice; inspectors are satisfied that every opportunity is taken to offer support and improve the quality of teaching.

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Eastlands Primary School - 18 32. The quality and range of learning opportunities offered to pupils are satisfactory overall in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 with examples of good practice. There has been good improvement in the learning opportunities offered to pupils since the last inspection, but nevertheless there is still further work to do in ensuring that pupils build upon their skills progressively in foundation subjects. For the children in the Foundation Stage, the curriculum offered is not always relevant to their needs and is unsatisfactory overall because the Literacy and Numeracy Hours are not rigorously implemented, planning for all areas of learning, with the exception of art (creative development), is unsatisfactory, and insufficient opportunities are provided for pupils to learn using all of their senses. Overall, the curriculum is broad, balanced and relevant, and meets the needs

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of the pupils, but there are occasions when above average attainers could be even more challenged. The provision for personal, social and health education is very good, and there is a good range of extra-curricular activities to enrich pupils’ learning. Staff ensure that learning opportunities are enhanced by visits to museums, and older pupils participate in residential visits. There are also good opportunities for pupils to work alongside artists.

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33. The school has adapted its policies and schemes of work to meet statutory requirements. The teaching of religious education follows the locally agreed syllabus and the daily act of collective worship meets requirements. There has been consultation about how and when to teach sex education and there is an ongoing programme of drugs education.

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34. The school has adopted the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy and this has improved the teaching of these basic skills; these strategies have been adapted to meet more fully the needs of all pupils. It has used good guidance from the local education authority. However, these adaptations are not monitored to ensure that there is a similar balance of time allocated to each of the strands of learning, and there are some inconsistencies of practice across year groups, with more time being spent on developing pupils’ writing skills than is identified on timetables.

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TO PUPILS?

35. The school rightly gives more time to the teaching of English and mathematics than to other subjects. However, time is allocated inconsistently in different classes: some foundation subjects do not get sufficient teaching time and insufficient attention is given to developing subject specific skills. This is a deficiency that the headteacher is aware needs to be remedied. Long and medium-term planning provides guidance for teachers on what they are expected to cover within each of the subjects of the curriculum. However, there are inconsistencies in planning, relating to the precise identification of what skills will be developed. The lack of assessments in foundation subjects results in pupils not always having the opportunity to build upon their skills incrementally. Mostly learning objectives are clearly identified and specific but there is insufficient indication in any of the documentation as to how pupils will build up subject specific skills in a progressive

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TO PUPILS?

36. All pupils work well together in mixed classes and there is good provision for both girls and boys, pupils who have English as an additional language and those who have special educational needs. Children are assessed on entry to the school, and their progress is tracked very well in English and mathematics through the school. Pupils identified as having special educational needs have detailed Individual Education Plans, which clearly state their needs in terms of achievable short- term targets. The staff are very well supported by the SENCO and, as a result, the provision for these pupils is good. When pupils are withdrawn to work in small groups or individually with the SENCO the provision is very good. The well-designed accommodation means that pupils with physical disabilities can be effectively catered for. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language is good, but insufficient use is made of the expertise of the EMTAG support

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TO PUPILS?

37. There is a good range of extra-curricular activities; at lunchtime, or after school, pupils attend a good variety of clubs. Pupils of all ages can participate in the French club, and older pupils do cross-country running as well as athletics. Pupils are involved in football and netball as both team games and competitive sports. A large number of both adults and pupils enjoy the gardening club. Pupils have the opportunity to learn to play musical instruments and join the orchestra. The statutory curriculum is enriched through a good range of other activities. Pupils visit places of Eastlands Primary School - 19 educational interest: for example, a Victorian classroom in a local museum, and a National Forest park. Visitors come in to school to talk about their experiences and teach the pupils new skills: for instance, a local journalist, and a creative artist/musician to teach pupils how to play African

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instruments and explore techniques in art. The oldest pupils can undertake a residential visit, for example to Marle Hall and Castleton in Derbyshire, and through this develop their personal and social skills, as well as improving their intellectual knowledge and understanding.

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38. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education (PSHE) and this enables pupils to make informed choices about lifestyles and diet. They are also able to discuss modern day dilemmas in a supportive environment. The headteacher leads this area and allocates specific timetable slots for PSHE. She has spent a great deal of time revising this area of the curriculum to very good effect. Pupils now study a broad but carefully focused programme and this makes a very strong contribution to their overall personal development. Appropriate consideration is given to issues of sex and drugs education. The school promotes healthy eating and infant pupils are offered a daily piece of fruit as part of the national ‘Fruit in School’ campaign. Older pupils may buy apples in school and this is encouraging healthy eating habits.

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TO PUPILS?

39. The school organised a very successful History Week to mark the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Parents and grandparents were invited in and also helped children to learn more about their lives during Her Majesty’s reign. Parents enjoyed the ensuing discussions about music and their daily lives and pupils looked at many aspects of life during the past 50 years. This helped them to appreciate the cultural heritage of this country and gave them an insight into the lives of many of the parents.

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TO PUPILS?

40. The community makes a very strong contribution to pupils’ learning in a variety of ways. Recently, as part of the Jubilee celebrations, a local newspaper published a double page spread to cover pupils’ investigations and interpretations of life in the past. A large number of educational visits are arranged and many representatives of the wider community come into school to share their knowledge and experiences with pupils. A number of religious leaders come to worship with pupils and they offer a variety of views and faiths that extend pupils’ understanding and appreciation of other beliefs. Grandparents who live nearby come into school to listen to pupils read and some also help at the allotment with the gardening club. They give of their time freely and this is much appreciated by pupils, as they talk about all that they have accomplished in recent months.

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TO PUPILS?

41. The school ensures effective liaison with a number of local schools and colleges and this has a positive impact on the work of teachers and pupils. Well-considered transition arrangements for secondary school are in place and pupils are able to spend a day in their new schools. Class teachers offer good levels of support and advice to ensure pupils make the most of the experience while creating a good impression of their own school. Good staff relationships enable teachers to visit schools to discuss curriculum issues and to observe different practice. Students attend the school on work placements and tutors from the local colleges of further education run some workshops – in music, for example – and these help to enrich pupils’ learning.

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TO PUPILS?

42. Equality of access to the curriculum is good overall. Teachers provide for the needs of all pupils, but there are occasions when above average attainers could be more consistently challenged in foundation subjects throughout the school.

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TO PUPILS?

43. There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development overall, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and this has a positive effect on their attitudes to learning; and improvement has been good since the last inspection.

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TO PUPILS?

44. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good and the school offers pupils plenty of opportunity to understand human feelings and the impact they have on others. During collective worship, for instance, pupils listened to the story of Joseph and his coat of many colours, and a substantial number were keen to answer questions about how Joseph and his brothers felt and why they reacted as they did. They recognised the very human emotion of jealousy and one of the younger pupils was quick to point out that “… they told fibs”. Other opportunities to think about feelings Eastlands Primary School - 20 are incorporated successfully into literacy lessons. Reception children were fascinated by the story of the ‘Rainbow Fish’ and their teacher consolidated their learning well as she asked them a series of questions about how the fish felt as he shared his sparkling scales. They were then able

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to think about more general feelings: “How does sharing make you feel?” asked the teacher. “It makes you feel nice, happy”, and “It’s kind”, replied two children. The class agreed unanimously that “Friends like you more when you share”. Similarly, during a Year 4 literacy lesson about nonsense poems, pupils were very happily engaged in writing their own verse to create and describe objects that do not really exist and in using punctuation to create an exciting atmosphere. One pupil wrote “The rabbit and moose went to Greece, In a gorgeous sun-gold plane”. Staff provide uplifting activities for pupils and this fires their enthusiasm. For example, during a Year 5 literacy lesson, pupils were buzzing with excitement when asked to think about and contribute ideas to a whole-class story told from the point of view of a flea. Pupils in Year 3 marvelled as they examined snails close up during a science lesson. “I’ve seen it open its mouth!”

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exclaimed one boy in amazement. 45. All adults working in the school make very good provision for pupils’ moral development. This is seen in the many uses of literature used to present pupils with questioning why people make the choices they do. For example, pupils are given the opportunity to discuss the harmful effect of chemicals on food, land use when many people are homeless and the importance of making the right decisions. Teachers set very high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and the code of conduct is promoted consistently throughout the school. Nevertheless, there are occasions when pupils are not sufficiently challenged so that behaviour deteriorates slightly. Staff provide pupils with a very clear framework of what is right and wrong and they give plenty of opportunities for pupils to reflect on issues and to make reasoned decisions about everyday dilemmas. All pupils are offered

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the chance to contribute to school life by putting forward ideas to the School Council representatives. Pupils know that they can express views freely during these meetings and that their feelings will be valued by staff. Adults in the school are extremely good role models for pupils. They ensure that all members of the school are included in all activities and that their contribution is equally valuable. Teachers encourage pupils to collect for and contribute to a number of charities and they are developing an awareness of the problems faced by less fortunate members of society as a result.

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46. Equally, very good provision is made for pupils’ social development. Teachers encourage pupils to work collaboratively and they manage this very well. There is a good selection of extra-curricular activities on offer; these extend pupils’ social skills and experiences, and they are well attended. The headteacher consciously encourages male visitors to the school so that pupils have access to positive male role models. Staff offer pupils opportunities to take responsibility for various aspects of school life and they rise well to these challenges. The school encourages pupils to take pride in their school and organises their participation in local sporting events so that they learn to work together as part of a team. Organised visits to a local home for the elderly are popular with the children, who sing to the residents. These occasions give pupils a valuable insight to the wider world beyond school.

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47. Good provision is made for pupils’ cultural development in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, but in the Foundation Stage provision for children’s cultural development is less satisfactory due to the lack of multicultural resources and insufficient use of the expertise of the support assistant funded by the Ethnic Minority and Travellers Achievement Grant. In Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils are able to explore their own cultural background and to make comparisons between life today and in the past. Pupils in Year 3, for example, imagined they were in an air raid shelter and gave first- hand accounts of what it was like during a bombing raid. Other pupils looked at how rationing affected cake making during the war years. Pupils in Year 2 visited Charlecote Park and produced impressive, life-size models of deer made from wood, chicken wire and modroc during design and technology lessons. The school also ensures that pupils have access to a range of experiences

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centred on other cultures. Year 3 pupils attended an inter-cultural festival at a local high school and pupils in Year 2 have studied a variety of faiths and festivals. An African artist also came into school to work with pupils, singing and using African musical instruments. Eastlands Primary School - 21

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The school has maintained its warm, caring and safe environment reflected in the previous report. Present inspection findings show that the school cares very well for its pupils. Induction procedures for the youngest children are satisfactory and clear routines are established. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have initiated considerable change in formulating new assessment procedures. They make very good use of local education authority data and national statistics to inform curriculum co-ordinators in their subject areas. Assessment procedures are very good in English and mathematics and include evaluations of statutory and voluntary standardised assessment tests. End of unit assessments are used in science and these are satisfactory overall. The school has made good improvement in assessing English and mathematics the core subjects since the previous inspection. The school is developing very

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

thorough records of pupils’ progress in these subjects and this is having a positive impact on standards in the core subjects. Targets are set for a number of differing groups of pupils and the school is able to track the progress made and compare this to initial predictions. Planning in the literacy and numeracy lessons uses the outcomes of these assessment procedures to identify tasks for different abilities and for setting arrangements. This has been a major factor in the successful national standardised assessment tests. The use of booster classes for those pupils who need additional support in literacy and numeracy is a very good example of the use of assessment to inform future learning. Although there is evidence to show that teachers assess the progress made in the non-core subjects, it is not consistently used to inform future areas of learning. There is a lack of a whole-school approach to assessing foundation subjects largely as

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

a result of teachers not building upon pupils’ prior attainment in skills acquisition. In many of these subjects progress slows down when teaching does not build upon prior learning. Overall, assessment in the foundation subjects is unsatisfactory. A further weakness is that, at present, assessment in the Foundation Stage is not appropriately linked throughout the year to ‘stepping- stones’ and insufficient observations are carried out on the way young children learn and in what areas they experience difficulty.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. A work scrutiny shows teachers’ marking to be regular and knowledgeable about their pupils’ achievements. Targets for improvement are often displayed in books and work connects to the intended learning outcome for the particular lesson. Comments are made regarding standards in the work but not always relating to the specific targets set or how improvement can be achieved. Marking is not presently using the wealth of information available to inform pupils of their achievements and to set next stage targets in their learning. The best examples of target setting are in Year 5 and Year 6.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. All adults in the school take their duty of pastoral care very seriously and, as a result, provision is very good. Pupils flourish in this very caring and happy environment and their parents report that most of the children like school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. There are very good procedures to ensure pupils’ health, safety and general well-being. Staff maintain appropriate records concerning the recording, monitoring and provision of first aid. The school is well cared for by the caretaker and cleaning staff and provides a very welcoming environment in which pupils strive to produce their best work. The school secretary offers a warm welcome to pupils and parents alike and provides very good levels of support across the work of the whole school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. The headteacher is designated responsible for child protection and there are very good systems to ensure vulnerable children receive appropriate support. Staff are clear about the procedures and support staff have also received training. Effective links are maintained with outside support agencies. Adults in school know the children very well and are quick to report and monitor any concerns.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. Effective systems are in place to monitor and promote good attendance by pupils. Registers are carefully completed, and detailed, computerised records are kept. There is good liaison with the educational welfare officer and attendance problems are speedily addressed. Pupils who arrive late at school are required to sign in and to supply a reason. Parents are generally conscientious Eastlands Primary School - 22 about informing the school of any reasons for absence. Attendance figures are affected by some pupils who, for family and religious reasons, need to spend longer periods of time away from school, often abroad. The headteacher shows sensitivity and flexibility in dealing with these individual cases.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. Behaviour management by all adults working in the school is generally very good and makes a strong contribution to pupils’ success. The school’s behaviour management policy was written in consultation with pupils, parents and carers, staff and governors and underlines the importance of positive social interaction in school. All adults work together to implement this policy, and its success is evident throughout the school’s harmonious and industrious working environment. Lunchtime supervisors are encouraged to award stickers for good behaviour and they help to support positive social interaction over the lunch period. The atmosphere in the dining hall can be boisterous at times. No incidents of unacceptable behaviour were seen during the inspection. Adults are very good role models for pupils. Disadvantaged children automatically share in all aspects of school life and pupils are encouraged to become sensitive and sensible members of

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

55. There are very good procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development. Staff cement very good relationships with their pupils and use registration and circle times profitably to engage them in conversation. Well-considered induction and transfer systems ensure that children join and leave the school with the minimum of anxiety and parents are well briefed about what is happening to their children. Reports contain useful evaluations of how pupils are developing socially. Very effective support systems are in place to ensure pupils receive appropriate help and guidance. A very good example of this is the work done by the learning support teacher in conjunction with the school’s SENCO and other staff. She provides very effective support for teaching assistants, improving their skills and making them very effective in the classroom when supporting specific children’s needs. She keeps meticulous records of

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pupils’ needs and progress and ensures that pupils’ emotional, as well as academic, needs are very well met by the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. Since the previous inspection partnership with parents has improved and is now judged as good. Parents hold positive opinions about the school. They feel the school is well led and managed, teaching is good and their children make good progress. In particular, they feel that the school is helping their child to become mature and responsible. Most parents also believe that the school sets high expectations for their children. Inspection findings confirm these positive views.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

57. The school establishes a productive partnership with parents; links with parents are better than when the school was last inspected and this has a positive impact on pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

58. There is effective and regular communication between the school and parents. Good relationships are established from the start when parents are invited to a useful induction meeting. Newsletters are to the point, and eye-catching in design; parents are kept informed of school events and are made to feel part of the school as a result. The prospectus is detailed and provides a useful overview of the life of the school. Pupils on the School Council had a direct input into the latest annual written report from the governors. Unusually, they invited parents to come to the annual general meeting to meet members of the pupil body who chatted to parents about recent developments in school, including the setting up of the school’s organic allotment. Pupils were present at the meeting to chat to parents about this fascinating aspect of their personal development. This is a commendable attempt by the school to stimulate parental interest in the

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annual general meeting and illustrates how much the headteacher, governors and staff wish parents to take an interest in the life of the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59. High quality, end of year, written reports are sent to parents. Some parents expressed concern about the usefulness of these reports. Inspectors found the reports to be well considered and informative. The evaluative comments about pupils’ progress, particularly in English, mathematics Eastlands Primary School - 23 and science, paint a clear picture of what pupils can do. Many of these also indicate the areas in which pupils need to focus in order to improve. Briefer statements are included on the other subjects of the curriculum. The reports also indicate the extent of each pupil’s personal development over the year, often coupled with a general area for improvement, which is not very specific. Parental comments are also invited but, as yet, pupils’ comments on their achievements are not included. The school already has plans to include these. Parents are also invited to termly parents’ meetings to discuss their children’s work with teachers. They are also shown

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

termly targets for their children in literacy, numeracy and any other area that may be of concern to the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

60. Parents make a good contribution to children’s learning and this has a positive impact on the work of the school. Parents ensure that their children attend school regularly and most support the school’s philosophy on uniform and conduct. Parents make sure that their children complete any assigned homework and they regularly listen to their children read, which helps to improve standards. Just under 20 per cent of parents returning the questionnaire had concerns about homework and extra-curricular activities. Inspection findings show that homework is satisfactory and extra-curricular activities are good. Many parents attend school events and help to raise money for the school. Some parents are involved in the provision of extra-curricular activities for pupils and two parents took specific training in order to obtain their minibus driver’s licence. They now offer valuable assistance in transporting pupils to events away from the school and this helps

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

pupils to experience a wider range of activities and to improve their skills. Other parents help in classrooms and some parents of children in Years 5 and 6 lend their support to the two annual residential trips. As a result of their involvement in the life of the school, a small number of parents have gone on to attend further education courses at a nearby university. The Friends of the School make regular donations to school funds and these help to improve learning resources and to fund school trips. Recently, the group presented a Golden Jubilee commemorative coin to each pupil.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. There has been good improvement in the leadership and management of the school since the previous inspection. The headteacher has been at the school for approximately 18 months. In this short time she has provided a very clear educational direction for the school. She has firm priorities for implementation and knows what she wants the school to be: ‘A high attaining school which develops pupils to their full potential’. Her level of determination is infectious and she has created a high performing team. The deputy headteacher complements the headteacher very well, and together they are an effective influence on what the school achieves.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The leadership and management of the headteacher and key staff are very good because data are very effectively analysed, school development planning is very good and appropriate focus has been placed on developing the role of the co-ordinators, who presently undertake their duties with enthusiasm but still need to develop their practice of ensuring that curriculum plans reflect progressive development of skills. In spite of this they fulfil their duties well as the majority of them are very knowledgeable in relation to the standards pupils achieve in their subjects. Their role is developing well because they have been well supported by the headteacher in their continuous professional development. Performance management is well established and all staff have targets for improvement. Generally, all staff show very good commitment to improvement and all work hard to complete their management tasks. They have a full understanding of the

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

strengths and shortcomings of the subjects they co-ordinate. Where there are any shortcomings support is offered, targets set and reviewed and appropriate training given.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The headteacher is very conversant with all the strengths and areas for improvements to be made in standards and she steers her staff very well and manages change very effectively. For example, weaknesses in the Foundation Stage are being addressed and staff are receiving very good professional development in order to raise standards in their subjects; governors are receiving very detailed information about strengths and weaknesses of the school and the race relations policy and special educational needs code of practice have been effectively implemented. Just before the Eastlands Primary School - 24 end of term the headteacher and deputy headteacher had already consulted national guidance on timetabling the primary curriculum so that staff will be well focused for the new academic year.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The management of special educational needs and English as an additional language is good. The new code of practice for special educational needs is effectively implemented. The SENCO leads very effectively as she is an excellent practitioner. She is very well supported by the special educational needs governor, who is a regular visitor to school. The work of the English as an additional language support teacher is generally well focused, but the expertise of the support assistant is, at times, under used in the Reception class to develop children’s multi-cultural awareness. This is an area which the headteacher has recognised needs improving.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. Since the last inspection governors have improved their awareness of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They make a very good contribution to the management of the school. They are very well involved in the life of the school and are regular visitors during the school day. They are very supportive of staff and the pupils and are proud of the school’s work.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. The governing body ensures that all statutory requirements are met. In analysing the performance of the school, governors receive very good quality evaluations made by the headteacher and officers of the local education authority. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have very good knowledge and understanding of how well the school is doing in relation to other schools both locally and further afield. The analysis of data is very good and is the basis of useful reports to governors and staff. Tracking systems of pupils’ performance are very good. Any aspects of underachievement are appropriately identified and training is put in place to ensure that weaknesses are rectified. This is especially the case for the Foundation Stage where plans are already in place to improve provision and it is very likely that this will be effective in raising standards.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. Finance is well planned and administered and governors have their fingers on the pulse in relation to all aspects of budget control.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. Financial planning and administrative systems are good. Good use is made of information and communication technology to support these procedures. For example, newly created administrative support for the curriculum co-ordinators to audit resources in their areas has greatly assisted their work. The school has had above average budget surpluses in recent years but this is justified to appoint an extra teacher for the large cohort in one year moving through the school. The governors and headteacher have had a very good strategic view about the planning for this expenditure and for other spending priorities. The budget was last audited over three years ago. This reflected the positive judgements of the last inspection report and the school implemented the minor issues raised.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. Governors have very good oversight of the school’s finances. Principles of best value are appropriately used and governors ensure that they get the best deals in their spending. The school gives good value for money leading to the high standards pupils attain when they enter secondary school. The prospects for future improvement are positive because managers know what has to be achieved and staff are determined to meet the school’s priorities. Since the previous inspection the quality of leadership and management has improved and is now judged as very good.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. The allocation and spending of financial resources are linked very well to priorities identified in the school development plan. There is a clear view on resourcing educational priorities in these plans. Grants are used very well to support learning and to improve standards. Funding has been successfully used to redress the imbalance in writing and reading standards and also to improve the information and communication technology resources and in-class support for teachers. Good checks are in place to control ordering, invoicing and spending.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. The school makes good use of its funds for special educational needs and English as an additional language and for boosting standards in literacy and numeracy. The quality of learning resources is good with the exception of the Foundation Stage where resources are unsatisfactory, Eastlands Primary School - 25 especially in relation to developing children’s multicultural awareness and provision for outdoor play. There are a good number of both teaching and non-teaching staff to meet the needs of the pupils, and the accommodation is spacious, very well maintained and of good quality and affords ample space for teaching the curriculum. A very pleasant feature is the well-equipped library, which the school has worked very hard to resource.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

72. In order to improve even further, the headteacher, governing body and staff, together with the local education authority, should:

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve the provision and quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage of learning by:

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring that planning takes into account the national recommendations for implementing literacy and numeracy and that the basic skills of writing and number are taught effectively; • raising teachers’ expectations by ensuring that children are regularly assessed according to the criteria of the stepping-stones in all areas of learning and that this information is used to plan their learning activities; • ensuring that all activities have clear learning objectives which are specific, timed and shared with pupils; • providing more opportunities for children to develop their skills of independence and ensuring that they learn how to concentrate on their work, yet intervening appropriately in children’s learning and ensuring that support staff are effectively deployed; Eastlands Primary School - 26 • improving resources in all areas of learning, especially the provision for multicultural resources, and ensuring that the environment appeals to young children;

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improving outdoor play provision. (paragraphs 4, 12, 24, 74, 76, 77, 79, 80, 82, 84, 86, 87, 89, 91, 93)

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Raise standards in science by the end of Key Stage 1 by:

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improving teachers’ subject knowledge; • ensuring that experimental and investigative science is appropriately taught; • ensuring that topics build progressively on pupils’ developing skills. (paragraphs: 7, 121, 125)

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Improve curriculum planning by ensuring that:

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• sufficient time is allocated to teach all of the foundation subjects; • learning objectives clearly define what children are expected to achieve by the end of each year; • progression of skills in all subjects is clearly identified in planning and is monitored by co- ordinators; • opportunities for literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology are clearly identified in all schemes of work. (paragraphs: 13, 32, 35, 108, 118, 144, 150, 160, 171)

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) In foundation subjects throughout the school, and in all subjects at Year 1, develop rigorous assessment procedures and make greater use of information from assessment of pupils’ performance in planning for what they need to learn next, especially for higher-attaining pupils. (paragraphs: 13, 23, 24, 28, 32, 42, 136, 144, 150,155, 166, 177)

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

MINOR KEY ISSUES (paragraphs: 10, 14, 15, 153, 177)

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Limit the use of worksheets, especially in history and geography. • Improve behaviour at lunchtimes. • Improve the standards of presentation of pupils’ recorded work. Eastlands Primary School - 27

p.26

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 11

p.27

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.27

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 218

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 22

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 3

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 47

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 18

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 7

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 7

p.27

Attendance

School data 5.1 School data 0.2 Eastlands Primary School - 28 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.27

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Eastlands Primary School - 29

p.28

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 17 17 34

p.29

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.29

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

Boys 13 16 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 15 15

p.29

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

Percentage of pupils School 76 (94) 91 (88) 85 (94) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.29

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.29

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

Boys 13 14 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 14 14

p.29

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

Percentage of pupils School 76 (91) 82 (94) 79 (88) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.29

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

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

p.29

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 16 18 34

p.29

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.29

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

Boys 14 14 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 12 16

p.29

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

Percentage of pupils School 85 (82) 76 (79) 94 (94) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.29

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.29

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

Boys 15 14 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 15 16

p.29

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

Percentage of pupils School 88 (91) 85 (88) 94 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.29

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

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

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.30

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.30

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 2 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.30

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9.6 Financial year 2001-2002

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 28.7

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 476,615

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 12 Total expenditure 466,897

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 177 Expenditure per pupil 2,152

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 40,606

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 50,325

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 4

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Eastlands Primary School - 31

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.31

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 43 52 5 0 0

p.31

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 38 52 5 0 5

p.31

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 18 66 11 4 2

p.31

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 36 50 14 0 0

p.31

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 59 32 5 2 2

p.31

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 41 54 2 0 4

p.31

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 32 54 11 2 2

p.31

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 46 48 4 0 2

p.31

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 38 59 0 0 4

p.31

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 34 43 18 0 5 Eastlands Primary School - 32

p.31

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

73. Children in the Foundation Stage of learning are taught in the Reception class by a full-time teacher, three part-time support assistants, one of whom supports children with English as an additional language.

p.32

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

74. Children’s attainment on entry to the school is average in all areas of learning and many children have attended playgroups and have had appropriate pre-school experiences. Overall provision for the Foundation Stage of learning is unsatisfactory because there are weaknesses in planning, and regular assessments of children are not fully undertaken using the criteria of underpinning the national guidance relating to the ‘stepping-stones’ of learning. As a result children’s achievements are unsatisfactory in relation to their prior attainment because tasks set are not sufficiently well matched to pupils’ needs. There is too much emphasis on whole-class teaching, higher attainers are not being sufficiently challenged, and, whilst children are occupied, they are not sufficiently engaged in learning; as a result all groups of children are underachieving. Children attain the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning largely due to parental participation and support at home.

p.32

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Children are articulate, they are curious about the world but their natural curiosity is not fully harnessed in the Foundation Stage because the learning activities provided do not sufficiently engage their senses and interest levels and are insufficiently challenging. Assessments are unsatisfactory, as is their use in moving children on in their learning. The learning environment is dull and does not appeal to children’s natural curiosity to learn using their senses. There is a lack of interactive displays and there are no focal points of interest representing the six areas of learning.

p.32

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

75. The best learning takes place when children are involved in art activities taken by the support assistant. This is because these activities are well planned with an appropriate focus placed on developing children’s skills through the stimulating use of resources, good teaching and appropriate intervention in helping to improve their practice.

p.32

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

76. Planning is weak, learning objectives are too broad and, as a result, children are unclear about where to focus their efforts during lessons. The use of outdoor play is inappropriately structured and valuable learning opportunities are lost for pupils to develop their skills of collaborative play, language development, co-operation and their gross motor skills.

p.32

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

77. The quality of teaching is unsatisfactory overall in all areas of learning largely as a result of unsatisfactory planning and insufficiently high expectation of what these children are capable of. The biggest weakness is that the Literacy and Numeracy Hours are not effectively implemented and whilst two-thirds of the pupils attain the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning, they are capable of achieving much more. Many of them should be working on the early stages of the National Curriculum in Year 1 but, because they do not know, for example, how to form their letters and numbers correctly, or sustain their concentration for longer periods of time, they are not able to do so.

p.32

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

78. In spite of the weaknesses in teaching and curriculum planning, children have satisfactory attitudes to learning. They are compliant and generally complete the tasks set for them, but they do not show great enthusiasm for the activities. They are not asked to make great efforts with their work and consequently do not. They do not understand how well they are learning and do not always take enough pride in what they have learnt. Whilst the wording in the planning is generally taken from the curriculum for the Foundation Stage, the planned provision does not fully relate to that suggested.

p.32

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

79. Children are tested on entry using the local education authority guidelines, but the results of these tests are not fully used to assess children’s needs and to plan for the next stage of learning. The quality of ongoing assessment is not rigorous enough to ensure that planning for the next stage of Eastlands Primary School - 33 learning is appropriately focused. This is because individual assessments of pupils’ learning styles are not undertaken.

p.32

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

80. Overall resources are unsatisfactory in all areas of learning. They are basic and uninspiring; some are well worn and they do not lend themselves to being used in helping children learn through tasks which require a variety of approaches based upon using all their senses. There is a lack of multicultural resources to develop children’s knowledge of the diversity of cultures. There is also a lack of wheeled toys and climbing frames. Support staff are not always effectively deployed especially when the class teacher offers explanations. The headteacher has sought support for the Foundation Stage but due to staff illness not all of the recommendations have been implemented. The headteacher knows what needs to be done in order to improve provision and plans are already in place to accomplish this.

p.33

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

81. Since the previous inspection there has been a decline in pupils’ achievement, teaching, planning and development of assessment. The national guidance has not been fully implemented in spite of the support that has been given in developing this aspect of provision. Senior management is focusing strongly on rectifying this weakness and it is very likely that, once the good systems identified have had time to operate, standards will rise.

p.33

Personal, social and emotional development

82. The quality of teaching of personal, social and emotional development is unsatisfactory. Whilst the teacher is very caring and looks after the children’s personal needs and welfare appropriately and relationships are good, there are nevertheless weaknesses in planning activities which help develop pupils’ autonomy and disposition to learning. Valuable opportunities are missed to help children develop emotionally, spiritually and socially and children are not sufficiently challenged to persevere in tasks which at first present some difficulty. Too often children give up and end up talking to one another and not getting on with their work largely as a result of lack of extension activities and stimulating learning resources, which would enable them to have further opportunities for problem-solving.

p.33

Personal, social and emotional development

83. By the end of the Foundation Stage, children in their personal, social and emotional development attain the Early Learning Goals but they are capable of achieving much more, especially in developing their concentration skills to stay on task. Relationships are generally good and children play and work well together. Children know right behaviour from wrong behaviour and will stop when seen by an adult. However, when they are not directly supervised they can resort to unsatisfactory behaviour such as climbing on work surfaces. Most children learn to take turns when talking in a circle but the only strategy they have when they cannot do what they want is to tell an adult. They do not have appropriate skills, routines or systems for negotiation and the adults do not sufficiently help them develop these. Most children listen carefully to adults and try to comply with instructions. They can dress and undress themselves, go to the toilet

p.33

Personal, social and emotional development

independently and remember to wash their hands afterwards.

p.33

Communication, language and literacy

84. The teaching of communication, language and literacy is unsatisfactory and does not show a deep level of understanding of the range of methods available to keep children purposefully involved in learning. Expectations are too low; for example, all children are expected to copy the teachers’ writing and there is a lack of writing frames used to support the work of higher-attaining pupils. This results in children not having sufficient opportunity to have a growing awareness of the range of writing used for different purposes. Too often groups of children lose concentration and do not understand what to do but also why they are doing it and how the work is helping them improve and progress. For example, in a communication, language and literacy lesson the teacher did not model the reading of ‘The Rainbow Fish’ but asked children to read with her; children struggled with words like ‘disappeared’, ‘beautiful’ and ‘shining scales’ and valuable opportunities were lost

p.33

Communication, language and literacy

to develop their skills of word recognition. Eastlands Primary School - 34 85. In communication, language and literacy, children attain the Early Learning Goals but they are capable of achieving much more; their achievement in relation to prior attainment is unsatisfactory. Children do not have the opportunity to experience the full Literacy Hour before they enter Year 1 and, as a result, they struggle with applying their knowledge of initial sounds to different contexts. Children are taught letter sounds but there is not enough emphasis on ensuring that they form their letters correctly and skills of both breaking words up and blending sounds are insufficiently developed. Insufficient opportunities are provided for children to apply what they have learnt in different contexts, such as writing. Valuable learning opportunities are missed in the role-play area where there is a lack of focus on developing children’s imaginative play and extended

p.33

Communication, language and literacy

86. Teaching is unsatisfactory because the teacher does not focus enough on supported composition, too many worksheets are used and skills and processes underpinning early writing are not sufficiently modelled. As a result, learning is unsatisfactory because there is too much emphasis placed upon encouraging children to copy underneath the teacher’s writing. Children’s speaking and listening skills are broadly satisfactory; they interact with adults and other children using appropriate language. Most are confident in speaking in front of the class, but they are capable of achieving much more and extending their vocabulary. Most children enjoy looking at print, pictures and books and are aware that print goes from left to right. They can tell a simple repetitive story pointing to the text as they do so. Higher attaining children (about half) can read a simple text using picture clues. Children are sometimes given individual words to learn out of

p.34

Communication, language and literacy

context. This is too hard for some of the children at the early stages of word recognition. Most children correctly recognise familiar words such as their name and some of the words used when writing class news such as ‘on’ and ‘it’, but children are not progressing at fast enough rates because there are too few opportunities provided for them to link their writing to the story that has been the focus for reading and, as a result, early word level work of the literacy strategy is underdeveloped. Teaching lacks focus in relation to promoting purposeful talk and writing, especially in the role-play area. Teaching does not always provide sufficient opportunities for children to practise and consolidate their skills through practical activities where discussion is promoted by and with other adults and children. Teachers’ planning does not always provide sufficiently graded activities to help children of different prior attainment to move onwards as well

p.34

Communication, language and literacy

as they could. This has a negative impact on their rates of learning and results in unsatisfactory achievement.

p.34

Mathematical development

87. The teaching of mathematics is unsatisfactory, as elements of the Numeracy Hour have not been implemented. Whilst approximately two-thirds of the pupils attain the Early Learning Goals in mathematics, their achievements are not as high as they could be. In a mathematics lesson all groups of children did not make sufficient progress, as the tasks set up for them were far too easy. For example, two groups of children knew that 100 pennies make a pound and yet they were asked to match two penny coins to a card. Insufficient opportunities were provided for them to extend their learning by recording their additions, which the majority of them could easily complete. Insufficient emphasis is placed upon children verbalising their thinking and the children are not consistently encouraged to use number lines or develop their skills of information and communication technology in order to challenge their thinking.

p.34

Mathematical development

88. By the end of the Reception class children have a good knowledge of number but insufficient opportunities are provided for them to build systematically upon their previous learning. Children count objects one by one to aid accuracy but this does not stretch them to their full potential. Almost all of the pupils understand the concept of numbers to 20, and the higher attainers can count to 100. Below average attainers can count accurately to ten. Several higher-attaining children can count in twos and know odd and even numbers, but many of the children reverse their numbers. Insufficient opportunities in teaching are provided for children to support numeracy through other aspects of the curriculum. There are too few practical activities provided, for example measuring objects to reinforce concepts, and there are insufficient opportunities for children to develop mathematical skills in activities such as the role-play area. This results in

p.34

Mathematical development

Eastlands Primary School - 35 nearly half of the children reversing their numbers, not setting out their work appropriately, and not making the progress that they are capable of.

p.35

Knowledge and understanding of the world

89. The teaching of knowledge and understanding of the world is unsatisfactory as insufficient attention is given to developing children’s skills of exploration, observation, problem solving, prediction, critical thinking, decision-making and discussion. The majority of children attain the Early Learning Goals, but their achievement in relation to their prior attainment is unsatisfactory. For example, when children were investigating how objects can move in water, resources were appropriately prepared and the teacher supervised the children well but insufficient opportunities were provided for children to record their findings and predict what caused objects to move . Valuable opportunities for hypothesis and predictions were missed. During the week of inspection insufficient opportunities were provided for the children to use computers to support their learning in spite of the fact that many of the children bring a good deal of knowledge from home. In one

p.35

Knowledge and understanding of the world

activity children were asked to build a boat for a teddy bear using wooden blocks. Insufficient emphasis was placed on the designing, making and evaluating process and children were occupied in building the house but were not learning new skills. Children are not given sufficient opportunities to choose their own resources for learning and insufficient opportunities are provided for them to find out about different cultures, religions, family structures, their environment and the passage of time. There is a lack of extension activities to help children develop their problem solving skills, and there are times when the expertise of the ethnic minority support assistant is underused to help develop children’s knowledge of other cultures.

p.35

Knowledge and understanding of the world

90. The majority of children enter school with sound general knowledge. They show an interest in their surroundings and know that seasons change and babies grow into adults and they can identify old and new transport. They know that many appliances work with electricity and that this was not generally available 100 years ago. They know various parts of the computer and their functions. They can name the parts of plants and know that sunlight and water are necessary for plants to grow. During the week of inspection very limited use was made of information and communication technology to widen children’s learning. Insufficient opportunities are provided for children to learn through reporting and representing their observations using drawings, recordings and other means. As a result, their rates of progress are unsatisfactory, and their skills of independence are limited. These children are capable of achieving far more than they are

p.35

Physical development

91. Although no teaching of physical development was seen, teachers’ planning has weaknesses and this results in underachievement for all groups of children. Whilst generally children attain the Early Learning Goals, their achievements are unsatisfactory because the vast majority of children come into school well co-ordinated in their gross motor skills. There is insufficient planning of the use of outdoors to offer appropriate physical challenges for pupils, as there are too few wheeled toys and a lack of climbing apparatus to enable children to develop their physical and collaborative skills sufficiently. The outside learning environment is not sufficiently well equipped at present to become a significant learning resource which would enable children to develop further not only their physical skills but also their social and collaborative skills.

p.35

Physical development

92. There is no proper provision for outdoor play that is appropriately planned to develop children’s skills of moving, collaborative skills, thinking skills and skills of literacy and numeracy by exploring the outdoor environment. This is unsatisfactory and children do not make the progress they should. Almost all of the children have good manipulative skills, handling small objects with skill and care. They use scissors to cut paper and stick it on carefully. They manipulate the pieces of a jigsaw dexterously to make them fit but some of the lower-attaining children hold their pencils incorrectly and have poor pencil control. This, together with the lack of teacher intervention, prevents them from forming their letters and numbers correctly. Most children are aware of space and take care not to bump into one another. Children observed during break times are well co- ordinated and run and jump with reasonable control.

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Creative development

93. The quality of teaching of children’s creative development is variable but it is unsatisfactory overall. It is good when children are taught by the support assistant, who is a trained teacher, has a keen interest in art and shows children how to develop a variety of skills. In these activities tasks are well planned, resources are used effectively and good explanations are given. The vast majority of children attain the Early Learning Goals in creative development and their achievements are satisfactory in art, but not in music. Children learn skills of painting and perspectives well and are appropriately encouraged to use their imagination; this is because the teacher has good skills of intervention.

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Creative development

94. The teaching of music has weaknesses because it is too directed towards whole-class teaching and children do not have sufficient opportunities to learn by using their imagination and skills of exploration. Time is not used purposefully in order to enable children to listen to a variety of music, experiment with musical instruments and compose their own music. There is a lack of music from different cultures.

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Creative development

95. Children can mix paint, colour in pictures and illustrate their writing; many do this neatly, keeping within the lines and choosing appropriate colours. Children use paint confidently and present their ideas through a variety of techniques including pastels and printing. They make good gains in learning when they work with the support assistant because she has good expertise in art.

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Creative development

96. Children put ink through a dropper on wet paper and these form a variety of different shapes. The support assistant encourages the children’s imaginative responses by saying ‘This looks like a planet, a bubble that has popped’; not only did children make good gains in developing their imagination but they also learnt different names for colours such as cobalt pink and viridian green. However, in other aspects of creative development children are not sufficiently stretched and, as a result, do not make sufficient gains in learning by responding in a wide variety of ways to what they perceive through their senses. Their imagination is underused in role-play and insufficient opportunities are provided for the children to communicate through music and drama.

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ENGLISH

97. Inspection findings show that pupils’ attainment is above average by Year 2 and well above average by Year 6. In the provisional results of the 2002 national tests all seven-year-olds attained at least average levels, Level 2, in writing. However, the more capable writers are insufficiently challenged in their early years in school (the Foundation Stage and Year 1) and should be doing better. There is a good improvement in reading where the targets were exceeded and a significant number of pupils attained the higher level. Attainment for eleven-year-olds continues to have a good percentage of pupils attaining the higher level.

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ENGLISH

98. Achievement for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, is good by the end of Year 2 and for the pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6.

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ENGLISH

99. Standards in speaking and listening are above average by the end of Year 2 and well above average by the time pupils are eleven years old. Pupils enter school with broadly average attainment and so make very good progress overall during their time in school. Most pupils listen attentively to their teachers and to each other; for example, while listening to a nonsense poem, where they respond to the humour. All pupils respond thoughtfully and enthusiastically to questioning, and older pupils use extended sentences and varied vocabulary in their response. Year 6 pupils were captured by the poem ‘The Great Pyramid’. They listened with understanding to the nuances of the language and used a sophisticated vocabulary to make their own suggestions to writing a class poem. Teachers give pupils time to reflect and make considered responses and as a result pupils speak clearly and organise what they say well.

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ENGLISH

Eastlands Primary School - 37 100. Drama lessons were not observed during the inspection. However, teachers' plans, discussions with the headteacher, staff, pupils and parents reveal that there are appropriate opportunities for pupils to participate in a range of drama activities through role-play, assemblies, celebrations at Christmas, and school productions, and these have a positive effect on learning.

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ENGLISH

101. Key Stage 1 pupils enjoy reading and make good progress overall. Standards in reading are above the national average by the end of Year 2. There are a number of reasons why progress is better this year than last year, when test results were low. The school realised that pupils' reading performance was not as good as it should be so they put in measures to bring about an improvement. Teachers have improved their subject knowledge and generally now teach reading more effectively. They use better teaching methods; for example, there is more direct teaching of reading skills and more opportunities for the teacher to read to the whole class and small groups. Progression in phonics has been introduced. As a result, many pupils are becoming more confident users of a wider range of strategies. For instance, Year 2 pupils use pictures and letter sounds to help them read unfamiliar words in information texts, poems and stories. The eight and

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ENGLISH

nine-year-olds understand the main points of stories and can identify characters. The more able read competently and with expression and are able to talk about their preferences in fiction and information books. The majority of ten and eleven-year-olds are fluent readers and demonstrate their ability to use inference and deduction. For example, Year 6 pupils can work out why the pyramid “reminds us how short life is”.

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ENGLISH

102. The less able pupils make good progress in reading as a result of effective planning and the good support they receive. For instance, a small group of Year 1 pupils become more confident with initial sounds and are beginning to put sounds together as in ‘c, a, p, cap’. A Year 4 pupil is well supported to extend her understanding of the vocabulary and text by the good questioning techniques and careful explanations, such as what confetti is and when it is used. Resources have improved and the library is well stocked. Staff have worked very hard to make this a central feature of the school and the dedication and willingness to decorate it are an example of the effective team-work throughout the school.

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ENGLISH

103. Standards in writing are above average by the end of Year 2 but the more able could be doing better. This is because they are insufficiently challenged in Year 1. Younger pupils can compose simple sentences with full stops and capital letters, for example while writing about scooters. There is insufficient encouragement for pupils to spell words correctly through the use of dictionaries or word lists. Year 2 pupils make good progress writing for a range of purposes, such as information writing about castles. They make the content interesting through their use of adjectives, for instance “yellow shiny eyes like the sun”. More able pupils are beginning to use commas, and know that some words can change to adverbs with the addition of ‘ly’, for example ‘suddenly’. Also, they are using extended sentences, for instance, “Yim Sung was a poor fisherman who lived with his grumpy old mother”. Pupils learn spelling lists regularly, but there is

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ENGLISH

insufficient expectation for pupils to use correct spelling in their written work. They have begun to practise joined up writing in their handwriting books, but the generally good presentation found in these books is not seen in other work.

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ENGLISH

104. Standards in writing are well above average by the time pupils are eleven years old. The detail and sequence within writing is confidently managed to engage and sustain interest. Elements of dialogue, action and description are interwoven. Pupils make good progress and achieve well. Eight and nine-year-olds understand how nonsense words can be very effective in humorous poetry. They write the story of Saint George and the Dragon as if they were one of the characters, and mystery stories which engage the reader, for instance entitled “The Man Who Could Change Into Anything”. They write information text about musical figures of each decade over the last fifty years. They create catchy slogans such as ‘disco dancing diva varnish’ and ‘flashy funky glitter stickers’. The excellent teaching in Year 5 encourages pupils to produce work to a good standard. They are able to write in character mode with a good use of adjectives, for instance

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ENGLISH

‘isolated’, ‘dehydrated’ and ‘irritated’. Year 6 pupils write poetry in a free form style copying the evocative example provided. They describe objects using a range of similes and compose lines such as “helping to keep us alive” as part of their poem about trees. Most pupils use commas, Eastlands Primary School - 38 speech marks, paragraphs and tenses correctly. Expectation as to the standard of spelling and handwriting is still insufficiently high and overall standards of presentation are untidy.

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ENGLISH

105. Pupils have very good attitudes, work hard, and respond well to teachers' questions. They work productively at a generally good pace, and sustain concentration well. Their behaviour was consistently good in every lesson seen. They are frequently asked to discuss their ideas in small groups when they co-operate, take turns to contribute and value each other’s views.

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ENGLISH

106. Teaching is variable, ranging from unsatisfactory to excellent and is good overall. Where the lesson is very well structured the teaching is very good and pupils make the most gains in their understanding. For example, while organising information text on castles pupils are clearly shown how to gather the information about concentric castles within one grouping. The very good teaching challenges pupils and has high expectations of response and pupils’ suggestions are used skilfully, for instance to write a class exemplar poem about trees, which is of a high standard. Most teachers have a good knowledge of the many technical skills which enable them to teach grammar and punctuation effectively. In most lessons teachers ensure that pupils know what they are expected to learn and make effective links with what was covered previously. When parts of lessons become over-long and less challenging, pupils are less engaged. In some

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ENGLISH

instances, teachers’ marking lacks specific focus directly related to pupils’ targets and pupils are not always clear about what they do well and how they might improve.

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ENGLISH

107. Pupils with special educational needs have appropriately detailed Individual Education Plans, which are followed well, and the pupils make good progress. They are usually well supported by teaching assistants and given good opportunities to succeed. Staff support pupils with special needs sensitively, and show flexibility in changing their tasks when it is needed. The literacy skills of these pupils are often below average in spite of their hard work and good teaching. Pupils with English as an additional language are well supported and make good progress in their learning.

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ENGLISH

108. Writing across all subjects of the curriculum has been a focus for improving standards and there are some good examples where it is used but this is not consistent in practice. Information and communication technology is used effectively to write for different audiences and is gradually being used more frequently to draft and re-draft work.

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ENGLISH

109. The National Literacy Strategy is having a positive effect upon pupils' progress and standards in English due to the fact that the school has allocated more time to the teaching of English in an attempt to raise standards. The school has adapted the national format to meet their needs. The curriculum is enhanced by visits from an author who is also a storyteller, and a librarian to work with the more able pupils. The whole school thoroughly enjoyed the visit to the theatre in Warwick. The time allocated to English is a significant proportion of the school day and this has had an impact on raising standards but to the detriment of other subjects.

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ENGLISH

110. English is very well managed by the co-ordinator. There is effective monitoring of teachers’ plans, lessons and pupils' work. Assessment procedures are very good and all test results are carefully analysed and the findings acted upon. Pupils’ progress is tracked effectively. Where weaknesses are found in staff skills good opportunities are provided for training and improvement. Resources are good and there is a well-stocked library.

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ENGLISH

111. There has been good improvement since the last inspection. Standards have risen and assessment procedures are used well. Currently there is a good range of books for the teaching of reading, and to widen pupils reading experiences.

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MATHEMATICS

112. Inspection findings show that attainment is well above average by the end of Years 2 and 6. Provisional 2002 national test results indicate that standards are rising and are above average. The most able pupils achieve very well and attain the higher levels at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Inspection findings confirm that eleven-year-olds are maintaining very high standards. Provisional Eastlands Primary School - 39 national test results reveal that a small percentage of pupils have under achieved but that a very high number are performing above the expected national levels. These results reflect the actions taken by senior management to raise teaching expectations and to monitor carefully the progress made by individual pupils and different ability groups.

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MATHEMATICS

113. The achievement of pupils between the ages of five and seven is very good overall. The school has addressed some important issues of closely matching tasks to individual stages of development. In Year 2 this has ensured a very good acquisition of numeracy skills. At this stage, pupils with lower ability, special education needs and English as an additional language have been carefully targeted and monitored to ensure they reach expected standards. Pupils with above average ability are regularly challenged in lessons and meet the targets set for them. Their work in particular shows accurate metric measurements and knowledge of shapes and their properties. In a lesson seen in Year 2 these pupils independently investigated factors of 24 and identified patterns in their findings. The most able begin orally to discuss reversibility and the connections between multiplication and division. Other pupils’ knowledge and understanding of addition and

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MATHEMATICS

subtraction has been improved by a rigorous focus on place value. In a Year 1 lesson pupils make satisfactory progress converting data into tables and interpreting simple graphs. Progress is not as good as it could be in this class because of confusing explanations by the teacher and planning that is insufficiently challenging all levels of ability, largely due to insufficient notice being taken of pupils’ prior attainment. Eastlands Primary School - 40 114. Overall achievement between the ages of seven and eleven is very good. Older pupils at this stage are highly motivated and engaged in their work. In a Year 5 class all groups of pupils collaboratively studied census information gathered on a recent history field trip. They can collate information, graphically represent it in varying forms and then interpret the findings. Year 6 pupils have acquired very good mental practices. In a lesson they work both independently and in pairs

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MATHEMATICS

calculating missing items on a decimal and fraction chain. A scrutiny of Year 4 books shows good progress in problems using decimals. All groups of pupils set their work out well and improve the accuracy of results. In an information and communication technology class these pupils used the principle of mode to explain repeated results in scientific experiments. The present Year 3 make satisfactory progress in a lesson looking at relationships between numbers in charts. A small number of pupils stray off task in this lesson and find it difficult to concentrate during the whole-class mental focus.

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MATHEMATICS

115. A significant reason for recent successes is the good support offered to pupils who are lower- attainers and those who have special educational needs. Classroom assistants are making a significant contribution in supporting pupils with special needs. They have a full understanding of the teachers’ lesson planning and they question and challenge the pupils to consider the focus of the lesson. Groups of pupils in Years 3 and 4 are making very good progress using the “Springboard” scheme specially adapted to their needs. Evaluations of tests are undertaken in relation to the progress of pupils who have English as a second language. These pupils are improving their number skills because teachers are aware of the gaps in their vocabulary and comprehension. The most able also gain from specific setting arrangements in Years 5 and 6. As a result, the number of pupils who are presently working at the higher National Curriculum

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MATHEMATICS

levels is well above the national average in both classes.

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MATHEMATICS

116. Overall standards in the teaching of mathematics in the school are good. They are often very good in Years 2, 4, 5 and 6. Standards have improved since the last inspection with the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy. Consistent and logical planning for all abilities has given a clear, shared purpose. Teachers normally plan and organise their lessons with a clear focus on the intended learning outcomes. Pupils therefore have clear targets to focus their efforts and learn how to analyse their strengths and weaknesses effectively. Teachers use a variety of strategies to encourage perseverance and use praise to inform pupils of their endeavours. Independent and group studies aid investigations and the application of knowledge to new situations. The prominent requirement to use mental calculations and plenary findings to evaluate learning means that many pupils are making very good progress in orally communicating their findings. The

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MATHEMATICS

majority of teachers are setting high standards for their pupils. They have a very good working knowledge of ability levels and work is well matched accordingly. Pupils respond very well to these challenges. They understand what is expected of them and remain attentive. In a minority of lessons pupils are inattentive during oral and mental aspects of learning and teaching strategies are not successful in gaining their attention.

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MATHEMATICS

117. The headteacher has recently introduced a number of successful measures in order to raise standards to a more consistent level. Very good strategies for recording achievement, for undertaking and evaluating regular tests and for targeting and monitoring individual progress have been instrumental in raising standards. A very successful outcome of these very good assessment procedures is that pupils have individual targets to achieve. Teachers have still to monitor these consistently in their marking in order to give appropriate next stage targets, and there is some inconsistency in the ways these are implemented in class, the best examples being in Year 5 and Year 6. The successful use of the National Numeracy Strategy is impacting well on identified improvements of mental strategies, place value and the presentation of written calculations. Numeracy skills have begun to make a good impact in other areas of study, but

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MATHEMATICS

further emphasis needs to be placed on ensuring that opportunities for developing numeracy in other subjects are identified in teachers’ planning. Year 1 pupils enter data from a traffic survey onto their computers and make good progress in labelling axes and interpreting results. Year 5 compile sophisticated scatter graphs in a science lesson to test the correlation between reaction time and visual skills. Year 3 pupils use their measuring skills to good effect when converting metric units to imperial in their study of World War II. Eastlands Primary School - 41 118. The Programmes of Study have a good balance and the development of shape and measure is well integrated into other areas of work. The use of information and communication technology is beginning to make a significant impact on skills of recording and analysing data but is still inconsistently used across all year groups. 119. The school has made very good improvement since the last inspection. Mathematics has been a

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MATHEMATICS

focus of stringent review and development. The senior management team has set clear guidelines for actions and has worked alongside the co-ordinators to give clear guidelines to the rest of the staff. Effective auditing by the co-ordinators, including the monitoring of planning and pupils’ work, has resulted in the identification of an appropriate development plan for the subject.

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SCIENCE

120. Inspection findings show that standards at the age of seven are in line with the national average and at eleven are well above the national average. Most pupils make good progress, especially in the aspects of life processes and living things and materials and their properties. From scrutiny of pupils’ work it is evident that more emphasis should be placed on physical processes in the early part of Key Stage 1, as should a more appropriate provision for developing the skills of scientific enquiry. There are occasions in the early part of Key Stage 1 when expectations are too high for the pupils, and basic skills of recording and setting up of experiments are not built in. This results in pupils being unclear about what is expected of them. Between the ages of 6 and 7 years pupils make good progress. In the oldest classes of Key Stage 2, where higher-attaining pupils are well challenged, most pupils make very good progress. Pupils with special educational needs are well

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SCIENCE

supported and make good gains in relation to the targets identified in their Individual Education Plans. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress and are well supported in lessons. Pupils’ achievements are satisfactory in Key Stage 1, but they are very good in Key Stage 2. The best rates of progress are in Year 2 and Key Stage 2. Overall, pupils’ achievements are good, but they are better in Key Stage 2 than in Key Stage 1.

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SCIENCE

121. By the age of seven pupils investigate the conditions needed for plants to grow and the effects of heat on different materials. They make good records of their observations as seen, for example, in their plant diaries. They make sense of their scientific knowledge by relating it to real life situations, such as discussing the uses of materials to their properties, and seeing the stages of life cycles by growing plants in the school’s allotment. However, progress in the acquisition of science skills is not consistent across Key Stage 1. This is because the mixture of science topics across the key stage is insufficiently linked to the progressive development of skills. For example, in Year 1 pupils study pushes and pulls. However, they are also expected to use their knowledge of forces to plan and carry out a fair test using toy cars rolling down ramps. Most are unable to do this because they have not yet developed the basic scientific skills and

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SCIENCE

understanding that underpin the concept of fair testing. In the later part of Key Stage 1 pupils make good gains in developing their observation and recording skills through carrying out simple investigations such as how quickly ice melts in different conditions.

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SCIENCE

122. Pupils achieve well in their knowledge and understanding of living things. They know the names of the different parts of plants and can describe how they found out, using food colouring, that water travels to all parts of a plant. Pupils distinguish between appliances that use mains electricity and batteries and are aware of the safety aspects of electricity. They make simple electrical circuits using batteries, bulbs and switches, and explain how they work. Pupils have a basic understanding of light and dark and know that light can be reflected. They relate this to safety issues such as reflectors on bicycles and the value of reflective clothing when out in the dark. They know how sounds are heard and that sounds travel through air from a source. Pupils study changes in materials and many are beginning to distinguish these as reversible or irreversible changes.

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SCIENCE

123. Pupils make very good progress across Key Stage 2. Most pupils achieve very well. They study all aspects of science through practical, hands-on work. They make rapid gains in developing the scientific skills of hypothesis testing, measuring, collecting and presenting data. They plan investigations thoroughly and know about controlling variables when carrying out fair tests. They Eastlands Primary School - 42 label diagrams and make good use of graphs and charts, and are beginning to write in a scientific style. This work makes good use of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology skills. For example they use information and communication technology to produce identification keys for minibeasts. Pupils build consistently on their knowledge and understanding. For example, they learn that sounds are made when objects vibrate and can distinguish pitch from loudness. They use their knowledge and understanding of electricity very well to solve challenging

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SCIENCE

problems. Pupils understand changes in terms of physical and chemical processes and develop their scientific vocabulary well. For example, they describe the concept of dissolving in terms of solubility, solute and solvent. Pupils learn how filtration and evaporation can be used to separate suspended and dissolved solids from solutions. At the end of Year 6, many are already dealing well with lower secondary school material. However, on occasions, there is some misunderstanding of terms, such as weight and mass.

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SCIENCE

124. The quality of teaching is good overall and, as a result, pupils develop very positive attitudes. Teaching was good in Key Stage 2 with some examples of very good teaching. Most teachers show good subject knowledge, particularly at the end of Key Stage 1 and in the last two years of Key Stage 2. They prepare for the lessons thoroughly and time lessons well. They provide clear instructions and use questioning skilfully to promote the pupils’ speaking and listening skills and to encourage them to develop their thinking skills. Pupils use a common format for writing accounts of investigations but fewer opportunities are provided to extend pupils’ writing skills. Teachers’ explanations are very good in simplifying some of the abstract concepts in science. For example, in a lesson on electricity, the teacher’s analogies to crowds of people moving through doors was very helpful in enabling pupils to see logically why light bulbs in series and parallel

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SCIENCE

circuits behave differently. The use of a meter to measure current with higher-attaining pupils was successful in challenging them to make and check predictions. Also, in a lesson on the circulatory system, the pupils acted out the movement of blood, picking up and releasing oxygen at appropriate places. This was successful in consolidating their knowledge and understanding of the heart and lungs. At Key Stage 1 very good use is made of the school’s allotment, for example when comparing growth rates of seeds planted indoors and out, and the effects of light on growth. It is the good teaching and the emphasis placed on making science relevant to the pupils’ interests and lives that increases the pupils’ passion for science and contributes much towards the good progress that pupils make. Where teaching could be improved, the same work is set for all pupils. Sometimes tasks are poorly matched to pupils’ prior attainment and, although pupils

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SCIENCE

follow instructions, they are unaware of why they are doing the activities, especially in Year 1. Marking is satisfactory overall; work is marked regularly, but briefly, and does not always inform pupils as to how they can improve in the future.

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SCIENCE

125. Occasionally, teachers’ subject knowledge is not good enough. For example, in the younger class in Key Stage 1, pupils are asked to label pictures of forces that move things and forces that do not. Although this might appear correct, explanations given confuse the pupils and, as a result, they are unclear as to what is the purpose of the activity that they undertake. The subject co-ordinator undertakes her duties well. She is conscientious, but has not yet monitored planning to ensure that skills are developed progressively.

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SCIENCE

126. Because of the good teaching, the pupils show great interest in the subject, displaying consistently good behaviour and attitudes as a result of wanting to learn. Most pupils, including those with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs, make good gains in their knowledge and understanding of the subject. Pupils work hard and the great majority concentrate well and are keen to find answers to questions.

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SCIENCE

127. The school has an appropriate programme of work based on the National Curriculum guidelines, and resources to support the work are satisfactory. Long-term planning is a mixture of the school’s own planning and units of work from the government’s scheme of work. On occasions there is a mismatch between tasks set and pupils’ prior attainment in terms of progression. Where teachers are less strong in terms of their own subject knowledge, this can result in lessons that are not matched to the pupils’ needs. Pupils’ work is monitored across the school to ensure progression, but the scheme of work is not yet fully developed and is supplemented by many additions from other schemes of work. This is an area which has been recognised for further Eastlands Primary School - 43 improvement. The curriculum is enriched with activities such as “Science Week” and a range of visits that support the teaching of life processes and living things. Good links have been made

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SCIENCE

with an organic gardening research organisation to develop the use of the allotment. The gardening club attracts a substantial number of older pupils, whose parents have also been involved, and enables pupils to have first-hand experiences of looking after vegetables.

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SCIENCE

128. Pupils find the subject exciting, especially when carrying out investigations and experiments. Many are intrigued by science, as seen when investigating the behaviour of snails. Such activities contribute towards pupils’ spiritual development. Teachers have not yet formally planned the use of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology in science, although a review of the planning by the co-ordinator to include opportunities for ICT has been identified as an area for development.

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SCIENCE

129. Since the last inspection the school has maintained its standards in science at Key Stage 1 and raised standards at Key Stage 2. Overall improvement has been good.

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ART AND DESIGN

130. Standards of work in art and design meet the national expectations of 7 and 11-year-olds. Standards now are similar to those found in the previous inspection. Pupils’ achievements are satisfactory as they move up the school. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are well supported in lessons and, as a result, achieve similar standards to all other pupils.

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ART AND DESIGN

131. By the end of Year 2 pupils work competently with a range of media including paint, clay, collage and printing. They show the expected awareness of colour for their age in their paintings. The recent project, undertaken in partnership with Artists in Warwickshire Education to celebrate the centenary of the local education authority, using Charlecote Park as a starting point, has produced some very good examples of attainment by pupils in Year 2 in pattern work. Having designed some exquisite deer made out of wood, chicken wire and modroc they created intricate patterns using gel pens and chalk pastels. Their achievements in pattern work are good. Working with an artist on Kenyan designs pupils were able to repeat patterns adding appropriate detail and ensuring that the correct colours were used. By the end of Year 2 pupils are familiar with the work of Van Gogh and O’Keefe and the artists’ choice of colours and themes. However, pupils would

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ART AND DESIGN

benefit from studying the work of a wider range of artists to improve their knowledge of the great masters.

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ART AND DESIGN

132. By the end of Year 6 several examples of very detailed observational drawings were seen using the media of pastels, chalks, and charcoal. Year 5 and Year 6 pupils produced detailed drawings of birds of prey, which clearly defined their knowledge of a range of smudging and shading techniques. Using a stimulus of the work of Jan van Os pupils produced vibrant paintings of fruit and flowers. They paid good attention to detail and used a range of paintbrush techniques to produce texture. There is some evidence of pupils’ awareness of the work of well-known artists such as Gustav Klimt and William Morris. Teachers have linked art well to history where pupils have drawn old and new objects such as old irons and sewing machines.

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ART AND DESIGN

133. Pupils have visited art galleries and this has made a valuable contribution to their social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. Pupils have studied Greek art and are aware of how designs which signify a particular era in history can be repeated on pottery. However, pupils’ skills are not systematically developed because the co-ordinator has not fully audited the scheme of work for the gradual development of skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

134. No teaching of art was seen during the week of inspection, therefore a judgement cannot be made, but from teachers’ planning it is evident that there is a lack of a whole-school approach to developing skills. Pupils’ achievements are satisfactory due to the fact that staff are generally knowledgeable and artists in residence are used well to support pupils’ learning. Eastlands Primary School - 44 135. Sketchbooks are used in some year groups, but their use as a tool to support the development of skills is limited. The use of computers to support artwork is in the early stages of development and is not yet a prominent feature of teachers’ planning, although paint spray programs have been used in both key stages.

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ART AND DESIGN

136. At present, assessments are unsatisfactory and this does not enable teachers to ensure the consistent development of skills, particularly for those pupils who are potentially high attainers to ensure that they are sufficiently challenged.

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ART AND DESIGN

137. At present, the subject is co-ordinated by a part-time teacher. This limits the extent of her involvement because she is not in school full-time. The co-ordination of the subject is satisfactory, but the headteacher is very knowledgeable and is aware of what needs to be done to ensure that the satisfactory achievements of all groups of pupils are improved upon. Generally throughout the school pupils’ work is displayed well and this contributes to an effective and stimulating learning environment.

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ART AND DESIGN

138. Since the previous inspection, improvement has been satisfactory overall, there are now more books in the library and the use of pencils and colour is more rigorously developed.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

139. Only two lessons were seen during the course of the inspection because of timetabling arrangements. No lessons were seen in Key Stage 1 and there was limited evidence throughout the school on which to judge standards. However, from scrutiny of the available work, photographs and displays, discussions with pupils and examination of teachers’ planning, overall standards are judged to be in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make satisfactory progress and their achievements are satisfactory overall.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

140. By the end of Year 2 pupils have sound skills of designing. They visit a children’s playground to see how the equipment works and to make focused observations on the different components and how they work together. They make models of playground equipment using a range of resistant materials, joining the components together with glue, adhesive tape and staples. They learn how parts can be used to allow movement. Pupils also make levers and sliders. They understand how they work but these mechanisms are not fully linked to helping them understand how these principles are related to real life contexts. Pupils’ skills in planning and labelling diagrams as a means of communicating their ideas are underdeveloped and there is little evidence that pupils formally evaluate their models.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

141. At Key Stage 2 pupils make satisfactory gains in knowledge and skills. By the end of Year 6 pupils generate and refine their original ideas using sketches and drawings. They then make sophisticated design plans that are well labelled and annotated. A very good example was seen using pneumatics to operate pistons and create movement in a variety of models. Pupils reflect on their models and are able to say how they can be improved. Good links are made between design and technology and art when pupils design and make a decorative wall hanging, and with history when pupils make Tudor houses. Younger pupils can design, make and evaluate a book for a specific purpose. They know how to make a variety of folds and box pop-outs and use spring mechanisms to make their product more interesting to its user. They make appropriate attempts to evaluate their products. Although most pupils attain well for their age, the finished presentation

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

of their products is less well developed. When learning about food technology, pupils design and make a sandwich for a given purpose. They plan the order of their work sequentially. They are aware of the need for hygiene when preparing food and are beginning to understand the categories of food types. They make sensible suggestions as to the type of bread and filling that they prefer.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

142. Overall, the quality of teaching is good. Teachers begin the lessons with a recap on previous sessions and an evaluation of progress so far to check knowledge and understanding. Learning objectives are shared with pupils. In a very good lesson, pupils were encouraged to balance their Eastlands Primary School - 45 time so that the task could be completed by the end of the session. The teacher used questioning well as a means of assessing and developing the pupils’ learning. All pupils are included in design and technology lessons as a result of the good support for pupils with disabilities and with language problems.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

143. The majority of pupils have very positive attitudes towards design and technology. They show pride in their work and are prepared to say what worked and what could be improved.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

144. The curriculum is based on topics and linked closely to national guidance, supplemented with some school-developed work. From planning documents, adequate coverage of the National Curriculum is evident. Standards of work seen are generally lower than in the previous inspection when attainment in design and technology was reported to be above national expectations. This is because, at present, the development of skills cannot be assured because, whilst there is a satisfactory scheme of work, it is supplemented by other guidance, which teachers find useful, and a whole-school approach is lacking to decide what the expectations will be for all groups of pupils at the end of each year. Units from the national guidance have only relatively recently been introduced and, currently, there is no monitoring of teaching or progress across the school. This is an area for review, although the subject does not appear on the current school development

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

plan. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory; the co-ordinator is knowledgeable and ensures that, through the good quality of displays, an appropriate focus for design and technology is maintained. At present there are no formal assessments, levelling of work or record keeping. This is an issue which the school has recognised needs addressing. Resources for the teaching of design and technology are satisfactory.

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GEOGRAPHY

145. It was possible to observe only one lesson of geography during the inspection due to timetable arrangements. From discussions with teachers and pupils and analysis of pupils’ work and teachers’ plans, standards are judged to be in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are fully included in the subject and over time make sound gains in learning, but, during inspection week, an example of very good progress was seen.

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GEOGRAPHY

146. By the end of Year 2, pupils make a study of their local environment. They become aware of different types of home such as detached and semi-detached houses, bungalows, terraced houses and flats. They begin to use simple maps to illustrate the routes they take to get to school. They learn the location of Rugby within the United Kingdom, and compare their town with other places such as Dublin and a small village in Kenya. Pupils are aware of the different life styles that people have in rural Africa compared to their own. They learn about coastal features and begin to use specific geographical vocabulary. Pupils start to develop the basic skills of counting and recording by doing a traffic survey along the Clifton Road. They use information and communication technology well to process their results into a graphical form. Most pupils can interpret bar charts and are beginning to apply their skills of numeracy appropriately in the subject.

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GEOGRAPHY

147. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils study land use around the school and extend their knowledge of place and climatic regions in the world. Good use was made of the world map in locating the countries represented in the recent football World Cup. They make comparisons of places that contrast with Rugby, such as Tewkesbury as a settlement by a river, and the different lifestyle of the majority of people living in Bombay. Pupils learn about pollution and do surveys of litter and noise levels. They become aware of river and landscape features.

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GEOGRAPHY

148. Limited teaching was seen during the week of inspection. Overall the quality of teaching is satisfactory, although an excellent example was seen when pupils were following up a residential visit to the Peak District by debating land use through role-play. Excellent teaching and support enabled all pupils, including those learning English as an additional language, to consolidate their understanding of the different pressures on land use in one particular area. The lesson contributed well towards pupils’ personal development in terms of their understanding conflict resolution. In Eastlands Primary School - 46 this lesson the teacher used role-play very effectively, engaging all of the pupils in learning by presenting many moral dilemmas for them to solve. The support assistant provided very good support for pupils with special educational needs, and all pupils were thoroughly engaged in learning. Pupils have very good attitudes to learning and behave well.

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GEOGRAPHY

149. The majority of the work done in geography is practical and supports the pupils’ speaking and listening skills very well. Pupils use combined geography and history exercise books and occasionally the two subjects become muddled. Much of the recorded work tends to be brief and limited to single sentence responses. It is based extensively on handouts and photocopies, and offers little scope for developing extended writing skills. Some of the pupils’ work is not well presented and teachers’ marking does not always set a high enough standard or inform pupils clearly how to improve their work. The use of information and communication technology is in need of further development at Key Stage 2, as are the key skills of literacy and numeracy. The curriculum benefits from local fieldwork and residential visits, for example to the Peak District and Marle Hall in Key Stage 2.

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GEOGRAPHY

150. National guidance has been adopted for planning but more emphasis needs to be placed on ensuring that subject specific skills are progressively taught. The co-ordinator’s annual review identifies the need to monitor progression in skills development across the school. The co- ordination of the subject is satisfactory overall. The school uses a good range of geography resources.

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GEOGRAPHY

151. Since the previous inspection, the school has maintained its average standards at the end of both key stages.

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HISTORY

152. By the age of seven pupils achieve standards, which are in line with national expectations of seven-year-olds in history when compared to national expectations. The school makes a sound start in laying foundations for these younger pupils to understand the passing of time. They develop a good sense of chronology and begin to understand historical perspectives, especially through timelines and stories of famous people. Between the ages of five and seven pupils’ achievements are satisfactory in history. Progress is helped by teachers’ use of planning that improves historical understanding through other subjects, such as art. Pupils produce a timeline in science that traces the sources of light and, in an information and communication technology lesson, they write good descriptions of a motte and bailey castle. The younger pupils at this stage develop an awareness of how things were in the past by studying homes and clothes to see

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HISTORY

how they have changed over time. In the school history week they improve their understanding by comparing old and new forms of transport at the time of the Queen’s Coronation. Year 2 pupils make good progress in history. They show an understanding of the sequences of events when recounting the Florence Nightingale story and the Gunpowder Plot. They understand that hospital conditions improved as a result of Florence Nightingale’s work and give hypothetical reasons for the conditions in Victorian schools.

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HISTORY

153. At the age of eleven pupils are achieving standards in history which are in line with national expectations. Achievement between the ages of seven and eleven is satisfactory. It is good in some years at this stage. However, the more able pupils are not fully achieving standards they are capable of by the end of Year 6. Very good use is made different styles of writing to emphasise key historical features. Year 4 pupils write in role as Odysseus in the story of the Trojan horse, and take on the roles of Viking raiders. Year 5 pupils write from the position of a French naval commander in their Tudor studies. Year 3 pupils make good progress when discussing how food was in short supply during World War II. They learn about the effects of rationing and many understand this as a strategy to share food. Year 5 pupils gain good experiences of interpreting history on their field trip to Eyam. They collect and collate information

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HISTORY

gathered from a census and extend this to statistical analysis in mathematics. Work for these pupils does not always sufficiently challenge them to analyse and make interpretations of the period studied. A Victorian study relies too much on worksheets that require low-level tasks for all Eastlands Primary School - 47 abilities. Although these pupils have a sound understanding of the periods studied, they do not have enough opportunities to use sources, interpret information and to present their findings.

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HISTORY

154. Pupils with special educational needs and with English as an additional language make similar progress to other pupils. The teaching of World War II studies to a Year 3 class had well planned tasks for the wide differences in abilities and previous experiences. However, a scrutiny of books from all years shows that often pupils of all abilities regularly follow similar tasks. For the most able this is preventing optimum progress. All teachers are effectively implementing literacy strategies to aid progress with the use of key words and differing writing styles. Information and communication technology is presently under used, especially as a means of independent research.

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HISTORY

155. Only two lessons of history were observed. Other evidence for teaching standards has been found by scrutinising pupils’ books and teachers’ planning and talking to both staff and pupils. Teaching is good overall and sometimes very good when appropriate learning resources, such as artefacts and first hand accounts given by members of the community, are used to maximise learning. The Year 6 teacher has been involved in developing very good resources based on a “Rugby Heritage”. Pupils increase their historical knowledge of the locality, using picture sources and by following a local trail. The work of Year 5 pupils improves when examining artefacts related to the Mary Rose ship. The co-ordinator of the subject is aware of the need for all teachers to use more practical activities to improve pupils’ understanding. She sets a good example by planning a range of cooking, menu writing and designing creative posters that further develop the pupils’ understanding

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HISTORY

of rationing in wartime Britain. In this lesson pupils respond well because they become active enquirers. Similarly, in a Year 2 lesson pupils become fascinated when involved in imaginary role- play to examine the jobs and roles in a sixteenth century castle. Present medium-term planning is not consistently identifying the progression of key historical skills as pupils move through the school and does not give clear expectations for each year group. Assessments at present are unsatisfactory, as they do not clearly identify what pupils know, understand and can do. They do not inform the next steps of pupils’ learning.

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HISTORY

156. The co-ordinators’ monitoring continues to identify key points for action to improve teaching across all years, although a lack of shared practices slows this process down. A very good range of external visits, visiting speakers in the school and special occasions and celebrations enhances learning. The school ‘history week’ is an excellent example of the way the school adapts the curriculum to enhance learning. All years were involved in a cross-curricular study related to the Golden Jubilee celebrations. As a result, they gained good insight into sport journalism, technological changes, research surveys and the design and construction of vehicles. This has a very positive effect on pupils’ personal development because they become aware of the changes that their older family members have experienced and realise how technology has progressed over the years. Improvement since the last inspection has been good as a satisfactory scheme of

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

157. Standards in information and communication technology are in line with national expectations at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, and pupils’ recent achievements are good due to the increased use of the information and communication technology suite. Recently, there has been a big improvement in the facilities and resources for the subject, which is accommodated now in a specifically designated suite, and this has already had a positive impact on pupils’ progress. All the pupils are confident in using the computers and have an appropriate range of basic skills. Pupils in Year 2 control the mouse well, and can open files, locate programs, save and print work and locate previously saved work. They use the computer appropriately to edit their writing, for instance while writing information text about castles. Year 6 pupils are competent using data base programs; for example, imputing data on national parks in connection with other work in this topic.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

They are aware that equipment and domestic appliances respond to signals and commands. They develop a wider knowledge of how computers can be used effectively for a very wide range of purposes including research on the Internet and digital photography. Eastlands Primary School - 48 158. Currently, all pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, are making good progress. Year 1 pupils’ achievement is good; pupils process and present data relating to a traffic survey. They can explain the meaning of the graph they produce. They import pictures and make labels. They practise their skill in controlling the mouse by using an art program to paint abstract pictures. Year 2 pupils choose the size of the font, and the style and colour of script, for their writing. They edit their work as they progress. Year 3 and Year 4 pupils can locate and use pictures as part of their written work and they are dexterous in using the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

click and drag techniques effectively. Year 4 pupils can use programs which allow them to position the picture in relation to the prose, for instance, to support their work on Viking longboats. Year 5 pupils produce scatter graphs and eleven-year-olds use programs which allow them to devise multiple choice hierarchies and classification systems in science.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

159. The quality of teaching is good overall. Teachers have worked hard to increase their knowledge and understanding of the subject and to keep abreast of recent developments. They use the new facilities confidently to teach specific skills. They provide an interesting range of work, which is related very effectively to other areas of the curriculum so pupils see the purpose of learning the new skills, but occasionally they do not set hard enough work for higher-attaining pupils, as was seen in a Year 3 religious education lesson, where pupils were investigating digital photos and were asked to word process one sentence relating to what they found interesting in relation to a visit to a Hindu temple. This did not sufficiently challenge the higher-attainers and, as a result, their rates of progress were inconsistent and unsatisfactory overall. Pupils’ response to the good teaching and increased resources is very positive. They are very keen to acquire knowledge of all

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

the different programs and techniques available and apply themselves both intellectually and creatively. Mostly they work well together in pairs, taking turns and discussing the work in hand. Older pupils are helpful while supporting the youngest ones.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

160. The curriculum is broad and balanced and growing more varied very quickly, taking account of new national initiatives. The co-ordinator manages the subject very well and resources are very good. The co-ordinator has a very clear idea of what needs to be done in order to raise standards even further and is providing an effective lead. Information and communication technology is used effectively to support most of the other subjects, but is not formally identified in teachers’ planning. Currently, teachers make use of national guidance with some amendments to fit the needs of the pupils to plan what they are going to teach. The school has correctly identified the need to specify the progression of skills clearly and assess pupils against these criteria to improve standards in the near future.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

161. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection but recently the provision has been improved and there is a shared commitment by staff to further improvement. As a result the school has good capacity to succeed in raising standards even further. Pupils’ achievements in both key stages are now judged as good overall.

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MUSIC

162. The standards achieved in music by the ages of seven and eleven are those that are expected nationally. Only two lessons were observed and evidence is taken from assemblies, extra- curricular activities, teachers’ planning and discussion with pupils and teachers.

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MUSIC

163. Pupils throughout the school sing tunefully and with confidence. They sing a wide range of songs and show sensitivity to phrasing, dynamics and mood. The youngest pupils can keep a steady pulse while singing known rhymes. They are able to maintain the pulse while playing pitched and unpitched percussion instruments. Older pupils can sing unaccompanied and in unison and maintain their own part in two part arrangements. They have clear diction and a sense of phrasing. Pupils know sounds can be made in different ways for example, vocalising, clapping and by using musical instruments. Instrumentalists have a sound grasp of musical notation. Eastlands Primary School - 49 164. Pupils make steady progress in both key stages. Instrumentalists make good progress. Year 1 pupils know the chant ‘Lollipop, lollipop’ and can clap and play percussion instruments to keep the pulse. Older pupils recognise the music from the musical ‘Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour

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MUSIC

Dreamcoat’ while it is playing in assembly and can identify its mood, saying the particular piece makes them feel sad and it is melancholy. They enjoy listening to a range of music and do some research on popular musical figures of each decade in the last fifty years. In the process, they become familiar with songs sung by Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and Abba. Year 5 pupils learn folk songs from Derbyshire in connection with their residential visit, doing their best to mimic the local dialect while singing so that the phrasing is correct.

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MUSIC

165. Teaching arrangements have changed during the year. Currently, teachers in Key Stage 1 teach their own class, and a specialist music teacher is employed for Key Stage 2. A choral teacher has worked in the reception class and Key Stage 1 and this has contributed to developing pupils’ performance skills. Overall, the quality of teaching is good. Teaching in Year 1 provides clear criteria as to how the pupils should hold and handle the instruments so providing them with new knowledge. Teachers manage time well, have secure subject knowledge and give good explanations of subject specific language; this has a positive effect on pupils’ learning, because the learning objectives that they are presented with are achievable. The range and quality of the instruments are effectively selected to hold the pulse of the chant. There is insufficient variety in the songs selected to exemplify the learning. The specialist teacher has a good knowledge and

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MUSIC

understanding of the subject and uses these effectively to demonstrate correct techniques; for instance playing the tambourine in a specific way will enable the sound emitted to keep the pulse. The session is well balanced so that pupils have the opportunity to practise and consolidate their previous learning - for example singing ‘The Coal Hole Cavalry’ but also to learn new material such as the ‘Derby Ram’ so that their repertoire is extended.

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MUSIC

166. The curriculum is appropriately balanced to include performing, composing and appraising skills but currently the school does not have its own scheme of work. The specialist teacher uses the local education authority guidance. This hinders the systematic building up of pupils' knowledge, skills and understanding and is therefore unsatisfactory because insufficient reference is made to pupils’ prior attainment in Key Stage 1. Pupils’ achievement, whilst satisfactory, is limited through the lack of assessment procedures, which are unsatisfactory overall. Currently, there is no co- ordinator to manage the subject. The specialists who come into the school enhance the learning opportunities provided. For example, pupils learn to play African music. They explore sounds and extemporise while playing jazz. Until recently a specialist taught all singing and there are plans to involve specialists in the school musical productions. There is an orchestra and pupils who play

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MUSIC

musical instruments perform to an audience regularly.

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MUSIC

167. Satisfactory provision has been maintained since the last inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

168. Two lessons of athletic-type activity were seen during the inspection. At the ages of seven and eleven pupils’ standards in these activities are satisfactory. A good range of extra-curricular activities and sporting experiences further enhances learning in physical education. Records show that all of the pupils complete the school’s swimming programme and achieve the expected national standards by the age of eleven. The potential for optimum progress and continuity in the learning of skills is reduced, as tasks given to pupils are not always planned in relation to previous learning experiences due to underdeveloped assessments and lack of identification of progressive skills development in planning.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

169. In the lessons observed there was a good emphasis on and achievement in the understanding of issues related to health and safety. Pupils are motivated by interesting aerobic challenges and questioned on the effects of this on their bodies. Year 2 pupils learn to change pace in their running as a prelude to exchanging relay batons. These pupils have sound spatial awareness and respond well to challenges. Some of the most able have good running skills. Year 6 pupils run in teams to find checkpoints in an orienteering activity. These pupils achieve National Curriculum Eastlands Primary School - 50 requirements when they plan their activity and strategies in teams and also evaluate the outcomes after the first round of running.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

170. There is insufficient evidence to judge teaching standards overall. In the few lessons seen, there were some good and very good features. For example, the good organisation and management of lessons promotes high levels of interest and motivation. Year 2 and Year 6 pupils are expected to organise their own teamwork and co-operate well together. Clear learning objectives for orienteering and relay running are given. Pupils are knowledgeable about the focus of the lesson and can analyse their strengths and weaknesses for further improvement. Although teachers are encouraging high standards, the challenge for aerobic intensity in these lessons is limited and the pupils are capable of working harder. There is a good emphasis by teachers on varying the tasks given to involve pupils in their own learning. Year 2 pupils can judge the distances they throw beanbags thus taking responsibility for their own skill development. Year 6 pupils use previous

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

experiences of orienteering to calculate the shortest running routes. Teachers are not sufficiently using previous assessments of learning to provide specific, well-matched, and challenging tasks to all abilities, and both assessment and its use are unsatisfactory. A scrutiny of planning reveals tasks that relate to national guidelines but do not feature references to previously recorded achievements. For example, Year 6 pupils had already run a more challenging orienteering course in a forest using maps and the school lesson did not sufficiently challenge them to extend their previous learning. Pupils’ achievements overall are satisfactory, but they could be better.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

171. The co-ordinator is knowledgeable, manages the subject well and is aware of the need to develop assessments further as she recognises that standards being achieved in all years are not always in line with pupils’ ability. Teachers use national guidelines to ensure a satisfactory balance of curriculum activities. However, planning for lessons is not based on a suitable scheme of work that matches tasks to National Curriculum levels of attainment. Improvement in physical education since the last inspection is satisfactory. Opportunities to participate in physical activities are given in provision for good extra-curricular clubs. The co-ordinator has a clear focus for the future development of the subject throughout the school.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

172. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils attain the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus and make sound gains in their learning. Overall, their achievements are satisfactory in relation to their capabilities. The pupils in Key Stage 1 understand that churches are special places where people pray and that the Christians’ special book is the Bible. They know about Jesus and why he is special to Christians. They recognise the qualities in Jesus’ life, such as kindness, helpfulness and sharing, that they can build into their own personal lives. They know that there are other religions and that different religions have different customs and different beliefs and that, for example, Mohammed is special to Muslims. They extend the idea of being “special” to their own lives. Pupils compare Christian and Islamic traditions and beliefs, identifying similarities and differences. They know that different religions have their own festivals and that Hindus celebrate

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Diwali as the Festival of Light. Pupils are aware that different cultures celebrate New Year at different times and discuss events, such as the Chinese New Year. They understand why there are different year names in different parts or the world.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

173. By the end of Year 6, pupils show good knowledge of various symbols and symbolic actions of Christianity and other religions, such as Hinduism and Sikhism. They talk about light and why it is used as a symbol in different religions. They extend their thoughts to an analysis of the metaphors and symbolism in the book “The Pilgrim’s Progress”. They reflect on major events that affect their lives. For example, they consider the meaning of death as it relates to Christians and Buddhists and discuss their ideas about the Creation. Pupils understand that different religions have different ways of teaching people to live their lives. For example, they know that Buddhists believe that, if they follow the “Eight-fold path”, they will achieve a peaceful state of mind. Pupils know about a number of saints and understand why saints are held in high esteem. They can talk about the lives of modern day “saints”, such as Mother Teresa.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Eastlands Primary School - 51 174. In both key stages there is adequate coverage of the locally agreed syllabus. However, the school has been waiting over 18 months for the revised Warwickshire Agreed Syllabus and, although some draft units have been obtained, little has been done to evaluate the provision for religious education over the last two years. Teachers meet the requirements of the previous written agreed syllabus and this contributes well to pupils’ spiritual development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

175. Pupils in both key stages have very positive attitudes to learning. They behave very well and show respect when learning about other faiths. They respond well to interactive lessons. The youngest pupils act out a scenario of Jesus welcoming mothers and children. Older pupils take part in discussions, for example, about reincarnation. Such activities stimulate thought and reflection and have a positive effect on the pupils’ personal development and understanding of life in a multicultural society.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

176. The quality of teaching is good overall. Generally, teachers have high expectations and use a range of different strategies to teach pupils about religious education. When teaching older pupils about Buddhism, the teacher created a very peaceful atmosphere in the classroom that enabled pupils to focus effectively on Buddhist principles. Her very good subject knowledge enabled her to provide very clear explanations and examples that were relevant to the lives of the pupils. In another lesson, about the saints, in Year 4, the teacher very effectively tested pupils’ previous understanding by asking pupils to establish the qualities seen in saints. The teacher provided opportunities for research. Methods of recording were appropriately matched to the learning needs of the pupils. The youngest pupils are given a wide range of interactive tasks and are supported in their writing by word banks, dictionaries and timely intervention by the teacher. In this lesson,

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

because of the wide range of teaching methods used, all groups of pupils made good gains in learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

177. The subject makes a strong contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils. The curriculum contains a broad knowledge base and offers opportunities for reflection on many of life’s fundamental questions. It is enriched by whole-school activities, such as a Diwali afternoon, and the involvement of visitors who come to school to take part in assemblies. The curriculum is planned for review when the revised agreed syllabus is released. Formal identification of opportunities for pupils to develop their skills of literacy and information and communication technology are inconsistent and too many worksheets are used, which prevents pupils from developing their skills of literacy. Resources are satisfactory and supplemented as necessary with others from the county loan service. They are sufficient in quality and quantity to support the teaching of religious education. There are no formal records of pupils’ achievements

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

and this is unsatisfactory. The school meets the statutory requirements for teaching religious education.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

178. The co-ordinator fulfils her duties effectively and is aware of the need to develop assessment procedures. Since the previous inspection the school has maintained satisfactory standards.

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