Duke Street Primary School

DUKE STREET PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 13 – 16 January 2003

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DUKE STREET 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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DUKE STREET 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. Duke Street Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 16 March 1998 Duke Street Primary School

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Tony Painter Registered inspector Music Information and communication technology (ICT) What sort of school is it? The school's results and pupils' achievements What should the school do to improve further? Margaret Manning Lay inspector Pupils' attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Equal opportunities Kath Hurt Team Inspector The Foundation Stage Religious education How well are pupils taught?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Jean Fisher Team inspector English English as an additional language Art and design Design and technology Special educational needs Jenny Short Team inspector Science Physical education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Agnes Patterson Team inspector Mathematics Geography History How well is the school led and managed?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

TWA Inspections Ltd 102 Bath Road Cheltenham GL53 7JX

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Duke Street Primary School

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a community primary school for pupils between 4 and 11 years. It is bigger than other primary schools with 405 pupils on roll. Most pupils come from the disadvantaged area around the school although some come from further afield. Most pupils are white but nearly 5 per cent have other ethnic backgrounds. Sixteen pupils come from families where English is an additional language but none is at an early stage of learning English. In recent years, above average numbers of pupils have left and joined the school during the school year. The proportion of pupils in receipt of free school meals has been increasing and is now above average at 30 per cent. The attainment of children joining the school is below that expected of children of their age, although the range of attainment is wide. Seventy-eight pupils have been identified with special educational needs and nine of these have statements of special educational need. These

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This sound school provides satisfactory value for money. The overall quality of management is good and the headteacher, senior staff and governors have begun to identify and tackle the school’s needs. This is beginning to improve the quality of teaching and to raise standards of attainment. Teachers provide effectively for pupils’ personal development and this has resulted in pupils’ better behaviour and good attitudes to learning.

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What the school does well

• Good management is establishing a clear view of how the school needs to improve. • Teachers give pupils a wide range of interesting experiences in all subjects. • Good opportunities for pupils’ personal development, which include good moral and very good social provision, are leading to better behaviour and attitudes to learning. • Strong links with parents give them good opportunities to support their children’s learning. • The governing body supports the school effectively and contributes to effective management.

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What could be improved

• Teachers do not place enough emphasis on improving pupils’ speaking to develop their language skills. • Teachers do not make sufficient use of information of what different pupils can do in planning to meet their needs. • There is insufficient monitoring of teaching by senior staff and subject co-ordinators to share the good practice already present in the school. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made satisfactory improvement since the last inspection in March 1998. It has made sound progress on all the issues identified for action. Better use of the existing accommodation and resources is helping teachers to give pupils a wide range of opportunities for learning. The new computer suite, for example, gives teachers and pupils good quality access to the full range of information and communication technology. A more structured approach to pupils’ personal development is a strong aspect of the school’s work. The school has made good efforts to support the learning of high attaining pupils and there are signs of improving standards through the school. Teachers have also made good improvements in the information they give to parents, both about what they will be teaching and how well pupils are learning. Duke Street Primary School

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

English D B E E well above average above average A B Mathematics A B E E average below average C D Science D E E E well below average E

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Key

Children joining the school have a wide range of attainment although it is overall below that found nationally. They make a good start in the reception classes, particularly in their personal, social and emotional development and their attainment improves. However, by the time they begin Year 1, attainment in most areas of learning is still below that expected for their age. The inspection shows small improvements in pupils’ relative attainment through the school, particularly where teaching is good. By the age of 7 years, pupils’ mathematical skills are similar to those expected for their age, although attainment in English and science remains below average. These levels of attainment are above those found in the most recent tests for 7-year-olds.

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Key

There have been substantial variations in pupils’ attainment as shown in the national tests at the ages of 7 and 11 but the overall trend of results has been downward over recent years. However, some of this has been the result of the changing capabilities and increased mobility of pupils and achievement has been satisfactory. The most recent results for 11 year olds, for example, are particularly weak because many had special educational needs and a large group of these pupils joined the school close to the test period. In addition, the school suffered from substantial staffing changes that particularly affected this group. Increased analysis of assessment information is now helping teachers to set higher and more demanding targets.

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Key

There is clear indication that standards of attainment at the age of 11 have improved from those shown in the test results. Pupils’ current achievements in mathematics and science, at around the national average, are significantly better. In science, this is because the school has made good improvement in the planning and teaching of lessons. Results and standards in mathematics have been better than those in other subjects. Pupils’ attainment in English, however, continues to be weaker. Many pupils have limited vocabulary and teachers do not make enough efforts to ensure that pupils’ speaking skills are developed. As a result, standards remain below average.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have good attitudes and enjoy coming to school. They are proud of their school and show interest in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils’ behaviour is good. The school’s recent new code has improved behaviour and much reduced the number of exclusions.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good relationships encourage pupils’ personal development and pupils take responsibilities willingly.

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Aspect Comment

There is too much unexplained absence in most, but not all, classes. In addition, many parents do not bring their children to school in good time. These factors reduce pupils’ learning. Duke Street Primary School

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

Quality of teaching Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory 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

A high proportion of teachers have left and joined the school over the last two years and this has had a negative effect on the quality of teaching. There is now greater stability but there are still considerable variations in teaching. However, teaching is satisfactory overall, meets the needs of all pupils and was unsatisfactory in only a very few lessons. There are signs of improvement in the number of lessons judged as good or better, particularly in the junior classes. Mathematics teaching is satisfactory and teachers have worked together successfully on improving pupils’ mental arithmetic skills. Teaching pupils in Years 3 – 6 in groups according to their past attainment has helped to match work to pupils’ needs and improve learning. English teaching is satisfactory. However, teachers do not place enough emphasis on promoting pupils’ speaking and this limits their progress in developing overall language skills. Teachers ensure that

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

pupils have satisfactory opportunities to use their improving literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects.

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

Teachers in the reception classes introduce children to school well and help them to make good improvements in their personal, social and emotional development. Teachers throughout the school plan interesting activities for pupils and often use resources effectively to capture their attention and help them learn. Their good explanations and questioning make pupils think hard and give them confidence. Relationships are good and teachers use these to encourage learning. However, teachers do not check enough how well pupils are learning to plan tasks carefully to the needs and abilities of pupils. Although some marking is positive, it rarely helps pupils to know what they need to do next to improve. Some work is over-directed, for example, when using undemanding worksheets rather than focusing on improving pupils’ skills. Teachers and support staff work together effectively to support the learning of pupils with

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

special educational needs. The few pupils with English as an additional language are fully included in all aspects of lessons.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. Teachers plan a wide range of interesting activities for pupils that extend their experiences effectively. A good range of extra- curricular activities enhances these.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. Pupils’ learning is supported soundly in lessons and in some well-targeted additional classes.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory. There are very few pupils from families where English is an additional language. All are supported as necessary to ensure they are fully included in all activities.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good provision has a positive effect on pupils' learning. The school nurtures their social development very well through many opportunities to take responsibilities. A clear moral code helps pupils to understand the impact of their actions. Pupils gain good understanding of arts and other cultures.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school provides a safe place in which pupils can learn happily but there are weaknesses in the school’s developing assessment systems.

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Aspect Comment

Throughout the school, greater attention is being paid to tracking pupils’ progress and establishing targets but there is no consistent process. Teachers do not regularly record and use information about how well pupils are doing when planning developments and teaching. Good links with parents give them good information and many opportunities to support their children’s learning. Duke Street Primary School

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The new headteacher’s good leadership has established a clear direction for the school. Increasing opportunities for staff to take responsibilities and work together are helping the school to improve.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors are closely involved with the school and have a very good understanding of strengths and priorities for improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance There is increased analysis of information about how well pupils are getting on. However, there has not been sufficient systematic monitoring of teaching to identify weaknesses and share strengths.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources There is very good financial planning and the school makes good use of resources, grants and other funding.

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Aspect Comment

Because of recent staff changes, most subject co-ordinators are new to their roles. They have begun to look at pupils’ work to identify standards but few have developed sufficient monitoring of teaching to share the good practice in the school.

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Aspect Comment

Satisfactory staffing, accommodation and resources enable pupils to learn soundly. The school building has benefited from substantial security work but the school hall is not suitable for physical education lessons as the main corridor runs through it. The school ensures best value well through detailed analysis of costs and the quality of services.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Sixteen parents attended a meeting before the inspection and 102 (25 per cent) replied to a questionnaire sent to all parents. Informal discussions with parents took place during the inspection.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Good teaching and teachers’ high expectations help pupils to make good progress. • Teachers are approachable, parents are welcomed and the school responds quickly to any concerns. • Children enjoy coming to school. • The range of activities available outside lessons could be greater.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Parents have very good views of the work of the school and the inspection agrees with many of the parents’ positive comments. However, the quality of teaching is not consistently good and this limits pupils’ overall progress. The current range of extra-curricular activities is good and the school has plans to extend these further to give more opportunities to younger pupils. Duke Street Primary School

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children enter the reception classes at the age of four with a wide range of attainment. However, it is lower overall than that found on average in children of this age, particularly in their language development. These limited skills restrict children’s learning through the reception classes in most areas of learning. As a result, children are unlikely to achieve fully the goals set out for children beginning Year 1 in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and their knowledge and understanding of the world. However, children settle quickly into the reception classes because teachers establish good relationships and provide many interesting activities. This ensures that children are happy, well settled and busy. They make great strides in their personal, social and emotional development and comfortably achieve the goals established in this area.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The school’s results of National Curriculum tests at the ages of both 7 and 11 have varied substantially in recent years. The overall trend of results at the age of 11 has been below the national trend. However, a number of factors have been major restrictions to improvement. For example, the overall standards of pupils entering the school have fallen and above-average numbers of pupils leave and join the school during the year. In addition, significant numbers of changes in staffing reduced the effectiveness of teaching, notably for last year’s Year 6 pupils. This group of pupils contained a large proportion of pupils with special educational needs, including a number with acute behaviour problems. Many of these joined the school close to the national tests, which restricted the school’s opportunities to effect improvements. As a result, the 2002 results for all subjects were well below average when compared to national figures and to those of similar

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The inspection identifies higher standards through the school as a result of recent improvements and greater stability of staffing. Pupils in Year 2 have below average attainment in English and science, although their attainment in mathematics is average. This represents improvement from the recent results of the National Curriculum tests and assessments at the age of 7 years. Overall standards, as seen in lessons and Year 6 pupils’ work, reach average levels for mathematics and science. In English, however, pupils’ attainment is still below average, often restricted by their limited speaking and vocabulary skills. The school is beginning to make better analysis of information about how well pupils are achieving. This is enabling teachers to set more accurate and ambitious targets for pupils’ attainment and to track progress towards these targets. However, a sufficiently consistent process of assessing pupils’ work to match lessons accurately to all pupils’

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

needs does not yet support this target-setting process.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress towards the targets outlined in their individual education plans. Teachers identify pupils needing special levels of support at an early age and begin to introduce appropriate measures to help them learn. The pupils have good support in lessons using the help given by the special needs co-ordinator and the additional help offered by the support staff.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Standards in English are below those expected of 7 and 11 year olds although pupils make satisfactory progress through the school. Although pupils generally listen well, their limited speaking skills often restrict their attainment, for example, when trying to discuss, explain and present ideas. Teachers are aware of pupils’ limitations and place good emphasis on extending pupils’ specialist vocabulary in many subjects. However, they are too often willing to accept short or partial answers. They do not place enough emphasis consistently on extending pupils’ answers and developing their skills. Weaknesses in pupils’ speaking also limit their reading skills and few pupils show good levels of confidence and expression. Many pupils have only limited breadth of reading experience because the school’s supply of books and access to the school library have been restricted. The school, aware of the problem, has just increased the supply of books substantially, and extended the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

library. Pupils improve their writing skills through the school and produce a good range of different types of writing. In some classes, however, limited worksheets that do not always allow pupils to work to their capabilities and hamper their writing skills. As a result, pupils’ spelling and punctuation skills remain weak and this reduces the quality of their work. Duke Street Primary School 6. A few pupils come from families where English is an additional language. However, none is at an early stage of learning English and they make satisfactory progress with the other pupils. Teachers and support staff are supportive where necessary to extend their language skills informally and ensure full inclusion in lessons.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Standards in mathematics are similar to those expected of pupils at the ages of 7 and 11 years. Better teaching, including the use of national guidance and effective grouping of pupils, is helping to raise standards. Teachers use national guidance effectively in planning their work, for example to develop pupils’ quick mental skills. Pupils apply their developing skills to progressively more demanding problems in number, shape and presenting data in graphs. They develop satisfactory skills and knowledge in all parts of the curriculum. By the age of 11, for example, they enthusiastically tackle number problems using a sound range of strategies.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Although standards in science are below average at the age of 7 years, by the time pupils leave the school they are average. This improvement in standards is the result of improved teaching in the junior classes. In the infant classes, pupils learn a satisfactory range of scientific knowledge but have too few opportunities to carry out experiments. In particular, pupils’ work limits their chances to pose their own questions or explain their ideas. Junior pupils develop their scientific understanding and better teaching encourages pupils to carry out investigations purposefully and with increasing independence. This enables them to make sensible suggestions about what they see and present their findings well.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Pupils reach the expected standards for 7 and 11 year olds in information and communication technology. This improves on the standards in the last report at the age of 11 years. Substantial new resources, notably in the new computer suite, are enabling teachers to develop pupils’ skills systematically through the school. As a result, standards are rising and pupils show developing but satisfactory skills in aspects such as word-processing, databases and the use of spreadsheets. However, teachers do not give pupils enough opportunities to practise and develop their skills using computers in the classrooms and this limits their progress. Some teachers make good use of work in the computer suite to develop pupils’ literacy and, particularly, numeracy skills.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Standards in other subjects reach average levels through the school. Teachers use the improved planning materials to give pupils satisfactory opportunities to apply their literacy skills in other subjects. For example, pupils write about their responses to art they have seen or differences between life in Chorley and on a Scottish island. They have good opportunities to write about aspects of their work in history, such as diaries of seamen on board the Mary Rose. However, worksheets in some lessons do not give pupils sufficient opportunity to write answers or present information in their own ways and this can limit their achievement. Pupils apply their numeracy skills effectively in subjects such as design and technology as they measure and draw with increasing accuracy. There are no significant or consistent differences between the relative attainments of boys and girls. Duke Street Primary School

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils have good attitudes to school. Parents say their children love coming to school and enjoy taking part in the lessons and activities it provides. Pupils are proud of their school and they like the responsibility of showing visitors around. They can be trusted to do this very well. Sometimes their attitudes are not so good, for example, when they do not come to lessons well prepared. This was seen in a drama lesson in Year 6 when quite a number had to sit out because they had not brought their physical education kit. However, relationships are good in all parts of the school and contribute positively to pupils’ learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils behave well and usually show interest in lessons, particularly as they get older and this is a similar picture to that seen at the last inspection. It confirms the parents’ view that the school helps pupils to become mature. In a Year 4 science lesson, for example, pupils worked very purposefully sorting objects into solids and liquids. In a Year 6 mathematics lesson, they concentrated very well because they were interested in the task. Unacceptable behaviour is rare in classes. Pupils’ attitudes in lessons in the infant classes are satisfactory. The younger children in the Foundation Stage however do show great interest and behave well. They were very enthusiastic at joining in number rhymes at the end of one morning and were happy and confident.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Around school, pupils behave well such as when they are in assembly or in the playground. They are polite to visitors and to each other, holding open doors and saying thank you. Pupils’ behaviour has improved significantly since last year, when there were a number of behavioural concerns. This is clear from the fall in the number of exclusions the headteacher has had to make, which are now very few. The school deals well with the few cases of bullying that arise and is free of racism and harassment. Because of the good moral education pupils receive, they are aware of the effects of their actions on others. They work well together in lessons, for example, listening to each other in personal and social education lessons and when evaluating each other’s performances in physical education.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. A particular strength of the school is the way pupils respond to the responsibilities given to them. Pupils and children of all ages have suitable jobs that they are happy to do regularly for the benefit of others and to help the teachers. This is particularly noticeable in members of the school council. Prefects take on their duties at lunchtime very seriously and other pupils carry boxes of packed lunch from the cloakrooms to the hall and back cheerfully. Pupils are less able to use their own initiative but often wait for teachers to tell them what to do.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Attendance at the school is unsatisfactory and is lower than that seen nationally. In part, a very small number of pupils with long-term attendance problems cause this. In addition, however, there is too much unexplained absence in most, but not all, classes throughout the school. Parents do not all bring their children to school in good time although the vast majority of pupils are present when lessons start. Levels of attendance are lower than reported at the last inspection when they were good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Teaching was good at the time of the last inspection. In the last two years, there have been high numbers of staff changes and these have disrupted the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning. However, there is now greater stability and teaching is satisfactory overall. In addition there are signs, in the number of lessons judged to be good or better, that it is improving. There is considerable variation in the quality of teaching throughout the school and in parallel classes that leads to patchy and uneven progress for pupils. At present, the school is not doing enough to identify what works well and share the features that make for good teaching.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The good lesson planning found in the last inspection is still a strength in teaching. Teachers are clear about what pupils are to learn and plan activities that pupils find interesting, and so they are enthusiastic and work hard. A good example was a teacher in a very good lesson in Year 2 who acted out the role of one of the story characters. Pupils were eager to ask her questions and these were sometimes imaginative, stimulated by her role-play and a lively text. In most lessons, teachers tell pupils clearly what they are to learn, and sometimes effectively use the discussions at the end of Duke Street Primary School lessons to check how well pupils have done. In a religious education lesson, for example, a well- managed discussion in the plenary provided the clarification pupils needed to strengthen their understanding of Hinduism.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Lesson introductions and teachers’ explanations are often the best features of lessons. Pupils concentrate well because they are lively and the pace is brisk. Teachers use questions effectively to generate discussion and encourage pupils to think hard about the work. Children in a reception class made rapid strides in their knowledge and understanding of kitchen implements and how they worked, because the teacher’s persistent questions meant they thought hard about their design and how they are used. Clear explanations helped Year 4 pupils to be confident in their skills in an information and communication technology (ICT) lesson where they successfully learned to enter and edit text. However, some lessons are particularly long and teachers cannot maintain pupils’ attention for the whole period. As a result, the pace of learning sometimes flags in the middle of these sessions.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Teachers forge good relationships with their pupils, and a strong rapport was evident in many lessons. Pupils develop confidence and good levels of self-esteem because teachers value what they have to say and praise their efforts and ideas. This is particularly evident in the reception classes where children soon settle happily into school and play and share happily together, but it is also true elsewhere in the school. Teachers’ emphasis on good relationships and pupils’ social and moral development encourage good attitudes to learning, for example through effective co-operation in lessons. Pupils listen carefully, follow instructions and behave well. Most teachers have effective management skills, consistently so in the reception classes. However, management of pupils was a weakness in some otherwise satisfactory lessons and the few that were unsatisfactory. For example, pupils lost time in some physical education lessons where instructions were unclear and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

pupils were inactive for too long. This meant that they lost interest and their behaviour deteriorated.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. All the lessons in the reception classes were satisfactory or better, but there were several instances of good and very good teaching that highlighted clearly the variation in the quality of teaching in the school. The teachers know what these young children need and there is a good emphasis on teaching the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers provide good opportunities for role-play, practical activities and visits into the local environment that successfully stimulate children’s creative development and their knowledge and understanding of the world.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. There is good teamwork by teachers and support staff deployed well throughout the school. Classroom assistants are well informed and support pupils well, particularly those with special educational needs. Pupils in Year 1 found it hard to read the words on the book they were sharing, but prompts from a classroom assistant who encouraged them to look at the first letter of the words gave them confidence to ‘have a go’ at reading.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Teachers make good use of resources. A suit of Viking clothing generated excitement and brought history to life in a history lesson where good use was made of borrowed resources from the local museum service. Pupils were keen to try it on, and the discussion it stimulated prompted them to link what they know about Vikings in explaining its use.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Teachers throughout the school do not do enough to check how well pupils are learning. Their marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent and does not do enough to establish what pupils need to do to improve their work so that they move on. Teachers do not have precise enough information about what pupils can and cannot do to form the basis of their planning for pupils’ next steps. As a result, work is not always matched as carefully as it might to the different needs and ability levels in their classes. Too often, pupils all have similar work with well-deployed adult helpers supporting those with special educational needs. This slows their progress unnecessarily. As in the last inspection, some work is over-directed. For example, frequently teachers provide worksheets that require pupils to insert words, colour pictures or cut out and glue sections into their books. These do little to reinforce or extend pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. However, some teachers have developed effective individual systems. The best practice was seen in the teaching of mathematics and ICT where some teachers are clear about what pupils need to work on next and adapt their plans accordingly. This was a strong feature of some excellent Year 6 teaching where the teacher showed good awareness of the different abilities in her class. She pitched her questions at different levels and constantly checked how well pupils were doing. She Duke Street Primary School made sure that all the pupils had enough time to think so that more hands went up to explain how another coordinate could make a quadrilateral. They achieved very well, and this and similar lessons are helping to raise standards in mathematics.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Pupils often find it hard to explain their thoughts because they do not have the necessary vocabulary or language skills. Some teachers make sure that pupils learn new words by explaining what they mean and encouraging pupils to use them. For example, teachers made sure that pupils learned the new vocabulary associated with their work on Hinduism and Islam in religious education lessons. However, teachers could do more to provide opportunities for pupils to talk to each other, ask questions and try to explain what they are doing so that they strengthen their learning. In science, for instance, teachers could do more to challenge pupils to talk about their observations in pairs and small groups. The work that pupils are asked to do, like learning about how babies develop into adults in Year 2, often concentrates on recording tasks, with more able pupils writing more. They are not challenged to raise and explore their own questions through further discussion that would

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

26. The school continues to provide a well balanced, wide ranging curriculum. Pupils benefit from a good range of activities that cater for their needs and extend their experiences. The curriculum includes all the subjects of the National Curriculum, the Early Learning Goals for children under five and religious education. There are sound arrangements to ensure that pupils have appropriate health and sex education and attention is paid to the dangers of drug abuse. A formal policy for the provision of personal and social education in now in place and is helping teachers to improve pupils’ attitudes. It is already having an impact on behaviour that is evident throughout the school. In the Foundation Stage, children make very good progress in their personal, social and emotional development because they experience high expectations, regular routines and good relationships.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

27. The school successfully uses national advice to guide the planning of many subjects and this is enhances the opportunities for pupils. Some teachers are also beginning to use this guidance to support their daily assessments of pupils' progress. This helps those teachers to target work more precisely to pupils’ needs but there are some weaknesses in overall provision. In some classes the number and quality of worksheets limits pupils’ opportunities to develop their independent writing. There are too few opportunities provided for pupils to explain their own thinking or develop ideas through focused discussion in groups. Although planning has improved since the last inspection, there are still areas for further development. Lessons do not always start on time and some extend over longer periods than is appropriate, which reduces the pace of learning. The school has identified the need to enhance teaching and learning and the opportunities available to

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

pupils. Aspects of the work planned within the ‘Networked Learning Community’ are designed to support teachers with this.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

28. Teachers have successfully implemented the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and these are enhancing the learning of pupils through the school. Teachers often make good links between subjects, for example when recording a school journey and comparing Chorley with a locality in the Scottish Highlands. Other links between subjects enhance learning, such as displays of artwork linked with science work on the solar system. Teachers give pupils good opportunities to develop their skills in information and communication technology in the new computer suite. They are less effective, however, in giving pupils opportunities to develop and practise these skills in the classrooms. Insufficient use is made of classroom computers to extend pupils’ learning in other subjects.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

29. All pupils have full and equal access to the curriculum and other learning opportunities. The school offers satisfactory levels of support and provision for lower-attaining pupils and those with special educational needs. An appropriately modified curriculum is provided, Duke Street Primary School mainly within classes, and pupils make satisfactory progress. Well-briefed classroom assistants support pupils with special educational needs particularly well and engage in activities enthusiastically. For example, the support assistant supporting a child in a physical education lesson joined in with the activity, working closely alongside him. As a result, all pupils were able to learn more effectively. In a science lesson, the support assistant played an important role in clarifying pupils’ understanding of a planned experiment on evaporation. When necessary, the few pupils from families where English is

p.14

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

an additional language are adequately supported. Most experience no concerns in working in the classrooms. They have full access to all aspects of the school and make progress with their classmates.

p.15

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

30. The school provides a good range of extra curricular activities. Older pupils have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of sports clubs, such as football, rugby, squash and judo. These are available to both boys and girls and many pupils attend regularly. The school is planning to extend the range of activities available to younger pupils by introducing a dance club for Year 3. Pupils are encouraged to attend clubs for recorder, drama, and choir and have the opportunity to learn to play brass and woodwind instruments. There is a popular and well attended after-school club.

p.15

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

31. Links with the community and partnership institutions are good. A wide range of local visits, including pond dipping in the local park and visits to museums, supports and extends the curriculum. Other opportunities, such as links with schools in Scotland help pupils become aware of the wider community. The curriculum is enhanced by a number of visitors to the school and by the good use that is made of artefacts. Pupils talk enthusiastically about Egyptian and Tudor ‘days’. During the inspection, the curriculum came alive for one pupil examining examples of chain mail armour when he exclaimed, ‘It’s a metal T shirt!’ There are good links with local secondary schools that help pupils to prepare for transfer. Higher-attaining pupils regularly take part in maths activities at the local high school. Links with local primary schools have improved considerably as a result of the Networked Learning Community project. Pupils take part in a number of challenges

p.15

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

and quizzes locally and are justly proud of their successes. Early in Year 6, pupils go on a residential weekend visit that contributes to their social development and enables them to experience a wider range of outdoor activities.

p.15

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

32. The school cultivates pupils’ overall personal development well. Their spiritual development is satisfactory. Pupils in the junior classes learn to think about themselves and the people and things that are important to them and have produced booklets that record these. In some lessons, pupils are excited and interested in their work. For example, in a Year 4 music lesson pupils listened carefully to difficult music and responded emotionally with pertinent comments and ideas. In history in the same year group, the teacher provided the pupils with a very stimulating experience handling chain mail armour but such events do not happen regularly in lessons. Pupils have times for quiet reflection in short prayers during assemblies, which related to friendship during the inspection week.

p.15

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

33. This links well to the good moral education given to pupils and teachers frequently use lessons to remind them of the effects of their actions upon others. In Year 3, pupils were intrigued in an activity where some blindfolded volunteers had to trust the teacher to catch them as they leant backwards. This gave them a vivid example of the importance of trust. The school council has been well involved in drawing up the school discipline codes in the last year, including a simplified version in suitable language for the younger pupils. These make it clear to all pupils the rewards they will get for good behaviour and the consequences if they do not behave so well.

p.15

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

34. Teachers nurture pupils’ social development particularly well. The well-established school council has been developed in the last year to give pupils in all years a greater involvement in what goes on in their school and in making decisions. The council is in the process of electing members to roles such as chairman and secretary and minutes are kept of meetings. It has a budget to make improvements to the school’s outside environment. The members will have to decide what changes they will make for the benefit of the school. Older junior pupils have formal regular duties as prefects. Younger pupils undertake duties such as taking registers to the office and moving the Duke Street Primary School class lunch boxes that they do as a matter of course. Pupils are encouraged to think of people outside the school community, for example, by collecting ‘shoe boxes’ of toys and household items to support children in Romania.

p.15

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

35. Cultural development is good. Pupils in Year 6 become more aware of ways of life in other countries by linking with schools in Paris and South America and communicating by e-mail. An ‘Ancient Egyptian’ visitor comes into school to tell pupils about life in Egypt and there are visiting groups of musicians and actors. Displays around the school show that pupils are taught about festivals such as Diwali held by people of different faiths and they are made sufficiently aware of life in multicultural Britain.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The school provides a safe place in which pupils can learn happily and parents are confident that this is so. The attention the school gives to pupils’ care overall is sound. Some aspects, such as health and safety, are good. For example, supervision of pupils at lunchtimes and breaks is good and supervisors have had first aid training. Equipment is properly checked and access to the Internet is carefully regulated. Teachers take good care when planning visits off site. The systems for child protection, however, are not so strong. The member of staff named to look after this area has not had sufficient training to support teachers and other staff. Guidance and directions, for example in the staff handbook, are not clear enough to help staff if they have any concerns. Nevertheless, the staff have the good welfare of the pupils at heart.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Pupils’ good behaviour is encouraged well by the house points system. Parents say that their children really enjoy getting these points and the certificates as class pupil of the week for good attitudes and effort in school. As younger pupils happily left a lesson, one said ‘Didn’t we do well to get those points?’ Teachers monitor unacceptable behaviour very closely and there are very clear procedures with distinct steps for teachers to follow if pupils misbehave. The headteacher can quickly spot patterns of misbehaviour from the records he compiles. Similar records are kept of the few instances of bullying also so that he can take the appropriate action, including contacting parents.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The school checks pupils’ attendance records regularly and carefully monitors pupils with problems with the support of the educational welfare officer. Teachers and administrative staff maintain registers well. The school secretary records any pupils who arrive late after the doors are locked at 9.10 am. In spite of this, the school does not do sufficient to encourage parents to bring their children into school at 8.55 am when they are supposed to start. Pupils who have arrived on time often sit around waiting for the register to be completed and lessons to begin. There are not sufficient activities prepared in the classroom to entice them in and keep them occupied.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The school supports pupils’ personal development well. In particular, their achievements are recognised in ‘Good News’ notices and in the assemblies on Fridays. The school values pupils' achievements both in and out of school and celebrates them well. Teachers monitor children’s personal development well in the Foundation Stage and keep good records of what they can do. Every child is valued, regardless of age, ethnicity, religion and special educational needs. Since the previous inspection, the school continues to make satisfactory provision in ensuring that all pupils, including those with learning difficulties, have equal opportunities to succeed. Boys and girls achieve equally well. Pupils on the special needs register, including those with statements of special educational need, are carefully monitored. All have clearly identified and measurable learning targets in their individual education plans and have good quality programmes of support.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The monitoring of pupils’ academic performance is unsatisfactory. The school is aware of the need to improve and standardise its approaches to the effective use of assessment and has identified this in the current improvement plan. There are some examples of good practice emerging in tracking progress and setting targets but the approach to the routine collection and use of data is inconsistent. Senior managers are beginning to understand the progress pupils have made in the past through increased analysis of results of tests and other assessments. However, they do not use the information to predict future progress, or to adapt the curriculum fully to the identified needs of the pupils. Duke Street Primary School 41. In the Foundation Stage, the system for assessing and recording pupils’ progress is in need of improvement and development. Teachers assess children’s skills on entry but do not use the information enough to group children or to inform planning. Records do not

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

give enough of an overview of attainment on transfer to Year 1. The information gathered about children does not always give a clear view of what they need to do next. Where teachers do record and use detailed observations to inform their planning it leads to higher standards, and children make good progress especially in their personal, social and emotional development.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. In Years 1 to 6 there is no agreed system but individual teachers do assess pupil progress at the end of units of work in English, mathematics and science and keep their own records. These are passed to the next teacher at the end of the year but they are not always in a form that is easy to use. As a result, limited use is made of these to inform planning. Senior managers are beginning to collect and analyse the results of tests and assessments in Years 3-5 in English and mathematics. These are increasing their understanding but do not yet give a clear enough overview to allow effective monitoring of year on year progress. Teachers use data collected in Year 4 to set Year 6 targets. There is some analysis of pupils' responses to these tests and some teachers use this to help them set individual targets for pupils. The analysis is not yet used to identify pupils for targeted intervention, to inform curricular planning or to identify shortfalls in resources. Teachers’ use of daily

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

informal assessment is variable. It is not established as a routine part of teaching and learning in every classroom. When teachers are skilled in the use of questioning to clarify pupils’ understanding, pupils make good progress. However, the over use of closed questioning limits the opportunities that pupils have to deepen their understanding through speaking and listening. When responding to pupils’ work teachers do not routinely make clear to pupils how they can improve.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The new assessment co-ordinator is beginning to make improvements with the support of senior managers. Policies for assessing, recording and reporting pupils' progress are in draft form, as are those for marking pupils’ work and target setting. Governors and the senior management team understand that improvement in the collection and analysis of assessment data is a key factor in raising standards. They are committed to implementing the new policies during this academic year.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. Parents’ views of the school are very positive. In particular, they feel that the school has high expectations of their children, teaching is good and their children progress well. They would feel comfortable approaching the school with questions or problems and they feel that their children like school. They identify no areas for significant criticisms. Some parents answering the questionnaire feel that there is not a sufficient range of activities outside lessons but overall the inspection team found that this was good, though perhaps not as great for the lower juniors currently.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. The information parents receive from the school is good and is better than at the time of the last inspection. Some of it is very good and it has improved particularly over the last year. Parents now have a meeting with their children’s teachers each term and simple targets are shared then. Weekly newsletters keep parents well informed about events and curriculum information is sent out every half term. Formal information such as the prospectus and governors’ annual report contain much of the information required. Although much of the governors’ report is very clearly written, it does not contain any reference to how the school looks after pupils with special educational needs and little for those who are disabled. Reports to parents contain plenty of information but over-emphasise effort, making what pupils have learnt seem less important.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. The school has good links with parents that support pupils’ learning well. It encourages parents to become involved with the school more now and events such as the spring fair run by the parents’ association help to raise money for the school. This is put towards buying useful equipment such as computers. A few parents and a grandparent have helped with reading for some time and quite a number of parents listen to their children reading at home. Links such as this are strongest for the youngest children. Here, teachers make sure that they and their parents feel comfortable when they start school through the good induction procedures. These children enjoy taking home the bears ‘Rufus’ and ‘Roxanne’ for the weekend and their parents write to school saying what they have done. Duke Street Primary School

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The quality of leadership and management by the headteacher is good. Since his appointment last year, he has developed a clear vision for the school and has shared this effectively with the governors and staff. The quality of this leadership is a clear reflection of the published aims and values of the school. The school’s positive ethos underpins all aspects of its work. Relationships are good and pupils and staff work very well together. The school has high expectations of pupils’ personal behaviour and development and successfully achieves this. Adults establish trust through care and commitment, which successfully promotes good relationships and supports the inclusion of all pupils. As a result, a positive, caring atmosphere and effective learning environment permeate school life. This has been particularly important after a period of staff changes when the school was obliged to employ a high percentage of supply teachers, particularly in Year 6. This

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

had a detrimental effect on standards in 2002.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The headteacher has quickly and effectively resolved difficult and time-consuming issues such as vandalism and the negative behaviour of some challenging pupils admitted to the school last year. For example, a clear behaviour policy is now very well implemented throughout the school so that the behaviour of pupils has much improved. The deputy headteacher supports the headteacher and staff well to develop the work of the school. Together with the strong governing body, they are committed to moving the school forward and to raising standards. During the week of the inspection, there was clear evidence of developing teamwork within the school and of a shared commitment to succeed. Parents are pleased with the way the schools’ aims are reflected in their pupils’ achievements. This school has a good capacity for future improvement.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The supportive and loyal governing body meets regularly, as a full group and in separate committees. Governors clearly understand their roles and responsibilities and take them seriously. They are fully involved in the decision-making process and have good knowledge of the life and work of the school. Frequent meetings between the headteacher and the chair of governors allow them to work closely on issues that arise between scheduled meetings. Governors are effectively linked to areas of the curriculum and this contact helps to keep the governing body informed of specific developments. Through the work of the full governing body and its committees, the governors very effectively fulfil their role in shaping the direction of the school.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The headteacher, governing body, management team and staff are fully involved in the production of the school improvement plan. They set clear targets for school development and oversee the quality of education that it provides, thus ensuring best value for money. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. They have undertaken a very effective and very honest analysis of the school’s strengths and weaknesses to feed into this plan. As a result, it accurately identifies the major areas that need to be improved and thus provides a sound basis for action. This collegiate approach works very well in underpinning the shared sense of responsibility and very good relationships in the school. The school has addressed all the issues from the previous inspection although there are areas still to be improved. For example, raising standards in information and communication technology and increasing opportunities for the higher attaining pupils are

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. Most subject co-ordinators are new to their roles and responsibilities because of the recent staff changes. As a result, this lack of continuity has contributed to the rather slow progress that the school has made in raising standards. With the support of the headteacher, deputy headteacher and the school’s general adviser and curriculum consultants, subject co-ordinators regularly monitor pupils’ written work. They have made a satisfactory start in monitoring the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ learning. However, they have not yet fully developed this aspect of their role. As a result, the school Duke Street Primary School does not ensure effective sharing of good practice throughout the school. Co-ordinators are aware of the need to monitor more rigorously teachers’ assessments of pupils’ work in order to identify how to raise standards further.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The school makes good use of resources, grants and other funding. The management of financial planning is very good. All governors are fully involved in the overall financial management of the school. They use the detailed information provided by the finance committee and are fully involved in the planning, regular monitoring of budgets and the effectiveness of the school’s spending to ensure that the budget is used wisely. Although there is currently a high surplus of funds carried forward to the next year, the school has good plans for its use, including necessary building improvements. Educational priorities are very well supported and the school follows the principle of 'best value' appropriately. For example, the finance committee, together with the head teacher, checks the value for money that contracts provide and does not always accept the lowest figure. All funds are appropriately allocated to ensure that the school maintains its good provision. Pupils,

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

therefore, benefit from the care and attention paid to how effectively the funds are spent. The school office is run efficiently and satisfactory use is made of new technology to save time.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The staffing, accommodation and resources available to the school are satisfactory, although there are some weaknesses. Although the school has experienced recent substantial staffing changes, there are now sufficient staff with appropriate qualifications and the school has no problems recruiting new staff. Satisfactory systems are in place to ensure that new staff are clear about their roles. The school has secure processes for performance management and links with professional development. Teachers have the benefit of sufficient teaching assistants to give support where needed. The accommodation is satisfactory and does not prevent the whole curriculum being taught. Recent security works have successfully reduced the incidences of vandalism. However, there is limited evidence of other substantial improvement since the last inspection although the school has some outline plans. The hall is too small for whole school occasions and is not suitable

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

for physical education, partly because the main corridor runs through it. The other hall used for physical education is not ideal because it has a very low ceiling. Children in the reception classes do not have a separate area where they can exercise outside and this limits their physical development. Although the school stands in a substantial area, the field is inconveniently sited across a road. The area for library books has been extended but remains inadequate. The new development of the information and communication technology suite is to be welcomed, even though it is rather small. Resources are satisfactory although, again, there are some deficiencies. The youngest children do not have enough outdoor play equipment and fiction and non-fiction library books for the main school are not adequate. Resources for most subjects are at least satisfactory and teachers make effective use of these to promote pupils’ learning.

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

54. The school has made a good start at moving forward and has made overall satisfactory progress since the last inspection. In order to continue the school’s development and raise pupils’ attainment further, the headteacher, staff and governors should now:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) place greater emphasis on developing pupils’ speaking in order to enhance their language skills and promote better learning in all subjects; (paragraphs 3, 5, 25, 27, 60, 67-8, 95, 120, 125)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) establish consistent systems that help teachers to identify clearly what pupils can do and what they need to learn next to improve planning; (paragraphs 3, 23-4, 27, 40-43, 56, 76-7, 79, 84, 90-1, 96, 101, 113, 129)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) ensure that monitoring of lessons is extended to enable teachers to share the good practice within the school and thereby improve the consistency of teaching. (paragraphs 16, 51, 56, 84, 91, 96, 113, 128, 134)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school has recognised aspects of the above and included them in its development planning. The following less important weakness should also be considered for inclusion in the action plan:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(A) review the use of time, including the timings allocated to subjects and to lessons, to ensure that best use is made of all parts of the school day to promote pupils’ learning. (paragraphs 18, 27, 90, 100, 116) Duke Street Primary School

p.20

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 42

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 4 14 29 49 4 0 0 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 one percentage point.

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 405

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 116 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 9

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 78

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 16

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 32

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 29

p.21

Attendance

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

p.21

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 30 24 54

p.22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.22

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

Boys 16 17 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 21 21 21

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 69 (74) 70 (84) 80 (92) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.22

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Boys 19 21 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 22 21 22

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 76 (82) 78 (84) 87 (85) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.22

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

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

p.22

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 32 31 63

p.22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Boys 14 16 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 24 19 26

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 60 (83) 56 (87) 71 (93) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.22

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Boys 15 15 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 27 22 27

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 67 (83) 59 (87) 68 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Duke Street Primary School

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 1 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 6 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 2 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 17 Financial year 2001 - 2002

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.7

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 856,683

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 15 Total expenditure 827,983

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 304.5 Expenditure per pupil 1,917

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 50,012

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 81,568

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 6

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 7

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Duke Street Primary School

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 53 44 2 1 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 26 67 6 0 1

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 34 54 7 1 4

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 47 46 6 1 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 66 30 4 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 69 30 1 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 41 47 7 1 4

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 45 52 1 0 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 53 41 2 1 3

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 29 38 12 1 20 Duke Street Primary School PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55. Children enter the reception classes in September when they are four years old. A good range of information for parents, pre-visits and the initial part-time attendance mean that children are well prepared and soon settle happily into school. Standards on entry are lower than they were at the time of the last inspection. Children come with a wide range of abilities, but standards are now below average overall, particularly in language development. This has had a significant impact on the lower standards now seen in some areas of learning. Children are unlikely to reach the goals set for them in communication, language and literacy development, knowledge and understanding of the world and mathematical development, although they come close to achieving them in the last two areas. In their physical and creative development, they are on course to reach the goals set for them by the end of the reception year. Good teaching helps children make rapid

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

strides in their personal, social and emotional development and they comfortably reach the goals set for them by the time they move into Year 1.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

56. Whilst teaching is satisfactory overall, good and very good teaching was seen during the inspection and in these lessons, children made good progress. Challenging, well-matched tasks and a brisk pace with a sense of urgency are features of the best teaching. However, this is not consistent enough to ensure that all the children make the same good progress. Whilst the co-ordinator provides a sound steer for the Foundation Stage, there is not enough monitoring of teaching and children’s achievements to highlight what works well and what needs to be improved. The systems for checking what pupils can and cannot do are in need of development in all areas except personal, social and emotional development. Teachers do not check regularly or consistently enough how well children of different abilities are learning in order to plan their next steps. The co-ordinator has identified this in her action plan, and there is evidence of improving practice. Children with

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

special educational needs are identified early and appropriate targets set. However, because activities are often set at the same level for all children, the most able children do not always move forward as fast as they might, whilst less able children would sometimes benefit from simpler tasks that further strengthen their emerging skills.

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Personal, social and emotional development

57. This is one area where teachers regularly check children’s progress against the stepping- stones identified for children in the Foundation Stage. They are clear about what children need to do next, which results in good, effective teaching that helps children in both classes achieve well. They are eager to learn and behave very well, which establishes a good springboard for later learning. The adults, through their relationships with each other and effective teamwork, provide very good role models for children. Children are happy, well settled and busy because they enjoy the many interesting activities set out for them. Teachers make sure that children understand the routines so that they appreciate the need to abide by the simple rules, and they share and play fairly. They take pride in explaining to visitors ‘that’s a red cone so only the red group can play here’. They become more independent, and most children move confidently round the activities and dress and

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Personal, social and emotional development

undress independently for physical activities in the hall. However, when they work with adults they sometimes wait for prompts or instructions before tackling tasks that they know how to do. A good example of this was seen when they were using computers to create a snowman picture. They sometimes waited for an adult instruction before completing their pictures, though they clearly knew the right key presses to make.

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Communication, language and literacy

Duke Street Primary School 58. Sound teaching means that children make satisfactory progress in this area, though few will securely reach the goals by the end of the reception year. Children enjoy listening to stories and reading with adults. They handle books carefully, and most will tell the story from the illustrations or by picking out the words they know. Teachers successfully forge a strong parent partnership by providing information and useful materials, so that they provide good support in developing their children’s interest and skills when reading at home. Children learn the value of writing when parents send letters to school telling each class what Rufus and Roxanne Bears have been doing on home visits. However, many children still rely heavily on the simple well-known texts in the reading scheme when reading, and only the more able children read captions around the room or words in other

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Communication, language and literacy

59. Teachers’ checks on children’s skills on entry to the school have identified that they struggle to recognise letters and their sounds. As a result, teachers place greater emphasis on this aspect with more activities that are boosting children’s skills. One example was when children noticed foods in the café menu that begin with the ‘ch’ sound. Some children write their name recognisably and copy words correctly. This was evident when they wrote simple orders and items on a ‘Specials’ board for the café. They enjoy trying out their skills in the writing corner. However, they rely heavily on word cards and adult help when writing because they lack confidence in writing independently. More could be done to encourage children to use their new skills and the letters they know to ‘have a go’ at writing their own simple sentences. A more precise system is needed to check what children can do, so that teachers can spot such weaknesses and plan activities that will

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Communication, language and literacy

60. Very often children’s writing and reading skills are hampered by their limited language skills, so that they struggle to talk about their ideas or the stories they hear and read. This slows their progress in other areas, such as mathematics and knowledge and understanding of the world, because they find it hard to describe and explain what they see. They listen intently when teachers read or talk to them, but more could be done to encourage them to extend and become more skilled in their own speaking. The best teaching was seen when one teacher challenged children to identify kitchen implements and how they work. A garlic press, egg separator and whisk fascinated them. This stimulated some deep thought and full explanations. They all wanted to speak, but questions like ‘what are the holes for?’ helped them structure their explanations more carefully and fully. ‘When you pick the burger up all the juices fall out’ was one such

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Communication, language and literacy

description. In this session, children made very good progress in developing their language and their knowledge and understanding of the world.

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Mathematical development

61. Teaching is satisfactory and children are close to reaching the goals set for them at the end of the Foundation Stage. Very good teaching was seen when children worked with a classroom assistant learning to recognise coins and finding different ways of paying 4 pence. The brisk pace of her skilled questioning and the use of real coins meant that children were soon confidently finding the right coins and explaining that ‘2 and 1 makes 3; 1 more makes 4 pence’. Children found this harder in a similar session when cardboard money was used, and there were few opportunities for them to handle coins. Teachers take every opportunity to extend children’s counting skills in practical activities, number songs and rhymes. In one well-planned activity, the teacher made good use of a shopping game so that children rolled a dice and collected food items for their shopping trolley. They worked hard, following instructions eagerly, and most managed to add two numbers up to

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Mathematical development

six. Too often, though, children all complete the same worksheet whatever their ability. This limits the progress more able children might make, and is sometimes too hard for those who find recording difficult. Duke Street Primary School

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

62. This area is successfully promoted through well-planned themes like the ‘Hot and Cold’ topic. Children proudly told a visitor that polar bears and penguins live in cold places as they played with the toy animals in the ‘snow’. Through their play in the café, writing activities and class discussions, they learn to recognise a wide range of foods. Visits to the local shops and the many practical activities successfully reinforce children’s knowledge and understanding of their environment and daily life. In one class, children made hot buttered toast, the ‘daily special’ in the café, choosing their own toppings from a selection of jams and peanut butter. One child telephoned the head teacher inviting him to join them. In the computer suite, they created snowman pictures. Several adults gave good individual support so that children operated the mouse well, changed colours and wrote their name

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

as a caption. However, teaching is satisfactory overall, because progress is slower when children are not stimulated enough to describe, question and explain what they see in order to strengthen their understanding.

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Physical development

63. Children are on course to reach the goals in their physical development and teaching is satisfactory overall. Good teaching was seen in a session where children were working on their climbing and balancing skills in the hall. A good demonstration and explanation meant that children were eager to try out their own skills. The adults encouraged children to try out new ways of moving, so that their balances became more interesting. More opportunities for children to watch the good work of others would help them improve still further. The facilities and equipment for outdoor play are unsatisfactory. The reception classes make sound use of the school playground and the very limited range of wheeled toys and other equipment on a regular basis. Children ride, pedal, steer and run confidently. They use space well and there is little bumping into others. They learn to co- operate and work as a team. Several children happily shared a ride on the cart and played

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Physical development

together with a parachute. However, the planning for these activities is not structured well enough to ensure that children move forward in developing their physical skills as well as they might.

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Creative development

64. The teaching of this aspect is satisfactory. Strengths lie in the provision for role-play that is carefully planned with good resources used well. Children enjoyed taking on the roles of those working in and using a café and were imaginative in their play. These activities develop their language well, for instance as they negotiate with others. ‘You can’t come in yet because there isn’t any room’ was one example. Opportunities for children to handle and exchange money and learn about the jobs people do play an important part in extending their mathematics skills and knowledge and understanding of the world. Children enjoy singing and remember the words of a number of songs well. They benefit from opportunities to work with a range of different materials in their artwork, so that they become more skilled in using paint, different kinds of paper and other materials to create pictures and patterns. Bright, bold pictures of themselves and a ‘cold’ collage are two

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Creative development

examples. Adults sometimes direct these activities too closely, and children would benefit from more opportunities to experiment with materials imaginatively in their own way. Duke Street Primary School

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ENGLISH

65. Standards are below those expected of 7 and 11 year olds. This is an improvement on the well below average results of the National Curriculum tests in 2002. These results reflected the large number of pupils with learning and particularly behavioural difficulties, significant changes in teaching staff and the high level of pupils entering and leaving the school during the year. Standards in English have slightly improved due to better teaching and the adoption of good behavioural management strategies. Throughout the school, pupils make satisfactory progress from a below average starting point. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress towards the targets in their individual education plans. Few pupils come from families where English is an additional language and none is at an early stage of learning English. Their needs are fully met within classes and they make similar progress to other pupils.

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ENGLISH

66. An improved curriculum with more rigorous use of national guidance helps teachers to focus their planning on writing, reading, and pupils’ use of literacy skills in other subjects. Teachers ensure that pupils have good opportunities to write in other subjects. For example, Year 5 pupils write appropriate instructions on how to play ‘Drop Ball’ and write accurately about their scientific work on ‘The Planets’.

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ENGLISH

67. Standards in speaking and listening are below average in Years 2 and 6. When pupils start in Year 1, they lack confidence when speaking in formal situations and most have a limited vocabulary. They find it difficult to speak in sentences and explain their experiences in detail. By the end of Year 2, despite the satisfactory progress made, standards in speaking and listening continue to be below those found nationally. This hampers learning in other subjects, such as design and technology, where pupils find difficulty in discussing, explaining and presenting their ideas to the class and the teacher. Pupils listen attentively to plays and stories such as ‘Anancy and Mr. Dry Bone’ but often lack sufficient opportunities to engage in extended discussions and to practise their speaking skills. Teachers sometimes miss opportunities to use pupils’ enthusiasm to develop and extend vocabulary and expressive reading. Because pupils lack confidence in speaking and the teacher’s oral input is

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ENGLISH

too lengthy, the ensuing discussion is too short to be productive.

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ENGLISH

68. By the end of Year 6, many pupils’ speaking and listening skills remain under developed. Higher ability pupils speak fluently, lucidly and with confidence. The lowest attaining pupils demonstrate immaturity in these skills and remain passive during question and discussion sessions when they are not required to contribute. In some classes, however, teachers challenge pupils well during discussions with questions thoughtfully targeted to develop pupils’ skills. For example, Year 5 pupils debated the ‘Third World’ and another parallel class investigated the features of the fable ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’. In the latter lesson, highly motivated pupils engaged in an animated discussion. However, in many other lessons, questioning and answering sessions do not encourage pupils to deliver more than one word answers. In particular, teachers sometimes hurry the closing discussion sections of lessons or do not use them sufficiently well to encourage pupils to talk about

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ENGLISH

what they have learned. There are clearly planned opportunities for drama, debate and role-play and this extends pupils’ technical language and their subsequent writing. Pupils perform publicly in school productions and musical events, which offer valuable opportunities for pupils to use spoken language in more formal settings.

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ENGLISH

69. Standards in reading are below those expected nationally at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. A higher than average number of pupils has been identified as having difficulties in reading. Pupils have opportunities to practise their reading skills and develop an interest in books during the literacy hour and during planned extra sessions for personal reading. They read from published reading schemes of progressively more difficult texts and consolidate their skills by reading books at similar levels of difficulty. However, the range of fiction and non-fiction books, though improved since the previous inspection, is limited for the older average and higher attaining pupils. As a result, they have a limited breadth of reading experiences and some do not develop an interest or love of books.

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ENGLISH

70. In Year 2, higher attaining pupils read accurately, but with little regard to punctuation or expression. They are interested and talk about what they have read and say if they like the story. Most pupils have a secure grasp of letter sounds and use these successfully to help them work out words that are new to them. Lower attaining pupils are less interested in reading. They need more support to read unknown words, are more hesitant in selecting the main points of a story and are unsure about the meaning of some words they have read. They use initial sounds to try new words but are Duke Street Primary School insecure when attempting to blend their letters. Good home-school links and the introduction of homework diaries encourage pupils and parents to work together to improve standards.

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ENGLISH

71. By the end of Year 6, standards in reading are better, but remain below average. Many pupils’ knowledge of books is narrow with limited experience out of school. Few lower attaining pupils, for example, talk knowledgeably about, or recall the names of, the books they read or favourite authors. Their understanding of what they have read often remains limited. Many average and lower attaining pupils have weak comprehension skills and they are unable to infer meaning and predict outcomes from the text. A small number of higher attaining pupils read well. These pupils pay greater attention to punctuation and read fluently, confidently and accurately, but some lack expression. They effectively deduce information and ideas from text and talk enthusiastically about books they have read and stories read to them. They recall story lines, talk about the characters and explain what they like or dislike about them.

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ENGLISH

72. Pupils’ research skills are limited because they do not have regular access to a classified library and few have knowledge of classification systems. The recently extended school library area is accessible to pupils in the main building, but not to those in the outside classrooms. It is to be replenished with recently purchased books but few pupils currently make use of the facility. Class libraries, despite recent improvements mostly remain uninviting with many out of date books. The existing range of books is limited, particularly for the older higher and average attaining pupils. As a result, many pupils do not have a breadth of reading experiences. By the age of 7 years, many pupils do not know terms such as author , illustrator , and title , or the difference between fact and fiction. Their limited speaking skills inhibit them explaining these concepts. Older, higher attaining pupils know that fiction is classified alphabetically, understand the features of non-fiction text and

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ENGLISH

many explain the purpose of the index and contents accurately.

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ENGLISH

73. By the age of 7 years, the standard of writing remains below average. Higher and average attaining pupils are beginning to write independently, putting their ideas in a logical sequence. They are beginning to use capital letters and full stops correctly, although they still make many basic mistakes. Lower attaining pupils are beginning to write two or three sentences independently but many do not yet use capital letters or full stops correctly. These pupils need support from an adult when writing and their presentation is untidy. Other pupils’ handwriting is generally neat but at times, the letter formation is incorrect. Teachers make good use of a handwriting scheme to build on earlier skills to raise standards.

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ENGLISH

74. By the age of 11, pupils produce different types of writing such as fiction, persuasive writing, play scripts and formal letter writing. They examine and apply relevant characteristics and styles. Pupils in Year 6, for example, wrote a balanced argument on Zoos – Prisons or Sanctuaries , using their good moral understanding to help their thinking . They used their imaginations well as they wrote spells in the style of Shakespeare, such as Liver of a Lazy Lizard . However, in some classes, there is an inappropriate use of worksheets, which does not always allow pupils to work to their capabilities. As a result, pupils do not sustain their interest and progress in the lesson is limited. Higher attaining pupils develop their knowledge of English grammar, but pupils’ spelling and punctuation skills are generally weak. They understand how to plan a story and organise their ideas, for example on how to write a simple play script, a biography and an autobiography. They

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ENGLISH

use capital letters and full stops accurately in their different forms of writing and are beginning to use speech marks appropriately. The systematic approach to handwriting continues and allows most pupils to improve. However, by the time pupils reach Year 6, lower attaining pupils still do not write clearly and fluently and with appropriate attention to size, proportion and orientation.

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ENGLISH

75. Pupils with special educational needs have well identified needs and make satisfactory progress towards their targets. In addition to the placing of pupils into groups according to their ability, there is a range of initiatives to improve their skills in reading and writing for those pupils who have the greatest difficulties. Pupils receive good support from the learning assistants in classrooms and withdrawal groups. This ensures that they have every opportunity to develop early reading and writing skills.

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ENGLISH

76. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall although it varies between lessons and some is very good. All teachers take good account of the National Literacy Strategy in their planning. They have a secure knowledge and understanding of the subject and make clear what pupils need to learn. In the most effective lessons in Years 1 and 2, very good use was made of questioning and discussion Duke Street Primary School to prepare pupils thoroughly for their subsequent written work. Very good management strategies ensured that the pupils were very interested and engaged in their work and very good learning took place. In Years 3 to 6, in the most effective teaching, lessons were conducted at a very good pace. There were high expectations and challenge for most pupils so that they worked with effort and concentration. Well-prepared resources and their effective use stimulated pupils’ interest and

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ENGLISH

enhanced their learning leading to very good progress. In less effective lessons, the balance between the teacher instructing, discussing and questioning, and pupils engaged in subsequent tasks was inappropriate. Tasks for all pupils were not clearly based on what they previously knew and could do. Learning depended on the completion of work sheets, some of which were insufficiently challenging. Marking of pupils’ work is done regularly and conscientiously, but the quality of it is inconsistent. It is encouraging but in some classes, it lacks challenges and suggestions for improvement. Homework is set regularly and parents are generally supportive.

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ENGLISH

77. The management of English is satisfactory. The school has developed satisfactory procedures to assess the achievements of pupils based on the standardised tests given annually. This information is used to track the achievements of pupils as they move through the school, to make predictions and to set individual targets. However, the information is not always used as well as it might be to plan and set work that is well matched to pupils’ abilities within lessons. The school is conscious of the need to ensure that there is a closer match of pupils’ work to their differing needs and that a greater emphasis is placed on developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills in all subjects. The co-ordinator evaluates the work of teachers and pupils through the examination of pupils’ books, teachers’ planning and lesson observation. Pupils have limited opportunities to use information and communication technology to support spelling and reading and to word process finished items within

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ENGLISH

the classroom, but a computer suite has very recently been installed to which all pupils have access. Duke Street Primary School

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MATHEMATICS

78. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment in mathematics is average, similar to that found in the previous inspection. It is above that shown in the 2002 national tests at the age of 7 years, when there was a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs. Results have varied over recent years but have risen with the national trend. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment is also average but this is not as good as the previous inspection. This is because there were very considerable staffing problems in 2002 and a significant proportion of pupils joined Year 6 with behavioural problems. Above average mobility of pupils and staff has had a negative effect on standards. As a result, in the national tests in 2002, pupils’ attainment was well below the national average.

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MATHEMATICS

79. Standards are improving because teachers have a strong, shared commitment to work together, following this period of management and staff change and uncertainty that had an unsettling effect on the quality of teaching in the school. The strategy of grouping pupils from Year 3 onwards, according to their mathematical ability, has been effective in supporting the raising of standards. This arrangement helps teachers to plan work that more closely matches pupils’ learning and so improves their progress. Teachers are particularly sensitive to the needs of individual pupils and are aware that standards are not yet high enough. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress within the targets set for them because of the satisfactory levels of support they receive. Booster lessons for higher attaining pupils and extra ‘Springboard’ lessons for less able pupils provide additional valuable support to raise standards further. However, teachers do not

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MATHEMATICS

pay sufficient attention to increasing the challenge for the more able pupils, particularly in the juniors. Consequently, these pupils do not consistently make the progress that they should. There are no significant differences between the attainment of girls and boys.

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MATHEMATICS

80. Year 1 pupils enjoy mathematics and participate readily in a range of activities. They work well with tens and units and extend their mathematical language well. For example, they recognise odd and even numbers and correctly use terms such as before , after , longest and shortest . They recognise and name simple three-dimensional shapes and measure objects in non-standard units. By the time they are 7 years old, less able pupils add confidently to at least 30, average pupils work with greater numbers and higher attaining pupils multiply units confidently by at least 5 and 10. They are familiar with a range of two-dimensional shapes and understand terms such as doubling , multiplying , plus and minus . In one lesson observed, pupils confidently learned how to record numbers as figures and words. However, planned tasks for these higher attaining pupils do not always provide sufficient challenge to make all the progress possible.

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MATHEMATICS

81. In Year 3, pupils work hard because their teachers have planned the lessons well and pupils know exactly what they have to do. They apply their learning satisfactorily to solve a range of progressively demanding problems. For example, they use the four rules with numbers greater than 100. They understand how to measure in, for example, centimetres and millilitres and learn how to recognise reflective symmetry. However, pupils’ past work shows that much of their number work is worksheets that ask only for answers to questions. As a result, there are too few opportunities for pupils to record formal written procedures, for example, 25+78=103 . In Years 4 and 5, pupils further develop their multiplication and division skills and work with thousands. They identify equivalents of simple fractions. They collect and organise data using tally charts, bar and line graphs. Higher attaining pupils in Year 5 understand the meaning of terms such as vertices and clearly explain the

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MATHEMATICS

properties of shapes such as triangular prisms and tetrahedrons.

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MATHEMATICS

82. By the age of 11, most pupils have a range of strategies that they use enthusiastically to solve number problems. Pupils confidently use numbers to at least 1,000. They recognise equivalent fractions and can reduce these to their lowest terms. They have a sound understanding of ratio and perimeter and use line and conversion graphs to convert, for example, dollars into sterling. Higher attaining pupils tackle appropriately challenging tasks such as solving square numbers, finding factors, range, median and mode of a series of numerical facts. In one excellent Year 6 lesson, pupils worked very confidently and with enthusiasm because their teacher had established excellent relationships with them, planned very clearly and had high expectations of what they should achieve. Clear evidence of their commitment to do well was evident in one pupil’s opinion of mathematics: ‘I enjoy mathematics because it extends my knowledge’ and another, ‘Because the

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MATHEMATICS

teacher explains it so well. No-one is left out’. Duke Street Primary School 83. The quality of teaching is satisfactory with some better lessons, improved since the previous inspection. All teachers plan effectively for their pupils. As a result, the best lessons have a sharp focus, move at a brisk pace and the teaching is clear and authoritative. The National Numeracy Strategy is successfully established and teachers place a clear emphasis on the teaching of mental activities at the start of most lessons. As a result, the rapid recall of number facts is satisfactory. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and their use of time and they have established good relationships with their pupils. Consequently, they behave well and so make satisfactory progress. Class assistants provide valuable support to those pupils with special educational needs so that these pupils make satisfactory progress within the targets set for them.

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MATHEMATICS

Teachers use questioning skills well to assess pupils’ knowledge and understanding. For example, open-ended questions such as, ‘How do you know?’ and, ‘What have you learned?’ encourage pupils to develop their speaking skills to explain their understanding of the task. They mark pupils' work regularly, but the quality of marking is inconsistent throughout the school. The best marking clearly indicates what pupils have learned and what they need to do next to improve. The quality of marking is not so good where teachers employ a plethora of worksheets. These are generally undated, have few comments to support progress and are not arranged in any particular order to clearly identify progress over time. Most teachers bring pupils together at the end of each lesson to share and recall what has been learned. In the best lessons, teachers provide good opportunities for groups or individual pupils to explain what they have learned. All teachers use this opportunity

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MATHEMATICS

well to praise pupils’ efforts and to boost their confidence. Pupils work neatly because their teachers clearly expect them to take a pride in their work.

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MATHEMATICS

84. The school carefully analyses the results of national and school tests. It has recently begun to track pupils’ progress as they move through the school to measure pupils’ progress more accurately. However, these results are not yet being used in teachers’ short term planning to focus more accurately on what individual groups of pupils need to know to raise standards further. The experienced subject co-ordinator has monitored teachers’ medium term planning but does not yet have a sufficiently clear overview of pupils’ attainment and progress. Although some monitoring of teaching has taken place by the senior management team, the subject co-ordinator has not yet had the opportunity to monitor regularly the quality of teaching in order to identify best practice which could be shared throughout the school. She is aware of the school’s need to raise standards and provide tasks that are more challenging for the higher attaining pupils in order that they make better

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SCIENCE

85. Standards of attainment by the age of 11 are average. This is weaker than the standards in the last report but an improvement on the results of recent National Curriculum tests. Since 1999, these have been below the national average. In 2002, they were well below average and the proportion of pupils attaining higher levels was very low. Over time, there have been variations in achievement between boys and girls. However, the inspection now shows no significant difference in attainment between groups of pupils. Standards of teaching are variable. As a result, pupils in the infant classes make only satisfactory progress and achieve standards below those expected nationally. Progress in the junior classes is good and the proportion of pupils attaining at higher levels is improving. Throughout the school, teachers give pupils with special educational needs sufficient support for them to make progress with the other pupils.

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SCIENCE

86. By the age of 7, pupils make simple representations of the life cycle of a frog and understand basic electrical circuits. They recognise the main differences between living things but have too few opportunities to carry out experiments, pose their own questions or explain their ideas. Pupils’ recording relies heavily on prepared materials and activities that combine cutting, pasting and sequencing with simple drawing and colouring. As a result, pupils rarely present work independently, and there is insufficient focus on the development of scientific methods and concepts.

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SCIENCE

87. By the age of 11, pupils know about organisms that cause diseases and they understand and can explain about useful microbes. Most pupils can describe investigations they have carried out, such as to ‘find out if yeast is alive’. They explain that dough ‘grows’ and in a confined space causes a balloon to expand. However, they think this is because it ‘presses on the air’ and do not yet make links with living processes or the production of gases. They know about electrical circuits and explain clearly the effects of connecting bulbs in parallel and in series. Most pupils offer sensible Duke Street Primary School suggestions about increasing and decreasing the brightness of bulbs in circuits, and can relate this to everyday life. Most pupils record systematically and clearly in a variety of ways and this enables them to carry out experiments purposefully and with increasing independence. Less able pupils

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SCIENCE

have good support in recording observations of experiments, for example to separate solids from mixtures. Higher attaining pupils use research to extend their knowledge and understanding of the subject. They present their findings well. They use homework effectively and regularly to support work in the classrooms.

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SCIENCE

88. The quality of teaching and learning in science in the school varies but is satisfactory overall. In the junior classes, good and sometimes very good, teaching is beginning to raise standards. All teachers make good use of displays to support work in science. These are lively and interesting and are used to celebrate and illustrate pupils’ achievement as well as to stimulate discussion and support teaching. For example, Year 2 displays illustrating recent work on the dangers of electricity are used to make effective links with literacy in the use of instructional language such as ‘Always take care to…’ and ‘Never…’. In Year 5, a very effective art display links with science work on space, and includes boldly displayed key scientific questions to stimulate discussion.

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SCIENCE

89. Where teaching is good or better, well-planned lessons build on pupils’ prior knowledge. The range of practical activities enables pupils to extend their knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas through focused investigative work. Teachers choose well-chosen resources to capture and hold pupils’ interest. For example, a Year 2 teacher made good use of the picture book When there were Giants to introduce work on similarities and differences. Year 3 pupils measure three similar plants over time to find out how leaves and flowers contribute to grow. Through this work, they understand and explain the need to control conditions in order to make the test fair. They make careful observational drawings and conduct experiments to help them understand how water travels up the stems. In Year 6 and Year 4 classes, teachers successfully use recently introduced materials to develop and support pupils’ planning of investigations. This enables them to conduct experiments

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SCIENCE

systematically and independently and make sensible predictions about, for example, the conditions under which evaporation might take place more quickly. Not all teachers use these support materials and some teachers give too much direction, limiting the development of pupils’ own skills. This was identified as an area for development in the last inspection. Teachers are secure in their subject knowledge and use appropriate scientific vocabulary to give clear explanations to develop pupils’ scientific understanding and knowledge. In a Year 4 class, the teacher used skilful questioning to develop pupils’ confidence and raise self-esteem. When given the opportunity, pupils are eager to explain their ideas and do so with confidence. Pupils work hard and concentrate well, and lessons sometimes ‘buzz’ with purposeful activity. Teachers brief support assistants well to reinforce teaching and help to clarify pupils’ thinking. Pupils with special educational needs take

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SCIENCE

part fully in all practical aspects and are encouraged to join in with discussions.

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SCIENCE

90. Less successful lessons, particularly in the infant classes, do not focus enough on what pupils need to learn. For example, teachers do not clearly identify key scientific questions in individual short term planning. The quality of questioning skills varies between classes and weaker questioning does not extend pupils’ understanding. When instructions are not clear, pupils make weaker progress because they do not focus on the scientific aspects of tasks. When teaching is over directed, the pace slows, and pupils do not have enough opportunities to talk about their ideas or help to devise questions of their own.

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SCIENCE

91. The two co-ordinators work well together and they have identified appropriate areas for development. They are beginning to improve the teaching of investigative work and the use of scientific vocabulary in the junior classes. The impact is less pronounced in the infant classes where teachers’ use of worksheets limits the pupils’ opportunities to develop independent planning and recording skills. Teachers assess pupils’ skills regularly but there are no formally agreed records to track pupils’ progress. Limited use is made of the information passed to the next teacher annually to inform planning or to set targets for improvement for individuals or groups of pupils. Co- ordinators have monitored planning and undertaken scrutiny of work but do not yet monitor standards over time or analyse trends in attainment. This limits their ability to share good practice or support other staff.

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ART AND DESIGN

Duke Street Primary School 92. Attainment is similar to that expected of pupils at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, as indicated in the previous inspection. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. Few lessons were seen because art and design and design and technology lessons are taught in alternate half terms. Pupils' past work shows that the key elements of art and design are taught and some work is linked effectively to other subjects. This provides additional opportunities for pupils to use their artistic skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

93. Pupils develop skills in observational drawing and sketching throughout the school. Sketchbooks show that pupils develop their ideas and have satisfactory knowledge and understanding of drawing techniques, using pencils, pastels and paints. Pupils who have special educational needs often do well and enjoy the experience of expressing themselves imaginatively. Pupils’ self-portraits and still life drawings, for example of fruit, are of sound quality and carefully represent what they observe. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 explore colour, pattern, texture, line and tone, combining and organising them for different purposes. Teachers effectively use photographs of the work of established artists, such as Pablo Picasso, to stimulate pupils’ creativity. Pupils use a range of materials to create work in the style of the artists. For example, pupils study Ekim Dole-Cam’s outdoor sculptures and excitedly create abstract sculptures.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. Pupils in Years 3 to 6, build satisfactorily on the knowledge and skills acquired earlier. They create designs in the style of William Morris and sketch thoughtful figure drawings, building up their techniques, successfully, in line, shading and perspective. Pupils have increasing knowledge of the work of artists such as Van Gogh, Kandinsky, and Andy Warhol. Their prints of Ancient Egyptian tomb patterns and drawings of Tutankhamen’s treasures show a satisfactory understanding of the historical and cultural influences on art. By Year 6, pupils express their own ideas and interpretations with increasing confidence and sophistication. Work on textiles develops satisfactorily and samplers demonstrated the combination of a range of embroidery techniques. Teachers use computer programs satisfactorily to support study. For example, Year 5 pupils made collages of shapes based on The Snail , by Matisse and Year 6 pupils produced landscapes and

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ART AND DESIGN

seascapes recreating the style of J.M.W. Turner. Visits to stimulate creativity are often linked with other subjects such as history. Pupils enjoy their art lessons, particularly observational drawing. The subject makes a sound contribution to pupils’ cultural and social development.

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ART AND DESIGN

95. Teaching is satisfactory and teachers ensure that all pupils, including those for whom English is an additional language, are fully involved. In the most effective lower junior lessons, teachers’ knowledge of the subject is good. Teachers prepare well and use resources effectively to engage the interest of the pupils. In one lesson however, many pupils had no protective clothing when mixing paints to achieve the desired effect of a dream-like atmosphere. At the end of the lesson, pupils talked about their work and made thoughtful comparisons of the different methods used. However, they had limited skills because they have had infrequent and irregular opportunities to discuss their work and their thoughts. Pupils’ attitudes within the lessons seen were positive and enthusiastic and many relish chances to extend and develop their skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

96. The co-ordinator manages the subject satisfactorily. There is now a more effective scheme of work that gives detailed guidance about the knowledge, skills and techniques that pupils need to know as they move through the school. However, the assessment of pupils’ skills by teachers is limited and this reduces the effectiveness of teachers' planning. Although the co-ordinator has secure understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, there are insufficient opportunities to monitor teaching and share good practice.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. Standards are similar to those expected nationally by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. These standards have been maintained since the previous inspection for pupils aged 7 and have improved for pupils aged 11 years. Teachers are more secure in their knowledge and understanding of the subject, supported well by a good scheme of work. There are now increased opportunities for all pupils to design and make for a purpose. Few lessons were seen, because the subjects of art and design and design and technology are taught in alternate half terms. However, pupils’ past work shows they have completed tasks suitable Duke Street Primary School for their age, and their skills and knowledge are developing satisfactorily. Pupils with special educational needs attain the appropriate standards for their capabilities and make satisfactory progress. The few pupils with English as an additional language play a full and

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

98. Pupils in Years 1 and Year 2 use models, pictures and words to describe their designs. They improve their skills in handling paper, card, and malleable materials. They learn to cut, shape, join and combine materials to make, for example jointed figures of themselves. They cut out components accurately, with the aid of templates, and join them with split pins, staples, glue and thread. Pupils develop ways to introduce movement, such as simple levers, and use recycled materials to make moving vehicles with axles and wheels fixed to a simple chassis. Well-chosen visits, for example to a working vehicle museum, enhance their knowledge and understanding. Pupils begin to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their designs, evaluating the finished products by seeing how well they fit the original design. Pupils enjoy food technology, are aware of the different characteristics of fruits and vegetables, and use appropriate words to describe their

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. From Year 3 to Year 6, pupils build satisfactorily on the knowledge and skills already acquired. They use different joining and decorating techniques, for example, to make attractive money containers, paying attention to function. Older pupils learn about fabric construction and appliqué, and use more advanced techniques such as running stitch and backstitch when making slippers. Pupils in Year 5 investigated ways of playing various musical instruments and identified the materials used, before designing their own. Year 6 pupils investigate different types of structures such as in the construction of a bird box, an igloo, and a tent. They applied their numeracy skills effectively when accurately measuring and cutting to make a box container. They are developing awareness of different ways to fabricate and the associated vocabulary, such as tension and triangulation. There are sound links with other subjects, such as when pupils make Victorian houses and bivouac

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

shelters. Evaluation of the products is now a feature of all lessons. Pupils sketch their designs and record evaluations of their work, but do not consistently use their sketchbooks to keep a record of their achievements.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100. The quality of the teaching in the few lessons observed was satisfactory. Teachers identified clearly what pupils were to learn and provided resources to enable pupils to work with interest and excitement. Organisation was good and pupils were left in no doubt about the lesson’s purpose. In some lessons, however, a sense of urgency was lacking so tasks were not completed. In another lesson, opportunities to extend pupils’ speaking and listening skills were missed when classifying a variety of fruits and vegetables. This resulted in some loss of pupils’ interest and concentration. Pupils respond enthusiastically to design and technology tasks and they make satisfactory progress. They discuss their work with interest and talk about the processes involved in designing and evaluating. There is less evidence, however, of pupils using computers in their designs.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101. Leadership of the subject is satisfactory and the co-ordinator is enthusiastic. There is no formal assessment of pupils’ skills to help teachers to match tasks to pupils’ existing skills. However, the co-ordinator is collating samples of pupils’ work as a reference for teachers to judge standards of pupils’ work. Overall, resources are adequate and the school has a trolley for transporting resources around the buildings. However, regular and frequent availability remains a problem, because of the layout of the school buildings.

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GEOGRAPHY

102. Throughout the school, all pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress and attain the standards expected for their age. These results match the judgements of the previous inspection. The school makes satisfactory use of national guidance to ensure that teachers provide a broad curriculum for their pupils. There is a good range of visits and visitors to the school such as parents, other adults and a visitor who has shared valuable experiences about her life in South Africa. Year 6 pupils have Duke Street Primary School established links with pupils in a school in Paris and Year 1 follow ‘Barnaby Bear’ on his holiday travels in Europe. All of this makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ personal, social, moral and cultural development.

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GEOGRAPHY

103. Year 1 pupils learn about different places because their teachers provide satisfactory opportunities for them to develop their observational skills to draw maps of the immediate locality. They mark the streets in which they live so that they learn to recognise the locality of their homes in relation to others. By the end of Year 2, they have a wider understanding of the world beyond their homes. For example, they compare their own town with an island in northern Scotland. Teachers provide valuable opportunities to compare the different types of transport and shopping facilities and pupils learn well. Most pupils understand that maps have keys and symbols to provide information and they learn how to record their own. They use their literacy skills satisfactorily to record simple sentences about the differences between Chorley and the island of Struay. Support assistants provide positive

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GEOGRAPHY

support to those pupils with special educational needs so that they achieve their full potential within the targets set for them.

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GEOGRAPHY

104. Pupils make satisfactory progress in developing their skills through the school because teachers provide interesting and challenging tasks to motivate them. In one Year 3 class, pupils used and interpreted atlases, comparing different climates and using this information sensibly to choose a holiday. Because their teacher shared her good subject knowledge well, pupils quickly learned geographical vocabulary such as polar and tropical . They accurately identified different regions according to their climate by making good use of the key. For example, one pupil explained that ‘warm is not cold and not red-hot’. Another understood clearly what excessive heat would do to a rain forest. Pupils in Year 5 considered the different ways that water travels. They were very attentive and very well behaved because their teacher provided a very lively explanation. They knew the meaning of specialist terms such as precipitation , interception and infiltration , because of the

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GEOGRAPHY

teacher’s very good subject knowledge and use of questioning skills. As a result, pupils made very good gains in their learning. By the end of Year 6, pupils further develop their mapping skills and learn about coastal features such as arches, stacks headlands and coves. They further develop their research skills by studying the maps of the area around their school in Victorian times, identifying where there had once been brick works and mills.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. Pupils have good attitudes to geography and show pride in the presentation of their work. Teachers regularly mark their work for correctness but do not always include sufficient comments to develop pupils’ learning further. Teachers plan well for the subject and this has a positive impact on the satisfactory progress. Pupils make satisfactory use of their literacy and numeracy skills as they record their learning in writing or graphs.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. Too few lessons were seen to make a judgement about the quality of teaching across the school. However, teachers’ planning is clear and shows good knowledge of the subject. In those lessons seen, teachers had high expectations of pupils’ attitudes and behaviour that led to well-managed lessons. Teachers made effective use of time to promote the pace of learning. Class assistants provided valuable support, particularly when working with pupils with special educational needs.

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GEOGRAPHY

107. The subject co-ordinator has good knowledge of the subject and is very enthusiastic. She regularly looks at pupils’ written work but has not yet had the opportunity to visit classes to assess the quality of teaching and learning. Systems for the assessment of pupils’ learning in geography are not yet in place but these are planned for the future.

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HISTORY

108. Standards reach those expected for both Year 2 and Year 6 pupils. This is not as good as those indicated in the previous report because there have been many changes in staffing and Duke Street Primary School the co-ordinator is very new to the post. However, the quality of teaching is improving because of new appointments and the curriculum offered to pupils is broad, rich and varied. This is already having a positive effect on raising standards.

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HISTORY

109. In Years 1 and 2, pupils have a simple understanding of the passing of time because they investigate pictures and objects from the past to the present day. They do this, for example, in their topic on ‘Homes Now and Then’. Year 1 pupils have looked at different types of homes and have had glimpses into the past by comparing old and recent household equipment such as hot water bottles and sewing machines. By the end of Year 2, pupils have a sound understanding of events beyond their living memory because their teacher provides them with a satisfactory range of appropriate experiences. For example, they compared pictures and photographs of people during the lifetime of Florence Nightingale. They were keenly involved and well behaved because the teacher gave them opportunities to share and discuss their pictures and to record their findings. They show their understanding of Remembrance Day when writing, ‘Lots of soldiers got killed fighting

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HISTORY

and we wear poppies to remember. The men are now very old’. Pupils enjoy their lessons and make satisfactory gains in their learning.

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HISTORY

110. Satisfactory progress extends through the school because teachers plan effectively to ensure that they develop their pupils’ skills. Pupils’ written work shows that all aspects of the history curriculum are covered. Colourful and informative displays, for example about Ancient Egypt, clearly illustrate pupils’ understanding of different ways of representing the past. In a Year 4 lesson, the teacher skilfully introduced some Viking artefacts to stimulate pupils’ interest in the topic. As she produced particular objects and dress used in battle, there was a sudden sensation of awe and wonder within the classroom. Older pupils grow in confidence when writing about their understanding of particular times and events. For example, Year 5 pupils wrote about the hobbies of people in Tudor times and compared these to their own. There was evidence of good use of information and communication technology in their classroom display. In another excellent lesson in a Year 5 class, pupils

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HISTORY

discussed the feelings of those who had perished in the sinking of the Mary Rose warship. Their imaginations were fired by their teacher’s enthusiasm and excellent subject knowledge, which he skilfully shared with them. They listened attentively and were totally absorbed because he brought the subject alive. As a result, they used their own imaginations eagerly to record their feelings sensitively in a form of a diary. By the end of Year 6, pupils have clear understanding of the characteristics and passage of time. They identify changes in different periods because teachers have provided a broad and rich curriculum for them to explore. For example, they make sound comparisons between different types of transport, traditions and schools in Victorian times and the present. Most pupils write satisfactorily but lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs still find this difficult. However, they make satisfactory progress because their

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HISTORY

111. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall with one good and one excellent lesson observed. In the best lessons, teachers challenge pupils well and have high expectations of attitudes, standards and use of time. They provide a variety of resources so pupils can research the subject for themselves. As a result, pupils make good gains in their learning. They have regular opportunities to develop their literacy and research skills, including using information and communication technology. Most pupils enjoy their lessons because they are interested in the tasks they are given. All pupils present their work neatly and teachers mark this regularly. However, the quality of marking is inconsistent. The best marking is when teachers provide supportive comments so that pupils understand what they have achieved and what they need to do next to improve.

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HISTORY

112. The subject co-ordinator has only recently taken over responsibility for the subject and as yet has had no opportunity to look at what is happening in other classes. However, she has a clear view of how the subject can be developed. The school uses national guidelines Duke Street Primary School effectively and supplements these with its own scheme of work to assist its planning. Teachers use a wide variety of visits in the local area and further afield very effectively to extend pupils’ understanding and to give them personal experiences for developing historical skills. Visitors to the school such as parents and grandparents share discussions about their youth and so provide an added dimension to pupils’ personal, moral, social and cultural development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

113. Pupils achieve the expected standards by the ages of 7 and 11 years. This represents an improvement by the age of 11 from those indicated in the last report. The school has very recently purchased substantial new resources, including establishing a suite of networked computers and Internet connection. The co-ordinator has made good use of national guidance for the curriculum and has arranged substantial training for all staff. As a result, teachers' confidence in the subject has increased and the use of computers has improved. The school is now equipped to meet all National Curriculum requirements and there are clear signs of rising standards through the school. Arrangements for monitoring teaching, however, are weak and this restricts opportunities for teachers to share what works well. For example, some teachers are developing useful informal systems to assess how well pupils are achieving in order to match tasks to their needs. However,

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

these are not used throughout the school and much work is given to the whole class, with additional support to help lower-attaining pupils to learn.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

114. Pupils in the infant classes learn to use computers through appropriate games and activities. For example, they improve their accuracy in using the mouse as they arrange items when they Dress Teddy . In Year 1, they create graphs from data they have collected in their numeracy lesson. They recognise and correctly name the parts of the computer system and explain how they work together. Through the infant classes, pupils develop their use of different tools in a drawing program. By Year 2, pupils have increasing familiarity with the layout of the keyboard as they add text. They have opportunities to create writing in a number of simple forms such as lists and instructions. Most know how to get capital letters and can change the size and colour of their writing to improve the appearance. Although they use programs to sort information, few have clear understanding of what they are doing.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

115. In the junior classes, pupils continue to develop their skills. They show good confidence and understanding when logging on to the network, loading programs and opening files. They create pictures using a good range of drawing tools, write text and increasingly combine graphics and pictures. Year 3 pupils learn some technical vocabulary associated with databases as they collect and use a paper version of the computer program. Teachers use this well in their clear explanations and effective questioning. This work makes a good contribution to pupils’ skills in using alphabetical order and sorting information. Year 4 pupils understand how the computer is able to check spellings in their texts. Many are clear that they may be right but ‘the computer hasn’t got this word in its dictionary’. Lower attaining pupils in this lesson and in some withdrawal groups had particularly good support to make good progress in information and communication technology (ICT) and

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

language skills. Year 5 pupils have increasingly fine control of the computer as they create shapes to draw scaled plans of their classrooms. By Year 6, pupils show confidence when they make comparisons between paper and electronic systems using spreadsheets. They know and correctly use the specialist language of spreadsheets in their answers to questions. They show interest and enthusiasm, taking pride in their increasing skills and their understanding of how to sort information.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

116. The new computer suite is encouraging teachers to approach developing pupils’ skills systematically and teaching in the suite is sometimes good. Teaching is satisfactory overall and enables all pupils to learn soundly throughout the school. Teachers generally plan lessons in the computer suite well, with effective use of a range of suitable resources. Because the suite is new and the space available is small, teachers are still identifying the best ways to use the room. The most effective lessons seen during the inspection allowed well-prepared pupils to work in their pairs with adults providing necessary support. When teachers tried to keep all pupils working together, the pace of the lessons fell and learning was weakened. Teachers generally introduce new vocabulary carefully and ensure that pupils recognise and use the new words correctly. Teachers have increasing confidence with the new equipment and teach the basic skills to pupils appropriately. As a result,

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

pupils enjoy working with computers and most feel confident in their work. Pupils of all ages work Duke Street Primary School together in pairs very effectively, taking turns and sharing equipment. They discuss their work supportively and are keen to help each other.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

117. There is less evidence of teachers creating opportunities for pupils to apply and develop their skills using computers in the classrooms. For example, pupils rarely write or find information using CD- ROMs and the Internet in lessons in other subjects. However, some teachers do take opportunities to incorporate aspects of other subjects in ICT lessons. This is particularly apparent in the ways teachers help pupils to gain mathematics skills through working with spreadsheets and databases. Some useful projects are developing, such as e-mailing messages to other pupils abroad.

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MUSIC

118. Pupils achieve average standards by the ages of 7 and 11 and satisfactory progress has been made since the time of the last inspection. The recently appointed co-ordinator has good knowledge and understanding of the subject. She has identified clear ways that the school can improve provision and raise standards in her development plan. The school now uses national guidance to support teachers’ planning and the school has purchased appropriate resources to support teaching. Some pupils have instrumental tuition in brass and woodwind instruments. A developing range of extra- curricular activities such as recorder clubs is giving pupils additional opportunities to apply and develop their skills in the subject.

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MUSIC

119. Throughout the school, pupils sing tunefully and with enthusiasm. Teachers encourage all pupils in the infant classes to join in with singing and actions in well-known hymns. Even the youngest pupils make good attempts, although not all know the words. Pupils showed much enjoyment as they sang hymns such as Kum Bayah in assemblies. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 sang confidently and articulated the words well. Many began to introduce good levels of expression in their singing. The oldest pupils sang well although some made a fuss when finding the words in their hymnbooks, although most already knew the words by heart. Pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in music lessons, often supported well to allow them to make good contributions.

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MUSIC

120. Teaching is satisfactory throughout the school. In many lessons, pupils listen carefully to music. Year 2 pupils, for example, begin to identify different instruments being used although some do not know the correct names. The teacher carefully introduced them to terms such as wind , string and percussion , encouraging them to use these in their answers to her good questions. By the age of 7 years, pupils use a range of simple percussion instruments correctly and are able to repeat patterns. They begin to recognise how music can be represented by symbols although many are unable to apply this to their own compositions. Pupils in the junior classes increase their specialist musical vocabulary satisfactorily. Teachers’ planning clearly identifies new terms they will teach and, as a result, some pupils correctly use terms such as ostinato in their descriptions of music. Some pupils begin to listen more carefully to music and express their ideas. Year 4 pupils, for example, all

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MUSIC

listened with great attention to challenging music by Charles Ives and imagined the scene depicted. Most pupils were keen to express their ideas although many were restricted by their limited vocabulary. Year 5 pupils sang songs in two parts with satisfactory control. The teachers’ good relationships encouraged pupils to have confidence to perform and improve the quality of their work. A number of pupils were keen to sing and most other pupils listened attentively. However, the teacher missed opportunities to extend their learning by discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the performances.

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MUSIC

121. Music lessons make a significant contribution to all pupils’ personal development. Pupils respond well to lessons and most enjoy working together with other pupils to develop their performances. Through listening to different forms of music, pupils discover different aspects of cultures and make some comparisons with their own lives. Pupils learn to be encouraging and to recognise pupils’ achievements. For example, pupils break into spontaneous applause when other pupils sing or perform well. Many are developing good understanding of how to improve their own performances by working with others. Duke Street Primary School

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

122. Standards are in line with those expected nationally by the ages of 7 and 11 years. There is no difference in relative standards between boys and girls. Most pupils take part enthusiastically and all are included in all normal class activities. Those with special educational needs have good support from teachers and support assistants and this enables them to make good progress. For example, a pupil with Aspberger’s Syndrome made good progress in a gymnastics lesson, giving a demonstration to other pupils, because the support assistant joined in enthusiastically alongside him. Another pupil, who was reluctant to take part in a games lesson, was treated sympathetically by the teacher and quickly joined in.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

123. Teachers provide a good range of activities. Swimming is included in the timetable for pupils in Years 5 and 6 at the local leisure centre. Skilled swimming instructors teach the pupils who achieve the nationally expected standards. An annual opportunity for Year 6 pupils to take part in outdoor activities during a residential long weekend visit extends the curriculum. Additionally the staff provide a wide range of clubs and activities after school for older pupils. Boys and girls both attend these well and they contribute to the considerable success that the school enjoys when competing against other local schools.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124. In gymnastics lessons, pupils in the infant classes move around the hall using space well. They learn to transfer the skills they learn on the floor to small apparatus. They take turns co-operatively and enthusiastically in well-planned activities and make simple evaluations of their own and others’ performance. In an indoor games lesson, pupils improved their skills of throwing and catching using beanbags. However, the lack of choice of apparatus for this simple activity limited the challenge, particularly for some more able boys. As a result, their unsatisfactory behaviour inhibited their own and others’ learning and pupils did not make sufficient progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

125. Pupils in the junior classes explore combinations of jumps. They move skilfully in different directions and work together to produce matching sequences, for example using symmetrical and asymmetrical jumps. Pupils understand how to be both competitive and collaborative because the teacher uses the language appropriately. Well-planned activities with a good range of apparatus improve pupils’ throwing and catching skills. In good lessons, pupils are challenged to ‘make it more difficult’ for themselves by varying the speed and direction of their throws. They practised with partners on the move and in small game situations. The teacher supported their learning well and engaged them in useful discussions about how they could improve. Teachers often encourage pupils to make brief evaluations of performance. However, these are not sufficiently focused on improving pupils’ skills, such as in linking movements together. As a result, pupils’ speaking was not

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

extended sufficiently and their understanding of improving the quality of their movement was limited.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

126. Teaching throughout the school is variable and ranges from good to unsatisfactory although it is satisfactory overall. Teachers generally establish good routines to ensure pupils’ health and safety. For example, older pupils routinely cover earrings and remove jewellery without needing reminders. Pupils know why they should warm up and understand the effects that exercise has on their bodies. Where teaching is satisfactory or better, teachers plan lessons well, give clear instructions and the limited space available is used effectively. Pupils are actively engaged in the tasks and encouraged to make sensible choices about equipment. They learn to handle apparatus safely and to listen carefully to instructions about how to arrange it. Pupils are involved in the evaluation of their own and others’ performances. They comment sensibly, and in doing so they often give considerable thought for others’ feelings. When given time to do so, they make

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

improvements based upon the discussions they have had. Very good provision for pupils’ social development helps pupils to play together co-operatively and this contributes to Duke Street Primary School pupils’ standards in physical education lessons. In unsatisfactory lessons, teachers do not explain what pupils are going to learn and organisational instructions are not clear. Activities are not sufficiently challenging to engage all pupils and problems with behaviour management result in periods of inactivity for many pupils. Pupils’ evaluations of performance are limited to ‘why they like it’ and they are not given time or information to enable them to improve.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127. Resources for teaching are satisfactory overall. The hard play areas are extensive and have a variety of markings for pupils to use. The school playing field is on the opposite side of a busy road but staff use it well when weather permits. However, the accommodation for indoor activities is unsatisfactory. The multi-purpose main hall is a thoroughfare and groups of pupils and adults passing through frequently interrupt lessons. Tables, chairs, cupboards and storage boxes are stacked against the walls and this makes it difficult to organise and choose equipment with pupils. The small hall used by pupils in Years 1 and 2 has a low ceiling that restricts the range of activities possible, such as jumping from higher apparatus.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

128. The co-ordinator is well qualified and enthusiastic about his role. He is well supported by a number of staff who work with him to provide a wide range of activities for older children. A dance club is planned to extend the opportunities to Year 3 pupils. The role of the co- ordinator does not involve the monitoring of quality and standards in the school. This restricts his ability to support improvements in teaching and learning or sharing good practice.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

129. Pupils’ work reaches the expectations set out in the locally agreed curriculum by the end of Year 2 and Year 6, as it did the last time the school was inspected. The co-ordinator has recently established a system for checking what pupils can and cannot do, but it still does not give teachers enough information about what pupils find hard and what they do well. Not all teachers use the system consistently yet.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

130. Teaching is satisfactory throughout the school. Teachers make good use of the guidance for teaching the subject and are clear about what pupils are to learn in lessons. Pupils learn about a range of faiths as well as developing a firm understanding of Christianity by the time they leave in Year 6. There is a good emphasis on encouraging pupils to learn and use the special words associated with particular faiths. Because of the teacher’s constant reminders, pupils in Year 6 pupils remembered that the stages of Hindu life are ashrams . However, they found it hard to explain what spiritual , physical and economic meant in the text they were asked to read.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

131. Displays that promote learning from other religions are not a strong feature in and around the school. However, some teachers use borrowed resources effectively so that pupils can examine artefacts like a puja tray and the Koran. Through these, pupils learn about some practices but less about beliefs. A pupil in Year 2 made a good contribution to a lesson when pupils were learning about the Muslim call to prayer. She confidently sang a translated version in English that gave other pupils a better understanding of her faith. However, there are still too few visits to local places of worship or visiting speakers to make the subject more interesting and real for pupils.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

132. Whilst pupils listen carefully and behave well, they sometimes show little deep interest in their work. Lessons are not always as interesting as they might be, particularly when pupils spend too long on uninteresting and inappropriate recording tasks and worksheets. These often concentrate on reinforcing factual knowledge, like the key features of the first ashram in a lesson in Year 6. Sometimes, when teachers do not organise their lessons effectively and pupils spend too long colouring, cutting and gluing worksheets into their books, pupils’ Duke Street Primary School behaviour deteriorates and unsatisfactory learning results. Pupils’ knowledge of religions is better than their understanding of them, and their appreciation of what they can learn from them for their own lives. This is reflected in the relatively weaker provision for pupils’ spiritual development through the school. Pupils have too few opportunities to explore

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

these aspects through discussion, and to increase their understanding of other faiths through people in the community.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

133. Good teaching in Year 3 helped pupils to explore role models and how they had influenced their lives. In the introduction, there were good opportunities for pupils to think of the people who had been good role models for them. As pupils wrote their own accounts, there was individual discussion so that pupils appreciated their kindness and other qualities. In a similarly good lesson in Year 6, pupils thought hard about what they would like to achieve in the first stage of their own lives, making choices about studying, training and their aims for the future.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

134. The subject manager provides sound leadership for the subject. However, there are few checks on the quality of teaching to highlight what works well and where improvements are needed. This means that inconsistencies are not picked up and remedied as quickly as they might be.

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