Bounds Green Junior School

Bounds Green Junior School

Dates of inspection: 10 th -12 th November 2003

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Bounds Green Junior School

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Bounds Green Junior 2 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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Bounds Green Junior 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. Bounds Green Junior 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Junior School category: Community Age range of pupils: 7-11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 263

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Bounds Green Road London Postcode: N11 2QG

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 020 8888 8838 Fax number: 020 8365 7986

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Nigel Scott

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 12 th October 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Bounds Green Junior School caters for children aged seven to eleven and is about the same size as most other primary schools. It is housed in a large two, storey Victorian building and shares its site with its partner infant school. Since the last inspection, the infant school has ceased to use the building because of the extension of its own premises. Some of the accommodation has been refurbished, but the parts vacated by the infant school await refurbishment. Currently, the school has 263 children on roll. Most of these have transferred from the infant school. However, there is considerable mobility in and out of the school so that a significant number of children join or leave other than at the usual times. The children are divided into 10 classes, two each in Years 3 and 4 plus three each in Years 5 and 6. Attainment on entry is generally below average. The children come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds and include Traveller children as well as those from

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

asylum seeking or refugee families, some of whom have had no prior experience of school and have come from war zones. The largest ethnic groups are Black Caribbean and Black African, including Congolese, Ghanaian and Nigerian children. English is not the mother tongue of nearly half the children at the school. A significant number of these are at the early stages of learning English. Almost half the children on roll are eligible for free school meals. The socio-economic circumstances of many families are low. The percentage of children identified as having special educational needs is above the national average. It includes four with statements of particular need. Bounds Green Junior 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

10090 Kath Beck Lead inspector Design and technology Art and design 6436 Alan Andrews Team inspector English Special educational needs 13481 Doug Binfield Lay inspector 32162 Adrienne Beavis Team inspector Information and communication technology Geography History Science 7694 Martyn Richards Team inspector English as an additional language Mathematics Music Physical education Religious education

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

360 Lee Valley Technopark Ashley Road London

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.oftsed.gov.uk). Bounds Green Junior 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 13

Teaching and learning The curriculum Care, guidance and support Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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Overall evaluation

This is a satisfactory school that is facing its many challenges with determination. It is emerging positively from a difficult period involving considerable staff instability and refurbishment of much of its accommodation. Inclusion, the needs of individual children and a close working relationship with parents are paramount. The school works hard to see that all children do as well as they can. However, a significant number of them join or leave the school other than at the usual time and this is a barrier to achievement. The school’s results in national tests are better when compared to schools with children from similar backgrounds than when they are compared to all schools nationally. In the current Year 6, standards are below those found nationally. Action has been taken on evidence of underachievement by Black African and Caribbean heritage boys. The effectiveness of the action has not yet been checked, but there was no evidence of underachievement among

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Overall evaluation

these children during the inspection. Teaching and learning is satisfactory, although some very good teaching was observed and the specialist teaching of children at an early stage of learning English is excellent. The leadership, management and governance of the school are satisfactory and there is an awareness of the need to raise standards. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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Overall evaluation

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses:

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Overall evaluation

• There is good provision for children with special educational needs and they achieve well as do those with English as an additional language. The specialist teaching of the latter is excellent. • Inclusion is good. Children’s views are actively sought and they are guided and supported well. • Staff are good role models for the children and there have been good appointments in key areas. • Parents are pleased with the school. The information given to them is good. • Standards in English, mathematics and science need to be raised as does children’s competence in information and communication technology. • In spite of the school’s efforts, attendance is poor. • Children’s behaviour in some classes and outside of lessons is unsatisfactory as is their ability to undertake responsibility and to work independently and collaboratively. • Better use needs to be made of assessment to help set individual targets. Teachers’ marking

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Overall evaluation

should more often show children what they need to do to improve. • There is a lack of support staff other than for children with a particular special educational need. • Some of the accommodation and resources are unsatisfactory.

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Overall evaluation

The school’s improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory. Disruption to staffing in the past year has interrupted some of the developments. There are now policies, schemes of work and staff with curriculum responsibilities for all subjects as well as a suitable performance management programme. Provision for children with English as an additional language has improved significantly. A collective act of worship takes place each day. Steps have been taken to improve attendance, the use of assessment data and information and communication technology, but there is still work to do.

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Standards achieved

Bounds Green Junior 7 all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English C D E C mathematics C E E D science D E E E Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those with similar percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals. 22% of the children taking the tests joined the school at times other than Year 3.

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Standards achieved

The school has generally sustained the standards noted in the previous inspection and improved them in English. This is despite the considerable barriers that children experience in their learning. These include special educational needs, low levels of attendance, little prior experience of school and moving from school to school. In addition, in the past year there have been difficulties with staffing and accommodation. Depending on the abilities of the children in the year group, its results in national tests rise and fall dramatically when compared to the national scene. Its performance when matched with similar schools is better. The schools trend in improvement is below that found in schools nationally, but it adds satisfactory value to children’s education. In the current Year 6, standards in English and mathematics are below those of most schools and in science they are well below. However, from a below average start, children are achieving satisfactorily over time when

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Standards achieved

their prior attainment is considered. Those with special educational needs or English as an additional language make good progress. Children’s competence in information and communication technology is below average, but a newly installed computer suite provides opportunities for improvement. Children’s attitudes towards the school are satisfactory and in the good lessons they show interest and work hard. However, behaviour is unsatisfactory in some lessons and around the school. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory overall. They get to school on time, but attendance is poor despite the school’s actions to bring about improvement. This is because some parents do not make enough effort to ensure regular attendance.

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Quality of education

The school provides a satisfactory quality of education for its children. Teaching overall is satisfactory, although there is some good and very good teaching. The specialist teaching of children with English as an additional language is excellent. Children with special educational needs, Traveller children and those from asylum seeking backgrounds are accommodated very well in lessons. High priority is given successfully to promoting equal opportunities. However, there are no assessment procedures for tracking progress in science and information and communication technology. In other subjects, assessment information is not used fully to inform the setting of individual targets. Teachers’ marking is sometimes untidy and too often there is no clear indication to the child about how to improve. The curriculum is enriched through good use of visits and visitors. Children are cared for and supported well. The school makes effective use of its challenging

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Quality of education

accommodation and the new computer suite is a good facility. Resources for learning are unsatisfactory in several subjects. While the number of teaching staff is satisfactory there are insufficient classroom assistants to provide children and teachers with support they need. The school’s partnership with parents is good and its links with the community are satisfactory.

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Leadership and management

Bounds Green Junior 8 The leadership and management provided by the headteacher and governors are satisfactory. They have come through a particularly difficult period in terms of staffing and accommodation. However, they are aware of the challenges to be faced and good appointments have been made to strengthen subject leadership and so help raise standards. The daily management of the school is efficient and enables everyone to get on with their tasks. The school improvement plan sets out realistic priorities for the future. A new senior management team has been established, but will need time to drive developments forward. Key appointments, such as in mathematics and in the responsibility for English as an additional language, are already having an impact on achievement. Satisfactory attention is given to staff training and the analysis of data to bring about improvements.

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Parents’ and pupils’ views of the school

Parents generally hold the school in high regard. Children are pleased to be at the school, knowing that they are valued and that their views are taken into account. There are concerns among the children and parents about behaviour.

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Improvements needed

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • raise standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science; • increase children’s competence in information and communication technology; • raise attendance levels; • enable children to take more responsibility for their behaviour as well as their capacity to work both independently and collaboratively; • develop effective assessment systems in science and information and communication technology. Use assessment data in all subjects to set children’s individual targets more effectively; • ensure that teachers’ marking enables children to know how they can improve; • increase the number of support staff; • improve the accommodation and resources. Bounds Green Junior 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Standards are below those normally found. Trends in results over time rise and fall dramatically depending on the abilities of the different groups of children taking the tests. Generally the trend in improvement in results is below that found in other schools. However, from a below average start, children achieve satisfactorily, especially in relation to similar schools.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school faces many challenges in overcoming barriers to children’s learning and is successful in enabling them to achieve satisfactorily when prior attainment is taken into account. • Analysis of national test results has been used to bring about improvements to prevent underachievement of Black African and Black Caribbean groups. • Children with special needs and those learning English as an additional language achieve well in relation to their abilities. • The standards in English have improved since the last inspection, but are still below that expected. • Standards in science are not as good as they were and are now well below average in Year 6.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English C D E C mathematics C E E D science D E E E Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those with similar percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals. 22% of the children taking the tests joined the school at times other than Year 3.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

1. The school has generally sustained the standards noted in the previous inspection and improved them in English. This is despite the considerable barriers that children experience in their learning. These include special educational needs, low levels of attendance, little prior experience of school and moving from school to school. In addition, in the past year there have been difficulties with staffing and accommodation. Results in national tests in 2003 were well below those usually found in all schools in English, mathematics and science. However, when matched with similar schools, results were average in English, below average in mathematics and well below in science. Over time, results have risen and fallen, but the school’s performance has remained favourable when compared to similar ones. The recent trend in improvement is lower than in many schools, but the picture is improving in English and mathematics. This is due to the impact of the literacy and

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

numeracy subject leaders and some good teaching. Children who remain at the school achieve as well as they can and some brighter children reach the higher than expected Level 5, especially in English. National data indicates that the school adds satisfactory value to the children’s progress. Bounds Green Junior 10 2. The school places strong emphasis on trying to meet the needs of the individual. Analysis of national tests results in 2002 indicated that there was some underachievement of children from Black African and Black Caribbean heritage. The school, supported by the local education authority, has taken some action to improve these standards, especially among black boys of African and Caribbean heritage. The impact of the initiative has yet to be evaluated, but there was no evidence of underachievement among this group during the inspection. The school has also introduced a national initiative, Springboard, to enhance the rate of progress of children thought to be

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

underachieving in Years 3 to 5. A new teaching assistant is supporting this initiative as well as developments in numeracy throughout the school. The school now sets children by ability for English and mathematics and this is helping to match work more closely to needs. Systems for assessing children’s progress have not been developed in science or information and communication technology sufficiently. In English and mathematics the school uses optional national tests to gather information. However, this together with teachers’ marking and assessments are not used effectively enough to set individual targets to enhance the rate of progress or inform children of what they need to do to improve in the short term.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

3. Children learning English as an additional language achieve well in school. Their speaking, reading and writing skills develop systematically, although even the most fluent often find difficulty in mastering complex and abstract ideas in subjects, such as mathematics and religious education. Children at the earliest stage make particularly rapid progress because they receive high quality teaching provision. Children from most ethnic minority and Traveller backgrounds also make steady progress as they move through the school. Children from asylum seeking and refugee families settle well in school and also achieve in line with their abilities. Brighter, gifted and talented children usually benefit from work matched to their needs and achieve satisfactorily. 4. Current standards in Year 6 in English and mathematics are below average. This is because there are a number of children in the year group with significant special educational needs.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The national literacy and numeracy strategies have been implemented appropriately. Improvement in children’s writing skills has been a priority for development and action taken is proving effective. Children are taught is ability groups for writing work shops and in Year 6 children are taught by ability to improve their comprehension. These initiatives are sustaining satisfactory achievements. Children’s limited vocabulary holds back skills in speaking and listening and understanding the relevant vocabulary in mathematics. In reading, while brighter children read fluently, other children find it hard to understand the text when they take little notice of the punctuation. Few have the research skills to find information they need independently.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

5. In science, standards are currently well below average. Opportunities for scientific enquiry have improved since the last inspection, but limited resources means there is too little emphasis on children’s participation in lessons. As a result, teachers use worksheets that do little to take children’s learning forward and make it hard for them to track children’s achievements. Some of the brighter children are not challenged enough.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

6. The new computer suite is beginning to impact standards in information and communication technology, but they remain below average as they were at the time of the last inspection. This is because changes to the building and staffing disruption interrupted teaching in the subject. In addition, children’s progress is not assessed adequately and so it is difficult for teachers to ensure skills are developed well enough to reach higher standards.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

7. In religious education, children’s attainments are in line with those of the locally agreed syllabus. This is an improvement since the last inspection. More time is available for teaching the subject and visits to places of worship enhance children’s understanding, but resources to make learning in class lessons more purposeful are unsatisfactory. Bounds Green Junior 11 8. Other factors that influence standards and achievement include teaching, children’s attitudes, behaviour and resources. Teaching is satisfactory overall, but in the better lessons, children learn at a faster rate. Activities interest them and they work hard. In other lessons, children become restless and talk while their teacher is talking. This slows the pace of learning for all children in the class. In addition, there are a few children who are troubled and find it hard to behave well. The lack of teaching assistants means teachers do not have the help they need to provide for

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

these challenging children. In history, geography, design and technology and art and design, resources are unsatisfactory and do not support the curriculum as well as they should. These subjects have not had the benefit of consistent leadership and management in recent years.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Attitudes to learning are satisfactory, but poor attendance and unsatisfactory behaviour in some lessons means that academic standards are not as high as they could be. Provision for spiritual, moral and social development is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good relationships throughout the school contribute to the racially harmonious community. • Punctuality has improved and is now good. • Attendance is very low compared to most schools and the level of unauthorised absence is very high. • The incidence of unsatisfactory behaviour in lessons and around the school results from undemanding work, lack of opportunities to use their initiative, work collaboratively and develop their capacity to work independently.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 6.2 School data 3.7 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Commentary

9. Low attendance levels have been a problem for many years despite the school’s extensive efforts to improve them and this has an impact on children’s attainments. A contributory factor is the high number of children leaving the school each year without informing the school. The importance of regular attendance is frequently stressed to parents verbally and in writing. The school has very clear procedures for monitoring attendance. This includes an impressive computer system that provides prompt information, but as yet there is no break down of absence by ethnicity. The current arrangements for the immediate follow up of unexplained absences were introduced in January 2003. These have had a positive impact including greater parental awareness of the need for their children to attend school. There is close co-operation with the education welfare officer who visits the school regularly. The target for attendance in 2003 to 2004 is 91%. A level of 91.9% was

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Commentary

achieved in the first seven weeks of the year, although absence, without permission from the school remained very high. The improvements made in punctuality ensure that planned activities start promptly each morning.

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Commentary

10. In the very good lessons children are keen to learn and work hard on both written and practical tasks. In small group sessions for children with special educational needs or English as an additional language, attitudes are very good as a result of the high quality teaching. In these sessions, children concentrate hard and become engaged in their work. However, in other lessons concentration is not sustained and children become restless. This happens sometimes because Bounds Green Junior 12 work is not challenging enough or relies on poor quality worksheets. In addition, there are not enough support staff to enable teachers to meet the wide range of the needs of all the children.

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Commentary

11. Despite the school’s considerable efforts, behaviour is overall unsatisfactory. In the best lessons, children are managed very well and so they behave appropriately, but in others, time is spent dealing with interruptions and restlessness that slows the pace of learning. A few children have really challenging behavioural difficulties that pose significant problems for teachers, especially when there is not a teaching assistant present in the room. This often involves a lack of self- discipline and opportunities for teachers to develop all children’s capacity to work independently and co-operatively are lost.

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Commentary

12. Children are boisterous and noisy when moving around the school especially when they are not closely supervised. Staff report that behaviour in the playground at lunchtimes has improved considerably since the new enclosed ball court was opened a few weeks ago. However, there are times when children with significant emotional difficulties find it very hard to manage issues that make them really upset during the breaks from lessons. Senior staff intervene quickly to calm them and maintain their inclusion in the life of the school. Despite the school’s very supportive efforts, this does make it hard for them to be in the frame of mind to learn.

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Commentary

13. Procedures for dealing with misbehaviour, including bullying, are thorough and implemented fairly. Very few incidents of racial harassment occur. The behaviour problems that arise involve boys and girls from all backgrounds and age groups. In their responses to questionnaires, over one tenth of the children said that others did not behave well and almost half said other children behaved well sometimes. Almost a quarter of parents have concerns about the standard of behaviour. Inspection evidence shows that such reservations are justified.

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Commentary

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Commentary

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 52 1 0 White – Irish 5 0 0 White – any other White background 16 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 14 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 1 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 4 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 10 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 7 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 4 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 11 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 16 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 29 4 0 Black or Black British – African 28 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 2 6 0 Chinese 3 0 0 Any other ethnic group 58 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 3 0 0 Bounds Green Junior 13 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. 14. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. This improves

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Commentary

on the last inspection, where provision for spiritual development was unsatisfactory. Collective worship now takes place regularly and follows a soundly planned programme. At its best, it provides very good opportunities for children to reflect in a quiet and reverent way on their own and others’ beliefs and feelings. Often however, whole school assemblies, with a minimal staff presence, fail to create the necessary sense of occasion and intimacy. Some class lessons also call on children to think about right and wrong, about fairness and about sacrifice. In one lesson for example, the theme of Remembrance was handled in a moving and effective way. Children extend their social skills through group work in class and other collaborative and team activities. Lessons, such as one in religious education on “How we can help each other,” also reinforce social responsibility, while the annual residential trip to Wales provides experience of social living away from home. A school

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Commentary

council, which gave children a rare opportunity to learn some of the skills of active citizenship, has been disbanded, but this is to be reviewed. The curriculum, especially in the arts, reflects a broad range of cultures. However, too little is done to celebrate the wealth and richness of the particular cultural experience of the children themselves. Little acknowledgement is made of the impressive bilingualism and multilingualism of most of the children.

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Commentary

15. Personal development is helped by the good role models set by staff. Children are encouraged to take on responsibilities, such as house captains and helping in the dining hall and acting as monitors. However, there are not enough opportunities for children to understand their responsibilities with regard to their behaviour. An impressive programme of educational visits extends children’s experience and helps to encourage self esteem.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school offers a satisfactory quality of education. Teaching is mostly satisfactory, although that for children with special educational needs is very good and for those at an early stage of learning English, it is excellent. The school has a commitment to inclusion and equal opportunities for all children. It seeks to enliven the curriculum with visitors, visits to places of interest and for the older children, a residential visit to Wales. Assessment is unsatisfactory as individual targets are not set well enough to enhance the rate of children’s progress. In some subjects, resources are unsatisfactory and do not support the curriculum appropriately. Accommodation is unsatisfactory overall and presents many challenges. The new computer suite is good and offers opportunities for improvement in computer skills. Staffing is satisfactory, but there are not enough teaching assistants to support learning.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. The assessment of children’s work is unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Specialist teaching of children at an early stage in acquiring English as additional language is excellent. • In the very good lessons, teachers have high expectations and children respond very well. • Teachers emphasise opportunities for children to extend their vocabulary and complexity of their sentences. • Children with special educational needs and those from asylum seeking backgrounds are fully accommodated in lessons. • Children benefit from good relationships with their teacher and grow in confidence in most lessons. • There is some acceptance of unsettled behaviour so the pace of lessons is slowed. There is also a lack of consistency in enforcing expectations for calm application to work. Bounds Green Junior 14 • Other than in English and mathematics, work is not planned in enough detail to challenge children of varied abilities. • Too many lessons are prescriptive. Teachers sometimes use worksheets inappropriately

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Main strengths and weaknesses

and deny children the opportunity to make decisions or show initiative. • Assessment is not used well enough to inform target setting to meet the needs of individual children.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 36 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

1 (3%) 5 (14%) 10 (28%) 19 (53 %) 0 (0%) 1 (3%) 0 (0%)

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Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Commentary

16. The quality of teaching is satisfactory, as it was at the time of the last inspection. The school is now fully staffed with permanent teachers and this is supporting continuity in children’s learning. During the inspection, teaching in specialist areas and some in Years 3 and 5 was very good although there is also work to do in improving teaching in Year 5. Teachers place strong emphasis on promoting equal opportunities for all children and are focussing on preventing underachievement in Black African and Caribbean groups, especially boys. From a below average start, children achieve satisfactorily as they move through the school.

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Commentary

17. Children learning English as an additional language are taught well overall. Those new to English benefit from excellent teaching by a specialist English as an additional language teacher. The specialist lessons are vibrant and engaging for the children, who grow in confidence minute by minute. In class lessons, teachers make every effort to reinforce the language skills of the children, especially through questioning techniques that call for clear, explicit and extended answers. In many instances, plans for lessons have been drawn up in collaboration with the specialist teacher to ensure they meet the particular needs of these children. On rare occasions early stage learners are left struggling because they cannot understand what is required and there is no additional classroom assistance. Children from ethnic minority, asylum and Traveller backgrounds take a full part in lessons. Most teachers have appropriately high expectations of them, but some are inconsistent in

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Commentary

requiring high standards of attention and concentration. Work in mathematics and literacy extends brighter children, but this is not always the case. In science, for example, their work is little different from that of the rest of their class.

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Commentary

18. Children with special educational needs are taught very well by the special educational needs coordinator, especially in small groups during writing workshop sessions. Children are challenged to achieve as well as they can and draw on skills they have learned before. Knowledge of the way in which children with special educational needs learn is very good as many strategies are used to make them think hard and do their best. Insistence on high standards of behaviour enables children to show engagement, application and concentration in their tasks. The special educational needs coordinator liaises closely with class teachers to ensure that the work she does with the children links in with that of the rest of the class. However, much of the provision for children with special educational needs rests with the class teachers. They are supported very well by the coordinator who sees teachers’ planning and offers advice, as well as assisting in the writing

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Commentary

of the targets in children’s individual education plans. There are three classroom assistants who are deployed to work solely with children who have statements of special educational need. They know the children well and make a valuable contribution to their achievements.

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Commentary

19. Some children with specific needs, such as speech difficulties, also receive high quality, one to one help. The activities match targets in individual education plans and promote good speech Bounds Green Junior 15 and communication as well as literacy skills. During these sessions, relationships are very good, supportive and raise children’s self esteem.

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Commentary

20. In the very best lessons, observed in mathematics, English and religious education, children responded very well to the teachers’ expectations of high standards of behaviour and to work hard. All children, including those with special needs or English as an additional language were fully involved. The lessons included a wide range of strategies including opportunities for children to talk about their ideas with a friend before sharing them with the class. The teaching assistant for special educational needs was deployed very well, using puppets to engage the child in learning.

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Commentary

21. In other lessons, teachers have secure knowledge of the National Curriculum and the national strategies of literacy and numeracy have been implemented appropriately. Teachers use time, a variety of teaching strategies, homework and available resources appropriately to enable children to acquire knowledge, skills and understanding satisfactorily. Too often undemanding worksheets guide children’s work and this restricts their opportunities to use their initiative. Poor teaching observed in one lesson resulted from low expectations of what children could achieve, inappropriate tasks that lacked interest and acceptance of poor behaviour.

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Commentary

22. Relationships with the children are good in most classes. Teachers share their enthusiasm for learning, use humour to make learning fun and show care for the children. However, there are occasions when teachers accept restless behaviour that interrupts a calm working atmosphere. This slows the pace of lessons and shows that children are not encouraged as much as they should be to take responsibility for their behaviour. The very wide range of backgrounds, abilities and needs of children in each class presents teachers with considerable challenge. Their planning is satisfactory, but it is not always easy for them to meet all the needs of the children without additional help.

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Commentary

23. Assessment of children’s progress is unsatisfactory. The overuse of poor quality worksheets makes it hard for teachers to track children’s progress and check the National Curriculum level they are working at. Children set out their work neatly in their literacy books, but teachers do not provide good models of handwriting when they add their comments. This makes it hard for children to read what they have done well and how they are to improve. Except for children at an early stage of learning English and those with special educational needs, assessment is not used effectively enough to set individual targets for improvement, especially in the short term. As a result, in lessons other than literacy and numeracy, teachers’ planning does not take into account the needs of the differing abilities of children in the class.

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The curriculum

The curriculum is satisfactory. Staffing is satisfactory. Accommodation and resources are unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum is broad and balanced and meets statutory requirements. • It is inclusive and provides equality of opportunity. It successfully promotes the achievements of children with special educational needs, English as an additional language and those from asylum seeking backgrounds. • The school has a satisfactory programme for promoting children’s social and personal development. • The implementation of the national programmes in numeracy and literacy contribute to the sound progress children make. • The school makes good use of visitors and visits to places of interest to enrich the curriculum. • Accommodation and resources are unsatisfactory and do not support the curriculum well enough. Bounds Green Junior 16 • While the number and deployment of teaching staff is satisfactory there are insufficient classroom assistants to provide children and teachers with support they need. Bounds Green Junior 17

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Commentary

24. The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum and has addressed the main issues from the last inspection. There are now policies and schemes of work for all subjects that set out what and how children will learn. Assessment procedures however, are not fully in place for all subjects. The school now has a very successful teacher for children with English as an additional language. Statutory requirements have been implemented for collective worship and information and communication technology.

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Commentary

25. There are good induction arrangements for children joining the school, particularly those for whom English is an additional language. The school has satisfactory links with its secondary school. Children make visits and teachers meet to exchange information.

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Commentary

26. The school runs a successful programme of visits and visitors to enliven its curriculum including a residential week for children in Year 6. Famous authors visited recently to motivate children to write and this was particularly successful. There is a satisfactory range of extra curricular activities including, drama, football and netball.

p.17

Commentary

27. The school is inclusive and ensures equality of access for all children. The curriculum for children learning English as an additional language is good. Beginners benefit from additional teaching by a skilled specialist and class lessons are planned and taught in ways which ensure their needs will be met. Children from ethnic minority and Traveller homes, as well as those who come from Traveller families, take a full part in all the activities the school provides. Work programmes in some subjects, such as art and design and history, often present a wide cultural perspective, examples being a Black History Month and a study of Ndebele painting. Where such activities reflect the particular heritages of children in the school, they add to their self esteem and reinforce positive attitudes to learning. Overall, too little is done to celebrate the children’s own cultural experience and to acknowledge their achievement of bilingualism. Brighter children benefit from working in ability

p.17

Commentary

groups in mathematics and are suitably challenged by literacy work based on the national literacy programme. In other subjects, such as science however, they seldom receive the harder work they could manage.

p.17

Commentary

28. The school has sufficient teachers. Some have very good skills in special educational needs, English as an additional language, literacy and numeracy and these teachers are influencing standards and achievement. However, there are insufficient teaching assistants to support the needs of teachers and children and meet the demands of the curriculum fully.

p.17

Commentary

29. The school makes good use of its challenging accommodation which is spacious and set out on two levels. There are two halls. Stairwells have been decorated with murals to make surroundings attractive. However, overall the accommodation is unsatisfactory. Much is in poor condition, with flaking paint in some classrooms and the upper hall. In addition, there are cracked tiles in cloakrooms and on the stairs. The cloakrooms are poorly lit and wash basins are stained and unattractive. The location and numbers of toilets and the position of cloakrooms causes problems in managing the movement of children at play and lunch times. Parts of the school that could provide much needed toilet facilities are awaiting refurbishment. The playground surface is in poor condition; in particular one area, where equipment has been removed, constitutes a trip hazard. The children are very concerned about the state and smell of the toilets and wish for improvements to be made

p.17

Commentary

30. The new suite for information and communication technology, the playground area with new sports facilities and the refurbished staff room are strengths of the school. The computer suite is a good resource, but it is not yet used fully to support other subjects of the curriculum. The school library, situated in a converted classroom, is used well. However, many books are old and tatty and in need of replacement. The school is aware of this.

p.17

Commentary

31. The materials and equipment provided by the school are insufficient to support the curriculum in English, geography, religious education, art and design and design technology. Bounds Green Junior 18 Provision overall is unsatisfactory. More thought is needed about the storing and organisation of resources so that they are readily accessible.

p.17

Care, guidance and support

Good quality care and guidance enables children from diverse social and cultural backgrounds to feel happy and secure.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children of asylum seekers and those who come from non English speaking backgrounds are welcomed and quickly put at ease. • A strong emphasis is placed on pastoral care and guidance. • The surface of a playground area needs urgent repairs and the location of the children’s toilet accommodation causes difficulties. • Children’s views are valued and contribute to the decision making process.

p.18

Commentary

32. Good arrangements are made for children’s health and welfare. First aid arrangements are managed well and appropriate records are maintained. Personal, social and health education lessons take place as part of the curriculum and these include aspects relating to sex and drugs education. Child protection matters are dealt with carefully in close co-operation with the social services and other specialist agencies. The new dining hall, shared with the infants’ school and the extended playground area have improved facilities and are popular with the children. Governors are actively seeking funds to deal with defects in the condition of the old playground area which require urgent attention as they are trip hazards. Children are concerned about the siting and access arrangements to the toilet accommodation. This has been a long standing problem for the school and needs to be resolved urgently.

p.18

Commentary

33. Induction arrangements for the many children who join the school during term time work well. Teachers and specialist support staff provide helpful advice and encourage children to discuss their concerns. Children with special educational needs and difficulties with the English language are supported well. The year end reports give a clear view of children’s ability levels and areas for development. However, during the year children need to be told more often about how well they are doing and how they can improve.

p.18

Commentary

34. The school has established good induction procedures for children from asylum seeking and refugee families. Where some notice is given, outreach workers meet parents and their children at the school and provide interpreters to clarify issues. However, families often arrive unexpectedly and so the school calls on teaching or support staff, or older children, to help translate at these initial meetings. Children are helped to get to know others who share their cultural identity or language and soon settle into school. Priority is given to establishing a suitable level of English, to enable them to make social relationships and to understand classroom procedures. Excellent small-group teaching gives them this invaluable start. Subsequently the school, supported by outreach workers, maintains good contact with families, helping them to ensure their children benefit fully from what the school

p.18

Commentary

35. Children’s views about the school are sought through discussions in class, questionnaires and, last year, through the work of the school council, although this has now been disbanded. As a result, children contributed to projects, such as proposals for the playground extension, behaviour rules and arrangements for keeping the school environment tidy.

p.18

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Bounds Green Junior 19 The school works closely with parents who are well informed about its activities and their child’s progress. Links with other schools and the local community are satisfactory. Main strengths and weaknesses.

p.19

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

• Strong emphasis is placed on establishing good relationships with all parents including the provision of information in community languages. • Good advice is provided about children’s standards and progress. • There are very close links with the Bounds Green Infant School and with Alexandra Park Secondary School. • A minority of parents fail to ensure their children attend regularly.

p.19

Commentary

36. The close partnership arrangements with parents reflects the determination of the governors and the headteacher to provide a good service to parents from all backgrounds, especially with those who are new to the Haringey area. Good relationships with parents are central to the school’s purpose in enabling children to achieve as well as they can. There are effective links with groups and agencies who can give support to children especially from asylum seeking or refugee families.

p.19

Commentary

37. Good quality information about the school is provided in the prospectus, newsletters and the governors’ annual report. Parents are informed well about their child’s achievements and personal development at the termly consultation meetings with teachers and in the annual written reports. The headteacher and senior staff work closely with parents of children who find it hard to behave well so that they do not interrupt lessons and their self esteem is raised.

p.19

Commentary

38. Several parents provide voluntary help during lessons. The majority of parents show keen interest in the school and encourage their child to complete homework. School concerts and fund raising events promoted by the parents’ association are supported well. Donations from the association are used to help finance school outings and to provide equipment. Parents’ views, expressed through consultation and in questionnaires are carefully considered by the governors. They proved helpful in establishing priorities for the school improvement plan and in drawing up a revised sex education policy.

p.19

Commentary

39. Good arrangements facilitate the transfer of children from the infant school. This includes Year 2 children visiting the junior school in the summer term and co-operation between staff to help them get to know the children and their particular needs. The school has worked closely with the Alexandra Park School since this was established as a new secondary school four years ago. Good liaison between senior staff facilitates the smooth transfer of children at age eleven. As part of the transfer process, Year 6 children with special educational needs made an impressive collage illustrating the main differences between the two schools.

p.19

Commentary

40. The school has good links with local churches and financial support from nearby shopkeepers enabled Year 6 children to publish a magazine. The London Children’s Flower Society awarded the school a diploma for the daffodil display that the children had planted in a local park. The school buildings are used for religious festivals and for adult education classes in English.

p.19

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership, management and governance are satisfactory. The school is aware of the barriers to children’s learning and has good staff in key appointments to raise achievement in literacy, numeracy, English as an additional language and special educational needs.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

Bounds Green Junior 20 • Management of recent disruption to staffing and the building ensured children continued to make satisfactory achievements. • Appointment of key staff in literacy, numeracy, English as an additional language and strengths in special educational needs. • Strong commitment to equal opportunities and to the needs of the individual. • Provision of good role models. • Self evaluation is not rigorous enough. Assessment systems that teachers can use to track progress of different ethnic groups of children are not used effectively enough, although national test results are analysed according to the different groups.

p.20

Commentary

41. Leadership, management and governance are satisfactory as they were at the time of the last inspection. The headteacher, governors and deputy headteacher continue to work together harmoniously. In the past year, they have faced and managed successfully significant disruption to the life of the school caused by many staff changes and building work to refurbish areas vacated by the infant school. Despite these difficulties, children’s achievements remained satisfactory when their prior attainment was taken into account.

p.20

Commentary

42. The school is still in a period of transition as there is more building work to be done and new subject leaders need to settle fully into their roles. Staffing is secure at the present time and key appointments in literacy, numeracy and English as an additional language are making a good impact on children’s achievements. The teaching, leadership and management of special educational needs by a specialist is very good and offers the chance for children to work in small groups with tasks geared to their particular needs. A new senior management team has been established, but needs more time to really drive developments forward. All staff, including the headteacher have responsibilities for curriculum subjects and governors meet their statutory responsibilities. These factors help to overcome criticisms in the previous report. Monitoring of teaching and school self evaluation is mainly the responsibility of the headteacher and leaders in the performance

p.20

Commentary

management programme. This is not as rigorous as it should be to get a very clear picture of the overall effectiveness of the school. Analysis of national tests gives the school useful information to make important improvements, such as those for Black African and Caribbean groups, but teachers are not yet tracking the achievements of the different ethnic groups of children closely enough in the short term as they move through the school. This forms part of the school’s racial equality action plan.

p.20

Commentary

43. The school day runs efficiently and everyone can get on with their tasks. Procedures are clear and followed. Visitors are made to feel welcome by staff and children. The up to date school improvement plan is detailed and sets out realistic and appropriate priorities for development. Staff, parents, children and governors contributed to this following consultation. As a result, the school has produced a set of aims that encompass many of the parents’ and children’s expectations of what the school is about. The aims are set out in the school improvement plan and include statements, intentions and success criteria. There is a suitable performance management system that is based on a good programme of class observations to monitor teaching and learning. It includes feedback and target setting, as well as termly meetings with individual teachers to bring about improvements and enhance the rate of children’s progress. The focus for the current year is to enable all staff to

p.20

Commentary

help all children, including those who are particularly challenging, manage their behaviour and develop good relationships.

p.20

Commentary

44. Governors and staff are committed to educational inclusion and have successfully created a racially tolerant and harmonious community. They have tried to ensure the ethnic profile of the staff reflects that of the local community. They rightly see this as important in providing role models for children from different ethnic groups. A sound racial awareness policy has been introduced, with details of how its impact is to be checked to ensure effectiveness. As part of this, they have taken action on evidence of underachievement by black African and Caribbean Heritage boys, but have not checked to establish whether the initiative has been effective. Careful checks are made of the standards reached at the end of Year 6 by children of each ethnic minority group. However, staff are Bounds Green Junior 21 still at an early stage in checking the progress of each group year by year, to make certain none are

p.20

Commentary

falling behind and in setting appropriate targets. In this way, school self evaluation is not rigorous enough.

p.21

Commentary

45. The school has a full complement of governors who are determined to ensure that all children are supported effectively and enabled to do their best. Most are long serving and have a secure understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school, contributing appropriately to the school improvement plan.

p.21

Commentary

46. The aids to children’s learning stem from the determination of staff to do their best for the children in difficult circumstances. The building and grounds are very old and present many challenges, as it is hard to create an attractive environment in which to learn. Children complain about the poor state of repair and smell of the toilets. Access to them during the breaks from lessons is difficult and causes behaviour problems. Repairs to the playground require urgent attention as they present hazards likely to cause injury. Parts of the building that have been renovated, such as the new computer suite, are helping to improve achievement. That said, displays are attractive, value children’s efforts and are cared for well. Governors and senior staff place considerable emphasis on developing good working relationships with the parents who value this. Much of the work, especially in relation to working with parents whose children have difficult

p.21

Commentary

behaviour falls to the headteacher, taking up a lot of time. However, as a result of this work, children are motivated to learn and the school adheres to its policy of full inclusion for all children.

p.21

Commentary

47. The barriers to children’s progress include the difficulties the school faced in finding effective replacements for staff on long term leave over the past year. This hindered children’s progress, especially in Year 5. The leadership, management and developments of subjects, such as science, design and technology and art and design were also hindered resulting in the current lack of resources in these subjects. The governors and headteacher are right to be prudent about spending their budget. However, there are not enough classroom assistants to support teachers in the provision of a calm atmosphere, especially where there are children with particularly challenging behaviour.

p.21

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.21

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 880,812 Balance from previous year 77,583 Total expenditure 854,806 Balance carried forward to the next 103,589

p.21

Financial information

48. Last year the school successfully implemented a new financial management system. Governors and the headteacher ensure that decisions on the budget reflect the educational priorities identified in the school improvement plan. Appropriate emphasis is placed on securing best value. Recommendations in a draft audit report for improved monitoring and control arrangements are being considered by the governing body. The school believes that its number to admit, 90, makes it difficult to run an efficient budget. The balance carried forward at March 2003 is over twice the normally recommended maximum of five per cent. This arises from unexpected underspends that occurred towards the end of the year and because work on some grant aided schemes was not completed until late in the financial year. Current indications are that the balance at the end of the financial year in March 2004 will be within the recommended five per cent limit.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are below those found in most schools, but children achieve satisfactorily. • The focus on improving children’s writing is proving fruitful. • Some children have very good attitudes to reading, but few have the necessary research skills to work independently. • The subject is led very well.

p.22

Commentary

49. In the current Year 6, standards are below those of most schools. This is because previous learning was interrupted by disruption to staffing when the children were in Year 5 and the number of children with significant learning difficulties in the year group. Most children achieve satisfactorily taking into account prior attainment. Those with special educational needs and English as an additional language make good progress as a result of the provision made for them. There is little evidence to show that there is a difference between the attainments of children from different ethnic groups. Children, who stay at the school for some time, achieve satisfactorily.

p.22

Commentary

50. In the national tests for children aged eleven in 2003, standards were well below those normally found and this is similar to the last inspection. Within that time span, standards in Year 6 standards have risen and then declined over next three years. This reflects the number of children in the year group with significant special educational needs and the number of children moving in and out of the school, sometimes with no previous experience of education or at an early stage of learning English. That said, in 2003, the school’s performance was typical of school’s with children from similar backgrounds.

p.22

Commentary

51. Skills in speaking and listening are not as high as usually found. In the best lessons, teachers provide opportunities for children to discuss their ideas in pairs, but despite interesting stimuli children’s vocabulary is limited. Teachers promote learning and the use of a range of vocabulary by pointing out interesting words, considering what makes them so and looking at spelling, syllables and rhyming. This is not consistent throughout the school. A range of strategies, including puppets and questioning encourage children, especially those with special educational needs or English as an additional language to talk, but interruptions from restless or challenging behaviour hinder this. Teachers do not often provide group tasks and opportunities for children to work collaboratively are limited. Children who have joined the school recently are helped to develop their spoken English by ‘talking partners’ who translate for them. Drama club in Years 5 and 6

p.22

Commentary

enables some children to speak confidently and extend their vocabulary.

p.22

Commentary

52. Children have very good attitudes to reading and describe themselves as keen or very keen to read. However, reading standards are below those usually found. Brighter children read fluently, with good expression, clearly understanding the text and reading widely. Some have clear likes and dislikes and justify their choices. Few children have the library and research skills to find out information independently. Lower ability children do not always read with the appropriate intonation and regard to punctuation. This means they lose the meaning of the words and do not understand the material well enough to use the context to help with unfamiliar ones. Staffing difficulties, mobility of children in and out of the school and few opportunities for some children to learn to read at home are difficult barriers to learning for the school to overcome. Bounds Green Junior 23 53. In writing, standards are below average. The school is placing strong emphasis on

p.22

Commentary

developing children’s writing through workshops and teaching children in groups according to their ability. This is proving fruitful as children write for a range of purposes, including diaries, stories, playlets, poems, instructions and descriptions. Work is usually set out well with appropriate headings and dates. Children understand how to sequence events in the right order, but ideas lack imagination and are not often extended so as to add interest. Grammatical structure and spelling receive appropriate attention, but children make simple errors. Handwriting is usually joined, although children do not always take enough care over presentation. Marking is up to date. However, teachers’ own presentation of this is not always a good model. Some comments are developmental, but do not always make clear what the child needs to do to improve. There is little use of information and communication technology to enhance standards.

p.23

Commentary

54. Children’s attitudes to learning English vary according to the quality of teaching. In very good lessons, children work hard, concentrate for a long time and do their best to set out their work neatly. In others, children are restless and do not listen carefully enough to their teacher. In some classes children try to present their work neatly, but this is not consistent across the school. When working in small groups with specialist staff, children with special educational needs and English as an additional language show good attitudes as they are interested in what they have to do.

p.23

Commentary

55. The overall quality of teaching in the lessons observed was satisfactory, although there was a significant amount of good teaching and very good teaching in Years 3 and 5. The structure of the literacy hour has given teachers clear guidelines about the organisation of lessons and they use this appropriately. Resources are prepared carefully and lesson plans are usually clear about what children are to learn and how. This is often explained to them at the start of the lesson so that they know what they are going to do and how it builds on their previous learning. The good teaching stems from: • good relationships and an expectation that all children will work hard and do their best so that their self esteem is maintained; • secure subject knowledge that is used effectively to clarify teaching points; • good use of opportunities to reinforce basic skills, such as the use of letter sounds to read new words;

p.23

Commentary

• skilful use of questions to assess children’s understanding and progress; • a sense of purpose and pace that helps children develop their skills effectively. However, in some lessons the use of worksheets does little to take children’s learning forward and teachers’ modelling of handwriting on the marker boards is not good enough to help children write their letters correctly. Teachers’ assist children during lessons, but assessment is not used well enough to set individual targets to take their learning forward at a faster rate.

p.23

Commentary

56. The subject is led very well by a knowledgeable and experienced teacher so that satisfactory achievements have been maintained despite disruption to staffing. Teachers’ planning, children’s work and standards in reading are monitored carefully. National test results are analysed. Feedback on strengths and weaknesses is given to teachers so that improvements can be made. The subject leader draws on skills as a leading literacy teacher to improve standards, but does not yet observe lessons to gain a full over view of the reasons why standards are the way they are. Book Fayres, annual productions, visiting poets and authors, book days and theatre groups do much to motivate children to learn. Books in the library are in poor condition, but there are better quality books in classrooms.

p.23

Language and literacy across the curriculum

57. Literacy skills are not developed as well as they should be across the curriculum. Although there was evidence of children writing about their work in design and technology, generally the extensive use of poor quality worksheets restricts opportunities for children to write independently. Bounds Green Junior 24

p.23

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The introduction of the national numeracy programme has been effective and is improving standards. • The school’s system of setting by ability for mathematics helps ensure work is matched to the differing abilities of the children, especially in Years 5 and 6. • Subject leadership and management in mathematics are very good. • The allocation of younger children to mathematics ability groups in Years 3 and 4 does not discriminate sufficiently well between those of lower ability and those at an early stage in learning English as an additional language. • Children’ mathematical skills are not used often enough in other subjects. • Little use is made of information and communication technology skills to extend learning in mathematics.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

58. Standards in mathematics at the age of eleven are similar to those found at the previous inspection, despite the difficulties the school has faced in the meantime. They are below average overall, although standards of work in shape and measurement are average. Children progress steadily in the subject from their entry at the age of seven and their achievements are in line with their abilities. Even children at higher levels of language capability find difficulty in handling more abstract mathematical ideas and this hampers the school’s efforts to raise standards further. Children with special educational needs and those from asylum seeking families make satisfactory progress. Brighter children receive more challenging work in most lessons.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

59. National tests and assessments in 2003 showed overall standards well below average nationally and below those found in similar schools. Over the years since the last inspection, standards have varied year by year because of the different abilities of the groups taking the tests.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

60. By the time children leave the school, most have a sound understanding of shape and measures. They can group regular two dimensional shapes and solids, according to their defining characteristics, correctly using terms such as perimeter, vertices and faces. They measure length and volume accurately and have learned to construct and interpret simple data tables and graphs. They know most multiplication relationships up to 10 and use a variety of mental and written methods to calculate answers to straightforward addition, subtraction and multiplication sums. Brighter children can explain how a scale of 0 to 1 can be used to express the mathematical probability of an event occurring and convert the more common fractions into decimals. Many however have difficulty with calculation involving multiplication and division and problem solving.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

61. No unsatisfactory lessons were seen in this subject and several were good. In all the lessons, work was matched to the abilities of the children and teachers went to great lengths to ensure essential ideas were understood. In the best of the lessons, teachers brought obvious enthusiasm that encouraged the children to persist when work was difficult. They took every opportunity to extend children’ language skills through good questions, calling for full and explicit answers and through emphasising the importance of the correct use of mathematical terms. Several of the teachers are particularly skilled at identifying the causes of misunderstandings and finding alternative ways of presenting material to maximise the chance of successful learning. They use the structure provided by the national numeracy programme well to ensure each lesson builds carefully on the one that went before. This said, little use is made of information and communication

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

technology to extend work and interest in mathematics. Bounds Green Junior 25 62. All mathematics classes are taught to children grouped by ability. This works well for older children, since it helps teachers plan work well matched to children’s abilities. However, the mathematical abilities of many younger children are often masked by their limited skills in English. The assessments that lead to the placing of these children in lower mathematics groups take too little account of this.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

63. The recently appointed subject leader for mathematics brings a lively enthusiasm to the subject. Leadership and management of mathematics are very good. The subject leader provides a good model for her colleagues and is fully aware of the quality of mathematics teaching in the school and of how well the children achieve. Issues hindering improvement have been identified and a very thorough, sharply focused action plan for raising standards has been devised. The plan emphasises the importance of helping children master the language demands of the subject and provides a special programme of work for those identified as underachieving in Years 3, 4 and 5.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

64. Over a difficult period the school has sustained the performance reported in the previous inspection. There is no complacency about the need to drive standards up further and the beginnings of improvement are evident in the present work of the children and the initiatives of the subject leader.

p.25

Mathematics across the curriculum

65. Scrutiny of work indicates that, except in design and technology, teachers do not use mathematical skills often enough in other areas of the curriculum.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teaching observed was satisfactory overall, although there was some good teaching. • Children’s achievements are satisfactory. • The newly appointed subject leader has the expertise and enthusiasm to take the school forward effectively. • Opportunities for children to experiment and investigate are limited and brighter children are not always challenged to work at the levels of which they are capable. • Assessment is not used effectively to set targets and show children how they can improve.

p.25

Commentary

66. National test results in 2003 were well below average when compared to all and similar schools. Results are impacted by high absence rates, a significant number of children with special educational needs, movement of children in and out of the school, the difficulties experienced in staffing and the number of children for whom English is an additional language. Achievement is satisfactory when compared to their capabilities.

p.25

Commentary

67. Standards of attainment in science are not as good as they were at the time of the previous inspection when they were below average. Currently in Years 5 and 6, standards are well below average and in Years 3 and 4 they are below that expected for children of a similar age. Opportunities for scientific enquiry have improved since the last inspection. However, limited resources mean that there is still too little emphasis on children’s active participation in practical lessons. This, together with an over emphasis on the use of prepared materials and worksheets Bounds Green Junior 26 means that children are not sufficiently challenged to find out information for themselves. There is no whole school system for assessing children’s progress. Marking and teachers’ assessments are not consistently used to show children what they need to do next and how they can improve. Children generally apply themselves to tasks, present their work well and take care in what they are

p.25

Commentary

68. Teaching observed was satisfactory and sometimes good. In the best lessons, teachers’ subject knowledge was good and stress placed on children taking part and learning key vocabulary and concepts. Children mostly apply themselves and restless behaviour was not tolerated. In other lessons, the pace was slowed by children who found it hard to stay on task. Teachers’ planning overall does not pay sufficient attention to the needs of the different abilities of the children. Consequently some, particularly the brighter are not challenged to do achieve as well as they are could.

p.26

Commentary

69. The science scheme of work is based on a nationally recognised programme and states when each unit will be taught. This is an improvement on the previous inspection. The lack of continuity in the leadership of science means that developments in the subject have been interrupted. However, an enthusiastic and knowledgeable subject leader has been newly appointed this year and is already influencing standards positively. Strengths and weaknesses and areas for improvement in the school’s provision have been identified. With the help of the local authority the subject leader has analysed the strengths and weaknesses of children in Year 6 and has planned the curriculum to meet their needs. The school is now well placed to continue developments and improve standards in science.

p.26

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is satisfactory.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The provision of a broader curriculum since the last inspection. • Resources are improved since the last inspection. • Information and communication technology skills are not used sufficiently to raise standards in other subjects. • The use of assessment to track children’s progress has not been developed sufficiently.

p.26

Commentary

70. The previous inspection found that standards in information and communication technology were below that expected for children in Year 6 and this is still the case. However, a broad programme that fully meets the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum has been put in place.

p.26

Commentary

71. Children achieve satisfactorily. This includes those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language. These children are supported well by adults and in the latter case also by their friends who translate instructions for them.

p.26

Commentary

72. Most children in Year 6 are confident in their use of computer equipment. Using the keyboard and mouse they can locate and open a programme within a menu and save their work. With help, they can enter data accurately into a spreadsheet and convert it to a chart, change axis labels and titles. Throughout the school children’s knowledge and skills encompass a far wider range of applications than previously. For example, in Year 5 children are learning about the application of data bases in everyday life and in Year 4 they practise changing the style and presentation of text using a word processor. They have also used a graphics programme to create pictures in the style of Mondrian and Kandinsky. Children also have the opportunity to search the Internet and the school ensures its safe use. Bounds Green Junior 27 73. Teaching overall is satisfactory. In the best lessons, teachers are confident and secure in

p.26

Commentary

their knowledge. They make good use of the data projector and the interactive whiteboard in the computer suite to demonstrate programmes and tasks. Teachers take care to use the correct terminology and expectations for children’s behaviour are high. Children’s prior knowledge and experience are taken into account so that those with more experience are challenged to do more complicated tasks. Children enjoy their lessons, concentrate on their tasks and work well together in pairs. Where lessons are not so successful, expectations for children’s behaviour are lower, the children become distracted by the equipment and furniture and progress is limited. Leadership is satisfactory. Arrangements to take the subject forward are appropriate and use of the computer suite is already bringing about improvements.

p.27

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

74. During the inspection, there were some examples of children’s use of information and communication technology in other subjects, such as art, mathematics and science. However, teachers do not make the most of information and communication technology to raise standards across the curriculum.

p.27

HUMANITIES

Two lessons were observed in history, but no lessons were observed in geography and therefore, it is not possible to report on the quality of provision.

p.27

HUMANITIES

75. In geography , evidence gathered from analysis of children’s work, displays and documents and discussions with the subject leader indicates that standards overall are below those expected nationally, especially in the content of writing. This reflects some children’s lack of skill in the use of English. Teachers depend on the use of pre-prepared worksheets that do not meet the needs of all children. Higher ability children in particular are not challenged well and there are limited opportunities for them to develop geographical and enquiry skills. Achievement is satisfactory when prior attainment is taken into account. This is an improvement on standards in the previous inspection.

p.27

HUMANITIES

76. There has been an improvement in the policy and planning for geography since the last inspection. The school now follows a national programme of study. This means that children experience all the required elements. In Year 6, children are comparing different types of location and they can describe and contrast some features. In Year 3, children can write about holiday destinations and describe the different climates. In Year 5, children learn about water and its uses and have collected data, mapping the school for water sources and its supply to the classrooms. Some work is supported and enriched through educational visits to places, such as Trent Park.

p.27

HUMANITIES

77. Work is presented to an acceptable standard, but teachers’ marking does not indicate how children can improve their work. Resources are unsatisfactory. Some new books have been purchased recently, but the rest are old and in need of urgent replacement.

p.27

HUMANITIES

78. Standards in history are below the nationally expected levels at the end of Year 6. This is similar to the findings of the previous inspection. When prior attainment is taken into account children’s achievement is satisfactory. In Year 3, children are studying the Second World War. They engage in discussions about the life of an evacuee and can talk about how they would feel in that situation. In Year 6, children were just beginning a topic about life in Victorian times. Work shows little prior knowledge about this period. Bounds Green Junior 28 79. Teaching observed was satisfactory in one lesson and good in the other. Good teaching set the scene well so that children were fully involved in their learning. Questioning was good and children were engaged in discussions and given enough information to take part in role play. Teachers were well prepared and the use of available resources was good. However, the needs of

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HUMANITIES

the varying abilities of the children are not taken into account fully in teachers’ planning. Overall there are too few opportunities for children to develop skills in the interpretation of evidence and historical enquiry. Tasks are too dependent on the use of worksheets that do little to take children’s learning forward. The curriculum is enriched through educational visits to the Museum of London and the Transport Museum and with work completed in Black History month. The school makes use of the local authority lending service to show the children historical items and make learning real. The school’s own resources are limited.

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Religious education

Provision in Religious Education is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Provision is much better than at the time of the last inspection. • Most lessons are taught well. • Visits to places of worship and visitors to school extend and enrich the programme. • Children generally respond with interest and respect to their lessons in the subject. • Some lessons are too prescriptive, unduly dependent on teachers simply passing on information to the children. • Resources for the subject are unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

80. The previous inspection had many criticisms to make of the religious education programme. Central to these was the lack of an adequate scheme of work to make sure lessons built up children’s knowledge and skill in a systematic way as they moved through the school. Faiths other than Christianity were underrepresented in the programme, too little use was made of visits and visitors to school and the subject was not led positively enough. However, standards were found to be satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

81. The school’s response to the findings of the previous inspection has been very good. The timetable has recently been adjusted and this has made more time available for religious education. Coupled with a good new scheme of work based accurately on the locally agreed syllabus, this has led to a more consistent programme from class to class and fuller attention to all the required faiths. Visits add extra zest to the programme and help make learning real for the children. Recently they have visited an Orthodox and an Anglican church and a Jewish friend has come to school to talk with them about Judaism and what it means to her family.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

82. Standards of work by the age of eleven are similar to those expected from the locally agreed syllabus. Children have a fuller understanding of the factual elements of the religious education curriculum, such as festivals, places of worship, sacred texts, than of issues of faith and belief. This is because few have yet acquired the linguistic facility necessary to master many of these more complex ideas. Because they are interested in the work and taught well, children achieve well in relation to their abilities, despite the language difficulties often faced. For example many can explain the main events of the life of the Buddha and of how Buddhists express their faith in their lives. They know the main festivals and celebrations of the Jewish year and what these represent. After learning about the Sermon on the Mount, they were able to relate Christ’s teaching to their own lives and behaviour. A brighter child could also explain the Buddhist values of hard work, peacefulness and

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Main strengths and weaknesses

respect for life. Bounds Green Junior 29 83. In most lessons children with special educational needs and those still at an early stage in learning English as an additional language, progress well because modified tasks, or extra help, are available for them.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

84. Apart from one lesson where poor behaviour impeded learning, all the religious education lessons seen were at least satisfactory and several were of a very good quality. The strengths of these lessons lay in the teachers’ enthusiasm for the subject and their confident knowledge of the material being taught. They established an excellent classroom atmosphere, of calm and respectful interest, that enabled them to address challenging ideas. The children listened intently and concentrated throughout. They responded well to the high expectations of their teachers. They bring a range of personal and family religious experience to the lessons and teachers sometimes make good use of this. Occasionally teachers talk for too long, leaving children as passive recipients of the lesson, rather than active participants in it. When this happens, interest slackens and children do not progress as well as they could.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

85. The subject leader for religious education who took on the post only recently has a good depth of specialist knowledge of the area and presents a good example in teaching for others to follow. The subject leader rightly encourages colleagues to focus their work where possible on the children’s own faith experiences, commitment and religious values. This makes an important contribution to the ethos of the school. The subject leader oversees the programme of work by discussing lesson plans, but as yet has not been able to see other colleagues at work, or collect samples of children’s work for evaluation. Resources are unsatisfactory and the subject leader is seeking improvements. The equipment is inconveniently and uninvitingly stored. The overall leadership and management of religious education are satisfactory.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Only one lesson was seen in music and physical education and three were observed in art and design. No lessons were observed in design and technology and so judgements cannot be made about the quality of overall provision.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

86. Displays of pictures in the corridors and public areas of the school show that work in art and design represents studies of cultures from around the world, such as Aborigine, African, Japanese and Indian. Examples of children’s work based on Ndbele Art are of high quality. In Year 3, children studied images that illustrate different relationships. This was based on the work of Contes Barbares and enabled children to look in depth at expressions and features that convey the characteristics of the people in the pictures. Children used digital cameras to support their sketches and others used computer programmes to work in the style of Kandinsky. Displays of activities completed in the school’s art club show the effective use of a range of media, including clay and imaginative use of colour, water resist and ink. In the lessons observed, children learned about the ways in which people in action are represented in terms of scale, proportion and composition. Two

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

of the lessons were taught well and developed children’s skills successfully. Work in sketch books indicate children achieve satisfactorily over time. Resources are limited.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

87. The main examples of children’s work in design and technology on display were hats, shelters and pop up books made following the visit of several authors. These showed opportunities for children to use their initiative, explore how structures could be strengthened and understand how pop up books are made. The main emphasis was on design and making, with limited evaluation of how the items could be improved. The difficulties with staffing mean that there has been no leader for the subject over the previous year. The current subject leader is new to the school and has yet to have an impact on provision. Resources are limited.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

88. In music , a Year 5 class learned to sing a round , while in physical education a Year 6 class worked on sequences of gymnastic movement in the hall. The teaching of both lessons was satisfactory, although in both some restlessness affected concentration. While most children successfully developed the new skills required, some did not progress to the better levels of performance of which they are capable. The standard of singing, while enthusiastic, was not as Bounds Green Junior 30 good as usually found in children of this age. The same was true of the quality of movement in the physical education lesson.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

89. Provision for music has improved somewhat since the last inspection, but the subject still has a long way to go before it makes its full contribution to the life of the school. More lesson time is now allocated and a very good new scheme of work has just been introduced. This is especially supportive of teachers whose own confidence in music teaching is limited. Planning shows the regular attention now given to the subject. The school has recently taken part in an excellent initiative in which combined choirs joined for a major concert at Alexandra Palace. Some children have been able to go to a children’s concert at the Royal Festival Hall. There is also a regular Christmas Concert. A school choir for younger children has been established, but it takes place in lesson time and calls for other lessons to be missed. This is not a satisfactory arrangement and attendance is inconsistent. A small number of children take instrumental lessons, for example in piano and guitar.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

There are few opportunities for the instrumentalists, or the choir, to perform to their school fellows or others. Recorded music is played in assembly, but seldom discussed. There is now a subject leader for music, with skills and enthusiasm in the subject. However, as a part time teacher, having only taken on the post in the present term, there has been little opportunity to evaluate the quality of music work within the school.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

90. The programme of work in physical education covers the required areas of games, dance, gymnastics, athletics, swimming and outdoor activity. Games take place on the school’s hard play surfaces. There are some inter-school fixtures and a netball club meets regularly. The football club had not yet resumed at the time of this inspection. The school runs its annual Sports Day on a local playing field. Swimming takes place at a local pool and most children exceed the expected 25 metres by the age of eleven. This sustains the good standard of swimming noted in the previous inspection. An annual residential activity journey to Wales provides opportunities for outdoor sports, such as walking, climbing and archery. A good scheme of work provides structure for the physical education programme. The subject leader has only a very general idea of the quality of the provision of the subject.

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Commentary

91. The school includes children’s personal development in the timetable, but it has yet to develop a full programme. There is an emphasis on circle time to resolve issues in each class. In Year 5, children are thinking about citizenship. In Year 6, children are looking at roles and responsibilities and anger management. Visits from drugs counsellors to support drugs and health education and a programme of sex education are planned to take place during the year. There are elements of personal, social and health education in other subjects, for example healthy eating and dental care in science. The draft action plan includes the reinstatement of the school and class councils to develop skills in citizenship. Bounds Green Junior 31

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 3 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 4 Value for money provided by the school 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 4 Attendance 6 Attitudes 4 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 5 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 4 The quality of teaching 4 How well pupils learn 4 The quality of assessment 5 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 4 Accommodation and resources 5 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 3 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 4 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 4 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 4 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

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