Cardwell Primary School

Cardwell Primary School

Dates of inspection: 22nd – 25 th March 2004

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Cardwell Primary School

Inspection number: 255714 Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Cardwell Primary School - 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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Cardwell Primary School

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 – 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 377

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Frances Street Woolwich London Postcode: SE18 5LP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 020 8854 1051 Fax number: 020 8854 6060

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mrs Samantha Beattie

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 9 th – 11 th November 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is in the London borough of Greenwich, situated south of Woolwich dockyard. The school serves mainly four large council estates, with high rise blocks and terraced houses. Many families have social and economic problems associated with high unemployment. There are 377 pupils on roll. Over half the pupils are eligible for free school meals which is well above the national average. The school has a 25 place Nursery, with 10 full-time places. Children are admitted to one of two Reception classes each term and many of them have not attended the Nursery or experienced any other pre-school provision. The number of pupils who start or leave school at times other than the usual times is much higher than in most other schools. Thirty four different languages are represented in the school. The main languages are African, Somali and Asian and there are 10 refugee children. Forty seven per cent of pupils speak English as an additional

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

language, which is very high compared with other schools. Of these 30 pupils are at a very early stage of learning to understand and speak English. Twenty five per cent of pupils have special educational needs, which is above the national average and currently three pupils have statements of special educational need. Attainment on entry is well below that normally expected.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is involved in many national and local initiatives including an educational action zone, the Excellence in Cities initiative and Neighbourhood Renewal scheme. From September 2004, there are plans to extend the school’s Nursery provision and establish a children’s centre through the Sure Start programme. Cardwell Primary School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

2705 Pat Holwill Lead inspector Foundation Stage, Information and communication technology, Physical education 14007 Liz Pike Lay inspector 19774 Maura Docherty English, Special educational needs, English as an additional language, Art, design and technology 11590 Frances Forrester Team inspector Science, Religious education, Music 32323 Judith Puddick Team inspector Mathematics, History. Geography

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Inspection & Consultancy Partnership 360 Lee Valley Technopark Ashley Road London N17 9LN

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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.ofsted.gov.uk). Cardwell Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Cardwell is a good and rapidly improving school. The newly appointed headteacher has provided a very clear focus on improving standards and enriching the quality of education for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language. This has followed a decline in standards and provision during a period of considerable turbulence in the school’s life. Standards observed are average in English and science and well below average in mathematics in Year 6. Pupils are now highly valued and fully included in all aspects of school life. All staff share a very strong commitment to developing the caring and sharing ethos in the school which results in the very effective personal development of pupils. The school is led and managed by an excellent headteacher, who is well supported by her very able and effective deputy and staff. The school provides good value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well because teaching is consistently good with many strong features. • The headteacher provides outstanding leadership. There is a very clear educational direction to the school. • Pupils have very positive attitudes, they behave well and relationships are very good. • Pupils’ personal development is very good. The school achieves an impressive degree of racial harmony and integration. • Children in the Nursery are given a very good start to their school lives. • Targets set for pupils are not precise enough to help them know how to improve. • Teachers’ planning takes insufficient account of bilingual pupils’ existing language skills.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses

Improvements since the last inspection are good. Since the appointment of the headteacher, staff have made very rapid improvements to the children’s attitudes to school, their behaviour and the quality of teaching and learning. The school has been very creative in developing excellent community initiatives at the school. Standards are now improving and pupils achieve well. The headteacher’s leadership, supported by staff and governors, has been central to this.

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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 E* E* E* E Mathematics E E E* E Science E* E D A 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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievements are good overall. In last year’s national tests at the end of Year 6, standards were well below average in English and mathematics. The results in these subjects were in the lowest five per cent of all schools. They were below average in science. When compared with similar schools, results in English and mathematics were well below average, but were well above average in science. In the national tests at the end of Year 2, children’s results in reading, writing and mathematics were in the lowest five per cent of all schools. The reasons for these low results include the effects of the turbulent time the school has experienced. In addition, factors such as the poor attainment of children when they start at school; the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and those who have English as an additional language; and the high number of pupils who start school mid-year impact on standards. The school has set challenging targets to

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

improve standards in all subjects and is meeting them effectively. As a result, the school’s results at the end of Year 6 are now rising faster than the national average. Pupils’ involvement in setting their own targets is planned to help to track their learning and progress more precisely. By the end Cardwell Primary School - 7 of their Reception year, many children who enter school with standards that are well below those normally found are likely to achieve the early learning goals in their personal, social and emotional development, in communication, language and literacy, mathematical, creative and physical development and in knowledge and understanding of the world. Their achievements are good. Pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are very good and are strengths of the school. They are eager to learn and show a very high respect and

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

appreciation for the feelings and beliefs of others. They listen carefully to different points of view and work together well to complete their tasks. Punctuality is satisfactory but attendance across the school is unsatisfactory.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a good quality of education. Teaching is consistently good or better across all subjects; it captures the pupils’ interest and makes them want to do well. They are enthusiastic learners. Teachers have very high expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour. They give very clear explanations so that all pupils understand what is to be learned. In turn, pupils use and practise the skills they have learned well. Teachers create happy and purposeful working environments in which their pupils flourish. The work of the Nursery and Reception classes is very valuable in helping children to understand and use language well. The curriculum is broad and balanced with good opportunities for enrichment through participation in sport and the arts. All these strengths make learning a pleasure for pupils. However, teachers' planning takes insufficient account of bilingual pupils’ English language needs, and target setting is not precise enough for pupils to know how to

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good . The headteacher’s leadership is excellent. It has inspired very high levels of commitment and loyalty from all members of staff, and respect from parents and the local community. Standards are improving because of the high quality of teaching and learning and all pupils achieve well. The school is very effectively managed. Staff are very willing to take on responsibilities and are determined to ensure that every child’s needs are met. The monitoring of standards is good, but, as yet, assessment does not involve pupils in setting their own targets for improvement. The learning environment is colourful, attractive and stimulating and all the resources are used well. Governors’ effectiveness in carrying out their responsibilities is good. They have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and carers have overwhelmingly positive views of the school and have no significant concerns. They feel that the school works very well with them and provides them with very good information about their children’s attitudes, behaviour and achievements. Children enjoy coming to school and feel that their ideas and views are valued and that they trust all the members of staff.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Raise standards in English and mathematics. • Improve teachers’ planning so that the needs of bilingual pupils are met. • Involve pupils in setting more precise targets for improvement. • Raise attendance levels and help parents to understand the impact of absence on their child’s learning. Cardwell Primary School - 8

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils reach expected levels by the end of their Reception year. • By the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainments in information and communication technology are in line with national expectations. • All pupils achieve well and make good progress because teaching is good and often very good. • Pupils need to be more fully involved in evaluating their own progress and in target setting.

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Commentary

1. Children’s attainment on entry to the Nursery and Reception classes is well below that expected of children of their age. Many children begin school learning to speak English for the first time. The majority of children achieve well so that by the time they are ready to start in Year 1, they are likely to attain the early learning goals in their personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world, and in physical and creative development. Strong emphasis is placed on children’s personal, social and emotional development and on their listening and speaking skills. They make rapid gains in both these areas as a result of the special support from the oracy programme and the good teaching they receive. The children listen well to others, take turns, enjoy stories and learn to recognise and write words and sentences. They learn to count objects, understand addition and

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Commentary

recognise and write numbers. Children develop their knowledge of the world through observing living and growing things, finding out why things happen and how things work. They use the outdoor play equipment sensibly and use a range of materials, take part in role-play and sing simple songs and Nursery rhymes.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2003

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 22.0 (23.4) 26.8 (27.0) Mathematics 23.2 (23.6) 26.8 (26.7) Science 27.9 (26.7) 28.6 (28.3) There were 58 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

2. In the 2003 national tests at the end of Year 6, standards were well below average in English and mathematics and were below average in science. Their results were in the lowest five per cent of all schools. When compared with similar schools, results in English and mathematics were well below average, but were well above average in science. Year 2 pupils’ results in national tests and tasks in reading, writing and mathematics were also well below average and were in the lowest five per cent of all schools. Teachers assess pupils’ work in science and the results were also well below average. When compared with similar schools, pupils’ reading and writing results were well below average and in mathematics they were below. The difficult and challenging time recently faced by the school has impacted results. Other reasons for these lower than average results are: the very poor attainment of children when they start at school; the high proportion of

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Commentary

pupils with special educational needs and those who have English as an additional language; and the high number of pupils who start school mid-year, many of whom are just beginning to learn the English language. Cardwell Primary School - 9 3. The school’s results at the end of Year 6 are now rising faster than the national average. The inspection confirms that the present Year 2 and 6 pupils are likely to at least sustain their improvements in standards in 2004. Pupils are achieving well throughout the school. The school’s targets for the number of pupils to reach Level 4 or above in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 6 in 2004 are suitably challenging, but pupils currently in Year 6 are likely to meet the targets set for them. Evidence from lessons and pupils’ work bears this out. Effective implementation of the literacy and numeracy strategies, good teaching and the school’s efforts to

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Commentary

improve the setting of pupils’ targets are having a positive effect on standards of attainment an explains why achievement is good.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results Reading 11.8 (12.1) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 9.6 (11.6) 14.6 (14.4) Mathematics 11.6 (13.1) 16.3 (16.5) There were 52 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

4. Pupils listen attentively to their teachers and to each other, but many have difficulty in expressing themselves confidently and clearly. They sometimes have difficulty following instructions, especially if this requires skills such as inference, and this affects their response to the tasks set. However, in all classes there are examples of pupils being willing and able to express their own thoughts as teachers probe their thinking. Currently at the end of Year 6, most are likely to reach the expected standards in speaking and listening.

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Commentary

5. At the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainments in reading and writing are low when compared with the national average. This is because of the high number of pupils who come into school speaking very little English. Their reading improves rapidly as they move into Years 3 to 6, and they achieve well. They soon learn to use their knowledge of letter sounds to tackle unfamiliar words and read simple texts with reasonable understanding so that by the time they are at the end of Year 6, the majority of pupils are close to the reading age expected of Year 6 pupils. Older pupils are able to refer to the text to answer straightforward questions about their reading, but still find it harder to use the skills of inference and deduction.

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Commentary

6. In writing, standards are below expected levels in Years 2 and 6, and again standards are affected by bilingual pupils’ inexperience of the written forms of the English language. For example, teachers need to make clear to pupils the range of ways plurals are indicated and how they affect verb endings. Work in books indicates that most teachers have high expectations for presentation and handwriting, and pupils work hard to meet them.

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Commentary

7. In mathematics at the end of Year 2, pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of place value and can recall addition and subtraction facts to twenty and beyond. Extra adult support is available in all classrooms to help children acquire basic number skills. The use of visual materials together with games, the chanting of number facts and tables and frequent opportunities to work together supports children who have difficulty understanding language and also makes lessons enjoyable for everyone. Even so, attainment in Year 2 remains low but evidence collected during the inspection shows that standards are beginning to rise. In Years 3 to 6, the focus is on raising standards so that by the end of Year 6 pupils have a good understanding of place value, with many pupils able to work confidently handling calculations using high numbers. Intervention programmes are run by teaching assistants to help older children catch up, and pupils in Year 6 are taught in ability sets so

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Commentary

work can be better matched to their needs. This has a positive impact on standards particularly for higher attaining pupils. As a result, the school is likely to achieve its challenging 2004 targets. Cardwell Primary School - 10 8. By the time the present pupils reach the end of Year 2 and Year 6 standards in science are likely to be average when compared with national results. Pupils are achieving well so that by the end of Year 2 they are able to follow suggested lines of scientific enquiry. In a very good lesson in Year 2, the children learnt to connect a circuit using wires, bulbs and batteries. They greatly enjoy the practical aspects of science, and they work well, both in groups and on their own. Year 4 pupils experimented with various filters and sieves to discover the most effective way to separate solids. They were able to draw conclusions from their investigations and evaluate their work. By the end of

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Commentary

Year 6, pupils’ previous achievements have been consolidated, and learning has been extended well. They discover through discussion that micro-organisms are too small to be seen and that bacteria can be good or bad, and that some help digestion.

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Commentary

9. In information and communication technology there has been a very considerable improvement in standards, so that pupils are reaching nationally expected standards by the end of Year 2, but are not yet in line with what is expected nationally by the end of year 6. However, there have been many significant improvements to provision and the quality of teaching and learning. At the end of Year 2, pupils use the computer with increasing confidence for a wide range of purposes. By the end of Year 6, pupils know about the Internet for research processes and are becoming skilled in communication and skills of multimedia work. A developing feature is that pupils are beginning to use information and communication technology to help them in other subjects such as literacy and numeracy, history, geography and art.

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Commentary

10. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of religious education is in line with the locally agreed syllabus. Even the youngest children have a very clear understanding of several major world faiths. The children share their own experiences with the class, and they freely talk about their own faith. At the end of Year 6 pupils reflect well on their own beliefs and how these affect their lives. They talk sensitively about the needs of others and recognise how learning about other people’s experiences and beliefs helps them personally. They know the main festivals, symbolism and beliefs associated with different faith groups.

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Commentary

11. Pupils meet national standards in history and geography at the end of Year 6. A relatively large number of pupils start school at different times through the year and this causes some marked variations in achievements in most of the foundation subjects at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. This is because many pupils have very little experience of these subjects before coming into school. It was not possible to make judgements about standards of attainment in music and physical education because too few lessons in these subjects were observed.

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Commentary

12. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and achieve the targets in their individual education plans. Where pupils are supported in class by teaching assistants, they achieve the learning objectives of the lesson or their personal targets. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress overall. Many are in the higher attaining groups in each class and year group. Newcomers to the English language are supported by specialist staff but more use could be made of English language acquisition data to support the next steps of learning and ensure that they achieve all they are capable of. The school is about to assess pupils’ work in all areas of the curriculum for gifted and talented achievement.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes are very good as is their personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development. Their behaviour is good. Their attendance is unsatisfactory and punctuality is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children of all ages respond very well to the very good learning environment that the school promotes; this helps them achieve well. • There are very good relationships and racial harmony at the school. Cardwell Primary School - 11 • The school sets very clear expectations for children’s behaviour and conveys these consistently and positively. • Attendance is unsatisfactory, not all parents ensure that their children attend school regularly. • Children appreciate and celebrate the wide variety of cultural backgrounds represented in the school. • Children are encouraged to be part of the school community very effectively.

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Commentary

13. Children enjoy school. They speak warmly of the friends they make, both adults and other children. The secure, welcoming environment the school offers is evident in children’s confidence and enthusiasm. Harmonious and constructive relationships were seen throughout the inspection. This is especially significant given the potential for tensions and conflict in the local community. As a result, children’s attitudes to learning are very good. The children in the Nursery progress well in their personal, social and emotional development considering their skills when they start at the school. They are likely to achieve the early learning goals satisfactorily in this area.

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Commentary

14. The attitudes and behaviour of pupils with special educational needs are generally good in class, particularly when working on set tasks which have been planned to help them achieve their personal targets. The attitudes of pupils learning English as an additional language are very good. They are fully involved in most classes and keen to contribute to the general feedback at the end of each lesson. They are particularly well supported in the more practical and visual activities across the curriculum. For example, a Year 3 music lesson was fully inclusive because pupils joined in and achieved very high standards, demonstrating an understanding of the difference between a steady beat and a rhythm.

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Commentary

15. The school promotes pupils’ spiritual development very well. Examples of pupils’ excitement and awareness of themselves and the world around them were seen in science and religious education lessons and in their artwork, which was displayed prominently around the school.

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Commentary

16. The school promotes pupils’ moral, social and cultural development very well. It teaches children the values that help them distinguish right from wrong very effectively, through the very good relationships, the consistently applied behaviour policy and through the good example provided by the adults in the school. It also encourages pupils to take responsibility. For example, Year 6 pupils are actively involved in producing the annual school production; older pupils help younger children in their classes at break-time; and, there is a very effective school council. Staff celebrate the wide cultural diversity within the school very well. Religious leaders visit termly to deliver assemblies and to talk to pupils, and the assembly timetable covers multi-cultural life, events in different faith calendars as well as the experiences of significant people. The school uses the extensive facilities in the area well, and pupils talk excitedly about the museums and other places of

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year 91.7%

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 8.3 School data 0.6 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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Attendance

17. Attendance is unsatisfactory. The school has significantly reduced the level of unauthorised absence but has not been successful in improving parents’ efforts to ensure that their children attend school. It has missed some opportunities to remind parents of the detrimental effect that absence has on their children’s learning, for example, in the letters sent home. The strategies Cardwell Primary School - 12 the school has in place to communicate with parents through non-written means have, however, included this very important message.

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 181 0 0 White – Irish 3 0 0 White – any other White background 14 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 2 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 13 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 1 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 14 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 6 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 5 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian Background 7 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 10 0 0 Black or Black British – African 75 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 18 0 0 Chinese 10 0 0 Any other ethnic group 32 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Exclusions

18. Teaching and non-teaching staff all apply the school’s positive behaviour policy consistently. Pupils value the school’s rewards and know its sanctions. They respond well and behaviour is good. The school has focused very effectively on this area of its provision since the current headteacher came to the school two years ago. As a result, there have been no exclusions at the school during this period. Within this constant, supportive framework, pupils’ self-esteem develops very well.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is good. Pupils achieve well in English, mathematics and science because of the consistently good and often very good teaching. The school’s very effective, sharing and caring ethos results in pupils having high self-esteem and helps to ensure that they all do as well as they can. The accommodation and learning resources support the delivery of the curriculum effectively.

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Teaching and learning

The overall quality of teaching and learning across the school is good with many strong features. The quality and use of ongoing assessments in the classrooms are good and staff offer helpful and supportive comments to pupils as they work. Cardwell Primary School - 13

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers have good knowledge and understanding of the subjects they teach. • Teachers manage their pupils very well and create happy and purposeful working environments in which pupils flourish. • Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are very well supported in class. • Pupils are not fully involved in setting their own targets for improvement. • Lesson planning to meet the needs of bilingual pupils is not precise enough.

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Commentary

19. The percentage of good and better teaching is a marked improvement on that seen in the last inspection. In lessons, examples of very good teaching were observed in the Foundation Stage, numeracy, literacy, science, information and communication technology, history, geography, and religious education. This good and very good teaching across most curriculum areas makes a substantial contribution towards promoting pupils’ enthusiasm for learning and helping them to achieve well. The teaching of basic skills in English and mathematics is at least good and often very good. Such consistently good quality teaching in these subjects is having a very positive effect on the pupils’ learning and ensures that standards in these subjects continue to rise. Planning is satisfactory throughout the school and is firmly based on the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 64 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 64 lessons

0 (0%) 30 (47%) 25 (39%) 4 (14%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 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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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 64 lessons

20. In the good and very good lessons, teachers have a good knowledge of the subjects to be taught. Their management of pupils is very good, which results in them having very positive attitudes to learning. Strengths of the very good teaching are the teachers’ very high expectations of their pupils’ work and behaviour. They give clear explanations at the start of the lessons to ensure that pupils have a clear understanding of what is to be learned. At the end of the lesson, the teachers enable the pupils to discuss their work within a larger group, so that pupils are clear about what they have learned. Teachers’ thoughtful questions ensure that all pupils are included and are encouraged to give extended answers. They often imaginatively and systematically cover the same question in a variety of ways and encourage all pupils to respond. For example, in a Year 6 numeracy lesson the teacher homed in unerringly on the pupils who were experiencing difficulties

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 64 lessons

and, through careful questioning, found out where they were going wrong and corrected their misconceptions. This helps all pupils to consolidate their understanding, and is especially effective in supporting pupils with special educational needs and those who have English as an additional language.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 64 lessons

21. Pupils with special educational needs and those pupils with English as an additional language learn well. All staff give the children confidence, especially when they first arrive at the school with very little understanding of English. In the Foundation Stage classes especially, the assistants are very well informed and are used very effectively to help pupils, especially those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, to work with interest and concentration and make good progress. Teachers are aware of the personal targets included in their plans and use them well to give appropriate support in lessons. Planning indicates how teaching assistants will support these pupils and help them achieve the learning objectives of each lesson.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 64 lessons

22. Good teaching has a strong emphasis on speaking and listening. It gives pupils who have English as an additional language good opportunities to talk together before feeding back to the Cardwell Primary School - 14 class or writing up their tasks. More planned use of routine visual prompts, the lessons’ key vocabulary, and more models of written language to record each lesson’s outcomes, are needed to support pupils learning more effectively. Teachers need to become more aware of pupils’ developing language competence in planning future support because although the more advanced learners of English appear fluent, they need the support which careful assessment of their contribution in class, and of their reading and writing competence, will indicate. Where pupils with English as an additional language are supported by additional staff, they make good progress in lessons because teachers brief their classroom assistants carefully to make sure they know how to

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 64 lessons

have the greatest impact on bilingual pupils’ learning.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 64 lessons

23. In all classes, the teachers and their assistants generally plan together and encourage pupils to have the confidence to take a full part in lessons. Teachers place a clear focus on the vocabulary for each subject to help pupils understand terms used in specific contexts. Teaching assistants work well with the class teachers supporting pupils who have a wide variety of learning needs. A good example of this was seen in an information and communication technology lesson in Year 1. The teacher, despite focusing on one group of children, remained very aware of the progress of others in the class and the classroom assistant worked very well with the other groups. Both gave very good guidance and helped pupils to complete their tasks. By the end of the lesson pupils were able to discuss the ways they had ‘painted’ the picture of Cinderella’s kitchen.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 64 lessons

24. Throughout the school, relationships between staff and pupils and the pupils themselves are very good and the mutual respect shown has a good impact on learning. The quality and use of ongoing assessments in the classrooms are good and staff offer helpful and supportive comments to pupils as they work. At present, too little use is being made of the assessment information gathered from lessons, to help pupils set their own targets for the next steps of learning. The school needs to widen its range of assessment procedures in order to achieve this. Pupils’ books are marked in a positive and supportive manner and in many classes pupils are given useful pointers to help them improve their work in the future. These strengths in teaching make learning a pleasure for pupils and they respond by being interested and determined to do well in all aspects of their work in the school.

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The curriculum

The quality of the curriculum is good. The accommodation and resources are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good breadth, balance, variety and enrichment of the curriculum enable good achievement. • The curriculum provides well for pupils with special educational needs and for those with English as an additional language. • Teachers’ specialisms are used very well to promote pupils’ achievements. • Good use is made of information and communication technology across the curriculum.

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Commentary

25. The school is successful in providing a good curriculum. It contains the full range of subjects and complies with statutory requirements for all subjects of the National Curriculum and the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Schemes of work for every subject have been introduced based on national guidelines and there is a clear programme of policy review. Consistency in planning is monitored effectively and a sound framework exists on planning curriculum development within the school. There is also rich provision for extra-curricular activities and a planned programme of visits and visitors. The school provides an exciting range of learning experiences for pupils.

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Commentary

26. In Year 6, pupils work together in sets grouped according to their abilities for English and mathematics and this has allowed more closely targeted support for all pupils. Good monitoring and assessment indicate that this innovation is having positive effects on pupils’ performance. Provision Cardwell Primary School - 15 for pupils with special educational needs and for those who are learning to understand and speak English is good. They are offered the same opportunities as the others. Refugees and others who need individual help to speak English are provided with opportunities to enable them to participate fully. Pupils learning English as an additional language benefit from the generally good and very good teaching they experience, particularly where opportunities for speaking and listening are built into the planning. There are some opportunities for ethnic minority pupils to contribute their own

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Commentary

considerable cultural knowledge to enrich the curriculum, but this could be emphasised even more in every subject of the curriculum. The school could draw further on the community resources in music, art, dance, drama, and story telling to enrich all pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

27. The school’s provision for Personal Social Health and Citizenship Education is very good by linking development to all aspects of school life in order that all children can achieve their social and academic potential through planned support. There are timetabled sessions each week and parents have an opportunity for an advanced preview of the sex education programme provided. There are significant strengths in the way the school is developing a curriculum which provides opportunities for pupils to use information and communication technology skills in other subjects. All pupils are involved and the curriculum reflects the many cultures and faiths represented in the school.

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Commentary

28. The school makes very good provision for activities outside lessons. Pupils in all years experience trips to places of interest every year, which are subsidised by the school for all pupils and there are further subsidies for those families that cannot afford to pay the full cost. There are various clubs giving help to those most in need at breakfast club and after school. Study support such as booster and homework classes are very popular. Out of school clubs cover a wide range of activities for children, parent and child and adults. During the inspection week for example, parents attended an after school club on information and communication technology in the school. The school makes good links with other schools for sporting and other after school activities. It has also developed strong links with Charlton Football Club that runs provision for information and communication technology in mathematics and literacy at the football ground. It provides transport

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Commentary

and pays for staff to travel with pupils . The Club also offers soccer coaching and reading activities.

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Commentary

29. Visits out and visitors to the school are encouraged and these prepare pupils well for life as citizens within a culturally diverse society. Pupils are encouraged to value diversity and they work well with each other. They are provided with opportunities to work with specialists such as the visiting music teacher who provides expert teaching as part of the curriculum.

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Commentary

30. Well-matched homework supports pupils’ learning outside of school. It is relevant and helps pupils to practise what they have learned. It is carefully organised by their teachers and often provides pupils with a wide and interesting range of activities, such as research and reading for information and pleasure. Most pupils complete their homework promptly and it has a very positive effect on their standards of achievement.

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Commentary

31. The school makes good use of all the accommodation available. The hall is used efficiently for assemblies and indoor physical education. The displays in the main areas of the school and classrooms reflect the quality of the children’s work and create a vibrant and stimulating learning environment. Although there is limited space outside the Nursery and Reception classes, there is an imaginative range of exciting and interesting features and activities to enrich the quality of learning for the youngest pupils. The school’s building is very clean, well maintained and very effectively managed by the site manager. The school’s learning resources are adequate, and sufficient to meet the needs of the curriculum in most subjects with the exception of information and communication technology. Resources for pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are used effectively and are of good quality, bringing about improved standards.

p.15

Care, guidance and support

The school’s provision for care, welfare, health and safety is very good. It provides children with good support and advice. The school involves children in its work and seeks their views very well.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are very well looked after in the school, both physically and psychologically. • The school promotes very good relationships successfully. • Pupils receive good advice and support based on good assessments of their needs. • The school involves pupils very well with its work, seeking their views and acting on them appropriately.

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Commentary

32. Very good relationships have been created at the school in the last two years and it now works very successfully with other agencies. This leads to a learning environment that is secure and very harmonious. The now stable and dedicated team of teaching and non-teaching staff know pupils well and provide very well for their emotional and physical health. This situation is very much better than it was until last year when staff turnover was very high and several classes experienced many different teachers each term. Children now have confidence that they have someone to talk to when needed, as they know that their teachers will stay.

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Commentary

33. Information gained from assessment is now used well to support and guide pupils as they progress through the school. The consistent use of spoken and written praise and help encourages pupils well. Induction arrangements for pupils arriving in the Nursery are very good, as are arrangements for the relatively high number of pupils arriving at the school at times other than the usual start of their school career. Assessment procedures for pupils with special educational needs ensure that their progress in achieving personal targets is good. Pupils are carefully supported and make good enough progress to be taken out of the school’ own action arrangements. Pupils giving cause for concern are monitored, though their large numbers in any one class indicate a heavy workload for the special educational needs coordinator. The school is beginning to identify a number of gifted and talented pupils, and a register is about to be drawn up to ensure that the needs

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Commentary

of these higher attaining pupils are met in curriculum planning.

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Commentary

34. Pupils with English as an additional language are included in the school’s tracking of individual performance, though this data is not drawn on sufficiently well to plan lessons. For example, in one class pupils listened to a myth without any visual prompts. For some pupils there was not enough support to understand the detail of the story. In some classes, pupils learning English as an additional language are supported by teaching assistants. However, insufficient attention is given to those pupils who appear fluent but who still need extra support. Analysis of pupils’ work in English, for example, indicates weakness in the ability of pupils to infer meaning from their reading. Written work, including spelling, also suggests their lack of experience of some aspects of the English language. Teachers could support bilingual pupils better with a thorough understanding of their English language acquisition level .

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Commentary

35. The school has taken effective steps to consult with pupils and to act on their views. There is a school council that is a very effective, well-organised forum with a chair, treasurer, secretary and representatives from each class, in which pupils express their and others’ views. For example, when pupils wanted to become involved with recycling, a sub-committee was set up within the council and productive discussions have taken place to implement the initiative. As a result of this sort of provision, pupils develop a very good sense of the practicalities of living in a community. Cardwell Primary School - 17

p.16

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school’s links with parents are very good. Its links with the community are excellent and with other schools they are good.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has developed excellent and innovative links with the community over the last two years to the great benefit of children and parents. • Parents and carers feel welcomed at the school. They are very appreciative of the school’s efforts to help them. • The school communicates very well with parents through the good information it provides and the very good facilities it offers to them; • Children are supported well when transferring to secondary school.

p.17

Commentary

36. The school has been very creative in developing excellent community initiatives at the school. These have contributed very effectively to the teaching and learning environment, which has improved significantly over the last two years.

p.17

Commentary

37. Parents were very positive about the school both at the pre-inspection meeting and in their questionnaire responses. They believe that the headteacher and staff are welcoming and approachable. This was demonstrated during the inspection, as parents were involved in helping at the school and participating in the activities the school offers.

p.17

Commentary

38. Parents are fully involved in the target-setting and review procedures of pupils with special educational needs. The school ensures that parents from ethnic minority and bilingual backgrounds are involved in their children’s education. This is done in a range of ways, including the use of the local education authority’s interpretation and translation services. A good example of the school’s commitment to its parents is demonstrated through the involvement of Somalian and Vietnamese representatives. They meet at the school frequently with parents to keep them in touch with events and to act as mediators for parents’ questions and help them understand the school’s procedures and priorities. The school also acknowledges the important people, cultural events, and religious observances of its diverse community through its assembly programme.

p.17

Commentary

In the last two years, the school has created excellent links with the community for parents’ and children’s benefit and reduced barriers that used to exist between it and the local community. Worthwhile and innovative links include: • Representatives of different ethnic groups, including parents, run weekly coffee mornings, a parents’ fair with stalls for support and help e.g. an accountant, a family therapist and training in information and communication technology. • Family literacy and information and communication technology for parents. • A Behaviour Improvement Project, funding a part-time family therapist and supporting pupil attendance. • Strong links with a local football club; with male and female footballers talking to pupils about personal commitment; visits to the club; a ‘reading for keeps’ scheme; information and communication technology classes; football coaching and funding for two teaching assistants.

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Commentary

• A Business Partnership, which funds Fantasy Football, professional development for teachers and a science scheme for Year 5 pupils who then conduct scientific activities with Year 2 children. • ‘SureStart’, which is involved in extending the Nursery provision, establishing a children’s centre parent/carer toddler group, and complementary therapy sessions for parents. • A ‘Get Out There’ initiative, to provide support and training for parents to help them become equipped to find work. • Local universities, to raise aspirations and enhance foreign language teaching and learning skills. • Neighbourhood Renewal to join in community activities, forge links with Housing, Health, Town Planning and fund family therapists and pupil counselling. Cardwell Primary School - 18 39. Information from the school about its activities and children’s progress is very helpful. The vastly improved relationships with parents and the local community are especially significant. This

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Commentary

partnership contributes very well to children’s learning. The links with secondary schools are good and pupils in Year 6 are prepared well for transfer. There is a close link with one local secondary school, and work experience students come into the school from a number of local secondary schools. At the end of Year 6, pupils sometimes move to a number of different schools. This makes close liaison difficult, but the headteacher and Year 6 teachers make contact with all the schools to ensure smooth transition.

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good. The headteacher provides excellent leadership. Analysis of children’s performance is effective, with a strong focus on raising achievement and the quality of education for all. The governors’ role in helping to shape the direction of the school is good.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher provides outstanding and purposeful leadership. • The school has a very effective deputy head and a strong senior management team. • Teaching and learning are monitored well and school improvement planning is good. • Management is very efficient, competent and well informed. • The management of assessment data for target setting needs to be streamlined. • The school applies the principles of best value to all its decisions.

p.18

Commentary

40. The headteacher provides excellent leadership. Since her appointment two years ago, she has given a very clear direction to the work of the school and has developed a strong focus on raising standards and the quality of education for all pupils. The school has made many good improvements since the last inspection through the commitment, hard work and vision of the headteacher and her very able and supportive deputy. Together, they have generated high levels of loyalty from all members of staff, and respect from parents and the local community. Every possible care is taken to ensure that all children receive their full entitlement to a good quality education and are treated with respect and consideration at all times. All who work in the school are fully committed to this aim, and this is much appreciated by the children and their parents.

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Commentary

41. The headteacher has built a strong senior management team to ensure a firm foundation for the continued growth and development of the school. The existing subject coordinators already have suitable monitoring tasks such as checking teachers’ lesson planning and work sampling to help ensure that appropriate work is provided for pupils across the year groups in their subject. They have already been successful in this work. Time has been allocated to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities even more effectively, so that they will be able to support their colleagues in the classroom and monitor the quality of teaching and learning. All staff have clear and very high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and standards of work. The shared commitment by everyone to focus on improvement is excellent. They encourage very positive attitudes and behaviour and help pupils to develop self-discipline. Performance management contributes well to school development

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Commentary

and successfully identifies where improvements are needed to raise standards.

p.18

Commentary

42. The deployment of teaching and support staff is very effective and ensures efficient management of the school. The organisation, management and support for teachers new to the school are very good. For example, the school ensures that every teacher new to the school works with a more experienced colleague, to give support and guidance to newly appointed or temporary staff who work in the school. In classes, the teaching assistants work very well in close partnership with the teachers. All pupils, whatever their difficulties are really encouraged to strive for excellence. Cardwell Primary School - 19 43. The development of a coherent programme to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning in the classes has been a major priority for the headteacher and deputy and the system is working very successfully. Pupils with special educational needs are encouraged and supported in all school activities. The development of support for pupils with English as an

p.18

Commentary

additional language is clearly demonstrated in the school’s action plan. Work on creating a school environment, which is safe and racially harmonious, has been very successful and acknowledges pupils’ linguistic and cultural experience. However, the school is at an early stage of using assessment data to ensure that bilingual pupils are sufficiently challenged and achieve the standards they are capable of in English language competence as well as in other areas of learning.

p.19

Commentary

44. After a long period of instability and difficulties with staffing, the school is now taking effective measures and acting on the priorities in the school improvement plan. Among the priorities is the development of target setting to involve pupils themselves in deciding how to improve their work further. Also included in the priorities is the proposed extension of the Nursery provision so that children will have a longer period of Nursery education. Subject coordinators report to governors to keep them informed of developments and to enable them to assess the impact of spending on standards.

p.19

Commentary

45. The curriculum committee of the governing body meets regularly to approve policies and discuss future strategies and initiatives. There are also designated governors for literacy, numeracy and special educational needs. They visit the school regularly to observe the provision first hand to assess its effectiveness. The governors are supportive and clear about their roles and their importance to the school. Their roles as ‘critical friends ‘ are satisfactory and their effectiveness in fulfilling their statutory and other responsibilities is good.

p.19

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1,082,035. Balance from previous year 15,167 Total expenditure 1,122,728. Balance carried forward to the next 40,693 Expenditure per pupil 3,061.

p.19

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

46. Governors have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and apply the principles of ‘best value’, to all their decisions and then monitor carefully its impact on financial planning. Educational priorities are supported well through good financial planning. The school has been very successful in obtaining a number of additional funds to support developments in the school and these funds are used very effectively for their designated purposes. The school gives good value for money. Cardwell Primary School - 20

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

47. There is a well-established induction programme which includes an invitation to all parents to come into the school to meet the staff and headteacher. This underlines the school’s ethos of promoting strong home and school relationships. The Nursery has 10 full-time and 30 part-time children and there are two Reception classes. When the children start in the Nursery, their knowledge and understanding is well below expectations for their age. Many of the children have English as an additional language and some are in the very early stages of learning to understand and speak English. These children have very good support with all staff helping them to understand what is happening and giving them confidence in a new environment. Children with special educational needs are identified quickly. These children have good support and staff deal sensitively with children who have social and emotional needs. They help them to settle in class

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

and in so doing reduce upsetting other children.

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

48. The quality of teaching of the children in the Nursery and Reception classes is good and often very good. The sessions are well organised. Teachers know what they want the children to learn and teach them accordingly. Activities allow children to use their initiative and to take responsibility. They ensure the children use all their senses to learn. There are well-established routines, which enable the children to settle quickly. Staff are very aware of the needs of children with English as an additional language and make sure that they are well supported in their acquisition of language. By the time they move from the Nursery into Reception children have made good gains in all the areas of learning. They continue to achieve well so that by then end of their Reception year, they reach standards expected for their age in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding of

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

the world, creative and physical development.

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision in personal, social and emotional education is very good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Many opportunities are provided in all classes for children to develop their personal and social skills. • Good role models and supportive relationships enable children to feel confident and happy.

p.20

Commentary

49. Children achieve well during their time in the Nursery and Reception classes so that by the time they leave the Reception classes, their attainment is at the level expected for children of their age. The main reason for this is that staff have high expectations and are skilful at working with young children, recognising their individual personalities and managing them very well. Children are happy and secure, and they respond well to all activities with interest and enjoyment. Through well planned activities and effective support, the children learn to listen to each other, share and play well together, and choose from the range of activities provided. They develop independence and are encouraged to initiate their own ideas and to select activities and resources. They learn to persevere and concentrate in their learning. Their attitude to learning is good and they respond well to tasks. They take responsibility for tidying up and move without fuss from one activity to another.

p.20

Commentary

They learn to appreciate how others feel, and in their celebration of important festivals, from a range of cultural backgrounds, develop a knowledge of their own and others beliefs. Children know the classroom routines well and are aware of the school’s expectations with regard to behaviour. Relationships between adults and children are very good. They know they are expected to take turns, and are developing appropriate negotiation skills. Staff plan very good opportunities for children to think about their own experiences and encourage them to ask questions. They join in Cardwell Primary School - 21 happily with rhymes and songs and share stories. By being aware of individual needs and supporting children effectively, staff build very good relationships with the children in calm and purposeful settings.

p.20

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good overall.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Many children have well below average skills in communication skills when they start in the Nursery. • By the end of their Reception year, most children meet the goals set for them. • There is some consistently good and often very good teaching in this area.

p.21

Commentary

50. When children enter the school, a significant number have speech and language needs as well as a lack of fluency in English. In both the Nursery and Reception classes children achieve well and make very rapid progress, so that by the end of the Reception, most children reach the goals set for them in this area of learning. In the Nursery, the children’s speech is developing, but often still lacks clarity. Because of this, the teacher provides very good opportunities for conversation in one to one situations, for example in role-play and story time activities. All staff are very skilful at asking questions to develop children’s thinking. In the Nursery, children often find it difficult to answer questions, and many only use a word or a short phrase. However, by the time they move into Reception, the children find out about the different fruit from the story ‘Handa’s Surprise.’ Then they use language well to describe their likes and dislikes of the particular fruits. They are

p.21

Commentary

encouraged to use all their senses to learn about these new experiences, for example, they discuss the fruit, its colour and value as part of a healthy diet. Children need such opportunities to think and speak using longer sentences. Children with special educational needs and English as an additional language receive good support from all members of staff. Their learning needs are identified early and tackled quickly, enabling them to make good progress.

p.21

Commentary

51. The teachers, Nursery nurse and the support staff provide very good bilingual support in the Nursery and Reception classes. Stories are effective in extending the children’s knowledge. For example, in the Nursery, children listen carefully to a wide range of stories which introduce new vocabulary to help them understand. In the Reception classes, “Handa’s Surprise” is effective in teaching children the sequence of story and mathematical vocabulary. Children make satisfactory progress with reading. In the Nursery, they know that print has meaning and some children begin to learn the names and sounds of letters. In Reception, children learn more about letter sounds and begin to apply this to their writing. The children read to an adult at least twice every week. They are encouraged to take books home and many children are able to find individual letters which are in their name. Children use the writing areas in the classes to copy their names, write their sentences

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Commentary

and sometimes trace over an adult’s writing. Correct letter formation is emphasised, so that by the end of Reception, most children are able to write simple sentences, can spell some common words well and make good attempts at unknown words using their knowledge of letter sounds.

p.21

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for mathematical development is good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children’s achievements are good. • Adults use every opportunity to encourage children to think mathematically. • A wide range of activities is planned for all classes to support children’s learning in mathematics. Cardwell Primary School - 22

p.21

Commentary

52. Although children start at a very low level when they join the Nursery, by the end of Reception their attainment is in line with that expected for children who are starting in Year 1. Children achieve well in both the Nursery and Reception because good teaching and stimulating activities develop them in all areas of mathematical learning. The majority of the children are working comfortably within numbers one to 10 and some of the older children are able to add and subtract to 10 and write numbers to 20 accurately. The children’s use of mathematical language and number skills is good.

p.22

Commentary

53. In the Nursery, the staff take every opportunity to practise counting. For instance, children learn to count the wheels on their scooters, and fetch the correct number of aprons to wear before starting to paint. They learn about positional language such as above, on and under when setting the table in the home area.

p.22

Commentary

54. In Reception, the teachers count the animals and fruit in Handa’s basket and the number of pencils and books put out on the table. Children: • sing number songs and rhymes such as “Hot Potato” and hold up the correct number of fingers; • recognise and can continue a pattern of beads on a string; • recount that a regular pattern of blue, green, yellow, contains those colours in order appropriately; • sort animals correctly by size, and in using an information and communication technology program demonstrate their knowledge of addition and subtraction.

p.22

Commentary

55. In all classes, staff collect assessment information and match it closely to the learning goals set for the children. Informal assessments, which staff pass from the Nursery to the Reception classes, are clear for staff to plan different levels of activity to ensure that new work is matched to individual needs when they move from the Nursery class. This means that all children, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, have work which is matched to the pace of their learning.

p.22

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers’ plan a wide range of appropriate activities. • Well focused interventions encourage children to talk about their experiences. • Children have good opportunities to use computers.

p.22

Commentary

56. On starting school many children have a limited understanding of the world around them. The teachers plan a range of interesting activities and use the outdoor environment effectively as a resource so that by the time the children reach the end of their Reception year, they achieve the expected levels in this area of the curriculum. Supportive adults help the children to use the appropriate vocabulary to describe what they see and do. Children use wet and dry sand and water, and learn about their different qualities. In the Reception classes, they talk about the various fruits in Handa’s basket, and have some understanding of where they are grown. They recognise basic differences between the fruits and express their preferences with regard to taste and flavour.

p.22

Commentary

57. In Nursery, children develop their role-play, for example in the home area, and have a clear understanding of the day-to-day running of a home. Children talk about their families, recognise themselves in photographs, and talk about what they were doing at that time. In this way they learn about the changes that occur over time. They join together pieces of a simple jigsaw puzzle and Cardwell Primary School - 23 build with construction kits. In all classes, children have the opportunity to use information and communication technology, and are able to solve mathematical problems, create simple pictures and control the mouse effectively to access new programs. They extend their understanding of living things through visitors to the school and through visits in the immediate environment. In addition, they celebrate important cultural events and develop an understanding of each other’s beliefs and customs.

p.22

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for physical development is satisfactory.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children control their bodies well when they run and play. • There is insufficient outdoor space for children to develop a full range of physical skills.

p.23

Commentary

58. Children make good progress in their physical development and by the time they are five years old their attainment is that expected for their age. They enjoy using the computer and know how the mouse is used to control images on the screen. They are developing appropriate manipulative skills, using a range of materials and tools including scissors, soft dough tools and paintbrushes, as well as playing with a range of construction toys and threading activities.

p.23

Commentary

59. Although there is only limited outside space, the children use the outdoor areas well to walk, run and skip, being aware of their own space and that of others. They use climbing frames and wheeled toys with increasing skill. Children in the Reception classes develop their skills further and demonstrate very well how to move confidently, safely and with imagination. They take great care to follow instructions and willingly co-operative and collaboratively in their games. In all classes children learn to wait patiently to have their turn. It is obvious that they enjoy physical activity and describe themselves as ‘puffed out’ at the end of the session.

p.23

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children have limited experiences when they come to school. • Good provision of a wide range of experiences ensures the children make good progress. • By the end of the Reception year, most children meet the levels expected.

p.23

Commentary

60. Children in Nursery and Reception make good progress in their creative development through art, stories, music and play. By the time they leave Reception, their attainment is that which could be expected for their age.

p.23

Commentary

61. In the Nursery children enjoy painting, printing and drawing and through these activities the teacher and other adults promote language skills by introducing them to the appropriate English vocabulary and terms. Children experience the textures of a cornflour and water mix and its strange properties. The teacher encourages them to think about what it feels like and emphasises the words to describe it. The children thoroughly enjoy this activity although some are a little unsure about it at first. In Reception children paint and draw fruits and animals from the “Handa’s Surprise” story. Some children can represent the shapes accurately while others need more help to succeed. They show an increasing ability to observe, and respond well to the various experiences afforded them. They learn about colour when painting and drawing their fruits and ensure that they use the Cardwell Primary School - 24

p.23

Commentary

correct colours such as yellow for bananas. Children are receptive to new ideas and are developing competence in using tools, cutters, rollers and paintbrushes. The children in the Nursery act out different home situations and the good provision of multicultural resources from different cultures helps the children feel secure. The presence of an adult extends their play and they stay as a group interacting with each other and the adult for some time. Children play enthusiastically with musical instruments trying out song patterns. In music in all classes, children sing simple songs to help them with language patterns, rhythms and counting. Children who have limited English language gain confidence to join in with the actions and do their best to say the words. Cardwell Primary School - 25

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching. • Improving standards in Years 2 and 6. • Good achievement in most lessons. • Insufficient account is taken of the English language acquisition levels of pupils in teachers’ planning. • Strong leadership of the subject.

p.25

Commentary

62. Standards in the 2003 tests in Years 2 and 6 were very low when compared to all schools. However, standards are improving. Current standards in Year 2 indicate an improved picture, with a higher percentage of pupils achieving expected levels, though still below average overall. In the current Year 6, standards have also improved and are now close to average in reading. The reason for the improved picture is the determination shown by the school in all its activities to improve standards and thus transform pupils’ opportunities. This has resulted in generally good or better teaching, and improved assessment and target-setting procedures, which are having an impact on pupils’ achievement. Assessments of pupils’ English language acquisition levels are made, but are not used well enough to target the precise level of support that bilingual pupils need to make good progress and achieve the level of English language competence they are capable of. Given the

p.25

Commentary

very high percentage of bilingual pupils in the school, some of whom are in the earlier stages of learning English, such work is essential and would support the school’s efforts in raising standards of achievement.

p.25

Commentary

63. A very strong emphasis is placed on speaking and listening, and standards achieved are good. In many lessons pupils are encouraged to talk together before feeding back to the whole class. Pupils are confident when discussing issues raised in lessons. In Year 6, for example, pupils discussed the controversial issue of whether smoking should be allowed in public places. They were able to use the conventional language of argument and challenge opposing views with good judgement. Pupils also argued the case that Goldilocks had been “set up” by the three bears, since they left the doors open and porridge on the table to tempt her into breaking the law.

p.25

Commentary

64. In reading, standards are close to expected levels in Year 2. Pupils are given the opportunity to discuss the meaning of what they are reading in “guided reading” sessions and read independently with good attention to punctuation. They recognise the need to change their voice to distinguish dialogue and the linking story line and also to raise their voice when authors make particular words bold or finish a sentence with an exclamation mark. They are beginning to recognise the more literary language and respond to authors’ requests, for example “to look closer” at the detail in an illustration. Older pupils are developing the technical skills of reading, but standards are affected by their lack of ability to infer meaning beyond the sentence level. The school is addressing this through well-planned guided reading sessions.

p.25

Commentary

65. In writing, standards are below expected levels in Years 2 and 6, and again standards are affected by bilingual pupils’ inexperience of the written forms of the English language. More support needs to be given to focus pupils’ attention on features of text unfamiliar to less experienced speakers of the language. For example, teachers need to make clear to pupils the range of ways plurals are indicated and how they affect verb endings. Experienced English-speakers can transfer their spoken English language knowledge into writing. English as an additional language pupils need more oral practice, visual prompts, and models of ways of working before beginning to write up their work. Lack of experience of English was noticeable when pupils selected inappropriate Cardwell Primary School - 26 joining words when asked to link two sentences into a more interesting complex sentence. Work in books indicates that most teachers have high expectations for presentation and handwriting, and

p.25

Commentary

pupils work hard to meet them. Higher attaining pupils are not always given enough opportunity to achieve all they are capable of beyond the limits of the lesson. For example, older pupils are not using library and information and communication technology for independent learning, including personal research.

p.26

Commentary

66. Teaching is good overall and sometimes very good, and pupils achieve well in lessons. Pupils learning with special educational needs and English as an additional language are given support from well trained classroom assistants to help them achieve lesson objectives and to boost overall attainment through additional literacy support at appropriate levels. Teachers plan effectively, drawing on guidance from the National Literacy Strategy and providing additional opportunities for pupils to practise their literacy skills. Extended writing lessons are provided outside the literacy hour. Teachers also exploit nationally approved approaches known as “guided writing” and “guided reading” to help pupils develop the skills they need to understand what they are reading, to tackle unfamiliar words and to infer what the author means beyond the simple sentence level. Teachers use open-ended questions well, which allow pupils to demonstrate what they know,

p.26

Commentary

often with good supporting evidence from the texts they are reading or from work covered in earlier lessons.

p.26

Commentary

67. Very effective teaching was demonstrated in Year 6, where pupils are set in three groups according to their experience and prior attainment. This innovation allows staff to focus more precisely on pupils’ needs, and, as a result, standards are moving close to average overall. The teaching of writing is not always informed by pupils’ English language acquisition levels. General teaching approaches are very supportive, for example the use of information and communication technology resources to direct pupils’ attention to specific features of written texts and opportunities for talk planned into the lessons.

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Commentary

68. Leadership and management of the subject are good. The school places a strong and appropriate focus on raising achievement and has a strong literacy action plan to help achieve improvement. Analysis of pupils’ performance in national tests and end-of-year assessment is used in target-setting, which informs planning, identifies groupings in Year 6, and allows a tighter focus on the developmental needs of particular groups of pupils. Assessment information gained from marking, however, is not as well used to set targets which will allow individual pupils to make small- step improvements of their own. Marking is often positive and encouraging, but does not offer clear pointers on what pupils need to do to improve. The school works closely with the local education authority’s Ethnic Minority Achievement Service, and with the advisory teacher, has assessed every bilingual pupils’ English language acquisition. At present, there is too little evidence to show that

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Commentary

this is used to inform future planning. Teachers do not always exploit the appropriate approaches, which can enhance learning in multi-lingual classrooms. This development would raise standards of teaching even further and would have a positive impact on overall standards. Staff are beginning to identify gifted and talented pupils to ensure they will achieve their full potential. This group will include pupils whose linguistic repertoire often extends beyond two languages.

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Language and literacy across the curriculum

69. Pupils were expected to talk together in many of the lessons observed across the curriculum. This allows pupils the opportunity to be fully involved in the planned learning as the lesson unfolds. Such opportunities support bilingual pupils well, since they are able to rehearse with a partner what they want to say before feeding back to the whole class or before writing up their task. This also supports pupils with special educational needs, by giving them additional time to think about new learning and to discuss any issues raised alongside more experienced confident classmates. Good links to English are built into curriculum planning to allow pupils to use newly learnt literacy skills in other subjects. For example, in one art lesson pupils were asked to talk about Vincent Van Gogh’s painting “The Church at Auvers”. The lesson clearly developed observational skills and awareness of artistic detail, but also gave pupils opportunity to discuss their emotional

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Language and literacy across the curriculum

responses to the picture. They went on to compose a story opening, drawing on their oral work, writing with great feeling and expression. Cardwell Primary School - 27

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are eager to learn mathematics because lessons are fun. • Teaching is good and resources, including information and communication technology, are used well to support pupils’ learning. • The strong focus on speaking and listening throughout the school enables pupils to discuss and explain their work and deepen their understanding of mathematics. • Findings from assessment and analysis do not impact sufficiently on classroom practice. • Over-reliance on published plans means that teaching is not always closely matched to pupils’ learning needs.

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Commentary

70. Although standards are well below expected levels in Year 2 and in Year 6, pupils achieve well from starting points that are far lower than those in most other schools. A high proportion of pupils have special education needs or are at an early stage of learning to speak English. Additionally class numbers keep changing as children enter or leave the school at different times during the year. Despite these factors, pupils make good progress because the school works hard to ensure every child succeeds. In Years 1 and 2, time is given to developing children’s speaking and listening skills and extra adult support is available in all classrooms to help children acquire basic number skills. The use of visual materials together with games, the chanting of number facts and tables and frequent opportunities to ‘ join in’ , supports those who have difficulty understanding language and also makes lessons enjoyable for everyone. Even so, attainment in Year 2 remains

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Commentary

low but evidence collected during the inspection shows that standards are beginning to rise. In Years 3 to 6 the focus is also on raising standards. Intervention programmes are run by teaching assistants to help older pupils ‘ catch up ’, and pupils in Year 6 are taught in ability sets so work can be better matched to their needs. This is having a positive impact on standards particularly for more able pupils and the school is in line to achieve its challenging 2004 targets.

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Commentary

71. Teaching is mainly good, with a high percentage of very good teaching in Years 3 to 6. In these lessons expectations are very high. The pace is fast, work is modelled or explained thoroughly and teachers link new learning to things pupils already know. Modern technology is often used to bring an added dimension to mathematics teaching and pupils use classroom computers to reinforce and practice their skills. Pupils enjoy working on individual white boards, discussing strategies with their partners and showing by holding ‘ thumbs up’ or ‘ thumbs down ’, whether they have understood new ideas or need further support. Behaviour is always very good. Children respect the views of others and are keen to help their classmates. Very good teaching occurs when pupils are sure about what they are learning and explanations are clear and specific. Work is pitched at suitable levels so that more able pupils are sufficiently challenged and pupils with

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Commentary

special educational needs are given appropriate work to meet their individual needs.

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Commentary

72. Since the time of the last inspection the school has made good improvement in its provision for mathematics and all recommendations have been addressed. Data is now used to analyse trends in standards and set targets for improvement, although this is at an early stage of development and as yet is not linked tightly enough to classroom practice. Currently pupils are not always sure about the targets they have to meet. Teachers’ marking, although systematically following the agreed school code, does not explain to individuals how they are progressing towards their targets, or how they might reach them. The National Numeracy Strategy has been implemented successfully and the use of unit plans supplemented by a commercial scheme ensures pupils cover national recommendations. These plans, however, are not always appropriate as they are prepared for children working at nationally expected levels.

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Commentary

Cardwell Primary School - 28 73. The coordinator leads the subject well. Pupils’ work and test papers have been monitored thoroughly and issues arising addressed. As a result, they now present their work with more care, teachers mark in a consistent way and pupils’ mental mathematical skills have been improved. The way in which resources are organised has been greatly improved which makes it much easier for teachers to prepare their mathematics lessons.

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Mathematics across the curriculum

74. Pupils already use their mathematical skills in most other subjects, for instance, when they draw time lines in history and measure distances on maps in geography. Planning has recently been developed to make the links between mathematics, information and communication technology and other subjects even clearer.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ achievement is good, and much better than at the time of the last inspection. • There are very good opportunities for pupils to develop their investigative skills and scientific experimentation. • The subject coordinators for the infant and junior stages are very enthusiastic and, in a short time, they have greatly influenced the pupils’ performance.

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Commentary

75. In the 2003 national tests standards in Year 6 were below average. This can be explained in terms of very low attainment on entry together with the high number of pupils with English as an additional language, identified as having special educational needs or coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, the school has made good progress in science since its last inspection. At that time, investigative skills were limited and pupils made insufficient progress. Standards have been raised effectively and, during the inspection, they were average or better in all the lessons observed. Scrutiny of pupils’ written work, however, shows their recording is not as good. Most pupils do well in science, including those with special educational needs. Good support is provided where necessary for those who need it. There is no evidence of any difference between the performance of girls and boys, who achieve equally well. There are some appropriate links with

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Commentary

information and communication technology but there could be more opportunities for pupils to use it to record and present work, to handle data and undertake further research.

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Commentary

76. In Year 6, pupils’ previous achievements have been consolidated, and learning has been extended well. In a very good lesson in Year 2, the children were learning it was possible to connect a circuit with one wire, by touching the metal screw on the bulb holder with a battery. ‘Wicked!’ said one delighted boy at this discovery. Children greatly enjoy the practical aspects of science, and they work well, both in groups and on their own. For example in a very good lesson in Year 4, they experimented with various filters and sieves to discover the most effective way to separate solids. The teacher had cleverly captured their attention by saying the Nursery had a problem because the sand tray had been left outside in the rain and the children needed help to separate the wet from the dry sand. By Year 6, pupils discover through discussion that micro- organisms are too small to be seen and that bacteria can be good or bad, and that some help

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Commentary

digestion. They achieve very well and learn a lot.

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Commentary

77. The quality of teaching is often very good, but this is not always consistent. The topics are very interesting, and this successfully motivates pupils to learn. Teachers question pupils very skilfully, challenging them to think clearly. As a result of this effective teaching, their attitudes are often very good. The teachers have very good relationships with their classes. This was very evident in a very effective lesson in Year 6, when the teacher presented the class with her shopping Cardwell Primary School - 29 which consisted of a variety of kitchen cleaners including an anti-bacterial hand wash. As she asked question after question to get the class to think carefully about the topic, she pretended she was really worried because she did not know which bacteria would hurt her. One high attainer assured her that microscopic bacteria can only be seen through a microscope. In this lesson, the

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Commentary

teacher successfully promoted pupils’ learning through questioning.

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Commentary

78. There are suitable resources for science, and teachers often use published worksheets for pupils to record their work, but this often hinders the pupils’ own efforts at setting–out and writing their own work. As a result, their work is sometimes untidily presented. At present there are too few opportunities for pupils to use computers for recording data. Support staff are appropriately deployed during investigative work, but in the otherwise good lessons they sometimes spend too much of the lesson time sitting watching the teacher.

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Commentary

79. The school has two enthusiastic teachers from the infant and junior stages to coordinate the science provision. They have worked hard in a very short time to ensure investigative work improves. They decided that investigative skills were not good enough in national tests in Year 6, so they devised a form for pupils to record their investigations. These include boxes for them to complete, showing their predictions, materials and results, including data. The subject coordinators are very good and clearly know their subject well because, during the inspection, their own science lessons were very good. They have piloted an assessment procedure for teachers to use and have introduced vocabulary lists which teachers give the children at the start of a new topic and this helps all pupils, especially those learning English as an additional language. Pupils’ progress is assessed across the school, and this helps the school to identify anyone who is falling behind. If this is the

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Commentary

case in Years 5 and 6, booster groups are organised. This ensures the school’s performance in science is improving year on year.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ achievement is good, and much better than at the time of the last inspection. • The quality of teaching is consistently good. • Pupils are well motivated, confident and apply themselves well to their work. • The subject is very well led and managed.

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Commentary

80. The previous inspection reported that standards were below those expected nationally at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. There has been a very considerable improvement in standards since that time and they are rising rapidly, so that pupils are reaching nationally expected standards by the end of Year 2, but are not yet in line with what is expected nationally by the end of year 6. This is because the school has been through a turbulent time with very few resources and many pupils starting and leaving the school at different times. Evidence from lesson observations, the pupils’ work in books and from displays and scrutiny of the teachers’ planning, demonstrates that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, are achieving well in their lessons.

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Commentary

81. The school has made significant improvements to its information and communication technology provision. Much of the direct teaching of information and communication technology seen during the inspection took place in the recently established suite which has fourteen computers for class teaching purposes. There are many other strengths developing in the breadth of content, subject planning and in the quality of teaching and learning. Other reasons for the improving standards of attainment are the timetabled access to the computer room, and also because teachers now have excellent support from the subject coordinator. Cardwell Primary School - 30 82. Building on the good start they receive in the Foundation Stage, pupils in Years 1 and 2 are familiar with many of the principal functions of the keyboard and they control the mouse competently. With very little help, they can log-on, use word processing to type their names and

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Commentary

letters, use capital letters and position the cursor accurately when deleting or modifying text. They use some of the tool buttons to change font sizes and style and edit their work although some pupils’ typing skills are insufficiently developed to enable them to input text as fast as they would wish. By the end of Year 2, pupils draw, paint, use LOGO and can carry out word searches for information about animals from different parts of the world. They are able to log-on, edit by deleting, use click and drag techniques and can save and print out their work. Pupils in Year 5 are beginning to explore the use of spreadsheets. In the lessons observed, they were highly motivated, applied knowledge and skills appropriately, and helped and advised each other. In Year 6 pupils talk knowledgeably about uses of the Internet and how technology can affect their lives. They worked well in groups of three, using laptop computers to develop a website about themselves and learnt to

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Commentary

link pages together using hyperlink. All pupils treat the equipment with care and their behaviour and attitudes to the subject are very good. Some pupils are becoming skilled in communication and skills in multimedia work.

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Commentary

83. The quality of teaching is good and it is often very good. Teachers have sound knowledge and confidence in teaching the subject when working with large groups. The support they receive from the excellent subject coordinator has undoubtedly helped the staff to gain confidence in this regard. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ ability to co-operate well and work at a good pace. They provide a good balance of opportunities for pupils to work independently or with another child. This has a positive effect on pupils’ learning. There is a positive attitude towards the subject from all staff. Lessons are well planned and pupils are given clear instructions in order to achieve lesson objectives. All teachers place appropriate emphasis on sharing learning objectives with pupils and then reviewing how much they have learned at the end of a session. An assessment system is now in place, and this enables teachers to plan more effectively. Other aspects of the

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Commentary

subject such as data handling, using spreadsheets, desktop publishing and the use of digital cameras are also being gradually introduced. Learning support and classroom assistants also give good support to pupils working on machines. They understand computer tasks, and therefore, are able to help them work as independently as possible.

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Commentary

84. Pupils have good attitudes to their work in information and communication technology and handle the equipment carefully. They are well motivated, confident and persevere with their work, applying themselves well and do not waste their time. They are very co-operative when it is necessary to share computer facilities and freely help each other without prompting. During the periods they were observed, pupils enjoyed all the activities and worked well together. They eagerly pass on their knowledge to others. The pupils are proud of their work and like to see it on display. Some of the older pupils use word processing to present examples of work, but only a few turn to it with a sense of familiarity as a means of improving the quality and presentation of their writing.

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Commentary

85. The subject coordinator’s leadership and management of the subject are excellent. She is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about promoting the subject. She gives excellent support to colleagues and takes charge of ordering and maintaining appropriate software; she has one day per week as ICT coordinator time to support and monitor work in classrooms or the computer suite. The co-ordinator also organises in-service training for all members of staff, which has been a priority for the school improvement plan. This has resulted in increased teacher confidence and has had a major, positive impact on the pupils’ standards of work. The computer suite provides a valuable resource for teaching and learning in the school and it is well used, although computers located in classrooms are older and not as reliable as they should be. There are carefully costed plans to invest substantially in new hardware. The school improvement plan identifies a detailed focus on

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Commentary

improving information and communication technology demonstrating a sound understanding of strengths and areas for development. Cardwell Primary School - 31

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

86. Throughout the school pupils show a good understanding of the uses of information and communication technology in the world and its impact in our daily lives. They know that technology is a source of information and a means of controlling aspects of their environment. The school has worked hard to identify learning opportunities through use of information and communication technology in most subjects and its use in other subjects is beginning to develop well, for example, in the use of the Internet to support work in geography, history and in art.

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HUMANITIES

87. In the humanities, three history lessons were seen in the junior stage and one geography lesson in the infant stage. Additional evidence was gathered through a scrutiny of children’s work, photographs and discussion with the coordinator, who manages both history and geography. It was not possible to judge standards or overall provision in geography.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers’ enthusiasm for the subject inspires pupils to learn. • Good use is made of visits and visitors to bring the subject alive. • Very good teaching leads to very good achievement.

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Commentary

88. Standards by the end of Year 6 match those achieved by pupils in most other schools. Pupils talk confidently about primary sources of evidence and ask thoughtful questions. For example, when visitors came to the school to talk about their experiences in the 1950’s, one child asked ‘In your opinion, which changes in technology have been the most shocking?’. Good links are made with literacy as pupils take notes, scribe and write explanations, and with information and communication technology as they search for information using the Internet.

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Commentary

89. The quality of teaching is very good representing good improvement since the last inspection. Teachers develop blocks of work thoughtfully using visits and visitors to bring topics to life. This enriches provision through giving children deeper insight into what life was really like in the past. Benefits are maximised as prior to these experiences children spend time researching each topic and deciding what further information they need to know. Teachers’ enthusiasm is infectious and children are inspired by this to work very hard during lessons. Particularly noticeable is the way that pupils work responsibly in groups without adult support, listen carefully to each other and value different opinions, even when they don’t agree.

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Commentary

90. Displays around the school are of a high quality acting as reminders to the children of what they have already learnt and also as valuable sources of further information. In Year 5 for instance, photographs recall the pupils’ experience as archaeologists, recording how they discovered broken pottery, predicted what each piece might be then carefully reconstructed a dish and a pitcher. Maps alongside displays are used throughout the school to highlight the links between history and geography. Good use is made of visits to give children first hand experience, for instance Year 4 visits the Imperial War Museum to link with their work on World War 2. Year 2 children visit the Florence Nightingale museum when they study the Victorians. Work is assessed at the end of each unit and good photographic records are kept as evidence of study. This also represents an improvement since the last inspection.

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Commentary

91. The lesson observed in geography demonstrated clearly how work is planned to take account of the rich range of cultures represented throughout the school. During the lesson, life in Cardwell Primary School - 32 Vietnam was contrasted with life in Woolwich. Children, familiar with the country, were able to demonstrate and describe traditions and customs from their own perspective, thus enriching the lesson for everyone.

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Commentary

92. Leadership and management of history and geography are good. Work is organised in termly blocks, and cross-curricular links particularly with literacy and information and communication technology are carefully planned. A particular strength of both subjects is the degree to which they are used to reinforce pupils’ pride in their cultural identity. Alongside study of the history and geography of Britain, pupils are also encouraged to learn more about their “ home ” countries and share this with others.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Provision for religious education is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Even the youngest children have a very clear understanding of several major world faiths. • The school has adapted the syllabus at in the infant stage to include Buddhism, because there are Buddhist children in the school community. • The children share their own experiences with the class, and they talk freely about their own faith.

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Commentary

93. Four lessons were observed during the inspection and there was a useful discussion with the subject coordinator. The locally agreed syllabus is in the process of being updated by the school. Despite this, the children attain the standards expected of them in the current syllabus. During the inspection, in a very good Year 2 lesson, the children exceeded the expected standards because they had a good understanding of five world faiths. The agreed syllabus only requires them to learn about four. The school has improved its provision since the last inspection. Teachers successfully enhance pupils’ learning through use of video and interactive white boards. Good use is made of drama and role-play. This successfully captures the pupils’ attention and they achieve well.

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Commentary

94. The quality of the teaching is good. One good feature of the teaching is the way that pupils’ own experiences and opinions are used. For example, in a very good lesson in Year 5, pupils watched a cartoon video of the Buddha’s stories. They were fascinated and asked lots of questions. One member of the class helped them to understand the Buddhist philosophy because it is his family faith. His explanation enthralled the other pupils and at the end of the lesson they were reluctant to go out to play, preferring to look at the Buddhist pictures on display. This first hand experience enabled them to gain some insight into other people's traditions and ways of worship. In this lesson, the teacher made a successful comparison with science work on rebirth and germination. Teachers plan activities that help pupils to hear and understand Christian Bible stories. For example in a good lesson in Year 1, the pupils played out the story of Zaccheus. In a

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Commentary

very successful lesson in Year 2, the pupils enjoyed an interactive religious quiz. They successfully demonstrated they could easily identify the festivals of different world faiths.

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Commentary

95. Visits to places, such as the local churches and a mosque in Greenwich, enhance the school’s provision. The school has a very knowledgeable subject coordinator who says that teachers are very positive about the update to the locally agreed syllabus. There are plans to review the success of the syllabus, and to monitor teaching and children’s work. However, the school is waiting for the final module on assessment to complete the syllabus before this happens. The school assembly themes are carefully planned to further enhance the provision with stories of world faiths. Cardwell Primary School - 33

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

96. Art and design and design and technology were not a main focus of this inspection and only two lessons were observed in music and physical education. It is not possible to make overall judgements about provision in these subjects.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

97. Evidence indicates that all aspects of art and design are taught very well throughout the school. Work on display produced by all pupils is of a very high quality. Pupils learning English as an additional language and those with special educational needs are fully included and attain the standards they are capable of. Each class is named this year after a particular artist whose work has inspired pupils’ art work this term. Pupils have worked with artists and produced displays using a wide range of techniques, including printing, collage, mosaic, portraiture, and painting. For example, one class emulated the style and colour tones of Charles Rennie Mackintosh to produce very beautiful stained glass designs, which they outlined with string to suggest leading. Pupils are also given the opportunity to work on community art projects, including “Around Our Block”, in which they produced prints of the local environment. This work clearly inspired and delighted the pupils.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

The school is currently working to achieve an “Art Mark” award, which the high quality of attainment suggests is achievable. None of the artists’ work chosen drew on the achievement of black or ethnic minority or women artists. This was a lost opportunity to acknowledge the artistic heritage of different pupils and to widen their view of what constitutes good art.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

98. Evidence shows that all aspects of design technology are taught satisfactorily throughout the school. Scrutiny of available documentation indicates that all aspects of the subject are taught. Strong links with other subjects are achieved in planning, for example with mathematics through the careful measuring of resources, and with art by decorating the products they make with artistic effect. The school planned a design technology week in January where pupils were able to work in depth on projects, covering all elements of the subject, designing, making and evaluating. Bi-lingual pupils and pupils with special educational needs are fully involved and attain well in lessons because of the practical and visual dimensions of the tasks.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

99. In music, the school has a specialist music teacher who was not observed during the inspection. A good commercial scheme has been purchased for teachers without particular expertise in the subject to use. It includes music for appreciation. However, the school provides few opportunities for children to sing in assemblies and there were few occasions when music is played as the children came into assembly to create a special atmosphere.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

100. The physical education curriculum covers all aspects, including athletics and outdoor activities. Children learn to swim in Year 4 and most are able to swim 25 metres confidently. There are many clubs for pupils to join run by teachers and learning support assistants. There are teams that play competitive games against other local schools. At various times of year the children can participate in clubs offering football, cricket, athletics and dance. The school has the support of a visiting dance specialist who took the dance lesson observed in Year 6. The pupils’ response to this was outstanding. They developed, successfully a very complex dance routine, which was physically and mentally, very demanding and challenging. At the end of the session they were delighted and proud of their high achievements. Teaching and learning in a gymnastics lesson was satisfactory and pupils showed a good understanding of safety when using the apparatus. They started with a

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

lively warm up session. Their skills in jumping and moving improved as the lesson progressed and were satisfactory overall. The school benefits from expert support from a variety of sources. For example, there are very good links with Charlton Football Club and funding has been obtained to buy in visiting specialists and improve provision further. In addition, the school has the support of a specialist physical education teacher. Children enjoy the opportunities they have for physical education and are keen and eager participants.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

101. The school has a good programme for personal, social and health education. Health education takes place in the summer term, and pays attention to alcohol and drug abuse and the dangers of smoking. In personal and social development, there are opportunities for circle time, Cardwell Primary School - 34 where all children are given the chance to raise matters of concern in a class discussion. A successful example was a very good lesson in Year 5. The children were talking about the things they thought could be improved at school. One problem was they felt the playground had insufficient activities to keep them fully occupied. One child suggested there was insufficient space. The teacher asked the school council representatives to give their opinions. They sensibly said they would pass on these comments at their next meeting, though they thought it was probably out of the question to get more land. Personal, social and health education is successfully linked to themes,

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

which are covered in school assemblies. The school has a very competent teacher to manage the provision and this has had a very positive impact on the implementation of the programme because she is happy to give other teachers guidance and advice about the topics they are teaching. Cardwell Primary School - 35

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 5 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 1 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 2 The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 1 The leadership of other key staff 2 The effectiveness of management 2

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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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