Claremont Primary and Nursery School

CLAREMONT PRIMARY AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: April 26 th – 28 th 2004

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CLAREMONT PRIMARY AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Claremont Primary and Nursery - 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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CLAREMONT PRIMARY AND NURSERY 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. Claremont Primary and Nursery - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Foundation Age range of pupils: 3-11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll; 306

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Claremont Road Nottingham Postcode: NG5 1BH

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 0115 9156870 Fax number: 0115 9156871

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Paul Pearson

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This is large primary school close to the city centre with 306 pupils. There are 25 more boys than girls. Numbers have fallen steadily over recent years, and there are 90 less pupils than at the time of the last inspection. Pupils’ standards on entry to the school are below average. A high percentage of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds, with Pakistan being the most common country of origin. There are five pupils from refugee families. Ten pupils are at an early stage of learning English. The most common mother tongues apart from English are Punjabi and Somali. Over 25 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is a higher percentage than is found nationally. Around nine per cent of pupils have special educational needs, mostly with dyslexia and moderate learning difficulties, and none has a Statement of Special Educational Needs. These figures are lower than in most schools.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

20704 Terry Elston Lead inspector Science, design and technology, physical education, provision for pupils with special educational needs. 19693 Sally Hall Lay inspector 23870 Andy Howe Team inspector Mathematics, art and design, music, provision for children in the Foundation Stage. 20948 John Linstead Team inspector English, information and communication technology. 32948 Mary Walduck Team inspector History, geography, religious education, provision for pupils with English as an additional language.

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e-Qualitas Limited

Langshaw Pastens Road Limpsfield Chart Oxted Surrey

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e-Qualitas Limited

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.oftsed.gov.uk). Claremont Primary and Nursery - 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 10

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a sound school that is starting to recover from a period of decline when standards fell. With good, determined leadership and sound management standards are improving and by Year 6 they are in line with the national average in most subjects. Standards are still too low, however, at Year 2. The quality of education, including teaching, is satisfactory. Pupils of all ethnic groups get on very well with one another. Parents are not all happy with the school’s recent drive for higher standards in the national tests. The school provides satisfactory value for money. The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are • Standards by the oldest pupils are improving well • Pupils do not achieve well enough in Year 2 • The Nursery gives children a good start to school • Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are too low • There is a high degree of racial harmony • Links with parents are not good enough

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• Too many pupils are late to school Recent improvements mean that the school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection . The main weaknesses have largely been rectified, and standards are similar, but the quality of teaching and the links with parents are not as good as before.

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Year 6 results

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English E E D A mathematics D E E D science E E E C Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average; E* - very low and in the bottom five per cent nationally. Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2. These results show how the school is starting to improve. Achievement in English was very good last year, although in mathematics it was unsatisfactory. In contrast, the results for pupils in Year 2 were poor. They were well below those of similar schools in reading and mathematics and in the bottom five per cent nationally in writing. Inspection findings are that in Year 2 pupils have made some improvement on last year’s results but they are still not achieving well enough, and standards are still below average in English, mathematics, science, ICT, history and geography. Standards are

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Year 6 results

above average in art and design and average in design and technology, physical education, music and religious education. Pupils achieve well in Year 1 where the teaching is good but progress slows in Year 2 where they have done too little work. By Year 6, pupils’ achievements are satisfactory . Standards have improved since last year and are above average in reading and art and design. They are average in mathematics, science and all other subjects except ICT and geography, where they are below average. Children enter the school with below average skills and, by the time they are ready to leave the Reception, most meet the expected targets in their knowledge of the world and in their creative and physical development. In their language, literacy, mathematical, personal and social skills children still have some way to go. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well, as do those whose mother tongue is not English. The development of pupils’ personal

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Year 6 results

qualities, including behaviour and attitudes to work, is satisfactory. Claremont Primary and Nursery - 7 Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and is illustrated by their concern for the feelings of others and the high level of racial harmony in the school. Attendance is satisfactory but punctuality is poor and many pupils miss the important start to the day.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The overall quality of education is satisfactory . The teaching and learning are satisfactory . In the Nursery and Reception, the teaching and learning are satisfactory, overall, but best in the Nursery where the children have a very good mix of work and play. In the infants, the overall quality of teaching and learning is unsatisfactory, even though it was satisfactory during this inspection. Teaching and learning are fine in Year 1 and pupils make good progress, but in Year 2 pupils’ books show that over the last year they have not done enough work. Much of their work has not been marked and they have little knowledge of how to improve. Too often, pupils of different abilities were set the same work. In the junior classes, the teaching and learning are satisfactory. The pace of lessons is usually brisk, and this keeps pupils interested. Most teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well but, where teaching has shortcomings,

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

pupils are allowed to chatter and they miss the point of lessons. The curriculum is planned satisfactorily to provide teachers with a sound basis for their lessons. The school has worked hard to improve the planning for literacy and numeracy and it is good. Planning for ICT is weak, however, and does not give pupils enough opportunities to refine their skills. The school has a satisfactory range of resources. The accommodation is sound but the ICT suite is poorly organised. Sound guidance and support keep pupils safe and feeling secure. The partnership with parents is unsatisfactory, and they are not well enough informed about the school’s work. There are good links with the community.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management are satisfactory, overall . The headteacher’s leadership is good and has been an important factor in the raising of standards. The management is sound, but the school has done too little to reach out to parents and let them know about changes in its direction. The deputy and senior staff provide good support. The governance is sound by a knowledgeable and hard working governing body. There is a large budget deficit that the school has adequate plans to reduce.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Many parents are unhappy with the way the school is run. They feel strongly that the focus on standards, particularly in English and mathematics, has gone too far. Many feel ill informed about recent changes. Parents are delighted with the way that pupils of all ethnic backgrounds mix so well together. Pupils like school because everyone is so friendly.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve further are • Improve the teaching and learning in Year 2 • Raise standards in ICT • Improve links with parents • Ensure that pupils arrive to school on time and to meet statutory requirements • The school should conduct regular health and safety checks and meet the requirements of the last health and safety audit Claremont Primary and Nursery - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement by Year 2 is unsatisfactory but it is satisfactory by Year 6. When pupils enter the school their attainment is below average but, by the time they leave, standards in English, mathematics and science are average.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in reading by Year 6 and in art and design throughout the school are above average • Pupils with English as an additional language are supported well and make good progress • Children make a good start in the Nursery • Standards slip in Year 2 • Standards in ICT are too low

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Key Stage 2

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

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Key Stage 2

Standards in: School results National results English 26.5 (23.6) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 24.6 (24.4) 26.8 (26.7) science 27.1 (26.3) 28.6 (28.3) There were 48 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

1. Pupils achieved well in the national tests in English where the results were above those of similar schools. However, their results were below those of similar schools in science and well below them in mathematics. The school achieved its, albeit modest, targets in English but fell some way short in mathematics. Pupils’ results in the national tests fell sharply after the last inspection but are now improving in line with the national trend. Compared with their results in the national tests taken in Year 2, pupils’ progress was very good in English, sound in science but unsatisfactory in mathematics. Boys have performed consistently worse than girls in all three subjects over the last five years but this is not now the case. 2. The school was slow in adopting the guidance of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and this helps to explain why standards fell. The leadership has worked hard over the last five terms to

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Commentary

train staff and make the literacy and numeracy hours more effective, and the benefits are starting to show.

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Key Stage 1

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

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Key Stage 1

Standards in: School results National results reading 13.3 (13.1) 15.7 (15.8)

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Key Stage 1

There were39 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year. 3. The results for Year 2 pupils were poor. They were well below those of similar schools in reading and mathematics and very low (in the bottom five per cent nationally) in writing. 4. Children enter the school with below average standards, overall, and make good progress in the Nursery where the teaching is consistently good. Progress steadies in the Reception classes where Claremont Primary and Nursery - 9 teaching has been disrupted, but achievement is still satisfactory. Children make good progress in their physical and creative development and in their knowledge and understanding of the world. In these areas, nearly all children meet the expected targets. In their language, literacy, mathematical and personal and social development children will not reach the standards expected by the end of the Reception year.

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Key Stage 1

5. By Year 2, while inspection findings show some improvement on last year’s test results, pupils’ achievements are still unsatisfactory. Standards are below average in English, mathematics and science, and pupils have not made the sort of progress expected of them. Standards are also below average in ICT, history and geography. Standards are above average in art and design and average in design and technology, physical education, music and religious education. Pupils achieve well in Year 1 where the teaching is good and they cover a lot of ground in a year. In contrast, in Year 2 expectations of pupils have been too low, they have had a number of different teachers and their progress has been slow. 6. By Year 6, standards are improving because teachers are getting better at identifying areas of weakness in pupils’ performance and planning work to rectify them. In English, the literacy co- ordinator has been a key factor in raising standards, and the resulting good teaching of reading skills

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Key Stage 1

and the many opportunities to use them in other subjects have improved standards significantly. Standards in reading are above average, and pupils achieve well. In speaking and listening, writing, mathematics and science standards are average and pupils achieve satisfactorily. Standards in ICT remain below average because pupils do not have all of the experiences that they need to achieve well enough. Standards are average in all other subjects except geography where they are below average. 7. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well. They are supported effectively by teachers and teaching assistants and make good progress, especially in their reading. 8. Standards in national tests for pupils speaking English as an additional language are rising. The current cohort of Year 6 pupils is predicted to maintain the gains made last year; their attainment is broadly in line with other pupil groups in the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Attendance is satisfactory but punctuality is poor. Attitudes and behaviour are satisfactory. Provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Standards in attitudes, behaviour, punctuality and provision for personal development have declined since the last inspection.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Too many parents bring their children to school late • There are good opportunities for pupils to share and celebrate their different cultures • Relationships, including racial harmony, are very good • Good procedures have led to significant improvements in attendance • Pupils respond well to staff who have high expectations of good behaviour • Assemblies do not give pupils enough opportunities to develop their spiritual awareness

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Commentary

9. Many pupils are late for school, and on one day of the inspection, 86 pupils (many accompanied by their parents) drifted into school up to 15 minutes after the start of the school day without any sense of urgency. Although pupils are missing important work at the start of the day, neither they nor their parents are questioned about reasons for their lateness.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 6.6 School data : 1.9 National data: 5.4 National data: 0.4 Claremont Primary and Nursery - 10 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. 10. The attendance rates for 2003/4 were well below those of similar schools and there was a high percentage of unauthorised absences. The school has been working closely with the educational welfare service to ensure that accurate registers are maintained, unexplained absences are followed up and serious concerns about poor attendance are discussed with families. These procedures have led to improvements in attendance, and the current year’s rates have improved to over 93 per cent. The school follows the LEA policy of taking pupils off roll whilst they take extended overseas visits, and this enhances the attendance rates. 11. There is a strong feeling of community amongst the pupils. In reply to the pre-inspection

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Attendance

questionnaire, many pupils said that what they liked best about school is having friends and the way in which the teachers are kind and helpful. Because of the school’s success in supporting and respecting all its members, relationships are very good and a strength of the school. Pupils from a wide range of backgrounds play and work together, and are keen to respect and celebrate each other’s cultures and beliefs. This is reinforced through displays and work in religious education, and pupils gain a thorough knowledge of a many different lifestyles and cultural beliefs represented in the local community. 12. A significant minority of parents who returned the questionnaire had concerns about bullying and behaviour but felt that the school handled incidents well overall. The inspection team found behaviour to be satisfactory, and agreed with parents that rare incidents of bullying are generally dealt with effectively. By all accounts, behaviour deteriorated after the last inspection, and the school

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Attendance

has worked hard to develop a consistent approach to promoting good behaviour. Pupils value the reward system and understand the consequences of their actions. Most teachers use these strategies well but when their expectations are not made clear, pupils chatter even when the teacher is talking and miss important instructions.

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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 68 3 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 19 1 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 81 6 1 Black or Black British – Caribbean 26 1 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. 13. Exclusions last year were mainly due to the conduct of a few pupils with considerable behaviour difficulties. 14. The school makes sound provision for the development of pupils’ spirituality in lessons, but staff miss valuable opportunities in assemblies to get pupils to think deeply about important issues and reflect on the way they live their lives.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is satisfactory. The satisfactory teaching and assessment are firmly based on a sound curriculum. The school’s care, support and guidance are sound. Parents feel ill informed about the school’s work and links with them are unsatisfactory. Links with the community are good and with other schools they are satisfactory.

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Teaching and learning

The teaching and learning are satisfactory, overall, but unsatisfactory in Year 2. Claremont Primary and Nursery - 11

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The good teaching in the Nursery gives children a stimulating start to school • Pupils learn too little in Year 2 • The teaching of English is good • Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language achieve well because of the good support provided

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 44 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

0 (0%) 3 (7%) 19 (43%) 19 (43%) 3 (7%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

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Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen. 15. The overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. During this inspection there were temporary teachers in the reception and Year 2 class. Out of three unsatisfactory lessons, two were taught by permanent teachers. 16. Children in the Foundation Stage get off to a good start in the Nursery where the teaching and learning are consistently good. Staff are very skilled at getting children to settle quickly and learn the routines. This means that children make the most of their time in the unit. Activities are planned well and help pupils of all abilities to work at their own pace. There are very good relationships between the adults and children and strong contacts with parents, who are enthusiastic about the class. In

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Commentary

the Reception, the teaching and learning are satisfactory. The disruption caused by staffing difficulties shows in the way pupils take a time to respond to the teachers’ instructions. Expectations of them by different teachers have been inconsistent and some children’s behaviour is unsatisfactory. This is particularly the case when children are outside the classroom. In an unsatisfactory physical education lesson, much time was lost as the teacher struggled to make herself heard. 17. In Years 1 and 2, the quality of teaching and learning during this inspection was satisfactory, but the analysis of pupils’ work in Year 2 shows that over time it is unsatisfactory. This is why pupils do not achieve well enough. In Year 1, the teaching and learning are good, and pupils’ work over the last year shows that they have made good progress. The teaching is lively and pupils enjoy learning. Teachers are good at teaching pupils the basic skills of reading and writing, and their work has

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Commentary

improved significantly since the start of the year. The analysis of the work in Year 2 over the year shows clearly that expectations of their achievements have been too low. They have covered little work over the year and the work that has been completed is often left unmarked. Pupils therefore have little idea of how to improve. Much of the work for these pupils has been in the form of worksheets, and for much of the time all groups of pupils had the same one. This explains why lower attaining pupils often fail to finish a task while the most able pupils rarely get anything wrong. 18. In Years 3 to 6, the teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teachers make a point of sharing the lesson’s aims with pupils at the start, and this works well. It helps pupils to focus on the task, gives them a secure knowledge of their own learning and helps teachers assess their progress at the end. Teachers are good at asking the right questions to make pupils think, and all are careful to pitch their

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Commentary

questions so that each pupil can contribute to these sessions. Some of the best teaching was seen in literacy lessons. The school has worked hard at improving the way literacy skills are taught and these lessons go well. Pupils are challenged to read and write to the limit of their abilities and they make good progress. Teachers generally manage pupils well but, when lessons are unsatisfactory, teachers lack consistency in the way they expect them to behave. For example, they ask pupils to put up their hands but then accept an answer from someone who shouts out the answer. In other lessons, teachers asked pupils not to chatter but they kept on and missed the point of the lesson. Claremont Primary and Nursery - 12 19. The quality of teaching and learning for pupils with special educational needs is good. Pupils’ targets set by teachers are challenging but achievable. They focus mainly on literacy, numeracy and

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Commentary

behaviour, and provide a good structure for pupils’ learning. Well-qualified teaching assistants ensure that these pupils take a full part in lessons and make good progress. 20. Teaching and learning of English as an additional language are good and pupils make good progress. Pupils are supported well by skilled staff who have a very good knowledge of how to help them get the best out of lessons. For example, in one literacy lesson on writing persuasive arguments, pupils sat in a group with their support teacher. They were confident and made pertinent and constructive contributions to the lesson. Their support teacher spoke with pupils throughout the lesson to ensure that they knew what to do and all achieved well. 21. The school’s assessment systems are satisfactory. They are good in the Foundation Stage where recently introduced daily assessments give adults a clear and accurate picture of children’s

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Commentary

progress and what they need to do next. In the rest of the school, the best assessments are in English. Here, pupils work in small units of two or three weeks and their achievements are measured at the end. This system works well and has done much to raise standards as teachers are able to rectify areas of weakness found in the tests. The school has started to get pupils involved in their own assessment and this works well. Pupils are starting to be more aware of the levels they are attaining and what they have to learn to reach the next one.

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The curriculum

The school provides a sound curriculum with a strong emphasis on English and mathematics. There is a satisfactory range of activities outside lessons and a good number of visitors enriching the school’s planned activities.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The provision for personal, social and health education is good • The provision for pupils with English as an additional language is good • Planning in English and mathematics is much improved and leading to higher standards • There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to do as well as they should in ICT

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Commentary

22. The curriculum is carefully planned and meets the needs of all pupils. There has been a strong emphasis on English and mathematics in order to raise standards that had declined steeply after the last inspection. This approach has been successful and the better planning in these subjects has helped raise pupils’ achievements. The planning of the curriculum has improved significantly since the last inspection. At that time, few subjects had coherent schemes of work and the planning for pupils in mixed-aged classes was weak. The school now makes good use of national guidance to plan work, and the introduction of single-aged classes has helped to ensure that this work is matched well to pupils’ needs. The school links subjects together effectively to help pupils learn better. For example, pupils have extended their writing skills well through their investigations in history. These include writing letters as a warrior in Ancient Greece and investigating and writing

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Commentary

about various aspects of life at that time. 23. The planning for ICT is weak. The school has no systems to ensure that ICT is used in all subjects and so pupils miss many opportunities to develop their skills. Many pupils have not even used electronic mail. 24. The planning of all subjects includes an element of personal, social and health education, and provision in this area is good. In all classes, there are special times when pupils talk about issues that are important to them and these do much to help pupils sort out their problems. Sex and drugs education is covered well in science. 25. The school makes good provision for pupils with special educational needs. Pupils’ needs are identified early when they enter the school, and their targets are clear and achievable. The good support by teaching assistants ensures that pupils have every opportunity to learn alongside others in the class. Claremont Primary and Nursery - 13

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Commentary

26. The curriculum is enhanced by the number of visitors to the school including African drummers and French artists. The school offers an adequate variety of clubs including juggling and dance, but there are no sports or gymnastic clubs. Pupils have good opportunities to work with a well-known artist along with pupils from other backgrounds and schools. 27. The school has an appropriate number of qualified teachers and uses their expertise to good effect. This is illustrated well by the creative arts initiative currently taking place. This involves two members of staff giving demonstration lessons to their colleagues in art and dance and then to help them provide a similar standard in their own lessons. Teaching assistants provide good support for the school’s extra English and numeracy classes both during the school day and before lessons begin. Pupils whose mother tongue is not English benefit from good support from the specialist teachers

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Commentary

and assistants the school provides. This ensures that these pupils are able to take part in lessons and achieve at the same rate as all other pupils. 28. The school’s accommodation is satisfactory although in constant need of refurbishment. Teachers and pupils cope well with the difficulties of a sprawling site and many stairs. Classrooms are spacious although some are divided by unsightly wooden partitions. The ICT suite is not well arranged as the rows of computers make it difficult for teachers to see all pupils and there is no space big enough for them to assemble all pupils together. The school has considered this problem and is currently considering ways to improve this facility.

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Care, guidance and support

Care, welfare, health and safety are satisfactory. Support and guidance for pupils are satisfactory. Pupils’ involvement in the school’s work is satisfactory. Standards of care are not as high as they were in the last inspection when they were good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is good support for pupils with particular difficulties • The standard of care in the Nursery is good • The procedures for monitoring health and safety requirements are weak • Illegal parking outside the school entrance is a risk to pupils’ safety

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Commentary

29. The school is successful in its aim to ensure that all groups of pupils have equal opportunities to learn, and all members of the school community show care and concern for each other. Parents value highly the multicultural atmosphere where pupils of different background work together and become friends. Most pupils feel that they can turn to adults working in school if they are worried or upset. The small number of pupils who are at risk of exclusion receive very good support from a trained member of staff. She works closely with these pupils both in and outside lessons and successfully provides them with good guidance in how to manage their own behaviour. The deputy head teacher has responsibility of pupils in public care and takes her duties very seriously. These pupils are closely monitored and sensitively supported especially when they join the school. 30. Support for pupils speaking English as an additional language is good. In the Nursery, the staff

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Commentary

(including a bilingual assistant) are very skilled at teaching children at an early stage of learning English. They make great efforts to speak clearly and are very keen to praise children when they use new words. Elsewhere in the school, pupils are supported and monitored well by a specialist teacher who has a good awareness of their needs. 31. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well. The school has good systems for assessing their individual needs and providing valuable support in classes. This provision ensures that pupils understand the work and take a full part in lessons. 32. The procedures for first aid are good, but the lack of a first aid room means that pupils are treated in areas that lack privacy. The headteacher and deputy have had relevant training in child protection and they carry out their duties effectively. Child protection procedures are satisfactory, but the

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Commentary

school has not drawn up a policy for safe use of the Internet. The school offers parents and carers valuable ‘out of hours’ care for pupils through the Breakfast Club and After School Club. Claremont Primary and Nursery - 14 33. Procedures to ensure that the school meets all its required health and safety measures are weak. Governors have not carried out any recent checks on the premises and recommendations from a health and safety audit have not been followed up. At the start and end of the day, many parents and carers park their cars illegally outside the school gates and this is a serious risk to pupils’ safety. Sound arrangements are in place for testing electrical equipment but records for emergency evacuation drills are incomplete.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school’s links with parents are unsatisfactory. Its links with the community are good and the school has established satisfactory links with other schools.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school does not always communicate well with parents and has not given them enough information about its plans for the future • Parents’ views of the school are less favourable than those found in most schools • The school embraces and celebrates the rich and diverse cultures of the local community • Strong links with a local secondary school enrich the curriculum

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Commentary

34. Although parents are welcome to come into school at the start and end of the day to talk with teachers about their individual concerns, many feel ill informed about the school’s work. When, for example, the school found it necessary to concentrate on raising standards in the national tests, the changes in the curriculum and extra focus on literacy and numeracy were not explained well enough to parents. As a result, there are many who feel strongly that the new approach is wrong and that the school is poorly managed. 35. Newsletters, the prospectus and the annual governors’ report to parents contain adequate information about day-to-day issues but do little to communicate the school’s ethos and celebrate the school’s successes. Parents welcome the opportunity to talk with the headteacher at a ‘drop-in’ session held each week but there are missed opportunities for parents and senior staff to talk

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Commentary

informally, as staff are rarely in the foyer at the start and end of the day. The school does not conduct regular surveys of parents’ view and this makes it difficult to find out and tackle the real issues that concern parents. Nearly half the parents who returned the questionnaires felt that the school did not keep them well informed about how their children were getting on. The inspection teams shares the views of parents that the school could keep parents better informed. The pupils’ annual reports are generally satisfactory but not all teachers write helpful comments about how pupils can improve their work. Consultations in the autumn term and at the end of the summer term give parents adequate opportunities to talk to teachers about their children’s progress. 36. The school has established a good partnership with the local community and these links enrich the curriculum. The school does much to celebrate the major festivals of the world faiths represented in

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Commentary

the community and invites parents and local residents to share in the festivities. Pupils at risk of exclusion benefit from working on a local organic gardening project. Through their success in cultivating fruit, vegetables and herbs they grow in confidence and self esteem as well as developing a love of nature. 37. The school has developed a useful partnership with a local secondary school and pupils benefit from the staff’s expertise and the specialist facilities. For example, though collaborating on a joint art and design project at the secondary school, pupils were able to develop their academic skills as well as learning to work with pupils from different schools. Claremont Primary and Nursery - 15

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The school is led well by the headteacher who is determined to raise standards. Key staff and governors now provide satisfactory support that is contributing to improvement.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher provides energetic and capable leadership with a very clear vision and commitment to high achievement • Senior staff and governors now share the headteacher’s commitment to raising standards • The headteacher has not always communicated her intentions well with parents and governors • The school’s support of teachers new to the school is very good • The management of ICT is unsatisfactory

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Commentary

38. The headteacher has a very clear vision for the school and is committed to raising standards in all aspects of the school’s life. She has had to confront many difficulties but has remained determined to do her best for the pupils. The headteacher’s first priority was to raise standards in English and mathematics, because they had slipped badly. The measures to achieve this, involving staff training, changes in the curriculum and the way classes were organised were effective. Standards by Year 6 in both English and mathematics are now in line with the national average, and for the first time in five years pupils are achieving well enough. The problem lies in the ineffective way that changes, and the need for them, were communicated to parents and governors, not all of who supported these new ways. This led to disputes between the governing body, headteacher and some parents and slowed down the rate of school improvement. Things have now improved, and the governing

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Commentary

body is strongly supportive of the headteacher. 39. The school improvement plan is a useful document, which carefully sets out the priorities for the development of teaching, improvements in the school building and the raising of standards. 40. Governance of the school is satisfactory. Governors, led well by a knowledgeable chairperson, fulfil their statutory duties and have a good understanding of the main strengths and weaknesses of the school. Disputes within the governing body in the recent past delayed the implementation of the improvement plan and other aspects of school management such as staff appointments. Now that these problems have been resolved, governors and senior staff are now working effectively together to move the school forward. 41. The school is very supportive of newly qualified staff who speak highly of the help provided to enable them to settle quickly into school life. The school’s commitment to Investors in People indicates the

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Commentary

importance leaders place on developing the staff. The deputy headteacher and senior subject co- ordinators work well as a team and are supportive of the headteacher’s vision. They have played an important role in the raising of standards in English and mathematics. The management of ICT, however, is unsatisfactory. The school does not have all the programs necessary to ensure that pupils achieve well enough, and there are no systems to ensure that ICT is used adequately in other subjects. 42. Leadership and management of the provision for pupils with English as an additional language is good. Teachers’ curriculum planning is scrutinised to ensure that every opportunity is taken to effectively support pupils and see that good use is made of resources to support their learning. There is a good range of bilingual texts for pupils to read and audiotapes for listening. 43. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is managed well. The school spends more

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Commentary

than most to provide a co-ordinator with the time and skills to support teachers and pupils. As a result, teachers’ planning takes good account of pupils’ needs, pupils’ targets are well thought out and they make good progress. 44. Management of the school is satisfactory. The rigorous analysis of the school’s performance in the national tests and regular evaluation of teaching help to show where improvements need to be made, and have done much to improve the way the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are implemented. Only recently have there been regular checks on teachers’ performance and targets set for improvement, but these systems are now satisfactory. Claremont Primary and Nursery - 16 45. The school has a large budget deficit due to inherited overstaffing, a falling roll and local authority accounting problems. The headteacher has taken action to arrest the overspending but is aware that

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Commentary

more needs to be done to sort out the school’s overall management structure and associated costs.

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Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

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Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1118632 Balance from previous year -17987 Total expenditure 1201532 Balance carried forward to the next -100887 Expenditure per pupil 3913 Claremont Primary and Nursery - 17

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good. In the Nursery, children make a good start to school and provision is good. They achieve well because the teaching is consistently good. The new Foundation Unit is generously staffed and all adults contribute to a caring and stimulating learning environment. As a result, children are confident and settle well into school. Progress slows in the Reception because teaching has been inconsistent due to a number of staff changes. Nevertheless, the teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. New teachers are getting to grips with the situation and are well supported by teaching assistants.

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Personal, social and emotional development

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good induction procedures help children settle into the nursery quickly and happily • Children in the Nursery are co-operative and enjoy the range of activities provided • Some children in the Reception find it hard to listen and follow instructions

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Commentary

46. The school has effective systems to help children make a confident start to school. Home visits and the arrangements to have parents staying with their children when they start in the Nursery help them settle in quickly and to grow in confidence. Children in the Nursery play well together and clearly enjoy the range of experiences carefully planned for them by the staff. They are given good opportunities to make choices in many activities. They learn to take turns in activities because adults intervene and supervise effectively. In the Reception, children’s behaviour is sometimes unsatisfactory. They often find it hard to listen, to follow instructions or take part in activities which they have not selected. Teachers persist well in expecting good behaviour and follow the school’s behaviour policy. They explain clearly what their expectations are and why children should conform. However, a significant number of these children are not likely to achieve the expected targets in this

p.17

Communication, language and literacy

Provision in communication, language and literacy is s atisfactory overall.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• All adults promote speaking and listening skills well • The Nursery is full of things for children to read • Standards in reading and writing are below average in the reception classes

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Commentary

47. In the Nursery, the teaching and learning are good in this area. Adults are very good at asking children probing questions and giving them the confidence to answer. Children become increasingly articulate and confident in describing their play and responding to adults and each other. They listen well in more formal activities. A good balance of structured and unstructured play activities is provided. Adults intervene effectively to extend children’s play, particularly in the home corner where children achieve well as they describe what they are doing and what role they are playing. The Nursery is rich in signs, labels and displays that foster children’s early reading skills. One little boy confidently explained the sign at the baby clinic: “that says open and that says closed.” Good teaching of letter sounds and writing techniques help children make good progress. Children for whom English is an additional language are supported well by a specialist teaching assistant and

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Commentary

make good progress. In the Reception, progress slows. Some children find it hard to listen or respond in a group. The standard of children’s reading is below average, particularly in their awareness of the sounds made by different letters. Their writing is below average for their age and Claremont Primary and Nursery - 18 there is evidence of recent underachievement. Nevertheless, they try hard and the teaching seen during the inspection was satisfactory.

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Mathematical development

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children in the Nursery are achieving well, learning about number, pattern and shape • Adults pay good attention to developing mathematical language • Standards in mathematical development are below average in the reception classes

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Commentary

48. Teaching and learning in the Nursery are good in this area. All adults make careful assessments of children’s learning so that they know which areas need more work. They focus well on developing children’s understanding of mathematical language and this helps them understand the tasks they are set when it come to adding, taking away or finding out more or less. Children playing games and using puzzles show that they are developing a sound grasp of number and put in sequence numbers one to ten. They also recognise and name shapes such as triangles and circles. More able children name a semi-circle and rectangle. In the Reception, the teaching and learning are satisfactory and most children recognise numbers and count accurately to ten. However, few children are confident when asked to make repeating patterns and they struggle when asked to explain their thinking.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good.

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Main strength

• Children in the Nursery enjoy a stimulating range of opportunities to learn about human development and the changing world

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Commentary

49. In the Nursery, the teaching and learning are good. Adults use a wide range of stimulating activities to promote children’s understanding of how humans grow, the changing world and important skills such as assembling and joining. Children have examined a skeleton and X-rays to find out about how the human body works. They learned much from a visit from two mothers who bathed a baby as part of their work on early human development. In their modelling, they show sound skills as they cut and stick and join different materials. A good selection of construction toys is used in both the Nursery and Reception. Children build and choose items such as nuts and bolts in their construction activities. Many children are confident using the computer’s mouse and keyboard. In the Reception, children show a sound awareness of the changing world as they learn about how the seasons affect the weather and outside world. They also learn about other cultures and their

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Commentary

customs. Most children are likely to reach the expected standards by the time they are five.

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Physical development

Provision is physical development is satisfactory overall.

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Main strength and weakness

• Effective use is made of the outside area to provide a range of physical play • Children’s physical skills are below average

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Commentary

50. The teaching and learning are good in the Nursery. Teachers provide a wide range of opportunities for children to develop their manipulative skills. Through many well-planned activities children learn to use scissors safely and stick, join and hold pens and pencils correctly. They build confidently using a range of construction toys that help them to develop finger strength and dexterity. Adults use the outside area well to enable children to throw accurately, run and play and develop their co- ordination. Children in the Reception are learning to move to music and take part in simple dance Claremont Primary and Nursery - 19 activities. However, in these lessons some children find it hard to remember the rules about behaviour, and this slows down their progress. Relatively few children will meet the expected targets in this area.

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Creative development

Provision in creative development is good.

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Main strengths

• Children enjoy art activities and show concentration and care in their work • They achieve well

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Commentary

51. The teaching and learning in this area are good. Children take great care in their work in activities such as collage, painting and drawing from observation. They explore working with different materials enthusiastically and produce some good paintings and prints. They become absorbed in their play when in areas such as the home corner or baby clinic, making up their own stories and acting them out. They respond well to music, singing along with nursery rhymes and using instruments appropriately. Overall, nearly all children show that they are likely to achieve the expected targets in creative development by the time they are five. Claremont Primary and Nursery - 20

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ENGLISH

The school’s provision in English is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Improvements in planning have resulted in higher standards • Standards in reading by Year 6 are above average • The leadership and management of the subject are good • The assessment of pupils’ progress is good • Pupils’ achievement by Year 2 is unsatisfactory

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Commentary

52. Standards in English have been poor over recent years. They are now picking up and are similar to those reported in the last inspection. Pupils achieve satisfactorily by Year 6, overall, and well in reading. The main reasons for the improvement lie in the introduction last year of better planning for pupils of different abilities and the more effective assessment of pupils’ progress, including assessment by pupils themselves. Pupils do this honestly and it has done much to help them understand what they need to do to improve, particularly in Years 5 and 6. While pupils make good progress in Year 1 as a result of consistently good teaching, they underachieve in Year 2, and the analysis of pupils’ work over the last year shows that too little has been expected of the quality and quantity of their work. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress. They are supported well by skilled teachers and teaching assistants and soon gain a good use and

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Commentary

understanding of English. 53. By Year 2, standards are below average in all aspects of English. The teaching and learning are satisfactory, overall, but show some variation from class to class. In Year 1, the teaching and learning are consistently good, with teachers having high expectations of pupils’ achievements. As a result, pupils read and write well. In Year 2, however, while the teaching was satisfactory during the inspection (by a temporary teacher), the analysis of pupils’ work over the year shows low expectations of what pupils could achieve and poor marking so that they know little about how to improve. By Year 2, most pupils listen carefully and take an active part in oral sessions, often eager to supply answers and responses. Teachers make good use of pupils talking in pairs, to discuss the characters in a story, for example, and this encourages them to listen carefully and express

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Commentary

themselves clearly. Pupils’ vocabulary is limited, however, and few are confident talking to the whole class. In contrast, pupils in Year 1 who get lots of practice speak very well, as was illustrated when they made up some complex sentences to describe the giant in ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. 54. By Year 2, pupils read with reasonable fluency, and a few do so with good expression and understanding. Most have a sound store of words they instantly recognise, but they often struggle when asked to read unfamiliar ones. Pupils’ writing is generally weak, and they have not built satisfactorily on the good start they have made in Year 1. Most pupils enter Year 2 writing in complete sentences that are correctly punctuated, but after nearly a year their work shows little improvement. They have been given too few opportunities to extend their writing and have covered too little work. The activities given to pupils are often unsuitable and take little account of their

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Commentary

different abilities. 55. The teaching and learning in the junior classes are good, and standards by Year 6 are average in writing and speaking and listening and above average in reading. Teachers are very good at encouraging pupils to speak to the whole class in the knowledge that their contributions will be valued. As a result, pupils express themselves clearly and confidently. In one lesson, for example, pupils had the skills and self-assuredness to interrogate their teacher acting the part of a character in a book they were reading. Pupils read well. Teachers make effective use of the literacy hour to teach pupils how to get the most out of books. As a result, pupils have a good understanding of what they read and put varied expression in their voices when reading aloud. They sum up text well, make valid predictions about what may happen next and give good opinions of the author’s style. The have

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Commentary

a good understanding of the feelings of characters and the ways authors engage their readers. Pupils have a good understanding of how to use and locate reference books. They enjoy reading and Claremont Primary and Nursery - 21 are keen to read aloud. Pupils read a wide variety of texts including poetry and non-fiction and express opinions about favourite authors. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in their reading. Teachers are good at teaching pupils how to recognise the different sounds in words, and give lots of useful practice in spelling. Teaching assistants provide good support for these pupils in lessons so that they always understand the work. 56. Pupils’ writing is lively and quickly grabs the reader’s interest. For example, one Year 6 pupil wrote, ‘Angelica, a blonde haired, 3 year old drama queen, who will cry and shout if she doesn’t get her own way, is left to antagonise the babies.’ Teachers provide lots of opportunities for pupils to write at

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Commentary

length, and this has helped develop their stamina as writers. Some of the best writing is in Year 5, where pupils have written extensive accounts of their topics in history and geography. 57. The leadership and management of the subject are good. Last year, the school identified several important areas for improvement and produced a very good action plan with initiatives that have generally proved successful in raising standards. Teachers have received intense training from external providers as well as from the subject co-ordinator in order to improve the structure and effectiveness of the literacy hour. However, the leadership has been less successful in raising standards in Year 2. Assessment procedures are now good and teachers have a thorough knowledge of what their pupils are achieving in order to plan work. Teaching has been closely checked so that improvements can be made and individual training needs identified. Resources

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Commentary

have been improved, especially in the library and provision of texts in classes.

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Literacy across the curriculum

58. English is developed well through other subjects. For example, pupils in their history studies have written lively pieces of work in the role of Ancient Greeks and in science record their experiments carefully and comprehensively. In ICT, however, there are too few opportunities for pupils to develop their literacy skills using word-processors.

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MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There has been good recent improvement in standards by Year 6 • Standards in Year 2 are below average • Printed worksheets are overused in some classes • Assessment is too inconsistent to raise standards

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Commentary

59. National test results for pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 in 2003 were well below average. However, work seen during the inspection shows that there has been good overall improvement. The school has worked on making the planning of the curriculum and the teaching of numeracy skills more effective, and the benefits are beginning to show. Pupils by Year 6 now attain average standards and achieve satisfactorily. Pupils in Year 2 produce work that is below average standards and, while this shows some improvement, they should do better. 60. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. They are supported well in lessons and take a full part in all activities. In a lesson in Year 1, a pupil was encouraged to answer a question by the supporting teaching assistant. The teacher was careful to take the pupil’s answer and the child was delighted at his success. 61. The teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. In Year 2, however, the teaching and learning are

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Commentary

unsatisfactory and pupils do not make enough progress. They enter Year 1 with below average skills and by the end of Year 2 have not made up enough ground. Pupils make a good start in Year 1, where good teaching enables pupils to develop confidence with number and a real interest in mathematics. In Year 2, the analysis of pupils’ work over the last year shows that they have made little progress. They have usually been set the same work, usually in the form of worksheets, irrespective of their ability. As a result, more able pupils always complete the work and are rarely challenged enough to make mistakes, and the least able pupils produce very little work at all. Many pupils in Year 2, therefore, lack the confidence and knowledge to do simple sums. They find it hard Claremont Primary and Nursery - 22 to round up numbers to the nearest ten and few think of different ways to solve a problem because

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Commentary

they have not had the practice. Much of the work is not marked, so pupils have little idea about how to do better. 62. In Years 3 to 6 the teaching and learning are satisfactory and, by Year 6, pupils are confident with number and are quick to answer questions about multiplication tables. Teachers often pitch lessons at a very challenging level, which helps extend the more able pupils as they produce accurate line graphs of their data. Teachers use questions well, encouraging pupils to explain their thinking and share their methods with others. This helps pupils clarify their thoughts and begin to question other’s strategies. 63. Systems for assessment are generally satisfactory, but lack consistency. This helps to explain why, in some lessons, the work set does not match the ability levels of the pupils. 64. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The school has identified the priorities

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Commentary

for development in the subject, having evaluated the quality of teaching and planning and analysed the national test results to identify the main priorities. The subject co-ordinator has provided useful training in the methods of the National Numeracy Strategy that has improved teachers’ knowledge, but some unsatisfactory teaching remains.

p.22

Mathematics across the curriculum

65. The school makes sound use of mathematics in other subjects. In science and geography teachers encourage mathematical skills in handling and recording data and using the computer to produce graphs. For instance, in a lesson on the insulating properties of different materials, pupils produced excellent line graphs of the cooling process using a computer programme. However, there is little evidence of the use of computers in any mathematics lessons.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ achievements by Year 2 are unsatisfactory • Standards are improving well in the juniors • Pupils enjoy lots of experimental work • More able pupils are not always set enough challenges in experimental work

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Commentary

66. Standards in science are below average by Year 2 and pupils should be achieving better given their abilities. Standards are average by Year 6 and pupils have made up the lost ground. 67. Pupils make a good start in Year 1. The good teaching gives them a secure understanding of how plants grow and plenty of opportunities to test out their theories. Here, teachers are confident in their knowledge and this ensures that pupils learn the necessary skills. Teachers have high expectations that pupils try hard to meet. They support pupils with English as an additional language well by careful explanation of scientific terms and these pupils make good progress. The analysis of pupils’ work in Year 2, however, shows that standards have slipped. Few are confident in their knowledge of where seeds come from or how they grow to produce plants. In one lesson, no pupils could say where honey came from (except those who thought it came from a tree). Over the year, pupils in

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Commentary

Year 2 have covered too little work. They have completed few experiments and those that were done were poorly recorded. The over-use of worksheets with little regard for the different abilities in the class restricted the achievements of more able pupils and meant that pupils with special educational needs struggled to complete any work at all. 68. In Years 3 to 6, the teaching and learning are good and explain the improvement in standards this year. Teachers provide many opportunities for pupils to carry out experiments and they develop a good awareness of how to make a test fair and predict the likely outcomes. Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ experimental work are generally sound, but they do not always provide sufficient challenge for more able pupils. Consequently, while pupils are confident working at investigations planned by the teacher, they struggle when required to think of their own solutions to problems. Teachers set

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Commentary

Claremont Primary and Nursery - 23 the scene for the lesson well by informing pupils of the lesson’s objectives, thereby making it easy to assess pupils’ progress towards these goals at the end. Teachers are good at making pupils think by using challenging questions that expect pupils to recall previous learning. This creates a good link between old learning and new, and helps pupils’ overall scientific understanding. 69. The leadership and management are unsatisfactory. The subject has not had the benefit of the rigour applied to English and mathematics recently, and there has been no systematic evaluation of teaching and learning. The recently appointed co-ordinator has conducted a useful survey of teachers’ subject knowledge but with no opportunities to see them teach has limited awareness of standards throughout the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

The school has made insufficient progress since the last inspection and its provision for ICT is unsatisfactory.

p.23

Main weaknesses

• Pupils have too few opportunities to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding in all aspects of the subject • The leadership and management of the subject are unsatisfactory • The ICT suite is poorly organised • ICT is not used sufficiently in other areas of the curriculum

p.23

Commentary

70. Standards by Years 2 and 6 are below average and pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory. Pupils in Year 1 are given good opportunities to develop their skills and produce dazzling pictures using a paint program, gradually learning how to use the different applicators. They are confident adding text to these pictures and make a good start at using a word-processing program to write sentences. However, their progress in Year 2 is slow and they add little to their skills. 71. By Year 6, pupils have had insufficient opportunities to develop their skills in word processing and desktop publishing and there are few examples of such work. Pupils occasionally use the Internet to gain information but this is not routinely built into planning. In addition, pupils make too little use of CD-ROMs as part of their work in other areas of the curriculum. They do not send or receive electronic mail although some have learned how to do so from software used early in the junior

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Commentary

classes. Pupils have little knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of using technology for communicating but they have a sound awareness of how technology is used to, for example, manage traffic lights or automatic doors. Pupils have begun to use spreadsheets and produce a basic multimedia presentation of their work incorporating sound and moving images. 72. The standard of teaching overall is unsatisfactory. The teaching of lessons in the ICT suite is hampered by the layout of machines in long rows. This makes it difficult for teachers to see what pupils are doing. In one unsatisfactory lesson, for example, the teacher was trying to explain how to draw shapes on the computer and three boys at the back took no notice at all. It was no surprise that when they were expected to start work they had no idea what to do. The timetabling of lessons in the suite indicates that it is not used often enough and teachers do not plan for ICT to be routinely

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Commentary

used in other lessons. To help compensate for the difficulties of the suite, most lessons are taught with the assistance of the school’s technician and often a further teaching assistant. This enables good teaching of individual pupils or small groups to take place once practical activities have started. Teachers make good use of the data projector to show pupils what to do. 73. The leadership and management of the subject are unsatisfactory. Few members of staff have received the necessary training in the subject and this explains the varying levels of expertise. There has been insufficient checking of lessons to assess the quality of teaching and learning and identify ways to improve. The assessment of pupils’ learning is poor. 74. The school is considering making use of a local technology centre where the resources and expertise of available staff are excellent. During the inspection pupils from Year 6 visited this centre

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Commentary

and made good progress in their learning. School staff contributed significantly to the teaching provided by the centre’s staff in these lessons. The school is also considering a new layout for the Claremont Primary and Nursery - 24 ICT suite and the installation of new machinery as the present equipment is old and becoming unreliable.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

75. Teachers make too little use of ICT across the curriculum. In English, teachers miss many opportunities to get pupils to draft and redraft their stories on word-processors, and in mathematics, apart from calculating using spreadsheets, pupils rarely follow up work on computers to reinforce their learning. In science, pupils have made good use of ICT to measure the different rates that water cools in a range of containers. In art and design, pupils have used a graphics program well to make ‘dreamy’ pictures in Year 4.

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HUMANITIES

76. No lessons were seen during the inspection in history and only two in geography. These subjects were sampled, and evidence taken from pupils’ past work, displays, photographs and teachers’ records. This shows that standards in geography are below average by Year 2 and Year 6 and pupils’ achievements are unsatisfactory. Year 2 pupils’ weak literacy skills show in their written work, which is sketchy and poorly presented. Older pupils struggle when asked to research answers to their own geographical questions, both in their written work and in one of the lessons seen. Teachers make good links with mathematics when they ask pupils to analyse data. 77. In history , standards are below average by Year 2, and pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory. Pupils have covered little work and have only a very basic knowledge of the past. Their recording, mostly on worksheets, is poor. Standards by Year 6 are average, however, and pupils achieve

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HUMANITIES

satisfactorily. Teachers use history well to improve pupils’ writing skills, and they have written some very comprehensive accounts of life in Victorian times that show a good awareness of life in that period of history.

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Religious education

Overall provision for religious education is good.

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Main strengths

• Racial harmony is strongly promoted through the teaching of religious education • Pupils respect the beliefs and practices of world religions • The subject is well led and managed • Teachers use resources well

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Commentary

78. The teaching and learning are good, and standards are in line with those expected in the Locally Agreed Syllabus. Pupils achieve well throughout the school. By Year 2, pupils describe clearly some of the festivals and practices of Sikhs and Muslims. They write knowledgeably about Guru Nanak, Kwanzaa, Ramadan and Eid and have a sound awareness of the importance of church buildings for Christians. Teachers make good links with literacy and art and design to make pupils’ work interesting and attractive. In a good lesson for pupils in Year 1, they were taught about celebrations surrounding the birth of a new baby in the Sikh and other religions. The teacher had very good knowledge of the subject and made excellent use of children from the Sikh religion to provide expert accounts of what happens after a baby is born. 79. By Year 6, pupils have a good grasp of the diversity of all religions and a sound understanding of the

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Commentary

importance of ritual and ceremony in life. Teachers are good at explaining about religious symbols and signs and pupils learn much from handling religious objects. Pupils have a good awareness of important figures in religion, and in one lesson on Christianity, they spoke knowledgeably about Mary as a strong woman who led by her example. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills develop well as they listen with great interest to one another’s experiences of religion, and speak enthusiastically about their own. 80. The subject is well led and managed. All aspects of the Locally Agreed Syllabus are planned in detail, ensuring good coverage of the syllabus. The school achieves consistency in teaching by the co- ordinator observing lessons and analysing pupils’ work. Claremont Primary and Nursery - 25 81. There has been good improvement in the subject since the last inspection. Good resources enhance Teaching and learning, including a wide range of textbooks on Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism,

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

82. It was only possible to observe one art and design and physical education lesson during the inspection, and none was seen in music or design and technology. All of these subjects were sampled, and evidence gained from talking to pupils, watching them sing and play instruments in assembly and after school and looking at work that pupils have done over the year. In art and design , standards are above average throughout the school and pupils achieve well. They start well in Years 1 and 2 and have produced some very good paintings in watercolour following close observations of leaves. Older pupils develop their skills well and make very good use of sketchbooks to try different ways of drawing and shading. Pupils’ three-dimensional work is good, and the masks made by Year 6 pupils show a very good awareness of how to convey emotion through art and design. The leadership and management is good, with joint co-ordinators providing

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

teachers with a rich source of ideas, demonstration lessons, effective training and the further stimulus of a visiting artist. 83. Standards in design and technology are average throughout the school and pupils achieve satisfactorily. By Year 2, pupils have a sound grasp of how to cut and join different materials. Their paper sculptures, using cylinders and fans, and moving pictures with sliding mechanisms show good imagination and creativity. By Year 6, pupils have made some good fairground models following a visit to the local fair. By using the digital camera, pupils were able to photograph the structures in the fair, which helped them when they started their own models. 84. In music , pupils sing tunefully, and the school make good use of a specialist teacher to do all the singing with older pupils. Pupils play instruments to an average standard, overall, but their playing in the steel band is of a high quality. Teachers make some use of ICT, getting pupils to compose

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

simple pieces of music, but not enough to get the best out of the programs available. 85. In physical education , pupils’ games skills are reasonable. Most throw and catch balls reliably, and they play games with great enthusiasm in the playground. There are, however, no after school games clubs that would raise standards further. Pupils dance enthusiastically, and some in Year 5 showed very good imagination as they worked in pairs to make a sequence of complex moves.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

86. No personal, social and health education lessons were seen during the inspection, but the evidence of planning and the use of visitors from outside the school, illustrated further in the paragraph about the curriculum, shows that provision is good. Claremont Primary and Nursery - 26

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 4 Attendance 4 Attitudes 4 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 4 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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