Daubeney Primary School

DAUBENEY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 28 November – 4 December 2003

p.1

DAUBENEY PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

p.1

DAUBENEY 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. Daubeney Primary School - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 – 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 504

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Daubeney Road Clapton London Postcode: E5 0EG

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 020 8985 4380 Fax number: 020 8985 9075 Email: vsmith@daubeney.hackney.sch.uk

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Jonathan Hourigan

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 1 February 1999

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Daubeney is a much larger than average primary school with 504 girls and boys on roll between the ages of 3 and 11 years. It serves an area of significant social and economic deprivation and almost half the pupils are eligible for free school meals. A much higher than average number of pupils are from minority ethnic cultures and many of these are learning English as an additional language. The range of languages these pupils speak at home is wide, although the commonest languages are Turkish, Yoruba and Twi. A higher than average number of pupils join or leave the school other than in the reception year or Year 6. A small number of those joining are refugees and, overall, those joining late have low attainment and often do not speak English. An above average number of pupils have special educational needs, and a significant number of these pupils have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The school is part of an Education Action Zone.

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

12487 John Lilly Lead inspector Religious education English as an additional language Personal, social and health education (PSHE) 9748 Cliff Hayes Lay inspector 20666 Ian Newton Team inspector Science Information and communication technology (ICT) Design and technology Physical education 23036 Jennifer Nicholson Team inspector The Foundation Stage Mathematics Art and design Music 22058 Christine Richardson Team inspector English Geography History Special educational needs

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

6 East Point High Street Seal Sevenoaks Kent TN15 0EG

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

p.4

PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

p.5

PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

p.5

PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12-17

p.5

PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

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

p.5

SUBJECTS IN KEY STAGES 1 AND 2

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 38 Daubeney Primary School - 6

p.5

OVERALL EVALUATION

Daubeney provides a satisfactory quality of education and is a safe, caring and happy place in which to learn. Staff are highly committed to helping every child succeed, and, consequently, relationships are good and children trust adults. Sound leadership has led to good improvement since the last inspection and standards are rising. The school has significant strengths and these outweigh the weaknesses. Pupils join the school with low attainment and by the time they leave Year 6 their attainment meets national expectations in all subjects except for English and mathematics where it is below expectations. Results in national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2003 matched the average for schools facing similar challenges. This shows that pupils do well. Pupils’ personal development is good, teaching is sound and the curriculum is broad and balanced. Management is sound but not yet effective enough to meet the challenging vision governors have set

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

for the school’s future. The school offers satisfactory value for money.

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

• Governors understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school and give it clear direction and a challenging vision to meet. • Leadership by governors and senior managers does not have a sufficiently strategic plan to achieve this testing, realistic but recently given vision. • A major strength of the school is the teachers’ high expectations of good behaviour backed by skilful and strong control. • Good provision for personal development helps pupils to become more mature and to relate well with others and, consequently, they become more eager to learn and do their best. • The school lacks the strategies to help pupils with very challenging behaviour to manage their own behaviour and emotions. • High quality care makes all pupils feel secure and cared for. This makes them confident learners. • There are too few specialised staff to support the high number of pupils learning English as an additional language.

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

• Teaching is sound but insufficiently focused on developing the speaking and listening skills that pupils need to think through and solve problems. • Teaching does not make clear enough to pupils how they can improve their work. • Governors and staff do not have effective ways of working in partnership with parents. • Unsatisfactory attendance and poor punctuality are holding back the learning of too many pupils.

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory and the school has addressed weaknesses identified at that time with commitment. The school is now on a much sounder foundation for future improvement. Standards in science and information and communication technology have risen significantly, leadership, management and governance are stronger, assessment more systematic and the curriculum much better planned. Teaching is now consistently satisfactory and usually good. Attendance, however, is still unsatisfactory. Daubeney Primary School - 7

p.6

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 D E C Mathematics E E E C Science E E E D Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average E* - extremely low Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

p.7

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement throughout the school is good . Children join the school with low attainment in the reception year and also if they join later; this starting point is declining and some now join with very low attainment. In national tests and assessments at the end of Year 2, standards are rising in reading but have declined in writing and mathematics. There are now, however, signs of improvement. Pupils do well in Years 1 and 2, and, although results in national tests are well below the national average, they match or exceed the average for schools facing similar challenges. By the end of Year 6, attainment in national tests in 2003 was well below the national average but matched the average for similar schools. This level of attainment reflects the findings of this inspection. Pupils make reasonable progress between Years 3 and 6, and most do well. Attainment matches national expectations in all subjects, except for English and mathematics where they are

p.7

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

below and history where attainment is above expectations. Even so, achievement is not good enough if the school is to meet the high standards set by governors.

p.7

Pupils’ social, moral and cultural development is good, and their spiritual development is

satisfactory . Their attitudes towards lessons are positive, although attendance and punctuality are unsatisfactory.

p.7

QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a sound quality of education . Teaching is satisfactory and the curriculum is broad, balanced and relevant to the pupils’ needs. The school provides a stimulating ethos that encourages pupils to be keen and eager to learn.

p.7

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are satisfactory and governance is sound. The governors provide very strong leadership and expect rapid improvement in standards but have yet to find effective ways to help the school achieve these high standards. While satisfactory, the experienced senior leadership and management of the school are only just showing the strategies needed to achieve the challenging yet appropriate vision recently given the school by governors.

p.7

PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Pupils like and are proud of their school. They find the work interesting and adults very ready to help. Most parents value the school but some are very critical of the way the school deals with their concerns and others feel they could play a greater part in the work of the school. Daubeney Primary School - 8

p.7

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are:

p.8

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• The governors and senior leadership of the school need to develop a simpler improvement plan that focuses much more closely on developing the strategies and staff skills that will raise attainment, especially in English and mathematics. • Teachers should use assessment information more effectively to show pupils how to improve their work. • Teachers need to give much higher priority to helping pupils develop the speaking and listening skills they need to think through and solve problems. • Governors need to ensure that there are enough specialised support staff for pupils learning English as an additional language. • The school needs better strategies for helping pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties. • Governors and staff need to develop a strategic and coherent plan to help parents become more involved in supporting their children’s learning. • Measures to improve attendance and punctuality must make much clearer to pupils and

p.8

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

parents the harm caused by missing school.

p.8

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Although the school does meet all statutory requirements, the governors need to be more rigorous in checking that this remains the case. Daubeney Primary School - 9

p.8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Although standards overall are below average by the end of Year 6, most pupils make good progress and achieve well.

p.9

Main strengths and weaknesses

• With few exceptions, pupils make good progress and achieve well throughout the school. • Although attainment in national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2003 was low, attainment of current pupils in Year 6 at least matches national expectations in all subjects except for English and mathematics where it is below. • Pupils with high ability do not do well enough. • Throughout the school, speaking and listening skills are too low, and this hinders all learning.

p.9

Commentary

1. Children join the nursery with low attainment and many do not speak English. They make good progress but few will meet the early learning goals set for the end of the reception year. Even so, their development provides a secure basis for learning in Year 1.

p.9

Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003 Standards in: School results National results Reading 14.9 (14.9) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 13.4 (13.1) 14.6 (14.4) Mathematics 14.8 (14.9) 16.3 (16.5) There were 76 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

p.9

Commentary

2. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2 and most do well. Even so, their attainment by the end of Year 2, though higher, is still below the national average. In national tests and assessments at the end of Year 2, standards in reading have improved since 1999 and matched the national average in 2003. Standards declined in mathematics and writing, and were well below the national average in 2003. Standards in science matched the national average. There are signs, however, that standards are currently rising. This current improvement is significant because up until last year standards overall had fallen since 1999. When results for 2003 are compared with the average for schools facing similar challenges, the pupils did well. Results were above average in science, in-line in mathematics and writing, and well above average in reading. Although the decline overall was to some extent due to the

p.9

Commentary

increase in pupils with special educational needs, teaching does not help enough pupils of high ability to reach their potential.

p.9

Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2003 Standards in: School results National results English 25.3 (26.2) 26.8 (27) Mathematics 25.0 (23.9) 26.8 (26.7) Science 26.7 (26.2) 28.6 (28.3) There were 58 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year Daubeney Primary School - 10 3. The picture is much better by the end of Year 6. Standards are rising in English, mathematics and science, and at the national rate. In national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2003, although attainment was low when compared with all schools, it matched or exceeded the average for similar schools. Progress matched the average for similar schools in English and mathematics but was below average in science. There was considerable improvement between 2002 and 2003, and this inspection finds that this improvement has been maintained. Although attainment in Year 6 is below national expectations in English and mathematics, it

p.9

Commentary

matches these expectations in all other subjects and is above in history.

p.10

Commentary

4. Boys and girls from different cultures usually do equally well. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards the targets on their individual education plans. They grow in confidence and self-esteem because of the caring and inclusive atmosphere in the school and the quality of the support they receive. These pupils often achieve well for their abilities in statutory tests. Pupils learning English as an additional language tend to make better progress than their English speaking peers, but only once they have acquired higher level speaking skills. Although pupils of different ability make broadly the same progress, the least strong area is the progress of the most able. This is because the school has yet to identify them accurately enough and provide learning more suited to their needs.

p.10

Commentary

5. The school has identified that one minority ethnic group does not achieve as well as the others. This group is English speaking. They speak, however, a type of English that richly expresses their strong culture but is less suited to learning at school. This means they have difficulty in understanding what they hear at school and do not have the structured language they need at school to order their thoughts and express their learning. There is a sense in which all pupils at the school need to learn a new language, whether they speak English or not. This is because the language they speak at home is rich and vibrant, but not as well suited to learning in school. The school does not have a policy for developing the structured spoken language of schooling, and this means teaching does not plan enough to develop these essential speaking and listening skills. This hinders the ability of all pupils to think and understand. In turn this holds

p.10

Commentary

back their understanding when reading and their ability to write in a structured and extended way.

p.10

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils display positive attitudes towards lessons, though attendance and punctuality are unsatisfactory. Behaviour is good and pupils learn to take responsibility. Their social, moral and cultural development is good and spiritual development is satisfactory.

p.10

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are good relationships among pupils and between all staff and pupils. • Attendance and punctuality are unsatisfactory. • Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school, and their behaviour improves with age. • Most pupils are keen and eager to learn; they like school. • Older pupils show social responsibility and behave as young citizens. • There is racial harmony among pupils. • Strategies for promoting good attendance and punctuality are not rigorous enough.

p.10

Commentary

6. Pupils like school. They are keen to learn and respond well to good teaching. There is good participation in out-of-class activities. Pupils behave well in class and around the school and, though boisterous, their play is predominantly friendly. Older pupils willingly accept responsibility, for example as Redcaps (monitors) or Buddies (eight to eleven-year-olds who give personal support to younger pupils). The School Council gives pupils of all ages the opportunity to take responsibility and contribute towards the school’s success. During the Daubeney Primary School - 11 inspection it was impossible to judge by observation whether the experimental playground is having a marked beneficial impact on behaviour as few pupils were using most of the facilities it provides. Pupils say that they very much liked the playground and parents report that it has improved behaviour. Almost no bullying was seen during the inspection, though some pupils

p.10

Commentary

and parents reported that it does occur. Despite a wide range of ethnicity, there is little or no racial tension and the staff provide good role models for inter-cultural harmony. The level of exclusions is low.

p.11

Commentary

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

p.11

Commentary

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 73 0 0 White – Irish 7 0 0 White – any other White background 63 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 28 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 5 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 3 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 14 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 6 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 6 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 15 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 9 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 113 0 0 Black or Black British – African 119 3 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 16 0 0 Chinese 1 0 0 Any other ethnic group 21 1 0 No ethnic group recorded 5 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.11

Commentary

7. Attendance is unsatisfactory (89.2 per cent in 2002/03). After two years of falling attendance, the level has markedly improved in the current year (92.0 per cent) but it remains below the national average for primary schools of 94.2 per cent. It improves as pupils progress through the school and, among pupils aged between eight and eleven, is only a little below national norms. This shows the positive effect the school can have. Attendance is analysed by ethnic groupings but the school could usefully analyse the data further, for example, to identify whether there are trends that relate to family circumstance or days of the week. This would help the school gain a better understanding of the underlying causes of poor attendance. The school promotes good attendance to parents in letters and during formal and informal contacts but success will depend on developing new strategies to make all parents and pupils aware of the

p.11

Commentary

need for high attendance. Punctuality is unsatisfactory, with many pupils arriving even later than the ten minutes grace allowed in the morning before lateness is recorded. The school’s present policy and procedures for punctuality do not convince parents or pupils of the need to arrive at the start of the school day. Daubeney Primary School - 12 Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%) Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.9 School data 4.9 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.

p.11

Commentary

8. Pupils’ moral, social and cultural development is good. Spiritual development is satisfactory. Pupils quickly learn right from wrong and their social skills are developing well. With few exceptions, they value the community within the school and show respect for their fellow pupils and towards staff. The diverse cultures within the school add to their knowledge of the world and its traditions, while at the same time allowing them to show their ability to live happily together. Pupils’ work, exemplified by several good displays, shows a good awareness of the charms of poetry and art, and music features well in the school’s behaviour strategies and extra-curricular activities. School assemblies, however, do not always give pupils sufficient opportunity to consider the deeper meanings of life and this hinders their spiritual development. The personal development of nursery and reception children is progressing satisfactorily.

p.12

Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning have improved significantly since the last inspection and are now satisfactory with several strengths. The school has a stable and highly committed team of teachers and teaching assistants.

p.12

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers plan lessons well. • Teachers teach with energy and enthusiasm that they transfer to pupils. • Teachers control challenging behaviour well. • Teachers do not develop the pupils’ speaking and listening skills sufficiently. • Teachers do not use assessment information enough to show pupils how to improve.

p.12

Commentary

9. Teaching is usually at least satisfactory and often good. It is, however, stronger overall in Years 3 to 6 than in Years 1 to 2. This difference was because the teaching in Years 1 and 2 tends to have fewer of the strengths and more of the weaknesses detailed later in this section. The main difference is a lack, at times, of pace and focus. Pupils make reasonable progress throughout the school, and progress is best when the teachers have the support of a teaching assistant. This is because the pupils have a wide range of learning needs, and, therefore, pupils need more individual help.

p.12

Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 66 lessons or parts of lessons Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.12

Commentary

1 (1%) 8 (12%) 34 (51%) 19 (30%) 4 (6%) 0 0

p.12

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. Daubeney Primary School - 13 10. The teaching has improved and has the foundations in place to become even better because the teachers now have appropriate schemes of work to work to and the curriculum is well planned. The leadership of subject managers is stronger as is the work of the co-ordinators for special educational needs and for pupils learning English as an additional language. All staff are highly committed to helping all pupils succeed.

p.12

Commentary

- Teachers planned carefully to meet the pupils’ varying needs. - Teachers controlled challenging behaviour well and engaged the pupils’ interest. - Teachers gave pupils objectives to meet and this helped them see the purpose in their learning. - Teachers checked that pupils understood new words and ideas. - Lessons were pacy, challenging and exciting.

p.13

Commentary

12. When pupils did very well, they often met standards expected of their age. This happened when:

p.13

Commentary

- Teachers used spoken language that showed pupils how to structure and order their thoughts and insisted that pupils use this type of language when they responded. - Teachers used discussion in class and marking to show pupils why they succeed, why they meet problems and what to learn next so as to improve. - Teachers linked subjects together, for example, history to work in ICT and literacy. - Teachers and teaching assistants planned together so that they worked as a close-knit team.

p.13

Commentary

13. When teaching was only satisfactory or more rarely unsatisfactory, the pupils’ learning became too slow and they did not do well. This happened when:

p.13

Commentary

- Teachers’ planning did not address with sufficient precision the wide range of learning needs in the class. This was often because the teacher did not have sufficient additional adult help or did not sufficiently plan jointly with the teaching assistant. - Teachers did not control the very challenging behaviour of a few pupils, and other pupils began to follow their poor example. - Teachers did not show the enthusiasm and drive seen in good lessons, and pupils lost interest and concentration.

p.13

Commentary

14. A strength in most teaching is the way teachers use many opportunities to consolidate and extend pupils’ numeracy and literacy skills. Even so, in too many lessons, opportunities were missed to build the even more important speaking and listening skills the pupils need to order their thoughts, think through problems and express their ideas clearly. In turn, the lack of these speaking and thinking skills made it difficult for pupils to understand and use what they heard. This key weakness in the teaching had the greatest negative impact on those pupils learning English as an additional language. Too often, teachers accepted one-word answers instead of making certain that pupils gave extended answers and used new words and ideas in their talk.

p.13

Commentary

15. Teachers control the behaviour of very challenging pupils well, and keep all pupils usefully occupied. This, however, takes time and energy, and most teachers, and the school as a whole, lack a sufficient range of strategies to help these pupils gain control of their own emotions and behaviour.

p.13

Commentary

16. Assessment of what pupils can do is a strength, especially as it covers all subjects. However, teachers do not use this information enough, through discussion, marking or reports to parents, to show pupils why they succeed or fail, and essentially how they can improve. Consequently, pupils sometimes know that they have got something wrong or right, but not what to do to make things better. As a whole, the school does not, as yet, have effective systems for tracking each pupil’s progress, and then to decide whether it is good enough and to identify ways of moving Daubeney Primary School - 14 their learning forward. This use of assessment is planned and could usefully be implemented as soon as possible.

p.13

Commentary

17. To gain the increase in pupils' attainment looked for by governors, the proportion of very good and excellent teaching will need to increase, and increase consistently throughout the school.

p.14

The curriculum

The curriculum is broad, balanced and relevant and well planned to meet the needs of all pupils.

p.14

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum for Years 1 to 6 has good breadth and balance. • The school is fully committed to creating a curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils. • Good provision for special educational needs allows these pupils equal access. • Specialist staff work very effectively to give pupils learning English as an additional language full access but there are not enough staff to meet the needs of so many pupils. • The number of support staff is insufficient to support teaching in Years 1 and 2. • Provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is good and improving; the subject has a very good scheme of work. • Opportunities for enrichment are good, especially through residential experiences.

p.14

Commentary

18. The Foundation Stage curriculum is suitably broad and balanced, with an appropriate range of relevant, practical and interesting activities. However, facilities for outdoor learning are unsatisfactory for reception classes.

p.14

Commentary

19. The curriculum for Years 1 to 6 provides a good basis for pupils’ learning and is well balanced. However, the curriculum is not planned well enough to allow learning in one subject to enrich another, for example, a topic in religious education leading to creative writing in literacy. A new programme of personal, social and health education, based on a very good scheme of work, is delivered with expertise and enthusiasm. It includes appropriate sex and drugs education, in line with the governors’ policy. The curriculum meets requirements of the National Curriculum and for religious education.

p.14

Commentary

20. The curriculum is well supported by the increasing use of national schemes of work. The school has fully and successfully implemented the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. Pupils’ learning is enhanced by very good use of outside specialists, by a good programme of other visitors and by visits outside school. All these help to bring learning alive.

p.14

Commentary

21. The school links work in Years 1 and 2 to work for older pupils well. It has good links with local secondary schools. Pupils’ learning provides a good basis for their later education.

p.14

Commentary

22. The curriculum is well suited to the needs of all pupils. Teachers are aware of the differing needs of boys and girls, of pupils from different ethnic groups, and of those with special educational needs. Provision for pupils with special educational needs enables these pupils to take a full part in the learning. Specialist support for pupils learning English is of high quality but there are not enough of these staff to meet in full the needs of the high number of these pupils. Daubeney Primary School - 15 23. Outside class, good opportunities to participate in sport, as well as in a wide range of clubs, enrich and widen the pupils’ learning. Residential trips broaden many pupils’ learning in subjects such as geography and history, introduce them to a wide range of outdoor pursuits, develop their social skills and make an important contribution to their personal development.

p.14

Commentary

24. Provision for personal development is good. Clear expectations and rules help pupils understand the difference between right and wrong, and because they understand why, they make these values their own. Teachers’ expectations of social behaviour are high and they give pupils many opportunities to take responsibility and show initiative. It is a culturally rich school and pupils gain not only respect for other cultures but are also genuinely interested in their achievements. Powerful assemblies and reflective religious education build pupils’ spiritual awareness, but assemblies sometimes miss opportunities for pupils to reflect on the underlying importance of faith and belief, and to celebrate equally all the religious cultures present in the school. All the above is underpinned by good provision for personal, social, health and citizenship education.

p.15

Commentary

25. Teachers are generally well qualified or experienced and there are sufficient to meet the requirements of the curriculum. However, the lack of musical expertise amongst the staff limits pupils’ achievement in music. Support staff are of good quality and make a good contribution to pupils’ learning. However, the school has too few classroom assistants to provide support throughout the week in Years 1 and 2.

p.15

Commentary

26. The school makes effective use of its premises and deals well with the fact that the nursery is on a different site. Reception children lack sufficient facilities for outdoor learning. In the main school, standards of decoration are sometimes poor because of the shortage of money to pay for expensive redecoration. Resources for learning are, in the main, satisfactory.

p.15

Care, guidance and support

The school provides a secure and healthy environment in which pupils feel safe and happy. Good arrangements are made to provide appropriate support and guidance based on a good knowledge of individual academic and, particularly, personal needs. The school seeks the views of pupils and acts upon them when appropriate.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The site provides a safe and secure environment in which to learn and develop. • Pupils can easily form relationships with an adult they trust. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • Support such as music therapy, the learning mentor, and numeracy and literacy games with parents boost pupils’ self-confidence. • Pupils learn by caring for others, for example, older ‘Buddies’ for younger pupils. • The school does not have sufficient strategies for helping pupils with serious emotional and behavioural difficulties to improve. • There is not enough support for pupils learning English as a new language. • The school has not received sufficient guidance concerning the problems faced by refugees and asylum seekers and how to meet their needs.

p.15

Commentary

27. Staff are well aware of pupils’ personal needs and provide a safe and secure setting in which pupils thrive. The school site is secure and risk assessments, fire drills and building inspections are carried out regularly. There is an ample number of first-aiders. Just one example of staff concern for pupils’ welfare can be seen in the way that midday supervisors check to see that pupils have eaten sufficient of their lunch before allowing them out to play. Daubeney Primary School - 16 Another is the careful manner in which teachers take and collect their classes to and from various activities, even within the site. Child protection arrangements are in line with locally laid-down practice. School monitors (Red Caps) and peer helpers (Buddies) assist staff by caring for lonely or upset pupils at break times.

p.15

Commentary

28. Advice, support and guidance given to pupils are good. From the good induction of pupils on entry to the school to the transfer arrangements with secondary schools, the goal of ensuring equal access to the curriculum is at the heart of the support systems for pupils. Funds are used wisely in the provision of external services where relevant. The school seeks pupils’ views through a school council, with representation from the reception year to Year 6. Pupils are encouraged to take their own decisions and these are implemented whenever possible. The council is rather large with 25 members and the school might consider whether feeder class and/or year councils would give responsibility to more pupils while encouraging more participation by pupils in main council meetings.

p.16

Commentary

29. Provision for special educational needs is good. The main strengths and weaknesses are:

p.16

Commentary

- Parents and pupils are involved in discussions about what their child needs to learn next and reviews of how a child has benefited from working in any of the groups. - Management is perceptive and strong. - The skilled teaching assistants enable pupils to achieve well for their abilities and to grow in self-esteem and confidence. - Staff control the behaviour of pupils with very challenging behaviour well, but the school is aware that it needs better strategies to help some of these pupils to manage their own emotions and behaviour. - The deployment of the various types of teaching assistant, including support for pupils learning English, requires review.

p.16

Commentary

30. The special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) and learning mentor plan carefully for work with groups of pupils. They liaise well with teachers and teaching assistants because some pupils have work in small groups out of the classroom but also receive support within the classroom. They work together to ensure that pupils with special educational needs have tasks that meet their needs effectively. Pupils are often grouped according to their prior attainment in literacy and numeracy but on occasions they work beneficially with higher-attaining pupils. This helps to improve their language and social skills.

p.16

Commentary

31. These pupils have a wide range of needs. Their needs are met, and they feel included well in the life of the school. The school meets the expectations of the Code of Practice well. Even so, there is a significant number of pupils with serious emotional and behavioural difficulties. For some of these pupils, the secure and caring ethos of the school helps them gain the skills and personal confidence to manage their own behaviour but for others with very complex problems the school does not have the higher-level strategies that would help them improve.

p.16

Commentary

32. Assessments are carried out thoroughly and with expertise. Staff are aware of pupils’ learning programmes and any additional needs. The learning mentor, support teacher for pupils learning English as an additional language and the co-ordinator for special educational needs work very well together to arrange suitable programmes for pupils, but this sometimes means one class has several support adults and others none. A music therapist already benefits the pupils, and provision overall is soon to be very much extended through the school’s strong and effective partnership with the local education authority behaviour improvement team. Daubeney Primary School - 17

p.16

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Parents’ views of the school are predominantly positive but there is too high a level of dissatisfaction with some aspects. The partnership with parents has satisfactory features but overall it is unsatisfactory. The school enjoys generally good links with the local and broader community and with partner schools and colleges.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is strong commitment by governors, staff and several parents to establishing a more productive partnership with parents. • The parental involvement where it occurs is very beneficial but it is not drawn together as part of a strategic plan. • There is good range of community help and support but these initiatives are not drawn together as a single plan to support improvement. • There are good links with other agencies, schools and colleges. • Reports to parents on their children’s progress contain insufficient information and guidance to help pupils improve. • Governors do not seek the views of parents sufficiently or systematically. • Governors do not address directly enough the very negative views of a small but very vocal group of parents.

p.17

Commentary

33. The school maintains a partnership with parents which is successful in a number of ways. Several parents give support within the school, for example in very good language and numeracy games sessions when parents work with pupils, craft club and in running a book club. Parents also, despite the absence of a formal parents’ association, raise substantial funds to supplement resources. Plans are in hand to resurrect the parent-teacher association (PTA) or an appropriate version of this. Parents’ views of the school (as expressed in the pre- inspection questionnaire and meetings) are mostly positive, particularly with regard to children liking the school, good teaching, good progress of pupils, expectations of pupils and induction arrangements. A significant minority hold negative opinions about pupils’ behaviour and bullying, parent’s views not being sought and the senior leadership and management of the

p.17

Commentary

school. Inspectors formed the view that the positive views were all justified, although they found teaching was satisfactory rather than good. Inspectors also agreed to a limited extent with some critical views about bullying, and the lack of a procedure to obtain parents’ views but did find that almost all pupils behave well. They found that the senior leadership of the school was sound and open to discussion with parents over any concerns.

p.17

Commentary

34. The school provides satisfactory information about general school issues and activities and gives parents more than the statutory number of opportunities for parents to consult staff about progress. Notices in the infants’ building and in the playground give clear information and urge parents to give help. Some communication is translated but the school could do more in this respect. The school does not seek parental views sufficiently or often enough on a formal basis, for example by year group or whole-school surveys.

p.17

Commentary

35. Pupils’ progress reports are a mixture of good and poor features. There are facilities for recording both National Curriculum level of attainment and effort grades and this is done. Information is provided twice a year, autumn and summer. Attendance is recorded. There is good explanation of what pupils can do in the various subjects. However, teachers’ diagnosis of areas needing improvement is inconsistently applied across classes. Areas where reports do not do enough to help pupils to improve are:

p.17

Commentary

- The very few comments made on how pupils may overcome their weaknesses. Daubeney Primary School - 18 - The complete absence of targets to achieve. - The absence of an explanation of whether the levels achieved are in line with national expectations for that age group. Part of the reason is that there is insufficient space for each subject to report on achievement, diagnose weaknesses and propose targets for improvement. In addition, effort grades are frequently inconsistent with the written description of pupils’ efforts and there is inconsistency between teachers.

p.17

Commentary

36. The school tries to ensure that it deals adequately and fairly with complaints and concerns. Staff are available to parents briefly before school and if appointments are made. The physical location of the main office and the head teacher’s study is a barrier to approachability.

p.18

Commentary

37. The school is trying to establish a successful partnership with parents. Parents of pupils with special educational needs, and their child, are invited to discuss the need for support and how they may work together to help the child overcome any difficulties. Courses on information technology and basic English are available to parents. Governors have the improvement of links as an objective in their action planning. The school has yet to overcome the negative attitudes of some parents or the rather passive response of most, and have not taken full advantage of ways forward identified by several very perceptive parents. Solving this problem would increase the number of volunteer helpers, help set up a discussion group for exchanging school and parental views, and prompt more parents to ensure that their children attend more often and punctually.

p.18

Commentary

38. The community provides considerable help to the school, and the planned provision through the local education authority behaviour improvement programme offers considerable and innovative opportunities within the near future. Activities sponsored by the Education Action Zone (EAZ) include music therapy for pupils with serious personal problems and a residential week for Year 5 which develops many social skills. There is a positive and growing partnership with the local team, funded through the LEA behaviour improvement plan (BIP - known locally as the BEST partnership). Several members of the community help with sports coaching, gardening and contributing to the personal, social, health and citizenship education programme, among other activities. There is some sponsorship from (mainly food) companies, which provide resources for subject areas. The school is not widely used for community activities, although an after-

p.18

Commentary

school club at another school is available to pupils. There are offers of support from a local housing association and these could be developed further. The police liaison officer visits the school regularly and this provides an opportunity for further benefits.

p.18

Commentary

39. Links with other schools and colleges are good within the EAZ and with regard to transfer arrangements. Although there is a positive partnership with the local education authority, changes in advisors have led to discontinuity in support.

p.18

minority ethnic cultures

This aspect of provision was specified by Ofsted for particular attention during this inspection. Although mentioned throughout the report, findings are drawn together here so that they can be understood as a whole . Provision for pupils learning English as an additional language or from minority ethnic cultures is only just satisfactory despite having many strengths.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching by the specialist teacher and teaching assistants is good; they work closely and productively with class teachers. • Leadership and management are good, focusing support on pupils with greatest need. • These strengths, however, cannot compensate for the fact that there are too few specialised teachers and teaching assistants to meet the high level of need in the school. Daubeney Primary School - 19 • The school uses a non-standard local education authority measure to assess pupils’ acquisition of English. This does not measure the right things to evaluate pupils’ progress in English or identify the language skills they need as they move up the school. • The school is culturally rich and this helps pupils from cultures other than English to feel valued and welcome. However, they do not feel valued enough for their unique cultures. • The school does not identify clearly enough the particular needs of refugees and asylum

p.18

Commentary

40. The school caters for pupils from a very wide range of cultures and the number of pupils learning English as an additional language is well above the national average. There is no one dominant language and these pupils speak more than forty different languages at home. Many are at an early stage of learning English. A higher than usual number of pupils join the school other than at reception, and the majority of these arrive with poor educational backgrounds and low levels of English. A significant but small number are refugees. More than a quarter of pupils are Muslims. This picture poses the school significant challenges if it is to meet the needs of these pupils.

p.19

Commentary

41. The leader and manager of this aspect of the school’s provision has a very good understanding of the needs of these pupils and tracks the progress of each and every one. She is employed by the school as are the two specialist teaching assistants. The team as a whole are very skilled and their teaching is good. They work closely and productively with class teachers as well as small groups sensibly withdrawn for focused work. The team have a well-resourced specialist room.

p.19

Commentary

42. Despite the strength of this team, there are not enough of them to meet the need. The manager, therefore, sensibly follows senior management guidance and targets the support she does have available to meet the greatest need; she sensibly puts all her resources to support identified classes. In this way, these pupils get high levels of support for a limited time and benefit greatly. When faced with too little resource, this is wise, since too little support brings few benefits. Even so, it means that other pupils have too little support for significant lengths of time. For example, pupils in reception and nursery received no support at the time of the inspection. A settling period is important but lack of language support should be available as early as possible.

p.19

Commentary

43. Faced with this problem of too little resource, the school could usefully consider best practice in other schools, for example, training all teachers and teaching assistants in the skills needed by these pupils. Class teachers in the main do not have these skills and, consequently, their planning is not specific enough to meet the needs of these pupils. Too many teachers speak too quickly and do not model sufficiently the spoken language these pupils need. When asking questions, they accept one word answers instead of encouraging pupils to speak in a structured way, and to use the words or ideas they learn in context and to serve a purpose. Similarly, they are not sufficiently aware of the barriers these pupils may have because they have not got the right concept in their own language that allows them to bridge into the new language, English. Pupils who have very developed language in their own tongue find it much

p.19

Commentary

easier to learn English because they use their understanding in their own language that they can then express in English. The school sensibly places pupils with the same home language together so that they can learn in their first language before transferring that learning into English.

p.19

Commentary

44. The manager tracks the progress of every pupil learning English and works closely with the team supporting pupils with special educational needs. Consequently, pupils learning English are not treated as necessarily having learning problems, although, on occasion, they do. However, the manager, following local education authority advice, uses a non-standard and local measure to assess pupils’ fluency. This measurement tool does not measure progressive English acquisition and, therefore, it does not provide sufficiently clear information Daubeney Primary School - 20 as pupils move up the school. It does not measure the gain in the higher level linguistic thinking skills the pupils need as they move up the school. The school is aware that national guidance recommends a better measure but this is not yet used.

p.19

Commentary

45. Despite these weaknesses, pupils learning English usually progress at a similar rate to their English speaking peers. Once they gain the higher level language skills in English, they tend to make better progress than their English speaking peers. However, their achievement overall is not as good as it could be, often because their progress when at an early stage in learning English is too slow, especially if they do not receive intensive support.

p.20

Commentary

46. The pupils learning English make reasonable progress despite inadequacies in provision because, amongst other reasons, the school is culturally rich and class teaching is at least sound. They feel valued and cared for. Even so, the school misses opportunities to make them feel valued because they come from other rich and unique cultures. For example, assemblies mark Muslim, Jewish and Hindu festivals but do not celebrate them with the same excitement as, for example, Christmas. The religious education programme does not align itself with these festivals in the same way that it does for Christmas. Displays around the school, although recognising all cultures, do not always give especial significance to each one.

p.20

Commentary

47. Much information is gained from parents when these pupils join the school, but managers do not always understand the significance of that information, for example the dress needs of Muslims in physical education lessons. Similarly, information on refugees is not readily available, and, therefore, their particular needs may not be met.

p.20

Commentary

48. The school analyses assessment data by ethnic group and this tells them that some ethnic groups do not achieve quite as well as others. However, the school does not have the systems for tracking and comparing progress continually and, therefore, it is not easy enough to find and understand better ways of meeting their needs. Governors are aware of the strengths and weaknesses but not in sufficient detail to form a clear plan to rectify the situation. Governors currently do not have a specific governor to monitor and evaluate provision and they could usefully consider appointing one.

p.20

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Governance, leadership and management are satisfactory.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The governors set a challenging vision for the school based upon a broad understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. • The very experienced headteacher and other senior staff create a caring, orderly and safe environment within which pupils trust adults and are eager to learn. • Governors and staff do not have a coherent and strategic improvement plan to ensure that governors and senior staff work together in productive partnership. • The strengths and potential of some middle managers are insufficiently used to support governors and senior managers. • Planning for the training of managers does not ensure that everyone has the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to improve standards rapidly. Daubeney Primary School - 21

p.20

Commentary

49. The governing body is comparatively new. Even so, governors have a broad and valid understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They have used this knowledge to create a clear, realistic and inspiring vision of the school that Daubeney can become. They challenge the school to improve standards rapidly and significantly, and check that it meets statutory requirements. Even so, governors and senior staff do not work together in productive partnership and this is holding the school back.

p.21

Commentary

50. The headteacher and deputy headteachers have created an ethos and environment in which pupils behave well, feel safe and cared for, trust adults and are keen to learn. Even so, pupils are not learning quickly enough to meet the appropriate challenge of the governors’ vision for the school. This is because senior managers, while highly experienced, do not as yet have the skills and systems to identify rigorously and systematically the strengths and weaknesses of the school as the essential guide to continuous improvement. Senior managers are involved in a leadership training programme and this is already bringing benefits. Assessment cannot as yet track and evaluate the progress of pupils in sufficient detail to identify how and where improvements are needed, although this more detailed and continuous analysis is planned. Managers as a whole are not sufficiently aware of methods that other more effective schools

p.21

Commentary

use, for example to help very challenging pupils gain self-control or pupils learning English as a new language to acquire rapidly the language skills they need. Consequently, management tends to be re-active and lack coherence. The school was committed to working towards the Investor in People standard but allowed this initiative to lapse. Senior staff put considerable time into performance management and this has brought improvement. Picking up development towards the Investor in People standard might help make the process an even more powerful way of building professional expertise.

p.21

Commentary

51. Most middle managers show an enthusiastic desire to improve and this gives the school significant potential. Although several have considerable expertise, this expertise is not drawn together to create a coherent team way forward. Similarly, some managers of crucial subject areas of the school’s work have yet to give the leadership required. This tends to create a school that copes day-by-day, dealing with crises as they occur, rather than building skills, policies and systems to assure the high quality that would diminish crises and allow energy to be spent more profitably on more important things. This is in part because the deputy headteachers are overly responsible for teaching classes and this restricts the time available to perform their leadership roles.

p.21

Commentary

52. The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) manages the provision well and the special educational needs governor is fully involved in the life of the school. Money spent on the provision of a co-ordinator who does not have a regular class teaching commitment is spent wisely, because this enables her to respond to any immediate needs and work to develop a more cohesive plan for improvement.

p.21

Commentary

53. The school improvement plan is detailed and comprehensive but lacks a tight focus on raising standards. It does not make clear the key priorities to address if the school is to become very effective at overcoming the many barriers to learning facing the pupils. While covering the ground, it does not provide an immediately understood strategy to guide staff or objectives against which to measure progress. Consequently, initiatives are not managed in ways that would help one initiative to support improvement in another.

p.21

Commentary

54. The school faces five main barriers to the pupils’ learning. Firstly, the high number of pupils with special educational needs; secondly, the low attainment of pupils on entry; thirdly, the high number of pupils learning English as a new language; fourthly, the small but significant number of pupils with serious emotional and behavioural difficulties and, fifthly, the higher than average number of pupils joining the school other than at the reception stage, often with little English and low attainment, and sometimes as refugees. The school improvement plan does not address Daubeney Primary School - 22 these challenges coherently or precisely, and, consequently, initiatives tend to work in isolation and do not take full advantage of the support of outside initiatives such as the local education authority behaviour improvement plan. A consequence has been that there are too few teaching assistants and language support assistants. These are deployed to meet maximum

p.21

Commentary

need while failing to meet the needs of all pupils. Senior managers quote the lack of finance as a reason. This is always a problem because finance always outstrips the needs we want to meet. The school might usefully consider ensuring that all staff understand how to help pupils learning English, those with very challenging behaviour and those with special educational needs; this is an approach used in very effective schools to gain better value from the resources that are available.

p.22

Commentary

55. The school is building wider partnerships to support improvement, for example the community development of the playground, the leadership programme for senior managers and the local education authority behaviour improvement plan. However, these initiatives are not part of a single plan; for example, the school misses opportunities to exploit the considerable insights of parents and to build community partnerships through them. There might also be opportunities to build partnership with local community business, to gain from the desire of parents to form an advisory body for governors and to build better links with Muslim communities.

p.22

Commentary

56. As described at the beginning of this section, the inspection recognised the importance of the governors’ vision, the experience of senior managers and the energy of middle managers. These give the school the capacity to meet the governors’ desire to ‘make improvement revolutionary and not just evolutionary’. This improvement will not happen, however, unless governors, senior managers and staff work more closely together to create and then implement a coherent plan based upon a much more precise identification of the school’s strengths, weaknesses and the opportunities and threats it faces. This would release the intelligence and potential already present in the school, especially as the school now has a stable and strong teaching force. Sound senior leadership and management have led to gradual improvement and are backed by equally sound middle management, but all levels of management will need

p.22

Commentary

to become more focused upon raising attainment if the school is to meet the vision set by governors.

p.22

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003 Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1,520,184 Balance from previous year 30,345 Total expenditure 1,474,999 Balance carried forward to the next 75,730 Expenditure per pupil 2,927

p.22

Commentary

57. Funds are used efficiently and there is good control over expenditure. Spending is in line with educational priorities established in the school development plan. However, since this document is primarily operational and short-term, it is difficult to judge whether these priorities are appropriate. The school needs to have a strategic plan, with a supporting financial strategy, covering up to five years against which to measure performance, improvement and the effective use of funds. Governors do not use ‘best value principles’ centrally enough when creating and implementing the school budget. Daubeney Primary School - 23

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory .

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

• Provision is good in the nursery. • Structured play does not have a high enough profile in the reception classes. • Outdoor learning for four-year-olds is not planned sufficiently well or frequently enough. • The lack of covered outside areas limits outdoor learning for three and four-year-olds. • Teachers provide a wide variety of well-organised relevant and interesting activities. • Close nursery and reception partnerships are hindered by the split site.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58. Most children enter the stand-alone nursery unit aged three, with low levels of language development. Many are shy or reluctant to talk or are at early stages of learning English. They attend part-time and most transfer, full-time, to the reception classes on the school site, one year later. Children achieve well and by the end of reception most are on course to reach the nationally set early learning goals in personal, social and emotional development, physical development, and the art and music aspects of creative development. Because of low starting points, however, most are unlikely to reach the expected standards in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, and the imaginative aspect of creative development. Standards are broadly similar to those of the 1999 inspection apart from mathematical development, which, apart from counting aspects

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

now falls just below national expectations. Children’s starting points are lower than at the time of the last inspection.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

59. Teaching is satisfactory overall. It is good in the nursery. Here, staff’s secure understanding of the active way that young children learn results in a carefully planned, appropriate balance between adult-led activities and those that children can choose for themselves. Children enter into the self-chosen activities which extend their ideas and lead learning on. In both nursery and reception classes, staff provide a wide variety of well-organised relevant and interesting activities, including, in the nursery, for the garden. Outdoor learning is not planned well enough for reception children and the lack of covered outside areas for both age groups limits outdoor play in bad weather. Leadership ensures that the nursery and reception classes meet children’s needs suitably. Adult roles are clear and trained teaching assistants make effective contributions to planning and to learning. Staff work hard to overcome the difficulties of the split

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

site. Nevertheless, difficulties remain over planning for continuity and sharing ‘early years’ practice, with provision for four-year-olds being somewhat closer to early National Curriculum than to Foundation Stage. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory overall. The teaching of sounds and letters has improved well. Learning points in mathematics are now appropriate, sufficient teaching assistants are in post, and reception teachers use the last part of the day more purposefully. Teachers now make better use of observations and assessments to provide appropriate levels of challenge for all children. Some creative activities for reception children, however, remain too prescribed, and they still do not have enough opportunities to make choices and explore. Structured play for four-year-olds does not have a high enough profile. Daubeney Primary School - 24

p.23

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children come to school happily each day. • Children are well settled, confident and friendly. • The suitably high priority that staff give to this area effectively underpins all other work. • Staff give clear guidelines for behaviour and, as a result, children behave well. • Staff provide a calm and welcoming environment.

p.24

Commentary

60. Good teaching enables children to settle and feel comfortable in the caring and welcoming environment. They come to school happily each day. They achieve well in this area and are securely on course to reach the national goals. They are establishing good attitudes to school and learning. Staff are positive, encouraging and kindly so that children approach them with confidence. They set clear guidelines for behaviour with regular reminders so that children know what is expected and behave sensibly.

p.24

Commentary

61. Children work and play harmoniously, sometimes together and sometimes alongside each other. Three-year-olds in particular select their tasks with confidence. Children are beginning to share, take turns and remember manners, for example at snack time in nursery. They know the routines well and enjoy their activities. They help with tidying up and are learning, when in a class group, to listen to each other and to put hands up to talk. They are learning to appreciate the needs of others. Teachers use the children’s diverse backgrounds suitably, as when providing activities about Eid, for example, and talking about hand patterns.

p.24

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are too few planned or spontaneous conversations with children. • The good teaching of sounds and letters is helping children, especially in reading. • Overall, there are not enough writing opportunities for four-year-olds.

p.24

Commentary

62. Four-year-olds are achieving well in this area, but because of low starting points, most are unlikely to reach the national goals. Their ability to link sounds and letters, however, is close to national expectations because of the good, structured, and sometimes lively and imaginative, teaching in this aspect. Older children are beginning to use their knowledge to tackle new words or to practise letter formation in their play. Few four-year-olds talk in a clear, fluent or extended way and many three-year-olds are shy. Nursery staff make effective use of ‘signing’ skills to encourage talk. Although they and reception staff talk to children about their activity or task, and ask them about previous learning, few questions require extended answers. There are few conversations with children, and, when they are reluctant to speak, staff rarely suggest the words to use. Overall, staff do not encourage talk in an explicit or planned way well enough.

p.24

Commentary

63. Children enjoy stories. They listen attentively and join in with repetitive text. They make relevant, albeit limited, comments. Teachers provide good access to books, and children Daubeney Primary School - 25 consequently handle them with care, turn pages sensibly and look carefully at the pictures. Most children recognise their names and most four-year-olds make reasonable attempts to write them. Children are beginning to remember simple isolated common words. Three-year- olds pretend-write freely in their play, using the good variety of mark-making implements available. In the reception classes, however, although teachers provide suitable writing tasks, especially letter practice, independent writing does not have a high enough profile in focused or self-chosen activities. Teaching is satisfactory overall.

p.24

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers reinforce counting skills well in class routines. • Some children, including three-year-olds, count well. • Staff do not join children in their play enough to build the children’s mathematical understanding.

p.25

Commentary

64. Four-year-olds achieve well in mathematics from low starting points and reach standards that are close to national expectations, especially in counting aspects because of its high profile. Teaching is satisfactory overall. It is good in the way that teachers use class routines, such as tidy-up time or registration, to reinforce counting skills. Three and four-year-olds count confidently, most to ten and some beyond. Older children are beginning to calculate as they consider, for example, how many children are away and how many are in school. Many know the names and some properties of basic geometric shapes. They recognise and try to replicate simple alternate patterns but opportunities are sometimes lost for them to make up their own. Teachers effectively lead children’s learning on through focused activities, as when making a block graph to show favourite colours. They provide appropriate additional

p.25

Commentary

mathematical activities but rarely join children in these tasks, or exploit the mathematics potential from everyday play equipment such as sand and water.

p.25

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Many children use technological equipment with confidence. • Staff encourage children to be curious. • Teaching is sometimes too prescribed and, therefore, creative work lacks individuality.

p.25

Commentary

65. Children achieve well overall in this area but because of limited previous experience most are unlikely to achieve the national goals across all aspects. Staff provide appropriate opportunities for children to observe the natural world and be curious. For example, four-year-olds keenly planted spring bulbs but lacked understanding of what would happen. In technological aspects, children use equipment such as telephones and typewriters in their play and often approach the computer with confidence, on occasion changing colours to complete a pattern. Others enjoy listening to music through headphones. Children make models such as houses from a variety of materials. On occasion, however, the task for four-year-olds is too prescribed, as during the last inspection, and their ability to design and make things for themselves is unduly restricted. Daubeney Primary School - 26 Children are gaining an awareness of place through moving about the school and grounds.

p.25

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is satisfactory .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff develop the children’s dexterity well. • There are too few opportunities for four-year-olds to climb, balance and be adventurous. • The one outdoor session each week for four-year-olds is not enough. • Adults do not enter into children’s outdoor play well enough.

p.26

Commentary

66. Four-year-olds are on course to reach most of the national goals in this area. They achieve satisfactorily overall. They move confidently in a variety of ways such as jumping and running. They move about the hall appropriately and begin to move imaginatively as when acting out a story. The one outdoor session each week for these older children, however, is not planned well enough to develop other physical skills such as throwing and catching, and lacks sufficient adult intervention. There are too few opportunities for four-year-olds to be adventurous, balance, climb and explore. Outdoor learning for three-year-olds is appropriate. Teachers provide a suitable range of activities to encourage dexterity and as a result three and four-year- olds use their hands and fingers appropriately. Pencil and brush grips are generally effective and children enjoy pressing and twisting malleable material such as ‘plasticine’ or salt dough

p.26

Commentary

into different shapes. Teaching in this aspect is satisfactory overall.

p.26

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is satisfactory .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children sing tunefully and with enthusiasm. • In reception classes, staff do not join children enough in their imaginative and role-play.

p.26

Commentary

67. Children achieve well in art and music aspects and four-year-olds are on course to achieve the national goals. In imaginative aspects, however, they are unlikely to reach the expected standard because of low starting points, and because staff do not join them enough in their imaginative and role-play, to stimulate imagination, extend talk, or develop ideas. Opportunities are similarly lost in the weekly outdoor session to enter into children’s play. In musical aspects, children sing an increasingly wide repertoire of songs and action rhymes, tunefully and with enthusiasm. Teachers make good use of songs and rhymes to reinforce learning in other areas, for example in mathematics. Staff provide a wide variety of art activities, particularly in the nursery, and children paint boldly, print and make colourful collages. On occasion, however, painting in predetermined outlines restricts older children’s creativity. Teaching

p.26

Commentary

overall is satisfactory. Daubeney Primary School - 27

p.26

ENGLISH

Provision in English is satisfactory . Standards are improving, especially for pupils who remain in the school from Year 2 to Year 6.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards by Year 2 and 6 are below national expectations. • Standards in reading and writing at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 have improved since last year but are still below the national average. • Teachers check pupils’ understanding of language consistently because they know many words are new to pupils or need reinforcement. • There is no planned programme to help pupils develop the links between the spoken word, writing and reading and to raise standards in speaking and listening. • The subject has been well monitored and pupils’ writing is analysed well and the results are used effectively to raise standards.

p.27

Commentary

68. Pupils join the school with very low attainment. By the end of Year 2, their attainment has improved but is still below the national average. When compared with similar schools, however, attainment is above average overall. Results in national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2003 were well below the national average but compared well with standards and progress in similar schools. There has been some improvement since last year.

p.27

Commentary

69. Reading is taught systematically throughout the school and a suitable range of books is readily available in classrooms. The spacious library contains mainly non-fiction and reference books and is used effectively by pupils for research. Pupils regularly visit the local library for story books and instructions in using library systems. By Year 6 most pupils read confidently, higher- attaining pupils reading with good expression and understanding. From Year 1 onwards, pupils are taught good methods of building words and breaking words up into smaller units and they read large books enthusiastically with the teacher. Staff use home-school reading records well to encourage parents to support their children’s reading and teachers maintain useful records of the skills pupils need to develop further. Teachers and teaching assistants support pupils with special educational needs well during literacy lessons. They benefit from sessions when

p.27

Commentary

they are withdrawn for specific reading and writing activities. Many pupils who are learning English as an additional language have performed well in statutory tests.

p.27

Commentary

70. The presentation of pupils’ written work is mainly good because teachers encourage pupils to take pride in their handwriting, to make neat alterations and to use paragraphs. This is consistent through written work in other subjects. There are some good examples of marking to help pupils improve but the system for checking on targets, for example to celebrate when one is achieved, is not always clear.

p.27

Commentary

71. Teachers are very careful to check pupils’ understanding of vocabulary used in books and lessons to ensure that all pupils know what is being discussed. They are aware that many words are new to pupils and other words may have been used but not explained to them previously. This helps to keep pupils focused in lessons and to contribute sensibly. Teachers give pupils opportunities to use their speaking and listening skills in all subjects through class and small group activities, but there is no planned programme to develop these skills. Consequently, pupils tend to answer questions with a few words, frequently not in a complete sentence and with mixed tenses. Teachers too often accept this and do not help them enough to express their ideas more clearly. For example, teachers encourage pupils to extend their Daubeney Primary School - 28 answers and thinking skills, but do not always ensure that pupils use the grammatical

p.27

Commentary

structures of the type of English they need at school. This makes it harder to raise standards in pupils’ written work because they are not able to use what they have said to create a written sentence.

p.28

Commentary

72. Teachers plan interesting lessons, explaining clearly what pupils are to learn in the lesson. There are sensibly planned links with other subjects, including information and communication technology, so that pupils see the relevance of what they are learning. They frequently check at the end of the lesson what pupils think they have learned. Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to ensure that all pupils are supported and involved in activities. Pupils work happily in pairs and respond well to instructions to discuss points with their discussion partners. These are good opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills but insufficiently precise use is made of these opportunities.

p.28

Commentary

73. The co-ordinator’s leadership and management are good and have contributed to the improvement in consistency in writing across the school since the last inspection. She has been thorough in monitoring and analysing pupils’ work and helps teachers to level the pupils’ work against National Curriculum expectations. This information has been used effectively to set group and individual targets in the classes. Even so, leadership has yet to investigate in sufficient depth the barriers to learning facing most pupils and, therefore, opportunities are missed to develop innovative ways to overcome them.

p.28

Language and literacy across the curriculum

74. The National Literacy Strategy has been implemented well and there is planned use of literacy in other subjects. For example, Year 5 write instructions for using the ‘tube’ in London and this links well with the map work in their geography lesson. Pupils use the library for finding out information independently for their history topics and record factual information in science. Pupils know that there is an element of reading, writing or speaking and listening in all lessons. Skills learned in information and communication technology are used regularly to word-process and display colour poems effectively. Talk is used well to work out with discussion partners how to create an exciting picture with a paint program. Even so, the school does not as yet have a sufficiently clear policy that would bring all these initiatives productively together to raise standards.

p.28

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in both key stages are below national expectations. • Higher-attaining pupils are not challenged consistently well. • Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to explain their mathematical thinking.

p.28

Commentary

75. Standards by the end of Years 2 and 6 in mathematics are below national expectations. Pupils achieve satisfactorily from some low starting points. Standards reflect the low results of recent national testing. Over the last four years, although standards have been consistently low in national testing, they show some improvement by the end of Year 6 but not by the end of Year 2. Standards are lower than the satisfactory standards found during the 1999 inspection. In part this is due to starting points on entry to the school being lower than at that time.

p.28

Commentary

76. Pupils in Year 6 calculate the change needed from £1 and more, using as few coins as possible. Some are familiar with multiplying and dividing by ten and add simple fractions Daubeney Primary School - 29 together. They find the area of irregular shapes and record information in a variety of ways including pie charts and block graphs. Pupils with special educational needs use information and communication technology skills to reinforce learning across a range of mathematical skills including basic decimals, fractions, symmetry and shape. Pupils in Year 2 are familiar with odd and even numbers. They count to 50, mostly independently, but back to zero with support. When telling the time, most are confident with ‘o’clocks’ but are unsure of ‘half-pasts’. Some are beginning to measure in standards units. Pupils across the school enjoy mathematics lessons but find it difficult to explain clearly what they are doing because of limited speaking

p.28

Commentary

77. Girls and boys of different abilities and cultures usually make equivalent progress relative to their starting points. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well, and pupils learning English as an additional language make good progress.

p.29

Commentary

78. The quality of teaching and learning in mathematics is satisfactory overall. Occasionally, when teaching is good, stimulating pupils’ mathematical thinking effectively by a challenging investigation, pupils achieve well and reach standards that are close to national expectations. Where teaching is more mundane, teachers are not yet able to compensate for pupils’ low starting points. In general, teachers’ subject knowledge is satisfactory. They use the National Numeracy Strategy appropriately although do not always amend other commercial material well enough to meet the needs of their class, as in a Year 1 class when work on clocks was too demanding. Teachers reinforce guidelines for good behaviour effectively and as a result pupils almost always behave well. Behaviour only falters when a task is too easy and pupils lack adult support.

p.29

Commentary

79. Teachers identify key vocabulary such as ‘division’, ‘analogue’ and ‘digital’ in planning and emphasise it appropriately in lessons. They give clear explanations and are generally well organised. They often use a practical approach to help pupils understand. They identify tasks for different ability levels and some tasks are challenging but not consistently so. In general higher-attaining pupils are not challenged well enough. Too often the pace of their learning slows while they work through initial work that is too easy, with harder, more suitable work coming only later. Investigations have a higher profile now since the last inspection and, where used well, these challenge pupils to think. Too often, also, teachers talk too much and do not give pupils enough opportunities to explain their mathematical thinking or how they have arrived at answers. Other shortcomings occur when marking is inappropriate for the age group and

p.29

Commentary

not helpful enough, especially for younger pupils. Where teaching is less than satisfactory, teachers do not match tasks well enough to pupils’ needs or support them sufficiently during activity time. In addition, these classes lack the full-time teaching assistance needed to meet the wide range of pupils’ learning needs.

p.29

Commentary

80. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The co-ordinator, the nursery teacher, works hard to eliminate the difficulty of working off-site through formal and informal class observations and by monitoring planning. Even so, she is less available overall to support teachers during the school day. She is keen to raise standards and is aware that work does not move on as fast as it should, especially in Years 1 and 2. For example, there is some unnecessary repetition, but she is not yet able to address the issue fully. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory with better class management and investigations now more embedded in the curriculum. Information and communication technology is used more purposefully to support pupils with special educational needs but not enough in class, and higher-attaining pupils are still not consistently highly challenged. Issues of pupils repeating

p.29

Mathematics across the curriculum

81. Teachers make appropriate links with other subjects such as science for pupils to practise and reinforce their mathematical learning. They use graphs and tables to present data in geography and in history to record Pharoahs’ Dynasties. Daubeney Primary School - 30

p.29

SCIENCE

Provision in science is good . All pupils achieve well.

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards have improved considerably and are now in line with national expectations. • Pupils’ learning and achievement are good. • The best teaching provides pupils with considerable challenges and makes them think. • Some of pupils’ investigative work is insufficiently demanding, but the best of it gives them an increasingly good grasp of how to conduct a fair test. • Science is led well. Assessment and the scrutiny of pupils’ work are now used well to monitor teaching and learning.

p.30

Commentary

82. This year (2003), pupils obtained improved results in the national tests at the end of Years 2 and 6. They are now in line with the average for schools in comparable contexts at the end of Year 2 and in line with them at the end of Year 6. Although progress was below average for similar schools, this can be explained by pupils with very low attainment joining the school late. In particular, boys’ results have improved sharply over the past two years and are now similar to those of girls.

p.30

Commentary

83. Standards are now in line with national expectations and pupils achieve well due to the leadership of the subject and the considerable increase in staff expertise. Pupils show a good grasp of how to conduct fair tests and apply their understanding of concepts well to new situations. More able pupils have a good understanding of more difficult concepts such as reversible changes in Year 2, and interdependence and adaptability in Year 6. Pupils express scientific ideas clearly in their own writing. However, the use of topic books in Years 1 and 2 makes it difficult for pupils to see how their scientific ideas have developed.

p.30

Commentary

84. Teaching is always sound and often good or very good, especially towards the top of the school. Pupils’ learning is good as a result. Good teaching poses challenging questions and develops pupils’ ability to think carefully about what they can deduce from investigations. The best investigations pose real questions to which pupils do not know the answers. Pupils learn to think clearly about how to set up appropriate conditions for a fair test. Less good investigations set questions to which the answers are already familiar or involve pupils in thinking about science for only a small part of the lesson. In these lessons, teachers do not always immediately make pupils think about the scientific reasons behind their results and lessons are dominated by recording rather than learning. Marking in some classes is good and shows pupils how to improve their work; however, this is not always the case.

p.30

Commentary

85. Teachers make objectives clear and generally build effectively on pupils’ existing knowledge. They make learning relevant to pupils, whether posing questions in everyday terms or setting tasks that capture pupils’ imaginations. Teachers meet the differing needs of pupils well, including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language. Good use is made of teaching assistants and others working alongside teachers. They give effective support to less able pupils, individual support to those with special educational needs and, in one lesson where teaching was shared, provided a more stimulating working environment.

p.30

Commentary

86. Pupils respond well in most lessons and are proud of their good achievement. Teachers manage pupils firmly and with a sense of humour; in a few lessons, however, they shout, rather than using quieter techniques. Pupils enjoy practical work, respond well to teachers’ questions but sometimes lose concentration. Their recall of previous work, however, is often poor. Daubeney Primary School - 31 Teaching is enhanced by good use of the school’s pond and garden, for developing pupils’ observational skills. Pupils also benefit from opportunities to take part in the Young Investigator Programme.

p.30

Commentary

87. Leadership is good and based on high personal standards of teaching. Effective management ensures that textbooks and the successful introduction of a national scheme of work have provided effective support to teachers and contributed to higher standards. Better use of assessment and routine scrutiny of work support a good monitoring programme providing an overview of how pupils are doing in all years. A good development plan identifies clear objectives for the further development of the subject. Science has improved considerably since the last inspection, reflecting the commitment of all staff.

p.31

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is good .

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve sound standards in all aspects of ICT; they achieve well. • Teaching is good, enabling pupils to learn a broad range of ICT skills. • Good in-service training enables all staff to be confident in their own skills, so that pupils’ ICT skills are used well in other subjects. • Leadership is good and the subject is developing rapidly in the school.

p.31

Commentary

88. Attainment in ICT is sound and pupils achieve well. Pupils acquire appropriate skills in a broad range of applications. Provision for control has improved since the last inspection, and is enhanced by visiting a local centre to have access to more advanced equipment.

p.31

Commentary

89. Teaching is good, enabling pupils to learn and achieve well. Teachers set out objectives clearly so that pupils know what they are expected to learn. Teachers give effective demonstrations, making very good use of the interactive whiteboard to make key points clear. As a result pupils acquire new skills quickly. Teachers provide effective individual support enabling all pupils to make good progress, including those with special educational needs and those learning English as a new language. They provide appropriate tasks for pupils of differing ability. Teachers make good use of teaching assistants but these are not always available although needed.

p.31

Commentary

90. Pupils enjoy ICT and work hard in lessons. Their concentration is good and, once they have mastered skills, they use them with imagination. Project work in other subjects shows considerable creativity. Teachers are now confident in ICT and make use of it in a wide variety of situations in their teaching. The internet is used well.

p.31

Commentary

91. Leadership is good. It shows a clear vision for ICT and good strategies for developing the subject. The school has made very good use of support from the local education authority to develop teachers’ confidence and extend the range of pupils’ experience. Resources are good and development planning is very good. Since the last inspection, progress has been good. However, although the new assessment scheme is good, it has not yet been introduced.

p.31

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

92. ICT skills are used well in other subjects and this increases pupils’ confidence.

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils develop a good understanding of different maps by making their own. • Teachers encourage a strong interest in the wider world and how pupils can make a better world.

p.32

Commentary

93. Attainment is in line with expectations by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection. All pupils achieve well because they find lessons interesting and build on their skills as they move through the school. Pupils in Year 1 and 2 learn good skills in map-making because they go for walks around the area and look carefully at all they see. In Year 3 pupils know what they are to learn about maps and measuring distance during the term. They enjoy using compasses and working out directions. Pupils in Year 4 have good ideas about ways to improve the school environment and look up the meanings of words used in geography in the dictionary very confidently.

p.32

Commentary

94. In a good lesson with clear links with writing instructions in literacy, pupils in Year 5 discussed whether places on a map were in the best locations. They showed good insight into which sites would be appropriate for particular buildings. By the time they reach Year 6, pupils link their work in history on Ancient Egypt effectively with a study of modern Egypt. They compare Egyptian homes with British homes and show a good sense of perspective in their drawings. Pupils have made interesting sketches that will be used when a local footbridge is renovated. They are pleased to be involved in improving the environment because they are very aware of the damage caused by pollution and traffic problems.

p.32

Commentary

95. Teaching and learning are good. Lessons are interesting and good use is made of the local area and a visit to Kent. There are good links with other subjects, particularly art, history and literacy. Displays are lively, many three-dimensional. Pupils use books and the internet well when they search for information on different projects. Teachers set targets for pupils and assess their work systematically. They expect and get high quality presentation and handwriting because pupils work hard to achieve the standards set.

p.32

Commentary

96. The co-ordinator leads and manages well. There are good guidelines for the subject, and visits, or visitors, enrich pupils’ learning and contribute to their personal development. Daubeney Primary School - 33

p.32

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers’ enthusiasm inspires pupils’ curiosity about history. • Visits and examining artefacts increase pupils’ historical understanding.

p.33

Commentary

97. Attainment is above national expectations by the end of Year 6. Pupils form their own opinions and compare past and present times reflectively. This is an improvement since the last inspection. All pupils achieve well because of the enjoyable lessons. For some, it is their favourite subject.

p.33

Commentary

98. Through studying a wide range of topics including ancient Egypt and Greece, and the Tudors, pupils become young historians. They find learning the facts interesting but also gain great enjoyment from using evidence to think about why events happen and life changes over time. Year 6 pupils thought through logically the possible causes for Tutankhamen’s death, explaining why they came to their conclusions without the help of their teacher. Writing letters as though they were alive in ancient Greece, painting Tudor portraits and designing a garden for Henry VIII help them to feel what is was like to live in those times. Pupils make good use of computers to show others, including parents, what they learn.

p.33

Commentary

99. Teachers know their subject and are well organised. Their enthusiasm spills over to the pupils. There are good links with other subjects, particularly art, literacy and geography. Information and communication technology is used well to present ideas and practise skills learnt in these lessons. Pupils have targets and know the level of understanding they are expected to reach. Presentation in books is good.

p.33

Commentary

100. The subject is led and managed well. Visits for each year group, and visitors to school, enrich and extend the pupils’ learning. Opportunities to learn about other cultures, civilisations and important people in different periods of history add significantly to pupils’ personal development.

p.33

Religious education

Provision in religious education is good .

p.33

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a good and well-resourced programme of study. • Teachers balance the factual side of the subject with helping pupils feel what the facts may suggest to them.

p.33

Commentary

101. Pupils mainly reach the standards expected by the locally agreed syllabus by the end of Years 2 and 6. Teaching is usually good and all pupils make good progress. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and pupils work hard to reach them. Sometimes, however, the most able pupils feel they could achieve more, if the tasks allowed them to do so.

p.33

Commentary

102. The core strength is the scheme of work. It covers the six major world religions and is very well resourced with videos, artefacts, pictures and books. These not only enthuse and inspire the Daubeney Primary School - 34 pupils and encourage deep reflection but also give teachers confidence when they may feel their own subject knowledge is insecure. The teaching helps pupils test and develop their beliefs. When teaching is not as good as it needs to be, teachers are not quite certain about what they are teaching. Teaching and learning, however, are usually good. For example, in two lessons pupils took what they had learned in science about growing plants to understand fully the meaning of the parable of the sower. In another, the teacher led the pupils very skilfully from what they did know from their own experience of faith, to, at first grapple with, and then understand, Buddhist beliefs.

p.33

Commentary

103. The subject is well led and managed by a knowledgeable co-ordinator. She has helped her colleagues develop a way of assessing the pupils’ work, helping them see what pupils at each age can and should achieve. To improve further, the school could consider forming better links with local faith communities, and better recognise the faiths of the pupils by linking learning in class more closely to the major religious festivals. The pupils are not given enough chances to express their feelings and beliefs through creative writing, and this could be achieved by following up ideas raised in religious education lessons within literacy lessons. Similarly, providing pupils with more time to reflect quietly would deepen their learning, building upon the already good teaching.

p.34

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well in art. • Standards are at least satisfactory across the school. • The school values pupils’ artwork and gives it high profile especially in display. • The new co-ordinator has personal expertise and the capacity to inspire. • Teachers use the work of artists to good effect.

p.34

Commentary

104. From the one art lesson seen, and by talking to pupils and looking at samples of their work, it is evident that achievement in art is good. Standards are at least satisfactory across the school. Pupils work with a wide range of media, including paint, pastel, charcoal and pencil. They have an understanding of the colour wheel. They look carefully at the work of artists such as Paul Klee, Gustav Klimt and Claude Monet as a source of inspiration for their own work. They produce vibrant pictures, for example of a tropical rainforest, and detailed drawn and painted portraits. They try out different techniques such as dots, splashes, strokes and dabbing. They use sketchbooks appropriately, for example to experiment with shading or to plan a picture or a landscape. Pupils show good levels of interest in art and design activities.

p.34

Commentary

105. Positive aspects of teaching include leading purposeful discussions about paintings such as ‘The Starry Night’ by Vincent van Gogh. Teachers make appropriate use of information and communication technology, an improvement since the last inspection. Pupils draw images on the screen and find out from the internet about artists, such as Henry Matisse. Teachers clearly value pupils’ work and display it to good effect. They demonstrate secure subject knowledge through personal research and express enthusiasm for the subject. Occasional shortcomings occur when they use outlines for pupils to colour, limiting creativity. During the summer art club, the new co-ordinator clearly motivated pupils well to produce some high quality work such as paper people and textured trees. She has good potential to raise the profile of art even further through her personal expertise. The profile of the school is enhanced

p.34

Commentary

Daubeney Primary School - 35 within the locality through samples of artwork displayed on buses. As at the time of the last inspection, assessment remains an area for development.

p.35

Design and technology

Provision in design and technology is good .

p.35

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The subject covers all aspects of the design process well. • Pupils understand the purpose and importance of what they learn.

p.35

Commentary

106. The projects on which pupils were working in Year 5, and discussion with pupils about the sandwiches they had designed in Year 3, showed that a much greater emphasis is placed on design and evaluation than at the time of the last inspection. Pupils’ model chairs showed a good deal of imagination and creativity, as they produced widely different solutions to a design problem, but lower levels of technical skill. Teachers set interesting challenges and make good use of national guidance material as a basis for their planning. The school links work in design and technology to other subjects well. For example, the integrated project on Christmas biscuits and packaging in Year 6 links together work in food technology to that in mathematics and science, as well as developing pupils’ literacy skills. Pupils evaluate their work well because they see the purpose of what they learn; younger pupils said how excited they were to

p.35

Commentary

be designing and making a fruit salad. This evidence suggests that teaching is good and pupils make good progress; they achieve well. The subject is well led and managed.

p.35

Music

Provision in music is only just satisfactory .

p.35

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school’s lack of musical expertise is a significant barrier to pupils’ achievement. • The music curriculum is still not settled, as at the time of the last inspection. • The school makes good use of visiting musicians. • The school makes sensible use of a published scheme of work.

p.35

Commentary

107. Standards in singing are satisfactory. Pupils across the school enjoy singing an appropriate range of songs tunefully. In this aspect, pupils achieve satisfactorily. In other aspects they do not achieve well enough. Standards for seven-year-olds barely meet national expectations. By Year 6, they fall below expectations because of gaps in their learning due to an unsettled curriculum, as at the time of the last inspection, and the lack of musical expertise and confidence within the school. Older pupils are not familiar enough with using basic musical instruments or with composition, as previously. Teaching is just satisfactory with appropriate opportunities to practise and improve, and suitable musical vocabulary introduced, for example ’tempo’, ‘harmony’ and ‘chord’. The co-ordinator is working hard to introduce a new scheme of work, initially to Years 1, 2, 3, and 6, and, by giving demonstration lessons and teaching

p.35

Commentary

alongside class teachers, she aims to increase subject knowledge and confidence. Her own lack of musical expertise, however, is evident, especially with older pupils. In addition her senior management role means that time for supporting music in classes is too limited. Management of music has improved since the last inspection but the lack of specialist leadership means that, overall, this subject has not moved on well enough. Daubeney Primary School - 36 108. To compensate for the lack of internal expertise, the school makes good use of Hackney Music Services who support the school well through instrumental ‘taster’ programmes, group tuition, and steel band experience, mainly for Years 4 and 5. They do not, however, support the regular work in class. The music curriculum is further enhanced by links with other musicians such as the London Symphony Orchestra.

p.35

Physical education

Provision in physical education (PE) is good .

p.36

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Specialist teachers from outside school enrich the pupils’ learning and provide excellent role models for the future. • The subject is well led and managed. • Pupils achieve well and usually attain good standards in games. • Sometimes the teaching, although very challenging, does not give pupils the help they need to reach these high standards.

p.36

Commentary

109. The school makes very good use of outside coaches to provide considerable expertise to enhance pupils’ learning. They provide pupils with a vision of what they can achieve when older. Although pupils initially show limited eye-hand co-ordination and limited ability to explore a range of movements, by the time they leave the school they achieve well and in some areas, such as movement in games, they achieve good standards. The teaching observed was almost always good or better. In these lessons, tasks were broken down into short sharp drills which improved pupils’ skills very effectively. Occasionally, tasks were too demanding and strategies for improving skills not sufficiently thought through. Pupils’ learning was then unsatisfactory. The subject is led and managed well by the new co-ordinator.

p.36

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision in personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHE) is good .

p.36

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The provision makes a very positive contribution to pupils’ personal development. • The school does not ensure that the provision works in partnership with other initiatives rather than alongside.

p.36

Commentary

110. Since the last inspection this subject has become a real strength of the school. The provision is well led by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic co-ordinator and well managed. Consequently, there is a well considered and appropriate scheme of work with topics well suited to the needs of each age and to the wide range of needs within each class. Unusually for a primary school, the subject is taught by a single specialist teacher in a room equipped and resourced to service the subject. This is clearly a very successful strategy. The teacher can manage the continuity and progression from year to year very well and build her specialist skills. The teaching is invariably good or very good and, consequently, all pupils learn an appropriate range of skills and knowledge. Because the teacher links her teaching with sessions when pupils can discuss problems (circle time), pupils play a full part in their learning and this makes a

p.36

Commentary

significant contribution to their achieving maturity and self-awareness more rapidly. The school could usefully consider giving greater priority to developing the pupils’ thinking skills, following best practice in very effective schools. Daubeney Primary School - 37 111. This innovative and effective strategy represents a very effective and efficient way of investing resources, especially as it is used to give other managers release time. Even so, it runs the danger of becoming bolt-on, rather than embedded in the school’s wider provision. Senior managers are profitably working to bring other sides of school’s provision for personal development under the umbrella of the core provision, for example, the school council and behaviour in the playground. This initiative could usefully be extended further, for example, thinking skills and more developed strategies for behaviour improvement. Currently, pupils do

p.36

Commentary

not have enough opportunities to use creative writing to develop their thoughts, and speaking and listening to develop their thinking skills. This could be achieved by class teachers picking up learning stimulated in PSHE and using this in other subjects and, especially, literacy sessions. The greater strategic planning will be essential once the enhanced provision becomes available through the LEA behaviour improvement programme, for example the highly innovative and holistic approach of ‘Kids Company’. Daubeney Primary School - 38

p.37

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 3 Value for money provided by the school 4

p.38

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 3

p.38

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 4 Attendance 5 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

p.38

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

p.38

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 4 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 4 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 4 Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

p.38