Grangetown Primary School

GRANGETOWN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 28 th June – 1 st July 2004

p.1

GRANGETOWN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Grangetown Primary School - 2 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

p.1

GRANGETOWN 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. Grangetown 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: 295, including 18.5 full-time equivalent in nursery School address: Spelterworks Road Grangetown Sunderland Tyne and Wear Postcode: SR2 8PX Telephone number: 0191 553 7647 Fax number: 0191 553 7645

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Alan Patchett

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 5 th May 1998

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school was established in 1905 and is situated in an urban suburb to the south of Sunderland City Centre. In September 2003, the school moved into new premises adjacent to its former site, and the old building has since been demolished.

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Most pupils live locally, although some travel from further afield. Thirty five per cent of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals and this is twice the national average. The catchment area includes a high proportion of rented homes. Unemployment, at over 18%, is considerably higher than the national average.

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Children enter the nursery with lower than average communication and personal and social skills. The school has 62 children on the register of special needs, representing 22% of those aged 4 to 11, and this is above the national average. Three pupils have statements of special educational needs. There are no pupils with English as an additional language and relatively few ethnic minority groups are represented. The number of pupils entering or leaving the school at other than the usual times of admission is about average, but the 2003 Year 6 group contained far more pupils who joined late than is usual.

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Since 1998, many of the governors and staff have changed and the number of pupils has reduced, due to a reduction in the population of the area. The school was awarded the Basic Skills Agency’s Quality Mark in 2002. The school’s long-term aim has been to establish the new building and develop its community links in order to offer the best opportunities to Grangetown’s pupils. Grangetown Primary School - 4 The school benefits from a major community regeneration project, the New Deal for Communities (NDC). This has supported the re-building of the school and the provision of additional staff and resources. The headteacher joined the school in 1999 and is due to retire at the end of the summer term 2004. Grangetown Primary School - 5

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

p.5

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

12108 Mike Chislett Lead inspector Science Information and Communication Technology Music 32655 John Bostock Lay inspector 22881 George Halliday Team inspector Special Educational Needs English as an Additional Language Mathematics Design and Technology Geography History Religious Education 30416 Maria Rees-Johnson Team inspector Foundation Stage English Art and Design Physical Education

p.5

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Serco QAA Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU

p.5

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). Grangetown Primary School - 6

p.5

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

p.6

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 13

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

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

Grangetown Primary School gives satisfactory effectiveness . It provides very good care for its pupils and a sound quality of education. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory and most children achieve satisfactorily. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall, and the school provides good value for money.

p.7

OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

p.7

OVERALL EVALUATION

• The ethos for learning is good, and this is reflected in pupils’ positive attitudes and good behaviour. • Achievement is good in music and in information and communication technology (ICT). • The quality of teaching varies too much in Years 3 to 6, and assessment is unsatisfactory in these year groups. • Pupils’ performance data is not used well enough to identify aspects of teaching and learning that need to be improved; higher attaining pupils should be doing better. • There are very good links with parents, other schools and the wider community that contribute to the quality of education. • The school’s accommodation is very good.

p.7

OVERALL EVALUATION

The school was last inspected in 1998. Since then, satisfactory improvement has taken place. Standards are broadly similar. The information for parents is now very good and pupils with special educational needs learn well and are very well supported. Assessment, however, has not been successfully tackled. The school’s work in this area has not resulted in sufficient improvement and this remains a key barrier to further improvement of teaching and learning, especially in Years 3 to 6. The governors’ strategic planning has improved and good use is made of the New Deal for Communities funding. This is evident in the new school and community buildings that opened this year.

p.7

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English D D E C mathematics D E D B science D D D B Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those with similar percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals Although pupils had taken the National Curriculum tests for 2004, results were not available at the time of the inspection

p.7

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievements are satisfactory overall, compared to their starting point on entry to the school. Children achieve well in nursery and reception, so that most attain the goals expected by the time they begin Year 1. Pupils achieve satisfactorily in Years 1 and 2 with standards that are now close to the national average, and these compare well to similar schools. However, more pupils could be reaching the higher Level 3 than is currently the case. In Years 3 to 6 pupils continue to show satisfactory achievement. The Year 6 test results show Grangetown Primary School - 8 that Grangetown pupils performed well below the national average in 2003, but did relatively well compared to schools with similar intakes in terms of free school meals. Inspection shows that lower attaining pupils do well but higher attainers do not always make the progress they should in Years 3 to 6. More pupils could attain the higher Level 5 and the progress of many

p.7

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

slows in Year 5, leaving too much ground to catch up. Current standards in Year 6 are below average.

p.8

Pupils’ personal qualities and behaviour, including their spiritual, moral and social

development, are good. Their attitudes to work are very good. Attendance is satisfactory.

p.8

QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The overall quality of education is sound and teaching and learning are satisfactory . There is much good teaching throughout the school and some is very good. Teaching is consistently good in music and ICT and good overall in science. The work of the teaching assistants is good. Overall, however, there is too much variability in the quality of teaching and learning between classes in Years 3 to 6. Pupils receive insufficient feedback about how to improve their work and some teaching takes too little account of what they can already do. The curriculum is broad and balanced and is enriched by a very good range of additional activities provided by teachers and other volunteers. The care that pupils receive is very good and pupils’ school life is enhanced by very good links with parents, other schools and the wider community.

p.8

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The headteacher provides good leadership and the governors have steered the school’s development well. In recent years, the successful establishment of the new school and the community facilities have made great demands on the head and governors. Some other aspects of leadership and management have inevitably received less attention as a result. In particular, the analysis of information about pupils’ learning is not rigorous enough so that improvements that now need to be made in teaching and learning have not been clearly targeted. All statutory requirements are met.

p.8

PARENTS AND PUPILS VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and carers are very positive about the school and its work. They value the very good links and opportunities for involvement. Several work in school and others provide valuable voluntary support. A very small minority fail to translate the support into practice and this is reflected in the persistent absence of a few pupils. Pupils are similarly keen and enthusiastic about their school. They think highly of their teachers and feel respected and cared for.

p.8

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

p.8

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Make sure the quality of teaching and learning is consistently good in every class. • Improve the quality of assessment and make sure it is used to raise standards. • Make sure all pupils are achieving as highly as they should. • Make sure the school’s development and performance are evaluated rigorously with detailed and continuous analysis of the outcomes for pupils. Grangetown Primary School - 9

p.8

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Standards by the end of Year 6 are below average in English, maths and science and, given their starting point, most pupils achieve satisfactorily as they progress through the school.

p.9

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children show good achievement during their time in the nursery and reception classes and most attain the Early Learning Goals for their age. • More pupils could be attaining higher levels in English and mathematics in Years 2 and 6. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well, due to the very good support they receive.

p.9

Commentary

1. The last inspection, in 1998, found that standards were broadly in line with national expectations. While this is still the case, in that the majority of pupils reach nationally expected levels, test results in Year 2 have improved whilst those in Year 6 show a relative decline. This is because not enough pupils are gaining higher test results to bring the school’s overall scores closer to national averages. However, 2004 predicted results are better than those of 2003.

p.9

Commentary

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

p.9

Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 15.7 (15.7) 15.7 (15.8) writing 15.1 (14.3) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 15.8 (15.6) 16.3 (16.5) There were 40 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

p.9

Commentary

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

p.9

Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 24.6 (25.8) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 26.1 (24.8) 26.8 (26.7) science 27.7 (27.7) 28.6 (28.3) There were 54 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

p.9

Commentary

2. Children enter the Foundation Stage with below average skills in all the areas of early learning. They achieve well in the nursery and reception and most attain the Early Learning Goals for their age by the time they move into Year 1. In 2003, the Year 2 test results were above the national average for writing, average in reading and below average in mathematics. However, when compared to similar schools, reading and writing were well above average. The 2003 Year 6 test results show that standards in English, mathematics and science in 2003 were well below the national average overall. However, they compared more favourably with schools with similar intakes, being above the average for such schools in mathematics and science. Results are compared to Grangetown Primary School - 10 schools with similar intakes (that is similar numbers of free school meals), rather than schools with similar levels of prior attainment. This is because attainment on entry to Year

p.9

Commentary

3 is not known for significant numbers of pupils, and significant numbers of the 2003 year group also joined after Year 3.

p.10

Commentary

3. There is no clear trend in the performance of Year 6 pupils in recent years. Overall performance remains, stubbornly, below the national average. This is primarily because fewer pupils attain the higher level 5 in all three subjects. Inspection findings and the school’s Year 2 results so far from 2004 are similar to 2003, except that very few pupils attained the higher Level 3 in English or mathematics. This is because of weaknesses in teaching handwriting and in assessing pupils’ understanding of mathematics. Teachers’ assessments for the 2004 Year 6 indicate that most pupils have attained the national expectation of Level 4 in English, mathematics and science, but that too few have attained the higher Level 5. Statutory assessment results for Year 6 were not available at the time of the inspection. The school’s analysis is that they will be adversely affected by the absence, during the tests, of some pupils

p.10

Commentary

4. Despite these disappointing results, the school has high aspirations for its pupils and reflects these in the targets it sets, particularly for pupils in Year 6. Considerable data is collected on each individual’s progress. However, this is not analysed well enough. In consequence, the school is unsuccessful in using this data as it should to identify underperforming groups of pupils during their passage through the school or to help explain and tackle variations in the effectiveness of teaching and learning. For example, the school’s own teacher assessments show that a significant number of Year 6 pupils, particularly girls, are likely to have failed to reach the higher level targets they were set. For these pupils, records show that progress faltered in Year 5, but the school’s monitoring and evaluation has not established why this was so.

p.10

Commentary

5. Given this scope for improvement, pupils’ achievement is still satisfactory across the school as a whole. Children enter the Foundation Stage with below average skills in language and mathematics. Here, they make good progress towards the Early Learning Goals and most enter Year 1 ready for the National Curriculum. In Years 1 and 2 good progress is maintained in English whereas it is broadly satisfactory in mathematics. In both subjects, some potentially higher attaining pupils fail to achieve as well as they could. In English, this is because key aspects of handwriting are not taught. Pupils with special educational needs receive very good support. Their learning is carefully assessed and, as a result, they achieve well. There are very few pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. They also receive good support and achieve as well as all other pupils.

p.10

Commentary

6. Pupils show satisfactory achievement overall in Years 3 to 6 when the starting points of year groups and particular pupils are examined. In these years, the impact of much good teaching is weakened in two ways. Individual pupils receive too little feedback related to the targets set for them and to help them to improve their own work. Linked to this, in some subjects including mathematics and English, teaching does not always take enough account of what pupils already know. Progress slows markedly in Year 5 for many and, as a result, some pupils do not achieve as highly as they could.

p.10

Commentary

7. It was not possible to judge standards of work in all the subjects during the course of this inspection. However, standards in religious education, music and ICT were examined. In these subjects, outcomes are broadly in line with those expected by the locally agreed syllabus and by the National Curriculum; pupils achieve well in music and ICT, where there is ample evidence that standards are rising rapidly due to the impact of good teaching and very good provision. Achievement is sound in religious education.

p.10

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Grangetown Primary School - 11 Pupils’ attitudes are very good and their behaviour is good. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils’ attendance and punctuality are satisfactory. Grangetown Primary School - 12 Main strengths and weaknesses

p.11

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

• Pupils have very good relationships with their teachers, ensuring a secure environment in which to learn. • Pupils have very good attitudes to their learning. • The school sets high expectations of good behaviour, and pupils respond well to this, which allows teachers to concentrate on teaching. • There are weaknesses in pupils’ attendance, despite the efforts of the school to improve matters.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 6.7 School data 0.0 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.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

8. Attendance is satisfactory overall. Attendance levels in 2002/3 were well below the national median and during this school year have become worse by a further 0.7%. The school works hard to improve these levels using a good range of rewards and sanctions and these are effective in encouraging the good attendance of almost all pupils. The school suffers from the impact of a few pupils who are absent too often without good reason. These absences are followed up in collaboration with the relevant authorities.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

9. Teachers are caring of the well-being of all pupils and provide a secure and positive atmosphere in which pupils can try out different ideas. Responses from all pupils are encouraged and successes are praised. Consequently pupils trust and respect their teachers and find it easy to talk to adults about their lessons or other concerns. In this safe, happy and positively disciplined environment, they are able to learn well.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

10. Pupils enjoy school and are enthusiastic about all aspects of it, including teaching and learning. They concentrate and apply themselves well. They ask questions readily and are keen to get on with their work. They listen well and co-operate well in joint activities. Pupils work hard individually and are keen to participate and be involved. These positive attitudes enable them to get the most from lessons. The youngest children achieve well in their personal and social development so that most are on course to achieve the relevant early learning goal by the end of the reception year.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

11. As a result of the efforts of the school to promote good behaviour and the good behaviour of the pupils, there have been no exclusions in the last two years. Pupils and parents are fully aware from pupils’ entry to school that good behaviour is expected. School and class rules emphasise this. The high expectations of pupils’ behaviour are supported by an effective policy of using encouragement, rewards and, where necessary, sanctions. During outside break pupils were lively, energetic and well behaved. Inside in wet weather they play with enthusiasm and imagination and with consideration for others. Lunchtime is a pleasant occasion with pupils showing good table manners and clearing plates away conscientiously. Behaviour in lessons during the inspection was good with almost all pupils showing good self-control and allowing teachers to focus on teaching. Teachers’ skilful management of the few pupils who exhibit challenging behaviour supported this.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Grangetown Primary School - 13 12. The school’s good provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is evident in whole school and key stage assembly themes as well as through a wide range of structured visits and visitors. Pupils clearly know right from wrong in their own behaviour and are able to relate this to wider themes. They learn about their school and local communities and some of the responsibilities of being part of them. They have a growing awareness of the world beyond and this is developed well in some curriculum areas such as art and music, as well as through current topics such as the Euro 2004 Tournament. Suitable emphasis is given to learning about life in a multicultural community and the school’s religious education programme contributes well to this.

p.13

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education, which includes the quality of teaching and learning and the curriculum, is satisfactory overall. There is very good provision for the pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety and there are very good links with parents and the community.

p.13

Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. The procedures for assessment are unsatisfactory.

p.13

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good in more than half of lessons and this leads to good learning, but teaching is too variable in Years 3-6. • Weaknesses in assessment mean that pupils do not get enough feedback to help them improve their work. • Teaching is consistently good in ICT and music. • Teaching assistants make a very positive contribution to the quality of teaching.

p.13

Commentary

13. Teaching is satisfactory overall and, during the inspection, good teaching was observed in more than half the lessons. This is reflected in the quality of learning, which follows the same pattern. Teaching is most consistently good in Years 1 and 2, particularly in English. While mainly satisfactory in Years 3 and 4, there is more variation in Years 5 and 6. In these years, a third of the teaching is very good, but a small amount is unsatisfactory. This inconsistency adversely affects the overall quality of feedback that most pupils receive about their work and reduces the effectiveness of target setting to meet their individual needs. The main problem, where teaching is not good enough, is that the higher attaining pupils are not given sufficiently challenging work, so they do not make enough progress. Pupils learn enthusiastically in the best lessons and sustain good learning habits in the very few instances where teaching is unsatisfactory.

p.13

Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 32 lessons

p.13

Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.13

Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen. Grangetown Primary School - 14 14. In English and mathematics most teaching is satisfactory and a significant proportion, more often in English, is good. Teaching is consistently good in science and ICT, helped by knowledgeable support and in music, where the subject is taught well by a specialist. The specialist teacher for music provides consistently good quality teaching. In this subject, regular and well-focused assessment takes place, providing a useful and efficient model for development elsewhere. Teaching and learning are good in extra-curricular activities.

p.13

Commentary

15. Almost all lessons are planned thoroughly, and teachers generally ensure that learning objectives are clear for pupils. In the best lessons, pupils are helped to see how the lesson is structured and how time will be used. Teachers insist on high standards of behaviour and pupils respond well to this, even in the very few lessons that offer too little challenge. In most lessons, they are expected to work hard, and they do. In the best lessons during the inspection, pupils were expected to collaborate productively and they responded well to this.

p.14

Commentary

16. Teaching methods are generally well chosen. The most successful lessons engage the pupils in discussion with each other as well as with the teacher. In these lessons, teachers are careful to understand the nature of pupils’ difficulties and are sensitive in providing the right help. In ICT, for example, rather than simply being shown a short cut, pupils are helped to solve their own problems and thus improve their skills and increase in independence.

p.14

Commentary

17. Teaching assistants throughout the school make a very positive contribution to the quality of teaching, either supporting a lesson or teaching a group. The teaching of additional literacy programmes to small groups is very effective. Teachers include pupils who have special educational needs fully in all class activities. Lesson plans reflect the targets set out in the individual education plans of these pupils. Teaching assistants play an important part in supporting them in lessons, helping them to meet their targets and praising their achievements to boost their confidence. Teachers monitor these pupils’ progress regularly and their targets are adjusted as necessary. Where necessary, pupils are withdrawn from class for intensive support using carefully prepared programmes. Pupils who have statements receive the full amount of support allotted to them.

p.14

Commentary

18. Recent initiatives to share learning targets in English and mathematics with pupils in Years 5 and 6 have yet to have the impact intended. Overall, while pupils feel valued and encouraged, they have too little understanding of what they need to do to improve their work. In other subjects, assessment is variable. Pupils’ work is nearly always marked up to date and comments are generally encouraging. However marking to inform pupils of the next steps in their learning or linked to their own targets is less common. In some subjects and classes, pupils receive very little such feedback through marking. In science, for example, some books, particularly in Years 1 and 2 and in Years 5 and 6, have teachers’ comments that ask children additional questions to clarify learning and extend thinking. In others, and in some books in Years 3 and 4, marking feedback to pupils refers only to the presentation of their work.

p.14

Commentary

19. Assessment was a key issue at the last inspection and, in particular, it was found that teachers did not mark pupils’ work clearly enough to indicate how it could be improved. Since this remains the case, improvement in assessment is unsatisfactory.

p.14

The curriculum

The curriculum is satisfactory. The provision for extra-curricular activities is very good. The school’s accommodation and resources are good. Grangetown Primary School - 15

p.14

Main strengths and weakness

• A very wide range of extra-curricular activities and community links enriches the curriculum. • The curriculum provision for the children in the Foundation Stage is good. • Accommodation is very good.

p.15

Commentary

20. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is good overall. A wide range of stimulating experiences are provided to support their development in the six areas of learning. There is a good balance between adult-led and child-initiated activities. The co- ordinator and other staff work effectively as a team and pupils make good progress because of their effective support.

p.15

Commentary

21. In Years 1 to 6, the curriculum is planned on a two-year programme to accommodate the mixed aged classes and to avoid unnecessary repetition. A range of activities in subjects other than English is planned well to help improve pupils' developing language and literacy skills. The curriculum for writing, however, does not give enough attention to the development of fluent joined script and this limits pupils’ achievement in Year 2. The requirement to teach all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education is fully met for all pupils. The school provides well for pupils identified as having special educational needs.

p.15

Commentary

22. Very good use is made of local visits and visitors from a range of backgrounds and experiences. There is a very good range of lunchtime and after-school clubs that encourage pupils to develop interests and improve skills in areas such as art and crafts, computers and sports. Pupils are able to compete in a range of inter-school team games, tournaments and galas. Besides giving pupils opportunities to hone their skills in competitive situations these experiences support the development of their sense of community and shared responsibility. More very good opportunities are provided by the specialist music teacher and through the range of activities in the ICT suite.

p.15

Commentary

23. New Deal for Communities (NDC) Funding enables the school to support teaching in music and ICT very effectively. Considering this, there are sufficient and suitably qualified teaching and support staff to meet the demands of the curriculum. Where there remain gaps in teachers' expertise, such as in gymnastics and dance, then effective arrangements bring in outside personnel to ensure that pupils receive their full curriculum entitlement. Very good support is given by the teaching assistants, who make a considerable contribution towards to the learning of pupils, including those identified as having special educational needs.

p.15

Commentary

24. Learning resources are good overall. There is a very well equipped computer suite and a good library. All Year 3-6 classrooms have interactive whiteboards, increasingly used to enhance teaching and learning. There are plans to equip all Year 1-2 classrooms to a similar high standard. The new accommodation is very good and represents a fitting tribute to the hard work and determination of the headteacher and governors to provide their pupils with the very best. They have been successful in their endeavours.

p.15

Care, guidance and support

Grangetown Primary School - 16 The school takes very good care of its pupils. It provides pupils with satisfactory support, advice and guidance and takes satisfactory account of pupils` views.

p.16

Care, guidance and support

• The school’s thorough care and welfare arrangements ensure that pupils and staff are secure and safe. • Health and safety procedures are carried out rigorously. • Induction arrangements for pupils are managed sensitively and are effective. • The transfer of pupils to secondary education is supported well. • Staff establish very positive relationships with pupils that are supportive of their welfare and learning. However, there are weaknesses in the use of assessment to track pupils’ learning. • The school does not provide enough opportunities for pupils’ views to be heard.

p.16

Commentary

25. The school, through its careful and well-managed procedures for child protection, use of healthcare experts and risk assessments, ensures that the care and welfare of pupils and staff are secure. All necessary policies are in place, up to date and well known. Consequently, pupils feel safe and secure. There are weaknesses in the use made of assessments of pupils’ progress that limit the impact of target setting and pupils’ understandings of what they need to do to improve.

p.16

Commentary

26. The caring attitudes by all adults in the school ensure a safe and happy environment in which pupils feel valued and which is conducive to their learning. Pupils’ achievements are celebrated in classes, in displays and in assemblies. Pupils are all encouraged to participate fully in lessons and other activities available to them and they feel teachers listen to their comments. When pupils are upset, there is always an adult available to look after them and nearly all pupils recognise this. Parents are rightly pleased with the care given to their children.

p.16

Commentary

27. Prior to joining the nursery, children visit with their parents to meet the teachers and find out about the school. Parents can stay with their children for the first week in the nursery and longer if necessary. Similar arrangements work equally well for any new children joining in the reception year. Pupils joining at non-standard times report that their introduction and induction to the school is well managed and supportive. Pupils identified as having special educational needs benefit from very good support as they pass through the school.

p.16

Commentary

28. The transfer of pupils to the local secondary schools is supported very well. Curriculum continuity is helped by transition projects where pupils take up ongoing work from Year 6 into Year 7. Teachers and senior staff visit to discuss each pupil’s personal and educational circumstances. Where necessary mentors are arranged to smooth the transition of pupils with particular needs. Pupils make familiarisation visits to the new school.

p.16

Commentary

29. Pupils’ ideas and views are recognised and used by teachers in lessons. In anticipation of the move to the new building pupils were consulted about what they would like in the new facility. However, there is no formal or systematic mechanism to allow pupils to have Grangetown Primary School - 17 a voice in the school’s activities. There are plans for a school council but it has yet to come about.

p.16

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Links with the community and partnership arrangements with parents are very good. Links with other schools and colleges are very good.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school is very closely integrated into the community and this enriches the curriculum. • Parents have very good relationships with the school and these support children’s learning. • Very good links with other schools benefit pupils and the school.

p.17

Commentary

30. The school’s new building has been created as an integral element of the community. It houses both school and community facilities and the school manages the administration of both. NDC funding has enabled development of both aspects in parallel. An example of a benefit for pupils is the breakfast club. This is fully subscribed and enables pupils to settle quietly into school and be ready to learn. NDC funding has helped to provide very good ICT facilities that are used beyond school hours. Additional staffing, funded from the same source, enables specialist teaching in music and very good support in ICT. Other community benefits enhancing pupils’ broad education are an after-school activity club, Saturday fun club and cinema sessions.

p.17

Commentary

31. The community facility is able to offer courses for adults, administered through the school but delivered mainly by external educational bodies. Some of these courses support parenting and home learning. Examples of such courses are those aimed at improving basic skills for adults and reading in partnership. Other offerings include “softer skills” such as aromatherapy. A priority has been to raise public awareness of these services. Engaging sufficient interest from the community is proving challenging and some courses have not been able to run due to low take-up.

p.17

Commentary

32. Several parents undertake voluntary work in classes and many more help with trips, swimming lessons, fairs and other events. Others are employed in the school in support roles such as running the breakfast club.

p.17

Commentary

33. Parents comment very favourably about the school, praising all aspects of its performance. They feel well informed by communications about the daily life of the school and events. The quality of information provided for parents has improved considerably since the 1998 inspection. It was a key issue for improvement at that time and is now very good. Parents of pupils who have special educational needs are kept well informed and included from the earliest days of concern and identification of special needs. Most parents attend reviews.

p.17

Commentary

34. The school benefits from its links with other local schools. Subject co-ordinators from a number of schools meet regularly to share ideas and there are some joint training arrangements. The school works closely with the local secondary school and pupils Grangetown Primary School - 18 benefit from the use of their facilities in curriculum areas such as ICT, mathematics and art. Specialist secondary teachers, students and sports coaches provide expert tutoring and this raises pupils’ skills levels further in these subjects and English.

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Overall leadership and management are satisfactory. Within this, the headteacher provides good leadership and there is good governance.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The leadership of the headteacher is good. • Governance is good and the new school represents a significant strategic achievement for the governors. • The management and analysis of pupils’ performance data is weak and planning for school improvement is therefore not based on rigorous evaluation of pupils’ learning outcomes. • The monitoring role of some subject co-ordinators is under-developed.

p.18

Commentary

35. Overall, leadership and management are satisfactory. There has been a weakening of curriculum leadership and aspects of management during the past eighteen months. During this period, the leadership of the school has had to prioritise effort on securing and moving into the new building. This prioritisation was necessary and in no way detracts from the quality of the headteacher’s leadership, but it does explain why some weaknesses in teaching and achievement remain in the school. Although co-ordinator monitoring has continued and the headteacher has a broad understanding of teaching strengths and weaknesses based on classroom visiting, there is as yet not enough focus on the quality of learning outcomes for pupils. Thus, some weaknesses in teaching, such as the variability in marking and a delay in providing targets, have not been followed through with enough rigour.

p.18

Commentary

36. The leadership of the headteacher is good. She demonstrates a clear commitment to the school and its pupils. In daily practice, this is evident in the personal contribution that she makes to the positive school ethos and to the very good links with parents. Strategically, it is evident in her determination to secure deep community links and development to benefit pupils’ education. In all this, she is supported well by the deputy headteacher and by the governing body. The cost in time, commitment, organisation and effort, of securing and establishing the new school has been considerable. This has been borne, largely, by the head and governors.

p.18

Commentary

37. The new school and its associated community facilities represent an emphatic realisation of the head and governors’ strategic vision. This was an area for improvement at the last inspection. The quality of the building and resources such as the specialist ICT and music support and the Community Management Team reflect their high aspirations for the children and families of the community.

p.18

Commentary

38. The governing body has a realistic view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Its knowledgeable and committed chairman contributes strongly to this. Changes in recent months have brought new members and the governors have recently renewed curriculum links in English and mathematics and SEN. The local vicar provides good support for the school’s RE programme. The governing body ensures that all statutory duties are fulfilled and that the school promotes inclusive policies. Its wide representation means it is well placed to continue this work and to ensure that the community aims are realised. Financial and resource management is secure. Funds have been targeted very effectively to the school’s priority of the Grangetown Primary School - 19 new building and community facilities and these are of high quality. The current balance includes a large reserve fund that has been committed to offset the cost of additional facilities

p.18

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.19

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 703690 Balance from previous year 32745 Total expenditure 683860 Balance carried forward to the next 52575 Expenditure per pupil 2318

p.19

Commentary

39. The leadership of key staff other than the head and deputy is satisfactory overall. The role of the senior management team is restricted at present by its small size and by the fact that some key co-ordinators operate outside it. Now that the new building is established the school’s priorities for improvements in curriculum, teaching and learning need to be clarified and shared by all.

p.19

Commentary

40. Management is satisfactory overall. This is because the school day runs smoothly and essential procedures are secure. Health and safety procedures are good and teachers’ performance management contributes well to their professional development. Induction procedures for new staff are good and there is very effective induction for new pupils. Teaching assistants and non-teaching staff are deployed effectively and they make a very positive contribution to the quality of education in the school. All aspects of provision for pupils with special educational needs are managed very well and this is a good improvement since the last inspection.

p.19

Commentary

41. However, overall, the management and analysis of pupils’ performance data is unsatisfactory. Considerable data is collected on individuals and year groups and some of this is used well to co-ordinate provision effectively for pupils with special educational needs and in some other individual cases. While the head and deputy’s identification of the need to improve writing and aspects of mathematics across the school is correct, data is not used well enough to identify trends in performance, unevenness in progress and aspects of teaching that need improvement. The current school development plan is largely historic and lacks ambition in terms of improved outcomes for pupils. Grangetown Primary School - 20

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

42. Children start in the nursery in the term in which they are three and all children transfer into the reception classes in the following September. There is a good induction programme for parents and children. Continued parental involvement is encouraged through the 'Talk Talk' scheme in which children take books and games home on a regular basis.

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

43. On entry to the nursery the attainment of most children is below that expected for their age. The curriculum is well planned and the children receive a suitably wide range of learning opportunities. Staff are enthusiastic and dedicated and provide good support. As a result, all children achieve well. Some achieve particularly well in Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Communication, Language and Literacy so that the majority of children are on track to achieve the early learning goals by the end of the reception year.

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

44. The provision is led and managed well. The co-ordinator and staff have worked successfully to establish the ethos of the Foundation Stage curriculum within the new unit and their caring approach enables children to blossom. The progress of individual children is assessed through ongoing observations and is recorded systematically and shared with parents in the school’s own version of the Foundation Stage profile. The new accommodation is very good, providing light indoor areas and a secure and safely surfaced outdoor play area with large fixed climbing apparatus. A useful sheltered area allows access to the outdoors all year round. The resources, all new, adequately support the delivery of all areas of learning within the Foundation Stage apart from knowledge and understanding of the world. In this area of learning, there is insufficient provision of simple technological resources to enable children to develop a full understanding of the range

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

45. Provision in the Foundation Stage has improved since the last inspection. In addition to improvements in accommodation and resources, children now achieve more highly in Personal, Social and Health Education and in Communication, Language and Literacy.

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

It was not possible to observe teaching in all areas of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Most are reported in full, below. Mathematical development and physical development were sampled.

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

46. Children make good progress in mathematical development so that they achieve well. Most are set to reach the expected goals at the end of the Foundation Stage. No direct teaching of mathematics was seen during the inspection. Activities such as sand, water and construction toys are used well to develop children's mathematical vocabulary related to shape, space and measures. Every opportunity is taken to relate mathematics to everyday experiences, such as when counting the children present in the morning. There are good opportunities for children to match numbers and shapes in the selection of puzzles and games. These include large numbered tiles for outdoors and counting using threading beads, counting bears and other apparatus. Mathematical opportunities are identified in topics such as 'Mini-beasts', used to explore sequential and symmetrical patterns, and 'Spring ' where flowers are made by the children into a number line to

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

twenty. The current topic on the sea and the seaside has nursery children counting the legs of a puppet octopus, reinforcing counting and ordering numbers up to eight. Grangetown Primary School - 21 47. Children have good opportunities to develop their physical skills and achieve well in physical development , so that most will achieve the early learning goals by the end of the school year. No direct teaching of physical development was observed during the inspection, but provision is good. In the outdoor play area there is plenty of scope for children to develop their skill, strength and confidence. When peddling large wheeled toys they show co-ordination and an appreciation of others around them. When climbing, hanging or swinging from the large fixed and attractive climbing frame they demonstrate confidence in their abilities and determination to complete their chosen route. The 'caterpillar tunnel' provides opportunities for children to creep, crawl or balance across the

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

top. Together with use of tyres, stepping mats and balancing beams, the children can develop control and co-ordination. Staff support and encourage less confident children while offering challenge to extend those more confident. Regular hall times ensure that children have opportunities to develop their agility.

p.21

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children have positive relationships with adults and feel confident and secure. • There are good opportunities for children to follow their own interests and develop social skills.

p.21

Commentary

48. Children achieve well in the area of personal, social and emotional development so that by the end of reception most achieve the early learning goals for this area. This is because teaching is good. Teachers and support staff promote independent skills well by giving children opportunities to choose activities and take responsibility. Children in the nursery class self-register while reception class children take turns in returning the register. Well-resourced activities such as the 'Café' and 'Travel Agent' role-play areas encourage children to co-operate and share resources. Concentration and perseverance are encouraged in games like 'Fishing'. In one session observed, for example, the children became absorbed when the water trough was transformed into a rock pool. This delighted children with 'slimy' seaweed and seashells of different shapes and sizes to collect in their buckets.

p.21

Commentary

49. Staff demonstrate high expectations of good behaviour and children learn what is acceptable, ensuring that their name remains on the 'big smiley sun'. Children are shown how to take turns and listen to one another. They are also encouraged to help each other when putting on dressing up clothes and fastening coats for one another when going outdoors.

p.21

Commentary

50. Staff throughout the Foundation Stage unit work hard to create a friendly and secure atmosphere. Nursery children soon get used to daily routines, happily leaving their parents and helpers. Reception children demonstrate great self-confidence when performing songs and talking about their paintings and did this well during the inspection in a whole school assembly to which parents were invited. Positive reinforcement and trusting relationships enable all children to develop high self-esteem that promotes good attitudes towards learning. Grangetown Primary School - 22

p.21

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are taught their phonic skills systematically and this gives them early success in reading and writing. • A good range of imaginative play opportunities helps to promote children's extending vocabulary and expressive language. • There is good provision for children to read for enjoyment. • Adults miss some opportunities to extend children's vocabulary further. Grangetown Primary School - 23

p.22

Commentary

51. From a low baseline on entry to the nursery children make good progress and achieve well. Teaching is satisfactory overall and is enhanced by imaginative play opportunities, so that most children reach the expected early learning goals by the end of the Foundation Stage. Examples such as the Home Corner in the nursery and the 'Travel Agents' and 'Café' in the reception classes offer a creative and imaginative source for language development.

p.23

Commentary

52. Most adult-led activities promote children's speaking and listening, reading and, in particular, their writing skills. A wide range of experiences is carefully planned to encourage children to talk. Topics chosen to enhance first hand experiences include trips to local areas of interest, such as the seaside, and these stimulate interest and promote talk about shared experiences. Sometimes, however, the language enrichment in adult- led activities is not developed fully and children miss some opportunities to describe what they see and to explain their understanding. Children are beginning to take an interest in books and join in enthusiastically. For example, when sharing the telling of a familiar story 'Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do you Hear?' with the class teacher, the children spontaneously added expression to the animal sounds. Some children identify the author's name and can describe what an illustrator does. Labels, captions and signs and

p.23

Commentary

attractive book areas invite and encourage children to read. The home reading scheme 'Talk Talk' further promotes reading as it encourages parents to share stories and games at home. There is a well-structured programme for teaching letter sounds and children benefit from the good opportunities to practise tracing and copying letters. A range of activities that include jigsaw puzzles, cutting and sticking art activities and computer programs helps to promote children's hand-eye co-ordination and early handwriting abilities. As a result children demonstrate their good phonic knowledge and successfully write simple three-letter words from picture prompts. Their early writing skills are supported and encouraged well. In a good teaching session during the inspection, children made very good attempts at unknown words when completing sentences about pets. They were keen to write and were proud of their achievements as they re-read their

p.23

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children have a wide range of experiences, visitors and visits that help to develop their understanding and appreciation of the world around them. • There are insufficient resources and opportunities for children to fully develop understanding of the range and use of technology and how that impacts on their every day life.

p.23

Commentary

53. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Coupled with some good elements of support and a wide range of experiences, this enables the children to achieve well in this area of learning. Most are on course to achieve the early learning goals for this area of learning by the end of the school year. Grangetown Primary School - 24 54. Teachers provide a good variety of interesting activities that stimulate children's curiosity and enhance their understanding. For example, children observed the changes in rice grains when water was added and heated and noticed the change in taste after soy sauce was added. Another example demonstrated the good support given by Foundation Stage staff in encouraging children's language development. On this occasion, children playing in the 'seaworld' were encouraged to use a range of words to describe the seaweed. The children were stimulated by a good selection of shells and good adult intervention. This

p.23

Commentary

extended the conversation well when talking about how some people ate seaweed.

p.24

Commentary

55. Photographic evidence shows that children are encouraged to plant bulbs and observe them growing. The range of visitors that are invited to talk to the children include 'Goldilocks’ and one of the 'Three Bears'. Children were enthusiastic and eager to see the fire engine that came to school. Visitors sharing traditional clothes and festivals reinforce successfully children’s developing understanding about different cultures and religion. There are three computers in the Foundation Stage. Children have appropriate opportunities to use the computer and most can manipulate the mouse with some accuracy. However, apart from a tape recorder that the teacher used, there are insufficient other resources to develop children's understanding of the range and use of technology and its impact on their daily life.

p.24

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is satisfactory.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a good range of 'small world' toys and imaginative role-play areas that are used well to develop children's imagination. • Teachers have expertise in music and use it well to develop children's musical abilities. • There is a limited range of media and techniques in artwork to promote children's creativity.

p.24

Commentary

56. Overall, children's achievement is good and most are set to achieve the early learning goal in this area of learning. A good range of role-play situations are provided for children, such as the 'Café’ and 'Travel Agents'. Opportunities are provided for nursery children to explore and extend their first hand experiences through play with a range of appropriate props in the Home Corner and the 'Beach'.

p.24

Commentary

57. Children explore colour and texture using paint, crayons, tissue paper and modelling clay. Their paintings and drawings show increasing skill in representational figures. However, there is a limited range of media and teachers give too much direction to the children and this limits their developing creativity. Because of these limitations, teaching is satisfactory overall in this area. However, musical skills are developed well. In this aspect of creativity, good teaching promotes children's enthusiasm and interest. At the same time, the teacher's on-going assessments ensure that children's learning is progressive. They develop an increasing repertoire of songs that they sing tunefully and sometimes accompany with appropriate actions. Grangetown Primary School - 25

p.24

ENGLISH

Provision for English is satisfactory. Grangetown Primary School - 26

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils of all ages are enthusiastic about reading and achieve well in this. • Teachers’ marking does not indicate ways in which pupils' work could be improved • Too few pupils attain the higher levels at the end of Years 2 and 6 because some key aspects of writing are not taught in enough depth. • The analysis of assessment data is not rigorous enough to identify areas where improvement is needed. • Teaching assistants provide very good support and programmes for pupils who might otherwise fall behind. • Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and achieve well in English.

p.26

Commentary

58. Achievement in English is satisfactory overall. In the current Year 2, standards are average. This represents good achievement for most pupils given their starting points, but the lower attainers do better than the more able pupils. Fewer pupils attained the higher Level 3 than in 2003. Evidence from predictions based on pupils’ baseline assessments at the end of the Foundation Stage indicates that more pupils could attain Level 3 in writing. Inspection evidence supports this – a significant reason for this is that cursive handwriting is not introduced until Year 3, so that otherwise capable writers are unable to attain Level 3 in the national tests. Standards in speaking and listening are in line with national averages in both Year 2 and Year 6.

p.26

Commentary

59. National test results for Year 6 in 2004 were not confirmed at the time of the inspection. Teachers’ assessments show the number of pupils reaching the nationally expected level to be broadly average but with fewer pupils attaining the higher Level 5 than in similar schools. Standards overall are below average but an improvement on last year. Taking into account the current pupils’ prior attainment at the end of Year 2, satisfactory progress is made by most. Lower attaining pupils and those identified as having special educational needs do particularly well, considering their starting points. Some pupils with the potential for higher attainment do not do as well as they should and several pupils expected to gain the higher level 5 are likely to fail to do so. However, handwriting in Years 3 to 6 is generally of a good standard, with even lower attaining pupils forming most letters correctly and making good attempts to keep size even.

p.26

Commentary

60. Taking into account the evidence in pupils’ work, teaching is satisfactory overall, though the teaching of reading is good. Teachers are creative in engaging pupils’ interest in reading. Teaching assistants make a very positive contribution to the success of support programmes for readers who might otherwise fall behind, and this is one reason pupils with special needs do well. During the inspection, the majority of teaching seen was good with some that was very good. A small proportion was unsatisfactory. Learning objectives are shared with pupils and in the most successful lessons are explained further, so that pupils understand the purpose of them. This helps the pupils to focus on their learning and provides a context for the activities that follow. In the good lessons seen, questioning was used well by teachers to help to establish previous learning and to require the pupils to think deeply. The standard of pupils’ spelling is good and pupils shows secure knowledge

p.26

Commentary

of the rules taught. This aspect of writing benefits from the regular teaching focus it is given. However, in Years 5 and 6 not enough emphasis is given to the sentence construction, descriptive language and punctuation that are required to enable pupils to achieve more highly. Grangetown Primary School - 27 61. The use of target setting to give pupils an understanding of the standards they should be aiming for is underdeveloped. Older pupils have only recently been given detailed targets for writing. These are not yet referred to in lessons and pupils do not receive routine feedback on their progress towards achieving them. Although pupils’ work is marked regularly and there are good examples of helpful feedback to pupils, overall the quality of marking is too variable. It is rare for marking to refer to success and progress against learning objectives or to explain what pupils need to do next in order to improve their

p.26

Commentary

62. The leadership of English is satisfactory and the co-ordinator sets a good lead in the quality of her own teaching. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory. The co- ordinator shares in the work of analysing the national test results with the head and deputy. She has identified weaknesses in inference and higher-order reading skills. However, the tracking of most pupils’ progress throughout the year is not systematic and available data is not analysed rigorously to identify when learning is too slow. This reduces the usefulness of the range of other monitoring activities undertaken since some important remedial action is not identified. For example, although the school’s tracking shows that the progress of many pupils slows when they are in Year 5, no adequate analysis or remedial action has been undertaken.

p.27

Language and Literacy across the curriculum

63. There are many examples of writing for different purposes and audiences in a range of subjects. Good examples include the use of storyboards in a retelling of the 'Good Samaritan' story in religious education and, in history, a persuasive letter written by Anne Boleyn to Henry VIII pleading for her life. One example taken from science is of labelled diagrams with captions to record a scientific investigation. The school has good plans to extend such work further. In contrast, opportunities for developing reading skills through independent research are comparatively restricted and pupils make relatively little independent use of the school library.

p.27

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a strong focus in developing pupils’ numeracy skills. • Pupils’ skills in solving mathematical word problems are unsatisfactory. • Links with ICT are strong. • Provision for pupils who have special educational needs is good. • Teachers’ marking does not enable pupils to understand what they have to do to improve. • Teachers do not use assessment information to target pupils’ individual needs well enough.

p.27

Commentary

64. Standards in mathematics are below average in Year 2 and Year 6. In both year groups the proportion of pupils reaching higher levels is well below that in most schools. During the period after the previous inspection standards in national tests fell. The previous levels Grangetown Primary School - 28 have not yet been re-attained, although test scores have risen steadily for the last three years in Years 1 and 2 and, less consistently, in Years 3 to 6.

p.27

Commentary

65. Teaching is satisfactory overall, with a significant proportion that is good. Overall, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Boys and girls are currently making similar progress, though with wide variations between year groups. For instance, girls are doing better than boys in Year 2, but in Year 6, boys are doing better than girls at higher levels. Pupils who have special educational needs receive good support from teachers and teaching assistants and as a result they achieve well. The introduction of setting in Years 3 to 6 is intended to help teachers target work effectively, but teachers do not cater well enough for the range of pupils’ knowledge and understanding within the sets. Consequently, a significant proportion of pupils find the work either too easy or too hard and do not achieve as well as they should. This weakness in the use of assessments of pupils’ progress to plan work also shows in Years 1 and 2 with similar consequences.

p.28

Commentary

66. The strong focus on numeracy skills has improved pupils’ knowledge and capability. Pupils in a lesson in Year 2 explained their strategies well when they added tens and units. Most pupils in Year 6 handle addition, subtraction and multiplication to 2 or 3 places of decimals with confidence. Their grasp of solving mathematical problems is less secure. This is because the school has been slow to tackle this issue, even though it was identified in the last inspection. This year teachers have given it priority and pupils’ books show a steady improvement in their understanding. The emphasis given to numeracy reduces time given to other aspects of mathematics, such as measures and handling data. As a result, some aspects, for example collecting, representing and interpreting data, are studied in less depth. Consequently, pupils’ progress in each aspect of mathematics is uneven.

p.28

Commentary

67. Teachers give pupils good opportunities to develop their mathematical skills in the computer suite. This use of ICT has become an integral part of the mathematics curriculum.

p.28

Commentary

68. In lessons seen, most teaching was satisfactory and a significant proportion was good. Strengths include teachers’ very good deployment of teaching assistants who do all they can to help pupils. Together they give good encouragement to pupils and engage them well in their work. Their insistence on high standards of behaviour leads to pupils’ very good attitudes to their work. In a discussion with Year 6 pupils they named mathematics as a very popular subject. In a good lesson seen in Year 6 pupils exemplified this attitude, working with great enthusiasm at solving mathematical problems. As a result, they achieved well.

p.28

Commentary

69. Leadership and management of the subject are sound. However, the coordinator does not monitor well enough the way teachers use assessments to plan pupils’ work. As a result, a significant proportion of pupils fail to reach the targets set for them. While teachers’ marking is supportive and praises pupils for good effort, it does not often show pupils what they need to do to improve.

p.28

Mathematics across the curriculum

70. Pupils sometimes use mathematics as part of their work in other subjects and consequently develop an appreciation of the practical uses of these skills. For instance, they use graphs and tables to record data in geography and science. However, these Grangetown Primary School - 29 opportunities tend to occur coincidentally rather than as part of systematic planning. The link between mathematics and ICT, however, is strong and suitably planned.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The subject co-ordinator teaches science well. • There are good quality extra-curricular activities to support learning. • The quality of teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is too variable and the tracking of pupils’ attainment across the school is not secure.

p.29

Commentary

71. Most pupils attain the national expectations of Level 2 and Level 4 at the end of Years 2 and 6. In 2003, pupils did well in national assessments for their ages when compared to other schools with similar intakes. However, relatively few pupils attained the higher levels at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, so that overall results were below those found nationally.

p.29

Commentary

72. Initial results and teacher assessments for Year 2 and Year 6 in 2004 show a similar picture to last year. Fewer pupils have attained the higher levels than in 2003. Overall, inspection evidence taken from pupils’ books and from pupils’ understanding in class indicates that most pupils reach the levels they should given their previous attainment. Overall, these standards represent satisfactory achievement from Year 1 to Year 6.

p.29

Commentary

73. The teaching and learning of science are good overall. Very good teaching and learning were observed in Year 5 and 6 during the inspection. In a very well planned lesson, pupils demonstrated a high level of interest in linking complex scientific vocabulary and extending what they already knew. They were able to use their own well-organised science books as learning resources. Pupils’ books, as well as their understanding and recall, show that similarly high quality teaching takes place in Year 1 and 2. Pupils’ work in Years 3 and 4 demonstrates good observation and investigative work to support the development of knowledge and understanding.

p.29

Commentary

74. The curriculum for science is planned well and is suitably broad. Very good attention is given to the development of skills of scientific inquiry and careful observation. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 can describe how they have tested forces and can recount accurately how they have tested ice melting in different locations. They are able to make good predictions based upon these experiences. Their enthusiasm for science is encouraged by imaginative teaching, supported by attractive classroom displays that encourage interaction.

p.29

Commentary

75. The quality of teachers’ assessment and marking varies and this reduces the overall impact of feedback to pupils on the progress they make. In some cases, marking focuses on presentation of work or on aspects of writing rather than on extending pupils’ understanding of science. In these classes, teachers’ assessments do not always identify clearly enough what pupils need to do to extend their learning. Systems to track pupils’ progress across the school as a whole are not in place. Too few pupils are targeted for the higher levels at the end of each key stage when the quality of their work is taken into Grangetown Primary School - 30 account. This is the main reason why, despite the strengths in teaching, achievement is no better than satisfactory.

p.29

Commentary

76. Despite the areas for development, curriculum leadership is good. The co-ordinator for science gives a strong lead in her teaching of the subject and in ensuring a good range of supporting extra-curricular opportunities. These include a science club and booster activities for Year 6 pupils. During the inspection, imaginative teaching in the science club captivated pupils who were applying their knowledge of chromatography to solve a fictitious crime.

p.30

Commentary

77. The co-ordinator has identified the need to support teachers’ assessment of science further and to ensure accurate tracking of pupils’ learning in science. Her outline plans for science identify the need to increase the use of ICT resources in the subject, for example data logging. Improvement is sound. The 1998 inspection found standards in science to be similar. The standard of pupils’ own recording of their work has improved since then.

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are excellent resources for ICT. • The quality of teaching is good and pupils respond with enthusiasm. • The subject is well led by the coordinator and supported well by a specialist technical and teaching assistant.

p.30

Commentary

78. Standards at the end of Years 2 and Year 6 are average and reflect those expected nationally. This is similar to the1998 inspection. However, national expectations have risen in ICT since then and the curriculum is more demanding for teachers and pupils. More is also expected of pupils’ application of ICT skills in other subjects and the school is doing much to develop these capabilities. Improvement has been good. Overall, pupils’ achievement is good. Moreover, there is considerable evidence of recent improvements in resources and in teaching ICT that are likely to promote and sustain further improvement.

p.30

Commentary

79. Teaching of ICT is good and pupils of all ages are enthusiastic learners. The school’s medium term planning ensures that all areas required by the National Curriculum are taught. Teaching is very well supported by the school’s ICT Teaching Assistant (ITTA). Besides ensuring that software and equipment are in safe and very good order, he contributes very effectively to the quality of teaching and learning in lessons taught in the suite. Further, the reliability of technical support means that teachers are able to plan ICT into other lessons with increasing confidence.

p.30

Commentary

80. In a lesson based on controlling devices, the teacher’s very good explanations and questioning enabled Year 1 pupils to control a floor robot through simple instructions. Good teaching by the ITTA, working to the teacher’s plans, supported Year 2 pupils who followed more sophisticated instructions to draw regular shapes on screen. In another lesson, pupils from Years 5 and 6 incorporated transition effects into presentations and showed an awareness of audience in selecting those most suitable for their work. They accessed and selected thoughtfully from Internet based resources. Teaching interventions by the teacher and the ITTA were judged well, enabling pupils to solve their own problems and extend their ICT skills. Grangetown Primary School - 31 81. The co-ordinator gives a strong lead in the subject. She has provided good support for updating teachers’ planning both for ICT and for its use across the curriculum. She has correctly

p.30

Commentary

identified the need to support teachers in assessing and recording pupils’ progress in ICT capability and is piloting materials to assist this.

p.31

Commentary

82. Resources for ICT are first class. Even so, the co-ordinator and ITTA have identified some improvements required to support, for example, science. The school has purchased additional consultancy to advise teachers on how to extend and embed the development of ICT. The ICT suite is well organised for whole class and group work and all classes have additional PCs, enabling pupils to continue with projects when the suite is occupied.

p.31

Commentary

83. Very good use of made of the suite for extra-curricular activities, including a parent and child club and a Saturday Club. Besides extending the curriculum for pupils, home-school partnerships are thus encouraged.

p.31

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

84. Pupils throughout the school use drawing and word-processing packages to support some work in art and English. Presentation software is used effectively in history in Years 5 and 6, where pupils research and refine summaries relating to the Twentieth Century. Very good links are made with mathematics. The computerised lending system in the library is capably operated by Year 6 pupils.

p.31

HUMANITIES

Religious education was inspected in detail and is reported in full below. Work was sampled in history and geography , with no lessons seen, though one history lesson was visited briefly. It is therefore not possible to form an overall judgement about provision in these subjects.

p.31

HUMANITIES

85. In geography, pupils use knowledge gained of their own locality to compare its features with contrasting areas in the UK and abroad. However, teachers do not pay enough attention to developing pupils’ skills in mapwork. Consequently, the evidence seen of pupils’ mapwork in Year 6 indicates unsatisfactory achievement in that aspect of the subject. A strong feature of teaching in history is the emphasis placed on historical enquiry. In a lesson sampled in Years 5 and 6, the teacher gave pupils very good opportunities to conduct their own research from books and the Internet in the computer suite. A scrutiny of pupils’ books and displays indicates that most teachers give the subjects suitable priority. However, in both subjects, tasks were seen that were too routine and lacked challenge, especially for higher-attaining pupils.

p.31

Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory .

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are good links with local places of worship. • Assessment systems are not used well enough to set work that matches the needs of all pupils. • The school has good resources that help teachers to make lessons interesting. Grangetown Primary School - 32

p.31

Commentary

86. Standards are average and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory in Years 2 and 6. This is a similar picture to that seen in the last inspection.

p.32

Commentary

87. The main focus is on learning about the Christian tradition as set out in the locally agreed syllabus. A strong feature of teaching, however, is the value placed on other faiths such as Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism. Similarities and differences are examined and explained, such as the different festivals of light. The school seeks out places of worship for pupils to visit so that they can compare features, festivals and ceremonies of different faiths. There are very strong links with the local parish church and the vicar makes a valuable contribution to the development of pupils’ spiritual and moral education.

p.32

Commentary

88. Teaching is satisfactory overall and sometimes good. Good teaching in a lesson in Years 1 and 2 brought an element of spirituality into pupils’ experience when they quietly reflected in the Buddhist style. In another lesson, however, pupils were less inspired with their learning because the task set for them was mundane.

p.32

Commentary

89. A scrutiny of pupils’ books indicates that there is a tendency for teachers to set routine and unchallenging tasks. They do not consider carefully enough what lesson objectives and outcomes should be. As a result, they miss opportunities to develop pupils’ skills in speaking and listening and writing for a purpose.

p.32

Commentary

90. The subject is satisfactorily led with enthusiasm and commitment by the coordinator. She has provided teachers with a good scheme of work to help them plan lessons. However, in her monitoring of the subject she has missed weaknesses in teaching and learning. For instance, an issue for teachers to use assessments of pupils’ progress to plan lessons remains unresolved from the last inspection. As a result, too much work is unchallenging. This affects potentially higher attaining pupils in particular, who are not given enough suitable opportunities to achieve well. The coordinator has built up a good level of resources, including artefacts, for teachers to use in lessons and many classrooms have attractive and interesting displays.

p.32

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Music is reported on in full, below. Art and design, design and technology, and physical education were sampled.

p.32

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

91. In art and design there is ample good work on display around the school and in classrooms to indicate the high priority that the school gives the subject. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 produce representational and observational drawings and paintings using pencils, crayons and powder paint. These illustrate work in science and English. An exercise in mixing paint to produce lighter and dark shades is linked to a science topic. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 produce imaginative work resulting from studying the techniques of artists such as Klee and Van Gogh. In Years 5 and 6 pupils produce pictures in the style of Jackson Pollock using a computer program. Three-dimensional work is less well represented. One example is a study in modelling clay of a famous local landmark, the imposing 'Angel of the North' by Year 3 and 4 pupils. Another is pebble sculptures in the style of the artist, Andy Galsworthy. From the limited sampling, it was not possible to judge

p.32

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

how pupils' skills and techniques are developed in a progressive way. There is some use Grangetown Primary School - 33 of sketchbooks to develop ideas. There is, however, little evidence of consistent use of sketchbooks to develop pupils' drawing skills.

p.32

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

92. In design and technology displays in classrooms indicate that the subject receives suitable priority. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 researched the manufacture of biscuits on the Internet and went on to make their own. Their evaluations included an explanation of their response to texture and taste. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 designed and made winding machines that work. However, the reliance on prefabricated materials limits pupils’ learning experiences and achievement.

p.33

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

93. Resources in physical education are good. The new hall is shared with the community wing and therefore benefits from having full sized badminton and basketball courts marked out. Pupils have access to a range of small apparatus including skipping ropes and balls during playtimes, enjoying the opportunity to play games or practise their skills. The subject co-ordinator has worked hard over the years to develop rich and varied PE experiences for pupils. While all pupils in Years 3 to 6 enjoy regular swimming sessions, older pupils benefit from specialist coaching in football, cricket and rugby. There are many opportunities for older pupils to participate in individual and team sports through athletic meets, swimming galas, league matches and tournaments. A recent development with the local sports hall is enabling pupils in Years 3 to 6 to participate in the 'Kids Power' programme that introduces them to junior gym equipment and healthy fitness routines.

p.33

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Residential trips to Derwent Hill and Weardale House provide a range of outdoor activities including canoeing, walking, sailing and orienteering. These opportunities not only enhance pupils' physical skills but contribute to developing their social skills as well. The co-ordinator is participating in the local 'Primary Links' initiative, which develops links between the local secondary school and primary feeder schools. One benefit from this initiative is that secondary specialist teachers work alongside their primary colleagues, sharing expertise and coaching to improve teaching skills. As a local consortium, the co- ordinators have identified a need to strengthen assessment practices and are currently working on developing a practical approach to assessing pupils' skills.

p.33

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The subject is taught by a specialist teacher and pupils respond enthusiastically to her good teaching.

p.33

Commentary

94. Standards are average by the end of Years 2 and 6 and this is similar to the position at the last inspection. There is considerable evidence that standards are set to rise further, due to the combination of good teaching, meticulous planning and knowledgeable assessment that is now in place.

p.33

Commentary

95. Teaching and learning are good. At present, all music is taught by a specialist teacher who is employed by a local consortium of three schools, using New Deal for Communities funding. Grangetown Primary benefits from this teaching on three days per week. Teaching is creative and adventurous, such as in reception, when pupils composed music to accompany sad feelings and followed their own simple notation on a whiteboard to perform it in five parts. Pupils respond to the good teaching with enthusiasm. Year 5 and 6 pupils were given imaginative and Grangetown Primary School - 34 tactile stimuli for compositions. They received feedback as they composed and practised and were able to refine and develop their work in the classroom. They were justifiably proud of the results. This good lesson would have been even more effective had a larger space been available for pupils to work in.

p.33

Commentary

96. Teaching is underpinned by meticulous planning, developed by the specialist teacher and by an effective assessment system that identifies pupils’ progress against clear learning objectives. Achievement is good. It is highest in performing and composing, particularly for those pupils who participate in the school’s choirs.

p.34

Commentary

97. The specialist teacher leads the subject very well. Her own very good example and strong commitment do much to promote the subject. She has sensible plans to develop music further, including the need to strengthen listening skills and increase the range of music heard from different cultures. Besides playing the piano and leading singing in assemblies, she contributes much to extra-curricular provision. The school has two percussion groups and choirs for infants and juniors. All are well attended. The specialist teacher also teaches flute and guitar to individuals on a voluntary basis, but most pupils have no other opportunity to learn a tuned instrument.

p.34

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

This area of the curriculum was sampled.

p.34

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

98. There are very good relationships throughout the school. Staff provide good role models for pupils, listening carefully to what they say and valuing their contributions. This has a positive impact on pupils' attitudes to learning and provides a good basis for pupils’ social, moral and health education. In addition, the school follows a local education authority programme for this area of learning in Years 1 and 2 and a commercial scheme in Years 3 to 6. This provides a sound basis for Health Education and Citizenship. Additional timetabled sessions use circle time techniques to explore issues raised by pupils. The school has identified the need to extend opportunities for pupils to be able to extend decision making and responsibility and outline plans for a school council are being formulated. Grangetown Primary School - 35

p.34

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.35

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

p.35

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 4 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

p.35

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 4 The quality of teaching 4 How well pupils learn 4 The quality of assessment 5 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

p.35

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.35

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.35