Green Lanes Primary School

GREEN LANES PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 26 th – 29 th January 2004

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GREEN LANES 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.

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GREEN LANES 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. Green Lanes Primary School i

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Green Lanes Hatfield Hertfordshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Ian Ellis-Hall

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 29 th June 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Green Lanes is a one-form entry primary school, which is about to become a one and a half form entry school because of over-subscription and successful teaching and learning. There are 206 pupils on roll with approximately 44 children attending the Reception class full time by January each year. Children come from an area with mixed housing, but the majority are privately owned. The school has a mixed ability intake with very few pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds. A small percentage of pupils have special educational needs or are eligible for free school meals. In both cases, numbers are below the national average. Special educational needs include speech impairment, specific and moderate learning difficulties, autism and the visually impaired. One pupil has English as an additional language. Two children are Travellers. Pupil mobility is low. Most children have had pre-school education in some form. Well-attended breakfast and after-school

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

clubs are designed to support both pupils and parents at the start and end of the day. Children have average attainment on entry to the Reception class. The school received an Achievement Award in 2002. Green Lanes Primary School ii

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

17016 Mrs June Woolhouse Lead inspector Mathematics; Art; Music; Physical education; Foundation Stage; English as an additional language. 9958 Mr Timothy Page Lay inspector 4451 Mr Roger Howarth Team inspector English; History; Geography; Religious education. 14785 Mr Stephen Hopkins Team inspector Science; Information and communication technology; Design and technology; Special Educational needs.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

VT Education Ltd Old Garden House The Lanterns Bridge Lane London SW11 3AD

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 4

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 4

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 7

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school where all pupils achieve well and the majority of teaching is good. A third of teaching is very good or excellent. Pupils reach high standards, especially in English, mathematics, science, music, design and technology and art. Achievement is high. Pupils behave very well and have very good attitudes to learning. The headteacher gives quiet but authoritative leadership, and some very good management is provided by other staff. Governors know what they must do to contribute to these high standards, and they give good support to the headteacher. They also challenge the headteacher and staff effectively. Provision for those with special educational needs (SEN) is excellent. The school has a strong working relationship with parents, is an asset to the community and gives good value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• High standards and achievement in English, mathematics, science, art, music and design and technology. • Consistently good teaching and learning. • Excellent provision for SEN. • Very good pupil attitudes to learning due to mainly good, very good or excellent teaching. • Good governance, leadership and management at all levels. • The daily act of collective worship does not always take place. • Curriculum time for physical education, history, geography and religious education needs to be increased to ensure a better overall balance. • Planned provision for physical development in the Reception classes needs to be improved. • A more effective assessment system is needed to better inform planning and target setting.

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How the effectiveness of the school has changed since the previous inspection

The school continues to be very effective in providing a good education for all pupils. Standards across the school have remained high, and any dips can be accounted for because individual pupils had specific learning difficulties or joined the school in the later stages of their education. The key issues from the last inspection have been managed well. There has been a significant improvement in the performance of the more able pupils as shown in end of key stage tests. Planning and assessment is consistent for all subjects, and provision in geography and physical education is now satisfactory. The school attracts and retains very good staff, and this is a significant factor in its success. They work very well as a team and are well led by the headteacher. An effective process of self-evaluation is in place, and everyone is involved in checking their own contributions to high quality teaching and learning, and making improvements where necessary. The headteacher has a

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How the effectiveness of the school has changed since the previous inspection

clear view of how the school will manage its forthcoming expansion and maintain the quality that has been evident since the last inspection. It is very well placed to continue its improvements.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools Similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English A B A A mathematics A* A B B science A C D D Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2. Green Lanes Primary School 2

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ACHIEVEMENT

Overall, achievement is good . Children have average ability when they start in the Reception classes. Progress is satisfactory and most children meet the goals they are expected to reach by the end of Reception. By the end of Year 2, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are well above average in comparison with similar schools. Achievement is very good . Progress continues in each year group. By the end of Year 6 achievement is very good in English, good in mathematics, but below average in science, based upon pupils’ performance at the end of Year 2. The small size of the cohort affects the grading. Overall, by the end of Year 6, achievement is good . Achievement is also good in art, music and design and technology. Pupils with SEN achieve well. Pupils’ attitudes to learning and behaviour are very good . Their moral and social development is very good . Their cultural and spiritual development is sound. Attendance is satisfactory .

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides good quality education. Most teaching is good and a significant proportion is very good or excellent. This has a noteworthy effect on pupils’ learning, attitudes and behaviour in lessons, and the good standards they achieve in their work across many subjects. At a time when they are not ready for long sessions of listening, the very occasional unsatisfactory teaching of the youngest children impedes their development of curiosity and independent enquiry. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been implemented with diligence and to the benefit of all pupils. Learning in other subjects has also benefited, but too little curriculum time is given to some subjects, which means that pupils may not always learn as much as they are capable of. Teaching assistants are very effective, contributing well to the good progress of pupils with SEN.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school succeeds in teaching a broad curriculum to a good standard, including work in design and technology, art and music. Provision for pupils’ care, guidance and welfare is very good . The school works well in partnership with parents and with other schools, including the local Nursery, and with the community.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The headteacher gives good leadership to senior staff, to curriculum co-ordinators and to governors, resulting in high quality learning for all pupils. Rigorous evaluation of pupils’ achievements, and the identification of relative weaknesses, mean that standards remain high and improvements take place. Good governance ensures compliance with statutory requirements and results in challenge and support for the headteacher. Professional staff and conscientious governors all contribute to a well managed school. Green Lanes Primary School 3

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and pupils are happy with almost all aspects of school life. Parents are very supportive of the school’s work and many help in classrooms. A few parents think communication about homework could improve. Inspectors found that the school made appropriate arrangements.

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

• Ensure a daily act of collective worship for all pupils. • Improve provision for physical development in the Foundation Stage. • Review the allocation of time to improve provision in physical education, history, geography and religious education. • Sharper learning objectives are required to improve the link between assessment and learning. Green Lanes Primary School 4

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Overall, achievement is good . In Years 1 and 2 reading, writing and mathematics are very good; in Years 3 to 6 they are good. Standards, overall, are above average .

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Achievement overall is very good by the end of Year 2. Standards are well above average in reading, and above average in writing and mathematics when compared with similar schools. • Achievement overall is good by the end of Year 6. Standards in English and mathematics are well above average. • Standards in science at the end of Year 6 are below average, but the science grade is affected by the small cohort size. • Achievement of pupils with SEN is very good. • Standards and achievement in art, music and design and technology are good.

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

Standards in: School results National results English 28.9 (28.1) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 27.8 (28.6) 26.8 (26.7) science 28.2 (28.3) 28.6 (28.3) There were 31 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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

Standards in: School results National results reading 17.6 (17.2) 15.7 (15.8) writing 16.2 (16.5) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 17.7 (17.7) 16.3 (16.5) There were 29 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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

1. Standards across the school have remained consistently above average for the past five years. Targets for English and mathematics have been met. Performance across the school benefits from consistently good or better teaching in the core subjects. Outstanding subject leadership exists in English and mathematics, and the school has made science a priority for improvement. The meticulous attention given to implementing comprehensively the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy has had a major impact on standards in these subjects. The school is ready to relax its attention on these core subjects and concentrate on a more creative approach to teaching and learning across all subjects.

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

2. At the end of Year 2 standards in reading are well above average. There has been steady improvement over the past three years, and boys and girls perform equally well. Trends in writing show a very slight decline, but this is accounted for by the performance of a few pupils who have specific learning problems and have not yet reached the required standard. Results remain well above national trends. Mathematics results are consistently above national trends, although there has been a leveling out over the past two years. Again, boys and girls perform equally well. Compared with national results for the last three years, Year 2 does best at writing. The more able Green Lanes Primary School 5 pupils produce very good results in all aspects, and about half achieve the higher Level 3 in reading and mathematics. This compares with a third of pupils nationally. A third reach Level 3 in writing

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

and the school produces twice as many pupils at this higher level than nationally. These are noteworthy results.

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

3. At the end of Year 6 standards in English and mathematics are well above average and have remained at this high level for the past five years. Achievement is good and this has been maintained from Year 2. Grade variation in the school Panda is caused by the result of one pupil missing the target. Science standards fluctuate and trends are less favourable compared with national standards, particularly in the last two years. The results are better than those in mathematics, but they do not compare favourably with national results, which are consistently better in science when compared with the other two subjects. In 2003 standards were below average and girls’ performance, in particular, was some way below the national level. Over the past three years boys and girls on average have performed equally well in English and science, but boys have achieved better at mathematics. About half the pupils reach the higher Level 5 in English, and a third

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

in mathematics and science. Compared with the national results, the results at this level are a third higher in English, just above in mathematics but below in science. There has been some improvement in science since last year and this is already a focus for improvement. The school achieved its mathematics target at Level 4 and its English target at Level 5. The remaining targets were just missed because of the results of one or two pupils.

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

4. In lessons observed, and from a scrutiny of pupils’ work, standards and achievement are consistent with test results and trends over time. Standards and achievement in English and mathematics are high across the school. Standards of work in science are better than those suggested by the recent test results, and pupils’ responses in lessons are good. Achievement is good in art, music and design and technology. It is satisfactory in information and communication technology (ICT) and religious education. Standards in the rest of the subjects are in line with expectations, and achievement is satisfactory.

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

5. Attainment on entry to the Reception class is average for children of this age, using national accredited baseline assessment information. By the end of the Reception Year most children achieve the Early Learning Goals. Many children achieve well in their personal, social and emotional development, and they are well adjusted to the demands of learning in a school setting as they start Year 1.

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

6. Pupils with SEN achieve well and their progress is good. The school caters well for the very small number of pupils with English as an additional language and Traveller children. Their achievement is sound. The gifted pupils achieve well in the core subjects, but they would benefit from more precise identification and work that is more tailored to their needs.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good . Their personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are good overall. Attendance and punctuality are satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Pupils are very mature, self-disciplined and very well behaved. • Pupils have very positive attitudes to the school and to their learning. • Pupils’ spiritual development, although satisfactory, is not as well developed as their moral and social development. Green Lanes Primary School 6

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Commentary

7. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Their very positive attitudes to almost all subjects and aspects of their learning in school make a significant contribution to their progress and achievement. Pupils respond well to the good teaching they receive. They are enthusiastic, interested and become increasingly confident and mature in their relationships with adults as they go through the school. They would change very little about the school except to have swimming in every year group, not just Year 6!

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Commentary

8. The behaviour of pupils in lessons and around the school is very good, and leads to a calm, orderly and effective learning environment. Pupils support each other very well. A buddies system, whereby Year 6 pupils listen and help younger pupils with personal and friendship problems, is popular and leads to very good relationships amongst pupils. There have been no incidents of exclusion this year.

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Commentary

9. The school is making a significant contribution to the pupils’ personal development through its approach to spiritual, moral social and cultural education, which is good overall. In particular, moral and social awareness is well promoted through personal, social and health education (PSHE), religious education and assemblies, which frequently engage pupils in discussion and consideration of moral and social issues. Pupils respond well to these opportunities and show maturity and self- discipline in their conduct around the school, with each other and with teachers and other adults. Children in the Reception class also have good social skills, and the learning opportunities offered them contribute well to their personal and social development. They are well on course to reach and exceed the Early Learning Goal by the end of the Reception Year.

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Commentary

10. The school council is an established feature of the school, and gives the pupils the chance to participate in the running of the school community. Pupils involve themselves in after school activities, and experience a good range of insights into their own cultural heritage. They are developing a satisfactory appreciation of the diversity of cultures around the world through work in geography, history and visits from people of different world faiths in religious education. Assemblies are well organised and provide opportunities for pupils to reflect on social, moral and personal issues, but they are not all acts of collective worship. The spiritual dimension of pupils’ development is less well developed across the school, including areas of the curriculum. Opportunities for reflection in either a planned or unplanned way were not a strong feature in lessons.

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Attendance in the latest reporting year (94.6%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.0 School data 0.4 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance in the latest reporting year (94.6%)

11. The school’s attendance rate is broadly in line with the national average. The attendance of pupils is satisfactory. This has been the picture for the last four years. The school has recently improved its procedures for monitoring and following up absences so that it can identify any difficulties at an early stage. Parents’ co-operation in ensuring regular attendance is actively sought, and letters are sent home when absence has not been notified. Green Lanes Primary School 7

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is good and has many features that are very good . The result is high standards of attainment and very good attitudes to learning.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching is good , and pupils learn well .

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Teachers work hard to promote equality of opportunity for all pupils. • Teaching for pupils with SEN is very good. • Levels of expectations and challenge are good. • Teachers and teaching assistants insist on high standards of behaviour, and are good at encouraging and engaging pupils in their learning. • Teachers make very effective use of resources, and provide stimulating lessons. • Teaching in the Foundation Stage is not always matched to the pupils' learning needs. • Assessment is good overall, but is insufficiently focussed on helping pupils to understand how they can improve.

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Commentary

12. The quality of teaching was good at the last inspection. This has been maintained and improved in certain subjects. The strongest teaching is generally found in Year 2 and in Years 5 and 6. The only unsatisfactory teaching was in the Foundation Stage. In both of the unsatisfactory lessons, the teaching was insufficiently focussed on the learning needs of the children, who were not ready for prolonged sessions of sitting down and listening to adults.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 53 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor 4 (8) 13 (25) 12 (23) 22 (41) 2 (3) 0 0 This 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 were seen.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 53 lessons

13. Teaching is good overall in Years 3 to 6, and there were examples of some excellent teaching. Teachers plan lessons thoroughly, have very good resources, and ensure that the wide range of pupils' needs in all classes is met. They have high expectations of pupils in lessons, and provide appropriate levels of challenge through skilful questioning and carefully designed learning activities. Teaching assistants play an important role in ensuring that teaching quality is good or better, and all pupils achieve well. Teachers and teaching assistants encourage pupils to do their best, and insist on high standards of behaviour. The co-ordination of subjects, and discussion amongst all staff, contribute well to effective teaching and learning, especially in English, mathematics, science, art, music and design and information technology.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 53 lessons

14. Teaching of pupils with SEN is very good. Work is matched closely to the targets contained in their individual education plans (IEPs). The early identification of SEN allows help to be given to the children as soon as they join the Foundation Stage. The pupils who have been identified as being gifted and talented are given challenging work, but do not have enough that is designed exclusively for them. They are normally required to do more of what the rest of the class is doing. The school has planned provision for pupils who have English as an additional language, and for Traveller children when they attend the school.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 53 lessons

15. English and mathematics are taught well throughout the school, and teachers have a secure understanding of what needs to be taught in order to develop pupils' literacy and numeracy skills. Green Lanes Primary School 8 This approach results in successful learning, and high standards throughout the school. Very good use is made of ICT in mathematics teaching, and pupils benefit from seeing accurate diagrams and grids when learning, for example, about co-ordinates. Teaching is less effective in history, geography, physical education and religious education because there is insufficient time in each session to develop the main themes of the lessons.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 53 lessons

16. The staff analyse results of tests effectively so that they can identify areas of teaching and learning that need improving. In English and mathematics, teachers assess pupils' work very thoroughly, and use this information to set improvement targets for individuals. In science, and in other subjects, teachers do not always use assessments effectively to give feedback to pupils or to inform their teaching. Assessment is very good in English and mathematics, satisfactory in science and in all foundation subjects. It is unsatisfactory in religious education, but satisfactory overall.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 53 lessons

17. Homework is planned so that pupils complete work for the following week. It is aimed to reinforce what has taken place in school, and covers reading, spelling and number. Pupils are sometimes asked to complete research for themselves, and to produce written accounts. This is good preparation for their secondary schooling.

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Provision for pupils with SEN is excellent. • The curriculum for English and mathematics is very good. • The school provides a good range of activities to enrich the pupils' learning. • The school is very well resourced, and the accommodation is very good. • There is equality of access and opportunity for all pupils. • In the Foundation Stage there are insufficient opportunities for the development of pupils' physical skills. • The allocation of teaching time to some foundation subjects, e.g. physical education, history and geography is sometimes insufficient for pupils to do their best. • There is no whole-school overview of the curriculum. • The required daily act of collective worship does not always take place.

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

18. The school's provision for pupils with SEN is exemplary. Pupils are able to benefit from high quality specialist teaching, and from the strong links the school has with specialist out reach support. Pupils' IEPs contain very clear targets and teachers and teaching assistants ensure that the learning needs of pupils with SEN are fully met.

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

19. The curriculum for English and mathematics is very good. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are fully in place, and pupils are benefiting from a range of enrichment experiences and opportunities. The less able pupils are provided well with extra work to enable them to catch up in some areas of their learning.

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

20. The school's curriculum is broadened and enriched through a range of special events and school visits. For example, pupils have the opportunity to participate in a Geography Action Week, a Science Week or take part in a residential environmental study visit. They can also join workshops focussing on art, music, drama, history and design and technology. The school provides a good range of well-attended extra-curricular activities. These include opportunities for pupils to participate in sports and in the arts. All pupils in Year 3 learn to play a musical instrument, and there is a wide range of peripatetic music teaching. Green Lanes Primary School 9 21. The school is very well resourced, and the accommodation is very good. The recently completed building and improvement programme has had a significant impact on the quality of the school's provision, especially at Key Stage 1 and the Foundation Stage. The school has a new

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

library, and a newly created ICT suite. An empty classroom has been converted into a specialist room for teaching design and technology and science. The outside play areas are being developed with the support of parents. These improvements are having a beneficial impact on the school's provision.

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

22. The school is fully inclusive and gives high priority to ensuring equality of access and opportunity for all pupils. The needs of a recently arrived pupil with English as an additional language are being met very well. The school is highly regarded by the traveller's community, and the needs of pupils from their families are being appropriately met. A sound programme for PSHE is in place, including provision for sex education and learning about drugs. The school is embarking on the Healthy Schools initiative, and encourages pupils and parents to walk to school. Visits are arranged to secondary schools during the summer term to help pupils prepare for their transfer the following autumn.

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

23. Children in the Foundation Stage do not benefit sufficiently from outdoor play activities. The school has the necessary resources and accommodation for these learning opportunities, but they are currently underused. The school benefits from having well qualified staff whose expertise in the core subjects, ICT and music makes a strong and beneficial impact on pupils’ learning.

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

24. The overall allocation of teaching time to subjects needs to be reviewed to ensure that the quality of teaching and learning in the foundation subjects does not suffer due to lack of time in lessons.

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

25. The lack of time available to subjects other than English, mathematics and science, is holding back the progress of which pupils are capable.

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

26. There are good links between subjects, and ICT is satisfactorily integrated into other curricular areas. However, insufficient monitoring of the curriculum for the whole school means that potential links between subjects, and the opportunities to make better use of time, are sometimes being missed.

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

27. The daily assembly does not always include a collective act of worship.

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Care, guidance and support

The school makes very good provision for pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety. Support and guidance are good. Pupils’ views are sought and acted upon .

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Good management of pupils’ health and safety. • Well organised pastoral support. • Good and trusting relationships between pupils and adults. • Good induction arrangements. • The involvement of pupils through seeking and acting on their views.

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Commentary

28. The school’s health and safety policy is comprehensive and clearly delegates responsibilities for continuous risk assessment. Staff are well aware of pupils with specific medical conditions, and many have been trained in first aid. High expectations of pupils’ behaviour are implicit in maintaining a safe environment. The child protection policy follows locally agreed procedures, and staff are clear about their roles and reporting requirements. Green Lanes Primary School 10 29. Assessment of academic progress is particularly effective for pupils who have SEN, and this leads to very good achievement. Pastoral support is good for all pupils, and is well informed by regular tracking and recording of their personal development. This contributes to very good and trusting relationships between pupils and staff. Good induction arrangements lead to pupils quickly settling into school.

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Commentary

30. The school values the opinions of pupils, and is very good at seeking and acting on their views. A well-established school council is democratically elected and sensitively advised, but not led, by a teacher. All pupils have a chance to contribute their opinions when decisions are fed back to classes, or through one of the two suggestion boxes placed in the school. Pupils have been successful in securing more after school clubs, and are currently considering the need for more non-fiction library books and playground games. Pupils have their own notice board, organise charity events, and publish a termly newsletter. They are regularly consulted about school rules, and older pupils volunteer to act as monitors and buddies at break time.

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Comprehensive information about their children’s progress is provided for parents. • A friendly school that has good consultation procedures. • Community links that benefit pupils’ learning. • Effective links with other schools and colleges.

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Commentary

31. The school has established good links with parents, and this is confirmed by positive responses to the pre-inspection questionnaires and parents’ meeting. There is overwhelming agreement from parents that their children like the school, that teaching is good and that their children make good progress. Parents agreed that expectations are high, and that the school is approachable. A small minority disagreed with the view that there was no bullying or harassment. A few thought that they were not well informed about progress, and there were others who raised the question of the value of work undertaken at home. Inspection confirms parents’ positive views. Pupils pointed to some oppressive behaviour amongst older children, but this is not general. The vast majority of pupils regard the school as being friendly, and praise Year 6 pupils who act as buddies. The use of homework is good, but sometimes parents do not feel that they are adequately

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Commentary

32. Information about pupils’ attainment and progress is very good. Their annual reports provide a succinct commentary on the year’s work and contain targets for improvement. Levels of attainment are discussed at parents’ consultation meetings, and teachers are happy to discuss concerns at any convenient time. Parents of children with SEN are properly involved in the review of their IEPs.

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Commentary

33. Parents are regularly consulted on a wide range of issues, and are asked open questions about what the school does best, and what can be improved. The need for wrap around care was identified, and this has led to the provision of a breakfast club and Little Lanes after school club. The school is aware that some parents want more information about work carried out at home. Information is now posted on most classroom windows, and the school has plans to provide a homework booklet which will explain the homework policy of the school.

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Commentary

34. Community links are good. There was a recent reciprocal arrangement with local housing associations, and the Workers Enterprise Association, whereby the school offered its premises for residents’ meetings in exchange for adult computer classes. A very productive partnership has been established with Glaxo Smith Kline, who provide science resources and support. The Green Green Lanes Primary School 11 Lanes School Association, (GLSA) plays an important role in the community by organising social events, which lead to funds being raised for the school. Over seven thousand pounds is raised annually. As a result, pupils have benefited from a Macbeth workshop, and have received financial support for school trips.

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Commentary

35. There are very good links with the University of Hertford and Oaklands College, who provide sports coaches and facilities. Membership of the Hatfield Primary Consortia has led to grants being accessed to fund a host of after school activities such as dance, drama, lacrosse and creative workshops. Good links with local secondary schools lead to a thorough transfer of relevant information to support pupils moving on to the next stage of their education.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good . The headteacher is a good leader of all staff and pupils. Good management is evident at all levels in the school. Some aspects of management are very good . Governance is good and the governors support and challenge the headteacher in an informed way.

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

• The headteacher has a clear view of the direction in which he is taking the school and has a quiet determination about achieving high standards in work and behaviour. • Senior staff have the energy and commitment to achieve this vision in classrooms. • All staff work very well as the educational team, and achieve high standards in their teaching and in the pupils’ response. • Governors know the school’s strengths and few relative weaknesses, and are able to ask searching questions about the school’s performance. • Provision in the Foundation Stage is at an early stage of development and requires further improvement. • There is a dedicated and unremitting effort to include all pupils in the school’s work and ensure that all achieve their best. • There is some lack of precision in the way the very able and gifted are identified. • Performance management ensures that high standards are set and everyone works to a

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

common end. • Finances are very well managed, and enable the education vision to be realised. • Fine tuning of curriculum organisation to refocus on a broader approach to teaching and learning is at an early stage. A broader approach to the curriculum is required in order to give greater depth to subjects other than English, mathematics and science. • The daily act of collective worship is not always managed so that it meets statutory requirements.

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Commentary

36. The headteacher is at the centre of the school’s work and the direction it takes. He works with quiet authority to forge a very effective team whose continuing focus is on high standards of teaching and learning. A clear and well-prioritised school improvement plan sets out the school’s short and long-term objectives. All staff performance targets are linked to this plan. As a result, highly motivated pupils behave very well and achieve high standards in their learning. The deputy headteacher provides very good support, and ensures that individual pupil performance is tracked efficiently and regularly. The Key Stage 1 curriculum co-ordinator ensures consistently high standards are achieved at the end of Year 2. This provides a high base line from which pupils begin their Key Stage 2 learning. Senior staff analyse data thoroughly and highlight areas for intervention to ensure that pupils continue to make good progress. Additional ways in which the most able and

p.16

Commentary

gifted are identified need to be found so that these pupils receive teaching that is matched to their abilities, and so that they can maximise their talents. Green Lanes Primary School 12 37. The headteacher is very well supported by some talented teachers who manage their subjects very well. This is particularly the case for English and mathematics. Pupils achieve very well in these subjects as a result of this very good management. All teachers and support staff benefit from a commitment to high standards and are supported effectively to reach them. A very good team spirit exists amongst all staff, which is beneficial to everyone working in this inclusive school community.

p.16

Commentary

38. Governors support and challenge the headteacher and staff in an informed way. They have a broad range of expertise, including financial and business management, which gives them sufficient understanding of school issues and strategic planning to ask the right questions. They are kept very well informed by the headteacher, who also gives them sufficient explanation of the technical aspects for them to understand how well the school achieves compared with others. The deputy headteacher gives good support in this matter. Governors are regular visitors to the school, and this might be in an informal capacity or in order to observe teachers and pupils in classrooms. They talk to subject leaders and discuss policies. This, in turn, gives them a good overview of school practice, and is a good example of school management promoted by the headteacher. Well-produced reports are presented to all governors at their meetings.

p.17

Commentary

39. The headteacher is overcoming some difficult staffing and building problems, which have affected the organisation and development of the Foundation Stage. Aspects of provision are not as good as the school would like or expect. Although the new accommodation is splendid and well resourced, inexperienced staff, including supporting adults, do not sufficiently understand the requirements of all the areas of learning. This is particularly the case for physical development where planned provision for use of the outside area is unsatisfactory. The school is aware of this weakness, and is already planning changes to ensure that children make better use of the outdoor play area. A significant planned programme of support and development is currently being planned by the school to improve further Foundation stage provision.

p.17

Commentary

40. The curriculum is managed so that the main focus is on teaching the key skills of literacy, numeracy and ICT to the highest possible standards. The school succeeds well in its intentions. However, time allocated to foundation subjects, such as history, geography, religious education and physical education, is insufficient for pupils to consolidate what they are being taught in these relatively short lessons. The headteacher has started to consider how curriculum organisation can be modified without sacrificing the high standards that pupils achieve in the core subjects. Further consideration is being given to how the statutory requirement of a daily act of collective worship can be implemented.

p.17

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 536,722.00 Balance from previous year 58,190.00 Total expenditure 554,076.00 Balance carried forward to the next 40,835.00 Expenditure per pupil 2,689.00

p.17

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

41. Spending priorities are well managed by governors. They ensure that they get best value for the projects in hand, including the expansion of accommodation. The school’s reserves have decreased over the past two years because of this expenditure on expanding and improving accommodation. This will be countered in future when the school receives resources for the extra pupils who will join the school. Green Lanes Primary School 13

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

42. Provision for Reception children is satisfactory . Children join the Reception class in September and January, depending on their birth dates. The school is expanding at present, which has resulted in the creation of two Reception classes. The Foundation Stage co-ordinator provides satisfactory leadership in an area of provision that is at an early stage of development. A relatively new team of adults is beginning to plan and work well together for the benefit of all the children. However, the rapid progress made in organising good accommodation and resources has been achieved at the cost of some lack of planning and co-ordination of teaching. At present planned provision for physical development is unsatisfactory. The timetable for play times used by the rest of the school interferes with a coherent plan for this aspect of children’s development. The staff are aware of this weakness, and plans are in place to modify arrangements in the near future. Children

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

with SEN are identified early, and this contributes to their good progress. At present one child has English as an additional language, but the school has plans in place to provide appropriate learning opportunities. Teaching is satisfactory overall with examples that are very good and some that are unsatisfactory. Children make sound progress, and the majority are on target to meet the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Reception Year.

p.18

Standards at the end of the Foundation Stage

Standards in relation to the early learning goals by the end of reception in: Personal, social and emotional development Good Communication, language and literacy Satisfactory Mathematical development Satisfactory Knowledge and understanding of the world Satisfactory Physical development Unsatisfactory Creative development Satisfactory Inspectors make judgements in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor.

p.18

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good and children achieve well.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Good adult role models are enthusiastic about, and supportive of, children’s learning activities. • Routines are consistent, but not too restrictive of children’s independent learning intentions. • Adults do not sufficiently involve themselves in developing children’s learning because they are managing resources.

p.18

Commentary

43. Children and their parents or carers are welcomed into the Reception class, and the teachers and assistants are skilful in making them feel comfortable. The new arrivals are quickly distracted when their parents leave and settle well. Children know the routine and quickly involve themselves in the rich array of activities available to them. They know how to find their names and self-register, including which kind of lunch they will eat. This sets a very good tone for the right kind Green Lanes Primary School 14 of behaviour expected by adults. Behaviour is consistently good, and children show respect for each other and their surroundings. Appropriate intervention by adults enables children to talk about their chosen activity, and to think further about what they are doing. Adults also encourage children to sort out things for themselves, finding their shoes or collecting equipment from a drawer.

p.18

Commentary

44. Children understand that at times they are expected to become involved in a class activity, and this will mean clearing up their equipment. They do this well and speedily so that most get to the carpet at the same time. Occasionally, adults do not follow up this change of events with the children. They spend valuable time clearing up resources rather than talking to children or supporting them in a group activity which requires taking turns and listening to others.

p.19

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory . Children’s achievements are sound.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Planning takes careful account of the National Literacy Strategy. • Adults do not always give extended support to small groups or to individuals in order to extend speaking or support individual writing. • Resources are very good. • Too much writing is copied, and there is insufficient attention paid to children’s own marks on paper. • Computers are used well to reinforce knowledge of letter sounds.

p.19

Commentary

45. Children appear confident speakers when they come to school, and they enjoy talking to adults. Many would make more progress in speaking if teachers and assistants understood more thoroughly how to extend children’s vocabulary and develop speech structures. This is an area for staff development in a newly established Foundation Stage. Resources have been well chosen and are of high quality. Children handle books carefully, and know how to follow text from top to bottom. They can retell stories. In one instance, one child became the teacher and organised her reading group to follow the story she was telling. She insisted that only one person spoke at a time, and that everyone else should be listening!

p.19

Commentary

46. Children can draw and write about their illustrations when they make their own books. For the most part they copy their writing, and do not often try to make their own marks. They know that writing has a meaning and can read it back to an adult. The computer is used well, and children concentrate closely on programs designed to reinforce and discriminate between letter sounds and shapes.

p.19

Commentary

47. There are planned sessions to develop knowledge of letter sounds, and to introduce the conventions of grammar. At times these sessions go on too long and children lose interest. Adult intervention is inconsistent, and support for individuals is not always forthcoming. Green Lanes Primary School 15

p.19

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory and children’s achievement is sound .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Very good resources provide a rich array of mathematical learning opportunities. • Adults do not always intervene and reinforce the vocabulary of mathematics or challenge children’s understanding of number. • Pre-number activities are well promoted by adults. • Links are well made between number recognition, counting and practical tasks.

p.20

Commentary

48. Children use a wide range of resources and equipment to explore numbers, patterns and shape. They fit Unifix blocks together and can count accurately past 20. Some children can match sets of bricks and say if they are the same. They can deduce that they have the same number of fingers on each hand without counting again. They can order sizes and relate this idea to stories such as The Three Bears. They can describe shapes such as square and triangle using the correct vocabulary. When they make a collage of Elmer the Elephant using squares of material, creative activities are well planned to reinforce their understanding. Pre-number tasks are readily available, and children make patterns using pegs which also enable them to count to 10, 20 and, in a few cases, 30. Adults give appropriate support. However, opportunities to enhance understanding through close questioning and discussion are not always followed through. Children are willing to

p.20

Commentary

count for an adult and demonstrate their understanding of simple addition, or match one-to-one when asked to do so.

p.20

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory and children’s achievement is sound .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Resources are deployed well to help children explore and investigate their world. • Planned activities give scope for increasing children’s knowledge. • Insufficient opportunities are planned to explore the natural environment. • Insufficient opportunities are available to consider other cultures through artefacts, pictures, and relevant resources for role-play.

p.20

Commentary

49. Children explore magnets with great enthusiasm, following a short, well-presented television clip. They enjoy singing along to the signature tune, and demonstrate good pronunciation of the song and tuneful singing. Very good teaching was observed with timely stopping of the video to reinforce and correct vocabulary. Well-chosen resources enable them to follow up the programme with their own investigation, and to copy what they had seen as a test for themselves. The computer has well chosen programs to reinforce learning and enquiry. Children work well together, and talk about what they are doing and what to do next to move the program along.

p.20

Commentary

50. Good use of the outside area during the inspection enabled children to experience building snow structures, moving around with a sledge or feeling the changes to their bodies from the cold and wet. They can describe what they feel like, and when they should return indoors. However, the Green Lanes Primary School 16 use of this area is under-developed, and planned activities are not an automatic part of the day’s events. Very few resources, such as pictures, toys or dressing-up clothes, are available, which reflect other cultures. For example, the theme on ‘Books’ using Elmer the Elephant, lent itself to possibilities of displaying Eastern artefacts and clothes.

p.20

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is unsatisfactory and children do not make the progress of which they are capable.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Planned provision in the outside area is unsatisfactory. • Children have no opportunities to choose to play outside. • Children have sufficient opportunities to practise using small tools. • Children are taught Movement indoors using taped music. • Children play outside on the main school playground and mix well with older pupils.

p.21

Commentary

51. At present, planned provision does not allow children to select the outdoor area for learning to run, jump, climb or balance. When they experienced the newly fallen snow, they responded with excitement and creativity. Some children co-operated over the building of a snowman, and one child agreed to lend his sledge to a friend providing he could pull it around the area. There was much fun and enjoyment during this activity, including deciding the route, moving skilfully and not falling over. Most children do not have the opportunity to develop their physical skills in a consistent, self-chosen, way at present.

p.21

Commentary

52. Children use a range of tools and implements satisfactorily. They can fit together construction kits, thread string through plastic shapes, and hold a pencil correctly. They can control a paint brush and work carefully on collages made of squares of coloured fabric. They are taught to move in the hall using taped music, but have few opportunities which challenge their agility. At present they play outside each day when the rest of the younger pupils use the main playground. They cope well with this enormous space because older pupils show consideration towards them. The organisation of this aspect of their learning is under review.

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is satisfactory and children’s achievement is sound .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Planned activities enable children to use a range of materials to express their ideas. • Resources are good and equipment is attractive. • Musical activities are well integrated. • Adults do not interact enough with children during role-play to develop imagination, social and language skills.

p.21

Commentary

53. Children organise and produce a collage of Elmer the Elephant and carefully consider the colours they will use and the way they will place their squares. They stick down the squares accurately and are pleased with the outcome. They understand that mixing two colours of paint will Green Lanes Primary School 17 change the original. They enjoy using paint brushes to combine the colours black and white before painting strips to show shades of grey. They colour pictures with some accuracy, and use pencils and felt pens carefully. They are responsible about putting away this equipment. There are good opportunities to use the role-play area, and a group of children worked co-operatively in ‘the shop’, selecting items and paying the shop keeper. Other children made the drinks in ‘the kitchen’ and offered them to others. They would have benefited further from some adult intervention to extend the

p.21

Commentary

language and challenge the ideas. Good adult support was apparent at the sand tray when children discussed small world scenarios. Children sing well when they have opportunities to join in, as they did during the short video introduction to a numeracy session.

p.22

ENGLISH

Provision is very good . Pupils attain high standards and achieve very well.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses:

• The quality of teaching and learning is consistently very good. • Leadership and management of the subject are very good. • Good standards are achieved in speaking and listening, and reading and writing, by the end of Year 6. • Support for SEN pupils is excellent. • A leading literacy teacher provides valuable support. • Provision for gifted pupils needs further development.

p.22

Commentary

54. Results in the national tests in 2003 for Year 2 and Year 6 pupils were well above the national average. Excellent support is given to all pupils, including those with SEN, and is a key factor in the very good progress that pupils of all abilities make. Teachers successfully promote learning through the very many opportunities they provide for pupils to develop their literacy skills. Pupils of all ages enjoy reading and writing, and they have very positive attitudes to the work they do in English. The school has maintained its high standards in English since the last inspection.

p.22

Commentary

55. Speaking and listening skills are very well promoted throughout the school. Teachers ensure effective speaking and listening skills through good use of questioning, and the many varied opportunities they provide for pupils’ to contribute in lessons. Pupils are encouraged to discuss issues, often in a whole class situation, and frequently with a partner. They are also encouraged to actively listen to other pupils in the class. By the end of Year 2 pupils are confident in speaking aloud, asking questions and sustaining a discussion with the teacher and other pupils. In Year 6 there is a high level of competence in the way in which pupils listen, express themselves and develop ideas in discussion. Standards in speaking and listening are above average and pupil achievement is good.

p.22

Commentary

56. The school’s focus on promoting the enjoyment of reading, combined with very good teaching, ensures that pupils achieve high standards in reading. Pupils of all ages enjoy books and talk confidently about what they are reading. Guided reading sessions are taught effectively and promote good understanding of texts. Pupils enjoy the opportunities provided for reading, and by Year 6 can discuss the differing styles of authors, express preferences, show good understanding of events and characters, and read fluently and expressively. Standards in reading are above average and pupils achieve well.

p.22

Commentary

57. Attainment in writing is above average. Basic skills are developed well with pupils in Years 1 and 2, being encouraged to write in different ways for different purposes. They know sentences need capital letters and full stops. Handwriting is taught effectively, and pupils are given a good Green Lanes Primary School 18 grounding in formation and joining of letters. Year 6 pupils are able to write at length, for a variety of different purposes, imaginatively, using punctuation and complex sentences. This is because Green Lanes Primary School 19 there is consistently effective teaching through the school. Teachers have high expectations, plan well and have good expertise in developing pupils’ abilities. Many opportunities are provided for pupils to practice and extend their skills through writing in other subjects. As a result pupils achieve well, including those with SEN.

p.22

Commentary

58. Leadership and management in English are very good. The subject is well embedded in the curriculum and life of the school. Monitoring is in place, and there is a clear view of the strengths and weaknesses in the subject. Effective practice is encouraged, and there is a strong focus throughout the school on the development of pupils’ abilities in literacy. Attention has been given to the needs of gifted pupils, but opportunities to further extend the range of more demanding tasks are not always evident in planning. The leading literacy teacher contributes valuable expertise in areas such as guided reading, and trains both staff and teaching assistants. Opportunities for role-play and drama are effective, and the school library is an appropriate environment. The use of assessment techniques, including the setting of individual pupil targets to ensure good learning and progress, is a strength that contributes to the high standards achieved.

p.24

Language and literacy across the curriculum

59. Provision for language and literacy across the curriculum is good. Pupils are encouraged to use their reading and writing skills well in other subjects. Examples of good extended writing, use of poetry and the reading of passages from text books, were observed in geography, religious education, science and history. Speaking and listening skills are very well promoted throughout lessons, with many opportunities used by teachers to allow pupils to express themselves orally in both whole class and group situations.

p.24

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is very good . Pupils reach high standards and achieve very well across the school.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Standards at the end of Year 2 are well above average and achievement is very good. • Standards at the end of Year 6 are above average and achievement is good. • Very good teaching. • Very good use of National Numeracy Strategy materials when planning. • Very good deployment of teaching assistants to support the lower attaining groups.

p.24

Commentary

60. High quality teaching is the main factor for these good results. Assiduous attention has been paid to the recommendations of the national Numeracy Strategy. This has resulted in a full programme of study being planned. A very close match has been achieved between the learning objectives and the individual needs of pupils, and a very good balance between whole class teaching and independent learning opportunities. Lessons are very well planned, and pupils are given practical resources to assist their understanding. They use coins to calculate change, and then relate the problem to a number line for consolidation. Older pupils are invited to arrange three triangles on the board to show that the angles lie on a straight line. The most effective teachers are aware of the different learning styles of pupils and accommodate them throughout the lessons. Teachers ensure that pupils have opportunities to discuss problems as a group or in pairs, and this

p.24

Commentary

contributes to clarifying misunderstandings and building confidence in presenting logical explanations for their answers. The oldest pupils show noteworthy levels of maturity during these discussions.

p.24

Commentary

61. All pupils are expected to complete the work planned for each lesson. Clear explanations, very good questioning and the pace of lessons, ensure that this happens. Information and Green Lanes Primary School 20 communication technology (ICT) plays a significant part in the success of both teaching and learning. The whiteboard was used with great effect to demonstrate the notion of co-ordinates, and pupils could see clearly how points were placed on a grid given particular co-ordinates. Other mathematical concepts related to position. For example, perpendicular or parallel were successfully illustrated and consolidated using the same grid. In the best lessons, plenary sessions are used very well to reinforce the main points of the lesson. One class had a very short test to revise vocabulary and the main aspects of co-ordinates. Pupils maintained their concentration until the end of the lesson, and were able to check their understanding of what they had been taught before they

p.24

Commentary

62. During the time for individual practice and reinforcement, judicious and effective use of commercial materials are used to reinforce and consolidate pupils’ understanding of particular concepts. Sufficient examples are given, but not so many that some are left unfinished, or there is unnecessary practice of a problem that is already understood. Teaching assistants are deployed very well and make a significant contribution to the learning of those with SEN. These pupils achieve well as a result of this targeted support. The most able pupils receive extra challenges in the form of investigations at the end of lessons. The school is in a position to reconsider how the learning needs of the few who have exceptional talent in mathematics could be better catered for. The subject is very well co-ordinated, and a consistent approach to teaching and learning across the school contributes to continuing high standards and good progress. Booster classes to help particular

p.25

Commentary

groups of pupils are well organised and taught. They have a positive impact on pupils’ learning and the standards they achieve.

p.25

Mathematics across the curriculum

63. Pupils apply their mathematical knowledge in other subjects. They use measuring skills well in design and technology, and know how to read graphs in science activities. The school enters pupils in mathematics competitions and this challenges the most able.

p.25

SCIENCE

Provision for science is good . Science was observed being taught to pupils of all ages. Pupils' work and teachers' planning and records were examined.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Teaching is very good overall, and sometimes excellent. • Teaching assistants provide good support for pupils' learning. • Subject leadership is good, and is having a significant impact on the quality of provision. • Lesson planning does not take sufficient account of the learning needs of the more able pupils. • Teachers' marking and written feedback to individual pupils does not always relate to what they have learnt and the progress they are making. • Assessment of pupils' progress is insufficiently developed.

p.25

Commentary

64. The evidence available indicates that the standards being attained by pupils are satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. The standards being attained by pupils in Years 5 and 6 are very good. The improvements that the school has put in place to address the fall in standards over the last two years are having a significant impact. Further work is needed, however, to ensure that all pupils achieve well. The subject is well led by the subject co-ordinator, and the whole school drive to further improve the provision for science is being well managed by the school's senior management team. Green Lanes Primary School 21 65. In Year 6 pupils display very good scientific knowledge. They have very good independent, investigative skills, and quickly relate new learning to their previous knowledge. They are very positive about science, and delight in finding things out for themselves. In Year 2 pupils are clear

p.25

Commentary

about the need for fair testing and are able to make reasoned predictions.

p.26

Commentary

66. Overall the quality of teaching is good. Seven science lessons were observed, two of which were excellent, two were very good, one was good and two were satisfactory. In the best lessons very effective questioning by the teacher, and by appropriately designed activities, challenged pupils and led to very good achievement. The teachers had good subject knowledge, and planned their lessons to ensure that the learning needs of all pupils were fully met. The lessons were well structured, had good pace, and were informed by assessments of pupils' achievements in previous lessons.

p.26

Commentary

67. In all the lessons observed teaching assistants provided skilful support and appropriate levels of challenge for pupils, especially pupils with SEN. This ensured that they had full access to the curriculum, and achieved well.

p.26

Commentary

68. The provision for science can be improved further by ensuring that lesson planning identifies the different knowledge, understanding and skills that particular groups of pupils in the class need to achieve to make good progress. This will ensure that all pupils, especially the most able, are appropriately challenged by their work.

p.26

Commentary

69. Assessments of the standards pupils are attaining, and the tracking of their rates of progress, is not sufficiently detailed to ensure that lesson planning always meets their learning needs. Teachers' marking, and their written feedback to individual pupils, do not always link to the learning objectives that pupils are working towards. Opportunities for pupils to know how well they are doing, and how they can improve further, are therefore missed.

p.26

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in ICT is good and has improved since the last inspection. The direct teaching of ICT was seen in Years 2, 3 and 6. Pupils' work was looked at, and pupils were observed using ICT in other subjects. Teachers' planning, and records were also examined.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Teachers use effective teaching methods. • Teaching assistants provide valuable support for pupils' learning. • The leadership and management of the subject are very effective. • Aspects of control technology and data logging are not sufficiently well developed. • The level of challenge for the most able pupils is not always sufficient. • The integration of ICT across the curriculum could be further strengthened.

p.26

Commentary

70. Overall, standards in ICT at the end of Year 6 are satisfactory. They are good in certain aspects, such as using ICT to communicate and to handle information. However, the current lack of opportunities for pupils to develop the skills in using ICT to control and model, limits their overall standard.

p.26

Commentary

71. The ratio of computers to pupils is high and has improved since the last inspection. The school has a well-equipped computer suite that incorporates a digital projection link to one of the workstations. This is used very effectively to demonstrate to pupils the skills they are learning, and Green Lanes Primary School 22 has positive effect on their achievement. The school also has a computer, plus Internet connection, in every classroom, as well as other equipment, such as a digital camera. The pupils enjoy working on the computers, and classes are regularly and systematically timetabled to use the computer suite.

p.26

Commentary

72. Pupils learn a wide range of skills. For instance, in Year 2 they use word processing to compose stories, and use the spell check function to correct their work. The pupils are able to create a range of text effects by changing the font size and style to create impact. Pupils in Year 3 compose and send e-mails to one another. In Year 6, pupils construct their own website homepage by using a range of skills and techniques, and by drawing on their findings when they have reviewed existing website homepages.

p.27

Commentary

73. Many of the pupils have computers at home, and use them regularly and proficiently. Some of the pupils are therefore insufficiently challenged by the planned ICT curriculum activities. Teaching assistants provide a significant resource for pupils ICT learning - especially for pupils with SEN. They provide measured support and challenge to ensure that pupils achieve well.

p.27

Commentary

74. The ICT co-ordinator provides good leadership. She has a clear grasp of the current strengths and weaknesses of the school’s ICT provision, and has plans in place to develop it further. She has recently introduced a self-assessment scheme for pupils to use to evaluate their own level of skill and the progress they are making. This, together with a strengthened assessment system, will ensure that all pupils are able make the progress they are capable of.

p.27

Information and communications technology across the curriculum

75. The use of ICT across the curriculum is satisfactory. Pupils use the classroom computers in subjects such as English, science and design and technology. During ICT lessons in the computer suite they learn about other subjects such as mathematics and art. Overall opportunities for pupils to use information technology as an integral tool in all areas of their learning are insufficiently well planned for and developed. The construction of a curriculum map, which identifies opportunities for pupils to develop and consolidate their ICT skills across the curriculum and across year groups, would be a valuable development, and would have a positive impact on pupils' achievement.

p.27

Geography

Provision is satisfactory. There have been significant improvements since the last inspection.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Teaching and learning are good. • Pupils’ attitudes are very good. • The range of learning opportunities provided is good. • Leadership and management are good. • Pupils’ understanding of how they can improve their geographical skills is underdeveloped.

p.27

Commentary

76. Standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are average. Year 2 pupils accurately compared and contrasted the types of work undertaken on a remote Island with that of their parents. They used appropriate geographical vocabulary, and they were competent in recording their findings. Year 5 pupils had used the locality well in developing fieldwork skills. They had devised and conducted an effective survey of local people on environmental changes. An analysis of work Green Lanes Primary School 23 shows that by the end of Year 6 pupils’ geographical skills are at least average and, in some cases, above average. This is an improvement since the last inspection when pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 was below average. Pupils achieve satisfactorily, including those with SEN, who receive good provision to support their learning.

p.27

Commentary

77. The good teaching and learning overall result from effective teaching methods, and very good application to their learning by pupils. They experience a good range of learning opportunities, including field trips, and they work both independently and co-operatively with enthusiasm and interest. Although assessment procedures are in place, and pupils’ work is marked, they are not always provided with information that can help them improve their learning of geographical skills.

p.28

Commentary

78. Leadership and management in the subject are good. The issues from the last inspection have been addressed well, and the improvement made in provision has been significant.

p.28

History

Only two lessons were observed in history. The judgements below are based on those lessons, an examination of pupils’ previous work, and on discussion with pupils and teachers.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Pupils attitudes and enthusiasm for the subject are good. • The range of learning opportunities is good. • The use of assessment to help pupils’ improve their learning is underdeveloped.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses:

• The positive attitudes of the pupils. • The subject’s good contribution to spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. • Standards are not as high as in other subjects. • The lack of assessment against the Agreed Syllabus attainment targets.

p.28

Commentary

79. Standards of attainment at Year 2 and Year 6 are in line with the requirements of the Hertfordshire Agreed Syllabus for religious education. Pupils of all abilities, including those with SEN, achieve satisfactorily. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection, but they have not improved in the same way that standards have improved in other subject areas.

p.28

Commentary

80. The quality of teaching and learning is at least satisfactory across the school. This was evident from the small number of lessons observed and the analysis of pupils’ work. A good lesson seen in Year 6 engaged the pupils in an exploration of the significance of Buddha to Buddhists. Pupils showed a good knowledge of the characteristics of Buddha, and could express with clarity their understanding of why his teachings might influence people to follow him. Pupils’ attitudes to religious education are good. They respond well to questioning, are given opportunities to offer their own ideas, and to work well both independently and co-operatively. Religious education makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through the range of topics covered, and the way in which the high standards in pupils speaking, listening, reading and writing skills are used in teaching the subject.

p.28

Commentary

Green Lanes Primary School 24 81. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The co-ordinator has developed the use of artefacts, and increased the use of visits and visitors in the subject. Religious education does not, however, have an assessment process that is related to the Agreed Syllabus expectations and attainment target levels. This is affecting the way in which the subject is taught, and the over-emphasis given by some teachers to particular teaching methods, such as discussion. The lack of an assessment procedure is holding back the raising of standards.

p.29

Art and Design

Provision in art is good and pupils achieve well.

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Consistently good or very good teaching and learning. • Well planned lessons produce good learning. • Very good resources. • Good co-ordination and management of the subject.

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Commentary

82. Pupils’ attainment is above national expectations across the school, and they achieve well. This is shown in a broad selection of good quality work, which is attractively displayed in classrooms and around the school. Pupils achieve good standards because they are well taught and have opportunities to work with a range of media and techniques. From the start of school, pupils are encouraged to experiment with colour, shape and pattern. They use their imaginations, and represent their ideas in drawings of people, paintings of themselves or what they see in the wider world. They use different techniques to produce representations of their immediate surroundings. Rubbings of brickwork or radiators are good examples. They learn that stencilling produces a different effect from printing. Older pupils create very good still life pictures based on the work of great artists. They work in two and three dimensions, and produce sculptures using plaster of Paris.

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Commentary

There are very good links to ICT, resulting in the use of digital media to represent images after the work of Andy Warhol.

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Commentary

83. Teaching is good overall with examples that are excellent. Lessons are well planned, and follow a coherent scheme of work, which is built on as pupils move through the school. Resources are good and make a significant contribution to the success of pupils’ endeavours. Lessons are introduced skilfully, and appropriate vocabulary assists pupils’ understanding of what they will be doing next. For example, pupils know about the techniques of applique and how to indent when they are working with clay. Effective demonstration by the teacher enables pupils to observe techniques first, and recognise the approach they must take to succeed, as well as to interpret the individual effect they want to produce for their own creations. Pupils are very well behaved in lessons, and are enthusiastic about what they are doing. They work with interest and concentration, and set themselves high standards in what they produce. Background music enhances the working

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Commentary

atmosphere as well as increases pupils’ classical music repertoire.

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Commentary

84. Well-deployed teaching assistants, and other adults, enable individual pupils to receive extra support and encouragement, especially when they want to modify significantly what they have done so far. A new co-ordinator has begun to review the school’s approach to art, and is enthusiastic about working with other staff to improve teaching techniques. She is keen to increase links between subjects. This has worked well in a theme on Chairs, bringing together skills of design and technology, literacy and numeracy. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Green Lanes Primary School 25

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Design and technology

85. Overall, there is not enough evidence to enable a judgement to be made about the quality of provision.

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Design and technology

86. Owing to the way in which the timetable was arranged, it was not possible to observe any design and technology lessons. However, well-presented displays of work indicated that the standards are now better than they were at the time of the last inspection, and are above average in Years 2 and 6. Included in the display was a Year 4 project on money containers that pupils had made using fabrics. The quality of the finished products was very good, reflecting pupils' attention to details and concern for high standards. Pupils in Year 5 designed and made musical instruments. They planned their designs carefully, and then evaluated the quality of the final outcomes. Pupils in Year 3 designed and made packaging for a health food bar. Their designs were of a high quality, and indicated a clear understanding of the requirements of the task they had been set.

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Design and technology

87. The subject co-ordinator gives good leadership. She has good subject knowledge, and is enthusiastic and creative. She is working hard to ensure that the subject is taught well across the school. She regularly reviews the curriculum, and the timetabling of lessons, to ensure that links are made with other subjects. The accommodation for the subject is very good. The provision of a dedicated room for teaching design and technology has a positive impact on pupils' achievement. The last inspection drew attention to the need to improve the way in which teachers make assessment of pupils' progress in design and technology, and how they use these to inform their lesson plans. Insufficient progress has been made in this area.

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Music

Provision is good and pupils achieve well .

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Very good co-ordination and management of the subject. • Well planned lessons produce good learning. • Very good resources. • Insufficient time to develop skills and knowledge to the full.

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Commentary

88. The dedicated and expert knowledge of the subject co-ordinator has a major impact on the quality of learning and the teaching pupils receive. Pupils achieve standards above national expectations, and they achieve well by the time they leave the school from Year 6. There is a well- planned programme of work that systematically builds on pupils’ skills as they move through the school. Music is taught to all classes by the specialist music teacher. This results in high standards, and an enthusiasm for the subject even, from the most reluctant learners. By the time pupils are in Year 6 they can all play a recorder and perform two part pieces as an ‘orchestra’. In addition, individual music tuition is given for flute, clarinet, guitar, violin and trumpet, and pupils are brought together to play in the school orchestra. This contributes to the school’s ability to perform major musical productions, and to encourage instrumentalists, singers and actors. Such performances

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Commentary

make a significant contribution to pupils’ personal and social development. Pupils also have opportunities to go to professional performances outside school.

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Commentary

89. The quality of teaching ranges from sound to very good, and is dependent, to a large extent, on the subject knowledge of the teacher. Lessons are well planned and aim to introduce the appropriate technical vocabulary, including mezzo forte, piano and tempo. They also introduce musical skills such as breath control and reading a score. Expectations are very high. Pupils participate fully and ‘perform’ to an audience when they sing and play. In very good lessons this enthusiasm and passion for music is palpable. Green Lanes Primary School 26 90. Music teaching also includes composition. Pupils used voices to produce a soundscape for a journey through a supermarket. The quality of sound is linked to the kind of emotion that pupils experience in different parts of the shop. The sounds that their feelings evoked next to a freezer were very different when compared with their feelings and vocal expression when near the sweet

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Commentary

section. This lesson involved some sophisticated and abstract ideas, but the good management and organisation of pupils resulted in a good performance by the end of the session.

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Commentary

91. The time allocated to some music lessons is limited, and this has a negative impact on how much pupils achieve in each session. The school is aware of this shortcoming and has plans to reorganise some of the time allocations on the timetable.

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Physical education

Provision is satisfactory and pupils’ achievements are sound .

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Good co-ordination and management of the subject. • Well planned lessons. • Very good resources and accommodation. • Lack of subject knowledge. • Insufficient time to develop skills to the full.

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Commentary

92. Physical education was a key issue at the last inspection. Since then the headteacher has dedicated considerable time and effort to improving provision. An improvement to the scheme of work has produced a well balance programme which includes gymnastics, games, dance, swimming, athletics and outdoor adventurous activities. Teachers have improved their subject knowledge and understanding of physical activities through in-service training and input from more expert practitioners.

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Commentary

93. Teaching and learning are satisfactory because lessons are well planned, and pupils make the best use of their physical education sessions each week. Teachers ensure the pace is brisk and that pupils are challenged to raise their heartbeats. They are given time to evaluate other pupils’ actions so that they can improve their own skills. One pupil demonstrated jumping on and off a mat from side to side, and this was repeated by everyone. Teachers do not develop lessons fully, and pupils do not always transfer their movement sequences onto apparatus. This problem is exacerbated by the short time available for these lessons.

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Commentary

94. Pupils enjoy moving in a large space and developing their agility and strength when they create movement sequences. They move with reasonable control, and are aware of each other as they run, jump and turn. They can work in pairs and mirror each other’s movements. Older pupils can use their bodies to balance and support each other. They know that energetic exercise improves their health, and that correct procedures for warming up and cooling down after a lesson are necessary for their safety. Further training is required to build up teachers’ knowledge and understanding of gymnastics. This in turn will enable them to improve pupils’ learning opportunities and ultimately the standards that they achieve.

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Commentary

95. Accommodation and resources are very good. The school benefits from very good grounds and hard play area, as well as having two halls for indoor activities. Pupils learn to swim at a nearby pool, and all reach a minimum level of capability before they leave at the end of Year 6. Pupils would like to swim in each year group rather than just in the final years of schooling! The Green Lanes Primary School 27 headteacher encourages team competition with other schools, and pupils have achieved many sporting successes in football, netball, rounders and athletics. There is good provision for after school sporting activities, and pupils can continue to play games, develop gymnastic and athletics skills, dance and take part in drama.

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Personal, social and health education

96. No lessons of PSHE and citizenship were observed, and no judgements on overall provision are included. The following judgements are made from interviews with pupils, an analysis of pupils’ previous work, an interview with the co-ordinator, an observation of the School Council meeting and evidence from attendance at assemblies.

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Personal, social and health education

97. Pupils’ personal development has a high profile in the school, and is well promoted through the PSHE and citizenship scheme of work, and activities inside and outside of the classroom. Pupils’ demonstrate respect for each other in the way they relate to their peers and their teachers. They express their feelings confidently and have high self-esteem.

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Personal, social and health education

98. The work in PSHE and citizenship covers important areas such as sex and health education, and is taught both discretely and in a cross-curricular way. The School Council is effective in developing pupils’ sense of responsibility as well as improving their understanding and practice in democracy. Links with agencies outside the school, such as Glaxo Smith Klein, the University of Hertfordshire, the Healthy Schools scheme and an arts activity group, effectively promote pupils’ abilities to be active citizens and participate in community initiatives. Very good progress has been made since the last inspection in the part that the subject now plays in the curriculum. Green Lanes Primary School 28

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Inspection judgement Grade

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

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Inspection judgement Grade

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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Inspection judgement Grade

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

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Inspection judgement Grade

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

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Inspection judgement Grade

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

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Inspection judgement Grade

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

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