Hadley Wood Primary School

ERRATUM SLIP

INSPECTION REPORT - the following paragraph should read as follows:-

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Commentary

36. The members of the governing body are well established and have a clear understanding of their roles. They are supportive of the headteacher and are fully involved in developing school polices. Governors are frequent visitors to school and discover for themselves how well pupils and teachers are performing by having structured visits to classrooms. Responsibilities are shared and there is a clear expectation that every governor will make a useful contribution. For instance, governors gather information and write their own reports for the Annual Report to parents, which is edited and produced by an appointed governor. The governors have the confidence to challenge existing priorities if they believe new approaches could bring benefits to the school. The procedures they have put into place to deal with concerns and complaints are very thorough. During the period of consultation for raising the number of pupils per class, the governors were very supportive of the school and

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Commentary

explored all possibilities in order to prevent pupil/teacher ratios becoming unrealistic. They also ensure that the school fulfils its statutory duties. The headteacher and representatives of the governing body have a very good understanding of how to ensure that the school gets good value from its expenditure. The school’s budget share is high compared with other London borough schools but includes allocated finance for Beacon Schools. However, the quality of education provided is very good and achievement levels are good. This indicates that the school is providing good value for money. The high quality of leadership and management in the school has been maintained, especially taking into consideration the difficulties that have been overcome in the last few years.

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Hadley Wood Primary School

Dates of inspection: 24–26 November 2003

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Hadley Wood Primary School

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Hadley Wood Primary School - 3 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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Hadley Wood 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. Hadley Wood Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4-11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 227

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Courtleigh Avenue Hadley Wood Barnet

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Postcode: EN4 0HT Telephone number: 0208 440 4359 Fax number: 0208 216 3534

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mrs Ann Evans

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 16 March 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Hadley Wood is an average sized community primary school with 227 pupils on roll, including 11 children receiving part time education in the Reception class. The designated intake number is 35 pupils per year group. The school serves an area which is almost entirely composed of owner occupied properties of high value. Economic factors are very high but social indicators are not so strong, based on parents’ professional background and higher education qualifications. Overall, social and economic factors are judged to be well above average. Children enter school with broadly average levels of attainment. The majority of pupils are of white United Kingdom heritage but there is a wide range of different ethnic groups, including those of Indian, Black African, Chinese, Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot descent.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs has increased to 15 per cent and is now close to the national average. Less than one per cent of pupils have a Statement of Special Educational Needs. These percentages are below the national average. Although approximately a third of pupils do not have English as their mother tongue, none are at an early stage of acquiring English as an additional language. The percentage of pupils who move part way through the school year is broadly average. Free school meals entitlement is well below the national average.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has awards for achievement (2001), Investors in People (1999 and again in 2002) and Healthy Schools (2001); and was recognised as a Beacon school in 2000 and fulfilled its commitment to the project in 2003. Major building work has taken place on the school site over the last four years. Hadley Wood Primary School - 5

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

17263 Mr. Andy Bond Lead inspector (Areas of learning in the) Foundation Stage Physical education English as an additional language 9275 Mrs. Candy Kalms Lay inspector 23413 Mr. Robert Allen Team inspector English Music Religious education French 18370 Mr. Kevin Johnson Team inspector Science History Geography Design and technology 19507 Mrs. Beulah Andrews Team inspector Mathematics Art and design Information and communication technology (ICT) Special educational needs

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Hadley Wood Primary School - 6

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 13

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Hadley Wood Primary School is a very effective school, which gives good value for money. Standards are at least above average by the end of Years 2 and 6, and pupils’ levels of achievement are good. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. The leadership and management of the school are very good. Pupils have very positive attitudes to their work and there is an excellent ethos in the school, which promotes high standards. Curriculum provision is very good.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Pupils generally achieve well and reach at least above average standards across the complete range of subjects by the end of Years 2 and 6. • The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. • The ethos in the school is excellent. Pupils are very keen to learn, and the school provides excellent support for pupils’ personal development. • The school is very well led and managed. The headteacher, senior staff and governors all fulfil their roles very well. • The curriculum provision is very good, and enrichment activities are excellent. • The school serves the needs of all pupils very well, including those from ethnic minority backgrounds. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. • Co-ordinators are knowledgeable and committed but do not have sufficient opportunities to monitor teaching and learning in their subjects. There are good procedures for assessing pupils’

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OVERALL EVALUATION

performance but the information gained could be used more profitably in advising pupils about what they need to do next to improve their work.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school was last inspected in March 1998. No key issues for improvement were identified. Since that time the school has had to overcome a number of difficulties related to an increase in class sizes to 35 pupils, a large turnover of teaching staff, a significant increase in the percentage of pupils with special educational needs and the completion of major building work on the site. Taking into account that the school has maintained high standards in almost all areas of its work throughout this period, it is judged to have made a good level of improvement.

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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 1 English B A B B mathematics A A B A science C A A A 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.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Overall, pupils’ achievement levels are good. Children in the Reception class begin school with broadly average standards, although elements of language and literacy are below average. They make sound progress and by the time they begin Year 1 most have achieved the expected goals. In Key Stage 1, pupils achieve well, so that by the end of Year 2 standards are above average in reading, writing, mathematics, science and many other subjects. In Key Stage 2, that is in Years 3 to 6- achievement levels are also good and standards remain at least above average. By Year 6, standards are judged to be above average in English, mathematics, physical education and art and design and well above average in science, information and communication technology, music and French. Compared with results in schools in a similar context, that is those that have about the

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

1 These judgements do not take account of pupil mobility in Key Stage 2. Hadley Wood Primary School - 8 same proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, 2003 test results at the end of Year 6 are average in English and mathematics but above average in science. However, using the benchmarking system of assessing progress by prior attainment for similar schools, pupils’ progress is above average in English and well above average in mathematics and science (see table above). Pupils with special educational needs achieve well because of the very effective support provided. Those pupils for whom English is an additional language also achieve well, at the same rate as their classmates.

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Pupils’ personal development is very good. The school provides an excellent range of

opportunities for pupils to enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development . Pupils’ attitudes to school are very positive and their behaviour in lessons and at break-times is very good. Attendance levels are average and in line with national expectations. Punctuality is satisfactory.

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The quality of education provided by the school is very good. Teaching and learning are

good overall. Lessons are very thoroughly planned to ensure that pupils make good gains in their knowledge, skills and understanding. The work set usually has a good level of challenge so that pupils have to concentrate and use their reasoning skills. Pupils work hard and do their best because classes are very well managed and teachers encourage pupils to do well. Teaching assistants give very effective support in most lessons, especially to pupils with special educational needs, and this enables them to learn well. Procedures for assessing pupils’ work are good but the information gained could be used more effectively to advise pupils about the next step in their learning.

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The quality of education provided by the school is very good. Teaching and learning are

The curriculum is very good, and enrichment activities, such as extra-curricular clubs, visits and other courses, are excellent and bring considerable benefits to pupils’ learning. The school also provides very well for pupils’ personal, social and health education. There is an excellent ethos, which ensures that all pupils, whatever their ethnic background, are given the same opportunities. Care, guidance and support procedures are good and pupils have access to advice when it is required. Parents provide good support for their children’s learning, and links with the community and other schools and colleges are very good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are very good. The headteacher has a very clear vision for future school development and has high aspirations for the school. She is well supported by the recently appointed deputy headteacher and the senior staff. The governors fulfil their role very well and have an important impact on the leadership and management of the school. The school is managed effectively. The subject co-ordinators, many of whom are comparatively new, have a good level of expertise but require more opportunities to develop their areas of responsibility.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The majority of parents are satisfied with the quality of education provided by the school but a significant minority feel that parental contact could be improved. Pupils have very positive views. They enjoy school and are keen to do their best.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The school has no important weaknesses but further improvements could be made: • in the use of assessment information by giving pupils clear guidance on what they need to do next in order to make further improvements in their work; • in providing co-ordinators with more opportunities and guidance in the monitoring, review and analysis of their subject areas. Hadley Wood Primary School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Standards are above average in English and mathematics and well above average in science by the end of Year 6. Achievement levels are generally good. In the Reception class they are satisfactory, in Years 1 and 2 they are good and in Years 3 to 6 they are also good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in the school are at least above average. In many subjects they are well above average by the end of Year 6. • Pupils achieve well generally because of the good quality of teaching and their positive attitudes to learning. • Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language achieve well because of a positive learning ethos and the good support provided by the staff. • The very rich school curriculum provides pupils with opportunities to attain high standards across a wide range of subjects. • The effective systems for monitoring and evaluation have ensured that standards have remained high. • Although assessment is satisfactory overall, teachers’ marking and target setting could be improved.

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Commentary

1. Standards at the end of the Reception Year are broadly in line with the expected learning goals. Children enter school with broadly average standards. In communication, language and literacy their starting points are below average, in personal, social and emotional development they are average, whereas in mathematical development and physical development they are above average. Children achieve at a satisfactory level during the Reception Year, except in literacy and language where their achievement is good because of the well-focused teaching.

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Standards at the end of the Reception Year

Personal, social and emotional development Expected levels Communication, language and literacy Expected levels Mathematical development Above expected levels Knowledge and understanding of the world No judgement made Physical development Above expected levels Creative development No judgement made

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Standards at the end of the Reception Year

2. Results from the unconfirmed National Curriculum tests for 2003 show that pupils in Year 2 attain well above average standards in reading and mathematics and above average standards in writing. In science, Teacher Assessment also indicates high standards. Compared with schools in a similar context, standards are above average in reading and mathematics and average in writing. The trend of improvement over the years is slightly better than the national average. Inspection judgements at this early stage of the school year are that reading, writing, mathematics and science are all above average. In the remaining subjects, where sufficient evidence was available, standards are also judged to be above average: in art and design, physical education, ICT and music. Hadley Wood Primary School - 10 Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003 Standards in: School results National results

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Standards at the end of the Reception Year

There were 34 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Standards at the end of the Reception Year

3. Results from Year 6 unconfirmed National Curriculum tests for 2003 were not quite as good as the previous year. This is explained by the higher than usual percentage of special educational needs pupils in the year group. Nevertheless, standards were above the national average in English and mathematics and well above average in science. Compared with results in schools operating in similar social and economic contexts, results are average in English and in mathematics and above average in science. However, using the benchmarking system of assessing progress by prior attainment for similar schools, progress in English is above average, but well above average in mathematics and science. This shows that pupils have made good or very good progress since they were assessed at the age of seven, and that the school has helped them to achieve well. There is very little difference between the achievement levels of boys and girls. Inspection judgements for the present Year 6 pupils

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Standards at the end of the Reception Year

confirm that standards are good in English and mathematics and very good in science. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs in the present Year 6 class is similar to last year’s, so results for 2004 are likely to be similar. However, the school is setting more challenging targets and is aiming for 91 per cent of pupils attaining Level 4 and above in English and 94 per cent of pupils reaching Level 4 in mathematics. The school is generally keeping pace with national improvements in test results, though it slipped a little last year, owing to the increased number of pupils with special educational needs in that year group. In other subjects, where sufficient evidence was available to make a firm judgement, standards are also high. In art and design, religious education and physical education they are above average and in music, ICT and French they are well above average. In history, geography and

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Standards at the end of the Reception Year

design and technology insufficient evidence was gained, especially in teaching, to make an accurate overall evaluation but the scrutiny of exercise books and displays also indicated above average standards.

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Standards at the end of the Reception Year

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2003 Standards in: School results National results English 27.8( 29.9 ) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 28.2( 28.7 ) 26.8 (26.7) science 30.4( 31.1 ) 28.6 (28.3) There were 30 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Standards at the end of the Reception Year

4. Achievement levels are satisfactory in the Reception class. The teacher is new to the school and is just settling into the post. However, signs are positive because literacy skills are taught effectively and pupils’ progress well in their learning in this area of the curriculum. In Years 1 to 6 pupils’ achievement is good because of the good quality of teaching and the very positive attitudes to learning shown by pupils. Teachers plan their work very thoroughly and ensure that pupils make good gains in developing their skills, deepening their understanding and increasing their knowledge. They provide tasks which are challenging and make pupils think for themselves and draw on previous experiences to find solutions. The marking of work is thorough but could be better directed to explaining to pupils what they need to do next in order to improve or to highlight recurring errors. Pupils are given targets for improvement in

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Standards at the end of the Reception Year

English and mathematics, but they are too general and not specific enough for individuals. More precise target setting based on the next steps of learning would enable pupils to achieve even better. Hadley Wood Primary School - 11 5. Pupils with special educational needs also achieve well based on their prior attainment and make good progress in lessons. They are given particularly good support in literacy and numeracy and, as a result, some pupils are attaining standards in English, mathematics and science that are in line with or very close to the national average. In addition, they attain well in art and design and music. Throughout the school pupils with special educational needs are set clear and appropriate targets. Skilled staff work as a very effective team to ensure that pupils achieve their targets.

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Standards at the end of the Reception Year

6. Pupils for whom English is an additional language achieve at the same rate as other pupils in the school. They have no specific difficulties to overcome in accessing the curriculum because they generally have a good grasp of English. Their progress is monitored well and there is additional support available from a well-qualified teaching assistant when the need arises. The school has a broad diversity of cultures and of pupils from a range different ethnic backgrounds. They are well integrated into the school and make a strong contribution to an excellent ethos, where each individual’s contribution is valued.

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Standards at the end of the Reception Year

7. The school has developed a very good curriculum which provides pupils with opportunities to excel in a range of subjects. Gifted and talented pupils are not only encouraged to develop their full potential by the setting of challenging work in English, mathematics and science but also participate in enrichment activities in music, art and design, physical education and French. The school caters very well for the broad spectrum of interests and abilities of pupils. Specialist teaching in Key Stage 2 also has a positive impact on pupils’ achievement levels because knowledgeable and enthusiastic teachers move pupils on to higher than expected levels. Particular examples are to be found in music, through the use of peripatetic tuition and in French by the employment of a native French speaking teacher.

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Standards at the end of the Reception Year

8. The headteacher and deputy headteacher are becoming increasingly skilful at evaluating school performance and using the information gained to pinpoint weaknesses and boost school performance. Analysis of Year 6 mathematics tests highlighted the weakness in pupils’ performance in the element of using and applying mathematics. This has now become a key priority for improvement in school development planning. Additional teacher support has been provided in upper Key Stage 2 and pupils have been set into ability groups in order to tackle this weakness.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal qualities are very good. These, together with their very good relationships and the excellent provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, have a positive impact on learning. Attendance and punctuality are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ very good attitudes to work and their very good behaviour make a significant contribution to learning. • Relationships are very good and the school is a harmonious community where all pupils get on well together. • The school does a great deal for pupils’ cultural development and places a high value on the many traditions observed by the pupils and their families. • Systems to monitor and improve attendance although satisfactory are not formal or regular enough and parents are not routinely contacted on the first day of absence.

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Commentary

9. The pupils’ very good attitudes reported in the previous inspection have been maintained. They continue to make a valuable contribution to their learning. In the questionnaires almost all Hadley Wood Primary School - 12 pupils and parents confirm that children enjoy school. Pupils are very motivated and want to do well. In lessons they are enthusiastic, maintain high levels of concentration and follow instructions. They respond quickly and confidently to questions, engaging in discussion and developing their ideas. Pupils listen attentively to their teachers and each other. They settle quickly and get on with the task given, often without direct supervision, as seen in a Year 6 science lesson where pupils were testing the best method of making sugar dissolve more quickly. Children in the Reception class have positive attitudes to school and enjoy the variety of activities provided for them in the classroom. Pupils with special educational needs

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Commentary

demonstrate very good attitudes to learning because their work is matched to their needs and skilled staff assist in their success. The school is careful to ensure that all pupils have access to a full and exciting curriculum.

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Commentary

10. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is very good and on occasions excellent because the headteacher and staff expect good behaviour and have a consistent approach. Teachers rarely have to spend time establishing order. No pupils have been excluded for several years and this illustrates how well pupils understand the school rules and expectations. In the questionnaires most pupils and parents were happy with behaviour in the school. There is very little bullying, racism or other forms of harassment and pupils felt that staff deal effectively with any incidents that may occur. Pupils have a clear understanding of the differences between right and wrong because of the school’s excellent moral provision. They show respect for people and property because teaching and non-teaching staff help them to understand what is acceptable behaviour. Pupils have very good relationships and treat each

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Commentary

other and adults with respect because of the emphasis staff place on the need to work well together.

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Commentary

11. Provision for pupils’ social development is excellent. As a result, the school is a harmonious community where pupils have very good relationships with each other, racial harmony and friendships cross all ethnic groups and pupils from different cultures show interest in, and respect for, one another’s traditions and beliefs. Care is taken to ensure that all pupils are fully integrated into the school community and accepted by others. In lessons pupils are encouraged to work together in pairs or small groups. As a result, they co-operate and share ideas and equipment sensibly. The opportunity given to pupils in Year 5 and 6 to experience a residential visit also improves their social development. Pupils gain an increasing sense of responsibility and maturity as they move through the school as a result of the duties and responsibilities they are given. For example, they act as monitors, playtime buddies, and peer

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Commentary

mediators. Older pupils contribute to the school community as good role models and organise fund raising activities. The School Council offers pupils a structure through which they can share their ideas, express their opinions about the school and become involved in decision making.

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Commentary

12. Pupils’ spiritual development is excellent. It is well promoted throughout the school where the whole climate is one of inclusion, and where diversity amongst pupils is recognised and celebrated. Pupils’ efforts are acknowledged and praised and displays of work celebrate their achievements. In religious education pupils are given the opportunities to consider the beliefs and practices of world faiths. Acts of collective worship allow pupils to have time for reflection. The school nurtures pupils’ own talents and raises their self-esteem through giving them the opportunity to perform in assemblies, for example the Year 2 pupil playing the piano.

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Commentary

13. The school’s provision for cultural development is excellent. A great deal of effort is put into helping pupils to appreciate the diversity and richness of the various cultures represented in the school and society in general. Pupils study and learn to respect religious beliefs other than their own. Assemblies celebrate many of the major world faith festivals. Parents are very much involved in sharing their traditions and cultures in these assemblies. The recent multi- cultural week exemplified the way pupils and parents are encouraged to celebrate a variety of cultural heritages. For example, a parent demonstrated Japanese origami, Year 1 Hadley Wood Primary School - 13 performed in a didgeridoo orchestra, and dancers and musicians came into school to share aspects of their culture with the pupils. Pupils are made familiar with European and British culture through visits to museums and galleries.

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Commentary

14. Attendance in the school is satisfactory. It is broadly in line with the national average. After a period of decline, levels have improved but the school has not established regular formal systems aimed at improving attendance or routinely identifying those pupils that have poor or irregular patterns of attendance. The school has a high level of unauthorised absence due to many pupils being taken on holiday by their parents during term time. The school is actively trying to discourage this practice by not authorising these holiday absences. Most pupils arrive in time for the start of the school day, although a small number arrive late, some frequently.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%) Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.6 School data 0.9 National data 5.4 National data 0.5 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is very good. There are particular strengths in the curriculum, in the systems to ensure pupils’ welfare and in the school’s links with other schools and the community.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is good and the assessment of pupils’ work is satisfactory overall. Teaching is satisfactory in the Foundation Stage and good in Years 1 to 6.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers plan their lessons very thoroughly to ensure that all pupils develop good skills and acquire good levels of knowledge and understanding. • Pupils work hard and do their best because teachers manage their classes well and give encouragement and praise regularly. • Teaching assistants provide very valuable support in lessons, especially for those pupils with special educational needs. • The school has good procedures for assessing pupils’ work but the information gained could be used more profitably to guide pupils towards the next step of learning.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 37 lessons Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

3 (8 %) 12 ( 32 %) 13( 35 %) 9 (24 %) 0(%) 0( %) 0( %)

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Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen. Hadley Wood Primary School - 14 15. Teaching and learning are good in 75 per cent of lessons and 40 per cent are at least very good. Three lessons (8 per cent) were judged to be excellent. There was no unsatisfactory teaching recorded during the inspection. The teaching statistics were fairly similar to those recorded at the last inspection in 1998 but procedures for assessing teaching and learning are now far more rigorous, so, in effect, this represents an improvement. Teaching and learning are very good in English and good in mathematics. Literacy and numeracy skills are taught well throughout all curriculum areas. Teachers’ expertise in ICT is improving rapidly and pupils’ skills are gradually being developed across a range of other curriculum areas.

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Commentary

16. Teachers plan lessons very thoroughly and cater well for the different levels of ability within their classes. The work set usually has a good level of challenge so that pupils have to concentrate and use their reasoning skills. Pupils acquire good levels of knowledge and understanding and not only recall facts from previous lessons but apply them well in new situations. Clear objectives are set at the start of lessons and teachers’ explanations are clear so that pupils understand what they are expected to achieve.

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Commentary

17. Pupils work hard and do their best. They listen well during the introduction and apply themselves conscientiously when completing tasks. Levels of interest are high and pupils are enthusiastic to learn. This is because teachers promote a very good ethos for learning in their classrooms. Relationships are very positive and teachers frequently use praise and encouragement to get the best from their pupils. Teachers encourage good levels of collaboration and expectations of good behaviour are high. In a Year 4 physical education lesson, for instance, this feature was exemplified when groups of pupils set out the gymnastic apparatus as a team to a pre-arranged pattern then sat down quietly and waited sensibly for the next instruction.

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Commentary

18. Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to lessons, especially the manner in which they support pupils with special educational needs. Many are very skilled practitioners who have a very good understanding of the pupils they are working with and, as a result, cater for their needs well. During the introductory session of lessons most teaching assistants sit with pupils prompting them to respond to questions or monitoring their behaviour. When pupils are on task they give them guidance and encouragement and stimulate their interest with well- tailored questions. In the Reception classroom there are examples of particularly good practice by teaching assistants in role-play situations, such as in the pet shop. Teaching assistants also contribute well to pupils’ assessment by making notes of what has been achieved by individuals during the lesson. Overall, the teaching of pupils with special educational needs is

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Commentary

good and support staff make a noteworthy contribution to this. Pupils are well integrated into the life and work of their class groups and teachers adapt tasks to ensure they succeed. Skills are very well taught in Years 5 and 6 where pupils are taught in smaller groups for mathematics. Although the proportion of pupils with special educational needs has increased significantly, the good progress identified at the previous inspection has been maintained. Teachers’ planning often indicates extension tasks for the higher-attaining pupils. None of the pupils in school with English as an additional language are at an early stage of acquisition. However, there is additional support provided by a specially designated multi-lingual teaching assistant. Pupils’ work is monitored and any perceived weaknesses are identified and strategies put into place to rectify the areas of concern.

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Commentary

19. The quality of teaching and learning is monitored thoroughly by the headteacher and deputy headteacher. They make astute observations and provide teachers with clear pointers for improving their classroom performance. This makes a valuable contribution to the good standard of teaching and learning in the school. The school procedures for assessing pupils’ performance, especially in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, are good. Pupils’ progress is checked periodically and standardised tests at the end of each year group indicate the levels of performance reached. Teachers make accurate predictions, based on previous tests for the expected level of each pupil by the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. The marking of pupils’ work is thorough and generally effective in promoting progress but there are some inconsistencies across the year groups. However, teachers do not always give a clear

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Commentary

Hadley Wood Primary School - 15 indication to pupils of what they need to do next in order to improve. The school sets pupils targets for improvement, especially in English and mathematics, but these are too general and not tailored sufficiently to the needs of individuals.

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The Curriculum

The curriculum provided is very good overall. It is particularly strong in Years 1 to 6. There are excellent opportunities for enrichment activities and the quality and quantity of accommodation and resources are good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are provided with a very broad and challenging curriculum. • There is a very good range of activities to enrich pupils’ learning. • Provision for personal, social and health education (PHSE) and citizenship is very good. • Pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) are very well provided for. • Teachers and support staff are well qualified and use individual skills and expertise effectively to enhance learning. • The library area could be used to greater effect.

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Commentary

20. The school provides many exciting learning opportunities for all pupils. Statutory requirements are exceeded by the inclusion of French for pupils in Years 3 to 6. A very good balance across all subjects is maintained because of the positive and innovative action taken by the school. For example, regular features of provision are the dedicated ‘special weeks’ when the main focus may be language, science or multicultural activities. These create opportunities for pupils to explore ways in which topics can be linked through language, art, music and drama. During science weeks older pupils share their skills with those lower down the school and combine to present their discoveries to the rest of the school. Provision for the arts is a particular strength. Pupils exceed expectations in music because it enriches many areas of the curriculum. Workshops run by visiting musicians, performances and opportunities for

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Commentary

individual instrumental tuition and choral singing ensure that music maintains a very high profile. By focussing also on art and design, drama and dance the school is working hard to gain the national Artsmark award. The school has maintained a high quality curriculum since the last inspection and made further improvements, especially through enrichment activities.

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Commentary

21. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall. An appropriately matched curriculum is provided. The basic skills of literacy are taught well and this is a particular strength. There is a good learning ethos in the Reception class, which is enhanced by some very good teaching assistant support.

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Commentary

22. Provision for pupils who have special educational needs is very good. A very strong element is the support provided by the skilled teaching assistants. Individual learning plans reflect the needs of pupils well. Their own views, as well as those of parents and teachers, are taken into account when setting targets. Those pupils for whom English is an additional language do not have difficulties accessing the curriculum because they are not at an early stage of acquiring English.

p.15

Commentary

23. All pupils, including those from ethnic minority groups, benefit from the excellent curriculum enrichment. Visitors to school include artists, storytellers and theatre groups. There are visits and field trips to support learning in history and geography. Pupils in Year 5 and 6 take part in residential visits to Cuffley Camp and a centre in Staffordshire. Events such as the ‘French Shopping Experience’ and ‘Festival of Languages’ organised by the borough of Enfield ensure that pupils in Year 6 are able to test their French speaking skills. A very wide range of sporting and non-sporting opportunities outside of school time enables pupils to foster their particular Hadley Wood Primary School - 16 skills and interest. The cross-country club is well supported by parents. Choir, French, chess and Orchestra are just some of the wide range of activities offered to pupils. The school provides very well for pupils’ development in personal, social and health education. There is a

p.15

Commentary

well-established programme of work. Teaching about the responsibilities of citizenship is an integral part of that programme. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

p.16

Commentary

24. Accommodation has improved considerably since the last inspection. The occupation of the new block with spacious classrooms has enabled the school to create dedicated teaching space for music, art and design, design and technology and science. The school is currently seeking to improve the drainage on the playing fields to improve outside facilities. Outside provision in the Foundation Stage is not easily accessible and limits opportunities for a good ‘free-flow’ of activities linked to other areas of learning. The overall quality of accommodation is enhanced by the very high standards of cleanliness seen in the school. Pupils are appreciative of the care taken and respond by looking after equipment well and keeping their school tidy. The match of teaching and support staff to the demands of the curriculum is good. Teachers’ specialist skills in subjects such as music, physical education and French, for example, are

p.16

Commentary

used to maximum benefit. Learning resources are good and used effectively in lessons. However, it is recognised that the use of the library and range and quality of books need to be regenerated.

p.16

Care, guidance and support

There are effective procedures for pupils’ care, welfare and health and safety. The school provides very good support, advice and guidance based on the monitoring of personal development. There are good levels of pupils’ involvement in the work of the school.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The arrangements for monitoring pupils’ personal development are very good but there are few opportunities for pupils to become involved in their own assessment and target setting. • Healthy living initiatives and regular procedures ensure pupils work in a healthy and safe environment. • Staff are made aware of child protection procedures but the designated members of staff need to ensure they receive regular training.

p.16

Commentary

25. The school provides all pupils with a caring secure environment that contributes to learning and enables them to all take advantage of the educational opportunities provided. A healthy lifestyle is encouraged through the fruit scheme for younger pupils and the walking bus initiative. Staff receive regular information about child protection procedures; however, the designated members of staff have not received any recent training. There are currently no children who are ‘looked after’. Daily first aid and care for pupils who are unwell and those with specific medical needs are well co-ordinated by the welfare assistant. Regular checks of the site and premises record any issues and action taken. The school is very clean and well maintained by the conscientious site manager and his staff.

p.16

Commentary

26. The very good support, advice and guidance by the school provide a secure foundation for pupils, which helps them to learn. Despite the many staff changes, teachers and teaching assistants know pupils well. They understand their specific needs and recognise those experiencing personal difficulties that may affect their learning and well-being. Any concerns are recorded and shared with the headteacher or special educational needs co-ordinator. Pupils’ achievements both inside and outside school are recognised and rewarded

p.16

Commentary

in the weekly celebration assembly. The pupils’ questionnaire responses indicate that a small Hadley Wood Primary School - 17 percentage of pupils do not feel that there is an adult in whom they can confide; however, in discussions with inspectors they were clear about who to turn for advice and help.

p.16

Commentary

27. Pupils’ involvement in the school’s work and development is good. A regular ‘index’ questionnaire and the School Council give them the opportunity to share ideas on how to improve school facilities. The organisation and frequency of the meetings do, however, reduce pupils’ involvement. Although pupils who completed the questionnaire expressed mixed views about school life, their views were far more positive in discussions with inspectors. There are few opportunities for pupils to be involved in assessing their own work or evaluating their own achievement. There is no system at present that enables pupils to discuss or set their own individual targets.

p.17

Commentary

28. Effective arrangements, including home visits, give a smooth introduction to children about to enter Reception. An average number of pupils start the school other than at the beginning of term and appropriate arrangements are in place to welcome these pupils and settle them into the school routines. The headteacher works hard to provide parents with information about a range of schools within the locality but the number of different schools to which pupils transfer after Year 6 makes it difficult to establish very close links. The school has maintained high standards in the provision made for support, guidance and welfare of pupils since the last inspection.

p.17

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has forged good links with parents, and very good links with the wider community, which enrich the school’s work and add significantly to pupils’ learning. Links with other schools and colleges are also very good.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents have high expectations of the school but a significant minority believe that contact between parents and the school could be improved. • A number of parents commit time to help the school and their children and this is of great value to the quality of their children’s learning. • Information on pupils’ progress is good and newsletters provide parents with regular information about school activities. • The Friends’ Association is supportive and raises large sums of money to support school activities.

p.17

Commentary

29. Parents are knowledgeable and many have professional backgrounds. They are aware of the importance of a good education. They give encouragement and support to their children and this is an important factor in pupils’ progress. Many expressed a great deal of goodwill towards the school and were satisfied with the school in many key areas. In contrast, a significant minority of those at the meeting held prior to the inspection, and of those who responded to the questionnaires, expressed concerns about some aspects of school life and their contacts with the school. Inspection findings acknowledge their concerns and, whilst understanding their point of view, find that parents have high expectations that are sometimes unrealistic about what the school can provide. Inspectors felt that the headteacher’s response to concerns raised by parents was reasonable.

p.17

Commentary

30. The school has, however, developed good links with parents. Parental support is encouraged and they are invited to share experiences and expertise, as well as to attend assemblies and productions. A small number of committed parents help in school on a regular basis; others help with trips and visits and accompany the ‘walking bus’. Many from the different cultural backgrounds represented in the school willingly contribute to assemblies, and a number Hadley Wood Primary School - 18 supported and contributed to the recent multi-cultural week. In the past, parent forums were used to seek parents’ views about important issues, but as these were poorly attended they have been discontinued. An active Friends’ Association has raised considerable funds and is currently negotiating the best way of spending the money to benefit the pupils.

p.17

Commentary

31. The amount of information that parents receive about the school and their children’s progress is good. The Prospectus and Governors’ Annual Report contains useful information about the school and its achievements. Newsletters are sent home each week providing parents with regular information about school activities. Some parents were not entirely happy with the amount of information about how to support learning at home and homework. Inspection evidence found that the school provides a good level of information. An annual meeting at the beginning of the school year, and during the school day, provides parents with details of their children’s learning opportunities for the whole year. A significant number of parents in their questionnaire responses felt that they were not well informed about their children’s progress and a small number were unhappy about the time allocated for discussion. Inspection

p.18

Commentary

evidence found that the information parents receive is better than that offered in many other schools. They are able to discuss their children’s progress and targets twice a year at consultation meetings and have the opportunity to discuss reports at a third meeting. In addition, they can view pupils’ work in the classrooms at the annual open day. The word- processed reports are personalised and provide a good amount of detailed information about pupils’ achievements. The school has close links with the parents of pupils with special educational needs and their views are taken into consideration. Parents are kept well informed about the progress of their children and the special educational needs co-ordinator offers a weekly surgery for parents to visit and discuss concerns.

p.18

Commentary

32. Very good links have been established with the community. A wide range of visits and visitors makes a valuable contribution towards the curriculum, enriches pupils’ learning and makes a strong contribution to the pupils’ social, moral, cultural and spiritual development. Good use is made of local resources to support classwork. Pupils contribute to the local and wider community. They are involved in fund raising for local and national charities and compete in a variety of sports matches. Local businesses have sponsored the football kit and peer mediator T-shirts.

p.18

Commentary

33. Very good links have been established with other educational institutions. The school has a good relationship with the local pre-school providers and, although pupils transfer to a large number of secondary schools, there are good links with the main feeder secondary school through the ‘pathfinder project’ for modern foreign language teaching. Links with other schools have been developed through the Enfield cluster of schools. The school is actively involved in supporting trainee teachers through both the initial teacher training programme and graduate training programme. The school has maintained good links with the parents and community but the parents’ level of satisfaction with the amount of consultation and information provided by the school has declined.

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good overall. The leadership of the headteacher and other key staff is very good. The management of the school is effective. The school performance is monitored well and action is taken to bring about improvement. The governance of the school is very good. There are no significant barriers which affect the achievement levels of pupils.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher is very well focused on maintaining and improving standards and has guided the school through a difficult period of change. • School systems for monitoring, evaluating and bringing about improvement are well-established and very effective. Hadley Wood Primary School - 19 • The governing body makes a very valuable contribution to the leadership and management of the school and fulfils its duties very conscientiously. • Although the subject co-ordinators possess good levels of knowledge and expertise in their areas of responsibility, they need more opportunities to develop their subjects by extending the monitoring systems.

p.18

Commentary

34. The headteacher gives strong, purposeful leadership, clearly focussed on the issues which will affect the maintaining and improving of standards. Since her appointment almost five years ago, she has coped very well with changes that have affected the school and yet she has kept her eye keenly on the quality of the school provision. There has been a significant turnover of staff as a result of retirement, promotion and movement to other parts of the country due to family reasons. Procedures for the induction of staff have needed to be well honed so that new teachers settle quickly into their new role. Support mechanisms are well developed, as demonstrated in the Reception class, where a newly qualified teacher is being well supported and integrated successfully into school life. She is growing in confidence after only a few weeks of the first school term. An increase in the designated class intake number of pupils to

p.19

Commentary

35 has also had an unsettling effect on the school but gradually this difficulty has been overcome. Additional support teachers and teaching assistants provide extra support so that pupils are not disadvantaged. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs has almost doubled in the last five years so that it is now close to the national average. However, the very good intervention strategies that the school has adopted ensure that these pupils make comparable progress to their classmates; in fact, there are examples of pupils with special educational needs exceeding the school expectations in National Curriculum tests. There has been a considerable amount of building work undertaken on the site in the last four years, which has only recently been completed. The school, and in particular the Reception and Year 1-3 classes, have benefited from these improved facilities. However, although this

p.19

Commentary

has been a period of turmoil, the school has managed it well limiting the disruption to pupils’ education. Despite all these changes, the school has continued to function very effectively, maintaining the quality of teaching and high staff morale, high standards, a very good curriculum and an excellent school ethos. The headteacher is the guiding light behind these achievements, using her experience and managerial skills to keep the school on course.

p.19

Commentary

35. The school has very good systems for evaluating its own performance. National Curriculum test results are analysed by senior staff and weaknesses in pupils’ test performance identified. Strategies are set in motion to overcome perceived weaknesses, such as in mathematics where using and applying mathematics is an identified area of development. Staff performance management systems are well established. Targets are set for individual teachers based on their stage of professional development, which are monitored and reviewed. Teachers are clear about their main objectives and what they need to do to achieve these. The quality of teaching and learning is monitored thoroughly. The headteacher, with a background in inspection, is ideally fitted to lead in this area. The quality of planning is monitored regularly, samples of pupils’ work examined and classroom practice evaluated. The information derived

p.19

Commentary

from these activities is used effectively to guide school improvement planning. Although the co- ordinators undertake some of these activities in order to evaluate the provision of their subject, many are new and have not had sufficient opportunities to gain a complete subject overview. Few have monitored the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom. However, their expertise and enthusiasm have ensured that standards in their subjects have remained high. The deputy headteacher manages special educational needs very well.

p.19

Commentary

36. The members of the governing body are well established and have a clear understanding of their roles. They are supportive of the headteacher and are fully involved in developing school polices. Governors are frequent visitors to school and discover for themselves how well pupils and teachers are performing by having structured visits to classrooms. Responsibilities are shared and there is a clear expectation that every governor will make a useful contribution. For instance, governors gather information and write their own reports for the Annual Report to Hadley Wood Primary School - 20 parents, which is edited and produced by an appointed governor. The governors have the confidence to challenge existing priorities if they believe new approaches could bring benefits to the school. The procedures they have put into place to deal with concerns and complaints are very thorough. During the period of consultation for raising the number of pupils per class,

p.19

Commentary

the governors were very supportive of the school and explored all possibilities in order to prevent pupil/teacher ratios becoming unrealistic. They also ensure that the school fulfils its statutory duties. The headteacher and representatives of the governing body have a very good understanding of how to ensure that the school gets good value from its expenditure. The school’s budget share is high compared with other London borough schools but includes allocated finance for Beacon Schools. But even. However, the quality of education provided is very good and achievement levels are good. This indicates that the school is providing good value for money. The high quality of leadership and management in the school has been maintained, especially taking into consideration the difficulties that have been overcome in the last few years.

p.20

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.20

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income £759,800 Balance from previous year £45,300 Total expenditure £752,300 Balance carried forward to the next £7,500 Expenditure per pupil £2,988 Hadley Wood Primary School - 21

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Children enter the Reception class with broadly average standards. In mathematical development, physical development and speaking and listening standards are generally above average on entry to school but in reading and writing they are below average. The school’s own baseline assessment supports these judgements. The inspection finds that children’s personal, social and emotional development is broadly average. There was insufficient evidence gained during the inspection period to make a judgement on standards in the areas of knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development. Children generally achieve well in communication, language and literacy because the activities provided promote good learning and the teaching is well focused on developing literacy skills. Achievement in the areas of mathematical development, physical development and personal, social and emotional development is satisfactory. The quality of teaching

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

and learning overall is sound. The Reception class is well managed and relationships between children and adults are good. Teaching assistants make a very valuable contribution to the quality of learning. They support children well, especially during role-play activities. There is a positive ethos in the classroom and all children are included and encouraged to make contributions in lessons. Children with special educational needs are supported well and care is taken to ensure that tasks are tailored to their particular needs to enable appropriate progress to be made. None of the children for whom English is an additional language are at an early stage of English acquisition and their achievement levels are similar to those of others in the Reception class. Eleven of the 33 children in the Reception class attend on a part-time basis. Next term, they will be attending full time. At present, a part-time teacher is employed to provide additional focused teaching to support the class

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

of over 30 pupils. This is indicative of the school’s commitment to high standards and its determination to ensure that the needs of different groups of pupils are well met. The quality of teaching is not so strong as that reported at the last inspection but there have been improvements to the accommodation, which is now spacious, attractive and used effectively to provide a good range of learning activities. The level of ancillary support has also been increased.

p.21

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is satisfactory.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A good range of activities is provided so that children can gain confidence in different situations but there could be a more specific focus on what they are expected to learn. • Children achieve satisfactorily because they are supported well within a secure, positive learning environment.

p.21

Commentary

37. Teachers and support staff ensure that a good range of activities is made available so that children may experiment and make discoveries for themselves. Children know that they must rotate periodically in order to gain new experiences by using different materials. Most children share equipment well and take turns but occasionally there is some selfishness and teaching assistants intervene to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to undertake the popular activities, such as catching fish in the water tank. However, this is an example of an activity that could be more focused on developing specific skills, such as counting or recognising colour. In the role-play area children play constructively by becoming the pet shop owner or the customer buying a guinea pig or dog. Children use their imagination well and teaching assistants promote speaking and listening skills effectively. The quality of teaching and learning

p.21

Commentary

is satisfactory overall. Most children are expected to reach the Early Learning Goals in this area by the end of the Reception Year. Hadley Wood Primary School - 22

p.21

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teaching of literacy skills is good and children achieve well. • Children are good listeners and communicate well. They enjoy structured writing activities.

p.22

Commentary

38. Introductory activities at the beginning of the lesson are well focused on developing children’s literacy skills. Simple sentences are set out in different fonts and children are encouraged to comment on the length of words, the letter shapes and the sounds they make. Some higher attaining children, with the help of the teacher, are reading and writing simple sentences, such as ‘I am a frog’. They concentrate well on the tasks and make comments about the illustrations they have drawn. In story time, children become engrossed because the teacher uses an expressive voice and makes the story, come to life by cleverly building up the plot to a climax. When the teacher raises questions about the characters in the story children respond eagerly with well-phrased answers. The quality of teaching and learning is generally good. The majority of children are expected to achieve the Early Learning Goals in this area by the time

p.22

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are developing good numeracy skills.

p.22

Commentary

39. Children readily join in number rhymes and songs counting quite naturally within familiar contexts. In water role-play activities they are able to count the number of fish caught in the net and ring each word in a sentence before finding the total. Most children understand what is meant by ‘one less than’ and can subtract one from a number less than ten. They have a good understanding of size and define which is the shortest or longest object. The quality of teaching and learning is generally satisfactory. Almost all children are expected to achieve the Early Learning Goal and a good number will exceed the expected level by the beginning of Year 1.

p.22

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

There is insufficient information to make a judgement on the overall provision in this area of learning.

p.22

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is satisfactory.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are confident, show good levels of control and enjoy physical activities. • The school does not have a designated outdoor play area attached to the Reception area, which means that physical activities are not easily integrated into lessons.

p.22

Commentary

Hadley Wood Primary School - 23 40. The Reception teacher uses an effective style to develop children’s physical skills through using a story approach. Children use their imagination and pretend to be birds or snakes and move around the hall in an appropriate way. They control their movements well when spinning like a top or making themselves small or tall. Adults and children join in activities enthusiastically, acting as trees or rabbits burrowing into holes. Lessons are well structured with a suitable warm up activity and a cool-down session to calm children before leaving the hall. The quality of teaching and learning is generally satisfactory. Children explain that they feel tired and hot after they have experienced vigorous exercise.

p.23

Commentary

41. Although provision is sound, the school lacks a designated outdoor play area for Reception children. Children have to journey to the infant playground to use wheeled vehicles or outdoor climbing apparatus and this limits the flexibility and range of activities provided for children on a daily basis. Most children are expected to achieve above average levels in physical development by the time they begin Year 1, despite this weakness in provision.

p.23

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

It was not possible to focus on this area during the inspection period, so no overall evaluation has been made regarding the provision. Hadley Wood Primary School - 24

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is very good. • Relationships between teachers and pupils are very good. • Pupils achieve well, and reach above average standards. • The subject is very well led and well resourced. • The targets set for pupils are too general, and are not sufficiently detailed or short term. • The school library is not very useful as a learning resource.

p.24

Commentary

42. Improvement since the last inspection has been very good. High standards have been maintained with a changing population, and teaching varies from good to outstanding. The school has adopted the significant number of innovations which have taken place nationally, and has used them to the best benefit of its pupils.

p.24

Commentary

43. Standards throughout the school are above national averages, both in the national attainment tests and according to inspection findings. Pupils enter the Reception Year with speech and literacy slightly below national levels, and make good progress up to Year 6.

p.24

Commentary

44. In the first element of English, speaking and listening, standards are well above average throughout the school. Even pupils in Year 2, pupils think carefully about what they have to say, and they try hard to find the right word, often from an unusually rich reserve. Almost half of the class, in a story about owls, were able to say that they are nocturnal creatures, and to say what that means. Pupils of all ages are respectful listeners. They wait their turn, and, as a result, conversations in pairs and groups are highly productive in promoting a very good quality of learning. In Year 6, pupils read aloud and discuss each other's poems openly and freely, refining the quality of their work. A significant characteristic of pupils' speech is its confidence. This comes from the school’s very supportive ethos, and results in what can only be described as maturity and even poise in pupils’ behaviour.

p.24

Commentary

45. In reading, standards are above national averages in all year groups. Pupils enjoy stories and make good use of the wide variety of well chosen and entertaining reading which the school provides. Pupils routinely take books home, and mostly they are well supported when they do so, with parents, carers and other adults regularly and frequently listening to them read. Pupils talk in a lively way about their favourite stories, and read aloud with understanding, often making their work entertaining and interesting with well-adjusted intonation. This is true in both Year 2 and Year 6, where even average-attaining and lower-attaining pupils read aloud with fluency, accuracy and expression, and higher-attaining pupils read with maturity and sensitivity, and are a pleasure to listen to.

p.24

Commentary

46. In writing, standards are also above national averages by the end of Years 2 and 6. Most pupils develop careful, sensitive and accurate word handling skills, building progressively as they move through the school, increasing their word reserves, and learning the subtleties of sentence structure and tense variation. Most pupils in Year 2 understand the uses of full stops, speech marks and capitals, and by the time they reach Year 6, pupils of average and above average attainment can vary the grammatical structure of sentences to add interest to their writing. They are careful in their choice of words, and produce some sensitive poetry: this is from a pupil in Year 6: Hadley Wood Primary School - 25 Magic Magic is a most wonderful sensation amongst us all, In between roads and alleys, cracks and holes. Magic is what makes us live, breathe and come alive. But one secret the world will never tell,

p.24

Commentary

47. Pupils achieve well over time, and those with special educational needs or with English as an additional language make similar progress. Almost all pupils are very keen, and they enjoy English. As a result of this good motivation, and of the very good teaching they receive, the quality of learning is very good. Relationships between pupils, teachers and other adults are very good. Because pupils and their aptitudes and problems are well known, there is mutual confidence, which supports the best learning. Teachers have a firm, friendly and collaborative approach, and this is the driving force of the best teaching. The National Literacy Strategy is well understood, adapted and applied. Planning is very good and, as a result, lessons are well paced, varied and structured, engaging and holding pupils' interest and attention. Teaching assistants know pupils well, and provide those who need it with well-focused support.

p.25

Commentary

Nevertheless, their role in teaching is sometimes unplanned, and can be no more than a response to needs as they arise, rather than an integral part of the lesson structure. All work is marked, but practice is inconsistent between teachers. Comments are often no more than bland congratulation. There is some evaluative analysis, and there are some suggestions for improvement, but follow-up of these suggestions in subsequent marking was not seen. Individual target-setting is being developed, but targets when they are in place (and when pupils remember them) are not sufficiently detailed and too long-term to be effective.

p.25

Commentary

48. English is currently very well led (on a temporary basis) by the headteacher, who has a characteristically strong and effective view of the importance of literacy, and of the developmental needs of the subject. The subject scheme of work is good, and draws fully upon the National Literacy Strategy, which has been very well adapted to the school's needs. Resources are good, particularly in the range of books held in classrooms, but the school library is not much used as a resource for independent learning.

p.25

Language and literacy across the curriculum

49. The beneficial influence of the National Literacy Strategy feeds effectively into the approaches to teaching in all subjects. Literacy skills are promoted well through the use of subject specific language in lessons and in displays in every classroom. Reading is very strongly promoted, but the correction of technical errors in the use of language is inconsistent.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is very good. • Standards are well above national expectations. • The subject represents a considerable enrichment to the curriculum of pupils in Years 3-6.

p.25

Commentary

50. In the lessons seen and in the work scrutinised, standards are well above national expectations for pupils of similar ages. In Year 3, pupils quickly accumulate a quite extensive vocabulary. After less than a term they can count up to twenty in French, and can recite the alphabet. They know the basic colours and can hold simple conversations, starting with Hadley Wood Primary School - 26 greetings and moving to further questions. Their accents are unusually accurate. By the time they reach Year 6, pupils have built impressive vocabularies. Their knowledge of France and French life is well developed, and they can confidently maintain conversations and respond to the teacher’s questions in the target language. Their accents are good, but not as accurate as those of Year 3 pupils, who have had the benefit of being taught by a native French speaker from the beginning.

p.25

Commentary

51. These high standards and very good progress are due to the quality of pupils' motivation, which - underpinned as it is by the school's supportive and encouraging ethos - confers genuine confidence. They are also the result of the strength of teaching, which is conducted almost exclusively in the target language by a French speaker, who takes all classes. Her approach is a highly effective blend of the informal and oral and the formal and written, ensuring that pupils' memories are reinforced by the shapes which words make. Many visual and oral aids are used, with models of everyday objects and puppets, and the frequent introduction of songs. This approach, by engaging and holding pupils' interest and enjoyment, ensures that everyone - including those with special needs or those who are now learning a third language - makes progress appropriate to their prior levels of attainment, and gets pleasure out of it.

p.26

Commentary

52. The specialist teacher, who is constantly seeking new and more interesting resources, manages the subject very well. The programme she follows, through meticulous and developmental planning, is a very good one, and promotes a very good quality of learning.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• High standards are being maintained. • All pupils achieve well because of the good teaching and learning. • Pupils’ very good attitudes contribute to the good progress made in mathematics. • Teaching assistants are skilled in effectively promoting learning. • The role of the co-ordinator is not sufficiently developed. • The use of ICT is not regularly planned.

p.26

Commentary

53. Standards in mathematics are above average. In the 2003 national tests pupils in Year 2 achieved very highly, with all seven-year-olds reaching the expected level. Year 6 pupils achieved well with almost four fifths of eleven-year-olds attaining the expected standard or better. Almost a fifth of Year 2 pupils and two-fifths of Year 6 pupils achieved the higher levels. Overall, the school does well, with all groups making good or very good progress. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported by teachers and learning support assistants, resulting in their achieving similarly to others in their class. Pupils with English as an additional language also achieve at the same level as their classmates. The introduction of setting in Years 5 and 6 provides for different abilities and extends more able pupils.

p.26

Commentary

54. Since the last inspection the school has been successful in maintaining high standards, despite the significant increase in the number of pupils with special educational needs. The majority of pupils enter the school with above average mathematical understanding and by Year 2 pupils have a good grasp of basic number facts. Most pupils recognise place value and successfully round numbers to the nearest ten. More able pupils apply their knowledge of partitioning accurately in real life money problems, construct a hundred square and read three and four digit numbers correctly. By Year 6 pupils work out a variety of mental calculations with increasing speed. They read and write four and five digit numbers, identifying the place value Hadley Wood Primary School - 27 of each digit; they double, halve, quarter and calculate percentages with accuracy. Pupils interpret context, choose an operation and accurately work out answers to problems to two or

p.26

Commentary

three decimal places. Exact mathematical terminology is used throughout the school to promote pupils’ clear thinking. Pupils estimate and use measurement with a good level of accuracy. Pupils in Year 2 recall the properties of quadrilaterals and some plane shapes with more than four sides. By Year 6 pupils are confident and competent in identifying a wide range of two- and three-dimensional shapes and their properties. They bisect and intersect shapes and translate across four quadrants. The skills of handling data are developed throughout the school. Pupils build on their learning as they use information to construct and interpret graphs. In Year 6 they use and apply these skills when interpreting information from international time zones. Year 5 pupils use computers during their work on line graphs to investigate the plausibility of data. During the inspection, however, there was little evidence of planned

p.27

Commentary

opportunities for pupils to use computers in mathematic lessons. However, the recently acquired set of laptops is likely to lead to improvements in this aspect of provision.

p.27

Commentary

55. In the lessons seen, teaching was mostly good or very good and in one Year 6 lesson it was excellent. Strengths included: • detailed planning that identifies pupils’ needs and contributes to their very good attitudes; • teaching assistants who skilfully promote learning; • the use of correct terminology, as a prerequisite to explore and explain methods, which helps pupils to understand how their work builds on previous learning; • questioning that is used well to assess pupils’ understanding and advance their thinking; • imaginative resources or approaches that make pupils think; • collaborative and individual work that encourages pupils to apply and evaluate their learning purposefully.

p.27

Commentary

56. Many of the best features of mathematics teaching were observed in groups of pupils from Years 5 and 6. For instance, in a lower ability group, pupils made good progress because the teacher’s secure understanding and detailed planning very effectively promoted learning. The learning support assistant provided strong support and motivation for pupils with special educational needs; resources were carefully selected to suit the interests and needs of pupils; direct teaching and paired activities were timed to maintain a brisk pace throughout the lesson and questioning was targeted and challenging. Relative weaknesses in lessons occurred when the teacher allowed the pace to slow down and did not demand enough of pupils.

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Commentary

57. The curriculum has improved since the time of the last inspection with the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy. The school provides all pupils with opportunities to learn and make progress. Information, derived from analysing test papers, pupils’ work and teachers’ assessments, is used well to determine the strategies used to improve standards. One example of this is the provision of more opportunities for pupils to use and apply their mathematical skills in real life situations. Inconsistencies exist in the quality of marking and in the identification of ‘small-step’ individual mathematical targets that will guide pupils to know what to do to improve. However, progress over time is carefully tracked, and where necessary extra support is provided in order to help pupils attain as well as they should. The subject is led and managed by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic co-ordinator, who is anxious to further

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Commentary

develop her role of monitoring and evaluating teaching, learning and performance.

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Mathematics across the curriculum

58. Pupils’ mathematical skills are developed well throughout the curriculum. They are encouraged to use skills learned in mathematics across the curriculum, as seen in information and communication technology. Pupils regularly count in French and use graphs and tables to record and interpret data in geography and science. There was limited evidence during the inspection, however, that these opportunities were specifically identified in daily plans. Hadley Wood Primary School - 28

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are higher than the national average and pupils achieve very well. • Teaching is very good. • Pupils’ learning is enriched through other activities. • The subject is well led and managed.

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Commentary

59. Standards seen in science indicate that levels of attainment are likely to be above the national expectation at the end of Year 2 and well above the national average at the end of Year 6. This is consistent with the standards indicated previously, including those in the unconfirmed 2003 national test results. There is no significant difference between the attainment of girls and boys. When compared with similar schools, Hadley Wood pupils achieve very well. This is because pupils are provided with a challenging and worthwhile science curriculum, which is accessed by all pupils. There is a strong emphasis on practical investigative work which helps pupils develop their understanding. Specific scientific language is promoted very well in all classes. Pupils in Year 1, for example, use terms such as ‘reflective’ when describing the effects of light on some materials. Visits to places such as the Science and Zoological

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Commentary

Museums and the Planetarium provide pupils with better insights into scientific ideas. Special ‘science weeks’ in school allow pupils time to explore ways in which science can be linked purposefully to other subject areas. Pupils with special educational needs achieve at a similar rate to their classmates because they are well supported and motivated. Those pupils with English as an additional language are not disadvantaged because their language skills are sufficiently advanced to cope with the work being set.

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Commentary

60. The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall. Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure and is used well to plan lessons. Consequently, expectations are clear and pupils are challenged very well to think scientifically in order to solve problems. When pupils in Year 1 had to design a reflective ball gown for Cinderella, they first had to test the materials they used by putting them in a box and shining a torch on them to assess their reflective quality. Pupils began to learn the importance of gathering evidence before drawing conclusions. Teachers use resources very well so that all pupils are fully engaged in learning. Teaching assistants work very effectively to support pupils in their learning. They are skilled at following up the teacher’s initial input into the lessons by questioning pupils to probe their understanding of what they are doing. Often they work very effectively with pupils who have additional needs, on a

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Commentary

one to one basis. As a result, all pupils are challenged at an appropriate level. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is often exemplary because of their enthusiasm for learning and the excellent relationships which are established. Pupils work collaboratively to test their predictions and listen to others’ suggestions. Their enthusiasm extends beyond the classroom, as seen by the large ‘bank’ of facts researched by pupils in Year 5 about the solar system. Very occasionally discussion at the end of the lesson focuses for far too long on what pupils have already done, rather than encouraging them to think beyond the lesson about what could be done next. Marking is generally supportive and at times challenges pupils’ ideas. This is not always the case, however. There are times when pupils are not able to assess how well they have progressed because there is no reference to individual targets or pointers

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Commentary

61. Leadership is effective and the subject is managed well. The co-ordinator is developing a clear overview of standards throughout the school and this has helped to contribute to improved standards over the last five years. Monitoring and analysis of assessment tests are used well to pinpoint weaknesses and inform planning. In a Year 6 lesson, for example, there was a Hadley Wood Primary School - 29 strong focus on the interpretation of scientific data because this is seen as an aspect of learning which requires more input. Technical resources, such as microscopes and a digital camera, are used effectively and some pupils use databases to store data. More challenge could be added to lessons for older pupils through the use of data logging equipment to improve the accuracy and skills of evidence gathering.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils throughout the school achieve well and standards are well above expectations by Year 6. • Teaching is good overall. • The new computer suite and improvement in staff expertise have had a positive impact on standards • Although ICT is integrated into the curriculum, it is not always identifiable in teachers’ plans in other subjects.

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Commentary

62. At the time of the previous inspection, attainment was judged to be above national expectations by the end of Years 2 and 6. Evidence gathered during the inspection in lessons, from the scrutiny of work and from discussions with pupils indicates that in Year 2 pupils achieve above expectations, whereas pupils in Year 6 achieve well above expected levels. The computer suite, planned at the time of the last inspection, is now functioning effectively and supports the development of pupils’ information and communication technology skills well. As a result, by Year 6 pupils’ skills are well above average. This represents an improvement since the last inspection.

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Commentary

63. In the very good teaching seen in Year 1 pupils learn successfully that simulations are not real. They control the mouse well and demonstrate competence in accessing and closing a particular program. By the end of Year 2, pupils understand the various forms of communication, such as written text, CD-ROMs and photographs. They further develop their skills by ordering work and saving, printing and retrieving information such as their personal records. In Year 3 pupils begin to manipulate sound, creating and sharing their own audio musical compositions along with familiar tunes conveyed via the computer. Year 4 pupils access the Internet, using email to communicate with pen-pals in Italy. In Year 5 they explore the plausibility of databases. Pupils challenge others to identify the deliberate errors that they build into their personal web pages. By the end of Year 6, many pupils are confident and

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Commentary

competent users of computers. They draw on their individual life experiences and, by means of sounds and pictures, design and animate a Powerpoint presentation.

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Commentary

64. Conversations with the pupils show that they are confident in accessing the Internet to research information, communicate with pupils abroad, record data and present text. Recently acquired laptops are being used effectively as a classroom resource to draft, re-draft and edit work.

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Commentary

65. Teaching is good overall and this is having a positive effect on further improving standards. Discrete information and communication technology skills are taught during lessons in the computer suite. The suite can accommodate half a class group; however, this disadvantage is lessened because an adjoining resources room is used successfully to introduce and consolidate work carried out on computers. All teachers are secure in their knowledge and understanding of the subject. Lessons are planned well and learning objectives are made very clear. The emphasis placed on the development of technical vocabulary helps pupils to be accurate in their thinking. Teachers achieve a good balance between formal instruction and Hadley Wood Primary School - 30 time allowed for pupils to practise skills. This results in good learning. In the best lessons, the pace is brisk and learning is broken down into manageable steps. Skilful questioning fully

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Commentary

motivates pupils in their learning and support is targeted to those who need it most. Positive attitudes plus good behaviour are important factors in the pupils’ good achievement in lessons. Pupils with special educational needs also achieve well because they receive good support. Those pupils for whom English is an additional language make good progress because they have sufficient competence in English to access the curriculum fully.

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Commentary

66. Recent changes in leadership have yet to be consolidated. Resources have improved since the previous inspection with the dedicated suite for computers, plus extended classroom provision through laptops. Priorities for further raising standards have been identified well in a subject action plan. An assessment policy has been developed but is yet to be fully implemented. The co-ordinator has opportunities to monitor teaching and learning; however, these are not sufficient to allow a rigorous analysis and evaluation of standards. Information and communication technology is used across the curriculum but is not planned sufficiently to support learning in other subjects effectively. Pupils sometimes use work from other subjects as a means of developing computer skills. Plans have been drawn up for teaching and learning French supported by information technology. Information and communication technology skills will be extended, for example, through the graphical modelling, designing and

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Commentary

printing of images for French brochures, Christmas cards or academic calendars; plans also include the transfer of video recorded interviews in French and photographs taken with digital cameras. Work in folders and discussions with pupils confirm this. The majority of pupils have access to computers at home; consequently, this aids their good progress in the development of computer literacy.

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HUMANITIES

67. Work in history and geography was sampled. No lessons were seen, so it is not possible to judge overall provision. Work samples indicate that there is good depth to pupils’ learning. Pupils in Year 2, for example, learn about many aspects of life and events surrounding the Fire of London and use the topic to improve literacy, as well as historical enquiry skills. Both subjects are greatly enriched by visits to places of interest and visitors to school who help to make learning more meaningful. They lead role play about Florence Nightingale, arrange visits to the Globe theatre and lead geography field trips in both the immediate and more distant localities, such as Walton on the Naze. Pupils present their work very well indicating very good attitudes and interest in the subject.

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Religious education permeates the life of the school. • Pupils show respect for the religious beliefs of others.

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Commentary

68. There is thorough coverage of the curriculum prescribed in the locally agreed syllabus for religious education, with a central focus upon Christianity, accompanied by studies of other world religions. From the limited samples of work examined and discussions held with pupils, standards are judged to be generally above average.

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Commentary

69. It was not possible to make an overall judgement on the quality of teaching and learning because only two lessons were observed. The teaching is supported by a good collection of religious pictures, texts and objects, all of which are handled respectfully and to good effect. Hadley Wood Primary School - 31 An indication of the good quality of provision in terms of the scheme of work and the teaching may be gained from some of the work seen. A Year 5 pupil wrote on the anniversary of September 11 th : "I pray on the day when thousands of people lost their lives. I hope that such a tragedy never happens again. I pray that the afterlife of the people who died in the blast is a happy one, and that families who had relatives killed find love again.”

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Commentary

70. The study of religious education is central to the life of the school. The festivals of many world religions are marked. At the time of the inspection, there was a display on the school stage featuring Eid ul-Fitr, and displays in a corridor and a classroom about Divali. The school was already preparing to mark Christmas and Hannukah. Remembrance Day had recently passed, and this had been marked by a whole-school ceremony in the playground, when all held hands to mark the silence, and listened to the very distant sound of the guns in central London.

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Commentary

71. The headteacher is temporarily the subject leader, and she ensures that religious education is fully and appropriately delivered, and that its developmental needs are met.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Insufficient evidence was gained during the inspection to make an overall judgement on provision in design and technology. The work displayed and discussion with pupils indicate that they are developing skills well by using a wide range of materials. Designs for Christmas packaging by Year 3 pupils showed good detail and were clearly labelled. An earlier project by pupils currently in Year 6 was particularly successful. Pupils benefited from a great deal of practical parental help during their investigation of ‘Food from Afar’. The study culminated in an impressive three-dimensional mural now displayed in the school hall. Year 6 pupils demonstrate good levels of skills and accuracy with a variety of tools as their designs for slippers begin to take shape.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers have good knowledge and understanding and are committed to high standards. • The attitudes and enthusiasm of pupils are very good. • Pupils’ work is celebrated throughout the school. • Leadership and management are good. • The systems for monitoring teaching and learning and assessing pupils’ work are not yet sufficiently developed.

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Commentary

72. Standards in art and design are above average. Pupils of all abilities achieve well and make good progress. This judgement is the same as at the one made at the last inspection. The school has therefore maintained high standards.

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Commentary

73. It is apparent from discussions with pupils, inspection of documentation and the high quality of samples of pupils’ work that artwork is wide-ranging and interesting. Pupils discuss their work enthusiastically. In addition. some older pupils can evaluate the quality of their efforts or suggest how they can improve. Creativity is stimulated daily as pupils are exposed to the works of great artists like Van Gogh, Picasso and Barbara Hepworth or examples of indigenous art of the Aboriginals, Japanese, Africans and American Indians displayed on walls in corridors, hall and classrooms. Pupils’ own work is displayed and emulates the styles and cultures of these artists. It shows the results of their experiments with a range of tools, materials, surfaces and techniques. Hadley Wood Primary School - 32 74. Attention to the skills of shading was the main feature in a Year 2 lesson. The high expectations and specific questioning by the class teacher and the art co-ordinator directed

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Commentary

pupils’ efforts to make good achievement possible. Inspired by the colours and cubism of Pablo Picasso, pupils experimented. They concentrated intensely as they applied varying pressure and used all the different facades of their pastels to create a catalogue of shades and patterns. Older pupils develop their visual literacy as they work in the Pointillist style of the nineteenth century French artist George Seurat. Year 6 pupils recall with pleasure the visit of a parent whose knowledge of the Japanese artist Hokusai enthused them, consequently enabling them to produce the fine examples of delicate water colour scenes displayed in the school hall.

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Commentary

75. Only one art lesson was seen during the inspection but, based on all the evidence gathered, the quality of teaching is good. Teachers’ enthusiasm and their high expectations are main strengths of the subject. Most pupils demonstrate high levels of enthusiasm when discussing their art work. Consequently, they develop a range of skills, knowledge and understanding. This is evident in their work on landscapes; working from photographs and pictures, they sketch urban and rural landscapes combining a range of media such as water colours, charcoal and wax to create a montage depicting the characteristics of urban and rural landscapes.

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Commentary

76. Leadership and management of the subject are good. The curriculum ensures thorough coverage of the elements of art and design. It is enriched through visits to art galleries and visiting artists. Opportunities to further develop artistic techniques and styles are offered in the after-school art club.

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Commentary

77. The school has been encouraged to seek the national Artsmark award, which recognises the commitment of the school in providing a full range of arts. The level of resourcing is good. Teachers’ assessments of pupils’ achievement are informal, however, and the systems being developed for monitoring teaching and learning across the school are not yet sufficiently precise. Good use is made of art to complement work in other subjects, such as information and communication technology, picture stories and characterisations in history, pattern and shapes in numeracy and cartoons in French.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is very good. • Pupils achieve well throughout the school, and reach standards above expectations in Years 1 and 2, and well above in Years 3 to 6. • Pupils enjoy making music and try to do it well. • Music is a permeating and beneficial influence on the life of the school.

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Commentary

78. In all assemblies seen, pupils sang with enthusiasm, and they try hard to sing sweetly and in tune. Tunefulness is the main difference between the standards achieved by the older as against the younger pupils. The younger classes have a larger than average repertoire of songs which they sing from memory, with good clarity of diction and sometimes with actions, but good pitch only develops as pupils get older and teachers set them increasingly challenging tasks. In an assembly for Years 3-6, singing was enthusiastic, lively and usually accurate, and the performance of a song in parts was very competent and well above expectations. Hadley Wood Primary School - 33 79. No composition or instrumental work was seen in Years 1 to 2, but in Years 3 to 6 pupils showed a well-informed understanding of a wide range of instruments, exploiting their particular properties highly effectively in their compositions. Many pupils have an established

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Commentary

knowledge of formal musical notation, and can use it well. They work very well together in groups and improve with rehearsal. They appraise their own and each other's work skilfully and sensitively.

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Commentary

80. All pupils bring enormous enthusiasm to their music, and this, combined with the very good teaching they receive, means that very good progress is made throughout the school. A music specialist leads the subject. She has adopted as her scheme of work a combination of national guidance and a commercial programme, which she has adapted so that it meets the school's needs very well. She leads music lessons very effectively, providing a clear structure with challenging targets, ensuring that all are involved and that all perform to the best of their own potential.

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Commentary

81. Music is a strength of the school. Evidence of the way in which music affects the life of the school and contributes to its quality is the number of performances including music which take place, the school's participation in local music events, and the very significant number of pupils who receive individual or small group instrumental tuition. There is a school choir and school orchestra. There are frequent visits from professional musicians, for example, African drummers, a brass group and a South American ensemble–all quite recently.

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Physical education

The provision in physical education is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average and pupils achieve well in both key stages. • The quality of teaching and learning is good and pupils have very positive attitudes. • The school provides a good range of learning opportunities, which are enriched by extra-curricular activities. • Subject leadership is good but there are insufficient opportunities for the co-ordinator to monitor and evaluate pupils’ performance.

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Commentary

82. Pupils attain above average standards in physical education because of the school’s good provision, especially the good quality of teaching. In Year 6, pupils have a good understanding of tactics when playing netball; they use the open space on the court effectively to receive passes and learn how to mark opponents tightly. In swimming, almost all pupils have reached the nationally agreed average standard by swimming 25 metres and many are comfortably exceeding this by swimming distances beyond 500 metres. Year 2 pupils are developing good skills through the regular practice of throwing, catching and bouncing large balls. They know that exercise affects the body and increases the pulse rate.

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Commentary

83. All pupils achieve well because lessons are well structured and teachers set challenging tasks which fully extend pupils, taking account of their capabilities. Those pupils for whom English is an additional language are not disadvantaged because they have a sufficient command of spoken English to understand instructions. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported by teaching assistants and are fully involved in lessons. The quality of teaching and learning is particularly strong in upper Key Stage 2 where teachers’ expectations are high and activities are carried out with speed and precision. Teachers use searching questions to make pupils reason for themselves and develop their own strategies for improvement. Pupils enjoy Hadley Wood Primary School - 34 lessons and commit themselves fully to physical activity. They collaborate well and have a good concept of what constitutes fair play.

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Commentary

84. The curriculum provided by the school is rich and lively and is supplemented by extra- curricular activities in which talented pupils can compete at a higher level. Pupils experience a wide range of games, including tennis, rounders, tag rugby, cricket, football and netball. Athletics is taught in the summer term and the school is building up a successful cross- country running tradition. Residential courses also provide older pupils with opportunities to become involved in outdoor and adventurous pursuits, such as orienteering.

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Commentary

85. The subject is well led by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable co-ordinator who is committed to raising standards and to providing a varied curriculum to suit the needs of all pupils across a wide ethnic range. However, there are insufficient opportunities for the co-ordinator to monitor the subject throughout the school and gain a complete overview of standards in order to guide future development planning accurately. The school has maintained high standards in physical education since the last inspection and curriculum provision has improved.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum is well established. • There are many opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities.

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Commentary

86. The teaching of sex education and relationships has recently been extended to include pupils in Year 5 as well as Year 6. There are opportunities for parents to review the resources used by the school and they are made aware when specific teaching is to take place. Pupils are alerted to the possible hazards of drugs, alcohol and tobacco as part of a science topic which deals with healthy lifestyles. A local police officer also talks to pupils about personal safety and the dangers of drugs.

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Commentary

87. Pupils speak very positively about the practice of ‘peer mediation’ to deal with areas of conflict which may arise in the playground. Year 6 pupils attended a three-day course (which included a Saturday attendance) in order to prepare for their role. There is a well-established School Council, which enables pupils to develop their negotiating skills when representing others’ view. Pupils from Year 4 to Year 6 are trained as ‘buddies’ to support younger pupils in play and social activities. A successful and very rewarding initiative is the annual ‘daffodil breakfast’ when Year 5 and pupils in the Reception class share a breakfast in school and exchange cards to celebrate the arrival of spring. Pupils in Year 6 show very good initiative over fund- raising for charities. They select the charity and write for supporting information before organising sales, competitions and other fund-raising events. The school follows a ‘healthy

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Commentary

lunchtime’ policy for all pupils and there is a successful ‘walking bus’ scheme. Hadley Wood Primary School - 35

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspection judgement Grade The overall effectiveness of the school 2 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 Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 4 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The quality of education provided by the school 2 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 2 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 1 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 2 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 3 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2 The leadership and management of the school 2 The governance of the school 2 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 2 The effectiveness of management 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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