Heath Primary School, Kesgrave

HEATH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 24-27 November 2003

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HEATH PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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HEATH 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. Heath Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3-11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 503

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Bell Lane Kesgrave Ipswich

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01473 622806 Fax number: 01473 630009

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs Emma Philips

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: September 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school, which is much bigger than most, is located in Kesgrave at the northern edge of Ipswich, Suffolk. Currently there are 503 pupils from the age of 4 to 11 on roll. Most pupils are from White European backgrounds with a minority of mixed race or Asian heritage. The great majority of pupils in school speak English, although a very small proportion speak a different language at home, including Korean and Chinese. The school provides additional support for one pupil to learn to speak English. An average proportion of pupils have special educational needs, mainly for moderate learning difficulties; three pupils have a Statement of Special Educational Need. At the time of the inspection, 46 children were attending part-time in the nursery and 26 full-time in the reception year. This provision is known as the Foundation Stage . The profile of children’s attainment when they start school is average but covers a wide span of ability. Mobility is not a significant issue but senior

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

managers are aware of the rising number of pupils entering the school at non-standard times, especially in the junior phase.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school’s intake is being reduced according to the plan set up in 1999 and the building of a new school in the locality in 2000. In September the school changed its organisation so that children in reception are taught with Year 1 pupils in one of five classes. Pupils in Years 2 and 3 are also taught in one of five mixed-age classes most of which are housed in demountable buildings known as “hut city”. Older pupils are taught in single-age classes. The school is currently without a permanent senior management team; two senior teachers are temporarily taking on these key managers’ roles.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school received a Government Achievement Award in 2000 for raising academic standards and was accredited with Investors in People status in the same year. Heath Primary School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

9479 C. Field Lead inspector Personal and social education and citizenship. 19361 K. Ross Lay inspector 4099 R. Braithwaite Team inspector Mathematics, geography, physical education, Foundation Stage. 15414 D. Carrington Team inspector Science, information and communication technology, history and religious education. 30144 E. Hastings Team Inspector English, art and design, design and technology. 20003 S. Metcalfe Team Inspector Music.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Altecq Education 102 Bath Road Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL53 7JX

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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.oftsed.gov.uk). Heath Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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Heath Primary is an effective school with a happy and very caring ethos that helps pupils

grow as responsible future citizens. The headteacher provides very good leadership and is supported by a united staff team committed to doing their best for the pupils. Teaching and learning are good in most subjects, but variation across years leads to pupils making uneven progress and achievement being only satisfactory in the core subjects of English and mathematics. The school’s assessment and target setting systems are not rigorous enough to pinpoint these variations and this is a weakness. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses

• Very strong leadership has kept the school focused and forward moving since the previous inspection five years ago. • The school’s performance in national tests in 2003 fell below the level seen in similar schools, particularly at the higher attainment level. • Assessment and target setting systems are not good enough. • Teaching is good in most subjects and better in the early and later years. The new arrangements in reception and Year 1 are working well and good provision is enabling both ages to make good progress. • Good provision in science, information and communication technology (ICT), art and design, history and geography leads to above-average standards by the end of school. • Very good provision for pupils with special educational needs enables them to achieve well both academically and socially. • Pupils’ good attitudes to their work, their self confidence and their high self-esteem are nurtured

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses

by the school’s good approaches. • Very good attention to health and welfare aspects ensures that pupils feel safe and protected. • Very good links with parents, the community and other schools add considerable value to the quality of pupils’ education.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses

There has been satisfactory improvement overall since the previous inspection in 1998. All the issues identified there have been attended to, though writing and marking require more attention. The school has taken a hard look at the decline in national test results and is working effectively to reverse the trend. It is judged to have good capacity to make future 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 English A B C E Mathematics B C C E Science A C B D Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The overall achievement of boys and girls is satisfactory ; those with learning difficulties achieve well in all years because of very good provision. Higher attainers achieve satisfactorily but do not receive consistent challenge in their work to enable them to reach the levels of which they are fully capable, especially in the middle years of school. The average standards attained in the Year 6 2003 national tests in English and mathematics were lower than expected. The schools’ analysis shows that a few pupils did not reach the level they were expected to. A small increase in the proportion of pupils who reach the higher Level 5 in national tests would make a significant difference to how results compare with those found in similar schools. Heath Primary School - 7 The children in the Foundation Stage have made a good start and are well on track to reach the goals set for them. Year 1 pupils in the same classes are achieving well. The school’s

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

reorganisation is working to best advantage for both year groups. Pupils in Year 2 are making satisfactory progress to reach average standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics, science and religious education. Information and communication technology (ICT) and reading skills are above average because of the good provision made. The re-organisation of the Years 2 and 3 mixed age classes is not yet working as effectively as it needs to because higher attainers in both year groups are not given different and sufficiently challenging work. Similarly, pupils in Years 4 are making satisfactory progress, but not enough is expected of higher attainers. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 are making good progress and currently reach above average standards in science, ICT, art and design, geography and history. Standards are average in English and mathematics and should be better. The school’s setting arrangements in English and mathematics are successful in assisting a

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

good proportion of pupils to reach the standards expected for their age but are not as effective in supporting higher-level achievement.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities are good overall. Pupils enjoy school, have very good attendance and are keen to learn. Relationships are very caring and the school is a happy community. The school helps pupils develop as responsible future citizens.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided is good. Teaching and learning are good overall. Very good relationships and insistence on good standards of behaviour support pupils’ achievement positively. Teaching is good at the start and end of school and satisfactory in the middle years. Not enough attention is paid to ensuring that higher attainers have a consistent level of challenge. The good curriculum provides a range of worthwhile experiences across subjects and meets statutory requirements in all respects except the provision of a daily act of collective worship. There is very good enrichment from a well-focused programme of visits and visitors and a wide range of out-of- school activities that extend pupils’ experiences. Pupils receive very good care and support. They are very well looked after during the school day. The provision for their personal and social development is a strength. The school has a very good partnership with parents and has

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good overall. The headteacher provides very good educational direction and is ably supported by the senior and middle management teams. Governors are good critical friends of the school and work in an effective partnership with managers. They undertake their role well except that they do not ensure that a daily act of collective worship takes place.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are very happy with the school. They hold very positive views about the all-round education provided and family values promoted. A few were concerned about the lack of consultation about mixed-age classes. Pupils very much enjoy coming to school and they find lessons fun, especially the clubs, art and history. A few had concerns about the playground, toilets and changing rooms, and the headteacher has set in place a programme of refurbishment in the light of their comments.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do are: • raise achievement and standards in English and mathematics, especially for high attaining pupils; • improve teaching and learning in the middle years to the level of the best quality found in school; • improve assessment, tracking and target setting systems.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

To fully meet statutory requirements, the governing body need to ensure that a daily act of collective worship takes place, which is mainly Christian in character and involves all pupils whose parents have not given their consent for withdrawal. Heath Primary School - 8

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language, is satisfactory in the core subjects of English and mathematics and good in

The school’s results in national tests fell below those found in similar schools in 2003. The trend in the school’s results over time is below average. Managers have undertaken an extensive analysis of the results and set out a clear plan to reverse the trend. The school has set very challenging targets for Year 6 performance in the 2004 national tests that show very clearly its strong determination to improve standards. Inspectors judge the school has good capacity to meet them.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children in nursery and reception are achieving well and most are likely to reach the goals expected of them by the time they start in Year 1. Quite a few will exceed the goals in creative, personal and social development because of the strong focus given to this aspect of their education. • Pupils with special educational needs, including those with Statements, achieve well across their studies because of the very good provision made. • Achievement is good in Year 1 and satisfactory in Year 2 and by the end of the infants pupils are attaining broadly average standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics, science and religious education and above average standards in ICT. • Achievement is satisfactory overall for pupils in Years 3 and 4, but not enough is expected of higher attainers. • Pupils in Years 5 and 6 show good achievement and reach above average standards in science, ICT, art and design, geography and history.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are average overall in English and mathematics by the end of school and should be better. • School managers are not making sufficient use of all available data to target good achievement in all years but are alert to the need to do this.

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Commentary

1. Children are well provided for in the Foundation Stage of their education and do well across all the areas they experience. The nursery team are very much focused on the different needs and capabilities of the children and plan specific learning opportunities tailored to individuals. The reception year is successfully building on the good start in nursery. The current children are well on track to achieve the goals set for them. Quite a few are likely to exceed the goal in creative personal and social development because of the strong focus given to these aspects of their education.

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Commentary

2. By the end of Year 2, standards are average in English, mathematics, science, religious education, design and technology, music and physical education. Standards are above average in ICT, art and design, history and geography. By the end of Year 6, standards are average in English, mathematics, religious education, design and technology, music and physical education. Standards are above average in science, ICT, art and design, history and geography. A good drive to improve ICT provision has resulted in standards being shifted from below average to above average since the last inspection. Swimming skills stand out as a strength with around 85 per cent of pupils able to swim the required length by the time they leave school.

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Commentary

3. The table below shows that in Year 2 standards were above those seen nationally in reading, average in writing and below average in mathematics. Standards overall were below those Heath Primary School - 9 achieved in similar schools. The school is effective in enabling a high proportion of pupils to reach the expected Level 2 but is less effective in enabling the proportion of pupils expected to reach the higher-Level 3, especially in writing and mathematics.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results Reading 16.5 (17.2) 15.7 (15.8)

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Commentary

There were 78 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

4. The table below shows that standards at the end of Year 6 were above those seen nationally in English and average in mathematics and science. When standards are compared to those found in similar schools they were below average overall. The school’s trends in raising standards fell below that seen nationally for the first time in five years.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 27.3 (27.9) 26.8 (27.0) Mathematics 27.3 (27.3) 26.8 (26.7) Science 29.5 (28.8) 28.6 (28.3) There were 89 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

5. The key skills of speaking, listening and reading are well promoted across subjects. The skills of numeracy and writing are less well attended to. In class lessons and in English and mathematics sets, pupils who are middle attainers tend to achieve what is expected for their age. Those with learning difficulties make generally good progress and achieve well because of the good pupil-adult ratio and specific targets in their individual plans. This approach of plan, do and review has a very beneficial impact on the achievement of pupils with special needs. The higher attainers, though achieving satisfactorily, are not being consistently enabled to reach their capabilities to the full, especially in Years 2, 3 and 4, because the work they are set is not taxing enough for them. However, in contrast in Year 6 very high expectations for the pupils in the top of three sets is enabling very good progress and leading

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Commentary

to good achievement in English and mathematics.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities are good. Very good attendance and punctuality support pupils’ achievements.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ personal development is very good; they are quick to use their initiative and willingly accept responsibility. • Relationships between pupils and with adults are very good and are characterised by mutual trust, respect and consideration. • Pupils’ social and moral development is good. Spiritual and cultural aspects of their education, although satisfactory, are not developed enough. • Pupils very much enjoy coming to school and look forward to their lessons. Heath Primary School - 10 • Pupils respond positively to teachers’ high expectations of behaviour and are well behaved during lessons and at other times. • Very good attendance and punctuality supports pupils’ achievements.

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Commentary

6. Pupils of all ages really like coming to school and describe their lessons as enjoyable and good fun. Children in the Foundation Stage mirror the good attitudes and behaviour seen throughout the rest of the school. Children in the nursery have settled well and made a positive start to school. The children go about their tasks happily and are building good work habits. They are responsive to the teaching team and are willing to try hard to do all that is asked of them. Most of the children will at least meet the target set for them in personal and social development and are making good progress from an average start; some will exceed it.

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Commentary

7. Members of staff insist upon a high standard of behaviour and pupils of all ages live up to these expectations. In lessons, pupils work independently or part of a collaborative group well because they can be trusted to get on with the task sensibly. Pupils behave well during lessons and at break and lunch times. A very few instances of racial abuse take place in the form of name calling that the school takes seriously. There is a zero tolerance to any form of harassment. Pupils say that bullying takes place from time to time, but they have complete faith in the adults to mediate the problems and this helps them feel safe and well protected at school. The rate of exclusion is low with no exclusions at all last year and only one fixed-period exclusion during the most recent school year that was entirely justified.

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 503 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which is different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Exclusions

8. Pupils’ attendance is very good and their punctuality is very good. Lessons begin when they should and there is no wastage of time. These features positively support pupils’ achievements.

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Exclusions

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Exclusions

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 3.9 School data: 0.0 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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Exclusions

9. Pupils’ personal development is good thanks to the school’s good provision for their moral and social education. Relationships are very good. Pupils are very proud of their family groups and are motivated to gain family points for hard work and effort to enable their family to be the highest point scorer each week. Pupils demonstrate an open, honest understanding of the difference between right and wrong and a well-developed sense of social justice. They are caring in their dealings with one another. In assemblies they show confidence when answering questions and can reflect on the key messages such as making the most of time when invited to do so. In some assemblies, staff do not ask pupils to consider a Higher Being when reflecting on what they have heard; in some God is not referred to. This is a missed opportunity for pupils Heath Primary School - 11 to consider the mystery and wonder of life and human creativity. In some lessons teachers do

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Exclusions

not make the most of opportunities to inspire pupils and nurture a sense of ‘only the best will do’. Pupils are alert to current affairs and can chat about a number of newsworthy topics. However, there is not enough attention paid to their preparation for life in multi-racial British society.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided is good with some very good enrichment through the extra curricular activities and programme of visits and visitors. Parents are happy with the quality of education provided for their children and identify the rounded education they receive as a real strength.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

Teaching and learning are good overall. Teaching is best at the start and end of school and is enabling good learning. Teaching, although satisfactory, is not challenging enough in Years 2, 3 and 4, especially for higher attainers, and their learning proceeds at a pedestrian pace as a result.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good overall but vary across subjects and years. • The best teaching is in nursery, reception and Years 1, 5 and 6. • Very good relationships and insistence on good standards of behaviour positively support pupils’ achievement in all years. • Teachers pay good attention to reading, speaking and listening skills' development across subjects. There is not the same good attention paid to promoting writing skills. • Weaknesses flagged up in teaching, learning and assessment in ICT by the previous inspection have been sorted out with a good programme of staff training and development. Good teaching now enables good learning in ICT and above average standards. • Good teaching enables pupils with special educational needs, including those with Statements, to learn successfully. • Most teachers use questioning effectively but do not assess, mark and record pupils’ achievements well enough to support or target improvement and share this with pupils.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The provision for homework is good and through this parents are strong partners in education.

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Commentary

10. The teaching team has been well chosen to complement one another; individuals are reflective about their practice and strive to do their best for the pupils.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 83 lessons Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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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.

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Commentary

11. The staff in the Foundation Stage have good command of all areas of learning and work in successful partnership to enable the children to learn well. Pupils with special educational needs receive some very good one-to-one support from teaching assistants who are well deployed and effective in role. Teachers set suitable learning challenges in response to these pupils’ diverse learning needs because work provided is closely related to targets identified in pupils’ individual learning plans. Teachers provide the correct blend of help and challenge so that pupils are successfully assisted in becoming independent learners. Particularly effective use is made of adult helpers to support reading and numeracy skills as well as innovative use of ICT programmes such as Successmaker , to encourage pupils who are having difficulties to become more accurate in spelling and number work. Teaching in ICT was observed to be

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Commentary

Heath Primary School - 12 consistently good throughout the school. This is good improvement since the last inspection, when teaching in ICT was unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

12. The very best teaching observed by inspectors was in the nursery, mixed-age reception and Years 1, 5 and 6. All these lessons shared very good features that appealed to both boys and girls and enabled high achievement. These were:

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Commentary

• very high expectations for the standard and quality of work completed; • very well matched tasks that enabled pupils of all capabilities to be challenged well; • very good use of time targets that helped the pace at which pupils worked; • firm but fair class management that insisted on pupils taking responsibility for their own actions; • highly effective use of the end of lessons to check up on what had been learned and what should be learned next time; • a real sense of enjoyment in learning that was demanding but fun.

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Commentary

13. Teachers’ methods by and large are chosen well to assist pupils in gaining knowledge and developing understanding at a satisfactory rate across all subjects. The chief shortcoming in otherwise effective lessons in English and mathematics is not ensuring a consistent level of challenge for pupils of different capabilities, especially the higher attaining pupils who could potentially achieve more. Teachers’ lesson planning does not take sufficient account of different pupils’ capabilities and the objectives set do not reflect the expected gains to be made. This means that any subsequent evaluation of the progress being made by individuals is general rather than specific. This shortcoming was most apparent in satisfactory lessons observed by inspectors in Years 2, 3 and 4.

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Commentary

14. The key skills of speaking, listening and reading are well promoted across subjects. Teachers place strong emphasis on enabling pupils to answer questions, discussing what they think and in putting forward their views and ideas. This approach very much helps build pupils’ self confidence and good self-esteem and is a positive feature. The skills of writing are less well attended to. Insufficient attention is paid to the amount or quality of writing to be completed. Thus, for instance, inspectors observed pupils building good knowledge in religious education lessons through discussion, but found limited recording of this when sampling their written work. Inspectors’ scrutiny of a sample of pupils’ work found that writing quality is hampered in some subjects by the lack of attention to presentation and use of grammar that could easily be given attention and help raise the overall quality and standard in English. An over-reliance

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Commentary

on worksheets also restricts pupils’ independent writing and their use requires review.

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Commentary

15. Pupils are given some helpful comments when their work is marked in English but it is rather hit and miss elsewhere. In some lessons, teachers use praise indiscriminately, which dilutes its impact in supporting better achievement. Most teachers satisfactorily assess how well pupils are learning through a variety of methods but have yet to inject sufficient rigour into how they record pupils’ achievements and how they target improvement. The provision for homework is good, which has resulted in some high quality topic work in history and geography.

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The Curriculum

The good curriculum provides a range of worthwhile experiences across subjects and meets statutory requirements in all respects except the provision of a daily act of collective worship.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Equality of access and opportunity is good for boys and girls from different backgrounds and enables those with learning difficulties and emotional needs to achieve well. The group who are least well served are the higher attainers. • The curriculum is good in the Foundation Stage and satisfactory for older pupils. Its shortcoming concerns too little targeted improvement of writing skills across subjects. Heath Primary School - 13 • The provision made for pupils with special educational needs, including those with Statements, is very good. • There is a very good range of extra-curricular activities that enhances pupils’ experiences. Pupils say they very much enjoy the clubs, art and history. • The accommodation is mostly of good quality. Resources are well chosen and of good quality. The ICT suite and library are very good resources.

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Commentary

16. The curriculum is suitably planned for the newly organised mixed-age classes. A lot of hard work has gone into making sure that children in reception are provided with activities to promote the early learning goals 1 alongside the National Curriculum work required for pupils in Year 1. These pupils are receiving a good quality of education because of the school’s approach. Planning identifies worthwhile experiences across all subjects. Lesson planning is adequate but lacks specific focus on what pupils of different capabilities need to learn to achieve at good pace. This is limiting the achievement of a small but significant group, especially in Years 2, 3 and 4.

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Commentary

17. A curriculum strength lies in the enrichment provided from well-planned days that extend the opportunities for pupils to learn in-depth about various topics so that pupils have a depth of study that is meaningful and long lasting. For example, through a focus on Ancient Egypt, pupils in Years 5 and 6 have studied the lifestyle of Ancient Egyptians and engaged in an archaeological dig (history) and written their own accounts of aspects of old and modern day Cairo (English). They have created high quality paintings on papyrus (art) and worked in groups to consider the position that different interest groups might take, for example environmentalists, tour operators, fishermen and farmers, in considering the costs and benefits of the construction of the Aswan Dam (geography). Additionally, pupils have tried to replicate the style of dress found in Egyptian times and in so doing have appreciated cultural

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Commentary

differences and similarities. A very well planned range of visits and visitors that tie into the curriculum further enrich pupils’ experiences.

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Commentary

18. Tried and tested strategies for improving pupils’ literacy skills are having a good impact through the paired reading sessions and one-to-one support and through well organised additional literacy strategies. Some good writing has been produced. For example, pupils in Year 6 wrote about a dilemma using very strong verbs and structuring sentences to be sharp and well-focused to aid expression and pace. However, the school has not looked at how writing skills can be extended across the curriculum whilst retaining the subject-specific content and this is a missed opportunity. The school’s numeracy strategy is effective, but, as with writing, there is lack of cross-curricular focus to accelerate the development of pupils’ skills. Through activities undertaken in design and technology projects such as making moving monsters , pupils have applied their mathematical competencies and, although not specifically planned for, numeracy skills are honed further.

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Commentary

19. The use of ICT can be seen in pupils’ work in most subjects and this is very positive. For example, the use of ICT to help pupils create their own pieces in the style of Andy Warhol has enabled work of high quality. The use of ICT in art and design helps pupils’ skills to be built systematically. There is good use of ICT to support independent research and enquiry in geography and history.

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Commentary

20. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. The co-ordinator for the provision of special educational needs has a very good grasp of her role and manages the administration of support programmes extremely well. She ensures that pupils receive help

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Commentary

1 Early learning goals – these are the standards that children are expected to reach by the end of their reception year. They refer mainly to achievements children make in connection with communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; personal, social and emotional development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical and creative development. There are many goals for each area of learning, for example, in language and literacy pupils should be able to write their own name and other things such as labels and begin to write simple sentences. Heath Primary School - 14 where necessary and that pupils who make good progress are removed from the register of special needs so that support can be targeted elsewhere. Individual education plans are very well-conceived and state the small steps needed to enable secure progress. The co-ordinator for special educational needs has good opportunity to monitor work in the classroom to identify

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Commentary

and address where improvements are needed. These pupils make good progress against their specific targets because of good assessment, timely review and very effective leadership and management.

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Commentary

21. There is no specific provision made for pupils with gifts or talents, or criteria used for identification, although teachers do keep a log of those who they think have a gift or talent for sport, music or are very high achieving. For example, two children in reception have been assessed as working at a very high level for their age in literacy and numeracy and are set appropriate work.

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Commentary

22. Pupils have a range of worthwhile experiences in the creative and aesthetic and physical aspects of the curriculum. Specific days are organised to extend the range of experiences on offer to pupils and provide very good enrichment to the curriculum. For example, the Year 4 Saxon Day led by a local group of history experts promoted good achievement in art, design and technology, drama and history. The school usefully keeps a range of photographic evidence in which it records pupils’ sporting successes. All pupils in Year 6 have the opportunity to go swimming and last year 85 per cent met the required standard in swimming which is creditable. Video footage of school productions such as Robin Hood show well the enjoyment of pupils of all ages working and having fun performing together. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 have the opportunity to take part in a residential visit each year that promotes outdoor

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Commentary

physical pursuits. A range of school clubs, including football, netball, tag-rugby, athletics, rounders, basketball, dance, golf, hockey, swimming, recorders, band, violin, choir, drama, first aid, gardening, web site design and cookery, are well supported and show the very high commitment given by staff to extending the curriculum for pupils.

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Commentary

23. The main accommodation is good and provides a bright, airy and attractively presented environment in which to explore the curriculum. A new library is proving to be a real asset. A large number of demountable buildings known as hut city are less well presented and the mixed Years 2 and 3 classes located in them are isolated from the rest of the school. They were flagged for replacement at the time of the previous inspection. The headteacher has been given assurance by the local education authority that two will be replaced in 2004. The school grounds are spacious and a new area for the children in the Foundation Stage is well resourced, but its location is difficult for two out of the five classes to access. Pupils are not as keen on the toilets, which they describe as smelly, or the changing room arrangements, which they feel need improving. They have brought these to the attention of the headteacher

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Commentary

who has arranged for toilets to be refurbished and new changing facilities to be built.

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Care, guidance and support

Pupils receive very good care and support .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Health and safety procedures, including risk assessments, are implemented very effectively. • Support for pupils with special educational needs is very good. • Child protection procedures are very good. • First aid, including medical alert arrangements, is excellent. • Transition arrangements with the high school are a very positive feature. • Pupils say the school is a happy and friendly place where they feel well looked after. • Target setting has been introduced in English and mathematics but practice is not yet sharp enough in tracking achievement. Heath Primary School - 15

p.14

Commentary

24. Children new to the school benefit from a welcoming induction package which ensures their smooth and secure settling-in. They soon develop a good, trusting relationship with at least one member of staff and know that there is always someone to turn to. Pupils are treated with respect, care and patience.

p.15

Commentary

25. The support provided for pupils with special educational needs is very good. They are included well in lessons and able to make good progress in their learning. The monitoring of pupils’ personal development and achievements is good, particularly those many pupils with individual education plans. The progress of pupils with special educational needs is carefully tracked. The monitoring of other pupils’ achievements is limited in subjects other than English, mathematics, science and ICT.

p.15

Commentary

26. Target setting has been introduced but the school does not do enough to promote targets in lessons or undertake regular reviews and revisions of the targets. Pupils are not given sufficient information about what they have to do to reach higher standards in their work.

p.15

Commentary

27. There are very good procedures to identify and control health and safety risks to ensure that the premises, equipment and working practices are safe.

p.15

Commentary

28. The school has very good procedures for child protection matters. All staff have received child protection training and are also trained in 'school safe'. They are aware of their responsibilities if they feel a child is at risk. First aid arrangements and medical alert procedures are of excellent quality and a particular strength of the school. There are a significant number of staff trained in first aid, including dinner supervisors and teaching assistants. A good feature of provision is that pupils also are trained and wear sashes at lunchtime so that anyone who needs help can go to them.

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Commentary

29. Pupils told inspectors that their views are very definitely taken into account and acted upon. They are consulted regularly on a variety of issues and also help to devise class rules as part of their personal, social and health education programme. The pupils are successfully supported from one stage of their education to the next.

p.15

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has a very good partnership with parents and has forged strong and effective links with other schools and its community to the benefit of pupils.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents are very happy with the school. They hold very positive views about the all-round education provided and family values promoted. • Parents are provided with very good quality information. • A significant number of parents support learning, for example, by assisting in classrooms. • The Parent Friends Association supports the school very well with fund raising and resources. • The many visitors to school from the community and a range of educational visits add to the richness of the curriculum. • Very good links with other schools and colleges benefit pupils' learning. Heath Primary School - 16

p.15

Commentary

30. The school has a very well established system of communication with parents which includes regular letters informing parents of the work their children will be doing in the forthcoming terms and ways that they can support this. Parents' letters are also posted on the school's website for those parents who can access it. There are also useful information sessions held for parents, such as maths clinics and meetings on how to support your child’s reading. These sessions help parents to understand the curriculum and to give practical support to their children's learning at home. There are a significant number of parents and grandparents who loyally assist in a variety of roles and contribute positively to pupils' learning. A dedicated and very active Parent Friends Association organises a range of social and fund raising events which are well supported by parents and make a highly valued contribution to school resources, which are of

p.16

Commentary

31. The school is outward looking and has very good links with the community. These include churches, pre-school providers, local business and charitable organisations. Very good liaison takes place with First Base , a provision set up by the local education authority to support vulnerable pupils who are in danger of being excluded from school. There are very good links with the secondary school. For example, teachers from the high school visit regularly to share their expertise such as in leading the music component of the enrichment day for pupils in Year 5 held during the inspection that involved groups collaborating to write and perform compositions that represented work they had been doing in science on the solar system. There is a very good programme of support to assist the transition of pupils in Year 6. The school is also used well by the local community for a range of after-school activities. Many visitors to the

p.16

Commentary

school and a range of educational visits add another important dimension to pupils' learning as well as enhancing their social and personal development.

p.16

Commentary

32. The school makes a very effective contribution to the initial training of teachers and this also benefits pupils from more adult support in classrooms. Very good links with other primary schools enrich the curriculum and provide pupils with opportunities to take part in sporting and musical events.

p.16

Commentary

33. A small minority of parents have concerns about mixed-age groups in some classes. Inspectors’ view is that the arrangements for reception and pupils in Year 1 are working effectively and, although satisfactory, those in Years 2 and 3 require enhancement. Teachers plan effectively to ensure work is matched to the needs of both year groups but have yet to give sufficient attention to ensuring that the range of pupils’ capabilities is consistently well met. The school’s improvement plan includes the target of maintaining links with parents and seeking to re-start the parent focus groups, to act as a sounding board, that served it well in the past and would be a useful strategy for the future.

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The quality of leadership and management is good overall. Governance of the school is good.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher is leading the school’s improvement with determination and provides very well focused direction. • The school’s performance in national tests in 2003 fell below the level expected, but managers are leading staff well in the drive for improvement. • Target setting has been left too much for individual teachers to implement and as such there is disparity in the level of aspiration in the targets set which has led to pupils making uneven progress. • There is very good leadership of the Foundation Stage and very good leadership of the provision made for pupils with special educational needs. Heath Primary School - 17 • The governors conduct their work effectively, except that they do not ensure the school complies fully in providing a daily act of collective worship. • Management systems work effectively to keep all staff and governors well informed about school performance. • Strategic planning is based on good monitoring and evaluation procedures and effective financial

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

management, but the criteria for judging the success of its priorities are not clear enough.

p.17

Commentary

34. Heath Primary School is a large school where the demands placed on leadership and management are complex. School managers rise to this challenge effectively and there is united commitment to improvement. At the forefront of this is the headteacher, who gives very good leadership. She has an acute sense of priorities, knows the strengths and weaknesses of the school thoroughly and commands respect and loyalty. She gives a very good steer to the school and constantly reviews its progress towards priorities and targets. There is a profound sense of realism and honesty in school leadership that is a key strength.

p.17

Commentary

35. Because of the very large size of the school, the management hierarchy is rather more complex than in most primary schools. The senior management team, as the next tier in the structure, is fairly new to its role. The school is currently without a permanent senior management team; two senior teachers are temporarily taking on these key managers’ roles. At present, the senior team manage pastoral matters well and are developing their work as the key strategic planners of the school in conjunction with the headteacher. The role of these key managers complements that of the headteacher well. What the headteacher innovates, the key managers finish well. As a team these three managers play to shared strengths and lead the school corporately.

p.17

Commentary

36. The third tier in management is made up of the year leaders. The headteacher has been proactive in securing training to help develop their leadership and management roles, which is proving positive. They work together very well and communication and co-operation are strengths. The year leaders understand what makes the school tick. They give good leadership to other staff and bring good influence to bear on decisions taken by the senior management team. They have introduced the school’s target setting and tracking procedures with confidence and are now evaluating their success and identifying areas for improvement. At present, these systems are left too much for individual teachers to implement and as such there is disparity in the level of aspiration in the targets set. However, senior managers know this and there is good determination to make it into a focused tool for school improvement. In the light of the

p.17

Commentary

disappointing results in national tests in 2003, the year leaders with subject co-ordinators have undertaken a very useful analysis of the test papers and the results and have set very demanding targets for 2004 in a bid to secure an upward trend and shake out any complacency. Inspectors judge the school to be well on track to raising achievement because of the well-conceived strategies for improvement.

p.17

Commentary

37. Subject co-ordinators are a keen group and all have invested heavily in developing the role. Good leadership is apparent in science, ICT, art and design, geography and history and is reflected in the good provision being made in these subjects. The leadership of all other subjects is satisfactory. Leadership in English and mathematics have yet to focus on supporting the drive for raised achievement and standards through the rigorous assessment of how well pupils are making progress in all years and especially the higher attainers. The leadership and management roles of Foundation Stage manager and special educational needs co-ordinator are undertaken very effectively.

p.17

Commentary

38. Fundamentally, the governors are another effective tier of management. They have good understanding of the school’s performance, which they gain by regular visits to school, an efficient committee structure, well-run meetings and the evaluative interpretation of data. Governors serve the school well as critical friends and ask crucial questions in pursuit of best Heath Primary School - 18 value. In all, the governors play a good role in shaping the educational direction of the school. What they are not doing at present is ensuring that statutory requirements are fully met in respect of the daily act of collective worship. Some class assemblies do not comply with requirements because they do not include a prayer. In some assemblies, to avoid the withdrawal of a large group of pupils who belong to the Brethren sect, the headteacher leads a personal reflection time without reference to God. This means that technically the act of worship

p.17

Commentary

does not meet the legal requirements and as such compromises the quality of governance.

p.18

Commentary

39. Effective management systems have been introduced to ensure good and rapid communication, increasingly rigorous systems of monitoring and evaluation and positive, thorough and assured performance management procedures. The performance management and professional development programmes are of good quality and linked well to school improvement planning. The school has developed very good links with the local initial teacher training agencies and colleges and makes a very effective contribution to teacher training. The school achieved Investors in People status in 2000, underwent a health check in 2003 and will go for re-accreditation in January 2004.

p.18

Commentary

40. The school improvement plan is well focused on the priorities that matter for the school’s future development. The process of strategic planning involves managers, staff and the governors and results in priorities that are known, understood and pursued by all. These priorities relate to the improvement of standards and achievement in the first place. However, the criteria for judging success are not pinpointed finely enough. Nevertheless, the school improvement plan focuses on the right things to raise standards and is related well to the budget. Financial management is prudent and funds are allocated wisely. The relatively large carry-forward in the budget is committed to helping the planned reduction in terms of building upgrades and additional staffing to support raised achievement.

p.18

Commentary

41. The cost of educating each pupil is below that typically found and as the school continues its work to raise standards and improve achievement, the satisfactory value for money offered at present should move up to the good level reported by the previous inspection.

p.18

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003 Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1,303,840 Balance from previous year 84,541 Total expenditure 1,223,219 Balance carried forward to the next 80,621 Expenditure per pupil 2,168 Heath Primary School - 19

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good and is a developing strength of the school.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The good provision is enabling children to achieve well. • Teaching is good and results in good learning taking place. • A good induction programme, together with very good links with the local pre-school group, enables children to settle quickly and happily into school. • A well-planned curriculum provides worthwhile experiences for all the areas of learning, but outdoor play provision is difficult to access for three out of five classes. • Very good leadership and management ensure children receive a good start to their education.

p.19

Commentary

42. During the time of the inspection 46 children were attending the nursery, 23 in the morning and 23 in the afternoon. Their attainment on entry is assessed to be generally that expected of children of a similar age in all areas of learning and personal development. They make a good start to the Foundation Stage in the vibrant and stimulating environment provided in the nursery. When they are four they transfer to one of five mixed age reception and Year 1 classes. Currently 26 children are in the reception year. This arrangement is new and has been set up since September to meet the planned reduction in the light of the falling roll.

p.19

Commentary

43. It is early days but the arrangements are working well. All teachers are managing their mixed age classes effectively. All capabilities are well planned for, and the quality of learning remains as good as that reported by the last inspection. The children in reception are achieving well in most respects and by the time they enter Year 1 virtually all are likely to have reached the early learning goals set for them, and some are likely to have exceeded them in personal, social and creative development in particular. Children with special educational needs and those with little English are identified early, monitored and supported well, and are making good progress. They are fully integrated into all areas of learning. Two pupils in reception are working at levels well above those expected for their age in literacy and numeracy and the school is making good provision for them. Teachers are particularly successful in developing the independent and

p.19

Commentary

enquiry learning skills of children. Teachers and their teaching assistants make a very strong team.

p.19

Commentary

44. The role of Foundation Stage manager is very effectively carried out. There is very good leadership apparent in the way that the provision for reception has been dovetailed with the curriculum in Year 1 to the good advantage of both groups. There are clear plans for the future development of the Foundation Stage.

p.19

Personal, social and emotional development

Provision for children’s personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children in the Foundation Stage are achieving well because teachers place great emphasis on developing personal, social and emotional skills. Heath Primary School - 20 • Very good links with parents are supporting the children’s development positively. • Many children are confident, responsible and independent when they leave the Foundation Stage. • Relationships between children and adults are very good.

p.19

Commentary

45. Children in the Foundation Stage are achieving well because teachers place great emphasis on developing personal, social and emotional skills. All adults provide good role models for children. The curriculum provides a good balance of adult-initiated and child-selected activities. There are clear expectations for good behaviour and children adjust well to the routines established. Relationships between children and adults are very good. Very good links with parents and highly effective induction strategies are implemented by the school, so children quickly settle into school life. Children are eager to come to school and join in all their activities with enjoyment, interest and enthusiasm. All of them interact well together socially and when involved in role-play and group activities. They know how to take turns when playing games and handle equipment including computers, tape recorders and headphones with care. Moral

p.20

Commentary

development is well promoted and so children know how to behave properly. They respond quickly to instructions, like to take on little responsibilities such as clearing up or handing out drinks and grow rapidly in confidence and self esteem. The children are well on track to reach the goals set for them and many will exceed them by the time they enter Year 1.

p.20

Communication, language and literacy

Provision for communication, language and literacy is good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are achieving well in communication, language and literacy in the nursery and many are likely to exceed the goals set because of effective teaching. • Teachers are particularly effective at encouraging children to develop their speaking skills. • Early reading skills are consistently promoted. • Teachers are careful to ensure that the youngest children have full opportunities to develop their hand-writing.

p.20

Commentary

46. Children are achieving well in communication, language and literacy in the nursery and many are likely to exceed the goals set because of effective teaching. Teachers are particularly effective at encouraging children to develop their speaking skills. As a result, many children feel confident to talk to each other in whole sentences and are equally confident in discussion with adults. Frequent opportunities to role-play are provided; for example, in replicating the story about the King’s Pudding, the children dressed up as kings and queens and made their own jewelled crowns. In playing in the wet sand they tried hard to make a pudding that was not too sweet and not too sour , just like in the story. Children also learn to listen carefully, often through independent activities like hearing taped stories in the story corner. Early reading skills are consistently well promoted in reception and many children learn to read a range of simple texts

p.20

Commentary

and link letters and sounds. In writing, most children can write their names and simple words independently and many recognise basic punctuation such as full stops. Many of the older children can put together legible complete sentences without much help. Teachers in the reception mixed Year 1 classes are successful in ensuring that the youngest children have full opportunities to develop their hand-writing by emphasising the skills of accurate formation of letters of the alphabet. The children are on track to reach the goals set for them. Heath Primary School - 21

p.20

Mathematical development

Provision for mathematical development is good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers give careful attention to developing the children’s numeracy skills well. • Good and often very good teaching in mathematics enables children to make good gains in their learning so that most should reach their goals and some will exceed them.

p.21

Commentary

47. Children achieve well in lessons because they are enabled to develop numeracy skills across all areas of learning. In music, for example, children identify long and short sounds, clap and count the beat. They count the children in the class and add up the number who will want a school lunch. In reception, many count beyond ten and also write their numbers accurately. In practical activities children learn a wide variety of mathematical vocabulary as well as significant facts. Some identify correctly square, triangle, circle, cuboids and cones . One high attaining child in reception talked about a hexagon, which she described as having six sides and edges . Teachers harness the natural curiosity of children very well, so that making shapes with play dough and wet sand enhances, for example, their knowledge of two- and three-dimensional shapes. Good opportunities for problem solving strengthen this area of learning. Good

p.21

Commentary

resources contribute well to the good progress made. These good quality experiences and challenging activities prepare children well for the next stage of mathematical development and enable good progress. Some higher attaining children in reception are already working on the National Curriculum programme of study for mathematics.

p.21

Knowledge and understanding of the world

The provision for knowledge and understanding of the world is good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most children are likely to achieve their expected learning goals by the age of 5 and many should exceed them. • Children are learning especially well in information and communication technology.

p.21

Commentary

48. The quality of teaching is good. Teaching assistants are effectively used and, as a result, children are making good gains in their knowledge and understanding of the world. There are many well-planned activities, which capture children’s interest and extend their thinking. In the computer suite some children, quite independently, created a very good picture in the style of Mondrian involving multiple choices, changing and moving shapes and skilful manipulation of the mouse. Children learn successfully through games the ingredients of cake and biscuits and describe their taste and smell. They also discover how kings and queens live and what castles and royal regalia are for. They use construction materials well to build objects containing the shapes they have learned about in mathematics lessons. Children learn effectively about living things, develop their senses, appreciate different cultures and beliefs and understand well the

p.21

Commentary

changes over time through a well-planned curriculum. Teachers continually provide a wide variety of stimulating activities, which effectively encourages children’s investigative and observational skills and assists them in becoming successful, independent learners. The children are well on track to reach the goals set for them. Heath Primary School - 22

p.21

Physical development

Provision for physical development is satisfactory overall.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Resources in the nursery for physical development are good and children achieve well. • Resources for physical development for children in reception, whilst adequate, are less good, but they also achieve well because of the good organisation. • Teaching and learning are good and nearly all children are likely to reach the expected levels by the time they are 5 years old.

p.22

Commentary

49. Children in the nursery benefit from a good range of large outdoor apparatus such as climbing equipment, three wheeled bikes and trolleys. They also have indoor slides and are given sound opportunities to learn to move with control and recognise the importance of moving safely. Good teaching ensures well-planned activities, enabling children to move with increasing control and co-ordination. Due to the recent reorganisation of classes the reception-age children who have moved into the mixed age classes do not have such a wide range of equipment, but the school is gradually remedying this. Additionally, two out of five classes do not have easy access to the outdoor space because of their location. However, the two halls are regularly used for dance, movement and simple gymnastic activities and the children take these opportunities with great enjoyment. Many are proficient at using space and travelling around, under and over balance

p.22

Commentary

equipment. Through a range of activities, children use scissors for cutting out shapes, manipulate soft modelling materials, apply paint and glue with brushes and write and draw using crayons, chalk and pencils. This is effectively developing children’s fine motor skills and control. The sound teaching is ensuring that children are learning and achieving soundly and by the age of 5 many will reach the goals that have been set.

p.22

Creative development

Provision for creative development is good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good and sometimes very good and are enabling good achievement. • Independent learning and exploration is well developed.

p.22

Commentary

50. The quality of teaching is good and sometimes very good in this area of learning. A wide range of activities is planned which are especially effective in encouraging children to explore colour and sounds and use their imagination. This is seen continually in the nursery, where the adults are careful to ensure that children are supported rather than over-directed in their learning. In music lessons in their reception years, many children already sing simple songs, with actions from memory, match their movements to music and discover sound patterns. Teachers are mindful of involving creative development with other areas of learning and so painting patterns are created by children linked to the letter Y for yoghurt and printed patterns are made using a capital E- the letter of the week. Children observe the work of famous artists such as Jackson Pollock and then respond with their own pictures, painting with sticks in a similar style. The

p.22

Commentary

children’s exploration of patterns is continued by using material to try out new designs. All of these opportunities are very well planned by teachers and put into practice with the very competent help of the nursery nurse and other classroom assistants. As a result, all classes in the Foundation Stage have the feeling of a rich creative environment and children’s learning as a result is consistently good and many are on track to exceed the goals set for them. Heath Primary School - 23

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in speaking and listening and reading are above average. • Standards in writing are average and not as high as they should be. • Presentation skills detract from the overall quality of work produced and standards achieved. • There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs enabling them to achieve well in developing reading and spelling skills in particular. • Teaching is good and is leading to a better pace of learning that should help raise standards, particularly in Years 1, 5 and 6. However, the achievement of higher attainers could be better in the middle years. • The school has good capacity to make advancement in raising achievement because of the well-conceived action plan, strong commitment for improvement and the aspirational targets set to raise standards.

p.23

Commentary

51. Pupils in all years develop speaking and listening skills that are above the standard expected because of the school’s effective approaches. The school provides many opportunities for language development across different subjects. The use of question and answer sessions is a strong feature of the curriculum. Regular use is made of response partners where pupils evaluate their own work and that of their partner and talking partners who share thoughts and views as part of learning about topics. Most express themselves well in class discussions and in reply to teachers’ questions. Consequently, pupils’ speaking and listening skills and confidence build well and have a positive effect upon their social development.

p.23

Commentary

52. Reading skills are a strength and pupils achieve standards that are above average as a result of the good attention given to the teaching of reading. Reading skills are taught systematically and pupils build a range of strategies to read unfamiliar words in order to develop the ability to read independently. Slower learners are effectively helped by the use of the Successmaker programme that enables them to work through spellings and try to improve on their personal best in speed and accuracy. The school’s very high praise for the achievement of these pupils motivates pupils greatly. Pupils have many opportunities to read in school, sometimes to adults, in groups or independently. They are also well supported at home and develop regular reading habits with their families.

p.23

Commentary

53. Pupils achieve average standards in writing by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. This represents satisfactory achievement over time. The work in books shows that the quality of pupils’ presentation skills is not good enough and spelling is weak. Handwriting is not always clearly formed and fluent, or carefully presented. The curriculum provides a wide range of genre for the development of writing skills throughout the school and by Year 6 pupils are able to write in many forms. Pupils in the large top set in English in Year 6 are currently working at a level beyond that expected for their age. The group is keen and extremely responsive to the very high expectations being set for the amount, quality and standard of work to be accomplished. The school has yet to ensure that the higher attaining pupils in all years are set consistent levels of challenge in their work, especially in the middle years. Pupils use ICT to support their

p.23

Commentary

learning and use word processing as a means of presenting their written work effectively.

p.23

Commentary

54. The quality of teaching and learning in lessons is good overall but ranges from satisfactory to very good. Consistently good teaching enables pupils to learn at a good rate in the first three years and last two years of school and satisfactorily in the middle three years. As a result, Heath Primary School - 24 pupils make uneven progress and this results in achievement being satisfactory by the end of school. Pupils with special educational needs are the one group who achieve consistently well because of the very good attention paid to their learning needs. The chief shortcoming in otherwise effective lessons is not ensuring a consistent level of challenge for pupils of different capabilities within class English lessons and the learning sets, especially the higher attaining pupils who could potentially achieve more. Teachers’ lesson planning does not take sufficient account of different pupils’ capabilities and the objectives set do not reflect the

p.23

Commentary

expected gains to be made. This means that any subsequent evaluation of the progress being made by individuals is general rather than specific. This feature is holding back better achievement in writing in different subjects, especially in Years 2 and 3 where very similar work is being set for both ages.

p.24

Commentary

55. The very best lessons observed in English were in the reception mixed Year 1 class and Years 5 and 6. These were characterised by very high expectations for the amount and quality of work to be accomplished that enabled pupils to learn very successfully and reach good standards. Resources to support learning are used effectively and very good relationships have been established that ensure pupils behave appropriately and are managed well. Pupils work independently or collaboratively as required and this supports their social development well.

p.24

Commentary

56. Leadership and management of English are both satisfactory. The picture in standards, teaching and learning is very similar to that reported by the previous inspection five years ago. In the light of the poor showing in the 2003 national tests a well thought out action plan has been produced, but it will require time for implementation and for evaluation of its impact. The school’s senior managers have set very challenging targets for 2004 in a bid to raise achievement to a good level. The school has good capacity to make these advancements because of everyone’s determination to do so.

p.24

Language and literacy across the curriculum

57. Spoken English is well promoted across the curriculum. Pupils take good advantage of the ample opportunities for reading and to research information, for example to find out about the Ancient Egyptians in history. The new library is proving an asset to support the development of reading and research skills. Pupils’ writing skills are used well to support their learning in history, but too little planned opportunity is offered for their development in other subjects, for example science. The overuse of worksheets in some years also inhibits writing in subjects such as religious education and this needs attention.

p.24

MATHEMATICS

Provision for mathematics is satisfactory.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in mathematics by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are average, but could be better, especially at higher attainment levels. • Teaching, learning and achievement are good in Years 1 and 6 and satisfactory in all other years. • The setting arrangements are not working to best advantage in some years because of their size and because too little attention is paid to setting sufficiently challenging work for high attaining pupils. • Individual targets for pupils are not always challenging enough, especially for higher attainers. • Marking and presentation of work are inconsistent. • The school is implementing a good action plan for improvement.

p.24

Commentary

Heath Primary School - 25 58. Standards are average by the end of Years 2 and 6 and this is a similar picture to that found last time the school was inspected. Pupils have a very good start to their mathematical education and make good progress throughout the Foundation Stage and in Year 1. For the next four years their progress is satisfactory until once more it becomes good in Year 6. The reason for this is that teaching and learning are more effective in Years 1 and 6, when pupils of different capabilities are well challenged and so their achievement is good. In the middle years, higher attainers are achieving satisfactorily but could potentially do better if the work set for them was more challenging.

p.25

Commentary

59. Standards fell below the level expected in the national tests in 2003 and consequently the subject leader has produced a well-focused improvement plan and an analysis of weak areas identified through pupil testing. The school has embarked on a strong drive for improvement in implementing the plan this term. Additionally, the senior management of the school has reviewed its targets in mathematics for 2004-2006 and reset them. These are now much more challenging than previously and reflect the school’s strong drive to raise achievement.

p.25

Commentary

60. Overall, teaching and learning are satisfactory in mathematics. Where there is better teaching in Years 1 and 6 all pupils, whatever their capability, are being challenged and stretched. The sets in Year 6 are working more successfully than in other years largely due to a better match of work and high expectations for the amount and quality of work to be completed. Teachers in this year have high expectations for pupils’ speedy achievement, which are generally well met. These aspects are satisfactory in other years and lead to sound achievement and average standards. A tighter focus on setting work that is more demanding and using assessment at more timely intervals to check up on progress would add better value to pupils’ overall achievement.

p.25

Commentary

61. Pupils enjoy mathematics and are keen to do well, especially in mental/oral sessions. Many respond very positively to questions in these sessions but because the sets are large some do not really extend themselves, particularly if there are no teaching assistants to help the teacher focus on individual contributions. Teaching assistants make very good contributions to pupils’ learning in group activities but are not active enough in the opening and closing sessions in mathematics.

p.25

Commentary

62. Where teaching and learning are satisfactory, teachers tend to concentrate on the middle attainers within sets. Although this often results in lower attainers doing well, it also often results in higher attainers doing the same work easily. As a result, although they achieve satisfactorily, some can sometimes be seen ‘taking it too easy’. Teachers usually have clear lesson objectives, have effective mental arithmetic sessions and use mathematical language well. They use questioning techniques well to engage pupils’ problem solving strategies. In lessons, they assess how well different groups are learning but there is less focus on eliciting how well individuals make gains in their skills, knowledge and understanding. There is limited evidence that teachers evaluate how well different pupils have achieved in short-term planning. Marking is satisfactory in showing correct or wrong answers, but it does not often offer advice on

p.25

Commentary

improvement. Teachers set targets for pupils, but both these and the ample assessment data are not used effectively enough to ensure all pupils make the very best rates of progress they can. Many teachers use small whiteboards at the beginning of lessons so that all pupils can be involved in writing their answers. This is a useful way of assessing pupils’ understanding, but teaching assistants are not always asked to be involved enough in carpet sessions, particularly in assessing pupils' progress and recording what is learnt.

p.25

Commentary

63. Leadership and management of mathematics are satisfactory. Self-evaluation by the managers of the school has been realistic and there is a powerful determination through the school to use its revised targets rigorously to achieve improvement. Heath Primary School - 26

p.25

Mathematics across the curriculum

64. The basic skills of numeracy are taught soundly in all years. Nevertheless, more focus is required in enabling pupils to have planned opportunities to use their wider mathematical skills and accelerate learning. Although dates and timelines are used in history, map co-ordinates in geography, measuring is used in design and technology and there is use of graphs in science topics related to travel, for instance, such opportunities are not yet developed sufficiently rigorously across the curriculum.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are average by the end of Year 2 and above average by the end of Year 6. • Achievement is satisfactory in Years 1 to 4 and good in Years 5 and 6, though higher attaining pupils are not challenged enough. • The quality of teaching and learning is good overall; it is rather stronger in the upper junior years than elsewhere. • The curriculum is rich and exciting and there is good emphasis on investigation and problem solving. • Leadership and management are effective and have brought sustained improvement to science.

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Commentary

65. Standards are average by the end of Year 2 and above average by the end of Year 6. This is a slightly improved picture to that found last time the school was inspected. In infant classes, science knowledge is developed well and pupils show a good knowledge of basic scientific facts. However, skill level is less pronounced, particularly that of neat and well-presented writing of the outcomes of investigations and other work. To some degree this continues in the junior years, though some good work in Year 6, especially, overcomes most of the shortcomings. By the age of 11, knowledge, skill and understanding are more closely matched and standards are above average.

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Commentary

66. Achievement is good overall and becomes more assured as pupils progress through the school. Enhancement will come as the higher attaining pupils in particular are more consistently challenged by the work. At present, planning does not identify the expectations staff hold of the higher attainers and much of the work set is similar for all attainment groups. In some parts of the school there is an over-use of worksheets with these pupils that holds back higher achievement because they are required to answer in a set way.

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Commentary

67. The quality of teaching in science is good overall. It is rather better in the juniors than in the infants, though there are strengths in both stages. In the mixed-age classes in Years 2 and 3 the work is not always sufficiently different in relation to pupils’ ages. In other respects, knowledge and confidence in the subject are good and teachers use a practical, hands-on approach that enthuses the pupils and ensures that learning is good. Pupils work productively and show that they can be well trusted to work independently and responsibly as they plan, conduct, observe and evaluate their science investigations and tests.

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Commentary

68. One of the chief assets of the good curriculum is the focus on practical investigation. The curriculum is well planned to balance the development of scientific enquiry skills and knowledge of life processes, materials and their properties and physical processes. There are good links to mathematics in science work, especially the collection, presentation and interpretation of data using graphs and charts. Strengthening links are being developed with ICT, though writing skills could be boosted more in the recording of outcomes. Heath Primary School - 27 69. Science has improved steadily since the previous inspection, with greatest advances made in the investigation and problem-solving strand. Assessment is a current priority for improvement, rightly so. The subject has a history of good management and leadership, which stands it in good stead for maintained improvement in the future.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision for ICT is good and is a strength of the school .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average through the school and achievement is good. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • The curriculum is well focused on the development of skills and knowledge and there are some very good links with other subjects. • The ICT manager gives good leadership and is enthusiastic, committed to improvement and hardworking.

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Commentary

70. One of the school’s main strengths is its provision for ICT. The quality of this has been improved well since the previous inspection and is now good across all strands of the subject, with several key strengths. Because pupils have regular, good quality learning experiences, they achieve well as they progress through the school and standards are above average in each year group. Pupils use ICT with confidence and in Years 5 and 6 they master more advanced features of professional software, such as presentation packages, with dexterity in producing good quality work.

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Commentary

71. Staff are confident, effective teachers of ICT. Some of the work is taught by teaching assistants who have very good expertise and contribute most successfully to the overall good quality of teaching and learning. ICT lessons are well paced, focused squarely on the development of knowledge, skills and understanding, and show good teaching methods. Staff insist on high standards of behaviour and the pupils respond fully to this expectation. Generally, pupils learn effectively. They work hard and produce good amounts of well set-out work. They work independently and collaboratively with considerable responsibility and show very good levels of initiative as they suggest approaches to tasks, such as when pupils in Year 5 selected a graduated colour background for the title slide of their presentation on the solar system. Lesson planning is not explicit enough about the expectations of higher attaining pupils in order to

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Commentary

ensure that the challenge seen in this lesson is uniform through the school.

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Commentary

72. The curriculum for ICT has been improved well and covers all strands of the subject. It has much richness, especially in its links to other subjects, and is of a very practical nature, which appeals to all pupils. In lessons, for example, boys and girls are equally well motivated and therefore their achievement is similar. Pupils with special educational needs are well provided for. They enjoy good support as they complete their tasks and they strive hard to keep up with other pupils. They also achieve well.

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Commentary

73. The ICT manager gives a good lead to the subject. She has worked very hard and effectively to produce a good quality scheme of work for the subject. She has also led developments in assessment well, thus giving rise to a system that has promise as a key tool in tracking the achievements of the pupils. Some work remains to complete this system, but the prospects for its future potential are good. The ICT manager has good appreciation of the qualities and areas for improvement within the subject because she is at the centre of teaching, learning and curriculum development. Whilst the monitoring of ICT is yet to be fully formalised, the subject leader is knowledgeable and a source of good support and advice for colleagues. Heath Primary School - 28

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

74. ICT pervades the curriculum for other subjects and so skills and knowledge are promoted effectively in ICT itself and in other subjects such as geography and history. Links with literacy are especially pronounced. Groups of lower attaining pupils regularly use the bank of computers off the main junior corridor to complete work linked to their literacy programme. They are very keen to use the Successmaker program to improve their spelling and numeracy skills and are supported well by the teaching assistants as they do so. In most year groups there is good evidence of the use of computers to organise and present mathematical data in graph and table form. In science, pupils use temperature sensors, for example, to effectively monitor changes as they occur. This work helps the growth of skill and understanding well in science and ICT.

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is sound and improving well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Although the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall, there are strengths within them. • Higher attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenged, especially in writing about their experiences in religious education. • The curriculum is good and has the potential to lead to good achievement. • Assessment, monitoring and evaluation of the subject have yet to become fully effective.

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Commentary

75. Religious education has been improved progressively since the previous inspection. The curriculum is a particular strength as it is focused carefully on the well-balanced development of learning about religion and learning from religion. The curriculum stems from very good guidance from the local education authority and is firmly rooted in the locally agreed syllabus.

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Commentary

76. Standards in religious education are average in all years. There are examples of above average knowledge and understanding in some years. For example, pupils in Year 1 have good understanding of people who help and care for them. They talk quite eloquently for their age about the caring, sharing qualities they appreciate and say how they can support and help their friends. Achievement is satisfactory through the school. Too little attention is given to the development of writing in religious education that could accelerate the progress being made. In some years, for example Year 4, there is a heavy use of worksheets. Whilst most of these are of good quality, their continual use limits achievement, especially for the higher attaining pupils, because ideas and knowledge have to be set down in given ways. There is not enough writing at length and in depth about religious education topics.

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Commentary

77. The subject is taught soundly and learning is satisfactory. Teachers’ subject knowledge and confidence is satisfactory overall. Planning is sound, but the expectations of the higher attainers are not identified clearly and very similar work is set for each group of pupils. The methods used are often good. There are opportunities for pupils to talk together, suggest their own approaches to tasks and to spend time reflecting on the significance of their learning. In these ways, religious education makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education. The pupils respond well to religious education lessons and they are industrious and well-focused learners.

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Commentary

78. The basic building blocks for effective religious education provision are in place. The curriculum is a strength and the commitment and effort of the subject leader are good. Assessment is currently low-key. It is linked to key skills and knowledge, but its use is inconsistent across the Heath Primary School - 29 school. Monitoring and evaluation, which are currently satisfactory, have yet to be enhanced to a level that can help school managers build on the areas needy of improvement and to consolidate the strengths of provision. There is good potential for religious education to become a strength of the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• At the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 pupils are achieving above average standards. • Teaching is good and enables pupils to achieve well. • Pupils have very positive attitudes to geography. • ICT is well used to develop geographical skills. • The new subject leaders are well tuned into where curriculum innovation is needed.

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Commentary

79. Standards in geography at both the end of Year 2 and when pupils leave the school at the end of Year 6 are above average. No judgement on standards was made at the time of the last inspection. Achievement is good and pupils develop both their geographic knowledge and their enquiry and research skills well.

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Commentary

80. Standards are above average because the school provides a progressive geography curriculum, which is well linked to other curriculum areas such as history and ICT. Teaching and learning are successful because teachers take the trouble to develop geographical skills of enquiry and interrogation in addition to the provision of geographical facts. Pupils in Years 2 and 3, for example, are encouraged to identify buildings of interest in Kesgrave by both walking the area and locating them on ordnance maps. Resources have been carefully chosen to enable the pupils to trace a route and give left and right instructions to enable someone else to follow it with confidence. Changes in the local area are noted by examination of maps from the 1970s. One 8-year old boy had an unusual way of describing how to get to the local stadium when looking at his map and told inspectors – ‘Go down Bell Lane to the bottom, and then go in the

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Commentary

phone box (marked) and ring them up to find out the rest of the way!’

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Commentary

81. Good opportunities are given to pupils through geographical outings to places like local beaches and Felixstowe. Pupils in Year 5 also have a good knowledge of the local environment and offer a wide variety of opinions on coastal erosion, pollution and local industries, supermarkets, pubs, fishermen and lighthouse keepers. Pupils in Year 6 enjoy a residential weekend where geography is one of several curricular activities to take place.

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Commentary

82. Leadership and management in geography are effective and the two new subject leaders who have recently been appointed have a good grasp of where further curricular improvement lies. They are set to make good use of monitoring and evaluation. Geography in the school makes a good contribution to the cultural education of its pupils and has good potential to remain a strength of the school in the future.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average in Years 2 and 6 and achievement is good. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • History is a well-led subject. Heath Primary School - 30

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Commentary

83. The good curriculum for history ensures that all pupils receive a steady and consistent level of provision. This enables them to build skills and knowledge well. The subject is popular with staff and pupils alike. Standards are above average and pupils make good progress. Achievement is good across the school. This is an improvement since the previous inspection when progress was reported to be satisfactory. Pupils develop a good sense of chronology and they are well informed of key events and people in the topics they study. They discuss knowledgeably and, to lesser extent, write about similarities and differences, for example, between Saxon and modern Suffolk. Pupils use historical sources and artefacts well and, for example, pupils in Year 5 enjoyed being archaeologists as they dug to discover about the past and how people lived.

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Commentary

84. The teaching of history is good. Staff have good subject knowledge, use motivating approaches to the work and use resources effectively to promote learning. Lesson planning and expectations of higher attainers could be improved. They are satisfactory, but much of the work is exactly the same for pupils in different attainment groups. Teachers insist on high standards of behaviour and the use of teaching assistants is very good. Pupils learn well. They build knowledge, skills and understanding well and complete good amounts of work. In some instances, however, the amount of written work is insubstantial and does not reflect the systematic development of writing skills enough. However, there are some good links to ICT that enhance pupils’ learning. Pupils work very effectively, whether independently, collaboratively or under the watchful eye of the teacher.

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Commentary

85. The subject leader, who is fairly new to the job, is providing effective leadership and management. The capacity to make the necessary improvements to assessment, monitoring and evaluation in order to ensure all pupils achieve at best possible levels is good. History has good potential to remain a strength of the school in the future.

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Main strengths and weakness

• Standards in art and design are above average across the school. • The good quality of pupils’ art and design work is celebrated and achievement is given a high profile in display. • Teaching is of good quality. • Leadership and management are both good.

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Commentary

86. The well-planned curriculum provides good opportunities for pupils to develop their artistic and creative skills using a wide range of media. As a result of the good quality of teaching, pupils are now achieving standards that are above average by the end of Years 2 and 6. This marks good improvement since the last inspection.

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Commentary

87. In Year 1, pupils engage in observational drawings using the work of Van Gogh as a focus. They reproduce the painting entitled The Bedroom accurately, using oil-based pastels skilfully. Paying good attention to detail and colour is the result of the teacher’s use of questions to focus their attention on the picture to ensure that they notice every detail. In Year 3, pupils explore ideas using a story as a starting point. They produce very effective and imaginative work, again using oil based pastels, based upon the Hippocrump poem. Creative effects are produced using different colours for each feature, with some very imaginative results. Heath Primary School - 31 88. Pupils’ art and design work is on display all around the school, demonstrating the wide range of experiences provided and the quality of work produced often in response to the work of well-known artists. There is evidence of skilful brushstrokes to create effect; printmaking

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Commentary

based on Indian and African themes; observational drawing and collage; three-dimensional work, including sculptures using modroc clay; and links with other curriculum areas including parchment work representing aspects of Ancient Egyptian life - all of good quality. ICT is used very effectively to support art and design, from the youngest pupils' use of paint programmes to the very high quality work produced in the style of Andy Warhol. Pupils’ work reflects the good range of worthwhile experiences provided through the curriculum that enables pupils to achieve above average standards.

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Commentary

89. Leadership and management are effective in ensuring that the art curriculum is accessible to all in school and that resources of good quality are available to support the work. The subject leader is influential in enabling art and design to be linked across the subjects and to reflect the work of different cultures.

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Design and technology

Provision in design technology is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are average and reflect sound teaching and learning. • The curriculum is well-planned to provide a range of worthwhile design and making experiences. • Pupils are not yet carrying out regular evaluations of their work and this is a shortcoming.

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Commentary

90. Standards in design and technology are average. Pupils’ achieve satisfactorily in most respects. This is a similar picture to the time of the previous inspection.

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Commentary

91. Pupils have a range of worthwhile experiences to help develop their designing and making skills to a satisfactory standard. For example, in Year 1, pupils cut out and fasten together teddy bears, choosing from a variety of fastenings, so that their teddies can successfully move. In Year 2, pupils carry out useful research of vegetables in order to plan how they will use them to make the best soup for young children. They produce a satisfactory plan detailing the processes they will follow in order to make their soup. Year 3 pupils work well to make original Moving Monsters powered by syringes that can flex their jaws. Year 5 pupils work effectively to produce a storyboard of instructions to use when they make a cam-operated toy. They examine a number of manufactured toys to consolidate their learning and design their toy to attach to the cam box. In Year 6, pupils usefully build on earlier work and develop a set

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Commentary

of instructions, including a list of materials, for the design of a shelter offering protection from the outside elements. They think about the structure and are aware of the materials and shapes that are the strongest and most flexible. They are very alert to the need for the structures to be fit for purpose. Pupils are not yet carrying out regular evaluations of their work and this is a shortcoming.

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Commentary

92. Teaching and learning are satisfactory throughout the school. Teachers are confident in their subject knowledge and provide good quality resources together with useful guidance to help pupils to record their plans and instructions. There are good opportunities for pupils to engage in discussion and to work collaboratively on their projects. Lessons are well planned and pay attention to the systematic development of design and technology processes.

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Commentary

93. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The curriculum is fully in place in accordance with the national guidelines, although assessment procedures are in the early stages of development. The weakness of the subject is that only limited attention is paid to enabling Heath Primary School - 32 pupils to evaluate the effectiveness of their work. The school is aware of this omission and has plans in hand to make improvement.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are good in singing and composition by the end of Year 6. • The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall and better than it was at the last inspection. • There are good opportunities provided in which pupils learn to play a range of instruments, though parents have to pay for peripatetic lessons. • Leadership and management are effective and the co-ordinator is well supported by the senior staff of the school.

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Commentary

94. By the end of Year 6 pupils’ standards are good in singing and composition of their own music. Standards in other areas of the music curriculum are satisfactory. Pupils enjoy singing together. In assemblies and singing practices they take care to sing in tune with the piano, listen carefully to the melody and demonstrate a good sense of rhythm and dynamics. Pupils control the volume of their singing well, showing the care and attention given to providing a pleasing performance from well-organised practice sessions.

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Commentary

95. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, with some pockets of good practice. Good teaching is characterised by clear planning, built on a careful assessment of pupils’ work. In all classes, pupils are given opportunities to comment on their own and other pupils’ performances. When doing so, they are sensitive to their peers’ feelings and make sensible and thoughtful comments. Pupils take full advantage of the good opportunities to use and further develop their musical skills in choirs, through peripatetic lessons, the opportunity to learn the recorder and to take part in class productions for their parents and other members of the community.

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Commentary

96. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The subject leader has put together a good quality curriculum which is subject to frequent review to ensure it is appropriate to meet the needs of all pupils. As a result, in lessons and extra-curriculum activities, pupils generally work with enthusiasm and enjoyment on all activities. In singing lessons and choir practices, for instance, they know that the songs they are learning now will be used in assemblies and public performances in the future. For these the co-ordinator settles pupils well with a range of warm up activities, makes a prompt start and maintains a brisk pace. A good singing role model, she gives pupils the opportunity to learn to pitch accurately against a piano accompaniment. The school has a good range of instruments to support the work within the school and these are subject to frequent review to ensure that they are appropriate, relevant and safe to use.

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Physical education

Provision for physical education is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils reach standards which are average overall and their achievement is satisfactory. • The standards achieved in swimming are above average. • Provision of extra-curricular sports clubs is very good. • Teaching and learning are satisfactory and occasionally good.

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Commentary

Heath Primary School - 33 97. Standards in physical education are average overall. Standards are above average in swimming by the end of Year 6. Pupils receive effective tuition both in their own learner pool in the summer term and at a nearby pool during the rest of the year. The achievement of all pupils is satisfactory in dance, gymnastics and games and good in swimming.

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Commentary

98. Teaching and learning are generally satisfactory. Good teaching and learning was observed in a few lessons when teachers set a good level of challenge for pupils of different capabilities, had high expectations for pupils’ learning and encouraged pupils to verbally evaluate their performance rather than do it all for them. Some teachers do not involve their teaching assistants enough in their physical education lessons to assist learning.

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Commentary

99. A strength of the subject is the high number of opportunities pupils are given for extra curricular clubs. Pupils in all age groups participate effectively in a number of sports and clubs are well attended by both girls and boys. As in all their involvement in physical education, pupils are enthusiastic, enjoy their opportunities, try hard to improve and work very co-operatively in small and large groups.

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Commentary

100. Physical education resources are good. They include two spacious, well-maintained halls and large playground and field areas in very good condition, in addition to the learner pool. The leadership and management of physical education are satisfactory. A very useful evaluation of physical education provision, with clear targets for how standards can be improved, has been prepared by the subject leader. This vision for the future combined with the school’s physical resources leaves the school well placed to take the achievement of pupils to a higher level.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision for personal, social and health education is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school is a happy and very caring community in which all pupils are given equal status and show tolerance and respect for one another. • Pupils are making gains in their knowledge about how to keep safe and healthy because of the school’s good approaches and grow as responsible future citizens.

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Commentary

101. Personal, social and health education is very well provided for. The very good role models provided by staff and governors support positively the very good relationships so evident in school. Personal, social and health education lessons often focus upon a theme that supports pupils’ personal, including moral and social development, for example, challenging stereotypes, avoiding risks and coping with peer pressure. Circle Times 2 are used effectively for the youngest children to consider what it means to be special and how everyone is special in some way. Pupils’ cultural development is appropriately supported through a variety of experiences; for example, pupils in Year 5 have researched Ancient Cairo and have identified the differences and similarities in life, customs and faith compared with that found in Cairo today.

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Commentary

102. The school pays good attention to health awareness aspects. Younger pupils benefit from fruit provided daily and are learning about the need for a good diet to keep them healthy and mentally alert. They learn about keeping safe in the playground and when out in the community, for example the need for road safety. Older pupils devise school and class rules and act as playground buddies and first aid helpers at break and lunchtimes. An ICT enrichment day with

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Commentary

2 Circle Time – when younger pupils sit together and share thoughts and feelings or talk about things that are important to or concern them. It is agreed by all pupils that no interruptions should occur and only one person at a time will speak. Respect for other pupils' views will occur at all times and therefore pupils feel confident that they can talk with ease and free from any form of interference or interruption from other children. Heath Primary School - 34 other local schools helps prepare pupils in Year 6 for the rapidly changing world they will move into and help them make life choices. Good attention is paid to sex and drugs education and a range of visitors, such as the nurse, share their expertise and offer guidance. All of these experiences support positively the good education enjoyed by the pupils at Heath Primary School. Heath Primary School - 35

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PART D SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 3 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). When judging standards- 1 is very high, 2 - well above average; 3 – above average; 4 – average; 5 – below average; 6 – well below average; 7-very low.

p.35