Kenmore Park Infant and Nursery School

KENMORE PARK FIRST SCHOOL

Headteacher: Mrs Rutinderjit Mahil-Pooni

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KENMORE PARK FIRST SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 15–18 September 2003

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KENMORE PARK FIRST SCHOOL

Inspection number: 256588 Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Kenmore Park First 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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KENMORE PARK FIRST 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. Kenmore Park First School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: First School School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3–8 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 307

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Moorhouse Road Kenton Harrow Middlesex Postcode: HA3 9JA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 020 8204 8759 Fax number: 020 8905 0368

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of Chair of Governors: David Maurice

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 22 June 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This is an urban school with 307 pupils, including 52 part-time pupils taught in the Nursery. Around 41 per cent of pupils have English as an additional language, which is very high, and 90 per cent of the pupils come from minority ethnic groups, which is also very high. The school has 50 refugee pupils. Mobility of pupils entering and leaving the school during the course of each year is very high, with 22 per cent of the school population changing. This turnover is increasing. The percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals, 27.5, is above average. 22 per cent of pupils are on the register of special educational needs. This is broadly average. Four per cent of pupils are identified as having either moderate learning difficulties or emotional and behavioural difficulties and 1.8 per cent of pupils have a Statement of Special Educational Needs, which is in line with the average for schools around

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

the country. Attainment on entry to the school is very low. Kenmore Park First School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

22229 Roger Brown Lead inspector Science Information and communication technology Geography History 9079 Ann Moss Lay inspector 18370 Kevin Johnson Team inspector English Art Music Special educational needs 5565 Bimla Thakur Team inspector Religious Education Foundation Stage English as an additional language 32021 Andrew McLean Team inspector Mathematics Design and technology Physical education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Kenmore Park First 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 13

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Kenmore Park First School provides a satisfactory level of education for the pupils it serves. As a result of sound teaching, most pupils attain the expected standards in mathematics and science by the time they leave the school at the end of Year 3. In classes, where teaching is consistently very good and at times outstanding, pupils’ learning develops rapidly. The school’s ethos is very strongly inclusive, embracing all cultures and it has very good links with parents and the community it serves. The headteacher provides very good leadership and, along with the governors, has a clear vision for the school’s future improvement. The school provides satisfactory value for money .

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• The relationships in the school are very good and pupils behave very well. • Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very positive, they want to do well and they like school. • Standards in English are below the expected level and this depresses standards in other areas of the curriculum. • The deployment and organisation of the teaching staff are unwieldy, making management of the curriculum difficult and slowing the pace of change. • Teachers rely too heavily on commercial schemes for planning work in the core subjects and information gained from assessment of pupils is not yet used effectively to plan teaching to meet their particular needs. • The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good and very good in the Nursery ensuring a good start to their education.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The improvement in the school since the last inspection five years ago is satisfactory . There are no longer any significant weaknesses in any areas of teaching. Standards in information and communication technology are now at least satisfactory and often better. Assessment structures are now in place, but class teachers are not yet using these effectively to further improve teaching and learning.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests and tasks. compared with: Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

reading C D D C well above average above average A B writing B D D C average below average C D mathematics A B C B well below average E

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievement is good throughout the school. Most pupils entering the school start well below expected levels, but by the time they leave in Year 3 most are close to or at the expected level. From their starting point in the Nursery children achieve well and make significant progress towards the goals children are expected to reach by the end of Reception. However, standards are still below those expected by the time they leave the Foundation Stage for most children. Pupils in Key Stage 1 have good levels of achievement. Standards in reading and writing are below the national average , but in line with standards in similar schools, standards are in line with the national average in mathematics and science , and above those for similar schools. Pupils in the first year Kenmore Park First School - 7 of Key Stage 2, Year 3, also achieve well; standards are in line with those expected in mathematics and science, but few pupils attain higher than expected levels. Standards in English

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

In this multi-racial school, there is a very strong and successful emphasis on all pupils knowing right from wrong. Pupils care for each other effectively and show respect for other people, and their environment. Pupils’ spiritual development is good, but is not yet as well developed as their moral, cultural and social development, which are very good . Pupils’ attitudes are very good; they enjoy school and they want to learn, and staff’s high expectations of their behaviour are seen throughout the school and at all times in the school day. Attendance at the school is satisfactory and although attendance rates are below the national average, the school works hard to promote improvements.

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The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory. The overall quality of

teaching in the school is satisfactory. Teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage is good and at least satisfactory throughout the rest of the school. In some classes and lessons there is outstanding practice. In these lessons pupils do not want the lesson to end.

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The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory. The overall quality of

The curriculum provision is satisfactory . The school provides a broad range of learning opportunities across all areas of the curriculum. The range and quality of learning for children in the Foundation Stage are good. Care, guidance and support and partnerships with parents, other schools and the community are all very good. These aspects of the school are real strengths. Pupils feel secure and well cared for and have very high levels of trust in the staff. The induction and transfer arrangements are very good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good . The leadership of the headteacher is very strong; she has a clear vision of where and how she wants the school to improve. Governors provide good support to the school. However, complex staffing arrangements and an underdeveloped role for curriculum co-ordinators make it hard for other staff to lead and innovate. The overall workload among staff is uneven, and deployment is complex, making it hard for the school to make best use of the systems it has in place and for these to work effectively.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents: Parents hold the school in high regard, but would like the school to have more resources to extend and improve the work it does. Pupils: Pupils like the school; they feel safe, secure and happy. They have a very good understanding of staff’s expectations of them and try hard to match these expectations.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Improve the standards of education for all pupils by giving more emphasis to developing key learning skills, particularly in English. • Make better use of teachers’ assessment information to inform day-to-day planning and thereby tailor the curriculum to meet the particular needs of the pupils. • Review the staffing structure in the school to improve the continuity and progression of the teaching and develop the role of the curriculum co-ordinators to ensure more effective leadership and management. Kenmore Park First School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

1. Achievement overall is good, and good at each stage of the school: Foundation, Years 1 and 2 and in Year 3. Standards in the core subject of English are below average at Key Stage 1, but average in mathematics and science. Standards at Key Stage 2 are still below average in English, but are in line with the national average in mathematics and science.

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

2. Attainment on entry to the school is well below that normally found. Attainment at the end of Reception has risen, but is still below that expected at the start of compulsory schooling. Many children have not attained the Early Learning Goals 1 by the age of five. This is similar to the situation at the time of the last report.

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

3. The results of the 2002 national assessments for pupils in Year 2 show a similar picture to the standards noted in the last report. Only in reading is there any drop in standards. At the time of the last report, reading results were above the national average, whereas now they are slightly below. In 2002, standards in reading and writing fell just below the national average, but they were in line with the results for similar schools. Standards in mathematics were in line with the national average and above those for similar schools. Provisional results for 2003 confirm this picture.

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2002 2

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Standards in: School results National results reading 15.3 15.6

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

4. The school has a very high turnover of pupils, significantly higher than is experienced by the majority of first and infant schools. Many of the pupils joining the school, at whatever stage or year group, struggle to speak and listen in English, which is usually not their mother tongue. This high level of diverse language needs in the school depresses standards generally. For instance, pupils’ limited capacity to use and apply the language of mathematics in their day-to- day experiences restricts their achievement in the subject. In science, despite having a good understanding of the scientific facts taught, many have limited skills of independent investigation and enquiry. They find it difficult to discuss what they have learned, or to question ideas and concepts. In national tests, results at the higher levels of the National Curriculum remain depressed. Language difficulties often persist into Year 3. Considering their prior

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

attainment, pupils for whom English is an Additional Language (EAL) make good progress, particularly those who get targeted support from the specialist language support teachers. Pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) have good levels of achievement. They make good progress, benefiting from the extra support from teaching assistants when

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

1 The Early Learning Goals are a set of skills, knowledge and understanding that children might be expected to achieve by the age of five in six areas of learning: language and literacy; mathematics; knowledge and understanding of the world; creative development; physical development and personal and social development. 2 All levels of the National Curriculum are awarded a point score. The average for all pupils taking the test is used to grade schools in each year. The expected average points at age seven is 15. Tables are adjusted to reflect the national average score before grading, The grades are shown in the summary. Kenmore Park First School - 9 this is available. Good Individual Education Plans, specific to the needs of individuals and reviewed regularly, support this progress. Parents are kept fully informed about their children and their conscientious support for the school reinforces the good work done in school.

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

5. The following tables compare attainment at the time of the last inspection and comment upon the reasons for change.

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Attainment at age five Attainment in 1998 as measured against the desirable outcomes Current judgements for 2003 as measured against the early learning goals Children’s achievement in relation to their prior attainment Comments

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Personal and social development Close to the expected level

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very good

progress from the time they start at the school, achieving better than expected standards by the time they enter Year 1 Communication, language and literacy Close to the expected level

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expectations

Considering the starting points for many children

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good

Mathematical development Close to the expected level

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good progress

from very low starting points Knowledge and understanding of the world Below average Below

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ICT

Lack of experience limits the achievements of many children, but they make good progress in this area, especially

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with ICT

Physical development Close to the expected level

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expectations

The enhanced outdoor provision is a benefit and children make good progress in this area Creative development Close to the expected level In line with expectations Children are encouraged to achieve well in this area and they make good

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progress

Language difficulties have a significant impact on standards and the progress made in all areas of learning. The proportion of children without English as their mother tongue has continued to grow since the time of the last inspection. The good and often very good quality of the teaching goes a long way to overcome the difficulties children experience Kenmore Park First School - 10 Attainment at age seven Attainment in 1998 measured in national assessments Current judgements for Pupils’ achievement in relation to prior attainment Comments

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progress

Reading Above average Below average Pupils make

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good progress

when they start compulsory education. Pupils’

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good

Writing Below average Below average Progress is good , and achievement in the basic skills is good. Few pupils write at length, or are confident to express their ideas in writing The school’s rightful emphasis on teaching basic skills is having an impact on raising standards. Most pupils achieve at or very close to the national average, but too few are achieving above that level and this holds down the overall level of attainment

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achievement is

good compared to their attainment at the start of compulsory schooling The school’s work on developing key skills is targeting the needs of pupils effectively and more pupils have achieved higher levels of attainment during the current year Science No judgement - teacher assessment only: average

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good progress

since starting compulsory schooling and their

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good

Many pupils are working at the required level, but lack of scientific enquiry restricts higher levels of attainment

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good

Information and communication technology No national assessments but attainment judged to be below national expectations

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achievement is

good , especially in specific lessons in the subject The improvement since the last inspection is a notable success of the school

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achievement is

Religious education No national assessment but attainment judged to meet the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus

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agreed syllabus

Pupils make good progress in this subject Pupils listen attentively, and share their diverse backgrounds and experience well Kenmore Park First School - 11 6. As a result of their low starting point, pupils’ literacy skills are unsatisfactory, even by the time they leave in Year 3. This limits the standards that can be obtained in subjects such as science, history, geography and religious education. The school is working hard to develop pupils’ basic literacy skills, but does not make best use of opportunities in other subjects to extend and develop pupils’ writing or their library skills. Numeracy skills are satisfactory and as a result of targeting specific groups of pupils this year more pupils have achieved higher levels of success.

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agreed syllabus

7. Standards in art and many aspects of information communication technology (ICT) are above national expectations at all ages. Restricted use of ICT across other subjects is holding back pupils’ potential achievements in ICT overall. In all other subjects where a secure judgement is possible, pupils’ knowledge and understanding are in line with national expectations at age seven and at the point when they leave the school in Year 3.

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agreed syllabus

8. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support and as a result they achieve satisfactorily in relation to their prior attainment. Potentially higher-attaining pupils do not achieve as well as they could do as teachers do not plan sufficient development opportunities into their lessons for these pupils, or challenge and extend their thinking.

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agreed syllabus

9. The most significant fact about the attainment of pupils is that those pupils who start in the school and stay throughout the five years are making very good progress and are confident in their own success.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

This aspect is a particular strength of the school. Pupils’ attitude to school, their relationships with each other and with adults and their behaviour in class and around school are all very good . The way they show respect and appreciation for their own and others’ cultural backgrounds is exemplary , as also is the way the oldest pupils take responsibility for being leaders in a community. The provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is very good overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils respect their own cultural background and the traditions and cultures of others. • The school sets high standards for pupils’ conduct and works hard to ensure that they achieve these. • The school involves the pupils in taking responsibility for themselves and others. • The school successfully nurtures and develops the pupils’ self-esteem and their confidence. • Very good adult relationships within the school are mirrored by the quality of relationships between the pupils and between the pupils and adults. • Levels of attendance have fallen below the national average and despite the efforts and, encouragement of the staff some parents fail to ensure that their children attend school regularly.

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Attendance

10. Attendance is satisfactory . Although the attendance rates are below the national average and have decreased over the past year, most pupils attend regularly and arrive on time. The school promotes good attendance, but there is a high mobility rate and an increasing number of pupils are being taken out of school in term-time for extended holidays. The school is aware of the pupils who are most likely to be absent and does its best to improve the attendance Kenmore Park First School - 12 rates. The tables below shows the attendance figures for the school and the fact that there have been no exclusions from the school. Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (93.7%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 6.3 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

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 24 0 0 White – Irish 2 0 0 White – any other White background 4 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 9 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 2 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 3 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 3 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 103 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 4 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 2 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 25 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 5 0 0 Black or Black British – African 23 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 1 0 0 Any other ethnic group 11 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 1 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Exclusions

11. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good . All pupils are encouraged to be proud of their own religious beliefs and they are confident when they express their views. Teachers actively encourage pupils’ self-esteem by valuing their ideas and viewpoints. Pupils enjoy school, and show this by revelling in the opportunity to share their enthusiasm with adults. Pupils in Year 3 talked animatedly about the display of different religious artefacts on the main school corridor. They eagerly identified objects representing their own beliefs, but actively encouraged their friends to explain the significance of their own particular icons. They listened well to each other and delighted in identifying common themes. Collective worship meets statutory requirements; pupils are encouraged to be reflective and thoughtful. There are good opportunities planned for pupils to learn about and share in the celebrations of other faiths.

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Exclusions

Kenmore Park First School - 13 12. Provision for pupils’ moral development is very good . The staff, non-teaching staff as well as teachers, actively teach the difference between right and wrong. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is consistently very good. The pupils watch with interest the very good example of the middle school pupils, who share the site with them. The very good relationship between the two schools fosters this approach. Middle school pupils are encouraged to help and support the play and activities of the first school pupils at appropriate times. Older pupils in the first school are responsible for the younger pupils on the playground and take this role very seriously. Much thought and effort has been put into the development of the playground and the activities that take place there. Pupils have raised money and helped to plan the recently installed equipment. Staff have received training and support in managing behaviour and are

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Exclusions

constantly seen to be reinforcing values of honesty, fairness and respect for others. Pupils and their parents comment that the headteacher’s presence about the school and on the playground sets a clear lead that others follow.

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Exclusions

13. Provision for pupils’ social development is very good . All adults in and around the school are very good role models. Pupils see adults caring for each other and the school environment. Pupils have responsibilities; several have an active role in the playground committee, and others have tasks and roles at every playtime. Pupils from different ethnic backgrounds, boys and girls all play together well and care for one another. It is noticeable that there is no rush to leave the school at the end of the day. Parents and children remain around the site for some time talking and socialising, with children of all ages playing well together. At present, there are no opportunities for pupils to experience time together in a residential setting, although all year groups take pupils out to visit places of interest at appropriate times during the school year.

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Exclusions

14. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is very good . Pupils in this culturally diverse school happily learn about and appreciate their own and other cultures. Pupils’ home languages are displayed throughout the school. In the Nursery, children register and respond to the teacher in a variety of languages and not just their mother tongue or English. In geography and religious education lessons in Years 1 to 3 pupils are encouraged to talk about their home countries, their culture and their religious beliefs. Local British culture is celebrated, with planned visits to places of special interest. Groups from within and around the area come and talk to the pupils to reinforce relevant aspects of the curriculum. The school has successfully extended the cultural awareness of the pupils into a greater appreciation of the arts with a recent music week and an earlier art week.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

15. The school provides a satisfactory quality of education. Strengths include the provision for pupils with English as an additional language, aspects of teaching and the leadership of the headteacher. The contribution made by the school’s effective links with other schools and the good quality links with parents are also important. The most significant weaknesses are the ineffective use of assessment to guide teachers’ planning of the curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils and the unwieldy organisation of the teaching staff, which is a barrier to continuity and real progression within the curriculum.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning in the school is satisfactory . For children in the Foundation Stage teaching and learning are good . They are satisfactory overall in other classes in the school. The good teaching of pupils with EAL ensures that they learn well. Teachers in the Foundation Stage make good use of assessment to plan children’s future work. The use of assessment is not as effective in Years 1, 2 and 3, especially in the core subjects of English and mathematics, where a reliance on commercial schemes means that teachers do not always adapt what they are doing to meet the specific needs of pupils. Kenmore Park First School - 14

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage are good. Children achieve well. • Relationships are very good throughout the school. • Time is used effectively to keep pupils interested in their work. • Teachers maintain good order in classes. • There is too little investigative work in science and mathematics. • English and mathematics teaching relies too heavily on published schemes. • Planning for individual needs is not informed by clear on-going assessment.

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Commentary

16. Good teaching in the Foundation Stage ensures that children achieve well. Relevant and worthwhile activities are planned, which challenge children and stimulate their curiosity for learning. Personal, social and emotional development is taught particularly well, so that children become confident and self-reliant. Some outstanding teaching was seen in one lesson in the Nursery.

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Commentary

17. Throughout the school, very good relationships underpin pupils’ learning. Teachers and support staff show every respect for pupils. In return pupils work eagerly and strive to do their best. Pupils describe their teachers as being kind and helpful and appreciate that their ideas are valued.

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Commentary

18. Lessons begin promptly and pupils are fully engaged in learning activities throughout. In a science lesson, for example, there was a good balance of time between the teachers’ input and the practical work. Teaching was well focused so pupils had enough knowledge about insects as well as the time to complete the task successfully. Extension work was planned to make sure those who finished first could be kept fully engaged in learning.

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Commentary

19. Pupils behave very well and respect one another because that is what teachers expect of them. Rare incidents of inattentiveness are dealt with quickly and sensitively so that very good relationships are maintained. Pupils approach work confidently in the knowledge that there is help when needed and that their efforts are always valued.

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Commentary

20. In literacy and numeracy lessons teachers do not always capitalise on pupils’ enthusiasm for learning. Too little opened-ended investigative work and discussion are planned and this tends to stifle the development of pupils’ ‘language for thinking’. Tasks are sometimes repetitive and do not extend pupils’ thinking sufficiently. The published resources used do not ‘dove-tail’ with pupils’ individual needs. In one literacy lesson, for example, the most able pupils were simply one of ‘the top group’ when clearly, with assessment and imaginative planning, much more could have been achieved.

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Commentary

21. Teaching and learning in ICT are good. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. One lesson seen in the ICT suite was outstanding due to the very good organisation and continuous assessment of pupils’ skills which enabled the teacher to introduce more challenge than was originally planned. Pupils made rapid progress in the lesson.

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Commentary

22. The teaching of art is also good. Pupils get off to a good start in the Foundation Stage, where basic skills and confidence are developed well. This is successfully increased in KS1 and KS2 classes because of teachers’ subject knowledge and their own confidence in this area. Good use of resources allows pupils to make imaginative choices about how their work will look. Pupils work with great care and patience and results are often better than might be expected for their age. Kenmore Park First School - 15 23. The school’s systems for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress are sound, having improved since the previous inspection. General targets are agreed by teachers as a result of analysing a range of assessment data. Teachers’ classroom assessments, however, are not used to plan for pupils’ individual needs. The quality and usefulness of marking is inconsistent and often does not challenge pupils to improve. Sometimes data passed on is not taken into

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Commentary

account by the receiving teachers so they are not fully aware of the attainment levels previously reached by individual pupils and consequently do not plan for them accordingly.

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Commentary

24. The quality of teaching and support offered by specialist language staff and special needs support is consistently good. The specialist support is based within classrooms, ensuring equality of access and opportunity for all pupils. The planning is shared between class teachers and the specialist staff on a regular basis, which helps pupils to make more sense of the activities that are offered. The use of visual stimuli aids pupils’ understanding of the main elements in a lesson. Assessment information is used well by the specialist staff to plan and modify the next stage of the work for individuals. Detailed records of progress are kept and used by teachers to note progress in English acquisition over a period of time. Those pupils with SEN are given thoughtful help by being given tasks that accurately meet their needs. Throughout the school, teachers provide good role models of the English language, and this

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Commentary

helps pupils to understand the structure of the English language. A number of teachers in the school, including the specialist staff, are bilingual, which is an added bonus. Pupils’ own languages are valued and their use encouraged in class, particularly where it helps them to understand new ideas and terms. Teachers offer good support to individual pupils with SEN, at times writing, or identifying ICT programs to match their needs.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 53 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 53 lessons

[2](4%) [6] (11%) [23](43%) [21](40%) [1](2%) [0](0%) [0](0%) 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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The curriculum

The quality of the curriculum is satisfactory . The range and quality of learning experiences provided for children in the Nursery and Reception are good , even better for children in the Nursery. Limited but satisfactory extra-curricular provision enriches the curriculum. The accommodation and quality and range of learning resources are satisfactory to support subjects of the curriculum. Provision is good in the Nursery and Reception to support all areas of learning.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The positive intervention strategies used ensure equal access and opportunity for all. • The provision for pupils with EAL is good; parents of children with EAL benefit from the Family Learning Programmes that are organised for parents. • Creative art, where language is not a barrier to learning, is a relative strength. • PSHE and citizenship have a high profile and are an important part of the school ethos. • The provision for younger children is a strength of the school, both indoor and outdoor areas of learning are well organised and resourced. • Schemes of work are not tailored to the needs of pupils, the commercially produced schemes being used do not allow this flexibility. • There is limited progress in developing the role of the curriculum co-ordinator to provide effective leadership in subject areas. Kenmore Park First School - 16 • Some elements of the curriculum are not given sufficient emphasis, for example, the use

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Main strengths and weaknesses

and application of knowledge and understanding in mathematics, science and ICT, and speaking and listening skills and writing in English. • The ICT Suite is well-equipped, but the restricted accommodation makes it awkward to use it with a class full of children, and it is not always conducive to learning.

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Commentary

25. The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum that meets the statutory requirements for pupils of all ages, including those of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. The quality and range of activities provided are satisfactory overall, with some good and some very good elements, especially in the Nursery and Reception classes. There is satisfactory improvement in the curriculum since the previous inspection. The curriculum is inclusive in nature and this is a strength of the school. There is equality of access and opportunity for all pupils as a result of the positive intervention strategies that are used. Programmes, such as ‘ALS’ (Additional Literacy Support) and ‘ELS’ (Early Literacy Support), are successful in helping to raise standards in literacy for the identified groups of pupils. Support teachers and assistants are suitably trained and provide a good level of support in making these

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Commentary

programmes successful. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been introduced successfully and have a high profile in the curriculum. A high proportion of the time is devoted to these subjects, although this is not reflected in improvement in standards in these areas. The school achieved a ‘Basic Skills Quality Mark’ in 2002.

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Commentary

26. There is good provision for pupils with EAL through EMAG (Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant), which caters well to meet the pupils’ diverse language and learning needs. Pupils are included well in lessons and there is good access to subjects of the curriculum for everyone. The Family Learning Programmes, facilitated by EMAG specialist staff, strengthen the curriculum further by helping the parents. There is some scope for extending the direct specialist input for the younger pupils, on a regular basis, so that language support is targeted where the need is greatest. The provision for pupils with SEN is good. They have good access to all areas of the curriculum with the thoughtful provision of specialist equipment when it is needed.

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Commentary

27. Creative art, where language is not a barrier to learning and only limited recording skills are needed, is a relative strength. Some elements of the curriculum are weaker, for example, the use and application of knowledge and understanding in mathematics and in science. The humanities curriculum lacks spark and does not motivate pupils sufficiently. ICT is a relative strength of the school and standards have much improved in this area since the last inspection. ICT has developed well as a discrete subject, but computers in the classroom are underused.

p.16

Commentary

28. The curriculum planning and policy documents have been revised since the last inspection, and many issues addressed. The planning, both long and short term, is shared between the parallel class teachers, and this ensures consistency of practice in planning for subjects in year groups. However, an over-reliance on commercial schemes means that curriculum planning fails to match pupils’ specific needs. The systematic development of pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding from the Nursery to Year 3 is not yet fully addressed.

p.16

Commentary

29. PSHE and citizenship have a high profile in the curriculum and are an important part of the school’s ethos. The school gives high importance to developing healthy eating habits and taking regular exercise. Even the youngest children in the school are aware of this. The school achieved Healthy Schools Accreditation in 2002. Formal talk is used consistently well to promote all aspects of PSHE; circle of friends and social skill groups are additional strategies applied to promote social skills and qualities of citizenship. Kenmore Park First School - 17 30. Provision for the younger children, in Reception and Nursery, is good. All areas of learning are promoted well through the indoor and outdoor areas, which are well organised and resourced. The school is working on developing further the planning of the outdoor curriculum to include all areas of learning. Teachers are experimenting how the available space, staff and resources

p.16

Commentary

can be best used. The library for the children in the Nursery is particularly inviting, and useful in encouraging them to take an interest in books and other stimuli.

p.17

Commentary

31. There is satisfactory enrichment of the curriculum through a small range of extra-curricular activities offered, mainly for pupils in Year 3, which from time to time includes sports, arts, football coaching and a recorder group. Regular visits are arranged to places of worship and all pupils have an end of year visit. All pupils have an opportunity to participate in a Christmas production and an annual sports day.

p.17

Commentary

32. There are satisfactory accommodation and learning resources to support adequately the subjects of the curriculum, including religious education. The accommodation and learning resources are good for the children in the Nursery and Reception classes. There are plans to develop a sheltered space outdoors so that play can take place throughout the year, regardless of the weather conditions. The recent playground improvements have helped to make playtimes more enjoyable for the pupils and developed their physical and social skills as well as a spirit of co-operation. The new Community Learning Room is proving useful for parents to meet others, to house the Toy Library, and run the Family Learning Programmes. The ICT Suite is well equipped, but the restricted accommodation makes it awkward to use with a class full of children and it is not conducive to learning. Attractive displays throughout the school create a positive learning environment for the pupils, parents and staff.

p.17

Care, guidance and support

The care, guidance and support for pupils are very good and greatly enhance pupils’ learning. Health and safety procedures are very good . Pupils feel secure and well cared for in school, and there are very good induction and transfer arrangements. Staff know the pupils very well and arrangements for assessing attainment and progress, although informal, are also very good . The school uses this information very well to provide well-targeted support, advice and guidance for its pupils.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils feel secure and well cared for in school. Pupils have good and trusting relationships with the staff. • There are very good induction and transfer arrangements. • School seeks pupils’ views by completing annual evaluation forms . • School provides opportunities for pupils to take responsibility. • There are very effective procedures for the protection of pupils in line with locally agreed child protection arrangements.

p.17

Commentary

33. Pupils are very well cared for by the staff. All pupils are valued and the school’s very good ethos promotes very good racial harmony. There are very good procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour and all staff make a significant contribution to providing a caring atmosphere and a safe and calm environment for all pupils, both in and out of lessons. Appropriate staff are fully up to date in aspects of first aid and in the training for child protection procedures.

p.17

Commentary

34. The arrangements for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are very good. The headteacher uses information gathered to provide well-targeted support, advice and guidance for all pupils. Kenmore Park First School - 18 35. Specialist teachers and support staff know the individual needs of pupils well and work collaboratively to cater for their needs. There is early identification of needs through timely assessment. Pupils are set clear targets for improvement. Language profiles are used well to maintain a record of progress. The school is working hard to provide pupils with staff who speak the most predominant home languages, and to have some access to the less common languages. There are a number of bilingual teachers and teaching assistants, who provide good role models for their pupils, which gives pupils a good sense of belonging in the school. There are good systems in place of induction for new pupils into the school. The ‘Buddy’

p.17

Commentary

system works well to meet their social and emotional needs. During inspection, one Tamil and French-speaking pupil, who had arrived a week earlier from Paris, was assessed on arrival by a Tamil speaking support teacher, and was being given a good level of support in English. The pupil is happy in the school and has settled very well. Likewise, a Somali support teacher works in the school for one day per week, giving pupils the necessary guidance and support to meet their specific needs.

p.18

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Partnership with parents, the local community and other schools is very good . This has a very positive impact on the achievement of pupils.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents hold the school in very high regard. • There are very good links with the community, especially through adult education support programmes, which make a very good contribution to learning. • Links with the Middle School are strong which aids the transfer process. • There is very good information given to parents, for example newsletters and information about the curriculum and topics. When necessary, information is given in different languages.

p.18

Commentary

36. Parents warmly praise what the school achieves. They value its caring attitudes and are very satisfied that their children make good progress. They are provided with very relevant information about the school and about the pupils’ standards. The school values and acts on parents’ views when appropriate and parents feel that the school deals effectively with any concerns or complaints. The partnership with parents is greatly enhanced by the adult education support programmes which contribute to the pupils’ learning at school and at home. These programmes are very popular with the parents. There are good links with Harrow College.

p.18

Commentary

37. There are regular opportunities for all parents to talk to teachers. The links with the Middle School are strong and the management arrangements for the shared premises work very well. These arrangements include very good mechanisms for the transfer of pupils. Induction processes for new children, including those who do not start at the beginning of the school year, are also very good. The very youngest children feel happy and secure when they join the Nursery and Reception classes and their parents are encouraged to stay to settle their children at the start of the day if necessary.

p.18

Commentary

38. Specialist teachers and support assistants establish close links with the parents of pupils with EAL. Parents are well supported through the Family Learning Programmes that are organised. Workshops are organised by the specialist staff, using good levels of resources, including dual language books, to support literacy and numeracy. This helps parents to have a better understanding of what is taught in these areas and a greater degree of participation Kenmore Park First School - 19 in their children’s work. Parents are gaining confidence in supporting their children at home and becoming more aware of how teaching and learning are organised in the school. The parents of pupils with SEN are kept fully informed about their children’s progress and are conscientious about attending review meetings for their children.

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good, although there are high points and lows within this judgement. Governance is good, as the governors have a clear understanding of what they want from the school and what they should do to support and encourage the staff in their work. The headteacher provides very good leadership, but the leadership of some key staff is unsatisfactory. Management is satisfactory; the headteacher and key staff manage well, but curriculum co-ordinators have a difficult task to monitor their subjects effectively and develop the potential of their subjects.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The very good leadership of the headteacher, which provides strong motivation for staff and pupils. • The leadership’s strong and successful commitment to creating an inclusive school where equality of opportunity is seen to be of paramount importance. • The induction of new staff is very successful; all staff reflect the strong sense of community that exists within the school. • The deployment of teaching staff is complex and unwieldy making management and innovation difficult.

p.19

Commentary

39. The headteacher and the deputy are both relatively recent appointments to the school. They have successfully maintained the strengths of the previous leaders identified in the last inspection report, whilst bringing rigour to systems and procedures that needed strengthening. They provide very good leadership to a dedicated and hard working staff who are committed to providing a high quality of education to all the pupils they serve. This is a key strength and ensures that the school has a very good capacity to succeed in bringing about future improvements. Alongside the newly developed systems and structures implemented by the headteacher, policies have been revised and important changes made to the curriculum co- ordinators’ role. All staff now have a role in the school’s development. While some provide good leadership and are clear about what is needed, others have yet to develop their roles.

p.19

Commentary

This is a difficult and complex issue in a school where over 60 per cent of the staff work on a part-time basis.

p.19

Commentary

40. The headteacher and key staff monitor and evaluate lessons effectively. The information gained is used to determine changes that are needed and identify performance management objectives and staff training needs. In turn, these support the school’s improvement planning process, which is now much clearer and more focused than was the case at the time of the last inspection when it was a key issue for improvement. The school improvement plan is now a strategic document; governors as well as staff are consulted appropriately on the priorities it identifies. The evaluation processes undertaken by the school are open and realistic about the strengths and weaknesses that exist. There is an ambition for the school to succeed and a recognition from the leadership that it needs to examine and introduce best practice procedures and techniques from elsewhere if standards are to rise across the curriculum.

p.19

Commentary

41. The governing body is clearly influential in the work of the school. It understands the strengths and weaknesses and what the school needs to do to improve. The governors properly ensure that the school fulfils all its statutory duties and actively campaign to bring about change and Kenmore Park First School - 20 improvement. The school’s recently renovated toilets are in part testimony to the long-term commitment of governors past and present to the welfare of the pupils. The governors’ promotion of policies in relation to disability, equality of opportunity and inclusion is one of the school’s many strengths. The governors are challenging about what can be improved as well as supportive about what the school does well. They are prepared to take difficult decisions where necessary and some are actively involved in monitoring their responsibilities, though, as yet, this does not cover all aspects of their role.

p.19

Commentary

42. The school’s success at promoting inclusion and equality of opportunity stems from a clear commitment and vision for what needs to be achieved in the community it serves. Improving provision for pupils with EAL is identified as a high priority area in the school improvement plan. As the co-ordinator for the provision is relatively new, the headteacher takes a leading role in strengthening this provision. The support programme is closely monitored by the headteacher and the pupils’ progress is tracked on a regular basis. The co-ordinator has good opportunities to attend in-service training on a regular basis and is knowledgeable. Underperformance of ethnic minority pupils is identified early through the tracking systems used. The potentially higher-attaining pupils with EAL are identified and class teachers informed so work can be geared to making more rapid progress. However, the follow up to this is not always effective.

p.20

Commentary

The monitoring lacks sufficient rigour to ensure pupils are challenged and at levels that will extend their achievement. The SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) manages her responsibilities well. The governor with a particular interest in SEN is very supportive of the school and regularly keeps in touch with the headteacher and SENCO to discuss provision and pupils’ progress.

p.20

Commentary

43. Staff deployment within the school is complex and unwieldy. The school has been successful for a number of years at retaining staff by offering flexibility of employment and now the school is to a degree the victim of its own success. With over 60 per cent of the staff working on a part-time basis, organisation of simple tasks such as holding a staff meeting where everyone is present is impossible without imposing on the goodwill of some. Knowing who should be present and who should be carrying out specific roles is increasingly difficult, despite the clear goodwill and flexibility of everyone. When this goes wrong, as it did in one lesson during the course of the inspection, pupils are left unsupported and existing staff struggling with a situation they have not planned for. Simply managing issues such as the appraisal of staff becomes ever more onerous and demanding of those in a leadership role. Far from

p.20

Commentary

encouraging a reduction in unnecessary administration and bureaucracy for the teachers the current situation in the school requires more. Many class responsibilities are split, leadership tasks are often shared, and these situations sometimes inhibit good leadership and management. Implementing innovation and change becomes harder in this situation and the danger is that staff stick with teaching and learning that are safe and comfortable rather than exciting and challenging.

p.20

Commentary

44. Financial management is good. The budgets are efficiently and systematically managed with no current surplus or deficit. The most recent audit had few criticisms; these were only of a minor nature and the issues have now been addressed. Spending is wisely planned and targeted at areas of need and development. The principles of best value are clearly understood and applied by the school in the recent major spending decisions. The school has worked well in partnership with the LEA and the middle school that shares the same site to get maximum value out of the limited budget available.

p.20

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.20

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 805,031 Balance from previous year 54,077 Kenmore Park First School - 21 Total expenditure 734,872 Balance carried forward to the next 124,236 Expenditure per pupil 2,142

p.20

EXAMPLES OF OUTSTANDING PRACTICE

Example of outstanding practice The start to the day, a period of sustained attentive listening and speaking for an ethnically diverse group of children, many with limited English some of whom are new starters. The staff warmly welcome the children as they arrive, quietly guiding them into the well-resourced and carefully prepared library area. A new child who shows some distress and who has only limited English, is encouraged to stay alongside his grandmother, allowing him to settle without further stress. The teacher welcomes each individual child and they respond in a variety of languages, not necessarily their mother tongue – French, English, Punjabi and others. As each child responds in turn the teacher praises and encourages their response.

p.21

EXAMPLES OF OUTSTANDING PRACTICE

As registration is completed the teacher gently leads them into the story session using the excellent resources from a story sack created by the Nursery team. The experienced children listen attentively and watch spell bound as the teacher takes them into the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The involvement of all the children quickly becomes total; they watch, listen and eagerly await the chance to take turns to hold the characters. As they become more and more absorbed the teacher encourages some to speak the words she has used and mime the role with the characters they hold. Lack of English is no barrier; all participate and the teacher praises good responses. From time to time the teacher involves them all in responding together, counting the bears or the chairs. When a new starter suggests that Goldilocks should try to mend the chair she has broken, the teacher praises this as a caring thoughtful idea.

p.21

EXAMPLES OF OUTSTANDING PRACTICE

Throughout the session the nursery nurse is quietly assessing and recording each child’s answers to accurately place them in appropriate groups for further development. For more than 15 minutes the group is captivated by this enriching language experience. The progress they make in acquiring the confidence to speak is extraordinary, whilst their understanding of simple English words and phrases is effortlessly enhanced and developed. A notable lesson, which finished with an audible sigh of disappointment from the children who would clearly have loved it to go on.

p.21

EXAMPLES OF OUTSTANDING PRACTICE

Example of outstanding practice A Year 1 lesson, part of a sequence, encouraging pupils’ independence in using the ICT suite to carry out specific tasks on the computers in a well planned and co-ordinated approach. Pupils move quietly from their classroom into the ICT suite. There is no fuss and minimum teacher direction. The teacher introduces the lesson objectives and encourages individual pupils to take the lead in recapping the previous lesson’s objectives on the demonstration computer.

p.21

EXAMPLES OF OUTSTANDING PRACTICE

The teacher uses lots of open-ended questioning to get individual pupils’ reflections on what they achieved previously. The teacher encourages all pupils, including those with limited English, to respond, using praise thoughtfully and accurately to confirm that they understand what they are doing.

p.21

EXAMPLES OF OUTSTANDING PRACTICE

When the class move to share a computer one between two they do so with a minimum of disruption. The teacher has carefully planned the seating to allow the pupils to co-operate productively. They turn on the equipment independently, confidently logging on to the computers, opening the appropriate program and following the screen instructions. Pupil-to-pupil discussions are carried out quietly and thoughtfully. They discuss the tasks they have been set, offering each other a variety of solutions. They are not distracted, even when things go wrong. If the teachers are not immediately available to support them they try out inventive solutions of their own devising. Their quiet confidence is such that many are able to exceed the initial objectives before the end of the lesson, but the teacher, who constantly assesses their needs, has more tasks to hand to further test and challenge those who finish quickly.

p.21

EXAMPLES OF OUTSTANDING PRACTICE

The teacher’s very good subject knowledge, excellent rapport with the pupils and high quality support ensure a highly successful session. Targets and thoughtful planning extends the more able as well as encouraging those with specific needs to gain success. A 40 minute lesson ends with pupils disappointed that they cannot stay longer. Kenmore Park First School - 22 Kenmore Park First School - 23

p.21

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

The provision for pupils with EAL is good.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The management of the provision is good. • The work of the specialist teachers in giving in-class support is very effective. • The purposeful links with parents of pupils with EAL and the community reinforce pupils’ success. • The quality of guidance and support for pupils is good. • The co-ordinator has not had the opportunity to share good practice with others through in- service training. • Specialist support for younger children is not available at the earliest stage, when they need it most.

p.23

Commentary

45. Pupils with EAL come from many diverse ethnic backgrounds. Pupils’ first languages include Gujerati, Somali and Tamil. There are 18 other languages spoken in the school. Support is offered through EMAG (Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant) to 60 per cent of the total school population. Of these, 33 per cent are at the early stages of English acquisition. In addition, there are 15 per cent of pupils newly arrived in the country. These pupils have widely varying degrees of learning and language needs and they receive additional support. Ten per cent of pupils with special educational needs speaking EAL are also on the EMAG register. An EMAG teacher works in the school for three days each week, and a Tamil and a Somali support teacher on one day each week.

p.23

Commentary

46. The school makes good use of a range of strategies to assess pupils’ needs; it targets these needs effectively with the support staff. The Nursery staff make very good use of a range of languages to encourage children of all backgrounds to enjoy communicating with each other and adults. This enhances their language skills very effectively. The school makes good use of the language skills of the staff to gauge pupils’ skills in their home languages. It also makes good use of the local authority’s support when outside help is needed for particular pupils.

p.23

Commentary

47. Pupils with EAL participate well in lessons. They are polite and show very good attitudes towards their learning. Their behaviour is very good in and out of class. They are keen to learn. Despite having some difficulty in expressing themselves clearly, they are enthusiastic about sharing their experiences with others. There are a number of bilingual staff in the school, who provide good role models for their pupils and give them a good sense of belonging in the school. There are good systems in place for induction of new pupils into the school. The ‘Buddy’ system works well to meet their social and emotional needs. During the inspection, one Tamil and French-speaking pupil, who had arrived a week earlier from Paris, was assessed by a Tamil speaking support teacher, and given a good level of support in English. The pupil is happy in the school and has settled very well.

p.23

Commentary

48. Improving provision for pupils with EAL is identified as a high priority area in the school improvement plan. The co-ordinator for the provision is relatively new, so the headteacher takes a role in strengthening the provision and closely monitors the pupils’ progress. The co- ordinator has good opportunities to attend in-service training and is knowledgeable. However, the co-ordinator’s role does not yet extend to sharing good practice. The provision for children with EAL is satisfactory in Reception and Nursery. In their first term in Reception, the EMAG support is targeted at parents through the Family Learning Programmes. This is proving effective. However, there is no direct language support for the children by specialist staff until the following two terms. Staff in Reception and Nursery try hard to give children with EAL more attention through modelling English language carefully during focused activities. This

p.23

Commentary

Kenmore Park First School - 24 helps them to gain a sound grasp of the language structure. Children follow instructions, but respond mainly using single words. The level of needs in the Foundation Stage is much greater than is recognised by the school. As a consequence, the full potential of the higher- attaining children is not identified early enough. Kenmore Park First School - 25

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

49. The improvement in the provision since the last inspection is good, particularly in the outdoor provision, which has extended the curriculum. There is good balance between adult and child- initiated activities. Children are used to selecting activities and they make good use of the outdoor areas. Children enter the Nursery part-time after their third birthday and enter the Reception classes either in September or in January after their fourth birthday. There are very good induction procedures for children of both ages, which help considerably in the settling in process. Children settle quickly and remain happy in their classes. Parents, and at times grandparents, provide useful in-class support, which helps to ease the transition from home to school.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

50. There is equality of access and opportunity for children and staff. Children’s home languages are valued and their use encouraged. Parents feel welcome in the Nursery and Reception classes, and receive good levels of information. Parents are supported well through the Family Learning Programmes; these help them to understand how literacy and numeracy are organised in the school and what they can do to support their children at home. The end-of- year reports give useful information about the children’s progress in each area of learning, indicating broadly what is expected for children by the end of the Reception year.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

51. The management for children in the early years is good. The responsibility for the co- ordination of the provision is shared between the two part-time teachers. The arrangement for sharing responsibilities in early years works satisfactorily. The monitoring and evaluation of the provision by the co-ordinators, however, is less effective in ensuring that children’s assessments are used productively to raise standards. Assessment and recording procedures are well established and used in the Nursery to the children’s advantage. There is clear evidence of good progress being made by the children in all areas of learning. The provision for children with EAL is satisfactory.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

52. Teaching and learning are good. Teaching is very good in the Nursery and good in Reception classes. There is a very good teamwork approach to teaching and learning with clear benefits for the children. The planning is good and is shared well between the teachers and support assistants, and this ensures consistency of practice. There is some variation in the quality of teaching in the three Reception classes, which mostly reflects the length of teachers’ own experience in teaching this age group. Given the baseline from which they start, children make good progress in terms of the ‘stepping stones’, although most do not reach the recommended ‘Early Learning Goals’ in the areas of: Communication, Language and Literacy, Mathematical development and in Knowledge and Understanding of the World.

p.25

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is very good .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Adults provide very good role models. • All areas of learning contribute to this area of development. • A variety of resources is used to promote this area. Kenmore Park First School - 26

p.25

Commentary

53. Most children enter the Nursery class with immature skills in personal and social development. In both Nursery and Reception classes, children are helped to work and play together and quickly learn to share and take turns. The adults provide good role models for their children and treat each other and the other children with courtesy and respect. Play is very well structured in the Nursery and children concentrate for quite some time before changing activities. In Reception classes, children concentrate well in lessons, and have good opportunities to work for sustained periods of time on chosen activities. There are good opportunities to develop independence. Children are trained to self-register when they come in the class in the morning.

p.26

Commentary

54. Teaching and learning are generally very good in this area of learning, although teaching is better in the Nursery. The well-established practice of ‘circle time’ makes a good contribution to the development of interpersonal skills and to learning the structure of the English language in day-to-day contexts. Children participate well in games and have a good sense of belonging to the school community. Snack times are used to good effect to learn about health and hygiene. Children behave very well and listen to stories with interest and enjoyment. They observe each other’s photographs and are aware of the differences between their skin colours. Children enjoy dressing up using clothes from different backgrounds. The good teaching in this area leads to a good understanding of each other’s cultures and encourages mutual respect. Very good progress is made in these areas. Children are well aware of the school

p.26

Commentary

rules and many are self-disciplined. Attainment is above expectation for the majority by the time children leave their Reception classes.

p.26

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy development is good .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children start with limited skills in language and literacy. • Many speak English as an additional language. • EAL provision is satisfactory, but there is need for higher levels of support. • Attainment is well below average in the Nursery and in Reception classes.

p.26

Commentary

55. A high number of children do not have English as their first language and attainment in this area of learning is well below that expected. Language difficulties affect standards and progress in most areas of learning. In the Nursery and Reception, children respond in single words or short sentences, at best. Teachers give a very high priority to communication and language skills and ensure that all activities have a strong language focus. Adults provide good role models, using a range of appropriate language to develop knowledge of both vocabulary and sentence structures. In some classes there are bilingual staff who speak at least some of the children’s home languages. This is an invaluable aid to the children’s understanding.

p.26

Commentary

56. Standards in communication, language and literacy development by the end of the Reception year are generally below and, in some cases, well below expectations for age. By the end of the Reception year, most children make good progress in listening to a story and can concentrate during a short whole-class literacy session. The school expects children to have the full length of the ‘Literacy Hour’ in Year 1, when they are better equipped to cope with this. In the summer term before they leave the Reception year, children are not quite ready for this. Kenmore Park First School - 27 57. Children in the Nursery take a book home on a regular basis so that their parents can read it to them. This is a well-established practice. Children in Reception say that they like this familiar routine. Children know some letters from words written on their cards and some of the corresponding sounds. Most can recognise their own name. Work samples show that by the

p.26

Commentary

end of the year, they can copy the teachers’ writing, form the letters accurately and can read a simple sentence from their own book. Overall, they have sound knowledge of most of the letters, but are not as well aware of their sounds.

p.27

Commentary

58. Children in the Nursery have good opportunities to use the well-equipped library area to look at books on their own and to read them with an adult. In Reception, there are suitable reading areas with good displays of books, both fiction and non-fiction. The classrooms have a print- rich environment, with clear labels. All this helps to develop a good level of interest in books. In the Nursery children enjoy drawing and tracing and some Reception children can write a few words with some adult support, although most are still at the early stages of writing isolated letters. Children are given good opportunities to practise handwriting and they make good progress towards forming their letters and numerals accurately.

p.27

Commentary

59. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall; children are well supported, and this ensures that they make good progress. The use of assessment is not sufficiently strong in Reception to identify the small number of more able children who might cope with more challenging work. In the samples of work, in only one class were there examples of good assessment that extended children’s learning.

p.27

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children start with very few mathematical skills. • Good use of number games and rhymes in the Nursery .

p.27

Commentary

60. Standards in mathematical development are below expectations at the end of Reception. Children enter Nursery with limited mathematical skills, but make rapid progress as a result of very good teaching. Good opportunities are provided to help children count objects in a range of familiar situations and to learn the number names in the correct order. There is good use of number games and rhymes in the Nursery. In Reception, children build on their earlier experiences learning to use numbers to ten in familiar contexts. By the end of Reception most children count confidently to 20 and, with help, some carry out simple addition and subtraction sums to ten. Children identify, match and name the more familiar two-dimensional shapes. They learn to compare different sizes in their daily lives by using resources in the outdoor areas, classroom resources and story contexts. Many children with EAL have a good

p.27

Commentary

understanding of mathematical concepts taught, but do not have the vocabulary to explain them. For example, in a Reception class, they match and order their toy bears in the right order, and repeat patterns in different ways. Teaching and learning are good overall. However, the teachers’ expectations do not challenge the Reception children sufficiently .

p.27

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are good opportunities to use the classroom computer. Kenmore Park First School - 28 • There are good opportunities to use senses and to investigate materials.

p.27

Commentary

61. Standards in areas of knowledge and understanding of the world are below expectations at the end of Reception year. By the age of five, many children use the classroom computer with confidence and demonstrate sound skills in controlling the mouse to move a cursor on the screen to make programs work. Children enter the Nursery with a limited general knowledge, and for many their lack of English makes it difficult to remedy this quickly.

p.28

Commentary

62. Teaching and learning are good in this area, particularly in relation to investigating scientific ideas that are appropriate for this age. In the Nursery there are good opportunities to investigate materials and to learn from sensory experiences. Children make porridge, exploring the taste and texture of the ingredients. Staff use practical activities well to teach about healthy eating habits, about hygiene and good social skills. In Reception, children make biscuits of the animal shape that corresponds to their class name, observing the change in the ingredients caused by the cooking. They decorate these carefully and describe the ingredients used thoughtfully. Children explore the eating habits of different animals and where they might live. Good use is made of the storybooks and information books to find out about the animals that live in a jungle. Children in Reception made a visit to the local library, learning about the use of

p.28

Commentary

the library, and talked about what they saw on their way. On return, they made their own class books for others to read. Children in both the Nursery and Reception classes make good progress.

p.28

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good teaching was seen during the inspection. • The outdoor provision is good.

p.28

Commentary

63. Standards in physical development are broadly in line with expectations. Most children enter the Nursery with physical skills in line with those expected for their age. There are good opportunities to develop their skills using the outdoor areas. There is free and easy access to the outdoor areas. Good quality resources have been bought to strengthen this area of learning. All children enjoy using a range of toys, both large and small, although there is no ready access to climbing equipment. Children in Reception use the hall and the larger equipment in it. Children learn how to handle small objects appropriately. They use pencils, scissors, paintbrushes and glue spreaders safely and accurately.

p.28

Commentary

64. Teaching and learning are good and at times very good. Strengths in the teaching include: good role modelling by teachers, high expectations, good planning and preparation, clear instructions, good exercise routines and encouragement to observe health and safety principles. The very good lesson seen led to high levels of achievement and great enjoyment of the activities. Children were well motivated and have very good attitudes towards physical activity lessons.

p.28

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

Kenmore Park First School - 29 • There are good opportunities for role-play. • Music and art are encouraged.

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Commentary

65. When children leave Reception, their attainment is close to that expected for their age in this area of learning. Teaching and learning are very good in the Nursery and good in Reception. Children, especially those in the Nursery, have very good opportunities to develop their creative skills in well-organised role-play areas, which they use with good levels of independence. These areas provide good opportunities to exercise children’s imagination and develop language and social skills. Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution in supporting language development. Progress is good overall.

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Commentary

66. Teachers ask appropriate questions as a tool to teach children the related vocabulary of colour, texture, shape and space. Children enjoy using paints, mixing them and arranging collage materials creatively. Children in Reception are encouraged to make drawings from their observations and show good skills in this. They use pencils and chalk to make their observational drawings. Some of the children’s work samples show good use of smudging techniques to blend colour. Children’s art is valued and is well displayed to create a pleasant learning environment.

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Commentary

67. In the Nursery, music is given a multicultural dimension. Children have very good opportunities to explore a range of musical instruments to make different types of sounds. While listening to a story about The Aliens , children respond in very creative ways. They move in a range of ways, using their whole body to create repeated patterns. On another occasion, a tape of African music was used. The children listened, danced and painted in bold colours, using large brushes, rollers and sponges. Children made good use of the opportunity provided to give the music and art their own interpretation and create a large picture for the display. Kenmore Park First School - 30

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a strong emphasis on basic reading and writing skills. • Pupils achieve well especially those who learn English as an additional language. • Overall attainment is below national averages. • Some aspects of teaching and areas of the English curriculum could be strengthened. • Too little is expected of more able pupils.

p.30

Commentary

68. Throughout the school there is a strong emphasis on the development of basic skills. Early reading skills such as learning letter sounds are taught well. As a result, pupils quickly gain the confidence to tackle their reading books. Given that many learn English as an additional language, pupils make good progress and achieve well. Although very few pupils reach a higher level in reading, most achieve standards broadly expected for their age by the end of Year 2 and Year 3.

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Commentary

69. Pupils develop clear handwriting styles. Spelling and punctuation are generally correct and pupils convey their ideas in simple grammatical sentences. However, there is too little extended writing to give pupils the chance to practise and develop their language skills in all subjects. As with reading, too few pupils achieve beyond an average level.

p.30

Commentary

70. The school is aware of the need to focus more strongly on the development of speaking and listening skills. Drama and role-play are becoming features of the English curriculum. However, pupils are rarely given the opportunity to choose ‘talking partners’, for example to solve problems or clarify ideas collaboratively. Teachers used open-ended questioning to try to draw responses from pupils, but many do not have the depth of vocabulary to express ideas clearly.

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Commentary

71. There is very good support for pupils with EAL who are at the earliest stages of language acquisition. Specialist teachers who speak pupils’ first languages work effectively with groups, giving a ‘boost’ to pupils’ language skills and their confidence. Early literacy support and additional literacy support for pupils in Year 3 are also good. Teaching assistants who take groups are skilled at delivering the lessons briskly with a sharply focus.

p.30

Commentary

72. Teaching in English lessons is satisfactory. Relationships established in lessons are consistently very good. Consequently, pupils behave very well and are eager to learn. Teachers rely heavily on a published scheme for their daily planning. Although the content is adequate and broadly reflects the National Framework for literacy, it is not sufficiently adapted to meet the specific needs of the pupils. Planning is informed by the scheme and not by teachers’ day-to-day assessment of pupils’ progress. This results in too little challenge for some pupils in lessons, which are sometimes tedious because of the lack of exciting resources and language activities.

p.30

Commentary

73. The subject leader has been influential in developing and organising resources for English, which all staff find beneficial. There is a satisfactory range of fiction and reference books in the library. These are well organised and easily accessible to pupils. English lessons are observed, but there is no monitoring of work in order to gauge the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning. This results in an insecure overview of standards and limited capacity to challenge them more rigorously. Kenmore Park First School - 31

p.30

Language and literacy across the curriculum

74. The National Literacy Strategy has been fully implemented and adapted to provide more appropriately for the needs of pupils. Separate lessons target aspects of reading and writing. Pupils show respect for books and take books home regularly. Library skills are not developed well; even the older pupils hesitate before trying to find information from a book, though with prompting they know that some books provide factual information and how to refer to an index to get to a specific answer. There are too few opportunities for pupils to write at length in subjects other than English and even here the styles they use are limited. As a result, few pupils are confident writers.

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MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory.

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Implementation of the daily mathematics lesson is effective. • Good use is made of a variety of practical materials to support pupils’ learning. • Good support from adults provides good help for the less able pupils. • Pupils’ enjoyment of and enthusiasm for mathematics is very apparent in most lesson. • Coverage of the basic skills of numeracy is effective. • Reliance on planning from published schemes means that teachers do not always plan to meet the pupils needs. • Lack of challenge for more able pupils. • Too much repetition of work already understood by more able pupils. • Too little use of ICT as a tool for learning. • A vision for the future direction of the subject within the school is lacking.

p.31

Commentary

75. The level of improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory. The introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy and the use of a published scheme have brought continuity and progression to both teaching and learning. Pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations in Years 1, 2 and 3.

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Commentary

76. All lessons follow a three-part structure, with mental skills being practised successfully at the start. Good use is made of practical apparatus to reinforce pupil’s understanding. In Year 3, pupils enjoy using Dienes’ apparatus to reinforce their knowledge of addition and subtraction. They are sensible and successfully demonstrate addition of two-digit numbers in different order, for example, 24+ 36= 60 or 36+24=60, explaining why this is so. More able pupils carry out the same tasks as others, with limited challenge in attaining new knowledge, skills and understanding. Most pupils in Year 3 have a good understanding of addition and subtraction of numbers to 100. Pupils use correct mathematical vocabulary and eagerly talk about their work, giving good explanations for their reasoning. Teachers’ good questioning techniques enable all pupils to participate in lessons. As a result, throughout the school, pupils are enthusiastic

p.31

Commentary

about their mathematics and enjoy the subject. Girls and boys receive equal opportunities to progress in lessons. Less well addressed is the use of assessment in lessons to plan for the next steps pupils need to take.

p.31

Commentary

77. Little use is made of computers or calculators. Concentration on the teaching of the basic rules of number results in pupils having a satisfactory command of number bonds first to 20 and then 100. There is a lack of experiences in shape, space and measures, data handling and the application of mathematics in real life situations. Kenmore Park First School - 32 78. The quality of teaching across the school is satisfactory. This results in all pupils, including those with special educational needs and pupils with EAL, making satisfactory progress. Where teaching is better than satisfactory, pupils of all abilities are given searching questions, asked to explain their reasoning and are given differentiated tasks. Teachers’ planning is taken from a published scheme resulting in an over-reliance upon guidance that does not address the abilities and difficulties faced by pupils. Where teaching is weaker, more able pupils repeat

p.31

Commentary

work they can already do; planning shows little development beyond the published documentation and assessment does not inform future planning. Learning support assistants provide good support for all pupils, ensuring everyone gets full access to the whole curriculum.

p.32

Commentary

79. Management of the subject is satisfactory. Resources are adequate and well managed. ICT is not used in sufficient depth to support mathematical learning. Assessments of pupils’ abilities are made regularly, areas of weakness identified and extra support provided. However, leadership of mathematics is unsatisfactory. A vision of how to deal with the major challenges currently facing the school and its pupils in the subject has yet to be fully formulated and communicated to all staff. Whilst assessment information is available, pupils lack the necessary regular guidance on how to progress. Examples of good teaching are present in the school; this has yet to be disseminated to all staff.

p.32

Mathematics across the curriculum

80. Numeracy across the curriculum is evident in many other subjects, such as in Design and Technology, where pupils use their knowledge of symmetry to design masks, in History with the use of time lines and in P.E with the use of turning, running for specific distances and awareness of space. Examination of pupils’ books showed very few examples of pupils using mathematics to solve problems, although in a number of lessons for pupils in Year 1 teachers seized opportunities to get pupils to count out loud and match materials to corresponding numbers.

p.32

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils make good progress in relation to their prior attainment. • The quality of teaching in Year 3 is good and the standards of the work seen in this year group are good. • Pupils are enthusiastic about the subject. • There are too few opportunities for pupils to work independently or to carry out scientific enquiries.

p.32

Commentary

81. The standards achieved by pupils are in line with national expectations by Year 2 and in line with those expected in Year 3. Pupils in all years enjoy their science lessons and are enthusiastic about what they learn. They retain good levels of knowledge about the facts they have been told, but find applying this knowledge to new or different situations very difficult. Few challenge the ideas presented to them and they accept what they are told without question. More able pupils do not make sufficient progress because of this. All pupils have very few opportunities to carry out independent investigations or conduct simple experiments. As a result, pupils in the current Year 3 are not able to explain what is meant by carrying out a fair test, although several could accurately recall knowledge of work that they had carried out in earlier years. For instance, in a topic on animals in Year 2 they had learned that insects had

p.32

Commentary

distinctive body parts; a head, thorax and abdomen with six legs and antennae. Pupils in Year 3 working on their topic of food and healthy eating are beginning to make connections with other subjects. They know, for example, that they need food to give them energy to play Kenmore Park First School - 33 games in PE. They understand that some foods are healthier than others and that they need to eat a balanced diet. They record the information accurately, but are uncertain how to categorise foods that they have not specifically discussed.

p.32

Commentary

82. Pupils with EAL who are at the early stages of English language acquisition make good progress in all year groups. They enjoy demonstrating the knowledge they have learned and using new vocabulary. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. Teachers actively make provision to support the needs of particular pupils and they benefit from this provision.

p.33

Commentary

83. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and good in Year 3. Teachers at both key stages have satisfactory levels of subject knowledge and work hard to teach pupils basic concepts, facts and key words. They have good expectations of pupils’ behaviour and ensure that the lessons have clear objectives that the pupils understand. Teachers in Year 3 make good use of homework to develop and extend pupils’ interest. They make good use of open- ended questions. These require pupils to make thoughtful choices and evaluate what they have learned as well as encouraging them to make connections with other activities in other subjects.

p.33

Commentary

84. The management of the subject is satisfactory. Curriculum planning ensures proper coverage of most aspects of the science curriculum, but insufficient time is given to developing pupils’ levels of scientific enquiry, a fact that is recognised by the co-ordinator. The reliance on a commercial scheme as a framework for planning means that teachers do not always make best use of the assessments they make to modify what they will teach the pupils next.

p.33

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teaching throughout the school is consistently good and at times excellent. • Pupils learning in the discrete ICT lessons is consistently good. • Pupils with EAL and those with specific learning needs make better than expected progress in this subject. • There are too few opportunities for pupils to use ICT in other subjects to capitalise on the good learning that has taken place in the ICT suite.

p.33

Commentary

85. At the time of the last inspection, standards were deemed unsatisfactory in both key stages. This is no longer the case. Standards in specific ICT lessons using the ICT suite are now good at both key stages. Pupils of all ages make good and at times very good progress in developing their skills and confidence. However, there are still very few lessons in other subjects where ICT is used as an effective support tool. Pupils in all year groups enjoy the subject and eagerly anticipate their weekly session in the suite. The pupils behave well despite the cramped arrangements in the suite. They co-operate effectively and take turns well. They are eager to show off their skills and knowledge and many are inventive in achieving the objectives set by the teachers. The accidental discoveries they make excite them, stimulating them to be more creative in the tasks they are set. Pupils with EAL at the early stages of

p.33

Commentary

English language acquisition make better than expected progress in this subject. A pupil in Year 2 who was unwilling to articulate an answer in English pointed to solutions on the keyboard for the teacher and received appropriate praise and encouragement as a result. Kenmore Park First School - 34 86. Resources have improved significantly since the time of the last inspection. The ICT suite is just adequate in size for the numbers of pupils who use it, though all pupils would benefit from height adjustable chairs that could be easily matched to their individual requirements. Pupils could also easily rotate such chairs to allow them to watch demonstrations on the central display without constantly having to move to sit on the carpet. There is now a ratio of one computer for every nine pupils in the school. This is broadly in line with the average level of provision in similar schools. However, there is only one computer in each classroom and the

p.33

Commentary

classroom computers are not networked to secure maximum benefit for pupils. Even given these deficiencies, the classroom computers are under-utilised.

p.34

Commentary

87. At the time of the last inspection some aspects of teaching of this subject were judged to be unsatisfactory. This is no longer the case; teaching is now always at least good. Teachers’ subject knowledge was judged to be unsatisfactory; it is now good. Teachers have sufficient confidence in their own knowledge to adapt what they plan to do as technical problems occur. They are happy to let pupils make mistakes as long as the pupils show that they are clearly learning from what they have failed to achieve. Moreover, they are sufficiently confident in their knowledge and in their high quality relationships with their pupils to encourage pupils to point out mistakes that they make in demonstrating tasks. The quality of the relationships is such that there are no behavioural issues in moving around school to the ICT suite or when pupils are using the machines. Teachers make good use of open questions to allow pupils to explore

p.34

Commentary

the potential of the medium. Teachers do instruct when appropriate, but more often they praise a good attempt or idea and allow other pupils to capitalise on this.

p.34

Commentary

88. The management of the subject is good. The co-ordinator plans the curriculum alongside the teachers. She provides good levels of support for classes using the suite and manages the technical support very effectively to ensure that there are few occasions when the ICT suite cannot be used. In this subject, teachers assess what the pupils have achieved and modify their planning according to what pupils need to know next. The co-ordinator is keenly aware that insufficient use is made of classroom computers and new resources have already been purchased that will begin to address this weakness.

p.34

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

89. Provision for the use of ICT across the curriculum is still a weakness. In the majority of lessons seen throughout the school few pupils used ICT in any way to support their learning. In the few lessons where it was used it was often pupils with specific learning requirements who were the beneficiaries of the technology and they made better than expected progress as a result.

p.34

HUMANITIES

It was only possible to observe two lessons in geography, both in Year 3 and no lessons in history, which is taught in the summer term. Comments are based on these lessons, on an examination of pupils’ previous work, displays around the school and discussions with pupils and the subject co-ordinators.

p.34

Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory.

p.34

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils have very positive attitudes to the subject and they respect their own faith and those of others. • Resources have been updated recently to support religious topics, but are not yet fully used. • Assessment and recording procedures are underdeveloped. Kenmore Park First School - 35

p.34

Commentary

90. Standards of attainment at Years 2 and 3 are broadly in line with the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. This represents an improvement in standards for pupils in Year 3 since the previous inspection. Pupils reflect thoughtfully on the different aspects of the religion they practise at home and are keen to make comparisons with other religions they learn about at school. A discussion with pupils in Years 2 and 3 revealed that they know a great deal more than they can express, although, occasionally, they get mixed-up between different religions, their names and symbols. This is due to lack of depth in their learning. Pupils with EAL usually make satisfactory progress, but this becomes good when specialist support is available. Pupils with special educational needs achieve satisfactorily.

p.35

Commentary

91. Throughout the school, pupils are increasing their knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other faiths well. Pupils in Year 2 are beginning to understand that festivals have a religious significance and these celebrate particular events in religions. They identify key features of festivals, such as ‘Raksha Bandhan’ in Hindu religion, talk about how it is celebrated, and compare this with how Christmas is celebrated by Christians in this country. Pupils in Year 3 learn that Jesus is a historical figure and that pictures of Jesus tell us about people’s beliefs about him. They recognise pictures of Jesus as the artist’s own expression of faith.

p.35

Commentary

92. Teachers celebrate the diversity of faiths within the school and welcome contributions made by pupils. Their own faiths are explored, although opportunities are missed to include all faiths represented within a class. For example, an opportunity was missed to have a wider discussion on how Buddhists might celebrate their special days, by asking a Buddhist girl. Some teachers lack confidence teaching about other religions than their own. Assessment is underdeveloped and not used to inform planning or improve learning. The potential of the computer in the classroom as a tool for research is not exploited.

p.35

Commentary

93. The subject action plan highlights the need to develop the co-ordinator’s role in supporting colleagues, in observing teaching, and in monitoring pupils’ progress through sampling work. The new co-ordinator has made a good start by introducing the new locally agreed syllabus, auditing resources in school and updating them, to support the teaching of the four major world faiths. There is limited impact as yet on raising standards. More books, artefacts, resources and in-service training are needed to strengthen the subject. New schemes of work need adapting to teach the agreed syllabus and suit the needs of pupils.

p.35

Commentary

94. Educational visits to places of worship in the local area and in more distant places have had a good impact on the pupils’ learning. This is reflected in their favourable attitudes and values. Religious education successfully promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

p.35

Geography and history

Provision in geography and history is satisfactory.

p.35

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils enjoy the work they do and are enthusiastic about past visits they have made as part of their studies for these subjects. • Pupils underdeveloped literacy skills limit attainment. • ICT is underused to support pupils’ investigations. Kenmore Park First School - 36

p.35

Commentary

95. Standards in history and geography are limited by pupils’ underdeveloped literacy skills. Discussion with pupils who have just moved into Year 3 shows that their knowledge and understanding is close to that expected in both subjects at the end of Year 2. However, their enthusiasm and interest were not reflected in the written work examined. This was insufficiently targeted at the needs of individuals and reflected the set of common tasks they had been taught rather than ideas and opinions they had learned or discovered for themselves. Further analysis of the work they had carried out indicated a lack of challenge for higher- attaining pupils, and as a result, they only managed to attain average standards. In the two geography lessons seen in Year 3 there was positive encouragement for pupils from different backgrounds to talk about their experience of living in a different environment. Other pupils

p.36

Commentary

listened attentively to what they had to say and asked pertinent questions, but these experiences were not incorporated into the subsequent written work they produced. In discussions with the pupils they could not explain how they might use ICT to find out information about the topics they had been taught and were clearly interested in.

p.36

Commentary

96. Resources for both subjects are adequate. However, although recent investment in a commercial package to support geography has the potential to be used creatively to support all pupils’ learning, there is little evidence of this yet. The school has established an appropriate contrasting location for the pupils to study and it has co-operated thoughtfully with the middle school to ensure no duplication of curriculum coverage takes place in Key Stage 2.

p.36

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching of art is good. • Pupils are enthusiastic. • Resources are good. • The quality of work is good.

p.36

Commentary

97. Teachers prepare lessons well. Resources are well chosen so that pupils can make choices about the outcomes of their work. Pupils are encouraged to explore and follow-up ideas. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good, enabling them to talk enthusiastically about the work of artists in order to interest and motivate pupils.

p.36

Commentary

98. Pupils approach work eagerly, they organise their own workspace and show sensitivity in their choice and use of materials. Pupils in Year 2, for example, worked with considerable skill and patience to create symmetrical butterfly designs using small items such as sequins, grains and tiny coloured beads. All pupils work with care and take pride in what they do.

p.36

Commentary

99. Pupils have good opportunities to explore three dimensional work, observational drawing and printing. By the end of Year 3 pupils’ observational work especially shows accuracy and fine detail beyond that which is expected for their age. The standards and quality of provision have been maintained since the previous inspection. Kenmore Park First School - 37

p.36

Design and Technology

During the inspection, only one lesson was seen. Comments are based on this lesson, on an examination of pupils’ previous work, displays around school and discussions with pupils and staff.

p.37

Design and Technology

Provision for design and technology is satisfactory.

p.37

Main strengths:

• There is a good range of materials and techniques used to extend pupils’ knowledge and awareness of the subject. • Pupils are enthusiastic.

p.37

Commentary

100. On the basis of the limited evidence seen, standards throughout the school are in line with those established nationally. In the lesson seen the quality of teaching was good. Planning was good and resources well prepared and there was an appropriate level of challenge for all pupils. The quality of work on display is good and shows that an appropriate variety of materials and methods is used. A theme of birthdays has led to all classes producing their own birthday cards decorated according to their class name, for example, kangaroos, koalas, and butterflies. Year 1 pupils design and make buggies and cars from diverse materials. Year 2 pupils design and make plant pots from felt; they also make masks from their own templates decorated with feathers, beads and felt. Year 3 pupils make Greek pots and tiles to supplement their work on Greek history; they also make their own musical instruments such as drums and

p.37

Commentary

101. Links with other subjects are good. Design and technology is an integral part of the school curriculum which pupils enjoy and they are proud to display the results of their work. Resources are satisfactory. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Currently the school has no co-ordinator for design and technology, which is unsatisfactory.

p.37

Music

During the inspection, only one lesson was seen. Comments are based on this lesson, on an examination of a video and a CD of pupils’ previous work and discussions with pupils and the curriculum co-ordinator.

p.37

Main strengths:

• The leadership of the co-ordinator. • Pupils’ enthusiasm for the subject.

p.37

Commentary

102. In the one lesson seen teaching was satisfactory and pupils’ musical skills and knowledge met the national expectation for their age. The recorded evidence of pupils’ previous work highlighted the recent ‘music week’ when pupils, staff and parents enjoyed music, dance and storytelling events. The week culminated in a school concert and some exciting music and dance performances. The co-ordinator is working hard to raise the profile of music Kenmore Park First School - 38 throughout the school. To this end a scheme has been introduced which supports teachers’ planning and the teaching of lessons and has raised levels of confidence. The good leadership of the co-ordinator and the enthusiasm of pupils leave the school well placed to plan and bring about further improvements.

p.37

Physical education

Provision for physical education is satisfactory.

p.38

Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Continuity in teachers’ planning is good. • Teachers’ appropriate concentration on health and safety in all lessons. • Teachers’ successful organisation of P.E. lessons to ensure all pupils are included. • Pupils’ good behaviour and enthusiasm for the subject. • The enthusiastic and knowledgeable leadership and management of P.E. • The dissemination of good practice throughout the school is beginning to raise standards. • Opportunities for pupils to experience a wider range of P.E. activities are not yet sufficient for standards to rise further.

p.38

Commentary

103. The level of improvement in the subject since the last inspection is satisfactory. The quality of teaching in school is satisfactory. Lessons are well planned and show continuity throughout the school. Teachers insist on good behaviour and there is an appropriate emphasis on health and safety at all times. All pupils are encouraged to participate and try to improve their performance. The quality and range of experiences are satisfactory, with an emphasis upon gymnastics and dance. Some opportunities are missed to use the rich and diverse cultural backgrounds of pupils; this is an area for development in such activities as dance. Resources are satisfactory, being regularly monitored and upgraded. Good use is made of the large school hall.

p.38

Commentary

104. The leadership and management of the subject by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic co- ordinator are good. Planning and lessons have been monitored to ensure improvements in teaching and learning. In-service training has been provided recently in an attempt to boost teachers’ subject knowledge and confidence to teach a wider variety of games skills. The subject has a high profile in the school with recent dance displays being held involving teachers, pupils and parents.

p.38

Personal, social and health education (PSHE)

Only one lesson was seen in this area of the school's work therefore no judgements were made about the overall provision. However, the school sets great store by this aspect of its work and has worked hard over the last four years to integrate these aspects into its work. The school has now attained 'Healthy School' status and carries out a number of activities to ensure that the pupils understand the importance of looking after themselves. These include a programme of playground activities, the provision of a fruit scheme for snacks at break time, and a pupils' committee to focus on improvements to the playground and playtimes. Kenmore Park First School - 39

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 2 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 5 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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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).

p.39