Kew Riverside Primary School

KEW RIVERSIDE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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KEW RIVERSIDE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Kew Riverside Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4 to 11-year-olds (but only Years R and 1 admitted to date) Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 31

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Courtlands Avenue, Kew, Richmond, Postcode: TW9 4ES

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 0208 487 8437 Fax number: 0208 487 5986

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Georges Andraos

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

• This new school moved into its brand new building at the beginning of term, after the first Reception class had spent a year in temporary accommodation. • This building was funded and will be maintained by Jarvis , under a private finance initiative (PFI). • The school is increasing its roll by admitting a new Reception class of up to 30 children, each year. • So far, the school has admitted 31 pupils. Of these, 17 are part-timers in the Reception class and the remainder are in Year 1. Another group is due to enter the Reception in January. • Ethnically, the largest group of pupils are white, although a significant proportion is from mixed backgrounds. • Eight pupils come from homes where English is an additional language; two of whom are at an early stage of learning English. • Five pupils are identified with special educational needs. • Attainment on entry and socio-economic circumstances in the area around the school are above

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

average. Kew Riverside Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

22028 John William Paull Lead inspector Foundation stage English Information and communication technology Art and design Design and technology Religious education English as an additional language 31758 Edward A. P. Tipper Lay inspector 10543 David Dewhurst Team inspector Mathematics Science Geography History Music Physical education Special educational needs

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Kew Riverside Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Kew Riverside has made an excellent start since opening just over a year ago. The very high quality of leadership and management displayed by the headteacher, staff and governors is a key factor. Many pupils in Year 1 have made considerable progress and have acquired both knowledge and skills very effectively. Children in this year’s Reception class are already very comfortable and settled and are making good progress and the school is providing very good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• The attainment of nearly all pupils in Year 1 is above what is normally expected for their age, which represents very good achievement since they joined the school. • The quality of teaching and learning is very good in both Year R and Year 1. • Pupils are very proud of their new school and their attitudes to learning and their behaviour are major strengths. • The headteacher’s oft-repeated statement that the best classroom is “…the one under the blue sky” is reflected strongly with innovative visits to places of interest, and use of the locality to enrich pupils’ learning experiences.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

o The headteacher, staff and governors display no complacency about the school’s remarkably good start. o They see effective planning, induction and recruitment as key factors in sustaining it.

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IMPROVEMENTS

This inspection is the school’s first, so it is not possible to compare its performance with the findings of a previous report. The school, which opened with one Reception class in September 2002, in temporary accommodation at another site, moved into its “state of the art” building this term. This move represents a huge improvement.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The oldest pupils have only just started Year 1, so the school does not have National Curriculum test results to analyse. In all areas of the curriculum, pupils in Year 1 have made very good progress since starting.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

• Pupils’ achievements are often very good.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

In Year 1, standards are above those normally expected. Many pupils write simple sentences with more accuracy than is usual for their age, using good descriptive words. They read well. Work in science, their use of new technology and their knowledge of French words, which they use with relish, are very advanced for their age. In mathematics, pupils’ knowledge is above what is normally expected, both in number and ideas of shape and space. Standards in art and design are also high. Records indicate that when Year 1 began in Reception, their attainment was around average. Attainment on entry is higher this year. Many children already show considerable interest in reading books, materials for writing, counting and opportunities to play creatively. They respond very readily to challenges that are set. Children in the Reception class are on course to exceed the goals that are normally expected.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ personal development is very good , including their awareness of spiritual, moral, social and cultural factors. Pupils’ behaviour is very good and their attitudes to learning are very positive. It is not possible to make an overall judgement about attendance, as pupils of the relevant age group have not been in school for long enough. Nevertheless, records show that, so far, attendance in Year 1 is good overall. Kew Riverside Primary School - 7

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Overall, the quality of education is very good and is based on very good teaching and learning . This high quality was observed in lessons in Reception and in Year 1. Teaching is further enhanced with the use of specialists, such as a French teacher from a local secondary school. The particular skills of non-teaching staff are harnessed very effectively in information and communication technology and music, especially in the use of the Yamaha Method . Other significant strengths include the use of the environment, innovative methods that are used to motivate learning, and a very carefully planned, practical curriculum that is adapted very well for individuals, thus meeting any special educational needs, or requirements of pupils with English as an additional language. Guidance and care of pupils are also strong and partnerships with parents and the community are excellent and also add much to the quality of learning.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The school is very well led and managed. The headteacher and staff have outstandingly high aspirations for the future. Governors are very effective , committed and supportive, and particularly clear about how they should be monitoring, evaluating and offering advice. Ideas and plans for managing development in the next few years and for building on a very promising start are clearly recorded in The School Learning Plan, a document that sets out planning for the future.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents in the meeting were strongly supportive of the school, its headteacher and staff. Several stated that leadership and management are excellent. Nearly all questionnaires were similarly positive. Parents of children who began last year stated their opinion that teaching is very good and that their children are making rapid progress. Parents of children who have only just begun feel that their induction was excellent. Nearly all parents feel that the school is very welcoming, involves and informs them fully and is open to their comments and suggestions.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Pupils’ views are sought and taken very seriously. A powerful example was that their ideas, about what makes a good teacher, were taken into account when a new member of staff was recently appointed.

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WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE NEXT

Kew Riverside has made an excellent start and no significant weaknesses were apparent. Its main focus now is to build upon this beginning. Inspectors agree that careful recruitment and thorough induction of new staff are vital, so as to ensure that the present very good practice and strong systems are sustainable in the future. Kew Riverside Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

The achievement of pupils now in Year 1 is very good and children in this year’s Reception class have already started well . Pupils with English as an additional language are represented amongst the school’s highest attainers. Standards of work are generally above what is normally expected .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Attainment in English, mathematics and science is above average. • Pupils’ skills in information and communication technology are developing well. • Attainment in other subjects often exceeds what is normally expected. • Children in the Reception are likely to exceed the goals that are nationally expected by the end of the year. • Pupils with special educational needs are making progress at rates similar to those of other pupils.

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Commentary

1. At the beginning of last year, when the school first opened, records show that children’s attainment in Reception was about average overall. A relatively high proportion experienced special educational needs. Owing to very good planning and strong teaching, these children thrived well. All children achieved very well in all areas of learning and standards rose throughout the year. By the time the year ended, nearly all children met the goals that are nationally expected and many exceeded them. This very promising start is being maintained now that these children have begun Year 1. In lessons that were observed, standards were above what is usually found at this time of the year, including in the important core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Pupils demonstrate good skills in literacy, looking at books and texts carefully. Nearly all of them use pictures and other clues to absorb information. Many

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of them recognise many words and sentences, thereby discovering relevant facts to help them in other subjects across the curriculum. Numeracy is also well used in other subjects. For example, pupils count accurately in both English and French to support their work. Nearly all of them know the names of many different shapes and recognise these shapes in objects around them. Several higher-attaining pupils count in tens to 100 and beyond and apply their knowledge to money sums.

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Commentary

2. Standards across the curriculum are also high. For example, in French, art and design, and music, work that was underway was well above the standard that is typical of pupils in Year 1. It was not possible to assess attainment in all subjects directly, but what was seen was always above average overall, including in information and communication technology.

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Commentary

3. Children who have joined the Reception class this term demonstrate knowledge and skills that are ahead of what is typically found at this time of the year. They have settled into their class very well and their personal, social and emotional attitudes are good. Their skills in the important areas of communication, language and literacy and mathematical development are also advanced for their age. In all other areas of learning, they are doing equally well. Children are therefore likely to exceed the goals that are normally expected at the end of the Reception year. Kew Riverside Primary School - 9 4. In both classes, pupils with special educational needs or with English as an additional language are very well catered for. Their needs are assessed accurately and work is tailored to the specific requirements of individuals, which reflects the strongly inclusive aims that the headteacher, staff and governors have set for themselves.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes to their work and towards others are very good and they behave very well in school. Their overall spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good and their attendance so far is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are given some excellent opportunities to take responsibility, which they accept with enthusiasm. • The school encourages pupils to show a very high respect for the feelings of others; instils in them the importance of a strong moral code, and helps them develop excellent relationships with their fellow pupils and adults working in the school. • The school sets high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. These are generally met well.

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Commentary

5. In the Reception class, children’s personal, social and emotional development is addressed very well. They are likely to exceed the goals that are expected at the end of the year. Young children are given opportunities to take responsibility for a number of daily routines. For example, they register their presence themselves, placing their named giraffe on a board and counting the total who are present. Very good practice results in allocating responsibilities for particular reasons. For example, children with a special educational need that relates to skills of hand and eye co-ordination are given tasks such as watering the school’s plants. In carrying out these tasks, such children exercise the required skills on a daily basis in a real situation. Each day, all children are given individual learning tasks that are referred to as their “jobs”. They carry them out with relish. When they are rewarded for good work or attitudes, it is

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noticeable that many pupils demonstrate their enjoyment of accepting responsibility as they often choose another task, such as opening incoming mail in the office, rather than a more tangible treat. They also have a say in rewarding their fellow pupils who are kind or obey rules well. They respond to this responsibility very well. In addition, pupils have been involved in devising the advertisement for a new teacher and becoming a part of the process of appointment, as well as choosing items of equipment to purchase.

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Commentary

6. The Living Together policy aims to “…foster a caring supportive community where children take responsibility…” for their actions and “…understand their impact on others”. The implementation of this policy, based on the creation of and adherence to a set of golden rules is fundamental in ensuring that pupils develop caring and sharing relationships with others. Several instances were seen during the inspection where pupils did indeed show concern for their fellow pupils’ welfare. Pupils are also taught ideas of right and wrong through constant reinforcement of the rules and in lessons known as Circle Time . Pupils nearly always treat everyone with courtesy and respect. Their spiritual development is strongly promoted with very good emphases on self-esteem and assemblies and lessons that provide frequent opportunities for reflection. Cultural development is also supported very effectively in visits and

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direct teaching. Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds thrive in the school’s open climate and are willing to share their experiences to the benefit of all pupils. Words such as “please”, “thank you” and “you’re welcome” were frequently heard during the inspection, unprompted by any adult. The system of using first names throughout the school works very well. Pupils do not abuse it and it contributes to a very friendly and open climate for learning. Kew Riverside Primary School - 10 7. Very high expectations are set for the behaviour of pupils, whose response is often very good. Children in both classes play very well in the playground and move around in a quiet, orderly manner. Pupils in Year 1 are very keen and occasionally their exuberance becomes quite noisy. Nevertheless, teachers deal with this very well, so it never gets out of hand.

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Attendance

8. The school had only a few pupils of statutory age in the last reporting year, and none of them was present throughout all of it. However, registers were kept and these show that attendance exceeded the average for primary schools in four half-term periods out of six. It is also evident that parents responded very well to the headteacher’s explanations of the importance of good attendance, as the figures rose considerably just after newsletters on the subject. Attendance so far this year has been good. The school has a clear system for the analysis of attendance figures and regularly reminds parents of the adverse effects on learning of taking holidays during school time.

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Exclusions

9. It is clear that governors understand that exclusion should be used only as a last resort and that it would be necessary to ensure principles of natural justice. In practice, this sanction has never been used.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The overall quality of education is very good . The overall quality of teaching, learning and the curriculum all contribute strongly to this judgement.

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Teaching and learning

Overall, teaching and learning are very good both in Year 1 and in the Reception class.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is innovative and exciting, so pupils are interested and concentrate very well. • A lot of care is taken to meet the learning requirements of individuals. • Systems of assessment and for keeping track of each pupil’s progress are thorough and used effectively to influence what is planned and taught.

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Commentary

10. In nearly all lessons that were observed, the quality of teaching was very good. This teaching included the core subjects of English and mathematics in Year 1 and, in Reception, communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. Teaching was never less than good in any lesson in either of the classes. This high quality is ensuring that pupils throughout the school learn very effectively.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in ten lessons

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Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Commentary

Everyone who is involved in teaching takes a lot of care with planning and the use of resources. Teachers and assistants know pupils very well and constantly check their level of Kew Riverside Primary School - 11 understanding, offer advice and give reassurance about what is being learnt. Praise is used appropriately and frequently. Consequently, pupils are very confident about what they do and experience a lot of success. As a result, self-motivation and enjoyment are at high levels. At the pre-inspection meeting, for example, parents commented on how their children skip happily into their classrooms each morning. For their young ages, pupils in both classes demonstrate a remarkable capacity to work independently, to seek information, and then to collaborate with others and with adults, discussing how to make sense of it. When teaching and learning are as consistently good as at Kew Riverside, pupils make rapid progress. It is for this reason that

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many in Year 1 are achieving as well as they are, compared with their starting points of a year ago. In terms of attainment, many pupils are working at levels above those that are normally expected at this time of the year.

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11. A very good example of innovative teaching was seen in an art and design lesson in Year 1. As only two classes have so far entered the school, a lot of other classrooms are empty and teachers can make use of this available space. The teacher of this art and design lesson did so very effectively. It was possible for pupils to spread out across the floor with their large sheets of paper, sketches and natural resources. The resulting works of art were of a very high standard and represented the style of Andy Goldsworthy.

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Commentary

12. Other strong features are the use and involvement of other adults with particular expertise. For example, the computing skills of the school’s business manager are harnessed to teach information and communication technology and a visiting teacher from a local secondary school teaches French in both classes. In both cases, the quality of pupils’ learning benefits from the enhanced knowledge and skills that are thus brought to bear. Opportunities to introduce available expertise of these kinds are sought all the time and other examples were seen during the inspection. Other strong features of teaching include the use of the locality, the involvement of parents to reinforce learning at home, very good uses of resources to help pupils to understand what is being taught and high expectations and challenge. Teachers are very aware of the different needs of pupils in their classes. They adapt work very well so that

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those with special educational needs or with English as an additional language can make progress at similar rates to others.

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Commentary

13. Very thorough, yet manageable, systems of assessment have been devised and used since the school first opened. These systems already provide useful information about the rates of progress that pupils make. Teachers’ ongoing uses of assessment are also very strong and entail innovations such as trying to ascertain the styles of teaching that work best with individuals and both to seek pupils own insights and to tell them the results. As a direct result, many pupils have a very advanced grasp of what they need to do to learn effectively. These innovations stem directly from the headteacher’s vision of the school as a learning community and very strong leadership and management on the part of all staff.

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The curriculum

The school provides a very broad, balanced and relevant curriculum that includes the National Curriculum and all areas of learning for children in the Reception class. It is very rich and innovative. Resources are good and accommodation is of a very high order , representing “state of the art” design and provision. Staffing is very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum fully meets statutory requirements, including personal, social and health education relevant to the age groups. • Visits, both into the locality and further afield, and visitors to the school provide direct experiences of artistic works, historical interest and environmental needs, amongst others. • What is taught is further enhanced with French from the Reception class onward, and music that is taught using new technology and ideas from the Yamaha Project. Kew Riverside Primary School - 12 • Very good planning ensures that all pupils receive equal access to teaching and equal opportunity to learn.

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Commentary

14. The school’s development plan is entitled The School Learning Plan . This name is significant, as it sums up the priority that the headteacher, staff and governors set for themselves when the school opened. That is, to ensure that what pupils learn is planned fully and effectively, so it matches their particular needs, establishing an exciting, practical curriculum to engage interest at high levels. What was found during the inspection suggests that this aim has been realised very well. Statutory requirements to teach religious education according to what is laid down in the locally agreed syllabus and to provide personal, social and health education are met fully. As a result, learning in these areas is also very good. What is taught is adapted very carefully to meet the needs of different groups and individuals, such as those with special educational needs. Teachers use other adults, whether teaching assistants or volunteers, very effectively

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to lead groups with different levels of prior attainment, understanding or need.

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15. The curriculum is enriched with a wide range of activities that are designed to interest pupils. In the Reception class, planning of the areas of learning is full of innovation. A particularly good example occurred when children studied a sunflower, focusing on its stem, petals and colours. This knowledge was then used to help them with ideas of how to draw and paint sunflowers, including a study of Van Gogh’s techniques. Their knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas were thus developed strongly at the same time as artistic skills. Careful planning of such links is apparent across all areas of learning. Adapted literacy and numeracy sessions are planned very effectively and ensure that children are well prepared for the full National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, which they will encounter in Year 1.

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Commentary

16. One of the strongest curricular developments is how first-hand experiences are used. In the last year, for example, learning was underpinned and enhanced with visits to places such as Kew Gardens, Syon Park and the police and fire stations, walks around the neighbourhood and many other outings. Similar visits are planned for the present year in both classes. These activities are used to give real starting points for learning, so pupils take an active part in the development of their own skills and understanding.

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Commentary

17. The National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy and all subjects in the National Curriculum are being very carefully constructed for pupils in Year 1. For example, uses of new technology, such as electronic keyboards, have been built into the adopted scheme for music, and the provision of French is currently being secured for them, so it will continue when they move through the school. The School Learning Plan indicates how provision across the whole curriculum will be continued for the years ahead. Planning is also under way, in partnership with Jarvis , to provide support for learning outside normal school hours. Opportunities for sports, a breakfast club and after-school care, including a homework club, are possibilities that are being considered.

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Commentary

18. The “state of the art” accommodation, with its many energy-efficient features, large hall and specialist rooms, offers many outstanding opportunities to support the curriculum. The headteacher, staff and governors are well aware of these possibilities and are already beginning to use the building adventurously. The knowledgeable staff are also adaptable and willing to share and use their expertise to support and develop the curriculum. Learning resources are new, well kept and looked after carefully by adults and pupils alike. These resources are also used effectively to support the curriculum and to ensure high quality learning. Kew Riverside Primary School - 13

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Care, guidance and support

The school makes very good provision, which ensures the care, welfare, health and safety of pupils and also gives them very good support, advice and guidance. It seeks the views of pupils and acts on their ideas in a very effective manner.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Excellent arrangements are made for pupils who join the Reception class. • A very safe and secure environment is provided for all pupils. • Pupils develop very trusting relationships with adults in the school. • Pupils’ views are sought and valued and they are fully involved in setting their own personal and learning targets.

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Commentary

19. Many very good opportunities exist for information to be swapped between parents, carers and the staff of the school, which underpin care and guidance. For example, an open evening is held in November for parents of potential pupils to find out about the school and to meet the staff. It is followed up with an invitation to an open morning when they can see the school at work. When places are confirmed, the class teacher and headteacher undertake home visits. One of them talks with the child, while the other discusses arrangements with the parents. This excellent practice results in the start of an ongoing dialogue with the child and establishes the principle that the child’s view is important and will be taken into account. At the same time, any help or information that is provided by the parent(s) or carer is used to smooth the child’s entry into Reception. These principles are applied with the same rigour to children with special

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educational needs or to those belonging to any minority group or background, or to pupils with special gifts or talents. An equal opportunities policy is therefore applied to the systems as well as to the outcomes. Pupils who arrive mid-way through a term are given a planned induction programme and assigned a “buddy” to help them. Their parents receive an information booklet that has been specially compiled for those who arrive at times other than the beginning of term. Parents are very supportive of this very thorough system.

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Commentary

20. Health and safety requirements are taken very seriously. Pupils work in secure and safe surroundings. The headteacher and governors have defined very clearly the specific responsibilities of the partners in the PFI agreement. Under this agreement, the headteacher, a governor and a representative of Jarvis carry out an inspection of the premises each term. This group assesses the condition and safety of the accommodation. A thorough action plan is then produced and its implementation is carefully monitored. Any day-to-day problems are also dealt with effectively under an agreed procedure. Other health and safety requirements, such as risk assessments prior to trips off-site, are also carried out very conscientiously. All teaching staff have received basic first-aid training, while the business manager and a teaching assistant attended an advanced four-day course. A comfortable medical room is available.

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Commentary

21. It is an important part of the headteacher’s philosophy that all the staff should know each pupil individually. Pupils’ personal portfolios are constantly updated with good quality information and are to be passed from teacher to teacher. Parents are invited to contribute to this process. For example, they might provide information about sporting certificates earned outside school, or about special classes in dance or drama that pupils might attend. Nearly all parents speak very highly of the way that adults in the school foster, promote and monitor their children’s personal development. Kew Riverside Primary School - 14 22. Pupils formally evaluate their own work each term and are fully involved in setting and reviewing their targets on an ongoing basis. Comments that pupils make during this process, along with suggestions made in responses to pupils’ questionnaires, are fully taken into account when

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planning future work. Pupils also complete an end-of-year evaluation, which is used to set targets for personal development in the following year.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Overall, the school’s partnership with parents is very good . Its links with the wider community are also very good . Links with other schools and colleges are currently good but extensive developments are planned as pupils move through the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Information provided for parents about the school and their children’s progress is of excellent quality. • Links with parents are valued by the staff and sought enthusiastically. This partnership makes a highly significant contribution to the quality of learning. • Links with the local community do much to enrich both academic and social experiences.

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Commentary

23. The school’s prospectus is in the form of a handy-sized ring-binder, which makes it easy to keep up to date. The content is very clear and informative and it is very attractively produced, which makes it easy to read and use. An eight-page newsletter is prepared monthly. This very good, readable document characteristically conveys a message from the headteacher, diary dates, reports of any trips, details of the next class topics and ways in which parents can help their children to learn. It thereby makes a significant contribution to pupils’ achievements. Its editorial panel is typical of the headteacher’s very strongly inclusive policy. It consists of the headteacher, a parent and the school business manager. This ensures that parents’ ideas and views are represented effectively. The parent on the panel also oversees publication, ensuring a very readable layout that is illustrated with colour photographs. It has proved so successful

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that a shorter fortnightly version is now being published. Pupils’ annual reports are produced to the same high specifications and include good quality details of achievements and four specific targets for the following year. Pupils and their parents are invited to write comments on the report. At the pre-inspection meeting and in responses to questionnaires, the vast majority of parents indicated that they feel very well informed. The school works very hard to ensure the active involvement of its parents. The headteacher and staff frequently go outside at the end of each day, so they are easily accessible to parents. They also use this time as an opportunity to pass on any concerns that have arisen during the day or to praise pupils in front of their parents for good work, behaviour or attitudes. This approach represents very good practice as it ensures that issues are dealt with quickly. In addition to such procedures, workshops for

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parents on topics such as The Curriculum for the Foundation Stage , Reading at Home and Maths Games and Rhymes have been held since the school was opened last year. As a result, many parents report that they feel confident in helping their children at home.

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Commentary

24. The school has made very good links with the local community in the short time it has been open. Visits have been made to a butterfly house, the local sorting office, and the public library amongst others. Such trips, often undertaken by public transport, are also used to develop pupils’ understanding of how to be safe in the outside world. These links are also used to great effect for the enhancement of learning through related activities in the classroom. Charities such as Comic Relief and Save the Children are also supported and World Book Day was marked in the school. When such organisations are focused upon, pupils are also taught about their work, so they acquire insights about the needs of others. Visitors from local businesses and institutions, often parents, are invited to talk about their jobs. A dietician has spoken about healthy eating and the local vicar has explained aspects of her role in the community as well as

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Commentary

led assemblies. Links are also being established with members of the business community, Kew Riverside Primary School - 15 and the headteacher has recently visited the local Rotary Club . A valuable partnership with a secondary school has resulted in the weekly visit of a teacher who runs French lessons, often with the help of students from her school. Teachers from Kew Riverside also visit other schools to observe good practice and to see how it might be used in their own teaching, as well as to share their own ideas in return. The headteacher is currently leading the local cluster group of primary schools, and is planning to take the opportunity to develop sporting and artistic links.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The very good contribution of the governing body, excellent leadership of the headteacher and key staff, and strong management have resulted in a high quality of education.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The vision of an inspirational headteacher has turned Governors’ ambitious aspirations into a stimulating climate for learning. • Specific skills of the governors have contributed very effectively to the new building under its PFI initiative and its smooth management. • The headteacher’s strategic planning, with the support of governors, always has the enhancement of pupils’ learning as its goal. • High quality performance management, good systems of induction for new staff and in- service training have contributed to good management of subjects. • Very good systems and practice have resulted in very effective financial management that includes the achievement of best value.

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Commentary

25. Governors who were appointed when the school was first planned are now chairing committees. This arrangement is bringing previous experience and continuity to governance, as well as useful expertise in architecture, property management and finance. These elements have contributed much to an excellent start. More recently appointed and elected governors contain a high proportion of parents. This factor is bringing a high level of information to governors’ meetings. Governors’ general enthusiasm is confirmed in their high levels of attendance at both full governing body meetings and committees. Further information comes from the results of the staff’s very strong assessment and monitoring systems, which are shared very openly with governors. This practice results in knowledgeable governors who are enabled to set appropriate targets that are then evaluated systematically.

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Commentary

26. The headteacher, in full consultation with the staff, parents and governors, has developed a powerful School Learning Plan . This very good document indicates a focused determination to maximise pupils’ learning, incorporating recent understanding of how human beings learn. Owing to very strong leadership, these ideas are already being realised in a curriculum that emphasises first-hand experiences, practical application and experimentation, with plenty of discussion and questioning. The headteacher and staff seek a wide range of opportunities for pupils to record and acquire knowledge and information, rejecting the sterility of any single method alone. The School Learning Plan is very clear and well presented and contains information about who will take responsibility for each priority, when, and how much it is likely to cost.

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Commentary

27. Morale and optimism are very high. The headteacher’s excellent vision is shared and supported fully by other staff. Priorities are being implemented strongly and on schedule. A notable element is the excellent level of continuing professional development, which includes training for governors as well as staff. Staff meetings and discussions match the headteacher’s view of leadership and management. Everyone either contributes to the discussion or leads items in their own areas of strength and expertise. Co-ordinators, with the involvement of all, have identified clear, challenging and attainable priorities for each subject, Kew Riverside Primary School - 16 building in what needs to be done as the school grows. The headteacher’s careful and caring monitoring of and feedback about teaching and planning helps to ensure quality. Management of provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good, with effective involvement of

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Commentary

professional advice. It is fully recognised that pupils with an identified need may also be academically able in either all or part of the curriculum. Arrangements for pupils who are gifted or talented are also in place.

p.16

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Balance from previous year 0 Total Income Total expenditure 126,862 116,926 Balance carried forward to the next year 9,936 Expenditure per pupil 7,795

p.16

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

28. Financial management is very good and stems from the clear costings in the School Learning Plan . Governors and staff recognise and understand how the PFI initiative enables the focus of expenditure to be more strongly linked to educational issues. A well qualified Business Manager has been appointed, which reduces the administrative workload on teaching staff. This manager is very efficient and contributes much to the smooth organisation and operation of the offices. She supports the pursuit of the principles of best value both at the level of daily expenditure and in decisions of the governors’ finance committee. The use of new technology is a strong feature of this practice. A telling example of clear financial thinking is seen in a successful application for additional Start-up funding, which identified specific requirements up to 2009.

p.16

EXAMPLE OF OUTSTANDING PRACTICE

Example of outstanding practice Leadership of this new school is of the highest quality. It is producing an inspirational climate for learning in which its young pupils are thriving. Governors who were appointed when the school was first planned are now chairing committees. This arrangement is bringing previous experience and continuity to governance, as well as useful expertise in architecture, property management and finance. These elements contributed much to an initial determination that sought a climate for learning that would match “state of the art” facilities. This aspiration has attracted and led to the appointment of a like-minded headteacher, who characterises herself as the lead learner in the school, at the centre of provision, rather than at the top of a hierarchy. This vision is tangible in everything that the school does. The headteacher and staff provide excellent role models to pupils, questioning and developing themselves continuously. This

p.16

EXAMPLE OF OUTSTANDING PRACTICE

approach has led to a remarkable opening year. Young children in the Reception and Year 1 are following the lead, taking responsibility for their learning at every opportunity and producing work that represents high levels of achievement. Nearly all parents and carers are very supportive and committed to what is being done for their children. Kew Riverside Primary School - 17

p.16

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

29. The Reception has 30 available places each year and children join in either September or January, according to where their birthday falls. Starting dates in each term are staggered to allow enough time to settle each child individually and to begin a personal portfolio. This document is used to record pupils’ progress and achievements throughout their time at school. Parents are requested to complete an evaluation form on the process of induction and any suggestions that they make are given active and serious consideration.

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

30. The quality of teaching and learning is consistently very good. It is based on very careful, thorough planning that includes all areas of learning that are required for the age group. Children’s portfolios are used to ensure that what is taught is adapted to the best learning style for each individual. These adaptations include resources and methods for children with special educational needs, English as an additional language or any other requirements.

p.17

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• All adults know the children very well. • Emphasis on co-operation, collaboration and sharing is very strong. • Children are given opportunities to take responsibility and initiative is encouraged and praised wholeheartedly. • Management of children and organisation of the classroom produce a secure environment.

p.17

Commentary

31. The children’s personal, social, and emotional development very strongly underpins all aspects of teaching and learning. All children currently in Reception give every impression of feeling secure and eager to learn. Planning and teaching are very good. Children behave well, listen to their teacher and to each other, and show great enthusiasm for what is taught. At the pre- inspection meeting, several parents commented on how they had found the school’s induction process enjoyable and thorough, and that their children were feeling happy and settled.

p.17

Commentary

32. In a very good lesson, children sat in a circle and reflected on what makes them happy. After a little while, they began passing a teddy bear around. When each child held the bear, they explained their thoughts. These ideas included sitting next to mummy or daddy, sharing things, and many other ideas. The teacher then very cleverly related these thoughts to the theme of the week, which was World Peace . She emphasised that if everyone were happy then the world would be peaceful. In this way, the children learnt that it was important to be happy and to make other people happy. If they made someone else happy, they would be contributing to the peace of the world. This type of strong moral teaching is typical of what is planned throughout the year. Themes are ambitious and often of a universal nature. However, they are taught at a very practical level that relates to the age and understanding of the children. Nearly

p.17

Commentary

all children are likely to exceed the goals that are normally expected at the end of the Reception Year.

p.17

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Kew Riverside Primary School - 18 Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Achievement is already good, after just a few weeks in school. • Children are interested in books and writing materials and are confident in speaking and listening. • French is taught very effectively.

p.18

Commentary

33. Very good teaching is producing interested children who want to read, who concentrate on what is said to them, and who respond with confidence. New technology is used to advantage. In a very good lesson, the story Pumpkin Soup was scanned into a PowerPoint presentation and transmitted to an interactive whiteboard. The success of the school’s aim to turn children into active learners who take responsibility was seen in the type and frequency of questions that were asked. As the teacher began reading, “thinking thumbs” immediately rose and a child asked, “What does ‘embroidered’ mean?” The explanation was accompanied with the teacher’s endorsement of the question. This type of questioning was in evidence throughout the lesson. As a result, not only is learning enhanced for the questioner, but it is reinforced for the whole group. Further into the lesson, the teacher showed a wordlist on the whiteboard and

p.18

Commentary

children demonstrated that they had acquired the meanings of many of the featured words. Many children read these words from the display, showing that they were already beginning to recognise several words from a text – a goal that is normally required for their age group at the end of the year.

p.18

Commentary

34. Planning shows that French is taught orally to these young children. It is clear that results, which are being monitored carefully, are very promising. Children are remembering the French words for a variety of familiar objects in their classroom, as well as numbers and expressions of daily greeting.

p.18

Commentary

35. Displays in the classroom and samples of work show that many children are beginning to make recognisable letter shapes and to write down words, starting with their names, and to make labels for their classroom. Nearly all the children are on course to exceed the goals that are normally expected and many are likely to do so by far.

p.18

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is very good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Opportunities to count, match and group objects are frequently planned and introduced. • Good links are made with other areas of learning when, for example, children are taught counting songs and number rhymes. • Children know the names of shapes that occur in the environment.

p.18

Commentary

36. Resources, such as plastic dinosaurs, shapes and others, are used very effectively to provide opportunities to match, sort and group objects. Children are aware of properties such as colour, size and, in the case of dinosaurs, species to sort their matching groups. In a very good lesson, the practical use that was made of good quality resources was a key feature. Children used a ladybird with moveable spots to count and add numbers. This lesson resulted in considerable progress as they began to explore ideas such as adding three to three and Kew Riverside Primary School - 19 then four to four. The teacher introduced the language of “doubling” and the children responded with considerable enthusiasm. By the end of the session, many of them were already reaching elements of the goals that are normally expected at the end of the year.

p.18

Commentary

37. In their work on shapes, children use flat plastic squares, triangles and other shapes, and are beginning to use them in tessellating patterns. They recognise these shapes, pointing to, and naming them, in the environment of their classroom. It is evident that, by the end of Reception, many children are likely to exceed the goals that are normally expected.

p.19

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is very good.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good use is made of the environment and of visits and visitors. • Children in Reception are already very interested in the world around them. • The curriculum is very rich and varied.

p.19

Commentary

38. Planning indicates that what is taught is full of interesting, challenging experiences. Photographs of last year’s work indicate that many of these experiences link very strongly with other areas of learning. For example, children gained insights into the work of a nurse, a librarian, a police officer and a fire prevention officer when they met them, either in their places of work or in the classroom. At the same time, children’s personal and social development was addressed when the nurse, for example, showed them “How to clean our teeth” or when the police officer explained ways of keeping safe. This emphasis on first-hand experiences is very strong. Children learn about plants and animals by visiting places such as Syon Park , where they handle stick insects and view butterflies, millipedes and many other “minibeasts”. It is evident that children are acquiring facts about these creatures and ideas about habitats that

p.19

Commentary

39. The use of new technology, including electronic keyboards, a digital camera and computers, is also well planned. In this area of learning, many children are likely to exceed the learning goals for their age group by the end of the year.

p.19

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is very good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are given a wide variety of opportunities to run, jump, balance and to explore and develop physical skills.

p.19

Commentary

40. Resources are good and include a fenced and gated area for outdoor activity, rolling toys and space-hoppers. Smaller items such as balls and skipping ropes are also plentiful. Planning indicates that good links with other areas are again a strong feature. For example, in French and mathematics, children dance and clap while they sing and chant rhymes and number songs. An area with safer surfacing for climbing frames is currently being developed and will clearly enhance provision further. Kew Riverside Primary School - 20 41. Many opportunities arise for children to use small cutting tools, such as scissors, as well as crayons, pencils, and art tools to develop the co-ordination of their hands, fingers and eyes. It is likely that the normally expected goals will be exceeded.

p.19

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is excellent .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The Reception teacher is especially knowledgeable and highly skilled in the teaching of art and design. • Opportunities to work with a very wide range of media in many artistic styles are provided. • Children receive plenty of opportunity to dance, sing and make music. • Standards are outstandingly high in artwork.

p.20

Commentary

42. After just a few weeks, many children in the present Reception class are already exceeding what is normally expected at the end of the year. Samples of last year’s work indicate that standards then were well beyond what is normally expected.

p.20

Commentary

43. Current displays of work in the styles of Van Gogh and Kandinsky are of the highest quality. In order to produce this work, it is evident that children are given opportunities to look very carefully at reproductions of artists’ originals. The styles and skills required to produce similar work are clearly discussed in detail. Ideas of how to use paint in thick, broad strokes of bright colour typified children’s work in the style of Van Gogh. Their reproduction of Kandinsky’s Concentric Circles was strikingly similar to the original, yet attained the quality of a work of art in its own right. It was produced collaboratively, thereby contributing well to personal and social development. Each child produced careful “circles within circles” of his or her own. The results have since been joined together skilfully in a configuration that matches the original. Other examples of high quality work are children’s self-portraits. Again, it is evident that excellent

p.20

Commentary

teaching has produced understanding of the relative positions of facial features far in excess of what is typical at this age. Planning indicates that opportunities for music, dance and drama are very good. The likelihood is that attainment in this area will be well in excess of the expected goals by the end of the year. Kew Riverside Primary School - 21

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is very good, which is leading to highly motivated pupils and very good learning. • Pupils’ achievements are very good. • What is taught offers pupils good opportunities for role-play and many experiences that offer practical learning.

p.21

Commentary

44. Teaching is highly innovative and, as a result, pupils are active, positive learners who engage and achieve very well in tasks and concentrate fully. For example, in a very good lesson, pupils in Year 1 were studying Martin Waddell’s Farmer Duck . They knew the text well and took on the roles of different animals in the story. Imaginative teaching required two pupils to act as newspaper reporters who were meeting them to find out what had happened in the farmhouse, following an animals’ rebellion. The discussion focused both on the storyline and on matters that indicated strong social and moral development. Pupils discussed whether the bad farmer should be given one last chance to run the farm, or whether he had gone too far. They decided that the cow would use her horns to tip the lazy farmer out of bed and that they would all roar and scare him.

p.21

Commentary

45. Planning is very clear and indicates the expected outcomes and objectives of lessons and adaptations for different groups. It is based on very thorough systems of assessment, both formal and ongoing. The observed lesson met the requirements of pupils at different stages of understanding and skilfulness. For example, higher-attaining pupils began letters to the farmer to explain the animals’ case. Lower attainers illustrated events in the story. Pupils read their work confidently and clearly. A sample of work shows that uses of adjectives to enrich writing are a strong feature of what pupils are doing. Their handwriting and spelling are also developing well.

p.21

Commentary

46. Co-ordination of literacy is very good. Literacy Hours are being planned and developed to produce exciting approaches. The subject’s action plan contains good ideas for ensuring that this very promising start is maintained. At the meeting, parents indicated their strong support for what the headteacher, who is the co-ordinator, is trying to achieve. They feel that reading standards are high and are very pleased that reading books and information about how their children are getting on is easy to access. Inspectors agree with these positive assessments.

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

47. Teaching across the curriculum entails plenty of discussion and talk that involves an emphasis on pupils’ uses of language. New vocabulary is frequently focused and pupils are encouraged to use plenty of adjectives and the correct technical words, whenever possible. In nearly all lessons in other subjects, books as sources of information were present and used. Kew Riverside Primary School - 22

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A link with a local secondary school is providing specialist teaching of very good quality. • What is taught is very effectively reinforcing and then building on what pupils have learnt previously.

p.22

Commentary

48. A teacher from a local secondary school that specialises in languages visits Kew Riverside each week. She teaches French orally in both classes. A lesson in Year 1 built very well on what pupils already knew. Pupils use their knowledge of French words with great relish. In this lesson, for example, they responded enthusiastically and correctly to greetings, such as, “Bonjour, la classe,” and “Ca va?” They gave their names using the correct French grammar and counted accurately. Pupils also know a number of simple French nursery and counting songs. Standards are well above those that are normally expected when French is taught in primary schools. A strong feature of the teaching was the presence of students from the same secondary school. These students sat amongst the class and were able to prompt responses very effectively. They add much to pupils’ general levels of confidence, thereby making a

p.22

Commentary

strong contribution to both the learning of French and to aspects of personal development.

p.22

Commentary

49. The headteacher is already thinking of how this teaching can be sustained in the future. Her ideas include appointing a member of staff who will have sufficient expertise to share the subject with visiting teachers, and even to extend her own knowledge of the language by undertaking classes herself. This type of thinking is typical of her vision of the role of headteacher as “leading learner”.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils show a particularly strong grasp of applied and practical mathematics for their age. • Numeracy standards are well above average. • Pupils show considerable maturity in discussions of how they get their results. • The process of monitoring pupils’ learning and setting demanding targets is very effective.

p.22

Commentary

50. In a very good lesson, pupils identified the full range of national coinage with complete accuracy and confidence. This degree of accuracy is unusual for Year 1, before the first half term is even complete. One of the main reasons is that pupils work both with real coins, with which they are completely trusted, as well as with good quality cardboard enlargements that are used to show them how to identify each value. They approach problems with tenacity. In the same lesson, a group of pupils showed pleasure and pride in adding the values of different coins together. Later on, the whole class engaged with near silent intensity in team shopping games.

p.22

Commentary

51. The overall quality of teaching and learning is very good. It includes a thorough knowledge of the National Numeracy Strategy, combined with very good encouragement in getting pupils to explain results and their own understanding of what they learn. They willingly explain how they have added quantities of money by counting on, doubling or counting in twos. Effective Kew Riverside Primary School - 23 grouping by prior attainment for at least parts of lessons allows more able pupils to be extended, while those of less confidence are supported effectively. For example, higher attainers correctly solved the value of seven 5p coins together, and added four 2p coins, two 1p coins and a 5p coin correctly giving the answer as 15p. As a class, all pupils count accurately to 20 at least and to 150 in tens.

p.22

Commentary

52. Pupils show a good knowledge of shapes, (including awareness of those with more than four sides) space and measures. Asked to identify shapes in the room around them, higher attainers identified an oval. When asked about the length of a pen, a pupil replied, “thirteen”. Not only was this response surprising, as it was numerical rather than a word such as “long” or “short”, it was also a remarkably close estimate. The actual length was 14cm.

p.23

Commentary

53. The very good tracking of pupils’ progress enables appropriately demanding targets to be set, which contributes to their rapid progress. This system is strengthened by the use of scales that distinguish several degrees of attainment within each level of the National Curriculum. As a result, targets are very precise and easily checked and measured. Furthermore, the same system is usable for all pupils, including those with special educational needs or with English as an additional language.

p.23

Commentary

54. Management of the subject includes sustainable development of resources and other priorities for improvement that are strong enough to ensure the continuation of the school’s excellent start.

p.23

Mathematics across the curriculum

55. Mathematics is effectively taught and planned across the curriculum. For example, pupils weigh objects in science, produce time lines and memorise dates in history, register themselves and count the number in class each day, find page numbers in music and, in geography, describe and make simple maps of their route to school.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Scientific enquiry is very strongly emphasised. • Extensive uses of outdoors, walks and visits foster close and careful observations of the environment. • Teachers seize opportunities for practical experiments that enrich the curriculum. • Standards are well above what is typical at the start of Year 1.

p.23

Commentary

56. In discussions with an inspector, pupils showed that they had followed a broad curriculum already and their recall of work was very good, which is evidence of a high quality of teaching and learning. For example, they knew many facts about plants and insects. It was also clear from their responses that their learning is based on observation, rather than rote learning. When asked about the number of legs on insects, pupils thought about what they had seen and gave the reply “Three on each side,” rather than simply parroting “six”. Samples of work that were provided indicated the same richness of first-hand experiences across a broad curriculum.

p.23

Commentary

57. Pupils recalled a walk along the River Thames. They volunteered knowledge about different kinds of chestnut cases, explaining that the more prickly ones contain chestnuts, which can be eaten, while the rougher ones contain conkers. Pupils’ work is very well linked with other subjects across the curriculum. For example, their scientific enquiry into habitats included Kew Riverside Primary School - 24 work on the weather and its effects on life and living processes. Knowledge of forces, such as simple “pushes” and “pulls”, is linked with the design and technology of bulldozers, tractors and carthorses. Parents are asked to help, for instance when individual pupils are given a substance or material to research at home and asked to report their findings to the class. A pupil who chose “water” introduced ideas of evaporation and condensation (normally topics for a much older age group). Other pupils coped with a discussion of his experiment that was

p.23

Commentary

repeated in the classroom. Effective links with home are also demonstrated in pupils’ displays of metallic objects for magnetic testing.

p.24

Commentary

58. Co-ordination is strong, not only in its monitoring and planning of specifically scientific topics, but also in its emphases on observation, thinking skills and creativity. These features effectively contribute to the richness of the curriculum that is provided and the goal of getting pupils to see themselves as active young scientists and researchers. The co-ordinator, with the support of the headteacher, has effectively identified developmental goals to secure the future as the task of managing the subject grows with the size of the school.

p.24

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is very good .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Resources are very good, including interactive whiteboards in the classrooms. • Available expertise is used and deployed effectively to raise standards. • Pupils are acquiring skills very thoroughly, so standards and achievements are good.

p.24

Commentary

59. Pupils are confident users of new technology and enjoy what they do. They know how to save and access information in files of their own; they use a mouse accurately, clicking on to buttons to control programs, and many of them have the knowledge to try alternative pathways if the result is not the intended one. These attributes are indicative of good achievement and standards above those typically found at the beginning of Year 1.

p.24

Commentary

60. Resources are of very good quality, including relevant programs that support work in a range of subjects across the curriculum. In addition to its interactive whiteboards and classroom computers, the school has a computer suite adjacent to its library. This combination of facilities is highly appropriate, as it brings together technological and traditional means of finding information that supports learning well.

p.24

Commentary

61. The school’s business manager has considerable expertise in the use of computers and is willingly deployed in support of teaching and learning. In a well-planned lesson in Year 1, for example, her skills were used very effectively. Strong teaching resulted in pupils learning how to design a cover for their class book. Responsibility for what was taught was shared skilfully. Small groups made use of the computer suite, while other pupils carried out related tasks in the classroom. As the importance of technical knowledge grew, the balance of leadership in the lesson switched from the teacher to the business manager. As a direct result of this strong partnership, pupils acquired skills rapidly.

p.24

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

62. As well as computers, other new technology is used to support learning. In music, for example, pupils use programmable electronic keyboards. Digital cameras are frequently used to record work and information, and the interactive whiteboards are used frequently to aid teaching and learning in many lessons. The Internet and CD-ROMs are available and also used frequently by staff and pupils. Kew Riverside Primary School - 25

p.24

History, geography and religious education

Overall provision in all these subjects is good.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Overall standards in these subjects are above average and pupils’ achievements are good. • The range of first-hand experiences and uses of artefacts and resources are very good. • Planning is strong and links between subjects are made explicitly to support learning. • The use of the locality and other places of interest is very good.

p.25

Commentary

63. High standards are underpinned with visits, visitors and direct experiences. For example, when pupils go off-site they often either walk or use public transport. Geographically, these opportunities are used to point out how land is used and to introduce the skills of identifying both natural and human features. Pupils name places that they have visited, know where their parents go to work and make simple maps of their various routes to school. They know the difference between places nearby and can distinguish them from countries far away. Pupils of minority ethnic groups report confidently about their countries and regions of origin and all pupils use skills of seeking such places on a globe. This quality of learning indicates that teaching is at least good.

p.25

Commentary

64. Good teaching is providing good geographical experiences. For example, pupils make models of cityscapes, direct cars round their model and record information about different types of buildings.

p.25

Commentary

65. Historically, pupils show awareness of places where their parents have lived in the past. They are keen to share family history, recalling their early toys and their age when they played with them. They are beginning to build a good understanding of the passage of time, identifying old and new items and making use of timelines. They know the stories of some famous historical characters such as Florence Nightingale and Guy Fawkes.

p.25

Commentary

66. In religious education, the locally agreed syllabus is used as the basis for planning, adapted to meet pupils’ needs and specific characteristics. Pupils are aware of the main Christian festivals and also learn effectively about aspects of Judaism and Islam. The particular knowledge of pupils is also used well. Owing to their positive attitudes towards each other, pupils are willing to talk about their own religious and cultural experiences. In this way, several principles of Hindu belief have been shared.

p.25

Commentary

67. Co-ordination and planning of the humanities creates a rich variety of good learning opportunities. Steps for further development, as the school increases in size, have been appropriately identified. Kew Riverside Primary School - 26

p.25

Art and design, design and technology, music and physical education

Overall provision in art and design, design and technology, and music is very good . Provision in physical education is good .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are well above average in art and design, and music. • Standards are above average in design and technology, and physical education. • In music, an innovative keyboard-based teaching scheme produces very good learning with achievements to match. • In art and design, excellent subject knowledge and the co-ordinator’s expertise produce very good teaching and learning, which results in very good achievements.

p.26

Art and design

68. In art and design, very good teaching and subject co-ordination are leading to very high standards of work and very good achievements, based on a thorough acquisition of skills. In a very good series of lessons, pupils in Year 1 had first been shown examples of Andy Goldsworthy’s natural sculptures and had sketched their own examples of work in his style. In the lesson that was observed, pupils discussed their collections of leaves, branches of trees and pebbles, and recalled what they had learnt of Goldsworthy. Following an introduction that consisted of very good questioning, they produced their own works, using their sketches very skilfully. Many pupils reproduced their plans very closely, although self-evaluation was very advanced for the age group, with pupils making decisions based on how their work was progressing and discussing it naturally with each other. This example of how art is taught is

p.26

Art and design

typical of the high quality of provision. It illustrates the emphasis on encouraging pupils to see themselves as young artists, who use and develop in themselves the skills of the famous artists whom they study. Pupils’ resources had been collected on a walk with their teacher and their parents had also been involved in bringing items from home. Further reinforcement of how artists work was evident when parents were invited into the school to view their children’s natural sculptures as “…visitors to an exhibition”.

p.26

Design and technology

69. Planning and previous work indicate that standards in design and technology are above what is typically attained by pupils in Year 1. Work on display demonstrates the characteristic “design, make and evaluate” elements of the subject, as well as a good link with literacy. Pupils designed an animal from The Greedy Zebra . They then made up their designs using sewing and gluing as techniques for joining a variety of materials, including felt, sequins and shiny foils, amongst others.

p.26

Music

70. In music, an emphasis on correct pitch is reinforced by hand signals at different levels of the body for specific notes. Pupils know these signals well and can demonstrate them outside of lessons.

p.26

Music

71. In typical lessons, all pupils have access to an electronic keyboard, which they operate with very good guidance from adults, including the teacher and very well trained assistants and parent helpers. The very good knowledge of the Yamaha Project and teaching skills of these adults ensure very good teaching. Pupils play simple tunes in time with background music and Kew Riverside Primary School - 27 with the support of standard musical notation. They play with either hand and can anticipate and play in time, sometimes in quite complex music. Movements of the body in time with the music and to match its changing moods are used very effectively to help sustain concentration. Different types of music and music from other cultures are used and appraised. Pupils ask appropriate questions and explain the moods of what they hear appropriately. Pupils also talk about other instruments that they play, including percussion instruments in school,

p.26

Music

and others that they learn out of school. It is planned that they will also take part in the Richmond Music Festival later this year.

p.27

Physical education

72. Owing to a lack of facilities when the school opened last year, pupils in Year 1 are receiving three lessons each week. They are also being given access to the type of provision that is usually available in Reception. Boys and girls run vigorously and use scooters, bikes and space-hoppers with skill and energy. Physical activity is often used to sharpen pupils’ alertness if concentration flags in other subjects. For example, they might take a run round the playground between lessons, or be invited to jump up, turn around and sit down again on the carpet in their classroom. Such activities are always carried out with enjoyment. Furthermore, pupils are very aware of safety. They freeze to a standstill on command and use safe routines.

p.27

Physical education

73. In a good lesson, pupils demonstrated good skills of throwing and catching. The level of challenge was good, encouraging them to set high expectations for themselves. Progress in this lesson was good, with the distance at which they accurately threw and caught increasing visibly during the lesson. As pupils’ skills improved, higher attainers were encouraged to go further still. The most able managed to throw and catch successfully over about four metres, which is very good for their age. Pupils with special educational needs, including one or two with weaknesses in control of co-ordination, were given very good guidance. As a result, they too made rapid progress, albeit at a lower level.

p.27

Physical education

74. The subject provides good cross-curricular links with music and pupils respond well to different styles and types of music, varying their movement accordingly.

p.27

Management and co-ordination

75. Management and co-ordination of these subjects is thorough. Co-ordinators are knowledgeable and are developing good systems for monitoring provision. The main priorities entail ensuring that provision and standards are maintained as the school grows in size. Co- ordinators work with the headteacher to formulate action plans and indications are that standards will be maintained.

p.27

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision in this area of the curriculum is very good .

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Visitors and outside agencies are used very effectively. • Pupils’ views are sought, valued very strongly and taken into account in how the school is run. • In lessons known as Circle Time , pupils are encouraged to talk about their personal development, concerns and things that make them happy.

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Commentary

76. Time is set aside for pupils to discuss anything that concerns or interests them personally. Teaching about living together is planned and focused very effectively. The headteacher and staff prioritise it as of great importance. Furthermore, pupils’ views are actively sought in Kew Riverside Primary School - 28 situations that involve the running and management of the school. A telling example is that part of the reward system involves helping the business manager in the offices. Pupils help to open mail and record the school’s “answerphone” message. When the appointment of a new teacher was planned, pupils were involved in the process, speaking to the applicants and explaining what they felt should appear in the advertisements.

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Commentary

77. Specific aspects of health and safety education are planned effectively and include visits from the school nurse and community police officer. Pupils are taught to help others and become involved in charitable work. Early ideas of the world of work are introduced through the use of language such as “…planning their jobs”, which refers to the learning tasks that are set in lessons. Kew Riverside Primary School - 29

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 2 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 8 Value for money provided by the school 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 3 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 2 The quality of teaching 2 How well pupils learn 2 The quality of assessment 2 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 2 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 1 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 1 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 2 The governance of the school 2 The leadership of the headteacher 1 The leadership of other key staff 1 The effectiveness of management 2

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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) not applicable to the school (8).

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