Lanesfield Primary School

NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 10 th – 13 th November 2003

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NURSERY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 2 Crown copyright 2004

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NURSERY SCHOOL

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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NURSERY 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. Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll; 275

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Newman Drive Lanesfield Wolverhampton

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01902 558950 Fax number: 01902 558951

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Local Education Authority Name of chair of governors: Councillor Richard Whitehouse

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 7 th June 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is bigger than other primary schools and serves an area of social and economic disadvantage. Attainment on entry to the nursery class is below that expected for children of their age. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals (around a quarter) is above the national average but the proportion of pupils registered as having special educational needs (around an eighth) is below the national average. A high proportion of pupils (around 40 per cent) are from Asian British backgrounds and receive support in the early stages of their education for English as an additional language. The number of pupils starting or leaving the school at times other than the normal time of admission or departure is very close to the national average. The school received an Achievement Award in 2000. Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

28076 Mr D Byrne Lead inspector Science, information and communication technology, design and technology, physical education, English as an additional language. 19335 Mrs S Dixon Lay Inspector 32860 Mr K Bold Team Inspector English, history, geography, special educational needs. 22556 Mr E Morgan Team Inspector Mathematics, religious education, art and design, music.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Altecq Education Ltd 102 Bath Road Cheltenham Gloucester GL53 7JX

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the 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). Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 13

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 36

Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 6

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school provides pupils with an acceptable standard of education. However, this school has serious weaknesses in crucial aspects of leadership and management and in standards at the end of Year 2. Children start school with standards that are below average. They make good progress in the nursery and reception classes. In recent years, pupils at the end of Year 2 have not achieved satisfactorily. By the end of Year 6, pupils are currently achieving satisfactorily. The leadership of the head teacher is unsatisfactory because there has been a lack of urgency to implement effective strategies to reverse the declining trends in standards, particularly at the end of Year 2. The quality of teaching is good in the Foundation Stage and in Years 5 and 6 but there are weaknesses in teaching in some classes in Years 1 and 2. The school is currently giving unsatisfactory value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• The school lacks an effective educational direction and the strategies to take decisive and prompt action to raise standards. • Although pupils are willing to learn, their achievement is lower than it should be, especially at the end of Year 2, where there are serious weaknesses in standards. • Well-managed provision in the Foundation Stage gives children a good start to their education in the nursery and reception classes. • The children and pupils for whom English is not their mother tongue are well integrated into school life and benefit from good support by bilingual support staff. • The quality of teaching in literacy and numeracy is good in the single-aged Year 2 class and in Years 5 and 6 but there are significant weaknesses in teaching in Years 1 and 2. • Attendance is well below the national average. • Staff are caring and supportive of pupils’ welfare. • Although the curriculum is satisfactory, not enough time is given to music.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• The school celebrates and values the different cultures of pupils and makes sure there are good levels of racial harmony. • The quality and range of books in the library are unsatisfactory but resources for environmental learning are outstanding.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

Since the last inspection in June 1999, the rate of improvement has been unsatisfactory. Standards achieved in English, mathematics and science at the end of both Years 2 and 6 are not as high as they were and the quality of leadership and management is not as effective as it was. The large class numbers in Years 3 to 6 have been reduced, thereby benefiting the quality of education given to all pupils, including those with special educational needs and pupils for whom English is not their mother tongue. The quality of teaching and learning in the nursery class is much better but there remain inconsistencies in the quality of teaching across the rest of the school.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils achieve satisfactorily overall. Achievement is good in the Foundation Stage, satisfactory in Years 3 to 6 but unsatisfactory in Years 1 to 2. Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 7

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compared with:

English C E D C mathematics B C D C science C C E C Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average

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compared with:

Children start school with below average levels of attainment. For a significant proportion of pupils their mother tongue is not English. Children in the Foundation Stage make good progress and by the end of the reception class children are currently achieving standards that are in line with the standards expected for their age in all areas of learning.

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compared with:

Standards at the end of Year 2 have been declining steadily since 1999. In 2003 standards were in the lowest 5 per cent in reading, writing and mathematics when compared to all schools nationally and to similar schools. Inspection evidence shows that standards are starting to pick up at the end of Year 2. This is because of good teaching in the single-aged Year 2 class but standards are still too low.

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compared with:

There has been a decline in standards at the end of Year 6 between 1999 and 2002. In 2003 standards improved and were in line with the average for similar schools in English, mathematics and science but below the national average in English and mathematics and well below the national average in science.

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compared with:

Girls do better than boys, especially in English, and pupils from Asian British ethnic backgrounds generally achieve higher standards than others. Standards are in line with national expectations in information and communication technology and physical education and pupils do as well as expected in religious education at the end of both Years 2 and 6. In geography, standards are in line with expectations at the end of Year 2 but by the end of Year 6, standards are below expectations and pupils are not achieving as well as they could. Standards in music are below national expectations by the end of both Years 2 and 6.

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compared with:

The standards of behaviour are satisfactory. Pupils are willing learners and develop satisfactory attitudes and form satisfactory relationships with others. Provision for pupils’ personal development is satisfactory in terms of their spiritual, moral and social development, and cultural development is good .

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is satisfactory, although there are some serious weaknesses. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, but there are inconsistencies. Most pupils enjoy learning and work hard when challenged. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactory but the information is not always used to inform planning. Satisfactory provision is made for pupils’ personal development, although expectations for pupils to find information and carry out their own research in English, mathematics and science are weak. The curriculum meets statutory requirements although too little time is given to music. The children for whom English is not their mother tongue are well provided for Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 8 and pupils with special educational needs are given satisfactory levels of support. Satisfactory partnerships with parents and the community contribute to the pupils’ education.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are unsatisfactory. The school has not effectively monitored standards and has been too slow to take effective action to halt the fall in standards. The team of senior staff is starting to turn the school around but the leadership of the head teacher is unsatisfactory. The governing body, although very supportive and hard working, has not ensured that it has held the head teacher to account regarding standards in the school and in this aspect of its role, the governing body not met the statutory requirement to keep its eye on the school’s effectiveness.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have mostly satisfactory levels of approval of what the school does but there are some concerns about the behaviour of pupils at lunchtimes. Pupils feel safe and secure in school and feel involved in school life but would like more extra-curricular activities.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management. • Raise achievement in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 2 and reduce the gap between the performance of boys and girls across the school. • Improve the consistency in the quality of teaching. • Improve attendance. • Raise standards in geography by the end of Year 6 and in music across the school. • Improve the quality and range of books in the library. Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Standards have declined since the last inspection in 1999. There are serious weaknesses in the standards and achievement of pupils at the end of Year 2. At end of Year 6, standards are improving because of better teaching that sets higher expectations and pupils are currently achieving satisfactorily . The pupils for whom English is not their mother tongue, make good progress in Years 1 and 2. Their limited experience of English tends to reduce their performance in the Year 2 National Curriculum tests, but by the end of Year 6 their performance in the National Curriculum tests is not adversely affected. Overall, pupils from Asian British backgrounds have better attitudes to learning and attain higher standards and achieve better than other pupils.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 2 have been steadily declining and in 2003 were in the lowest 5 per cent of schools both nationally and in comparison with similar schools. • Children make good progress from a below average level of entry to the nursery class and reach the Early Learning Goals for their age by the end of the reception class. • Girls tend to do better than boys by the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 in English. • At the end of Year 6, standards are starting to rise after a time of decline and pupils are currently achieving satisfactorily. • Standards are lower than they should be in geography by the end of Year 6 and in music across the school.

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Commentary:

1. When children start school in the nursery class, a significant minority of children have low levels of understanding of English. Good provision in the Foundation Stage results in children making good progress overall. The standards achieved by children by the end of the reception class varies from year to year and are often below those expected for their age, but the current reception class has a significant number of higher attaining children and they are currently achieving well and reaching the standards expected for their age in each area of learning.

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Key Stage 1

2. Standards have declined steadily since the last inspection in reading and writing. In mathematics, standards improved between 2000 and 2002, but they dipped sharply in 2003. The decline in standards in each subject is a direct result of a lack of rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning in Years 1 and 2 in the recent past and the lack of action to rectify weaknesses in teaching. Initiatives were taken to raise standards in 2002, but their impact was poor and resulted in even lower standards being achieved. Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 10

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Standards in: School results National results

reading 11.7 (13.8) 15.7 (15.8) writing 11.3 (13.0) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 13.1 (16.8) 16.3 (16.5)

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Standards in: School results National results

There were 32 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Standards in: School results National results

3. The unvalidated data for 2003 shows that pupils achieved standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science that were well below those of similar schools and all schools nationally. Standards were in the lowest 5 per cent of all schools nationally and when compared to similar schools. In 2003, around two thirds of the pupils in Year 2 failed to reach the standards expected for their age.

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Standards in: School results National results

4. Inspection evidence shows that standards are getting better for the Year 2 pupils in the single-aged Year 2 class because of improvements in the quality of teaching. There are still, however, a significant number of pupils who are not attaining the standards expected for their age in English, mathematics and science, and overall, standards are below national expectations. A significant minority are still not achieving as well as they could.

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(Unvalidated data)

Standards in: School results National results English 26.1 (24.6) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 26.2 (26.8) 26.8 (26.7) science 27.5 (26.7) 28.6 (28.3) There were 38 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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(Unvalidated data)

6. After a period of three years when standards declined, standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6 improved in 2003. Pupils achieved as well as pupils in similar schools but standards were below the national average in English and mathematics and well below the national average in science. Inspection evidence is that pupils are currently making satisfactory progress but a higher than average number of pupils are attaining standards that are below the level expected for their age in English, mathematics and science. Improvements in the quality of teaching in Years 5 and 6 and the better organisation of pupils of different abilities have started to boost the achievement of pupils but their attainment is reduced by gaps in their education in the past.

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Subjects other than English, mathematics and science:

Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 11 7. Pupils achieve satisfactorily in information and communication technology by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and reach standards that are in line with national expectations. There are some examples of good use of information and communication technology in Years 5 and 6 to support learning in subjects such as geography and history. Pupils at the end of Year 6 achieve satisfactorily in religious education and standards meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. The standards achieved in geography, are in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2 but by the end of Year 6, pupils do not do as well as they could and they are underachieving. Standards of attainment in music are below national expectations by the end of both key stages mainly because of a lack of sufficient time for pupils to learn the subject. It was not possible during the

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Subjects other than English, mathematics and science:

inspection to make a secure judgement about the standards achieved in art and design, design and technology and history.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

8. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory, promoting amongst pupils satisfactory attitudes, behaviour and personal qualities. Attendance is well below the national average.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Attendance is unsatisfactory • Pupils’ cultural development is good. • Behaviour is satisfactory but some pupils are boisterous during lunch and playtimes. • Pupils in the nursery and reception classes have good attitudes to their work. • Pupils of Asian British backgrounds generally have better attitudes to their work than others. • Throughout the school, pupils show a good level of interest in school life. • Pupils have a good range of opportunities to take responsibility, except in some aspects of learning.

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Commentary

9. Pupils have satisfactory attitudes and when they are given challenging work show good levels of concentration and effort. Across the school, children and pupils are usually willing to learn and keen to improve. There are good levels of racial harmony across the school. Children in the nursery and reception classes have good attitudes to school and are happy and industrious throughout the day. Elsewhere, in Years 1 to 6 pupils respond well when teachers offer challenging and stimulating lessons. In particular, pupils of Asian British backgrounds adopt consistently better attitudes to their work than other pupils, and girls of all backgrounds tend to be more attentive and hard working. Pupils feel that most lessons are interesting and that they receive help and encouragement from their teachers. However, pupils feel that in some classes the work is too easy and, as a result of weaknesses in the management of behaviour,

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Commentary

some pupils become mildly disruptive. Whilst pupils can work well alone and in groups, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to develop skills of independent research.

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Commentary

10. The behaviour in school is satisfactory overall. The school rewards good work and behaviour and there is a satisfactory policy for the management of misbehaviour. However, this aspect of the school’s approach to managing pupils is inconsistently implemented and leads to unacceptable behaviour and disruption in a small minority of lessons and at other times of the day. Pupils’ behaviour at lunchtimes is at times Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 12 unsatisfactory, with some boisterous and disruptive behaviour. Incidents of bullying and racism are very rare and when they occur, are dealt with effectively.

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Commentary

11. Pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is satisfactory. Assemblies contribute well to pupils’ spiritual development and, through activities such as exploring the outstanding environmental areas outdoors, pupils develop a good sense of the beauty of nature and living things. There are satisfactory opportunities for pupils to take responsibility and to learn about their place in society. The introduction of a school council allows pupils in Years 3 to 6 to offer their ideas and opinions. Pupils understand right from wrong and learn to value and respect others. However, the school’s code of conduct is not given a sufficiently high profile and pupils do not always listen to others as respectfully as they should, for example, during lunchtimes. The school is developing its provision for personal and social education. Pupils’ cultural development is an area of improvement since the last inspection and is now good. The school

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Commentary

celebrates its cultural diversity well. The school uses and values the cultural backgrounds of all pupils. The success of this is seen in the way that all pupils work together in harmony and show respect for each other. Pupils have a good appreciation of their own traditions and those of others.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 7.8 School data : 0.0 National data: 5.4 National data: 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

12. The level of attendance is unsatisfactory and well below the national average. For a significant number of pupils there is serious cause for concern. Too many pupils miss too much school and this has a detrimental effect upon their learning. The school has recently introduced a variety of attendance incentives and now monitors absences closely. There have been some very recent steps taken to introduce strategies to improve attendance but the full impact of these initiatives has yet to take its effect.

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Exclusions

There have been two fixed term exclusions in the last twelve months.

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exclusions

White – British 104 2 0 White – any other White background 2 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 9 0 0 Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 13 Mixed – White and Asian 4 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 86 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 2 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 12 0 0 Parent/pupil preferred not to say 1 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is currently satisfactory although the low standards achieved by some groups of pupils indicate that until recently it has been unsatisfactory. The quality of teaching and learning in the nursery and reception classes is good but in Years 1 and 2 there are some weaknesses and overall the quality of teaching in these year groups is unsatisfactory. In Years 3 to 6 the quality of teaching is satisfactory with some strengths in the quality of teaching in Years 5 and 6, resulting in better rates of progress and improved achievement. Assessment is used satisfactorily to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning but not always used to direct actions for improvement. The curriculum is satisfactory and pupils are satisfactorily cared for, guided and supported. Satisfactory provision is made for pupils with special educational needs and good support provided by bilingual staff in the

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2. The partnership with parents, other schools and the community is satisfactory.

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Teaching and learning

13. The quality of teaching and learning is good in the Foundation Stage, satisfactory in Years 3 to 6 but unsatisfactory in Years 1 and 2. Satisfactory procedures exist for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is good teamwork between teaching and support staff in the Foundation Stage and the quality of teaching and learning is good. • There are significant weaknesses in the quality of teaching in some aspects of Years 1 and 2 except in the single-aged Year 2 class where the quality of teaching and learning is good. • The quality of teaching and learning in English and mathematics is good overall in Years 5 and 6. • There is good quality support by bilingual support staff for pupils needing help with English. • Inconsistencies exist in the quality of teaching, for example, in the quality of marking and its use for setting pupils’ targets for improvement.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 45 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

0 1 (2%) 21 (47%) 18 (40%) 4 (9%) 1 (2%) 0 Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 14 The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Commentary

14. The quality of teaching has declined since the last inspection, although it has improved significantly in the Foundation Stage. Across the school, the quality of teaching was satisfactory or better in 89 per cent of lessons but unsatisfactory or worse in 11 per cent of lessons. Throughout the school, from Years 1 to 6, there is too much variation in the quality of education provided for pupils. This is partly because of disruptions caused by changes in staffing in recent years but mostly because of a lack of effective monitoring by senior staff to ensure that teaching and learning are good enough. This results in differences in the expectations made of pupils, for example, in the level of challenge for higher attaining pupils, the quality of pupils’ presentation and the effectiveness of marking.

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Commentary

15. In the Foundation Stage, the quality of teaching and learning is good. Good management of the nursery and reception classes means that both teaching and support staff work together very well to make good use of all available resources to provide children with an exciting, well-planned and effectively organised curriculum, suitable for children of this age. Teachers have a good knowledge of the needs of the children and plan and provide stimulating activities that successfully strike a good balance between adult-directed work and activities chosen by children. Good quality bilingual support provided by teaching assistants makes sure that those children for whom English is not the mother tongue receive good support and make good progress in improving their knowledge and understanding of English.

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Commentary

16. Throughout Years 1 to 6, teachers generally successfully engage pupils in lessons. In Years 1 and 2, bilingual support staff play a vital part in ensuring that pupils with difficulties acquiring English are involved in their lessons and make progress that matches that of other pupils. There are some unsatisfactory features to the quality of teaching in the Year 1 and the mixed Year 1/ 2 class.

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Commentary

17. The unsatisfactory teaching is primarily for the following reasons: • Low expectations are made of pupils, resulting in higher attaining pupils not being challenged enough and learning sufficiently during lessons. • Planned lesson objectives are not followed. • Some groups of pupils are not managed effectively resulting in pupils disrupting some lessons. • Teaching tends to dominate learning resulting in pupils not being given enough opportunity to think for themselves and make their own decisions.

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Commentary

18. In the single-aged Year 2 class, pupils are taught well and, as a result, pupils are making good progress and, whilst there are still some gaps in their learning because of weaknesses in their education in the past, they are starting to achieve satisfactorily and reach standards that are expected for their age. In Years 3 to 6, the quality of teaching is satisfactory with strengths in the teaching of English and literacy and mathematics and numeracy, especially in Years 5 and 6. The organisation of pupils by ability in Years 5 and 6 makes a valuable contribution to the improving achievement at the end of Year 6.

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Commentary

19. The features of the good teaching are: • Lessons are planned carefully to challenge the needs of higher attaining pupils. • There are good opportunities for pupils to contribute their ideas and to discuss what they think. Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 15 • There are high expectations for pupils to make their own decisions and develop the ability to work on their own. • Good use of information and communication technology is made to support teaching.

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Commentary

20. In information and communication technology, some teachers make very good use of computers and interactive white boards to support learning although some staff lack confidence and this reduces the effectiveness of using computers across the curriculum. The teaching of music, whilst satisfactory, has a weakness because there is a high level of dependency on the input of the specialist bought in for the subject. Throughout the school, there are some good links between literacy and other subjects, but generally, such links are incidental and not planned carefully enough to exploit all possible opportunities. Links with numeracy are unsatisfactory. 21. Throughout the school, the rate of learning varies according to the quality of teaching. In the Foundation Stage, children get a good start to their education and enjoy learning and finding things out. In Years 1 and 2, whilst most children enjoy school and try hard,

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Commentary

some weaknesses in planning and low expectations result in a significant number of pupils, especially higher attainers, not doing as well as they could. In Years 3 to 6, pupils are willing learners and are mostly attentive and hardworking during lessons. Pupils respond positively to challenging work that tests their existing knowledge and understanding of their subjects.

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Commentary

22. The needs of children on the school’s special educational needs register are met satisfactorily in lessons. In addition, there is a much larger group of children who, whilst not on the special educational needs register, are achieving below, and often well below, national expectations. Whilst many of these children make satisfactory progress, some do not, especially in Years 1 and 2. Teaching assistants provide valuable support in lessons, and their main input is often with lower achieving children. Their impact is greatest when they are actively involved throughout the lesson, have a clear understanding of their role and are given opportunities to use their initiative.

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Commentary

23. Procedures for assessment are satisfactory. In the Foundation Stage satisfactory assessment procedures are established and the resulting information is effectively used to guide planning to meet the children’s needs. In Years 1 to 6, statutory assessments are carried out and some good procedures exist for assessing and recording the attainment and progress of pupils in English and mathematics and most foundation subjects but they could be better in music and religious education. Not enough use is made of the information gathered to find ways of improving what is taught, although in Years 5 and 6, good use is made of assessment information to develop targets for pupils to improve. Although a fairly recent initiative, the sharing of targets with pupils is having a positive effect on the progress made by pupils in these classes, particularly in writing. Making pupils aware of their own progress is not a

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Commentary

consistent feature of teaching and the full potential of raising standards by involving pupils in setting their own targets is not yet fully exploited. Whilst the school has a marking policy, it is not effectively monitored to ensure that every teacher follows it and as a result practice varies between classes. Marking is usually promptly performed and provides feedback to the pupil about how they are doing and how they might improve further but at times, there is an acceptance of low levels of achievement and untidy presentation.

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The curriculum

24. The provision for the curriculum is satisfactory and has developed satisfactorily since the last inspection. The accommodation is satisfactory . The range of extra-curricular activities is smaller than normally found in similar schools. Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 16

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum for the children in the Foundation Stage is good. • The curriculum for pupils in Years 1 to 6 meets requirements apart from weaknesses in the amount of time allocated for music. • All pupils have equality of access and opportunity. • The basic skills of information and communication technology are well used in some subjects but not consistently across the curriculum. • Pupils have insufficient opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning and to develop their independent learning skills. • The range of extra-curricular activities is small.

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Commentary

25. The Foundation Stage curriculum is well organised and provides children with a good range of learning experiences. The curriculum for pupils in Years 1 to 6 meets statutory requirements for all subjects and but too little time is given to music. Whilst pupils have opportunities to sing, the music curriculum does not include sufficient opportunities for all aspects of the music curriculum to be adequately taught and the arrangements for pupils to take part in extra-curricular musical activities are few. The religious education curriculum fully meets the targets set out in the locally agreed syllabus and recognises and celebrates pupils’ religious beliefs and cultures. The statutory curriculum is supplemented by the inclusion of French for pupils in Years 3 to 6.

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Commentary

26. The national strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy are in place but there is little systematic planning across the curriculum to develop pupils’ literacy or numeracy skills. The basic skills of information and communication technology are well used in some subjects. The school has recently introduced a satisfactory programme designed to develop personal, social and health education and it incorporates citizenship education. This is being evaluated during the current year. The newly formed School Council makes a positive contribution to this area of the curriculum. Older pupils have some opportunities to work independently and in small groups, such as in religious education or when researching in history but, overall, expectations for pupils to think for themselves and plan and record work on their own in subjects such as mathematics and science are too low and not planned carefully enough. The lack of

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Commentary

library books hinders the development of independent research skills.

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Commentary

27. There is a limited range of extra-curricular activities available for pupils. The curriculum is enhanced by the some educational visits and occasional visitors to school, but the provision for enriching the curriculum, whilst satisfactory, is not as good as it could be. The pupils are currently being prepared satisfactorily for the next stage of their education.

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Commentary

28. The senior managers of the school and the head teacher have been slow to consider and implement new ideas to develop the curriculum. With the help of the local education authority, there is now a greater willingness to try out new ideas. There have been some good innovations introduced in information and communication technology, with some good examples of more confident teachers using computers to support teaching in classrooms and of using a microphone to assist with teaching. These initiatives are improving the way the curriculum is taught.

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Commentary

29. The accommodation is satisfactory overall. The provision for children in the Foundation Stage meets requirements and in Years 1 to 6, classrooms have suitable space, except in the mobile classrooms where the rooms are cramped and have poor Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 17 acoustics. Throughout the school, there is a lack of space to take small groups of pupils or individuals, for example, when supporting pupils with special educational needs. Outdoors, the hard play area is small but there are spacious grassed playing areas that are usable in good weather. The environmental area is an outstanding resource for pupils to use to learn a wide variety of skills and gain knowledge. Resources are adequate to meet the needs of the curriculum but there is a particular weakness in the quantity, range and quality of books in the school library and this reduces the opportunities for pupils to reach their potential in using books for research

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Care, guidance and support

This aspect of the school’s work is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The pupils in the Foundation Stage are well cared for and guided and benefit from good induction arrangements. • Effective support is provided for pupils for whom English is not their mother tongue.

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Commentary

30. The school has maintained its satisfactory levels of care and guidance since the last inspection. The procedures to ensure pupils’ day-to-day welfare and care meet requirements. Pupils are usually respected and treated with sensitivity. Children in the Foundation Stage benefit from good support when they begin school and pupils throughout the school are well cared for. There is effective support for children and pupils whose mother tongue is not English and this ensures that these children are fully involved in all aspects of school life. The health and safety arrangements for pupils, staff and visitors are satisfactory. Midday supervisors have not had access to sufficient training to support them in their work and this is evident when some pupils take advantage of staff during lunchtimes.

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Commentary

31. The personal and academic support and guidance offered to pupils is satisfactory. Whilst pupils have some targets for improvement in some subjects, this is not a consistent feature for all pupils across the school and not all pupils are yet fully involved in setting targets and evaluating their progress towards achieving them. The guidance that pupils receive through the marking of their work is satisfactory but inconsistent in its quality and usefulness.

p.17

Commentary

32. The school’s arrangements for seeking and acting on pupils’ views are satisfactory. The school does not systematically canvas pupils’ opinions across the school but has recently introduced a school council. This helps pupils in Years 3 to 6 to feel that they are listened to. Some of pupils’ suggestions for improving the playground have been acted upon and benches have also been provided.

p.17

Commentary

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community.

p.17

Commentary

The school has a satisfactory partnership with parents, other schools and the community.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 18 • Most parents support the school but they would like to be more involved in what goes on. • Although annual progress reports are satisfactory, not enough information is given about standards achieved. • There are ineffective procedures for consulting with parents.

p.18

Commentary

33. The school has maintained satisfactory links with parents since the last inspection. Most parents support the school well but would like to be more involved in their children’s learning. They are pleased with the happiness of their children at school and feel that children are treated fairly. They find the staff are approachable, although they would welcome more opportunities to offer their views. Parents have expressed some concern about the behaviour of pupils and would like more information about their children’s progress and how they can help their children at home. The school does not yet adequately seek the views of parents.

p.18

Commentary

34. The information provided for parents about their children’s progress and what they are taught is satisfactory. There are some opportunities for parents to gain insight into their children’s learning through class assemblies and performances but there are insufficient opportunities for them to gain an understanding of what is taught and how they can help. There have been some recent improvements in the communication of homework requirements but this aspect of the school’s partnership with parents is not fully developed. Written progress reports meet requirements but are generally too brief and do not identify pupils’ difficulties or the level at which pupils are working. A strength of the reports is the inclusion of targets for parents to support their child’s education.

p.18

Commentary

35. Links with the community and partnership with other schools are satisfactory. The local community is supportive and welcomes visits from pupils. Educational visits to places of interest provide a good resource to support and enrich learning. Whilst there are some visitors invited into the school, for example, artists and performers, the use of the community to support learning is underdeveloped. Satisfactory arrangements exist for the transfer of pupils moving to secondary schools at the end of Year 6.

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

There are serious weaknesses in crucial areas of leadership and management and the overall quality has declined since the last inspection. The impact of the leadership and management of the head teacher is unsatisfactory and the governance of the school is unsatisfactory.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The head teacher lacks a clear vision for the school and has not taken effective action to reverse the decline in standards. • There are weaknesses in the procedures for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning. • The impact of the senior management team is limited because of weak leadership. • The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is well managed. • The school improvement plan lacks strategic planning for the longer term. • The governing body has not kept an impartial eye on the standards and held the school to account. Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 19

p.18

Commentary

36. The leadership and management of the school are unsatisfactory and this adversely affects the standards achieved by pupils. The leadership of the head teacher is unsatisfactory. There is a lack of a clear sense of purpose and resolve and the school lacks a sense of direction. Although the head teacher is very caring and well- intentioned, weaknesses in the quality of education have not been faced up to and decisive actions have not been taken to rectify them. As a result, standards have been allowed to slide and, generally, staff are not working together as an effective team, except in the Foundation Stage where staff work well together. A lack of a whole school ethos and clear expectations for staff results in inconsistencies in the way pupils are taught and the implementation of key policies, for example, the behaviour policy. There has been a very recent improvement in procedures to monitor attendance and

p.19

Commentary

37. Recent improvements in the quality and deployment of teachers are starting to improve the quality of education, but the changes are too recent to have a marked effect on standards, Weaknesses remain in crucial aspects of the management of the school. Although there is a potentially very competent senior management team that involves staff placed in key points in the school, the role of the team members is not yet effective because of a lack of direction and expectation. The deputy head teacher is very capable but does not get enough time to act to make sufficient improvements to the school. Procedures for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning are ineffective. An example of this is the way that standards at the end of Year 2 were identified as being too low in 2002 and initiatives were introduced to rectify this, but weak monitoring of the effectiveness of the strategies resulted in standards actually

p.19

Commentary

declining further. The Foundation Stage is well managed and an effective team of teaching and support staff has been developed to provide a good start to children’s education. The provision for special educational needs is satisfactorily managed and meets statutory requirements.

p.19

Commentary

38. The school manages assessment procedures satisfactorily in order to indicate areas of strength and weakness in the school, but the information is not used as effectively as it could be to improve the quality of teaching and learning. There is a school improvement plan that highlights areas for improvement but it is for just three terms and lacks vision for the longer term. The process of developing the targets involves staff but it is not presented to the governing body for approval until the end of the first term that it is put into operation and this is unsatisfactory. The co-ordination of mathematics and literacy has improved recently and is satisfactory overall, as is the management of other subjects and the provision for supporting pupils for whom English is not their mother tongue. There is a clear understanding amongst key staff that the school needs to improve and the senior management team has a clear vision for how

p.19

Commentary

39. Performance management systems for staff are in place and used to inform aspects of staff development and areas of the school development. All staff have defined duties and responsibilities. Staff development is satisfactorily managed and procedures for supporting newly qualified teachers are effective. There has been extensive support for staff in the teaching of aspects of literacy and numeracy and, to a lesser extent, information and communication technology, but there have been few planned opportunities for professional development in other subjects. Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 20 40. The governing body ensures that most of its statutory duties are achieved and it is a supportive and hard working group, suitably organised to fulfil its role. In the crucial area, however, of holding the school to account, it is unsatisfactory. It relies too heavily on the information provided by the head teacher and not enough attention is given to

p.19

Commentary

independently checking the impact of management decisions on the pupils’ education.

p.20

Commentary

41. In recent years, there have been a number of barriers to learning. Staff changes and instability between 2000 and 2003 affected standards of behaviour and levels of achievement. A significant number of children start school with low levels of English because their mother tongue is mostly Punjabi, but the impact of this is rapidly reduced as the pupils move through the Foundation Stage and Years 1 to 4. There have also been difficulties appointing staff. Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 21

p.20

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 625,389 Balance from previous year 24,826 Total expenditure 654,206 Balance carried forward to the next - 3,991

p.21

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

42. Financial management of the school is satisfactory in that day-to day procedures are effectively executed. The administrative staff are very effective in ensuring that financial procedures are efficiently performed. The school has suitable ways of making sure that spending decisions are based on seeking best value, for example, by obtaining competitive tenders, but there is a weakness in the quality of monitoring of teaching and learning and the procedures for making sure that best value is obtained from staffing are unsatisfactory. Money has been correctly targeted to successfully improve the provision for the Foundation Stage and to raise standards in information and communication technology. There is a small deficit that has accrued in the last twelve months as a result of a fall in pupil numbers. The head teacher and governing body are aware of this and are preparing a strategy to bring the budget back into balance.

p.21

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 22

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

There is good provision for children in the nursery and reception.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

43. The provision for children in both the nursery and reception classes is well managed and has improved significantly since the last inspection because of the efforts of the co-ordinator in building a cohesive team of staff which works together well to implement the school’s policies. There has been a particularly good improvement in the quality of teaching in the nursery class.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

44. The attainment of children starting school in the nursery class is usually below the expectations for their age and assessment data shows that, over recent years, the majority of children are still not doing as well as expected for their age by the time they start full time education in the reception class. The attainment of most children currently in the Nursery is below average and most children have low levels of English and knowledge and understanding of the world. In contrast, however, the current reception class is a more able group with higher attainment than classes in previous years. Their attainment is close to the national expectations.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

45. The quality of teaching and learning is good and ensures that the children achieve well. Skilled bilingual staff very effectively support the children for whom English is not the mother tongue. There is a good balance between activities that involve children being closely supported and guided by adults and activities that encourage children to be independent by making choices and decisions for themselves. Teaching and support staff know each child well and there is a satisfactory way of assessing and recording the attainment and progress of each child. Children are prepared well for transfer to Year 1.

p.22

Personal, social and emotional development

The provision for personal, social and emotional development is good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and planning is good and develops amongst children good attitudes to learning. • Good teamwork exists between teaching and support staff. • Children work well together but also develop good levels of independence. • There are good levels of behaviour underpinned by high expectations by staff.

p.22

Commentary

46. The majority of children start school with levels of personal, social and emotional development that are close to what is expected for their age. Teachers and support staff work together well to provide good levels of support and guidance. As a result, children achieve well and reach the expectations of the Early Learning Goals by the time they start Year 1. In the nursery class, even though the inspection was carried out early in the term, the children responded very well to the high expectations of staff for them to be considerate and to share and co-operate with others. Good routines are Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 23 being established early on, with children developing a good awareness of others and sensitivity to their needs. Children in the nursery class know exactly what is expected of them and are developing good routines for working and for play. They have good levels

p.22

Commentary

47. In the reception class, teachers continue with the good level of provision. The children in this year’s reception class have considerably higher standards of personal, social and emotional development than those in previous years. Children behave well and are eager to learn. The confidence of children is successfully built up so that almost all children feel secure and able to seek help and support when needed. There are good levels of partnership and co-operation between boys and girls and children of all cultures. There is a clear code of conduct established to guide classroom behaviour that most children follow, and, in the rare event that a child acts unsociably, staff provide support but also give firm direction so that the child knows the behaviour is unacceptable. As a result of the good planning for developing pupils’ social and personal skills, children develop good levels of independence demonstrated by a good

p.23

Commentary

ability to work well on their own or in groups and a good ability to make choices.

p.23

Communication, language and literacy

Provision in children’s communication, language and literacy is good.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching and well-planned activities promote good progress. • Children for whom English is not the mother tongue are given good support by skilled bilingual support staff. • A love of books and reading is being developed.

p.23

Commentary

48. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Children achieve well and make good progress. There is a good emphasis on the recognition of sounds to help children learn to read and write. In the current reception class, a significant proportion of children are relatively able and can read and write many of the sounds that start common words. They have a secure grasp of English and are in line to achieve the standards expected for their age by the time they start Year 1.

p.23

Commentary

49. Teaching and support staff plan and teach a good curriculum that successfully develops children’s communication, language and literacy skills. Children are introduced to books and have regular access to them. Good quality support by bilingual support staff accelerates the progress of children for whom English is not the mother tongue. A good start is provided for children who start school part-time in the nursery class. In the reception class, activities are carefully planned using assessment information, so that work matches the children’s needs. The classroom is very well arranged and used to promote amongst children an awareness of English in all its forms. High expectations are set for children to write their sounds as letters. The computer is used effectively to reinforce aspects of the curriculum, for example, pupils played a game on the computer that reinforced their ability to recognise words that start

p.23

Commentary

with “h”. Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 24

p.23

Mathematical development

Provision in mathematical development is good.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children make good progress and achieve well. • Teaching is good in both the nursery and reception classes.

p.24

Commentary

50. Teaching and learning are good, resulting in children making good progress and achieving well. Children in the current reception class are attaining standards that are securely in line with the expectations for their age, with a significant minority exceeding them, but in recent years, pupils have started school with low levels of attainment and have not achieved the Early Learning Goals expected for their age by the end of the reception class.

p.24

Commentary

51. Children in the Nursery class are developing a good awareness of number, shape and relative sizes of objects. Well-planned activities, such as playing “Kim’s Game” are used to focus children’s thoughts onto number. In the reception class, children benefit from high expectations for them to use numbers in a variety of circumstances. Practical activities are well used to prepare the way for future learning, and are very appropriate for this stage of development, ensuring that children sustain interest.

p.24

Knowledge and understanding of the world

Provision for knowledge and understanding of the world is good.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum is well planned to meet children’s needs. • Many practical activities, including a good use of the outdoors, contribute well to children’s development. • Children regularly use the computer to support learning.

p.24

Commentary

52. Although most children start school with low levels of knowledge and understanding of the world, good teaching results in children learning well so that most children achieve well and work at levels expected for their age. A good variety of appropriate interesting activities is planned to stimulate children’s curiosity and enhance their understanding.

p.24

Commentary

53. In the nursery class, a range of thoughtfully planned and well-organised activities is provided that develops the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world. In the reception class, good provision continues to be made. During outdoor activities children learn about ideas related to pushes and pulls in science and by using ‘feely boxes’ they experience what a range of materials is like to touch. As part of the ongoing topic about clothes, children are made aware of how dress varies according to different types of weather. The computer is used regularly, thereby developing children’s knowledge and understanding of information and communication technology. Spiritual development and basic religious awareness are developed through work based on stories about Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 25 nature and the feelings of others. Religious education is taught in accordance with requirements.

p.24

Physical development

Provision for physical development is good.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Although the outdoor space is cramped, it used effectively to develop children’s physical skills. • There is a good range of indoor activities provided to develop children’s physical skills.

p.25

Commentary

54. Children start school with levels of physical development that match the expectations for their age. In both the nursery and reception classes, good teaching successfully develops and extends the children’s physical skills. Using equipment such as crayons, paint brushes and the computer mouse promotes children’s physical skills that require precision Children achieve well and reach the standards expected for their age by the start of Year 1 with a significant minority exceeding them. There is a lack of stimulating large construction equipment to enhance children’s physical development further, although children make good use of small construction equipment. Children make good progress in developing their skills of co-ordination and balance because teaching and support staff providing daily access to the outdoor play area.

p.25

Creative development

Provision in creative development is satisfactory.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a good balance between providing activities that are adult directed and those of the children’s choice. • Children are given a good range of activities to develop a sense of colour and basic painting techniques.

p.25

Commentary

55. Satisfactory planning and teaching enables children to make steady progress and achieve satisfactorily by the end of the reception class. The majority of children are attaining standards in line with those expected for their age. The classrooms for the nursery and reception class are well organised so that children have access to a range of activities. There is a strong emphasis given to encouraging children’s self expression through well-organised choice activities and a satisfactory emphasis is also given to teaching children specific skills. Many experiences are planned for pupils to develop a good knowledge and understanding of colour. Musical appreciation is developed satisfactorily. Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 26

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards by the end of Year 2 are too low. Standards in reading and writing are very low. • Teaching is improving and is good in the single-aged Year 2 class and in Years 5 and 6. • Teaching in Years 1 and 2 has weaknesses and is in need of improvement. • Girls do better than boys, and pupils from Asian British backgrounds achieve better others at the end of Year 6. • Opportunities for speaking and listening are well planned. • Expectations for standards of handwriting and presentation are too variable. • The library is poor and needs to be a more effective and inspiring learning resource.

p.26

Commentary

56. The provision for English is currently satisfactory but has been unsatisfactory until recently. At the end of Year 6, standards declined between 2000 and 2002 but this decline has now been arrested and standards are starting to rise. Standards in reading and writing at the end of Year 2 have been too low for the last four years. In 2003 the results were amongst the bottom 5 per cent of all schools nationally, and also amongst the bottom 5 per cent of similar schools. The school has until recently failed to effectively monitor the quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 and 2 in order to address the issue of unsatisfactory levels of achievement. The improvement since the previous inspection has been unsatisfactory.

p.26

Commentary

57. Inspection evidence is that standards at the end of Year 2 are currently below the national expectations. Pupils are still not achieving as well as they could but improvements in the quality of teaching and learning, in the single aged Year 2 class in particular, are starting to improve the progress and achievement of pupils. Standards at the end of Year 6 are now improving and in 2003 they rose significantly and are now below the national average but in line with the average for similar schools. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils are now achieving satisfactorily at the end of Year 6 but attainment is still below national expectations.

p.26

Commentary

58. The school has a significant number of pupils for whom English is not the mother tongue. These pupils generally are given effective support, especially in Years 1 and 2. By the end of Year 6 these pupils often achieve better than other pupils. Girls achieve better then boys mainly because girls have better attitudes to work.

p.26

Commentary

59. Provision for speaking and listening is good and pupils achieve satisfactorily. The school has effectively addressed the issues raised in the previous inspection regarding the need to provide a greater range of contexts in which pupils can express themselves orally and in developing the confidence of pupils to answer questions more readily, especially during class discussions. Teachers take every opportunity to develop the pupils’ spoken language and listening skills, both in English lessons and in other areas of the curriculum. Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 27 60. Standards in reading are poor at the end of Year 2 but in Years 3 to 6, pupils make steady progress and most achieve well by the end of Year 6. The pupils’ ability to use books for research purposes, however, is weak. This is partly because of weaknesses in the library but also because teachers do not give enough time to developing such

p.26

Commentary

skills. The library is an unattractive and uninspiring place and the current range of books is very limited.

p.27

Commentary

61. Standards in writing are very low by the end of Year 2 and, whilst pupils are currently achieving satisfactorily in writing at the end of Year 6, standards could still be higher. Standards of presentation and handwriting vary to an unacceptable extent because teachers’ expectations are often too low. At times, the importance of presentation is not valued enough and, as a result, some books contain poorly presented work. Unusually, many pupils in Years 4 to 6, who have reasonably good handwriting styles, often use pencils rather than pens.

p.27

Commentary

62. The quality of teaching is now satisfactory and improving, although there has been unsatisfactory teaching until recently. There are variations in the quality of teaching with some unsatisfactory features in Years 1 and 2 but good teaching in the single-aged Year 2 class and in Years 5 and 6. A recent reorganisation of staff has had a significant impact in raising standards, with a particular boost in single-aged Year 2 class. The majority of the teaching observed during the inspection in Years 3 to 6 was good and, as a result, the children are currently making good progress in lessons. Setting arrangements at the upper end of Key Stage 2 have enabled the children to be taught effectively in smaller groups of a similar ability. Across the school there has been an increased focus given to developing writing skills and teachers now have higher expectations of pupils and this results in improving standards. More attention is being

p.27

Commentary

given to providing work for higher attaining pupils and there is satisfactory provision for pupils with special educational needs. Teachers’ planning is generally good. With the exception of the library, resources are satisfactory and information and communication technology is used effectively to support learning.

p.27

Commentary

63. The current impact of leadership and management is satisfactory but until recently it has been unsatisfactory. In the past, the school has implemented plans to raise standards but these have not been monitored rigorously enough to ensure that they had an impact on the quality of teaching and learning and on pupils’ achievement. Two teachers have joint responsibility for the leadership and management of English. They are both effective teachers who demonstrate good practice to colleagues but the impact of initiatives to raise standards have not been followed through and have not been as successful as they could be. The school recognises that standards could be higher, especially at the end of Year 2, and it has drawn up a plan in partnership with the local education authority aimed at raising standards, particularly in writing.

p.27

Language and literacy across the curriculum

64. The provision is satisfactory, although there is no defined planning to promote language and literacy across the curriculum. Speaking skills are developed well in most lessons and teachers encourage pupils to express their views politely and to listen to others with respect and tolerance. Writing is used to support elements of recording in most subjects, involving the application of techniques of writing both narrative and factual accounts, but the chances to use these literacy skills are rarely planned for and happen incidentally. The development of reading skills across the curriculum for research skills is rare and hindered significantly by the lack of suitable books.

p.27

MATHEMATICS

Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 28 Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards have declined since the last inspection and in 2003 are too low. • Current indications are that standards are improving and standards are now satisfactory at the end of Year 6. • There is good teaching in the single-aged Year 2 class and in Years 5 and 6. • There is insufficient emphasis on developing pupils’ numeracy skills across the curriculum and on developing pupils’ independent learning skills. • The monitoring of teaching and learning is not sufficiently developed. • Marking of pupils’ work does not consistently emphasise high achievement.

p.28

Commentary

65. The 2003 national test results indicated that standards at the end of Year 2 were well below both the national average and the average for similar schools. Standards were in the lowest 5 per cent of all schools and similar schools nationally. Apart from 2002 when results were average, standards have been consistently well below the national expectations at the end of Year 2 in each of the last four years. The 2003 national test results indicate that standards at the end of Year 6 were below national expectations but in line with the results of similar schools. The results show a progressive decline in standards over the last four years. Between 2001 and 2003, girls have achieved better standards than boys.

p.28

Commentary

66. Current standards of Year 2 and Year 6 pupils are below expectations as a result of unsatisfactory teaching in the past, but the indications are that the decline in standards has been arrested and standards are improving. Scrutiny of pupils’ work and lesson observations indicate that pupils in Year 6 are currently achieving satisfactorily. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, are making satisfactory progress. The progress made by girls remains better than that of boys, essentially because they have good attitudes and are more committed to their work, whilst some of the boys are easily distracted. There is a significant minority of pupils who do not have English as their mother tongue, which impacts on their performance in the Year 2 end of key stage National Curriculum tests but by the end of Year 6 this is not a significant factor in the pupils’ performance. Pupils from ethnic minority groups achieve

p.28

Commentary

67. Pupils’ progress is uneven in Years 1 and 2 and a great deal remains to be done in Year 2 if these pupils are to achieve national standards. Pupils’ mathematical ability improves substantially in Year 5 and Year 6 where pupils are taught in ability groups. However, their pace of working is slow as is their mental agility.

p.28

Commentary

68. The current and appropriate emphasis on developing numeracy skills is improving pupils’ capability but their understanding of other areas of mathematics is rather more limited. There are too few opportunities for pupils to undertake investigative work so as to develop their independent learning skills and take responsibility for their own learning. The use of computers to practise numeracy skills and to reinforce learning is unsatisfactory.

p.28

Commentary

69. In the lessons seen during the inspection, teaching was satisfactory with good teaching in the single-aged Year 2 class and in Years 5 and 6. The strengths in the good lessons include: Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 29 • Good planning with clear learning objectives shared with pupils that focused their learning. • The use of questioning to reinforce previous learning and to probe understanding so that any misconceptions could be clarified. • Effective use of mathematical vocabulary. • Well-structured lessons maintaining a good pace where the tasks were well matched to pupils’ ability. • Good relationships where pupils’ contributions are valued ensuring that pupils achieve equally well and their self-esteem is raised. • A session at the end of a lesson is provided for pupils to review the tasks and learning intentions and to clarify any misunderstandings.

p.28

Commentary

The weakness in some lessons include: • Inadequate planning and lack of pace resulting in pupils losing interest in the work. • Tasks that are not well matched to pupils’ ability which result in wasted learning opportunities. • Inadequate explanation of mathematical calculations resulting in unsatisfactory achievement.

p.29

Commentary

70. The co-ordination of the subject has improved recently and is now satisfactory overall. The scheme of work is a good basis for the teaching of mathematics and ensures that all aspects of mathematics are fully covered. Pupils’ work is carefully assessed and marked regularly. At best, the marking is positive and indicates how improvement could be made. However, this is not done consistently and some of the work is of an unsatisfactory standard. The monitoring of the curriculum and evaluation of the teaching is not very well established. In some instances teachers’ expectations are too low and, as a consequence, pupils are too easily satisfied with poorly presented work.

p.29

Mathematics across the curriculum

71. Pupils make insufficient use of mathematics as part of their work in other subjects and consequently do not have a satisfactory appreciation of the practical use of numeracy skills outside the subject. No systematic planning has occurred to ensure that pupils’ skills are developed progressively in all subjects and their understanding appropriately consolidated.

p.29

SCIENCE

The provision for science is currently unsatisfactory .

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are have not been achieving well enough in recent years, especially at the end of Year 2. • Standards are improving in Years 2, 5 and 6. • The quality of teaching is getting better after a period when it was unsatisfactory. • There are inconsistencies in the way scientific skills are taught resulting in pupils not achieving as well as they could in practical science. • Although the co-ordinator has good leadership qualities, not enough time has been given to developing the subject. • Assessment is not always used to guide teachers’ planning. • There are good resources for environmental science. Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 30

p.29

Commentary

72. Standards at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 have fluctuated in recent years. For the current Year 2 and Year 6 classes, standards are below national expectations. In the 2003 end of key stage National Curriculum tests, standards were well below the national average at the end of Year 6. In comparison with similar schools, standards were in line with the average at the end of Year 6. Inspection evidence shows that pupils are currently achieving satisfactorily, but over recent years they have not achieved as well as they could or should and there is a lot to catch up. The reason for this underachievement over time is the impact of variations in the quality of teaching across the school in the past and a lack of consistency in the way science is planned and taught.

p.30

Commentary

73. Recent improvements in teaching for most pupils are resulting in improving standards. The majority of pupils in the single-aged Year 2 class are currently achieving satisfactorily. Children are responding to recent improvements in expectations for them to think for themselves and to use appropriate scientific vocabulary and most pupils are working at a level expected for their age. There is a barrier to the levels attained by some pupils for whom English is not their mother tongues. This is a significant factor that reduces the overall standards achieved by the end of Year 2. By the end of Year 6 this factor has been removed as pupils develop a more secure knowledge and understanding of English.

p.30

Commentary

74. In Year 6, pupils are currently developing a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of science. For example, pupils have a secure grasp of electricity and how a circuit is constructed and controlled through switches. There are gaps, however, in the pupils’ scientific experiences resulting from inconsistencies in the quality of teaching in the past. Most pupils can follow instructions well to carry out experiments, but are less sure of how to work independently. They are unsure of how to plan, perform and record appropriate scientific investigations and have poor skills of using equipment to collect and record data, for example, temperature, forces and distance. Pupils are encouraged to use information and communication technology to support learning but only occasionally do pupils use information and communication technology to record what they find out, for example, by representing data on spread sheets and in the form of

p.30

Commentary

75. The quality of teaching is currently satisfactory but the low standards in Year 2 and declining results at Year 6 indicate that in the recent past teaching has been unsatisfactory. Until recently, not enough attention has been given to analysing what has been happening to standards and not enough action has been taken to improve them. Things are changing, however, and the recent redeployment of staff is starting to raise standards particularly in the single-aged Year 2 class and in Years 5 and 6. Expectations are improving and there is greater emphasis being given to developing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of science and to promoting pupils’ ability to think and work as scientists by finding things out through investigations and experiments. Pupils are responding positively to these improvements and during most lessons they enjoy the practical approach and the challenge of using new, technical words.

p.30

Commentary

76. Pupils work well and are keen to find out about new ideas and to develop new skills. They are capable of working on their own to perform simple investigations, but there are still limited opportunities for them to do so. Although the subject co-ordinator is aware of the need to reduce the variations in the quality of teaching and learning, they still exist. Although there are plans for each child to perform and record a scientific Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 31 investigation each half term, this has not yet been put into place. There has been limited training for staff in recent years, and this shows in the different levels of confidence and knowledge of teaching staff, some of whom need guidance in how to manage classes in practical work.

p.30

Commentary

77. The subject is led by a keen and knowledgeable co-ordinator but she has a wide range of responsibilities, including being deputy head teacher. Although the leadership of the subject is satisfactory, management is unsatisfactory and the monitoring of standards and the quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2 has been ineffective. A satisfactory system for assessing and recording pupils’ attainment and progress has been developed, but the information is not always used to guide and inform planning to meet the needs of all pupils in each class. Resources are adequate and there is access to a very good range of outdoor, environmental facilities.

p.31

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

The provision for information and communication technology is satisfactory .

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The rate of progress in information and communication technology is improving. • Effective staff development is improving the use of computers during lessons. • The subject is well managed.

p.31

Commentary

78. Standards at the end of Years 2 and 6 are in line with national expectations. Standards are improving and pupils are achieving satisfactorily across the school. There has been considerable investment in information and communication technology since the last inspection. This has resulted in teachers and pupils making much better use of information and communication technology to support learning across the curriculum in Years 4, 5 and 6.

p.31

Commentary

79. Pupils at the end of Year 2 make satisfactory use of the computer to compose and write short pieces of text. Pupils are competent in using the mouse, arrow keys and space bar to define what they are doing and to select and alter words. In Years 3 to 6, pupils make good progress in developing their skills of using the Internet to support research. Older pupils, from Years 5 and 6, have developed good skills of creating multi-media presentations involving the combination of images and pictures with text. Pupils have a satisfactory idea of how to use the computer to record and then interpret mathematical data on a spread-sheet and to present it in different forms, for example, as a line graph or a pie chart. Pupils have limited knowledge or experience of using equipment that gathers data from sensors and of how to make use of information and communication technology to control external devices.

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Commentary

80. The quality of teaching and learning in information and communication technology is satisfactory and at times good. Teachers in Years 4, 5 and 6 regularly use laptops to support their teaching. In Year 4, an audio microphone system is used during lessons to improve the quality of communication with pupils. By using laptops, teachers are able to teach directly basic skills to all the class and then to follow this up by providing effectively planned activities designed to allow pupils to practise their skills and improve their abilities. Pupils are confident and enjoy using computers. Pupils show good levels Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 32 of co-operation and thoughtfulness in sharing resources and in helping others who may be struggling to keep up.

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Commentary

81. There have been changes in the leadership and at the moment the head teacher is managing the subject effectively. Resources have been improved significantly recently and this has had a marked effect on standards. Staff development has improved the confidence of staff in using the computer and most now use it satisfactorily as part of their teaching.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

82. Information and communication technology is used satisfactorily across the curriculum with some good examples of its use in Years 4, 5 and 6. The potential of using CD Roms and the Internet is being fulfilled as pupils carry out their research into curriculum topics. There is some use of information and communication technology to support aspects of writing in English, but not enough use is made of computers to support teaching or learning in science or mathematics at the moment. Younger pupils use paint programs to create their own designs, sometimes in the style of a great artist.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers in Years 1 and 2 make good use of the locality to develop pupils’ geographical skills and knowledge. • By the end of Year 6 pupils’ knowledge and understanding of geographical skills and facts and are below those expected for their age and pupils are underachieving. • Information and communication technology is effectively used to support learning particularly in Years 4, 5 and 6. • Effective assessment procedures are in place, but the information is not effectively used to assess standards and progress.

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Commentary

83. Teachers in Years 1 and 2 make good use of the locality to develop pupils’ geographical knowledge and skills, which are in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2. By the end of Year 6, some pupils have a sound knowledge of the countries of the British Isles, of direction and other basic geographical knowledge but most pupils have very limited knowledge and understanding of other aspects of geography. Pupils achieve satisfactorily in Years 1 and 2 but their achievement is unsatisfactory in Years 3 to 6.

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Commentary

84. Teaching is currently satisfactory but the low standards at the end of Year 6 indicate that in Years 3 to 6, it has been unsatisfactory in the past. In Years 1 and 2, teachers effectively link literacy and geography, developing the pupils’ skills in both areas. Some good use is made of information and communication technology to enthuse pupils, for example, in learning about features of rivers. Teachers often create attractive displays incorporating large local maps, photographs and pupils’ work to reinforce and add value to pupils’ work. Assessment procedures are good. The school has developed a Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 33 computer-based assessment system but insufficient use is made of this data to monitor progress and attainment and improve planning.

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Commentary

85. The quality of leadership and management has been unsatisfactory in the past but a new appointment has been made. The co-ordinator has been in post for just over two months and has a satisfactory grasp of what needs to be done to raise standards further. There is only limited time made available though for the management role to be successfully performed, especially with regard to checking on the quality of teaching and learning across the school. This lack of time reduces the impact of leadership and management on raising standards across the school. Resources for geography are generally adequate although the range of books available for research is very limited. Some good computer software enables pupils to use the computer to support independent research.

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History

86. There is not enough evidence to make a firm judgement about pupils’ attainment, levels of achievement or quality of teaching and learning. Discussions were held with the co- ordinator and pupils and a brief analysis made of pupils’ work but the range of recorded evidence was limited due to history only recently being taught in accordance with the whole school plan. The history curriculum is enriched by numerous visits to places of historical interest, such as Selly Manor, Weston Park and the Black Country Museum. Teachers provide opportunities for role-play to enable pupils to develop a better understanding of the way in which people used to live. Year 6 pupils enjoy carrying out their own research, for example, through a project involving the creation of a big book about studying World War II and many pupils are reading novels set during this period. These big books are popular with pupils and are stored for use by subsequent classes.

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History

Although good assessment procedures are in place in history, there is little evidence that assessment is currently being used to inform teaching and learning.

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Religious Education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum recognises and celebrates pupils’ religious beliefs and other cultures. • There are no consistent assessment procedures and no planned monitoring of teaching and learning.

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Commentary

87. Only one lesson was seen in Key Stage 1 so it is not, therefore, possible to make a firm judgement about all aspects of provision in Years 1 and 2. By the end of Year 6 pupils achieve satisfactorily and attain standards that are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection.

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Commentary

88. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 know some Bible stories, such as that of Noah, and describe the work of famous people in history, such as Florence Nightingale and by Year 6 pupils have a good understanding of major world religions and the way people’s beliefs shape their lives. Pupils in Year 6 understand some of the similarities in customs, such as celebrations and festivals and their significance. Pupils can compare and contrast Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 34 places of worship and important artefacts in the different religions. More able pupils understand how religious beliefs shape people’s lives and the meaning behind some customs. Very good use is made of celebrations, such as the celebration of Divali, to extend pupils’ knowledge and to enable pupils to take an active part in such celebrations. Good use is also made of visitors to the school at these times to reinforce learning and understanding of different customs and cultures. Pupils’ achievement by

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Commentary

the end of Year 6 is satisfactory and all pupils make satisfactory progress.

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Commentary

89. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Teaching methods essentially centre on providing discussion opportunities for the older pupils to learn about different world religions. Good use is made of pupils’ developing information and communication technology skills to support learning. The curriculum is planned well with a two-year cycle to coincide with celebrations and themes in the school’s collective worship programme.

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Commentary

90. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The subject co-ordinator is actively involved in supporting colleagues and has ensured a good range of resources to support the teaching. Visits are arranged to places of worship and this is worthwhile. The co-ordinator ensures that the curriculum is covered but she has no planned opportunities to monitor the teaching and learning across the school. Assessment procedures are underdeveloped.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

No lessons were seen in art and design and design and technology and, therefore, no firm judgements could be made about achievement or quality of teaching and learning in theses subjects. Discussions with subject co-ordinators indicate that the overall quality of provision in art and design and design and technology is satisfactory .

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Strengths and weaknesses

• Standards of attainment in music are below national expectations, mainly as a result of the limited time available for music teaching and learning. • There are insufficient opportunities for instrumental teaching and for extra-curricular activities in music. • Pupils sing enthusiastically and tunefully in music lessons and in school assemblies.

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Commentary

91. Music is taught entirely by a part-time teacher who is at the school for one day a week. The school timetables all music teaching on this day and, whilst a well structured scheme of work based on the national recommendations is followed, the time available for teaching music is too limited to enable pupils to reach their full potential. Sessions are often limited to less than 30 minutes and in lessons seen during the inspection too little time was available for instrumentation, composition or appraisal. Pupils rarely have opportunities to play musical instruments, engage in composition or to appraise music. Pupils’ knowledge of musical instruments is limited because there are too few opportunities for them to learn to play musical instruments. Whilst pupils take part in Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 35 concerts, for example, at Christmas, opportunities to engage in musical extra-curricular

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Commentary

92. Pupils enjoy singing in music lessons and school assemblies. Pupils of all ages sing tunefully. However, whole school singing, for example, in morning assemblies, is accompanied by tape music in the absence of an accomplished piano player. The quality of teaching provided is satisfactory but most teachers on the staff are very insecure in music and there is a total reliance on the input of the part-time teacher. There is no dedicated place for music to take place, for example, in a quiet room, and lessons take place in the school hall. As a result, lessons are subject to many distractions, for example, as individuals walk through the hall, and these adversely affect pupils’ learning. The time for music is further curtailed by the other users of the hall, for example, when tables need to be set out for lunch. Resources for music are inadequate. There is no assessment of pupils at present. The lack of time for music

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Commentary

means that the subject is not effectively led or managed and there has not been enough improvement since the last inspection.

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Physical Education

Provision for physical education is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is very good teaching and good standards in gymnastics at the end of Year 2. • The curriculum meets all statutory requirements. • Pupils are confident to perform in front of others but in Years 3 to 6, there are low levels of creativity. • The range of interschool events is limited.

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Commentary

93. Pupils achieve well in Years 1 and 2 and by the end of Year 2 reach standards that are in line with the national expectations. In Years 3 to 6, pupils achieve satisfactorily and by the end of Year 6 reach standards that are in line with expectations. From viewing planning and discussions with teachers and pupils, it is evident that all strands of the subject, including outdoor and adventurous activities, are regularly taught during the course of the two-year cycle. This is a position similar to that found by the last inspection. The standards in swimming by Year 6 are good and, by the end of Year 6, the vast majority of pupils competently swim 25 metres or more and are aware of basic water safety and how to react to emergencies. The introduction of certificates to reward pupils’ achievement in swimming motivates pupils to try harder and do as well as they can.

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Commentary

94. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. In lessons observed during the inspection the quality of teaching was very good in the single-aged Year 2 class and satisfactory in Years 3 to 6. By the end of Year 2, pupils have developed skills of gymnastics that are good for their age. They display good levels of co-ordination and balance and demonstrate gymnastic movements that are advanced for their age. In Years 3 to 6, pupils develop their gymnastic skills to perform sequences, effectively linking movements together, but there is a lack of creativity and sense of innovation amongst most pupils. Pupils enjoy physical education and respond well to the guidance Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 36 and support of teachers. Most pupils are confident to perform in front of others, a technique skilfully used by teachers during lessons to exemplify high standards, and most pupils work well with partners and in groups. In Year 2, pupils are very

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Commentary

independent and quickly and safely take out and put away a lot of the gymnastics apparatus.

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Commentary

95. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The curriculum is satisfactorily planned and pupils have opportunities to develop both independent and team skills. Both boys and girls have equal access to the curriculum and pupils of ethnic minority backgrounds are totally integrated into all aspects of the school physical education provision. There is a suitable range of team games taught and some extra-curricular clubs provided, for example, the Tuesday evening games club is very popular, but the range of interschool events is limited. The subject co-ordinator is new to post and making a good start by identifying areas that are strong and areas that need improving. Good links have been established with the local professional soccer club, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and this results in pupils benefiting from some professional coaching in soccer coaches. The resources for physical education are adequate and supplemented by the school’s involvement in the TOPSPORT initiative.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

The provision for personal, social, health and citizenship education is satisfactory .

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Commentary

96. The school has recently introduced the QCA scheme of work for personal, social and health education. There are timetabled sessions for all pupils in Year 1 to Year 6 which cover all aspects of the curriculum including citizenship. During these sessions pupils discuss their views on a range of topics, exploring their feelings and emotions. Pupils are starting to respond well in these sessions and are developing an appreciation of the need to listen carefully to the views and feelings of others. At present there is no assessment of pupils’ achievement in this aspect of the curriculum, but this is planned when the provision in reviewed at the end of the year. Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 37

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The overall effectiveness of the school 5

How inclusive the school is 4 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 5 Value for money provided by the school 5

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 4

Attendance 6 Attitudes 4 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 4 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 4

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The quality of education provided by the school 4

The quality of teaching 4 How well pupils learn 4 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 5 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 4 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 4 The quality of the school’s links with the community 4 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 4

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The leadership and management of the school 5

The governance of the school 5 Lanesfield Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 38 The leadership of the headteacher 5 The leadership of other key staff 5 The effectiveness of management 5

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The leadership and management of the school 5

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

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