Langley Primary School

LANGLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 3 rd – 5 th November 2003

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LANGLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 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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LANGLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Titford Road Oldbury Postcode: B69 4QB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr John Upton

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: October 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This is a large school, much bigger than most primary schools, serving an urban area regarded as socially disadvantaged . However, only an average proportion of pupils is eligible for free school meals. Four hundred and nine pupils attend full-time, and in addition 49 children attend the Nursery part-time. They start school with skills and levels of development that are generally below average for their age. Most significantly, their personal, social and emotional development and their communication, language and literacy skills are below average. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs, including Statements of Special Educational Need, is around the national average. Roughly 20 per cent of pupils come from minority ethnic groups, including Indian, Pakistani and Black backgrounds. The school has identified only a very small number of pupils who are at the early stage of learning English as an additional language, although for 12 per cent of

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

pupils English is not their first language. Langley Primary School ii

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

3961 M Raven Lead inspector Mathematics, physical education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

9736 J Brasier Lay inspector Personal, social and health education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

32168 A Keen Team inspector Art and design, design and technology, geography, history 14509 P Mann Team inspector Science, information and communication technology

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

12764 W Thomas Team inspector English, music, religious education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

VT Education Services Ltd Old Garden House The Lanterns Bridge Lane London SW11 3AD

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 3

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 3

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 5

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The overall effectiveness of the school is poor. It offers poor value for money. Pupils do not achieve well enough and standards are very low. The teaching is unsatisfactory. Support for pupils learning English as an additional language is unsatisfactory. Behaviour is unsatisfactory. The leadership and management of the school are poor . The school has little capacity to improve.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

 Financial control and management are good.  The school provides an attractive and stimulating learning environment.  There are good links with the community and other schools.  Standards are very low.  The leadership and management of the headteacher and other staff are poor.  Governance is unsatisfactory.  Teaching is unsatisfactory.  Behaviour is unsatisfactory.  The school does not meet well enough the needs of those pupils for whom English is an additional language.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

The effectiveness of the school has declined since the last inspection. There has been improvement in the provision for information and communication technology (ICT) and some improvement in assessment. Nevertheless, standards, teaching and leadership and management have all declined.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

In accordance with section 13(7) of the School Inspections Act 1996, I am of the opinion, and Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector agrees, that special measures are required in relation to this school, as it is failing to provide an acceptable education.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English E E E E mathematics E E E* E* science E E E* E* Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 6 .

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievement is poor. Achievement is unsatisfactory at the Foundation Stage of learning (in the Nursery and Reception classes). The children do not reach the goals set for them nationally by the end of their Reception Year, except in their personal, social and emotional development. Achievement throughout the rest of the school is poor. Standards are well below average at the end of Year 2. By the end of Year 6, they are among the lowest five per cent in the country in mathematics and science. Standards in ICT and religious education are also below average by the end of Year 6, although standards in ICT are about average by the end of Year 2 .

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are unsatisfactory . Their attitudes to work are satisfactory. Behaviour is unsatisfactory overall. There is a significant amount of poor behaviour in the playground and pupils have concerns about being bullied. There is racist name-calling. Exclusions from school last year were high. Attendance and punctuality are currently satisfactory. Langley Primary School 2

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is unsatisfactory. Teaching is satisfactory in the Nursery and Reception classes but unsatisfactory overall . Because there is a high proportion of unsatisfactory teaching and little teaching of good quality, pupils do not learn enough or achieve as well as they should. The teaching does not meet the needs of those who have special educational needs or those for whom English is an additional language.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The curriculum is unsatisfactory, being too narrowly focused on the teaching and learning of skills in reading, writing and the use of numbers, with too few opportunities for pupils to apply what they learn. Child protection procedures are unsatisfactory. There are good links with the community and very good links with other schools.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are poor. The leadership of the school has no clear sense of what to do to raise standards. There is little effective monitoring, evaluation and development of teaching. Too little is done to analyse the performance of different groups of pupils. School governance is unsatisfactory . The governing body has no real involvement in school improvement planning, and it relies too heavily on the headteacher and staff. It does not meet all its statutory responsibilities.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

A significant minority of parents is concerned about underachievement and behaviour, particularly bullying. Pupils also have serious concerns about the behaviour and friendliness of other pupils. The inspection finds that these concerns are justified.

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

 Raise standards in English, mathematics, science, ICT and religious education.  Improve the leadership, management and governance of the school.  Improve the quality of teaching.  Ensure that the needs of all pupils are well met, including those who are learning English as an additional language.  Improve pupils’ behaviour.

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and, to meet statutory requirements:

 Ensure that the operation of the race equality policy is monitored, and that the results of this monitoring are reported to parents and the governing body. Langley Primary School 3

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement is poor . Most children start school with levels of skill and development that are below average. They do not make enough progress in most subjects over the course of their time at the school. Consequently, by the time they leave at the end of Year 6, standards are so low that they are among the lowest five per cent nationally in mathematics and science and well below average in English. There is a fall from generally below average levels on starting school to very low levels indeed by the age of eleven. Standards are also below average in information and communication technology (ICT) and religious education by the time pupils move on to secondary education.

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

 The children in the Nursery and Reception classes achieve well in their personal, social and emotional development, so that most reach the goals set for them in this area.  Standards in ICT are around the national average by the end of Year 2.  Standards are very low in English, mathematics, science and religious education at the end of Year 2, at the end of Year 6, and throughout the school.

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

Standards in: School results National results Reading 13.7 (13.7) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 10.8 (12.1) 14.6 (14.4) Mathematics 12.9 (13.0) 16.3 (16.5) There were 58 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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

Standards in: School results National results English 25.0 (25.3) 26.8 (27.0) Mathematics 23.2 (25.0) 26.8 (26.7) Science 25.1 (25.6) 28.6 (28.3) There were 57 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year. The tables above show the average points scores achieved in the most recent Year 2 and Year 6 national tests (with the previous year’s scores in brackets). One point represents roughly one term’s progress, so the second table shows that, for example, by the end of Year 6 in English, pupils were almost two terms behind pupils nationally.

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

1. Standards have been very low for a number of years. They are not getting any better. The trend over the past five years has been one of decline, whereas most schools nationally have improved. Standards are very low compared with similar schools and with schools nationally. When compared with those reached in similar schools, standards in mathematics and science are among the lowest found nationally. Similar schools are those where pupils reached similar levels in tests at the end of Year 2.

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

2. The inspection confirms the picture given by national test results. Standards currently are very low in reading, writing, mathematics and science at the end of Year 2, and in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 6. Of those subjects inspected in detail, standards meet national expectations only in ICT at the end of Year 2 and in history at the end of Years 2 and 6. The improved facilities for teaching and learning in ICT are beginning to impact on the standards Langley Primary School 4 reached by younger pupils. Even though it is five years since the last inspection, when provision for ICT was highlighted as unsatisfactory, the standards reached by the older pupils still remain below those expected at the end of Year 6 . Pupils’ poor literacy skills hold them back in all subjects and restrict the amount of their learning they can set down on paper.

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

3. The achievement of the children in the Nursery and Reception classes (at the Foundation Stage of learning) is unsatisfactory overall. They achieve well in their social and emotional development, so that most reach the goals set for them nationally by the end of their time in Reception. However, their achievement is unsatisfactory in the other areas of learning, so that most children are not likely to reach the goals set for them, including those in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development.

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

4. Poor achievement affects all groups of pupils. Of particular concern is the underachievement of those who are learning English as an additional language. Because support for these pupils is patchy and often unsatisfactory, they do not achieve anything at all in some lessons. Similarly, pupils who have special educational needs do not achieve as well as they could. The same is true of the most able. The underachievement of all these different groups of pupils contributes to the very low standards seen in national tests and confirmed by the inspection.

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

5. The progress of pupils with special educational needs is poor in relation to the targets set for them. This is because teachers do not plan appropriate tasks that meet the needs identified in pupils' individual education plans. In lessons, the tasks set for these pupils are often inappropriate and do not enable them to achieve.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes to work are satisfactory, but their behaviour and attitudes to one another are unsatisfactory . Attendance and punctuality are satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

 There are good procedures for encouraging good attendance, which is improving as a result.  Bullying occurs too frequently.  There are too many racist incidents.  Playground behaviour is unsatisfactory and exclusions are high.  Pupils are insufficiently aware of the wide range of cultural traditions represented in their own community and in the country at large.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 259 16 0 White – any other White background 2 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 26 2 0 Mixed – White and Asian 2 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 4 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 28 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 18 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 14 1 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 4 8 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Langley Primary School 5 6. Behaviour is regarded as a problem by a quarter of parents and half of the pupils. Lunchtime supervisors reported 63 incidents of unacceptable behaviour in the first half of the current term. The inspection team found behaviour in class to be largely satisfactory but in the playground there is rough play, pretend fighting and some wrestling, which sometimes gets out of hand and leads to

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

violent incidents. Behaviour around the school and in assemblies is satisfactory. There were 27 fixed-term exclusions in the last academic year, which is high. A significant minority of pupils behave with little regard for the feelings of others and the effect their behaviour has on them. There are many reported instances of racist behaviour, mainly involving verbal abuse. Although the school responds appropriately to each reported racist incident, it does not have effective strategies in place to eliminate such behaviour.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

7. Both parents and pupils report that they are concerned about bullying, although pupils say that it is better now than it was last year. When it is reported, bullying is dealt with satisfactorily by the school, on an incident by incident basis. However, as with racism, the school has not yet got to grips with bullying as a whole-school issue. Some bullying is tolerated by pupils and not reported, for instance repeated teasing.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

8. The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is unsatisfactory overall. Too often opportunities to develop spiritual awareness are missed. This is partly due to the unbalanced nature of the curriculum, which puts too much emphasis on the narrow acquisition of basic skills in reading, writing and the use of numbers, and offers pupils too few opportunities for more creative activities, such as drama and the arts. While pupils are fully aware of the difference between right and wrong, the level of racism and bullying shows that some do not apply these principles in practice.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

9. There are too few opportunities for pupils to learn about their own and others’ cultural traditions. They have some knowledge of major world faiths and cultural festivals, such as Diwali, but they have little understanding of their significance and importance. Older pupils do have some understanding that Britain is a more wealthy community than many of those in the Third World and they are pleased to have made their own contribution towards helping others.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.6 School data 0.2 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 (%)

10. Attendance is satisfactory. The good procedures for improving attendance include making calls home on the first day of absence if no notification has been received. There is now a low level of unauthorised absence thanks to the efforts made to ensure that reasons are provided.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is unsatisfactory. Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. The same is true of the curriculum. The school provides an attractive learning environment, but the space available in the Reception classes is too limited. The care, support and guidance provided for pupils are unsatisfactory. The school has very good links with other schools and a good relationship with the local community. Its partnership with parents is satisfactory.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory . There is a high proportion of unsatisfactory teaching and little that is good. Consequently, pupils do not learn as much as they could. This is a major factor in pupils’ underachievement and the very low standards reached, especially in English, mathematics and science. Assessment is unsatisfactory. Langley Primary School 6

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

 A strikingly high proportion of teaching is unsatisfactory.  Too little teaching is of good quality.  Teaching does not meet well enough the learning needs of those pupils for whom English is an additional language.  There is too little assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress and not enough use is made of the information that is collected.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 41 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor 0 0 9 (22 %) 23 (56 %) 9 (22 %) 0 0 The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 41 lessons

11. More than one lesson in five seen during the inspection was unsatisfactory. The analysis of pupils’ work and discussions with them about their experience of teaching and learning show that this amount of unsatisfactory teaching is typical. Common threads run clearly through the teaching and account for its ineffectiveness in promoting learning and raising standards. Too often, the work set is inappropriate and does not match pupils’ learning needs. As a consequence, they do not learn and make the expected progress. This problem of mismatch is more often because the work set is too difficult for some or all pupils rather than too easy, although this does occur too. For example, in a Year 1 lesson on odd and even numbers, a group of less able pupils made little and in some cases no progress because their understanding of numbers was too limited. What was asked of them was beyond their reach. The problem of too little learning was compounded

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 41 lessons

because the group also contained pupils at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. These pupils did not understand the work set and there was no effective support to help them to do so. This points to a failing in the use of assessment information. Although teachers have information about what pupils have learned so far in mathematics, as they do also in reading and writing, they make too little use of this information to plan work that meets pupils’ needs. Similar weaknesses in matching work to the needs of pupils, including those learning English as an additional language, were observed, for example, in lessons in English and religious education in Year 2 and in English in Year 4.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 41 lessons

12. Unsatisfactory learning is also seen when teachers have difficulty controlling the class. Some examples of this were seen during the inspection, for example in a Year 5 ICT lesson and a Year 4 history lesson. Pupils report that disorder is not uncommon in some classes and that this limits their learning.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 41 lessons

13. Only just over one in five lessons seen was good. No very good or excellent teaching was seen. This is a much lower proportion of good or better teaching than usually found in primary schools nationally. Because pupils start school with generally below average skills and levels of development, most significantly in language and mathematics, they need more good teaching to bring their attainment up to at least national expectations by the time they go on to secondary education. A profile of teaching that is mostly satisfactory, with a high proportion of unsatisfactory lessons and few that are well taught, is not effective enough to meet pupils’ needs. Of particular concern is the failure to meet the needs of those who have special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 41 lessons

14. Assessment has improved since the last inspection, but it remains unsatisfactory. There are now satisfactory procedures for checking on and recording pupils’ attainment and progress in the basic subjects. However, there remain some important weaknesses. Teachers are not good at using the information that they gather to plan work that matches pupils’ learning needs. There is Langley Primary School 7 still no robust, whole-school approach to assessing and recording pupils’ progress in science, ICT, religious education or the other subjects. The assessment of pupils for whom English is an additional language is unsatisfactory. This is because it focuses only on the standards reached and progress made in writing. It pays too little attention to the development of the essential skills of speaking, listening and understanding.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 41 lessons

15. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is unsatisfactory. Assessment is not used effectively to plan suitable activities matched to these pupils’ learning needs.

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

 There are good links with the local secondary schools.  The local environment is used well to support learning.  The school has worked hard to produce a stimulating learning environment for pupils.  There is too much emphasis on developing skills and not enough on the use of those skills.  Literacy and numeracy are not well developed within other subjects.

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Commentary

16. The curriculum in the Nursery and Reception classes is satisfactory but overall the school does not provide a balanced curriculum. Teachers’ planning does not ensure a good match between activities and pupils’ needs. There is not enough rigour in planning to ensure the smooth progression of pupils’ learning from one year to the next. The curriculum is enhanced by activities outside lessons but opportunities for sport are too limited. There are enough teachers and teaching assistants to provide support for pupils, but not all teaching assistants are well enough trained to meet pupils’ needs. This is particularly significant where teaching assistants are supporting pupils who are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. The school offers attractive working conditions for pupils, although the space available in the Reception classes is unsatisfactory. There are adequate resources for all subjects. The computer suite is a good

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Commentary

resource and it is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

17. The curriculum does not provide a sound basis to raise standards. Although firmly anchored on the National Curriculum and the locally Agreed Syllabus for religious education, teachers’ planning does not ensure an effective match between pupils’ needs and the work offered. There is an over-emphasis on the narrow development of skills in reading, writing and the use of numbers, but too few opportunities are provided for pupils to apply these skills in the other subjects.

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Commentary

18. The unsatisfactory curriculum balance is chiefly due to a lack of an innovative approach to planning the curriculum. This has resulted in the morning timetable being dominated by English and mathematics, which does not always help pupils to maintain concentration and interest or maximise their learning. Subjects such as art and design, design and technology, geography and history are blocked together into periods of ‘study work’ but the progressive development of skills in these subjects is not clearly planned.

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Commentary

19. Curriculum provision for pupils with special educational needs is unsatisfactory. These pupils’ needs are only identified in relation to the basic skills of literacy and numeracy. The full breadth of their learning needs is not taken into account.

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Commentary

20. The school has worked well to provide attractive accommodation, with clean working areas for its pupils. Rooms are put to good use for activities such as reading groups, and good use is made of the school grounds to support learning. Accommodation in the Reception classes remains too restricted, as it was at the time of the last inspection. Langley Primary School 8 21. The school has good procedures to ensure pupils’ smooth progression to secondary school. Pupils visit their secondary school at the end of the summer term on an induction day. Further, secondary teachers visit the school to take science lessons in Year 6. This eases the transfer to secondary school for these pupils.

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Commentary

22. There are sufficient teachers who are qualified and appropriately deployed. However, the number of teaching assistants to support pupils with English as an additional language is insufficient. The amount and adequacy of training for teaching assistants varies and this has an effect on the quality of the support they give to pupils. Teaching assistants have received training in ICT and are able to support learning in the ICT suite effectively.

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Commentary

23. Adequate resources are available to meet the needs of the curriculum in all subjects and there has been an improvement in resources for mathematics and ICT since the previous inspection.

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Care, guidance and support

The care of pupils is unsatisfactory . The provision of support and guidance on how to improve is unsatisfactory because it is hindered by the patchy and generally inadequate assessment of pupils’ achievements. Pupils are involved well in the life of the school through the school council.

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

 Pastoral care is good, based on trusting and caring relationships between pupils and staff.  The procedures for child protection comply with local requirements, but staff have not been appropriately trained to apply them.  The arrangements for health and safety are good, with exemplary arrangements to ensure the safety of children on external visits.  There is too little information on pupils’ academic progress.  A school council is well established.

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Commentary

24. Many pupils told inspectors how happy they were in school and parents confirmed this. The headteacher and other staff talked caringly about pupils and the difficulties some are facing, and it was clear that the pastoral care of pupils is well embedded in their thinking. Lunchtime staff take an interest in the pupils and look after them well, and in return they are well thought of by pupils.

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Commentary

25. Staff have access to appropriate written information about child protection procedures and they know to whom they should report any concerns. However, there has been no detailed training in the procedures for teaching or support staff.

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Commentary

26. Pupils' personal development is monitored only informally by teachers and teaching assistants, but because they know their pupils so well, this is done adequately. However, the records of pupils' academic progress are incomplete, which means that teachers do not have a secure foundation on which to base their advice to pupils about what to do to improve their achievement. More information is available on pupils who have special educational needs, though such pupils form only a small minority.

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Commentary

27. There is an elected school council, chaired by a teacher. It meets regularly and has contributed to pupils’ feeling of involvement in the school, as they can now point to the achievements of the council, such as playground activities and new rules for the dining hall. Potential councillors produce their own manifestos and make election speeches. This helps to give them an understanding of some of the responsibilities of living in a community. Langley Primary School 9

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Links with other schools are very good. Those with the community are good and with parents they are satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

 There are very good links with local high schools and extensive collaboration with other primary schools.  Involvement with the local community is constructive.  A high proportion of parents is not satisfied with some aspects of the school, especially with pupils' behaviour.  The governors’ annual report is unclear and unhelpful to parents.  Many parents help their children with reading and homework and make a good contribution to the school in other ways.

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Commentary

28. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 are invited to attend short courses at the local high school on a wide range of subjects. They also attend athletics and games events and there is a summer school for those who do not reach the expected levels in national tests at the end of Year 6. Transfer arrangements are comprehensive and supportive. High school staff teach a science topic in Year 6 to help prepare pupils for transfer, and offer opportunities in drama, music, physical education and art. Staff from the high school have observed literacy and numeracy lessons as part of their familiarisation with pupils who are about to transfer. These are very good examples of collaboration.

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Commentary

29. Three local primary schools collaborate in establishing ways of refining the role of subject managers, understanding the learning processes in the classroom and developing more challenging activities for the younger children. Six local primary schools combine together to learn from each other through exchange visits, which sometimes involve pupils. They are also examining the role of deputy headteachers and the induction of newly trained teachers. This extensive collaboration has, as yet, had little impact on the significant weaknesses at Langley.

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Commentary

30. Parents have concerns about behaviour, bullying and the information they receive about their children’s progress. There is also concern about variability in practice between classes. Parents report that in some classes the less able pupils receive insufficient support and homework is neglected. The inspection team generally agrees with the parents’ views, except for the information available on progress. The school provides a wide range of information to parents on progress and is very approachable should queries arise.

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Commentary

31. The governors’ annual report to parents contains many lists and is not easy to understand. The otherwise useful prospectus uses too much educational jargon with which many parents will be unfamiliar. The results of national tests are reported in the prospectus but in a way that is very difficult to interpret. Annual reports on pupils are well written and contain good targets, but National Curriculum Levels are not provided, except for those in Years 2 and 6.

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Commentary

32. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are appropriately involved in statutory reviews of provision and progress. These parents are invited to non-statutory reviews, but attendance is low. Langley Primary School 10 33. Langley village is a cohesive community within the industrial Midlands and the school makes very good use of the opportunities it provides for local studies. Local meetings are attended, the choir performs at the Christmas Lights ceremony and the school helped design the village clock. Pupils support the local youth club, run by a minister who also supports the school through assemblies and other activities. Two members of the local fire service come to read with pupils.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are both poor . Governance is unsatisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

 Leadership lacks a clear understanding of what to do to improve the quality of education provided and raise standards.  There is little effective monitoring, evaluation and development of teaching.  Too little is done to check on the performance of different groups of pupils, particularly those from minority ethnic backgrounds and those for whom English is an additional language.  The leadership and management of provision for pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds are unsatisfactory.  The school is poor at self-evaluation.  The governing body is not sufficiently involved in school improvement planning. It does not fulfil all its statutory responsibilities.

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Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1,057,218.00 Balance from previous year 48,018.00 Total expenditure 1,048,980.00 Balance carried forward to the next 56,256.00 Expenditure per pupil 2,347.00

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Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

34. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have been in post for some time and over that period standards have remained very low. Indeed, standards have declined over the past five years, from a low starting point. This indicates that the leadership team does not know what to do to raise standards. Many initiatives have been tried, including support from the local education authority aimed at raising standards in literacy and, most recently, numeracy. Nevertheless, none of these has been effective enough.

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Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

35. The leadership team has failed to get to grips with the high proportion of unsatisfactory teaching and the low proportion of good teaching, even though these are at the root of pupils’ underachievement. There has been little monitoring and evaluation of teaching. There is no systematic programme of monitoring. Although the headteacher and other senior staff have carried out some lesson observations, few clear targets for improvement have been identified. The deputy headteacher is too occupied in mundane organisational matters and has insufficient involvement in important leadership and management functions, such as the monitoring, evaluation and development of teaching. The lesson observations that have taken place have largely been ineffective since they have not been used to develop and improve the quality of teaching.

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Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

36. The school’s provision for pupils from minority ethnic groups and those for whom English is an additional language is not effectively led and managed. The manager for this work is absent from school on long-term leave and there is no effective manager in her place. There are no records of the formal monitoring of support for these pupils, even though the school receives specific grant funding to support them. The school has just started to monitor and analyse the performance of Langley Primary School 11 pupils from the various minority ethnic groups, but this is at an early stage of development and is unsatisfactory at present. The information gathered is not used well enough to match support and work to the learning needs of these pupils. The leadership and management of special educational needs provision are unsatisfactory.

p.15

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

37. The school’s self-evaluation reveals a poor understanding of its true strengths and weaknesses. Although the school has correctly identified the need for more rigorous monitoring and evaluation both of teaching and pupils’ performance, its assessments of the quality of leadership and management and teaching, for example, are very wide of the mark.

p.16

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

38. The governing body has no real involvement in school improvement planning, seeing this as a matter for the headteacher and her staff. It fails in its statutory responsibility to monitor and report to parents on the implementation and impact of its race equality policy. This is a significant breach of statutory requirements, given the ethnic mix of the school. Langley Primary School 12

p.16

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory.

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Although most of the teaching is satisfactory, there is too little good teaching. This means that the learning needs of these children, who come to school with generally below average levels of development and skill, are not sufficiently well met. They need good teaching if they are to rise from a lower than average starting point and reach the goals set for them nationally by the end of their time in the Reception classes. The teaching in the Reception classes in particular makes too few demands on children, so that they do not achieve as much as they could. This is especially true of the most capable children. The curriculum is soundly based on national guidelines, and the Foundation Stage manager is enthusiastic and dedicated to providing the children with an interesting environment. Staff form a coherent team to work together to plan activities. They observe children regularly and use their observations to decide what to teach individuals, but there

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

is not always sufficient structure in the activities for children working on their own. Children with special educational needs are identified early. However, their individual education plans are not created early enough to define the support they need. Children for whom English is an additional language are identified and supported soundly at this stage. The outside play area has been improved recently and it is now used for a variety of activities. However, it is still not used as well as it could be to provide access to an outdoor learning environment. The children in the Nursery do not have daily access to large climbing equipment, for example. Standards have fallen since the last inspection.

p.17

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for personal, social and emotional development is satisfactory.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses:

 Children are being prepared well to listen.  Relationships between staff and children are good.  The children's independence is being well developed.

p.17

Commentary

39. Overall, the children achieve well in their personal, social and emotional development in the Nursery and Reception classes. Behaviour is good. In this aspect, the children are well prepared for the next stage in their schooling because they are well behaved and ready to listen. A wide variety of activities is provided for the children to develop their personal and social skills. For example, they learn to take turns as they work together in groups. Staff work hard to build good relationships with the children so children respond well to requests. The working atmosphere is calm and happy so that the children are able to sustain interest and listen. Staff generally introduce the children to school life well. They visit them at home, which encourages them to come into the Nursery confidently. Children are generally independent and happy to come to school; parents are welcome to stay with their children if necessary. Most children are likely to reach the Early Learning

p.17

Commentary

Goals in this area of learning by the end of their time in Reception. Langley Primary School 13

p.17

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision for communication, language and literacy is unsatisfactory .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses:

 Teaching is unsatisfactory overall.  Children have good opportunities to learn the sounds that letters make.  More able children are not always challenged as much as they could be.  Children are interested in books and encouraged to discuss stories.

p.18

Commentary

40. In the Nursery, the children have good opportunities to use the role play area and they receive adult support to develop their speaking skills. Group times are used well to extend the children's ideas, and adults ask demanding questions so that their ideas and language are developed. Children in the Reception classes enjoy looking at books and pretend to be the teacher, pointing to words and following them with their finger, indicating that they understand the direction of writing in English. Children are encouraged to write their names and a few are able to do this. However, the quality of teaching and learning is unsatisfactory overall. The way that the activities are organised does not ensure that the most capable children are given sufficient encouragement to achieve. Free choice activities are not structured well enough to provide these children with demanding challenges. Consequently, they do not achieve as well as they could. Staff plan the children's

p.18

Commentary

learning according to national guidance. A strong feature in the Reception classes is that children are being well taught the sounds that letters make.

p.18

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for mathematical development is unsatisfactory .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses:

 Activities are not organised well enough to promote learning.  Children are learning to count well.  More able children are not challenged as much as they could be.

p.18

Commentary

41. By the end of Reception, attainment is below average. Most children are not reaching the level expected for their age. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is unsatisfactory. The way that the activities are organised does not ensure that the most able children, in particular, are challenged sufficiently. Consequently, children do not achieve as well as they could. They learn to count accurately, and some of the more able can count to ten and well beyond. In the Nursery, they use numbers in context, for instance as they count the number of children present. They have suitable opportunities to consolidate their learning through independent activities, such as pattern making. Langley Primary School 14

p.18

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision for knowledge and understanding of the world is unsatisfactory .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses:

 Children are being taught to use their senses well to support their learning.  Children have access to a range of resources to build and construct objects.  Children in the Reception classes are not always given sufficiently challenging work.

p.19

Commentary

42. A broad range of activities is provided so that the children can expand their knowledge and understanding of the world. A local minister has helped the children in the Nursery to conduct a ‘wedding’, for example. The children in the Nursery have plenty of good opportunities to use all their senses to support their learning. Staff are good at suggesting that the children touch, look at and smell objects, and cooking is used regularly to give the children wider experiences. They have access to a wide variety of construction toys, which are used effectively to stimulate their own learning. However, these child-initiated activities are not extended by staff as well as they could be, through interventions aimed at developing the children’s thinking and understanding. Computers are available in classrooms and the children enjoy using these in independent learning sessions. Some children can manipulate the mouse well and operate drawing programs effectively. Overall,

p.19

Commentary

the quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory because the children in the Reception classes are not given challenging enough tasks to extend their learning. Consequently, the most able, in particular, are unlikely to reach the goals set for them by the end of the Foundation Stage.

p.19

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for physical development is unsatisfactory .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses:

 Direct teaching of physical development is good.  There is no continuous access to an outdoor play area, so opportunities for physical development are too limited.

p.19

Commentary

43. The children had only limited access to climbing apparatus until recently, when the new climbing frame was bought. Even now, Nursery children do not have daily access to equipment that allows them to develop the major upper body muscles. There is no continuous access to an outdoor play area, so opportunities for development are too limited. Consequently, children are not likely to attain the Early Learning Goals in this area.

p.19

Commentary

44. Children use large equipment, such as wheeled toys, on a regular basis, enabling them to develop their co-ordination. They use small apparatus such as balls and hoops, developing control effectively. Direct teaching in the hall is used well to develop children's physical skills and sense of space. Their ability to move with imagination is developed well and they move with growing confidence. The Nursery children enjoy such imaginative activities as pretending to be fireworks, developing their movement and language. Children use a selection of simple tools and small equipment to develop their fine manipulative skills effectively, such as controlling the computer mouse and handling pencils, paint brushes and scissors. Langley Primary School 15

p.19

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision for creative development is satisfactory .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses:

 Children have opportunities for a variety of experiences.

p.20

Commentary

45. The quality of teaching is sound and, as a result, children are achieving what is expected for their age in the area of creative development. 'Small world' play, role-play and music contribute to helping the children expand their imagination. They have the opportunity to create shape and form, for example using play-dough.

p.20

Commentary

46. Children are made aware of a variety of art and craft techniques, such as leaf printing and marbling. Their development is promoted through a wide range of experiences, including art, music, developing their senses and using their imagination. They create texture from natural materials like pasta and seeds.

p.20

Commentary

47. The children in the Nursery enjoy painting their own pictures and sticking fabric and glitter. Throughout the Foundation Stage, the children have many appropriate opportunities to explore different materials, textures and colours. They have access to a wide range of resources such as paint, glitter and different coloured papers.

p.20

ENGLISH

Provision for English is unsatisfactory.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses:

 Standards are well below average in Year 2, Year 6 and throughout the school.  Pupils learning English as an additional language and those who have special educational needs are well taught when withdrawn from lessons.  The specific targets for pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are not included in teachers’ lesson plans, and provision for these pupils is unsatisfactory.  Pupils do not achieve well enough in English and their progress in writing is poor.  Work is not well matched to pupils’ learning needs.  Some teachers have weak subject knowledge.  Leadership and management are unsatisfactory.  Pupils’ weak literacy skills slow their progress in other areas of the curriculum.

p.20

Commentary

48. Standards in English are well below average. This is reflected in pupils’ well below average performance in the most recent national tests in reading and writing in Year 2 and in English as a whole in Year 6. Writing is particularly weak. Standards have remained low over a period of years and the school has not taken effective action to raise them. Pupils’ speaking skills are well below expected levels. Teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to practise and improve their speaking skills. Not enough use is made of drama and role play. Few pupils reach the higher levels in national tests, reflecting underachievement in particular on the part of the most able. Langley Primary School 16 49. When pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language are withdrawn for specific support, they make good progress. Teaching assistants have received some appropriate training and they support younger pupils who work in small groups on a

p.20

Commentary

helpful programme for learning about the sounds that letters make and how these go together to make up words. However, in class lessons, teachers do not plan carefully enough for the specific learning needs of pupils with special needs. Targets from their individual education plans are not referred to and the activities provided do not meet their learning needs. As a consequence, these pupils do not achieve as much as they could.

p.21

Commentary

50. All groups of pupils, including those for whom English is an additional language, make too little progress. This is because there is not enough teaching of good quality. In lessons, activities are too often the same for all pupils. This means that the most able are not well challenged and those who find learning more difficult are given activities that are too hard for them. Teachers do not assess pupils’ work effectively in order to plan the next steps in their learning. Marking is inconsistent and does not tell pupils what they need to do in order to improve. Teaching focuses on learning skills but this is not done in context. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise their writing skills for a range of purposes. Their weak writing skills mean that they do not make good progress in other subjects.

p.21

Commentary

51. Teachers do not all have a secure knowledge of how to teach English effectively. In some lessons, teachers make grammatical errors and do not model language well for pupils. This has a negative impact on pupils’ achievement.

p.21

Commentary

52. The subject manager for English has recently been seconded to work as a consultant for the local education authority and is now on maternity leave. In her absence, the school has not ensured that the leadership of English is secure. The subject manager has a good understanding of the action necessary to secure improvement in standards but as yet, too little has been done. There has been some monitoring of teaching but this has not yet provided good feedback to help teachers in their practice. Data has not been analysed to identify what needs to be done to secure improvement.

p.21

Commentary

53. Improvement since the last inspection has been unsatisfactory.

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

54. Pupils learn the basic skills of reading and writing in English lessons, but have too few opportunities to apply these as they learn in other subjects. There is little extended writing, for example, in science, where pupils normally have regular opportunities to write about their investigations. There are too few opportunities for speaking and listening, for example, in class discussions and debates.

p.21

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is unsatisfactory.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses:

 Standards are very low. They have declined since the last inspection.  Pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory.  Teaching is unsatisfactory.  The leadership and management are unsatisfactory.  Pupils have too few opportunities to use and apply their mathematical learning in the other subjects. Langley Primary School 17

p.21

Commentary

55. Standards by the end of Year 2, by the end of Year 6 and throughout the school are very low. Standards reached by Year 2 and Year 6 pupils in national tests have been very low for a number of years. In the most recent tests, standards were among the lowest five per cent found nationally. The picture is much the same when results are compared with the performance of pupils at similar schools. The inspection confirms that this continues to be the case. There is little significant difference in the performance of boys and girls in the national tests at the end of Year 6, although in Year 2 girls do less well than boys. In common with most other pupils, those from minority ethnic groups and those for whom English is an additional language underachieve. The same is true of pupils who have special educational needs.

p.22

Commentary

56. Many pupils in Year 2 are operating about a year behind expectations for their age. For example, they add numbers by counting on, count to 12 using an abacus and share out 12 cubes into equal groups. Such work is usually mastered before the end of Year 1. Pupils are beginning to recognise odd and even numbers, but few are secure in their understanding, even though this normally appears as part of the programme of work in Year 1. Similarly, much of the work in Year 6 is about a year behind that usually seen nationally. The analysis of pupils’ work shows, for example, that ‘average’ pupils in Year 6 work at a very low level in handling and interpreting data. For instance, they record the number of skips some children manage in a given period of time and represent these data in a simple bar graph. This sort of work is often seen in Year 3. Their work on the calculation of the perimeter and area of a simple shape is more often accomplished before

p.22

Commentary

57. Teachers lack confidence in the use of ICT in mathematics and, as a consequence, pupils make little use of ICT to support their learning. The collection, analysis and interpretation of data, for example, which in many schools is well supported by the use of computer programs, is mainly carried out using simple paper and pencil methods. This restricts pupils’ learning and achievement.

p.22

Commentary

58. The teaching is unsatisfactory. There is little good teaching and too much that is unsatisfactory. The analysis of pupils’ work completed over the past year and the very low standards confirm this inspection judgement. Pupils who find learning more difficult and those learning English as an additional language are not well enough supported and work is too often inappropriate to their learning needs. As a consequence, they do not make enough progress. In a Year 1 lesson, for example, a mixed group of pupils with learning difficulties and some learning English as an additional language made no real progress in understanding odd and even numbers because the work was too hard for them. It did not take account of their very poor grasp of the use of numbers. The school has recently started to experiment with setting pupils by ability in Year 6. Although this is in essence a promising development, it is not working well at present. The two sets

p.22

Commentary

are too large to make the most of this sort of organisation. They each contain too wide a spread of ability for teachers to match work closely enough to pupils’ particular learning needs. Ineffective use is made of support teachers. They take too little part in the actual teaching and act instead in a capacity similar to that normally reserved for unqualified classroom support staff. Although procedures for assessing pupils’ progress have improved since the last inspection, the information gathered is still not used well enough to identify pupils’ learning needs and set work that matches them.

p.22

Commentary

59. The leadership and management are unsatisfactory. The subject manager has been in post for a number of years and over that time standards have declined. It is years since any monitoring of teaching was carried out by the subject manager and no records of this exist.

p.22

Mathematics across the curriculum

60. Too few opportunities are provided for pupils to apply their mathematical skills across the curriculum, for example in science and design and technology lessons, where mathematical skills are normally applied. Langley Primary School 18

p.22

SCIENCE

Provision for science is unsatisfactory.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses:

 Standards are well below average.  Too little ground is being covered, particularly in Year 6.  The younger pupils spend too much of their time copying out text.  There is too little challenge for the most able pupils.  There is no systematic assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress.

p.23

Commentary

61. Standards have been consistently below the national average for a number of years. Results in the most recent tests were very low in Year 2 and in the lowest five per cent nationally in Year 6. Girls have done even worse than boys in recent years in the Year 6 national tests.

p.23

Commentary

62. Achievement is unsatisfactory. Pupils’ low-level writing skills mean that they are unable to record their observations and explanations in adequate detail. Planning for lessons does not include more challenge for the most able. All pupils do the same work and this means that many do not achieve as well as they could. The present Year 6 classes have produced very little work since the beginning of this school year, so limiting their progress in the development of skills, knowledge and understanding.

p.23

Commentary

63. Pupils keep to a satisfactory format when setting out their investigational work but much is unfinished and the content is too slight. The development of illustrative skills and labelled diagrams is also unsatisfactory. Opportunities for pupils in Year 2 to develop their own writing are limited as much work is identical through being copied down from the board.

p.23

Commentary

64. The teaching of science is unsatisfactory overall for a number of reasons. Marking does not help pupils to make suitable progress. Teachers expect too little of pupils and accept poor work too readily. There is no system of assessment to ensure that pupils make secure progress and that the work set matches their learning needs. There is too little variation in how pupils of differing abilities record their findings. In the lessons observed, there was evidence of satisfactory teaching and one lesson was good. Good teaching enabled pupils to make progress through experimenting with a variety of sound-making resources and identifying the appropriate scientific terms to describe the sounds. However, the pupils found it hard to write down their observations because they lacked the necessary skills.

p.23

Commentary

65. There remain several areas for development, including some issues that were identified at the last inspection. These include the inadequacy of assessment systems necessary to give teachers a clear picture of pupils’ attainment and what they should do to improve. They also include the lack of opportunities to develop their writing and number skills and to use ICT to support their learning.

p.23

Commentary

66. The leadership of the subject is unsatisfactory. There has been no monitoring of planning or teaching. The results of national tests were analysed for the first time last year to try to identify where the weaknesses in pupils’ understanding lay. Langley Primary School 19

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses:

 Standards are average at the end of Year 2, but below average by the end of Year 6.  Use of ICT across the curriculum has improved since the last inspection.  Good resources include the ICT suite, technical support and improved hardware and software.  Assessment procedures are not yet in place.  Planning does not identify appropriate challenges for pupils across the ability range.

p.24

Commentary

67. A key issue from the previous report was to improve the development of the full range of pupils’ ICT skills. The school has addressed this issue and progress has been satisfactory. Pupils are being offered the full range of activities and teachers are beginning to integrate ICT into other subjects. Nevertheless, not enough use is made of ICT in mathematics or science.

p.24

Commentary

68. Standards at the end of Year 2 are in line with national expectations. Familiarity with word processing is evident from work carried out in connection with a visit to the Black Country Museum. Pupils use modelling software to sequence the dressing of a teddy. They draw firework pictures using graphics software, having listened previously to a tape of firework sound effects. Nevertheless, standards by Year 6 are below expectations as pupils have not yet developed the skills, knowledge and understanding appropriate for their age.

p.24

Commentary

69. Examples of work are saved onto the network and there is evidence of cross-curricular use of ICT. In Year 6, multimedia presentations are used to illustrate facts about Queen Victoria and Florence Nightingale. Pupils have the skill to obtain material from the internet for this work, but their presentations use only limited sound and lack textual detail. Pupils use desktop publishing for simple posters and achievement certificates, but these are also lacking in detail and refinement.

p.24

Commentary

70. Teaching is satisfactory, overall. In the lessons observed, teachers made good use of the new suite's facilities. Recent training in ICT has enabled teachers to use it as a teaching resource with increased confidence. Teaching assistants are becoming familiar with ICT and are able to offer improved support for pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language. The use of an interactive whiteboard enhances pupils’ learning and good technical support ensures hardware runs smoothly.

p.24

Commentary

71. Teaching is best where both software and the choice of activities match the pupils’ needs. Year 5 pupils were using a spreadsheet for the first time but their progress was too limited as the program used was unsuitable for their needs. In a Year 3 lesson, literacy activities were carried out using a word processor but progress was slow for at least a third of the class as extension activities were not offered to them. A computer club offers good additional opportunities for the older pupils to develop capability in ICT.

p.24

Commentary

72. The development of pupils’ knowledge and skills from one year to the next is not well enough planned, and it is hampered by the lack of any systematic procedures to assess their attainment and progress. Langley Primary School 20

p.24

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

73. Through improved teacher training and available resources, the school is beginning to integrate ICT into other subjects, such as history, geography and especially literacy. There is no monitoring of this cross-curricular use, however, and too little use is made of ICT in mathematics and science. The classroom-based computers offer further opportunities for extended cross- curricular activities but these are not being fully used.

p.25

HUMANITIES

In the humanities, work was sampled in geography , but no lessons were seen. It is not, therefore, possible to make a judgement about provision in this subject. History was inspected in detail. Geography is planned in line with national guidelines. Pupils in Year 2 compare their local environment with a different type of environment, such as an island. In Year 6, pupils learn suitable vocabulary connected with the water cycle, for example, 'evaporation'. They study features of their own locality and how it is being changed. They look at the effects of change and undertake investigations outside the classroom, such as circulating questionnaires for local shopkeepers.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses:

 Resources are used well to bring the subject alive.  A variety of teaching methods is used well.  Teaching is not consistent throughout the school.  The assessment of pupils’ work and the monitoring of teaching are poor.

p.25

Commentary

74. The standards of pupils’ knowledge and understanding of history meet national expectations by the end of Years 2 and 6. However, their ability to record what they learn and know is limited by poor skills in writing. Pupils' achievement is not as good as it could be because there is not enough good teaching, even though it is satisfactory overall. Pupils with special educational needs and those who are learning English as an additional language are not achieving as well as they could because the work is not always planned sufficiently well for their individual needs.

p.25

Commentary

75. In discussion, it is clear that pupils in Year 6 know and understand more than it would appear from looking at their books. They know and understand, for example, about immigration into Britain in the 1950s. By the end of Year 2, pupils have a reasonable knowledge and understanding of notable people and events from the past. They know some of the facts about people such as Florence Nightingale. They know some of the famous landmark events in British history, such as the Great Fire of London.

p.25

Commentary

76. The staff select and use interesting and thought-provoking resources to enhance pupils' learning. These include some appropriate uses of ICT, including videotapes. In one lesson in Year 3, the pupils were so involved and interested that 'you could have heard a pin drop' when the teacher was discussing a suitcase that had been ‘found’ and a letter from an airman in World War II. The school uses outside resources well to augment its own, for instance from the Black Country Museum. Having a good source of authentic materials helps to bring the subject alive for the pupils. Langley Primary School 21 77. The leadership and management are unsatisfactory. There is no systematic process for monitoring, evaluating and developing teaching or checking on teachers’ planning.

p.25

Religious Education

Provision in religious education is unsatisfactory.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses:

 The curriculum for religious education meets the requirements of the locally Agreed Syllabus.  There are no assessment procedures and no monitoring of teaching and learning.

p.26

Commentary

78. Only two full lessons and one part lesson were observed in religious education. In two of these, teaching was unsatisfactory. The school’s scheme of work meets the requirements of the locally Agreed Syllabus, although this has not been updated for some time. The syllabus is currently being reviewed.

p.26

Commentary

79. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding are below the levels expected by the locally Agreed Syllabus. Pupils are not knowledgeable about the faiths they have studied. They recount some facts that they have learned but are not able to say how these relate to people’s lives. In a lesson about Christian marriage ceremonies, few pupils could talk about weddings they had attended and those who did spoke mainly about the part after the wedding. Pupils show interest in religious stories, such as the Christian story of The Lost Sheep and the Hindu story of Rama and Sita. However, they do not understand the significance of these stories in the lives of faith communities.

p.26

Commentary

80. The school has links with a local Christian minister who visits regularly. There have been some visits to places of worship, including a local church, a synagogue, a temple and the City Mosque.

p.26

Commentary

81. The scheme of work for religious education is quite old but the school is understandably waiting for the new syllabus to be published before updating it. There is currently no assessment in religious education. Again, the school is awaiting guidance from the new syllabus before developing assessment procedures.

p.26

Commentary

82. At the time of the last inspection, standards were judged to be satisfactory. This is no longer the case and progress since the last inspection has been unsatisfactory.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

No lessons were seen in art and design and design and technology , and it is not, therefore, possible to make a judgement about provision. There was little evidence of work done in design and technology. However, it is evident that work in both subjects is planned in line with national guidelines. The quality of pupils' work seen meets national expectations. Pupils' art work is valued and some of the best examples are prominently displayed, helping to create an interesting, stimulating environment. Pupils have opportunities to draw from direct observations in Years 1 and 2. In Year 1, they are taught to mix colours together to see the new colour being made. Pupils have regular 'mark-making' sessions to improve their co-ordination. This is sometimes incorporated into art to create patterns. The leadership and management of the subject are unsatisfactory. There is no effective assessment system to monitor how well the pupils are learning. There is too little

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

monitoring, evaluation and development of teaching. Langley Primary School 22 As only one music lesson was observed, it is not possible to make a firm judgement about provision. In the lesson seen, in Year 5, pupils enjoyed learning about the context and structure of protest songs. The lesson contributed well to their social and cultural development in discussing issues such as slavery and apartheid. Pupils were heard singing in assemblies and their tone, pitch and sense of rhythm showed average skills. Pupils have the opportunity to learn a range of instruments but no lessons were observed.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Only one lesson was seen in physical education, so no judgement is made on provision. In the lesson seen, in Year 1, pupils worked with enthusiasm and imagination as they represented different fireworks through movement.

p.27

Commentary

83. The evidence of racism, bullying and poor playground behaviour shows that pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory. There is no scheme of work. The subject manager for this area does not comprehensively monitor what is taught. The management of the subject is limited to modifying and evaluating an innovative new programme entitled ‘You can do it’. However, the ‘You can do it’ programme does not cover the whole of the personal, social and health education curriculum. The school has gained a Healthy School award. The school council is effective in introducing pupils to the concept of citizenship.

p.27

Commentary

84. ‘You can do it’ is a personal development programme that puts extra emphasis on thinking positively about challenges, planning ahead, building confidence and hence building self-esteem. It is being tried out throughout the school, and it was showing some limited promise in the lessons seen. One lesson is timetabled every week in all classes. The lessons seen were effective in developing a limited range of social skills and introducing concepts such as planning and organising. There is also a period of ‘circle time’ timetabled for each class, used by teachers as an opportunity for pupils to discuss a burning issue of the day or to reinforce ‘You can do it’ lessons. Langley Primary School 23

p.27

Inspection judgement Grade

The overall effectiveness of the school 6 How inclusive the school is 6 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 6 Value for money provided by the school 6

p.28

Inspection judgement Grade

Overall standards achieved 7 Pupils’ achievement 6

p.28

Inspection judgement Grade

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 5 Attendance 4 Attitudes 4 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 5 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 5

p.28

Inspection judgement Grade

The quality of education provided by the school 5 The quality of teaching 5 How well pupils learn 5 The quality of assessment 5 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 5 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 5 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 5 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 5 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 3 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 4 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

p.28

Inspection judgement Grade

The leadership and management of the school 6 The governance of the school 5 The leadership of the headteacher 6 The leadership of other key staff 6 The effectiveness of management 6

p.28

Inspection judgement Grade

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

p.28