Lansbury Lawrence Primary School

LANSBURY LAWRENCE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 20 – 22 October 2003

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LANSBURY LAWRENCE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 256698 Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 3 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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LANSBURY LAWRENCE 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. Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 to 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 484.5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Cordelia Street London Postcode: E14 6DZ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: (020) 79874589 Fax number: (020) 75372432

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr Richard Burrrett

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: Not Applicable

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Lansbury Lawrence Primary School opened in Spring 2002. It is an amalgamation of three schools, a nursery, infant and junior school. The infant and junior school occupy the same building and although the nursery is detached from the main building, it is on the same site. Attainment on entry to the school’s nursery is well below average and although children make good progress, few are able to reach the expected levels by the beginning of Year 1. The school is larger than other primary schools as the full time equivalent number of pupils on roll is 484.5. There are more boys than girls although the spread is not even across the school. There are more boys in the nursery and Year 5 but fewer in reception, Year 1 and Year 6. The school is in an Education Action Zone in Tower Hamlets and it is involved in the Sure Start Initiative. The nursery is an Early Excellence Centre and proposed Children’s Centre. This part of London is an area of low affluence which

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

accounts for the much higher than normal percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals (62 per cent). The school’s composition is similar to other large city schools in that pupils come from a rich diversity of ethnic backgrounds; about two thirds are Black or Black British, almost a third are White British or of other White backgrounds and a small number are from other ethnic minority groups. A significant proportion of pupils have English as an additional language. Over 40 are at a very early stage of English language acquisition. The school supports more pupils with special education needs than is typical of other schools (25 per cent) and there is a similarly high percentage with statements of special educational need (4.3 per cent). In the main, pupils stay at the school from age 3 to 11. Although there are a significant number of teachers recruited from other countries, the workforce is stable.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

21650 Gail McLean Lead inspector English as an additional language Special educational needs 9399 Roger Watts Lay inspector 32943 David Townsend Team inspector English Art Design and technology 31029 Peter Thrussell Team inspector Mathematics Geography Information and communication technology 32573 Mary White Team inspector Science History Physical education 32181 Maria Coles Team inspector Foundation stage Music Religious education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 6

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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 12

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Lansbury Lawrence Primary School opened in Spring 2002. It was formed through the amalgamation of three existing schools, a nursery, infant and a junior school. Overall it is a reasonably effective school that provides a satisfactory standard of education . Standards have improved since the school opened and although they are generally below average at Year 6, pupils, achievement is satisfactory. Improvements are due to the strong leadership of the headteacher who has focused attention on raising standards. The school provides satisfactory value for money . The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Provision for children in the nursery and reception is very good and they achieve very well. • The headteacher and senior management team provide clear direction which is transforming the school’s climate and enabling it to move forward. • Teaching and learning is sound overall, but it is very good in the Foundation Stage and good in Year 6.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• Attendance is below average and too many pupils are late for school. • Subject coordinators and phase managers do not fulfil their roles sufficiently well enough to support the senior managers, build on the school’s strengths and remedy weaknesses. • Given the potential demonstrated in the Foundation Stage and Year 6, standards could be higher, especially in English, mathematics and science. Overall, improvement since the school opened has been reasonable. The key issues identified by the governors and headteacher at the time of the amalgamation are still priorities for action but gains made are noticeable and appreciated by parents. Behaviour has improved considerably. This is a direct result of the firm stand taken by the headteacher against unacceptable behaviour. Attendance is below average but there has been improvement; especially since the school’s family liaison worker was appointed. The good lead taken by the

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OVERALL EVALUATION

nursery in relation to partnerships with parents and provision for pupils with special educational needs is having a positive impact on the work of the school as a whole. Training has been directed towards improving the quality of teaching and learning in literacy and numeracy. The school’s monitoring records and national test results indicate that this is having a high degree of success in raising standards.

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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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

English n/a E C A mathematics n/a E C A science n/a E* C A

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those with similar percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement overall is satisfactory but it is better in the Foundation Stage and Year 6 than in Years 1 to 5. Pupils start with well below average attainment, especially in language and social skills. Nursery and reception staff work hard to improve these standards so that children make very good progress and some attain the levels expected by the end of the reception year. Children work hard and achieve well in relation to their individual starting points. In 2002 standards in Year 6 in English, mathematics and science were below the national average but in 2003 there was an overall gain of about 25 per cent. This put the school close to the national average level in all three subjects and above other local Tower Hamlets schools. Pupils in Year 6 in 2003 made good progress overall in relation to their starting points but did particularly well in their last year at the school. As a result they achieved considerably better than pupils in other similar schools.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 8 In 2003 national test results for Year 2 pupils were below average. Nevertheless, when compared with those of 2002 the gains are significant. In reading there was almost a 20 per cent increase in the number of pupils attaining the expected Level 2 or above, in writing there was an 8 per cent gain and in mathematics it was 10 per cent. When looked at together, the rise in standards for pupils of this age put the school just below other schools in Tower Hamlets. Nevertheless, pupils made at least sound progress and achieved reasonably well. Pupils in Years 1 to 5 make satisfactory progress but given the potential demonstrated in the Foundation Stage and Year 6, more could be expected of them.

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Pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are

satisfactory. Pupils up to the age of eight like school and are keener than those who are older than eight. Pupils behaviour is satisfactory and they show increasing enthusiasm for their work. A few pupils find the demands of school life difficult and occasionally their behaviour disrupts lessons. Attendance and punctuality are unsatisfactory.

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The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory. Teaching and learning are sound

overall. It is generally good in the Foundation Stage and Year 6 and although there is some good teaching in Years 1 to 5 it is not sufficiently consistent. This limits the school in its ability to ensure that the needs of pupils are always being met effectively and that progress is fast enough. Teaching assistants are generally enthusiastic about their work. Their recent training and the changes made to the way in which pupils with special educational needs are supported have resulted in more effective use of their time, skills and expertise. As a result, pupils in most classes are benefiting and this is contributing well to the school’s work to improve standards. The curriculum in general is sound but not enough is done to enhance learning and make lessons relevant to the pupils. In contrast, the nursery and reception are well organised to give children a good range of experiences. The school has rightly identified the need to involve parents more fully in the education of their

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The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory. Teaching and learning are sound

own children and involve pupils more so that their views can be acted upon.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Overall, leadership and management are satisfactory. The strong lead taken by the headteacher is bringing about much needed change. She has successfully united the staff from three schools, secured stability in the workforce and is setting challenging goals. The deputy headteacher and Foundation Stage manager lead effectively by example, responding well to the needs of pupils and removing barriers to learning. This is reflected particularly well in the achievements of pupils in the nursery and reception. Middle managers are aware of their strategic role but their monitoring and evaluation work is not yet robust enough to impact positively on raising standards. Governors fulfil their roles sensitively but with due regard to rigour. Financial resources are used effectively and managed well.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are fairly satisfied with the school. They appreciate the improvements made to standards of behaviour and are of the view that the headteacher is very approachable. A small but significant number would like to be more involved in the education of their own children. Pupils are reasonably happy with the school. They think most lessons are interesting but not all. They dislike disruptions to lessons due to bad behaviour.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Improve levels of attendance and punctuality. • Improve the quality of teaching and learning so that all lessons come up to the best. • Ensure pupils progress at a consistently good rate throughout the school so that standards can be higher; especially in English, mathematics and science. • Ensure middle managers make a greater contribution to raising standards. and to meet statutory requirements the school should: • Ensure a daily act of collective worship takes place for all pupils. Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 9 • Reporting requirements are met in pupils’ annual reports to parents. Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 10

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Overall, taking into account levels reached in all subjects, attainment is generally below average. Nevertheless, pupils make sound progress and achieve reasonably well in relation to their low starting points. The school met its challenging targets for 2003. Targets for 2004 are even more challenging.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children do very well in the nursery and reception. • Progress in Year 6 is significant; especially in literacy and numeracy with pupils achieving highly. • Progress could be more consistent across the school leading to better achievement.

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Commentary

1. Children are assessed on entry to the nursery. The results of these tests and inspection findings show that attainment is well below average for three year olds; especially in the areas of language and literacy. These low levels in literacy hinder the children so, although they make good progress, not all children reach the expected levels at the end of the reception year in related areas, namely language and literacy, mathematical learning and knowledge and understanding of the world. They achieve very well in their personal development, due to the excellent provision and are likely to meet the objectives in this area. They are also likely to reach expected goals in physical and creative development.

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Commentary

2. Standards of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics in Year 2 generally remain below national levels. Nevertheless, achievement is satisfactory because test results and school records show that pupils make at least sound progress from the time they enter school. Furthermore, standards in 2003 were much better than those in 2002 indicating a rise in performance since the school opened. In the main girls have done better than boys in the national tests for English but this is reversed for mathematics. Pupils with English as an additional language have tended to do better in the tests than monolingual pupils. However, this was not evident during the inspection.

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Commentary

3. Standards of attainment in Year 6 in English, mathematics and science were close to the national average in 2003. Improvements made in national test results between 2002 and 2003 have been significant. The most dramatic rise was in writing where standards improved by 35 per cent. For all three subjects, standards rose from below average to about average. This represents good achievement overall taking into account pupils’ low starting points. Analysis of the national test results indicate that girls and boys did similarly well in science but girls did better than boys in mathematics and they did much better than boys in English. Pupils with English as an additional language did well and performed better than monolingual pupils. Bangladeshi pupils did much better than pupils from other groups; especially white British pupils. The apparent differences in achievement thrown up by analysis of test

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Commentary

results were not detectable during the inspection. Underachievement of some groups of pupils was recognised as a weakness by the headteacher and governors when the school first opened. Work undertaken to address this issue is clearly having a measure of success but there was insufficient time available for its impact to be demonstrated in the 2003 test results.

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Commentary

4. Pupils with special educational needs are assessed very carefully in the nursery and provision made for them effectively meets their needs. The rigour applied in the nursery is being used as a model of good practice for the rest of the school. Pupils with special educational needs make at least sound progress and achieve reasonably well. Furthermore, indications are that Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 11 provision is improving, pupils are better supported and standards are rising. This is reflected in the national tests where pupils with special educational needs in 2003 did better than their counterparts in other Tower Hamlets’ schools in English, mathematics and science.

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Commentary

5. Progress made by pupils when they first start school in the Foundation Stage is very good. As a result their achievements are much better than might be expected given their starting points. In Year 6, pupils make good progress and they achieve well in their last year at the school. As a result of the progress made at these key times in the pupils’ educational career, standards reach levels which are close to what is expected for pupils aged five and eleven. Progress for other year groups is not quite so well marked. Although it is satisfactory for Years 1 to 5, pupils clearly demonstrate that they are capable of doing better.

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Commentary

6. Standards in religious education and the creative and physical subjects are generally at or just below average at Year 2 and 6. Although progress is satisfactory in relation to prior attainment, levels of achievement are barely satisfactory and the majority of pupils demonstrate that they are capable of achieving better standards.

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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 27.0 (24.4) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 27.0 (24.2) 26.8 (26.7) science 28.4 (25.0) 28.6 (28.3)

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

There were 55 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes towards their school and behaviour are satisfactory but are better for younger children. Attendance is below average and punctuality is unsatisfactory. Overall personal development is satisfactory, with strengths in moral and social development.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Overall attendance is below the national average, with high unauthorised absence. • Although the school’s attendance monitoring procedures are thorough, significant numbers of pupils are late each morning. • Children in the nursery and reception classes have very good attitudes and behaviour. • Behaviour of a few older pupils in some lessons is unsatisfactory. • Relationships are good and pupils are encouraged to respect others. Pupils know right from wrong. • Pupils have too few opportunities to take on individual responsibilities. • The school does not meet requirements for collective worship.

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Commentary

6. About one percent of absence over the year is incurred by authorised days for religious observance by Muslim pupils and by a few who take extended holidays to South Asia. However, attendance is still below average after this is taken into account. Registers are taken correctly and lateness recorded. There has been some improvement in punctuality since the amalgamation but there is a lack of urgency amongst some parents and, as a result, a small but significant number of pupils continue to arrive during the first ten minutes of the day. The recently appointed home-school support worker, in close liaison Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 12 with other agencies and bi-lingual staff, is reducing the level of unauthorised absence by contacting parents, establishing reasons for absence and supporting families who have problems.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 7.3 School data 1.2 National data 5.4 National data 0.5

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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 (%)

7. Almost all parents believe that their child enjoys school. Most pupils agree but, in the pupil questionnaire, a significant minority said that they didn’t like school or only liked it ‘sometimes’. Pupils’ attitudes are very much related to the quality of the teaching. When the teacher has a stimulating and encouraging style, they show that they are motivated to learn, answer questions keenly and work hard. When the style is less lively or work is not matched to what they already know, they can quickly lose interest. Generally children in the nursery and reception classes, and pupils in Years 1 and 2, are more interested in the work and activities offered.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

8. Behaviour follows a similar pattern. In most lessons it is satisfactory or better but in a few it is unsatisfactory. A few pupils disrupt lessons to such an extent that the rest do not learn enough because the teacher has to spend too much time controlling behaviour. Pupils in the questionnaire picked this as the most negative aspect of the school, although parents and staff say that behaviour has improved out of all recognition over the last year because a firm stand has been taken in relation to bad behaviour. For example, three pupils were excluded, one for several fixed term periods. Pupils generally behave well around the school and in the playground. Pupils are starting to take responsibility, for example, representatives in the newly formed school council willingly gather the views of their class mates. However, generally pupils have little other opportunity to share in the running of the school by taking on

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

appropriate duties. Improvements in attitudes to learning and standards of behaviour are having a positive impact on attainment and levels of achievement. There are signs that any anti-academic attitudes which may have grown in the past are gradually being reversed. This was particularly noticeable in the younger age ranges.

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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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – British 175 0 0 White – Irish 3 0 0 White – any other White background 4 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 16 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 2 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 9 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 5 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 211 0 0 Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 13 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 1 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 16 0 0 Black or Black British – African 39 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 4 21 1

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Chinese 22 0 0 Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 14 Any other ethnic group 11 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 1 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

9. Pupils in the main have good relationships with each other and with staff. Pupils say there are a few others with whom they have problems but older pupils in particular have a mature, if pragmatic, view of this and sensible ways of responding to issues like bullying and racist name-calling. Around 10 per cent of pupils are not confident that staff will sort things out for them but they indicate that this has got better in recent times. Pupils are encouraged to share their feelings and discuss attitudes towards others in ‘circle time’, structured discussion sessions, and in the ‘Charlie Project’, which deals with drugs issues for older pupils. Although there is very little evidence of tension between pupils from different backgrounds, such activities are helping to raise pupils’ social awareness. As a result the school is developing a stronger communal, inclusive identity.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

10. Work undertaken in the nursery and reception to raise cultural awareness and enable children to feel proud of their families is good. It is satisfactory in the rest of the school. However, given the lead from those working in the Foundation Stage and the rich diversity of cultural mix in the community served by the school this aspect could be stronger.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

11. As a result of good teaching in assemblies and in personal and social education lessons, most pupils clearly understand right from wrong and can talk about the impact of their actions on others. Older pupils are beginning to recognise that consideration for others can be a principle for deciding how to behave morally.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

12. Whole-school and classroom assemblies also increase pupils’ social awareness, and sometimes have a spiritual element, such as time for reflection on their own feelings and beliefs. However, there is no policy for collective worship, or guidance for staff who take assemblies. As a result the statutory requirements for collective worship, which should be of a broadly Christian character, are not met. Overall, spiritual development is satisfactory but it is better in some classes than others. This is because most, but not all teachers convey their own enthusiasm and curiosity about the natural world and human achievement effectively through the questions they ask their pupils and the comments they make.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

Overall, the quality of education is sound. There are strengths in the Foundation Stage and Year 6; especially in relation to the curriculum, teaching and learning.

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Teaching and learning

Taking into account all inspection evidence, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory . It is of high quality in the nursery, reception and Year 6. Assessment overall is unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Lessons and activities are imaginative in the nursery and reception so that there is excitement in teaching and learning and children flourish. • Teamwork is effective in Year 6 so that lessons are well thought out and taught well, motivating pupils to work hard and do their best. • Lessons are not always of a similarly high standard for both classes in other year groups. • Assessment is unsatisfactory except in the Foundation Stage and Year 6. • A small number of lessons are unsatisfactory. Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 15

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Commentary

13. The high quality teaching in the nursery and reception provides a very good start for children. Similarly in Year 6, the consistently good teaching has a positive impact on learning which is reflected in the results of the national tests in 2003. Taking all inspection evidence into account about half of all lessons are of good or better quality and this is contributing well to the school’s endeavours to raise standards.

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Commentary

14. The school employs a small but significant number of teachers from abroad. Their enthusiasm for teaching and experience gained elsewhere strengthens the workforce at Lansbury Lawrence school. The quality of teaching in lessons taught by these teachers and resulting learning which takes place is of a good standard.

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Commentary

15. Good, and very good, teaching and learning is evident in all year groups but within each pair of classes one teacher tends to be stronger than the other. This results in a degree of inconsistency in the rate of progress and achievement of pupils. Clearly this is more noticeable where one lesson is unsatisfactory and the comparable lesson is sound or better. The main differences between successful and less successful lessons relate to teacher’s ability to manage pupils’ behaviour, maintain a brisk, lively pace and make learning interesting for pupils. The school is supporting teachers and joint planning takes place each week. As a result, teachers are able to share expertise, learn from one another and improve their own work. Indications are that this is a successful strategy because there have been considerable gains made in pupils’ achievement and progress overall since the school opened.

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Commentary

16. The headteacher has introduced strategies for monitoring teaching and learning. She is aware of the strengths and weaknesses throughout the school and is taking appropriate action to support and challenge colleagues. In contrast, subject co-ordinators and phase managers are not secure in their evaluations and as a result are not taking enough corrective action to bring all lessons up to the best. This is limiting the school in its ability to raise standards rapidly and ensure that all pupils are doing as well as they can in all subjects.

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Commentary

17. Children in the nursery, reception and Year 1 who have English as an additional language are given opportunities to speak in their first language. This good practice contributes significantly to their understanding of what is being taught and their ability to communicate ideas and views. Furthermore, it enhances their personal development and self esteem. As pupils move up through the school, there is little evidence of the use of first languages in lessons. However, pupils with English as an additional language are fully involved in lessons and are keen to do well. Almost all achieve well in relation to their starting points and the local education authority records show that they do much better than monolingual pupils in English, mathematics and science.

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Commentary

18. Support for pupils with special educational needs is effective. Changes have taken place in the method of deploying teaching assistants. They are now allocated to support a class, rather than individual pupils. They each have an area of specialism and are expected to keep their own skills sharp through appropriate training. Their skills and expertise are used in the classes where they will have the most impact. In addition they support each other and teachers so that knowledge is shared and increasing numbers of pupils benefit. The success of this initiative is that the proportion of pupils with special needs who achieved Level 4 in the 2003 national tests is above the local authority authority averages at Year 6.

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Commentary

19. Assessments undertaken in the nursery and reception are very informative and teachers use close observations of pupils’ progress to structure lessons and guide learning. This is a key factor in the success of the work with these children. A similar picture emerges at Year 6. Teachers meet together frequently to scrutinise pupils’ work, gauge levels of understanding and plan appropriate lessons. This ensures that time is spent productively in each lesson, pupils work hard and make significant gains in skills, knowledge and understanding. This is reflected in the results of the 2003 national tests. In contrast assessment is not addressed so well in other year groups. For example, the quality of marking Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 16 and written feedback to pupils does not help them to know how well they are doing and how they can improve. 20. Academic targets have been set for each year group and individual pupils but these are not translated

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Commentary

into short term goals which can be used by teachers to inform planning and involve pupils in their own learning. The school is aware of this shortcoming and the headteacher and senior managers have taken decisive action. Attainment profiles have been compiled for each class and the headteacher is successfully guiding work to track the progress made by individuals and groups of pupils. As more data is collected, the system is becoming more sophisticated and analysis more rigorous. Furthermore, teachers are being helped to structure lessons so that work undertaken by pupils each day contributes more effectively to movement towards reaching overall targets set. The senior management team is guiding work to ensure individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs are sharply defined and focused. The Foundation Stage manager is helping colleagues to improve their own skills in assessment. As a result, the school is in a good position to move forward.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 43 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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The curriculum

The school provides a satisfactory range of learning opportunities. However, opportunities for educational enrichment beyond the basic curriculum are limited. The accommodation and resources to support pupils’ learning are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of the curriculum in the nursery and reception class is very good. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • Subject co-ordinators are not fulfilling their roles well enough in developing the curriculum. • There is an imbalance in the amount of time given to history and geography. • Opportunities for pupils to participate in extra -curricular activities are limited.

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Commentary

21. The curriculum in the nursery and reception classes is very good overall. It is broad, balanced and covers all areas of learning as required for pupils of this age.

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Commentary

22. A satisfactory range of subjects is taught in Years 1 to 6. Following the amalgamation, the school has rightly concentrated on raising attainment in English, mathematics and science. Much work has been done in improving the curriculum and raising levels of teaching in literacy and numeracy. This has meant that time available to develop and improve work in other subjects has been curtailed. Nevertheless, schemes of work have been introduced in all subjects and this provides a secure foundation for teaching and learning. However, there is much work to be done by co-ordinators to ensure that these plans are implemented, subjects have parity of esteem within the school and any needed developments take place. Coordinators do not monitor and evaluate work done in their particular area rigorously enough to ensure that pupils receive their entitlement. For example, there is an imbalance in the time allocated to history

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Commentary

than geography and this needs rectifying. Provision for pupils’ personal, social, health and citizenship education is satisfactory. In Year 6 pupils’ enthusiasm and interest was observed in the self-awareness programme linked to drugs’ education. This supports confidence building and enables pupils to explore issues through role-play. Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 17 23. The curriculum is modified effectively in the nursery and reception to ensure pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are well supported. The strategies used in the Foundation stage are gradually being adopted and adapted for older pupils. The work done in relation to addressing the needs of pupils with learning difficulties is progressing reasonably rapidly. Progress is slower in relation to making the curriculum more relevant and interesting for pupils from ethnic groups, especially those with English as an additional language. This is reflected in the limited

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Commentary

enrichment programme offered to pupils. Although the school does provide some extra-curricular activities, such as drumming and an art workshop, this does not promote participation and enthusiasm for the arts and other interests effectively enough. The coordinator for English as an additional language has a secure action plan to address this shortcoming by capitalising on the rich cultural heritage embodied in the local community.

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Commentary

24. The school has an adequate number of teachers for the number of pupils on role. The school has invested in a large number of teaching assistants who effectively support the work of the teachers in classrooms and assist in the development of teaching and learning programmes for pupils’ with special educational needs or those with English as an additional language.

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Commentary

25. Accommodation is satisfactory and the school has space inside and out to meet the needs of the curriculum. However, the general level of decoration, furniture and fittings are not conducive to education in the 21 st century. The nursery grounds offer opportunities for appropriate outside play facilities to promote learning. Resources for curriculum subjects are adequate but are not always cared for and stored appropriately. A strong feature is the toy library for nursery and reception pupils that supports learning at home and emphasises the importance of play.

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Care, guidance and support

The school’s provision for the care, welfare, health, and safety of the pupils is satisfactory overall. The induction for pupils entering the nursery is very good. Pastoral care throughout the school is more firmly established than the academic monitoring of pupils’ achievement, which has weaknesses. Work has only just begun to canvass and act upon pupils’ views.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The procedures for child protection, health, and safety are satisfactory and implemented well. • Pupils are well cared for in a secure environment. • Arrangements for the induction of pupils in the Foundation Stage are very good but are unsatisfactory for pupils joining the school mid year. • Collecting and acting upon pupils’ views is not yet part of the school’s culture. • Personal support and guidance are satisfactory, but academic guidance is weak. • Pupils do not know their targets for improvement so they cannot be involved in their own learning.

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Commentary

26. All teachers and teaching assistants are fully informed regarding matters relating to child protection. The required procedures are implemented effectively. As a result, pupils work in safe and secure surroundings. Regular health-and-safety audits are carried out and the school operates adequate first aid provision. The good ratio of adults to pupils in lessons and at playtimes means that pupils are very well looked after.

p.17

Commentary

27. Children in the Foundation Stage are able to integrate quickly and confidently into the school because the well-developed and sensitive procedures help them to feel comfortable and at ease in their surroundings. Similar strategies have not yet been put in place for pupils who join the school mid-year. Suitable Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 18 arrangements are in place for the transfer of pupils to secondary school. Pupils expressed appreciation for the improvements made in relation to helping them move form Year 2 to Year 3 and Year 6 to Year 7. This had been an area of concern prior to the amalgamation but issues have been resolved effectively.

p.17

Commentary

28. Strategies for assessing, recording and reporting pupils’ academic performance have become more sophisticated since the school opened. Actual attainment levels are recorded, targets for individuals and groups of pupils are being set, and progress is beginning to be monitored regularly. Targets are shared with parents during parent consultation sessions. However, this information is not shared with pupils frequently enough for them to be able to gauge their own successes and areas for improvement. As a result, this limits pupils in their ability to take some responsibility for their own learning and become active learners.

p.18

Commentary

29. Most pupils are confident in approaching adults for advice, help, or comfort especially in the younger aged classes. The opportunities for consulting and seeking pupils’ views have begun but are limited to the newly formed school council.

p.18

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school’s links with parent, other schools and the community are satisfactory with good features .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Links established with parents of children in the Foundation Stage are very good. • Procedures for dealing with complaints are effective. • Academic reports to parents do not fully meet statutory requirements. • The initiative to involve a home - school liaison worker is successful. • Drop-in facilities for parents with young children are well established. • Relationships with parents and the community are enhanced.

p.18

Commentary

30. Parents and carers are generally satisfied with the school. Parents have appreciated the improvements in behaviour that have been achieved by the school. The partnership between staff and parents of children in the nursery and reception is a particular strength. Staff work closely with other support agencies, such as health workers, to provide good levels of communication with parents of children starting school. Initiatives such as the ‘Stay and Play’ twilight group show the commitment to ensuring parents feel very involved in the life of the nursery and their children’s first years in school. There are many opportunities for both informal and formal contact between parents and teachers. Such partnerships have a positive impact on achievement, supporting learning at home and helping parents understand how they can best support their children.

p.18

Commentary

31. The approach taken in the Foundation Stage in relation to developing excellent relationships with parents is permeating through the rest of the school. Signs are that this aspect of the school’s work is likely to improve rapidly in the immediate future.

p.18

Commentary

32. Some parents indicated at the parents’ meeting that they would like school documents to be translated automatically in the first languages represented in the school community. However, the school consults with all parents very sensitively in relation to this issue when pupils are first enrolled in to the school. As a result the school’s policy and practice with regard to providing translations of documents or translators to explain information orally to parents is entirely appropriate for the school’s community. Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 19 33. The school provides an adequate range of information for parents about the curriculum and how they can help their children at home. Newsletters are sent home regularly and a new prospectus for parents and carers has been developed. An effective Written Complaints policy and guidelines have been developed as part of the school’s commitment to ensuring increased communication between the home

p.18

Commentary

34. Written annual reports to parents do not meet statutory obligations because standards and progress in religious education are not included in some reports. The reports do not always contain information on each child’s progress in every foundation subject. However, they do inform parents about what their children know, understand and can do, and offer targets for development.

p.19

Commentary

35. The school is involved in a number of successful initiatives to support families in the local area. These are benefiting children, their parents and the school. The community outreach project involves a home – school liaison worker who deals in the main with issues related to absenteeism. The liaison worker is successful in enabling the school to bring about improvements in attendance because she contacts families, explains the importance of regular attendance at school and outlines the legal position. She has been able to ascertain reasons for absence but, more importantly, help families with difficulties to establish regular patterns and daily routines, which enable parents to take their children to school and collect them at the end of each day.

p.19

Commentary

36. The drop-in facilities for parents with young children are greatly appreciated by them. Three sessions are held each week. Parents have the opportunity to meet other adults, play with their children in a stimulating environment and borrow good quality educational toys. This link with parents of young children enables the school to build strong relationships with families, offer guidance to them on using toys for learning and generally help establish good parenting skills. Attitudes towards working with parents and developing good relationships are changing throughout the school. Policy and practice are beginning to improve and impact positively on other aspects of the school’s work.

p.19

Commentary

37. Sessions held for adults with English as an additional language take place twice a week. There are ten places available. These sessions are welcomed and judging by the smiles on the faces of the women attending them, they are highly valued.

p.19

Commentary

38. Overall, the school is taking every opportunity to involve families in the life of the school, use its facilities to support those in the community and bring about improvements to the lives of the children it serves. Each initiative is well planned and carefully thought through.

p.19

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Overall leadership and management are satisfactory . The headteacher of this recently amalgamated school is providing effective leadership. She is ably supported by the senior management team. However, leadership of other key staff is unsatisfactory. Management and governance of the school are both sound.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher, deputy headteacher and foundation stage manager have a very strong sense of direction for the school, and a drive for improvement. • The leadership offered by subject coordinators and phase managers is not effective. • The chair of governors supports the school well, and has a clear idea of its strengths and weaknesses. • The induction of staff is good and the headteacher has maintained a stable staff.

p.19

Commentary

39. The headteacher provides strong leadership for the recently amalgamated school. She has recognised the urgent need to raise pupils' achievement and standards, and has ensured effective teaching and Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 20 support strategies are in place in Year 6 to do this. The strengths that existed in the nursery school prior to amalgamation have been effectively maintained and developed in the Foundation Stage. These are starting to influence the rest of the school. For example, the good links established with parents of younger children are now being promoted throughout the school. There is now a more consistent approach to behaviour management that has helped to improve pupils' behaviour. The provision for pupils with special educational needs has been evaluated and changes made in the way support is given. Teaching assistants are now assigned to classes, have a clearer job description, have had some further

p.19

Commentary

training, and do not combine this role with other paid work in the school. As a result, provision for pupils with special educational needs is increasingly effective.

p.20

Commentary

40. Although not yet fully effective, the headteacher now expects teachers to plan together and make better use of national guidelines in their planning. The deputy headteacher and foundation stage manager, especially, support the headteacher well in this determination for school improvement, and act as good role models for the rest of the staff. The chair of governors works closely with the head teacher, has a clear understanding of the school's needs, and gives strong support to the initiatives being taken.

p.20

Commentary

41. The school's management structure includes phase managers and subject co-ordinators. It was set up when the new school opened, and needed to take some account of the experience and expertise of staff transferring to the new school from the three existing schools. The system and structure are entirely appropriate for the school’s needs. However, these middle managers generally lack confidence, and mostly have limited expertise and experience to enable them to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively. The co-ordinators, especially in core subjects, are not sufficiently aware of the school's strengths and weaknesses in relation to standards, achievement and the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects. The school is aware of the need to quickly develop the leadership and management capabilities of its key staff. Some training has been given and more is planned. The main thrust to

p.20

Commentary

securing improvement is through performance management targets. Effective teams have been established in the Foundation Stage and in Year 6. Elsewhere in the school, teams are not as effective. The provision within phases and year groups often shows a lack of consistency in planning, the quality of teaching and learning and the standards achieved.

p.20

Commentary

42. The head teacher has successfully retained and recruited staff following the amalgamation, which has sustained a high degree of stability. She and other senior members of staff closely monitor teachers' work, and appropriate targets for improvement are set through performance management. Although the school has yet to set out a staff induction policy, its procedures for induction are nevertheless good. New members of staff have opportunities to visit the school and take part in staff training prior to taking up appointments. Newly qualified teachers are very pleased with the support they are given and the arrangements made for their future professional development.

p.20

Commentary

43. Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003 is not available. This is a result of the amalgamation and complications arising from the contracts drawn up under Tower Hamlets’ Private Funding Initiative (PFI) for the three separate schools prior to amalgamation. From the information provided during the inspection, monies available to the school are spent wisely and in line with the school’s priorities. As a result, the school is seen to be giving satisfactory value for money. However, the much needed alteration to the building to bring it up to the standard required of modern day schools is hampered because the three original contracts have not yet been amended to take into account the school’s current status. Resolving the PFI contractual issues is proving to be very time consuming. As a result the headteacher and governors are not able to focus fully on the immediate priority of raising

p.20

Commentary

standards of attainment, teaching and learning. Although this situation is not of the school’s making it nevertheless is a significant barrier in bringing about identified school improvement. Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 21

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

There are currently 152 children in the Foundation Stage, 118 in the three nursery classes and 34 in the two reception classes, based on two separate sites. Attainment on entry to the nursery is well below that expected for children of this age, and in aspects of their language and personal and social development it is poor. The children in the nursery receive a mixture of part-time and full-time provision. The school provides more full time places so that children get an extra boost, especially in their learning of English. Children join the reception classes in either the September or January nearest to their fourth birthdays.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Many of the children start nursery with no English and make good progress because of the support given to them and the emphasis placed on developing English. The very good provision in the Foundation Stage means that all children, including those with learning difficulties, make very good progress. However, by the end of reception, standards are below those expected nationally for children of this age. The provision in the Foundation Stage is well managed by an efficient and knowledgeable co-ordinator. She ensures that the curriculum, resources, and activities in the nursery and reception are matched very well to the children’s learning needs. She has led and trained her team of teachers and teaching assistants to be highly effective in planning and assessing children’s achievements so that previous learning is built upon.

p.21

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social, and emotional development is excellent.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Trusting, warm relationships between all adults and children result in making this a pleasant place to learn. • Well-established routines and good models of behaviour reinforce school rules and result in an orderly community. • The children’s very good attitudes and behaviour contribute well to their achievements in all areas of learning.

p.21

Commentary

44. The children’s attitudes and behaviour are very good. Adults expertly establish warm and trusting relationships with children. They act as good role models so that children behave well and are keen to learn. Children enjoy coming to school and nursery staff make sure that they settle quickly and happily into school life through a structured induction programme. Parents have confidence in the staff because of the excellent home school links that have been put into place. Very good teaching builds swiftly upon successful relationships to teach the children to be responsible. As a result, the children show increasing levels of confidence as they move from indoor and outdoor activities. They can sit and concentrate in whole class sessions or when working as a group in taking turns and sharing with their peers. The establishment of good classroom routines teaches the children to be independent so that both boys and

p.21

Commentary

girls are able to choose their own activities and remain engrossed for extended periods. All children, including those with learning difficulties, make good progress in expressing their needs and feelings because of the trusting relationships that they have with the adults. All achieve very well in this area and the majority are likely to meet the expected level at the end of reception.

p.21

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 22 Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good teaching and learning promotes good language development. • Consistent and effective use of repetition and good resources greatly assist children who are learning English as an additional language.

p.22

Commentary

45. The high quality in teaching and learning is reflected in all lessons being linked well to the planned programme. This in turn leads to good progress in communication, language, and literacy. Many planned activities concentrate on improving speaking and listening skills. This is very effective in meeting the needs of the large number of children both monolingual and bilingual who are at an early stage of language acquisition. The staff use their knowledge of English and Sylhetti to ensure that all children develop their listening and speaking skills well. Many opportunities are provided for them to talk to adults and each other. Constant repetition of vocabulary and the use of resources are two teaching methods used very effectively to promote children’s understanding of vocabulary. Every opportunity is used to reinforce language. During registration in one reception class, the teacher has left a box of

p.22

Commentary

objects beginning with ‘s’ on a table. As the children’s curiosity leads them to pick up the objects, the teacher uses the opportunity to reinforce the ‘s’ sound. Because of the availability of books and the numerous stories read to them, most children are able to handle books well and show an understanding of the elements such as the characters and the order of the story. In a nursery class, children joined in with the story of the ‘Three Billy Goats Gruff’ predicting what would happen next “He’s going to butt him.” Most listen well and some are beginning to link letter sounds to read and write simple words. Children are given regular opportunities to experiment with making marks and writing. Most children form letters correctly and show good pencil control. Half the children in reception are likely to reach the expected standards by the end of the year, although some will not, and overall attainment on entry to

p.22

Commentary

Year 1 is likely to be below the expected level. As standards are poor in this area of learning at the start of the nursery, this means that all children achieve well and some very well.

p.22

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is very good .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A very good range of activities and resources supports the learning of number, shapes, space, and measures. • Small focussed groups provide intensive teaching that promotes high levels of pupil engagement and learning.

p.22

Commentary

46. The quality of teaching is good and children achieve well. During one session observed in reception, the counting of numbers was being taught well. The teacher used repetitive instructions and questioning simultaneously translated by the Sylhetti-speaking teaching assistant so that children were able to pick out and count numbers to 5 and 10. Older children in the nursery were happy and confident in acting out counting rhymes such as “Five Little Monkeys” and were confident in naming circle, square, and rectangle shapes. Although over half the children are likely to reach the standard expected by the time they begin Year 1, many will not, and overall attainment is likely to be below that normally expected. Given their low starting point, this means that the children make good progress.

p.22

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 23 Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is very good.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good planning involves numerous activities being offered that help to reinforce learning in several areas of the curriculum.

p.23

Commentary

47. Very focussed and well-planned teaching opportunities provide a good range of activities to extend children’s understanding of the wider world. Very good use of support staff ensures that all children are fully included in all aspects of their learning. Activities include real experiences with a link to language and mathematical development so that all children can be included and learn together. For example, a different child each day, in each class in the nursery and reception, is given the task of asking adults what they would like to drink. This provides opportunities for children to engage in meaningful dialogue with adults. They are confident in recording their findings, counting the different drinks, and watching while an adult makes drinks. These are given out in cups then placed inside large bowls ensuring health and safety procedures are followed. Children are confident in using computers, can use large and small

p.23

Commentary

construction equipment to build towers or houses. Half the children are likely to reach the expected standard by the time they enter Year 1, and overall standards at this age are below those normally expected. However, given their well below attainment on entry all children make good progress and achieve well, some achieving very well.

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is very good.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Well-planned activities and teaching promote good achievement in many aspects of this area of learning. • A good range of indoor and outdoor activities engages children in their learning. • The small outdoor play area for reception children limits opportunities for physical development through play.

p.23

Commentary

48. The quality of teaching is very good. There are well planned activities and opportunities for children to improve their physical skills in both nursery and reception classes. There are various learning areas that encourage them to use a good range of tools and materials. Good adult support provides guidance so that children achieve well; for example, demonstrating how to use scissors, hold a paintbrush and decide on shapes and colours. However, there is a discrepancy between the outdoor provision made for reception and nursery classes. The nursery outdoor area is spacious, with grassed and tarmac areas. This allows the full range of opportunities to be provided for nursery children. Consequently, they make very good progress. They are able to run, climb, jump, and work creatively and imaginatively. The reception outdoor space is too small for the number of children using it. Teachers use well the sparse

p.23

Commentary

facilities they have, but the lack of space and equipment impairs progress. However, because of the very good start in the nursery, many children are likely to achieve the expected level by the end of reception, and overall achievement is very good. Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 24

p.23

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is very good.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A good range of activities caters well for all areas of creative development in the nursery.

p.24

Commentary

49. The quality of teaching is very good. A range of well-planned art activities in vibrant, stimulating surroundings improves children’s learning. Children use a wide range of materials, including pencils, crayons, paints modelling materials, beads and counters. Children were able to join in favourite songs and follow rhythms, matching actions to words, and playing co-operatively. The majority of children are likely to reach the national standards expected of them. All children achieve very well, in relation to their attainment on entry to the nursery.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are below average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. • The planning and teaching of writing are effective. • There is inconsistency in the quality of teaching within and across year groups. • Target setting is not used effectively enough to meet the needs of individual pupils and groups, especially the higher attainers.

p.24

Commentary

50. Standards attained by the end of Year 2 are below national expectations. Standards in Year 6 are currently below average and as a result are not as high as they were last year. However, given the progress made in lessons it is possible that standards at the end of the year will be close to national averages again. Standards in speaking and listening are not as high as expected for pupils throughout the school. This is a significant barrier to learning. Although test results indicate that there are differences in standards attained by boys and girls and those from different minority ethnic groups, the inspection findings did not reflect this data. Progress made by pupils is satisfactory overall. The resulting gains represent satisfactory achievement although signs are that the rate of progress is now accelerating due to the school’s focus on raising standards.

p.24

Commentary

51. Standards in reading are below average in Year 2. Most pupils know how to sound out unfamiliar words and read simple texts accurately. More able pupils are reading with emerging fluency and can talk about characters or the plot and suggest endings for a story. The less able pupils can use picture cues to identify words but they require more support and generally lack confidence in talking about the books they read. The proportion of less confident readers is higher than average and reflects their weaker language and communications skills. Significantly, not all children are receiving regular support with their reading at home.

p.24

Commentary

52. Standards in writing are below the national average in Year 2. Most pupils are able to punctuate sentences with some capital letters and full stops and their spelling of common words is Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 25 usually accurate. The writing showed that pupils were able to sustain and develop ideas well, though their use of imaginative and adventurous vocabulary was fairly limited. A higher than average proportion of pupils do not reach Level 2. This again reflects their weak language and communications skills. Most pupils’ work is carefully presented and pupils are developing a neat handwriting style. More able pupils join letters fluently and can spell more complex words accurately.

p.24

Commentary

53. Standards in English are below average in Year 6. A higher than average proportion of pupils does not reach Level 4. Most pupils read accurately and with developing fluency. However, many pupils have not yet fully developed their repertoire of strategies for establishing the meaning of unfamiliar words. Although more able pupils talk confidently about books they have read, discuss characterisation and can make references to the text when justifying their views others do not. Lack of appropriate speaking and listening skills limits them in their ability to express views and communicate ideas coherently and convincingly. Not all children are receiving regular support with their reading at home and the use of libraries is underdeveloped. From Year 3 onwards, pupils need to be given closer guidance on choosing texts which provide the most appropriate level of challenge for them.

p.25

Commentary

54. In Year 6, children have had the opportunity to write in a range of styles, from autobiographies to writing diary entries. Most pupils use the features of a style of writing accurately and present sequences of ideas in clearly formed sentences. Spelling of common words is accurate and some pupils use capital letters and full stops correctly. Less able pupils are not developing their ideas into sequences of linked sentences. More able pupils write in a lively and thoughtful style and choose words more adventurously.

p.25

Commentary

55. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory across the school, with some good features. Lessons are well planned to incorporate all aspects of the subject and the National Literacy Strategy. Planning and teaching in Year 6 are aided by the organisation of pupils in this year group into teaching sets and by the learning support offered to these pupils. Whilst the teaching is often effective, there are inconsistencies within and across year groups. Where teaching is effective, the pace of lessons is brisk and questioning of pupils very focused and precise. The features of a specific type of writing are modelled well. Good speaking and listening opportunities are generated through teachers’ use of challenging questions. In one lesson, a difficult grammatical concept was explained very well to pupils and they applied their new learning effectively in subsequent writing. However, in some classes, teachers’

p.25

Commentary

introductions to the whole class and the group activity sections of lessons are too long and this shows the pace of learning for children. Teaching assistants are not always used effectively enough. When used well, they are successful in guiding and instructing pupils. When used less effectively, they are not actively engaged in helping less able pupils participate fully during whole class teaching sections of the lesson.

p.25

Commentary

56. In all year groups, teachers ensure children’s work is marked regularly and praise is given for pupils’ efforts. However, opportunities are missed to offer children feedback as to how well they are doing. Children are insufficiently involved in the process of reviewing their own learning progress. This is because teachers are not establishing and sharing with pupils challenging targets for future learning. The marking of children’s work is therefore less focussed and future planning is not systematically based on close assessment. Consequently, there is sometimes a lack of challenge in the teaching and learning provision, particularly for the more able pupils. The achievement of pupils is satisfactory overall.

p.25

Commentary

57. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The school has had extensive literacy support from an independent consultant. Teachers are more confident when planning and teaching English and in particular, writing and guided reading. However, the subject coordinator is not yet fully established in the role. Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 26

p.25

Language and literacy across the curriculum

58. The development of language and literacy across the curriculum is satisfactory. Attempts are made to ensure that children are offered opportunities to develop their reading and writing skills through other subjects. However, the planning for this is not yet sufficiently systematic. There is a need to develop such opportunities when developing subject curriculum maps and planning.

p.26

MATHEMATICS

The provision for mathematics is satisfactory.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• By Year 2 and Year 6 standards are generally below average. • Pupils overall achieve satisfactorily; in Year 6 they achieve well. • The monitoring of teaching and learning is not sufficiently robust to sustain improvement. • Assessment is unsatisfactory. Pupils are not clear about what they have to do to improve. • The use of information and communication technology is underdeveloped. • There is insufficient emphasis on problem solving and not enough opportunities to use numeracy skills in other subjects.

p.26

Commentary

59. Standards in both Year 2 and Year 6 are below average in all areas of mathematics. Pupils achieve satisfactorily overall. They make better progress in Year 6 due to setting arrangements and targeted booster support. In 2003 standards in Year 6 were broadly in line with national expectations due to this focused intervention. From the work seen in the current Year 6, and taking predictions into account, although pupils are again likely to make good progress, standards overall are expected to be below average. Pupils with special educational needs achieve as well as their classmates. Boys and girls are currently making similar progress. Pupils from different ethnic groups do as well as each other.

p.26

Commentary

60. The quality of teaching and learning in Year 6 is good. Teachers plan well together and provide appropriate yet challenging work for all pupils. Comments in marking often inform pupils how well they have done and what they need to do to improve. Homework is set regularly, and reinforces classroom learning.

p.26

Commentary

61. The inconsistency of teaching and learning throughout the school, however, provides an overall picture of satisfactory teaching and learning. Where teaching is better, relationships in classes are stronger, pupils behave well and have positive attitudes to learning. This was evident in a Year 2 lesson where pupils settled to tasks quickly and were able to make good progress in their learning. They were keen to talk about their work and able to explain what they had to do. Although pupils work in ability groups, planned activities do not always reflect the attainment levels at which different groups need to be working in order to progress well in their learning. Adults, both teachers and learning support assistants, do not provide enough opportunities, through questioning and discussion for pupils to use subject vocabulary and develop their mathematical understanding. The conclusions to lessons do not provide

p.26

Commentary

sufficient opportunity for pupils to talk about their learning and how well they have done. Marking shows few constructive comments. Not enough opportunities are planned for pupils to apply their skills to problem solving situations. This limits them in their ability to make best use of learning opportunities, help them to see the relevance of mathematics and allow them more independence in their learning. There was little evidence of information and communication technology being used to support classroom learning. The school recognises this as an area for development. Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 27 62. The monitoring of teaching and learning has not yet identified or helped to remedy the inconsistencies in teaching and learning, both across the school and within year groups. Subject management has been focused more on resources and organisation than on improving the quality of teaching and learning.

p.26

Commentary

End-of-year assessments help to inform future ability groups within classes and setting in Year 6. Tracking procedures, however, have not been in place for long enough to fully monitor individual progress. Although ongoing teacher assessment is used well in Year 6 to check individual progress, elsewhere there is little evidence of it being used to inform day-to-day planning in order to make teaching and learning more effective.

p.27

Mathematics across the curriculum

63. Pupils' mathematical and numeracy skills are not consistently reinforced in other subjects.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards overall are below average but progress is at least sound. • Levels of achievement are not consistent throughout the school. • The school places emphasis on investigational work to promote understanding. • Assessment is not used well enough to guide planning for different ability groups.

p.27

Commentary

64. The standards of attainment in Years 2 and 6 are below the national average. Considering their low achievement on entry, pupils make satisfactory progress overall in both key stages. However, given the evidence of improved planning, more rigorous assessment and the use of a wider range of imaginative tasks and activities it is likely that by the end of Year 6 standards may be close to the national average. This represents at least sound achievement over time and demonstrates that pupils are working hard.

p.27

Commentary

65. By the end of Year 2 pupils have achieved well in their knowledge and understanding of the differences between plants and animals and the effect that gravity and friction have on moving objects. In a very good lesson observed in a Year 2 class, pupils were able to conduct an experiment to measure the distance travelled by cars on different surfaces. They were able to explain what friction is and the meaning of a fair test. Although the vast majority of pupils are working hard, their limited skill in communicating ideas and asking questions to clarify understanding is a barrier to learning.

p.27

Commentary

66. By the end of Year 6 pupils have progressed reasonably well. For example, to understanding the principle of forces by weighing and comparing weight of objects using forcemeters. They are able to predict, hypothesise and record the results of experiments fairly well but their knowledge and use of vocabulary is limited to basic terms. This limits them in their ability to reach higher levels in science because they have difficulty in expressing their ideas and raising questions effectively. This in turn impacts on their written work. Standards in reading are generally below average and this too has an impact on attainment in science because pupils are not able to locate and use ideas and information as effectively as they should. Although appropriate cross-curricular links are made with mathematics, for example, when pupils record their findings in tabular and graph form, their ability to apply mathematics to

p.27

Commentary

practical contexts and search for solutions is not as well developed as it should be. The use of information technology was not seen, either in lessons or in the scrutiny of work. Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 28 67. From the lessons observed, the analysis of pupils’ books and discussions with pupils, teaching is satisfactory overall. Teachers in parallel classes plan similar work and there is a strong emphasis on investigational work. However, even though parallel classes do similar work there is sometimes a marked difference in the outcome for pupils. This was seen particularly in the lessons observed and in the scrutiny of work in Year 2 where high standards of expectations by one teacher resulted in greater achievement by the pupils. Teachers do not always make good use of assessment to plan for the differing needs of their pupils. They use the skills and time of teaching assistants fairly effectively to

p.27

Commentary

support those pupils with special educational needs or those who have English as an additional language. Pupils show much enthusiasm in science lessons; this was seen in a very good lesson in Year 4 where the teacher’s high expectations and effective planning contributed to maintaining pupils’ interest. Higher attainers were suitably challenged and pupils were able to work collaboratively in groups using scientific enquiry skills.

p.28

Commentary

68. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The co-ordinator has been in post since April and has organized the necessary resources in order for staff to fulfil the requirements of the curriculum, particularly in relation to investigative science. She has begun to write an action plan and has begun to monitor books in order to assess future needs. There has been insufficient emphasis on the assessment of science and this area requires development.

p.28

Strengths and weaknesses

• Subject leadership and management are weak. • Teaching and learning in the lessons seen were very good. • Not enough use is made of ICT to support learning in other subjects.

p.28

Commentary

69. Two lessons were seen, one in Year 2 and one in Year 5. However, work from the previous year was not available for scrutiny. Therefore, there was insufficient evidence available to make substantive judgements on overall standards, progress and achievement, or on the overall quality of teaching and learning. The two lessons seen were judged to be very good. Teachers demonstrated very good subject knowledge. Lessons were effectively introduced, enabling pupils to achieve well and meet year related learning objectives. Activities were very well prepared and took full account of the range of ability within the classes. Very good relationships in these classes resulted in very good behaviour and positive attitudes to learning. Year 2 pupils were able to enter, modify, save and retrieve work effectively. Year 6 pupils are able to successfully use functions of software packages, for example, using ‘autoshape’ to

p.28

Commentary

make, move, rotate and resize objects for a class plan.

p.28

Commentary

70. Due to unexpected staff changes which left this subject with no clear leadership, the improvements planned for the first year of the school’s opening were not realised. The changes planned were realistic, appropriate and stood a good chance of raising standards. Now that staffing issues have been resolved the school has been quick to employ a consultant whose work is already having an impact on provision. The school’s computer suite is used regularly and planning now takes full account of national guidelines. There is a shortcoming in relation to whole school assessment procedures which is reflected in the lack of formal records of pupils' progress and standards achieved.

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Commentary

71. Insufficient use is currently made of ICT to support learning in other subjects. The school recognises this and is planning further staff training in the use and application of ICT as part of its curriculum development. Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 29

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HUMANITIES

72. Work was sampled in history and geography. During the inspection three lessons were seen in history in Years 3 to 6. None were seen in Years 1 and 2. Geography was not being taught at the time of the inspection, and there was little past work available to make a judgement on standards and achievement. There is insufficient evidence to make judgements about provision, standards, teaching and learning in either subject.

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HUMANITIES

73. The school's curriculum map shows that the intervals between study units in geography are sometimes too long, and detract from the ongoing development of geographical skills. The new co-ordinator has had little time or opportunity to establish effective leadership and management of the subject.

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HUMANITIES

74. Planning for the history curriculum is linked to a scheme of work which all classes follow. Scrutiny of work in the two parallel Year 2 classes showed a marked difference in teachers’ expectations of pupils and standards of pupils’ work. For example, both classes had studied the Great Fire of London but the high achievements of all pupils of all abilities in one class did not match those in the parallel class doing similar tasks.

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HUMANITIES

75. In the three lessons observed, teaching ranged from unsatisfactory to good. Where the teaching was good, this was reflected by the pace and delivery of the lesson by the teacher. She engaged pupils in research using appropriate photographic resources to support their understanding of changes in transport. Where teaching was unsatisfactory, it was due to the lack of sufficiently high expectations by the teacher and poor class management.

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HUMANITIES

76. The co-ordinator has resourced the subject adequately but her role needs developing further. At present there are no assessment procedures in place.

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school fulfils statutory requirements. • Pupils are learning about religions but learn too little from them. • Not all teachers allocate an adequate amount of time to teaching the subject. • Not all teachers have the skills and knowledge adequate for teaching this subject.

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Commentary

77. The curriculum introduced at the time of the amalgamation ensures that teaching of the subject takes place following the local education authority’s agreed syllabus. Overall levels of achievement are too low because not enough is expected of pupils in this subject. As a result standards are below expected levels for pupils at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. In general, work has not been undertaken in sufficient depth to enable pupils to appreciate the challenging and varied nature of religion and to the ways in which this is reflected in experience, belief and practice. Older pupils especially demonstrate limited ability to identify and compare religious beliefs or ideas in selected religious practice and describe their significance to believers. Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 30 78. The new curriculum has meant that there are now opportunities for pupils to learn about religions. A lack of knowledge and understanding of the subject on the part of some teachers, however, means that

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Commentary

there are missed opportunities for pupils to develop their spiritual awareness. Teaching observed during the inspection was satisfactory overall but pupils’ progress was limited by a lack of speaking and listening opportunities. Teachers in many lessons spoke for too long and did not give enough time or use questions effectively to promote discussion. In one Year 6 lesson, pupils could discuss what Buddhist symbols were but did not have enough opportunities to discuss their meanings. In a good lesson in Year 3, confident and imaginative subject delivery by the teacher led to high level of interest from pupils. They had ample opportunity to discuss Muslim prayer rituals and had time to consider and discuss what they prayed about with discussion partners.

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Commentary

79. The co-ordination of this subject lacks rigour and consistency. Timetables indicate a variation in the weekly time allocated to this subject by individual teachers. As a result, there is not enough time in some classes to teach this subject adequately. There are no assessment procedures in place to track pupils’ progress or assist teachers in planning work for pupils of different abilities. The use of ICT is underdeveloped and the resources are inadequate in quality and quantity to deliver the curriculum.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

80. Inspectors did not see any lessons in art and design or design and technology and there was not enough previous work available in order to make a reliable judgement about provision or standards. Only one lesson was observed in music during the inspection. There was too little evidence on which to make judgements on standards, teaching and learning. Available evidence suggests that provision is barely satisfactory. No lessons were observed and there is no record of pupils’ past work in physical education , so it is not possible to make judgements about provision or standards.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

81. Until recently, music has not been taught on a regular basis and the school has rightly identified it as an area for improvement on the school’s development plan for the next year. In the Year 1 lesson seen, pupils were able to listen well and use their voices expressively in singing and action songs.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

82. The school has introduced a scheme of work for physical education. The co-ordinator is new this term and is enthusiastic and has plans to develop the subject, particularly in relation to extracurricular sports’ activities and achievement awards in gymnastics. Links have already been established with Leighton Orient football club but at present there are no sports’ teams in school. The school has adequate accommodation for indoor and outdoor activities and resources are satisfactory. Swimming lessons are provided for Years 4 to 6.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION (PSHE)

Provision in personal, social and health education is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Provision in the nursery and reception is good. • There is a growing commitment to improving standards, led effectively by the headteacher and senior managers. • Support at break times and in lessons is having a positive impact.

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Commentary

83. Personal, social and health education was identified as an area for improvement when the school opened. Although provision and standards in the Foundation Stage were good, the key issue related to the unsatisfactory behaviour in and around the main school and uncooperative conduct of some pupils in Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 31 many lessons. Strategies to improve the school’s position have been successful and parents are particularly pleased with the improvements in behaviour and attitudes in general. Carefully planned and organised group discussions take place. These are known as circle time. As pupils are given more opportunities to think about and discuss the consequences of their actions for themselves and others, behaviour is improving. A good example of this was in assembly where all pupils waited patiently and politely for everyone to enter and then leave at the end.

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Commentary

84. A school council has been established. This is a new initiative and although not fully embedded into the school’s culture, it is making a difference. Pupils are beginning to express themselves on issues that affect them and discuss and debate topics more easily.

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Commentary

85. All staff provide good role models for children and pupils. There is a greater number of adults supervising the playground than is normally found in primary schools but this is effective in ensuring pupils have someone to go to if hurt or upset. Furthermore, any minor arguments or disagreements between pupils are quickly resolved. The success of setting increasing high expectations in relation to pupils taking collective responsibility for each other and their school is evident in the way in which the majority play together, cooperate in lessons and can be trusted to use resources appropriately.

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Commentary

86. Pupils clearly understand the consequences of anti-social behaviour and know how to respond to it. When asked to give praise or constructive criticism on people’s work or actions they demonstrate willingness to do so and an appropriate degree of tact and diplomacy. Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 32

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The overall effectiveness of the school 4

How inclusive the school is 4 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 8 Value for money provided by the school 4

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 4

Attendance 5 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 5 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 5 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 4

The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 5 Lansbury Lawrence Primary School - 33 The effectiveness of management 4

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The leadership and management of the school 4

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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