Meadow View JMI School

MEADOW VIEW JMI SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Meadow View Primary School - 2 Crown copyright 2004

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MEADOW VIEW JMI SCHOOL

This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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MEADOW VIEW JMI 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. Meadow View Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 to 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 344

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Frampton Way Great Barr Birmingham

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 0121 366 6182 Fax number: 0121 366 6182 E-mail address: postbox@meadow-view.walsall.sch.uk Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr K Broome

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 1 st July 2002

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Meadow View Primary school is above average in size with 344 pupils on roll between the ages of three and 11. It is situated in north Birmingham and comes under the jurisdiction of Walsall local education authority. Most of the pupils live in the immediate area and approximately one in four come from a nearby suburb of Birmingham. The school admits up to 60 children into its Reception year and there is a Nursery that offers part-time education for up to 59 children (26 full-time equivalent). In addition to the Nursery class, there are 14 single-age classes from the Reception year up to Year 6. The children’s attainment on entry to the school varies from year to year but is average overall. The number of pupils leaving or joining the school at times other than the usual time of admission to the Reception year or transfer to secondary schools is average compared with most schools. Most pupils are of British white heritage with a small number of mixed, black, Asian

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

(Indian) or Chinese heritages. Nearly all the pupils speak English as their main language and only one requires additional support. Nine per cent of the pupils are currently eligible for free school meals, which is average, but this varies each year. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is below average (eight per cent) and less than one per cent (well below average) of the pupils has a Statement of Special Educational Need. Most of the pupils with special educational needs have moderate learning difficulties. Meadow View Primary School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

18645 Charalambos Loizou Lead inspector Mathematics; Information and communication technology; Physical education; English as an additional language 9884 Maureen Roscoe Lay inspector 15015 Mike Wehrmeyer Team inspector English; Geography; History; Religious education 32180 David Sleightholme Team inspector Special educational needs; Art and design; Design and technology 11901 Pat Lowe Team inspector Foundation Stage; Science; Music

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

BPS Centre Brake Lane Boughton Nottingham NG22 9HQ

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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.oftsed.gov.uk). Meadow View Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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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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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 36

Meadow View Primary School - 6 Meadow View Primary School - 7

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school provides a good education. The headteacher and senior staff have successfully developed an ethos in which the pupils can learn and make good progress. Consequently, the pupils achieve well because the teaching is good throughout the school. Standards are improving well and in English and science they are average by the end of Year 2 and above average by the end of Year 6. They are above average throughout the school in mathematics. The leadership and management of the school are good. The school provides good value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

 The pupils achieve well in most subjects because the teaching is good throughout the school  Standards are improving well in English and are above average overall. However, the quality and range of independent and extended writing are inconsistent across the school  The school is well led by the headteacher and senior staff and this is having a positive effect on the management of the curriculum and teachers’ planning  The curriculum is good and information and communication technology is used well  There is good provision and teaching by support staff and teachers for pupils with special educational needs but the deployment of support staff could be better managed  Provision for children in the Foundation stage (Nursery and Reception) is good but outside areas could be better used to match the good practice seen with indoor resources and activities  There is not enough consultation with parents to enable the school to find the best way forward

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

to improve punctuality, which is unsatisfactory

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

The school has made good improvement since its last inspection in 2002 and has successfully addressed its serious weaknesses. Standards have improved very well in science and information and communication technology. The leadership and management of the school have improved well, as has the quality of the curriculum and assessment. Governors are more involved in monitoring and now fulfil their management responsibilities well. Attendance has improved but punctuality is unsatisfactory.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English C B A A Mathematics C B B A Science D C B B Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The pupils achieve well and attain above average standards by the end of Year 6. The school has been successful in improving teaching and the curriculum so that all groups of pupils make good progress. In the 2003 end of Year 2 national tests, the pupils attained below average standards but this signifies good progress in relation to their low attainment when they first started school. Currently standards are average by the end of Year 2 and this continues a trend over the last three years of rising standards. The Year 6 national tests last year confirm that the pupils continue to achieve well as standards were well above average in English and above average in mathematics and science.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The attainment on entry to the Nursery varies from year to year but was average for the current intake. The children in the Nursery and Reception years exceed the early learning goals expected Meadow View Primary School - 8 for their age in all areas of learning, make good progress and achieve well. The end of Year 2 results last year show that the pupils did less well in writing compared with reading and mathematics. The large number of pupils with special educational needs in that year group explains the overall decline in standards compared with previous years. By the end of Year 6, standards are above those expected in most subjects but are average in information and communication technology, geography, history and religious education.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The pupils have very good attitudes to learning. They are also very well behaved, polite and courteous to each other and relationships are very good throughout the school. Attendance rates are in line with the national average but punctuality is unsatisfactory. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is good. There are good opportunities for the pupils to show respect and demonstrate care for each other.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is good. The quality of teaching across the school is good. The pupils use literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology skills well in other subjects but independent and extended forms of writing are not as consistently well taught as reading and mathematics. The pupils with special educational needs are well supported by well-qualified staff but teaching assistants could be better deployed at times to support those pupils in greatest need. Learning is good overall because teachers plan work that is based on systematic assessments. Computers and interactive whiteboards are used well to support teaching and learning.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The curriculum provides good opportunities for learning throughout the school. The use of information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning in other subjects is good and there is a very good range of extra-curricular activities. The staff in the Nursery and Reception years have a good understanding of the curriculum for children of this age but the use of outdoor areas is not as effective compared with the good opportunities provided at other times.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership of the school is good. The headteacher and senior staff provide good leadership as they monitor lessons and teachers’ planning rigorously. Governors receive reports about standards and the impact that the teaching is having so they have a clear understanding of what needs to be done to sustain improvement. The management of the school is good. The headteacher, staff and governors work well as a team under the firm leadership of the headteacher.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Most parents are pleased with the school and are very pleased with the start made by the new headteacher. However, a few parents are not playing their full part in ensuring that their children attend school on time. The headteacher now involves the pupils more in decision making and the pupils enjoy caring for others.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

 improve writing standards across the school, in particular independent and extended writing;  manage the deployment of learning support staff more effectively so that they best meet the needs of pupils with learning or behavioural difficulties;  improve the use of outdoor areas in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception);  seek the views of parents more, especially to find ways of improving punctuality. Meadow View Primary School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Standards are improving well and continue to rise. Standards are securely above average in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6 and the pupils achieve well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 Standards are above national expectations in most subjects but could be higher in writing  The children in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception) achieve well and this lays good foundations for their learning  The pupils reach the standards expected for their age in geography, history and religious education but given that they achieve well in all other subjects standards could be higher  The pupils with special educational needs make good progress and are well supported when teaching assistants are deployed to work alongside them  Standards in information and communication technology have improved very well since the last inspection and are now average

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Commentary

1. Attainment on entry to the school is wide ranging and varies considerably from year to year. Overall it is broadly average but in some year groups, such as the pupils in the current Year 3 classes, attainment on entry to the Reception year was well below average. There is good provision for both Nursery and Reception children and this provides the children with a good start to their education. Most of the children exceed the learning goals in all areas of learning by the end of the Reception year.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results Reading 15.1 (17.0) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 13.8 (14.9) 14.6 (14.4) Mathematics 15.9 (16.6) 16.3 (16.5) There were 39 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 28.3 (27.9) 26.8 (27.0) Mathematics 28.0 (28.1) 26.8 (26.7) Science 29.5 (28.4) 28.6 (28.3) There were 63 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

2. The national tests for Year 2 pupils in 2003 declined compared with the previous year and were below the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. Compared with similar schools standards in reading and mathematics were below average and in writing they were well below average. The apparent decline in standards does not indicate underachievement because the pupils who took the tests last year started school with low attainment on entry and a significant proportion are identified with special educational needs. Furthermore, standards in the national tests for Year 2 pupils have been rising faster than the national trend for the last Meadow View Primary School - 10 three years and last year’s results were expected to be lower than previous year’s given the characteristics of the group of pupils taking the tests.

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Commentary

3. In the national tests in 2003 for Year 6 pupils, standards were well above the national average in English and above average in mathematics and science. Standards have also improved significantly and when compared with schools with a similar intake the results are well above average in English and mathematics and above average in science. This confirms that the pupils achieve well in relation to their prior attainment, including those with special educational needs, as a significant proportion of these pupils reached the standards expected for their age by the end of Year 6.

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Commentary

4. The good leadership of the school has ensured that standards continue to rise and that teachers use assessment information to guide their planning. This has resulted in a consistent pattern of school improvement which has led to clear planning and targeted support for pupils of all abilities.

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Commentary

5. The pupils achieve well throughout the school but extended writing in pupils’ recorded work is not as consistent as it should be given that writing standards overall are improving in most classes. Standards are currently above average in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. By the end of Year 2, standards in speaking and reading are above average and those in writing and science are average. Mathematics standards are securely above average throughout the school.

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Commentary

6. A significant proportion of pupils with special educational needs reach the levels expected nationally for their age and, although some do not because of moderate learning difficulties, they make good progress and achieve well because they benefit from good quality classroom support, provided by learning support assistants. Individual education plans are put together carefully by teachers, learning support assistants and the special educational needs co- ordinator, to enable pupils to progress in small, well-defined stages, set against their individual learning targets. These plans are discussed with pupils so that they understand the targets they are working towards and they receive regular feedback about how well they are doing. As a result they attain standards that represent good achievement, in relation to their abilities. Budget constraints affect the number of learning support assistants and how effectively they

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Commentary

are deployed; as a result, not all classes or lessons benefit from targeted support for pupils with learning difficulties or with special educational needs.

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Commentary

7. Standards in information and communication technology are improving rapidly and are currently in line with those expected. This is a significant improvement from the position found two years ago when standards were below average. Very effective leadership and management of this subject are responsible for this improvement as well as substantial improvements to the curriculum, staff training and resources.

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Commentary

8. Extended writing is not always being used well enough in subjects such as geography, history and religious education and this is an area that the school has also identified during its self- evaluation of standards. Standards in art and design, design and technology and physical education are above average and they are average in geography, history, music and religious education.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and moral development are very good. Their social and cultural development is good and spiritual development is satisfactory. Attendance is satisfactory. Punctuality is unsatisfactory. Meadow View Primary School - 11

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 The school has effectively improved pupils’ attitudes, their moral and cultural development and their attendance  The very good behaviour of pupils stems from their constructive relationships with each other and with adults in the school  Pupils’ knowledge of the contribution of different cultures to modern society is now good. This has ensured that social development has remained high  Taking a firmer line with some parents on the correct categorisation of absence and the taking of inappropriate leave in term time is having a positive effect on pupils’ learning and previously unsatisfactory attendance levels  Too many pupils arrive late and miss out on social interactions during the introduction to the day

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Commentary

9. Pupils respond very positively to the high and consistent expectations that teachers and support staff place on each individual. Equally well, all staff build pupils’ self-esteem through regular praise and much appreciated rewards. Pupils say they like to work hard and enjoy doing so because of the challenge and good learning, which are evident in many lessons.

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Commentary

10. Moral development is very good because teachers and support staff are models of courtesy and friendliness and they expect the same from the pupils. They take time to discuss with them what is right and wrong and the impact of their actions. Staff whispers of “no pushing, you will hurt someone” serve as gentle reminders, for example, on busy corridors. This approach results in very co-operative behaviour throughout the school. Boys and girls play well together and incidents of unacceptable behaviour are rare. Most pupils are confident of adult support and most think that midday assistants are impartial.

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Commentary

11. Opportunities for pupils to gain knowledge of their own and others’ cultures has vastly improved. Traditions of other countries are woven into the curriculum, for example in music and design and technology. Through religious education and work in literacy the pupils learn of others’ lifestyles and values.

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Commentary

12. Pupils respect the views of others and understand outward signs of religion and faith. They think of the needs of others. For example, in Year 6, pupils undertaking PowerPoint presentations on the computer considered that information for a different audience must be attractive to the eye and reliably factual.

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Commentary

13. Opportunities for spiritual development are sometimes offered in the curriculum but these are rarely identified in teachers’ planning. Pupils are not always encouraged to explore their thoughts and feelings during worship in assemblies where their active participation is not always encouraged.

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Commentary

14. Pupils are now helped to take responsibility for their learning and use the Internet as a source for research. Their dependence on adults is appropriately diminishing as they mature. Teachers plan working groups and partners carefully so that pupils have a variety of experiences. A good range of visits, visitors and exciting events such as residential experiences for Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 promotes personal development further. Sometimes older pupils watch out for younger ones but, in general, specific roles designed to demand independent thought and action from pupils are rare. Additionally, pupils are not given enough opportunities to experience leadership roles or take and share responsibility. Meadow View Primary School - 12

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 7.9 School data 0.1 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Exclusions

15. The most recent attendance figures are satisfactory. The rise is because of the parents’ pleasing response to the proactive initiatives and more rigorous approach to categorising absence. Some parents could do more to support the school by ensuring that their children are not late at the start of the day.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is good and this signifies good improvement since the last inspection. Consequently, the pupils achieve well across the school, resulting in rising standards.

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Teaching and learning

The teaching and learning are good. The assessment of pupils’ work is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 Teachers set high expectations and tasks are well matched to the abilities of the pupils  There is good teamwork that results in a consistent and systematic approach across the school  Assessment is used well to inform teachers’ planning in most subjects but it could be sharper in geography, history and religious education  The pupils work hard because the lessons are made practical and interesting  Teachers are increasingly gaining in confidence when using information and communication technology as a teaching aid  Planning includes helping pupils to be aware of precise targets for their progress  Classroom assistants make a good contribution to learning and contribute well to raising standards, but are not always deployed in the areas of greatest need

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 63 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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Commentary

16. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have established an effective team approach across the school. This provides opportunities for teachers and support staff to plan lessons that provide tasks that are well matched to the abilities of the pupils. The Foundation Stage staff work closely with those in Years 1 and 2 and so the transition from the Reception year to Meadow View Primary School - 13 Year 1 is very smooth. This team approach results in a good degree of consistency in teaching styles and staff in each team regularly discuss the assessments of the pupils to ensure that all of the pupils make enough progress. The teaching is well organised and managed by the senior management team along with good support and professional development opportunities as part of the school’s determination to continue to raise standards in all subjects.

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Commentary

17. The teaching in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception) is good and is having a positive impact on children’s learning. There is a good understanding by the staff about how young children learn and they set high expectations. They teach basic communication skills well and are successful in improving the children’s personal and social development. Teachers, nursery nurses and learning support assistants are clear about what they want the children to learn. For example, from the very start, the children soon learn to settle into school each morning as they collect their name labels and place them on a board to self-register. The children choose from a range of well-prepared activities such as drawing and marking or choose to write in the graphics area. Activities are prepared for the children to choose that reinforce their communication and language skills as when they share traditional and familiar

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Commentary

stories and nursery rhymes. There are also good links to numeracy as some groups count out places when sorting and matching coloured toys. Teachers and support staff sit with a group of children as they draw pictures and write about stories.

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Commentary

18. The teaching in both the Years 1 and 2 and Years 3 to 6 is good overall with many very good features, for example, when investigating texts in Year 6 to write complex sentences or reinforcing number bonds in Year 2 through quick-fire counting exercises. A significant amount of good teaching was observed in every class. Literacy and numeracy skills are taught effectively and the pupils are able to read a range of texts with increasing accuracy and fluency. Extended forms of writing are given high priority in most classes but this is not consistently evident in all subjects with some variations across classes in the structure and forms of independent writing. This has been identified as a weakness in the pupils’ literacy development and the school has already put in place measures to improve the quality and range of extended forms of writing. This is already having a positive impact on pupils’ writing,

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Commentary

especially by the end of Year 6 where the pupils are increasingly using different forms of writing, including note-taking. The new headteacher has effectively monitored the teaching across the school and created effective teams of teachers and support staff who regularly discuss planning and assessments of the pupils’ performance.

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Commentary

19. Assessment is used well to inform teachers’ planning. The consistency in teachers’ marking reflects high expectations and learning targets are usually individual to the pupils and well linked to National Curriculum levels. However, in some subjects, for example in geography, history and religious education, this has yet to be fully implemented but a good start has been made in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. This has helped teachers to monitor and track the progress of individual pupils more accurately.

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Commentary

20. Pupils with special educational needs are taught well by class teachers because activities are closely matched to their needs. This ensures these pupils succeed in lessons, and, as a result, they achieve well in relation to their capabilities. Learning support assistants, deployed to work with groups of pupils, make a good contribution to the quality of teaching and learning by following the teachers’ planning closely, and by boosting pupils’ skills and confidence. For example, in a good mathematics lesson with Year 3, the learning support assistant helped pupils to develop a greater understanding of symmetry by using pegs and a pegboard. Pupils created a pattern on one half of a pegboard and then challenged a partner to reflect this exactly on the other half. As the activity progressed, and pupils enjoyed success, the learning support assistant challenged pupils to create more difficult patterns, and in this way she

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Commentary

extended their learning further. Pupils responded well, and, as a result they made good progress in relation to their prior attainment. Learning support assistants are a valuable and effective resource but their deployment across the school is unsatisfactory as it is uneven and is not always best suited to the needs of the class or group of pupils. This is an aspect of the Meadow View Primary School - 14 school’s work that has not been audited sufficiently, nor has the new headteacher had enough time to undertake this but she has recognised that there is a need to review the deployment of learning support staff across the school.

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Commentary

21. The teachers have a good understanding of the stages of learning and attainment targets set out in the National Curriculum. They plan an interesting range of topics with good links between subjects. This is evident in art and design and design and technology where, for example, Years 1 and 3 pupils improved their drawing skills after careful observations of line and tone and older pupils produced very good bridge structures in design and technology.

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Commentary

22. The school provides good opportunities to enhance the pupils’ learning using information and communication technology. The pupils enjoy using computers and have regular access to the computer room. Consequently, basic skills are well taught and are being sufficiently reinforced in other subjects. There are good examples across the school of pupils using word-processing skills in literacy, and spreadsheets in mathematics and science, and Year 5 and Year 6 pupils were observed making very good progress using a sophisticated control technology program to control switches. The use of information and communication technology is consistent across the school and the teachers’ planning is effective. This is a key area of the school’s work since the last inspection and there has been very good progress.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 A good curriculum provides pupils with a very rich variety of learning opportunities  The Foundation Stage curriculum is well designed to meet individual needs of children of this age, giving them a good start to learning  Good arrangements for pupils who have special educational needs enable them to make good progress and achieve well  Teachers, in teams, plan the sequence of learning through the school well, but the links between each stage of learning are not yet consolidated well enough

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Commentary

23. Teachers construct a wide-ranging and effective curriculum. This gives pupils a wealth of relevant learning experiences, both in and out of the classroom, including sport and adventurous activities. Acting on the recommendations of the previous inspection, teachers now base their long-term planning for all subjects on recognised national or local guidelines. Work schemes for information and communication technology and music are now fully in place and operating effectively. This is a considerable improvement. Planning within each stage of learning is good. Teachers have formed year group planning teams to liaise with subject planning teams. This creates a firm base to the planning process. It enables teachers to give pupils the skills, knowledge and understanding relevant to each year and stage. The Foundation Stage curriculum for Nursery and Reception children provides a good start for the children. The overview of how the years and stages are linked has not been fully established;

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Commentary

this aspect is only satisfactory. So, for instance, the Reception children are not trained in the level of formal working in readiness for Year 1 and some of the necessary writing skills in English are not put in place early enough.

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Commentary

24. The teachers are adept at linking elements from different subjects to strengthen the planning and to harness the interests of the pupils. For instance, the teachers make sure that plans include systematic opportunities for pupils in all year groups to use mathematics and computer skills in a wide range of subjects. Mathematics, for example, features well in design and technology and science. Literacy skills are often planned well in reading for research. Writing is used effectively for recording in religious education and history, but the subjects generally Meadow View Primary School - 15 do not do the reverse, to help the pupils use extended forms of writing often enough in other subjects. The school has begun the process of curriculum innovation. Some good initiatives already contribute well to pupils’ progress. For example, the ‘Tree House’ facility is proving to be a very good organisation for Nursery and Reception children and it incorporates a nurture

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Commentary

group for those pupils who find it difficult to settle in groups and who lack some social and personal skills. The reading workshops are raising standards in Years 1 and 2. The interactive whiteboards (together with the full range of information and communication technology equipment) are a strong feature of the curriculum. Reading resources in the libraries are satisfactory and the school has identified this as an area for improvement.

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Commentary

25. Lessons are well planned to ensure pupils who have special educational needs complete tasks that are well matched to their needs, and, as a result, they achieve well. The work of the learning support staff is good because it enables pupils with special educational needs to have access to the curriculum and to participate fully with other pupils. Teachers plan and communicate well to ensure that their contributions are effective. However, learning support assistants are not always deployed to best advantage. For instance, Years 3 and 4 do not have enough support time for the needs of the targeted lower ability English and mathematics groups.

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Commentary

26. The staff are single-minded in their determination to give pupils the widest possible range of exciting and practical learning experiences. Virtually all subjects are backed up by a range of relevant visits or visitors. These bring learning to life and make a lasting impression in pupils’ minds. They contribute well to raising standards. In geography and science, for example, field trips give pupils the vital observations to use in their classroom learning. The school site is a very valuable resource for these observations and many more practical experiences. Pupils enjoy learning in the bright, airy classrooms. The out-of-hours clubs are now open to a wider age range. All pupils participate in at least one of the school clubs or visits. The school’s sporting provision is very good.

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Commentary

27. Since the last inspection, the school has maintained the satisfactory provision for pupils’ personal and social development. One important element within it has improved. Teachers now plan more frequent opportunities for pupils to use their initiative, make choices and exercise responsibility in and out of the classroom. They value this, and enjoy the more active approach to learning. They feel, rightly, that the school provides fair access to learning for all. Sex education and drugs awareness sessions are incorporated well into the school’s health and safety education programme and into science topics related to growing and the human body.

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Commentary

28. The curriculum prepares the pupils for the next stage of their education well. Year 6 pupils visit a nearby secondary school with good use made of the staff from that and other secondary schools and specialist colleges. There are good arrangements for the transition of children in the Reception classes to Year 1.

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Commentary

29. Accommodation is very good and resources are satisfactory overall. The school’s accommodation and outside areas are well used to support pupils’ learning although the Foundation Stage could make better use of outside areas in the same way they do indoors. Information and communication technology resources have improved very well and these play an important part in learning across a broad range of subjects.

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Care, guidance and support

Pupils are well cared for and are given good support and guidance. There has been an improvement in this provision since the last inspection. Procedures for seeking pupils’ views are satisfactory. Meadow View Primary School - 16

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 Procedures to keep pupils safe are good and astutely implemented. Teaching staff are trained in child protection procedures but the policy does not reflect local guidelines  A good quality of care is offered to pupils. They have positive views of this, placing their trust in the adults who work with them  Support is based on good knowledge of the pupils  Pupils decide their own class rules but do not have a say in decision making

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Commentary

30. The school takes its responsibility for health and safety seriously and this is reinforced in lessons and on visits into the community. For example, in a Year 4 assembly pupils were reminded about the care they needed to take when playing near water. Appropriate statutory records are maintained for risk assessments, fire and accident recording.

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Commentary

31. Regular briefings update teachers’ understanding of child protection procedures but do not involve other adults employed at the school, for example midday supervisors. The policy for this aspect is not keyed in with those for the monitoring of behaviour or attendance.

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Commentary

32. Parents are pleased with the good quality of care on offer in this welcoming school. Teachers respect pupils and guide them to make good decisions about their behaviour and the way they treat others. A number of parents recorded some concerns about bullying or harassment but inspection evidence shows that the school has good procedures and deals with any incidents very well. In contrast most parents highly praised the school’s successes with these issues.

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Commentary

33. Pupils say they trust their teachers and know they help them when they get stuck with something. Relationships between pupils and adults in the school are clearly good but a number of pupils do not always feel comfortable approaching adults during the midday break when they are worried. Pastoral systems at lunchtime are not sophisticated enough to effectively support pupils’ emotional well-being. Midday assistants have not been trained enough to help them identify signs that may indicate that a child has a problem that needs further investigation.

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Commentary

34. Good assessments help teachers provide effective support so that individual pupils improve their learning. Teachers work with groups, organised according to pupils’ abilities in English and mathematics, and group targets and diagnostic comments written on pupils’ work also help them to move on rapidly. Support for pupils with special educational needs is equally effective. Pupils who have special educational needs are well cared for and supported by all school staff. The school meets pupils’ individual needs well by monitoring development closely. Teachers do this by setting out the pupils’ learning targets in their individual education plans, and monitor these effectively using the school’s assessment and tracking systems. These check whether a pupil is on course to meet academic targets and, if not, whether any changes are required to the type of support offered.

p.16

Commentary

35. The school’s system for seeking views on classroom rules is promoting good behaviour in every class. Less is done to empower pupils to become active participants in planning and evaluating their own learning, or consulting them about priorities for school improvements. The school has good procedures in place to safeguard the pupils when using the Internet.

p.16

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has improved its links with parents since the last inspection. These and links with other schools are good. Links with the community are very good. Meadow View Primary School - 17

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Community links make a consistent contribution to pupils’ learning and their personal development. These include the mutually beneficial links established between the school and its partners  Many parents are highly satisfied with what the school provides and expressed few concerns  The range and quality of information for parents have improved up to a satisfactory level and now meet requirements. However, it does not serve to promote parental support for behaviour policies and absence procedures  Some parents have responded well to requests to resist taking holidays during term time. A number of parents are not ensuring their children, when well enough, attend school punctually

p.17

Commentary

36. The very good links and co-operation enjoyed with retail chains, businesses, local schools and visitors from the community extend pupils’ horizons in a dynamic way. There is a special relationship with a local church and pupils make regular visits to enhance classroom topics. Additionally, the school is very supportive of local charities and a hospice.

p.17

Commentary

37. Joint activities with partner primary and secondary schools impact well on pupils’ learning and personal development. The Walsall Schools music festival was particularly successful because pupils learned through constant rehearsals that practice makes perfect. Good links also serve to ensure that pupils in Year 6 are able to make the move into the next stage of their education easily.

p.17

Commentary

38. The school meets its obligations to parents of children with special educational needs well. The school has good procedures to identify pupils who may need additional help in order to access the full curriculum. When a concern is first raised, either by a parent or a class teacher, pupils are monitored closely for one term and given specific targets to work on. At the end of that time progress is reviewed and additional support is provided if required. Class teachers, and the special educational needs co-ordinator, support pupils well by discussing ways they can work in partnership to meet a pupil’s needs. Parents are invited to attend all review meetings and some share responsibility with the school for working on targets in individual education plans, using resources the school has provided.

p.17

Commentary

39. Parents are also rightly very pleased with the high expectations teachers have which they say accelerate their children’s progress. High satisfaction levels were expressed for many aspects of the school, such as: induction procedures, the range of activities and the effect on the maturity of their children, and the ever-increasing approachability of the school.

p.17

Commentary

40. Dissatisfaction was expressed about information on progress and the extent to which parents’ views are incorporated in future plans. Inspection evidence points to satisfactory information provided by the school about their children’s progress. Parents were generally confident with the effective application of the behaviour policy; others expressed some reservations which, although not dismissed, are not confirmed by this inspection.

p.17

Commentary

41. Previously judged as unsatisfactory in the last inspection, increased communication and information are now deepening parents’ knowledge of the school’s climate for good learning and the challenges ahead. Parents say they are encouraged by this improvement and see the school going from strength to strength. Before- and after-school clubs were particularly highlighted as a big advantage for parents and children.

p.17

Commentary

42. Parents appreciate information on topics covered. Some are unsure of their children’s rate of progress. Progress reports meet requirements but do not indicate, as parents remarked, whether their children are working at, or below, the expected standard for their age and ability. Meadow View Primary School - 18 43. The weaker elements of the school’s communication relate to newsletters and brochures that fail to capture its enlivened character, and the lack of consultation with parents in relation to policies on behaviour, attendance and punctuality. This lessens parental confidence in the success of these strategies and sometimes fails to secure their co-operation and support.

p.17

Commentary

44. The school is trying hard to convince parents of the negative impact a holiday during term time has on their child’s development. For example, polite and regular reminders about keeping to procedures regarding holiday requests are presently partially successful.

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management are good. The governance of the school is good.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

 The headteacher has had an immediate impact on team building and monitoring  The senior management team fully endorse the headteacher’s aspirations and support her well, particularly in the monitoring of teaching and learning  The school has a good long-term plan for development and the governors have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school  The deployment of learning support assistants is not always effective or consistent across the school

p.18

Commentary

45. The headteacher has a clear understanding of what needs to be achieved, based on an immediate audit of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. She has developed a strong team of senior staff and team leaders to support her in school improvement and they include the deputy headteacher and team subject co-ordinators. The headteacher has impressed the parents by her understanding of their children’s needs, and the changes she has made have already had a positive impact on the life of the school. This has built well on the good start made by the deputy headteacher who acted as headteacher until the current headteacher took up the post. Consequently, school improvement has been sustained since then and has culminated in an effective team of teachers and support staff who are very capable of taking the school forward.

p.18

Commentary

46. The headteacher and senior management team have been swift to identify features within the school that were barriers to pupils’ learning. The new curriculum plans have been put in place and the management have identified the need to match the curriculum to the needs of the pupils. As a result, systems for assessing pupils’ attainment, matched to National Curriculum levels and then tracking pupils’ progress, have been put in place. This is already influencing teachers’ planning and has culminated in targeted teaching of pupils grouped by ability in mathematics, with plans to extend this further. Subject co-ordinators are now much more involved in the monitoring of their subjects and have conducted audits and produced action plans. This is good practice as it has enabled all the staff to work in teams to identify standards in all subjects and to adapt and change planning to best meet the needs and

p.18

Commentary

47. The learning support staff provide a valuable resource to the school. They effectively support pupils with special educational needs but their deployment has up to now not been rationalised to best meet the needs of all the pupils. This has resulted in some classes, particularly in Years 3 and 4, with less support compared with others, and in some cases the support for some pupils has been lacking, for example when some individuals need help during class discussions. The school has an acting special educational needs co-ordinator who had just taken up her appointment at the time of the inspection. It is too soon to judge the effectiveness of her leadership and management, but she has made a good start by seeking to implement objectives outlined in the school improvement plan. For example, she is keen to set up regular Meadow View Primary School - 19 meetings between herself and the learning support assistants in order to improve

p.18

Commentary

communication, and to provide greater training opportunities for them in order to build on their existing skills. There has been good improvement in the provision of special educational needs since the previous inspection, as those aspects that were unsatisfactory then have now been addressed.

p.19

Commentary

48. The governors are committed to inclusion and have formulated policies relating to race, disability and sex education. Under the guidance and stewardship of the headteacher and deputy headteacher, governors’ committees are now more formalised and there is a systematic programme of monitoring that involves governors who are linked to curriculum subjects. Governors have a good understanding of their role and of the school’s areas for further development. They have a good grasp of standards and can interpret national data related to the pupils’ performance in national tests. There has been good improvement since the last inspection to the governors’ roles and responsibilities, and are now much more proactive in helping the school to improve standards.

p.19

Commentary

49. The school’s carry-forward figures (in the table below) are reducing substantially each year and the current forecasts for next year are close to zero. High staffing costs and falling rolls up to now account for this and the governors have good plans in place to ensure that the school’s budget is appropriate for the number of classes and pupils in the school.

p.19

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.19

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 900,135 Balance from previous year 99,434 Total expenditure 944,312 Balance carried forward to the next 55,257 Expenditure per pupil 2,559 Meadow View Primary School - 20

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision in the Foundation Stage is good.

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

50. Standards on entry to the Nursery match expectations for children of this age. The children in both the Nursery and Reception years make good progress and achieve well in the six areas of learning. Good support for children with special educational needs enables them to achieve well. Standards at the end of the Foundation Stage are above those expected for children of this age in the six areas of learning, detailed below, due to the good provision. By the end of the Reception year, the children exceed the early learning goals identified for their age and the majority of the children are working towards, or have begun to work in, Level 1 of the National Curriculum.

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

51. The good leadership and management of the Foundation Stage have led to good teamwork and a well-planned and enriched curriculum. Teaching is good. Strengths of the teaching are the encouragement and engagement of the children, insistence on high standards of behaviour and the good contribution of the nursery nurses and the learning support assistants. Regular assessment of the children’s learning enables the staff to identify and respond to their individual needs. The accommodation is very good, but the outdoor areas could be used more effectively in order to match the good practice seen in the classrooms. Improvement since the last inspection is good.

p.20

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Good induction procedures enable the children to settle quickly into routines

p.20

Commentary

52. The children in the Nursery make a good start to their learning in a stimulating learning environment. Carefully planned activities focus upon and develop the children’s individual needs. They are encouraged to initiate ideas, to plan some of their activities and to develop independence when learning through a variety of challenging tasks. The appropriateness of these activities is apparent in the children’s very positive attitudes and behaviour, and the way in which they quickly become independent users of the classrooms and the outdoor areas. The children are encouraged to make choices and develop independence.

p.20

Commentary

53. The children in the Reception year continue to manage their time well, and they learn to select and use resources independently. As they take part in group discussions and activities, they become more sensitive to the needs of others. Their increasing sense of responsibility is seen in the way in which they put away resources at the end of each activity. Most children understand the difference between right and wrong and gradually accept the need for a common code of behaviour. They explore the feelings of themselves and others, and begin to understand that people have both similarities and differences and need to be treated with respect. The good teaching throughout the Foundation Stage ensures that, by the end of the Reception year, standards are above those expected of children of this age. Meadow View Primary School - 21

p.20

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Speaking, listening, reading and writing skills are taught well

p.21

Commentary

54. In the Nursery, there are many opportunities for the children to improve their language skills. There is a strong emphasis on sounds and letter shapes, which is reinforced well through computer programs. The children are encouraged to express their ideas and to respond to questions. During their topic on mini-beasts, they developed an awareness of different purposes for writing and extended their vocabulary, confidently using words such as ‘antennae’. Their language skills are developed well through role-play, listening to stories and sequencing the events. Sessions are structured carefully to provide time for individual choice, decision making, and sustained concentration.

p.21

Commentary

55. The National Literacy Strategy is introduced gradually in the Reception year, in preparation for its full introduction in Year 1. The children extend their vocabulary and use a widening range of words to express their ideas. They develop their reading skills, through listening to traditional stories and poems, reading individually to adults, and using non-fiction texts for information. When listening, with the Nursery children, to stories from Africa and the Caribbean, told by the local librarian, they commented on the events and learnt the meaning of new words, such as ‘yam’. There are many opportunities for the children to write and, by the end of the Foundation Stage, they form letters well and write simple stories and accounts. They increasingly use their phonic knowledge to attempt to write more complex words, and show an awareness of capital letters and full stops to demarcate sentences. The teaching is good and results in standards

p.21

Commentary

that are above those expected for the children’s ages.

p.21

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

 The children’s mathematical skills are developed well through practical activities

p.21

Commentary

56. The children in the Nursery develop mathematical language well through play. For example, they enjoy counting and are beginning to recognise and order numbers one to five and, in some cases, one to ten. When ordering trees, by height, they use the language of size, ‘short’, ‘tall’, ‘taller’, ‘tallest’, and make comparisons. They begin to order items by length and size. The children are introduced to the vocabulary of time. The children understand ‘more’ and ‘less’ when dealing with small numbers. They sort objects by colour and shape, and make repeating patterns. Many children can describe the properties of simple shapes. Through sand and water play, they develop an understanding of quantity and measurement.

p.21

Commentary

57. The National Numeracy Strategy is introduced well in the Reception year in preparation for learning in Year 1. Oral work is reinforced through practical activities. The children know the days of the week, and the meaning of ‘yesterday’ and ‘tomorrow’. Most children record and order numbers to 20. They count in twos to 20 and back, and in tens and fives to 100. In comparing groups of objects, they say whether they have the same number, or ‘more than’ or ‘less than’. The majority of children confidently use the vocabulary involved in adding and subtracting, and relate addition to counting on. As they fill containers with water or sand, using Meadow View Primary School - 22 words such as ‘heavier’ and ‘lighter’, they develop an understanding of capacity and weight. The children confidently use positional language, such as ‘next to’, ‘in front of’ and ‘behind’. They carry out simple surveys and produce block graphs of birthdays. The teaching is good

p.21

Commentary

and the children exceed the early learning goals for their age by the end of the Reception year.

p.22

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

 A good range of activities develop children’s understanding and use of the senses

p.22

Commentary

58. The children in the Nursery explore the grounds at different seasons. They use their senses to investigate living things, make broad observations, and record them pictorially. When planting seeds, they make simple predictions about their growth. Their interest in why things happen and how things work increases, and they use the computer and programmable toys to support learning. Children are taught to use a range of tools, materials and equipment safely. Adults encourage them to respect living things, through their study of mini-beasts and listening to stories such as The Grasshopper and the Ants and The Quiet Cricket. The children write about the stories that they have heard and assume a range of roles in the mini-beast garden and role-play café.

p.22

Commentary

59. In the Reception year, the children show an increasing understanding of the past. During their walks around the local area, they learn to describe a route and successfully identify landmarks and natural features. In learning about the life cycles of butterflies and frogs, the children look closely at similarities, differences, patterns and change. When examining a snail, they talk confidently about the conditions that a snail needs in order to survive and the way it slides and slithers towards them. Computer programs support the children’s development of reading, phonics, writing, number, sorting and matching. The children gain a good awareness of the cultures, beliefs and traditions of others, through listening to stories and discussion. The teaching is good and results in the children achieving standards above those expected for their age.

p.22

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

 There are well-planned opportunities for children to respond to music and dance  Outdoor areas are not being used as imaginatively as those seen indoors

p.22

Commentary

60. The children in the Nursery successfully learn to respond to rhythm, music and stories through movement and singing. They negotiate space well, adjusting speed and changing direction in the outdoor area, and learn to stop on request. Most children learn to move with confidence, imagination and safety in vigorous activity, creative contexts and play. They begin to throw and catch balls. With support, the children engage in activities requiring focused hand-eye co- ordination and use one-handed tools and equipment safely. They respond to, and learn to use, appropriate vocabulary well. Meadow View Primary School - 23 61. The children in the Reception year demonstrate their ability to move with developing confidence, imagination, control and co-ordination, and an awareness of others, in the hall and outside. Climbing equipment is used safely. Children use a range of body parts, as they travel along, over and under a range of equipment. They develop increasing control in throwing and

p.22

Commentary

catching balls and quoits. Their awareness of the importance of exercise develops, as they recognise changes that happen to their bodies when they run and skip. Physical skills in the classroom are taught well and children demonstrate increasing control in handling tools and objects safely. The school has identified the need to improve its use of outdoor areas to match the good practice indoors. The teaching is good and results in the children achieving standards above those expected for their age.

p.23

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

 There are good opportunities for imaginative and creative development

p.23

Commentary

62. In the Nursery, children’s creativity is developed within stimulating and well resourced learning areas. They experiment with colours to see how they can be mixed and changed. Using a variety of objects and techniques, the children successfully create patterns and pictures. With guidance and support, they develop the ability to cut and join a variety of materials as, for example, when they make three dimensional paper spiders. As adults work alongside the children and talk to them about their task, the children improve their language skills and widen their vocabulary. They respond imaginatively to music, songs and rhymes with simple body movements and use instruments well to accompany songs.

p.23

Commentary

63. The children in the Reception year explore texture, shape and form in two and three dimensions. All activities are carefully and well planned to achieve maximum learning. Children work well both independently and in groups, as they make puppets and models of snails, weave spiders’ webs, paint pictures and make collages. Most children enjoy expressing their ideas in dance and accompanying music with their bodies, voices and percussion instruments. They explore loud and quiet sounds and sing simple songs from memory. The teaching is good and results in the children achieving standards above those expected for their age.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Standards by the end of Year 6 are above average because there is good teaching in most lessons which enables pupils to achieve well  The data from a very good range of assessment procedures is not always used fully to set precise targets for group tasks within lessons  Good support by learning support assistants helps raise standards well, particularly for the lower attaining pupils  Although the pupils make good progress in their basic writing skills, the range and quality of pupils’ extended writing are not consistent across the school Meadow View Primary School - 24

p.23

Commentary

64. The school has maintained its above average standards since the previous inspection as standards by the end of Year 6 are above average. Good teaching overall enables pupils to make good progress and achieve well. The work of the many support assistants is most valuable because they help to bring lower attaining pupils closer to the standards of their peers. Teachers and learning assistants support pupils who have special educational needs particularly well. As a result these pupils try really hard and keep up a very positive self-image. The support staff, however, are not always placed where they are needed most. For instance pupils in the lower ability groups or sets in Years 3 and 4 need more support than they are getting. In some classes the quality and range of extended forms of writing are not consistent with other classes where expectations are higher.

p.24

Commentary

65. Standards by the end of Year 2 are average. This means the school has recovered from the dip in the 2003 results and returned to the standards observed during the previous inspection. These pupils make good progress in lessons and also achieve well in relation to their starting points in the Nursery class where attainment on entry to the school was below average for that particular year group. The teaching in Years 1 and 2 focuses rightly on embedding key basic skills that the pupils can capitalise on later in their learning. Pupils who have special educational needs in Year 1 and 2 are also supported very sensitively, with tasks set that are usually very closely matched to their needs. Standards in reading are slightly higher than average; in writing and listening they are average and in speaking slightly lower but the school provides good opportunities for the pupils to speak to others and to answer questions fully in

p.24

Commentary

66. Teaching is consistently good through the school. Teachers engage pupils well because they establish very good relationships and value pupils’ ideas. A strength is that teachers give pupils more opportunities to speak, and are careful to include all abilities during the question and answer sessions. Therefore standards are improving well in speaking and listening. Teachers plan work on several levels to match the ability range. At times the teachers set targets for group tasks that do not allow sufficiently for individual progress, so that some pupils, especially in lessons across the school where the teaching is only satisfactory, are then working below their best pace. The pace of learning accelerates for the older pupils, which is why there are more very good lessons in the older years (Years 5 and 6). Staff identify teaching very closely with learning, and usually promote learning skills effectively. For

p.24

Commentary

instance, pupils use reading well for research, and learn the rules of spelling and the structure of writing. However, this is not as effective in Years 3 and 4 because the pupils in the lower sets do not have the necessary skills to write confidently to the teachers’ instructions but are supported well when classroom support is provided.

p.24

Commentary

67. The setting arrangements, where pupils work in targeted ability groups, work well in most year groups, but do not work as effectively for Year 3 and 4 because there is a larger number of pupils with special educational needs which hinders the pupils’ capacity to write independently and imaginatively. This is also affected when learning support staff are not deployed to help in lessons. Consequently, many of the pupils in these two sets are reluctant speakers. Following an audit of these classes, the co-ordinator’s action plan has identified this need to link writing more closely with speaking but the deployment of learning support staff has not been undertaken to further enhance provision.

p.24

Commentary

68. In Year 5 and 6, pupils respond to the teachers’ high level of challenge in a very positive way. Pupils’ behaviour and their attitudes to learning are very good. Pupils listen well in lessons, and are prepared to think carefully and wrestle with ideas. The pupils in the lower ability set work with determination and each year pupils who would not be expected to get the average level identified for their age in national tests, do so. A valuable strategy is to ensure that pupils know what they need to be able to attain to reach the required levels to help them build their own learning still further. Teachers do not refer to these targets in lessons as much as they Meadow View Primary School - 25 could. It was noted that when pupils were stuck in writing, it was because they lacked confident note-taking and fast planning techniques to unlock their ideas.

p.24

Commentary

69. The headteacher has established a much stronger subject leadership than seen in the previous inspection. The English co-ordinator has a substantial awareness of what is needed in the subject, coupled with a firm grip on standards and trends. The school’s analysis indicated that writing was an area that needed attention, and the co-ordinator put in place a programme of measures that strengthen the provision significantly. These measures have been observed in action, from as early as the Reception year, and are contributing well to an even more secure pattern of progress.

p.25

Language and literacy across the curriculum

70. Teachers’ planning includes specific reference to a good range of opportunities to enable pupils to practise and use their language skills to enhance standards in other subjects. Year 5 and 6 pupils, for instance, are expected to produce comprehensive topic books of research into their history topic on Vikings. Year 4 and 5 pupils used formal speaking well in their geography debate about the best place to locate leisure tables on the school site. Good writing occurs in design and technology, where pupils record their design briefs, and evaluate their work well at the end of a project. The subject co-ordinator monitors systematically the literacy links, with the result that there is a good element of consistency in the teaching across the school.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Standards in mathematics are improving well because the teaching is good  The mathematics co-ordinator monitors pupils’ progress closely and this is helping teachers to provide accurate learning targets for the pupils  The pupils achieve well throughout the school and show a lively interest in mathematics  The pupils with special educational needs do well and make good progress  Interactive whiteboards are used well in those lessons where they are available

p.25

Commentary

71. The teaching is good because target setting is sharp and tasks are well matched to the abilities of the pupils. The pupils’ assessment records show that standards are rising well throughout the school. Standards are above average by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and the school has made good progress since its last inspection because the teaching is now consistently good across the school. Furthermore, standards seen during the inspection show good improvement on last year’s results in the national tests, particularly in Year 2. Last year, the results for Year 2 declined compared with the previous year but this was expected. The pupils reached the attainment targets set for them and, in relation to their low attainment on entry to the school three years ago, achieved well even though standards were below the national average. A larger than normal proportion of pupils in last year’s cohort in Year 2 had

p.25

Commentary

special educational needs and they all achieved as well as they could, given these circumstances. The current Year 2 pupils are attaining above average standards and they too have achieved well in relation to their average attainment on entry to the school.

p.25

Commentary

72. The projections for standards in the future are also positive. This has come about because the mathematics co-ordinator provides very effective teaching and his management of the subject is also very good. He has the expertise to manage how well teachers target the pupils’ learning. This has helped to sustain an improvement in mathematics standards. The school Meadow View Primary School - 26 has recognised this and with much sharper evaluations of the pupils’ performance, the predicted test scores are accurate and standards continue to rise.

p.25

Commentary

73. The pupils identified with special educational needs are well supported by teachers and teaching assistants and their progress is monitored closely. All pupils are grouped by ability for most mathematics lessons and this has had the desired effect of raising standards, particularly for the average attaining and more able groups. The introduction of interactive whiteboards in some classes has had a positive effect on the teaching and provides the pupils with good opportunities to use these to handle numbers and shapes practically. In a very good Year 6 lesson, the pupils learned to plot co-ordinates in all four quadrants using the whiteboard as a very effective learning aid. Other resources are also used very well to support teaching and learning. In Year 3, for example, the teacher reinforced the pupils’ knowledge of number patterns and operations using number fans and individual whiteboards. In Year 5, the teacher

p.26

Commentary

pointed out the relationship between division, multiplication and ratios very effectively and this led to a practical investigation of ratios by pupils of all abilities.

p.26

Commentary

74. Evidence from the school’s assessment records shows that, over time, the pupils have made good progress and both boys and girls achieve equally well. The attainment on entry of the pupils when they first start school varies from year to year but the school’s good tracking systems enable teachers to provide tasks that are well matched to the pupils’ capabilities. In Years 5 and 6, the picture of achievement accelerates because the teaching is very effective throughout. Throughout the school, mathematics lessons provide many opportunities for the pupils to check their own findings and answers, for example, by reversing the process of multiplication to division or addition to subtraction. Year 5 and 6 pupils are able to check numbers to two decimal places and most are confident handling complex division problems.

p.26

Commentary

75. Throughout the school, the pupils develop a good understanding of numbers and number operations. Teachers ensure that they learn the correct mathematical vocabulary and the strong emphasis on mental mathematics helps the pupils to have a good recall of number facts. Year 3 and 4 pupils can count forwards and backwards in fives and tens and many can count in 20s and 50s with confidence. Evidence from the pupils’ workbooks shows that teachers use learning targets to mark work and then provide useful guidance to help pupils improve their understanding further. In Years 1 and 2, teachers often explain to the pupils why they have got the wrong answer and then follow this up with guided support during the next lesson. In Years 3 to 6, for example, the marking provides the pupils with good opportunities to use their good knowledge of numbers and co-ordinates to plot the relative position of different

p.26

Commentary

points on a grid, or ‘Treasure Map’, or plan of their bedroom, thereby making learning practical, fun and exciting.

p.26

Commentary

76. The highly competent mathematics co-ordinator leads by his very good example. This has resulted in improvements to the teaching, and standards are rising accordingly. Future action plans relate to teachers’ performance targets and the pupils’ performance in tests so the school is very focused on continuing school improvement. The deployment of teaching support assistants, especially for pupils with special educational needs, is not always effective in that the imbalance in the numbers of pupils with moderate or specific learning difficulties makes it difficult to ensure that all classes have support. This is an area for further development since the school does not yet take account of the specific needs across the school to identify those classes in greatest need. The management of mathematics is now very good as it is already having an impact on standards and establishing consistency in the teaching and on teachers’

p.26

Mathematics across the curriculum

77. The school provides good opportunities for the pupils to develop their problem-solving skills. In all year groups the pupils use mathematics to support their learning in other subjects. In information and communication technology, for example, spreadsheets, graphs, tables and simple matrices are used to record data and, in the case of spreadsheets in Years 5 and 6, to Meadow View Primary School - 27 calculate totals and averages. In geography the pupils record data about populations and other demographic information. Year 1 and 2 pupils look at patterns in numbers and shapes and produce good symmetry patterns with computers or by drawing shapes on paper as part of combined art and design and mathematics topics. Good use is made of the pupils’ knowledge of weights and measures in design and technology as they weigh ingredients before cooking, or measure nets when designing food packages or making solid structures

p.26

Mathematics across the curriculum

using the mechanics of triangulation when looking at bridges. In science, pupils are able to read calibrations on Newton meters when using weights to measure friction and Year 5 pupils measured and compared different parts of their bodies to investigate ratios.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Emphasis on investigative skills and improved assessment procedures have been instrumental in raising standards

p.27

Commentary

78. Standards match national expectations by the end of Year 2 and about 25 per cent of the pupils currently exceed these levels. This shows good improvement since 2003, when the teacher assessments were well below the national expectations, and in relation to similar schools. Standards are above the national expectations by the end of Year 6, as they were in the 2003 national tests. The proportion of the pupils achieving the higher level was above the national average. Standards are rising in line with the national rate of improvement. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress and achieve well. Since the last inspection, when a key issue was to raise standards in science, improvement has been good. Standards have improved from being unsatisfactory at the end of Year 6 to above national expectations. The reasons for this improvement are good leadership and management, improved teaching and learning, greater emphasis on practical investigations,

p.27

Commentary

more opportunities for pupils to work independently, particularly in Years 3 to 6, the introduction of targets, and improved assessment and tracking procedures.

p.27

Commentary

79. Teaching is good, overall, and leads to good learning. The strengths of teaching are the teachers’ ability to engage and retain the pupils’ interest, and their insistence on high standards of behaviour. In good and very good lessons, the teachers set challenging work for pupils of a range of abilities. This enables the pupils to progress at their own rate and make good gains in their knowledge, skills and understanding. There is a strong emphasis on practical activities, which make learning relevant to the lives of the pupils. They are encouraged to question, observe, predict, carry out scientific experiments, present their results scientifically and draw conclusions from the evidence. There are many examples of this good practice. Year 2 pupils carried out a survey of the foods eaten in their homes, sorted the information from the survey and presented it in the form of a block graph. In Year 3, the pupils

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Commentary

investigated how water is transported through the stem of a plant. Year 4 pupils noted the changes that occurred when certain solids were added to water. Pupils in Year 5 successfully investigated the effect of exercise on their pulse rates, recorded the results on a line graph and interpreted them. Year 6 pupils practised the skill of describing patterns in results, plotting their findings on a line graph and interpreting the data collected. They also retrieved information on a variety of science topics to be presented using the computer PowerPoint presentation. Most pupils have a good understanding of their learning and know what they have to do to improve. This has a positive influence on standards.

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Commentary

80. Opportunities are provided for the pupils to develop their literacy skills through discussion, research, and the written recording of investigation results. Their mathematical skills are developed through measuring and recording results in charts, graphs and diagrams. Year 3 to Meadow View Primary School - 28 6 pupils develop their computer skills as they use programs on the Internet, record their results on the computer and make PowerPoint presentations. The use of interactive whiteboards contributes well to the pupils’ understanding.

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Commentary

81. Leadership and management are good. The co-ordinator has created an effective team. Teaching, learning and the curriculum are evaluated for effectiveness and to decide on improvements, for example, the use of National Curriculum levels to set work, which has raised pupil achievement. Assessment is used well to identify where skills need to be developed in planning, teaching and learning. The curriculum is enriched by annual science weeks and visits from science theatre groups. These experiences heighten the pupils’ awareness of, and interest in, science.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 The school has made very good progress since its last inspection and so the pupils now achieve well throughout the school  Information and communication technology is playing an important role in the teaching and learning across the school  The subject is very well managed and resources are well used to ensure that the pupils make good progress

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Commentary

82. The school has made very good progress since the last inspection developing and improving the information and communication technology curriculum. From the work that the pupils do in the computer room and at other times in a range of subjects, it is clear that standards are improving well and in line with those expected throughout the school. There is also evidence that as standards continue to rise the pupils are close to exceeding the standards expected for their age by the end of Year 6. The pupils achieve well in most lessons and printed work displayed around the school indicates that the pupils are making good use of their information and communication technology skills to help their learning in other subjects. The work includes, for example, Year 3 to 6 pupils designing book covers for their stories using desktop publishing and modelling skills. Year 5 and 6 pupils demonstrate how well they acquire skills

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Commentary

such as word processing and graphics and are adept at combining these to edit and improve the presentations of stories, written accounts and presentations of particular topics or projects. In literacy, older pupils in Years 5 and 6 can produce headlines and stories in the form of newspaper articles.

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Commentary

83. The teaching is good with particularly skilful support and teaching provided by the information and communication technology co-ordinator. His skilful intervention and support for the staff have led to a very good rate of improvement since the last inspection two years ago when the school was not providing an adequate curriculum in the subject. The leadership and management of the subject are very effective with efficient use of the school’s resources to enable teachers and support staff to fully utilise computers, projectors, programmable robotic devices and interactive whiteboards to support the pupils’ learning across the full range of the curriculum. The teaching is clearly having an impact on pupils’ learning so that, for example, the pupils can observe demonstrations of advanced word-processing skills or the Internet on the projector and can use hyperlinks when using the Internet to research information. In this

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Commentary

way, more able pupils learn information and communication technology skills and knowledge beyond their years.

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Commentary

84. The pupils achieve well because there is a cross-curricular approach to the subject and the teaching is particularly skilled at combining the skills the pupils acquire with those in other Meadow View Primary School - 29 subjects. This was best demonstrated when Year 3 pupils used a simulation program ( The Crystal Rainforest ) to investigate maps and solve problems. The tasks included some challenging problem solving and more able pupils were particularly intrigued by the problems posed when attempting to predict or choose different outcomes. The work extended their understanding of modelling, sequencing and basic keyboard and mouse skills. Year 6 pupils are adept at organising and modelling information using a powerful presentation program using advanced word-processing skills. Other work covered includes a good range of turtle graphics and sequencing work and the teaching observed was particularly skilful in helping the

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Commentary

pupils to use control technology to program and sequence information. Year 6 pupils found this a challenge and enjoyed solving problems that required them to sequence traffic lights in the correct order or make a series of lights switch on correctly, using the computer to program instructions to the control box of switches.

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Commentary

85. The pupils with special educational needs also make good progress and achieve well. They are usually well supported by learning assistants, especially when working in the computer room. The school is also good at grouping pupils so that more able pupils are on hand to help those who need additional support. This improves the knowledge and understanding and skills of both the more able pupils and those who find it difficult to grasp key skills at the first attempt.

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Commentary

86. The very good leadership and management of the subject combined with the very effective support provided by teaching assistants in the computer room have helped the school to improve the subject further. The subject co-ordinator is highly skilled at deploying resources and helping the staff to develop their skills and this has improved the professional competence of teachers and other support staff.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

87. The school makes good use of information and communication technology across a broad range of subjects. There are good examples of computers being used in art and design, design and technology, geography, history and religious education. These include imaginative and descriptive accounts presented using a good range of word-processing skills. The Internet and electronic mailing are used to good effect to help the pupils find information. Mathematics skills are used well to help the pupils design two- and three-dimensional shapes using the turtle graphics language such as Logo . Modelling programs are used to present book covers, stories and newspaper articles written in the form of reporters in past times during history lessons. Graphical representations of data are displayed in most classrooms using computer- generated graphs, matrices and spreadsheets and these are often linked to subjects and

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

topics in science, geography, art and design and design and technology.

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HUMANITIES

88. Work was sampled in geography , as no lessons were observed. It is therefore not possible to form an overall judgement about provision or teaching in this subject. A study of the Year 2 and 6 pupils’ work indicates that the curriculum is sufficiently broad and that the skills related to geography are developed year by year in a smooth sequence of steps. The short-term planning sets a reasonable expectation of pupils to use study skills, particularly reading, writing and numeracy. The work in books indicates that teachers encourage pupils to research themes like the study of rivers. The work is regularly marked and indicates to pupils how they might improve. Teachers use the school site and visits further away creatively for field studies. These make the subject more interesting, and give pupils appropriate experience to use in their work. Teachers assess the pupils’ geography work regularly to check that they make

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HUMANITIES

sufficient progress. Meadow View Primary School - 30

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 Good teaching in lessons enables pupils to achieve well  Study skills are developed progressively through the school  Presentation of pupils’ work is not consistently high

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Commentary

89. Standards have improved since the previous inspection. Pupils in Year 2 now reach standards appropriate for their age. They achieve well and make satisfactory progress. In Year 6, pupils have maintained their standards, which also are in line with those expected for their age. They are achieving satisfactorily and make sound progress. Pupils who have special educational needs often receive good support and also make sound progress.

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Commentary

90. Two lessons were observed with pupils in Years 4 and 5, therefore it is not possible to make a judgement on teaching in Years 1 and 2 and in Years 3 and 6. Teaching in the Year 4 and 5 lessons was good, but the teaching over time was nearer to satisfactory. Teachers encourage pupils to develop the skills of historical enquiry. They give pupils sound opportunities to use their reading skills to look up information, and their writing to record it in simple ways. The teachers expect pupils to apply themselves and make some of their own decisions. They use resources well, so that pupils often have first hand experiences to guide their reasoning. For instance, the Year 5 pupils had experience of their teacher playing the stern role of the Victorian schoolteacher, while Year 4 pupils could examine a real Roman wax writing tablet. The lessons are well planned so that pupils of all abilities are challenged appropriately, an

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Commentary

improvement on the previous inspection. The teachers do not, however, let the pupils know their levels, so that they are unable to judge for themselves the progress they are making.

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Commentary

91. The pupils respond well in lessons. They are interested, have very positive attitudes and work hard. Pupils who have special educational needs find the practical approach very valuable. Consequently, skills are improved since the previous inspection. The pupils are becoming more confident at comparing the present with past times, and interpreting what they hear and read. Through the experiences presented they learn to empathise well with the way of life for peoples in the past. Only their chronology, the sense of exactly when these things happened, is weaker. Most Year 5 pupils present their work neatly, but this is not the case in all classes. Teachers use study trips well. These add even more interest and help to bring the subject alive. Sound leadership and management have raised the profile of this subject effectively. For instance, pupils’ work is now assessed at the end of topics. This enables teachers to begin to

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Commentary

monitor progress and to judge if standards are high enough.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 Sound teaching promotes satisfactory achievement throughout the school  Good use of resources enables pupils to visualise the teaching points  Not all aims for lessons are checked at the end of each session to see how well pupils have understood Meadow View Primary School - 31

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Commentary

92. The school has maintained the satisfactory standards since the previous inspection. Standards in both Year 2 and Year 6 are in line with those expected for their age and meet the requirements of the syllabus taught in the local authority’s schools. Pupils achieve satisfactorily. The provision has improved since the previous inspection in that in all year groups the learning is backed by well-planned visits to centres of religious interest. Year 1 pupils, for instance were relating their learning to their impending visit to the local church. A good range of visitors to school now enriches the syllabus, widening the pupils’ experience of the diversity of faiths.

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Commentary

93. The teaching is satisfactory. Lessons are well prepared, with good quality resources to focus the pupils’ attention. Teachers plan in detail from the curriculum taken from the locally agreed syllabus. The learning steps are clearly laid out. Teachers use a sound question and answer technique that probes and extends pupils’ thinking. Pupils respond well by listening intently and behaving well. The syllabus, however, lacks an assessment procedure. Therefore teachers do not have the guidance of a finely graded progression of levels to indicate how their lessons are moving pupils forward.

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Commentary

94. Sound leadership and management have encouraged teachers to experiment with different methods. The use of drama was effective in one lesson in that it allowed pupils to interpret abstract concepts, such as symbolism and empathy, according to their own ideas. This lesson was also a valuable opportunity for pupils to expand their speaking skills. In another lesson, the teacher used a collection of artefacts. This enabled the pupils to handle the ‘real thing’ and study items they had never experienced before. Religious education lessons contribute effectively to the spiritual ethos of the school, by promoting a habit of reflection in pupils. Pupils have a positive attitude to these lessons and are developing a curiosity about matters that puzzle them. Teachers set suitable objectives at the beginning of lessons, but do not always check that they have been achieved at the end.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

95. Only one lesson of design and technology was seen during the inspection, and samples of pupils’ work on display were looked at. These indicate that standards of attainment are above national expectations at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. There is a good amount of design and technology work displayed around the school, reflecting the importance teachers attach to the subject. Teachers plan for pupils’ skills development carefully, and select activities that ensure these skills are built on year on year. For example, in a good lesson in Year 2, pupils were experimenting and evaluating techniques for making winding mechanisms, using skills they had developed in an earlier unit on moving vehicles. All achieved well because the lesson was well planned, levels of co-operation were high, and because the teacher reminded pupils to evaluate the effectiveness of their mechanisms as they went along. This ensured they

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

constantly considered what was working well, and what could be improved.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

96. Work of high quality has been produced in Years 5 and 6 with pupils following a full design and technology process. In Year 5 pupils searched the Internet to find out about musical instruments from other countries. They investigated the materials used to make these instruments and how this affected the sound. They discussed design considerations, drew the designs, and following completion of the instruments, carried out a full evaluation of the results. There is a wide range of instruments on display, including guitars, bongos and a gong. All of the instruments are made to a very high standard and result from pupils following a full design and technology process. Pupils in Year 6 have similarly worked to a high standard as they have constructed bridges from sticks and elastic bands when undertaking a project led by ‘The Walsall Business Partnership’. The results are spectacular. One of the bridges has been

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

selected for the regional finals of a schools competition. Other work sampled suggests that pupils have been well taught, and consequently they have achieved well. Discussions with the co-ordinator indicate she is leading and managing the subject well. Meadow View Primary School - 32

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 Standards are above national expectations at the end of Year 2 and Year 6  Teachers’ planning ensures there is a clear focus on developing pupils’ skills and techniques  Pupils’ work is celebrated in good quality displays around the school that reflect the importance the school attaches to the subject

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Commentary

97. The school has maintained above average standards in art and design since the previous inspection. This is due to the good quality of teaching, good planning and a scheme of work that provides opportunities for continuity and progression in learning. Pupils make good progress and achieve well because they have frequent opportunities to practise skills and techniques which they put to good use in ongoing pieces of artwork. Pupils who have special educational needs achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. There is no significant difference in the attainment of girls and boys.

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Commentary

98. The good work on display and in pupils’ portfolios is the result of good teaching. An important contributor to this good teaching is the quality of teachers’ planning because it ensures pupils have opportunities to experience a variety of materials and use different media. For example, pupils in Year 1 have produced collages of an elephant, using sugar paper, foil, tissue paper, foam, and shiny paper. In order to complete this task they have used drawing, cutting and sticking skills to good effect, creating an impressive looking elephant. Pupils’ work in Year 2 demonstrates they are developing the ability to select the skills and techniques appropriate to a given task. They have worked in groups to design a large-scale building made of different materials and progressed to making a two-dimensional clay house. Pupils used clay tools to include an impressive level of detail on their houses and exercised great care when they

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Commentary

skilfully painted these. The good quality of teachers’ planning in art and design is also having a positive effect in other subjects. For example, in Year 6, as part of a good link with science, pupils have looked closely at the shapes that can be seen inside a flower and imagined what they would look like under a microscope. The attention to detail and the visual effect are stunning as pupils have chosen three or four pastel colours to complete their pictures. In Year 2, the teacher has made good links with work in literacy by asking pupils to write interesting and imaginative accounts of favourite book characters, followed by producing good quality paintings of them. This activity motivated the pupils to produce good quality writing and painting because they had been given a purpose for doing so.

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Commentary

99. The school is a very rich environment where pupils’ skills in art and design are celebrated. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and this is reflected in the good quality of work on display. Standards are high, and artwork is valued. Leadership and management of the subject are good. The co-ordinator has ensured staff have the resources to teach the subject effectively, and has purchased a scheme of work that staff use well. She has asked the staff about areas they are confident in teaching and others where they require further training. Most have identified a need to make greater use of information and communication technology in art and design lessons. As a result, in one class, pupils have produced computer drawings in the style of a famous artist. As art and design has not been a priority in the school improvement plan, the co-ordinator has not had an opportunity to check on the quality of

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Commentary

teaching and learning, but she looks at teachers’ planning and has collected samples of pupils’ work to check on standards. Teachers assess pupils’ work at the end of each unit by recording whether they have met or exceeded the learning intentions. There is a need to develop this system further so that it records the acquisition of skills and is useful in helping to plan the next steps in learning. An extra-curricular art club is available to interested pupils and this continues to be popular and successful. The subject has continued to develop well since the Meadow View Primary School - 33 previous inspection, but there has been insufficient progress in the use of assessment. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual and cultural development.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 Standards are rising because teachers have improved their subject expertise and skills and because of the contribution of a specialist teacher from the local music service.

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Commentary

100. It is not possible to comment on the standards or achievement of the pupils in Year 2, as no lessons were observed. In a lesson observed in Year 1, standards matched those expected for pupils of this age. Standards in Year 6 match those expected and the pupils make good progress and achieve well. This represents good improvement since the last inspection, when standards were unsatisfactory. A key issue was to raise standards in music by ensuring that the curriculum was fully in place and taught. Improvements are due to the introduction of a new published scheme of work, which has raised the confidence of non-specialist teachers, increased use of teachers’ skills and regular evaluation of teaching, learning and the curriculum. Improvising and composing are now an established part of the curriculum and all pupils have access to music from a range of cultures.

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Commentary

101. It is not possible to make an overall judgement on teaching in Years 1 and 2. Based on three lessons observed in Years 5 and 6, teaching is very good and leads to very good learning. Standards are rising, due to recent initiatives. Both classes in Year 4 are now taught by the music co-ordinator. The music skills of a Year 5 teacher are used across the year group and Year 6 classes are taught by a visiting music specialist. In discussion, a group of pupils in Year 6 recalled, with enthusiasm, an opportunity that they had to play gamelan instruments from Indonesia. During the inspection, the pupils in Year 6 played instrumental accompaniments with control and accuracy, using notation as a support, and contributed creatively to a group performance. The pupils in Year 5 sang ‘The Bamboo Tone’ song, as a celebration of the Chinese New Year and a Syrian folk song, ‘The Caravan’ in two parts. Using the pentatonic scale, they composed melodies for the Chinese song, which they

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Commentary

performed and evaluated. The pupils in Years 5 and 6 learnt new skills, as a result of the teachers’ very good subject knowledge and their ability to engage and motivate pupils.

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Commentary

102. Pupils develop their literacy skills, as they listen, discuss, compose, evaluate their performance and sing songs. They develop their mathematical skills as they learn to read and write music. Technology is now used more competently. The breadth of curricular opportunities is good. There are opportunities for pupils to learn string, woodwind and brass instruments. The choir joins pupils from other school in an annual Christmas concert in the town. Performances within the school include the infant Nativity celebration, a Christmas production by the pupils in Years 3 and 4 and a Summer production by the pupils in Years 5 and 6. The leadership and management of the subject are good. The co-ordinator has increased her knowledge of standards throughout the school by monitoring teaching and learning, and carrying out an assessment of teachers’ skills in music. She offers good support to teachers.

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Physical education

Provision in physical education is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 The pupils achieve standards that are above those expected for their age  The teaching is good and well organised and provides opportunities for the pupils to improve their performance  The school achieves a good standard of performance in sport and dance and is very committed to providing a very good range of extra-curricular activities  The school has good links with other schools and organisations that help to enhance the school’s physical education programme for all the pupils across the school

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Commentary

103. Standards are above national expectations by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and a significant number of pupils achieve above average standards in sport, gymnastics and dance. The pupils do well in competitive sports and games because the teaching is effective, skilled and well organised. Very good opportunities are provided for the pupils to receive a balanced programme of physical education throughout the year. The leadership of the subject is good and teachers are very committed to providing the pupils with opportunities to excel. There has been good improvement since the last inspection mainly as a result of consistently good teaching across the school and the enrichment activities that take place both in school and out of school hours.

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Commentary

104. Although no swimming lessons were observed because the swimming pool was out of action during the inspection, evidence from records kept about the pupils’ performance and achievement shows that swimming lessons are well organised and the pupils get good opportunities to use the swimming facilities in the local area. Most pupils reach the required standard by being able to swim unaided for 25 metres by the end of Year 6. In dance lessons the pupils use a good range of movement to produce a sequence of body shapes and well- improvised movements to music and other prompts. This was observed in a good Year 1 lesson where the pupils enjoyed refining their movements to suit the mood of the music. Year 2 pupils demonstrated good ball skills during a games lesson organised and taught by coaches from a local professional football club. Year 4 pupils participated with enthusiasm as they ‘rock ‘n’ rolled’ the way through a dance lesson depicting the 1950s’ dance style. The

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Commentary

teacher taught with accuracy and precision using a step-by-step approach and this resulted in all the pupils learning complex sequences and steps in time to the music. Boys danced with girls showing maturity and all thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Games lessons are highly organised so that each class experiences the full range of sports and games during each part of the school year.

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Commentary

105. Football, netball, basketball, tennis, cricket and athletics skills are taught well, resulting in high levels of performance amongst a significant proportion of pupils in Years 3 to 6. The school enjoys close links with neighbouring secondary schools that specialise in areas such as physical education and sport and Year 6 pupils were observed being taught by a qualified teacher together with their own class teacher as they improved their relay racing skills. All the pupils learned to pass a baton to a partner with increasing efficiency and skill.

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Commentary

106. Extra-curricular activities are extensive and wide-ranging. They include a very good range of sports, games, and activities. The school also organises outdoor pursuits and adventurous activities for older pupils as part of their annual residential visit. This year, for example, Year 6 pupils went to Weymouth and the pupils enjoyed talking about the visit, demonstrating how much they benefited from the experience. A large number of pupils participate in after-school sports and activities, some of which are organised by outside clubs and organisations. This has a positive impact on the pupils’ attitudes to learning and to school. Meadow View Primary School - 35

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

107. The school has a well-established and positive ethos that encourages the pupils to respect others and to help and support in the community. Topics are often linked to whole-school themes, to assemblies and to topics in religious education. In some lessons, the pupils talk or write about health and safety matters or moral issues that provide opportunities for the pupils to learn right from wrong. Good use of visual prompts, illustrations and storybooks help the pupils to relate to, say, fictional characters and ask questions about how they ought to behave or respond. Bullying is discussed in some sessions and tolerance of other faiths and cultures is continually enhanced in religious education and humanities studies. Class discussions, assemblies and lessons provide many opportunities for the pupils to share ideas, to listen to others and to respect their points of view. Personal, social and health education lessons and

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

those in most other subjects help to raise self-esteem and confidence, especially when pupils speak to a group or the whole class. Good use is made of drama and role-play to help the pupils relate to the views of others and to prompt questions. Meadow View Primary School - 36

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 3 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 4 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

In spectors 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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