Morgans Primary School & Nursery

Morgans Junior Mixed and Infants School

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page2 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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Morgans Junior Mixed and Infants 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. Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 430

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Morgans Road Hertford Hertfordshire Postcode: SG13 8DR

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01992582162 Fax number: 01992509499

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr P Newstead

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 6 July 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Morgans Primary school is a county school catering for pupils between 4 and 11 years of age, with an attached nursery. It is situated in an area of largely owner-occupied housing in Hertford, Hertfordshire. It has been awarded the Charter Mark, Activemark and received a Schools Achievement Award. Last year, one pupil was one of only 15 in the whole country to gain a gold medal in the National Mathematics Challenge. Forty-five children attend the nursery part time and there are 385 pupils in the infants and juniors, made up of 210 boys and 175 girls. Entry to the reception classes takes place in September and January each year. Almost all the pupils are white British. There are four pupils for whom English is not the first language spoken at home. Six per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, a figure that is below the national average. The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs, 12 per cent, is below the national

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

average. Four pupils have a Statement of Special Educational Need. The pupils’ attainment on entry is broadly average though a significant minority of the pupils have below average linguistic skills. Pupil mobility 1 is below the national average.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

1 Mobility refers to the pupils who join the school after the normal age of admission to the Reception year and who leave before the end of Year 6. Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

21398 Mr T Gill Lead inspector Foundation Stage Art and design Science Music . 11414 Mrs A Bennett Lay inspector 1987 Mr A Evans Team inspector Mathematics Geography History Personal, social and health education and citizenship English as an additional language 32177 Mr S Curran Team inspector English Information and communication technology Design and technology Physical education Religious education Special educational needs

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

PBM Brookbridge & Bedford Ltd 13A Market Place Uttoxeter Staffordshire ST14 8HY

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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 27

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Morgans Primary School is a good school . Standards and achievement are generally good in the Foundation Stage and are good at the end of Key Stage 2. Teaching is good with a fifth of lessons being very good. The leadership and the management of the headteacher are good and involve all subject leaders well. The governing body is effective and supports the school well. The school provides good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• Leadership and management by the headteacher, senior staff and the governors are good. • Provision in the Foundation Stage 2 is good. • Teaching is particularly good in the juniors and is well matched to the pupils’ needs. • By Year 6, standards and achievement are very good in mathematics and good in science, English, art and design, geography, history, information and communication technology and religious education. • The quality of learning is good and pupils have good attitudes to their work. • Behaviour is good. • Provision for personal, social and health education is very good. • A very good range of activities such as clubs, musical tuition, visits and residential experiences help to make the curriculum very rich in learning opportunities. • Standards and achievement in writing in the infants are unsatisfactory.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Since the last inspection the school has addressed the minor issues raised in the report effectively. Investigative science is now good and the provision for information and communication technology is good. There is now a good range of resources for teaching multi-cultural work.

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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 A A B Mathematics C A A B Science A A A B

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement overall is good. The school achieved above the national trend. This reflects the good teaching and the good ethos for learning created throughout the school. Achievement throughout the Foundation Stage is good in personal, social and emotional development; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; and creative development. Achievement is generally satisfactory in the infants but the national tests at the end of the Year 2 have shown a steady decline in writing, though standards are now improving. Achievement is good in the juniors. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs and the most able pupils is good overall. The bilingual pupils achieve as well as other pupils. The school has gained the Active Mark for its provision for physical education. The pupils’ personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. The pupils’ attitudes to school are good and their

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

2 This is the stage from the nursery until the end of the reception year Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page7

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is good. Teaching and learning are good. Teaching is consistently good in the Foundation Stage and in Years 3 - 6. A high priority is given to teaching literacy and language skills and numeracy. The pupils learn effectively as a result of the good teaching they receive and their good levels of interest in their work. The school offers a rich, broad curriculum, which prepares the pupils very well for secondary school. While there is an appropriate emphasis on the teaching of literacy and numeracy, there are very good opportunities for the pupils to make progress in other areas of learning, such as learning to play musical instruments and Latin. There is good provision for the creative arts, with effective input from visiting artists and drama groups. A very wide range of school visits enhances learning. The school has good links with local schools that help to broaden pupils’ learning, for example, in studying micro-organisms in

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

science. The school has good relationships with parents and the school’s good web site provides readily accessible information for parents.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher has a very clear vision for the development of the school that is well focused on raising standards and developing as an inclusive a school as possible. She is well supported by the good management team; they have created a good climate for learning with the support of all staff and the governors. Committed and hard working subject leaders make a good contribution to the development of the school. The governors have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and are committed to ensuring the school is inclusive. The governors regularly monitor the school’s good race relations policy to ensure it is being followed rigorously. All statutory requirements are met.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is rightly popular with parents because of its good academic results. The pupils enjoy being at school, though some infants say that lunchtime is boring as there is not much to do. They feel safe at school and are confident that staff will deal with any problems they have promptly. Members of the children’s council rightly feel they are listened to and that they have influence on what goes on in the school.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important thing the school should do to improve is: • to continue to improve standards and the pupils’ achievement in writing. Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page8

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

Achievement and standards are good overall . The children’s good achievement in the Foundation Stage prepares them well for the National Curriculum.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• By the end of Year 6 standards are above average in English, science, art and design, geography, history, information and communication technology and well above average in mathematics. Standards in religious education are above the expectations of the Locally Agreed Syllabus. • Standards in writing, particularly in the infants, are not good enough.

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Commentary

1. When children enter the nursery their attainment is broadly average. Children in the Foundation Stage are taught well and as a result, their achievement is good. For example, a four-year old described a vet as ‘someone who looks after the health of animals’ and others used very good descriptive words to explain the texture of different foods in the mouth describing jelly as, ‘slimy’, ‘smooth,’ ‘slippery’ and ‘cold’. Most of the children are likely to meet the nationally agreed early learning goals in all six areas of learning and a few will exceed them, though a significant minority of the less able children will enter Year 1 with below average communication and language skills.

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Commentary

2. The table below shows that in the 2003 tests, standards in Year 2 were average in reading, below average in writing and above average in mathematics when compared to all schools. Compared with similar* schools they were average in mathematics, just below average in reading and well below average in writing. Although this group of pupils contained a greater number of less able pupils, standards in writing had been in steady decline for three years. Inspection of current work shows that the action being taken by the headteacher and the good subject leadership is reversing this decline and standards are improving and are now broadly average.

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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 16.0(17.4) 15.7(15.8) Writing 14.3(14.4) 14.5(14.4) Mathematics 16.9(17.8) 16.3(16.5) There were 62 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

3. Girls out-performed the boys last year in reading and writing and, out performed girls nationally in reading and mathematics. The boys’ performance was below that of boys nationally in reading and writing but better in mathematics. The bilingual pupils achieve as well as other pupils. The achievement of pupils with special educational is good.

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Commentary

4. Attainment in reading, writing, mathematics and science for the current Year 2 pupils indicates that standards of attainment are at least typical for their age, and are above average in art and design and good in religious education. . Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page9 5. The table below shows that, in the 2003 tests, standards in Year 6 were well above average in English, mathematics and science compared to all schools and above average when compared with similar schools. Girls out performed girls nationally and the boys in the school in English and were very similar in science. Boys out performed boys nationally and the girls in the school in mathematics.

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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 28.5 (30.1) 26.8 (27.0) Mathematics 28.8(29.3) 26.8(26.7) Science 30.6 (30.7) 28.6(28.3) There were 64 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

6. The achievement of the current Year 6 pupils is generally good in all subjects inspected and very good in mathematics. Similar good achievement is evident in the other classes. Higher attaining pupils achieve particularly well.

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Commentary

7. Pupils with special educational receive good help to develop their literacy, mathematical and scientific skills. Their achievement is good because of the good progress they make in the small groups, which are effectively supported by the teaching assistants. As one Year 6 pupil said, “I feel the school has really helped me to get better“. An equally supportive and caring environment ensures that the bilingual pupils achieve well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Attendance is good and there is very little unauthorised absence. Pupils are keen to learn and behave well in class. The school makes good provision for their personal development. They get on well with each other and adults. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Attendance is above the national median and has been for a number of years. • Pupils show good attitudes in lessons and behave well. • There are clear expectations of behaviour and effective reward systems. • The school makes good use of outside agencies and its own resources for pupils with behavioural problems. • Pupils in the infant playground get bored at lunchtime.

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Commentary

8. The pupils are keen to come to school. Those who have just started know how to change their shoes and organise their belongings well at the start of the day. Nursery pupils settle quickly and are keen to get on with activities. Pupils of all ages show a willingness to learn and usually work, individually or in pairs, with a good, positive attitude. Year 2 pupils worked together very well, following instructions, to put away their gymnastic equipment. Relationships between pupils and with all the adults in the school are good. Pupils say they are expected to work hard and parents confirm this.

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Commentary

9. They behave well in class, and respect the adults working with them because teachers manage behaviour according to school policy and use an effective reward system. This helps pupils to be clear about right and wrong. Behaviour in the school during the pre and post school clubs, not organised by the school, though satisfactory is not as good as during the school day. The pupils with behavioural problems are managed well, because the school uses both external agencies and its own resources. The pupils are confident that reported incidents Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page10 of bullying or unkind name-calling are dealt with effectively. There have been two recent exclusions, both an appropriate application of the behaviour policy.

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Commentary

10. The pupils enjoy being at school, though some infants say that lunchtime is boring, as they do not have enough to do. The school has appropriate plans in place to encourage and teach them how to play.

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Commentary

11. The pupils behave very well in assembly, paying good attention and thinking about what they are told. Even a challenging topic like “Perseverance” led to thoughtful questions from pupils who were trying to understand Helen Keller’s experience of being deaf and blind. Many older pupils write with empathy, for example about the Holocaust, because their teachers use the curriculum well to enhance their spiritual development. There is good practice by some teachers who use personal, social and health education lessons to challenge pupils to think, for example about children’s rights world-wide. This is good for their personal development both morally and spiritually as they consider everyone’s responsibility to take part.

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Commentary

12. As a response to the previous inspection, the school purchased a quantity of multi-cultural resources. Some good topic work on Chinese New Year and on Buddhism indicates that pupils have opportunities to become aware of other cultures.

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Commentary

13. Attendance is good, and has been at a similar level for a number of years. It is better than at the last inspection, and results from good parental support.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.7 School data 0 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 247 2 0 White – any other White background 4 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 2 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 2 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 1 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 3 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 2 0 0 Black or Black British – African 1 0 0 Chinese 4 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 77 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page11 Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page12

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education this school provides for its pupils is good overall. Teaching and learning are good and the school offers a rich, broad curriculum. The school is inclusive and takes good care of all its pupils.

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Teaching and learning

Overall the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage are good. • Teaching of mathematics in the juniors is good and in some lessons is very good. • Overall, the range, quality and use of assessment are good enabling planning and teaching to be well matched to the pupils’ learning needs. • The teaching and learning of pupils with special educational needs are good. • Overall classrooms are well organised and well established routines are understood and followed by the pupils helping effective learning to occur. • Marking of pupils’ work is variable in quality, but generally lacks detail of how pupils can improve.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 57 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y 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

14. Across the school teaching is generally good and on occasions very good. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is consistently good. There is a good balance between adult led activities and activities selected by the children. The children learn effectively because they have the good range of activities, both inside and outside. However, in the reception classes, all staff are not equally good at intervening in outdoor play to develop the children’s conversation leaving the children, at times, too much to their own devices. In the juniors, mathematics teaching and learning are good and sometimes very good because of the good subject knowledge of the staff and the good attention paid to teaching mental skills to aid the pupils learning and problem solving skills. As a result of good teaching across the school, the pupils are good at empathising as for example, in a history lesson when the pupils were relating the deprivations

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Commentary

faced by pupils in the Second World War.

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Commentary

15. The teaching of English and mathematics is securely based on the guidance provided by the national literacy and numeracy strategies. The teaching of phonics is now good and is having a good impact on improving the pupils’ achievements in writing in the infants.

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Commentary

16. Overall classrooms are well organised and well-established routines are understood and followed by the pupils helping effective learning to occur. Lessons are generally well managed and pupils know what to do. What the pupils are to learn is usually displayed and this helps to ensure there is appropriate consistency in pupils’ learning day-by-day and focuses their attention, particularly when the learning objectives are referred to during the lesson. However, this good practice is not consistently used across the school. The teaching assistants play a Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page13 valuable role in their support of small groups of pupils, enhancing their learning and achievement.

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Commentary

17. Well-written individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs provide appropriate steps towards achievable targets. Work is carefully prepared by the teachers to match needs. The good relationships between the pupils with special educational needs and the members of the support staff gives these pupils confidence to succeed and this aids their learning. During whole class sessions, teachers fully include these pupils by, for example, given them opportunities to respond to appropriate questioning.

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Commentary

18. Assessment procedures throughout the Foundation Stage are thorough. Records of pupils’ achievement are good and are used successfully to match work to the children’s learning needs. Teaching assistants are suitably deployed to record significant achievement in whole class sessions. Assessment procedures in the rest of the school are generally good. The marking of the pupils’ work is variable but overall pupils are not given enough suggestions on how they can improve their work and reach their target. There is also a lack of consistency across the school about what is an acceptable standard of presentation.

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The curriculum

The school offers a rich, broad curriculum, which prepares the pupils very well for secondary school. Good planning ensures that the pupils have opportunities to make progress in their learning as they move through the school. The accommodation is adequate and there are sufficient resources to support learning.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• A very wide range of visits and visitors enhances learning. • There are very good opportunities for the pupils to participate in clubs. • There is very good provision for personal, social and health education and citizenship.

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Commentary

19. The school’s curriculum offers the pupils a wide range of worthwhile activities. While there is an appropriate emphasis on the teaching of literacy and numeracy, there are good opportunities for the pupils to make progress in other areas of learning, such as French for pupils in Year 6. About 50 pupils take advantage of opportunities for instrumental music tuition. There is good provision for the creative arts, with effective input from visiting artists and drama groups. The school has gained the Active Mark for its provision for physical education. A good feature is the special curriculum weeks devoted to particular areas of learning. This enables the pupils to study a subject in considerable depth and makes a good contribution to the pupils’ learning and understanding.

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Commentary

20. The national literacy and numeracy strategies are well embedded and there are good opportunities for the pupils to use their literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum. The school has introduced intervention schemes to successfully raise standards in English and mathematics, such as the ‘Arrow’ scheme in literacy for pupils in Year 4.

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Commentary

21. The school ensures that all groups of pupils are fully included in learning. Care is taken to plan work for the pupils of all abilities and this includes teaching mathematics in ability groups in Years 5 and 6 and English in ability groups in Years 6. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The school identifies the needs of pupils at an early stage. Individual education plans contain clear and achievable targets for progress.

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Commentary

22. A very wide range of extra-curricular activities offers the pupils very good opportunities to pursue their interests outside lessons. The parents appreciate this provision. There are various sports and music clubs, including a choir and orchestra. There are also clubs for science, Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page14 dance, drama, Latin and gardening. Netball and football teams compete against local schools, often very successfully. Last year, the netball team were the undefeated league winners and the school’s cross-country runners came second in an area competition. Learning is enhanced by a very wide range of school visits to places such as Cuffley Camp, West Stow, the Imperial War Museum and Southend Sea Life Centre. There are excellent opportunities for the older pupils to participate in residential visits to the Isle of Wight and Kingswood. The pupils in Year 5 have sailing lessons in the summer term and sail during a residential week at Barton.

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Commentary

23. Although some classrooms lack sinks and there is intrusive noise from some neighbouring classrooms because of wooden partitions rather than solid walls, the accommodation overall is adequate. Strengths include the information and communication technology suite, two halls for Physical education and a large sports field. There is a need for considerable exterior decoration of the Queen’s Building but its listed building status is holding up the start of work.

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Care, guidance and support

The school is inclusive and takes good care of all its pupils, their welfare and health and safety. The enlarged children’s council gives them a good voice. There are good arrangements for pupils starting school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are able to comment on and influence many aspects of school life through the children’s council. • The induction of pupils into school is good. • Listed building status is hindering access for those with mobility problems. • Lunchtime supervisors lack the skills to encourage play.

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Commentary

24. The school takes good care of pupils’ welfare. The headteacher is knowledgeable about matters of child protection, and members of staff are vigilant keeping her notified of any concerns. There are enough trained first aiders who take good care of pupils who are injured or unwell. The caretaker is well trained and has a good systematic approach to matters of health and safety, properly supported by governors. The school wants to make its buildings more accessible for pupils with mobility problems, but is hampered by its listed building status.

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Commentary

25. The pupils are confident that there is an adult they could approach when the need arises. The school makes good use of the educational welfare and behavioural support services when appropriate, and the caretaker runs a lunchtime indoor games club for those who are successfully managing their behaviour problems. Inspection evidence confirms parents’ concerns over the supervision of infant pupils at lunch times. The school has rightly planned training for midday supervisors to help them organise playground games and ensure that the pupils are better occupied.

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Commentary

26. Teachers know their pupils well, and identify, at an early stage, those who need additional support. Comments written on annual reports indicate that teachers have a good understanding of pupils’ personal development. Relationships between the pupils and all the adults in the school are good, seen in the “thank you” type comments written in response to their marked work. There are good induction arrangements when pupils join the school, including those joining during the year and this helps them to get off to a good start. The Year 6 pupils are very well prepared for secondary school.

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Commentary

27. Since the last inspection the Schools’ Council, previously only for the oldest, has been enhanced to include delegates from other years. The pupils feel listened to and that they have influence: they have organised charitable fund-raising events, and made decisions about the paint colours for their toilets. Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page15 Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page16

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The parents are provided with good information about what is happening in school, but reports are not explicit. Close links with other local schools help broaden pupils’ learning experiences. The school site is used for many child-care activities.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Information for parents is readily accessible on the web site and in leaflet and booklet form. • Good opportunities for parents to support learning with work at home and to communicate with teachers. • Reports do not give parents the information they want. • Good links with local secondary schools enhance pupils’ learning by enabling the school to share their expertise in French, science and sport.

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Commentary

28. The school is popular with parents. It achieves good academic results. The school web site has good details of school policies, news and activities, readily available for those with Internet access. Paper copies of documents are also issued, and so the parents are kept well informed. The parents find end of year reports wordy, because they give too much detail of what has been learnt without quantifying achievement. They do not give enough information about how the pupil is getting on in relation to the National Curriculum and their own ability.

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Commentary

29. The parents are willing to help with work at home, but some parents would like more guidance about how they can help. Homework diaries provide a good communication tool, and some parents use them well.

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Commentary

30. A local lay preacher takes assembly regularly to tell Bible stories. Local specialist schools share their expertise in French, science and sport. This enhances the curriculum and also helps to prepare pupils for secondary school. The school premises are well used for child-care within the community, with a playgroup, mother and toddler club and a holiday club on site.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher has a very good strategic view for the school’s development. The contribution of the governing body is good and all statutory requirements are fully met. The school is well managed and organised but listed building status is hampering the extent to which the building can be organised and altered to create a more up-to-date learning environment.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher’s agenda for improvement is well-focused on raising standards; she is very clear about what needs to be done and how this can be achieved. • The management team, together with subject leaders, make a useful contribution to the development of the school and the pupils’ achievement. • The school is committed to inclusion and puts its commitment fully into practice. • Performance data and its analysis are used well to bring about improvements in standards. • Governors play a supportive and purposeful role in the development of the school. Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page17

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Commentary

31. The leadership of the headteacher and senior staff, including the deputy headteacher, is good. They form an effective and knowledgeable team who have a good understanding of the school’s needs and how they should be tackled. Firm and decisive leadership is evident in the way the way they are tackling the unsatisfactory standards in writing in Years 1 and 2. The impact of their actions is good; standards and learning are improving.

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Commentary

32. Subject leaders make a good contribution to the development of the school and pupils’ achievement through their monitoring of standards and the action plans they submit, which form part of the school improvement plan. They are very committed and hard working.

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Commentary

33. Good assessment and monitoring procedures enable the headteacher, staff and governors to have a very clear picture of how all the pupils are achieving and if their achievement is good enough. It now enables them to quickly identify trends and apply appropriate action.

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Commentary

34. This is a very inclusive school and the school works hard to meet the needs of all its pupils. This is clearly demonstrated by the way the school copes well with pupils who have behaviour problems. All pupils are equally valued and their achievements celebrated whatever their ability, helping to be build their confidence and aid their learning.

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Commentary

35. Management is good. All members of staff are clear about their roles and discharge their responsibilities with a good degree of professionalism. Arrangements for performance management are good and well managed. Individual performance objectives are linked to school priorities, such as improving writing in the infants, as well as personal priorities. There is a thorough, planned programme for checking the quality of teaching and learning by the senior management team as part of school self-review and improving teaching and learning.

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Commentary

36. The governors now have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They are committed to ensuring the school is inclusive. Governors have a good cross section of talent to draw on, regularly visit the school, are supportive and becoming increasingly effective partners in shaping the direction of the school. They fulfil all their statutory responsibilities. The governors regularly monitor the implementation of the school’s good race relations policy to ensure it is being followed rigorously. Financial management is good with finance well matched to the needs of the school. The school provides good value for money. Money has been set aside for much needed decoration and repairs but cannot be spent until certain aspect of the work are approved by English Heritage, as the main school building is listed.

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Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

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Financial information

Income and expenditure Balances Total income £964,456 Balance from previous year £69,940 Total expenditure £940,280 Balance carried forward to the next £94,115 Expenditure per pupil £2,108 Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page18

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good. The teaching and learning are good and, as a result, the children’s achievement is good. All the areas of learning are developed alongside each other because of the good planning. There is a good balance between adult-led activities and activities selected by the children. As a result, the activities the children are given provide them with a good variety of interesting and related experiences. Children with special educational needs and English as an additional language are well provided for and fully involved in all activities. Assessment is very thorough; it is used well to match suitably challenging work for all the children. The Foundation Stage is well led and managed and an effective team has been created. Liaison between the nursery and reception classes is good. All the adults are good role models and relationships between the staff and children are good. Consequently, the children are confident and this helps their

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

learning and is reflected in their good achievement.

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Personal, social and emotional development

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good induction arrangements ensure that the children settle quickly into nursery and become confident learners. • Children achieve well because of the good teaching and challenging expectations set by the staff.

p.18

Commentary

37. Standards are good. Most of the children are on line to meet the expectations of this area of learning and many will exceed them by the end of the Reception year. The children’s achievement is good and nearly all of them are working to their potential. Members of staff quickly establish good relationships with the children and their families, and this helps the children to settle in well and to make a good start to their learning. The staff’s good teamwork creates a calm, challenging environment in which learning prospers and helps the children to achieve well. The majority of children quickly learn to co-operate, take turns and share equipment. In both the nursery and the reception classes the children co-operate well, are good at sharing equipment, helping each other and taking turns.

p.18

Commentary

38. The quality of teaching in the nursery and in the mixed reception classes is good. All children are encouraged to take responsibility; for example, the three-year-olds give out the fruit and milk and older four-year-olds are responsible for clearing equipment away and keeping work areas tidy. Children with special educational needs are always included.

p.18

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A very high priority is given to developing the children’s language skills. • In the Reception classes some staff miss opportunities to develop pupil’s language skills during outdoor play. Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page19

p.18

Commentary

39. Standards and achievement are satisfactory, but some of the less able will not have reached the expected level when they start Year1. A significant minority of the children entering the nursery have language and communication skills that are below average.

p.19

Commentary

40. A few of the children in the Reception classes have difficulty with accurate copy writing though many of them are writing their names recognisably and with capital letters through being given opportunities to trace, copy and paint their name. Good teaching provides the children with a challenging range of opportunities to learn the sounds of letters through well-planned phonic activities that the children enjoy and join in enthusiastically. In the nursery, the staff use the snack time well to reinforce and assess the children’s progress in the phonic; good practice that is used across the Foundation Stage. In one session, the nursery, the teacher used the story bag well to develop the children’s language skills and vocabulary. The objects pulled out cause great amusement and the skilful questioning ensures good discussion took place about what the story might be about. In a Reception class the shared story is used successfully to

p.19

Commentary

help children learn their initial and final sounds and what sentences start and finish with. Many of the children have their own reading book and the more able can read simple sentences and are developing a good recognition of common words. In the nursery, staff make skilful use of the children’s experiences of the outdoor play area to develop conversation, but some of the children in the nursery are reluctant speakers. In the Reception classes, the staff are not all as good at intervening in outdoor play to develop the children’s conversation, leaving the children too much to their own devices.

p.19

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff promote the children’s mathematical understanding well.

p.19

Commentary

41. Standards and achievement are good. Most of the children are on course to attain the national goals because the staff ensure the children have a suitable range of activities, particularly practical ones, to consolidate learning so that they become familiar with patterns, numbers and learn to count. Some will exceed them because of the good teaching and the way in which no opportunity is missed to promote mathematical understanding. When fruit is being given out in the nursery the more able can count and match the eight bowls their group need. Children recognise simple shapes, such as squares and triangles. To help the children, the shape table is full of different sizes of coloured shapes. In Reception, good teaching using the outdoor area helps children consolidate their understanding of pattern through good practical activities involving following a sequence of increasingly challenging actions.

p.19

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The variety of good activities that is planned to help the children learn well. • Good use of questions to help children develop their understanding as well as their speaking skills. • The good information and communication technology skills of the children. Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page20

p.19

Commentary

42. Standards and achievement are good because of the good teaching and support the children receive. This teaching is characterised by the good, challenging questions that make the children think about what they are doing and trying to achieve. When a group of children are working on textures, good questioning helps the children develop their learning and language skills so they can describe how different textures feel when touched and the different textures of food in the mouth. They learn the importance of a healthy diet and the effect exercise has on the body. Many of the children are confident in using the computers. They control the mouse reasonably well and can explain what the icons are for in a paint program, and then select them appropriately, changing shape size and colour.

p.20

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The outdoor area has made a very effective addition to the accommodation and teachers plan for its use increasingly well. • Good use is made of the hall sessions to build the children’s confidence, skill and body control.

p.20

Commentary

43. Standards and achievement are good. The children are on line to meet the expectations in this learning area and many will exceed them. The outdoor area has provided the school with a valuable facility in which children can work and play safely while extending their understanding of how they can control and use their bodies. They have good, planned opportunities to use large wheeled toys and are able to climb and develop their agility. In a dance lesson, the children learn to control their bodies, as they became cats, cleaning their paws, stretching and pouncing. In a very productive session, the good teaching helped the children to improve and refine their actions before performing their dances to each other.

p.20

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A wide range of creative activities is provided enabling children to experience a variety of situations, materials and media to promote their learning.

p.20

Commentary

44. Standards and achievement are good. The children are in line to meet the expectations in this learning area and some will exceed them. In good role play in the outdoor area, timely intervention brought out some very imaginative play and good conversation as the children described how they were building their boat and their plans to sail the sea to find an island with animals they could bring back for their classroom zoo. Throughout the Foundation Stage, painting and drawing are good showing the good control the children have over the media. In both the nursery and the Reception class, the children enjoy singing and making music. Good teaching ensures the children handle the instruments correctly and learn how to make loud and quiet sounds while appreciating that distance from an instrument effects how loud it sounds. Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page21

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average at the end of Year 6. • Test results in writing were not as high as they should be by the end of Year 2. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • The presentation of work and handwriting is inconsistent across the school. • The pupils’ literacy skills are used very well to enhance learning in other subjects. • The leadership of the English coordinators is good. • There is good provision for pupils with special educational and they achieve well.

p.21

Commentary

45. By the end of Year 2, results in reading have remained above the national average. In writing there has been a steady decline. In 2003, the results for writing were below the expected standard, with a marked fall in the performance of boys over a three year period. Inspection evidence suggests that current standards in reading and writing in Year 2 are satisfactory as a result of the decisive action taken this school year. This has included a change in teaching strategies making writing activities and reading materials more interesting to the boys; the regular monitoring of standards; the use of the learning support assistants to support individuals and groups and pupil targets that are regularly referred to focus the pupils’ attention on the work in hand. The time devoted to teaching writing has also been suitably increased. All these worthwhile initiatives are having a good impact on pupils’ learning.

p.21

Commentary

46. Standards in English by the end of Year 6 are good. The pupils in 2003 achieved above average standards compared to similar schools and all schools nationally and have done so consistently over the past three years, and the percentage of pupils attaining the higher level, Level 5, continues to be good. Standards and achievement seen in lessons and pupils work reflects a similarly good picture. In a very good lesson on persuasive writing dealing with “School Uniform”, the quality of discussion, using past knowledge and complexity of sentence construction, was very good.

p.21

Commentary

47. The consistently good standards by the end of Year 6 are a result of: • consistently good or very good teaching in Years 4 to 6; • high expectations and setting challenging school targets; • clear assessment procedures that includes pupils’ views; • good planning that also enables teachers to have the confidence to alter the objectives during lessons, that will benefit pupils progress and learning; • ability grouping in Year 6; • the good attitude of the pupils, reflected in their good concentration in lessons, and • the teachers’ very good subject knowledge.

p.21

Commentary

48. Standards in speaking and listening are generally good. Good encouragement for pupils to contribute in whole class lessons effectively contributes to their learning. The use of question and answer at the start of lessons is a good feature of literacy. By the end of the infants, most pupils express themselves well in class discussions and, in reply to teachers’ questions, use complete sentences. Consequently, pupils’ speaking and listening skills and confidence develop well and this aids their learning.

p.21

Commentary

49. The pupils achieve well in reading. Basic skills are taught well. The pupils who are learning to read know how to use letter sounds, picture and context clues to work out how to read words Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page22 and sentences. This is also reinforced by the good use of handwriting skills and by ensuring common letter strings are incorporated. The Year 1 pupils were joining “at” and making word such as “pat, cat, fat, sat and flat”. In the juniors, reading is encouraged through the teachers’ use of a wide variety of reading materials and styles. The Year 6 pupils were reading a wide range of fiction and were able to express clearly their preferences of authors, ranging from Jacqueline Wilson to Louisa May Alcott.

p.21

Commentary

50. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well, particularly in reading and spelling due to the good provision and support they receive. The pupils with English as an additional language are equally well supported and this enhances their learning.

p.22

Commentary

51. Although there is a structured programme and regular practice in handwriting, too many pupils are not writing in clear, legible, cursive style. Presentation is inconsistent and this detracts from the work. In writing, until recently, there have not been enough opportunities for the pupils to write at any length or develop skills in areas such as, report writing and writing instructions. Their achievement in writing has also been impaired by poorly developed phonic skills and the inability to use more complex sentences. Also marking does not tell the pupils clearly what they need to do next to improve.

p.22

Commentary

52. Leadership of the subject is good and has had a good impact on improving achievement and learning in the infants. They have a very clear view of what needs to be done and have the expertise to do it. Good use is made of assessment data to review progress and inform future action. Teaching and learning are regularly monitored with effective feedback given.

p.22

Language and literacy across the curriculum

53. The pupils in the Years 3 – 6, use their language and literacy skills well in other subjects, especially in history and geography. Pupils in Year 4 write imaginative newspaper reports set in Anglo-Saxon times. In Years 1 and 2, the pupils having been lacking opportunities to practise and develop their writing skills in other areas of the curriculum though this is starting to be addressed in a more systematic way. Spoken English is well promoted across the curriculum. The pupils take good advantage of the ample opportunities for reading and to research information.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• By the end of Year 6, standards are well above average. • Teaching is good and this contributes to good achievement by all groups of pupils. • Insufficient use is made of information and communication technology in teaching.

p.22

Commentary

54. By the end of Year 2, standards are broadly average. In the previous inspection standards were above average. In the 2003 national tests for seven year olds, standards were above average compared with schools nationally and average compared with similar schools. The current Year 2 has fewer high attaining pupils than last year’s cohort. By the end of Year 6, standards are well above average, which is an improvement since the previous inspection and which reflects standards in the 2003 national tests for 11-year-olds. The boys outperformed the girls in these tests, although currently there is no significant difference in attainment by gender. Achievement is satisfactory by the end of Year 2 and very good by the end of Year 6.

p.22

Commentary

55. By Year 2, most of the pupils have a satisfactory understanding of addition and subtraction facts to 20. However, there is a wide span of ability. While higher attainers successfully Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page23 investigate number patterns, including odd and even numbers, and solve simple word problems, lower attaining pupils have difficulties with basic numeracy skills.

p.22

Commentary

56. By Year 6, the higher attainers show very good, quick mental recall of number facts, including positive and negative numbers. These pupils apply their skills very well to solve real life mathematical problems on topics such as ratio and proportion. All the pupils are very good at representing data accurately by means of graphs and tables.

p.23

Commentary

57. Teaching is good throughout the school and there are examples of very good teaching. High expectations for all groups help the pupils to achieve well. All the pupils are fully included in learning by the teachers matching their questions well to widely differing needs. Written tasks are equally well matched, even within ability sets. The achievement of those with special educational needs is further aided by individual help from learning assistants, particularly in the independent work sections of lessons.

p.23

Commentary

58. The pupils’ learning is effectively aided when they are encouraged to explain their strategies and what they are going to do. ‘Which operation do we need to use here and why ?’ asked a teacher in Year 6 helping the pupils to use their knowledge of related facts well to solve problems. The teachers use plenary sessions well to check pupils’ understanding and reinforce learning. In the concluding plenary session of a Year 4 lesson, the teacher used practical activities very well to enhance learning of compass directions and angles of turn.

p.23

Commentary

59. Leadership and management are good and are a significant factor in the high standards attained by the time the pupils leave the school. The subject leader is aware that the confidence of some girls needs to be developed in order to improve their achievement. She has implemented good procedures for assessing and tracking the pupils’ progress and to plan the next steps in learning. The school attempts to make mathematics learning fun through staging a mathematics ‘fun day ‘, during which the Year 6 pupils organise mathematics games and devise a mathematics ‘ trail ‘ for other pupils.

p.23

Mathematics across the curriculum

60. The pupils make good use of their mathematical skills in other subjects. In science, for example, pupils in Year 6 draw accurate line graphs of the mass of objects in water and of the amount of stretching of an elastic band. The pupils in Year 2 carefully measure the distance travelled by toy cars on different surfaces. In geography, pupils in Year 4 make good use of their knowledge of coordinates to locate features on maps.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards and achievement are good at the end of the juniors. • There has been a good improvement in the teaching and prominence given to investigational skills since the last inspection but there are not enough opportunities for pupils to plan their own investigations • Lower-attaining pupils have effective support and, as a result, achieve well. • Some of the more able pupils in the infants are not given suitably challenging work to enable them to achieve as well as they could. • Good use is made of expertise from the secondary school to enhance learning and achievement. Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page24

p.23

Commentary

61. Standards and achievement are satisfactory at the end of the Year 2. At the end of Year, standards and achievement are good as a result of the consistently good, challenging teaching that ensures all pupils achieve well. This is a similar picture to the findings in the last inspection though a higher proportion of pupils are achieving the higher level, Level 5 at the end of Year 6. In the 2003 national tests for 11 year-olds standards were well above average when compared to all schools and above average when compared to similar schools. This good picture has been consistent over the last three year and is confirmed by the inspection findings where standards of work seen are well above average at the end of Year 6. Across the school, less able pupils and those with special educational needs achieve well because of the good teaching and support they receive that ensures they are fully involved in their work and able to

p.24

Commentary

62. Overall, teaching and learning are good as a result of well planned lessons carefully matched to the learning needs of all the pupils. There is a good insistence that the correct scientific terms are used and pupils mostly do this confidently. The pupils’ knowledge and skills are developed in a systematic way and this helps their learning and achievement. However, in a few lessons, in the infants, the work some of the pupils are given does not allow some of the more able to show what they are capable of and to develop their skills at a higher level. This is partly owing to the teachers not having a clear enough understanding of those aspects of the topic that need to be taught to enable the pupils to achieve a higher level. There are also not enough opportunities for pupils to show their understanding and learning through longer pieces of writing.

p.24

Commentary

63. Across the school, good opportunities are now provided for the pupils to carry out experiments, which they do with enthusiasm. In a very good lesson in Year 4, work on building circuits and identifying conductors led to good learning and achievement as a group of the more able pupils discovered electrical resistance by altering the length of a conductor, a spoon. Skilful but minimal intervention by the teacher helped the pupils to test their findings. He later used their discovery as a good teaching point for the whole class by getting the pupils to demonstrate their discovery to the rest of the class. However, across the school there are not enough opportunities for pupils to plan their own investigations and to demonstrate and refine their planning and investigational skills. A good feature of the work in science, and one which makes a good contribution to the pupils’ learning and achievement, is the way expertise teaching from

p.24

Commentary

the local secondary school is used to teach those areas staff feel less secure in and lack the resources to teach, as for example, micro-organisms.

p.24

Commentary

64. Marking is good overall but in some books insufficient reference is made to the scientific content of the work, and what the pupils need to do to improve and incorrectly spelt scientific words are ignored. Presentation in some books is untidy and not good enough.

p.24

Commentary

65. The co-ordinator has only recently taken on the responsibility. She has a good knowledge of the subject and is monitoring work to enable her to get an understanding of standards and the quality of learning across the school.

p.24

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is good.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Curriculum planning is good. • Use of the information and communication technology suite for the teaching of information and communication technology skills is good. • Computers within or outside the classrooms are not fully utilised. • With good leadership, provision has improved since the last inspection. Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page25

p.24

Commentary

66. Improvements since the previous inspection have been good. Standards and achievement are average in Year 2 and good in Year 6. Local guidance is used effectively to ensure the pupils’ skills are developed in a systematic way so enabling good learning to take place in the areas of information and communication technology for word processing, spreadsheets, graphics, the Internet and data handling. In the lessons in Year 5 and 6, the teaching was good and enabled the pupils to make rapid progress and achieve well.

p.25

Commentary

67. Good use is made of the new computer suite to enhance pupils’ learning and their achievement. In a Year 6 lesson, the teacher’s own specialist subject knowledge was used well to give clear succinct explanations and demonstrations. A particularly good feature was the disconnection of pupils’ computers while explanations and tasks were set. Good use of questioning maximised pupil input and a brisk pace to the learning meant that all pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieved well. The pupils were allowed to experiment with the different features of the spreadsheet; this allowed progress to be swift and cater for all abilities.

p.25

Commentary

68. The pupils are enthusiastic about the use of information and communication technology, clearly enjoy their lessons and work well with partners or groups to achieve well. All of the pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress throughout the school and their range of skills steadily improves as their confidence grows.

p.25

Commentary

69. The subject co-ordinators have played an important part in bringing about the improvements in the subject. They have appropriate plans for the development of the subject and the expertise to ensure they are achieved.

p.25

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

70. Information and communication technology is generally used satisfactorily across the curriculum in art and design, pictorial display of graphs and more generally in the enhancement of the pupils’ work.

p.25

HUMANITIES

71. In humanities, work was sampled in geography, as only one lesson was observed. It is not therefore possible to form an overall judgement about provision in this subject. From the lesson observed and the pupils’ work available there is every indication that standards are average in Year 2 and are above average by the end of Year 6; this is an improvement since the previous inspection. Achievement is satisfactory in Year 2 and good by the time the pupils leave the school. In a very good lesson in Year 4, the teacher ensured that the pupils appreciated the differing viewpoints of various interested parties in a scenario involving the building of a tourist hotel in a banana-growing area of St. Lucia.

p.25

Strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average by the end of Year 6. • Good teaching allows all groups of pupils to achieve well. Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page26

p.25

Commentary

72. Standards are average by the end of Year 2 and above average by the end of Year 6, which broadly reflects the findings of the previous inspection. The achievement of all the groups of pupils is satisfactory by Year 2 and good by Year 6. Higher attainers in Years 5 and 6 achieve particularly well.

p.26

Commentary

73. By Year 6, the pupils show good research skills and are learning the importance of distinguishing between primary and secondary sources of information. They make very good use of their literacy skills and their subject knowledge by writing perceptive letters in the role of participants in the Jarrow Crusade. In a Year 6 lesson, the pupils were practising handwriting as in a 1940 school. An air raid warning sounded and the pupils all dived under the tables. So did the teacher. They emerged when the all-clear siren sounded. This enabled the pupils to show empathy with wartime children. The pupils in Year 5 write about the era of the Conquistadores from the viewpoint of both the Spanish and the Aztecs learning that there is more than one view point to what happened in the past. In the infants more opportunities are being suitably planned to enable pupils to practise their writing skills.

p.26

Religious Education

Provision in religious education is good.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Secure relationships allow pupils to discuss difficult topics within the classroom.

p.26

Commentary

74. The pupils in Years 2 and Year 6 exceed the standards indicated in the locally Agreed Syllabus. This is an improvement on the last inspection.

p.26

Commentary

75. Good teaching is helping pupils to learn not only the facts about different religions but also how religious teaching affects everyday life, such as knowing that some faiths have a strict code on what may be eaten. Visitors to assemblies from other faith communities talking about their beliefs further enhance learning. In a Year 6 lesson introducing Buddhist life and “Dukka”, the teacher related this belief to everyday modern life. The pupils were very responsive. The secure relationships within the classroom allowed difficult personal topics such as redundancy and separation, to be discussed and highlighted sensitively.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

76. There was not enough evidence to report on any of these subjects in full apart from art and design. Only one lesson was seen in design and technology . An examination of work on display, pupils’ previous design plans and teachers’ planning shows that standards remain satisfactory. The curriculum is appropriately covered though there is more emphasis on the design and making than on the quality of finish. In a good Year 4 lesson on levers, a suitable emphasis was placed on the use of technical language, the need for the pupils to learn to adapt their constructions to improve the levers’ efficiency and that success was not always certain.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

77. Only one music lesson was observed though singing was heard in assembly. The pupils in Year 4 were working in groups and using musical instruments to represent a picture. They did this well showing good technique and confidently performed their pieces to other class members. A feature of the lesson was the good teaching that helped the pupils to improve and refine their compositions. Singing in assemblies was lifeless and dull. Provision for the more able pupils to learn to play a wide variety of instruments is very good. Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page27 78. Only three lessons were seen in physical education so no judgements can be made about the overall provision. However, the evidence shows that the school has continued to build on the good findings of the last inspection. In a good Y6 lesson, the pupils were able to apply past knowledge and ball skills and then, after evaluating their performance, improve the team

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

performance by introducing new rules to the game. Their attitudes were good. The school has been awarded the Activemark Silver Award. Subject leadership is good. Good links have been established with the local secondary school whose pupils support the teaching of physical education as part of their course work, and also with the local Sports Development Officer.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A good range of well planned and resourced activities ensure that skills are appropriately developed. • Sketch books are not being used enough to record ideas and observations for inclusion in future work.

p.27

Commentary

79. Standards in art and design have been maintained since the last inspection. Achievement At the end of the infants and juniors, standards are good and the pupils achieve well; this is because techniques and skills are taught and developed in a systematic way enabling pupils to learn the skills necessary to respond to a variety of stimuli. The good range of resources and materials the pupils have to work with further enhances the learning.

p.27

Commentary

80. The pupils’ sketching skills are good; their pictures are carefully finished and show good attention to detail. Good links are made to other areas of the curriculum, for example, pupils used their colour mixing skills well as they represented the island of St. Lucia and its physical features. They have good opportunities to record their first-hand observations in a variety of media, using clay for example to represent flower and seed heads. However, sketch books are being used as portfolios rather than as a resource for recording observations for use in future projects.

p.27

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

The provision in personal, social and health education and citizenship is very good.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are regular, weekly opportunities for the pupils to discuss personal and social issues. • A children’s council enables the elected pupils to participate in decision making.

p.27

Commentary

81. Achievement and teaching are good. There are regular opportunities in lessons and in circle time for the pupils to discuss issues that are relevant to them, such as feelings, relationships and friendship. The older pupils suggest ideas to discuss. These sessions help the pupils to develop confidence and self-esteem. The older pupils learn about the European Union, the role of Members of Parliament, political parties and about the distinctions between dictatorship and democracy. Some of the pupils participate in decision making as members of the children’s council. There are opportunities in small groups for some pupils to work on their social skills, Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page28 such as anger management. The pupils think of people less fortunate than themselves by supporting various charities. A recent visit from ‘Peace Child International‘, focused the pupils’ thoughts on environmental issues. The pupils learn of the need for a balanced diet as part of a

p.27

Commentary

healthy lifestyle and the dangers of alcohol and drug misuse. There is good provision for sex and relationships education, with due regard to the pupils’ age and maturity. The pupils rightly think that through their participation in the children’s council they are able to influence the work of the school. The council also provides the pupils with good opportunities to develop their social and negotiation skills and develop their confidence. Morgans Junior Mixed and Infant school - Page29

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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 4 Value for money provided by the school 3

p.29

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 3 Attendance 3 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

p.29

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 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 3 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 4 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

p.29

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

p.29

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.29