Park End Primary School

PARK END PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 22nd – 25 th September 2003

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PARK END PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Park End Primary - 2 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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PARK END PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Park End Primary - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 441

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Overdale Road Middlesbrough

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01642 314309 Fax number: 01642 300885

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr Peter Porley

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 16 th March 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Park End Primary School is situated in Middlesbrough, in an area of high unemployment. It is much bigger than most primary schools, with 403 pupils in the main school and 78 children who attend the nursery part time. Until recently, the school was involved in an Education Action Zone and it is still taking part in the Sure Start initiative, which supports parents and carers of pre school children. In 2002, the school received the Investor in People award. It gained an award in the Healthy Schools standard in 2003, in recognition of its work to improve pupils’ health and achievement with the help of other agencies. Community provision includes a Family Learning Programme, focusing on literacy, numeracy and drugs awareness and recently developed facilities for community sport and art. Most pupils are from white, British backgrounds. Five per cent are from other ethnic backgrounds, including Asian, African and Caribbean and 0.4 per cent are refugees. No pupil is at an early stage of

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

learning the English language. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs, including statements, (25.6 per cent) is above average. Most of these pupils have moderate learning difficulties, though a significant number have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Five per cent of pupils join or leave the school at times other than usual for admission or transfer. Attainment on entry is poor, particularly in children’s personal, social and emotional development and in communication, language and literacy. Park End Primary - 4

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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

18148 A Soper Lead inspector Science, Art and Design, Geography, Special Educational Needs 19431 J Holmes Lay inspector 22359 J Havard Team inspector English, Citizenship, History, Foundation Stage 32507 C Quigley Team inspector Mathematics, Information and Communication Technology, Design and Technology, Physical Education, English as an additional language

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

22027 G Pearce Team inspector Music, Religious Education

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

113-115 High Street Uppermill Saddleworth

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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.oftsed.gov.uk). Park End Primary - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 13

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

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A large primary school situated in Middlesbrough, inspected 22 nd to 25 th September 2003 by

an inspection team led by Mrs Alice Soper.

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standards in information and communication technology. The school provides good value

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Pupils achieve well because most teaching is good. • The leadership and management of the headteacher and key staff are good. • The governance of the school is satisfactory. Governors have yet to be fully involved in checking the school’s performance. • The curriculum provides a good breadth of opportunities for all pupils. • There is good provision for pupils with special educational needs. • The school provides good care, guidance and support for all of its pupils. • Standards are below national averages by the end of Years 2 and 6 in English, mathematics and science. Literacy skills, particularly speaking and listening, are weak and are barriers to achievement. • Pupils are not always sure about targets and what they need to do to improve their work. • Attendance has declined recently because of illness and holidays being taken during the school term.

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standards in information and communication technology. The school provides good value

The school has made a good improvement since the previous inspection. It has addressed most of the issues well, though governors’ roles have yet to be fully developed. Effective systems have been established to check on and develop teachers’ skills. There has been a particularly good improvement in information and communication technology (ICT). Standards at the end of Years 2 and 6 in English, mathematics and science are improving, though they are below those expected nationally. However, pupils achieve well, with most attaining standards of which they are capable. There is now good provision for children in the Foundation Stage (nursery and reception). The school curriculum is improved and the provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The good links with parents and the community are being further improved. A senior teacher is now working effectively to improve home and school liaison and to provide guidance and support for pupils.

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standards in information and communication technology. The school provides good value

Resources are improved and are mainly good, although there is a limited quality of books in class and school libraries.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2000 2001 2002 2002 English E E E C mathematics D E* E C science E E E D 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. Park End Primary - 7 Achievement is good. The table shows that in the last three years Year 6 pupils’ standards were well below those expected for their age nationally. Their performance in mathematics in 2001 was in the lowest five per cent nationally. The comparisons with similar schools show standards in 2002 were average in English and mathematics and below average in science. Inspection evidence shows that by the end of the Foundation Stage, children have achieved well from a poor start, but they do not yet meet the goals they are expected to reach by the end of reception in all areas of learning. In Years 1 and 2, pupils

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

continue to make good progress in reading, writing, and mathematics, though standards are below those expected by the end of Year 2. Between Years 3 and 6, pupils generally achieve well, learning as well as they can, though their weak literacy skills adversely affect the standards they attain. English, mathematics and science standards are below national averages by Year 6 but are improving. More able Year 6 pupils’ standards are improving significantly because of the impact of specialist teaching. Standards in ICT are above those expected nationally by the end of Years 2 and 6. By Year 6, pupils attain standards expected for their age in most other subjects, apart from geography, where pupils have limited knowledge and understanding. Standards in religious education meet the requirements of the agreed syllabus at the end of Years 2 and 6.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The pupils have good attitudes and they behave well. Attendance, which was improving over the last few years, has declined, mainly because some pupils go on holiday during term time. Most pupils are punctual, but a few arrive late.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is good. Teaching is good and encourages pupils to do their best. Work is planned well to meet all pupils’ needs. Literacy and numeracy skills are usually developed well in different subjects, though this varies at times. In a few instances, the pace of lessons is too slow, teachers spend too long talking, or give too many instructions for pupils to follow. Targets are usually used well to plan work for pupils, though some pupils do not always understand these, which restricts their knowledge of their own learning. Resources for subjects are mainly good. Pupils benefit greatly from the good ICT provision, which enhances their learning in most subjects, though its use is not yet well developed in music and religious education. The school provides good care for pupils. There are close checks to make sure that pupils make the best possible progress.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher has a good overview of the school and leads it well. Development planning is firmly based on her good knowledge of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Key staff lead effectively and work together well to develop the school’s priorities. The good management of the school is evident in the way the senior management, team leaders and subject leaders collaborate towards improving what the school offers. They work hard to ensure teaching is effective and that pupils achieve as well as possible. The governance of the school is satisfactory. Governors are supportive and several help in classrooms. They have yet to develop their roles of monitoring and evaluating the school’s effectiveness.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have positive views of the school. Pupils like their school, particularly the teaching, though a significant number of Year 3 to 6 pupils felt behaviour was a problem in the previous term.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: Park End Primary - 8 • continue to raise standards in English, mathematics and science; • continue to ensure that the basic skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT are developed in all subjects; • improve standards in geography by the end of Year 6; • continue to develop assessment procedures for foundation subjects and ensure all pupils understand the targets set for their improvement; • enable all co-ordinators to take an active part in monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning; • improve the quality of class and school libraries and raise the profile of reading in Years 3 to 6. Park End Primary - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement is good throughout the school in most subjects. In Years 3 to 6, pupils’ achievement in reading is less secure than in Years 1 and 2. Although standards are below average by the end of Year 6 in English, mathematics and science, the pupils achieve well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well in all areas of learning and make very good progress in reading. • Standards are improving in English, mathematics and science, though they are below the national averages. • Standards are good and above average in ICT by the end of Years 2 and 6. Pupils achieve very well. • Pupils achieve well and attain standards in line with national expectations by the end of Years 2 and 6 in art and design, design and technology, history, music, physical education and Citizenship. However, although achievement is good in geography by the end of Year 2, it is less secure by the end of Year 6. • Pupils’ speaking and communication skills are barriers to attainment in many subjects.

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Commentary

1 When the children start in the nursery, their attainment is poor in all areas of learning. A significant number have very weak personal, social and emotional skills and just over one half have poor communication, language and literacy skills, including delayed speaking skills and speech difficulties. By the end of the reception year, most children do not yet meet the early goals for their age in all areas of learning. However, in communication, language and literacy, they achieve well, making very good progress in reading, good progress in writing and satisfactory progress in speaking and listening. This is because of the effective teaching and support, including the valuable help from Sure Start in developing children’s language and communication skills. In their personal, social and emotional development, children become increasingly independent, but their limited communication skills adversely affect the extent to

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Commentary

which they develop confidence when relating to others and contributing their ideas. Children’s knowledge and understanding of the world and mathematical knowledge are very limited, though they make good progress because staff provide a wide range of well devised activities and sensitively guide the children in their learning. Achievement is good in their creative development, because there are many stimulating activities to capture children’s interest. Children achieve well in their physical development, though many still have difficulty in manipulating materials and tools 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 2002

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 71 (68 ) 84 (84 )

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Commentary

There were 42 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year Park End Primary - 10 Key Stage 2

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2002

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 54 (58 ) 75 (75 ) mathematics 62 (43 ) 73 (71 ) science 71 (82 ) 86 (87 ) There were 78 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

2 The tables above show pupils’ results in the 2002 national tests at the end of Years 2 and 6. The Year 2 results improved from the previous year, particularly in writing, but were still well below standards expected nationally. The Year 6 results were also well below national averages, but showed a significant improvement in mathematics. In comparison with similar schools, standards by the end of Year 2 were below average in reading and mathematics and average in writing. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ performance was average in English and mathematics, but below average in science.

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Commentary

3 Standards are improving in English, mathematics and science. In each class, just over one third of pupils have special educational needs. In all three subjects, Year 2 and Year 6 pupils’ attainment is below that expected nationally, but achievement is good, taking into account pupils’ poor attainment on entry to the school. In mathematics, for example, the majority of Year 6 pupils have made at least satisfactory, and sometimes greater than, expected progress from Year 2. Pupils who join the school also make at least satisfactory progress in all three subjects over time. This evidence is clearly shown in the school’s effective tracking system, which is used well to monitor progress and to highlight those pupils who require extra support. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well because of the effective support. Higher achieving pupils have made significant progress in mathematics by the end

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Commentary

of Year 6 because they have been taught by a specialist teacher. In science, pupils make good progress in learning different skills and knowledge, but their communication and literacy skills have an adverse effect on their explanations and writing. By Year 6, pupils are unsure of specific scientific language and have difficulty in talking about their investigations. The strong focus on speaking and listening skills is already successfully influencing the ways in which most teachers devise lessons, so that specific language, as in science, is being clearly taught.

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Commentary

4 Most pupils listen attentively during lessons and show interest. They achieve well when explanations are clear and relatively brief. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, often have difficulty in recalling large amounts of information, including instructions. On the few occasions when too many are presented to them, they become confused, which limits their achievement. During many lessons, when pupils were asked to give answers or make suggestions, they were reluctant to do so. Those who did often gave simple and very brief responses, despite encouragement from the teachers. Teachers are working hard to improve pupils’ speaking and listening skills by providing stimulating work. For example, the two art and design co-ordinators’ good plans for developing the performing arts, including drama, are securely based on raising pupils’ confidence and improving their communication

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Commentary

skills. Pupils achieve well in reading in Years 1 and 2, where the use of reading schemes and parental support for reading at home ensure good structure and progression. This is not so secure in Years 3 to 6 for pupils who have completed the schemes but still require guidance in more advanced reading skills. The class and school libraries do not contribute as well as they could to pupils’ reading development, because the quality of books is limited. The new literacy co-ordinator is already making good plans to redress these limitations. Park End Primary - 11 Although standards in writing are below average by the end of Years 2 and 6, pupils throughout the school achieve well, developing appropriate skills as they write in different formats for a range of purposes. They do particularly well in developing satisfactory handwriting skills and in presenting their work neatly, considering their early difficulties in

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Commentary

5 Standards in ICT are above average by the end of Years 2 and 6. The significant improvement in the standards and pupils’ achievement is a direct result of the good investment made in staff training, equipment and the good quality of the teaching. The provision for this subject has improved greatly since the previous inspection and very successfully enhances pupils’ learning. For example, the use of interactive whiteboards by teachers and pupils in lessons is having a very good effect on achievement throughout the school. Throughout the school, pupils’ ICT skills contribute well to their progress and achievement in most other subjects, though these are not fully developed in music and religious education.

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Commentary

6 By the end of Years 2 and 6 pupils achieve well in most other subjects and religious education. Standards in music are broadly in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2, though slightly below in Year 6. The commitment to providing first hand experiences to widen pupils’ knowledge is effective because pupils, including those with special educational needs, are motivated by practical activities. These give them a clear focus for further work, such as speaking and listening and writing. For example, pupils who visited museums during the inspection were animated, enthusiastic and eager to undertake the subsequent work in school. There was a noticeable difference in Year 6 pupils’ confidence, knowledge and understanding of geography, which has yet to be taught this term in most classes. In the mixed ability group, very few had good recall of places, including similarities and differences. Their measurement and mapping skills are weak.

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Commentary

7 The achievement of pupils with special educational needs and the less able pupils is good because there are effective intervention strategies that enable them to make good progress. Individual programmes, additional literacy and numeracy and skilled support staff all contribute well to the provision. Teachers make effective use of the information gathered about pupils’ needs by adapting work in lessons carefully for them.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils enjoy attending school and attitudes to learning are good. Attendance is satisfactory. Behaviour in class and around school is good. Relationships between staff and pupils are good. Pupils are involved in the life of the school, which provides them with a good range of experiences that has a good impact on their personal development.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Attitudes and behaviour are good. • Relationships are good. • Social, moral, spiritual and cultural development are good.

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Commentary

8 The school has good procedures and strategies in place to encourage the children to attend on a regular basis. The school monitors closely and rewards good attendance during the weekly celebration assembly. There was an improving record over the past three years but it has deteriorated in the last year. Absence is due to illness and holidays being taken in term time. The pupils enjoy school and are happy with the lessons and extra curricular activities Park End Primary - 12 that the school provides. Punctuality is satisfactory, with generally a prompt start to the day. There are, however, a few regular latecomers.

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Commentary

9 The pupils have good attitudes to learning; they work well together. They show confidence in the teachers and staff. Pupils are happy to discuss any problems with adults and know that they have access to the home/school liaison teacher. Behaviour in class and around the school is good, with the staff managing any problems well. There were five exclusions in the past year. Older pupils successfully help with the younger ones when rain prevents outdoor play at lunchtimes. They responsibly carry out minor tasks around the school.

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Commentary

10 The pupils in Years 5 and 6 serve on the school council, where they confidently discuss problems and suggest improvements, such as the previous term’s concern about some pupils’ inappropriate behaviour. There was no similar behaviour problem during the inspection.

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Commentary

11 Pupils’ social development is good. All pupils have the opportunity to be involved in the life of the school. They act as monitors and willingly take responsibility for duties such as delivering class registers to the office. In some classes, pupils have contributed to agreeing their own class rules, but this is inconsistent. The pupils begin school with poor social skills but the school successfully builds on pupils’ experiences and develops good relationships.

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Commentary

12 Pupils’ moral development is good. Moral issues are raised through the curriculum subjects, while collective worship gives pupils the opportunity to explore values such as friendship. Pupils’ spiritual development is good. Pupils are given opportunities to experience awe and wonder in many areas of the curriculum, including art and design, music and collective worship. For example, during collective worship the pupils had good opportunities to reflect on peace. The school also uses visits and visitors to enhance pupils’ spiritual development. Pupils’ cultural development is good and is enhanced by art and design, through the appreciation of different artists’ work and designs such as African and aboriginal patterns. Pupils visit museums and places of interest through their topic work. They study different countries and lives to successfully learn about other cultures.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.6 School data 0.2 National data 5.4 National data 0.5 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 455 5 0 White – any other White background 4 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 1 0 0 Park End Primary - 13 Mixed – White and Black African 1 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 3 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 6 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 1 0 0 Any other ethnic group 1 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 5 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of the provision is good. Teaching is good and successfully enables pupils to achieve well in most subjects. There is a stimulating curriculum, which is enhanced by many extra-curricular activities. The school is led and managed well and staff responsibilities are delegated effectively. Some subject co-ordinators, mainly those new to the school, have yet to be fully involved in monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning. Target setting is in the early stages and has yet to be fully effective in ensuring pupils have a good knowledge of their own learning. Resources are generally good, with the exception of the quality of books in the class and school libraries.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good use of assessment in the Foundation Stage. • Teachers have good command of the subjects they teach. • Planning is good, showing a clear progression of work for all pupils. • Teachers use effective methods to ensure pupils concentrate and work hard. • Support staff are used well and contribute effectively during lessons. • Teachers make sure that all pupils are fully included and have the same opportunities. • Most pupils develop independence and work constructively. • Pupils’ work is assessed thoroughly, but the quality of marking is inconsistent. • The understanding by pupils of what they need to do to improve is not yet secure. • On occasion, the pace is restricted by the ways some lessons are organised.

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Commentary

13 Pupils achieve well from the time they begin school because of the very effective ways in which the Foundation Stage teachers use assessment to monitor progress and plan work. Activities in the nursery and reception class provide a wealth of opportunities for children to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding in all the areas of learning. The children become increasingly confident and achieve well, even though they do not meet the early goals for their age by the end of this stage. Their learning is carefully built upon in Years 1 and 2, because planning is firmly based on what pupils already know and do. The strong emphasis on speaking and listening skills is used successfully to promote answering, discussion and suggestions during most lessons. The provision contributes well to children’s achievement and the standards attained by the end of the reception year.

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Commentary

14 Throughout the school, planning is being developed to improve links between subjects. This is already improving learning, because ideas and skills are reinforced across different subjects. A good example was seen in a Year 2 literacy lesson, which focused on design and technology. The teacher used a range of ‘technical’ words effectively to guide pupils in Park End Primary - 14 devising instructions for making bread. This ensured that pupils achieved well in their writing. Similarly, in a Year 4 history lesson, pupils’ achievement was good because of the good focus on vocabulary development.

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Commentary

15 In the very good lessons, teachers skilfully mix methods to motivate and challenge pupils. Most use the interactive whiteboards well when demonstrating and involving pupils in developing ideas and skills. Good, open questions are successfully used to encourage pupils to answer at length. Humour is often used well to enliven tasks, as seen during discussions in Year 4 about Henry VIII’s appearance. Teachers and support staff adapt their own language well to ensure all pupils, including those with special educational needs, fully understand. As a result, pupils persevere, work hard and achieve well. Less successful results were achieved when, in a very few lessons, the pace was too slow and the pupils lost interest because they had insufficient opportunity to contribute their ideas. In a few instances, some less able Year 4 pupils had difficulty in remembering a series of instructions, because

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Commentary

of their limited listening skills. The introduction to the science tasks was too long for them.

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Commentary

16 Teachers assess pupils’ progress regularly and use the information they gain to plan appropriate work. Assessment in English and mathematics is good and targets for improvement are accurately devised. Pupils’ books contain these targets, though not all have a clear understanding of these. Assessment procedures are satisfactory in most other subjects, with due focus being placed on the extent to which pupils have achieved the lesson aims. However, these procedures are not yet consistent in music and religious education.

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Commentary

17 Co-ordinators are working hard to improve the curriculum and to strengthen the uses of literacy and numeracy skills in different subjects. Most have a strong influence in planning, giving good support to their colleagues. New and less experienced co-ordinators have not yet had time to become fully involved in monitoring teaching and learning by observing classroom practice. However, most check pupils’ work and contribute suggestions for improvement. Senior staff regularly monitor teaching and learning and provide constructive reports and guidance for teachers. There is also an effective system where teams of teachers work closely together and help each other with planning.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 50 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

0 % 7 (14 %) 24 (48 %) 18 (36 %) 1 (2 %) 0 % 0 %

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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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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Opportunities for curriculum enrichment are good. • The curriculum for the children in the Foundation Stage is good. • The accommodation and resources are good.

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Commentary

18 The school has given a great deal of thought to how the curriculum can be made relevant and exciting for its pupils and this has resulted in a number of recent, good developments, such as sharing the expertise of staff and looking for ways to link subjects. Park End Primary - 15 19 Within the curriculum, there is good support for pupils who have special educational needs and those pupils who are more able, and because of this, the achievement of these pupils is good. There is a sound sense of equality in the planning and delivery of the curriculum and staff work well to identify ways in which to help all groups of pupils achieve their best.

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Commentary

20 One of the main difficulties faced by the school is the low self-confidence of pupils and so the programme that the school has in place to develop self esteem is having a positive impact on achievement. This can be seen in the good personal, social and health education programme of work. Another difficulty the school faces is the poor speaking and listening skills of pupils and it has, rightly, implemented a number of strategies in order to tackle this. The amount of time devoted to the subjects is appropriately prioritised and all staff are aware of the need to improve these basic skills.

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Commentary

21 The depth and rigour of improving basic skills are not consistently present in all areas of the curriculum. There are many initiatives to improve reading, speaking and listening and the school is rightly focusing on developing literacy, numeracy and ICT in all of the programmes of work.

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Commentary

22 The school effectively prepares the youngest children for school through a good programme of home visits, visits to the school and close involvement of all staff with parents. There is also a good link with the UCA – the local secondary school, so that pupils are well prepared for the next phase of education.

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Commentary

23 The developments that the school has made since the last inspection have been suitable and staff are beginning to devise some innovative ways of delivering the curriculum. For example, pupils in Key Stage 2 have the opportunity to choose an area of learning that runs beyond the normal curriculum. Some pupils choose Spanish or French, whilst others have exciting and challenging music tuition or extra sport lessons. This helps pupils to develop new or existing skills.

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Commentary

24 Pupils enjoy a wide range of activities, both during and after the school day. There is a strong emphasis on visiting places of interest, which is helping pupils to gain a wider general knowledge, and this is used well as a stimulus for learning.

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Commentary

25 The emphasis on sport is highlighted by the many good initiatives brought about by the school’s partnership with the secondary school in the school sports co-ordinator project. The school has also been successful in attracting additional funds to build a sports and arts block and this is having a significant impact on provision in these subjects.

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Commentary

26 Out of school hours, pupils have a host of activities to choose from, ranging from dance to computers and there is a high take-up rate amongst pupils. These clubs are helping pupils to value education and to give sound extra practice in important areas.

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Commentary

27 The school has invested wisely in a range of computer equipment and this is having a strong impact on pupils’ learning. Every classroom has a digital projector and computer. A well- stocked computer suite is used effectively and efficiently. The school uses its space well and the ‘chill and chat’ room, along with other designated teaching areas is helping pupils to achieve well. All staff are well-trained with good subject knowledge, and because of this, most pupils are able to learn at a good pace.

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Care, guidance and support

The school ensures good care for the pupils. The staff know the pupils well and pupils are happy to approach them for guidance and advice. The school has effective procedures for child protection. It carries out all statutory procedures for health and safety and risk assessment. The school council give pupils some opportunity to have their views heard. Park End Primary - 16

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good induction procedures for children in the Foundation stage. • Good guidance, advice and support. • Good support for pupils with special educational needs, with parental involvement in their individual programmes. • The school council gives pupils a voice in matters.

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Commentary

28 The school has effective child protection procedures, with staff trained in the procedures and the headteacher being the named person. There are statutory checks on equipment and a teacher is responsible for all health and safety issues, including risk assessment.

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Commentary

29 The pupils are happy to consult teachers and other members of staff, including the home/school link teacher when faced with a problem. The school’s consideration for its pupils is highlighted by the way it has appointed a teacher whose almost full time duties concern home and school liaison. There is good care for those pupils who need medical help and appropriate records are kept. Pupils’ achievement is monitored closely and any concerns are effectively addressed by staff. The teachers keep detailed records of pupils’ personal development, which ensure all receive appropriate support and guidance. Pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties are managed and supported well.

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Commentary

30 The school provides good personal advice on a wide range of issues and there is regular help from the visiting school nurse. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well, their parents being fully included in their individual programmes. There is a good induction programme for children and pupils new to the school, including those who arrive outside the usual times of admission; they are supported by mentors.

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Commentary

31 The school seeks pupils’ views by carrying out surveys. Pupils are encouraged to contribute their suggestions and these are considered seriously by the staff. There is a school council, which has representatives from Years 5 and 6. These pupils visit all the classrooms to consult pupils in other year groups, as in seeking their views about the recent changes to the playground.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has established good links with parents, providing them with good information about their children’s progress. There are good induction and transfer procedures. The school provides a range of good extra-curricular activities for the pupils and it is involved well with the local community.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents are supportive of the school. • There is good information for parents. • The school provides workshops, information and support to increase the parents’ understanding of what the school is providing for their children.

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Commentary

Park End Primary - 17 33 Parents are happy with their children’s education and the headteacher encourages them to help in school. In the questionnaire responses, a few parents were unhappy about behaviour. The questionnaire was completed during the summer term when the school recognised that it had a behaviour problem. The school council had discussed this and the issue has been addressed. No oppressive behaviour was observed and nor was any reported by the pupils during the inspection.

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Commentary

34 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents is good. The headteacher and staff encourage parents to be involved and supportive, but not all reciprocate and the appointment of a home/school link teacher is improving the links. Parents are supplied with regular, informative, newsletters that contain general information about school life. They receive a good end of term report, which shows targets in English, mathematics and science and information about their children’s personal development. Parents also have good opportunities to discuss their children’s progress each term during consultation evenings.

p.17

Commentary

35 The systems for involving parents in helping their children to read at home are effective in the early stages of the school. A home/school diary is used to communicate effectively between teachers and parents. However, opportunities to continue this are missed between Years 3 and 6.

p.17

Commentary

36 The annual report to parents meets all requirements and the good prospectus gives clear information about the school, the rules and the curriculum. The school has run courses for parents in literacy and numeracy, although they were not well attended. A number of parents successfully completed the certificated courses leading to further education. There are some parents who regularly help in school. The school has good links with the receiving school to enable a smooth transition for pupils.

p.17

Commentary

37 There are good links with the community and other primary schools. Pupils take part in sporting events with others schools, as in cross-country running and netball. The recently opened new space for community use is being developed well to strengthen parental and community links.

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher provides good leadership and is supported well by the senior management team. The management of the school is good, with duties and responsibilities delegated effectively. The governing body is supportive and provides a satisfactory contribution to the school’s management.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Leadership and management successfully promote a good climate for learning. • They ensure that all pupils are fully included in all that the school has to offer. • The senior management team is committed to raising standards and ensuring good quality provision. • The school’s self evaluation is very good. • There is very good monitoring by the senior management, which informs development requirements. • The governing body is supportive, but is still developing its role in helping to shape the school’s direction.

p.17

Commentary

38 The headteacher, senior team and staff with responsibilities work with a strong sense of purpose. They collaborate effectively and are focused well on raising pupils’ achievement. The most recent decision to improve the curriculum to make it more exciting and relevant to Park End Primary - 18 the pupils is one example of the leadership’s strengths. As outlined in the school improvement plan, all staff with responsibilities for curriculum areas are successfully contributing their expertise to develop good links between subjects. Although some senior staff are new to the school, they have already devised good plans for improving the provision. For example, the new literacy co-ordinator aims to audit the English provision closely and review the systems in place for reading.

p.17

Commentary

39 There are effective methods, using ICT software, for tracking pupils’ progress. Very detailed analyses are made by the headteacher and senior staff to ensure that the more able pupils receive appropriate challenge, and the less able additional support. A number of initiatives to raise standards, including Sure Start, Better Reading and Additional Literacy Support are managed well to support pupils’ achievement. The special educational needs co-ordinator is closely involved in advising teachers and support staff about pupils’ needs and also works with subject co-ordinators to adapt subject plans to meet these needs.

p.18

Commentary

40 The management is good. Teams have been established to share expertise. These work well, providing less experienced teachers with good guidance and support from colleagues. The team leaders have an integral part in school management, helping to provide the senior staff with a clear overview of developments in each part of the school. Information is used very well to determine priorities for development and the school has evaluated its performance astutely. The teaching and learning have remained an on-going focus, based on well organised monitoring and evaluation methods and effective performance management. Senior staff provide colleagues with written evaluations that clearly indicate strengths and areas for improvement. These are followed well and willingly by teachers, who also have good opportunities for staff development.

p.18

Commentary

41 The governance of the school is satisfactory. The school has some difficulty in appointing governors due to limited community interest in taking on these roles. The governors are supportive and several help in lessons on a regular basis. They have developed links with staff and classes, from whom they learn about the provision. They meet their statutory duties satisfactorily. School development priorities are shared with governors, so that they are fully aware of what needs to be done. Their monitoring and evaluation roles have yet to be fully developed.

p.18

Commentary

42 The financial management of the school is good, with costs and priorities for development clearly linked. Considerable money has been spent effectively on improving ICT facilities and equipment, resulting in the good improvement in pupils’ attainment and achievement since the previous inspection. There is good contingency planning, such as maintaining funds to cover long term sickness and maternity absence. A sum was also carried forward to supplement this year’s budget. Money is allocated well for pupils with special educational needs and includes paying for the visiting learning support teacher, who provides valuable advice to staff. Additional books for older boys with special educational needs have been purchased and are to be increased further, because this need has been identified. The school also wisely intends to ensure sufficient money is allocated to pay for increased visits to places of educational interest, as part of its enhancement of the curriculum.

p.18

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.18

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 149,247 Balance from previous year 85,000 Total expenditure 1,101,040 Balance carried forward to the next 57,000 Expenditure per pupil 2511 Park End Primary - 19

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is very good.

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The children in the nursery and reception classes make good progress overall. The Foundation Stage is very well led and managed. There are good relationships, with the staff working well together. Planning and assessment are very good, which has a positive impact on the children’s learning and achievement. There are effective support systems in place. The ethos and teamwork in the Foundation Stage is having a very positive impact on children’s learning. The resources have improved since the last inspection, with a wide range of outdoor and indoor play activities, ICT and equipment to develop the basic skills. Most children start in the nursery with personal, social and academic skills well below those expected for their age. A significant number of children experience communication difficulties and many have speech problems or delayed language development. The school appreciates the difficulties the children experience and places much emphasis on helping the

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

children to develop their communication skills. Sure Start support has enabled the school to assess the new children for speech and language problems so that the school can provide early intervention strategies. In all areas of learning, less than one half of the children attain the early goals expected for their age by the end of the reception year. The children make the most progress in reading and creative work.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for personal, social and emotional development is very good.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children achieve well. They begin to develop confidence, independence and the ability to concentrate and work co-operatively with others • In both the nursery and in reception, the teachers and support staff work very hard to provide a wide range of suitable structured activities to develop children’s personal and social skills. • There are good assessment and monitoring procedures. • Over one half of the children do not meet the Early Learning Goals in this area on leaving reception. They have achieved well after arriving in school with poor social skills. However, these are not fully developed as some children for example, lack confidence to speak out in a familiar group .

p.19

Commentary

43 When children start school their personal, social and emotional skills are very weak. The new entrants lack confidence when selecting activities, using resources independently and working as a member of a group. Both the nursery and reception classes place great emphasis on supporting this aspect of children’s development. As a result of very effective intervention most children make good progress. Children are encouraged to be independent; they take responsibility for jobs in the classroom, dress themselves, wash their hands, choose their own resources and activities and tidy up well at the end of a session. There are very well established routines that help children to settle into the nursery. There are carefully structured play activities and the nursery nurses both interact with and monitor the children’s play closely. They use good strategies to encourage the children to co-operate with each

p.19

Commentary

Park End Primary - 20 other when playing outside. The older children in the nursery show more confidence, begin to interact confidently with each other and adults, and take part enthusiastically in activities.

p.20

Commentary

44 In the reception classes, the staff continue to provide a wide range of structured activities, such as play in the shoe shop, to promote increased collaboration. The children are taught successfully how to share and take turns when playing games and to persevere in their tasks. They are developing a good sense of right and wrong. Even though the teachers and support staff work very hard to develop skills in this area, there are still a number of children who have yet to reach the learning goals when they move to Year 1. Although they have made good progress, some children still find it difficult to interact with others or to develop independence.

p.20

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision for communication, language and literacy is very good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children achieve well in writing. • They make very good progress in reading. • The teaching is good. • There is very good support for speech and language development from Sure Start • Although the children work well and make good progress, over one half of them do not meet the early goals for their age by the end of the reception year.

p.20

Commentary

45 Although attainment on entry is poor, the very good teaching enables children to make very good progress in reading, good progress in writing and satisfactory progress in speaking and listening. Many children have speech or language delay problems and they are not confident in communicating. There is a high priority given to assessing and helping children to develop their communication and language skills. The good support from the support staff and outside agencies and the effort made by the teachers is having a positive impact. The children are developing their communication skills well. The children are more advanced in their listening skills. All the children in the nursery, including the new entrants, listen attentively to the teachers. The reception children have good listening skills. The teacher’s often lively and interesting presentations inspired the children into wanting to learn more.

p.20

Commentary

46 On entry, reading skills are very weak, but children make very good progress because there is a good emphasis on reading activities. The children are becoming very familiar with a range of books and they show enthusiasm for stories. The teachers and support staff successfully help children to recognise the sounds associated with the letters and there are many reading activities to support learning. For example, children in the nursery used computer programs well when learning initial letter sounds. Children enjoy books. The higher attaining children read increasingly more challenging texts with confidence and expression. The average and less able children are still acquiring these skills. However, children are still working below expectations as over half the group on transferring to Year 1 have not achieved the required standards.

p.20

Commentary

47 From the time they enter the nursery class, children are encouraged to make marks on paper, for example by drawing around each other. They move on to write lists and captions for their work. Progress is good in the reception classes. The higher attainders, on transferring to Year 1, write their name and simple sentences. Homework supports learning in this area. However, over one half of the children do not yet meet the early goals expected for their age by the end of the Foundation Stage. Park End Primary - 21

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for mathematical development is good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children achieve well in relation to their attainment on entry. • The teachers and support staff work hard to provide a range of activities to develop learning in this area, including teaching mathematics within the other areas of learning. • Although there is a significant improvement in standards, with the majority making good progress, over one half of the children leave the reception class not having reached the learning goals for their age.

p.21

Commentary

48 The initial assessments made in the nursery and reception classes show that the children start with very weak mathematical knowledge and understanding. No mathematics lessons were seen in the reception classes and few activities supervised by staff in the nursery had mathematics as their core activity. A range of good independent activities, including the doctor’s surgery, shoe shop, home corner, sand play and art involved the development of mathematical skills. Sorting and matching activities, involving size and colour also provided good experiences for learning. The older children responded well to the challenges of sorting and matching and demonstrated their skills to the younger children. The teachers and support staff pay good attention to counting when working with the children.

p.21

Commentary

49 In the reception classes, the teachers and support staff often reinforce children’s knowledge of mathematics during other activities such as music. In one lesson, for example, the teacher devised a game that involved counting the instruments, which succeeded in helping children to count carefully. The more able children could count up to10. The children achieve well and progress is good. However, less than half are meeting the learning goals expected for this age.

p.21

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision for knowledge and understanding of the world is very good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children make good progress in this area, achieving well. • Teaching is very good, with staff providing a wide range of activities and experiences to develop learning. • On moving to Year 1, over one half of the children do not meet the goals for learning. The children’s development in this area is hindered by their limited language skills and personal experiences.

p.21

Commentary

50 On entry, children’s attainment is well below that expected for their age. On leaving the Foundation Stage, the children have made significant progress, achieving well. When the children start school, many have little experience of the world beyond the immediate area in which they live. The school widens their experience by providing a wide range of structured activities and experiences, such as in a nursery activity of making roads and castles in the sand. This Park End Primary - 22 activity was pursued well by groups of children, who showed good concentration and collaboration. In a reception lesson based on the story, the ‘Elves and the Shoemaker,’ the children successfully used a wide range of activities to develop design and making skills. The children followed instructions and created their own designs. They made very good progress, achieving well and reaching standards beyond those expected.

p.21

Commentary

51 The children make good progress in using the computers in both the nursery and the reception classes. They use a mouse correctly, follow instructions and make selections. This area of learning is enhanced by visits to different localities. A recent visit to a Toy Museum supported reception children’s learning about the past and the differences between then and the present day.

p.22

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for physical development is good

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children achieve well in this area and are developing physical skills confidently. • The teaching is good. There is effective assessment and monitoring of children’s response during the physical activities. • Although good progress is made, over one half of the children leave the reception classes with limited manipulative skills.

p.22

Commentary

52 On entry, the children find it difficult to manipulate objects and to balance and ride a tricycle. Over time, the children develop their physical skills well and make good progress. This area is taught well in both the nursery and reception classes. The teachers provide a wide range of activities to develop physical skills. The outdoor playground is well resourced and the older children play well, developing good control. The nursery nurses provide challenges for the children to develop their physical skills by asking them to ride as passengers on dual cars and tricycles pedalled by others. The children use the apparatus confidently and put away the equipment with proper attention to health and safety. However, there is no playground marking to enhance their development even further. The reception teachers make good use of the playground furniture and markings in the ‘main’ playground. The teachers also make

p.22

Commentary

good use of the new sports hall for physical activities.

p.22

Commentary

53 Children are making good progress in forming letters, though many have difficulty in controlling writing tools. Some of the older children in the nursery and reception classes handle scissors, glue spreaders, play dough, paintbrushes and construction equipment well. However, many children in the reception classes are still unable to use scissors properly.

p.22

Commentary

Provision for creative development is good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children make good progress in this area. • The children are developing an awareness of texture and shape, exploring colour and responding to sounds. • The teaching is good as the staff provide a rich environment, with a wide range of activities to develop learning. Park End Primary - 23 • On leaving the reception classes the pupils have achieved well. However, a significant number of children, over one half, have yet to attain the goals for their age.

p.22

Commentary

54 The children progress well as a result of the good range of planned activities and effective teaching. There are numerous opportunities for role play, such as ‘shopping’ in the shoe shop. There is a wide range of experiences and a good range of artistic media. The home corners and other activity areas are well planned and resourced. They support children’s creative attempts at writing shopping lists, answering the telephone and developing imaginative play. The teachers value the importance of teaching music and two good lessons were seen in the reception classes. The children sang songs well and successfully copied the teacher’s demonstration with a tambourine. Children enjoy creative work and enthusiastically explore all the stimulating activities. The sensitive teaching and intervention by the support staff has a very positive impact on learning. The achievement in this area is good, with the children happily taking part and responding to the challenges provided by the

p.23

Commentary

teachers and support staff. Children explore colour and shape, recognise and explore sounds and use their imagination well. Their ability to express and communicate their ideas is less well developed. Park End Primary - 24

p.23

ENGLISH

Provision in English is good. Standards are improving throughout the school due to the schools’ concentration on language and literacy development. The English curriculum emphasises the importance of developing speaking and listening skills, which are a barrier to learning for many pupils. The school takes this area seriously and is adapting the curriculum provision to include the development of all language and literacy skills. The use of ICT to support learning in this area is a strength. These changes of emphasis are having a positive impact on achievement.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The staff are working hard to raise standards in this area • The teaching is mainly good, with some very good teaching. • ICT and interactive whiteboards are used to good effect to support learning. • Good practice is seen in teaching reading skills in Years 1 and 2. • There is inconsistency in target setting • There is a lack of structure to the use of reading books in Key Stage 2 • The school and class library provision are limited.

p.24

Commentary

55 The school has worked hard to improve standards since the previous inspection. Although standards are still below the national average, pupils are making good progress and achieving well. Pupils’ presentation skills have improved since the last inspection. The standards in writing, although below expectations, have also improved since then. Pupils make satisfactory progress in speaking and listening. Good teaching in Years 1 and 2 builds well on the skills the pupils acquire in the nursery and reception classes. For example, when visiting the local museum Year 2 pupils were successfully encouraged to discuss their observations on the walk through the park. Throughout the school, listening skills are better then speaking skills and during the lessons most of the pupils remain interested and listen attentively. Teachers usually make good use of the first part of lessons to encourage pupils to participate and contribute to discussion. Nevertheless, a significant number of pupils lack

p.24

Commentary

confidence in speaking and are reluctant to contribute answers and suggestions. Pupils’ speech lacks a range of vocabulary and fluency. Many of the pupils are happy to answer questions but these are often short, simple answers. The school is introducing a wide range of strategies to enhance learning in this area across the curriculum. Drama is used to good effect to encourage the pupils to extend their vocabulary and express themselves more clearly and confidently.

p.24

Commentary

56 In reading, pupils make good progress and achieve well by the end of the Year 2. The more able pupils confidently use a range of strategies to help them read unfamiliar words and they read fluently. The less able pupils are achieving standards well below expectations. They find difficulty in reading and are unable to blend sounds and use picture cues. However, the staff successfully teach the basic skills of reading, enabling the pupils to become more proficient readers. This is well supported by the reading scheme and home /school reading record. The teaching of reading in Years 3 to 6 is less secure as pupils are often unsure of using different strategies for reading and lack confidence when reading aloud from their books. Teachers work hard in English and other lessons to develop the pupils’ reading skills, using a wide range of formats to support learning. Good use is made of ICT, including interactive

p.24

Commentary

whiteboards, word processors and sound recorders, to support learning. Support staff are deployed effectively to help small groups of pupils.

p.24

Commentary

57 Pupils use the school library regularly to choose fiction and they become familiar with the classification system. However, they are less secure at using the reference section to find Park End Primary - 25 information. The range of books in the library is unsatisfactory, especially in non fiction books. The quality of classroom libraries is also limited and some books are in a poor condition, which do not stimulate an interest in reading for enjoyment.

p.24

Commentary

58 Standards in writing are below those expected nationally by the end of Years 2 and 6, though handwriting and presentation are satisfactory. By the end of Year 2, attempts are being made to use the appropriate punctuation, write for a range of audiences and organise writing for a specific purpose. Pupils achieve well and make good progress. In Years 3 to 6, pupils write daily and are given a wide range of writing stimuli to develop grammar and writing skills. Writing is organised and seeks to interest the reader by the exciting way the characters and events are developed. The majority of the sentences are punctuated correctly, with appropriate use of speech marks, commas and question marks. Spelling is generally accurate. By Year 6 the pupils use factual and persuasive writing successfully to present a logical argument, such as whether they should or should not wear school uniform. They also

p.25

Commentary

demonstrate the use of expressive language when writing poetry.

p.25

Commentary

59 The quality of English teaching is good. Teachers concentrate on developing specific vocabulary in all subjects. All are secure in teaching the basic skills and there is good attention paid to helping younger pupils learn to read by breaking work down into small steps. Teachers’ planning is good. In most lessons, with a few exceptions, the teachers strike a good balance between giving information and asking questions to extend the pupils’ vocabulary. All lesson are well prepared, the teachers making effective use of the resources available to them, including ICT. All the English work is marked, with positive comments and instructions for future development in most of the books. All pupils have their writing targets at the front of their books, though in some, these are not suitably matched to pupils’ needs. Teachers brief support staff well and make good use of them to support learning, in particular

p.25

Commentary

those pupils with special educational needs. The wide range of activities to support learning for these pupils, including Sure Start, Reading Recovery and Booster classes provides valuable support.

p.25

Commentary

60 The co-ordination is effective. There is good leadership and management, including enthusiasm and expertise in the teaching of English. There is an awareness that the reading scheme needs to be developed further and there is an active involvement in improving the provision and in raising standards.

p.25

Language and literacy across the curriculum

Pupils’ literacy skills in most subjects are often developed well, though there is some inconsistency. The school is currently introducing a new cross curricular approach to planning, with a focus on developing basic skills through the foundation subjects. Speaking and listening skills are successfully fostered through discussion, role play and visits. Literacy skills are very well enhanced through good links with ICT. The teachers use the very good resources in the computer suite and their own classrooms, including interactive white boards to enhance learning. For example in a Year 1 lesson, the teacher used the interactive white board well to introduce ‘speech bubbles,’ linked to the Little Red Hen story. Word processing skills are well developed by Year 6, the pupils confidently editing the text and using the tools well.

p.25

MATHEMATICS

Although standards are lower than the national average, pupils make good progress and achieve well in mathematics. This is because of the good teaching, subject leadership and the effective use of digital projectors and interactive whiteboards. Park End Primary - 26

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Achievement in mathematics is good throughout the school • Standards are, however, below the expected level for pupils as the ages of 7 and 11 • The quality of teaching is good and the effective use of ICT is having a positive impact on learning • The poor speaking and listening skills of pupils is having an impact on how teachers deliver lessons. In the most effective lessons, teachers are aware of this and limit direct teaching to short periods. • There are opportunities to develop problem solving skills in every lesson. • The subject leader has a good understanding of achievement in mathematics and is helping to drive forward improvements in teaching. • The good target setting system for pupils does not yet have a great impact on learning. • The development of numeracy across the curriculum is not yet fully developed.

p.26

Commentary

61 Between Years 1 and 6 pupils make good progress, so that by the time they leave school at the age of 11, standards are still below the national average, but the pupils have achieved more than would have been expected in relation to their attainment on entry.

p.26

Commentary

62 One of the main reasons for this high achievement is the good quality of teaching. In the very best lessons, teachers have arranged their teaching to meet the needs of the pupils, whose poor listening skills limit the amount of whole-class teaching that can take place. This was seen in a Year 4 lesson where pupils played an interactive game of adding Roman numerals and then carried out a range of interesting and challenging activities. The teacher worked effectively with a group of pupils to develop their understanding. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are good in the vast majority of lessons, which helps them to achieve well

p.26

Commentary

63 The use of interactive whiteboards is having a positive impact on learning. In almost every lesson, the boards are effectively used by teachers to provide interest and enjoyment and to successfully help pupils to understand the concepts being taught. There are, however, limited opportunities for pupils to use the boards during lessons.

p.26

Commentary

64 The school has rightly highlighted problem solving as an area in which pupils need to improve and a great deal of work has been done to improve this area of teaching. This is beginning to have an impact on pupils’ work, but there is further scope to develop this area in the daily lesson.

p.26

Commentary

65 The subject leader is highly knowledgeable and because of the close monitoring of pupils and teachers, has a good understanding of pupils’ achievement. The good analysis that has been carried out highlights the areas for improvement and significant effective action has subsequently been undertaken. One example has been the introduction of targets that are based upon expected progress. This is starting to have an impact on the ways in which teachers arrange programmes of work, but it has not yet ensured that targets have become an effective planning tool for teachers.

p.26

Commentary

66 Pupils in Years 4 to 6 are organised into ability groups for this subject, with the most able receiving a separate programme of work, taught by the subject leader. This is helping them to achieve, in most cases, very well. The school is aware of this and is rightly pleased with the systems it has in place to achieve this. The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection, with good improvement in the role of the subject leader.

p.26

Mathematics across the curriculum

Park End Primary - 27 The skills of numeracy are not always consistently developed across the curriculum and this is an area that has yet to be further developed.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good leadership and management. • Good teaching means pupils are fully engaged and enjoy lessons. • Good focus on teaching pupils to predict and devise a fair test. • Good development of numeracy skills through science. • The organisation of some lessons sometimes adversely affects the pace. • Pupils’ knowledge of scientific terms is weak and this limits the extent to which they can explain their work. • Standards are below average by end of Year 6.

p.27

Commentary

67 The subject is led and managed well and as a result, standards in the school are improving. By the end of Year 2 and 6 pupils’ attainment is below that expected nationally, but this shows an improvement on pupils’ previous performance. Pupils’ achievement is at least satisfactory, as at the time of the previous inspection. The co-ordinators have already successfully ensured that there are now increased opportunities for pupils to investigate. The regular checking of all teachers’ plans means that work is carefully planned to meet the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs. There is now a concerted drive to improve pupils’ understanding of scientific words and their ability to write about their investigations. In the lessons observed, teachers generally succeeded in helping pupils to use the appropriate terms when describing their work, though there is still a long way to go

p.27

Commentary

68 Teaching has improved since the previous inspection when it was mostly satisfactory. The best teaching provides a range of interesting investigations and challenges for pupils. Resources are good and are used effectively. Teachers build carefully on previous work and make sure that pupils develop scientific skills progressively. There is clear evidence of good links with numeracy in pupils’ work, such as in measuring and in producing results in various kinds of tables and graphs. In the very good lesson observed, Year 6 pupils successfully followed instructions to carry out a range of experiments about forces. They still found difficulty in explaining ideas and solutions but gained a secure understanding of the main ideas and processes. The teacher organised the lesson very well, giving effective guidance to all groups and asking suitably challenging questions that encouraged prediction and

p.27

Commentary

reasoning. The pace was brisk and pupils learned effectively. In a few lessons, the pace slowed because the teacher spent too long with individual pupils, leaving some others with little to do. At times, pupils lose confidence when faced with too many instructions and when they are unsure of the meaning of words such as ‘observe.’

p.27

Commentary

69 The increased emphasis on developing speaking and listening skills is beginning to have an impact on pupils’ learning. However, though most lessons clearly focused on attentive listening, with good use being made of different types of questioning to engage the pupils, opportunities were occasionally missed to develop pupils’ speaking skills. For example, in one Year 4 lesson, although some pupils willingly made suggestions for devising a simple electrical circuit, many were reluctant to do so and were insufficiently encouraged to contribute. Park End Primary - 28

p.27

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in ICT is very good. The provision and outcomes are strengths of the school.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above national expectations by the ages of 7 and 11 • When children start school standards are low and the rapid progress they make throughout school means that achievement is high. • All staff have good skills and this helps them to teach pupils well • ICT is developed well in most other subjects • The school has invested a great deal of money in computers and interactive whiteboards and this is having a significant, positive impact on standards in all subjects. • The good use of support staff, in particular the technical assistant, is helping teachers to spend more time helping pupils while the equipment is prepared and maintained to a good level. • A computer club out of school hours is helping pupils to develop their skills even further. • Improvement since the last inspection is very good.

p.28

Commentary

70 Standards in this subject are above national expectations for pupils by Years 2 and 6. Pupils are confident in a wide range of applications for ICT. Achievement is high because of the rapid progress pupils make during their time at the school, from a low starting point.

p.28

Commentary

71 In all of the lessons observed, the staff’s good subject knowledge ensured that pupils achieved their very best. In one good lesson, the teacher helped pupils to move on to much more complex tasks when it was realised that they were picking up the intended learning intention much faster than expected. In a very good lesson, the range of activities from ‘mission control’ to digitally recording sounds using the ‘sound morpher,’ led to a buzz of excitement in the class. In the same lesson, there was an inevitable program crash, but pupils showed good problem solving skills, using the task manager to end the program and to reload. Such confidence levels meant that as much time as possible was spent learning new applications and skills.

p.28

Commentary

72 The school’s significant investment in ICT equipment means that there are no barriers to raising achievement in this subject. The training that has taken place for all staff means that the equipment is used effectively and this is further helping pupils to achieve well.

p.28

Commentary

73 The good skills of the technical assistant are having a positive impact on teaching. This is because problems with computers can be remedied while the teacher continues to teach the class. All support staff are well trained and this helps the teachers to deploy them effectively to support and challenge all pupils.

p.28

Commentary

74 The newly appointed subject leader has been well briefed by the previous co-ordinator and as a result, has already a good picture of achievement in the subject. There has been a very good improvement in this subject since the last inspection, during which pupils were hesitant and making unsatisfactory progress.

p.28

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

CT is developed well in most other subjects. For example, in one good English lesson, pupils changed everyday adverbs into much more colourful choices, using the computers’ thesaurus. Pupils were effectively taught to use the mouse to highlight individual words and used keyboard shortcuts to open the thesaurus. Other pupils were given drop down lists to choose the most Park End Primary - 29 exciting word and support staff, along with the teacher, effectively helped pupils to achieve their best. In most other subjects, the interactive whiteboards are used well as a teaching aid.

p.28

HUMANITIES

Geography, history, religious education .

p.29

HUMANITIES

No geography lessons were seen during the inspection because most classes were focusing on history topics. Inspectors looked at a sample of work and held discussions with pupils about their work in geography.

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school is developing its programme of work to more effectively meet the needs of its pupils. • This has yet to be fully developed, monitored and evaluated by the co-ordinator. • Standards by end of Year 2 are in line with those expected nationally and pupils achieve well. • Standards are well below national expectations by the end of Year 6.

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Commentary

75 Evidence from the scrutiny of work and discussions with pupils indicates that by Year 6, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of places and geographical skills, such as mapping skills, are insecure and that attainment is well below national expectations. Standards by the end of Year 6 are not as good as they were at the time of the previous inspection, when the pupils’ attainment was average. Although pupils know that places differ in terms of size, location and climate, their wider geographical knowledge is scant. Pupils’ limited vocabulary leads to confusion between ‘town, county’ and ‘country,’ for example, in suggesting that there are around 50 ‘countries’ in the British Isles. Pupils know that Kenya is in Africa, but do not know where Africa is located on a world map. Some pupils recall that ‘wind flags’ measure the speed of wind and are unable to name instruments that measure wind and rainfall. None

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Commentary

of the groups know how to locate places and features on maps, using grid references.

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Commentary

76 In contrast, between Years 1 and 4, pupils achieve well. They understand ways of measuring wind and rainfall and name ‘wind compass, rain gauge,’ and ‘anemometer’ as instruments. By Year 4, pupils understand different weather features, such as monsoons in India and polar weather. They recognise the weather symbols used on charts and maps.

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Commentary

77 The school is adapting its curriculum planning and delivery to provide meaningful contexts for learning and to improve continuity and progression. Co-ordinators are enthusiastic and have been developing topic work to link with the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, but this is still at an early stage. The co-ordinators are suitably involved in checking teachers’ plans, but still have little involvement in monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning, as at the time of the previous inspection. Park End Primary - 30

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils attain standards in line with expectations by the end of Year 6, making very good progress. • Pupils achieve well. • Effective teaching inspires and motivates the pupils. • The use of ICT supports this area of learning well. • Monitoring of the teaching and learning by the co-ordinator is limited. • There is a limited range of reference and non-fiction books in the library for the pupils to borrow.

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Commentary

78 Pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations by the end of Years 2 and 6, similar to those at the time of the previous inspection. Pupils’ achievement is good, as there is very good progress from the low attainment on entry. By Year 2, pupils have secure knowledge and understanding of the past and similarities and differences between then and the present day. By Year 6, pupils recall major events and recognise some of the causes and consequences of these. Visits to museums significantly enliven topics and enable pupils to gain a clear insight into life in the past.

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Commentary

79 The standard of teaching has improved since the last inspection. At its most effective, the past is illustrated well through the introduction of practical activities, including role play and visits. Teachers have good subject knowledge, are well prepared and planning is good. The pupils are given clear guidance about lesson aims and they use a wide range of methods to demonstrate their historical knowledge. For example in Year 6, the pupils produced mind maps to demonstrate the differences in Victorian times. Pupils have positive attitudes. The majority display confidence in the lessons and present work well. History is used very effectively to support other areas of the curriculum. In the lessons observed, there were often good links between history and other subjects, including ICT and English. The teachers make good use of artefacts and the reference books that are in school, though pupils are not

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Commentary

always able to support their learning by choosing from a range of historical books in the school library.

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Commentary

80 The co-ordinator has a general overview of the history curriculum and studies teachers’ plans each half term. However, she has not had sufficient opportunity to monitor standards, either through observations or analyses of work, as at the time of the previous inspection.

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Religious Education

Provision in religious education is good.

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Strengths and weaknesses

• The co-ordinator provides good leadership and management of the subject and supports staff effectively. • Good cross-curricular links are made with other subjects. • There is a good policy and programme of work that fulfils the recommendations of the locally agreed syllabus. • Learning resources are good, well cared for, stored and effectively used. • The co-ordinator has not had the opportunity to monitor in classrooms. • Consistent procedures for assessment are not yet established. Park End Primary - 31 • There is limited use of visitors to school to talk about their faith and visits to religious places.

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Commentary

81 By the age of 7, pupils have a good knowledge of Christianity, helped by a visit to the local Anglican church. By the age of 11, pupils have good knowledge of Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism. They know several Bible stories and have secure knowledge about some missionaries and saints. All pupils, including those with special educational needs make good progress and have equality of access and opportunity. The majority of pupils attain the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus.

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Commentary

82 Pupils are provided with a good range of learning opportunities and the subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Good cross-curricular links are made, for example with literacy and art. The pupils in Year 3 had studied Islamic patterns and had looked at a prayer mat and other artefacts to inspire designs. They knew that patterns based on constellations are used to decorate mosques and are used in works of art.

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Commentary

83 Assemblies are broadly of a Christian nature and provide good opportunities for pupils to listen to music, sing hymns and reflect on such issues as family, friends and world peace. The daily acts of collective worship meet statutory requirements. In the Y1 lesson observed, the pupils achieved well when learning to respond to basic ideas about God as creator and His care for everyone.

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Commentary

84 Pupils make good use of their literacy skills when carrying out research. For example when learning about Hinduism, the pupils wrote about the story of ‘Rama and Sita.’ Good use has been made of ICT. For example in Year 3, pupils had designed a Power Point presentation about Christmas and in Years 5 and 6 pupils had used the internet to collect information when learning about Islam.

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Commentary

85 The school has maintained good standards in religious education since the last inspection. The subject lacks the enhancement of including a wide range of visits and visitors to talk to pupils about different faiths. While the co-ordinator provides good support for colleagues, there have not yet been opportunities for classroom monitoring and the use of assessment is not yet established.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Leadership and management of the subject are good. • The curriculum is devised well and provides a wide range of stimulating experiences for pupils. • Achievement is good and standards are in line with those expected for pupils aged 7 and 11.

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Commentary

86 Art and design is given a high profile in the school and is used well to complement pupils’ learning in other subjects. The co-ordination of the subject is good, as at the time of the previous inspection and there are very good plans for developing it further as part of the performing arts, including the use of story telling, drama, puppetry and music. The co- ordinators are refining the programme for pupils and they already monitor teachers’ planning Park End Primary - 32 to ensure there is progression in the teaching and learning of skills and techniques. Good support is provided for staff through ‘team teaching’ and training sessions. Good systems have been developed to monitor progress. These include good tracking and self evaluation forms for monitoring pupils’ activities and the range of resources and media teachers have used in lessons.

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Commentary

87 As at the time of the previous inspection, the curriculum provides a wealth of interesting experiences, using a wide range of resources. The attractive displays around the school provide good examples of these. In links with religious education and science, for example, Year 5 pupils produced detailed Islamic patterns, based on the constellations and Aboriginal and African patterns using a wide range of techniques and materials. There is a good focus on art appreciation, where pupils learn about and work in the ways of artists such as Domeneche, Mucha and Klimt. These stimulating examples successfully enable pupils, including those with special educational needs, to make good progress in both their knowledge and understanding of different techniques and styles and to attain satisfactory standards by the end of Year 6. The standards are similar to those at the time of the previous inspection.

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Design and Technology

Provision in design and technology is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The emphasis that is placed upon developing literacy through design and technology is having a positive impact on standards in both subjects. • Teaching is good and this helps pupils to achieve well • Standards are as expected nationally at the ages of 7 and 11, but taking into consideration the low starting point in reception, pupils make good progress and achieve well. • The subject leader does not have a full picture of how well pupils achieve.

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Commentary

88 The standards that pupils attain at the age of 7 and 11 are as expected nationally and are similar to those at the time of the previous inspection. When children first enter the school their attainment is low and the progress that pupils make throughout school means that achievement is good. Pupils with special educational needs achieve particularly well because of the practical nature of the subject and the support they receive in recording their work. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory and standards have been maintained.

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Commentary

89 There has been a strong emphasis on developing design and technology alongside literacy skills. The subject leader highlighted the development of a number of successful projects, such as bread making in literacy lessons, so that instructions could be more fully understood. There is also good evidence of the skills of labelling diagrams, annotating sketches and recount writing being developed well throughout the school. There are many good opportunities also for pupils to develop speaking and listening skills.

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Commentary

90 Teaching is good. In one lesson, pupils produced good models of monsters using a pneumatic movement system. The teacher’s good subject knowledge and good use of questioning helped pupils to explain their ideas clearly and to develop their thinking skills well. Despite the positive influence of the co-ordinator in developing the links with literacy, there have not yet been opportunities for her to gain a good overview of pupils’ achievement in the subject. Park End Primary - 33

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Physical Education

Provision in physical education is satisfactory

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Main Strengths and weaknesses

• The subject leader has developed the subject well through the involvement in the school sports co-ordinator scheme. • The fairly new sports hall is beginning to have an impact on the provision. • There are many out of school hours’ activities that are helping pupils to achieve. • The subject leader does not yet have enough opportunity to assess pupils’ achievement in the subject.

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Commentary

91 Standards are in line with national expectations at the ages of 7 and 11, as they were at the time of the previous inspection. When children first enter the school, standards are below expected levels. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and this is due to increasing opportunities to develop their skills in this subject.

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Commentary

92 The most significant development that has taken place in the past year is the school’s involvement in the school sports co-ordinator scheme, which is a network of primary schools, working in partnership with the local secondary school. This has greatly increased the opportunities for staff training and for activities for pupils, such as tag rugby, high 5 netball, dance, karate, table tennis and a range of competitions with other schools. This is beginning to have a positive impact on raising standards. Some of these activities are repeated out of school hours, and there are further good opportunities for pupils to develop skills beyond the normal curriculum.

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Commentary

93 The quality of teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, and, in good lessons, there is a careful balance of short instruction and activity. In less successful lessons, teachers spend too long giving instructions and this leads to pupils becoming restless.

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Commentary

94 The resources and accommodation for the subject are very good and the subject leader has sound plans to develop these further over time. The subject leader, however, does not yet have enough opportunity to assess pupils’ achievement in the subject. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory but the issues relating to assessment and monitoring have not yet been fully addressed.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Leadership and management of the subject are good. • The good support given to non-specialist teachers has a positive impact on standards and quality. • Standards are broadly in line with national expectations and achievement is good. • There is a range of opportunities for pupils to perform both in and outside of school. • Good support from the LEA’s peripatetic music service provides opportunities for pupils to learn to play brass instruments, guitar and recorder. • Resources are generally good but there is a limited range of instruments and recorded music for multi-cultural music. Park End Primary - 34 • There are too few opportunities for pupils to explore sounds and create their own compositions. • ICT is underdeveloped in music. • Assessment of music education is not yet in place.

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Commentary

95 The standards of work are similar to the previous inspection, broadly in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2 and slightly below these in Year 6. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress and achieve well. Good progress has been made in teaching and learning since the last inspection. Pupils have a more secure sense of pulse, more instruments are available and the music co-ordinator is released to give support to class teachers as they deliver their own music lessons. This has had a positive impact on the quality of teaching and learning. There is good accommodation for music lessons and pupils have adequate space in the music room to move around for practical activities. For example in a Year 5 lesson, children had sufficient space to march around in time to a piece of music to demonstrate their ability to keep a steady beat. Music plays an

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Commentary

important part in assemblies, where pupils listen to the works of famous composers such as Vivaldi. Pupils sing hymns and songs tunefully and with clarity.

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Commentary

96 The music co-ordinator gave good support to a teacher who taught music to her class of Y5 pupils. The class listened with concentration to short extracts from the Planets Suite by Holst and compared different extracts. This provided them with a good opportunity to develop their speaking and listening skills and they talked about the music, using the correct musical vocabulary. The pupils read simple rhythm patterns and kept a steady beat. However, there were not enough opportunities for pupils to compose their own music and to make use of ICT. A simple system of assessment that is effective and manageable has yet to be developed.

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Citizenship

Three lessons in personal, social and health education and Citizenship were seen in different stages of the school.

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Citizenship

Provision in Citizenship is good. The pupils make good progress and achieve well. This is because there is good teaching, high expectations and effective use of outside agencies to support learning in this area.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The pupils’ behaviour is good throughout the school • The quality of teaching is good and the caring attitudes encourage the pupils to be responsible and well behaved. • There are good opportunities for the pupils to discuss their behaviour in society. • The School Council provides a forum for debate, the elected pupils speaking with confidence and with an awareness of their responsibilities in the school. • After starting school with poor social skills, the pupils make good progress in this area, demonstrating good co-operation and willingness to take responsibility.

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Commentary

97 Standards are good. After starting school with poor social skills, the children settle well and respond to the set procedures and expectations of good behaviour. Pupils learn to co- Park End Primary - 35 operate, share and take responsibility for their own actions and develop these attributes well. By Year 6, the pupils take responsibility for themselves and others. They debate issues seriously and understand the impact their actions can have on others. They treat each other with respect, the majority showing self-discipline. The pupils achieve well.

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Commentary

98 In all the lessons observed, pupils’ behaviour and attitudes towards others were good. In the early years, Citizenship is taught well as an integral part of subjects. For example in assembly, the children in the reception to Year 2 classes followed the theme of sharing and this was continued in class to good effect. The teaching of Citizenship is more specifically developed for the older pupils in Years 5 and 6, with a structured programme provided by the Local Authority’s Attendance and Behaviour Unit. This series of lessons is having a positive impact on pupils’ attitude. In the lesson seen on anti-social behaviour the pupils responded with enthusiasm, demonstrating a deep awareness of the impact that vandalism, noisy behaviour and harassment can have on members of the community. The use of role play, drama and actual examples of anti-social behaviour made the pupils aware of their role in society.

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Commentary

99 The older pupils are given responsibilities in the school. The elected School Council from pupils in Years 5 and 6 meets on a weekly basis. The newly elected council displayed enthusiasm and felt a responsibility to make school life better. They debated well, expressing their views with clarity and conviction. They listened well to each other, taking turns to express their views and then successfully report their discussions to the rest of the pupils in the school. Park End Primary - 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 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 4 Value for money provided by the school 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 5 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 5 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3 The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 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 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3 The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 4 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

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

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