Shaftesbury Junior School

AND COMMUNITY CENTRE

Dates of inspection: 3 rd – 6 th November 2003

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AND COMMUNITY CENTRE

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 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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AND COMMUNITY CENTRE

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. Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Junior School category: Community Age range of pupils: 7-11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 227

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Latimer Street Leicester Postcode: LE3 0QE

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 0116 2549203 Fax number: 0116 2756512

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Rev P Hobson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 17 th May 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Shaftesbury Junior School is situated in the city of Leicester and admits children from a wide area around the school. It has 227 boys and girls on roll that come from a wide range of ethnic groups. Less than half of the pupils are white British heritage. Approximately a quarter of the pupils are of Indian heritage. Other pupils come from a number of other ethnic backgrounds. The school admits a constantly changing number of pupils from families who are refugees, asylum seekers and economic migrants. The constant movement of these pupils makes the proportion of pupils entering and leaving the school at other than at the start of Year 3 or end of Year 6 double that found nationally. At the time of the inspection there were 19 pupils from such families. The school has a high proportion of pupils who have English as an additional language. Many of the Indian families have lived in England for more than one generation and the pupils speak English well. There are

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

thirty-two pupils in the school who are in the early stages of learning English who received specific support in their acquisition of English. This is a higher proportion than is found nationally. An average proportion of pupils are identified as having special educational needs. Fifteen of these pupils are supported under the School Action Plus programme and four pupils have a statement of special educational need. There is a wide range of individual special educational needs, such as moderate learning difficulties, emotional and behaviour difficulties, hearing impairment, physical disability and specific learning difficulties. The pupils transfer from three local infant schools with attainment that is generally below the national average in English, mathematics and science and there is a regular influx of pupils with no knowledge of English and having had a disrupted education. The school works

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

in collaboration with other schools as part of the Fullhurst Improvement Zone. A Community Centre shares the school site and collaborates on a number of initiatives. Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 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

22254 Hazel Callaghan Lead inspector Mathematics, history, geography, religious education. 11104 Michael Fleming Lay inspector 21750 Susan Hall Team inspector English, English as an additional language, special educational needs. 22704 Garry Williams Team inspector Science, information and communication technology, art and design, design and technology, physical education, music.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The inspection contractor was: Altecq Education Limited 102 Bath Road Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL53 7JX

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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 contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 25

Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 6

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Shaftesbury Junior School is a harmonious community where pupils of all ethnic groups, religions and backgrounds are valued and respected. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall and pupils make sound progress in their learning through the school. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Good progress has been made in raising standards in mathematics. • Standards in religious education are above those expected at the end of Year 6. • The school’s promotion of positive relationships and racial harmony is very good. • Pupils in Year 6 make good progress in their learning due to effective teaching. • Many teachers make insufficient use of assessment to plan their lessons so activities do not sufficiently promote the learning of pupils of different capabilities. • When taught by specialist teachers and support staff, pupils with special educational needs and those in the early stages of learning English make good progress and achieve well. • There is a good range of additional activities that enhance pupils’ learning and further develop their cultural awareness. • The school does not meet the requirements to provide a daily act of worship.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

The school was judged as satisfactory at the last inspection, but had four key issues to address. It has made effective progress in raising standards in mathematics, and in information and communication technology. Procedures for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the school have improved, but need further development to be fully effective. A daily act of worship has still not been implemented. Improvement has been satisfactory overall.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils achieve satisfactorily overall across all subjects. Pupils enter the school with generally below average standards and many start school in the early stages of learning English. Pupils make good progress in developing their reading skills to an average standard by Year 6. Due to the high proportion of pupils who enter the school with limited English, standards in speaking, listening and writing are well below average. Many of these pupils are also refugees, asylum seekers or economic migrants. This is a very mobile group and many of these pupils enter and leave the school throughout the year. This has a significant impact on standards in English.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

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

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The standards attained in the 2003 national tests represent good achievement in

mathematics and science. Standards in mathematics and science have risen due to the focus on improving the provision and the good progress made by pupils in Year 6. Pupils in the early stages of learning English achieve well. The school effectively identifies the needs of these pupils and they are given good levels of support from specialist staff. Some pupils with English as an additional language make very good achievement and go on to attain standards similar to their peers. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs is also good. Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 7 Standards in information and communication technology have improved since the previous inspection because of the much better range of equipment available and the improved expertise of the teachers. Standards in information and communication technology are now broadly in line with those expected but pupils’ computer skills are not being sufficiently used in other subjects.

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The standards attained in the 2003 national tests represent good achievement in

Standards in all other subjects are also broadly in line with those expected, except in religious education where they are above those set out in the locally Agreed Syllabus. The provision for

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pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. The

promotion of pupils’ cultural awareness is very good. The promotion of positive relationships and racial harmony are very good. Pupils’ attitudes are good and most behave well. Attendance is unsatisfactory and this has a detrimental affect on the learning of some pupils.

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The quality of education provided is satisfactory. The quality of teaching is satisfactory

overall. There is often very good teaching in Year 6 and the co-ordinators for the English, mathematics and science often teach very good quality lessons so pupils’ learn well. Procedures for assessment have improved since the previous inspection, but need further development, as many teachers do not use assessment information sufficiently to ensure the tasks provided in lessons enable all pupils to succeed and make good progress. The curriculum is enhanced by a very good range of additional activities especially in sport and music.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The headteacher and deputy headteacher work well together. Co-ordinators are now involved in monitoring the quality of education provided in their subjects, but procedures are not sufficiently rigorous to ensure the development of good quality of teaching. Governors are extending their knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the school effectively and becoming more active in promoting strategic planning. Financial management is efficient. Governors carry out most of their statutory roles appropriately, but the required daily act of worship is not provided and, in this area, governance is unsatisfactory.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are generally supportive of the school and feel that it provides good levels of care and support for pupils. They welcome the opportunities to talk with staff, but do not feel sufficiently well- informed about how well their child is progressing. Pupils are generally happy at school and like their teachers. Older pupils would like to have more opportunities to make their views known and have a greater impact on school life.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Raise pupils’ standards in speaking and writing • Develop pupils’ skills in information and communication technology across all subjects. • Ensure teachers use information about what pupils already know and can do to plan their lessons so pupils’ learning is extended and they are enabled to achieve better standards. • Further develop the procedures for monitoring the education provided and manage the process successfully so that strategies promote effective improvement. • Provide a daily act of worship to meet statutory requirements. Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement is satisfactory, overall and good in Year 6. Many pupils in the early stages of learning English make good achievement. Pupils with special educational needs also achieve well .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in mathematics at the end of Year 6 rose in the national tests due to improved strategies for teaching. • Standards in science are in line with the national average and pupils achieve well. • When taught by specialist teachers and support staff, pupils with special educational needs and those in the early stages of learning English make good progress and achieve well. • Standards in information and communication technology have risen significantly since previous inspection and are now satisfactory. • Standards in religious education are above those expected at the end of Year 6.

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Commentary

1. Standards in the 2003 national tests were average in mathematics and science. This represents good achievement especially in Year 6. Standards in English were well below the national average because of the high proportion of pupils who enter the school in the early stages of learning English.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in2003

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 24.4 (26.0) 26.8 (27.0) Mathematics 25.7 (24.5) 26.8 (26.7) Science 28.0 (27.9) 28.6 (28.3)

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Commentary

There were [number] pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

2. Pupils achieve satisfactorily, overall. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress. Pupils enter the school with standards that are below average in English and mathematics. Approximately seven per cent of pupils through the school are in the early stages of learning English and this has a significant impact on their standards in English and in other subjects. Many of these pupils are also refugees, asylum seekers or economic migrants. This is a very mobile part of the school population and many of these pupils enter and leave the school throughout the year. The school effectively identifies the needs of these pupils and they are given good levels of support from specialist staff. They often achieve well. Some make very good achievement and go on to attain standards similar to their peers. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs is also good. Teachers and the co-ordinator for

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Commentary

special educational needs provision quickly evaluate what additional help pupils require to enable them to learn effectively. Pupils learn well when they receive the additional support within the classroom or within specific activities to build their knowledge of letter sounds. However, when there is limited additional support in class or on the occasions where this is less effective, the progress they make is less rapid.

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Commentary

3. Currently pupils are attaining standards that are well below those expected in their speaking skills and writing. Standards in reading are broadly average and are the result of the good focus in teaching and consequently pupils’ good achievement. There is a greater proportion of Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 9 pupils in the current Year 6 with special educational needs and those who learn English as an additional language and they are less likely to do as well in mathematics this year. Although working within the expected levels, standards overall are below average at present. Pupils’ absence from school is also a negative influence on standards. In science, pupils attained above average standards in 2002, and average standards in 2003 represent their good achievement given the high proportion of pupils with English as an additional language. This is the result of effective strategies for pupils’ learning through hands-on investigation and

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Commentary

4. From the scrutiny of pupils’ work and from the lessons observed, standards in the non-core subjects are generally in line with those expected nationally. In information and communication technology, standards are in line with those expected, which is an improvement on the standards identified at the previous report. The improved levels of knowledge and skills are due to the better range and number of computers and other equipment and staff’s greater expertise in teaching computer skills. Standards in religious education are above those identified in the locally agreed syllabus and are the result of effective teaching especially in Years 5 and 6.

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Commentary

5. Pupils generally make good progress in lessons that are led by teachers with very good levels of expertise, such as the literacy co-ordinator and the mathematics co-ordinator. Progress in lessons is also good in Year 6 where teachers more readily provide activities well matched to the different abilities of pupils in their classes. When good levels of support are given to these different ability groups, good achievement is made. In the 2003 national tests, for example, there was a greater proportion of pupils attaining the higher standard of Level 5 in writing and mathematics due to the good support given to the potentially higher attaining pupils. Pupils with special educational needs are provided with good quality guidance and support by the teaching assistant, and pupils often make good progress towards their individual targets for learning. In lessons where the additional support is not available, pupils with special educational needs

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Commentary

6. In the last two years, boys have achieved less well than the girls in English and mathematics. This was not the case in the previous two years and is due largely to the mobility of pupils and their levels of ability on entry to the school. In the classes where teachers effectively identify the learning needs of their pupils, girls and boys make similar progress. Targets for 2004 are challenging. The school plans to provide additional support for pupils who have the potential to attain the expected standards and so achieve the targets set.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development are good . Attendance is unsatisfactory .

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Strengths and weaknesses

• Relationships through the school are very good. The school is a happy community where there are very good levels of tolerance and racial harmony. • Provision for pupils’ moral and social development is good and that for cultural development is very good. • Opportunities for pupils to develop their spiritual awareness are not sufficiently provided in acts of worship. • The level of attendance is unsatisfactory. It interrupts many pupils’ effective learning and limits their achievement and standards. • The school has good strategies for monitoring and promoting attendance. • Some parents are insufficiently committed to ensuring their children are always at school when they ought to be.

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Commentary

Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 10 7. Pupils have good attitudes to school, most are happy to attend and enjoy the range of activities they are involved in. Discussions with pupils indicate they enjoy a range of subjects especially when there are practical tasks involved. Most concentrate well and try hard with their work although many younger pupils could try harder to produce their work neatly.

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Commentary

8. The behaviour of most pupils is good and has improved since the previous inspection. Most behave well in class and at play, and readily do as they are asked. Whilst the behaviour of pupils as they move around the school is sometimes a little casual and impolite, most pupils are aware of the needs of those around them. A small number of parents and pupils think behaviour is not as good as it might be and that there is a small amount of bullying in school. However, they are confident that when bullying occurs it is handled effectively by staff. Pupils are confident that staff readily help to sort out any problems. In the last year, three pupils have been temporarily excluded from school for a total of four occasions because of their unacceptable behaviour. There are very good relationships through the school and pupils from different cultural heritage’s get on very well together. Pupils believe the multicultural nature of

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Ethnic Background of Pupils Exclusions in the last year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 97 1 0 White – any other White background 2 2 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 12 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 5 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 5 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 55 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 2 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 5 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 7 1 0 Black or Black British – African 11 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 2 0 0 Chinese 4 0 0 Any other ethnic group 13 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Ethnic Background of Pupils Exclusions in the last year

9. The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good with some areas of particular strength and others of weakness. The school does not plan for the development pupils’ spiritual awareness and although it is often well developed in religious education and other lessons, opportunities are missed in assembly to develop this awareness further. Assemblies do not meet statutory requirements to provide opportunities for reflection or prayer. Provision for pupils’ moral and social development is good and they are encouraged to be caring and help each other. This is particularly effective when those who have been in school for a little while help those who are newly arrived to the school and may have little English. The provision to develop pupils’ cultural awareness is very good. The staff use the richness of cultures in the school to promote pupils’ tolerance and respect for one another.

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Ethnic Background of Pupils Exclusions in the last year

The school organises a wide range of visits to places of local interest including places of Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 11 worship and organises a very effective series of links with local organisations and businesses. Displays in school also value the wide range of cultures in school and help pupils to learn more about each other. The opportunity to learn how to play the steel pans is a popular activity for pupils and staff.

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Attendance

10. Despite the school’s good strategies for monitoring and promoting attendance, the level of attendance remains persistently well below the national average. The most recent published figure is an improvement over that given in the last inspection report, where it was described as satisfactory, but by current standards the situation is poor. The school understands well the reasons for particular pupils’ absence or occasional lateness at the start of the school day, and works with firm sensitivity to improve the situation. The long-standing problem of parents who take their children out of school without good reason or for extended periods continues to depress the school’s attendance figures and means that these pupils do not always complete the same amount of work as their peers and this impacts on their achievement and standards.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 6.3 School data 1.1 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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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory overall, but is enriched by very good links with the community and additional activities that enhance pupils’ learning.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, however in Year 6, pupils make good progress in their learning because teaching is typically good and often better than this.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers stimulate pupils’ good levels of attention and commitment to learning. • Teachers expect pupils to behave well and to show good levels of concentration. • The use of assessment to inform future planning is unsatisfactory. • In many lessons, teachers do not sufficiently ensure activities effectively promote all pupils’ good learning. • Good progress is being made in developing teachers’ skills in promoting pupils’ writing and standards are beginning to rise.

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Commentary

11. Throughout the school there are examples of good and sometimes very good teaching but overall the quality of teaching is satisfactory because activities do not sufficiently build on what pupils already know and can do. In Year 6, pupils make good progress in their learning because teaching is usually good and often very good. Pupils of all capabilities achieve well in the Year 6 classes. Teachers effectively promote pupils’ thinking and challenge their ideas. Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 12 Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 36 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

0 6 (17%) 9 (25%) 16 (44%) 4 (11%) 1 (3%) 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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Commentary

12. Where teaching is less effective it is due to teachers not sufficiently ensuring pupils of all capabilities are being given tasks that match their learning needs. Teachers do not sufficiently use their on-going assessment of what pupils already know to provide activities that ensure all make good learning and so effectively extend their understanding. During the inspection, two classes were taught by two temporary teachers who did not know their classes and they were unfamiliar with the planning. This resulted in two of the unsatisfactory lessons observed and the one poor lesson.

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Commentary

13. In the most effective lessons, teachers motivate pupils’ very good attitudes and desire to do well. The pace of the lesson is brisk and no time is wasted. Pupils are clear about what is expected of them and respond well. In the very best of lessons, all pupils, whatever their abilities, are challenged and their understanding extended effectively. The teaching of English and mathematics is satisfactory overall. Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure, but it is the inconsistent use of assessment to inform their planning that results in only satisfactory teaching overall.

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Commentary

14. Pupils with special educational needs are provided with good quality guidance and support by the teaching assistants and they often make good progress towards their individual learning targets. In lessons where the additional support is not available, pupils with special educational needs make overall satisfactory progress. Similarly, those pupils who are in the early stages of learning English are taught effectively in their withdrawal sessions and when the specialist support staff are in class lessons. At these times, pupils, make good progress in their learning. Some pupils with English as an additional language make very good progress and this has enabled them to attain similar standards to their peers in Year 6. In some lessons, however, insufficient focus is given to ensuring these pupils understand the new vocabulary being used and this hinders their effective learning. In Year 6, the potentially higher attaining pupils are

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Commentary

effectively identified, and whole class discussions and additional challenging tasks effectively extends their thinking. In other classes, the learning needs of the potentially higher attaining pupils are not always sufficiently met.

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Commentary

15. Good progress is being made in developing teachers’ skills in promoting pupils’ writing and standards are beginning to rise. The school has identified the need to provide greater opportunities to develop pupils’ speaking skills and their use of expressive language. Satisfactory strategies are being used to develop pupils’ knowledge and skills in English and mathematics and they are beginning to have an impact on raising standards.

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Commentary

16. The use of assessment to inform future planning is unsatisfactory. The progress of individual pupils is not yet examined in sufficient detail to inform future planning and teaching. Marking is inconsistent. Whilst praise is evident, the marking is not used as a regular strategy to inform pupils of what they need to do to improve. As a result, many pupils lack awareness of their own progress and the older pupils are not yet involved in developing their own self-assessment skills. Homework is not sufficiently used to reinforce and extend learning. This is an issue from the previous inspection that still needs to be addressed.

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Commentary

17. The school is now effectively analysing annual performance data from statutory and optional tests for English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology. This Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 13 provides the school with evidence to set targets and monitor progress of pupils according to gender and ethnicity as well as pupils with special educational needs. When fully embedded it will provide the information to structure support to meet pupils’ needs and set achievement targets effectively. There is insufficient formal monitoring of pupils’ attainment and progress in other subjects to ensure their good progress.

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The curriculum

The curriculum is satisfactory overall and it is enhanced by the very good provision of a variety of additional activities that promote pupils’ learning.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Activities that enrich the curriculum, including pupils’ learning in sport and the arts, are very good. • Not enough use is made of information and communication technology to support learning in other subjects. • Resources for reading are very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

18. The curriculum fulfils all statutory requirements, which is an improvement since the last inspection when provision for information and communication technology (ICT) was inadequate. However, staff do not make enough use of classroom computers to support cross-curricular links in other subjects. There are strengths in curriculum planning for religious education that includes good work of a range of faiths.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

19. The national strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy skills are used effectively. Planning in other subjects is appropriately linked to national guidance. The amount of time devoted to teaching each subject is reasonable. All pupils have equality of access and opportunity to the curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs and those in the early stages of speaking English as an additional language receive good quality additional support although this is sometimes restricted by the availability of staff.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

20. The opportunities to enrich the curriculum are very good. The school makes very effective use of a range of visits to local places of interest and invites a wide and stimulating range of visitors into the school to talk about their interests and demonstrate their talents. Of special merit is the link with a local bank whereby staff visit school on a regular basis to support reading activities. The school has also prioritised the development of cultural interests and has invited dancers and musical performers to the school. Many visits to places of interest are used to enhance pupils’ learning in history and geography through first hand experience. There is a wide range of extra-curricular clubs and activities with some stimulating and high quality work using steel pans and in other areas of the creative arts. These activities successfully enrich the curriculum in sports and the arts and are a strength of the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

21. The resources of the school are satisfactory overall and those for English are good. The library is very well stocked and the pupils enjoy using the wide range of exciting new reading materials. There are some limitations in the accommodation where pupils have to walk through one class to get to another and the playground is small for the number of pupils, but the additional rooms for community use and areas for group work are used well.

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Care, guidance and support

The provision for pupils’ care, guidance and support are good overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are happy at school. Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 14 • Provision for pupils’ health and safety are good. • Teaching and non-teaching staff develop good relationships with pupils. • Pupils have a limited understanding of their progress in most subjects. • There is no mechanism for systematically gathering pupils’ views.

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Commentary

22. The school has good systems for ensuring pupils’ health and safety. There are effective health and safety procedures, such as for maintenance and medication, and appropriate documentation is kept, such as that for recording accidents. There are regular fire safety checks and a good number of staff are trained as first aiders. The school’s system for child protection is led effectively by the deputy headteacher.

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Commentary

23. Most pupils enjoy coming to school. They feel secure, respected and valued. Arrangements for the induction of new pupils are basically good but the transfer of information is not equally secure from all their previous schools. The staff at Shaftesbury are careful to assemble as much appropriate information as possible about pupils who do not enter at the usual stage, such as the children of asylum seekers. The needs of pupils who have educational, linguistic or social difficulties or enter the school at other than the normal stage are effectively identified. This enables appropriate provision to be made and as a result they make good progress.

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Commentary

24. Although a good amount of information about pupils’ attainment and progress is collected, this is not routinely shared with pupils. Pupils in Year 6 describe how well they are doing in mathematics and, to a lesser extent, in English and science, but not in other subjects. Questioning in lessons helps teachers understand pupils’ progress, but the pupils themselves are less aware. Marking of work is inconsistent and often not helpful. Pupils therefore lack some of the information they need to help them to improve.

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Commentary

25. Respect for other people and their beliefs is promoted very well, so the school is a friendly and unthreatening environment where people of all ethnic backgrounds get on well with one another. Pupils also have good relationships with the adults in the school so they are comfortable asking for help from teachers or other staff, such as the learning mentor. Their access to such support is good and promotes their confidence. This development of pupils’ self-esteem has a beneficial impact on their learning. There is no mechanism for systematically gathering pupils’ views. There is no school council but pupils are willing to offer their opinions about aspects of school life, for example they discuss school rules and were instrumental in the adoption of an optional school uniform. Some pupils say they would like to play a more active role in the school.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school maintains satisfactory relations with parents. The community centre benefits pupils and parents, as well as the wider community. The school’s relationships with other schools are on balance satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff are readily available for consultation by parents. • Links with the local community are good. • Aspects of reports on pupils’ progress are inconsistent and insufficiently helpful for parents. • Communication and co-operation is not well developed with many of the local infant and secondary schools to ensure continuous effective learning for its pupils.

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Commentary

Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 15 26. Parents express satisfaction with the care the school provides for their children and appreciate its friendly atmosphere. They feel welcome in the school and say teachers are readily available to discuss concerns. They agree that a good range of activities is provided for pupils and that the school expects pupils to work hard. Parents are satisfied with the academic and personal progress that results from this. All those who answered the pre-inspection questionnaire reported that their children are happy at school. Some concerns were expressed about behaviour, although parents did not feel there was a culture of bullying in the school. Significant minorities of parents do not feel well informed about their children’s progress or that the school seeks their views.

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Commentary

27. Inspection findings provide general support for parents’ positive views. Information about the school, its policies and procedures which is provided to parents of new pupils is good and documents published by the school for parents have generally improved since the last inspection report. They contribute well to parents’ understanding and involvement in their children’s education, but the prospectus and governors’ annual report still do not include all the required information.

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Commentary

28. There are suitable opportunities for parents to discuss their children with teachers. Reports on pupils’ progress provide useful information about what pupils have learnt but the targets or advice about what pupils should do to improve are of very variable quality and usefulness. Parents are consulted from time to time, but they do not regard this as routine. However, they appreciate the school’s ‘open door’ policy and find it easy to approach members of staff with questions or problems. The headteacher is particularly easy to contact and other members of staff are also accessible.

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Commentary

29. Although there is no formal parent teacher association, parents organise occasional events to raise funds for school resources, which support their children’s education; others work in the school or help in lessons or on school visits. Some parents also benefit from wide range of courses in the community centre on the school site. Although this is no longer formally managed by the school, the school continues to have a strong interest in its success and provides financial and moral support which enhances the value of the school and the centre to the wider community.

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Commentary

30. The school has effective relationships with some of the schools that provide or receive its pupils, but not all. Information about incoming pupils is sometimes received too late from some schools, and there are few beneficial arrangements in place to ease the transfer of pupils to the secondary schools. The arrangements to support pupils’ transfer are, consequently, unsatisfactory overall.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory . The leadership of the headteacher is satisfactory . Management throughout the school is satisfactory . The governance of the school is unsatisfactory because aspects of statutory requirements are not fulfilled.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher and staff are committed to the social inclusion of all pupils and are effective in promoting a racially harmonious community. • The deputy headteacher has had a significant impact on improving the systems for assessment by which the senior management team evaluates the effectiveness of pupils’ learning. • The monitoring within the school is insufficiently rigorous to accurately determine the most effective strategies to ensure pupils achieve well and standards continue to rise. • The governing body are effectively developing their role to be more proactive in shaping the direction of the school. Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 16 • The leadership of the provision for English as an additional language is good. • Approaches to financial management are efficient and effective.

p.15

Commentary

31. The headteacher has a clear educational philosophy. His vision is underpinned by the belief that all pupils can succeed within a harmonious environment. He is well supported by an effective deputy head whose complementary skills create a balanced partnership for the management of the school. Both governors and parents support this view. The newly appointed senior management team are developing their role promoting the quality of education and thus improving pupils’ learning. The deputy headteacher has had a significant impact on improving the systems for assessment by which the senior management team evaluates the effectiveness of pupils’ learning. The school has effectively enabled all co- ordinators to develop their management roles and to gather evidence of standards in their subjects. The monitoring and evaluation of planning, teaching, learning and standards are, however, inconsistent and too much is being tackled at once and this reduces the positive

p.16

Commentary

impact of strategies for improvement. Key staff acknowledge that the monitoring of teaching and learning is an area that requires review and further development if standards are to rise.

p.16

Commentary

32. The governing body, led by a new chairperson, is committed and enthusiastic . Governors are aware that they need to develop their role to support the headteacher to shape the vision and direction of the school more effectively. They also recognise that they require greater in depth knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the school in order for them to become more proactive. Most statutory requirements are met, but the school does not provide a daily act of worship and in this respect it has not improved since the previous inspection.

p.16

Commentary

33. Approaches to financial management are efficient and effective. They apply principles of best value satisfactorily and are prepared to ask challenging questions. The governing body works very closely with the headteacher and the bursar when preparing draft budgets. These procedures are secure and effective preparation of budgets begins in September for the following financial year. This system results in smooth and effective development of the final budget.

p.16

Commentary

34. The headteacher is committed to pupils’ social inclusion. Pupils are valued as individuals. The school is effective in integrating pupils from a wide variety of abilities and different backgrounds, particularly those who are refugees and asylum seekers who usually have English as an additional language. However, pupils’ equal opportunities for learning is not sufficiently ensured because lessons do not consistently provide activities that match the learning needs of all pupils in the class.

p.16

Commentary

35. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory overall and with some strengths. The co-ordinator for the provision of special educational needs has a good grasp of her role and manages the administration of support programs well. She ensures that pupils receive help where necessary and that pupils who make good progress are removed from the register of special needs so that support can be targeted elsewhere. Individual education plans are satisfactory although varying in quality with some information missing from some plans. Whilst the quality of support is satisfactory overall and is often good, some general classroom support is barely satisfactory. This is because the co-ordinator for special educational needs has little opportunity to monitor work in the classroom and she has had limited scope to identify and address where improvements are needed.

p.16

Commentary

36. Expenditure per pupil is broadly average and the school provides satisfactory value for money.

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Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

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Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 17 Total income 521,210 Balance from previous year 13,378 Total expenditure 520,015 Balance carried forward to the next 1,198 Expenditure per pupil 2,291 Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 18 THE PROVISION FOR PUPILS WITH ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE.

p.16

Commentary

The effectiveness of the provision for pupils with English as an additional language is good overall.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good management and an effective programme of support make a positive difference to the achievement of pupils learning to speak English as an additional language.

p.18

Commentary

37. A large proportion of pupils in the school have English as an additional language. Most of their families came originally from the Indian sub-continent and have lived in England for two or three generations and so their understanding of English is usually satisfactory, and sometimes it is good. There are, however, an above average proportion of pupils in the school who are in the early stages of learning English. They are often newly arrived in England as their families are refugees and asylum seekers. Most of these pupils are Somali and Dutch Somali. 38. Pupils who are in the early stages of learning English are usually slow to respond in lessons. Their understanding of English is better than their ability to speak it. Boys with English as an additional language are usually quicker to offer ideas and suggestions whereas the girls tend to be shy and more reticent in whole-class sessions. 39. The achievement of pupils speaking English as an additional language is good overall. Many

p.18

Commentary

pupils initially have only a limited grasp of English when they arrive but they make rapid and sometimes remarkable progress when ‘immersed’ in English. When receiving specific support, pupils make good progress in developing their confidence in communicating and their speech become more grammatically correct and accurate. However, within the classroom there is sometimes only limited additional support and the progress they make is slower. In Year 6, there are two pupils who have been recently admitted by the school who had very little spoken English. The class teacher has developed a positive strategy for their support by sitting them next to another pupil who has a common language and can translate information and instructions so they understand many aspects of their lessons. This strategy along with other support is working well. One boy has made such good progress he offered to read in English

p.18

Commentary

to the class. 40. The teaching of pupils with English as an additional language is satisfactory overall. Teaching is good with some very good aspects when the specialist teacher and a learning support assistant, work with small groups of pupils. The teacher has wide experience in this area and has good skills in organising activities that have a practical element to them and which are relevant to the pupils’ own lives such as sorting and discussing footwear and clothing. However, within other lessons there is less effective support and on too many occasions the pupils have to undertake the same or similar activities to all other groups of pupils which does not always meet the needs of the pupils with limited English. The management of the programme to support pupils who speak English as an additional language is good. There are a large number of pupils in the school who speak a wide range of languages at home. The

p.18

Commentary

teacher in charge of this area quickly identifies the stages of English acquisition that the pupils are on and plans an appropriate program of support. However she only works in school for two days a week and during the rest of the school week the pupils’ language needs are not met as effectively. There is only limited bilingual support in the school for even the most used home languages. Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 19

p.18

ENGLISH

Provision in English is satisfactory and improving.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are not always confident speakers and few use a wide and imaginative vocabulary because there are not enough specific opportunities to improve their oracy skills. • Standards in reading are average and pupils make good progress when reading on a regular basis to staff and a group of trained volunteers. • Standards in writing are well below average, but since the introduction of a focused programme of activities, they are improving. • Assessment information is not used well enough to inform planning and on too many occasions the highest level of challenge is not provided for all pupils. • The school library is a valuable resource and is very well stocked. • The subject co-ordinator has a clear grasp of areas for further improvement but has not had the opportunity to monitor the quality of planning, teaching and learning on a regular enough basis to identify areas of inconsistency.

p.19

Commentary

41. The school has made satisfactory overall improvement in English since the last inspection and this has been more marked in the last two years since the English co-ordinator took up her post. Pupils now achieve satisfactorily in English. Standards have been low over a number of years and have often been well below the national average. There are large numbers of pupils who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs who have speaking skills that are often well below average for their age. They are not confident communicators and few have a wide and detailed vocabulary. Pupils do not make consistent enough progress in developing speaking skills because there are not enough activities that require them to talk to others on a regular planned and progressive basis.

p.19

Commentary

42. Pupils generally have better reading skills than those in speaking or writing. Standards in reading are average for the age of the pupils and most make good progress and for some this is very good. Many of the pupils are enthusiastic readers. This is largely because the school has prioritised the development of reading skills through two main areas. The school has developed very good resources for the subject including a very well stocked library and general reading materials. These interest the pupils and spur them on to enjoy a wide range of reading materials. The school has developed, through the support of a local bank, a team of reading volunteers who work on a regular basis with the pupils. Both of these projects make reading seem important to the pupils who benefit from the close working and personal relationships that develop.

p.19

Commentary

43. Standards in writing are well below average, but improving. The school has prioritised the development of writing skills across the school. All pupils now take part in a well-planned series of extended writing activities that mean they plan and produce quite detailed pieces of work. However, the depth and quality of this work is still very variable. Pupils’ handwriting is often untidy and spellings erratic. Some staff do not insist pupils take enough care with these aspects of their work and especially in Year 3, work is not good enough for all levels of ability. Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 20 44. The quality of teaching seen during the inspection was satisfactory and this enables the pupils to learn satisfactorily. Pupils in Year 6 generally learn best because teaching is good and sometimes very good. The English co-ordinator teaches groups of pupils throughout the school and this teaching has a positive impact upon standards. There are good procedures for

p.19

Commentary

assessment but the information available is not always used well enough by teachers to inform the planning of lessons. The sample of pupils’ recent work shows that on too many occasions the same or very similar work is undertaken by all groups of pupils and this does not offer the greatest level of challenge to all pupils.

p.20

Commentary

45. The co-ordinator has a clear grasp of the areas for development of the subject and provides good subject leadership. The co-ordinator has identified the priority to improve pupils’ oracy skills. She has organised activities to monitor and evaluate the quality of planning, teaching and learning. However, this has not been on as regular a basis as might be necessary and has not always identified or sufficiently addressed where weaknesses and inconsistencies occur.

p.20

Language and literacy across the curriculum

46. Some teachers make good use of opportunities to teach literacy skills in subjects such as history and religious education. In some classes, pupils write for a variety of purposes and for different audiences. However, this work is not consistent and could be further developed especially in speaking to an audience to report what pupils have found out.

p.20

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory overall.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Achievement in Year 6 is good. • The focus on improving the teaching of mathematics has enabled pupils to make better progress and standards in the national tests rose in 2003. • The planning for lessons used by the school has not been sufficiently adapted to meet the needs of all pupils in the classes.

p.20

Commentary

47. Standards in mathematics have improved and in the national tests in 2003 were similar to that found in most schools. A greater proportion of pupils attained the higher standard of Level 5 than in the past. This was due to improved teaching and effective use of challenging activities that extended pupils’ understanding especially in Year 6. The school has identified problem solving as being a weak aspect in pupils’ learning and an appropriate focus has been placed on developing pupils’ greater understanding of mathematical terms. This is particularly beneficial to pupils with English as an additional language. The National Numeracy Strategy is used effectively through the school and by Year 6 pupils confidently use a variety of methods to calculate problems. They are able to explain the processes and logic they have employed. During the inspection, similar good teaching was evident in the current Year 6 classes, but

p.20

Commentary

there is a higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs and those having English as an additional language this year. This has a lowering effect on standards, which are below average.

p.20

Commentary

48. The quality of teaching through the school is satisfactory overall. In the best lessons, the higher attaining pupils are effectively challenged and they are given good opportunities to solve problems using the knowledge and skills already learnt. This effectively extends their understanding. In the less effective lessons, teachers do not ensure that pupils of all capabilities were given tasks that met their learning needs. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are not sufficiently supported so that their understanding of the mathematical language being used is understood and the activities Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 21 are consequently too difficult for them to tackle on their own. Two unsatisfactory lessons were observed and this was due to the teachers being new to the school. They did not know their class, consequently activities did not sufficiently build on what pupils already know and can do.

p.20

Commentary

The planning used by the school did not sufficiently support them as it provides guidance on teaching only one level of activities and does not sufficiently stress the need to adapt the tasks to match the capabilities of all pupils in the class.

p.21

Commentary

49. The new co-ordinator for mathematics is a good practitioner and has already identified many of the weaknesses in the planning and in teaching that need to be addressed for standards to continue to rise. The support of the local education authority mathematics adviser has been sought and a development plan is being initiated. Assessment is used well by the senior management team to identify those pupils who are not likely to attain average standards and those who are potentially higher attaining so strategies for their further support can be developed.

p.21

Mathematics across the curriculum

50. Pupils’ skills in mathematics are used satisfactorily in other subjects. The use of co-ordinates is well used to develop mapping skills in geography and in creating spreadsheets in information and communication technology. Pupils’ ability to measure data accurately is satisfactorily promoted in science and design and technology. Information and communication technology is beginning to be used satisfactorily to support pupils’ understanding and skills in mathematics.

p.21

SCIENCE

Provision in science is good . Progress and achievement over time are good , particularly in Year 6.

p.21

Strengths and Weaknesses

• The quality of teaching is good in Years 5 and 6. • Good leadership by the co-ordinator gives emphasis to the development of the subject. • Inconsistent quality of marking and insufficient use of assessment means that planning is not accurately focused to ensure that teaching matches the needs of all pupils. • Use of information and communication technology within the subject is limited. • The development of pupils’ investigation skills is good.

p.21

Commentary

51. Pupils achieve well in science and standards are often above average. This is a similar situation to be found at the previous inspection and reflects the results in the 2002 national tests. In 2003, standards were not as high but were still the result of good achievement given the high proportion of pupils with English as an additional language. The quality of teaching is particularly good in Years 5 and 6. In other areas it is less effective. Where teaching is good, teachers have a secure knowledge of the subject. They effectively use probing questions and visual resources, such as videos, to promote pupils’ knowledge. Their investigative skills are effectively promoted through practical application. Effective lessons enable pupils to ask questions of the teacher in the introductory sessions and of each other when working collaboratively. This promotes pupils’ social development and their use of scientific language

p.21

Commentary

well. Time is well used in well structured lessons. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are effectively supported and make similarly good progress. In lessons where less effective learning takes place, teachers’ knowledge of the subject and approaches to developing pupils’ understanding are less well understood. Pupils’ lack of attentiveness is insufficiently challenged and they continue to make less progress.

p.21

Commentary

52. The school makes positive use of investigative activities, which promote pupils’ enthusiastic approach to their learning. Skills, such a prediction, conducting an investigation, strategies for Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 22 recording their findings and corroborating their hypotheses, are evident in these lessons. In both Year 6 classes, for example, pupils worked in pairs preparing, questioning each other, observing and using scientific vocabulary. When questioned about filtration, there was clear evidence of knowledge based understanding. During this lesson, there was positive evidence of peers supporting pupils with limited English. They discussed the investigation, using their home language, and shared scientific understanding resulting in good progress.

p.21

Commentary

53. The school has made a good start in using assessment data to analyse strengths and areas of weakness in the subject. The school’s new tracking procedures are able to identify the achievement made by individuals and classes. Teachers are not, however, using information from assessment to inform future planning, to ensure that teaching matches the needs of all pupils. Insufficient use is made of day-to-day marking to further inform pupils what they have done well and what they need to do to improve. The school is making good use in developing skills in information and communication technology, but the transfer and use of these skills in science are not being cultivated to support learning sufficiently well.

p.22

Commentary

54. The co-ordinator for science has considerable experience in this role and her overall leadership and management are good. She has worked well with staff to maintain the good standards achieved by the end of Year 6. The school is aware of the need to provide the co- ordinator with the opportunity to monitor quality and standards and to share best practice throughout the school and this is planned for the near future.

p.22

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision for information and communication technology is satisfactory .

p.22

Strengths and weaknesses

• The new computer suite is being used well to develop pupils’ computer skills. • Classroom computers are not used sufficiently to support the use of information and communication technology skills in meaningful situations. • All staff have received training and almost all are confident and competent to teach their own class.

p.22

Commentary

55. Standards in information and communication technology are in line with national expectations at the end of Year 6. This is an improvement to that found by the previous inspection.

p.22

Commentary

56. The new computer suite is appropriately used and its provision is having a positive impact on raising standards. There are sufficient computers for pupils to work in pairs, which they do well. The effective use of the interactive whiteboard had a positive impact on focusing pupils’ attention on their task, such as using hyperlinks to find information on the Internet. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language respond well to the challenges set in lessons.

p.22

Commentary

57. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall with an example of effective teaching in Year 6. However, there was little evidence during the inspection of classroom computers being used to support the use of previously acquired skills to support other areas of the curriculum. In a Year 6 lesson, however, pupils were using their information communication technology skills to research information about Anna Frank as part of their history studies on World War II. Pupils in Year 5 were using spreadsheets to plan a class party, identifying costs within the brief that the total cost must not exceed £100. This supported problem solving in mathematics.

p.22

Commentary

58. Staff have now received useful training and almost all feel confident to use the computer suite. The provision of laptop computers for all staff provides independent opportunities for staff to Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 23 become increasingly competent at their own pace. This has had a positive impact on developing pupils’ skills and so raising standards.

p.22

Commentary

59. The provision for information and communication technology has improved significantly since the previous report. Lessons in the computer suite are taught each week and there is a much improved number and range of computers available both in the suite and in classrooms. Pupils’ skills are being developed satisfactorily, but they are not sufficiently used to support pupils’ learning in other subjects.

p.23

HUMANITIES

60. In humanities, work was sampled in history and geography , with only one lesson seen in geography and two in history. It is, therefore, not possible to form an overall judgement about provision in these subjects. There is every indication from pupils’ work that standards are broadly average and have been maintained since the last inspection. In the most effective lesson in history, the teacher very effectively used resources that enhanced pupils’ knowledge of the Second World War through the use of primary and secondary resources. He very successfully promoted pupils’ empathy for people caught up in the war, the impact on the lives of ordinary people and developed understanding of how men and women had an important part to play. Pupils in Year 6 expressed real enjoyment and fascination for the topic. The use of personal accounts and forming links with pupils’ own experiences also is a positive part of

p.23

HUMANITIES

teaching in geography. In both subjects, it is evident that visits and visitors play an important part in enriching pupils’ knowledge and interest.

p.23

Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory, overall.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils learn well from each other, as well as from the teachers, about aspects of major world religions. • Teachers stimulate pupils’ insight into the beliefs of others and very effectively promote their respect and tolerance of others’ ideas. • There is some unnecessary repetition of religious knowledge from one year to the next. • Assessment is not used to monitor standards or to record what has been learnt.

p.23

Commentary

61. Standards in religious education are above those identified in the locally agreed syllabus and are the result of effective teaching that enables pupils to acquire a good range of knowledge about the major world faiths, and to use this knowledge to develop insight, tolerance and respect of the beliefs of others by the end of Year 6.

p.23

Commentary

62. The teachers and pupils consider the wide range of cultures, faiths and ethnic groups in the school as a very positive strength. The festivals of the different faiths represented in the school are celebrated and the variety of cultures is used well to develop pupils’ understanding of different beliefs. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, but good in the oldest classes. Teachers’ knowledge of the major world religions studied is satisfactory, but in the most effective lessons, teachers use pupils’ knowledge and understanding of rituals of their own faiths to further develop the understanding of the class. The obvious reverence expressed by pupils as they explain the procedures and the use of artefacts in their daily observance of prayer has a profound impact on the other pupils. The very good role models of the teachers’ response to these expressions of faith ensure that all pupils develop tolerance and respect for

p.23

Commentary

other people’s religious beliefs and ideas. Comparing aspects of the different religions builds a good awareness of the similarities as well as the differences. Pupils gain a good understanding of the use of symbols, recognising the fact that the use of water and candles Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 24 feature strongly in many religious festivals and rituals. They recognise that each religion has its Holy Scriptures, places of worship and religious leaders. Those pupils who do not come from a religious background are enabled to understand how much the other children’s faith means to them and how it impacts on their lives. This develops pupils’ own spiritual development well, but it is not a feature of assemblies.

p.23

Commentary

63. The three main faiths taught are Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. During the inspection, pupils in Years 3 and 4 were learning about Hinduism and the story of Rama and Sita. In Years 5 and 6, pupils learn about aspects of Islam and it was apparent that although there were differences, much of the knowledge explored the previous year was being explored again. This reinforces the past learning but sometimes reduces the opportunity extend pupils’ knowledge by learning about other aspects of that religion and its impact on its followers. Assessment is not used to record what pupils have learnt and understood so that the next lessons build on this learning. Resources are used well to enable pupils to have first-hand experience of the religious artefacts used.

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

64. Art and design was not a main focus of this inspection so only a limited sampling of evidence was undertaken. From this sampling there were indications that the standards achieved are broadly in line with those expected nationally and the provision for art and design is satisfactory . The analysis of pupils’ previous work displayed throughout the school shows that a wide range of techniques and mediums are used. Pupils study the works of famous painters such as Van Gogh and pupils try to emulate his style of painting. Pupils also visit galleries to appreciate work of modern artists, such as Andy Warhol.

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

65. Music was not a main focus of the inspection and no lessons were observed. The pupils are provided with a wide range of opportunities to appreciate different aspects of music through visiting musicians and visits to theatres. In school there is a choir of 40 pupils ranging from Years 3 to 6 and pupils from different cultures who often play non-European instruments during assembly. From the information gathered it would appear that the provision for music is satisfactory . Pupils perform in and out of school, follow simple scores and are given the opportunity to appraise different types of music in assemblies.

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

66. Provision in physical education is satisfactory . Although, not a focus of the inspection, lesson observations would suggest that standards are in line with those found nationally. In Year 6, pupils develop gymnastic skills well and work collaboratively to create in pairs and groups sequences of movement responding to a task focus. Pupils receive support to improve their games skills from football coaches of both genders. The school participates in competitions and Year 6 pupils participate in a residential experience, which extends the physical opportunities provided in school. Results in swimming are very below average with just 65 per cent attaining the 25 metre unaided swim. The enrichment opportunities, both in and out of school, complement and underpin skills acquisition and the residential experience promotes social and moral development, as well as encouraging independence and inter- dependence.

p.24

Design and technology

Provision in design and technology is satisfactory .

p.24

Commentary

67. Although not a focus of the inspection, sufficient evidence was gained from the two lessons observed, in talking to pupils and in the scrutiny of past work to make a judgement on the provision. At the ages of eleven, standards of work seen indicate that attainment is satisfactory. In the two lessons observed, the quality of teaching was satisfactory overall. Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 25 Pupils of all levels of ability achieve satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the process of planning, designing and evaluating.

p.24

Commentary

68. Lessons were suitably planned and appropriate attention to the school’s scheme based on national guidelines. Sufficient time has been allocated to the subject and the school has adopted a ‘blocking of time’ system, which operates in two terms. This system appears to work well and teachers indicate that the focused development of skills over a concentrated period is making a positive impact on pupils’ learning and skills acquisition. Design and technology is used across a range of subjects. In mathematics, measuring activities are promoted; in literacy evaluation of models and use of appropriate vocabulary and in science using electric motors as a power to operate mechanisms.

p.25

Commentary

69. Pupils enjoy design and technology and take pride in their work. For example, in Year 4, pupils paid considerable attention to cutting accurately to ensure that the ‘pop up’ mechanism in their cards would operate effectively. In a Year 5 class, pupils were particularly enthusiastic when learning how air under pressure could operate mechanisms. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make similarly satisfactory progress and are well supported by their peers.

p.25

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision for developing pupils’ personal, social and health education citizenship is satisfactory .

p.25

Commentary

70. The school has an informal programme for Personal, Social and Health Education but this is applied inconsistently through the school as there is no whole school scheme of work to direct teaching and learning. While some classes have the opportunity to talk about issues important to them in ‘circle time’ discussions this is not consistent, although in discussion pupils indicate they would like such opportunities. Pupils have satisfactory opportunities to learn about the use and misuse of drugs and are given advice on sex education as part of the science lessons. Similarly healthy eating and keeping safe are aspects of pupils’ personal development that are explored effectively as part of science and PSHE sessions.

p.25

Commentary

71. Work to develop pupils’ awareness of citizenship is in the very early and informal stages. The school has good links with local businesses and cultural groups that are used well to support the general curriculum, but there are no formal opportunities to develop the pupils’ skills working as a committee or of debating issues important to the life of the school. Shaftesbury Junior School and Community Centre - 26

p.25

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 5 Pupils’ achievement 4

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 6 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 4 The governance of the school 5 The leadership of the headteacher 4 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 4

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.26