Vicar's Green Primary School

VICAR’S GREEN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Lead inspector: Ms Margaret Julia Goodchild

p.1

VICAR’S GREEN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 3 rd – 5 th November 2003

p.1

VICAR’S GREEN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 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.

p.1

VICAR’S GREEN 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. Vicar’s Green Primary School - 1

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 235

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Lily Gardens Alperton Wembley Postcode: HA0 1DP

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: (0208) 997 6734 Fax number: (0208) 566 8607

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr John Warren

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 1998

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Although the school is situated within the London Borough of Ealing, many pupils come from outside the borough, most typically from neighbouring Brent. There are 219 pupils on roll, aged 3 to eleven; 25 of these are in the nursery (of whom 16 attend part-time). The school’s population is ethnically very diverse. The largest ethnic group is Asian (some Pakistani and Bangladeshi but mainly Indian); the next largest is Black African and Black Caribbean; White British pupils are in a small minority and there are a few pupils of other or mixed heritage. Sixty per cent of pupils speak English as an additional language and 14 pupils are at an early stage of learning English. Pupils come from an area of socio-economic disadvantage where much of the housing is overcrowded. The school is situated close to the Brent Halfway House, and has a history of high pupil mobility. In the last year, 35 pupils joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission and 38 pupils left other

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

than at the usual time of leaving or transfer; these figures are very high. Of the 26 pupils who took Year 6 tests in 2003, only nine had been at the school since the beginning of Key Stage 2. The number of pupils joining the school from ethnic minorities is increasing; many are refugees or asylum seekers who have suffered trauma and whose parents do not understand the expectations of the British education system. There are 26 pupils with special educational needs; 12 at School Action, 12 at School Action Plus and two with a statement of special educational needs for moderate learning difficulties. These numbers are low because of the school’s very effective systems for meeting pupils’ individual needs; as a result, it is not necessary to identify many pupils as having special educational needs. Pupils’ attainment on entry is well below average, especially when pupil mobility and the intake of refugees and asylum seekers are taken into account. The

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

school took in a lot of pupils with problems when it was under-subscribed; the roll is increasing now and the school has over 70 more pupils than at time of the last inspection. Vicar’s Green Primary School - 2

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

15918 Margaret Julia Goodchild Lead inspector Mathematics; Foundation Stage; Art 1165 Peter Dannheissen Lay inspector 21899 Gillian Lawson Team inspector Design and technology; Information and communication technology (ICT); Religious education; Special educational needs 23886 Declan McCarthy Team inspector English; Science; Geography; History; Music; Physical education; English as an additional language

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Tribal PPI Barley House Oakfield Grove Bristol BS8 2BN

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Vicar’s Green Primary School - 3

p.4

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 10

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

p.5

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 10

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

p.5

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10 - 17

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

p.5

OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a very good school. Pupils achieve very well to reach standards in English, mathematics and science that are above average by the time they leave, despite the fact that attainment is well below average when they join the school. The majority speak English as an additional language and significant numbers are refugees and asylum seekers; these groups and those with special educational needs make very good progress. Teaching and learning are very good. All pupils make very good progress in their personal development. The headteacher is a dynamic and transformational leader. The school gives good value for money.

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are that : • There was a dramatic improvement in National Curriculum test results in 2003 and pupils are now making rapid progress in English, mathematics, science and ICT. • The headteacher provides excellent leadership and the senior management team ensures that the school is very well managed. • A high proportion of the teaching is very good and sometimes excellent, especially in English, mathematics, science and ICT. • The analysis and use of assessment information to raise standards are excellent. • The school provides very well for pupils’ personal development and pupils of all races relate very well; it has an excellent ethos, which is at once harmonious and vibrant. • Children in the Foundation Stage do not achieve as well in developing their writing and mathematical skills as pupils in the rest of the school. • Lunchtime arrangements (school lunches, behaviour in the dining room and opportunities to

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

develop social skills in the playground) are unsatisfactory.

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has made good improvement since it was last inspected, in February 1998. Following the last inspection, the then headteacher went on long-term sick leave and the school went into decline. It depended mainly on overseas agency trained staff, which led to a delay in dealing with the issues raised by the last inspection and caused standards to fall to an all-time low. Since the current headteacher took up post two years ago, improvement has been rapid with excellent improvement in National Curriculum test results in 2003. Overall, improvement has been good since the last inspection – because of the way the school has been transformed over the last two years - and most issues identified in the 1998 inspection have been resolved. Further work is still needed to improve standards in design and technology. There has been significant improvement in ICT resources and in pupils’ achievement.

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

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

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievement is very good. The impact of two years of excellent leadership and very good teaching is revealed by the Year 6 National Curriculum test results in 2003. The results in English, mathematics and science are exceptional when pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is taken into account. Results in English and mathematics were above the national average; those in science were well above average for pupils reaching Level 4 and Level 5. The school was in the top five per cent nationally for the progress pupils made between the end of Year 2 and the end of Year 6. Vicar’s Green Primary School - 5 Although below average overall, there was a substantial improvement in the Year 2 test results in 2003, especially in writing, where the percentage of pupils reaching Level 3 far exceeded the national average. In comparison with similar schools, results in Year 2 were well above average.

p.6

Pupils make very good progress in their personal development, and provision for spiritual,

moral, social and cultural development is very good. Pupils have very good attitudes to school and most behave very well. Attendance and punctuality are satisfactory.

p.7

QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a very good education. Teaching is very good . The curriculum meets pupils’ needs well and offers very good enrichment opportunities. The school cares for its pupils well and provides them with very good support. Partnership with parents is good. The school has good community links and works very well in partnership with other educational establishments.

p.7

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good. The headteacher provides excellent leadership and is very well supported by senior managers. There is an excellent emphasis on raising standards; thorough school evaluation means that action is taken to remedy any weaknesses and build on existing strengths. The governing body is supportive and makes a satisfactory contribution to the school’s work.

p.7

PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are highly satisfied with the school’s work and have great confidence in the headteacher. Pupils are positive and enthusiastic about what the school has to offer.

p.7

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important measures the school should take to improve further are: • Raise expectations and, thus, standards in children’s writing and mathematical development in the Foundation Stage; • Improve all aspects of its lunchtime arrangements, to bring them into line with the quality found in the rest of the school;

p.7

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Monitor the implementation of its race equality policy and report findings to parents; and • Ensure that all health and safety requirements are met fully. Vicar’s Green Primary School - 6

p.7

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Pupils achieve very well to reach standards in English, mathematics and science that are above average by the time they leave, despite the fact that attainment is well below average when they join the school. Furthermore, the majority of pupils speak English as an additional language and there are significant numbers of refugees and asylum seekers. Pupils from all ethnic groups, including those at early stages of learning English and those who have special educational needs, make very good progress. There is no significant difference in the achievement of girls and boys.

p.8

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There was a dramatic improvement in National Curriculum test results in 2003, especially in Year 6. • Pupils are making rapid progress in English, mathematics, science and ICT in response to very good teaching and a range of curriculum initiatives. • Children in the Foundation Stage do not achieve as well in developing their writing and mathematical skills as pupils in the rest of the school. • Overall results in Year 6 have improved since the last inspection and the school exceeded most of its 2003 targets. • The school’s programme for raising standards is exceptionally coherent and is proving an outstanding success.

p.8

Commentary

1. At the time of the last inspection, pupils entered with below average prior attainment and made satisfactory progress. Where standards were below average as pupils moved through the school, this was judged to be a result of weaknesses in curriculum provision and assessment. Most of the key issues centred around the need to raise standards. Since that time, the school has taken in more pupils with very low prior attainment and who are at early stages in learning English or new to the British school system. Yet pupils are now reaching standards that are in line with the national average in the core subjects and ICT, and in the most recent tests, pupils in Year 6 reached standards that exceeded the national average. This represents a very good overall improvement in standards, given the nature of the school’s population and means that the school is currently the most improved in the London Borough of Ealing. Parents are very pleased with the progress their children are making.

p.8

Commentary

2. Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well in personal, social and emotional development and in physical development because teaching is good in these areas. Their achievement is good in reading but otherwise satisfactory in communication, language and literacy. Children do not make the progress they could in writing or in mathematical development, because expectations are not high enough. They achieve at least satisfactorily in all other areas of learning. Children enter the school with well below average prior attainment and are not likely to reach the Early Learning Goals by the end of Reception, except in physical development. When children leave the Foundation Stage, their skills in writing and their mathematical development are well below average, although they are socially well prepared for moving into Year 1. Vicar’s Green Primary School - 7

p.8

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

Standards in: School results National results reading 14.9 (12.8) 15.9 (15.8) writing 14.3 (11.8) 14.8 (14.4) mathematics 16.2 (13.7) 16.4 (16.5) There were 18 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

p.9

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

3. Results at the end of Year 2 dipped to an all-time low in 2001 and 2002, indicating the decline the school fell into after the last inspection, before they improved significantly in 2003. Results showed very good improvement in reading and writing, although they were still below the national average. There was a more pronounced improvement in mathematics results, which were only slightly below the national average. As part of its drive for excellence, the school has identified the need to raise standards in Years 1 and 2 and is developing teaching and the curriculum accordingly. Compared with schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, however, the 2003 results were well above average, being particularly good in writing and mathematics. Inspection findings show that pupils are achieving well overall in Years 1 and 2 and very well in some lessons. Higher-attaining pupils have very good

p.9

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

opportunities in English and mathematics through tasks that provide them with appropriate challenge.

p.9

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

Standards in: School results National results English 28.0 (23.7) 27.0 (27.0) mathematics 28.6 (24.0) 27.0 (26.7) science 30.4 (24.0) 28.8 (28.3) There were 26 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

p.9

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

4. The impact of school improvement is revealed most clearly by the Year 6 National Curriculum test results in 2003. The results in English, mathematics and science were exceptional when pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is taken into account. Results in English were above the national average; those in mathematics and science were well above average for pupils reaching Level 4 and Level 5. In science, the proportion of pupils gaining Level 5 1 (63 per cent) was a direct result of excellent subject co-ordination, excellent teaching and innovative curriculum development. The 2003 results placed the school in the top five per cent nationally for the progress pupils made between Year 3 and Year 6. Given that a number of non-English speakers and a small number of others with no previous experience of the English education system joined the school during Year 6, these results are all the more remarkable. They reflect

p.9

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

the excellent teaching that was provided last year in Year 6 and which is currently found in Year 5, where a class with a wide range of previous difficulties is undergoing a ‘recovery programme’. The current work and very good teaching in Year 6 suggest that the school should again meet with a high level of success in 2004; standards in Year 6 are already broadly in line with the national average and pupils are achieving very well.

p.9

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

5. The trend in the school’s Year 6 results was well below the national trend in the five years up to 2002 but took a sharp upturn in 2003, so that overall, the trend has been upwards since the last inspection. In 2002, the school fell far short of most of its targets, except in English at Level 5. In 2003 it exceeded its target for English at Level 4 and far exceeded it at Level 5. It did not meet the target in mathematics at Level 4 but performed far in excess of the target at Level 5.

p.9

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

Level 5 is the standard the majority of pupils nationally are expected to reach by the age of 14. Vicar’s Green Primary School - 8 6. Pupils who are learning English an additional language achieve equally as well as their peers because teachers provide very good opportunities in lessons to develop their language skills through discussion, paired work and group work. Pupils with special educational needs achieve very well overall and make good progress towards the targets on their individual education plans.

p.9

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

Example of outstanding practice A number of factors in combination have led to the dramatic improvement in standards, evident in the 2003 National Curriculum test results. • Excellent leadership is central to this; the headteacher has placed his absolute attention on improving pupils’ achievement in English, mathematics, science and ICT and taken a series of actions that have been highly effective in raising standards. • Subject co-ordination is excellent in English, science and ICT. • Very good teaching, with a high proportion of very good and some excellent teaching in the core subjects and ICT, ensures that pupils make rapid progress in lessons. • Pupils' very positive attitudes and their readiness to learn mean that they work in partnership with the staff in raising standards; this is true even of pupils newly arrived in the school or, indeed, the country. • An excellent ethos and very good support systems underpin the aspiration for excellence within all areas

p.10

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

of the school’s work. • Excellent analysis of assessment information in English, mathematics and science leads to carefully planned intervention programmes to support individuals and groups who need extra help. • The provision of a range of support mechanisms - including very skilled learning support assistants in every classroom, Saturday and Easter schools, and various other additional teaching sessions - had a very direct effect on test results in 2003 and continues to ensure pupils’ very good achievement.

p.10

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils make very good progress in their personal development and provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. Pupils have very good attitudes to school and behave very well. Attendance and punctuality are satisfactory.

p.10

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The excellent ethos promotes very good relationships, attitudes and personal development. • The very good role models of the staff ensure that pupils quickly know the difference between right and wrong and behave very well. • Pupils’ spiritual, moral, and cultural development is very good; social development is good. • Pupils show an excellent respect for the feelings, values and beliefs of others. • The school acknowledges that there should be more opportunities for pupils to develop responsibilities.

p.10

Commentary

7. Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development are very good and parents agree that this is the case. The generally satisfactory picture found at the last inspection has improved considerably. The vast majority of pupils are very well behaved, polite and courteous and respond very well to the caring ethos of the school. In class and in the playground, there are very few incidents of challenging behaviour. This is partly because of the ethos of the school and the presence of knowledgeable and sensitive learning support assistants in all classrooms. Behaviour is less impressive in the dining hall where the general layout and atmosphere is not up to the conducive standards elsewhere in the school. Pupils enjoy school, and say they like it very much. They like their teachers and know that any problems will be quickly and efficiently dealt with. No incidents of bullying were seen during the inspection and

p.10

Commentary

as the table below shows, very few pupils have been excluded from school. Pupils say that there is no racism in this multi-racial school and they love going on the many visits and participating in the clubs. ‘It’s a great school ….a cosy school ……there have been lots of changes that we like: the interactive whiteboards, the computers, the new office’. A group of Vicar’s Green Primary School - 9 Muslim pupils whose opinions were sought feel that the school is good and all are positive about the staff and about each other.

p.10

Commentary

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

p.11

Commentary

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 13 0 0 White – any other White background 14 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 3 3 0 Mixed – White and Black African 31 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 3 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Indian 22 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 16 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 3 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi 24 0 0 Asian or Asian British - other 30 0 0 Black or black British - Caribbean 30 0 0 Black or black British - African 11 0 0 Black or black British - other 8 0 0 Chinese 1 0 0 Other ethnic group 6 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.11

Commentary

8. The school encourages pupils to work independently or in pairs and groups. Because of this, pupils work well together, learn to express themselves verbally, and to value each other’s ideas.

p.11

Commentary

9. Pupils learning English as an additional language and those with special educational needs have the same attitudes and values as their peers, in part because they are very well supported in the classroom. Pupils who join the school with little English or who are new to the British education system build up their confidence and self-esteem quickly because teachers carefully match support to their individual needs and their cultures are celebrated. Their involvement is generally so well managed by staff that they fit in well and are able fully to take part in all activities.

p.11

Commentary

10. Pupils’ relationships with adults and each other are very good, and have a positive impact on their learning. Pupils are happy and secure, and enjoy school life in an atmosphere where all are valued. Pupils respond well to the help provided, enjoy the praise and look forward to small rewards that are given. Successes of all kinds are celebrated in special assemblies in which there is real joy at pupils’ achievement and an excellent ethos.

p.11

Commentary

11. Pupils have a good understanding of right and wrong, which is promoted from a very early age. They benefit from the very good role models set by the adults in school. Pupils’ positive attitudes are rewarded alongside their academic achievement. The school’s programme for personal, social and health education is successful in developing a sense of citizenship and this is promoted further through the whole-class discussion periods known as ‘circle time’. Vicar’s Green Primary School - 10 Residential trips for pupils in Years 4 to 6 provide a good opportunity for pupils to develop maturity. Pupils are encouraged through all school activities, including the school clubs, the breakfast club and after-school provision, to be honest, trustworthy, and to value each other. Opportunities for pupils to take responsibility are not as good as they could be. The school wishes to start a school council and enhance the level of responsibilities given to pupils

p.11

Commentary

outside the classroom, to further their sense of self-worth, encouraging independence and initiative.

p.12

Commentary

12. There is a spiritual component in much that the school undertakes, including science lessons and the moving and relevant assemblies. This aspect is enhanced through the many visits and subsequent work, for example, art work which followed the Kew Gardens outing. The school is very good at celebrating pupils’ achievements, enhancing their feelings of self-worth and promoting deep personal reflection. This is evident in poetry pupils have written as part of their science work on the planets, in the work associated with Black History Month, and the acknowledgement of some pupils’ mother tongue in lessons.

p.12

Commentary

13. Pupils are provided with a curriculum that promotes a good understanding of a wide range of cultures in subjects such as history, art and design, music, and English. Pupils’ understanding of different cultures is promoted very well through religious education in which pupils learn about the major world faiths. Displays and activities capitalise on the multi-cultural backgrounds of pupils and staff and there are displays that help pupils to celebrate and enjoy the resultant variety.

p.12

Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

p.12

Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 6.0 School data 0.0 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.

p.12

Commentary

14. The attendance rate is below the national average but there were no unauthorised absences in the last year. Most absences arise through sickness or medical visits, although some parents do withdraw their children from school for holidays during term-time. The school has effective procedures for encouraging better attendance and punctuality. Most pupils arrive punctually for the start of school, and this is an improvement on the situation noted during the previous inspection.

p.12

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a very good education. Teaching is very good. The curriculum is good with very good enrichment opportunities. The school cares for its pupils well. Partnership with parents is good. The school has good links with the community and works very well with other educational establishments.

p.12

Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are very good; a high proportion of the teaching is very good and sometimes excellent. Assessment is good overall; assessment arrangements in the core subjects and ICT are very effective and the school makes excellent use of assessment information in the core subjects. Assessment is not yet fully developed in other subjects of the curriculum.

p.12

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are especially good and sometimes excellent in English, mathematics, science and ICT. Vicar’s Green Primary School - 11 • Learning support assistants make a very good contribution to the achievement of pupils, including those for whom English is an additional language and who have special educational needs. • Parents and pupils have positive views about teaching. • The analysis and use of assessment information to raise standards in English, mathematics and science is excellent. • In some of the foundation subjects, teachers have limited subject knowledge and pupils’ achievement varies from class to class.

p.12

Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

p.13

Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

p.13

Commentary

3 (10%) 12 (40%) 11(37%) 4 (13%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 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.

p.13

Commentary

15. Teaching has improved significantly; it is now very good overall, whereas it was good at the time of the last inspection. There has been a particular increase in the proportion of very good and excellent teaching. Teaching and learning are nearly always very good in English, mathematics, science and in ICT. Teachers have very good knowledge in these subjects and high expectations. Excellent teaching is found in Year 5 (where teaching and learning are excellent overall), sometimes in Year 6 and in ICT.

p.13

Commentary

16. Where teaching is very good or excellent, planning identifies exactly what pupils are to learn; methods are skilfully matched to pupils’ prior attainment and to the range of needs within the class. These needs often span pupils who are at an early stage in learning English, as well as some with special educational needs and others who have a history of behavioural difficulties. The best teaching seamlessly interweaves instructing pupils about the subject with opportunities for them to improve their grasp of English. Questioning is probing and challenging, and pupils share with the teacher the desire that their classmates should succeed. Pupils often break into spontaneous applause when another member of the class excels in answering a question or responding to a specific challenge. The climate is such that higher-attaining pupils are comfortable to show that they are thinking deeply about the subject

p.13

Commentary

and lower-attaining pupils or those at early stages in learning English often receive support and encouragement from their classmates. This joy in learning is most evident in Year 5 but was seen also in other classes; at a whole-school level and within class, pupils’ genuine desire to learn and develop has been engaged. This is a key factor in the school’s success and in raised standards.

p.13

Commentary

17. The school has spent its money very wisely, investing in a group of highly-skilled learning support assistants. Many are parents or ex-parents who have a strong affinity with the school. They have all undertaken accredited courses and put this knowledge to very good use, taking an active role in planning, in teaching small groups of pupils in lessons and in evaluating the effectiveness of lessons. In many instances, learning support assistants take on the role almost of a second teacher in the classroom. Their role is far more developed than that of learning support assistants in most other schools.

p.13

Commentary

18. Learning support assistants are the main providers of the school’s intervention programmes, which have been instrumental in raising standards in the core subjects. Learning support assistants worked very well in all the lessons seen, enabling pupils who are at early stages of learning English or who have special educational needs to access topics that would otherwise be beyond their understanding. This reduces the extent to which teachers need to match work to the needs of individual pupils and ensures that pupils who need support still cover the same overall topics as other pupils. For instance, in a mathematics lesson in Year 5, all pupils Vicar’s Green Primary School - 12 learned about probability, some with carefully judged intervention by the learning support assistant; similarly, in Year 6, all pupils coped with challenging teaching about quadrilaterals as a result of the skilled help of the support assistant.

p.13

Commentary

19. Parents are confident that teaching is good and believe that their children are expected to work hard. They are happy about the school’s arrangements for homework, which are generally good. Pupils are positive about the teaching they receive; they usually find out about new things in lessons. The majority find lessons interesting and fun and feel that they have to work hard. Nearly all pupils say that teachers show them how to improve their work and help them if they are stuck.

p.14

Commentary

20. Teachers provide very good educational and social inclusion for pupils who are learning English as an additional language through careful and thorough use of assessment which ensures a close match of work to individual needs, very good opportunities for pupils’ to develop their language skills through discussion, paired and group work, and full inclusion of pupils in all activities. All staff are involved in the teaching of pupils with special educational needs and contribute effectively to the preparation and review of individual education plans. Targets are specific and progress is measurable. Support for pupils with special educational needs is provided within the classroom, ensuring that it is inclusive and gives equality of access to all pupils. As a result, pupils with special educational needs achieve very well. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good because of the very good

p.14

Commentary

teaching and programmes to support them. Careful identification and assessment and specific learning programmes, together with the consistent reinforcement of basic skills in many lessons help pupils to make good progress in developing reading, writing and number skills. Pupils, despite their difficulties, have very good attitudes towards their learning. All try hard to respond well to their teachers.

p.14

Commentary

21. Assessment procedures are good overall, with some excellent practice and other areas where the school is still working to fine-tune its systems. Excellent analysis of performance data and assessment information is undertaken to identify how and where teaching and the curriculum need to be improved. The level of focus and clarity within this analysis has been a key factor in the school raising standards so dramatically. Thorough assessment is undertaken in the Foundation Stage; pupils take non-statutory tests 2 in Years 3 to 5 and standardised tests in mathematics, reading and spelling throughout their time in the school. All assessment results are entered on tracking sheets and communicated to relevant staff, enabling the school to track individual pupils and evaluate teaching and learning. Tracking has been used effectively to implement action plans for each year group and identify the needs of individual pupils. It

p.14

Commentary

has led to highly effective support programmes to raise standards. The school has identified as a current priority the development of assessment within foundation subjects; this area is less developed than the core subjects because of lack of curriculum co-ordination in these subjects in the recent past. The senior management team has already conducted a review of assessment practices in all subjects and an action plan is being devised. The recent introduction and monitoring of weekly planning booklets is also enabling senior staff to identify where further support and training is needed in this area. Target setting for groups of pupils is already well established in English and mathematics and pupil targets are set at parents’ evenings. Short-term (fortnightly) targets, which are discussed, agreed and reviewed with pupils, are being introduced; this system is to be monitored closely by the senior management

p.14

Commentary

team to ensure that specific and measurable targets are set.

p.14

Commentary

22. Good assessment systems are in place to determine the level of English language acquisition of new pupils. This happens as soon as the pupil is interviewed for a place and continues intensively for the next two weeks. Termly checks are made on their progress and this information is used to set targets and to develop pupils’ next stage of learning.

p.14

Commentary

Non-statutory tests are provided by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority for use by schools in testing the attainment of pupils in English and mathematics in Years 3 to 5. Vicar’s Green Primary School - 13 23. The school has rightly identified that teachers’ subject knowledge is variable within some of the foundation subjects; this is particularly evident in art and design and design and technology. Where teaching is at its best, pupils are challenged and have very good opportunities to develop their understanding. Teachers lack knowledge of how to teach some key skills within art and do not always give enough emphasis to research and evaluation within design and technology.

p.14

The curriculum

A good curriculum is complemented by very good enrichment opportunities. The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum that meets statutory requirements and is very responsive to pupils’ learning needs. Staffing, accommodation and learning resources are good overall.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good schemes of work have been developed in all subjects. • The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are embedded and used well. • There is very good provision to ensure equality of access and opportunity for all pupils, often through innovative curriculum development. • The school offers a very good range of extra-curricular activities. • The school’s resources have improved significantly in the last three years and are now very good. • The large number of well-qualified and experienced learning support assistants has a direct impact on pupils’ very good achievement. • The playgrounds are in an unsatisfactory state and some corridors and classrooms need redecoration; this is a main priority for development in the school improvement plan.

p.15

Commentary

24. There has been good improvement in learning opportunities since the last inspection, when parts of the curriculum were judged to be unsatisfactory because planning and co-ordination did not ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum. This was particularly the case in ICT and design and technology. The school has implemented the national strategies well and these are fully embedded in the curriculum; particular emphasis has been placed on the development of ICT. A comprehensive policy and good scheme of work ensure coverage of the National Curriculum and provide a useful framework for teaching. Careful planning, recording and assessment in ICT enable pupils to build on their learning. In design and technology, detailed planning supports the full range of coverage but more training is needed to ensure a consistency of approach in teaching the subject. Now, all subjects have effective schemes of work to guide teachers in their work. The outcomes of this are clearly seen in the

p.15

Commentary

good lesson plans that teachers produce and in the way lessons are targeted to meet pupils’ individual needs. This has a positive impact on standards. In the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, the curriculum is very good; in many of the foundation subjects, the school recognises that there is more to be done.

p.15

Commentary

25. All statutory requirements are in place. Pupils experience the full range of the National Curriculum, plus religious education and personal and social education. Drugs awareness and sex and relationships education are addressed effectively through a well-thought-out personal and social development programme. The school rightly regards the personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme as a vital element in nurturing pupils’ social and personal development and their self-esteem. The provision for PSHE and citizenship within the curriculum is good and consequently, pupils are encouraged to grow in maturity and responsibility.

p.15

Commentary

26. Pupils have equal access to the curriculum and all have their needs met. The establishment of skilled and experienced learning support assistants in every classroom has enabled genuinely inclusive learning. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good overall. Vicar’s Green Primary School - 14 Pupils have full access to the National Curriculum, they are fully integrated in classes and the revised Code of Practice is implemented effectively.

p.15

Commentary

27. There are good learning opportunities for pupils for whom English is an additional language. Very good additional support is provided in lessons for those who are at an early stage of learning English and the visiting specialist teacher works in the school once a week carrying out individual assessments, advising on resources and working in classrooms with pupils. Schemes of work have been greatly improved to provide further opportunities to develop speaking and listening within subjects. The school has increased the number of dual-language books and has begun to develop further dual-language resources, which are tailor-made to particular language needs, using ICT. These are used very effectively to develop language skills. Furthermore, the school makes effective use of opportunities to reflect, build on and promote the very rich cultural heritage of pupils attending the school, for example, through

p.16

Commentary

curriculum enhancement and extra-curricular activities.

p.16

Commentary

28. The school makes use of innovative curriculum ideas to enrich pupils’ learning and raise standards. The introduction of a range of intervention strategies - in the form of Saturday and Easter schools, and a number of additional programmes - was key to the much-improved National Curriculum test results in 2003. The participation rate for these special opportunities is very high and the school is continuing with these and additional initiatives to maintain and further raise standards. For example, it held a week devoted to science activities, centred around the planetary system, where pupils learnt about the solar system through a range of exciting activities, including using a mobile planetarium and making rockets. This has resulted in significantly improved learning in science where, after the week’s activities, pupils and staff were inspired and enthused and planning in the subject was suitably adapted to make work

p.16

Commentary

more relevant, with a consequent dramatic effect on standards. A home reading scheme has been purchased which came on-line in September 2003, to encourage groups of pupils to read at home. It covers all the genres from the National Literacy Strategy and is backed up by attractive follow-up materials for use in school.

p.16

Commentary

29. The wide range of extra-curricular activities available to pupils enhances and broadens the curriculum still further. Examples of these are seen in visits to concerts and performances, and visiting theatre companies. The school has hosted poets and artists in residence and this has inspired high quality work from pupils in sculpture, art and poetry. The school takes full advantage of the locality to offer outdoor education to pupils through sports fixtures and field trips, and visiting local environmental areas. Boys and girls, in mixed teams, play a range of sports including football, hockey, and netball. The school runs a successful breakfast club and after-school learning club, which are highly appreciated by parents and pupils alike. There are regular residential visits where pupils learn independence skills, teamwork and enhance their social skills.

p.16

Commentary

30. The match of teachers and support staff to meet the demands of the curriculum is good. Teachers are suitably qualified and experienced and are deployed strategically. The number of learning support assistants has been increased significantly since the last inspection and is very good. Learning support assistants are highly skilled and effective in supporting pupils. Accommodation, which is satisfactory overall, has some good features. The new computer suite, the newly refurbished food technology room and the new extended and completely refurbished Foundation Stage accommodation are good examples. Most of the building is well cared for and displays create an attractive learning environment. However, the playgrounds are in an unsatisfactory state and this has an impact on sports and community activities. The renewal of parts of the outside area is a main priority for development in the school improvement plan. A few corridors and classrooms need redecoration; a rolling programme is

p.16

Commentary

31. The level of resourcing is very good and has been greatly improved since the previous inspection. For example, ICT resources now include a new 16-station ICT suite with fast Internet link and an interactive whiteboard, and all classrooms have been equipped recently Vicar’s Green Primary School - 15 with interactive whiteboards. The high level of resourcing in all areas of the curriculum is greatly appreciated by parents.

p.16

Care, guidance and support

Pupils are well cared for but procedures for ensuring pupils work in a healthy and safe environment are not tight enough. The school provides very good support, advice and guidance and has very good systems for monitoring pupils’ achievement and personal progress. The school has begun to involve pupils in its work and development.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are supported very well in class. • There is a need for a more thorough and regular audit of health and safety. • Induction arrangements for pupils are very good. • Staff provide a very good personal, social and health education programme and pupils develop self-esteem and confidence. • Pupils with special educational needs are very well supported. • Lunchtime arrangements (school lunches, behaviour in the dining room and opportunities to develop social skills in the playground) are unsatisfactory.

p.17

Commentary

32. The school’s procedures for ensuring the safety and well-being of its pupils are satisfactory. First aid provision is good and staff are able to provide assistance in the event of an emergency. However, formal procedures to ensure that pupils and adults work and play in a healthy and safe environment are unsatisfactory. Portable electrical and physical education equipment is not regularly checked and tested. The governors and staff have not developed formal ways of undertaking regular risk assessments and audits to ensure that all aspects of the school are considered with respect to health and safety issues. Child protection procedures meet requirements and the school exercises its responsibilities with vigilance and care, though the lunchtime staff have not, as yet, been trained.

p.17

Commentary

33. Induction arrangements are very good for pupils who join the school outside the normal time of admission. These arrangements start the work of developing good and trusting relationships between pupils and staff which give pupils the confidence to seek support and guidance when they have concerns about their work, personal problems, or when they want to share a success or news of something special. Staff respond very well to such requests and, through personal knowledge and a well-structured personal, social and health education programme, pupils develop self-esteem and the confidence to talk with adults if they need advice or support. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language are very well supported.

p.17

Commentary

34. The emphasis on group and paired work, speaking and listening and the wide participation in clubs before during and after school enhance pupils’ social skills. At lunchtimes, though, both in the dining hall and in the playground, there has not been the same emphasis on ensuring that pupils’ personal needs are met. More needs to be done to ensure that adults and older pupils are vigilant so that all pupils who require social support during playtime receive it, in particular, new pupils and those with little English. School lunches are of very poor quality and there is sometimes no protein dish for vegetarian pupils; the school has fought to improve the quality of the food but has not yet been able to resolve this issue. This undermines the level of care the school is otherwise providing for its pupils and is particularly serious given the high proportion eligible for free school meals.

p.17

Commentary

35. The procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are very good. The support for children with special educational needs is very good because relationships Vicar’s Green Primary School - 16 between pupils and staff are very good and learning takes place in a purposeful atmosphere. Pupils are aware of their targets and contribute to the discussion of what they need to learn next or to improve. The school complies fully with the Code of Practice and works well with outside agencies, which enhances pupils’ learning effectively. The monitoring and recording for pupils with a statement of special educational needs is good and annual reviews effectively meet requirements. There are good induction procedures for the pupils with special educational needs on entry to school and strong support is given for the next stage of learning.

p.17

Commentary

36. The school seeks pupils’ views and prominently displays their ideas and suggestions on a notice board, together with the headteacher’s response to each point. This represents good practice and shows that the school is taking pupils’ views seriously. It has identified as a current priority the need to develop a school council.

p.18

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has established a good partnership with parents. Links with the community are good and those with other educational establishments are very good.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents are very happy with what the school provides for their children. • The school’s partnership with parents makes a positive contribution to pupils’ learning; staff make themselves very accessible to parents. • Links with the community enrich learning experiences and provide good opportunities for pupils’ social development. • The Parent School Association has been recently reconstituted and works hard to support the school. • Reports to parents about their children’s progress are good, indicating how well they are doing and what could be done next to move to the next stage in their learning. • There is a limited amount of information translated into home languages.

p.18

Commentary

37. Parents have very positive views about the school and the education that it provides; the level of parental satisfaction is high in almost all areas of the school’s work. Parents would, however, like information on the topics that are going to be covered to help them better support their children’s learning. The level of informal communication between parents and staff is high but parents who are rarely able to come into school would like an additional means of ongoing communication. An interactive screen in the reception area provides useful information about the school, and a commentary is being provided in a number of languages. This is an innovative idea potentially worthy of replication in schools across the country. There are no translations of the letters and newsletters sent home, however, and some pupils say that they translate material for their families.

p.18

Commentary

38. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are fully informed about their child’s progress and have good opportunities to discuss targets and reviews of individual education plans with teachers and the special needs co-ordinator. Parents of pupils for whom English is an additional language are very satisfied with the school and have no significant concerns.

p.18

Commentary

39. The newsletters and general information provided to parents are satisfactory and annual reports on pupils’ progress contain a good level of detail. These reports demonstrate the good knowledge that teachers have of pupils and inform parents about the work that pupils have completed and their attitudes. Reports provide parents with clear guidance as to what their children need to do to progress to the next stage of their learning. Many parents support their children well at home by sharing books with them and helping them with their homework. A Vicar’s Green Primary School - 17 valuable home reading scheme, with follow-up work in school, has recently been introduced. A number of parents help in school on a regular basis.

p.18

Commentary

40. The Parent School Association started again in Spring 2003, run by a small and hardworking committee. It raises funds to provide additional resources and learning opportunities for pupils. The association is helping to forge links with the community, for example, with the local fire brigade whose presence at the first summer fête was a great success.

p.19

Commentary

41. Links with the community and a wide range of visits and visitors provide good enrichment to the curriculum. Volunteers come regularly from the community to support pupils in their reading. The school’s facilities are used by independent language schools and by members of the local community. The school has close links with a well-known publisher and has featured in some of their materials, including a CD-Rom.

p.19

Commentary

42. Links with other schools and colleges are very good. The school has taken advantage of a nearby school that has been singled out as one with particular strengths. This Beacon school has helped to train staff and provided demonstration lessons. Leading teachers have been invited into school and the school’s own leading literacy teacher provides training and demonstration lessons for staff from other schools. There are very good links with teacher training establishments and students come to the school to learn and, in doing so, provide a valuable extra resource. The headteacher has initiated meetings between local primary schools and organises sports fixtures within the authority.

p.19

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good. The headteacher provides excellent leadership and is very well supported by senior managers. The governing body is supportive and makes a satisfactory contribution to the school’s work.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher is a dynamic leader who has inspired the staff; senior managers have very good complementary skills. • The school went into decline after the last inspection; in his two years in post, the headteacher has achieved rapid improvement and made an excellent impact on standards. • There is an excellent emphasis on raising standards and thorough school evaluation means that action is taken to remedy any weaknesses and build on existing strengths. • Staff are used very strategically to raise standards and engage pupils’ interest. • The governors are supportive to the school but have limited systems for checking on its work.

p.19

Commentary

43. The headteacher is a dynamic and transformational leader who has has achieved profound change in his two years in post and succeeded in inspiring the staff and building a highly effective senior management team. Senior managers have complementary skills; this ensures that a wealth of vision and innovation is combined with sufficient measure to keep the school stable during this period of rapid improvement. The current senior management team is capable of continuing this high level of growth, fired with a commitment to excellence.

p.19

Commentary

44. Following the last inspection, the then headteacher went on long-term sick leave. The school went into decline and depended mainly on overseas agency trained staff and a succession of teachers. This led to a delay in dealing with the issues raised in the last inspection report and caused standards to fall to an all-time low. Since the current headteacher took up post two years ago, improvement has been rapid with excellent improvement in National Curriculum test results in 2003. Vicar’s Green Primary School - 18 45. Improving learning opportunities and achievement for pupils is absolutely central to all that the school does, and transparently so. For example, the school improvement plan is a powerful tool for change. It gives excellent emphasis to raising standards and leads to action that quickly reaps rewards. The link between school development planning and performance management is strong; staff are required to formulate their own one-year action plans, allied to

p.19

Commentary

the whole-school plan, which help to inform performance management objectives.

p.20

Commentary

46. The headteacher places his staff very strategically to maximise pupils’ achievement. The senior teacher, who is also a leading literacy teacher in the local education authority, taught the Year 6 class last year to raise standards. This year, she has been paired with a very skilled learning support assistant to run a recovery programme for pupils in Year 5 because their learning needed to be accelerated. Records show that this is already proving extremely effective; these pupils make very good and often excellent progress in lessons. The class is now highly motivated and pupils’ behaviour and attitudes have been transformed.

p.20

Commentary

47. The co-ordination of English, science and ICT is excellent; it is characterised by high expectations, creativity and flair. In each of these subjects, the co-ordinators have identified exactly what needs to be done to raise standards and taken clear-cut action. In science, the co-ordinator rapidly overhauled the entire approach to the subject, setting the scene for what was to come with a ‘science week’. The effectiveness of this complete break with the school’s previous approach to teaching the subject is revealed by the excellent results the school gained in Year 6 tests in 2003. In ICT, the co-ordinator has a very clear vision for the development of the subject; the purchase of an interactive whiteboard for every classroom is central to his vision for further developing the use of ICT across the curriculum.

p.20

Commentary

48. Subject co-ordination in foundation subjects is at an early stage of development. Senior managers co-ordinated nearly all the subjects between them during the time when the school was staffed mainly by temporary teachers. New co-ordinators have been identified for a number of foundation subjects, although they have not yet taken on the full range of responsibilities of a subject co-ordinator. The development of their role is an area of priority already identified clearly in the school development plan. Meanwhile, senior managers take a great deal of responsibility, although this does not diminish their effectiveness.

p.20

Commentary

49. The special educational needs governor works in a school and has a very good understanding of the range of provision. The special educational needs co-ordinator manages the provision well. She ensures that all staff understand and follow the new Code of Practice and are up to date with new developments. The school has a very good team of experienced and skilled learning support assistants and their work supports pupils with special educational needs very well. The school uses money from the school budget to supplement the annual funding for special educational needs and ensures that needs are identified quickly so that early intervention takes place. The English as an additional language co-ordinator provides good leadership, developing the curriculum well and identifying further priorities for improvement such as the review of policies. She also plans to monitor teaching and learning with a greater

p.20

Commentary

focus on inclusion of pupils who are learning English.

p.20

Commentary

50. Rigorous monitoring and self-evaluation provide the headteacher and senior management team with detailed knowledge of the school’s work. The headteacher’s monitoring of lessons has been particularly effective because he has not just focused on the quality of teaching but challenged teachers to account for how much their pupils have learned within a given lesson. Senior management team’s monitoring of lessons, pupils’ work, curriculum planning and other records enables them to identify major areas for development and also means that finer details are picked up and fed into the school development planning and to the identification of professional development needs.

p.20

Commentary

51. The governing body is supportive and a few governors are quite closely involved in the school’s work through visits and liaison with key members of staff. Governors are kept well informed by the headteacher’s reports and they work through a range of sub-committees. Link governors for literacy, numeracy, ICT and special educational needs have only recently been Vicar’s Green Primary School - 19 identified and there is no established system of governors monitoring the school’s work directly, for instance, through focused lesson observations. They do, however, monitor the budget carefully and financial management is very good; it ensures that funding is shrewdly spent so as to be of optimum benefit to pupils. Governors are informed of the school development plan’s priorities rather than being instrumental in the identification of desirable developments, and many governors would benefit from further training in the use of

p.20

Commentary

performance data as a means of measuring school effectiveness. The excellent leadership provided by the headteacher and the very good way in which the school is managed means that the school copes without a great deal of input by the governing body. Governors are aware of this and, in some ways, have taken a conscious decision not to interfere too much with a system that is clearly working. The headteacher would welcome a closer, more challenging relationship with governors, however, and the further ‘engagement’ of the governing body is a current school development plan priority.

p.21

Commentary

52. Statutory requirements are met, except that the school is not yet monitoring the effectiveness of its race equality policy or reporting findings to parents, and a number of minor health and safety issues were noted during the inspection.

p.21

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.21

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 778,355 Balance from previous year 23,289 Total expenditure 760,925 Balance carried forward to the next 17,430 Expenditure per pupil 3,475 Vicar’s Green Primary School - 20

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

53. The school caters for children attending both full-time and part-time; the latter currently attend in the afternoons only. Children from the nursery and the reception class work as two distinct classes in the mornings, then come together in the afternoons, when they choose from a range of activities, including some focused sessions led by adults.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

54. Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well in personal, social and emotional development and in physical development because teaching is good in these areas. Records showing what children could do by the end of last year reveal that they make good progress in reading but that their achievement is otherwise satisfactory in communication, language and literacy and in mathematical development. They achieve at least satisfactorily in all other areas of learning. Children enter the school with well below average prior attainment; many are not likely to reach the Early Learning Goals by the end of Reception, except in physical development. When children leave the Foundation Stage, they are socially well prepared for moving into Year 1 which is an important achievement, as they come in with well below average personal and social development, but more could be done to develop children’s early writing skills and

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

to enable them to make more rapid progress in mathematical development. In this sense, the Foundation Stage is not aligned with the central push in the school as a whole to raising standards as high as possible.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55. Teaching is generally good in the nursery and in some areas of learning in the reception class. Assessment in both Foundation Stage classes is thorough and detailed records are kept. The use of assessment in planning is less well established. Lesson planning is satisfactory but it is not sufficiently detailed to show clearly how children of different prior attainment will be challenged or how nursery nurses will be used. This information is not included in medium- term plans. The co-ordination of practical aspects of the Foundation Stage is good, including the management of the very good new accommodation and much improved resources. The leadership provided for the curriculum does not ensure that older children make as much progress as they could in literacy and numeracy. Induction arrangements and partnership with parents are good. There has been a satisfactory improvement in Foundation Stage provision

p.22

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching in both classes is consistently good in personal, social and emotional development. • Children are clearly happy, feel secure, and enjoy the range of activities on offer. • They behave well, though many older children are still learning the importance of not calling out.

p.22

Commentary

56. Many children from a variety of cultural and social backgrounds are admitted to the Foundation Stage having had little social interaction with other children and very few prior learning experiences.

p.22

Commentary

57. Staff have positive relationships with children and it is obvious that the children trust the adults who work with them; even the youngest children have settled in well and are happy and secure. Some children show overt kindness to others, for example, looking after other children if they are feeling unwell or unsure. Children in the nursery and reception readily choose what they would like to do or wish to play with. The conservatory, which has provided a substantial Vicar’s Green Primary School - 21 extension to the accommodation, provides a very good range of opportunities for play. Higher- attaining children enjoy learning and concentrate well. By the time they are in the reception class, most children listen to others and form positive relationships. Sometimes, the teacher misses opportunities to find out how much specific children understand because less vocal children do not get an opportunity to answer questions directed at them before someone else

p.22

Commentary

has called out in their place. Children behave well and also show a lively interest in the activities on offer.

p.23

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children’s records show that they make good progress in reading from a low starting point. • The teaching of writing is not systematic or rigorous enough; targets show that expectations are too low.

p.23

Commentary

58. Many children have very limited language skills when they enter the Foundation Stage. Children generally listen well but average and lower attaining children are reluctant to speak in class. At this relatively early stage in the year, a few nursery children are beginning to talk to other children about what they are doing. In the reception class, some children are vocal and readily chatter; others are very quiet and reluctant to speak. Staff report that the ‘buzz groups’ that have been initiated - whereby children sit in small groups and take turns to speak – are having a positive effect. Limited evidence of this during the inspection showed that this can lead to confident children doing most of the talking and children with limited English simply opting not to contribute. Children would benefit from more intensive teaching of vocabulary and language as a daily part of literacy and by working in smaller groups with an adult where

p.23

Commentary

the acquisition of English was the central focus. Role-play supports language development well in the nursery.

p.23

Commentary

59. By the end of the Foundation Stage, higher-attaining children use their knowledge of letters, sounds and words when reading. They begin to sound out words and read simple familiar books fluently, including finding out information from some non-fiction books. They are aware of the fact that writing may take different forms and towards the end of the reception class, they write a few words to describe what is happening in their drawings, showing a developing awareness of how to structure a simple sentence but generally falling short of the Early Learning Goals for writing. Average-attaining children are not confident in using phonics to sound out letters, but they develop an interest in books, tending to rely on picture clues for words they do not know. They learn to write their name independently but their writing skills are well below national expectations for children by the end of reception. Lower-attaining

p.23

Commentary

children knew a small number of words by the end of reception class last year and were working well below average for their age.

p.23

Commentary

60. The targets set for children in reception for this term show that expectations are much too low. Children nearly all have the same targets, regardless of their prior attainment. These are to learn the letters of their name and to learn or attempt to write their name independently. They have very little work so far in their handwriting folders, although many children have limited pencil control. They have appropriate opportunities to develop their hand-to-eye co-ordination through activities such as threading and doing puzzles. Most children need far more practice in forming letters, and many were insecure in this by the end the Foundation Stage last year. They need more regular opportunities to ‘write’ for a range of purposes and in drawing pictures and writing or communicating about them. Children practise some overwriting but many make limited progress in forming letters independently. The teaching of letter formation

p.23

Commentary

is based mostly around letters in their names, not systematically through teaching of all letters Vicar’s Green Primary School - 22 of the alphabet. Planning does not show clearly how the teaching of handwriting is to be tackled and current plans suggest that the coverage of letters and letter sounds is not likely to be extensive enough.

p.23

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Planning for mathematical development is much sharper than that for writing. • Expectations are not as high as they could be in lessons or in target setting.

p.24

Commentary

61. By the end of the Foundation Stage, higher-attaining children recognise, count and order numbers to ten and some to 20. They can find one more or one less than a number up to ten. They recognise simple shapes but are not sure how to describe two- or three-dimensional shapes. Average and lower-attaining children can relate numbers one to five to the correct number of objects and recognise simple two-dimensional shapes. Most children can order and recreate a simple pattern.

p.24

Commentary

62. This term, the majority of children have been set the target to recognise numbers one to ten. A minority with English as an additional language have not been set a counting target at all but instead are to be encouraged to be more confident in a group and when speaking with others. In a session where teaching focused on numeracy, many children could recognise numbers one to ten and knew more or less what order they should come in. A minority of children joined in with number songs. Most do not yet understand the concept of taking one away but they are making good progress in this idea. Many children made good progress in counting and recognising numbers, but there were no opportunities for them to count beyond ten, which showed that expectations could be higher. Some methods, such as dressing children in aprons with numbers on the front, took up unnecessary time.

p.24

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

63. This area of learning was not inspected in detail; there is, therefore, insufficient evidence to form a clear judgement about children’s achievement in knowledge and understanding of the world. Records show that last year, higher-attaining children met the Early Learning Goals in this area of learning by the end of the Foundation Stage. Children enjoy planting seeds, they explore their surroundings and find out about their personal histories. They sort materials and have found out about how a bicycle works. They have made model cars, learn about healthy habits and hospitals. A range of visits, such as to a city farm, the Science Museum, and to local shops, supports children’s development in this area. When doing psychometric exercises in the nursery, children learnt some key vocabulary for parts of the body.

p.24

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

64. This area of learning was not inspected in detail; there is, therefore, insufficient evidence to form a clear judgement about children’s achievement in physical development. From the one lesson of physical development seen, it was evident that many children in the nursery are already above average in their physical confidence. Children move spontaneously and find ways of solving problems, for instance, of ways to swing on the rope without dragging their feet on the floor. They were confident in climbing, balancing on the beam and jumping from the bench onto the mat. Most were adventurous and had good physical stamina. They made good progress in a range of physical skills through the opportunity to use physical education apparatus in the hall. They showed an emerging understanding of the need to warm up at the Vicar’s Green Primary School - 23 beginning of activities and cool down at the end. The teacher used a good repertoire of

p.24

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

activities to get children to stretch and extend their movements.

p.25

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

65. This area of learning was not inspected in detail; there is, therefore, insufficient evidence to form a clear judgement about children’s achievement in creative development. They enjoy singing and most love dancing. They have daily opportunities for free painting, have made models out of junk materials and made masks. They regularly produce collages and have made decorative cards and they have good opportunities to select materials and be creative without interference from adults.

p.25

Commentary

• There has been excellent improvement in national test results in 2003 and pupils’ achievement is very good. • Teaching is very good, particularly in Years 5 and 6; as a result, pupils of all backgrounds, cultures and capabilities learn equally very well. • The co-ordinator provides excellent leadership and management. • Literacy is promoted very effectively within other subjects, with a strong emphasis on speaking and listening; this has ensured greater inclusion for pupils who are learning English as an additional language.

p.25

Commentary

66. The school is extremely successful in overcoming any language barriers to pupils’ achievement, and this is clearly reflected in the 2003 test results. Year 2 results showed very good improvement in reading and writing from those in 2001 and 2002, although they were below the national average. Compared with schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, the 2003 results were well above average, being particularly good in writing. In Year 6 National Curriculum test results in 2003, the above average results in English were exceptional when pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is taken into account.

p.25

Commentary

67. Pupils’ achievement is very good as a consequence of very good teaching and learning. Teaching has a much sharper focus on developing pupils’ speaking, listening and writing skills than at the last inspection. Particular strengths include highly effective planning to accommodate the particular needs of different groups of pupils, especially those who are at an early stage of English language acquisition, and the very strong teamwork between teachers and learning support assistants. For example, in a Year 4 English lesson, learning support staff explained what pupils were expected to do in the lesson, using simplified language, pictures and gestures. As a result, these pupils achieved very well and participated fully in the writing task. Pupils of all backgrounds, cultures and capabilities learn equally well, including those for whom English is an additional language. Higher-attaining pupils have very good

p.25

Commentary

opportunities through tasks that provide them with appropriate challenge. Pupils with special educational needs achieve as well as their peers as a result of the very effective support provided by learning support assistants.

p.25

Commentary

68. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are developing good speaking and listening skills. Listening skills are more developed than speaking, because a significant number of pupils enter from the Vicar’s Green Primary School - 24 Foundation Stage with well below average skills in speaking and listening. However, very good teaching which provides clear explanations in the language that pupils understand and promotes talk through a range of interesting experiences ensures that pupils are quickly improving their ability to concentrate, listen and follow instructions. The high expectations of teachers who encourage pupils to talk in full sentences using Standard English are leading to rapid improvement in speaking skills. In Years 1 and 2, pupils listened attentively for most of the time while their teacher was talking. As pupils move through the school, they improve their speaking and listening skills dramatically. They express themselves clearly and confidently, for

p.25

Commentary

example when Year 5 pupils explained why they liked ‘Space Week’ so much and Year 6 pupils discussed the effects of prejudice on young black people in New Orleans in 1960s.

p.26

Commentary

69. In Year 1, pupils are beginning to link letter sounds with letter names and they recognise and use the correct terminology for this. They continue to achieve very well in Year 2, so that they blend letter sounds together and read simple texts with growing confidence. Most pupils use different strategies, such as phonics, pictures and the context of their reading to understand the written word, so that they are competent enough to produce their own ‘Mr Men and Little miss’ books in the style of Roger Hargreaves, using the computer. By the end of Year 6, pupils read a range of fiction and non-fiction books fluently and confidently, they have well-developed library skills and read their own writing with expression and confidence.

p.26

Commentary

70. Pupils develop their writing skills proficiently as they move through the school. Younger pupils write legibly, forming letters correctly with accurate spellings of simple words and appropriate spacing between words. They mostly write in whole sentences with accurate attention to full stops and capital letters. Higher-attaining pupils are beginning to write compound sentences and use expressive words such as ‘enormous’ and ‘primrose’. By the time they leave school, pupils are writing in a variety of styles including persuasive writing, for example, in writing commercials for touring the Welsh mountains, instructional writing, as in listing rules for playing ‘Quidditch’, and plays, narrative and poetry. A particularly fine example of the writing of a higher attaining pupil in Year 5 was read to the whole school in assembly: a poignant poem, ‘I Have A Dream’, in the style of Martin Luther King.

p.26

Commentary

71. The leadership and management provided by the co-ordinator are excellent. Through the information gleaned from her rigorous monitoring, she has facilitated improvements to the teaching of English which was a key factor in the very good 2003 national test results. This has led to an exceptionally sharp focus on developing talk in lessons and collaborative learning in pairs and groups. As a result, pupils of all abilities and linguistic backgrounds access all areas of literacy very effectively and continue to rapidly improve their literacy skills.

p.26

Language and literacy across the curriculum

72. Language and literacy are promoted very effectively within other subjects, with a strong emphasis on speaking and listening. This has ensured very good inclusion for pupils who are learning English as an additional language. Speaking and listening was emphasised in almost all lessons seen. For example, pupils write imaginative poetry about the planets and highly creative narratives about the formation of the stars in science. They write about visits, such as that to Kew Gardens, create their own books in ICT, and write commercials in geography. Listening skills are promoted extremely well in assemblies through, for example, the amusing and vivid story of the ‘Big Pond’ told by the headteacher.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve very well and Year 6 National Curriculum test results in 2003 were well above average. Vicar’s Green Primary School - 25 • Pupils for whom English is an additional language and those with special educational needs make very good progress. • Teaching and learning are very good overall, with excellent teaching in Years 5 and 6; teachers in some other classes do not make enough use of practical resources. • The analysis of assessment information is very thorough but the co-ordinator does not monitor provision as much as she should.

p.26

Commentary

73. Pupils achieve very well and National Curriculum test results improved dramatically in 2003. The proportion of pupils reaching Levels 4 and 5 was well above the national average, reflecting very good teaching and appropriate challenge for higher-attaining pupils. Achievement is especially good in Years 5 and 6, where much teaching is excellent. Pupils in both classes are progressing rapidly and the eldest pupils are working in line with the national average, which augurs well for test results in 2004. Pupils’ work shows that they are achieving very well in Year 2; many are working close to the national average but some are clearly below. Pupils in other classes make at least good progress; sometimes, lower-attaining pupils need access to more practical resources to assist them in their learning. Pupils for whom English is an additional language and those with special educational needs achieve as well as

p.27

Commentary

their peers as a result of the very effective support provided by learning support assistants.

p.27

Commentary

74. Teaching and learning are very good. Teachers have high expectations and fit a great deal of learning into each lesson; this is particularly evident in Years 5 and 6. In both classes, teaching is highly challenging. In Year 6, the teacher pushed pupils to explain themselves and moved on to talk about angles by asking, ‘What does straight mean?’ In Year 5, excellent teaching ensured that pupils, including a number at early stages in learning English, understood the vocabulary of probability and developed their language skills through the subject matter of mathematics.

p.27

Commentary

75. Pupils in Years 2, 5 and 6 have already covered a vast amount of material in the current academic year, showing teachers’ very high expectations and pupils’ readiness to work hard. There is a very strong work ethic in all lessons. Learning support assistants make a substantial contribution to pupils’ achievement and enable all pupils to follow the same basic topics, sometimes with slightly different tasks for some groups within the class, at other times with distinctly different tasks according to individual needs. Many teachers are highly skilled in presenting the same topic to the whole class but explaining it so that all pupils gain the same basic information, then move on to practical work that uses an approach that is carefully matched to their prior attainment. The range of support strategies meant that in Year 5, all pupils learned about probability, some with carefully judged intervention by the learning

p.27

Commentary

support assistant. Similarly, in Year 6, all pupils coped with challenging teaching about quadrilaterals as a result of the skilled help of the support assistant who made very good use of concrete examples.

p.27

Commentary

76. Lower down the school, teachers work very hard to bring pupils on, and to overcome their well-below-average prior attainment. Teachers, learning support assistants and some volunteers provide sensitive support. Some lower attaining pupils become confused, however, when the questions and presentation in their workbooks are visually difficult to understand. In more than one lesson, a minority of pupils struggled over what to write in their workbooks although they knew the answers. Sometimes, adults need to make what is required clearer to pupils or ensure that they use materials that are not visually confusing when pupils are still striving to grasp the underlying skills. Higher-attaining pupils usually receive a good level of challenge, and have opportunities to solve problems, work together and recognize patterns. In their work, it is evident that higher attaining pupils go deeper and further than average

p.27

Commentary

attainers, especially in their capacity to apply mathematics to real-life problems.

p.27

Commentary

77. Very good achievement and much improved test results stem from thorough analysis of performance data and assessment information. This ensures that staff receive good support in Vicar’s Green Primary School - 26 teaching the subject. The co-ordinator does not, however, regularly monitor provision in mathematics; some teachers need the additional support and practical advice that this would bring. The curriculum is very well matched to the National Curriculum and to the National Numeracy Strategy; teachers use both well and the best lesson planning is excellent. Pupils’ work is marked regularly and, where relevant, it generally includes helpful comments about what to do to improve. Some teachers are already making good use of the interactive whiteboards, especially in their introductions and in mental mathematics; plenary sessions at the end of lessons are used well to check pupils’ understanding. There has been very good

p.27

Commentary

improvement in the provision for mathematics since the last inspection.

p.28

Mathematics across the curriculum

78. Mathematical skills are used well across the curriculum. Pupils use and consolidate their numeracy skills a great deal in science, measuring, tabulating results and handling data. In ICT, they learn about shape and consolidate their mathematical vocabulary. In mathematics, older pupils show that they know how to apply their knowledge to problem solving, for instance, in geographical contexts.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The achievement of the oldest pupils is excellent, as reflected in the 2003 National Curriculum test results; other pupils achieve very well. • Teaching is very good and pupils learn very well because there is a sharp focus on investigations, speaking and listening. • There have been very good improvements in the curriculum, with excellent opportunities for enrichment. • Excellent subject leadership has brought about a rapid change in the ethos for teaching and learning.

p.28

Commentary

79. The achievement of pupils who took Year 6 tests in 2003 was excellent; overall achievement is very good. Year 6 results in National Curriculum tests in science in 2003 were well above the national average for pupils reaching Level 4 and Level 5. The proportion of pupils gaining Level 5 3 (63 per cent) was a direct result of excellent subject co-ordination, excellent teaching and innovative curriculum development. Results at the end of Year 2 were below average but in line with those of similar schools, with an increase in the proportion of pupils gaining Level 3 this year.

p.28

Commentary

80. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are developing a good understanding of fair testing through, for example, their investigations into the properties of materials. In Years 5 and 6, pupils record and write up practical investigations accurately. They record their results using bar graphs or line graphs and interpret these, demonstrating very good skills of scientific enquiry. This was evident in an investigation on solubility where pupils concluded that the volume of water would increase the rate at which a substance would dissolve.

p.28

Commentary

81. Teaching is very good and sometimes excellent. Strong features of teaching include: • Very good teamwork between teachers and support staff; • Very good use of assessment with careful explanations of clearly communicated learning objectives; and • Constant feedback on performance during lessons.

p.28

Commentary

Level 5 is the standard the majority of pupils nationally are expected to reach by the age of 14. Vicar’s Green Primary School - 27 82. The consistent use of talk not only from the teacher but also in group work and paired activities, develops pupils’ speaking and listening skills very well. Pupils not only develop a clearer understanding of key scientific ideas but also develop social skills and turn-taking very well. In Year 2, pupils worked in groups to classify various materials as metals, wood, plastic, paper and fabric, and shared their ideas effectively.

p.28

Commentary

83. The curriculum has improved significantly since the last inspection, with a much greater emphasis on investigations, a very well conceived scheme of work which promotes problem solving, and excellent opportunities for enhancing learning and achievement through the introduction of an activity week. Leadership and management are excellent. The subject co- ordinator has brought about a rapid change of culture for teaching and learning as a result of establishing ‘Space Week’. This science activity week was introduced immediately after the co-ordinator took on responsibility for the subject. It enables pupils to experience a great deal of enjoyment and develop their skills of scientific enquiry. The work that resulted from this experience shows pupils’ sense of awe and wonder when they saw the universe in the mobile planetarium, designed and made rocket ships and learned about the planets within our solar

p.29

Commentary

system and galaxies. Pupils’ literacy, numeracy and ICT skills were extremely well promoted by this initiative through, for example, writing imaginative poetry about the universe. This greatly enthused pupils and teachers so that the co-ordinator was able to introduce the new scheme of work effectively. Her monitoring of teaching and learning has not only led to improvements in provision but also a dramatic rise in pupils’ achievements. She has produced plans to continue and develop the idea of activity week over the next five years.

p.29

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is good .

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards have improved and are now in line with national expectations at both key stages. • Teaching and learning are very good in ICT lessons and as a result, pupils‘ achievement is very good. • Improved planning and organisation has enabled teachers to develop the full breadth of pupils’ ICT skills and understanding. • Very good teaching, new equipment and improved facilities have enhanced the overall development of ICT.

p.29

Commentary

84. Standards of attainment of pupils throughout the school are in line with national expectations, which is a significant improvement since the last inspection when they were judged to be below expectations at the end of Year 6. The overall improvement in standards, especially by the end of Year 6, is a result of significant changes in the provision. Pupils have discrete ICT skills lessons each week and teaching is expert and challenging. Consequently, pupils throughout the school are making rapid progress in developing their skills, knowledge and understanding. The ICT policy and scheme of work are very well matched to National Curriculum requirements. A new computer suite has been fully fitted with 16 workstations and an interactive white board. In addition, every classroom is equipped with a new PC and an interactive whiteboard. This represents an excellent level of resourcing.

p.29

Commentary

85. Overall, pupils’ learning and achievement are very good throughout the school. Pupils in Year 1 begin to learn the concept of modelling by searching for hidden bears, selecting clothes and dressing them. They create an imaginary animal by trying out and selecting from a range of animal parts, changing and discarding unwanted parts. Their mouse skills are very good and higher-attaining pupils use the keyboard to put titles and write sentences about their work. In Year 2, pupils produce simple, beautifully presented stories, making very good use of different fonts, sizes and colour. Vicar’s Green Primary School - 28 86. At the end of Year 6, pupils have a good understanding about which everyday items incorporate a computer and microchip and about how ICT can be used to improve our everyday lives. They have had good opportunities to use a range of applications and their display work shows that they use their ICT skills in several subjects to explore and present

p.29

Commentary

information. Analysis of pupils’ work shows that pupils are able to enter text efficiently and move or copy blocks of text to improve their compositions. They adjust the format of paragraphs and indents to suit the type of document. Very good teaching results in Year 6 pupils producing highly competent multi-media presentations. In one lesson, pupils were seen presenting work on Ancient Greece using information from a CD ROM and displaying their work on the interactive white board. Pupils designed very attractive home pages and linked pages successfully, putting relevant sound and music to their texts. The teacher suggested that some might go on to make dual-language electronic texts and put spoken words to their presentations, which delighted them.

p.30

Commentary

87. The co-ordinator teaches all the ICT skills lessons in the computer suite and classroom teachers support him with a view to gradually team-teaching. Teaching is never less than very good. In one observation, with a potentially very difficult group, it was outstanding. Lessons are well planned. They build securely on what pupils already know, and the learning objectives are shared with pupils. As a result, pupils are well motivated and keen to learn and their behaviour is very good. Lessons in the computer suite are very well organised and managed and consequently, resources are well used. Teaching is dynamic and highly imaginative and the teacher’s very good subject knowledge enables him to extend all pupils’ knowledge and provide work which challenges all pupils. Consequently, pupils are making rapid progress. There is a well-planned curriculum and therefore pupils are now being progressively taught

p.30

Commentary

88. The co-ordinator manages the subject with vision and skill. The development plan for ICT is clear and highly appropriate. The new computer suite is attractive, with exciting displays of pupils’ work and informative and useful posters. The co-ordinator regularly leads training sessions for all members of staff. The range of software available to support work across the curriculum is very good. Monitoring of teachers’ plans and pupils’ work in ICT is thorough. There are systematic assessment and recording procedures in place. The school has not yet collected examples of work so that all staff become familiar with the different expected levels of attainment and the range of possibilities offered in subject areas by new powerful ICT resources.

p.30

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

89. The use of ICT in subject areas is developing well and the provision of an interactive whiteboard in every classroom is an excellent resource. Some teachers are already beginning to make good use of these but some need more training in their use. Teachers already use pupils’ ICT skills to support learning in English, mathematics, art and history. For example, in history through exploring information on ancient civilisations, in art through use of art packages to explore composition, in English in the presentation and redrafting of work and in mathematics to enliven mental mathematics activities . However, the school recognises this as an area for development, and training is planned for all staff in the use of the interactive whiteboards and in the new Internet connection.

p.30

HUMANITIES

90. Provision for history and geography was not a focus for this inspection. There was insufficient evidence to form a judgement about standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 in either subject. Brief discussions were held with a member of staff and a substantial amount of work was scrutinised from the extensive displays. A significant amount of work, especially in history, suggests that pupils’ achievement is good as a result of teachers' good subject knowledge and learning made lively by varied activities. The senior teacher leads both Vicar’s Green Primary School - 29 subjects and provides guidance for other staff. Geography and history are well resourced, including a range of multicultural materials. In geography, the oldest pupils have studied rivers of the world, precipitation, evaporation, the wind, the oceans, vegetation and mountains. In history, they have learnt about the census and about social aspects of life in Victorian

p.30

HUMANITIES

England; this included the opportunity to dress up in Victorian clothes and ‘experience’ a day in the life of a Victorian child. This work was supported well by a range of artefacts. Pupils in Year 5 have learnt about the Tudor dynasty, with strong promotion of their literacy skills in work on the Tudor queens. Year 3 pupils have studied the Romans, considering Julius Caesar’s invasion of Great Britain and Boudicca’s people. History includes an emphasis on the study of black achievement, past and present, promoted recently during Black History Month.

p.31

Religious education

Provision in religious education is good .

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are mainly at the levels expected in the LEA’s Agreed Syllabus at the end of Year 2 and at the end of Year 6. • On occasions very good teaching leads to pupils exceeding the levels expected. • Teaching and learning are good throughout the school and pupils achieve well. • Pupils are interested in the lessons and learn effectively from each other. They have a good respect for each other’s feelings, values and beliefs.

p.31

Commentary

91. Standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 meet the expectation of the locally agreed syllabus. In a Year 5 lesson, where teaching and learning were very good, standards exceeded the levels expected. Pupils throughout the school achieve well. They make good progress in their knowledge and understanding and in their ability to reflect on their learning. There is no significant variation between the attainment of girls and boys. Pupils with special educational needs receive well-structured support in class and therefore their progress is good. Similarly, pupils with English as an additional language make good progress through sensitive and skilled support.

p.31

Commentary

92. Teaching is good overall. Most teachers have good subject knowledge, which they impart well, and skilful questioning is used to check pupils’ understanding. As a result, Year 2 pupils have a good knowledge of some Christian beliefs and an awareness of other religions. They know stories from the major world religions. Through sensitive teaching, role-play and story-telling they learn about important Christian, Judaic and Islamic ceremonies. They begin to understand that a major element in different faiths is that of caring for one another and the environment. Pupils learn about festivals in other faiths, as, for example, when they learn about the significance of light in many of these. They visit local churches and religious buildings and are able to recognise and understand the purpose of different parts of the building. They are beginning to understand the significance of certain routines when entering

p.31

Commentary

holy buildings and higher-attaining pupils use language well when recording rules for keeping a place special. Teaching with younger pupils is imaginative and is enhanced by the use of good resources. This makes learning exciting and fun so that pupils are well motivated. In the best lessons, teachers create a very positive learning environment and their strong relationships with pupils enable them to manage their behaviour well.

p.31

Commentary

93. By year 6, most pupils have a good knowledge of the essential features of Christianity, Islam, and Sikhism. They learn how these religions celebrate festivals and about significant rites of passage. They understand the significance of rules within religions. In a group discussion on the Qur’an, pupils showed good knowledge and understanding and contributed well from their Vicar’s Green Primary School - 30 own experience. Their ideas were thoughtful and reflected both the effective teaching and their own past learning experiences well.

p.31

Commentary

94. Teachers are successful in enabling pupils to express their feelings openly and confidently. Therefore, pupils have good opportunities to reflect upon their learning and understanding of religious issues. For example, a lesson where a Year 5 pupil demonstrated the way the Qur'an was treated at home was particularly remarkable by the sharing of different beliefs and customs and the immense amount of respect accorded by teacher and pupils alike to each other.

p.32

Commentary

95. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well and this enables them to be fully included in both discussion and activities. Similarly, pupils with EAL have skilled support which enables them to contribute and learn effectively. Where the teaching is very good, methods ensure that those pupils share first-hand experiences, have opportunities to handle artefacts and use good quality books. Where teaching is less successful but still satisfactory, behaviour management is inconsistent and less use is made of pupils’ experiences and previous learning. Teachers use ICT, particularly CD-ROMs, well to support pupils’ learning. Teaching and learning are enhanced by visits and the school receives visitors from local religious communities. Religious education makes a good contribution to the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural development.

p.32

Commentary

96. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory. The co-coordinator works with the local education authority and diocesan advisers to develop planning in accordance with the locally agreed syllabus, and the development plan for the subject is clear. Teachers’ planning, classroom practice and consistency in the assessment of the pupils’ achievement are regularly monitored, and the results are used well to improve standards. Resources, including artefacts, have been increased and are well organised.

p.32

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

97. It was only possible to sample subjects within this area, so overall judgements about standards cannot be reached. The school is well aware of the need to develop further some of its foundation subjects and is beginning to do so.

p.32

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

98. In art and design , skills, knowledge and understanding are not taught systematically as pupils move through the school, although some attractive work is produced. Where teaching is at its best, pupils make very good progress and in a lesson in Year 5, the teaching of visual analysis was excellent. This led to outstanding achievement for some pupils and engaged the interest of the whole class. In another lesson, the teacher’s expectations were too low through lack of subject knowledge and the practical task did not provide enough opportunity for pupils to develop a range of skills and understanding. Other work on display shows a similar range of standards and achievement. Much of the work that pupils produce shows that they enjoy working with colour and form. This is evident in the careful patterning imprinted onto clay in the Ashanti discs they made. ICT pictures produced following their trip to Kew Gardens

p.32

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

include effective use of a range of techniques, including flooding and spraying. Paintings on the theme of the rainforest in Year 5 and still life paintings in Year 6 are below average. In contrast, Year 5 pupils produced exciting mixed media collages to illustrate biblical stories, an activity that provided very good opportunities for creativity and visual expression. The school recognises that the co-ordination of art and design needs to be developed further. It has made use of artists-in-residence and this has inspired high quality work in sculpture and art. The celebration of pupils’ artwork by framing it, sharing it with the whole school in assembly and displaying it in an ‘art gallery’ corridor is very encouraging to pupils.

p.32

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

99. Improving pupils’ achievement in design and technology was a key issue in the last inspection. It was not possible to observe any lessons in design and technology, but pupils’ work was scrutinised, alongside teachers’ planning and notes and reports of pupils’ work. Discussions were held with some pupils about their work and with the subject co-coordinator. Vicar’s Green Primary School - 31 100. Since the last inspection there has been satisfactory improvement. There is now a stronger emphasis on planning and organisation. There is a good policy document and scheme of work in place which ensures full coverage of the National Curriculum Programmes of Study. This provides a useful framework for teaching and planning lessons. Resources have improved and a recently refurbished food technology room is about to be opened. Teachers are developing work in the subject and adapting the curriculum to reflect the needs, backgrounds

p.32

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

and interests of pupils but there is still some work to do. At present, teaching strongly supports the production and skills elements of design and technology but there is less emphasis on the design of products and the evaluation of work. There is a strong emphasis on the end product and insufficient focus on the process of designing and improving work.

p.33

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

101. There were several well-finished items available for scrutiny during the inspection; however, there was more limited evidence of pupils’ planning and evaluation. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 have designed and made simple puppets, model playgrounds and picture frames. Pupils in Years 4 to 6 designed and made shelters, musical instruments and slippers. Pupils in Year 6 made very good African masks in clay as part of their work in Black History Month.

p.33

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

102. The co-ordinator has a strong vision for the future of the subject and has a good development plan. He monitors teachers’ planning and work in the classroom on a regular basis and works effectively to raise standards and the level of resourcing and to ensure broad coverage of the National Curriculum. He is aware of the areas for development in teaching and learning in the subject; there is a strong focus on training to improve confidence and subject knowledge and understanding. A month of activities in design and technology is planned for next year and the theme will be ‘carnival’; pupils will be designing and making their own masks, costumes, scenery and floats.

p.33

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

103. Since a subject specialist has been coming into school one day a week to teach music to pupils in Years 3 to 6, the profile of the subject has risen. Pupils have timetabled music lessons and the opportunity to have instrumental music tuition. The subject is popular with pupils, and there are recorder groups and a steel pan group. Pupils regularly perform in school and pupils in Year 4 are shortly due to visit the Royal Festival Hall to experience a professional performance.

p.33

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

104. The school has begun to develop its provision for physical education . A new co-ordinator for this subject was appointed September 2003 and a new scheme of work is about to be put in place. A newly appointed site activities officer has already begun to provide support in the subject and will develop sport at lunchtimes. He is particularly skilled to do so since he plays and coaches professional netball. The school has previously used external specialists, including Brentford Football Club and the London Broncos, to develop pupils' skills. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 go swimming and there are good opportunities for pupils to compete against other schools in netball and football. There are now three physical education specialists on the staff and the headteacher runs netball and athletics within the local education authority.

p.33

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

105. Insufficient work was seen to form an overall judgement about provision in personal, social and health education or citizenship.

p.33

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

106. Personal, social, health education and citizenship are actively promoted, both within discrete PSHE lessons and within and across other subjects. The impact of timetabled lessons, enrichment activities and the school’s excellent ethos ensures that pupils make very good progress in their personal development, learn about health, and know how to function as positive members of society. The school is shortly to appoint a co-ordinator for personal, social and health education. Vicar’s Green Primary School - 32

p.33

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 2 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 3

p.34

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 2

p.34

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.34

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.34

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 2 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 1 The leadership of other key staff 2 The effectiveness of management 2

p.34

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.34