Walverden Primary School

WALVERDEN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 26 th - 28 th January 2004

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WALVERDEN 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.

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WALVERDEN 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. Walverden Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 391 School address: Bracewell Street Nelson Lancashire Postcode: BB9 0TL Telephone number: (01282) 614 834 Fax number: (01282) 616 709 Appropriate authority: Local education authority Name of chair of governors: Mrs P Costello Date of previous inspection: 22 nd June 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This is a large community primary school located in a depressed urban community with high unemployment. A large number of children come from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. There are 391 pupils on roll, plus 42 who attend part time in the Nursery. There are more boys than girls. The vast majority of the pupils live in older rented property within the immediate area of the school. There are 217 pupils with English as an additional language, virtually all of whom are from a Pakistani heritage background, with community languages of Punjabi or Urdu. Of these pupils, around 79 are at an early stage of English language acquisition. Most of the remainder are of white UK heritage background. Over recent years the ethnic balance has changed; there has been a sharp decline in the number of children from the indigenous population, while the percentage of children of Asian heritage has increased. There is a high level of pupil mobility with a

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

significant number of children arriving and leaving at times other than the start or end of the school year. Fifty-two pupils are identified as having special educational needs, mainly concerned with moderate learning difficulties. This number is slightly below the national average. There are 17 pupils who have a Statement of Special Educational Need, this number being above the national average. The proportion of pupils taking free school meals is well above the national average. The vast majority of pupils have successful pre-school education through the school’s own Nursery. Even so, attainment on entry to the Reception Year is well below what could be expected, most notably in speaking and communication skills; some enter with little or no English.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school was awarded the Basic Skills Quality Mark in 2000, an Investor in People award in 2001 and a Schools Achievement Award in 2002. Walverden Primary School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

17531 Peter Allen Lead inspector Music Physical education 11474 Peter Berry Lay inspector 17310 Ann McAskie Team inspector Mathematics Art and design History 32636 Gill Hepworth Team inspector English Information and communication technology 29686 Stefan Lord Team inspector Science Design and technology Geography English as an additional language 4350 Clive Whittington Team inspector Foundation stage Religious education Special educational needs.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Tribal PPI Barley House Oakfield Grove Clifton Bristol BS8 2BN

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637 833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Walverden Primary School - 3

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 9 - 14

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Overall this is an effective school which provides a good quality of education. Although standards are mainly below average, most pupils achieve well relative to their capabilities. The quality of teaching, although mixed, is good overall. The leadership and management of the school and the value for money that the school provides are satisfactory.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Although the pupils achieve well overall, standards need to be higher across the school, especially in literacy. • More opportunities need to be provided across the curriculum to promote speaking and listening skills. • Children are given a very good start to their school lives because of the high quality of the work in the Nursery and the Reception Year (the Foundation Stage). • The very good teaching in Year 6 enables the pupils to achieve very well. • The school’s evaluation of its own performance and its plans for improvement are insufficiently rigorous. • There is a need to improve attendance. • There is a need to further develop the use of information and communication technology to support learning across all the areas of the curriculum. • The children’s good attitudes and relationships have a positive impact on their learning.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

The school has made a good improvement since its last inspection in 1998. The issues from that report have been tackled. As a consequence, teaching and learning have vastly improved in Reception and Years 1 and 2. The arrangements for pupils at lunchtime have improved as has the provision for pupils with English as an additional language. However, management of the school is still just satisfactory. All the evidence indicates standards of attainment have gone down since that time, mainly because of a significant change in the school’s population. Children’s levels of attainment on entry are now lower than those seen at the previous inspection because of a significant change in the school’s intake. There are now more children who have English as an additional language, including a significant number at an early stage of English language acquisition.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Although standards are low most pupils achieve well . A significant number of pupils enter school with poor speaking and communication skills. They make a very positive start in the Nursery and Reception classes and achieve well, but standards are low. The indications are that in some areas of learning a significant number of children will not meet the expected Early Learning Goals and few, if any, are likely to exceed them. Standards at the end of Year 2 are below average in reading, writing, mathematics and science. Standards at the end of Year 6 in English, mathematics and science, although higher, are still below average. In the national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2003, standards were well below the national average. Pupils perform better in mathematics and science than they do in English. Standards observed during the inspection were, overall, higher than those Walverden Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

achieved in the national tests over recent years. The school is enabling most pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, to achieve well. The inspection team found no significant difference between the attainment of boys and girls and the attainment of pupils of different ethnicity. The progress of a significant number of children is adversely affected by their extended holidays from school. The significant number of pupils arriving and leaving the school (pupil mobility) has a negative impact on the overall standards reached. Standards in information and communication technology and religious education are broadly in line with those typically seen. Standards are beginning to improve and are set to continue to do so. This is the school’s main priority.

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Pupils’ personal development is good. It is well promoted by the overall good provision for

their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are enthusiastic, usually behave well and have positive attitudes towards school. Most children are punctual. Attendance overall is unsatisfactory due to the extended holidays of a significant minority of children.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is good. The quality of teaching , although variable, is good overall , enabling pupils to learn well throughout the school. The quality of education in the Foundation Stage is very good because of the high standards of teaching by all staff. The same is true for Year 6. The good support within the classrooms for pupils with special educational needs helps these pupils to make good progress. The provision for the large number of pupils with English as an additional language, including those at an early stage of English language acquisition, enables the pupils to make good progress and access all areas of the curriculum. The breadth of the curriculum is satisfactory. The school recognises the need to further develop the use of information and communication technology on a more regular basis to support all areas of the curriculum. Pupils are given good care, support and guidance. The school has developed a good partnership with the

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership, management and governance are satisfactory overall , with some weaknesses. The headteacher shows a strong commitment to the school and its pupils and is well supported by the able deputy headteacher who has a very significant impact on the work of the school. Overall, there is a need for a clearer, shared agenda for school improvement; the plans for school improvement are not sufficiently rigorous. The school needs a strategy to share the good practice, which exists in some classes. Whilst governance meets statutory requirements, the governing body could usefully further develop its monitoring role.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Overall, parents are happy with the school. They feel that their children are well cared for. Pupils are very enthusiastic about their school, they hold their teachers in high regard and many Year 6 pupils reflect on their happy times at the school.

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

• Raise standards across the school, especially in literacy. • Create more opportunities across the curriculum to develop speaking and listening skills. • Significantly develop its self-evaluation processes. • Further increase the use of information and communication technology to support all curricular areas. • Continue to work on improving attendance. Walverden Primary School - 6

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Children’s achievement within the Foundation Stage is good. Between Year 1 and Year 6 standards are low, being lower than those observed at the time of the previous inspection. Nevertheless, most pupils achieve well in relation to their capabilities and prior attainment. There are no significant differences between the attainment of boys and girls and between pupils of different ethnic background.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most pupils achieve well because of the good quality of the teaching. • Standards need to be higher across the school in mathematics and science and especially in English, including speaking and listening. • The pupils with English as an additional language are well supported, enabling them to achieve well. • Standards are adversely affected by pupils’ absence through extended holidays.

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Commentary

1. An issue from the previous inspection six years ago was to raise standards in English and mathematics at Key Stage 1. In spite of the school’s efforts, this has not happened and standards are still below average. Additionally, standards at the end of Year 6 are now lower than those described in the previous report. The main reason for this is a change in the school’s population. Levels of attainment on entry to the school are lower, especially in language and communication skills, than they were six years ago because of a progressive change in the school’s intake. There is now a growing number of children entering school who have English as an additional language, with a significant number at an early stage of English language acquisition. This is most marked in the Reception classes where just less than three-quarters are from an Asian heritage background, compared with the time of the previous

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Commentary

2. The very low language levels, including speaking skills, of many of the children when they start school can often hinder their development as they move through school. This is why the school needs to better promote the development of speaking and listening skills across all areas of the curriculum. Standards are also adversely affected by the significant minority of pupils taken by their parents on long holidays abroad, thus losing continuity in learning English and in their education overall. A further barrier to continuity in learning, which has a negative impact on standards, is the relatively high level of pupil mobility in and out of school. In the year prior to the inspection, 50 pupils arrived and 36 pupils left at a time other than the start or end of the year.

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Commentary

3. Because of the good teaching most pupils, including those with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs, achieve well relative to their capabilities. The very good quality of the teaching in the Foundation Stage ensures that children make a very positive start, although standards are very low, especially in the areas of communication, language and literacy and knowledge and understanding of the world. Children make good progress and achieve well in the Nursery and Reception classes, showing the ‘value added’ by the school.

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Commentary

4. Evidence collected during the inspection indicates that standards at the end of Year 2 are below average in reading and writing, mathematics and science. These standards are clearly higher than those indicated in the national test results over recent years, which have been Walverden Primary School - 7 consistently in the lowest five per cent nationally and below average compared with similar schools. The reason for this low grading is that whilst a reasonable number of pupils reach Level 2, the expected level for most seven year olds, few reach the higher Level 3.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003 Standards in: School results National results reading 11.7 (10.8) 15.7 (15.8 ) writing 10.3 (9.6) 14.6 (14.4 ) mathematics 11.6 (12.4) 16.3 (16.5) There were 46 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

5. Standards in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 6 are relatively higher than those at the end of Year 2, but still below average. Standards observed during the inspection were again higher than those indicated by the national tests, where in recent years the results have consistently been well below the national average. Sometimes, such as in mathematics in 2003, standards have been broadly in line with those for similar schools in some of the subjects.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2003 Standards in: School results National results English 23.6 (24.7) 27.0 (27.0) mathematics 24.9 (25.4) 26.7 (26.6) science 26.2 (26.3) 28.3 (28.3) There were 63 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

6. In 2003 the results were lower in English than they were in mathematics and science and this is reflected in the results over recent years. In 2003, too few pupils reached the expected Level 4 in English, and in English, mathematics and science, overall standards are adversely affected by the low number of pupils reaching the higher Level 5. It is the view of the inspection team that the pupils may well not be responding as well as they could to being in the ‘test’ situation.

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Commentary

7. In spite of the low standards, the work of the pupils observed during the inspection, together with a detailed scrutiny of work done over the year, indicate that most pupils are achieving well relative to their capabilities, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. Nevertheless, the school recognises the need to target pupils to reach Level 3 and Level 5 respectively. Although the school’s analysis of data suggests that girls perform better than boys and that girls of Asian heritage background perform better than girls of UK white heritage background, this was not borne out by inspection findings. The inspection team found no significant differences between the attainment of boys and girls and the attainment of pupils of different ethnicity.

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Commentary

8. Standards in religious education are broadly in line with the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. Standards in information and communication technology are in line with those normally seen and are well promoted by the new computer suite and the excellent support of the new technician. Given the time constraints of the inspection, it was not possible to make firm judgements about standards in other subjects.

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Commentary

9. Standards are beginning to rise, but more remains to be done. The school now needs to sharpen its focus on target setting as part of its strategy to drive up standards, most notably in literacy. This is recognised by the staff as the school’s main priority. Walverden Primary School - 8

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are good throughout the school. Pupils’ moral, social and cultural development is good and their spiritual development is satisfactory. Attendance is overall unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• A significant minority of pupils have poor attendance, due to extended holidays. • Pupils’ attitudes to their work are good. • Most pupils’ behaviour is good throughout the school. • There are good relationships among pupils and between the pupils and adults. • The majority of pupils work well independently and co-operatively. • Pupils benefit from the school’s good provision for their personal development, gaining increasing confidence and maturity. • Whilst punctuality has significantly improved, there is a small group of regular latecomers.

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Commentary

10. Relationships between the pupils and adults and among the pupils themselves are good. Every pupil’s contribution and effort are valued. Pupils benefit from the school’s good provision for their personal development. Pupils of different ages, gender and ethnic backgrounds work together well in class. They socialise at break and lunchtimes with few problems. All aspects of personal, social and emotional development are well promoted in the Nursery and the Reception year and the children respond well. The attitudes of children in the Nursery and Reception classes are very good and this makes a very positive contribution to their learning.

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Commentary

11. Pupils with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language have positive attitudes to their learning. The level of support and encouragement that they receive has a significant impact on their self-esteem and achievements. They are confident to ask for assistance and assured that it will be readily available.

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Commentary

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Commentary

Categories used in the Annual School Census No. of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 138 6 0 White – any other White background 2 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 1 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 3 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 16 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 8 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 3 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 217 7 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 3 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 20 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Walverden Primary School - 9 12. During the inspection no instance of serious misbehaviour was observed; there were however a significant number of short temporary exclusions in the previous school year. Pupils behave well in and around school. They respect class rules and respond appropriately to teachers’

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Commentary

expectations. They know right from wrong and learn to consider the needs and feelings of their classmates. The success of the ‘Make Lunchtime Positive’ initiative has had a very positive effect on pupils’ lunchtime behaviour. There is minimal aggressive behaviour and indications that pupils have increased respect for each other and the lunchtime staff.

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Commentary

13. The majority of pupils work well independently and co-operatively. They value their friendships with adults and other pupils, enabling them to develop good personal qualities. In lessons, pupils listen carefully to others and share resources appropriately; for example when sharing computers. They respond well to praise and that further encourages them to develop their self-esteem, confidence and maturity. Some older pupils hold positions of responsibility and carry them out effectively. Through religious education they learn about the major world faiths. The school teaches pupils to appreciate their own cultural traditions and the diversity and richness of other cultures.

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Commentary

14. In the pre-inspection questionnaire, the majority of pupils agreed that they like being at school and that the adults provide good support.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%) Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 7.5 School data 0.4 * 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. * This figure excludes time taken for extended holidays.

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Attendance

15. Attendance is unsatisfactory despite the school’s positive actions to promote good attendance. Whilst the majority of pupils have good attendance there is a significant minority of pupils who have poor attendance. In many instances this is related to extended periods visiting relations in Asia, as was the case of nearly forty children in the year prior to the inspection. These absences, often for around three or four months, but sometimes significantly longer, impact adversely on the pupils’ progress and ultimately on the school’s test results. The school needs to strengthen its efforts to minimise these absences with renewed vigour and purpose. Parents need to be more aware of the harm done to their children’s education by these long holidays. Punctuality has improved but there remain a significant number of regular latecomers.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is good . The overall good quality teaching and good levels of care and support mean that pupils are able to learn well. There is a good partnership with parents and the school works closely with the local community.

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Teaching and learning

Overall the quality of teaching and learning is good . The quality of teaching in Year 6 and in the Foundation Stage is of a particularly high standard. Teaching is more variable at Key Stage 2 than at Key Stage 1. The day-to-day assessment of attainment and progress is an area for further development. Walverden Primary School - 10

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• One quarter of the teaching observed was very good, including one excellent lesson. • Teachers generally manage the pupils well. The very good relationships in class give pupils the confidence to engage in their work and achieve well. • Teachers and classroom assistants work very well together providing a caring, consistent approach to learning. • Teachers take care to use methods and resources which will enable all pupils to learn effectively. • Expertise in the school is not always effectively shared. • The quality of day-to-day assessment and marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent. • Teaching and learning in withdrawal groups is less effective than that in classrooms.

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Commentary

16. An issue from the previous inspection was to improve the quality of teaching, especially in Reception and Key Stage 1. This issue has been tackled well, and teaching and learning have improved, most significantly in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2, where it is consistently good or very good. At Key Stage 2 it is more variable .

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 54 lessons Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Commentary

1 (2%) 14 (26%) 23 (43%) 12 (22%) 4 (7%) 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.

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Commentary

17. In the Foundation Stage, an attractive environment, together with very effective planning and well established routines, is providing high quality learning experiences for the youngest children. The staff are effective in creating a warm, friendly environment, where parents and children feel welcome and valued. The overall quality of teaching and learning in these classes is very good. High expectations, a wide range of well-planned activities and clear, effective assessment ensure that all achieve well. The high quality support staff make a very positive contribution to learning . This strong, positive start for the children, is laying the foundations for the main focus of raising standards, especially in literacy.

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Commentary

18. Teachers throughout the school work very hard and are very committed to the school and its pupils. Where teaching is very good, pupils are engrossed in their work and are making better progress than might be expected and achievement is high. In one particularly effective mathematics lesson in Year 6, relationships between the teacher and pupils were excellent and great emphasis was put on promoting the pupils’ self esteem. The teacher’s very good command of the subject, together with high expectations of both herself and the pupils, resulted in a very high level of involvement from the pupils and very good learning.

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Commentary

19. In the small number of lessons where teaching was less than good, the teachers did not enable pupils to make the good progress typical of other lessons. In some lessons there is insufficient difference between tasks given to the various ability groups resulting in insufficient stimulation for the higher attainers. The very good teaching is having a positive impact on the school’s main agenda of raising standards. There is a need to further develop the sharing of good practice and also to encourage teachers to have more confidence in their own abilities to evaluate achievement and devise ways to move forward.

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Commentary

20. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language are well supported in the classroom. Effective liaison between the special educational needs co-ordinator, class teachers and support staff ensures that there is appropriate support and challenge for these pupils in the classroom and, as a result, they achieve well. The good deployment of support assistants in oral sessions enables pupils to be fully involved. The Walverden Primary School - 11 teaching of pupils with special educational needs is effective. Pupils are helped to succeed through appropriately set work and good levels of support. Many of their individual education plans are detailed and specific, with clear, achievable targets for improvement. However, in some cases these targets are too broad to ensure that pupils are given work appropriate to their needs. These targets have been agreed by pupils and, where possible their parents or

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Commentary

carers. In some instances, parents do not respond to the school’s encouragement to become involved. Pupils’ subsequent progress is assessed carefully and this is generally used to set further appropriate targets.

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Commentary

21. Pupils with English as an additional language are given good quality support, which promotes their development, both socially and linguistically. Nursery and Reception children and the pupils in Year 1 share full-time bilingual support. This, along with very good quality teaching, has a very good impact on their learning. During the Years 2 to 6 less bilingual support is provided because fewer pupils need this. Consequently, when teachers explain and discuss things most pupils understand what is being taught. Very good use is made of bilingual parental help on the occasions when pupils with little English join the school in later years. This was seen in a Year 5 class when a parent effectively supported a pupil with little English to enable him to understand and achieve well in a mathematics lesson.

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Commentary

22. Pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties are suitably managed. However, provision for pupils who are withdrawn from classes for small group work is less effective and needs review. Most of the unsatisfactory teaching occurred in these lessons. The weaknesses observed were poor management of pupils and inefficient use of the adults present. These factors are a significant barrier to learning.

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Commentary

23. The school’s main current priority is, appropriately, to improve speaking and listening and writing skills. Teachers make positive efforts to develop pupils’ vocabulary across the curriculum, showing patience in discussions, gently steering those pupils who find difficulty in focusing on questions and making the appropriate response. Through carefully focused questions, a very sympathetic attitude and good use of praise, pupils’ achievements are gradually being improved. However, there are too few planned opportunities for speaking and listening. Where teachers plan opportunities for pupils to work collaboratively, it is proving very beneficial in developing both oral and social skills. Pupils with a good command of English often help others who may be struggling.

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Commentary

24. Classrooms are well resourced and usually well organised. The quality and range of displays of pupils’ work and other artefacts is variable but where they are well done, they make a significant contribution to the learning environment. Teachers in Year 6 make very good use of interactive whiteboards in their classrooms to make presentations which capture the pupils’ interests. Most pupils show interest in their work, concentrate well and are usually keen to do their best. Handwriting is satisfactory and work is usually well presented. Increasingly, pupils are developing the skills to work both independently and also co-operatively with their classmates.

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Commentary

25. The good quality of curriculum leadership and management, together with joint planning is helping to ensure that generally, teachers have a consistent approach to teaching and learning. Planning for the use of information and communication technology across the curriculum needs further development. Assessment of results of national tests is thoroughly analysed and provides the school with useful information in decision making about future developments. The quality of day-to-day assessment and marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent but there is some very good practice on which to build. Teachers give homework on a regular basis and parents are aware of the arrangements. Where there is appropriate support from home, which is not always the case, this is making a good contribution to pupils’ learning. Walverden Primary School - 12

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The curriculum

The overall quality of the curriculum throughout the school is satisfactory. Opportunities for curriculum enrichment through the range of extra-curricular activities are good, with a good range of visitors to enrich the curriculum. Overall the range and quality of resources are good and the accommodation is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff place a high priority on the inclusion of all pupils in both work and play. • The subject co-ordinators are aware of the areas for curriculum development and have planned for these. • Although provision for pupils with special educational needs is good overall, the school has yet to identify those pupils who may be gifted or talented. • The use made of the accommodation by the Reception classes is a strength. • Literacy is under-developed across the curriculum, especially speaking and listening. • Information and communication technology is insufficiently developed to support learning across the curriculum.

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Commentary

26. The school’s curriculum is broad and balanced and is largely based on national guidance. It meets statutory requirements, including the provision for sex and relationships and drugs education. The quality and range of learning opportunities provided are satisfactory. Curriculum co-ordinators have developed their own suitable action plans, which identify the areas for improvement for their subjects. Curriculum provision for children in the Foundation Stage is very good. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are used effectively to teach English and mathematics. The school is aware of the need to increase the opportunities for speaking and listening in all areas of the curriculum. The use of information and communication technology within the whole curriculum is underdeveloped.

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Commentary

27. Curriculum provision for pupils with special educational needs is good overall. Staff write the individual education plans, which are generally, although not always, suitably targeted to ensure that each pupil’s specific needs are met. Pupils are aware of these and, when appropriate, are involved in identifying them. The school has not yet identified those pupils who are gifted or talented, and as a consequence, the needs of these pupils could be more closely targeted. Overall the pupils with English as an additional language have the same good opportunities as others to take full part in the curriculum.

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Commentary

28. Provision for personal, social, health and citizenship education in the school is good. The subject is timetabled and all pupils benefit from specific lessons. The school is highly inclusive in all its aspects, ensuring equality of access and opportunity for all pupils. Teachers have positive strategies that develop children’s pride, initiative and responsibilities. A School Council meets regularly and pupils who are members of the council have a budget and are rightly proud of their responsibilities.

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Commentary

29. The curriculum is enriched by the sporting and other activities provided for the pupils. There is a satisfactory range of visits, including residential, and a broad range of different visitors is used effectively to enhance the curriculum and provide a wide range of learning opportunities. All pupils benefit from these.

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Commentary

30. The quantity and quality of resources are generally good, and these are used appropriately. The school has adequate resources to reflect ethnic diversity. The accommodation is disadvantaged by having two separate buildings, one of which is used at three levels. Good use is made of the accommodation, particularly by the Reception classes. The new computer suite is having a very positive impact on the information and communication technology curriculum. The buildings are well maintained by the building and site supervisors. Walverden Primary School - 13 31. The teachers and learning support staff in all parts of the school are generally experienced and most work very effectively together to support the pupils’ learning and contribute to their overall good achievement over time.

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Care, guidance and support

The school has developed a good, caring environment within which the pastoral care of pupils is given a high priority. The school promotes the pupils’ health, safety and welfare very effectively. The school provides good support and guidance. Pupils have good and trusting relationships with the school’s staff.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has good policies and procedures for pupils’ care and welfare. • There is good curricular provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education and citizenship. • Staff know the children well and provide good supervision. • Health and safety, first aid and child protection matters are all well provided for. • The school is fully inclusive for all its differing groups of pupils. • The school provides well for pupils’ individual needs and has appropriate procedures for seeking their views on school matters.

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Commentary

32. The school ensures the health, safety, care and protection of all its pupils. There is a high level of pastoral care. Parents speak highly of the school’s supportive, friendly environment. The school has appropriate policies and procedures and the staff receive suitable training. The school’s supervision of pupils has been greatly enhanced during the midday break by the ‘Making Lunchtime Positive’ scheme, which has been very effective in reducing incidents of unsatisfactory behaviour.

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Commentary

33. There is a high standard of welfare provision, supported by suitably qualified first aiders. The school’s ‘Care and Control of Pupils’ policy is consistently applied and staff are appropriately trained on care and welfare aspects, including child protection procedures. Health and safety are given a high priority, including, for example, risk assessments for educational visits, which have to be vetted by the headteacher. However, there are concerns with regard to the infant block accommodation, where adults have to pass through a children’s toilet block to the rear door and where one female adults’ toilet is insufficient.

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Commentary

34. Support is given from external agencies, such as fire officers, to reinforce the school’s teaching on safety matters. Personal, social, health education and citizenship is very well provided through a well-planned programme of work and through assemblies.

p.15

Commentary

35. Individual pupil’s needs are well met, including good support for those pupils identified as having special educational needs. Relationships are very good between staff and pupils with special educational needs. This helps to ensure that they make good progress. Levels of support within the classrooms are effective, with pupils generally helped to achieve.

p.15

Commentary

36. The school provides good support to its teachers, with a good number of well-trained, enthusiastic educational support staff. The bilingual assistants play an important role for those pupils who are at an early stage of English language acquisition and they also provide a contact link to many families. The school makes a significant effort to promote high quality care and support for the many pupils who are affected by the community’s social deprivation. The school is fully inclusive for all its pupils and there is a marked absence of any racial incidents. Walverden Primary School - 14 37. Pupils’ views are sought via the School Council, which has been successfully established. Older pupils assist staff in the care of the younger children; for example, in assisting the Reception children in the collection of their school meals from the servery.

p.15

Commentary

38. The staff work hard in enabling the school to meet its aims. The high quality of support and guidance underpins the quality of teaching and learning, and supports the pupils’ achievement.

p.16

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has good links with the parents and with its community. Parents have positive views of the school and they appreciate the school’s caring environment. Links with other schools are good.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has many bilingual staff who are able to liaise with those parents who need translation. • Whilst parents are provided with some good information about the school, other information could be improved. • There are good links with the community and an impressive provision of support programmes for parents. • There are good links with other schools.

p.16

Commentary

39. There was a low return rate of inspection questionnaires. However, those who did respond, together with those who talked to inspectors during the inspection, all gave positive views. Several spoke enthusiastically about their children’s good progress. Parents said that the school was a welcoming establishment and the staff were easily approached with any questions or concerns.

p.16

Commentary

40. The school makes repeated efforts to involve parents through seeking and valuing their views, but the success rate is limited. The small number of parents who form the ‘Friends’ Association’ and those who help in the school make a valuable contribution. Although formal meetings with parents on whole-school issues are poorly attended, the school operates an open-door policy and parents feel confident to speak informally to staff on a day-to-day basis. Parents of children with special educational needs are invited to discuss the targets set for them, although not all wish to be involved.

p.16

Commentary

41. There are two formal parents’ consultation evenings which are attended by the majority of parents. Teachers make a concerted effort to ensure that all parents are seen at some point during the school year. The quality of the end-of-year pupil reports varies between those that give good information and those that are bland and mainly describe the work done. The reports are satisfactory overall.

p.16

Commentary

42. The school regularly undertakes initiatives to encourage parental participation in education, such as ‘Family Literacy’ and ‘Parents as Educators’. Parents of children in the Foundation Stage have taken part in a numeracy workshop, where they experienced a range of activities alongside their children. Overall, parents are happy with the school’s homework provision. The parents’ contribution to pupils’ learning at school and at home is satisfactory.

p.16

Commentary

43. The school has good links with its community, facilitated by the ‘Links Co-ordinator’. These links are being continually developed by specific initiatives such as ‘Grow and Sow’ with activities based around a health and fitness theme, and the ‘Building Bridges’ work to foster understanding between faiths. There are good links to other primary schools and links to the local secondary schools are being extended. The school ensures that there is suitable induction for new pupils and good transfer arrangements for the older pupils. Walverden Primary School - 15

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory , but there are some weaknesses. The headteacher’s leadership and management are both satisfactory overall. The governance of the school is satisfactory.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher is well supported by the able deputy headteacher who has a very significant impact on the work of the school. • There is a commitment to providing an all-inclusive school. • School self-evaluation lacks sufficient rigour. • The school improvement plan does not make the priorities for the future sufficiently clear. • Governors give good support to the school but are not influential enough in helping shape the direction of the school.

p.17

Commentary

44. Issues from the previous report were to further develop the management of the school, improve the quality of teaching and learning, to raise standards and improve the involvement of the governing body. Attention has been given to these issues but more remains to be done. The headteacher has moved the school forward since the previous inspection; for example, in the quality of the learning environment, in the area of staff development and in the development of the computer suite. However, the headteacher’s vision and aspirations for the school need to be clearer and have a greater focus on raising standards. There is a need to ensure that all staff and governors fully understand what they are working towards in order for the school to progress at a faster rate. Improving the channels of general communication within the school would ensure all members of staff are fully informed and their views known. The headteacher

p.17

Commentary

is supported by a very competent and hard-working deputy headteacher who leads by example and provides a good role model.

p.17

Commentary

45. Governors are fulfilling their statutory responsibilities, although their effectiveness is hampered by difficulties in recruitment. They have made some improvements since the last inspection and are beginning to act more as a ‘critical friend’ to the school. However, governors are not yet drawing on a range of indicators to gain full insights. For example, there is not enough attention paid to considering the results being achieved by the school to enable them to challenge and support the senior managers and make a significant contribution in helping to shape the vision and direction of the school.

p.17

Commentary

46. The headteacher is committed to providing an all-inclusive school, which meets the needs of all pupils, whatever their background or need. The provision for pupils with English as second language is well managed by the deputy and co-ordinator. The governors and headteacher have wisely invested in providing as much bilingual support as they can to work alongside pupils in lessons to ensure they have full access to learning. The targeting of what is available has been thought through and generally results in good learning. The deployment of the current staff is reviewed to ensure the best possible provision.

p.17

Commentary

47. There is a need for a clearer, shared agenda for school improvement through effective school self-evaluation. The current School Improvement Plan is not a robust tool for school improvement. It does not clearly identify the school’s priorities for improvement during the year ahead and not enough attention is paid to setting targets to drive up standards in English, mathematics and science.

p.17

Commentary

48. Performance management procedures have been established to manage and develop the performance of the headteacher and all staff, including support staff. Most co-ordinators are developing their roles well and are ready to have a more positive impact on school improvement. There are a number of subject action plans, which could valuably be Walverden Primary School - 16 incorporated into the School Improvement Plan. The leadership and management of pupils with special educational needs is effective, being well led by the co-ordinator who is committed and well-organised, vital in a school where there is such a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs.

p.17

Commentary

49. There is an evolving system by which the headteacher and senior management team observe lessons in order to improve them. However, the written outcomes of observations were not made available to the inspection team. Although the quality of teaching and learning has improved since the last inspection, the school needs a strategy to share and model the good practice, which exists in some classes to improve areas of weaker teaching.

p.18

Commentary

50. The school is well provided for in its teaching and support staff. The day-to-day administration is good and classroom assistants and bilingual support staff make a significant contribution to the quality of teaching and learning.

p.18

Commentary

51. Financial planning is sound, based on an understanding of the school’s priorities. For example, the decision to allocate considerable funds to maintain good levels of classroom support staff is well judged and is having a very positive impact on teaching and learning.

p.18

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003 Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1,165,060 Balance from previous year 109,000 Total expenditure 1,157,869 Balance carried forward to the next 116,191 Expenditure per pupil 2,858

p.18

Commentary

52. The large underspend at the end of the last financial year has been appropriately earmarked for maintaining staffing levels and for specific purposes, including a major building project. This spending will have reduced the amount to an appropriate level by the end of the current financial year. The school applies the principles of best value well.

p.18

Commentary

53. There are two barriers to raising achievement. The first, over which the school has no control, is the high level of pupil mobility. Over each of the past few years a relatively high number of pupils have joined or left the school at a time other than the start or end of the year. The second barrier is caused by the significant number of pupils who take extended holidays; the school needs to work with the parents and the community to reduce the length of many absences, which have a negative impact on the pupils’ achievement. Walverden Primary School - 17

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

54. The previous report was critical of the teaching and provision in this part of the school. Many improvements have been made and as a consequence the teaching and the provision for children in the Foundation Stage is now very good; this area is a strength of the school. All the children achieve well. This is because of the very good quality teaching within both the Nursery and the Reception classes and because of the very good relationships among the highly supportive staff, which make each child feel valued. Attainment for most children on entry to the Nursery is well below what could be expected, especially in language and communication skills. Of the large number with English as an additional language, a significant number are at an early stage of English language acquisition. The curriculum is well balanced and planned to provide a wide range of interesting and relevant activities, which are carefully matched to the

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

children’s needs. Assessment is continuous and thorough and is used effectively to plan the next tasks. Good use is made of a digital camera to record and celebrate what the children have done. Leadership and management of the Foundation Stage is very good. There is a very effective co-ordinator, and all staff play a full part in the clear vision, sense of purpose and high aspirations for all the children. This ensures a highly effective team. The Reception classrooms are small, and very good use is made of the adjacent hall for practical activities. Continuity within the Foundation Stage is hampered by the fact that the Nursery and Reception classes are in different buildings.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are encouraged to work and play together. • The children have positive attitudes and behave very well. • Very good relationships are formed between the highly supportive staff, who make each child feel valued.

p.19

Commentary

55. Most children enter the Nursery with poorly developed personal, social and emotional development, lacking independence, and most are unable to relate easily to others. Skilful teaching by all adults in the Nursery and Reception classes ensures that the children begin to develop the necessary skills, and by the time they reach Year 1 many children work and play happily together. Although many still find it difficult to co-operate or take turns, most are beginning to share and are learning to behave in a socially acceptable way. Resources are used very effectively to promote the children’s personal and social skills, and many are becoming independent and responsible through the tasks provided. Children are given ample opportunities to choose their own activities and resources. Despite these many strengths, indications are that many of these children will not achieve the Early Learning Goals. The

p.19

Commentary

teaching and learning in this area, much of which is incidental, is very good. Walverden Primary School - 18

p.19

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve well because of the very good quality of teaching, which takes into account the needs of the children who are at a very early stage of English language acquisition. • The children have generally positive attitudes and often show great enthusiasm. • Assessment in all areas of learning is continuous and thorough and is used effectively to plan the next tasks.

p.20

Commentary

56. Speaking and listening skills on entry to the Nursery are generally well below what could be expected for children of this age, with many speaking only single words and some none at all. Good progress is made as children begin to work and play with others, talking about what they are doing. Children enjoy listening to stories and respond enthusiastically to them. High expectations from all staff ensure that most children begin to show understanding through their questions and comments. These skills are encouraged through all activities. The role play areas have, at different times, been a weather station, a vet’s, a school, a café, a baby clinic and a toy shop. At the time of the inspection the role play in the Reception area was a ‘Nursery Rhyme House’, where children go to dress up and act out the various tales. A good range of activities are provided and visits and visitors (including a poet) are effective in extending

p.20

Commentary

opportunities for learning. In fact, no opportunities for learning are missed. By the time children are ready to enter Year 1, good progress has been made, although their speaking skills are still well below what could be expected.

p.20

Commentary

57. When they start school, many children have little knowledge of books. Here they improve their knowledge and many are beginning to recognise how books ‘work’, knowing that print carries meaning. Some want to re-tell the stories themselves, often with great enjoyment. They join in readily with nursery rhymes, a topic at present. Books are taken home regularly. All classes have book areas where the children go to read. Letter recognition and sounds are taught and reinforced effectively. Throughout the Foundation Stage, children are given numerous tasks, which develop writing appropriately, including writing labels and mark making, and a wide range of emergent writing is encouraged.

p.20

Commentary

58. Elements of the literacy framework are used well, and phonics and letter formation are taught effectively. Teachers and assistants have high expectations, but by the time children leave the Reception year, many do not reach the expectations of the Early Learning Goals for communication, language and literacy, and standards are low.

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is very good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve well because of the very good quality of teaching. • Opportunities are taken in all activities to promote children’s mathematical understanding.

p.20

Commentary

59. Most children have very little knowledge of numbers when they begin school. By the end of the Reception Year, although most can count to ten, number recognition is poor and few attain the Early Learning Goals for mathematical development. Well-planned activities in the Nursery Walverden Primary School - 19 and in the Reception classes ensure good quality learning. Children count upwards, gaining greater confidence and understanding of numbers. Number rhymes and songs are used very effectively, singing number songs such as ‘One-two-three-four-five’ and ‘Five Little Monkeys’ with great enthusiasm. They begin to develop an understanding of shape, size and position, using words such as ‘smaller’/ ‘larger’ and ‘more’/ ‘less’. A developing understanding of time is encouraged through rhymes such as ‘Hickory, Dickory Dock’.

p.20

Commentary

60. The very good teaching by all adults and the well-focused activities ensure that each child makes good progress. Very effective day-to-day assessment helps plan suitable activities for the following sessions. By the time children are ready to enter Year 1, good progress has been made, although their mathematical skills are still well below what could be expected.

p.21

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

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

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve well because of the very good quality of teaching which covers a wide range of carefully planned activities. • A good range of visits and visitors are used to extend the curriculum. • Good use is made by the Reception classes of the infant hall for practical activities.

p.21

Commentary

61. Most children enter the Nursery with very little knowledge of their local area or of the world at large. A number of activities foster learning in this area. Children select resources on their own, and begin to use them with care. The overall quality of teaching is very good, and the range of activities provided for children are fully focused to ensure learning. The children are introduced to a wide variety of experiences to widen their understanding. They explore the environment through visits within the local area, such as the one to a farm, and through visitors to the school such as a mother with her baby and a representative from ‘adopt a hedgehog’. During the inspection, children from the Nursery went on an ‘animal safari’, where they had to spot various ‘animals’ hiding in the playground. Reception children experienced a ‘spider hunt’. Children use computers very effectively to develop a wide range of skills such as using the

p.21

Commentary

mouse and saving their work. Their use of information and communication technology is used very well in all areas of learning. By the time children are ready to enter Year 1, good progress has been made, although their knowledge and understanding of the world is still at a very basic level.

p.21

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is very good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A very good range of activities is provided to develop the children’s physical skills. • As part of the very good teaching, staff are focused well on tasks, which encourage and support learning. • The very good relationships help develop children’s self-confidence.

p.21

Commentary

62. Children enter the Nursery with well below average skills in physical development. Throughout their time in the Nursery and Reception classes, they improve their awareness of the needs of others and the space around them. Children climb and balance with confidence. Walverden Primary School - 20 Opportunities are provided for the development of fine motor skills through the use of writing implements, brushes, scissors and woodwork tools. The rate of overall physical development is good. Praise reinforces learning effectively and boosts the children’s confidence. Standards, however, remain low although most children will attain the Early Learning Goals.

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is very good .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve well because of the very good quality of teaching. • The children have positive attitudes to the creativity involved in this area. • The Reception classrooms are small, but good use is made of the infant hall for practical activities.

p.22

Commentary

63. Many children have experienced very little to develop their creative skills or imagination prior to starting school. Throughout their time in the Nursery and Reception classes, they make significant progress in their learning and opportunities are provided for children to take part in an extensive range of creative activities. Children sing with enormous enthusiasm and develop confidence through numerous opportunities for role play. They paint, weave and make collages and build and ‘fly’ aeroplanes. All adults ensure that the lessons have pace and enthusiasm, and the children enjoy their learning. However, the attainment of many children at the end of the Reception year is still below what could be expected.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most pupils achieve well throughout the school especially in reading, although standards in literacy need to be higher. • The quality of teaching and learning overall is good. • Classroom support staff provide good support for the lower attainers. • More opportunities need to be provided across the curriculum to promote speaking and listening skills. • The subject is well led and managed.

p.22

Commentary

64. A significant number of pupils enter school with attainment which is well below that expected for children at the start of the Reception year, especially in language and communication skills. By the end of Year 2, standards in English are below average. By the end of Year 6, although standards are higher, they are still below average. The standards observed during the inspection were slightly higher than is reflected in the national tests over recent years. Standards overall are lower than those observed at the time of the previous inspection, because of changes in the school population over the intervening years. During this time the number of children entering school with English as an additional language, including the significant number at an early stage of English language acquisition, has had a negative impact on standards. During the inspection, the evidence collected indicated that there are no

p.22

Commentary

significant differences in the attainment of boys and girls and that, by the end of Year 6 there Walverden Primary School - 21 are no significant differences in the attainment of pupils of different ethnicity. Since the previous inspection, improvements have been made throughout the school. The majority of pupils achieve well, are often taught well and clearly enjoy their work.

p.22

Commentary

65. Standards in speaking and listening are not as high as those for reading and writing. Pupils listen well and are ready to contribute in class, but often they have too little sense of the purpose of their speech. This is being addressed in some literacy lessons, particularly those observed in Years 2 and 3, but there are not enough planned opportunities for speaking and listening in other subjects. The school has identified this as a priority and is taking appropriate action. The use of ‘talking partners’, and ‘paired talking’ are promising developments. Staff are encouraged to include speaking and listening skills in other areas of the curriculum but this is at an early stage of development.

p.23

Commentary

66. Most pupils make good progress in reading. They read with enjoyment and expression, showing a good level of comprehension. They use a variety of strategies to read unfamiliar words, including phonic sounds, picture and textual clues. They read regularly in class following a structured reading programme. By Year 6 most pupils can read with enthusiasm and enjoyment. They talk knowledgeably about what they read, including the main idea of the plot and the characters. Pupils have the opportunity to read at home. They know how to use the non-fiction section of the school library and use it for selecting books for research into topics.

p.23

Commentary

67. Standards in writing are improving but remain an area for continued development. There are good opportunities to write for a wide range of purposes and pupils’ work is attractively displayed; for example, the journalistic writing in Year 6 displayed as a newspaper and the free writing about characters from ‘Puss in Boots’ in Year 2.

p.23

Commentary

68. Teaching and learning are good in the majority of lessons but there is some unsatisfactory teaching of lower attaining groups of pupils working outside the classroom. Where this is the case, the management of pupils is sometimes poor and sometimes insufficient use is made of the adults involved, resulting in pupils not achieving sufficiently well. Where teaching is good, or in some lessons very good, teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. The work provides a high level of challenge and teaching styles are imaginative because teachers are confident, well-planned and have a good command of their subject. As a result, pupils are enthusiastic and very eager to acquire new skills, knowledge and understanding. In some lessons more could be expected of the pupils, especially the higher attainers. Teachers assess pupils’ work on a regular basis and track their progress through the school. There is

p.23

Commentary

some individual target setting, although the school recognises this is an area for further development, with pupils being more closely involved in setting the targets.

p.23

Commentary

69. Pupils have very positive attitudes in lessons and usually behave well. Adults give praise to reward and encourage pupils and the vast majority of lessons make learning interesting and enjoyable, with pupils fully involved.

p.23

Commentary

70. Pupils with special educational needs are achieving well in the lessons that are good or very good. This is largely due to the clear planning and the good support from the range of adults who work in classrooms. These adults are clear about their roles and are well focused on what pupils need to learn. Pupils with English as an additional language are well supported, enabling them to have access to all aspects of the English curriculum.

p.23

Commentary

71. The subject co-ordinators are leading and managing the subject well and have a clear view of standards and exciting ideas for future development. There is clear recognition of the need for more rigorous monitoring of standards and teaching. The subject action plan indicates a good grasp of important issues around speaking and listening as well as promoting cross-curricular links for lively and purposeful extended writing. The subject meets statutory requirements. Walverden Primary School - 22

p.23

Language and literacy across the curriculum

72. Growing use is made of other subjects to develop writing skills. These include information and communication technology and the humanities. This ensures that pupils begin to develop the ability to adapt their writing to a wider audience and for a greater range of purposes. Creative writing in history enhances pupils’ understanding of the subject. Further development is needed to ensure that speaking and listening skills are improved across all curriculum areas.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most pupils achieve well because of the good teaching and learning, especially in Year 6, but standards need to be higher. • Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language are well supported in the classroom. • Pupils have positive attitudes and work hard to do their best. • Planned written tasks do not always meet the needs of all pupils. • Day-to-day assessment needs to be more consistent across the school. • The organisation of ‘Booster’ sessions for the oldest pupils needs review.

p.24

Commentary

73. Standards of attainment are below average by the end of Year 2 and, although they are higher at the end of Year 6, they are still below average. The standards found during the inspection were overall, higher than those achieved in national tests over recent years but lower than those found at the previous inspection. Since then the number of pupils entering the school with English as an additional language has increased. Many children start school with a very low level of mathematical and linguistic understanding. Nevertheless, most make good progress throughout the school and, in relation to their capability, they achieve well. The school’s data indicates that by the end of Year 6 girls perform better than boys but this was not evident during the inspection. The low standards of attainment are mostly due to the poor numeracy skills shown by pupils. There is evidence of pupils’ competency in using number

p.24

Commentary

bonds in their calculations but the very low starting point means that a significant number of pupils are working at a lower level than expected, especially at Key Stage 1. The school is successfully using the National Numeracy Strategy to improve this and standards are beginning to rise.

p.24

Commentary

74. Achievement overall is good. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well in relation to their abilities. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are well supported and achieve as well as their classmates. Teachers make the learning purposeful by putting activities into practical contexts. Pupils respond well to this by showing good levels of motivation and interest in the subject. Pupils’ work is usually well presented.

p.24

Commentary

75. Teaching and learning are good overall. Classroom assistants provide very good support. The attitudes and behaviour of the pupils are good and make a significant contribution to their learning and achievement. Teaching includes clear explanations and instructions. Planning is common to both classes in a year group but there is some variation on the quality of oral presentations. Written tasks do not always match the pupils’ needs sufficiently well, especially the higher attainers. Better use could be made of end of lesson sessions to further develop work done during the lesson.

p.24

Commentary

76. Very good use is made of the interactive whiteboards in Year 6. Walverden Primary School - 23 77. The oldest pupils are grouped according to attainment for the daily lessons. Where this is done well, it is very effective, because teachers can plan work that is closely matched to individual needs. However, the pupils’ learning in one group is not satisfactory because of poor class management. The provision for homework is satisfactory throughout school and works well when parents encourage their children. The recent provision of mathematics workshops for parents has been of benefit for those who attended. The quality of day-to-day assessment and marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent.

p.24

Commentary

78. The leadership and management of the subject are good. The key stage co-ordinators work well together. Their roles need developing, through a regular pattern of monitoring, teaching and learning with more opportunities for scrutiny of planning, classroom practice and pupils’ work so that their understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement can have a greater impact on teaching and learning across the school. They manage the subject well, monitoring assessment results, providing support and organising relevant training for colleagues. They ensure that the subject is well resourced. The subject meets statutory requirements.

p.25

Commentary

79. Although standards are now lower than those reported at the previous inspection, some progress has been made. Teaching has improved at Key Stage 1 and pupils have relevant opportunities to apply mathematical knowledge in practical situations. In lessons, attention is paid to developing pupils’ use of mathematical language and there is evidence of mathematics being used to support other areas of the curriculum. There is still a need to review the use of schemes to ensure sufficient progression especially at Key Stage 1.

p.25

Mathematics across the curriculum

80. Pupils make effective use of mathematics as part of their work in other subjects and this helps them to begin to develop an appreciation of the practical uses for their skills. For example, they use graphs and tables to record data in geography and science; they use measuring skills in design and technology; they use the organisation of shape and form in art and design to help make two-dimensional drawings and visualise three-dimensional shapes.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are below national averages, although the good quality teaching enables pupils to achieve well. • Curriculum planning is good. • Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. • Leadership and management are good. • Pupils’ skills in making scientific conclusions and in interpreting their findings are not sufficiently developed.

p.25

Commentary

81. Over the last few years, the school’s national test results at the end of Year 6 in science show standards well below the national average. However, this is not reflected in the work of pupils currently in Year 6, which is close to the national average and similar to the standards seen at the previous inspection. Overall standards are slowly rising as more pupils gain the higher Level 5 than previously. This is a result of the consistently very good quality teaching that they receive in Year 6. Walverden Primary School - 24 82. Standards at the end of Year 2 are below the national average, which indicates a downward trend from the previous inspection when they were judged to be average. This is due to a higher proportion of pupils entering the school well below average in their language skills and in their understanding of the world about them; this has a negative impact on the standards they

p.25

Commentary

83. Most pupils achieve well in relation to their prior attainment, including those pupils with special educational needs and those who have English as an additional language. No differences were observed in science between the achievement of boys and girls or other different ethnic groups. This is one of the outcomes of good teaching.

p.26

Commentary

84. Teachers prepare their lessons thoroughly and share the intended learning outcomes with the pupils so that they are clear about what they are to learn and what is expected of them. Teachers set interesting activities that build well on previous work, so that pupils can use previously gained scientific knowledge and understanding to support their learning. More attention needs to be paid to extending pupils’ scientific vocabulary through the identification and display of key words. This was successfully done in a lesson for pupils in Year 6, in which they investigated how solids dissolved. The teacher made good use of the interactive whiteboard to explain the difference between ‘soluble’ and ‘insoluble’. Because of the quality of teaching, most pupils in Year 6 show satisfactory knowledge and understanding of key scientific ideas and can carry out a fair test with confidence.

p.26

Commentary

85. The curriculum is well planned to provide many exciting opportunities for pupils to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills by being involved in structured, practical scientific investigations. Within these activities pupils are given the opportunity to show initiative, take responsibility and work collaboratively, which makes a positive contribution to their language development and personal and social development. Many activities are based on science in everyday life, which encourages pupils to use their own experiences to support their learning. There are planned opportunities for pupils to practise their literacy and numeracy skills during their investigations. In Year 2, the pupils make careful measurements of the distance different toy vehicles travel when carrying out a fair test. In Year 4, the pupils write accounts of their work with labelled scientific diagrams.

p.26

Commentary

86. Because the activities are interesting and learning is made fun, pupils respond very positively, showing a great deal of enjoyment in their work. Their behaviour is good, which enables them to concentrate well and have a good work rate. Most pupils take pride in their work, which is reflected in the presentation in their books.

p.26

Commentary

87. Leadership and management are good. The co-ordinators have a clear understanding of the subject’s strengths and weaknesses and what needs to be done to improve standards. This has enabled them to identify the need to further develop the pupils’ investigation skills to reach evaluative conclusions following practical experiments, based on prior scientific knowledge, rather than merely describing what they have done. They have also identified the need to better ensure that lessons provide activities, which are more closely matched to pupils’ abilities.

p.26

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is satisfactory .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The work is benefiting from the excellent new information and communication technology suite. • There is a need to further develop the use of information and communication technology to support learning across all areas of the curriculum. • Pupils are enthusiastic and enjoy their activities. • Teachers and teaching assistants mainly have a secure knowledge of the subject. Walverden Primary School - 25 • Leadership of the subject gives a clear vision for improvement. • The technician gives excellent support and is used effectively. • Little use of classroom computers was seen during the inspection.

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Commentary

88. Standards of attainment at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are average overall. These judgements on standards are the same as those made in the previous inspection, although national expectations are much higher than they were previously. Pupils enjoy using computers and their achievement is good, especially given that the vast majority have no access to computers at home. They handle the keyboard and mouse confidently and can explain the various functions. No lessons were observed in Years 1 and 2. However, a scrutiny of work provides evidence that pupils develop the appropriate skills; for example, they can use on-screen prompts to create graphs and use painting tools. In discussion, Years 5 and 6 pupils explained confidently how to apply the skills they had been taught. In the two Year 6 classes, pupils are developing the skills towards creating a good page design and in one Year 6 class there are realistic newspapers with pictures inserted.

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Commentary

89. The quality of teaching and learning was good in the three lessons seen, enabling the pupils to achieve well. The comparatively new information and communication technology suite is efficiently used and provides excellent opportunities for pupils. Teachers begin their lessons by revising previous work. They explain which new skills the pupils will learn, thereby providing a clear focus and purpose for the lesson. There is good support for those experiencing difficulties. The pupils are given opportunities to consolidate and extend their knowledge and skills. Faster learning pupils are set higher challenges. Pupils are enthusiastic and enjoy the visual approach to learning.

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Commentary

90. Effective training has contributed towards the confidence of teaching and non-teaching staff when teaching skills to the pupils. Much of this is due to the excellent support provided by the technician. His knowledge and skills provide continual training opportunities for all staff and are having a very positive impact on the work.

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Commentary

91. Leadership of the subject area is good. There are two co-ordinators, one for each key stage, who have only recently started managing this curriculum area. They have a clear and detailed action plan for the development of their subject, which will help to further raise standards across the school. There are plans to increase the resources, which include a proposal for eventually providing an interactive whiteboard for every classroom. They believe this will help to raise standards across all curricular areas. Assessment procedures are in place and the co-ordinators monitor work. The subject meets statutory requirements.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

92. The use of an interactive whiteboard with year 6 pupils is having a positive impact on the direct teaching of skills. There is evidence in classroom displays of how information and communication technology supports other curriculum areas. In Years 1 and 2, children produce bar graphs and in Years 3 and 4 computer programs are used to support mathematics, art and design and music. However, little use was made of classroom computers during the inspection. New software for numeracy and literacy recently arrived in school but staff have not had the opportunity for the appropriate training to ensure confident usage.

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HUMANITIES AND CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

The work in geography and history and in art and design, design and technology, music and physical education meets statutory requirements. These subjects were not specific areas of focus for the inspection and only a limited range of evidence was sampled. As a consequence there is insufficient evidence to make overall judgements on the quality of the provision. Walverden Primary School - 26

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Geography

93. No lessons were seen in geography and therefore it is not possible to form overall judgements about provision in the subject. Evidence from samples of pupils’ work and discussions with pupils indicates that they receive an appropriate curriculum.

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Geography

94. The pupils in Year 2 are developing an awareness of localities beyond their own. Within the Year 6 work on ‘Mountain Environments’, there is clear evidence that pupils have satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the different environments in various parts of the world. They use their literacy skills to make labelled diagrams and extract information from an atlas to gain and make correct use of an appropriate range of geographical vocabulary. However, there is too much reliance on the use of worksheets, which do not allow opportunities for the pupils to practice their research skills or make a personal response in writing. More could be expected of the higher attainers.

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Geography

95. The subject leaders have introduced a scheme of work based on national guidance for the subject, which gives adequate structure to teaching and learning and promotes continuity and progression. This is an improvement since the last inspection as are assessment procedures.

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History

96. Although no teaching was seen in Years 3 to 6, the small amount of pupils’ work seen and planning documents, indicate that pupils are receiving an appropriate curriculum and that history is being used to develop literacy skills.

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History

97. At Key Stage 1, the small amount of teaching seen indicates that teaching has improved significantly since the previous inspection. Lesson preparation and the teacher’s knowledge were good. Questioning techniques were particularly effective. The teacher was very sympathetic to the needs of the pupils, explaining things carefully and developing vocabulary. Pupils had access to an attractive range of resources and were achieving well.

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History

98. History has not been a priority for development recently and the co-ordinators are keen for the subject to regain its former importance in the curriculum. There is a good range of resources and the school makes use of visitors to the school and visits to places of historical interest to widen the pupils’ experiences.

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum is relevant to the wide range of pupils’ beliefs. • Staff confidence in the subject is growing. • There is a need to extend the range of resources and visits to cover all the religions studied.

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Commentary

99. Although an appropriate amount of time is given to religious education, during the inspection just two lessons were observed when the teaching and learning were satisfactory overall. Standards in religious education are broadly in line with the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. Standards remain the same as those seen at the previous inspection.

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Commentary

100. The priorities of the school’s life have appropriately focused on literacy and numeracy and now the profile of religious education needs to be raised in the school, led by the co-ordinator. The quality of curriculum leadership is sound. There have been several useful visits such as to the Walverden Primary School - 27 local mosque, but these could usefully be extended to cover other religions. A good range of visitors support the work of the school in teaching the children about the major world faiths. There are insufficient resources to enhance all the faiths studied; for example, a lesson on Sikhism was hampered by a lack of artefacts to illustrate the beliefs being taught. Staff confidence in teaching the subject is growing, and the work in religious education serves to clarify and affirm the values of the school.

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Art and design

101. Only one lesson was seen in art and design. Judgements are based on a scrutiny of pupils’ work on display and an examination of the portfolio of pupils’ work. Many pupils produce work of a good standard, especially at Key Stage 2, in a subject which is not affected by the earlier poor basic literacy skills of a significant number of the pupils. Some work in Year 6 is of a very high standard.

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Art and design

102. Skills are systematically taught to enable pupils to achieve well. Very good use is made of the work of a wide variety of artists.

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Art and design

103. The examples of work on display throughout the school and in the art portfolio show that pupils experience a wide variety of media. These include paint, textiles, card, collage, pastels and charcoal. Careful presentation of work helps to create a stimulating environment. There are good links with information and communication technology through the use of the ‘Dazzle’ software program. Art is used well to support work in other subjects.

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Art and design

104. In the one lesson seen with the oldest pupils, the teaching was inspirational. Pupils were skilfully guided to make a critical appraisal of the work of Mondigliani and Picasso and use this for their own three-dimensional creations. Central to the teaching was a love of art and a commitment to very high standards in order to increase the pupils’ own pride and self-esteem.

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Art and design

105. The school has benefited from continual, very effective leadership over a number of years. The new co-ordinator is still guided by her colleague. Work is organised into units with very clear objectives. A simple assessment is made at the end of each unit.

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Design and technology

106. Only one lesson of design and technology was seen during the inspection, therefore no judgement on overall provision can be made. Evidence from a scrutiny of the pupils’ work indicates that they receive an appropriate curriculum and achieve well.

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Design and technology

107. In a good lesson seen in Year 2, the pupils were actively involved in designing and making moving vehicles. The teaching was well planned and the resources were organised effectively to allow all pupils to achieve well. One group of pupils, very well supported by a classroom assistant, studied pictures of different vehicles to improve their design skills. Another group of pupils was eagerly following their designs to choose appropriate materials to construct moving vehicles and effectively developed their knowledge of materials and components. Pupils in Year 6 show increasing detail in their design skills, in the project on ‘Head-dresses,’ for example, and label their design making effective use of their literacy skills.

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Design and technology

108. Subject leadership and management are good. The subject leaders are well informed and are aware of the strengths and areas to develop in the subject. For example, an area for development is for the pupils to make more realistic plans to achieve their intentions. They have worked hard to ensure all classes have fully resourced topic boxes and this has had an impact on the teaching and learning. Planning is based on national guidelines and covers the programmes of study with some good links to other subjects, for example, numeracy, literacy and information and communication technology. The subject leaders are in the process of developing an appropriate method of assessing and recording pupils’ progress. Walverden Primary School - 28

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Music

109. No lessons were seen during the inspection and so no judgements can be made on standards or the quality of teaching and learning, although pupils were observed singing enthusiastically in assemblies. The pupils have weekly music lessons guided by a scheme of work based on national guidance. Although this ensures that pupils have access to an appropriate range of experiences in performance, composition and the appraisal of music, there is recognition in the school that composition is the less well developed of the three strands. Overall, there is very little evidence of work in music in exercise books.

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Music

110. The co-ordinator teaches recorder playing to older pupils and another teacher teaches the recorder to younger pupils. Around a dozen older pupils benefit from peripatetic lessons in the violin. Pupils enjoy taking part in the termly music assembly. The pupils enjoyed a recent Eid assembly, involving music and dance and also enjoyed a visit by a group of African drummers and the annual visit by a group of musicians. The work in music is well resourced and the experienced co-ordinator has plans to develop links between music and information and communication technology.

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Physical education

111. No lessons were seen during the inspection and so no judgements can be made on standards or the quality of teaching and learning. The work, guided by the local education authority’s scheme of work, ensures that pupils receive an appropriate curriculum, in spite of the disadvantages of having no field and a playground which is on a slight slope. The school makes a lot of use of its large hall, which is well equipped for gymnastic work.

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Physical education

112. Good opportunities are provided for swimming with both Year 5 classes benefiting from a weekly visit to the local swimming pool. There is a good range of activities provided outside the school day, such as cricket, badminton and netball, giving pupils good opportunities to extend and develop their sporting interests.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Personal, social and health education and citizenship are well promoted in all aspects of school life. • Valuable learning opportunities are provided in the weekly timetable programme of work. • The School Council gives older pupils good insights into the democratic process.

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Commentary

113. This area is well promoted by the school as a consequence of which it is timetabled for all classes on a weekly basis. Just one lesson was observed during the inspection and that was with Year 6. A good lesson where careful, thoughtful planning linked the pupils' interest and enthusiasm, ensured a good understanding of the uses and risks involved with legal and illegal drugs.

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Commentary

114. The programme is well organised often incorporating ‘circle time’ and includes work on healthy eating, health, sex and relationships education, drugs and personal safety. A recent ‘Building Bridges’ project for the older pupils was designed to foster understanding between the various faiths represented in the community. The School Council, with pupil representatives from Years 4, 5 and 6, meets regularly to discuss issues affecting pupils; during the inspection week ‘bullying’ was included on the agenda. In this way, pupils are given opportunities to Walverden Primary School - 29 influence the life of the school, helping them to make their views known. Pupils of all ages show a good awareness of how to behave in a community and they usually work well together with good levels of co-operation. Walverden Primary School - 30

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 3 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 5 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 5 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 4 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 4 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 4 Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

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