Weston Park Primary School

WESTON PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 14 th - 16 th June 2004

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WESTON PARK 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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WESTON PARK 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. Weston Park 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: 279

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Denton Road Hornsey London Postcode: N8 9WP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: (0208) 347 5000 Fax number: (0208) 384 5500

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Shane Rowles

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 24 th March 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Weston Park is a slightly larger than average primary school in Hornsey, North London. There are 279 pupils on roll aged from three to 11. At the time of the inspection all pupils, except those in the Nursery, were attending on a full-time basis. Approximately three-quarters of the pupils now in Year 6 started in the Nursery and most have average levels of attainment. The area consists of mixed housing including both rented and owner-occupied dwellings. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals (31.6 per cent) is well above the national average (17.9 per cent). The percentage of pupils with special educational needs (15.6 per cent) is below the national average (17.6 per cent) and the number with statements (3 per cent) is well above the national average. Most needs are related to learning or behavioural difficulties although the school also has facilities for visually impaired pupils. As in other local schools, there is a high percentage of pupils with English as an

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school opened in 1995 and has increased in size each year as new pupils were admitted from the Nursery upwards. As a result, the school has only had Year 6 pupils since 2001 and the comparative data relating to national test results included in this report should be treated with some caution. The school gained a national schools achievement award in 2003 for high results in tests for pupils in Year 6. Weston Park Primary School - 2

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

11122 David Collard Lead inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Geography English as an additional language 9306 Barbara Moore Lay inspector 20963 Judith Keiner Team inspector Science Art and design Design and technology Religious education Foundation Stage 18344 David Earley Team inspector English History Music Physical education Special educational needs

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Tribal PPI Barley House Oakfield Grove Clifton Bristol BS8 2BN

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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). Weston Park 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 - 15

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is an effective school providing good value for money. It has developed well since the last inspection, when there were only infant classes and has the potential to do even better. Standards are above those nationally; pupils achieve well because of the good teaching that provides a thirst for learning. Leadership and management are good and the governors provide a strong strategic overview.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Standards are above average in English, mathematics, science, art and design and information and communication technology and achievement is good. • Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well and have a good start to their education. • The quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school and pupils’ attitudes towards work are very good. • The very broad and balanced curriculum is innovative, exciting and stimulating; assessments are used well, although marking needs to be more consistent. • The headteacher provides very good leadership, supported by an effective governing body and strong management systems. The school does not provide an act of collective worship as required by legislation.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

The school has made good progress since the last inspection. Assessment is much improved and forms the basis for improving learning opportunities and standards have risen. The school improvement plan is an impressive, shared document. It has been evaluated, reviewed and refined as the school has grown. Communication with full-time working parents has been improved but there are still some parents who have concerns. The school has incorporated a sex education policy but still does not provide a regular act of collective worship.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are above average and pupils achieve well. Children enter the Nursery with average levels of attainment, make good progress and achieve well. On entry to Year 1 most have exceeded the Early Learning Goals and a number are working within the National Curriculum levels for literacy and numeracy. They have well-developed personal and social skills and are beginning to develop an understanding of the wider world. They develop their creative and physical skills well and are prepared for future school life. By the end of Year 2, standards are above average in reading, writing and mathematics a substantial improvement in numeracy from the 2003 national tests. By the end of Year 6, pupils are also attaining above average standards in English, mathematics and science and this is matched by the performance in national tests shown above. Standards are also above average throughout the school in information and communication

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

technology and they are high in art and design. They are in line with the locally agreed syllabus in religious education. From the limited observations in geography, history, design and technology and physical education it is clear that pupils achieve satisfactorily and reach standards at least in line with those expected nationally. A significant number do better than this because the school provides a challenging curriculum. The good use of resources, careful planning and exciting opportunities all provide extra stimuli to learning. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress Weston Park Primary School - 5 and a number achieve nationally expected levels in tests even though they started from a low base. Pupils with English as an additional language are well supported and quickly master spoken English. In the juniors they are carefully monitored and improve their understanding about the nuances of

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Pupils’ personal development is fostered well, as is their spiritual, moral, social and cultural

development. Pupils’ attitudes to school are very good. They are active participants in lessons and enthuse about their learning. Behaviour and relationships are good even though there is a small number of pupils who are capable of challenging the authority of the teacher. Attendance is above the national average.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is good. Teaching and learning are good. Lessons are well planned and good methods are used to interest and motivate pupils. Particular strengths include high expectations about what will be learnt and the use of a wide range of resources to achieve objectives. In the Foundation Stage time is used well and behaviour strategies ensure a calm and orderly feel in the classroom. In the infants, the teachers use discussions and encouragement well. Informal play also helps ensure that pupils interact together and develop their negotiating skills. Firm foundations are laid for a solid work ethic as pupils get older. Teaching methods in the juniors are very good. A wide range of activities, visits, visitors and resources combine to provide exciting and stimulating lessons. Marking is generally good but sometimes it is not so thorough and pupils cannot see how to improve. The success of the good teaching can be seen in the individual progress that is

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

made by the time pupils leave the school. They acquire knowledge quickly and can use factual knowledge in unfamiliar situations. They concentrate well. They improve their independence and are able to work in various groupings. The very good curricular opportunities are constantly revised and reviewed. There is good enrichment and there are links with other schools and the local community creates a positive effect on learning. Pupils are well cared for. The school council has real influence on change and parents are well informed. Despite all these positive features a small number of parents do not feel the school has been clear about the reasons for certain decisions and thus they feel their concerns have not been dealt with.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides very strong and effective leadership. The governors provide good support and well-informed challenge through a series of established systems. The school improvement plan is impressive and is closely scrutinised by the governing body. It has been central to the developments that have taken place as the school has grown. Co-ordinators and other senior managers provide a further level of evaluation although many of these roles are relatively new. The governing body does not fulfil its statutory requirements, as assemblies do not contain an act of collective worship.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The great majority of parents are supportive of the school’s aims and are willing to give their time and expertise to help it improve. The many and varied initiatives are not always explained well enough and so parents are not always clear about the rationale for decisions. Pupils enjoy school and speak very highly of it.

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

• Improve pupils’ understanding of their learning by raising the level of all marking to that of the best. • Ensure engagement with parental concerns is effective. Weston Park Primary School - 6

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and, to meet statutory requirements:

• Ensure pupils are provided with a daily act of collective worship. Weston Park Primary School - 7

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Standards are above average and achievement is good through the school. The school has coped well as it has grown from an infants into an all through primary school and pupils are now making increasingly better progress as all the systems and procedures start to make an impact. There is a clear potential for achievement to improve further.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils attain above average standards and make good progress overall. • The correct priorities have been addressed to improve attainment as the school has grown. • There is good achievement through the Foundation Stage and the rest of the school. • Standards in religious education are in line with those within the locally agreed syllabus but this is not built upon in assemblies because there is no act of collective worship. • Standards in art and design are high and good opportunities are provided to extend the work in music and physical education.

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Commentary

1. Standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are above average and pupils achieve well through the school. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection in the infants but a comparison cannot be made in the juniors, as there were no pupils present at that time. Good account has been taken of the need to provide different opportunities as the school has expanded and the present school improvement plan correctly centres around the need to review the overall aims, consolidate the teaching and learning and so improve the achievement of pupils.

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Commentary

2. Children enter the school with average levels of attainment. Achievement in the Foundation Stage is good and particularly strong in social and emotional development; by the start of Year 1 most children are reaching standards that are above those expected nationally in all areas of learning. The staff use a range of techniques to encourage the children to mix socially and to be responsible for themselves. They make sure that the children are polite, talk and listen considerately and take part in discussions. They develop the use of language well so that achievement in literacy is good. Achievement in speaking, listening and reading is very good. Similarly numeracy is developed through a wide range of practical experiences enabling children to make good progress. A good range of resources encourages a wider understanding of the world and the use of play through both indoor and outdoor lessons develops physical development well. There are many opportunities to use role-play,

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Commentary

computers, art and practical equipment, which build up the creative development of children well.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 27.9 (28.1) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 28.9 (28.3) 26.8 (26.7) science 29.5 (30.2) 28.6 (28.3) There were 29 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

3. Through the rest of the school pupils work hard. Progress becomes more rapid as they move towards Year 6. In English, standards are well above average in Year 2 and above average in Year 6. This generally mirrors the results of the national tests in 2003. In Year 2, pupils did Weston Park Primary School - 8 particularly well in writing, reaching standards well above average when measured against similar schools. The performance of boys has been improving because of the school’s strategies for improving their interest levels. In Year 6, they achieved above average standards and when measured against their prior attainment in Year 2 the results show that they had made good progress. Although there are no comparative data for this year’s tests, initial results indicate similar standards. Pupils are confident speakers, considerate listeners and read with enjoyment, accuracy and fluency. The wide varieties of writing are well developed and pupils

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Commentary

show creativity and sensitivity in their stories and poems.

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Commentary

4. Standards in mathematics are above average both in Year 2 and Year 6 and pupils achieve well in all years. This is a good improvement on the test results in 2003 for Year 2 when standards were below average when measured against similar schools. National test results in Year 6 were well above average in 2003 with a significant number of pupils who achieved the higher Level 5. Standards have been sharply improving since 2001 and are now starting to level out. The good achievement is a result of a sustained programme to develop the use of numeracy in mathematics lessons and in other subjects. As a result, pupils are given opportunities to experiment with number and word problems and to build upon what they already know.

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Commentary

5. Standards in science are above those nationally at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 and achievement is good. There is a good balance in the work undertaken that incorporates all strands of the subject. As in mathematics, time is spent on independent investigations and experimentation although as pupils move through into the upper juniors, work is directed too closely without allowing pupils to develop their own experiments when they are given a simple hypothesis. In the infants, pupils often have a similar task and thus those with higher or lower ability are not challenged as well as they could be. Despite this, their work shows good achievement.

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Commentary

6. Work in information and communication technology (ICT) has continued to improve and standards are above those expected nationally. The school has developed a sophisticated range of hardware backed up by appropriate software that enables pupils to achieve well. All classes have good access to equipment and as pupils move through the school they are becoming more aware of how ICT can be used as a tool for learning in other subjects. There are good examples of work through all years connected to art, mathematics, geography, history and design and technology.

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Commentary

7. Standards in religious education are in line with those of the locally agreed syllabus with some good levels of knowledge about Christianity as well as other religions, social and cultural beliefs and traditions. However, this is not backed up by the use of collective worship. Assemblies are of good quality and focus on real and relevant issues. They reflect the school’s priority to provide opportunities for tolerance and understanding within the world and about they way other communities live. Unfortunately, until very recently, the school has been unable to find a member of staff to conduct an act of worship and so pupils miss the chance to link their very good moral and social development with a similar level of spiritual development.

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Commentary

8. Only a small sample of lessons was seen in geography and history but from discussions with pupils and teachers and a scrutiny of work it is clear that standards are at least in line with those expected nationally and pupils achieve soundly. The school’s clear vision towards promoting a thirst and energy for learning is having a substantial effect on the opportunities being offered through the Foundation subjects. The written work by a number of older pupils shows that they have a good factual knowledge in both subjects and can use this to develop their understanding, for instance in the Year 5 topic on St Lucia. Here, pupils have worked on grid references, temperature and weather to draw comparisons between their own area and the Caribbean. Similarly in history the work on World War 2 has been enhanced with first hand accounts and some very interesting artefacts from the period. Weston Park Primary School - 9

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Commentary

9. Standards in art and design are high throughout the school and pupils achieve well. The quality of display is particularly good with a significant balance between both two and three- dimensional work as well as work that is linked well to ICT. In design and technology and physical education too few lessons were seen to make an overall judgement about standards or achievement. However, pupils have regular lessons in both subjects and from secondary evidence all pupils achieve soundly. Provision in physical education is enhanced through the use of sporting clubs and participation in the local schools sports co-ordination scheme. Some pupils become very proficient swimmers and the majority fulfil the statutory curriculum requirement to swim 25 metres by the end of Year 6.

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Commentary

10. Pupils are given wide opportunities to undertake instrumental tuition, play in small groups, choirs and orchestras as well as regular music lessons. Only a small number of lessons were seen in music but pupils talk enthusiastically about what they have achieved and how they enjoy singing, playing and composing.

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Commentary

11. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress when measured against their prior attainment. A number achieve the national average level by the end of Year 6 which represents good progress from a low starting point. The best achievement is in literacy and numeracy through the well-directed individual education plans but extra support for other subjects also provides them with opportunities to progress. More needs to be done in science to develop their knowledge and understanding through the use of work that relates better to their attainment.

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Commentary

12. The good support provided for pupils with English as an additional language means that they quickly learn to communicate orally and, as they move through the school, their written language improves. In general, they make good progress. The school monitors these pupils carefully to check if there are any specific problems or special educational needs in addition to learning a new language. Specific support, encouraged by specialist teachers, ensures that their class teacher is aware of how they should then be given more appropriate work.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils' behaviour and their personal qualities are good . Their attitudes and relationships are very good . The spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development of pupils is very good . Attendance is good and punctuality is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Behaviour is good overall and in lessons is frequently very good. • Pupils have very good attitudes to their lessons. • Pupils work and play alongside each other in harmony. • Relationships throughout the school are very good. • Attendance is good and improving.

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Commentary

13. Pupils' enthusiasm towards their school and their work is very good. Children of all ages are happy and secure in school. Attendance is improving and is now good; the school is well supported by the Education Welfare Officer. Behaviour is good throughout the school.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 7.5 School data 0.2 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 Weston Park Primary School - 10 The table gives the percentage of half-days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. 14. Pupils work well together and independently and settle quickly to their tasks. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and staff work hard to ensure they are well integrated into the life of the school. Pupils' interest in their work is very good and they enjoy opportunities to take responsibility. They have very good opportunities to take the lead in the whole school community through the school council, which encompasses children of all ages from Reception upwards. Of particular merit was the care with which the older children listened to the younger members of the council. Pupils make good progress in their personal, social and emotional development through the good care, support and guidance they receive.

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Commentary

This is particularly so in the Foundation Stage where the good progress towards the specific targets within the early learning goals gives them a secure start to their school life.

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Commentary

15. The behaviour of pupils is good, they play and work in harmony and they understand what is expected of them. Pupils' very good attitudes have a positive effect upon their learning. Most children enjoy very good relationships with staff and with each other and the resulting harmonious atmosphere enhances pupils’ learning. Pupils' confidence and self-esteem are very good.

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Commentary

16. The school has a very caring and positive ethos. Pupils' efforts are valued and celebrated whatever their attainment so that most pupils are very keen and eager to work and become involved in the life of the school. Pupils with special educational needs, particularly those with behavioural difficulties usually behave well because they are managed and supported well by classroom assistants and teachers.

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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 Number of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions Black or Black British – Caribbean 9 1 0 No ethnic group recorded 8 1 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Commentary

17. In the last reporting year two pupils were excluded for a fixed term for behavioural incidents. The school dealt quickly with these. There have been no further exclusions during this academic year.

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Commentary

18. The very good social development of pupils is well supported in lessons and by their very good community involvement. Pupils benefit from and enjoy the many opportunities offered. Moral and social development is given a high priority and during Refugee Week pupils were given the opportunity to understand the problems others have to face. Pupils have a thorough awareness of the needs of others from all cultures and traditions and this is highlighted through the charities they willingly support.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is good . Teaching and learning are good . The curriculum is very good . Pupils’ care, safety and welfare are promoted very well . Links with parents are effective . Links with the community, other schools and colleges are very good .

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good . Weston Park Primary School - 11

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good quality teaching is enabling all pupils to make good progress through the school. • Foundation Stage teaching enables children to make a good start to their schooling. • Social skills are well developed through play and team building. • Good planning, teaching methods and the use of innovative approaches make learning exciting. • Improved assessment has helped improve achievement; but marking is too variable. • All pupils are well integrated especially those with English as an additional language.

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Commentary

19. The quality of teaching is good through the school and has a number of notable strengths. This is a similar finding to the last inspection. There are few areas needing development and this is reason why pupils make good progress in lessons and achieve well over time.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 31 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Commentary

0 (0%) 9 (29%) 16 (52%) 6 (19%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Commentary

20. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good. The teachers understand the need to develop the nationally agreed early learning goals but make sure that older children in Reception are fully prepared for work on the National Curriculum by the time they enter Year 1. There is a high level of challenge in the work that is set and pupils are encouraged to do their best because of the good relationships that exist between the adults and the children. Planning combines opportunities to learn through play with more formal work. The teachers in both the Nursery and the Reception class have used the accommodation well and ensure that children are able to move around freely both indoors and outdoors. They provide exciting and stimulating activities such as using toy robots and computers as well as reciting rhymes and singing songs. Very good use is made of the time available and there is a sense of urgency and fun

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Commentary

during lessons. The teachers promote good behaviour by reinforcing ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and by making sure that the children talk pleasantly to each other. All these positive features result in an increasing independence by the class and the ability to work well, both individually and as a small group.

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Commentary

21. Through the infants this good start is built upon through more formal teaching approaches but balanced with a whole school desire that pupils should still have access to different forms of play. For instance, there are often small groups of pupils from Years 1 and 2 working together to build imaginative wooden models. The quality of the discussion and interaction is high. Pupils negotiate the design, talk about their finished product and with the extra adult support are encouraged to mix socially. Different activities take place in the juniors such as the use of a specialist percussion teacher who has been employed to help overcome some difficult behavioural issues and to help build the self-esteem of pupils in one class which has been subject to disruption. All these times are well planned into the rest of the day.

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Commentary

22. In all the lessons seen, pupils were encouraged to do their best. Teachers have developed a friendly but professional atmosphere in their class that creates a calm but workmanlike approach to learning. This is particularly strong in Years 1, 3 and 6. The planning of lessons is thorough, linked mainly to national schemes but readjusted in the light of work that has gone before and individual ability. In a number of lessons, plans had been altered for that day because pupils had either moved on more quickly or had not understood the work set. In general, this is backed up by good quality marking in books. However, there are some individual cases both in the infants and the juniors where teachers rely too heavily on pupils Weston Park Primary School - 12 marking their own work or make little reference to what has been learnt. This restricts the progress that pupils make. It is an area that the school has already identified as a point for

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Commentary

improvement and there are plans for a review. 23. The use of assessment has improved since the last inspection when it was a key issue. There is now a wealth of data that is used to determine different groupings and extra support. Subject co-ordinators take a much more active role and, particularly in literacy and numeracy, this has enabled the school to build a better picture of pupils’ progress. The quality of assessment in the Foundation Stage is sound and is used well to inform the development of both individual attainment and the progress of each class. However, more could be done to integrate the assessments between the Nursery and the Reception class to provide a line of continuity between the different years.

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Commentary

24. A small number of pupils in all years are capable of challenging the authority of the teacher. Staff use a range of successful strategies to ensure that learning is uninterrupted although this was not handled so well in one lesson in the juniors as the teacher failed to divert the unacceptable behaviour quickly enough. The result of the positive systems is that pupils are able to work together well, collaborate on joint projects in a mature way and so develop their independence. A small number of parents do not support this view. However, they are in the minority and the situation has arisen because they do not fully understand how much the school has done to eliminate bullying and poor behaviour by innovative approaches.

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Commentary

25. Exciting and interesting lessons are provided in all classes. A wide range of different methods is used such as visits and visitors, specialist teaching and good quality resources. Artwork on display, for instance, has been developed through the use of an invited artist and sculptor while the Haringey Learning Centre has helped pupils develop their own portraits using computer programs. In literacy and numeracy, the teachers have enthusiastically started using the new interactive whiteboards to provide an extra visual stimulus.

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Commentary

26. The quality of teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good so that they learn well and achieve soundly, both in class and when they are withdrawn for specialist teaching. When pupils are withdrawn for work with the special educational needs co-ordinator or occasionally with special needs assistants, they make good progress and achieve well. This is because staff know the needs of the pupils well and make good use of the targets set in individual education plans (IEPs). Staff working with pupils with special educational needs liaise closely with class teachers so that progression and continuity of education are ensured. In mainstream classes, teachers write IEPs for pupils receiving additional support from the school, or help to draw up IEPs in the case of pupils receiving help from outside agencies. In addition, because suitable work is planned for pupils of different levels of attainment, they make

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Commentary

good progress and achieve soundly. A significant factor in pupils' good progress is the teamwork amongst staff of the school and outside agencies, for example in the provision for visually impaired pupils.

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Commentary

27. A good start has been made on identifying pupils who show a particular talent. The school orchestra, for example, provides them with a chance to use their skills and to encourage more participation in instrumental tuition. The school is exploring other ways to use experts and specialists to develop this work further.

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Commentary

28. Pupils with English as an additional language are supported through direct funding as well as by associated work provided by the class teacher. They make rapid progress in their spoken language and older pupils are able to develop their understanding of the nuances of written language such as when studying more complicated poetry. Homework is taken seriously by teachers and provides an extra dimension to the work undertaken at school. Pupils say that teachers generally ensure that, when they have taken a lot of time on the work, it is followed up in the class. The introduction of a homework club was in response to a number of parents who wanted more direction. This has been particularly successful for parents who are learning English as a second language and they appreciate how much it has done to help them develop their communication skills with their children. Weston Park Primary School - 13

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The curriculum

Overall the school’s curriculum is very good . Opportunities for enrichment are very good . The quality and quantity of accommodation and resources are good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• All pupils have equal access and opportunity to succeed. • Provision for sports and the arts is very good and helps to enrich the curriculum. • The school is involved in a wide range of initiatives in order to develop the curriculum and to raise standards. • The school has very efficient systems in place in order to prepare pupils for the next stage in their education. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and this helps these pupils to achieve soundly. • The school does not meet its statutory requirements for the provision of an act of collective worship.

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Commentary

29. The curriculum is very well planned so that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is a second language, build securely on previous work and achieve soundly. This is enhanced by the school's effective use of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies to bring continuity and coherence to pupils' learning. This is further extended because the school has developed effective links between subjects so that pupils see a purpose to their work and deepen their understanding. The curriculum has continued to improve since the last inspection, being developed as each new year group has started. The school has very effective systems in place to prepare pupils for the next stage in their education and they are particularly strong as pupils move to secondary school. Projects where work is continued at the secondary stage and close contact ensure that the transfer to

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Commentary

30. The school works hard to ensure that all pupils have equal access to the curriculum and to increase their confidence and self-esteem. The ethos of the school ensures that all pupils are highly regarded and valued and their efforts recognised and celebrated whatever their attainment. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. IEPs are clearly written with manageable targets for improvement. They are reviewed at appropriate intervals and shared with pupils and parents. Class teachers are effectively involved in the production of IEPs and have a clear understanding of the needs of pupils. The good liaison for both special educational needs and for those with English as an additional language ensures that class teachers, the co-ordinators, specialist teachers and assistants bring continuity and cohesion to pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

31. Provision for extra-curricular activities is very good and helps to enrich the curriculum. Pupils have opportunities to take part in a wide range of sporting and other activities. These include rugby, dance, football, pottery, gardening, French and homework clubs. The curriculum is further enriched by events such as Book Week and Art Week during which pupils have the opportunity to study aspects of their work in exciting and novel ways. In a similar way the school ensures that pupils make a very wide variety of educational visits to support and complement work in class. For example, visits are made to such places as the National Gallery, Palm House, Verulanium, the British Museum, the Royal Institute and the Cabinet War Rooms. Pupils in Year 6 make a residential visit to a field studies centre in South Wales. Visitors are invited into school in order to work with pupils. The school has welcomed authors,

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Commentary

Weston Park Primary School - 14 theatre groups, artists in residence and senior citizens who talked to pupils about their experiences during the blitz.

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Commentary

32. The school regularly evaluates its curricular provision in order to make improvements and address the needs of pupils in a well-structured and enjoyable way so that their educational horizons are widened. For example, the school employs a specialist music teacher and visiting instrumental teachers. The orchestra enables pupils of all ages to join with parents and staff. The school arranged for an artist to develop the drawing skills of staff so that these could be passed on to pupils and it makes good use of local expertise such as that provided by a historical society in order to increase pupils' knowledge of history. The school helped to initiate English lessons for parents of pupils for whom English is not the first language so that they and their children can improve their skills. In order to extend pupils' imagination and creativity the school is engaged in a well thought out scheme to extend constructive play activities

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Commentary

throughout the age groups. Good resources and accommodation further enhance the curriculum. The surrounds of the school are particularly interesting and challenging, providing many opportunities for pupils to extend their play and work.

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Commentary

33. Because the school has thorough systems of assessment, pupils’ levels of attainment are usually identified at an early stage. Their progress is regularly checked by class teachers and support staff and through reviews of IEPs and statements and by the ongoing assessments and records of class teachers. However, the school is aware of the need for the special educational needs co-ordinator to collate assessment data on pupils with special educational needs in order to provide an overview on individual progress and on the provision in general. Relationships and trust between pupils and teachers and support assistants are very good so that pupils are usually confident to approach staff with any problems they might have. Pupils are involved appropriately in setting targets as part of their IEP reviews. Staff know pupils very well and the school is well equipped to provide for pupils with physical disabilities.

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Commentary

34. Carefully prepared and imaginatively delivered assemblies enhance pupils’ moral and social development. These help to bring a sense of community to the school and enable pupils to consider issues that are relevant to them and to the wider world. However, the school does not provide occasions for pupils to participate in collective worship. This results in lack of choice and missed opportunities for pupils to deepen and extend the spiritual dimension of their education. This omission means that the school does not fulfil its statutory requirements.

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Care, guidance and support

The arrangements for pupils' health, safety, care and welfare are very good . The personal and academic guidance is good . The arrangements for seeking and acting upon pupils' views are very good .

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are happy and secure in school. • Pupils have positive views about the school. • Pupils build very good relationships with adults and each other. • Health and safety is given a high priority and pupils are well cared for. • Induction arrangements are very good at each stage of pupils' education. • There is a need to improve the consistency of marking of pupils' work.

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Commentary

35. The school provides pupils with a caring and attractive environment where they feel valued and supported. Health and safety arrangements are given a high priority and all policies are in place. The school has worked hard to provide pupils with resources to make playtimes happy and safe; suitable areas provide shade in very hot weather. The very good relationships that Weston Park Primary School - 15 have been developed in this school community and the very good provision for pupils' moral and social development create a caring, safe and supportive environment. This has a very positive effect on their learning.

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Commentary

36. The school offers good academic support and guidance to the pupils; this could be enhanced with improved marking of pupils' work. Staff know and understand the pupils well. Pupils needs are well and sensitively cared for and as a result pupils feel happy and enthusiastic. Pupils know they can ask an adult for help and they will be listened to.

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Commentary

37. The school has very good arrangements for seeking pupils' views. The school council provides very good opportunities for pupils to explore ideas and improvements and use their initiative. For example they have been instrumental in setting up a playground friends’ group and in using their ideas about improving playground provision. The school council reports that these initiatives have brought about an improvement in behaviour in the playground. The school operates as a community where all are equally valued and where there is always someone to listen and help.

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Commentary

38. Parents are well informed about the school's provision for special educational needs. They usually attend reviews of IEPs or statements and are kept fully informed of pupils' progress. The school has very good links with supporting agencies such as those for educational psychology, speech and language, behaviour support, educational welfare, parental outreach and RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind), so that it is able to receive support in addressing particular needs when these arise.

p.17

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has effective links with parents. Partnership with other schools and the community is very good . Parents receive good information from the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Partnership with other schools is very good. • The school has very good links with the community. • The school provides good information for parents. • The majority of parents have positive views about the school. • There is a need to improve the handling of parental concerns.

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Commentary

39. Relationships with parents are good overall. During the course of the inspection several parents spoke positively about the school. However, at the pre-inspection parents’ meeting and through the responses there was a significant minority of parents who had concerns. The majority of these were highly specific and while the school is aware of these issues it has found it hard to resolve them. Equally the governing body has had a number of meetings to draw up an action plan and to provide better written information. Other parents spoken to during the inspection were unstinting in their support of the school. Parents are kept well informed about the life of the school and have good opportunities to be involved in all that it does. The Home School Association is a very good link between the school and parents with two parents representing each class; this provides a fast track for the sharing of information.

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Commentary

Parents are very welcome in school and the school has promoted initiatives to help parents, such as the English lessons for the Turkish parents, who expressed their appreciation of these.

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Commentary

40. Written information for parents is good, especially the well designed governors' annual report. Pupils' annual reports give a clear indication of pupils' achievements but more consistent marking of pupils’ work would give parents a greater awareness of their children's learning. Weston Park Primary School - 16 Parents with children who have special educational needs are equally well informed and take an active role when determining the provision that will be received. The school takes seriously its responsibility for parents who do not have English as a first language, providing translators when required and ensuring these parents have access to letters in their home language. All these systems are very much appreciated by the parent body. 41. The school's links with the community are very good. Visiting specialists broaden pupils' experiences, which are well demonstrated in art displays throughout the school. The support

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Commentary

for charities and the links with Abyssinia Court give a clear commitment to involvement in both the local and wider community. Parents also value the induction arrangements provided at each stage of their children's education. The Home School Association is instrumental in providing many extras to enhance the life of pupils in the school both academically and socially and their commitment provides further links with the community.

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good overall. The headteacher gives very good leadership. Governors are effective and key staff lead their subjects well .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher is very effective in promoting the high quality curriculum and the inclusive community ethos which characterise the school. • The governors do a good job in supporting the school and acting as its critical friend. • The previous year’s whole school review provided a very good framework for setting its current development priorities, including those of subject leaders. • The school’s financial and administrative systems are well managed. • The governors have not ensured that they meet the legal requirements for collective worship.

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Commentary

42. The leadership of the headteacher is very effective because of his ability to make his vision of an enriched curriculum and positive inclusive community ethos into a reality through inspiring governors, staff, pupils and the great majority of parents to work together with him to achieve it. The governors are effective because of the thoroughness and commitment with which they achieve their work. They contribute well to developing the vision, challenging areas where they think too little is being done and have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They currently see the need to improve communication between the school management and its community as a priority and this has led to the setting up of a working party to drive action forward. However, they have not done enough since the last inspection to ensure that the school fulfils the legal requirement to hold a daily act of worship.

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Commentary

43. The composition of the senior management team has been reviewed as the school has grown. The present members are experienced and are beginning to build up a range of different responsibilities. This has included the recent introduction of line management responsibility for support staff led by the deputy headteacher and a reworking of the subject responsibilities of another senior member. The group works well together and provides the necessary challenge to major developments within the school. The leadership and management of special educational needs are good. The co-ordinator is new to the position. Because she has worked in the school previously she knows pupils well and has a good understanding of the school's systems. She already has a good grasp of the department and its strengths and weaknesses and is about to embark on further training in order to extend her skills. She provides a good

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Commentary

role model in the quality of her own good teaching and in her relationships with pupils and staff.

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Commentary

44. Since the last inspection, the school has greatly improved its self-evaluation and development planning, particularly through the use of a three yearly cycle of whole school reviews, from which the school develops its very good current three year development plans. The last review, Weston Park Primary School - 17 in March 2003, enabled senior managers and subject co-ordinators to conduct thorough reviews of their areas of responsibility and identify priorities for improvement, although there was not always as sharp a focus as there could have been on raising standards. The subsequent co-ordinators’ action plans are now part of the school development plan, but senior staff are aware that job descriptions need tightening to involve all co-ordinators in checking the quality of teaching and assessment. The senior management team has developed its role in performance management well. It is beginning to lead the development of

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Commentary

the whole school working team to meet new national expectations.

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Commentary

45. The school’s financial and administrative systems are managed efficiently and effectively. The headteacher has been very successful in securing additional funding through additional grants and donations, enabling the school to maintain its good level of funding for arts and community initiatives.

p.19

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

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Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 929,596 Balance from previous year 42,857 Total expenditure 895,687 Balance carried forward to the next year 26,804 Expenditure per pupil 3,526 Weston Park Primary School - 18

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is very good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• By the start of Year 1, most children achieve beyond the expected goals for all the areas of learning. • The children’s achievement by the start of Year 1 in personal, social and emotional education is exceptionally good. • The curriculum in the Nursery and the Reception class is imaginative and stimulating in promoting all the areas of learning. • There is scope for strengthening shared planning and provision between the Nursery and Reception classes and developing a simplified common assessment and record keeping system.

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Commentary

46. Children join the Nursery in the September of the year in which they become four, usually with average ability. The school’s good routines readily help them settle in. They make good progress through the Nursery and Reception Year. By the time they start Year 1, most have reached standards beyond the nationally expected early learning goals and a few achieve even higher. Children with special educational needs and those new to learning English as a language are very well provided for, because staff are alert to identify their needs at an early stage. Planning and support to integrate them with the other children and involve them as fully as possible in all the activities are given high priority.

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Commentary

47. The curriculum in the Nursery and the Reception class is very good. Both teachers make imaginative and stimulating use of the classrooms and the resources to create exciting learning experiences for the children, which promote achievement in all the recommended areas of learning very well. For example, different parts of the nursery outdoor area have been set up to include a make believe construction site, a train and train station and a water well and cascade, as well as offering several play houses, trees and grassed areas to climb, play or rest in. The information and communication technology resources have been greatly improved since the last inspection, particularly by the acquisition of interactive whiteboards. Planning for both classes is good. Provision has been improved by increasing access to the nursery outdoor area for children in the Reception class, but there is scope for greater shared use of all

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Commentary

the facilities, particularly as the reception outdoor area is short of space. The present separate planning and recording systems used by each class are a further limitation on helping the staff to plan as a whole team. All the records and assessments are conscientiously kept and contribute well to the completion of the nationally recommended end of Foundation Stage profile. Different formats and approaches are used in the Nursery and the Reception class. There is presently no quick and easy way to draw together information from all the records on children’s progress.

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Commentary

48. Parents and carers are introduced to the Nursery well. The co-ordinator and nursery nurse make home visits and arrange induction days before the children start school. Parents feel welcome in the school and the staff build good relationships with them. They feel they receive good information about their children’s progress. There are good arrangements for preparing children at the end of the Reception Year.

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Commentary

49. The co-ordinator’s leadership is good. She has done a thorough review of the Foundation Stage provision, identifying key strengths and development priorities. Training for the staff has Weston Park Primary School - 19 been very effective, particularly in implementing the Foundation Stage requirements and in developing the use of ICT.

p.20

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for personal, social and emotional development is excellent .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are high and achievement is excellent. • Staff are very good at helping the children to mix with others and think for themselves. • The staff provide excellent opportunities for children in the Reception class to contribute to the running of the classroom.

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Commentary

50. Children begin the Nursery with average levels of social skills. By the time they start Year 1, they have well exceeded the nationally expected early learning goals and take intense pride and delight in helping each other and the staff. Achievement is outstanding and teaching is very good. Staff and volunteers form good relationships with the children from the time they start the Nursery and have high expectations of very good behaviour. The teachers use the start and end of each half-day session very well to encourage the children to plan and reflect on the activities they do. At break times, they act as very good role models for social behaviour, so that almost all children in the Nursery learn to ask for another biscuit by saying, “Please may I….”. As a result the children, including those with high levels of special educational needs, get on very well together and learn to share, care for each other and take turns. Staff take great

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Commentary

care to explain to children who are sanctioned for inappropriate behaviour why they are having to sit apart from the group for a time and remind them of sensible things they can do if they start to feel very angry or upset. During the inspection, children in the Reception class were assigned in small groups to take care of clearing up different classroom areas at the end of each half-day. They sprang into action at the point where their teacher told them it was clearing up time and rapidly worked together to put everything in the right place in a very short time. They relish being chosen for any role of responsibility and the reception teacher fosters this enthusiasm particularly well by asking the children to review how well they completed their tasks and using a simple symbol-based reward system, which the children love.

p.21

COMMUNICATION LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision for communication, language and literacy is good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children’s achievement in speaking, listening and reading is good. • There is scope for promoting more use of writing by the children as part of the regular daily programme.

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Commentary

51. Starting the Nursery with the usual levels found in speaking, listening, reading and writing, children make good progress. By the end of the Reception Year, almost all children reach standards above those expected for this area of learning. Teachers and staff foster all four language skills well. The good teaching builds on opportunities for speaking, listening and reading very well, using every possible activity. They foster writing well, for example, by giving children opportunities to write on the interactive whiteboard as a choice. They also promote role-play activities, which include writing. They do not do as much to create opportunities for the children to practise writing, for example, by getting them to “sign in” or “sign up” and write Weston Park Primary School - 20 “comments” as part of their other activities. Standards of speaking and listening by the start of Year 1 are well above average. Children are confident in greeting visitors and expressing their

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Commentary

views in discussions, commenting on what their teacher and classmates have said. They listen attentively during group and class discussions. They know and enjoy reciting together long narrative poems, like “Hello Mr Noah”. They enjoy acting out scenes from books they read, or improvising ticket office conversations at the make believe train station. By the start of Year 1, they know most letter sounds and join in whole class reading when the teacher points to the words of a book projected on the interactive whiteboard. They know where to find the title page and the name of the author and they enjoy reading and discussing the story with their teacher when they practise reading in small groups. Because both the nursery and the reception staff encourage children to do pretend writing as well as learning the correct way to form writing patterns and letters, almost all the children write their names correctly by the end of the

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Commentary

Reception Year. They form letters well and many write familiar words or simple sentences.

p.22

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for mathematical development is very good .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children make good progress because teachers provide a wealth of experiences that promote their mathematical development. • Staff use information and communication technology particularly well to develop the children’s understanding of number and simple calculations.

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Commentary

52. Children enter the Nursery with average levels of mathematical development. Because the school provides good teaching with such a wealth of experiences to foster mathematical development, children make good progress. Most start Year 1 with standards beyond those expected for the early learning goals. Children confidently count to 20 and know what to add to a number between five and eight to get to ten. Many work out how many more “honey points” they need to “earn” for helping to get a reward. They achieve well because they regularly weigh ingredients for cooking projects, time the baking they do, find out how much different containers hold when they pour water to set off the water cascade and play with sand, plasticine and clay. They encounter and discuss numbers, count and make simple calculations in a range of “real world” situations, such as counting numbers of small toys and objects. A trainee teacher in the Nursery made very good use of a robot toy disguised as Incy

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Commentary

Wincey Spider to get children to work out how many moves forward the spider needed to make to get to the top of a real drainpipe. The reception teacher created an exciting and very effective animation for the interactive whiteboard, which was riveting for the children.

p.22

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

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

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve standards above those expected for their age. • Children observe, notice and record key features of the world around them. • They have particularly good skills and understanding in using computers and other ICT equipment. • Opportunities for outdoor learning are good for children in the Nursery but are more limited for those in the Reception class.

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Commentary

Weston Park Primary School - 21 53. When children start the Nursery, most have average levels of knowledge and understanding of the world. Because of the good teaching, by the time they start Year 1, most have reached levels of knowledge and understanding of the world beyond those expected in the early learning goals. Staff make very good use of the nursery outdoor environment to build the younger children’s understanding of simple scientific ideas like the way water flows when they pour buckets down the cascade. They regularly encourage the children to notice the changes in the weather and the changes in the plants and trees around them. The children make simple picture maps of places around them. There are many familiar and not so familiar objects displayed, which they explore, including some they can take apart. Children in the Reception class have learnt much about Australia and Antarctica during this school year. Drawing on the

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Commentary

teacher’s expertise and the rich range of books and images she has enabled them to talk about the difficult concept of the time of day and night in a distant part of the world being different from the one they are experiencing. Because the work they do with computers is very closely related to their wider learning, the children have learnt exceptional levels of skill and understanding in how to use them to do different tasks. Almost all the children in the Nursery know how to clear the memory of their robot toy before tapping in the instructions to make it move backwards or forwards. The very highly developed computer program knowledge of the reception class children is evident from the way they have used a paint program to achieve effects in displayed images more typical of the work of much older children.

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for physical development is good .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Attainment is above average. • Children develop very good levels of hand and finger control. • Teachers promote health and safety awareness well. • The very good use of the outdoor area for nursery children is not sustained as well as it could be for the children in the Reception class.

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Commentary

54. Children begin the Nursery with average physical development. Teaching is good. Teachers plan a good range of play and other learning experiences, which enable them to finish the Reception Year with above average levels of physical development. The children rapidly improve their skills as a result of their regular experiences of shaping and moulding play materials and cooking dough with their hands and of using pencils, crayons and other tools in a wide range of products. They develop exceptionally high levels of skill using computer mice through the very well focused work they do using computer programs. They become confident in handling objects of different size and shapes as they learn to tidy and help organise their classroom. The staff build the children’s health and safety awareness well through making the most of opportunities to make safety awareness interesting. For example, Reception class

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Commentary

staff made encouraging the children to put on sun cream a cue for some enjoyable discussion of what the sun cream smelt and felt like to touch. She reminded them what the cream would do to protect them and demonstrated how to rub it in with panache so as to cover all the vulnerable areas of their arms, faces and necks. Teachers draw on the varied outdoor space to organise many opportunities for children to explore different kinds of body movement through climbing, balancing, running, stepping and dancing. The younger children showed good levels of balance as they carried large buckets of water from the make believe well to pour into the water tank for the cascade. Organised physical development learning time in the hall gives good opportunities for the children to learn gymnastics and dance. Although the children in the reception area now have shared opportunities to use the nursery outdoor area as well as their much smaller outdoor space for physical development learning, they do not get

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Commentary

as many opportunities as their younger classmates. This is the case particularly for spontaneous outdoor movement in a range of challenging spaces throughout the school day. Weston Park Primary School - 22 This is holding back their opportunities to develop whole body physical skills at the same rate as their hand and finger control skills.

p.23

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision for creative development is very good .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children develop high levels of creativity in a range of media. • The good opportunities provided for role-play encourage the children to build and create a good range of make believe worlds.

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Commentary

55. At the time they begin the nursery, children show average levels of creative development. Through the good teaching, the staff plan a variety of high quality creative learning activities which promote their development very well. Almost all children end the Reception Year with above average levels of creative development, particularly in two and three-dimensional artwork using a range of media. For example, the younger children in the Nursery paint bold images of sunflowers, while Reception class children create batik images representing the colours of an African Savannah sky, or pattern marks on model boomerangs inspired by their observations of Australian Aboriginal art forms. The quality of the displayed Antarctic landscapes produced by the reception children using a computer paint program was exceptionally high, with each image reflecting the maker’s individuality. They show exuberance and skill in equal measure in creating images of penguins, frozen seascapes, ice mountains

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Commentary

and rays of Antarctic sun against vivid blue backgrounds. Teachers use songs and rhymes well to add a creative dimension and link a range of learning activities, for example, using the Incey Wincey Spider song in the Nursery as a chorus, linking learning activities focusing on mathematical discovery, observing weather changes and the natural life around them. They actively promote the children’s role-play by being part of the scenario. For example, as a volunteer queued and asked for a ticket from the children playing in the pretend ticket office, he inspired other children to start queuing and engaging the ticket office “staff” in conversations about where the trains might take them. The staff extend this further every day by enabling small groups of Reception class children to use the large construction sets in the widest corridor of the school. The children build extensive wooden walled make believe areas, using

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Commentary

the space to create imaginary palaces, townscapes and airports or fantasy worlds in which they can play. Although the staff keep some portfolio evidence of children’s work, they do not consistently photograph what children make, or save the computer files of their images, so that this evidence of the children’s individuality and diversity in creativity and the high standards they achieve, is being lost.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are good. • The quality of teaching is good overall with some instances of very good teaching. • Pupils achieve well in lessons and where the teaching is very good they achieve very well. • The subject is very well led and managed so that the school has clear strategies to help in raising standards. Weston Park Primary School - 23 • The school makes very good use of its thorough systems of assessment in order to set targets for improvement. • The quality of marking is inconsistent, leading to missed opportunities to indicate to pupils how to improve their work.

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Commentary

56. By the end of Year 2 standards in speaking and listening, reading and writing are well above average and pupils achieve well. This is an improvement on the findings of the previous inspection and on the results of the 2003 National Curriculum tests. By the end of Year 6, standards in speaking and listening, reading and writing are above average. This is in line with the findings of the previous inspection and the results of the 2003 National Curriculum tests. In Year 6 there is a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is a second language. There has been good improvement since the last inspection.

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Commentary

57. A significant factor in the school's high standards is the quality of teaching, enhanced by its use of the National Literacy Strategy. This helps pupils to build securely on previous work and to give structure to lessons so that there is continuity in their learning. The school works hard to provide interesting events, such as Book Week, in order to stimulate and motivate pupils to extend their skills in all strands of English. For example, following discussions with a visiting author and as part of the very good teaching in Year 6, pupils were moved to use notebooks to jot down developing ideas for stories. This helped them to improve the variety and interest of their writing and to achieve very highly. Teachers plan work carefully. They share lesson objectives with pupils so that they have a good understanding of their learning, particularly when the objectives are reviewed at the end of lessons.

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Commentary

58. Most pupils listen carefully and speak clearly and confidently. This is because they are provided with many opportunities for discussion with teachers and peers during such times as lessons, assemblies and when the whole class is gathered together. For example, in Year 2 pupils were asked to talk to partners about the sequence of events during the week, as part of their work on instructional writing. The clarity of their discussions helped to form the basis for their writing. Pupils are helped to develop their listening skills because teachers generally manage them well and ensure that they are well behaved and listen attentively. The very good relationships which are a feature of the school help to develop speaking and listening skills because pupils' develop confidence, knowing that their efforts are valued and respected by teachers and peers. Throughout the school, but especially in Year 6, most pupils speak

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Commentary

confidently to visitors, using well organised ideas and interesting vocabulary, both informally, on occasions such as meal times, or when explaining their work during lessons.

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Commentary

59. Basic skills are generally taught well. This is why pupils have a good grasp of the strategies to use when reading new or unfamiliar words. Teachers also have high expectations so that by the end of Year 2, pupils confidently discuss the ideas and events encountered in texts. Higher attaining pupils read with expression and learn to read between the lines so that their understanding is increased. Because the teaching of reading is well organised and because teachers have high standards, by the end of Year 6 most pupils read fluently with expression, although the intonation of lower attaining pupils is less well developed. All pupils compare and contrast their preferences for different authors and higher attaining pupils confidently refer in detail to text when justifying their opinions. Reading skills link well to writing ability. There are many different styles such as poetry, narrative and creative descriptions which teachers foster

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Commentary

well by combining work in other subjects. Pupils are encouraged to discuss their ideas, plan their stories and then draft and redraft their ideas until they are happy with the result.

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Commentary

60. The school has in place very thorough systems for assessment. It uses these very effectively to check pupils' progress and to set targets for improvement. This helps pupils to have a clear understanding of their own learning and this contributes to the good progress they make. When teachers mark pupils’ work they usually provide comments that are supportive and help Weston Park Primary School - 24 pupils to understand what they are doing well and what they need to do in order to improve. For example, in Year 6 the teacher commented, "Short sentences like this raise the tension". However, marking is not consistently of this standard and occasionally it is quite sparse, so that sometimes pupils do not receive enough information to enable them to improve. The school has recently introduced a new scheme of work for handwriting. This is beginning to improve standards, although it is not yet fully implemented and the presentation of some work

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Commentary

61. The school makes good provision for lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs. These pupils are provided with work, which challenges them at their own levels of ability so that they make good progress. Individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs provide clear manageable targets for improvement in English. These are well understood by pupils and staff and enhance work in class and when pupils are withdrawn for specialist help. The subject is very well led and managed. The co-ordinator has very good subject knowledge and a very clear understanding of how to teach English effectively. She uses this very efficiently to give very clear direction to the work of the school and to support staff. She organises the subject very well and has a very clear understanding of the way ahead in order to improve standards.

p.26

The use of English in other subjects of the curriculum

62. The school makes good use of English in other subjects of the curriculum. This helps pupils to see a purpose in their work and to extend their knowledge and skills in English and the other subjects. At times, when the whole class is gathered together as part of their personal and social education pupils learn to listen carefully and to speak clearly. In the very good teaching in Year 1 pupils made very good use of computers to write and share their story writing with others. In art and design in Year 3, pupils made good use of bullet points when describing the work of Van Gogh. In their work in history, pupils in Year 4 clearly recorded their research on Viking customs. Speaking and listening skills are used effectively in most subjects. In a Year 1 physical education lesson the teacher carefully explained and discussed terminology such as, "control," so that pupils were helped to reflect on how they might improve their throwing and

p.26

The use of English in other subjects of the curriculum

catching skills and increased their vocabularies.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average in the infants and the juniors and achievement is good through the school. • Teaching is good and has a number of important strengths that ensure pupils make good progress in lessons. • There is good co-ordination of the subject based on a thorough evaluation that determines the strengths and weaknesses in the provision.

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Commentary

63. Standards reached by pupils in the present Year 2 and Year 6 are above average and achievement through the school is good. This is because the teaching has a number of strengths including the quality of planning, the level of challenge given to pupils in lessons and the use of teaching assistants to support different ability groups. The subject has continued to improve since the last inspection. 64. Results in national tests do not fully reflect this performance. In Year 2, results have fluctuated since 1999 but have been steadily dropping since 2001. Analyses of the reasons for this have resulted in extra levels of support and training for teachers. In addition, the co-ordinator has undertaken an evaluation of the weaker areas from pupils’ answers to questions and has Weston Park Primary School - 25 started to ensure that the planning concentrates on these. The success of this can be seen in the, as yet unconfirmed, results for this year which indicate a much higher proportion of pupils

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Commentary

achieving and exceeding the expected level for their age and ability. Results at the end of Year 6 have been steadily rising since the first cohort took the tests in 2001 and in 2003 they were in the top five per cent nationally when measured against schools of a similar type. While the indications are that they will not be as high this year, due to the difference in overall ability of the cohort, they are likely to be maintained above average.

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Commentary

65. In Years 1 and 2 pupils are given a broad balance of work incorporating basic number as well as opportunities to use their knowledge with practical and word problems. Many of those in Year 1 are already working above the average expected level for their age. Those in Year 2 are able to build on this early knowledge and are building a confidence in new skills that have been introduced. The balance of work is good both for extending the understanding in number as well as learning about space, shape and measure. Some data handling and the use of word problems are used to allow pupils, especially those with higher ability to use the knowledge they have gained in new situations.

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Commentary

66. Through Years 3 to 6 these initial foundations are built upon so that in the final year of the juniors pupils are confident users of their mathematical skills and are able to adapt the knowledge in unfamiliar situations in other subjects. This is helped by the good marking in Years 3 and 4, the good balance of work in Year 5 and a high level of challenge in Year 6.

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Commentary

67. Teaching is good and pupils progress well in lessons. The majority of teachers have good subject knowledge and are able to interpret the national unit plans well. So, for instance, there is enough confidence to amend the parts that pupils would find too easy and to add other more challenging work. In Year 4, for example there was a clear progression in using multiplication and division linked to both Year 3 and Year 5 work that gave all ability levels a challenge. Pupils understood what was expected, concentrated hard and could see where their learning was leading.

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Commentary

68. Wide ranges of methods are used to interest and excite pupils. The recent introduction of the interactive whiteboards has given a new dimension and teachers have quickly incorporated these within their daily whole class sessions. There is a good balance between explaining new information as well as pupils’ own independent or small group work. Teachers move around the room, sometimes concentrating on those who are having problems but also ensuring others have their work checked and new challenges set. In general, most pupils respond well when they are working on their own and can concentrate for extended periods. Pupils with special educational needs are given good quality support and make good progress. Often progress is better when the assistants have a good understanding of how to move the learning on. Teachers ensure that they are fully briefed prior to the lesson and ensure they know what will be completed by the end. Very occasionally this leads to the pupils being given work that is

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Commentary

too challenging such as in a junior class where the teacher jumped ahead without ensuring that all pupils understood the previous concept.

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Commentary

69. The behaviour of pupils is very good. They are inquisitive, willing to answer questions and listen carefully to the contributions of others. Teachers try to ensure that even those who are more reluctant to join in are tested by appropriate questions. In this way the progress of the class can be monitored to ensure that the written work to follow will be completed. Marking is not so thorough. In the best cases it gives praise and encouragement while at the same time posing interesting further possibilities. The very best marking is also used as an assessment tool with comments such as “you understand simple fractions but need more work on mixed fractions”. This is not uniform across all classes and in one case the marking is too cursory, adds nothing to the work that has been done and thus pupils do not know what is expected of them.

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Commentary

70. The co-ordinator has a very good view about the strengths and weaknesses of the subject and how to develop the subject further. She provides good leadership and management through her analysis of teaching, test results and general provision. Priorities for improvement have Weston Park Primary School - 26 rightly included resolving the falling results in Key Stage 1, catering for the more able and providing training for teachers’ assistants. These have been incorporated within the whole school improvement plan and are being acted on in a thorough and coherent way. Sufficient funding has ensured there is a good range of resources available to teachers.

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Mathematics across the curriculum

71. Good use is made of mathematics in other subjects such as science, geography and design and technology. Increasingly the work in mathematics has concentrated on using previously learnt knowledge to involve problem solving. Pupils relish these challenges and, through discussion, try to find different strategies to solve a hypothesis. Particularly in Years 5 and 6 this is helping to improve progress for those with higher ability.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• A high proportion of pupils reach higher than expected standards at the end of Year 6. • The best teaching enables pupils to achieve well beyond the standards expected for their age group. • The written work set for Year 2 pupils does not provide well enough for the range of pupils’ needs. • Most marking does not give enough guidance to pupils.

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Commentary

72. Standards seen during the inspection are above average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. In the most recently available national assessments, for 2003, pupils at the end of Year 2 did not do as well in science as schools nationally and comparable schools. Pupils’ achievement by the end of Year 2 is satisfactory. The Year 2 workbooks showed above average knowledge and understanding. However, the use of identical worksheets for all pupils’ written tasks holds back the highest achieving pupils from doing as well as they could because they are not given scope to develop fuller explanations of their observations through writing up their ideas. Basic science skills are good although pupils at the end of Year 2 do better in demonstrating understanding and skills in basic science procedures and showing knowledge of physical aspects than they do on life and materials aspects. Standards in the 2003 tests for Year 6 pupils were above

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Commentary

average compared with schools nationally and well above average compared with similar schools. The proportion of Year 6 pupils attaining higher than nationally expected standards was high and this was reflected in the work seen by current Year 6 pupils. This is because they complete a good range of challenging science experiments and have good opportunities to write analyses of their observations. Achievement by Year 6 is good overall with some notable strengths.

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Commentary

73. Taking into account evidence from pupils’ workbooks and discussions with pupils and staff, as well as the small number of lessons observed, the quality of teaching and learning was satisfactory but evidence from books shows there is high quality work. In the best teaching, teachers have very high expectations and give just the right level of challenge to all the pupils across the wide range of achievement levels in the class. They set tasks that involve very well defined and specific investigations, which can be completed and reviewed in the time available. They use clear explanations of scientific vocabulary combined with good visual support. For example, in one lesson using interactive whiteboards and whole class discussion, this was consistently repeated so that the pupils very readily understood and used it. In a lesson on plant growth, after a demonstration using projected diagrams, the teacher set two gifted and

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Commentary

talented pupils, one of whom was learning English as an additional language, to explain how a plant synthesises sunlight. The pupils eagerly answered and explained the process at length, Weston Park Primary School - 27 using correct scientific vocabulary. The teacher radiated enthusiasm and confidence as she assured pupils with high levels of behavioural and language difficulties that they would do brilliantly at their task of planning an experiment to test the role of leaves in plant growth. The pupils came up with a range of good ideas, which their support assistant helped them to record. Weaknesses were evident in lessons and pupils’ recorded work where too many diverse ideas and tasks had been planned for the time available. These also included confusing or misleading explanations suggesting that teachers lacked knowledge of the topic being investigated. This resulted in pupils moving onto another task before they had all

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Commentary

understood and completed the previous one. Lower achievement in these situations was reflected in restless behaviour in lessons and work not completed in workbooks. Although pupils appreciate the usually helpful feedback they get on their progress in lessons, marked work often gives them little indication of what they have best understood and how they can do better in future work.

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Commentary

74. A temporary co-ordinator was in post at the time of the inspection, whose work has included drafting a new science policy. Discussion with the co-ordinator and scrutiny of the review of the subject carried out early in the previous school year identified improving the consistency of teaching quality, improving approaches to writing up pupils’ work and giving clearer assessment indicators as a priorities. However, not enough has yet been done to action these priorities. Despite this, the subject has continued to improve.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils attain good standards and achieve well. • Teachers are confident and competent to provide good learning opportunities. • Good use of ICT within other subjects of the curriculum and the recent introduction of interactive whiteboards is having a positive effect on raising standards. • An experienced co-ordinator provides good support for teachers and in leading and managing the development of the subject.

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Commentary

75. Standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are above those expected nationally and have continued to improve since the last inspection. The quality of teaching and learning is at the core of the good achievement that pupils make through the school and the increasingly high quality resources are providing many opportunities for pupils to experience information and communication technology in other subjects of the curriculum.

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Commentary

76. The work in ICT is planned well using the nationally agreed guidelines. National training has been undertaken and this is being built upon through the use of staff meetings and individual support for those who lack confidence. Teachers work hard to ensure that computers and other hardware are linked to real life situations in the themes and topics that are studied. After the good start in the Foundation Stage, pupils in Year 1 are familiar with the workings of a keyboard, they can open and save programs and are confident users of the equipment. Pupils have started to use word processing and painting programs to enhance their work in English and art. Pupils in Year 2 talk about using computers on a regular basis and how they have learnt to link text and graphics together and have been able to build upon the knowledge that they have learnt in Year 1. They can refine the work they are doing and confidently set about

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Commentary

using word processing, painting programs and research using the Internet.

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Commentary

77. Through Years 3 to 6, there are some very good examples on display of higher levels of work such as the portraits undertaken in co-operation with a local community project. The amusing distorted images show how pupils have been able to use digital cameras and then manipulate Weston Park Primary School - 28 these to produce their own versions. In this way pupils have been able to improve their use of ICT as well as develop their creativity in an artistic form. The web research in Year 4 demonstrates the increasing confidence with which pupils are able to find out information linked to their work in history and geography and mathematical understanding has been developed through the use of spreadsheets and databases. In Years 5 and 6, pupils’ work on spreadsheets is a clear indication of the good planning. Here, pupils have collected their data, learnt about the use of formulae and in Year 6 have also used their skills to find out the

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Commentary

maximum area of shapes using different lengths and widths. This is all at a level above that expected for their age.

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Commentary

78. Although only a small number of direct ICT lessons were seen during the inspection, the use of computers had a high profile in many other subjects. As a result, teaching is good through the school. Teachers have good subject knowledge and are willing to experiment and improve their own knowledge as the quality of hardware increases. As a lead school, selected by the local education authority, every class has recently been equipped with an interactive whiteboard. The school was chosen as it had the necessary skills to manage the introduction efficiently. While the teachers have yet to undertake the planned training, all of them are constantly using innovative software that is enhancing a wide variety of subjects. This is adding a new dimension to the teaching opportunities and pupils respond well to the challenge. A class group of laptop computers is used to ensure that all pupils receive their full entitlement to the time

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Commentary

79. In a Year 5 lesson linked to science the teacher explained the use of data-logging equipment for testing temperature. This was a good example of how the pupils are challenged to think as the teacher gave the class a graph of results, asking what they might represent and how they could use the information to help them establish whether they were correct. The pupils responded enthusiastically although too long was spent as a whole group and some pupils began to lose interest because they were not fully involved. The development of this series of lessons was good and linked well with a number of different subjects.

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Commentary

80. Pupils with special educational needs also have extra opportunities to use specific software to help them improve their literacy and numeracy skills and the school has also obtained a good range of extra hardware to support a child with visual impairment. Those at an early stage of learning English are also given good support as it is needed, to help them become more familiar with keyboard layout and the use of software. Through the discussions they have with their teaching assistants and friends they are able to learn the technical language associated with the subject.

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Commentary

81. The very experienced co-ordinator has worked hard to ensure that all the systems work as efficiently as possible and with the assistance of the headteacher has developed an ongoing programme of refurbishment. The number of computers per pupil is higher than that nationally recommended. The improvement plan for the subject centres on getting the best value for money and the use of extra grants and additional funding to enhance the provision. There are some systems for assessment being trialled but these are not yet fully embedded into the teacher’s own planning. However, the 2003 - 2006 action plan rightly highlights this for further development.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

82. ICT is used well throughout the curriculum. Across the school and in lessons computers and other technology are consistently used to support the learning. This ranged from the use of projectors, recording equipment and other peripherals to research for topics and themes. There are many displays that show how integral the work in ICT is with all learning that takes place in other subjects, such as those for art and history.

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HUMANITIES

Weston Park Primary School - 29 Only a very small number of lessons were seen in geography and history. Samples of pupils’ work, discussions and other evidence were used to determine that the provision for both these subjects at least meets statutory requirements. The school’s determination to ensure a broad balance within subjects means that a significant number of pupils, in both the infants and the juniors, are achieving above the levels expected for their age.

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HUMANITIES

83. One lesson was seen in geography but there are a number of good examples of pupils’ work on display. The subject is undertaken regularly in all classes linking both specific geographical studies as well as the development of skills such as mapmaking and the study of land use. Pupils in the juniors have a good understanding of their own local area and of the wider world. They know about different parts of this country as well as some key features from other continents. In the Year 3 lesson seen the teacher used a series of slides, collected by the school to demonstrate the changing face of Hornsey. Pupils were encouraged to describe a route that the class have walked around and to recognise key features. The teacher’s clever questioning challenged the pupils to think at a higher level than the obvious, for instance about why some properties were derelict and what use had been made of the space.

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HUMANITIES

84. Planning centres around the use of the nationally agreed schemes of work which ensures that pupils receive a balanced programme of study. As they move through the school there is an increasing awareness of the world around them and they are able to improve their own knowledge about places further afield. ICT is used well to support the learning through the use of the Internet, photographic archives and by direct observations. The work in geography fully supports the school’s aims of providing a good subject balance.

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HUMANITIES

85. One lesson was also seen in history and therefore no judgement can be made on overall provision or the quality of teaching and learning. A significant feature is that as they move through the school, most pupils increase their understanding of historical methods of enquiry as well as their knowledge of events and people. This is because teachers help to bring the subject alive by organising role-play activities and events such as Black History Month and visits to places of historical significance, for example, classes have visited Verulanium, the British Museum and the War Cabinet Room. Pupils are provided with a wide range of historical artefacts to handle and investigate and these are also presented in attractive displays, such as the one showing uniforms and items in use during the Second World War. Local residents talked to pupils about their experiences during the blitz and the local historical association is

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HUMANITIES

used as a source of information. In the one lesson in Year 2, sound use was made of a video illustrating life in Victorian schools so that pupils could compare and contrast the present with the past.

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Religious education

Provision for religious education is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school effectively promotes pupils’ appreciation of the main religions’ approaches to worship. • The co-ordinator has a good vision of how to develop the subject and has great enthusiasm for and commitment to promoting it. • There is presently some repetition in different years of identical topics.

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Commentary

86. There was only limited opportunity to observe lessons in religious education during the inspection. It is therefore not possible to make a judgement on the quality of teaching and learning, or improvement since the last inspection. Evidence was also drawn from discussions with pupils, pupils’ workbooks, discussions with staff and analysis of the school’s displays and documentation. Standards at the end of Year 6 and Year 2 are in line with those expected in Weston Park Primary School - 30 the locally agreed syllabus and achievement is satisfactory. Year 6 pupils have an adequate knowledge of the key beliefs and practices of the main religions in the United Kingdom, including Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism. Their studies have helped them feel very interested in and positive about people’s religious beliefs and practices. As one pupil remarked, “It can be fun learning about different religions” and another commented, “It’s most interesting

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Commentary

to know what people believe”. In a satisfactory Year 3 lesson on local places of worship, pupils enjoyed studying video clips of a major London Hindu temple and its worshippers. They began to locate some of the churches, mosques, temples and synagogues around their immediate area on maps and in directories, but lacked the study skills to complete the task in the time set. Their teacher’s enthusiasm and interest in religious diversity, reflecting that shown by other staff in discussions and assemblies, was effective in promoting positive attitudes. However, some teaching in different years has repeated the same topics, particularly that of local places of worship. The newly appointed co-ordinator and the written review done by the previous co- ordinator, acknowledge that there have been some repetitions and discontinuities in the curriculum. The co-ordinator has a good vision of how to improve the subject through her own

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Commentary

contribution as a specialist and is already contributing effectively to the teaching in a number of year groups. Her infectious enthusiasm and commitment to link the subject to the programme of assemblies and to promoting spirituality in the school are combined with good practical knowledge of how to achieve this, but she has had only limited training for her role.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

87. No lessons were observed in design and technology as the subject is taught at other times in the term. It is therefore not possible to make judgements on standards, achievement, the quality of teaching and learning or improvement since the last inspection. There was a display of good quality work by Year 6 pupils on designing and making electronically controlled battery- driven model fairground rides and by Year 2 pupils on making simple wheeled vehicles based on glued strut framed bases. Although there was not enough evidence to make a judgement about how pupils’ knowledge and skills are developed through the school, Year 6 pupils showed that they are extremely enthusiastic about the subject. They describe a good range of products they have completed and show understanding of the importance of investigating similar products before designing, making and evaluating their designs. The school follows the

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

nationally recommended teaching plans for the subject. Pupils’ workbooks show only some of the completed projects and only limited photographic evidence was available for some classes. Teachers give oral feedback and guidance during lessons, but rarely give clear guidance through written comments on how pupils can improve their work. They make assessment checklists of skills, knowledge and understanding, but there is too little evidence recorded of the quality and range of work done by classes and individual pupils. This limits the scope for teachers to identify in their planning, the best challenges and support for each pupil.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

88. One lesson in music was seen during the inspection so it is not possible to make an overall judgement on provision or the quality of teaching and learning. Discussions with teachers and scrutiny of planning indicate that the statutory requirements are met. A strength in the school's provision is the opportunities provided for many pupils to play a wide range of instruments, including untuned and tuned percussion, strings, brass, piano and reed instruments. These are taught by the school staff and a large number of visiting peripatetic teachers. The school makes good use of the expertise of members of staff and of the specialist music teacher in order to extend pupils' experiences and raise standards. The school's orchestra includes pupils from all stages of the school as well as parents, grandparents, small children and staff. Pupils learn to play together and enjoy extending their skills in a very relaxed and cohesive

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

atmosphere. Pupils learn to listen to a range of music during assemblies and practise their singing. They sing in performances at times such as Christmas. In the one lesson seen in Year 3, pupils increased their rhythmic and improvisational skills and their skills in instrumental recognition because it was presented in a lively and interesting way and they were fully involved. Weston Park Primary School - 31 89. No overall judgement is made on physical education because only two lessons were seen during the inspection. Discussions with teachers and a scrutiny of planning indicate that the school meets its statutory requirements. Pupils in Year 5 receive swimming lessons. Most pupils learn to swim and some go on to reach high standards. The school makes very good extra-curricular provision for sport. This includes rugby, dance, football, cricket and athletics. Pupils compete successfully with other schools. The school's overall provision is enhanced

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

by links with local sporting clubs and by the local schools' sports co-ordination scheme, which bring expertise and extended opportunities for pupils and staff development. In good teaching in a lesson in Year 1, the teacher's skilful analysis of pupils' work enabled her to encourage them to reflect on how they might improve their throwing and catching skills. This helped them to achieve well. In Year 6, pupils developed sound basketball skills because the teacher's good rapport helped them to practise passing, shooting and dribbling confidently.

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Art and design

Provision for art and design is very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards of pupils’ work are high. • The school makes very good use of visiting artists to promote pupils’ achievement in a variety of media. • There is scope for strengthening the recording and assessment of the full range of pupils’ work.

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Commentary

90. Standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are high, showing greater mastery of colour mixing, line drawing and object placement than are usually found nationally. This is an improvement on the standards reported at the previous inspection. Although only one lesson was observed during the inspection, there was an abundance of work on display showing pupils’ strengths in a range of media. This demonstrates sustained good achievement in sculpture, textile work, collage, gouache, digital media and watercolours to an equally high standard by the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils enjoy using their sketchbooks to develop studies for such projects as creating figures in motion, though they rarely use them as part of their studies of artists’ techniques. The school makes particularly good use of work with visiting artists and visits to museums and galleries to ensure that pupils engage in a range of inspirational and challenging

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Commentary

projects For example, children throughout the school had worked with a local sculptor to create vividly painted large sculptures of creatures such as domestic pets and crustaceans. Younger pupils had made smaller cast-based sculptures. There were very striking and varied transformations of digital photos done by pupils working with a specialist from the local City Learning Centre. In the week of the inspection, Year 6 pupils spent a day at the Wallace Collection deepening their studies of religious paintings, linked to their work for religious studies. In a well-taught Year 2 lesson the teacher firstly used the interactive whiteboard effectively to focus the pupils on careful studies of examples of the way a range of artists produced detailed drawings of fish. They then set to work making their own observations of trout, using magnifying glasses to guide their sketches in pencils and chalks. As a result,

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Commentary

pupils of all abilities made good progress.

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Commentary

91. The subject is well led and managed and plays an important part in contributing to the ethos of the school. Although teachers give good feedback in lessons, they rarely offer advice through written comments on pupils’ sketchbooks, or help pupils review how their skills are developing across a range of projects. There is scope for developing the present recording and assessment system so that it records more accurately the quality of the work pupils do across the range of media they work in and identifies those with particular talents and needs in their art studies. Weston Park Primary School - 32

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

92. The school provides some specific teaching for this area but in the main it is informally conducted through discussion times and assemblies. The quality of provision is good. Pupils are increasingly being given better opportunities to develop their own independence and as they move through the school they show more maturity, tolerance of others and a respect for other people’s views. Social skills are developed through the use of the school council and by the teachers’ good relationships with their class. Parents have not always appreciated the good work that has gone on to develop class cohesion such as the use of a specialist percussion teacher in one class in the juniors that has had problems working together as a unit. In general, pupils understand their place as part of our own society and how this differs within different communities. The school provides good opportunities to think about current

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

issues such as in an assembly that focused on what somebody might take with them if they became a refugee. Since the last inspection a new sex education policy has been integrated with work in science and other health issues are dealt with well through a series of programmed activities. Weston Park Primary School - 33

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 3 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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