Parkside Middle School

Post Publication Addendum to Inspection Report

School: Parkside Middle School Headteacher: Mr J Graham URN: 116959 Inspection No: 258587 Registered Inspector: Mike Merchant

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Post Publication Addendum to Inspection Report

The Registered Inspector issued this addendum following a complaint by the school

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Addendum to the summary report

In the section headed: “The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:” in the text under the bullet points, the final sentence has been amended and a sentence added.

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Addendum to the summary report

"Since the school was last inspected in 1998 it has made unsatisfactory improvement. The key issue of improving attainment in English has been met, as has improvement in literacy. But this improvement has only really taken place in the last two years. Two big key issues remain unresolved: assessment is still not used well enough to improve standards and there is still a lack of rigour in the school's approach to the monitoring and evaluation of its work. There is slightly more unsatisfactory teaching and learning now than there was at the time of the last inspection. However, the proportion of teaching considered good or better has improved" .

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(Italics represent change in current report text.)

Addendum to paragraph 17 of the main report

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(Italics represent change in current report text.)

17 The scrutiny of pupils’ work over this term showed teaching and learning to be satisfactory overall. In the lessons observed, however, within a picture of overall satisfactory teaching and learning, there is a polarized picture. Whilst teaching and learning in nearly one in five lessons are very good or excellent (a big improvement over the last inspection), in just over one in ten lessons, they are unsatisfactory ( slightly worse than at the last inspection). It is a serious weakness of the school’s senior managers that they have failed to put in place rigorous procedures to check on the quality of teaching and to take effective action if teaching is found wanting. The very good practice that exists across the school, especially in English, mathematics, science, design technology and history has not been exploited, celebrated and shared. It is for these reasons that standards have not risen as quickly as

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(Italics represent change in current report text.)

Copies to: Ofsted - Subjects and Quality Division The Learning & Skills Council The School’s Local Education Authority

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Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School

Dates of Inspection: 10 th – 12 th November 2003

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Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 3 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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Bromsgrove Parkside Middle 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. Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Middle deemed secondary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 9-13 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 470

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Bromsgrove. Worcestershire Postcode: B61 0AD

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01527 873660 Fax number: 01527 836574

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr G Hare

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 27 th April 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Parkside is a larger than average middle school situated near the centre of Bromsgrove. It educates approximately 470 boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 13. The attainment of pupils on entry to the school is average as is the socio-economic background of most of its pupils. A very large proportion of its pupils are of White-British origin. There are no pupils who have English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is average but those identified as having a special educational need (mainly moderate learning, social and behavioural needs) is below the national average. The number of pupils who join and leave the school other than at the usual times is average. There has been a small turnover in the number of teachers joining and leaving the school.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school attained Sportsmark status in 2003. Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 5

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

27368 Michael Merchant Lead inspector 13786 Susan Walsh Lay inspector 4926 Thelma Aspin Team inspector Mathematics 31135 Rachel Hobson Team inspector English 12354 Anthony McDermott Team inspector Science 15051 Lynne Kaufman Team inspector Information and computer technology Design Technology 30518 Mike Johnson Team inspector Art and design 30215 Helen Feasey Team inspector Geography Citizenship 3930 Roy Pitcher Team inspector History Religious Education 21975 Ann King Team inspector Modern Languages English as an additional language 4697 Robert Black Team inspector Music 22042 John Challands Team inspector Physical Education Special educational needs

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Independent Schools Inspection Service 3, Harrowby Road West Park Leeds LS16 5HN

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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 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.oftsed.gov.uk). Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 6

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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weaknesses in aspects of its leadership and management, curriculum and use of

assessment. Standards overall are close to the national average and most pupils achieve satisfactorily, although some higher attaining pupils do not achieve as much as they should. Teaching and learning overall are satisfactory but the monitoring of teaching lacks rigour because management at the top is ineffective. There is an insufficient drive to push up standards although newly appointed managers are beginning to have a big impact. The school’s high costs and satisfactory achievement means that is provides unsatisfactory value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

? When compared with pupils in schools with similar attainment at the end of Year 2 in 2003, the achievement of pupils at Parkside was unsatisfactory at the end of Key Stage 2. ? Pupils achieve well in art and design, design technology, history and music; achievement is unsatisfactory overall in geography and religious education. ? The monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning lacks rigour and is ineffective resulting in too much unsatisfactory teaching and learning. ? The school’s use of assessment information is not consistently applied or used well enough to help drive up standards. ? An inconsistent approach to the management of the behaviour of a small minority of pupils holds back the learning of the majority. ? Management and organisation of the pastoral system is weak and is not directly focused on raising levels of achievement. ? A lack of rigour by senior managers in the monitoring and evaluation of the work of the school

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

is allowing too much unsatisfactory teaching and learning and is holding back standards.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

Since the school was last inspected in 1998 it has made unsatisfactory improvement . The key issue of improving attainment in English has been met as has improvement in literacy. But this improvement has only really taken place in the last two years. Two big key issues remain unresolved: assessment is still not used well enough to improve standards and there is still a lack of rigour in the school’s approach to the monitoring and evaluation of its work. There is more unsatisfactory teaching and learning now than there was at the time of the last inspection.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement is satisfactory . Pupils join the school with prior attainment that is broadly average. Standards seen are average in Year 6 (a big improvement over last year ’ s test results) and also in Year 8. The school does not identify its pupils who are gifted and talented nor does it monitor the achievement of its ethnic minority pupils. Pupils with a special educational need achieve satisfactorily because most teachers track their progress carefully. In art and design, design technology, history and music, pupils achieve well because teaching is often good. Provision for Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 8 pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory . Bullying and poor behaviour in class by a minority of pupils holds back learning and achievement of others.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a satisfactory standard of education for its pupils . Teaching is satisfactory . Although teaching and learning is very good or better in one in five lessons, in one in ten it is unsatisfactory. Although most teachers know their subject well and expect much of pupils, others have difficulty in managing the fussy, disruptive behaviour of a small number of pupils. This holds back the learning of others in the class. Because the school does not identify gifted and talented pupils, many do not achieve as well as they should.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The systems that are in place to monitor pupils’ academic and personal progress lack rigour and are inconsistently applied by teachers. Pupils do not always know how well they are doing or how to improve their work. The school has fostered good links with a wide variety of groups in Bromsgrove and this helps to promote pupils’ development. Parents are very supportive of their children’s education but are disappointed with the information that they receive concerning their children’s achievement.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are unsatisfactory . Governors have not held the school sufficiently to account for its standards and there is far too much inconsistency in the way teachers implement school policies and procedures. The way in which the school monitors the quality of teaching and learning lacks rigour and bite. School planning is not sufficiently linked to improving standards.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Most parents are happy with the education their children receive at Parkside. A significant minority, however, are not happy with the quality of information they receive from the school and have concerns about behaviour and bullying. The inspection team supports these concerns.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

? take steps to ensure that the headteacher and key staff effectively monitor teaching and learning, ? adopt approaches to school planning that are carefully costed and have raising standards as the over-arching priority, ? ensure that the governing body plays a more active role in holding the school to account, ? make sure that approaches to pastoral care and behaviour management are consistent and effective, ? ensure that assessment information is used well to both monitor, realistically, how well the school is doing, to set realistic individual targets for pupils and so prevent underachievement;

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

? ensure that ICT 1 is used consistently across the curriculum,

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

? carry out certain necessary health and safety risk assessments.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

1 Information and communication technology Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 9

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Standards achieved in subjects and courses

Pupil’s achievement is satisfactory in all years, although some gifted and talented pupils do not achieve as highly as they could. Standards of work seen during the inspection were broadly average in Year 6 and in Year 8. The language and literacy skills of most pupils are average , as is their competence in mathematics. ICT skills, however, are below average

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Main strengths and weaknesses

? In the 2003 national tests taken at the end of Year 6, the achievement of pupils at Parkside was unsatisfactory. ? Standards are now average and most pupils achieve satisfactorily in all years. ? The school does not identify its gifted and talented pupils and many do not achieve as highly as they are capable. ? Pupils achieve well in art and design, design technology, history and music. ? Achievement is unsatisfactory overall in French, geography and religious education.

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Results in National Tests 2003

Students join the school with standards of attainment that are average and by the time they leave in Year 8 their standards are still average.

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Results in National Tests 2003

1. Results were below average overall. They were average in English but below average in mathematics and science. The proportion of pupils gaining the higher levels (5 and above) was average in English and below average in mathematics and science. There was little difference in the test results of boys and girls. The school does not monitor the results of the few pupils from different ethnic minority backgrounds.

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Results in National Tests 2003

2. The improvement in the school’s results over time is broadly similar to that seen nationally. However, results in English and science rose in 2003 but in mathematics they stayed the same.

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Results in National Tests 2003

3. Most pupils did not make fast enough progress overall in relation to their prior attainment and overall achievement was unsatisfactory. The achievement of pupils in English was satisfactory but in mathematics it was unsatisfactory and in science achievement was poor. When compared with pupils in schools with similar attainment at the end of Year 2 in 2003, the achievement of pupils at Parkside was unsatisfactory.

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Results in National Tests 2003

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

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Results in National Tests 2003

Standards in: School results National results English 26.6 (25.7) 27 (26.6) Mathematics 24.6 (24.9) 27 (26.5) Science 27. (26.7) 28.8 (28.2) There were 148 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 10

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Standards seen during the inspection

4. Work seen during the inspection was much better than that indicated in last year’s test results. This reflects the big impact that some new members of staff have made, particularly the new heads of English and mathematics. In these two subjects, and in science, greatly improved teamwork, a more careful approach to planning and a clear expectation of what is now expected of pupils has resulted in an improvement in standards. However, serious weaknesses in the senior management of the school, particularly its failure to carefully monitor the quality of teaching and learning and to ensure that school policies are consistently applied means that standards have not risen fast enough.

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Standards seen during the inspection

5. Overall, standards are average and most pupils achieve satisfactorily in all years. There is little difference in achievement between boys and girls or pupils from different ethnic backgrounds. Pupils with special educational needs achieve as well as others. However, the school does not identify its pupils who have a particular gift or talent and too many subjects do not plan well enough to meet the needs of these high attaining pupils. Consequently, many of these gifted and talented pupils do not achieve as highly as they should.

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Standards seen during the inspection

6. In Years 5 and 6, standards are average overall and most pupils are achieving satisfactorily. Standards are above average in science where improved planning for progression through the two years of Key Stage 2 is now starting to have a big effect. In ICT, however, a shortage of computers and reluctance amongst many teachers to make use of ICT in their lessons means that standards are well below average. In all other subjects, standards are average. Good teaching and learning in science and design technology ensures that pupils in these two subjects achieve well. In all other subjects pupils achieve satisfactorily.

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Standards seen during the inspection

7. Standards in Years 7 and 8 are a little higher, but still are average overall. Pupils continue to achieve satisfactorily. In geography and religious education, weaknesses in teaching (weak class management and weak subject knowledge respectively) are holding back standards. In French, pupils are underachieving because of the legacy of interrupted teaching and learning in the recent past. The new head of department is working tirelessly, however to redress this, and standards are improving.

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Standards seen during the inspection

8. Achievement in Years 7 and 8 is good in art and design, ICT, design and technology, history, music and physical education because these subjects are well led and teaching and learning are good. Pupils underachieve, however in geography, French, and religious education because of (with the exception of French), weaknesses in the management of the subject.

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Standards seen during the inspection

9. The school has made good progress at implementing the Key Stage 3 National Strategy 2 in English and mathematics. Teachers in these two subjects, under the leadership of the two new heads of department, have fully embraced the methods of starting each lesson with a “snappy”, thought-provoking introduction, developing the main theme of the lesson, and then ensuring that all pupils have understood, in a conclusion to the lesson. This is one big reason why standards are improving in these two subjects.

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Standards seen during the inspection

10. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. Many of the pupils identified as having special educational needs experience difficulty with literacy skills, several have behavioural problems and a small minority have specific learning difficulties. These pupils inevitably perform below the level of others in their year group. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. Many pupils are making progress commensurate with their level of ability although progress is noticeably better when pupils are supported in class by class room assistants.

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Standards seen during the inspection

2 A national initiative designed to improve the quality of teaching and learning in Years 7 to 9. Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 11

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Attendance rates have been sustained and are satisfactory . Pupil’s attitudes and behaviour are satisfactory . Other aspects of their personal development are, on balance satisfactory . There is good provision for social and moral development and provision for cultural development is satisfactory . Provision for spiritual development is unsatisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

? When teaching is stimulating pupils apply themselves very well and enjoy their lessons. ? Pupils in Year 5 have especially good attitudes. ? When teaching is unsatisfactory pupils’ attitudes and standards of behaviour decline. ? Extra-curricular activities and a good range of visits promote pupils’ social development. ? Pupils respond very well to opportunities for taking responsibility. ? A significant number of pupils and parents are concerned about bullying.

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Commentary

11. Attendance rates are satisfactory. Procedures for monitoring attendance are adequate. Pupils with significant attendance problems are identified and there is a good working partnership with the Education Welfare Service. Parents are very conscientious about sending their children to school and contact the school very promptly if their child is absent. There are indications that the previous year’s attendance figures might not be accurate due to “gremlins” in the computer system. However the school does not appear to have printed out all its registers last year and records of attendance barely meet statutory requirements.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year, 2002 (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 6.2 School data 0.2 National data 6.1 National data 0.3 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Commentary

12. Most pupils enjoy coming to school. There is very good involvement in after-school clubs including musical and sports activities. Pupils have good attitudes in lessons where teaching is good. Year 5 pupils generally have very good attitudes and behaviour. Lively interesting well-organised teaching results in very enthusiastic and hard-working pupils. However in lessons where teaching is disorganised or does not provide pupils with tasks that are well matched to their capabilities, pupils are noisy and do not apply themselves well. This impedes their own work and that of others. Many teachers have developed their own skills and strategies for behaviour management but a minority of teachers find it difficult to manage pupils’ behaviour. The behaviour policy is said to be assertive discipline but does not provide teachers with effective support for dealing with unsatisfactory behaviour. The policy is applied

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Commentary

unevenly and although there are suggestions for rewards and sanctions these do not form a sharply defined hierarchy that might have a discernable effect on behaviour. This is a serious weakness in the school’s senior management.

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Commentary

13. Behaviour is good during formal occasions such as assemblies and there is a civilised atmosphere in the dining hall. Behaviour on the playground is boisterous. Many pupils are very physical and rush around. There is very limited provision for quieter pupils during breaks and lunchtimes. A significant number of parents and pupils expressed concerns about bullying. Although individual teachers often try hard to improve situations the school has not yet fully resolved bullying as a whole school issue. Although pupils from a variety of Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 12 backgrounds generally mix well, the school does not have a racist incident log and cannot monitor racist incidents effectively. The number of exclusions is acceptable.

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Commentary

14. Pupils with a special educational need generally behave well in lessons. They are most confident that they will succeed when they have support from classroom assistants or when subject staff are aware of their specific learning needs. Their attitude to work is generally enthusiastic and they have good relationships with other pupils and with their teachers.

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 495 21 1 White – Irish 1 White – any other White background 2 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 4 Mixed – White and Black African Mixed – White and Asian 3 Mixed – any other mixed background 9 Asian or Asian British – Indian 4 Black or Black British – Caribbean 1 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Exclusions

15. The pupils are developing a clear understanding of right and wrong through the good role models provided by the staff and discussion of issues in lessons. Pupils’ social development is supported by some very good opportunities for residential experiences. Involvement in extra-curricular activities such as sport has promoted both social and moral development. Pupils learn the importance of rules and fairness involved in good sportsmanship. The school council is taken seriously by the pupils and together with environmental and fundraising groups is giving pupils a good experience of the responsibilities of living in a community. Pupils respond well to opportunities for taking responsibility, they are keen to be an “8 mate” or a class helper. There is secure provision for cultural development especially in music where pupils have the opportunity to experience concerts and be involved in performances.

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Exclusions

The provision for spiritual education is relatively weak. It was glimpsed in a high quality religious education lesson but many religious education lessons are taught by non-specialists and have little spiritual dimension. Very few opportunities for enhancing spiritual awareness were seen in other areas.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education overall is satisfactory . Teaching and learning are satisfactory , although the use of assessment is unsatisfactory . The breadth of the school’s curriculum is unsatisfactory . The school’s provision for enrichment and extra curricular activities is good. The quality of accommodation and resources are satisfactory. Care and guidance are unsatisfactory as are links with parents. Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 13

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. The use of assessment is unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

? Some very good teaching and learning was seen in mathematics, English, science, ICT, design and technology, geography, history and music . ? Teaching and learning in nearly one in five lessons are very good or excellent but in just over one in ten lessons, they are unsatisfactory ? The monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning lacks rigour and is ineffective ? The schools’ use of assessment information to inform planning, set targets and so meet the needs of all pupils is unsatisfactory

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Commentary

16. It is a serious weakness of the school’s senior managers that they have failed to put in place rigorous procedures to check on the quality of teaching and to take effective action if teaching is found wanting.

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Commentary

17. The scrutiny of pupils’ work over this term showed teaching and learning to be satisfactory overall. In the lessons observed, however, within a picture of overall satisfactory teaching and learning, there is a polarized picture. Whilst teaching and learning in nearly one in five lessons are very good or excellent (a big improvement over the last inspection), in just over one in ten lessons, they are unsatisfactory (worse than at the last inspection). It is a serious weakness of the school’s senior managers that they have failed to put in place rigorous procedures to check on the quality of teaching and to take effective action if teaching is found wanting. The very good practice that exists across the school, especially in English, mathematics, science, design technology and history has not been exploited, celebrated and shared. It is for these reasons that standards have not risen as quickly as they should have.

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Commentary

18. Teaching and learning overall is good in art and design, ICT, design technology, history, music and physical education. In the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, which form the bulk of the school’s curriculum, teaching and learning are satisfactory, but are improving quickly under the influence of the new heads of department. Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory in geography, where weaknesses in classroom management holds back learning and in religious education, where the very large team of non-specialist teachers are not sufficiently managed. In all other subjects teaching and learning is satisfactory.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 76 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

1 (1.3%) 15 (19.8%) 25(32.9%) 27 (35.5%) 8 (10.5%) 0 (0%) 0(0%) The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgments about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Commentary

19. Some very good teaching and learning was seen in mathematics, English, science, ICT, design and technology, geography, history and music. These successful lessons are characterised by:

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Commentary

? Good planning by teachers, who are in complete command of their subject captures pupils’ attention and fires them up to learn. Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 14 ? Very effective use is made of the National Key Stage 3 Strategy in English, mathematics and to a lesser extent in science, to provide greater structure for pupils’ learning and hence encourage them to think more deeply. ? The very best lessons are conducted at brisk pace, so that pupils move from task to task with no wasted time and so are motivated to work flat-out. ? Some teachers, especially in mathematics, ICT and design technology, are using imaginative and innovative methods to encourage pupils to learn. Pair work, group work and role-play are all very effectively used in these very good lessons to encourage pupils to collaborate and learn from each other.

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Commentary

20. Unfortunately, such effective teaching is not fully exploited, celebrated and disseminated to other teachers by the school’s senior managers. The absence of a truly systematic and rigorous approach to the monitoring of teaching and learning across the school means that there are substantial pockets of unsatisfactory teaching which are preventing standards from rising further. Unsatisfactory teaching and learning were seen in mathematics, English, science, geography, physical education and religious education.

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Commentary

21. A common feature of the less than successful lessons is that teachers do not spell out clearly enough at the beginning of a lesson what pupils are expected to learn. Teachers do not then take care to ensure, at intervals in the lesson, that all groups of pupils are learning enough. As a result, in some lessons, higher attaining pupils and those with a gift or talent do not make the progress of which they are capable. This is compounded by lessons that are slow to start, move on at a dreary pace and in which teachers are unsure of their subject. Often very low level tasks are set for all pupils in the class, irrespective of their prior attainment, sometimes with very little explanation from the teachers as to what pupils should do. Many pupils then become confused, frustrated, lose concentration and indulge in noisy and disruptive behaviour, which the teacher finds difficult to manage.

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Commentary

22. Another weak aspect of teaching is the marking of pupils’ work. Although this is carried out with meticulous care by some teachers (especially in English), too often it is superficial and irregular. Marking is not used consistently to help pupils understand where they went wrong and so improve further work. Too often teachers do not follow up incomplete or inaccurate work.

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Commentary

23. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory across all subjects but is noticeably better where support by classroom assistants is provided in lessons. Although most staff are aware of these pupils’ specific learning needs, inadequate use is made of pupils’ individual education plans to inform planning and ensure pupils’ achievement. Targets are very general. Good class teaching involving an appropriate range of teaching strategies and resources is compensating for this to a certain extent. In too many lessons where there were several pupils with special educational needs there were no classroom assistants provided.

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Commentary

24. The quality of assessment of pupils’ work is broadly satisfactory, but its use to inform planning, set targets and so meet the needs of all pupils is unsatisfactory. There are too many interpretations of the school policy on assessment. Some teachers make use of computers, but because of limitations in the network a full use of this power is limited. The Year 5 team of teachers works very closely with the Year 4 team at the first school and makes good use of data to plan appropriate teaching when pupils enter Parkside. However, rather than using this information as a base on which the progress of pupils in Years 5 and 6 can be tracked too many teachers and managers use it to excuse the modest performance of pupils in their first two years at Parkside. Teachers are not systematically using assessment information to set realistic targets for pupils (this was a key issue at the last inspection). The progress of pupils

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Commentary

is not systematically monitored with regard to their progress through the National Curriculum and the school does not have a robust procedure in place to measure the extent of individual pupils’ achievement. Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 15

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The curriculum

The breadth of the school’s curriculum is unsatisfactory . The school’s provision for enrichment and extra curricular activities is good. The quality of accommodation and resources satisfactory

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Main strengths and weaknesses

? The curriculum does not the meet statutory requirement for all subjects across the curriculum to contribute to pupils’ ICT skills. ? There is good curriculum enrichment through a range of extra–curricular activities and visits. ? The design technology curriculum is very good and covers the full spectrum of materials. ? There is good provision for personal, social and health education.

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Commentary

25. All National Curriculum subjects and religious education are taught and all pupils have equality of access to all curriculum areas. The quality and range of learning opportunities across the school are satisfactory with the exception of ICT. There is very limited access to computers by subject areas within their timetable time and planning for the use of computers in subject areas is unsatisfactory in most subject areas.

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Commentary

26. The curriculum is well planned in most curriculum areas to provide progression from Years 5 to 8. There is an appropriate balance of time between most subjects. Although pupils benefit from specialist teaching in most subject areas there are occasions where this is not the case and progress is restricted. Curriculum planning and timetabling does not always ensure that the school is taking appropriate advantage of its specialist staff. Meetings between the senior management team and heads of department to discuss curriculum development are infrequent and fail to focus on teaching and learning.

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Commentary

27. There is satisfactory provision for pupils with special educational needs and all pupils are receiving their curriculum entitlement. Insufficient support is provided through progress units for those pupils who have failed to reach the appropriate level at the end of Year 6. Good support is provided in lessons for those Year 5 and 6 for pupils whose literacy skills are preventing them from making appropriate progress.

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Commentary

28. The provision for personal and social and health education is good and it is well organized. A comprehensive programme exists, which includes sex and relationships education, drugs and alcohol awareness and citizenship. The programme is taught by both specialist visitors to the school and class teachers who have all received appropriate training.

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Commentary

29. Opportunities for enrichment are good and are a strength of the school. There is an extensive programme of extra-curricular activities, including sport, dance, music and ICT which are very well attended by pupils from all year groups. There are also a good variety of educational visits including residential opportunities and foreign trips. 30. Accommodation and resources to meet the needs of the curriculum are satisfactory. However there are several areas where good accommodation and appropriate resources are having a positive impact on the curriculum. History teaching is enhanced by a stimulating classroom and good textbook resources which interest pupils and widen their understanding of history. Similarly in design and technology specialist rooms and a wide range of technical resources such as machinery and cookers ensure pupils get a good opportunity to design and make products. Art and design’s very good specialist accommodation, together with a challenging

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Commentary

range of resources make a good impact on pupils’ creativity and achievement. Areas such as science have problems with hazardous flooring and disorganised preparation areas which are having a negative impact on the efficiency of departmental organisation. Disabled access is limited because of the many stairs across the spread-out campus. Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 16 31. Overall the staffing of the school meets the curriculum requirements satisfactorily. ICT, history, mathematics and French have a good match of teachers to curriculum needs, but the religious education team of twelve non-specialist teachers is ineffectively managed. There is a good induction programme in place for new teachers. The continuing professional development of staff is matched satisfactorily to the school improvement programme. Not all of the English teachers have undergone the Key Stage 3 National Strategy training and non-

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Commentary

specialist teachers do not always receive the quality of stability and professional guidance such as that provided in history. There is no technical support in design and technology and science and the library is often dependent upon a member of the office staff to manage it.

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Care, guidance and support

The school generally provides a safe environment but procedures for health and safety need improvement . Although induction procedures are good , access to well informed support advice and guidance is unsatisfactory . The school has satisfactory procedures to seek pupils’ views.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

? Induction procedures are good. ? The pastoral system is not used effectively to rigorously monitor pupils’ achievement or to identify underachievement. ? The school council provides a valuable forum where pupils can express their views. ? Procedures for health and safety need improvement.

p.16

Commentary

32. Management and organisation of the pastoral system is weak and the system is not directly focused on raising levels of achievement. Statutory requirements for health and safety are not fully met. Pupils are generally appropriately supervised during the school day. Procedures for child protection and for supporting children who are looked after by the local authority are satisfactory. Pupils needing first aid are looked after well but more effective monitoring of first aid records would identify areas where risks occur. Although accommodation is generally safe and secure and individual departments such as design technology have a high regard for health and safety statutory requirements for health and safety are not fully met. Whole school risk assessment has not yet been properly formalised and the schools policies and procedures for school visits do not meet national or local education authority requirements.

p.16

Commentary

33. Good induction procedures are facilitated by the close links the school has with its two main feeder schools. First school pupils have a good number of opportunities to visit the middle school including an enjoyable full day’s visit. Good induction helps to allay pupils’ fears and helps them settle quickly. Pupils and parents were very satisfied with the induction procedures.

p.16

Commentary

34. Management and organisation of the pastoral system is weak and the system is not directly focused on raising levels of achievement. There are inconsistencies in the quality of year heads. Year heads do very little monitoring and evaluating and class teachers are the main focus of pastoral care. Class teachers know pupils well and most pupils would turn to their class teacher for support. Class teachers often record cases of bullying or personal distress well. Parents report that bullying is sometimes dealt with well but at other times it is unresolved. Bullying is a significant worry for parents. Lack of effective management and rigorous monitoring of behaviour, including bullying, results in unhappiness and underachievement for some pupils.

p.16

Commentary

35. The monitoring of academic achievement is unsatisfactory. The absence of an effective system that rigorously monitors pupils’ achievement across the full range of subjects results in underachievement not being properly acknowledged. Gifted and talented pupils are not identified and supported. There is some good support for pupils in discrete subject area such as design technology. However, parents report that some subject teachers are not willing to Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 17 go over work if children do not understand the first time. Pupils and parents do not have the automatic opportunity to meet subject teachers to discuss progress. Pupils themselves are often unsure of their level of attainment in a subject area and will have to make decisions about GCSE options in the high school without an adequate history of their achievement.

p.16

Commentary

36. Arrangements for assessing, recording and reporting the progress of pupils with special educational needs are sound and meet statutory requirements. Procedures for identifying pupils are in place and the special educational needs co-ordinator monitors the progress of all pupils to ensure that appropriate progress is being made. However, the progress of pupils with a special educational need is sometimes held back because there are no regular, established links between the special needs department and other departments across the school. Departments have not identified a member of staff to be responsible for special needs. There are no regular meetings to discuss progress or exchange ideas and good practice. When support staff are in lessons they assess progress and liaise with subject staff to provide relevant information to inform curriculum planning. All give good support to pupils and are a critical factor in the progress that is made by these pupils.

p.17

Commentary

37. The school council provides a very useful forum where pupils freely express their views. The school is starting to take these views into account. Senior management meet with pupils but these meetings focus on pupils’ understanding of school procedures and there is a missed opportunity to canvas pupils’ views about more important school issues. Pupils are understandably dissatisfied with the quality of the food provided at lunch-times but action has not been taken.

p.17

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Links with the community are good and support achievement. There are good links with other local schools. The school’s links with parents are not effective enough.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

? The school has good links with first schools and the receiving high school, which ease transition. ? The school has good links with the local community, which are used to promote achievement. ? The majority of parents is very supportive of their children’s education and wish to encourage good achievement. ? Reports and parents nights do not give parents enough information about attainment and progress and what their children need to do to improve further.

p.17

Commentary

38. The vast majority of parents are very supportive of their children’s education and there is only a very small number of less supportive parents. Parents ensure that their children attend regularly and are accommodating of homework and disciplinary matters. Attendance at parent's evenings and school events is very high. Home-school dairies are used well for communication between parents and class teachers, especially in Year 5. There is a very active parents’ association which raises substantial sums of money for the school. The school has sought parent’s views but has not rigorously evaluated the results or used them to institute improvements. The school’s complaints procedures are adequate. Class teachers respond to most parents concerns but parents feel that there could be improvement in communication with more senior members of staff.

p.17

Commentary

39. A significant number of parents were concerned about the school’s partnership with parents. They were especially disappointed with the information that they receive concerning their children’s progress. Parents receive a good range of information about the work of the school. Parents do not automatically meet subject teachers on parents’ night but receive information through the class teacher. The class teacher bases that feedback on the children’s annual Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 18 report that has already been supplied to the parent. The annual reports themselves are unsatisfactory, as they do not give a clear enough indication of a pupil’s level of attainment or achievement. Written comments are often extremely brief and do not provide targets or strategies for improvement.

p.17

Commentary

40. Partnership with the local community helps strengthen governance, decision-making and pupil’s pupils’ learning. There are good links with a wide variety of sporting clubs and this these helps to promote good achievement in physical education. Pupils in Year 5 visit churches representing a good range of denominations. Links with the local Methodist church are particularly strong. Members of the congregation volunteer to help in school and provide valuable help by listening to readers and supporting in lessons. They also make a significant contribution to social education by giving pupils the opportunity to develop a better understanding of older members of the community.

p.18

Commentary

41. The transfer of information from partner schools is efficient and timely. The school works well with partner schools to ensure smooth transition and to promote good induction arrangement. There has been a recent involvement in a local education authority project that has encouraged more effective liaison. There are now regular key stage and pyramid meetings and a better understanding has developed between schools. Links have helped to develop the curriculum and to prevent overlap in subjects such as history.

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The governance of the school is unsatisfactory . The leadership of the headteacher and that of other key staff is unsatisfactory. The school is ineffectively managed. A lack of rigour by senior managers in the monitoring and evaluation of the work of the school is allowing too much unsatisfactory teaching and learning and is holding back standards.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

? Governors do not hold the school sufficiently to account. ? Leadership at the top is having little effect on bringing about improvements. ? School policies are not always applied consistently. ? The application of monitoring systems lacks rigour and decisiveness .

p.18

Commentary

42. Governors are supportive and loyal to the school and are aware of key development priorities. They understand the importance of focusing on improving literacy and numeracy in the drive to raise standards. Whilst they are prepared to challenge senior managers, the level of challenge lacks rigour and they do not hold the school to account enough, for example in dealing with unsatisfactory teaching. They tend to react to situations rather than to initiate change. They have, however, been concerned to see an improvement in the buildings and site, and have been involved in the proposals for a new school. The school fails to meet statutory responsibilities to:

p.18

Commentary

? Ensuring that ICT is used consistently across the curriculum, ? Carrying out certain health and safety risk assessments.

p.18

Commentary

As a result of this, the work of the governing body is unsatisfactory.

p.18

Commentary

43. The headteacher is totally committed to the school and retains the loyalty and support of staff, parents and pupils. He is visible around the school takes a great personal interest in individual pupils and in the welfare of his staff. However, he not been able to articulate a clear enough vision or overall direction for the school which has at its heart the imperative need to drive up standards. For this reason, leadership at the top is having little effect on bringing Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 19 about improvements. There has prevailed under his leadership an ethos which tends to look outside the school for reasons for pupils’ under-performance.

p.18

Commentary

44. This lack of a real sense of urgency in the drive to push up standards is shared by many of the school’s leadership team. However, their capacity to move the school on has been greatly enhanced by the addition of the two new heads of department for English and mathematics. However, these two individuals have very big roles in leading and managing these two large departments and their workload is onerous.

p.19

Commentary

45. The management of the school is unsatisfactory because school policies are not always applied. consistently. Teachers have different expectations of what constitutes acceptable standards of behaviour and pupils’ approaches to their work. Whilst attention is given to teaching, learning and standards, the application of monitoring systems lacks rigour and decisiveness. Although performance management is in place and meets requirements, outside of this system there is not enough monitoring and support of teaching. The amount of monitoring varies considerably between subjects and there are significant differences in the way middle managers carry this out. This is one big reason why there is too much unsatisfactory teaching and learning and thus why standards are not higher. The school’s development plan is a very weak instrument for securing school improvement. It has far too many aims, they that are not prioritised; it is muddled as to how it will raise standards and

p.19

Commentary

lacks a clear approach to improving standards.

p.19

Commentary

46. The school has a weak understanding of the principles of best value. Financial planning is unrelated to development planning and therefore managers are unable to evaluate the effectiveness of their spending decisions. The school’s high unit costs and the overall satisfactory achievement of its pupils mean that it gives unsatisfactory value for money. The school does not have any financial contingency to deal with any unforeseen circumstances in the next financial year.

p.19

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.19

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1340516 Balance from previous year nil Total expenditure 1340516 Balance carried forward to the next nil Expenditure per pupil 2582

p.19

Financial information

47. Management of special educational needs is satisfactory. The special educational needs co- ordinator meets with classroom assistants and this is a useful forum for exchanging ideas and discussing progress and week to week organization. However there are very few formal meetings to discuss strategic planning and improvement and development planning lacks the necessary detail. Support staff has a clear understanding of its responsibilities. Annual reviews of pupils with a statement of special educational needs successfully checks progress and set appropriate new targets. Procedures for monitoring the progress of other pupils with special educational needs is not so rigorous and links with departments are generally underdeveloped. Individual education plans are not being used effectively across the school to set appropriate targets in specific subjects and pupils are not appropriately involved in

p.19

Financial information

setting these targets. Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 20

p.19

English

Standards are average in Years 6 and 8 and achievement overall is satisfactory . Teaching and learning are satisfactory in all years. Leadership is good and management satisfactory . There has been good improvement since the last inspection.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

? Strong leadership with a clear vision to improve is leading to improved standards. ? There is a particularly effective teaching team in Year 5. ? Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent. ? Computers are not used regularly enough to support learning.

p.20

Test results

48. In the 2003 National Tests, taken at the end of Year 6, pupils’ results were average, both compared with all schools nationally and with similar schools. Pupils did better in these tests than they did in mathematics and science. Girls performed better than boys, and the gap between them was broadly similar to the national picture . This group of pupils achieved satisfactorily. The results in 2003 were better than those of 2002.

p.20

Standards and achievement

49. When pupils enter the school, their standards are broadly average. By the end of Year 6, in work seen, pupils’ reading and writing are average. The majority can write straightforward sentences accurately, using largely correct spelling and punctuation at the ends of sentences. They understand how writers develop themes and characters and can themselves write from different viewpoints. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are a little above average. Most can express their ideas clearly and confidently using appropriate vocabulary. In Years 7 and 8, pupils develop the skills of literary analysis and are introduced to a good range of literature, including Dickens, Shakespeare, and writing from other cultures. They also explore moral and ethical issues in their writing – such as whether or not zoos should exist. They continue to develop confidence in speaking and listening for a variety of purposes. Pupils achieve

p.20

Standards and achievement

satisfactorily in all years and there is little difference in achievement between boys and girls or pupils from different ethnic backgrounds. Pupils with special educational needs achieve as well as others in the subject. When support assistants are present in lessons they do a good job in helping pupils with learning needs to understand the work.

p.20

Teaching and learning

50. Pupils’ learning is satisfactory across the school. Teaching in Years 5 and 6 is satisfactory overall. Literacy is particularly well taught in Year 5, with teachers using recommended strategies to plan interesting and challenging lessons. They know their subject well, and explain points clearly. They also actively involve pupils in lessons, such as through using role play. In Years 7 and 8, teaching, too, is satisfactory with similar features enabling pupils to learn about both language and literature. A common feature of less successful lessons is Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 21 learning objectives that are too generalised. They do not spell out clearly enough what pupils should be achieving in the lesson, and this results in some pupils not being challenged sufficiently. Some lessons, too, are rather leisurely. In these, more could be achieved if they were conducted in a brisker and more purposeful fashion. Computers are insufficiently used,

p.20

Teaching and learning

either for research or in the production of written work. There are some examples of very helpful marking, with teachers writing clear and sometimes detailed comments and targets. Assessment is not, however, consistently good, and some work is lightly or too generally marked. Pupils have generally positive attitudes to the subject and these, together with the strengths and weaknesses in teaching, result in pupils achieving satisfactorily over time.

p.21

Leadership and management

51. The head of the department has not been long in post. She has a clear vision for developing the subject, and some recent changes are starting to contribute to rising standards. Management is currently satisfactory. Performance data is starting to be used to track how well pupils do, and the head of department identifies pupils for intensive teaching. She also works alongside colleagues with the aim of raising standards of teaching and learning. Progress since the last inspection has been good, with particular attention being given to developing schemes of work and lesson plans in line with the government strategy for raising standards in literacy. Leadership and management are now much more effective.

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

52 Pupils’ literacy skills are average across subjects by the end of Year 6. Most teachers in Years 5 and 6 largely use the recommended methods of the national strategy for literacy. They stress technical language, such as appropriate mathematical or geographical vocabulary and remind pupils of correct spelling. Some departments adopt particularly effective practice, such as the history department, which has been piloting a local authority literacy project to good effect. These teachers use writing frames to help pupils structure their work, and they are encouraged to write imaginatively as well as factually. The art and design department gets pupils to write and talk about images in ways which help pupils to become more confident in discussion.

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

53. Pupils’ literacy skills are also broadly average by the end of Year 8. The school is at an early stage of using the government initiative known as the Key Stage 3 Strategy in Years 7 and 8. It has a literacy policy, but this has not yet made a consistent impact. Some subjects are making useful contributions by, for example, displaying key words in classrooms, but other departments, such as physical education, are not yet tackling the issue.

p.21

French

Overall, the quality of provision in French is satisfactory

p.21

French

Standards are below average in Years 6 and 8 . Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Leadership is good and management satisfactory. There has been satisfactory progress since the previous inspection.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

? The teachers are competent in French and use the language consistently in their teaching so that the pupils develop good accents and intonation. ? Good leadership of the department, recently in place, has rapidly established effective systems to raise standards and achievement. ? The pupils’ standards and achievement are currently not high enough, particularly in Year 8. ? Assessment is not used effectively to help plan how the subject should be taught, nor to help the pupils to understand what they need to do to improve the quality of their work Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 22

p.21

Standards and achievement

54. Standards are below average by the end of Year 8, which represents unsatisfactory achievement. . A significant contributory factor is that the majority of the present Year 8 pupils were taught French by a succession of supply teachers in the previous year which has severely disrupted the continuity of their learning resulting in unsatisfactory achievement over time.

p.22

Standards and achievement

55. In Year 8, the pupils’ listening, speaking and reading skills are currently below average, but are improving because of explicit planning for this to happen, and the satisfactory teaching and sound progress seen during the inspection. Most pupils speak and write satisfactorily in simple French, and a few use the language spontaneously in the classroom. There are good examples of more extended writing amongst some higher attainers, both boys and girls, and of the accurate use of the perfect tense. The subject makes a satisfactory contribution to the development of the pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills, but opportunities for the pupils to use computers are rare, and so their information and communication technology skills in writing and accessing information in French are undeveloped.

p.22

Teaching and learning

56. Teaching and learning in French in Years 7 and 8 are satisfactory, building on the sound foundations of a lively introductory course in Year 6. The teachers speak French competently, and use the language consistently in their teaching so that many pupils develop good accents and intonation. The pupils behave well and have good attitudes to speaking French which helps their learning. The teachers plan their lessons carefully and encourage the pupils to move quite rapidly from learning new language to using it effectively. Sometimes the pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to practise using the new language, such as through a planned succession of brisk games and other stimulating activities; as a result, they tend to lack confidence when they are required to use the language independently.

p.22

Teaching and learning

57. Pupils with special educational needs are given encouragement and sensitive support, but planning for their individual needs is not always well developed. Accurate spelling and writing is well fostered, and the pupils write carefully. There were some good examples of extended writing, and of the use of the perfect tense amongst the higher attainers, both boys and girls. Homework is well used to consolidate and extend the work done in the lesson. The marking of written work is conscientious, although the teachers do not always use constructive comments to help the pupils to understand what they need to do to improve the quality of their work.

p.22

Leadership and management

58. Leadership of the department is good; management is satisfactory. Criticisms made in the previous inspection report remained unresolved until the recent appointment of a new head of department who has taken rapid action to apply them successfully. Strong leadership now gives clear strategic direction, and a range of good departmental policies and schemes of work are beginning to provide a systematic approach to the management of the department. Effective systems have been put in place to assess the pupils’ progress, but assessment data are not yet fully used to help plan the curriculum, nor to inform teaching methods. Progress since the last inspection has been very slow, but has accelerated recently, and is now satisfactory overall.

p.22

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 23 Standards are average in both Years 6 and 8. Achievement is satisfactory overall as is the quality of teaching and learning. Leadership is good and management satisfactory . There has been satisfactory progress since the previous inspection.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

? Strong, clear sighted leadership is fostering improved teaching, learning and attainment. ? The development of written and mental strategies for calculation is good. ? The matching work to the different need of pupils in the group does not have a strong emphasis within all lessons. ? Marking is not used consistently to help pupils improve. ? Insufficient use is made of ICT to support learning.

p.23

Test results

59. Attainment in the national tests in 2003 was below average when compared with all schools and similar schools. Achievement at this stage was poor. Pupils’ test results were broadly the same as for science, but lower than in English. When this cohort entered school in Year 5 there were significant problems with the management of the subject, which was beyond the control of the school. Since then a recently appointed subject leader has made a considerable improvement to procedures for planning and for supporting teaching. This has led to improving standards of attainment throughout the school. Teachers are now clear about what to teach and at what level and share their expertise.

p.23

Standards and achievement

60. Pupils generally enter school with average attainment. After a major dip in attainment in national test results since the previous inspection attainment is now broadly at the level expected in Years 5, 6 and 8. Achievement is therefore judged satisfactory in all years and there is little difference in achievement between boys and girls or pupils from different ethnic backgrounds. Pupils with special educational needs achieve as well as others in the subject. Pupils achieve well in their development of mental and written strategies for calculation. This is a major improvement since the previous inspection and due directly to teachers’ subject expertise, the impact of the subject manager and the use of the most recent national guidance. Pupils apply their skills effectively solving problems. Standards in shape, space, data handling are satisfactory, although there are frequently inaccuracies in drawing.

p.23

Teaching and learning

61. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. They are very good in about a third of lessons. Teaching is better in Years 5 and 6 as there is a small proportion of unsatisfactory teaching in Year 8. A weekly team meeting to plan lessons is a key factor in improving attainment and achievement. A sharply focused mental skills activity is used effectively at the beginning of each lesson to develop strategies, pupils’ confidence, speaking and listening skills, reinforce learning and assess understanding. Careful questioning means that all pupils, including those with special educational needs, are able to participate. The main sections of lessons are usually balanced between teaching and independent reinforcement tasks. Teachers’ know their subject well and use to ensure that each small step of learning that leads to a clear understanding of concepts is covered. Presentation is clear and provides pupils with a good

p.23

Teaching and learning

example of how to present their work. Procedures for assessing and recording attainment are good, but marking is not used consistently to help pupils improve or decide on further work. Comments are not always followed up. The weaker area of teaching is the lack of provision of independent tasks that are closely matched to individual need. Where teaching is unsatisfactory behaviour is not managed well enough and expectations of work to be completed are too low. Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 24

p.23

Leadership and management

62. The subject leader has a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the subject, and a suitable programme for development. Targets have been correctly prioritised and are leading to improved provision and attainment. There is regular planned checking of teaching and pupils’ work focused on specific areas of need that is being used to improve provision. External advice and support are used well. All key areas for development that are identified in the audit of provision have not been fully implemented yet therefore management, at this stage, is judged satisfactory. Although legal requirements are met, insufficient use is made of ICT as this has been restricted by lack of access to a computer suite. Future provision is clearly planned for and built into subject guidance. Despite a period where national test results were clearly unsatisfactory, due to very recent improvements satisfactory progress has

p.24

Leadership and management

been made since the previous inspection.

p.24

Mathematics across the curriculum

63. Pupils have standards of numeracy that are sufficient to support learning in other subjects. These skills are used well in design and technology and there are many examples of reinforcement of mathematical skills in art and design. In other subjects the use of numeracy is satisfactory. The subject leader for mathematics has produced some useful guidance for teachers in other subjects, but links between subjects, and the planned use of numeracy in other subjects or development of skills through other subjects is in the early stages of development.

p.24

SCIENCE

The provision for science is satisfactory .

p.24

SCIENCE

Standards are above average in Year 6 and average in Year 8. Pupils’ achievement is good in Year 6 and satisfactory in Year 8, which reflects teaching and learning which is good in Year 6 and satisfactory in Year 8. Leadership and management are satisfactory and there has been satisfactory progress since the last inspection.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

? The vibrant, challenging and inclusive teaching and learning in Years 5 and 6 is leading to improved standards. ? The very good attitudes shown by all pupils in both key stages fosters learning. ? The monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning in order to make improvement, sharing good practice lacks consistency. ? Assessment is not always reviewed or shared with pupils and parents.

p.24

Test and examination results

64. In the national tests, taken at the end of Year 6 pupils’ results were well below average compared with all schools nationally and with similar schools Girls performed better than boys but girls still underachieved, which is unsatisfactory.

p.24

Standards and achievement

65. Pupils enter the school with broadly average standards. In work seen, by the end of Year 6 standards in science are above average; this represents good achievement for pupils. In year 8 standards of work seen are satisfactory. Teachers in Year 5 work closely with their first schools, ensuring that work is planned taking account of first school achievement. In all years, Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 25 pupils use correct scientific language in their written and oral work. Pupils are always ready to put forward ideas and pupils compete to answer questions. The big differences between work seen and test results in Year 6, are gained by:

p.24

Standards and achievement

? Course and lesson planning being improved by team work ? A very good sharing of lesson objectives, so pupils know clearly what has to be done, and thus have their confidence lifted; and they rise to attain at higher levels. ? A fast pace is set but assessment is used well to stay on course.

p.25

Standards and achievement

66. Difference between the Year groups is accounted for by the higher quality of teaching with the good teaching producing better levels of achievement. A new course has improved work in Years 7 and 8 but work is not always planned to allow access to highest levels. Pupils enjoy their work, and there is very little difference in boys and girls work. Achievement is higher in Year 6 than it is in Year 8 because of a higher degree of challenge, the pace of lessons is better and short-term assessment ensures that all pupils work to their full capability. All pupils learn how to solve problems by scientific investigation.

p.25

Teaching and learning

67. Pupils’ learning is satisfactory overall, with learning in Year 6 being good; this is produced in response to good teaching. Teaching and learning are satisfactory in Year 8. A small amount of teaching in Year 6 is very good, encouraging a very good response from pupils, but a similar proportion is unsatisfactory, preventing a satisfactory response from pupils. Teachers have used the Key Stage 3 National Strategy and have developed a consistent pattern of lessons. Throughout science teaching and learning there is a very good contribution to pupils’ development of literacy. Progress is improved by the use of some very good, helpful, printed materials for pupils with special educational needs this ensures that they progress well within their class. Correct measures of quantity are used, and pupils are taught to read scales of a variety of instruments, including some simple measurements using a digital microscope, but

p.25

Teaching and learning

there is little use of graphs, apart from a good example where pupils use a data logger to compare the melting points of pure and impure substances and drawing comparison graphs with a computer, but only the higher attaining pupils interpret their findings.

p.25

Leadership and management

68. Leadership is satisfactory, and is further developed by staff of Years 5 and 6 who show a well- developed sense of purpose. Progress since the last inspection is satisfactory.

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Standards are below average in both Years 6 and 8. This represents good achievement. Teaching and learning are good in all years. Leadership is good and management satisfactory . Progress since the previous inspection has been satisfactory .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

? Achievement is good because of the good leadership of a new manager and support from the head teacher. ? Good development work with an external consultant has improved the discrete ICT teaching, but a lack of knowledge of pupils’ prior learning constrains planning. ? Standards of capability in use of computers across subjects are below average because of the very limited numbers of computers and limited confidence of many staff. ? The introduction of exciting multimedia work in Years 5 and 6 inspires and captivates pupils’ interest. Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 26 ? The use of a new computer suite (opened in October 2003) is targeted at subjects across the curriculum.

p.25

Standards and achievement

69. Standards in ICT are below average at the end of Year 6 and Year 8. This represents good achievement given pupils’ very low standards when they join the school. One reason for this good achievement is pupils have a consistent weekly specialist use of computers. Improved planning helped by an external consultant plus the head teacher’s support for training of the new ICT co-ordinator is having a positive impact. Teaching and learning styles have been extended and pupils’ confidence in word processing, spreadsheets and databases have been raised. Lunch time and after school clubs for homework and practising skills, enhances achievement. Keyboard skills are part of pupils’ literacy development in Year 5 and multi- media work about topics such as ‘Myself’ inspires lively presentation and very good learning. In some Year 8 lessons use of prepared data lacks challenge and pupils expressed the wish

p.26

Standards and achievement

to collect their own data to bring a realistic touch to their spreadsheet activity. The poor design of the ICT room restricts opportunity to encourage independent learning and on occasions leads to immature behaviour from a minority of boys.

p.26

Teaching and learning

70. Teaching and learning are good, with some examples of very good learning in Years 5 and 7. Most pupils achieve well because teaching methods are imaginative and involve pupils in purposeful activities with lots of opportunities for demonstrating by using the interactive smart board and well-planned paired work to compare and contrast commercial presentation with their own skills. Other adults such as the technician and learning support assistants are well integrated into lessons and extend or support learning. A new and effective assessment system is ready for introduction and has a good foci on self- assessment.

p.26

Leadership and Management

71. Leadership of the department is good because the co-ordinator is a team player and is encouraging staff to take a more active interest in computers. There is a clear sense of direction and improvement through a check list of actions to be tackled, but the list does not illustrate strategic long-term planning. Management of discrete ICT is efficient and managed within the context of a rapidly developing subject but management of ICT across the curriculum is unsatisfactory. This is because there is a range of subjects that are not meeting their statutory requirement to use ICT as a tool for learning in their planning and teaching. There is no management time for the co-ordinator to address this issue or monitor pupils’ entitlement across the curriculum. Improvement from the previous inspection is satisfactory because all issues have been recently addressed.

p.26

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

72. Cross curricular ICT is unsatisfactory because despite positive moves by many departments such as history, design and technology, science and art and design, there are still areas of the curriculum that have not taken on their statutory responsibility to use ICT in their curriculum area. Mathematics has begun to plan for this, but the classroom use of computers is still unsatisfactory. English, music, French and physical education do not use ICT. This holds back learning in these subjects as opportunities are missed to practise ICT and subject skills. The recent government training scheme has had limited impact on many teachers’ skills and confidence. The poor ratio of computers in the school (7:1) further restricts learning. Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 27

p.26

History

Overall the quality of provision in history is good.

p.27

History

Standards are average in Year 6 and above average in Year 8. Achievement is satisfactory in Year 6 and good in Year 8. Teaching and learning are satisfactory in Year 6 and good in Year 8. Leadership and management are good and there has been good progress since the last inspection.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

? The leadership and management is very supportive and enables pupils to respond to effective teaching. ? The fast pace of learning in Year 7 results in good extended writing ? Very good assessment procedures allow teachers to plan well for the next stages in learning. ? Excessive use of worksheets in some classes slows the pace of learning.

p.27

Standards and achievement

73. Pupils begin their study of history in Year 5 with average standards. By the end of Year 6 they have developed a satisfactory understanding of history which enables them to accelerate and make good progress in Years 7 to 8. At the end of Year 8 both boys and girls are above average and all are achieving well. The head of department has planned the studies and assessment meticulously and this enables the pupils to accelerate their progress as they move up the school. The quality of this is particularly exemplified in the pupils’ ability to develop historical skills within tasks which require extended writing. These are well used no matter which history topic is being studied, an example being letters written by Charles l and Thomas More just prior to their executions.

p.27

Teaching and learning

74. Teaching and learning are satisfactory in Year 6 and good in Year 8 . Although most of the teaching is done by non-specialist teachers, they follow the leadership provided and learning is always at least satisfactory and frequently good or better. In Years 5 and 6 teachers have grasped the principles of using creativity, literacy and deductive thinking to make extensive studies of such topics as Henry VIII and the Victorians. Indeed visits by outside history drama groups covering a Tudor Day, the Civil War and the Victorians resulted in a rich variety of work and were clearly memorable experiences. The short term targets and the emerging assessment policy enable pupils to understand how well they are progressing and to talk easily about previous topics and how well they have achieved. There is ample evidence that the teaching and learning is forward looking and enriching the pupils. This needs to be taken

p.27

Teaching and learning

further forward by a greater use of ICT.

p.27

Leadership and management

75. The department is well led and effectively managed and monitored. The head of department brings a depth of knowledge, broad ranging skills and a commitment to the teaching of the subject. She monitors the quality of teaching and learning carefully and provides all her colleagues with a secure basis and a clear understanding of what is required. She also ensures that the lessons are appropriately resourced and altogether the teachers clearly understand the philosophy and methods which governs the head of department’s detailed planning, assessment processes and aspirations. The department’s development plan has Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 28 resolved previous criticisms and so good progress has been made since the previous inspection.

p.27

Geography

Provision in geography is unsatisfactory .

p.28

Geography

Standards are average in Year 6 and below average in Year 8. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory in Year 6 and unsatisfactory in Year 8 because teaching and learning are satisfactory in Year 6 and unsatisfactory in Year 8. Leadership and management of the subject are unsatisfactory .

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

? Lessons in Years 7 and 8 do not provide enough challenge, particularly for more capable pupils. ? Achievement in Years 7 and 8 is held back because of the high proportion of unsatisfactory teaching. ? There is insufficient monitoring of teaching to ensure consistent standards. ? Systems for assessing pupils’ work and progress are incomplete and marking practices are inconsistent. Pupils do not always know how to improve. ? Opportunities for fieldwork have improved since the last inspection.

p.28

Standards and achievement

76. Standards of work in Years 5 and 6 are in line with the national average. Pupils develop their awareness of geographical patterns by using maps and photographs of familiar areas. More capable pupils write fluently on aspects of flooding and all pupils increase their knowledge of rivers by first hand study of a local example. Achievement is satisfactory overall. Pupils with special educational needs achieve as well as others when work is adapted for them. Good examples of this were seen in one Year 5 and one Year 6 lesson. Standards in Years 7 and 8 are below the national average. Pupils’ written work shows that they understand basic geographical processes and terminology but there are few opportunities for them to study topics in depth and to write about them at length. This particularly restricts the achievement of more capable pupils.

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Teaching and learning

77. Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory overall but satisfactory in Years 5 and 6. Although most teachers in Years 5 and 6 are not geography specialists, they prepare their lessons carefully to include plenty of challenge and interest, ensuring that pupils are keen to learn. Teaching is less successful when resources are not appropriate for all pupils and tasks are not explained clearly and this hold back learning. In Years 7 and 8, despite the improvements in the range of teaching resources, learning is unsatisfactory overall and this is why pupils underachieve. Contributory factors include low-level tasks in lessons, resulting in deteriorating concentration, and ineffective strategies for managing pupils’ behaviour. Thoughtful, extended discussion in lessons cannot take place when pupils are noisy and disruptive. Marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent. Teachers do not always follow up incomplete and inaccurate work

p.28

Teaching and learning

or show pupils how to improve. More opportunities are now available for pupils to practice their ICT skills in lessons. However, these skills are not yet used to deepen pupils’ understanding of their work, for example in their study of oil pollution on fragile environments. Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 29

p.28

Leadership and management

78. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory. The department’s contacts with feeder schools have had some positive impacts on learning through sharing resources, developing fieldwork and integrating the curriculum. However, there is too much unsatisfactory teaching and problems in managing behaviour in the classroom are unresolved. There is insufficient monitoring and evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning in order to raise standards and the levels of pupils’ achievement. Rigorous assessment procedures have only just begun. They are not yet used to show all pupils the standards they have reached in comparison with the national average or their achievement over time. Pupils are not set realistic individual targets for improvement. Since the last inspection, overall improvement has therefore been unsatisfactory.

p.29

Religious education

Overall the quality of provision is unsatisfactory.

p.29

Religious education

Standards are average in Year 6 and below average in Year 8. Achievement is satisfactory in Year 6 and unsatisfactory in Year 8. Teaching and learning are satisfactory in Year 6 and unsatisfactory in Year 8. Leadership is satisfactory but management is unsatisfactory . Progress since the previous inspection has been unsatisfactory .

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

? The large team of non-specialist teachers holds back standards in Years 7 and 8. ? Excessive use of worksheets and very brief studies of some topics reduce pupils’ interest. ? The head of department has inadequate opportunities to lead the department. ? There is very little use of ICT.

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Standards and achievements

79. Standards are below those expected every year. This is because there is a fundamental flaw in the organisation of the teaching of the subject throughout the school. The subject is taught by 12 non-specialist teachers who have varying levels of knowledge of the subject. Because the teachers are virtually selected on a basis of timetable expediency, the team of teachers can vary each year and this has a deleterious effect on standards and achievement. It is evident that the pupils can achieve well and the response of pupils to good teaching was noticeable. Overall there was relatively little evidence of pupils using religious ideas to examine fresh knowledge, or to show that they could express an understanding of the spiritual dimension within religions. In Years 7 and 8 especially the non-specialist teachers seldom realised what standards can be reasonably expected.

p.29

Teaching and learning

80. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Teachers sometimes make an excessive use of worksheets which only require simple responses. This partly results from a decision to give priority to thinking and discussion over written work. Whilst this can be plausible it needs to be based upon a rising body of knowledge which is not apparent. Good teaching is seen when artifacts and photographs are used to develop ideas and help in the recall of previous knowledge. Because teachers do not make sufficient use of pupil participation standards are not as high as they should be. Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 30

p.29

Leadership and management

81. The head of department has a clear understanding of the way forward. She works hard and has the interest of the subject at heart. However, she only teaches one lesson of religious education each week and so cannot be a role model or set a standard. Also she has very little time to develop her team of twelve non-specialist teachers which may vary from year to year. This is not merely in terms of knowledge to be taught but also the range of methods which might be used. She has produced a good departmental handbook with outline lessons and assessment procedures but gives insufficient guidance to non-specialist teachers.

p.30

Design technology

Provision for design and technology is good .

p.30

Design technology

Standards are average in Years 6 and 8. Achievement is good overall as is the quality of teaching and learning. Leadership is very good and management is good . There has been good progress since the last inspection.

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

? The use of ICT is a strength as it is an integrated tool for learning. ? Assessment is good overall but a lack of an assessment when pupils begin to study design and technology weakens planning. ? Pupils enjoy the subject and are proud of their achievement but working drawings lack accuracy. ? Very good leadership is encouraging most non-specialists to take an interest in the subject.

p.30

Standards and attainment

82. Standards at the end of Year 6 are broadly average. Pupils establish sound working techniques with food, systems and control, and textiles but experience more difficulties when designing and making with resistant materials. They can cut shape and combine materials and ingredients to make products that are fit for purpose such as the hats in textiles. Designing is more challenging and pupils with a special educational need experience difficulties with technical words and annotation. Teachers’ use of outlines for writing is helping to solve this problem. Pupils from different ethnic backgrounds achieve in line with their peers. By the end of Year 8 standards continue to be in line with expectations in designing and making. When standards of entry are taken into account achievement is good for both boys and girls by the end of Year 6 and Year 8.

p.30

Teaching and learning

83. Teaching and learning are good with outstanding teaching in Systems and Control. Some teachers have specialist knowledge, which is well used to foster good achievement; others are enthusiastic and generally well prepared non-specialists with a personal commitment and enjoyment of the subject. However there are instances where specialist teachers from other areas are deployed to teach design and technology and are insecure in their subject knowledge. Very well prepared resources and excellent classroom displays help pupils to rehearse new terminology and techniques. Pupils are given good guidance on what to do to improve their work and specialist design sheets are having a significant impact on pupils’ design skills. Pupils gain confidence in making through purposeful design tasks that teach skills and go on to test independent capability. Across all years pupils experience problems in producing working drawings with accurate dimensions. Pupils understand how to modify and

p.30

Teaching and learning

Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 31 improve their work because good assessment activities are rigorous and include peer and self assessment.

p.31

Leadership and management

84. Leadership of the department is very good. Inclusive and innovative work with other technology teachers, local schools and an advanced skills teacher are promoting and strengthening planning through very effective trialling of units before they are embedded in the schemes of work. The department has good vision and maintains an exciting and creative approach to thinking and learning. Management is flexible, confident and well informed. Careful analytical assessment has a strong focus on improvement but structured long term development planning to include lesson observations is limited. There is no technical support which has an impact on the maintenance of equipment and preparation of materials; these tasks are inappropriately carried out by teachers. Management has dealt well with the issues from the previous inspection with the exception of marking where there are inconsistencies that confuse pupils.

p.31

Art and design

Standards are average in Year 6 and above average in Year 8. This represents satisfactory achievement in Year 6 and good achievement in Year 8. Teaching and learning are good overall. Leadership and management are good and there has been good improvement since the last inspection.

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses

? Teaching and learning are good in Years 7 and 8. ? Display of work in classrooms and around school is very good and creates a positive learning environment. ? The use of sketchbooks for research and development in all years is good and enhances learning. ? ICT is underused in Years 7 and 8. ? Insufficient use is made of ceramics to enhance three-dimensional work.

p.31

Standards and achievement

85. Standards in the current Year 6 are average. There is no significant difference between boys and girls. Pupils’ achievements are satisfactory in relation to their knowledge, understanding and skills when they entered the school, which is average. Lower attaining pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. Pupils are supported well in classrooms and apply themselves purposefully. They observe well from direct observation and are able to use line, tone and texture effectively in their drawings.

p.31

Standards and achievement

86. Standards in the current Year 8 are above average. This represents good achievement for all pupils, including those with special educational needs. Higher attaining pupils are challenged sufficiently to achieve their full potential. Pupils can develop and sustain a chosen theme in their work and are able to make good connections to art movements and artists. Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 32

p.31

Teaching and learning

87. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Pace of lessons is brisk and pupils’ interest is maintained by a variety of activities. Teachers make good use of praise to encourage the participation of all pupils and make very good use of question and answer to ensure all pupils are actively involved. Clear assessment objectives are shared with all pupils and as a result lend rigour to the learning climate. Active support with the development of reading and writing skills is evident in well-annotated sketchbooks. Homework is used well to support the development of project work in all years. The use of artists-in-residence and visits to galleries and museums have a positive impact upon the knowledge and understanding and range of pupils’ work.

p.32

Leadership and management

88. The leadership and management are good. Teachers are committed, caring and supportive of all pupils. The lack of technical support limits the range of media activities and hence the further development of ICT and ceramics. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory. The monitoring of lessons by the head of department is ensuring that the best practice is shared. Assessment procedures have been refined to ensure pupils have systematic opportunities to discuss their achievements and to set targets for future development more effectively.

p.32

Music

Standards are average in Year 6 and above average in Year 8. Pupils achieve satisfactorily in Year 6 and well in Year 8. This reflects teaching and learning which is satisfactory in Year 6 and good in Year 8. The subject is well led and satisfactorily managed. There has been satisfactory progress since the last inspection.

p.32

Main strengths and weaknesses

? Pupils respond with enthusiasm and interest to the good teaching. ? Well planned activities ensure that pupils are involved in good experiences of music making. ? Very good resources of tuned and untuned instruments enhance the teaching and learning of music. ? Assessment is not being effectively used to further pupils’ achievement. ? Pupils’ musical experiences are at present restricted because of the lack of access to appropriate computer programs.

p.32

Standards and achievement

89. In work seen in Year 6, pupils’ standards are average. A class performance of a singing and rhythm round, as a starter activity, was undertaken with vigour, accuracy and enjoyment. Some pupils can compose simple melodies with well balanced phrases and many have a well developed knowledge of musical vocabulary. A few pupils, however, do have some difficulty in making a coherent tune. Overall, achievement at this stage is satisfactory. In Year 8 pupils’ standards of work are above average; they have an excellent aural awareness and, because of their very good understanding of musical terms, are able to talk about music they have heard with considerable insight. They are quite competent in performance and can use their voices very effectively, and with understanding, in interpreting a graphic score. Achievement is good overall and there is no apparent difference between the achievement of boys and girls.

p.32

Teaching and learning

90. Teaching and learning are good overall. In Year 8 it was good, characterized by excellent knowledge of the subject and complete command of the materials being used. Pupils are challenged and encouraged into thinking about the music, which takes them into new musical territories. The teaching makes very good use of appropriate terminology and the pupils show equally good understanding and considerable enthusiasm. They are very responsive and attentive. Pupils with special educational needs make similar progress to the rest of the pupils. Pupils responded well to the teaching and cooperated well together in the keyboard activity. Many benefit particularly from the input of the teacher into the paired work and make good progress in composing short tunes. Some of the pupils, however, find difficulty in making a well balanced melody. They are inhibited by an absence of suitable examples of

p.33

Teaching and learning

tunes which, for example, work on finger patterns or tunes that show simple regular phrases. In all lessons the teachers make very good use of well directed questions to both help pupils recall previous work and to encourage structured thinking about the music the pupils were hearing or performing.

p.33

Leadership and management

91. The department is well led and management is satisfactory. Since the previous inspection there has been an extensive revision of the scheme of work. Much of this is very effective although at present there are still no opportunities for pupils to further their experiences of music through the use of computer technology. Keyboard and percussion resources are very good and enhance the quality of the teaching and learning. Planning for assessment, and the use of assessment to further pupils’ progress, is still very much under developed. Support for the new image choir is thriving and, although charges for instrumental teaching can be daunting, a significant number of pupils are being encouraged into taking advantage of the instrumental teaching provided by the local authority, and into supporting school ensembles.

p.33

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Standards are average in Years 6 and above average in Year 8. Achievement is satisfactory in Year 6 and good in Year 8. Teaching and learning are satisfactory in Year 6 and good in Year 8. The subject is well led and managed.

p.33

Strengths and weaknesses

? Good teaching in Years 7 and 8 is leading to good progress in several activities. ? A good range of activities are provided for pupils outside lesson time. ? Assessment is not being used effectively to help pupils to improve. ? There are no formal arrangements for teachers to share good practice in the department. ? The most able pupils are not always being consistently challenged.

p.33

Standards and achievement

92. Standards of students on entry to the school are slightly below average. Standards attained by pupils in Year 8 are above average and this represents good achievement. Girls reach higher standards than boys. Girls at the beginning of Year 7 have good passing and receiving skills in netball and are able to apply these to a competitive game situation. They also have a good understanding of the rules of the game and good tactical awareness. All pupils understand the reasons for warm up before physical exercise. Basic co-ordination skills are sound. Except in some gymnastics lessons, pupils are unable to apply planning and evaluation of performance skills. Pupils in most lessons including those with special Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 34 educational needs are fully integrated into lessons. Most achieve equally well although the most able pupils are not always consistently challenged and do not always make appropriate

p.33

Teaching and Learning

93. The quality of teaching and learning overall is good and was unsatisfactory in only one lesson. Teachers generally enjoy good relationships with pupils who respond with enthusiasm to their teaching. Most lessons contain a good range of activities and are well planned although they do not contain extension activities for the most able. In the best lessons perceptive observation of performance and appropriate teacher intervention was a significant factor in the good progress made by pupils. For example in a Year 8 netball lesson pupils were developing their passing and receiving skills. The class teacher constantly identified those pupils who could improve and intervened to help with very specific guidance. By the end of the lesson overall standards were higher and the pupils were able to apply these skills to a competitive game situation. In the unsatisfactory lesson, planning was poor, the range of activities were

p.34

Teaching and Learning

inappropriate and the class teacher failed to engage the pupils. Very good question and answer sessions with pupils were a feature of most lessons and were a significant factor in the good learning. In several lessons a significant minority of pupils of high prior attainment were not appropriately challenged. Although pupils have end of unit tests for all activities they are not really involved in this assessment and the information is not yet being used effectively to help set individual targets for improvement. The subject offers a good and varied range of seasonal extra curricular activities. There are many opportunities to extend and develop skills and interests and a large percentage of pupils take advantage. There is a very good range of school teams and fixtures with other schools where the school is successful.

p.34

Leadership and management

94. Pupils also achieve well because the department is well led and the school has recently been awarded ‘Sportsmark’ status. Teachers are good role models, are committed and give very generously of their time. Day-to-day organization is good and a comprehensive department handbook provides a range of information for all who teach in the department. Schemes of work are still developing but provide good guidance for teaching although they do not yet include information on how literacy and numeracy can be included in the physical education curriculum or how the higher attaining pupils can be challenged. Development planning is satisfactory but does not provide appropriate detail for the department to meet targets for improvement. There is very little monitoring of teaching and learning or sharing of good practice. Given the element of non-specialist teaching in the department, which occasionally

p.34

Leadership and management

leads to significant lack of progress, this is an important area for development. There were no issues for development in the last inspection report.

p.34

Citizenship

Provision in citizenship is satisfactory .

p.34

Main strengths and weaknesses

? The co-ordinator has planned schemes of work and integrated them successfully into the curriculum. ? Pupils’ involvement in practical citizenship activities in school and in the wider community is increasing steadily. ? Monitoring and evaluation of the quality of citizenship lessons are not yet well developed Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 35

p.34

Commentary

95. Opportunities for all pupils to study aspects of citizenship are provided as a regular part of their personal, social and health education lessons. Statutory requirements are met in Years 7 and 8. Separate schemes of work for citizenship, together with high quality resources, are available to support all form tutors who teach this subject. One satisfactory citizenship lesson was observed during the inspection. Elements of citizenship were integrated into other lessons, providing a good focus on social and group responsibility.

p.35

Commentary

96. Pupils’ contributions both in lessons and in practical activities are reported to parents and pupils are given good opportunities to record their own views on their achievements and their targets for improvement. Many pupils take part in charity activities and the school council is giving pupils an increasing influence in and responsibility for the organisation of the school, for example through direct contact with the governing body. The opportunity for a group of Year 8 pupils to attend the Birmingham Youth Parliament last summer had a significant impact on their understanding of world debt.

p.35

Commentary

97. Monitoring and evaluating the quality of citizenship lessons and developing more rigorous methods for assessing pupils’ progress in this subject are at an early stage of development. Bromsgrove Parkside Middle School - 36 Inspection judgement Grade

p.35

Commentary

The overall effectiveness of the sixth form and the school 4 How inclusive the school is 4 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 5 Value for money provided by the school 5

p.36

Commentary

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

p.36

Commentary

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

p.36

Commentary

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

p.36

Commentary

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

p.36