Broadwood Primary School

BROADWOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 24-27 November 2003

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BROADWOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Broadwood Primary School - 2 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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BROADWOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Broadwood Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4-11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll; 363

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Broadwood Road Denton Burn Newcastle upon Tyne Postcode: NE15 7TB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 0191 2741684 Fax number: 0191 2747992

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mrs J Hedley

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: Not applicable

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Broadwood School is a large primary school situated in the western part of Newcastle and the school draws its pupils mostly from a local authority housing estate. The school was established in April 2001 when Broadwood Infant School and Broadwood Junior School became one school. The closure of a nearby school resulted in a significant number of pupils (138) and staff joining the school in September of the same year. Three hundred sixty-three pupils are on roll and this includes 14 full- time and 24 part-time nursery age pupils. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for school meals free of charge (54.1%) is well above the national average. The number of pupils having special educational needs (31.7%) is well above the national average and the percentage of pupils with a statement of special educational needs (3%) is above the national average. The majority of pupils are white British with approximately four per cent of pupils representing different ethnic

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

backgrounds, including Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and white other backgrounds. An assessment scheme used for children when they start at school in the nursery shows that their attainment is mainly well below that expected for their age in communication language and literacy, in mathematical development and in personal, social and emotional development. An Additional Resource Hearing Impaired Centre (ARC) is attached to the school. Twelve pupils with a statement of educational need for sensory difficulties attend the ARC. Two teachers and three support assistants provide specialist knowledge and skills to support these pupils and ensure they are included in the life of the school. Broadwood Primary School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

8245 L A Furness Lead inspector Mathematics 19431 J D Holmes Lay inspector 32507 C Quigley Team inspector Foundation Stage of Learning, English as an Additional Language, English, Physical Education, Citizenship 30781 W Richardson Team inspector Science, Art and Design, Design and Technology, Music 33111 S Wilson Team inspector Special Educational Needs, Information and Communication Technology, Geography, History, Religious Education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

113-115 High Street Uppermill Saddleworth OL3 6BD

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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 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). Broadwood Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The school’s effectiveness is satisfactory. Its caring ethos results in the good personal and social development of its pupils. All pupils are very well included in all aspects of school life. Teaching overall has a satisfactory impact on pupils’ learning and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall. The leadership is good and management systems are satisfactory. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The standards attained in English, mathematics and science by the pupils currently in Years 2 and 6 are below those expected for their age. • Provision in the Foundation Stage (nursery and reception) is very good. • Information and communication technology (ICT) provision has been an important area for development and is very good. • Inclusion is very good and all staff are very committed to ensuring that pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, can access all aspects of school life. • The monitoring and evaluation of teaching is insufficiently focused on learning and pupils’ achievement. • The use of assessment information, including written marking, does not effectively inform future teaching and learning activities. Tracking and target setting systems lack rigour. • Very good enrichment activities enhance curricular provision.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

• There is a very good personal, social and health programme of work . Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety are given a high priority in this school.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

This school has not been inspected previously and was established in April 2001. Since then a great deal of work has been done to develop a shared understanding of the philosophy and working practices of the school. Staff have been encouraged successfully to work together in teams to develop agreed approaches to teaching and learning. New management systems have been introduced which are now beginning to impact upon standards. All in the school are working hard towards school improvement and as a result the school is well placed to move forward.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The majority of pupils currently in Years 2 and 6 are attaining standards that are below those expected for their age in English, mathematics and science. In information and communication technology (ICT) and physical education, standards are mainly above those expected. In geography, history, religious education, art and design, design and technology and music standards match those expected for their age. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall . There is very good achievement in ICT. Achievement is good in mathematics by Year 2, and in geography, history, religious education and physical education throughout the school. In the Foundation Stage, the children are on course to achieve the goals that children are expected to reach by the end of reception, except in communication, language and literacy. Their achievement overall is very good.

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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 E E C Mathematics E E* E E Science E E E* E Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average; E* - very low (bottom five per cent) Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2. Broadwood Primary School - 7 Pupils’ performance in the Year 2 National Curriculum tests in 2003 matched the national average in reading and mathematics but was below the national average in writing. In comparison with similar schools, performance was well above average in reading, writing and mathematics. On the basis of teacher assessment, pupils’ performance in science matched the national average and was well above average in comparison with similar schools.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The school is successful at developing good attitudes and values in pupils, and the behaviour of the majority of pupils is good. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is also good overall. Attendance is well below the national average and punctuality is unsatisfactory.

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The quality of education is satisfactory. The quality of teaching is satisfactory with very good

teaching in the Foundation Stage, of pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language and by the specialist ICT teacher in the computer suite. As a result, pupils’ achievement and progress are at least satisfactory. A particular strength is the way that the very able support staff are deployed to ensure that all pupils are included very well in lessons. The management of behaviour is also a strength and the strategy of ‘golden time’ is something pupils’ value greatly and respond well to. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to share ideas and to work collaboratively.

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The quality of education is satisfactory. The quality of teaching is satisfactory with very good

Curricular provision meets statutory requirements. The school provides very good enrichment experiences with its excellent range of sporting activities and other good opportunities for pupils to undertake a range of visits to support their learning. The curriculum offered to children in the Foundation Stage is very good. The quality of the accommodation and resources is good overall. The school provides good care, support and guidance for its pupils. It has very effective systems to check on the health, safety and well being of all pupils. The good relationships between adults and pupils contribute effectively to the caring ethos, which is evident throughout the school. Partnerships with parents are satisfactory and links with the community and other schools in the local area are good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership of the school is good and management systems are satisfactory. The headteacher leads a committed staff team who are working hard to raise standards. Governance is good. Governors very clearly have pupils’ best interests at heart and provide good support for the leadership of the school. In management, the key areas for improvement are recognised and the school development plan provides a useful tool for managing school improvement.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The parents have satisfactory views on the school and are appreciative of what the school does for their children. The pupils enjoy school and feel that they are listened to, valued and supported well by the adults in the school.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Continue to raise standards in English, mathematics and science throughout the school. • Ensure that monitoring and evaluation of teaching are focused on the impact of teaching on learning and pupils’ achievement. • Develop and refine the tracking and target setting systems. • Ensure that assessment information is used more effectively to inform teaching and learning.

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Although pupils currently in Years 2 and 6 are attaining standards that are below those expected for their age in English, mathematics and science, their achievement is satisfactory overall. In the Foundation Stage children’s achievement is very good and pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language also achieve well .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children make very good progress in the Foundation Stage and achievement is very good. • Pupils’ performance in the National Curriculum tests in 2003, in Year 2, was very good in relation to similar schools in reading, writing and mathematics. • In information and communication technology (ICT), standards are good by Years 2 and 6 and achievement is very good. • Pupils throughout the school achieve well in geography, history, religious education and physical education. • Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make good progress and achieve well because of the good support that they are given. • By Year 6, a small minority of pupils attain standards above those expected in art and design and their achievement is very good.

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Commentary

1 When children first start at school in the nursery their attainment is well below the level expected for their age in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and personal, social and emotional development. By the end of reception, children make very good progress and the majority are on course to reach the goals they are expected to reach in personal, social and emotional development, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, creative and physical development. In communication language and literacy, however, many do not reach the early learning goal by the end of reception. Speaking skills are below those expected for the children’s age. Children’s achievement is very good in all six areas of learning because of the very good teaching that they receive during their time in the Foundation Stage.

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Commentary

2 Results in the Year 2 National Curriculum tests in reading, writing and mathematics show an improving trend since the school was established in 2001.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 15.8 (15.7) 15.7 (15.8)

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Commentary

There were 58 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

3 When compared with all schools, pupils’ performance matched the national average in reading and mathematics but was below the national average in writing. In comparison with similar schools, performance was well above average in reading, writing and mathematics. Results show no significant differences in the attainment of boys and girls over the last three years, and none were noted during the inspection. In science, on the basis of teacher Broadwood Primary School - 9 assessment, performance matched the national average and was well above the average of similar schools.

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Commentary

4 A recent declining trend in standards in Year 6 is largely due to an influx of pupils when the school expanded its provision in 2001. Approximately half of the Year 6 pupils in 2002 and 2003 had not benefited from education at Broadwood Infant and Junior Schools and this significantly altered the trend in the school’s results. Although Year 6 pupils’ performance in the National Curriculum tests improved in 2003, it has been well below the national average since 2002 in English and mathematics. In science, performance slightly declined in 2003 and was in the bottom five per cent of schools nationally. In relation to similar schools, performance matched the average in English but was well below average in mathematics and science.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 24.8 (24.0) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 23.8 (22.7) 26.8 (26.7) science 25.3 (25.6) 28.6 (28.3) There were 59 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

5 Although there have been some differences in the attainment of boys and girls over the past three years, they were not significant, and none were noted during the inspection. The trend in the school’s average National Curriculum points for English, mathematics and science broadly matches the national trend. The targets set for 2003 were not achieved in either English or mathematics. However, the targets set for higher attainment, level 5, were achieved in both subjects. The work seen of the current Year 6 pupils indicates that it is unlikely the challenging targets set for 2004 will be met in either subject.

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Commentary

6 In ICT, standards are above those expected for the pupils’ age at the end of Years 2 and 6. Achievement is very good for the majority of pupils because of the very good teaching of the teacher who works mainly in the ICT suite. In geography and history, standards match those expected for their age by Years 2 and 6 and achievement is good. In religious education, standards match the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Pupils arrive at the school with very little understanding of religious beliefs but, by the end of Years 2 and 6, there is evidence of good progress and achievement is good. In art and design, design and technology and music, standards mainly match the level expected for the pupils’ age by Years 2 and 6. In art and design a minority of pupils attain above the expected level by Year 6. In physical education, standards are above those expected for their age by the end of Years 2

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Commentary

and 6. Pupils’ achievement throughout the school is good. This good achievement is attributed to very good physical education provision.

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Commentary

7 The achievement of pupils with special educational needs and of those with English as an additional language is good throughout the school. Support staff have a significant role in supporting and meeting the needs of individual pupils and enabling them to achieve well in relation to their abilities. Pupils with statements of special educational needs make good progress because of the skilled staff from the Additional Resource Centre (ARC), who work closely with the special educational needs co-ordinator, teachers and support staff within the school to ensure that the work given to these pupils is well matched to their needs.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Broadwood Primary School - 10 The school is successful at developing good attitudes and values in pupils and the behaviour of the majority of pupils is good . Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is also good overall. Attendance is well below the national average and punctuality is unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ attendance is well below the national average and punctuality is unsatisfactory, with a significant minority of pupils arriving late at the start of the school day. • Pupils have positive attitudes towards school and they enjoy their work. • Pupils’ moral and social development are good. • Relationships are good throughout the school.

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Commentary

8 Attendance is well below the national average and punctuality is unsatisfactory. A significant minority of pupils are late, some on a regular basis. The level of unauthorised absence is below the national average, because the school has good procedures in place to detect and tackle any significant patterns in pupils’ absences.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year 2002-2003 (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 7.5 School data : 0.04 National data: 5.4 National data: 0.5 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Commentary

9 The school works closely with the Education Welfare Officer to target parents who do not respond satisfactorily in ensuring that their children attend school. It is also trying very hard to encourage good attendance and punctuality. For example, a class trophy is presented to the highest attending class on a weekly basis, and there is an individual termly certificate for 98 per cent to 100 per cent attendance. There has also been a draw for a visit to St James’s Park for those pupils who have achieved 100 per cent attendance. This and future initiatives are well displayed in the school and are greatly valued by the pupils.

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Commentary

10 Pupils enjoy school and have good attitudes towards learning. They generally work well together and have a good level of trust in the adults in the school. Pupils feel that they can discuss problems with members of staff and that problems are dealt with promptly. Relationships are good. Their behaviour in class and around the school is good, with the staff managing any problems well. Pupils report that any bullying is dealt with quickly and effectively. No oppressive behaviour was observed during the inspection and there have been no recent exclusions.

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Commentary

11 Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are valued and fully included in the life of the school so they share the same positive attitudes to the school as their peers. They respond well to the additional support they receive and are enthusiastic about their learning.

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Commentary

12 Pupils are given satisfactory opportunities to develop their spiritual awareness in many areas of the curriculum, including art, music, collective worship and church visits. The school studies different religions and during the act of collective worship pupils are given time for reflection. The opportunities to promote moral development are good. School assemblies effectively raise moral issues and moral messages are given in many lessons. Lessons focusing on the development of citizenship help to strengthen the pupils’ moral development. Pupils know what is right and wrong and have a good sense of fair play. They participate in many fund-raising activities such as the ‘Christmas shoe box’ appeal, and have raised Broadwood Primary School - 11 money to help to provide a classroom for a school in Bolivia. The very good inclusion of pupils with a hearing impairment has a positive effect on all pupils within the school. It gives

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Commentary

them a better understanding of disabilities and makes pupils more tolerant of each other.

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Commentary

13 Pupils’ social development is good because of initiatives such as the ‘buddies’ and ‘mini- buddies’. The head boy and girl, who regularly help in assemblies and show visitors around the school, also help to train the ‘mini-buddies’ in Years 1 and 2. The pupils are enthusiastic about the idea of establishing a school council, seeing this as a further opportunity to be involved in the school’s work. At the present time the school has a suggestion box and issues raised by pupils are discussed sensibly during circle-time activities. The residential trip also helps to develop the pupils’ social skills. Cultural development is good. The school arranges many visits and visitors to give pupils good opportunities to learn about local and national cultures. Pupils know about their own local culture and have also studied European cultures. They are aware of multicultural issues and different celebrations through having pupils from

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Commentary

different ethnic backgrounds in the school.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is satisfactory. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Curricular provision meets statutory requirements and the school provides very good enrichment experiences to enhance the curriculum. The school provides good care, support and guidance for its pupils. Partnerships with parents are satisfactory and links with the community and other schools in the local area are good .

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching observed during the inspection was satisfactory overall, with some examples of good and very good teaching. There was also evidence of unsatisfactory teaching in some year groups.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is very good teaching of children in the Foundation Stage, of the pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, and of ICT by the specialist teacher in the computer suite. • Very able support staff ensure that pupils with special educational needs and are included well in lessons. • Planned activities do not always address the needs of all pupils within the class. • The use of assessment information, including written marking, does not effectively inform future teaching and learning activities.

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Commentary

14 As can be seen in the table below, the majority of lessons were at least satisfactory and over half of these were good or very good. Most of this good and very good teaching was in the Foundation Stage, in the ICT suite by the specialist teacher for ICT and when pupils with special educational needs were supported by the very able support staff. In English, mathematics, science and religious education, teaching and learning are satisfactory. In physical education, teaching and learning are good. Lack of evidence rules out an overall judgement on teaching and learning in art and design, design and technology, geography, history and music. Broadwood Primary School - 12 Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 54 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

0 (0%) 6 (11.1%) 23 (42.6%) 21(38.9%) 4 (7.4%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

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Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Commentary

15 Although in English, mathematics and science, teaching and learning are mainly satisfactory, teaching ranges from very good to unsatisfactory in English and mathematics. In both these subjects there was evidence of slow pace and insufficient challenge, particularly for the more able pupils. The strategy of teaching Years 5 and 6 pupils in ability sets or groups is useful, but some teachers do not satisfactorily plan work to meet the range of ability within the setted group of pupils. In English, in some lessons, there was not enough planned talk time for pupils. This means that pupils are not as engaged as they should be and teachers are not developing pupils’ spoken language systematically. Throughout the school few teachers use a range of strategies to involve all pupils during introductions to lessons. Often pupils are too passive and content to let a minority take part in the question and answer sessions.

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Commentary

16 The teachers have a satisfactory knowledge of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and use the frameworks to plan activities for the class. However, assessment information is not used as effectively as it should be to inform teachers what pupils know and understand, and what they need to do next. Written marking does not effectively help pupils to improve the quality of their work as marking mainly consists of descriptive comments. However, in some classes marking is clearly linked to the learning intention of the task.

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Commentary

17 Features of good lessons include: • good subject knowledge in physical education and very good subject knowledge in ICT; • good challenging questioning as was seen in some English lessons; • the good use of support teachers and teaching assistants to include pupils with special educational needs; • good behaviour management; • good use of resources, including interactive whiteboards, to engage pupils’ interest.

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Commentary

18 Pupils are mainly well motivated in lessons and try hard to succeed with their learning. They work well both individually and collaboratively, as was seen in mathematics, ICT and physical education activities. Homework is set regularly. It is used appropriately to extend what is learned in school.

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Commentary

19 The subject knowledge of the teachers of the children in the Foundation Stage is very good, and all staff have a very good understanding of how these young children learn. Assessment and record-keeping systems are very secure and assessment information is used very well to plan the next steps of learning. The development of children’s personal, social and emotional skills permeates all areas of learning, and the teaching and learning of these skills are good. The teacher and teaching assistant know all the children very well; are sensitive to their individual needs, and provide them with good levels of support. This results in these young children coming happily into school and wanting to learn.

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Commentary

20 The teaching of pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language is very good. Support staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of the pupils’ needs, and sessions are planned well to take full account of the specific targets of individual pupils. All support staff know the pupils well and plan regularly with class teachers to ensure work is specifically planned to meet the pupils’ needs. Pupils with Broadwood Primary School - 13 behavioural problems are managed very well in accordance with their individual behaviour plans.

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Commentary

21 Teaching and learning within the ARC are very good as pupils are given focused support to enable them to access lessons in the mainstream classroom. In one mathematics lesson observed in the ARC, the teacher gave very good individual support to one pupil, with high expectations of what the pupil should achieve. The teacher had a very good relationship with the pupil, who was enthusiastic to learn. The teacher confidently used the interactive whiteboard to support his learning.

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The curriculum

Curricular provision is satisfactory and meets statutory requirements. The school provides very good enrichment experiences with an excellent range of sporting activities and good opportunities for pupils to undertake a range of visits to support their learning. The quality of the accommodation and resources is good overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum offered to children in the Foundation Stage is very good. • This is an inclusive school and it makes very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and those who have English as an additional language. • There is wide participation of pupils in the excellent range of sporting activities. • There are very good personal, social and health education opportunities available to pupils. • Effective displays throughout the school support the curriculum offered to the pupils.

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Commentary

22 The breadth of curricular opportunities is satisfactory overall, with appropriate programmes of work in place. The National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy are used to ensure that learning is continuous throughout the school. However, in English, there are too few planned opportunities for speaking and writing, which limits pupils’ achievement in these aspects of the subject. The school has successfully adapted national guidelines to meet its needs. In doing so it has created good links between subjects such as art and design and geography and history. Teachers’ planning is satisfactory and the arrangement for pupils in Years 5 and 6 to be taught in ability groups helps to provide equal access to the curriculum. However, activities planned do not always address the range of abilities within the ability group. The curriculum provided for the Foundation Stage is very good. It is broad and balanced and

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Commentary

planning includes all six areas of learning expected for children of this age. There is a good balance between activities directed by the teacher and those chosen by the children.

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Commentary

23 Information and communication technology (ICT) is well provided for, with the addition of the computer suite. This has been an important area for development and can be regarded as an area of strength within the school. As well as working in the computer suite, all pupils have satisfactory access to computers in their classrooms. These are used to support and enrich lessons such as history and geography. However, the use of ICT in subjects such as science and religious education is less well developed.

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Commentary

24 The school values visits and successfully uses them to enrich the curriculum and enable pupils to learn best through first hand experiences. Pupils are enthusiastic about visits and talk knowledgeably about them, for example about the Millennium Bridge visit when studying the River Tyne. The school values outdoor education and ensures that all pupils have access to a good range of residential visits, including a ski trip abroad. In addition to the good range of residential and day visits, interesting visitors to the school such as artists, dancers, theatre groups and musicians add another dimension to the curriculum. The wealth of after-school activities stimulates pupils’ enthusiasm for learning. These are very well attended and Broadwood Primary School - 14 promote particularly a love of sport. Parents appreciate these opportunities for their children. Outside specialists for music and sport provide further enhancement of subject skills.

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Commentary

25 Pupils are prepared very well for later life in a number of ways. Good examples are the ‘buddy’ scheme, links to Westgate College and, from their earliest days in school, pupils’ opportunities to carry out responsible tasks. This develops very well their appreciation of living in a community. There is a very good personal, social and health programme, which includes opportunities for pupils to learn about the dangers of smoking, alcohol and dangerous drugs. The community policeman and school nurse help to support pupils’ studies about healthy living and becoming responsible adults.

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Commentary

26 The inclusive nature of the school is very good and all pupils have equal access to the curriculum. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. There is very good support for pupils with hearing impairment by the staff from the ARC . Pupils’ individual education plans have clear learning targets for both English and mathematics and teachers incorporate these well into their lesson plans. Pupils identified by the school as being more able are provided with appropriately challenging work to meet their needs in most classes.

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Commentary

27 The match of teachers and support staff to the curriculum is good and best use is made of their experience and expertise. The support staff make a very good contribution to the pupils’ learning. Overall, the accommodation is good. Classrooms are spacious enough for practical activities. All available space is used well and the learning environment is enhanced by a number of bright, interesting and informative displays. The well-stocked library is used efficiently as a teaching and learning resource. The outdoor environment is used well for physical development for children in the Foundation Stage. However, outdoor opportunities are more limited in all other areas of learning. This is due to the lack of stimulating features. Many activities are indoor activities that take place outdoors and do not specifically exploit the outdoor environment. The school recognises this and is working hard to develop this area.

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Commentary

Resources overall throughout the school are good.

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Care, guidance and support

Provision for the care, guidance and support of pupils is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school takes very good care of its pupils and this is evident in every aspect of the school’s work. • The level of support, based on monitoring is good. This is especially so for pupils with special educational needs and those with English is an additional language. However not all teachers use assessment information well enough to support pupils’ learning. § Pupils become confident and self-assured by the time they leave school because of a very good programme of work in personal, social, health and citizenship education. § The involvement of pupils in the school by seeking and acting upon their views is good.

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Commentary

28 The headteacher and his staff have the best interests of every pupil at the heart of all school activities. This is a strong feature of the school’s work and can be seen very well in the way that staff work hard and successfully to ensure that every pupil is well looked after. There are, for example, many visits to places of local interest and skiing trips abroad. Each visit has the same degree of very good planning that takes due account of any risks. Very good plans exist to manage these risks so that pupils can benefit from a rich range of experiences safely. The chair of governors works well with the headteacher and the caretaker to ensure that the school grounds and buildings are safe. Very good child protection arrangements are in place. Broadwood Primary School - 15 29 Pupils feel confident that they can go to any member of staff with a problem and get good help. This is a strong feature of the school and there is a very clear feeling that the care of

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Commentary

pupils is at the heart of school life. There are very good systems for getting to know children before they start in the nursery. This helps them to settle quickly into school life and to achieve very well right from the start. When pupils leave the school at the end of Year 6, good liaison with the secondary school helps them to move on to the next phase of education well. Pupils who join the school during the school year are also catered for very well. They are given a great deal of support. For example, the school has some pupils who are refugees and the use of interpreters ensures they settle quickly and well into their classes.

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Commentary

30 Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are supported very well through very good programmes of work and expert help from teachers and support staff. Staff from the ARC, provide very good support for their pupils. Pupils are asked for their opinions as to how they would like to be helped within the mainstream classroom. Help is then provided discreetly to ensure full inclusion and support pupils’ self- esteem. Overall assessment procedures for other pupils are in need of improvement. Although the school tracks pupils’ progress and achievement to a satisfactory level, not all teachers use this information to plan units of work that build effectively upon what pupils already know and understand.

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Commentary

31 The school helps pupils to become confident and self-assured by the time they leave school. This is because of a very good programme of personal, social, health and citizenship education and a strong emphasis on ‘golden rules’. Pupils are rewarded for their good behaviour and attitudes through ‘golden time’ and this is helping them to become confident individuals. Their achievements are celebrated through good achievement assemblies, where certificates are given for a range of achievements, both academic and social.

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Commentary

32 The school has a head boy and girl, who actively seek the views of others in the school. They then share this information with the headteacher, who is sometimes able to act upon these views. Circle-time and class discussions are also used well to find out pupils’ views across the school.

p.15

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school’s work with parents is satisfactory . The school has good links with other schools, colleges and the local community.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has good links with other school and community partnerships. • The school involves parents of pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language well in the development of their individual programmes of work. • The school has very good arrangements for the transfer of pupils to the local secondary school.

p.15

Commentary

33 Responses from the parental questionnaire indicate satisfactory support for the school. It tries hard to involve them with its work and invites them into school for assemblies and events. These activities are well attended. Some parents help in school on a regular basis and also help on school visits. Workshops on literacy, numeracy and ICT are also usually well attended. Parents have been invited to visit classes during the day but the response has been low. Similarly the response to the parents’ meeting was very low, with only two parents attending. Broadwood Primary School - 16 34 Information provided for parents is satisfactory. Parents have satisfactory opportunities each term to discuss their child’s progress with teachers. School reports are satisfactory. They give a clear picture of what the pupil can do and some identify targets. Parents are provided with useful curricular information about what their children are learning. They also receive

p.15

Commentary

regular newsletters that provide general information. The annual report to parents meets requirements and a satisfactory prospectus gives appropriate information about the school. Parents feel happy to approach the school to discuss any issues of concern. The consultation to seek parental views is informal. Currently there is no parent association or regular consultation other than the annual governors’ meeting and pupil consultation evenings.

p.16

Commentary

35 The school works well with the parents of pupils who have special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. Parents are successfully encouraged to discuss and review the help that is available within the school, and are involved in discussions about their children’s individual programmes of work.

p.16

Commentary

36 Very good links with the receiving school lead to smooth transition and minimise disruption to the pupil’s education. The pupils visit the local secondary school and are visited by teachers from the receiving school. The sports co-ordinator creates very good links by providing specialist sports teaching. The school also has good links with the community as many visitors come into school from the police, fire and the road safety services. Links have also been established with Newcastle United football club, and sport coaches from the club come into school twice a year to work with groups of pupils. The pupils make many visits to local places and there are many visitors from theatre, music and art. The school provides work experience places for pupils from the local school and in addition supports students on teacher training and those doing care courses.

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership of the school is good and management systems are satisfactory. The governance of the school is good.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher, deputy headteacher and senior management team work well together and have a clear vision for school improvement. • The leadership and management of special educational needs, the Foundation Stage, ICT and physical education are very good. • Inclusion is very good because all staff are very committed to ensuring that pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, can access all aspects of school life. • Financial management is good. • The governing body is good and governors have a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. • The monitoring and evaluation of teaching although in place is insufficiently focused on learning and pupils’ achievement. • The use of assessment information does not effectively inform future teaching and learning activities. Tracking and target setting systems need to be more rigorous.

p.16

Commentary

37 The headteacher is a good leader and his clear vision is shared by all staff and governors. He is well supported by the able deputy headteacher and other members of the senior management team. Since the amalgamation of the two schools and the significant number of pupils and staff from a nearby closing school joining the school, a great deal of work had to be done to unite all staff and to encourage them to work together as a team. The leadership Broadwood Primary School - 17 has been successful in this work and all staff have a strong commitment towards the success of Broadwood Primary School. New management systems have been introduced which are now beginning to impact upon standards and all in the school are working hard towards school improvement.

p.16

Commentary

38 In September 2001, after the new school was established, the senior managers identified key areas that they needed to tackle urgently. These were: • attendance and punctuality of some pupils • behaviour and attitudes towards school • relationships between parents and pupils of the two Broadwood schools and those of the closing school • staff relationships • special educational needs provision

p.17

Commentary

39 Over the last two years the school has addressed these areas well but this has taken time. Attitudes, behaviour and relationships are now good and attendance and punctuality are improving. All staff make a strong commitment to school improvement and to providing a good education for the pupils of the school. Inclusion issues are high on the agenda as the staff successfully cultivate and maximize the personal development of every pupil within a very caring community, and emphasise the importance of respect for each individual. Pupils from the ARC are very well included in all aspects of school life. Standards are beginning now to improve throughout the school. The school development plan is good and provides a useful tool for school improvement.

p.17

Commentary

40 The school is well organised and financial management is good. Spending decisions are monitored satisfactorily in terms of best value. For example, governors considered that the appointment of an extra teacher for ICT is good value for money in order to improve ICT attainment. The governing body effectively ensures that the school fulfils its statutory duties. They are committed to supporting the work of the school and its staff. They have a good level of understanding about the school's strengths and areas for development and they work satisfactorily with the headteacher and staff of the school.

p.17

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.17

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1039601.75 Balance from previous year 158866 Total expenditure 1024089.63 Balance carried forward to the next 19378 Expenditure per pupil 2579.57

p.17

Commentary

41 All staff work closely with the headteacher in developing the school. They meet regularly and work very well together as a team. Subject leadership is very good in ICT and physical education, and is satisfactory in all other subjects. Leadership of the Foundation Stage and of special educational needs is also very good. Satisfactory monitoring and evaluation activities take place but as yet they have not had sufficient impact on improving the quality of teaching. Weaknesses have been identified by the leadership of the school and advice given to teachers about how to improve their work. The subject co-ordinators have had some opportunities to check provision in their subjects but the evaluations made do not sufficiently focus on the impact of teaching upon learning. Training is to be provided to enable subject co-ordinators to be more rigorous in their monitoring and evaluation activities. Performance

p.17

Commentary

data is analysed by the senior management team and a satisfactory tracking and target setting system is now in place. Although this information is shared with staff, not all teachers use it satisfactorily to plan work that builds effectively upon what pupils already know and understand.

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

42 Provision in the Foundation Stage of Learning (nursery and reception) is very good. The leader has developed a strong team who all work well together in supporting the needs of all children. A very well planned curriculum helps children to develop very well in the six areas of learning. The nursery is a lively, thriving environment with a real buzz of purposeful activity and children are happy and well cared for. The reception classes work closely with the nursery to ensure that children continue to make good progress and achieve very well throughout their time in the Foundation Stage.

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

43 When children first start school in the nursery, their attainment is well below the level expected for their age in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and personal, social and emotional development. However, because of the very good provision, they make rapid progress and achieve very well. In reception, children continue to make very good progress. Staff keep very good records of children’s achievements so that they can plan interesting, exciting and appropriate activities to help them develop further. Because of this, the majority of children are on course to reach the goals they are expected to reach by the end of reception in personal, social and emotional development, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, creative and physical development. In communication language and literacy, many do not reach the early learning goal by the end of reception. Provision for children with special educational needs is very

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

good in all areas of learning. Well-trained teachers and support staff work together closely to ensure children’s needs are fully met. This is helping them to achieve very well.

p.18

Personal Social and Emotional Development

Provision in personal social and emotional development is very good.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Personal, social and emotional development is promoted very well within each of the other five areas of learning recommended for children of this age. • A strong emphasis on developing independence helps children to become confident learners.

p.18

Commentary

44 In every aspect of the work of the Foundation Stage, children’s personal, social and emotional development is enhanced. Good organisation helps nursery age children to settle quickly and become active learners. Well-planned resources and activities encourage children to be independent. They put letters, lunch money and other items from home into the appropriate basket as they come in to class. In a mathematics lesson, reception age pupils showed a very good level of independence in getting ready for outdoor activities. When outside they responded appropriately to instructions and this helped them to learn well. Nursery age children also show a good level of independence in creative activities. When they have completed a painting, they go to the name bank, collect a label with their name on it and stick it on their work. They then put the painting to dry. In nursery and reception classes, children

p.18

Commentary

spend time each day planning the activities they want to complete. Staff keep careful track of the activities children are choosing to make sure they have a balanced curriculum. Teaching and learning are good in this area of learning and children’s achievement is very good.

p.18

Communication, Language and Literacy

Provision in Communication, language and literacy is very good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

Broadwood Primary School - 19 • Language skills are developed very well at every opportunity. • Although many children do not reach the early learning goal by the end of reception, they make very good progress and achieve very well.

p.19

Commentary

45 Teaching and learning are good and this area of learning is given high priority by both nursery and reception staff. Children find sounds and letters, reading and writing difficult. Because of this, both nursery and reception staff have planned extra opportunities to help children achieve well in these areas. For example, ‘jolly phonics’ has been introduced and is beginning to have a positive impact on children’s learning. Role-play helps both nursery and reception age children to develop their spoken language and their creative skills very well. Reception age children have a daily literacy lesson, which helps children to develop reading and writing strategies. In all lessons observed, speaking skills were generally poor, but staff take every opportunity to develop language very well. In an outdoor play activity in the nursery, all adults were aware that language exchanges between children were limited and

p.19

Commentary

they seized opportunities to model language very well, asking a range of good questions.

p.19

Mathematical Development

Provision in mathematical development is very good.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve very well and make very good progress. • Staff use resources well to develop understanding in a practical way. • Mathematical vocabulary is used very well to help children understand mathematical language.

p.19

Commentary

46 Children make very good progress in counting and shape and space activities but very few confidently calculate numbers. Because of this, more emphasis has been put on this area of learning in both nursery and reception and early evaluations by the school show that their work is beginning to have a positive impact. Staff take every opportunity to develop speaking skills and this helps children to develop a sound mathematical vocabulary. Children that are more able can recognise repeating patterns in shapes and some are able to create them in paintings. In a good reception lesson, the class teacher modelled well the use of everyday words to describe position. Because of this, children used phrases such as ‘on top’, ‘beside’ and ‘in between’ confidently and correctly. The playground was used effectively in a practical way to support children’s understanding of positional language. Teaching and learning are

p.19

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

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

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve very well and make very good progress. • Staff take every opportunity to develop children’s descriptive language and this helps them to describe what they see and to ask further questions. • Planning shows a range of very good opportunities to develop children’s knowledge and understanding of the world. Broadwood Primary School - 20 • Good use of the local environment helps children to understand how the school fits into a wider community.

p.19

Commentary

47 Teaching and learning in this area of learning are good. In a good reception lesson about the passing of time, children were sorting pictures into categories. During this lesson, they were given many good opportunities to speak. One child described someone as ‘old because they have silver hair’. A very good display of children’s work in both the nursery and the reception classrooms shows that children have a good knowledge of their local area and can point out shops, roads and houses. In a nursery activity, a group of children were enthralled by construction toys and made a range of cars and helicopters. Their expressive language was poor but they showed a great enthusiasm for what they were doing and collaborated very well without adult support. A range of good resources helps children to develop a good understanding of knowledge and understanding of the world.

p.20

Creative Development

Provision for creative development is very good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve very well. • Play is used very well to promote children’s creative development

p.20

Commentary

48 Staff miss no opportunities for developing learning in this area and teaching and learning are good. For example, in a reception class, an alphabet collage made of tissue paper supports work in language and leaf prints and shape pictures support mathematical development. Weekly planning shows very good opportunities for role-play, sand, outdoor play, colour mixing, musical activities, ‘small world’ and play dough. In the nursery, a ‘café area’ usefully encourages children to count money, speak to each other about the work of the café and to act as customers. A member of staff very usefully extends children’s vocabulary and creative ideas in this area. Creative development is also well linked to science. The science table usefully encourages children to develop their work on textures in the environment through creative art. In a reception classroom, an art gallery of paintings show some very

p.20

Commentary

good examples of colour mixing and imagination. Drama is used very well by reception children, who act out stories using the ‘small world’ farm set.

p.20

Physical Development

Provision for physical development is very good

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Despite attainment that is well below the national picture when they first enter the nursery, nearly all children achieve or go beyond the expected level by the end of reception. • The outdoor environment needs further enhancement to maximise learning in this area.

p.20

Commentary

49 Weekly planning shows some very good opportunities to develop physical development both indoors and outdoors. Teaching and learning are good. There is a range of good resources but further resources in the outdoor environment are needed to enhance this area further. Reception children are active and show good control when travelling over, under and through Broadwood Primary School - 21 pipes in the playground. They move to music very well, showing good control and good listening skills. In an outdoor activity for nursery children, they satisfactorily developed their coordination skills by playing a car game whilst others coordinated their movements well playing on scooters. Some nursery children can fasten coat zips unaided.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Although the majority of pupils currently in Years 2 and 6 are attaining standards below those expected for their age, their achievement is satisfactory. • Pupils listen well in all year groups, but the standard of pupils’ speaking skills is poor. • Insufficient attention is given to developing pupils’ independent writing skills in Year 2. • Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are included well in lessons and make good progress in their learning. • There is not enough emphasis on rigorously developing literacy skills, including speaking skills, across the curriculum. • Although there are some good examples of marking across the school it does not consistently help pupils to improve their work. • Monitoring and evaluation systems are not yet making enough impact on improving standards and pupils’ achievement.

p.22

Commentary

50 The majority of pupils currently in Year 2 attain standards that are below those expected for their age in speaking, reading and writing but their listening skills are good. Pupils want to succeed and their achievement overall is satisfactory. Pupils demonstrate good phonic knowledge. They identify titles and know that language such as ‘bold print’ means ‘command language’. However, they have less well developed skills in reading for meaning. They write stories and understand the features of instructional writing, but pupils lack opportunities to write independently. There are too few examples of writing in books and this limits their understanding of how to write for a variety of purposes. Handwriting is often poor. This is because pupils write on plain paper, which makes it difficult for them to orientate their writing on the line. This has already been identified as a weakness by the leadership of the school

p.22

Commentary

and advice given about using lined paper for pupils’ writing.

p.22

Commentary

51 Standards in Year 6 are below those expected for the pupils’ age in reading, writing and speaking, but listening skills are good because pupils have good attitudes towards their work. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. The more able pupils in Year 6 use descriptive phrases well in their writing. They construct sentences with imaginative openings and give a good level of detail in biographical writing. However, the majority of pupils struggle to achieve this and descriptions lack in excitement or detail. Pupils’ reading skills are underdeveloped. They understand literal meaning but find it hard to infer meaning from the texts they read. Opportunities to talk to each other and discuss these aspects of their reading are limited. Pupils with special educational needs, including those with a hearing impairment and those with English as an additional language, achieve very well because of the very good support

p.22

Commentary

they receive from both teachers and support staff. These pupils are very well included in all lessons.

p.22

Commentary

52 Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, although teaching ranges from very good to unsatisfactory. In the best lessons, good questioning helps pupils to respond positively and to learn well. Teachers challenge all pupils well by asking probing questions and use interactive activities help to engage pupils’ interest. They create good opportunities for pupils to talk to each other and develop their ideas, and they refer regularly to the learning intention of the lesson. In a good lesson in Year 1, the teacher had good relationships with pupils, and she used praise and her own enthusiasm to help pupils learn effectively. This was a good example of the school’s aim of raising pupils’ self-esteem being seen in practice. In a good lesson in Year 6, pupils with special educational needs were engaged well and a buzz of activity in the classroom highlighted the good progress being made. The teacher had shared

p.22

Commentary

learning targets with pupils and kept them focused on their learning by reminding them of Broadwood Primary School - 23 their targets throughout each stage of the lesson. In some classes, usually where good teaching was observed, the marking of work is also good. Useful comments link clearly to the learning intention. Because of this, pupils know how well they have done. There are also brief comments on what pupils should do to improve further and this helps them to make good progress. This, however, is not the case in some classes, where marking does not help pupils to improve the standard of their work.

p.22

Commentary

53 In lessons that are less effective, questioning is not focused sufficiently to engage and challenge all pupils. There is not enough talk time for pupils. This means that they are not as engaged as they should be and they lack opportunities to develop their thinking skills or their expressive language. Teachers do not always give sufficient time to developing pupils’ spoken language systematically. A lack of active participation and some low challenge mean that achievement is not high enough. One lesson in Year 2 lacked challenge because the activities given to pupils did not build upon what they already knew. In a Year 6 lesson, the teacher asked general questions to the whole class, and only a minority of pupils took part in the question and answer session. Pupils had little opportunity to talk to each other, and as a result, not all pupils made as much progress as would be expected.

p.23

Commentary

54 Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The new subject leader has very quickly put plans in place to monitor and evaluate pupil achievement but this has not yet had sufficient time to be implemented. Pupils’ progress is tracked by the school and some teachers are using this information to set appropriate targets. However, this system is in an early stage of development, which the leadership of the school recognises. The monitoring and evaluation of teaching does not yet sufficiently focus on the impact of teaching on learning. Although there has been some training in the teaching of literacy recently, more is needed to help teachers to understand how to maximise pupil achievement. Resources are good and are used appropriately.

p.23

Language and literacy across the curriculum

55 Not enough emphasis is placed on developing language and literacy skills across the curriculum. In Year 2, for example, too much emphasis is placed on drawing pictures rather than developing writing. In science, the quality of recorded work is sometimes unsatisfactory, and in geography and history, there is not enough development of the different forms of writing that are taught in literacy lessons. In discussion, pupils, say they do not read very often in subjects other than English and they do not often use the Internet to conduct their own research. However, the library is used satisfactorily to develop research skills.

p.23

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ achievement is good by the end of Year 2. • Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are included very well in lessons. • More able pupils in Years 3 to 6 do not always receive appropriately challenging work. • There is insufficient emphasis on rigorously developing numeracy skills in other subjects of the curriculum. • Marking does not consistently help pupils to improve the standard of their work. • Monitoring and evaluation systems as yet are not having sufficient impact on improving standards and pupils’ achievement.

p.23

Commentary

Broadwood Primary School - 24 56 Pupils currently in Years 2 and 6 are attaining standards that are below those expected for their age. Pupils’ achievement is good by Year 2 and satisfactory by Year 6. However, there is evidence of improving achievement in some classes in Years 3 to 6 where the teaching is good and pupils are appropriately challenged. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are very well included in all lessons and their achievement is good because the teachers and very able support staff support them very well during lessons

p.24

Commentary

57 Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, although quality varies from unsatisfactory to very good. By Year 2, some pupils are working with numbers to 20 with a minority confident with numbers up to 100. Pupils count in 2s and 5s, although they are rather slow and lack confidence in this counting activity. By Year 6, pupils show a satisfactory understanding of shape and space, measures and data handling. They use known facts to solve simple number problems and can find fractions of shapes, numbers and different quantities. However, the pupils’ mental strategies and skills of calculation are below those expected for their age and their correct use of mathematical vocabulary is insecure. Year 5 pupils however, are more confident in their understanding of number facts and their work shows good evidence of improving standards.

p.24

Commentary

58 All teachers are using the National Numeracy Framework as the basis of their planning to ensure that learning is continuous throughout the school. A useful strategy is the way that pupils in Years 3 to 6 are taught in ability groups or sets. However, although this is an appropriate strategy, some teachers do not satisfactorily plan work to meet the range of ability within the group of pupils. This is particularly evident for more able pupils. Also conclusions to lessons are not used effectively to further pupils’ learning and are often a review of the activities that pupils have been doing. This is a missed opportunity for further developing pupils’ understanding of mathematical concepts. The quality of marking is also inconsistent and does not help pupils to improve the standard of their work.

p.24

Commentary

59 Strengths of teaching that are evident throughout the school are: • the use of support teachers and teaching assistants to include pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language; • the way that teachers interest and engage pupils by using resources such as the interactive whiteboard to involve all pupils in developing their mental strategies; • teachers’ insistence that pupils are aware of mathematical vocabulary and use it correctly; • the effective management of pupils to keep them engaged and interested in their work; • the provision of good opportunities for pupils to work both independently and collaboratively, using games well to promote their mathematical thinking.

p.24

Commentary

60 Leadership and management are satisfactory. The subject co-ordinator is skilful at teaching mathematics and provides a good example for other teachers in the school. There is a useful tracking and target setting system, but as yet it is not having sufficient impact on pupils’ progress and achievement. The co-ordinator is aware that it needs further development. The co-ordinator has scrutinised teachers’ planning and looked at pupils’ work to identify some areas for improvement. However, overall the monitoring of teaching lacks rigour, being insufficiently focused on pupils’ learning. Resources are good and used well by staff. The use of ICT as a resource in the classroom to support mathematics is an area the school is beginning to address.

p.24

Mathematics across the curriculum

Broadwood Primary School - 25 Pupils have some the opportunities to use their numeracy skills in other subjects, for example, in design and technology and geography. However, the school does not plan systematically for pupils to use these skills in other curriculum areas.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Although standards in science are below the level expected for the pupils’ age, achievement is satisfactory. • Pupils have good attitudes to this subject. • Pupils with special educational needs are very well included in lessons. • Pupils have too few opportunities to independently devise fair tests, predict outcomes and record results in a variety of ways. • The monitoring and evaluation of science teaching lack rigour. • Written marking of pupils’ work and systems to track their progress are not focused well enough to raise standards.

p.25

Commentary:

61 The standards of pupils now in Years 2 and 6 are below those expected for their age although their achievement is satisfactory. By Year 2, pupils show a satisfactory understanding of life and living processes, materials and physical processes, but their knowledge of experimental and investigative science is less secure. By Year 6, there is a similar picture, with few pupils able to plan and organise independently a scientific investigation. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are supported well in their learning by very able classroom assistants or support teachers and they achieve well.

p.25

Commentary:

62 Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall with examples of good teaching. Teachers are mainly secure in their subject knowledge and plan lessons satisfactorily. The learning intentions of the lesson are clear and are discussed with pupils so that they know what they will be doing and objectives are reviewed at the end of lessons. In Years 3 and 4 teaching and learning are good. Occasionally, the pupils are kept too long on the carpet resulting in them becoming fussy and fidgety until they are given a task to do. Although there are good examples in some classes, teachers’ marking does not consistently inform pupils of what they need to do to improve their work. Links to other subjects, for example, English and mathematics, are underdeveloped. This limits the way pupils record results of their investigations and also opportunities are lost to raise standards in speaking through quality discussion. Pupils’ attitudes in science lessons are good and they enjoy practical science

p.25

Commentary:

63 Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The curriculum is satisfactorily planned to cover the knowledge-based aspects of science. However, there are too few planned opportunities for experimental and investigative science. Time has been given for the subject co-ordinator to monitor and evaluate teaching and learning throughout the school, but the evaluations made do not focus sufficiently upon the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning and achievement. A useful assessment and tracking system is now in place. Resources are good and, although parallel year groups study the same topics, they do this at different times, in order to make the maximum use of the resources available.

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is very good . Broadwood Primary School - 26

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are good by Years 2 and 6 and achievement is very good. • Leadership and management are very good. • Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good. • Resources are very good. • ICT is not used consistently to support learning in other subjects

p.26

Commentary

64 Standards are at least in line with those expected for pupils’ age, and a significant number of pupils attain above the levels expected for their age by Years 2 and 6. Achievement is very good for the majority of pupils, including those with special educational needs. Some pupils transferred from the closing school with limited ICT skills and they have made very good progress. The very good teaching in the ICT suite enables pupils to achieve very well. The use of national guidance as the basis for planning ensures that all pupils experience a broad and balanced ICT curriculum. Planning is very good and clearly identifies the learning intentions, teaching points, activities and key development areas. This ensures that learning progresses well week by week and builds effectively upon pupils’ previous attainment.

p.26

Commentary

65 Teaching and learning in the ICT suite are very good. The specialist teacher’s subject knowledge and confident use of the interactive whiteboard mean that pupils are given succinct explanations and very good demonstrations. In one lesson, Year 6 pupils were able to use a word processing program effectively to insert text boxes and make hyperlinks. In a lesson with a Year 4 class, the teacher effectively used the interactive whiteboard to demonstrate how pupils would access a database. The pupils showed a good understanding of associated vocabulary such as ‘double click’, ‘folder’, ‘save and retrieve data’. Good questioning promoted the involvement of all pupils, including those with special educational needs, and helped pupils to remember prior learning. A good plenary session encouraged pupils to discuss the problems that they had encountered and therefore develop their understanding of how they could improve in the next session.

p.26

Commentary

66 Pupils have very positive attitudes to ICT and there are high expectations of behaviour in the ICT suite, with good relationships between the teacher and pupils. Behaviour is very good. Pupils are very enthusiastic about ICT and clearly enjoy their lessons. The teaching sessions in the ICT suite enable pupils to make rapid gains in their ICT skills. However, as the school recognises, these skills are not used effectively enough to support the curriculum in the classroom environment.

p.26

Commentary

67 Leadership and management are very good with a very good action plan and programme of work in place. The subject co-ordinators’ very good knowledge and expertise are used to provide support for other staff. The co-ordinators and ICT technician work effectively together as a team. Resources are very good, with an ICT suite and computers in every classroom. The school has recently purchased interactive whiteboards and one is used effectively to support learning in the ARC. The assessment and record keeping of pupil progress are very good. The school retains examples of pupils’ work that clearly identify the standard that they are working at. Gifted and talented pupils are also identified and support given to them to help them to further their achievements. An ICT club for both parents and pupils has proved to be very popular.

p.26

Information and technology across the curriculum

Broadwood Primary School - 27 68 During the inspection little use was seen of ICT outside the direct teaching sessions. ICT was rarely used to support learning in different subject areas. The school has good plans in place to rectify this issue.

p.27

HUMANITIES

69 It is not possible to give an overall judgement on provision in geography and history, with only one lesson seen in geography. Work was sampled and discussions with pupils in Years 2 and 6 took place. There is every indication from these discussions that standards match those expected for their age and achievement is good by Years 2 and 6 in both subjects. Pupils with special educational needs have good support and achieve well.

p.27

HUMANITIES

70 In geography , by Year 2, pupils have a satisfactory understanding of where they live and can compare this with a different locality for example, Spain or Blackpool. By Year 6, pupils have studied a range of different places and know how to use maps to study different parts of the world. They know about pollution on the River Rhine and a visit to the Millennium Bridge effectively enhanced their work on the River Tyne. It is clear that a range of visits plays an important part in making work interesting and relevant to pupils.

p.27

HUMANITIES

71 In history , Year 2 pupils talked animatedly and confidently about the Great Fire of London. They were eager to show a class book that one pupil had made and they explained well that houses were different in the past, being made of wood, and this caused the fire to spread so rapidly. By Year 6 pupils have a sound knowledge of history. They knew that Hitler was responsible for World War 2 and had some understanding of his treatment of Jewish people. They could discuss the Blitz, war posters, and air raid shelters, and could talk about what life was like in World War 2. They spoke confidently about the Tudors and knew that Elizabeth I had defeated the Spanish Armada.

p.27

HUMANITIES

72 Leadership and management of both subjects are satisfactory. Subject co-ordinators have begun to check the quality of provision in their subjects through sampling of work, though this has not provided enough information to check upon the quality of teaching and learning. Resources are satisfactory and are used appropriately to support learning.

p.27

Religious Education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Interesting activities and good use of drama effectively engage pupils’ interest. • There is little monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning in this subject. • ICT is not used effectively to support learning in religious education.

p.27

Commentary

73 Standards of attainment are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Progress and achievement are good, as pupils join the school with very little understanding of different religions and religious beliefs.

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Commentary

74 Year 2 pupils were able to talk about the Creation discussing competently one of their classroom displays. They knew that God created the world and Jesus was his son. They could talk about celebrations and knew that Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus. The Bible they recognised as a special book but they were not able to explain characteristics of more than one religion. Discussions with pupils in Year 6 showed that they clearly know right from wrong. They knew about the Prophet Muhammad and competently described some key beliefs and teachings of the Muslim religion, for example, that Muslims face Mecca to pray. Broadwood Primary School - 28 Pupils made comparisons between different religions and knew that Christians worship in churches, chapels and cathedrals. They knew that to join the Christian family you are baptised or christened and that the baptismal candle represents the ‘light of Jesus’. The

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Commentary

pupils were particularly confident discussing first-hand experiences such as their visit to a cathedral.

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Commentary

75 Teaching and learning are satisfactory and sometimes good . In one good lesson, the teacher used good strategies to engage and interest pupils and they listened very attentively. By the end of this lesson, pupils in Year 1 knew more about the Christmas story and there was good learning. In Year 3, pupils were able to share ideas about Jesus and his life. They listened well to each other and were able to contribute well to class discussion. At the end of the lesson they understood that Jesus could be described in different ways, for example, powerful or caring. However, in discussion during the lesson, pupils could not explain that they were studying Christianity and could not name other religions that they have studied. During lessons, pupils were enthusiastic and keen to answer questions. Relationships were good and pupils showed good attitudes towards their work. Pupils with special educational

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Commentary

needs were included well. Visits and visitors enhance the curriculum effectively and successfully engage pupils’ interest.

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Commentary

76 The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. There has been some scrutiny of work in pupils’ books but little monitoring of actual teaching and learning has taken place. Assessment activities are not planned for and record-keeping does not effectively inform teachers of what pupils know and what they need to do next. The co-ordinator has a comprehensive action plan to tackle these areas for development and resources are good. ICT is not used as effectively as it could be to support pupils’ learning, but the co-ordinator recognises this and is encouraging the use of the Internet for research purposes.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

77 Work was sampled in art and design, design and technology and music as too few lessons were seen to make an overall judgement about provision in these subjects. However, evidence from pupils’ work, scrutinising planning and from talking to them enables secure judgements to be made about standards. These match those expected for pupils’ age by Years 2 and 6 in all three subjects. In art and design, a minority of pupils attain above the expected level by Year 6. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall in all subjects. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well in their lessons and make good progress.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

78 In design and technology, pupils in Year 1 used a range of equipment including a hole punch, brass fasteners and glue or sellotape, sensibly and safely to make sliding pictures, spiral- shaped mobiles and moving puppets. Older pupils in Years 5 and 6 evaluated biscuits and rated them for appearance, taste, quality and value for money. They were able to give appropriate reasons for their decisions. Pupils had good opportunities in this lesson to practise their numeracy skills as they calculated the price of each biscuit to compare costs. In both lessons teaching and learning were satisfactory. Pupils’ attitudes were good and they behaved well.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

79 In art and design, good displays around the school, emphasise the value the school places on pupils’ work. The work of famous artists is studied and pupils imitate the style of artists well, as in the Picasso-style portraits in Years 5 and 6. There are good links with other subjects. For example, good quality landscape collages were produced as a result of a geography and history visit to Threlkeld in the Lake District. Following their work on the Blitz, Years 5 and 6 produced striking paintings of London on fire. Visiting artists and visits to art galleries enrich the curriculum well.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

80 In music, pupils are given satisfactory opportunities to experience live music, for example by visits from the Mozart String Quartet or the ’Fast Food Rockers’. Rehearsals for Christmas songs are underway. The younger pupils know the words and sing tunefully during the infant Broadwood Primary School - 29 assembly. The quality of singing in older pupils, however, varies from satisfactory to good. Some pupils are unenthusiastic and lack lustre in their singing, as was seen in one of the assemblies observed. However, in the main pupils have a good attitude towards their learning and try hard, as was seen in a Years 5 and 6 lesson when pupils learned to sing ‘Daisy, Daisy’, a music hall song. Pupils’ cultural development is promoted well as pupils are introduced to a wide range of different types of music during assemblies, for example, reggae, classical, African and Mexican music.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

81 The leadership and management of the subjects are satisfactory. National guidelines are used to ensure that learning is continuous and these programmes of work are being adapted to suit the needs of the school. However, assessment and record keeping procedures are an area that the co-ordinators know needs to be developed. The art and design and the design and technology co-ordinators have checked and evaluated the sketch-books used in the subjects but have not checked the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom. Nor has the music co-ordinator monitored and evaluated teaching of the subject. The art and design co-ordinator has established an art club which pupils particularly enjoy. In this club, work of a high standard is produced. Resources are good in all subjects and are used appropriately by staff.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Provision in physical education is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above those expected for their age by the end of Years 2 and 6. • The breadth of curricular opportunities is excellent with extensive extra-curricular activities supporting pupils’ achievement. • The subject is very well led and managed. • Pupils achieve well in local competitions. • Pupils’ attitudes are very good in this subject. • There are not enough opportunities for pupils to discuss their performance and know how to improve.

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Commentary

82 Standards are above those expected for their age by the end of Years 2 and 6. Pupils’ achievement throughout the school is good. Year 6 pupils achieve well in swimming, with seventy-five per cent of pupils able to swim twenty-five metres and the rest expected to achieve this by the end of the academic year.

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Commentary

83 The school offers a very good, broad and balanced curriculum with good games activities at lunch and play times. Extra-curricular provision is excellent, with seventeen extra-curricular clubs, including football, basketball and table tennis, and a residential trip for outdoor pursuits such as skiing and climbing. All of these clubs very effectively enhance pupils’ development of physical skills. The use of national guidance ensures that pupils experience continuous learning throughout the school. Links are good with the local secondary college, and Newcastle United football coaches also visit the school twice a year to work with pupils from Year 1 to Year 6.

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Commentary

84 Teaching and learning are good. Teachers have good subject knowledge and plan appropriately for warm up and cool down sessions. In one Years 5 and 6 lesson, the teacher had high expectations of leg lift movements and the majority of pupils performed them well. There was a good review of how to hold and use a hockey stick and pupils were then able to control the ball with the stick well. In another Years 5 and 6 lesson, pupils were engaged in a stimulating dance session which had good links with their history work. Pupils were learning Broadwood Primary School - 30 rock and roll dance movements. Although pupils were involved in physical activity throughout the lesson, they were unsure about what they were doing as there was too little demonstration and instruction from the teacher. There were too few opportunities for pupils to demonstrate and discuss performance. Pupils have very good attitudes to physical

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Commentary

education and are enthusiastic in lessons. They are well motivated and keen to discuss their achievements in local competitions. The opportunities provided by the extensive range of extra-curricular activities encourage the good behaviour of the pupils. The majority of pupils with special educational needs are included well.

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Commentary

85 Leadership and management are very good. A good audit of the teaching and learning in physical education has recently taken place and development targets have been set. The co- ordinators have very good subject knowledge and a clear vision of how physical education can be used to enhance pupils’ achievement throughout the school. The use of assessment is developing and gifted and talented pupils are effectively identified and put forward for extra training. A number of staff have been involved well in the ‘Tops Sports’ training, which has effectively enhanced curricular provision. Resources are good and used well by all staff.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision for personal, social and health education and citizenship is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The leadership and management of the subject are very good. • Pupils achieve well in all year groups. • The school gives a high priority to this subject and this is evident in every aspect of its work. • Personal development is checked very well so that pupils know exactly how well they are progressing.

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Commentary

86 A very knowledgeable and experienced subject leader has developed a very good programme of work that develops citizenship, personal, social and health education very well for all pupils. Because of this, pupils achieve very well in the four areas of citizenship, health and safety, relationships and personal development.

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Commentary

87 Pupils learn very well about the difference between right and wrong, which is taught effectively through class discussions that are followed up by good written work. They know about rights, rules and responsibilities, and they show a high degree of personal development in the responsibilities they hold in school. For example, ‘buddies’ help others to feel safe and secure in the playground, and the head boy and girl represent the views of other pupils very well.

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Commentary

88 Merit assemblies help pupils to track their own personal achievements very well and the school strongly promotes a family feeling by inviting older brothers and sisters to the achievement assemblies of the youngest children. Pupils know how well they are achieving in their behaviour and attitudes because of a good reporting system every term.

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Commentary

89 Golden time is a very good reflection of the school’s golden rules. Pupils are rewarded for following the rules and because of this, they understand very well how to be good members of a community. The school’s charity work extends this understanding to the wider world, and the residential visits the school arranges further help pupils to understand life in a community very well.

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PART D: MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspection judgement Grade Broadwood Primary School - 31 The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 8 Value for money provided by the school 4

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PART D: MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 5 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D: MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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