Warren Park Primary School

WARREN PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 8 th – 11 th September 2003

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WARREN PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Warren Park 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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WARREN PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 0 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 413

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Sandleford Road Leigh Park Havant Postcode: PO9 4LR

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 023 9247 5502 Fax number: 023 9249 8399

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Nigel Brown

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 5 th – 8 th October 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Warren Park Primary School is situated on a large estate, with a high proportion of maisonettes around the school itself. Few of the properties are owner-occupied. The estate has few facilities, the only public house having been burnt down several years ago and not replaced. The school is the centre of the community, and opens its grounds and other facilities for community use. Although there is graffiti all over the estate, there is never any in the school itself. The school is at the forefront of educational innovation, and was named by the Times Educational Supplement as one of its 25 ‘schools of the future’. Two days before the start of the inspection, in partnership with several charities, the school opened its new wing, The Sure Start Centre, designed to cater for children from birth until they are old enough to move into the reception classes and classified as one of the first 26 Children’s Centres in England. The new building also offers facilities to extend community use, with

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

a café and rooms for adult education, meetings and outside specialist use. There are very few pupils (less than one per cent) from minorities or of mixed-race heritage, and no pupils have English as an additional language. Attainment on entry is always poor and often very poor. There is a high level of special educational needs, often as high as 90 per cent in the reception class, falling to about 25 per cent in Year 6. Pupil mobility is high. Ten-year-old girls now attract more points for housing, so there is a lot of movement as families generally prefer houses and their maisonettes are taken by new occupants. For the last two years the school contained a large number of junior pupils who were moved when a local primary school was closed, and this depressed results in the national tests for Year 6 pupils. These pupils have now moved on to secondary education. As well as provision for under-3s, the school is involved in several other national initiatives including being part

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

of an Education Action Zone. It has received several awards: the Basic Skills Quality Mark; Investor in People; Schools Achievement Award; Research Machines Centre of Excellence; and Conservation of UK for Children (their work, ironically, having been destroyed by the landscaping of the new building). The school enjoys a very good reputation within Hampshire local education authority, who feel it necessary for the link adviser to visit only once a year rather than the more usual three times. Warren Park Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities 30600 Brian Espiner Lead inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology 9837 Roy Walsh Lay inspector 31822 Anne Newman Team inspector English Personal, social and health education and citizenship 12997 Chris Cheong Team inspector The Foundation Stage Design and technology 16492 Robert Lever Team inspector Science Special educational needs

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Parkman- PkR 35 Trewartha Park Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset BS23 2RT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Warren Park Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses 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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OTHER SPECIFIED FEATURES 17

The Effectiveness of Community Links and Support Activities The Assessment of Pupils with Special Educational Needs

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SUBJECTS 19

Areas of learning in the foundation stage Subjects in Key Stages 1 and 2

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is an effective school throughout which pupils generally achieve well. Teaching, learning, leadership and management are all good or better overall, and the school provides good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The leadership of the headteacher is very good. He has high aspirations, and inspires and motivates staff and pupils. The ethos of the school is excellent. • Standards in English are not high enough, especially in speaking and all aspects of writing. • The school is essentially the centre of the community. Both parents and pupils consider the school to be very good. • Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good. • The school provides its pupils with very good support, advice and guidance. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) is very good. • Information and communication technology (ICT) is used very well in other subjects. • Marking does not always give suggestions for improvement, and target setting for individual pupils and the tracking of their progress also need improvement. • There is not always enough challenge for gifted or talented pupils except in English, mathematics

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has improved well since the last inspection. All the recommendations of that inspection have been tackled successfully. Most areas of school life were praised, and the effectiveness of these has been maintained. Standards in design and technology (DT) were too low, but they are now in line with national expectations and improvement has been good.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2000 2001 2002 2002

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

English D E E D mathematics E D D B science D D D B Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Results were not as high in 2003, but comparative data is not yet available. The grades for comparison with similar schools are not reliable because of pupil mobility. In Year 6, standards in mathematics and ICT are now in line with national expectations. In science, standards are below average and in English they are well below average. Attainment on entry is poor and often very poor. In Year 2, standards in mathematics and ICT are below average, and in reading, writing and science they are well below average. Pupils’ progress is satisfactory in English, good in science and DT, and very good in mathematics and ICT in all key stages. Standards overall are below average, but pupils’ progress is good.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good. Attendance is satisfactory and punctuality is good.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Moral and social aspects are particularly well developed. Warren Park Primary School - 7

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is good . During the inspection, teaching and learning were good in mathematics and satisfactory in other subjects. However, this was at the very beginning of term and, taking pupils’ progress over time into account, it can be concluded that teaching and learning are satisfactory in English and good in other subjects.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The curriculum has satisfactory breadth and balance, and is supported and extended well by extra- curricular activities. The provision for personal, social and health education is very good, as is the support for learning outside the school day. Accommodation and resources are very good overall, and excellent for under-fives. The school is a very caring and happy community, and pupils are provided with very good support, advice and guidance. There are good links with parents and very good links with the community.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership of the highly dedicated headteacher is very good. He has a clear vision and sense of purpose, and his dynamic style inspires and motivates staff and pupils. He is ably helped by the senior management team.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Management is effective. The school has made enormous efforts to complete the expansion into under-4s provision successfully without neglecting the education of pupils in the main school, although not enough attention has been given to improving standards in English.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Governors are dedicated and hard working, and their governance is good. Financial management supports educational priorities well, taking due regard of the principles of best value (competition, comparison, challenge and consultation).

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Responses to the questionnaires were very positive. Both parents and pupils think that the school is very good and in many ways they are right. A substantial proportion of parents agreed with the statements on the questionnaire. Parents at the meeting with inspectors were full of praise for the school, as were the few written comments and parents seen during the inspection itself. Parents are particularly pleased with the starting arrangements for their children at school and about the school’s approachability. Almost all pupils feel that there is always an adult they would go to if they were worried at school.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Raise standards in English, particularly in speaking and all aspects of writing. • Ensure consistency in marking pupils’ work, giving suggestions for improvement, and in setting short-term targets for pupils and tracking their progress. • Make sure that gifted and talented pupils are sufficiently challenged according to their gifts and talents by establishing a register that covers more than English, mathematics and sport. Warren Park Primary School - 8

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satisfactory. No judgement was made about other subjects, apart from personal, social and

health education, where progress is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Despite pupils’ satisfactory progress in English, standards are low, particularly in speaking and writing. • Standards in science are below average in Year 6, but pupils achieve well to get to this point. • Gifted and talented pupils are not formally identified except in English and mathematics and in some sports. • The school does very well in getting pupils to reach expected standards in mathematics, ICT and DT from a low starting point.

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Commentary

Standards at the end of the Foundation Stage

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Commentary

Standards in relation to the Early Learning Goals by the end of reception in: Personal, social and emotional development satisfactory Communication, language and literacy poor Mathematical development poor Knowledge and understanding of the world poor Physical development no judgement Creative development no judgement Inspectors make judgements in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor.

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Commentary

1. Because the inspection started only three days into the autumn term, and the school had retained very little work from the previous year, judgements on standards at the end of the Foundation Stage were made mainly by observing Year 1 pupils. No lessons were seen in physical or creative subjects. The attainment of the present reception class was judged to be poor overall on their first half-day in school, but school records show that it is often very poor, particularly in language, mathematics and knowledge and understanding of the world, which includes science, DT and ICT. The pre-reading skills of the new reception classes are very poor. It is a very rare occasion at this school for a child to enter reception already able to read even a little or count with meaning. So although attainment is poor in the core areas at the end of the Foundation Stage, children have nevertheless made good progress, except in communication,

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Commentary

language and literacy, where progress is satisfactory.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2002

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 14.5 (13.4) 15.8 (15.7) writing 12.5 (10.9) 14.4 (14.3) mathematics 16.4 (12.7) 16.5 (16.2) There were 60 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year Warren Park Primary School - 9 2. Standards at the end of Year 2 are well below average in reading, writing, speaking and science, and below average in listening, mathematics and ICT. Standards in DT are in line with expectations. Pupils’ achievement in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory in English and good and often very good in other subjects. Pupils make particularly good progress in Year 2.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2002

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 24.9 (25.2) 27.0 (27.0) mathematics 26.3 (25.6) 26.7 ( 26.6) science 28.0 (28.0) 28.3 (28.3) There were 59 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

3. One point in this table is equivalent to one term’s progress, so Year 6 pupils were (and are consistently) over two terms behind the national average in English.

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Commentary

4. Standards at the end of Year 6 are below average in science, well below average in English, and in line with expectations in ICT, DT and mathematics. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory in English and good or very good in other subjects. Pupils make particularly good progress in Year 6.

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Commentary

5. The fact that achievement is lower in English than in other subjects is partly the responsibility of the school. The grades given for comparison with other schools are not a reliable indicator as the school had a large influx of pupils into Key Stage 2. In particular, a high proportion of these pupils had SEN in English. However, not all teachers are expecting enough of pupils’ written work, and some will too often accept sub-standard presentation, handwriting, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar. Redrafting is underused. The school has to counteract the constant use of local dialect and non-standard English in pupils’ speaking, which is transferred to their writing in sometimes inappropriate places. Even in Year 6, pupils are using We was”, “He done” and “I has”, this latter being particularly local and not found in most of Hampshire. In talking to pupils it became apparent that the proportion reading for pleasure and regularly using

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Commentary

the local library is smaller than in most schools. Some pupils actively do not like reading, and many have few books at home and admit to reading only magazines, if that. This is also adversely affecting standards in writing.

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Commentary

6. Pupils achieve very well in mathematics, particularly in number. There is a good emphasis on mental mathematics and strategies for making calculation easier. Pupils have to tackle a reasonable number of written problems, but the school does not place enough emphasis on letting pupils find things out for themselves. Pupils have a sketchy knowledge and understanding of probability.

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Commentary

7. Teachers and pupils are very enthusiastic about ICT. The school’s ICT resources are excellent. Teachers are confident and competent, and use the resources well. Pupils make very good progress throughout the school and do well to achieve the nationally expected standards by the time they go to secondary school. An exception to this is in using ICT to sense and record physical data, such as temperature, but the school has acquired the relevant equipment and software, and plans to use it this year.

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Commentary

8. Progress in science and DT is good, especially in juniors. Pupils enter school with a knowledge and understanding of the world that is poor or very poor, and leave with standards that are below average in science and in line with national expectations in DT, where they understand the nature of the design process and are often given the opportunity of re-doing a project in order to improve it. This represents a good improvement since the last inspection, where standards and provision for DT were unsatisfactory. Warren Park Primary School - 10 9. Pupils with SEN are doing very well against specific targets and goals, and make good progress overall, particularly when receiving extra support when withdrawn from English lessons. Annual reviews for pupils with Statements of SEN and regular reviews of others with individual education plans show that pupils make good progress against their targets. This is also evident in the fact

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Commentary

that about 90 per cent of pupils are identified as having SEN when they enter the school, which reduces to about 25 per cent by the time they are ready to leave.

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Commentary

10. More-able pupils are given satisfactory challenges in English and mathematics, as this is built into the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, which the school has adopted. The school has a policy for extending the more able but there is no register of gifted and talented pupils. Consequently, individuals with particular abilities in other subjects are not always challenged enough. An exception to this is in sports, where the school has joined a consortium of other local primary and secondary schools to identify and nurture talent. The inspection team is recommending that the school draws up a register of individuals’ other gifts and talents and uses this appropriately.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Attitudes are very good because of the quality of teaching and the ethos created by the staff. • Staff manage behaviour very well. • Very good relationships between staff and pupils lead to improvements in pupils’ personal development. • Older pupils’ willingness to take on responsibility is not sufficiently encouraged by the school. • Relationships are very good throughout the whole school community. • Pupils have very good opportunities to develop an understanding of the difference between right and wrong. • Overall, pupils have an underdeveloped understanding of the traditions and beliefs of cultures other than their own. • Children in the Foundation Stage achieve satisfactory standards in their personal and social development and make good progress from a low starting point.

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Commentary

11. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, enjoy being at school and strive hard to achieve the targets set them. Where teaching is of good quality, pupils approach their lessons with enthusiasm and concentrate well on their learning. Playtimes and lunchtimes are positive social occasions where friendships and confidence are developed, although sometimes older pupils are not given sufficient responsibility to assist in the smooth running of the school. The school sets high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and works hard to promote good relationships, both of which create a good atmosphere for learning. Pupils’ behaviour is usually very good in lessons and the staff use well-thought-out strategies to reward good work and behaviour. On the few occasions when poor behaviour does occur, it is managed well by all staff.

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Commentary

12. Pupils’ personal development is managed very well. The very good relationships cultivated have enabled pupils to share any worries or concerns with staff. Children with specific difficulties may Warren Park Primary School - 11 be given extra help by the ‘nurture team’ 1 , which has been developed in the school to deal competently with any emotional barriers to learning. Children may be withdrawn from classes for short periods to be helped by staff to overcome specific problems, and individual education plans are provided if required for particular needs. Staff work hard to help pupils re-join their classes. The ‘You can do it’ scheme, introduced for all pupils, enables them to develop and improve their confidence as well as their personal skills and self-organisation, including getting along with others.

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Commentary

13. Assemblies are well used to celebrate pupils’ achievements and develop their self-esteem; they have opportunities to reflect upon the message being promoted, such as the need to respect the feelings and values of others. There is less emphasis upon developing pupils’ awareness of the importance of the spiritual dimension in their lives. The religious education curriculum provides pupils with some opportunities to understand and reflect upon the teachings and values of the other major world faiths. Pupils’ personal and social development is very good and reflects the hard work done by the school to forge and maintain good relationships. More could be done to develop pupils’ understanding of ethnic and religious diversity which, at present, is not as well developed as it could be.

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Attendance

The general level of attendance has been improving over the last two years because the staff have worked hard to encourage good attendance. ‘Warren’s Winners’ is a scheme which allows pupils to gain points for attendance and achievement and then to swap them for a ‘corporate gift’, often a pen or similar, with an attached school logo. The scheme so far has been effective in raising attendance rates, which are now close to the national average. The major cause of poor attendance is parents withdrawing their children for holidays during term time. There have been no exclusions over the past seven years. The school has been determined to keep in school and manage pupils with behavioural problems, and they have been very successful in this.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 6.2 School data: 0.1 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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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is good overall.

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Key Stages 1 and 2 do not enable pupils to understand exactly how well they are doing and

how they can improve, as targets are too long-term.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are particularly good in Years 2 and 6. • Resources are used well throughout the school. Pupils are encouraged and engaged well. • All teachers insist on high standards of behaviour. • Teaching assistants are used well and form good partnerships with teachers.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

1 Nurture Team: a qualified team set up in the school to provide help to any pupil who has emotional or behavioural difficulties Warren Park Primary School - 12 • Pupils with SEN are taught well or very well, which enables them to make good progress. • Foundation Stage assessment policy and practice is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses (continued)

• In Key Stages 1 and 2, a recently devised system for assessment of English, mathematics and science is beginning to help staff see what level pupils have reached and set personal targets in these core subjects. • Marking does not always help pupils to see how they can improve and is rarely used to set short- term targets. • For ICT and for foundation subjects no school-wide assessment and recording systems are fully in place.

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Commentary

14. Lessons seen during the inspection showed satisfactory teaching and learning, except in mathematics, where they are clearly good. However, when pupils’ progress and achievement over time are considered, teaching and learning over time are good overall, being satisfactory in English and good or very good in other subjects. The inspection was right at the beginning of the new academic year, and teachers were still getting to know their pupils properly. The understanding of individual needs is an important part of the school’s philosophy of teaching and learning.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 44 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 0 (0%) 2 (5%) 21 (48%) 19 (43%) 2 (5%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Commentary

15. The very good lessons were in mathematics in Years 2 and 6. Teachers in these years work very well together and have very good relationships with the pupils, which encourages them to work hard and do their best.

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Commentary

16. The school has an interactive whiteboard in each classroom and the computer room. Teachers are confident in using these and in getting pupils to interact with them as well. Along with other very good resources, these ‘smartboards’ keep up pupils’ levels of interest and motivation to learn.

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Commentary

17. Pupils are constantly expected, and themselves expect, to behave well, and this is woven seamlessly into school life and supported by the excellent ethos. Teachers are strong without being unfair, and will not accept anything other than good behaviour. This translates into an atmosphere where learning can take place easily.

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Commentary

18. Teachers use appropriate methods to enable pupils identified with SEN to learn effectively. Setting arrangements for English and mathematics are proving effective in matching work to pupils' needs and providing smaller teaching groups. During the inspection the special educational needs teachers were involved in completing the annual audit and their teaching programme had not started. Other evidence indicates at least good teaching by these specialists. Teachers take account of the targets set out in Individual Education Plans, which are sufficiently practical to implement when support staff are not present. All classes have a dedicated and well-trained teaching assistant and they provide good support in partnership with class teachers, which helps pupils to make good progress.

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Commentary

19. Assessment of children’s progress in the Foundation Stage is good. Good systems have been established based on the Early Learning Goals and the smaller targets of the “stepping stones”. Warren Park Primary School - 13 These are being used well by the adult team to assess all children at the start of the year and on a day-by-day basis. The information gained is then used well to plan future work. It is not used to set targets for individual children.

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Commentary

20. At Key Stages 1 and 2 assessment systems and practice are satisfactory. At the time of the last inspection improving assessment practice was a key issue. It is partly better now. In English, mathematics and science a framework for assessments and regular testing is established and records updated yearly. Pupils select one piece of work to include in their “Records of Achievement” which are shared each term with parents. In addition to these, a recently devised system for English, mathematics and science is starting to show pupils’ achievements against the levels of the National Curriculum and this is beginning to make it easier for staff and pupils to set pupils’ targets and guide day-to-day planning. This type of assessment system is needed in ICT. Currently there are no school-wide consistent systems for assessment and record keeping in the foundation subjects such as history or art. Assessment procedures for pupils with SEN

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Commentary

are commented on separately later in the report.

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Commentary

21. Leadership and management have a very positive effect on pupils’ learning and progress. The headteacher and his deputy headteacher observe lessons and feed strengths and weaknesses back to teachers. Subject co-ordinators do not observe lessons in their subjects, but most check teachers’ planning and pupils’ progress.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Provision for pupils with SEN is very good and pupils are well supported to overcome their difficulties. • The school makes very good arrangements to deliver the personal, social and health education curriculum. • Very good use is made of ICT across the curriculum. • Teachers’ planning does not always focus sufficiently upon providing differentiated tasks and approaches to match the abilities of all pupils. • Pupils have very good opportunities to participate in a wide range of extra-curricular activities. • The school’s accommodation is very good and enhances the curriculum provided. • Resources for learning are of very good quality and quantity. • The curriculum is broad and reasonably well balanced, and it is set up to ensure educational inclusion. • Curriculum time is appropriately used to focus upon literacy and numeracy. • The curriculum for religious education is satisfactory. • The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory and meets their needs.

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Commentary

22. The curriculum fulfils all statutory requirements. All pupils have equality of access to the curriculum, although the nature of the site and buildings makes it difficult to provide access to wheelchair users. Teachers’ planning is not yet sufficiently focused upon ensuring that pupils of differing needs are provided with appropriately differentiated work in all areas of the curriculum. Insufficient emphasis is placed on developing pupils’ investigative and research skills to encourage them to become independent learners. Writing skills across the curriculum are underdeveloped; pupils use a limited range of styles and standards of handwriting, spelling, punctuation and presentation are often insecure. In the past, the identification of cross-curricular links and themes in teachers’ planning has been limited (except in ICT) and there have been missed opportunities to develop pupils’ literacy skills in subjects such as history, geography and

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Commentary

Warren Park Primary School - 14 religious education. This has been identified as an area for further development and started in geography and history. The basic skills of ICT are used very well in many subjects. The personal, social and health education curriculum is well embedded and the newly formed school council is a positive initiative in developing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of citizenship. The wide range of extra-curricular activities and clubs provided are popular with pupils and have a positive effect on their enthusiasm for the school and on the creation of good social skills and relationships. Field trips, visits, residential visits and the contribution of visitors to the school all add to the good provision of the school in this area.

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Commentary

23. There is a very good match of teachers and support staff to meet the needs of the curriculum and the school ensures that pupils with SEN are well provided with the support they require. The overall provision for SEN is very good. The curriculum is well organised for those identified with special educational needs and no pupils are disapplied from the National Curriculum. Arrangements for using individual education plans are effective in ensuring needs are met whilst still enabling pupils to have access to the whole curriculum.

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Commentary

24. The provision of teaching assistants is very good and they give effective support. They are experienced and receive training within school. Some are taking external qualifications. There are dedicated rooms for SEN where pupils can be withdrawn to be taught individually or in groups, but much support is within classrooms or in shared areas. There are disabled toilet facilities but the building does not easily enable disabled access. Resources for SEN in terms of books and materials are good.

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Commentary

25. The school’s accommodation is spacious and very well presented, although the Year 1 classrooms are rather cramped. Good use is made of space, including the school grounds, and the new Sure Start accommodation is an impressive addition to the school’s facilities. The school is well resourced; the new computer room is very well equipped and appropriately used by all year groups. Library accommodation and classrooms are well resourced and attractively presented to encourage a sense of pride in pupils. All these things have a positive effect on learning and progress.

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pupils is very good throughout the school. Staff are caring towards all pupils and very

supportive of pupils with specific difficulties.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides a friendly and secure environment where all pupils are equally valued. • Very good support and guidance is provided for pupils experiencing difficulties. • The arrangements for child protection are very good. • Very good relationships have been developed between adults working in the school and the pupils. • The school has yet to develop fully ways of gathering pupils’ views.

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Commentary

26. The staff have worked hard to provide pupils with a calm environment in which they are able to enjoy and concentrate on lessons. Good staff role-models are available for both boys and girls to emulate their attitudes and behaviour, which have a significant effect on pupils’ achievement and learning. Arrangements for supporting pupils’ academic and personal development are very good. The school employs a range of strategies to celebrate pupils’ achievements, including ‘good work’ boards in the hall and awarding ‘class stars’ of the week. Any pupils experiencing difficulties are able to access well-informed support and guidance through the nurture team, which provides individual pupils with invaluable help. Teaching assistants and lunchtime Warren Park Primary School - 15 supervisors know the children and their families well and provide good support to individual pupils. The school’s child-protection procedures have been selected by the county as a model

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Commentary

for other schools to use. All staff are aware of the importance of child protection, and upgrade training for recently employed teachers has been planned.

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Commentary

27. A school council has been in operation for a number of years. However, it has not been particularly effective in representing pupils’ views, and a new model has now been established, where Key Stage 2 pupils will take charge of its organisation and running. The new school council provides pupils with a formal vehicle for communicating their views to staff.

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The school provides very effective extended services to its parents. The school’s links with

its parents and partner institutions are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents hold the school in very high regard. • The quality of the extended support and services the school provides for its parents and the community is very high. • The school has developed very strong relationships with partner institutions. • The school finds it difficult to involve some parents in the work of their children.

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Commentary

28. Parents have great confidence in the ability of the school to meet the needs of their children. The school provides good quality information on pupils’ progress through termly records of achievement and also annual progress reports. This detailed information, including future targets for their children to work towards, is much appreciated by parents and contributes towards raising standards. A small number of parents are generous in offering help with supervision on out-of-school visits. The school, however, is not always successful in involving parents with their children’s education, notably with regard to homework.

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Commentary

29. The ‘Kids Club’, where purposeful learning activities take place, provides very good extended support at the beginning and the end of the school day. This allows working parents to feel confident that their children are being looked after well in a secure environment.

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Commentary

30. The new building programme has recently dramatically improved the provision of services to the local community. This facility will enable the school to develop further its community links, which are already very good.

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Commentary

31. The school has developed very good links with its partner institutions. This allows the pupils to feel confident and excited at the prospect that new opportunities present on their transfer to secondary education. The new on-site nurseries will enable the school to influence early child- care practices and therefore in time raise the standards of attainment on entry to the reception classes.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The leadership, management and governance of the school all contribute a great deal to its success. Warren Park Primary School - 16 • The leadership of the headteacher is very good and often excellent. He has an excellent clarity of vision and sense of purpose, and very high aspirations. The headteacher inspires, motivates and influences staff, and pupils to try to excel, too. His commitment to inclusion, the promotion of equality and concern for the needs of individuals is also excellent.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses (continued)

• The senior management team and staff in general give very good support to the headteacher, supplying the nuts and bolts that shore up his vision and aspirations very well. • Strategic planning is very good. The school development plan is well supported by a very good analysis of its performance, but there is no clear, comprehensive, concise summary. • The headteacher and senior management staff create effective teams with a real sense of purpose. Leaders provide very good role-models for other staff and pupils. • Performance management is very good, and the school has ‘Investor in People’ status. • The induction of new staff is excellent, and the management of the recruitment, retention, deployment and workload of staff is very good. • Governors are committed, hard working and knowledgeable, and governance is good. Governors keep a tight rein on finance and ensure that all spending supports educational

p.16

Commentary

32. The headteacher works very hard and puts in very long hours. He is totally dedicated to the pupils and the school, and his enormous energy and dynamic style contribute a great deal to the school’s success and pupils’ good achievement. However, he should delegate more for the sake of efficiency. For example, in the past the deputy headteacher has appraised all the support staff, but the headteacher has dealt with all the annual appraisal of teaching staff. This has worked very well, and performance management and relevant staff development help to raise standards. However, it took up a great deal of the headteacher’s time. There are plans for teachers to choose their own appraisers in the future, so this should reduce his workload. The headteacher and deputy headteacher monitor the teaching and learning in all classes in all subjects, and some of this could be delegated to the rest of the senior management team and

p.16

Commentary

subject leaders if they were given the training to do it properly. There is a problem here with a young and constantly changing teaching staff, some of whom do not have the confidence to monitor lessons given by other (particularly older and more experienced) teachers. However, some delegation is possible. The headteacher does a very good job in managing SEN and in this area he delegates very well to the highly competent SEN team. All the senior managers and governors have worked incredibly hard to extend the school to provide for local children from birth. This is a necessary and excellent initiative, but it has resulted in too little time being given to improving standards in English, which the school has recognised as being a problem and is now the school’s highest priority.

p.16

Commentary

33. The school strategic plan is very comprehensive and extends to three large files. The part labelled ‘School Development Plan’, a summary of everything, is not costed or timed, so it loses the clarity it needs. Nevertheless, it is obvious from the larger documentation that financial planning supports educational priorities well, and that the principles of best value (competition, comparison, consultation and challenge) are adhered to.

p.16

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.16

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1362582 Balance from previous year 155715 Total expenditure 1208219 Balance carried forward to the next 154363 Expenditure per pupil 2946

p.16

Commentary

34. The expenditure per pupil includes the school’s spending on the new building in the last financial year. If this is discounted, expenditure per pupil is about £2,400, which is about average for a Warren Park Primary School - 17 school with this level of SEN. Since the effectiveness of the school is good, this represents good value for money. Warren Park Primary School - 18 35. Governors are dedicated and work hard, and governance is good. However, individual governors do not take on a monitoring role in all subjects of the curriculum, although this is being considered. The chair of the governing body is astute and highly committed. He works very well with the school, always questioning as a ‘critical friend’, and in this he is a real asset in its plans to move forward.

p.16

Commentary

36. The school has appointed a highly competent teacher to induct and support new members of staff. Discussions with them showed that they are extremely happy with the support that they receive, both from the school and, in the case of newly qualified teachers, the support planned by the local education authority. New teachers are made to feel an important part of the school and the team. Any training that they need is picked up quickly and acted upon as soon as possible. This is, of course, essential in a school with this context and high staff turnover, and the school should be congratulated in recognising this and acting on it so positively. Because new teachers are assimilated so well and so quickly, the possible disturbance to the continuity of pupils’ education is greatly mitigated, thus having very positive benefits in ensuring progress and raising standards.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• New purpose-built community areas with excellent facilities. • New purpose-built nursery accommodation with excellent resources. • Very good relationships developed between the school and Sure Start 2 staff. • Management and staff who are dedicated to the concept of a birth to 11-year-old school.

p.18

Commentary

37. The school has been developing its community links for several years by allowing its facilities to be used for community activities and providing evening training courses in computing and health education, and in organising and running the community ‘fun day’. These links have now been greatly enhanced by a new concept in school/community relations, with the addition of several new purpose-built community areas attached to the school, together with an Early Years’ Centre. The new buildings comprise three nursery facilities with adjoining outside play areas, for children from birth to four years, a series of community rooms including a drop-in centre and café, and a number of attached training facilities. The recently completed programme has been driven forward by the enthusiasm of the headteacher and Sure Start manager, both of whom firmly, and rightly, believe that further opportunities need to be provided for the local community. The Sure

p.18

Commentary

Start Centre will allow the school to influence academic and social issues before the children reach reception classes, with the aim of improving attainment at the Foundation Stage. It is too early to comment on how successful this will be. The school ‘Kids Club’ has now been relocated into the new premises. The club, operating from 7am to 6pm, provides small group activities with purposeful, supervised play, promoting increased levels of communication and socialisation for the pupils attending. Both enterprises enable parents to obtain full-time employment knowing that their children are cared for well in a secure environment.

p.18

Commentary

2 Sure Start: a government initiative to promote the physical, intellectual and social development of pre-school children. Warren Park Primary School - 19 38. The centre will provide much needed facilities for members of the local community to access help and support or to run self-help groups, many of which will be concerned with children. This facility provides a central focus for the whole community, to help raise the self-esteem and achievement both of parents and children.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The success of the school’s assessment of pupils with SEN and what needs to be done for individuals is manifested in the over 70 per cent of pupils who move up and off the register from starting school to leaving. • Very good assessment contributes to the high proportion of pupils with SEN who attain Level 3 (and sometimes higher) of the National Curriculum in English and mathematics.

p.19

Commentary

39. The school uses assessment data from teachers, and national and other standardised tests, to inform target-setting procedures in individual education plans for pupils at Key Stage 2. It is using assessments made on entry and during Key Stage 1 to enable early identification of pupils needing extra support. The school uses a range of specific tests to monitor individual progress. Assessment works very well for these pupils, informing the school what needs to be done to maximise their progress. Warren Park Primary School - 20

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The school provides a satisfactory education for children in the Foundation Stage.

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

40. Children enter the school with standards well below that found nationally, often very poor, and with a very wide spread of ability. When they move up to the Year 1 classes, the majority of children, including those with special educational needs, have made good progress in their learning but have not achieved the Early Learning Goals, the targets for children of this age. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, and good in personal, social and emotional development and in mathematical development.

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

41. The school has just opened a new nursery unit and for the first time during the inspection parents and children were making their initial visits to the classroom. In the reception unit at the time of the inspection no children had started school. In these classes small groups of children were paying their first visits to the classrooms for an afternoon. Most judgements are based on what was achieved last year by the present Year 1 classes when they were in the reception classes.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Some good teaching was seen during children’s initial visits in reception. • Induction methods are good, although the induction of children into the reception classes is very drawn-out. • Methods for informing parents and carers are good, both of the curriculum and teaching methods and how their child is progressing. • Staff are good at checking children’s progress. • The brand-new nursery accommodation is excellent and the enlarged classroom area for reception children is very good. There are very good resources and equipment. • Leadership and management are good. • There is good early emphasis on classroom rules and behaviour. • Too little is done to develop speaking skills and vocabulary.

p.20

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

42. Staff place a suitably high emphasis on good behaviour and on the personal, social and emotional development of the children in their care. In the reception classes right from the start they teach children well about sitting together, answering the teachers’ questions and clearing up when the “clearing away” music starts. Through the praise and instruction given to them, children are able to choose some tasks for themselves. Most separate from their main carer with confidence. In the nursery class initial visits are used well to enable children to explore the setting and become familiar with the staff.

p.20

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

43. Children’s progress is satisfactory. By the time they transfer to Year 1, some children make good progress in this aspect of the Early Learning Goals in the development of their communication, language and literacy skills. Children start with poor or very poor levels in this area. In the past, too little has been achieved and, as a result, children currently in Year 1 have too few skills in reading, writing, handwriting and spelling of key words. Pupils in the Year 1 classes also lack skills in speaking and vocabulary. Staff have good plans to give greater emphasis to these aspects this year in the reception classes. Warren Park Primary School - 21

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

44. Children enter the reception classes with poor or very poor levels of mathematical understanding. They make good progress but by the time they enter Year 1 they do not even nearly gain the standard nationally expected. Staff provide suitable experiences such as encouraging children to count and to sort objects and toys; for example, when putting things away.

p.21

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

45. Standards at the end of the Foundation Stage are below those found nationally in fine skills such as for writing and drawing. School records show that gross motor skills such as climbing are good, but no lessons were observed in physical education with the new Year 1 class so no overall judgement could be made about progress. The very recently completed secure outdoor play areas are a very good asset to the school. Staff, including teaching assistants, place a suitable emphasis on the development of children’s physical abilities both indoors and out. Outside, children in the nursery are helped and encouraged well by teaching assistants to balance and move freely, pour water, fill containers and push boats.

p.21

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

46. Both, in the nursery and the reception classes, good provision and easily accessible storage gives children the freedom to choose materials and experiment for themselves. Staff promote this area of learning well. They are on hand to help children make choices for themselves and achieve the effect they desire. Staff provide a satisfactory range of opportunities for children to take part in imaginative role-play activities both in the classroom and outside. No lessons in art or music were observed in Year 1 so no judgement could be made on progress in this area. Warren Park Primary School - 22

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils attain standards that are well below the national average in English in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. • Pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 attain standards that are below expectations in relation to schools in similar contexts. • Pupils’ listening skills show good progress in both key stages, and are satisfactory by the time they reach Year 6. • Provision for pupils with SEN is very good and pupils are helped very well. • Above average ability pupils reach nationally expected standards in their reading. Average and below average ability pupils do not achieve expected standards. • Standards in writing are well below average in both key stages. • Pupils’ speaking skills are weak and many find it difficult to sustain an extended conversation. Their use of local jargon is carried over into their writing. • Progression in literacy skills is inconsistent from year to year, with pupils making the best

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

progress in Years 2 and 6. • Teachers’ expectations of the quality and quantity of written work presented in literacy are inconsistent and often not high enough. • Teachers’ comments in their marking are not always sufficiently informative to help pupils move forward in their learning. Teachers do not set sufficiently precise and focused targets in pupils’ books to encourage them to improve. • Assessment information is not always used sufficiently well to ensure that pupils’ work is adapted to meet their needs. • The management of English is good.

p.22

Commentary

47. Progress in the provision for English since the last inspection has been satisfactory. The results of national tests have shown a level trend and the school has not met its targets, based on its own predictions. This is at least partially due to pupil mobility and the lower-than-average quantity and quality of reading done outside school, but teachers should expect higher standards in written work and give more suggestions for improvement in marking. In the current Year 6, standards are well below average in speaking, reading and writing. Most pupils enter the school with poor or very poor standards and most achieve at a satisfactory level relative to their prior attainment. Those pupils who have SEN make good progress because their needs are identified early and they are given very effective support in the classroom and in withdrawn groups.

p.22

Commentary

48. In lessons observed and work scrutinised, pupils in both key stages are achieving satisfactory standards in developing their listening skills. However, standards of speaking, reading and writing are well below national expectations in both key stages.

p.22

Commentary

49. In Key Stage 1, pupils learn to listen to each other and to their teachers. They take turns to contribute to class discussions, but their speaking skills are limited by gaps in vocabulary and by lack of confidence in explaining their views, knowledge and understanding in extended speech. Many pupils in Key Stage 1 do not speak audibly, and their diction and pronunciation are underdeveloped. They are reticent in expressing their feelings about the characters and stories in their reading books and do not inject colour into their speech by using adjectives effectively. However, some more-able pupils in Year 2 are keen to discuss their experiences in various subjects across the curriculum. In Key Stage 2, most pupils can make informed contributions to Warren Park Primary School - 23 class questioning, although the number of extended responses is limited and pupils are content to provide monosyllabic answers to questions. Diction and pronunciation remain problematic in

p.22

Commentary

Key Stage 2. A minority of Year 6 pupils are prepared to talk about their work and views with teachers and visitors, and use appropriate subject-specific vocabulary during their discussion.

p.23

Commentary

50. When they enter Year 1, pupils’ standards in reading are very poor. The majority of pupils make satisfactory progress in their reading and by the end of Year 2, more-able pupils reach standards which are in line with those in schools in similar contexts. However, most achieve standards that are still well below national expectations. Confident readers in Year 2 read fluently and begin to use appropriate expression. They use a range of reading strategies to help them tackle unfamiliar words. Progress is more limited for average and below-average ability pupils, who read hesitantly and use a limited range of reading cues to help them move through the text. Many pupils have not yet developed good reading habits, despite the school’s use of a reading diary system to encourage parental involvement with the development of reading skills. By the end of Year 6, above-average and some average ability pupils read competently and accurately, though

p.23

Commentary

their tastes for different authors and types of literature are still underdeveloped. Library and information-retrieval skills are limited and pupils are uncertain about the difference between works of fiction and non-fiction. A significant number of Key Stage 2 pupils have not developed their reading habits to extend their research skills and investigative work; they are slow to become independent learners.

p.23

Commentary

51. When they enter Year 1, pupils have very low standards of attainment in writing and this remains an area of difficulty and challenge for the school in both key stages. Although pupils are provided with appropriate opportunities to write in a number of styles for different purposes, the quality of their written response is poor overall. By the end of Year 2, more-able pupils write in complete sentences and some make good use of adjectives, writing more-extended stories and descriptions and sequencing their work appropriately. However, pupils’ handwriting skills are underdeveloped. They have an insecure grasp of letter formation, spacing and sizing and are uncertain of the rules of basic punctuation. The majority of pupils are slow to develop a fluent joined script. Presentation of work is often untidy, standards of spelling are poor and pupils use a limited range of vocabulary. There are some examples of incomplete work in pupils’ books and

p.23

Commentary

52. In Key Stage 2, pupils make some progress in choosing an appropriate style of writing to suit a particular purpose; for instance, they know how to present instructional writing. However, pupils continue to lack access to a widening range of vocabulary to help them inject colour and variety into the poetry and prose tasks they tackle. This is linked to their difficulties in developing as independent readers and a significant minority of pupils have difficulty in reading and understanding the tasks set for them to complete in class. By Year 6, pupils can plan a story sequentially, although they find it difficult to develop and express their ideas without prompting. There is a wide variation in the quality of the imagery that pupils select to improve their writing. A significant number of pupils do not complete the written tasks which they are set, handwriting skills continue to be weak across the Key Stage, and spelling, punctuation and presentation of

p.23

Commentary

written work are unsatisfactory overall, and teachers often accept work that they should reject as being not good enough.

p.23

Commentary

53. Progress in reading and writing is satisfactory overall, although pupils are slow to develop sound standards in the basic skills of handwriting, spelling and punctuation. Writing standards are hampered by their difficulties in speaking and reading, so that they make slow progress in organising their ideas and material to produce logically argued and appropriately structured written work.

p.23

Commentary

54. Pupils with SEN are provided well with good levels of support and suitably adapted tasks, ensuring that they are challenged according to their identified needs. However, the needs of less- able pupils who are not identified as having SEN are not fully met through the provision of tasks that specifically target areas of difficulty. Teachers’ planning does not always match the individual needs of pupils in different areas of the literacy curriculum. Warren Park Primary School - 24 55. The quality of teaching seen during the inspection was satisfactory overall. Where lessons are well planned, pupils are made aware of learning objectives, there is a range of teaching strategies and interesting activities and lessons are conducted at a brisk and lively pace. As a result, pupils sustain their concentration and their involvement in the lesson. Most teachers question pupils well and use their subject knowledge to reinforce and consolidate learning.

p.23

Commentary

However, where the pace of the lesson is slow and pupils are not provided with a variety of activities and approaches, they lose interest and do not work as hard. The scrutiny of pupils’ work reveals inconsistencies in standards of marking and in teachers’ expectations of the quality and quantity of the written work that they accept. Where precise, simple targets are set on written work, pupils and their parents have a good understanding of what they need to do next to raise their standards of achievement.

p.24

Commentary

56. The literacy co-ordinator has good systems of monitoring and evaluating the quality of provision in literacy across the school and shows a clear awareness of areas that require further development, i.e., standards in speaking, reading and writing. Tracking records are kept for each pupil on a termly basis to measure progress and identify particular needs. However, these records are not yet fully effective in guiding teachers’ planning in all year groups and classes, so work is sometimes not matched sufficiently to pupils’ individual needs, unless these pupils have SEN. Targets are too long-term. As a matter of school policy, the monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning is undertaken by the headteacher and his deputy headteacher and not by the co-ordinator.

p.24

Language and literacy across the curriculum

57. The literacy co-ordinator and the senior management team have identified the need to develop further the cross-curricular links and references in teachers’ planning to ensure that pupils’ literacy skills are targeted in subjects other than English. The timing of the inspection so early in the Autumn term and the limited amount of pupils’ work seen from the previous year make it impossible to form a secure judgement on this area of the school’s work.

p.24

Provision in mathematics is good. Most pupils achieve very well and reach nationally

expected standards in the most important aspects of the subject by the end of Year 6.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve very well throughout the school. From a very low starting point on entry to the school, standards in Year 6 are in line with the national average in number, mental mathematics, shape, space and measurement. • Standards are below national expectations in handling data. In particular, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of probability are below expectations, and often well below. • Standards in using and applying mathematics are below average. Pupils’ poor command of spoken English hinders lucid explanations of what they are doing and why. • The school uses the National Numeracy Strategy well, placing a good emphasis on mental mathematics and strategies for making it easier. • The curriculum does not place enough emphasis on mathematical investigations. • Although there is no withdrawal of pupils with SEN in mathematics, the provision for them in class is very good. • Teaching and learning are good, but marking does not generally include suggestions for

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

improvement, and the opportunity to give short-term targets to individual pupils is missed. • The subject is led and managed very well. The co-ordinator, herself a very good teacher, is well aware of the subject’s weaknesses, and written plans to rectify most of them exist already.

p.24

Commentary

Warren Park Primary School - 25 58. The good use of the National Numeracy Strategy has ensured that standards have risen since the last inspection. A correct emphasis on number as the most important part of the primary mathematics curriculum has ensured that standards here have risen to the extent that they are now in line with the national average (although they move from year to year between average and well below average, depending on the ability of the cohort) and above the standards achieved by similar schools. Achievement is generally very good. Pupils with SEN also make very good progress, as they receive very good support in class from teaching assistants, although none benefit from withdrawal to the specialist teachers, who concentrate on English.

p.25

Commentary

59. In talking to Year 6 pupils it became apparent that their understanding of probability is sometimes negligible and the school should do more to make sure that facts are remembered.

p.25

Commentary

60. The highly competent co-ordinator has recently attended training on using mathematical investigation and is very enthusiastic. At the moment very little use is made of investigational work. Consequently, pupils are not given enough opportunity to use their curiosity and extend their imagination, and the opportunity is lost to increase their interest and confidence, so this hinders progress.

p.25

Commentary

61. Teaching and learning are good and sometimes very good, although one lesson observed in lower juniors was unsatisfactory through a lack of focus on a simple learning objective. There were two very good lessons, in Years 2 and 6, where the teachers used personality and sense of humour very well and their enthusiasm was caught by the pupils. All teachers have a good subject knowledge and use the National Numeracy Strategy well. Pupils are enthusiastic and work hard. They listen attentively and try to please their teachers and teaching assistants by producing good work.

p.25

Commentary

62. Marking is inconsistent. Teachers do not always use marking as a way of giving suggestions for improvement, and an opportunity is lost both to give useful short-term targets and to track the progress of individual pupils.

p.25

Mathematics across the curriculum

63. Because of the timing of the inspection and the unavailability of much of last year’s work, there was not enough evidence to make a judgement on the use of mathematics in other subjects.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ achievement is good over time. • Teaching and learning are good overall. • Subject management is good. • Learning resources are very good. • There has been effective adoption of national guidelines. • Standards are below average. • The use of ICT is good, and still developing.

p.25

Commentary

64. Pupils begin at a very low level and progress is good as they go through the school. By the time they leave, standards are still below the national average, but above the average in similar schools. Warren Park Primary School - 26 65. All lessons seen were first lessons with new classes. This resulted in half the lessons being judged as satisfactory. Other evidence indicates good teaching and learning overall. These are particularly strong in Years 2 and 6.

p.25

Commentary

66. Although the co-ordinator was absent during the inspection, the written brief, documentation and discussions with other staff show that she manages the subject well. She has very good subject knowledge and is well organised.

p.26

Commentary

67. Resources are very good to support all aspects of the subject and are extremely well organised and easily available.

p.26

Commentary

68. The school has put in place national guidelines, which ensures systematic coverage of the subject and progression in developing knowledge and skills.

p.26

Commentary

69. As a result of a period of pupil mobility the standards of attainment are lower now than at the previous inspection. The 2003 national test results were lower than the published 2002 results.

p.26

Commentary

70. The school has not yet used ICT to monitor external events in science but resources are now in place and their use is planned for later in the year.

p.26

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils make very good progress. • Standards are in line with national expectations except in using ICT to measure physical data, where it is below expectations. • Teaching and learning are good. • Resources are excellent. The school has been named a Research Machines Centre of Excellence. • Assessment is not consistent. • Subject leadership is good. • ICT is used very well across the curriculum.

p.26

Commentary

71. Pupils enter the school with attainment that is well below that found in most schools. When they leave the school, standards are in line with national expectations. Consequently, achievement is very good. In the past this has not been the case in every area, as the school has been missing out the part of the National Curriculum dealing with sensing physical data such as temperature. However, the school has acquired the equipment to do this and plans to use it with Year 6 pupils, so the school now fulfils the requirements of the National Curriculum. Pupils also have limited experience of using a digital camera in school.

p.26

Commentary

72. Teaching and learning are good, although one unsatisfactory lesson was observed in lower juniors. In this lesson, not enough thought was given to the structure of the sequence of tasks that pupils had to do, and pupils were required to remember too many instructions. They had difficulty, and learning was too slow. Teachers have high expectations and a good knowledge and understanding of the subject. They often introduce useful programs, such as Powerpoint , earlier than is usually seen in schools. Pupils cope well with it and learn quickly. Warren Park Primary School - 27 73. The school has a very well equipped computer room, and a ‘smartboard’ in this room and in every classroom. Each classroom also has a small attached room, or ‘pod’, containing computers for use at any time. Pupils have unlimited access to their pods, and Year 6 pupils to the computer room during lunch hours. There is a plentiful supply of robots and good

p.26

Commentary

software.There is no school-wide assessment system based on National Curriculum levels, and the inspection team is recommending that such a system is devised and employed as soon as possible.

p.27

Commentary

74. The subject is led and managed well by two very knowledgeable and enthusiastic teachers, one of whom manages hardware and the other software. They work very well as a team, and the staff are very lucky to be able to draw on their expertise, which they share willingly and tirelessly. It is this that largely accounts for the confidence and competence of staff and the consequent raising of standards. The school is constantly looking for new software. For example, during the inspection they were investigating different desktop publishing systems to buy one that pupils would find easier than Microsoft Publisher . Management would be very good if the school had a good assessment system.

p.27

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

75. ICT is used very well in other subjects. The smartboards are in constant use, sometimes for team teaching across a year, and pupils are encouraged to use them in lessons. Pupils are confident in using the Internet and CD-ROMs to find information, and are thoroughly used to treating ICT as what it essentially is in schools, i.e., a very useful tool. They produce bar-charts in Key Stage 1, a year before they are supposed to start studying data handling in the mathematics National Curriculum. A group of more-able Year 6 pupils use computers to produce a highly competent and attractive school newspaper. The school has taken these pupils to the local newspaper offices, and combined this visit with seeking advice on software for publishing.

p.27

HUMANITIES

76. The timing of the inspection during the first full week of the autumn term and the limited amount of pupils’ work available for scrutiny from the previous academic year made it difficult to form a secure judgement about standards in religious education, history and geography. From discussions with pupils and a scrutiny of teachers’ planning and of the available pupils’ work, it can be said that there is adequate coverage of the National Curriculum Programmes of Study. Teachers’ planning is appropriately focused upon the development of skills in humanities subjects.

p.27

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

77. Only DT was examined under this section, as it was found to be unsatisfactory at the time of the last inspection.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The standard that pupils achieve is in line with that found nationally at age seven and eleven. • The curriculum is now being taught for a suitable amount of time. The school has adopted the government-recommended scheme of work, which teachers are using consistently. • The school has good resources and accommodation for the subject. Warren Park Primary School - 28

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses (continued)

• Teachers correctly stress the design cycle of plan, do, evaluate and adjust. • The work is rarely compared to pupils nationally or against the levels of the National Curriculum at the end of the key stages. As a result, the co-ordinator, who has taken on the role only recently, is unsure of the standards being achieved or where further improvement needs to take place.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses (continued)

78. Teaching and learning are good overall. Because of this, pupils make good progress from a lower-than-average starting point. Pupils are given a good range of projects to undertake and skills are being developed systematically. As a result, the oldest pupils are able to talk satisfactorily about the stages of the design process and how, for example, they modified and adjusted their moving toys in Year 5. There is no school-wide system for assessment and record keeping. Nor are targets set with pupils, so they are not always sure about what they need to do to improve.

p.28

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

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

p.28

Strengths and weaknesses

• Appropriate curriculum time for the delivery of personal, social and health education (PSHE) is regularly provided in pupils’ weekly timetables. • Pupils respond very well to this provision and develop a good understanding of the responsibilities and benefits of citizenship. • The PSHE curriculum encourages pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills and to relate positively to each other. • PSHE forms an integral part of the caring ethos of the school. • Very good links have been formed with Health Service personnel who visit the school to ensure that pupils are appropriately provided with sex education, drugs awareness and information on oral hygiene and related issues. • The school is working effectively to achieve the ‘Healthy School’ qualification. • The PSHE curriculum provides very good opportunities for visitors to contribute to pupils’ education and to extend their experiences. • PSHE provides very good opportunities for the school to explore sensitive issues with pupils

p.28

Strengths and weaknesses

and to encourage their confidence to share their feelings and concerns with each other. • The school places very good emphasis upon developing pupils’ self-esteem and enables them to set themselves realistic personal goals.

p.28

Commentary

79. PSHE is a valuable extension to the school’s curriculum and enhances pupils’ awareness of the school’s high expectations for their behaviour and attitudes. The “You Can Do It” approach develops pupils’ self-confidence and their belief in their ability to overcome problems. It encourages them to develop strategies to achieve success. This provision effectively focuses pupils’ attention on the need to reflect and to set themselves personal targets in relation to others by developing the qualities of resilience, concentration, determination and organisation. Warren Park Primary School - 29

p.28

PART D: INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.29

PART D: INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 5 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 4 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: 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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