Soho Parish CofE Primary School

SOHO PARISH C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 8 th – 11 th March 2004

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SOHO PARISH C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Soho Parish C of E 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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SOHO PARISH C OF E 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. Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary aided Age range of pupils: 4 – 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 142

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: 23 Great Windmill Street London Postcode: W1D 7LF

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 020 7641 7311 Fax number: 020 7641 7334

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Ms A Roberts

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: October 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Soho Parish C of E (aided) School is situated in the heart of central London, in Soho and close to Piccadilly Square. It is smaller than most other primary schools, with 142 pupils from the ages of four to eleven, although the roll has increased significantly over the last two years. The number of pupils joining or leaving the school other than at the usual times of admission or leaving is higher than usual. Pupils are taught in seven classes by eight full-time teachers and one part-time teacher. There is one class for each year group from reception to Year 6. Thirty-six per cent of the pupils come from white UK backgrounds, with the rest coming from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds (see table below). A very high proportion of pupils (48.5 per cent) speak English as an additional language and the majority of these are at the early stages of English language acquisition. Occasionally, pupils join the school from overseas with little or no spoken English.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

There are currently 15 different home languages spoken by pupils. At 23.7 per cent, the proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is slightly above the national average. The proportion identified as having special educational needs, 18.3 per cent, is similar to the national average, as is the proportion of pupils with statements of special educational needs (1.5 per cent). The majority of the pupils live in the local area. In 2001 the school received an award from the Department for Education and Skills to mark the good achievements of its pupils in the national test results. It has received the national ‘Healthy Schools’ accreditation and the Investors in People award. It is part of the ‘Excellence in Cities’ national initiative and has an assigned ‘learning mentor’ as part of this strategy.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Ethnic background of pupils No of pupils on roll White – British 44 White – Irish 1 White – any other White background 17 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 1 Mixed – White and Black African 3 Mixed – White and Asian 6 Mixed – any other mixed background 5 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 17 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 2 Black or Black British – African 5 Black or Black British – any other Black background 2 Chinese 19 Any other ethnic group 1 Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

22330 Mr L Lewin Lead inspector Science Humanities Creative, Aesthetic, Practical and Physical subjects 14324 Mr M Hudson Lay inspector 32142 Mrs B Richmond Team inspector Foundation Stage English 20832 Mr M Galowalia Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The inspection contractor was: Parkman Ltd in association with 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 inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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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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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a very good school that is improving at a good rate due to very good leadership and management. Overall, very good teaching enables pupils to make good progress and achieve well by the time they leave the school. The school provides good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The headteacher has an excellent approach towards developing a vision for school improvement. • Pupils attain good standards in information and communication technology (ICT) in Year 6. • Pupils attain below average standards in writing in Year 2. • In conjunction with the very good provision for promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, they behave very well and show very positive attitudes towards school. • Extra-curricular activities, visits and visitors provide excellent enrichment for the curriculum. • Provision for supporting and guiding pupils overall is outstanding and the provision for supporting pupils with special educational needs is very good. • The school has developed very good links with parents and the community. • The attendance rate is poor in comparison with that in other schools nationally.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has made good progress since its previous inspection in 1998. Concerns about standards in mathematics and ICT, support for pupils needing help with learning English as an additional language, and information for parents, have been securely dealt with. Attendance, noted as being unsatisfactory last time, remains a weakness. The school has strengthened many areas of its provision since the last inspection, with particular improvement noted in teaching, leadership and management. There is a very strong commitment to developing the school further in the future, and the strategies that have been put in place over the last two years mean that the school is well placed to accelerate its improvement.

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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 A A D A Mathematics B C E B Science A A E* C 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. N.B. A* signifies the results in the top five per cent of schools nationally. E* signifies the results in the lowest five per cent of schools nationally.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils achieve well overall by the time they reach Year 6 as a result of very good teaching. Typically for a school of this size, results in national tests vary a great deal from year to year. In 2003 Year 6 pupils attained below average results in English and well below average results in mathematics and science. However, in terms of their progress since they were tested in Year 2, pupils attain well above average results in English, above average results in mathematics and average results in science. Observations during this inspection show that most pupils in the current Year 6 cohort attain average standards in English, mathematics and science, although a significant minority reach above average levels. They reach above average standards in ICT and, although most reach average standards in English, their reading, speaking and listening skills are above average. Children starting school show broadly average attainment, and by the end of the

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Foundation Stage they meet the expected levels in all areas of learning except personal, social, emotional, mathematical and physical development, where their attainment exceeds the expected levels. Year 2 pupils attain the expected levels in reading, mathematics, science and ICT, but Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 7 standards in writing are below average. Not enough evidence was collected to judge attainment in art, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education, but singing in assembly was noted as being of a good standard and pupils in Years 3 to 6 learn to play the recorder competently and read music at a basic level.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good . Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development are very good . Most pupils arrive at school punctually, but attendance is poor when compared to that in other schools .

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is very good . Teaching and learning are very good overall. Teaching is of a consistently high quality for children in the Foundation Stage and in Years 3 to 6. Lessons are well prepared and teachers make very good use of time and resources to accelerate pupils’ learning. Very good relationships between teachers and pupils encourage pupils to learn confidently. Teachers question pupils very skilfully to promote their learning. Expectations of pupils’ attainment in writing are not high enough in Year 2. Occasionally, class teachers do not provide sufficient support for pupils for whom English is an additional language. Very occasionally higher attaining pupils are not sufficiently extended by the work provided. Very good procedures are established to assess pupils’ progress. Teachers have consistently high expectations of behaviour. Staff provide very effective teaching for pupils with special educational needs.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a very good curriculum, and excellent enrichment to pupils’ learning through extra-curricular activities, visits and visitors. The provision of support, advice and guidance for pupils is excellent . Links with parents and the community are very strong.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good . Governors fulfil their roles very effectively and ensure that all statutory requirements are met in full. The headteacher demonstrates an outstanding approach towards developing the school vision for its future development. Through excellent communication and management she ensures that all members of the school community feel well informed and valued. She provides an atmosphere in which staff work together as an enthusiastic and highly effective team. The deputy headteacher provides very effective support for the headteacher and her colleagues. The high-quality work of the learning mentor very effectively supports the management of many key areas of the school’s provision. Governors work energetically and play a full part in shaping the school’s future improvement. Provision for special educational needs is very well managed.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and pupils have a high regard for the school. Parents are fully involved in the education of their children. The views of both parents and pupils are actively sought, valued and acted upon by the school.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • improve the standard of pupils’ writing in Year 2. • explore more-stringent measures to ensure the full attendance of pupils. Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Overall, pupils achieve well and standards have been broadly maintained, and in some cases improved, since the last inspection.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils reach above average standards in ICT by Year 6. • Pupils reach above average standards in reading, speaking and listening by Year 6. • Pupils sing well. • Pupils’ achievement in writing is unsatisfactory in Year 2. • Pupils who speak English as an additional language occasionally underachieve in lessons. • Very occasionally, activities provided do not challenge higher attaining pupils sufficiently in Years 1 and 2.

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Commentary

1. When children enter the Foundation Stage class their levels of attainment are as expected overall, although some, including those learning English as an additional language, have attainment in communication, language and literacy that is below expectations. The very good teaching helps children achieve very well and reach the expected levels in all areas of learning except their personal, social, emotional, mathematical and physical development, where they exceed the expected levels.

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Commentary

2. The small sizes of year groups, the variations in the number of pupils in each cohort who have special educational needs or who need support in learning to speak English as an additional language and the high level of 1 pupil mobility, mean that results in national tests vary quite dramatically from year to year. For example, Year 6 results in national tests dipped markedly from above the national average in 2002 (see table below) to well below average in 2003. However, a comparison of the performance of these pupils in national tests when they were in Year 2, and the school’s detailed tracking of their progress, show that they achieved well and made good progress. The current Year 6 cohort has a different profile, and inspection observations show that most of them are on course to attain the nationally expected levels in English, mathematics and science, but with a significant minority looking likely to exceed this

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Commentary

level. In addition, these pupils show above average attainment in ICT.

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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 25.9 (28.6) 26.8 (27.0) Mathematics 24.3 (27.4) 26.8 (26.7) Science 25.4 (30.2) 28.6 (28.3) There were 11 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

3. The results in national tests for Year 2 also vary a great deal from year to year. For example, the 2003 results (see table below) improved markedly from those of 2002, to well above average in reading, writing and mathematics. Observations of this year’s cohort show that most are on course to reach average levels in reading and mathematics, but they are below average in writing. Pupils’ achievement by Year 2 is variable. It is good in reading, speaking, listening,

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Commentary

1 The number of pupils joining or leaving the school each year other than at the usual times of admission or transfer. Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 9 science and ICT, where pupils meet the expected levels. It is satisfactory in mathematics, where pupils reach average standards, but unsatisfactory in writing, where their attainment is below the levels expected. The unsatisfactory progress in writing is linked to the fact that pupils are not sufficiently challenged by the writing tasks they are given.

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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 17.6 (15.4) 15.7 (15.8) writing 17.1 (13.1) 14.6(14.4) mathematics 17.6 (14.8) 16.3 (16.5) There were 18 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

4. Not enough evidence was collected in history, geography, art, design and technology, music and physical education to enable judgements about attainment to be made. However, observations of assemblies showed that pupils across the school sing well, and those in Years 3 to 6 gain a sound basic knowledge of how to play the recorder and read simple music notation.

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Commentary

5. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well in lessons due to the very good support they receive. In general, this enables them to cover the same areas of work as their classmates, although sometimes in less depth and detail. Very good work by the teachers and support staff with guided reading sessions, reading recovery sessions and other intervention strategies helps pupils to make very good progress in catching up with acquiring the skills they need.

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Commentary

6. Overall, pupils who speak English as an additional language progress and achieve well due to the extra support they receive from teaching assistants, the learning mentor and the specialist teacher. Also, teachers are sometimes skilful in ensuring that these pupils are fully involved in whole class lessons – reinforcing the vocabulary used and checking that individuals have a full understanding of what to do. However, this practice is not consistently applied in all classes, so that the progress of these individuals is occasionally hampered when, for example, they are not conversant with some of the vocabulary needed to complete an activity provided.

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Commentary

7. Although achievement in the lessons seen was good, the scrutiny of pupils’ books in Years 1 and 2 indicates that occasionally higher attaining pupils in Years 1 and 2 are not sufficiently challenged by the activities provided for them.

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Commentary

8. The skilled approach from teachers throughout the school towards running guided reading sessions and pursuing opportunities for discussions results in pupils showing good attainment in speaking, listening and reading by Year 6. They develop the ability to articulate their ideas confidently and fluently, and use their good reading skills well in lessons and when researching text they are given.

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Commentary

9. The school’s strong orientation towards promoting the use of ICT and the skilled way in which teachers use their interactive whiteboards mean that pupils continually build on their computer skills. By Year 6 they show a good level of competence in using spreadsheets, PowerPoint, word-processing and research through Internet links.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils have very good attitudes and behaviour. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very well promoted. Punctuality is satisfactory but attendance is poor.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are very well motivated and enthusiastic. Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 10 • Relationships throughout the school are very good. • Pupils carry out responsibilities conscientiously. • The school has not pursued fully all possible avenues for encouraging the full attendance of pupils who are regularly absent or take time off for holidays during the term.

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Commentary

10. Throughout the school pupils show a good level of interest in the work they are asked to do. They are often enthusiastic and keen to participate in discussions and activities. They generally respond well to staff directions and put their best efforts into tasks. All groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, listen carefully and generally show confidence in asking questions and joining in discussions. For example, in a Year 5 literacy lesson pupils showed great enthusiasm when discussing observations and ideas from their visit to the British Museum.

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Commentary

11. Relationships throughout the school are very strong, both between staff and pupils, and also between pupils. Pupils show a sensitive awareness of each other’s needs and support each other very well in lessons. Where collaboration or teamwork is called for, pupils work very well together.

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Commentary

12. Behaviour in and around the school is very good. Pupils work and play happily with one another and there is a strong family ethos apparent across the school. Pupils’ personal development is very good, with individuals keen to take on responsibility. They show a conscientious attitude when they are given any jobs to do.

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Commentary

13. The school provides very well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The pupils are justly proud of playing a very active part, through the school council, in the development of the school charter. They have therefore a built-in respect for abiding by the rules they have agreed. The assemblies are highly productive in promoting pupils’ feelings, values and beliefs; for example, what qualities they see in leaders across countries and continents. The teachers and adults serve as excellent role models for pupils. The very good ethos that exists in school, and the expectations of care, concern and cooperation in the classroom and outside it, make a marked contribution to developing pupils’ attitudes and behaviour. The very wide religious, linguistic and cultural diversity of the school community is harnessed very effectively to deepen pupils’ understanding of different cultures and teach them

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Commentary

to respect and celebrate traditions of different ethnic minority groups. Very well-developed visits to the surrounding rich resources of museums, art galleries, parks, institutions and historical buildings enrich pupils’ formal and informal learning of history, culture and the creativity of the human mind. Visitors to the school such as artists, poets, musicians, writers and performers extend pupils’ views and enrich their experiences very significantly. The school provides many clubs and arranges facilities for sports and games to broaden pupils’ education and personal development.

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Commentary

14. Attendance is poor. The main reasons for this and the above-average unauthorised absence are a few pupils regularly not attending school and others being taken on family holidays in term time and not returning when agreed. The school is taking action to improve attendance, but some parents are being slow to comply. Although first-day contact with parents about absence, more stringent holiday procedures and greater involvement of the education welfare service are being considered, these areas are not currently pursued with sufficient vigour. Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 11 Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 6.3 School data 0.5 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Exclusions

There were no exclusions in the last school year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

Overall the quality of education is very good. The school provides a strongly enriched curriculum. There are many strengths within the provision to help and guide pupils and links with the parents and the community are very good.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are very good overall. Very good procedures are established to assess pupils’ progress.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is consistently of a high quality for children in the Foundation Stage and in Years 3 to 6. • Lessons are well prepared. • Teachers make very good use of time and resources to accelerate pupils’ learning. • Very good relationships between teachers and pupils encourage pupils to learn confidently. • Teachers question pupils very skilfully to promote their learning. • Expectations of pupils’ attainment in writing are not set high enough in Year 2. • Occasionally class teachers do not provide sufficient support for pupils for whom English is an additional language. • Very occasionally more-able pupils are not sufficiently extended by the work provided. • Teachers have consistently high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. • Staff provide very effective teaching for pupils with special educational needs.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 36 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 5 (14%) 16 (44%) 15 (42%) 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. Teaching and learning are very good and occasionally excellent in the Foundation Stage, good in Years 1 and 2, and very good and sometimes excellent in Years 3 to 6.

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Commentary

16. Across the school, teachers organise and prepare their lessons very well and try hard to ensure that activities are interesting for pupils. For example, they use fully all the areas of enrichment that have been built into the curriculum, such as visits and visitors, to enhance the work they Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 12 plan. As a result, pupils are nearly always fully engaged during lessons and try their hardest to succeed.

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Commentary

17. There is a very strong rapport between all teachers and pupils. Pupils like their teachers, feel that they are very approachable, and are keen to show them their best work. The atmosphere in most lessons is purposeful and businesslike in terms of completing work, but also supplemented by doses of good humour, ensuring where possible that pupils enjoy learning. This was the hallmark of many of the very good and excellent lessons seen in Years 3 to 6, where the ‘fun factor’ had the effect of increasing pupils’ levels of motivation to a high degree.

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Commentary

Example of outstanding practice Excellent use of humour in a Year 6 literacy lesson inspires pupils’ creativity and increases their pace of working. Pupils were involved in a very interesting task to design advertising slogans and were intensively involved in constructing their own conditional sentences. The excellent humorous examples, such as, ‘If I were David Beckham, I would always have spice in my life’ provoked a string of very good and very rapidly produced sentences from the pupils, such as,‘If I were the headteacher, I would turn my chair into a rocket and escape to Hawaii’.

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Commentary

18. Teachers use the very good relationships to boost pupils’ confidence and self-esteem. For example, because they know the needs of individuals very well, they are skilful in encouraging pupils through the careful use of praise and acknowledgement for good efforts made.

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Commentary

19. The ‘taught time’ available in the school is used very effectively by all staff and no time is wasted. For instance, registration sessions are run crisply and efficiently, and pupils move around the school to and from assemblies with a minimum of time disruption. For example, Year 4 pupils returning from a physical-education lesson in the hall changed very quickly and moved smoothly into a very well prepared practical science lesson without any pause. Teachers promote pupils’ learning through the very effective use of resources. In particular, interactive whiteboards are used in a very effective way to present text, worksheets and posters. This approach to work is very stimulating for pupils and strongly promotes discussion as well as helping to ensure clarity of information. A particularly good example of the use of this facility was noted in a whole-class recorder session where the music was displayed very clearly for the

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Commentary

class to follow on the interactive white board. The teacher also used the function of getting the computer to play the notes displayed as an example for pupils to follow, which helped them rapidly master the tune being taught.

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Commentary

20. Teachers’ very effective questioning of pupils, especially in Years 3 to 6, ensures that they are all involved in discussion, and are made to think in depth about concepts being introduced. This skilful questioning coupled with clear and succinct explanations also ensures that lessons move at a very good pace.

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Commentary

21. In the Foundation Stage, teaching is consistently of a high quality, with activities provided that match precisely the needs of individual children. Sessions are very well organised, with all staff very effectively deployed to give maximum support to all children. Teachers and support staff work in a very skilful and intuitive way to boost the progress of individual children and get them learning through collaboration with each other or independently, as required.

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Commentary

22. Generally teachers show a confident approach towards teaching literacy and numeracy across the school, and the very good organisation of guided reading sessions clearly accelerates the progress of all groups of pupils. However, in Year 2, pupils do not progress sufficiently with their writing because expectations are not high enough and there are too few opportunities for them to extend the length of the writing they do.

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Commentary

23. A strength of teaching across the school is the high expectation that teachers have of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils respond very well and have a clear understanding of the parameters set by their teachers. A very clear ethos of mutual respect is well established throughout the school Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 13 and the need for teachers to spend time talking to pupils about behaviour problems is minimal, clearing the way for teaching time to be spent in a positive manner.

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Commentary

24. Pupils with special educational needs are very well supported by teachers, teaching assistants and the learning mentor. Programmes of work are carefully designed for pupils with specific needs, and clear targets are made for future improvement. The support these pupils receive means that they are always fully included in all class activities. Also, other intervention programmes such as reading recovery are very well organised to help boost the performance of individuals.

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Commentary

25. Overall, teachers, teaching assistants and the learning mentor ensure that pupils who need help with learning English as an additional language are given good support and guidance. In some lessons seen, teachers show a skilled approach towards reinforcing the vocabulary that these pupils need and ensuring that they understand the activities provided. However, this approach is not consistent across the school and occasionally these pupils receive insufficient help with understanding new vocabulary.

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Commentary

26. In the great majority of lessons seen, teachers provide activities that challenge all groups of pupils. However, very occasionally in Years 1 and 2 the activities provided do not extend the more able pupils sufficiently.

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Commentary

27. Over the last two years the school has put in place very good procedures for assessing the performance of pupils and track their progress as they move through the school. The information gained is presented in a very clear format that aids analysis and informs teachers’ planning. Teachers also use assessment information to set targets for pupils in English, and the school recognises the need to continue target setting for pupils in a more detailed way in other subjects.

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The curriculum

The school provides a very good curriculum with excellent enrichment. Accommodation is rather cramped, resources for teaching and learning are good and the school has an appropriate number of very effectively deployed staff.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum meets the pupils’ needs very well in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT). • Links between subjects are very good. • Extra-curricular activities, visits and visitors provide excellent enrichment. • Teachers and support staff are matched well with the needs of the curriculum. • The lack of a covered area for play in the Foundation Stage restricts children’s physical development. • Although resources are good overall, the library provision is weak. • Good provision for pupils with English as an additional language and for those with special educational needs enhances equality of access and opportunity.

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Commentary

28. Overall, the curriculum is broad and very well balanced. Planning for English, mathematics, science and ICT is thorough. The school makes very effective use of the time by developing links very effectively. Teachers make effective use of national guidance on the curriculum to write long and medium-term plans.

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Commentary

29. Curriculum enrichment is wide ranging and draws heavily on visits, visitors and extra-curricular activities. These are well linked to improving achievement and standards. For example, the work done by pupils in the ‘puzzle’ club develops their problem-solving skills very effectively. Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 14 Also, the provision of homework clubs is a very proactive initiative by the school to support pupils’ work. Visits to art galleries, museums and cultural centres are highly effective in expanding pupils’ interests and enhancing class projects. More enhancement for pupils’ learning comes from the wide range of visitors such as a scientist, poets, musicians and an ICT specialist who come to the school to work with pupils.

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Commentary

30. The curriculum is well matched to the needs of all pupils. Full access for pupils with special educational needs is met very effectively through a variety of ways such as grouping, modifying tasks and the productive deployment of teaching assistants. This provision is very well organised by the headteacher and class teachers. Through regular and full discussion they ensure that provision is precisely tailored to the needs of individual pupils. Individual education plans contain very specific and clear targets to help pupils improve. Overall support for pupils who have English as an additional language is good. Most teachers’ plans take account of their needs; for example, focusing on key words in science. Occasionally, however, teachers do not employ strategies for promoting more-effective language acquisition.

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Commentary

31. Teachers are enthusiastic and dedicated, and support each other very well. They continually work very hard together to enrich the curriculum and make it as interesting as possible for pupils. Support staff are equally effective in supporting and helping to develop the curriculum. The learning mentor provides very effective guidance and support for visits to schools and the university to enhance motivation. Resources are good in most subjects. The school building is well maintained, very attractively decorated and welcoming. Very good use is made of all available space. However, the building is cramped and has very limited space for physical education. The school overcomes this difficulty to some extent through very effective links it has established with nearby organisations to ensure adequate facilities for games and swimming. Lack of space also places constraints on the provision for children in the Foundation Stage, with

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Commentary

quite limited facilities for outdoor play for this age group.

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Care, guidance and support

Overall, the provision in this area is very good and contributes strongly to the happy and caring ethos in the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pastoral care and welfare, including medical provision, are good. • Child-protection procedures are very good. • Health-and-safety procedures are good overall, but with a few areas requiring attention. • Pupils receive excellent support, advice and guidance. • Relationships between pupils and staff are very good. • Pupils’ induction arrangements are excellent. • The involvement of pupils in the school’s work is very good.

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Commentary

32. Staff know pupils very well, and pastoral care and welfare have a high priority. Pupils feel nurtured and secure. The provision for dealing with accidents, illness and medicines is good. Only one member of staff has an up-to-date first-aid qualification. Child-protection procedures are very good and the child-protection officer is very diligent.

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Commentary

33. Health and safety procedures are good overall, but with a few areas in need of attention. The health-and-safety policy needs updating, risk inspections are not well structured and the inspection of playground equipment is out of date. Most importantly the school must take early professional advice about the upstairs classroom that has only one entrance/exit. Cleanliness is very good and hazardous substances are well managed. Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 15 34. Pupils receive excellent support, advice and guidance. They are given clear learning targets and their achievements and personal development are very closely monitored. Pupils with social and personal difficulties are given excellent additional support as they progress through the school. Relationships between pupils and staff are very good and pupils are very happy to confide in staff if they are worried or upset.

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Commentary

35. Induction arrangements for new pupils are excellent. The school has extremely strong links with local play centres. Staff regularly visit the centres, and children from them come into school to play and listen to stories. Parents visit the school and home visits have been introduced. New parents are given an excellent introductory booklet and a video of life in the reception class. Older pupils help new pupils with their reading.

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Commentary

36. Pupils are very closely involved in the school’s work and development. Their views are sought through discussions, assemblies, and class and school councils, are properly valued and, where appropriate, acted upon. Pupils are very pleased with the part they play in school life.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Links with the parents, the community and with other schools and colleges are very good. These links have strengthened since the last inspection.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Information given to parents, including that on pupils’ progress, is very good. • The school regularly consults parents, whose views are valued. • Parents make a good contribution to pupils’ learning. • Parental complaints are dealt with very effectively. • The school is very well integrated into the local community. • Educational links are very good overall and transfer arrangements are excellent.

p.15

Commentary

37. The quality of information the school gives to parents is very good: - Translations are provided for parents who speak little English. Weekly newsletters are issued and teachers are always available to speak to parents after school. - Curriculum details are sent to parents each term. - There are two formal parents’ evenings annually and a third is planned. - A termly parental forum with governors has been introduced. - School reports are good and include suitable targets for improvement. - The prospectus and governors’ annual report to parents are well-structured and helpful, and meet statutory requirements.

p.15

Commentary

38. The school regularly seeks parents’ views through telephone calls, discussions, forums, parent governors and helpers. These views are valued. Parents are very pleased with the school’s provision for their children. They understand the complaints procedure, and their concerns are dealt with quickly and appropriately.

p.15

Commentary

39. Parents’ contribution to pupils’ learning is good. The school values the part parents play in pupils’ education and encourages their interest in all aspects of school life. Some parents respond by helping in school, and with educational visits and after-school clubs. Celebratory assemblies and school occasions are very well attended. The parent/teacher association is active and runs a variety of extremely successful fund-raising events. The home-school agreement is good, but some parents are failing to meet their undertaking to ensure that their children regularly attend school.

p.15

Commentary

40. Community links are very good and being strengthened. The school has very strong links with the parish church, and pupils attend Harvest Festival and Christmas services. The vicar leads Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 16 assemblies, and speakers from the ‘City Guardians’ and emergency services talk to pupils. The school works very closely with the Soho Green Charity to maintain and improve local facilities. The school choir visits day centres and takes part in City festivals. Volunteers from local businesses help with reading, and pupils use local parks, swimming pools and fitness centres. Pupils donate to national charities and local appeals.

p.15

Commentary

41. Links with other schools and colleges are very good overall. Secondary school and college students regularly undertake school placements and there is a link with a school in Orkney. Transfer arrangements for pupils moving to secondary schools are excellent. There are some high quality systems in place including advice given to parents about their choice of secondary school and much help given to pupils to prepare them for transfer. Also, the learning mentor accompanies parents and pupils on secondary school visits and where appropriate, the school supports appeals on pupil placements and maintains contact with pupils after transfer.

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good. Governors fulfil their roles very effectively and ensure that all statutory requirements are met in full.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher demonstrates an outstanding approach towards developing the school’s vision for its future development. • The deputy headteacher provides very effective support for the headteacher. • The high-quality work of the learning mentor supports the management of many key areas of the school’s provision. • Governors work energetically and play a full part in shaping the school’s future improvement. • Provision for special educational needs is very well managed.

p.16

Commentary

42. In her two years at the school the headteacher has overseen a wide range of improvements to help it move forwards at a good pace. She has achieved this by putting in place an excellent school development plan that focuses sharply on actions that make a full impact on improving the quality of education and standards. Initiatives such as reorganising the Foundation Stage provision, introducing robust assessment procedures, implementing a new ‘curriculum map’ and strengthening links with the parents and the community are having a positive impact upon the provision offered by the school and place it in an exciting position to develop further in the future. The headteacher demonstrates excellent communication and management skills so that all members of the school community feel well informed and valued at all times. As a result, they work as an enthusiastic and highly effective team, all fully committed to driving school initiatives

p.16

Commentary

43. The deputy headteacher provides very strong support for the headteacher and all staff. Through her own high quality teaching she provides a strong role model and leads and manages some crucial areas such as numeracy and assessment very skilfully. She works in very close partnership with the headteacher. They work together with the Year 5 class teacher as a senior management team and very effectively oversee the school’s systems for monitoring teaching and learning and the curriculum, analysing performance and checking the progress of school development issues. As a result, they are clear about the actions needed to improve teaching and the curriculum.

p.16

Commentary

44. The school has made powerful use of the government-funded Excellence in Cities strategy that has enabled the appointment of a learning mentor, whose work is another excellent area of the school’s provision. The learning mentor works very closely with the senior management team and all staff, and her work in removing the barriers to learning for pupils across the school translates into very strong support for a range of initiatives. For example, she has been a key Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 17 figure in developing links and communication with parents – including instigating the formation of a very active parent-teacher association. She helps to ensure that excellent arrangements are made to aid the smooth transfer of pupils to secondary school. She fulfils a very wide range of roles that very effectively complement the work of the senior management team; for example, co-ordinating the programme for the wide range of extra-curricular activities. Overall, the role

p.16

Commentary

makes a significant impact upon helping to improve the quality of education of pupils in the school – by increasing the range of opportunities available to pupils. The success of the learning mentor is mainly a result of the sensitive, unobtrusive yet very effective way in which the individual concerned carries out the role.

p.17

Commentary

45. The school is fortunate to have a team of governors who are knowledgeable and work energetically in supporting school developments. They have worked very proactively alongside the headteacher and staff; for example, in enabling the move from a structure of mixed-age classes to one of single age groups and, in this way enabled the school to improve the effectiveness of its teaching. Their management of the school’s finances is excellent and, fully supported by the immense fund-raising efforts of the parent-teacher association, has enabled the school to move from a previous deficit budget to a surplus situation. As a result of the fund raising, the school currently has a larger than usual carry forward figure in the budget – but these funds are clearly earmarked to help sustain the newly created class structure.

p.17

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.17

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income *595,894 Balance from previous year 43,633 Total expenditure 538,216 Balance carried forward to the next 101,311 Expenditure per pupil 3,790 *This figure includes £100,578 raised by the school.

p.17

Commentary

46. Governors are kept well informed through their visits to the school, briefings from members of staff and regular reports from the headteacher. They have a clear overview of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and, through initiatives such as the governor/parent forum, keep the parents fully informed about areas such as the school development plan and also keep themselves well informed about the parents’ views of the school.

p.17

Commentary

47. Provision for special educational needs is very well managed. The headteacher, as co- ordinator, has set up comprehensive systems to ensure that support is well targeted. For example, regular half-day reviews with individual teachers, to check the needs of individual pupils in their classes, ensure that she has a detailed overview so that staff support is targeted precisely to help pupils progress. Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 18

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

48. Provision for children in the nursery and reception class has improved since the last inspection and is now very good. Teaching is very good overall and helps children achieve very well and reach the expected levels in all areas of learning and exceed them in their personal, social, emotional, mathematical and physical development.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very well led and managed. • Very good assessment and tracking of each child’s development. • The needs of nursery and reception children in the same class are very well catered for. • Very well developed links with parents. • Limited outdoor space.

p.18

Commentary

49. Two knowledgeable teachers, who have a clear vision about the development of this stage of learning, share responsibility for leadership and management. They work together very effectively to implement very good provision for the children. There is a good ratio of adults to children and the other members of the team who include a nursery nurse and teaching assistants, are fully involved in the work of the class. They make an important contribution to enabling the pupils to achieve very well. All staff work together as a very effective and cohesive teaching team.

p.18

Commentary

50. When children enter this class, their levels of attainment are as expected overall, although some children, including those learning English as an additional language, have attainment in communication, language and literacy that is below expectations. All children achieve very well because the quality of teaching and learning is very good and sometimes excellent. Children are prepared very well for Year 1.

p.18

Commentary

51. Assessment is very good. Staff plan a range of interesting and relevant activities to meet the individual children’s needs and track their progress well. Staff are particularly skilful at planning appropriate activities and learning for nursery and reception children who are in the same class and for children who are at different stages of learning.

p.18

Commentary

52. Children are inducted into the school very well. Staff invite parents into school for tea so that they can explain fully about the class and answer parents’ questions. Children come into school before they start to get to know the staff and the surroundings. The school adopts a flexible approach to how long children stay at school when they start in the nursery, depending on each individual child’s needs. The staff work very effectively with parents whom they value as key partners in their children’s education.

p.18

Commentary

53. The curriculum planned for the children is very good but the documentation is complicated and does not always show the links to other areas of learning that are being provided for in the lesson.

p.18

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

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

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are in line to exceed the expected goals by the end of the reception year. Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 19 • Children are happy and want to come to school because staff work hard at establishing very good relationships with them. • Children understand what is expected of them in terms of behaviour. • Staff are very good role models. • Children are encouraged to choose activities, share and cooperate.

p.18

Commentary

54. Children settle into the class very well because there are established routines, a consistent approach to behaviour management and plenty of interesting things for them to do and to learn. Planned activities encourage children to play and cooperate together from the start. The children are friendly and share equipment without making a fuss. They choose activities well for themselves. The children’s behaviour was consistently very good throughout the inspection. They listen well, speak to each other and adults in an appropriate way, enjoy playing together in the outside area with enthusiasm, curiosity and imagination and participate very well in everything that their teachers have planned for them.

p.19

Communication, Language and Literacy

Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are encouraged to develop their speaking and listening skills well through role-play. • Staff are skilled at communicating with children who are learning English as an additional language. • Reading is taught very well.

p.19

Commentary

55. Children’s language skills meet expectations overall when they enter this class, but a significant number of children have below average skills sometimes because they are learning English as an additional language. Children’s listening skills develop quickly as adults talk to them and use simple questioning techniques, which encourage the children to respond. Many children are now speaking confidently; they are beginning to enunciate clearly and are developing a good range of vocabulary. Staff are particularly skilled at communicating with children with English as an additional language, who are at the early stages of learning and have limited vocabulary. One of the teachers speaks Bengali. Children have access to a good range of picture books and there is a very effective home/school reading system. Most children will attain the goals in this area of learning and a small proportion of children will exceed them. These latter children

p.19

Commentary

are very well provided for because suitably challenging work is planned for them.

p.19

Commentary

Example of outstanding practice Making the most of language activities In an excellent reception class lesson featuring a range of well-known children’s rhymes, including ‘Jack and Jill’, ‘Great Big Bull Frog’ and ‘Incy Wincy Spider’, children responded with enjoyment and enthusiasm to all the activities the teacher had planned for them. They demonstrated that they knew many rhyming words and that they could confidently sequence stories. They were fascinated by and engrossed in their work. Reception and nursery children were catered for very well throughout the lesson according to their own specific needs and higher attaining reception children worked successfully on Year 1 work. Many links were skilfully made to all the other areas of learning, children learnt at a rapid rate and the lesson finished with an opportunity for children to sing many of their favourite songs and rhymes happily and tunefully with their teacher.

p.19

Mathematical Development

Provision in mathematical development is very good . Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 20

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most children are in line to exceed the expected goals at the end of the reception year. • Teachers plan a wide range of interesting activities to support learning.

p.20

Commentary

56. Teachers plan a range of interesting activities to promote mathematical understanding. There are many resources and displays to help children learn, like number lines, puzzles and number tracks both inside and outside the classroom. There is a good emphasis on modelling the specific mathematical language to be learnt and encouraging the children to use it. Children participate in good practical activities and use computerised equipment, like a programmable toy, well to develop their understanding. The teaching team use both planned opportunities and opportunities when they arise well to encourage children to count. Work is planned well to challenge all children so that by the time these children will be in Year 1, most will exceed the standard expected for their age.

p.20

Knowledge and understanding of the world

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

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers provide a very good range of activities to enable children to learn about the world around them. • Good use is made of information and communication technology to promote learning.

p.20

Commentary

57. Teachers plan a good range of interesting activities both inside the classroom and in the outside area to stimulate children’s interest and enhance their understanding. Children have been learning about the pond as a habitat. Interesting resources, like a bowl of water snails, captured the children’s interest and stimulated their curiosity to want to ask questions. The Soho Parish Garden Centre was a favourite role-play area during the inspection. Teachers plan well for the use of ICT to enhance pupils’ learning. Children’s keyboard skills indicate that they are confident for their age in using computers. Children have a wide range of cultural backgrounds and benefit from sharing information about their different cultures. Parents are very supportive of this. Most children will attain the goals in this area of learning by the end of the reception year.

p.20

Physical development

Provision in physical development is very good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most children are in line to exceed the expected goals by the end of the reception year. • Children benefit from very well taught physical education lessons. • Good use is made of the outside area when it is available to the class. • Very good opportunities are planned for children to develop fine motor skills, like cutting with scissors, writing with a pencil and manipulating play dough.

p.20

Commentary

58. Children are developing their gymnastics skills very well because they benefit from high quality knowledgeable teaching that challenges them well but also gives effective support to children who are less confident. Very few children, however, were wearing appropriate physical Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 21 educational kit for this lesson. There are good planned opportunities for the children to play outside and to participate in activities that contribute well to their physical development, although this is Iimited to the afternoons because of the lack of outside space in the school and to fine weather because of the lack of cover over this space. Children ride on trikes and participate in other physical activities. They have the opportunity to use construction equipment to build structures associated with their imaginative play. For example, they built their own space ship for launch. Teachers plan regular opportunities for children to develop their fine motor skills like

p.20

Commentary

writing with a pencil and cutting with scissors, both in planned group activities and through other opportunities when children can choose their own activity. Children had good opportunities to squeeze, roll and shape play dough to make creatures associated with their habitats topic.

p.21

Creative development

Provision in creative development is very good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are learning to sing well because of regular opportunities to sing. • There is a good range of opportunities to work in a different media.

p.21

Commentary

59. By the end of the reception year, it is expected that most children will attain the standards expected for their age. There are many regular opportunities for children to participate in singing and to listen to music. There is a good range of creative work on display in the classroom and children were given good opportunities to paint both inside and outside the classroom and to print and to draw. Teachers give the children many good opportunities to develop their imaginations through role-play both inside and outside the classroom.

p.21

ENGLISH

Provision in English is good and has improved since the previous inspection.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well overall. • Teaching is very good in the junior classes. • Standards in writing are below average in Year 2 and pupils’ progress is unsatisfactory in this area of English. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. • Guided reading sessions provide very effective support for developing pupils’ skills. • Occasionally class teachers do not provide enough support for pupils who speak English as an additional language. • Pupils benefit from an enriched curriculum. • ICT is used well by teachers and pupils. • There is no school library. • Cursive writing is not taught in a consistent way across the school.

p.21

Commentary

60. Overall pupils attain below average standards in English in Year 2. All groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and for whom English is an additional language, progress and achieve well in reading and speaking and listen and reach the expected levels in these areas. However, in writing, progress and achievement are unsatisfactory and pupils do Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 22 not currently meet the expected levels. The unsatisfactory progress in writing is due to expectations not being set high enough for these pupils.

p.21

Commentary

61. Year 6 pupils attain the expected levels overall. Standards in speaking and listening and reading are above average, while standards in writing are average. In Years 3 to 6, it is clear from work seen, lessons observed and the school’s good assessment tracking systems that, as a result of very good teaching, all groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and for whom English is an additional language, progress and achieve very well.

p.22

Commentary

62. Pupils with special educational needs are supported very well and the good progress they make is because of the structured and well-resourced approaches to the teaching of reading and the very effective programme of reading recovery and other intervention programmes that have been established. Teachers ensure that work is well matched to pupils’ needs and teaching assistants support them well.

p.22

Commentary

63. Good support provision is made by teaching assistants, the specialist teacher and the learning mentor for pupils who speak English as an additional language, who have a good range of strategies for guiding these individuals and helping them to participate fully in lessons. Also, very good examples are seen where the class teachers ensure that individuals understand fully and have the necessary resources to help them with their work. However, this does not happen consistently across the school and there are occasions when the teachers do not intervene or follow up whole class teaching sessions enough to ensure pupils for whom English is an additional language fully understand the vocabulary being used.

p.22

Commentary

64. The school has established specific times for 2 guided reading sessions to take place outside of the main literacy hour sessions. These sessions are very well planned and taught and make a strong impact upon raising the standard of pupils’ reading. For example, activities planned ensure pupils are challenged well to participate in thinking of strategies for reading unknown words, explaining the meaning of texts and predicting how stories might end. Pupils are strongly encouraged to read regularly at home and parents are supportive of this. Lack of space means the school does not have a library and this limits the extent to which teachers can help pupils to develop proper library research skills.

p.22

Commentary

65. In the lessons seen, teaching for pupils in Years 1 and 2 was good although the unsatisfactory progress in writing noted from looking at pupils’ books in Year 2 indicates that teaching is satisfactory overall. Pupils are not given enough opportunities to write more extended pieces of work and the expectations for the quality of their work are not always set high enough. Although they have writing targets, these targets are not being used well enough to enable pupils to improve.

p.22

Commentary

66. Across the school, teachers plan purposeful and interesting lessons. They have high expectations of behaviour and provide much positive encouragement to help individuals develop a confident approach towards their work. Teachers use a good range of well-prepared materials and resources for lessons. Lesson objectives are very clearly explained. Teachers make very good use of interactive white boards to enhance the teaching and learning of English. Teachers are very skilled at asking questions that promote discussion and opportunities for pupils to practise their speaking and listening skills. Consequently, most pupils speak confidently, use a wide range of vocabulary and listen well. Teachers generally model language well but not all teachers write or display the vocabulary in the classroom so that pupils can make the link between written and spoken language. Occasionally, at the end of sessions (plenary) teachers

p.22

Commentary

do not place enough emphasis on encouraging pupils to reflect on what they have learnt. Teachers do not have a consistent approach to promoting pupils’ handwriting. As a result, although the presentation of work and handwriting is often good, there is some variation between classes.

p.22

Commentary

2 Specially planned sessions designed to promote pupils’ reading skills. Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 23 67. Lessons for Years 3 to 6 are especially well focussed to accelerate pupils’ learning and motivate them. A very good range of different strategies and approaches are used that help all individuals understand the concepts being introduced. A rigorous pace in all sessions ensures that much is covered and pupils produce a good quantity of work in the time.

p.22

Commentary

Example of outstanding practice Excellent use of links to history used to accelerate pupils’ progress in acquiring speaking and listening and literacy skills. Year 5 pupils talked enthusiastically and knowledgeably about a visit they had recently made to see Egyptian artefacts in the British museum. The topic and the visit clearly inspired them and this was further enhanced by the teacher’s very attractive presentation of relevant text information for them to research using the class interactive whiteboard – so that all could follow and see how to develop the necessary research techniques for producing a text booklet about the Ancient Egyptians. As the work progressed pupils built powerfully upon their research and note taking skills as well as their historical knowledge and understanding.

p.23

Commentary

68. Leadership and management are good. The co-ordinator has a good view of what needs to be improved. There has been effective monitoring of provision in the past, which has brought about significant improvements. The action plan is detailed and gives a clear picture of how future initiatives will be pursued.

p.23

Language and literacy across the curriculum

69. Throughout the school, pupils’ language and literacy skills are well developed through other subjects. Pupils use computers well to present their work and to research topics. There are very good enrichment activities, including participating in productions, presentations and working with professional theatres and other organisations in London. As a result, pupils broaden their experience and develop their confidence in speaking and listening. These opportunities contribute very well to pupils’ cultural development.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is very good overall. • The subject is very well led and managed. • Occasionally, learning is not maximised for higher attaining pupils. • Links with other subjects, especially ICT are well developed.

p.23

Commentary

70. Year 2 pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall and most attain standards that match the expected levels. In the lessons seen, good teaching helped the pupils to achieve well, but work looked at in pupils’ books shows mainly satisfactory progress and achievement since the beginning of the year. Pupils gain an appropriate range of knowledge and understanding and work competently, for example, in applying their addition and multiplying skills in solving simple problems. As a result of very good teaching, the current cohort of Year 6 pupils achieve well in relation to their prior attainment and are on course to attain the expected levels by the end of the year. Their knowledge of the four operations angles and of coordinates is above expectations. In other areas it matches expectations.

p.23

Commentary

71. Teaching is good in Years 1 and 2 and very good in Years 3 to 6. Teachers make effective use of time and resources and manage pupils well so that all pupils are fully engaged and trying their best during activities. Teachers generally show confident knowledge and explain concepts and activities clearly so that all individuals know what to do. In Years 3 to 6 the teachers provide tasks that are very challenging for the pupils, run their lessons at a very good pace and are very Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 24 successful in motivating the pupils to work enthusiastically. They achieve this through skilful questioning and through providing a wide range of different approaches so that all individual learning styles are catered for fully.

p.23

Commentary

Example of outstanding practice Highly skilful approach by the Year 5 teacher in making mathematical tasks progressively more challenging. The teacher made excellent use of the interactive whiteboard to introduce an activity to find the area of regular and irregular shapes. The work was made progressively more challenging by giving increasingly complex shapes for working out areas. It required pupils first to round off the decimals, then section irregular shapes into regular shapes, worked out length and breadth of each section, then calculate area of each section and finally add areas of all the sections to work out the area of the whole shape. Pupils found the work stimulating and engaging. The work of higher attainers also involved working out areas of right-angled triangles. All pupils made excellent gains in their skills of solving area problems.

p.24

Commentary

72. Throughout the school, teaching assistants support teachers and pupils very well. As a result, all groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, achieve well.

p.24

Commentary

73. In the Year 1 and 2 classes, work is not always provided that sufficiently extends the higher attaining pupils.

p.24

Commentary

74. Leadership and management of the subject are very good. The subject co-ordinator is enthusiastic. Assessment, target setting and tracking progress is very well developed. Year 6 pupils know their target and understand what to do to achieve this. Marking is mostly regular, evaluative and constructive. Progress since the last inspection is good. For example, standards for pupils in Year 2 have improved from well below the national average to broadly average. The curriculum enrichment is good, with, for example, a well attended after school club held on mathematics puzzles. This is improving pupils’ skills in solving problems.

p.24

Mathematics across the curriculum

75. Development of mathematics across the curriculum is well developed. In one information and communication technology lesson, the use of spreadsheet developed pupils calculating skills very effectively. Science, design and technology and history also make good contribution to pupils’ development of mathematics.

p.24

SCIENCE

As in the school’s previous inspection, overall provision in science is good , although good improvement has been made to enriching the science curriculum and building up staff knowledge.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A strong emphasis is rightly placed upon pupils’ learning through practical investigation. • Teaching is very good. • Good leadership and management. • A very good initiative with a ‘scientist in residence’ helps raise teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve. • Very occasionally, higher attaining pupils are not sufficiently extended by the activities provided. • Very occasionally, pupils needing help in learning English as an additional language are not given enough support with understanding new vocabulary.

p.24

Commentary

76. Most pupils attain average standards in science in Year 2. They cover a good range of science topics, for example, gaining a sound basic understanding about push/pull forces, how seeds Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 25 grow and which materials are the most water proof. Their understanding is firmly based in learning through investigation, for instance predicting, observing closely and comparing the way in which ice and chocolate melts/solidifies. Whilst they gain appropriate skills for their age, sometimes their recording of results of investigations is hindered by difficulties with writing. In Year 6, pupils mainly attain average standards, but a significant minority show above average skills, knowledge and understanding. All topics are covered in appropriate detail and with a great deal of practical experience to consolidate pupils’ understanding. For example, they carry out a good range of tests to investigate the principles of air resistance and gravity and have a

p.24

Commentary

reasonable grasp of fair testing ideas. The higher attaining pupils quickly recognise the key factors involved in making sure their test is fair and they predict carefully and draw relevant conclusions based on their current scientific knowledge.

p.25

Commentary

77. Teaching is very good, with teachers providing pupils with very interesting activities that thoroughly engage all individuals in working enthusiastically. Lessons are very well organised to ensure that all apparatus and resources are near to hand and no time is wasted. For example, in a Year 2 science lesson, a wide range of plant samples were made available for pupils to investigate and observe closely. Teachers explain concepts very clearly and give succinct and clear directions to help pupils move ahead with tasks quickly. A very good balance is maintained between providing instruction and giving pupils the chance to experiment and find things out for themselves. Teachers and all support staff are generally very good at ensuring all groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and those receiving support to help them with English as an additional language, are fully included in all activities.

p.25

Commentary

Occasionally, not enough support is given to pupils learning English as an additional language, to reinforce their understanding of the vocabulary involved in the work at hand. Also very occasionally, not enough attention is paid to fully exploring the scope for extending higher attaining pupils.

p.25

Commentary

78. The co-ordinator for science has worked hard to ensure that all staff receive appropriate support and training. In particular, she has promoted a very successful initiative that involves a ‘scientist in residence’ working with the staff and pupils on a regular basis. This initiative has clearly been successful in upgrading the school’s approach to using practical and investigative science and thereby helping to broaden pupils’ knowledge and understanding .

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve very well. • Teaching and learning are very good. • Leadership and management are very good. • Standards are above average. • The ICT suite is stuffy and chairs are not suitable for all ages of pupils in the school. • Interactive boards and multimedia projectors are used well to enhance pupils’ learning.

p.25

Commentary

79. Pupils achieve very well as they progress through the school. This leads to average standards by the end of Year 2 and above average standards by the end of Year 6. Standards by the end of Year 2 are partly compromised by weaknesses in pupils’ competency in English.

p.25

Commentary

80. By the end of Year 2, pupils develop good awareness of how to use their ICT skills. They log on and off the computer and use it to write poems and stories. They draw squares and rectangles using the screen turtle. They use the Internet and encyclopaedias to find information, for example, about other countries. They carry out survey of traffic, enter information in charts and draw block graphs. Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 26 81. By the end of Year 6, the pupils are competent users of ICT reaching above average standards, for example, in the use of spreadsheets. They know how to find the sum of various cells by using the correct formula. They understand and use formula with an ‘If’ function and brackets. They create league tables by referencing cells in other sheets. They use spreadsheet modelling to plan a budget. Pupils produce good quality word-processed work, for example, newsletters.

p.25

Commentary

82. Teaching is good in Years 1 and 2 and very good in Years 3 to 6. Lessons are very well prepared and teachers provide tasks that interest and challenge the pupils. For example, in a very good Year 5 lesson, pupils used a very well prepared database to answer questions. Also, in a very good Year 6 lesson, thoughtful planning and high challenge with spreadsheet work resulted in very good achievement by the pupils. The teachers provide challenging and engaging work that match the needs of all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and those who have English as an additional language. The pace of work is often brisk and learning very productive.

p.26

Commentary

83. The computer suite is in frequent use, but tends to be very ‘stuffy’ with limited ventilation. Also the seating available does not suit all age groups and means that some pupils work in less than ideal conditions.

p.26

Commentary

84. Leadership of the subject are very effective. The subject leader is enthusiastic and has a clear vision about future developments. She works very effectively to provide up-to-date resources, to keep systems running and to support colleagues. The very good provision has raised standards very significantly from below expectations at the time of the last inspection. Pupils have been made aware of the dangers of misuse of the Internet.

p.26

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

85. The subject is very well resourced. Most rooms have interactive boards. These are used very effectively for enhancing the quality of teaching and learning. The use of computers in different subjects is well developed. The use of spreadsheets is well linked to development of pupils’ numeracy and word processing is used very well to support work in English. Graphical software is used effectively in geography and science. Most subjects also benefit from the regular very effective use of the Internet for research, for example, history.

p.26

HUMANITIES

86. Pupils’ history and geography books were sampled, wall displays were scrutinised and one history lesson was observed. This did not constitute sufficient evidence to enable judgements to be made about the provision in these subjects.

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HUMANITIES

87. A good range of work is covered in history and geography . For example, Year 2 pupils make booklets and maps of the visits of ‘Barnaby Bear’ on his world travels. They compare the life in different countries and gain an appropriate knowledge both of places in the UK and overseas. They also learn about a range of different characters in history such as Florence Nightingale and Samuel Pepys and the Great Fire of London. They have produced some good detailed pictures to show scenes before and after the Greta Fire of London. Good links are made between history and geography in Year 6, with maps from the time of Sir Francis Drake being compared to maps of today. Pupils also acquire knowledge of different paces around the world, for example, through a detailed study of Mexico. Also in depth studies of topics such as a study of ‘World Mountain Ranges’ gives pupils an in-depth appreciation of the contrasting conditions

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HUMANITIES

found in different parts of the world. Pupils gain appropriate knowledge about life in the time of the Tudors and about the lives of famous people such as Henry VIII, Mary Queen of Scots, Francis Drake and Mahatma Gandhi, and they learn about the famous stories in history at the time when these characters lived. A very well taught lesson in Year 5 showed pupils gaining a good understanding about life and customs in Ancient Egypt and the work seen typified the school’s very good cross-curricular approach, with full opportunities being taken to expand pupils’ English skills in the note taking and written accounts. The Year 3 classroom has Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 27 particularly good history displays showing pupils’ detailed work about the Ancient Greeks. Very good links have been made with art in designing facsimiles of Ancient Greek artefacts.

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HUMANITIES

88. Much of the work carried out in history and geography across the school is given excellent enrichment through visits made to central London organisations such as the British Museum – where, for example, pupils viewed the exhibition about Ancient Egypt.

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HUMANITIES

89. The history and geography subject co-ordinators work well to maintain the profile of their subject areas by reviewing planning regularly and ensuring that proper resources are made available to support teaching and learning.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

90. Not enough evidence was collected about work in art, design and technology, music and physical education to enable overall judgements about provision to be made in these subjects. One lesson was observed in design and technology and a scrutiny of the work in this subject as well as in art and design displayed around the school was made. One full lesson and one part lesson were seen in physical education.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

91. Pupils cover a good range of topics and activities in art and design and design and technology . The work seen on display around the school is detailed and very good links are established with other subjects to maximise the use of teaching time. For example, Year 3 pupils make attractive facsimile Ancient Greek coins from clay as part of their history work and, in Year 6, pupils make attractive paintings in the style of artists from different periods in history. The Year 6 teacher very cleverly displays these paintings linked up to a timeline to give pupils a clear view on the chronology of these different painting phases in history. Year 2 pupils sketch designs for weaving based on evaluating pictures by famous artists and then make their own attractive weaving patterns. Year 3 pupils have good chances to experiment with modelling three-dimensional figures and they also have appropriate experiences of going through the

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

design process while designing their own containers to comply with a particular design specification. Year 5 pupils make very attractive illuminated letter designs – again very neatly linking up with historical themes. The teacher also skilfully establishes links between art and geography by involving the pupils in making collage design maps of countries of the world based on the shaped they can see of the countries in aerial photos. Year 6 pupils make attractive sketch designs for a design and technology project to build model electrically powered buggies. All pupils in the school have contributed to a tile design project working with a local artist and many pupils benefit from attending the after school pottery club where attractive models are designed and made. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding is enhanced by visits that they make to art galleries in Central London.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

92. Recorder playing sessions for pupils in Years 3 to 6 observed showed that pupils have appropriate opportunities to learn to play a musical instrument and all pupils involved managed to follow the basic notation provided and, in one session observed, very good use of the interactive whiteboard was made to display and play the music being learned. The session also revealed however, that pupils do not always use their hands in the correct way to make the necessary positions on their instruments. Singing observed in assembly was of a good quality with pupils throughout the school joining in with enthusiasm and singing tunefully. Opportunities for the school’s choir to perform in regional festivals and at other occasions, as well as visiting musicians coming to the school, help to broaden pupils’ musical horizons very effectively.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

93. A physical education lesson seen in Year 5, where pupils were taken to the local YMCA to receive very good coaching in fitness skills is an example of the school making very good use of its links with the local community in order to overcome the difficulties of trying to organise lessons in the cramped on-site school facilities. Photographic evidence also confirms that despite constraints of the building with relatively small sized spaces to operate lessons, pupils are given appropriate opportunities to take part in gymnastics work. Pupils are given suitable opportunities to participate in games and swimming sessions through using local facilities where necessary and possible. In the photos seen and in part of a Year 4 lesson observed, pupils do Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 28 not dress appropriately for lessons – mainly performing in underwear rather than wearing shorts. A good range of extra-curricular activities including fencing, football and cricket very well

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

enhances the school’s physical education programme. Further school links with and visits to associations such as the Lords Cricket Ground also give pupils many exciting experiences. Overall, the small size of the school hall, the small area of the playground and the lack of a games pitch for regular and frequent place heavy constraints upon the school trying to improve its physical education programme beyond a very basic level.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school’s ethos and activities make a significant contribution. • The school recognizes the need to introduce a formalized scheme of work to help teachers plan lessons for this area.

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Commentary

94. Circle time and class and school council provide good opportunities for pupils to develop awareness of issues that affect their own life and the lives of others both within the school and beyond it. They learn well about global issues such as conservation. Their awareness of the need to help others is effectively promoted by their participation in activities such as raising money for charities. The adoption of a formalized scheme of work to help teachers plan lessons systematically for this area is at early stage of development. Soho Parish C of E Primary School - 29

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 6 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 2 The quality of teaching 2 How well pupils learn 2 The quality of assessment 2 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 2 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 1 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 1 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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