Perivale Primary School

PERIVALE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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PERIVALE 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. Perivale Primary School – Page 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Federal Road Perivale Greenford Middlesex

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Perivale Primary School Steering Group of the London Borough of Ealing

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Professor Mhango

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 13 October 1997 Perivale Primary School – Page 5

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Aspect responsibilities

21552 P B McAlpine Registered inspector What sort of school is it? What should the school do to improve? The school’s results and pupils’ standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 9619 B Miller Lay inspector

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Aspect responsibilities

Special educational needs Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Finance and efficiency 29262 N Hardy Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Aspect responsibilities

19774 M Docherty Team inspector English English as an additional language History French Equal opportunities 17686 G Simpson Team inspector Science Religious education Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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Aspect responsibilities

15447 C Glenis Team inspector Art and design Physical education Pupils under five 20645 R Webber Team inspector Design and technology Geography Music 30506 R Bowers Team inspector How well is the school led and managed? (supporting role) 21038 G Timms Team inspector How well is the school led and managed? (supporting role)

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Aspect responsibilities

PBM Inspection Services Ltd PO Box 524 Cheadle Staffordshire ST10 4RN

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Aspect responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Perivale Primary School – Page 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is located in Perivale, an urban area about a mile north-west of Ealing town centre. The number of boys and girls attending the school full-time, 424, is well above average; a further 85 pupils attend a nursery unit part-time. The number of full- time pupils has declined by 14 per cent since the previous inspection, most of this occurring in the last year. In addition to this overall decline, about 11 per cent of the pupils currently on roll joined the school during the last year at other than the usual time and this is broadly average. The pupils are organised into single-age classes, with two or three classes of the same age in each year group. The seven-year-old and ten-year-old age groups are taught English and mathematics in large groups, called sets, based on pupil attainment. The social and economic backgrounds of the pupils are typical of most schools. About 15 per cent of the pupils

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

are eligible for a free school meal and this is average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, 85 per cent, is very high; almost all of the pupils from minority backgrounds speak English as an additional language. Almost half the pupils are of Indian descent; 15 per cent are of white United Kingdom origin; with black Caribbean, black African, Pakistani, white European and Bangladeshi among the other main groups. The main first languages other than English are Gujerati, Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi. About 17 per cent of the full-time pupils have special educational needs, which is below the national average. Only four pupils have statements of special need, 0.9 per cent, and this is well below the average. About 60 per cent of those at the higher special needs assessment stages have dyslexia; the rest have severe learning difficulties, hearing impairment, or behavioural difficulties.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Baseline assessments for the past three years show that the proportion of pupils entering the reception year with typical or better attainment for their age is smaller than is usually found. Nearly all of the children entering the nursery speak English as an additional language, with a minority at the earliest stages of English language acquisition. The attainment of pupils currently in the nursery covers a wide but normal range and is generally higher than expected in mathematics.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Very high levels of staff turnover, staff absence, and temporary appointments have reduced the effectiveness of the school significantly and the overall standard of education it currently provides is not acceptable. The headteacher and the teachers are working hard in very difficult circumstances. There are successes but aspects in need of improvement far outweigh them. Those teaching the eleven-year-olds are permanent members of staff and they have managed to improve the test results in 2000 and to raise the standard of current work in English and mathematics to above average levels, showing what can be achieved. This improvement among eleven-year-olds was recognised nationally through an award from the Department for Education and Employment. In other year groups, standards attained by pupils are very variable and at times well below average, reflecting the frequent changes in teacher. New and temporary appointments fill nearly all of the senior management and middle management

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

posts; this has weakened the effectiveness of management and is resulting in too little leadership. The cost of educating a pupil is above average, even allowing for additional costs for London schools, and so value for money is unsatisfactory.

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What the school does well

• Improved test results in English, mathematics, and science at the age of eleven. • The good attitudes of the pupils and their good relationships with each other.

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What could be improved

• The very high turnover of teachers; the high rate of staff absence; and the high proportion of teachers, subject managers, and senior managers in temporary posts. • The effectiveness of leadership and management. • The quality, effectiveness, and consistency of the teaching. • The poor provision for special educational needs. • The arrangements for tracking the progress of pupils. • The effectiveness of the governing body. • The below average standards in music and physical education. • The quality and relevance of the curriculum and the balance of time allocated to each subject. • The analysis and use of assessment data. • The poor, and in places unsafe and unhealthy condition of the buildings and grounds. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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What could be improved

In accordance with section 13(7) of the School Inspections Act 1996 I am of the opinion, and Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of schools agrees, that special measures are required in relation to this school. The main reasons for the special measures are: • insufficient improvement since the previous inspection; • inconsistent and at times unsatisfactory standards in the various year groups and the poor provision for pupils with special educational needs; • declining standards in the five-to-seven age group; • declining standards in five of the seven non-core subjects; • a high proportion of unsatisfactory teaching; • very high levels of staff turnover and absence; Perivale Primary School – Page 8 • ineffective management and generally poor leadership; statutory requirements are not met by the governing body.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was previously inspected in October 1997. Since then, improvement has been much less than expected or needed. Although the test results at the age of eleven have improved significantly, and current work in information and communication technology is now average, standards have fallen steeply in reading and writing at the age of seven and in five subjects at the age of eleven. Staff turnover and staff absences have increased markedly and the quality of teaching has declined. Action to remedy shortcomings identified by the previous inspection has been largely ineffective. Among the successes, the school has raised standards to satisfactory levels in information and communication technology. The provision for cultural development is now satisfactory. Test results for eleven-year-olds have improved and the needs of the more able pupils are being met in this age group and in the ten-year-old age group. These good improvements are not replicated in every year group. The provision for collective

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

worship still fails to meet statutory requirements. A lack of improvement to efficiency, financial, and staff management led to the withdrawal of delegated powers six months before the inspection. The accommodation is still inefficiently and poorly maintained and parts of the accommodation contain risks to health and safety.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by eleven-year-olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

English D E B C well above average above average A B mathematics D C B C average below average C D science E D C D well below average E

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Key

Results at the age of seven, which are not shown in the table, were above average in mathematics but well below average in reading and writing. In English, mathematics, and science, the results for the eleven-year-olds have improved since the previous inspection at a faster rate than most schools nationally whereas those for seven-year-olds have declined. The achievements of the eleven-year- olds tested in 2000, compared to their results in 1996 when aged seven, were satisfactory in reading, mathematics, and science but unsatisfactory in writing. Success at the age of eleven is outweighed by current work that shows a decline in standards in English, mathematics and science at the ages of six, eight and nine and that standards in design and technology, geography, history, music, and physical education have declined amongst the oldest pupils. The latter reflects, in part, a lack of time given to these subjects

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Key

because of practising for the tests in English, mathematics, and science. Standards among four and five-year-olds are above average in mathematics and average in each of the other nationally agreed areas of learning except physical development, where standards are low.

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Key

The standard of current work varies because of the high turnover of teachers. Among the eleven-year-olds, present standards are above average in English and mathematics and average in science. At the age of seven, current work is broadly average in English, mathematics, and science. At the ages of seven and eleven, current work is average in art and design, design and technology, geography, history, information and communications technology, and religious education. Standards at seven are below average in music and well below at the age of eleven. In physical education, standards are average at the age of seven but below average by the age of eleven. Girls do better in English. Boys do better in mathematics and science. Pupils from Indian backgrounds do well in all subjects although a few high attaining pupils underachieve in science. Black Caribbean pupils attain well in English but few exceed expectations in mathematics and science. White United Kingdom pupils attain highly in English but under perform in

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Key

mathematics. Other ethnic groups attain appropriately except in writing, where standards are low. Pupils with English as an additional language generally make satisfactory progress. The progress of pupils with special educational needs is good when taught by the learning assistants or specialist teachers but is poor most of the time because this support is not available often enough. The literacy and numeracy targets for eleven-year-olds were exceeded in 2000. The targets in 2001 and 2002 increase by a percentage point each year on the results in 2000 in English and by two percentage points on the results in mathematics and this is insufficiently challenging. Perivale Primary School – Page 9

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils have high levels of enthusiasm and mostly show keen interest in lessons. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory. Behaviour in the majority of lessons is of a good standard but occasionally deteriorates to unsatisfactory and poor levels when the teacher is unfamiliar with the class. Personal development and relationships Good. The vast majority of pupils are polite and considerate. They socialise well and show typical levels of initiative and responsibility. Attendance Satisfactory. The level of attendance is average and punctuality is good.

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Aspect Comment

No bullying, racism, sexism, or other oppressive behaviour was seen. Parents, pupils, and midday staff report a few instances of bullying and aggressive behaviour.

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Teaching of pupils: Nursery and reception Years 1-2 Years 3-6

Lessons seen overall Unsatisfactory Unsatisfactory Unsatisfactory Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils: Nursery and reception Years 1-2 Years 3-6

The table gives comparisons with a typical school. The very variable teaching is leading to an uneven pace to learning and to the decline in standards noted elsewhere. The pace of learning is good for eleven-year-olds; satisfactory for the four, seven, and ten- year-olds; and unsatisfactory for the five, six, eight, and nine-year olds. The amount of satisfactory or better teaching, 85 per cent, is less than is typically found and smaller than at the last inspection; 38 per cent is good or better, including 6 per cent that is very good or excellent. The amount that is less than satisfactory, 15 per cent, is very high. The very high proportion of temporary teachers and the high rate of staff absences is preventing the development of a high performance team. New and temporary teachers find themselves working with children they do not know, with not enough preparation, and with insufficient awareness of

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Teaching of pupils: Nursery and reception Years 1-2 Years 3-6

the policies and planning of the school and this is why the quality of teaching is lower than it should be. The quality of teaching in mathematics is satisfactory but it is not as good as the national picture in English. The skills of literacy and numeracy are satisfactorily taught through the implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies but with aspects for improvement. The small amount of excellent and very good teaching inspires the pupils, teaches basic and advanced knowledge and skills very efficiently and effectively. The satisfactory teaching is adequate, with aspects for improvement; work is matched to the learning needs of the majority of pupils but not to every child, especially those with lower attainment. Unsatisfactory teaching reflects a lack of familiarity with the pupils; lack of subject knowledge and expertise; and not enough pace to the introduction of new knowledge. The learning needs of high, average and low attaining four, ten, and eleven-year-old pupils are met but elsewhere

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Teaching of pupils: Nursery and reception Years 1-2 Years 3-6

the situation is variable. The special education needs of pupils, including those with statements, are inconsistently met and the provision is poor overall. The learning needs of pupils with English as an additional language are satisfactorily met, in the main.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Not as good as typically found. All subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education are taught but lessons sometimes lack relevance to pupils’ learning needs. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Poor. The special needs staff work well but too much in isolation from class teachers, who often are unaware of the pupils’ special needs and do not provide appropriate work. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory but with aspects for improvement. The records for these pupils have been recently improved but the information is not rigorously communicated to all teachers.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Satisfactory. Standards maintained since the previous inspection except for cultural provision, which has improved.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory but with the need to improve the monitoring of pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Aspect Comment

Curriculum policies are not always implemented effectively because so many teachers are new to the school and are unfamiliar with the documents. The programme of study for music is not taught in full. The arrangement for teaching in sets is implemented effectively in the ten-year-old age group. The time allocated to subjects is different in practice to the intentions of the policy. The length of the taught week is shorter than national guidelines in the seven-to-eleven age group. Only a limited range of extra- curricular activities is provided. Statutory requirements for collective worship are not met. Procedures for child protection and Perivale Primary School – Page 10 ensuring welfare, health and safety are satisfactory but with aspects for improvement, such as supervision on arrival and departure. The small number of parents whose views are known are satisfied with the partnerships with parents.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Poor overall. High staff turnover, staff absence, and the large number of managers in temporary appointments have seriously affected the effectiveness of leadership and management at all levels. The headteacher has appropriate aims for the school but these have not been translated into consistently effective action. She is spending too much of her time dealing with day-to-day problems and not enough time planning strategically for improvement. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Poor. There have been many changes to membership of the governing body and it has not fulfilled all its statutory responsibilities. Delegated powers have been removed by the local authority, which has established a steering group to carry out the governors’ role. The present governing body is trying to reform under the leadership of a new chair of governors and the early

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Aspect Comment

signs are promising. How well the steering group fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. The steering group is ensuring that a budget is set in accordance with requirements and that the school lives within budget. The school’s evaluation of its performance Underdeveloped. Basic systems to monitor the teaching and the pupils’ work have been established but are not working rigorously enough to provide a clear picture of where good practice is to be found and what should be improved next. The strategic use of resources Unsatisfactory. Financial planning and improvement planning are mainly for the present year and not enough forward thinking occurs to use the budget to achieve core long-term aims.

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Aspect Comment

Many of the teachers in management posts have not had time to get to know strengths and weaknesses in the subject or to develop the teaching and this limits the capacity of the school to improve. The acting deputy headteacher was initially appointed to her temporary role about a year ago but has held most of her current responsibilities for only a few weeks, following the departure of a consultant who had been employed for two terms to support the senior management team. The acting deputy headteacher is working hard to maintain the assessment arrangements and other management procedures established by the consultant before he left. Staffing is unsatisfactory because of the high turnover and because not all temporary teachers have sufficient knowledge of the National Curriculum and the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies to teach them effectively. The site and buildings have been allowed to deteriorate over several years; the poor condition of the pupils’ toilets and the uneven surface of the sports field

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The improved test results. • The attitudes and behaviour of the younger pupils. • The end of year reports. • The too frequent changes of teacher are affecting the teaching of basic skills in English and mathematics in some classes. • Special educational needs provision. • Playground supervision. • Ineffective response to bullying. • Insufficient homework for older pupils. • The poor toilet facilities. • The limited extra-curricular provision.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspectors agree with parents that the school has improved its test results at the age of eleven, that pupils throughout the school have good attitudes, and that the overall standard of behaviour is satisfactory. No bullying was seen. The inspectors find the end- of-year reports helpful but unclear about targets. Inspectors share parents concerns about the too frequent changes of teacher and the teaching of basic skills in some classes. They agree with parents that the provision for special needs is not good enough; that there is insufficient playground supervision at the beginning and end of the day; and that there is inconsistent homework provision. Inspectors are concerned about the very poor toilet facilities and the limited extra-curricular provision. Perivale Primary School – Page 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The test results for the eleven-year-olds in English, mathematics, and science have improved; those for seven-year-olds have declined. The proportion of eleven-year-olds attaining or exceeding the expected national level in 2000 was above average in English, mathematics, and science. In English and mathematics, the proportion exceeding expectations, however, was typical of most schools; and in science, it was lower. Standards in reading were much higher than in writing; 90 per cent attained or exceeded national expectations in reading compared to 61 per cent in writing. This shows that the good overall standards in English were because of the high standards in reading and that there is potential for results in English to be even better if the underachievement in writing is remedied. The proportion of eleven-year-olds attaining or exceeding expectations in English and mathematics was about double that found at the time of the previous inspection. The results for

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

seven-year-olds in 2000 were above average in mathematics, average in science, but were below average in writing and very low in reading. In reading and writing, the results at age seven were lower than they were at the time of the previous inspection; in mathematics, the results plummeted in 1998 but have steadily improved since then and were slightly higher in 2000 than at the previous inspection. Overall, the eleven-year-olds’ results in English and mathematics in 2000 were consistent with the majority of other schools with pupils from similar backgrounds but were not as good in science. The results for seven-year-olds were better than similar schools in mathematics but much worse in reading and writing.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The variations in test results between boys and girls largely replicate the national differences. In English, girls are doing better. Boys, however, improved their results in 2000 by more than did the girls. In mathematics, the typical boy is more than four months ahead; and boys, as a group, improved faster than did the girls. In science, the typical boy is about two months ahead but such a difference is not significant.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The school does not analyse its national test results or any other performance data derived from assessments of National Curriculum subjects by ethnic background, special educational needs, or English as an additional language, and this is a serious shortcoming. The local authority analyses the school’s results according to four broad ethnic groupings, which is informative but not refined enough for a school with pupils from more than twenty ethnic groups. The local authority analysis shows that Indian pupils, who are the largest ethnic group, amounting to more than half the cohort, performed better in 2000 than the local average in all of the core subjects but with some underachievement among high attaining pupils in science. Black Caribbean pupils, a relatively small group, generally performed well in terms of attaining the national level but few exceeded expectations in mathematics and science. There were very few white United Kingdom pupils in the 2000

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

cohort; all of them did well in English and science but they under-performed in mathematics. The results of other ethnic groups, about a quarter of the cohort, are analysed together; their performance in mathematics was better than the local average but was below average in English and science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Inward pupil mobility lowered the 2000 results slightly in English overall. The effect was not noticeable in reading, where all newcomers who had joined the school between the ages of seven and eleven attained the expected national level in the 2000 tests for eleven-year-olds and the school benefited from the influx. The effect was very noticeable in writing where less than half the newcomers attained expectations and lowered the overall result. The school gained from the mobility in mathematics, where nearly all of the newcomers attained the expected level and more than a quarter exceeded expectations. This was better than the performance of pupils who went through the entire seven-to-eleven key stage. In science, inward mobility had little effect at the expected level but boosted the proportion exceeding expectations.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The achievement of the eleven-year-old pupils tested in 2000 was satisfactory in reading and mathematics but unsatisfactory in writing. Nearly all of the eleven-year-olds tested in 2000 had increased their attainment in reading and mathematics by the expected amounts since the age of seven; in writing, less than two-thirds did so. A comparison with earlier attainment shows a small amount of underachievement in reading among some of the more able pupils. In writing, the underachievement particularly affected nearly all the boys and girls who had high scores in the tests when aged seven. In writing, and to a lesser extent in mathematics, a proportion of pupils who just managed to attain the expected level at age seven did not repeat their success when aged eleven. Compared to attainment on entry, the results at the age of seven in English indicate underachievement among all pupils but especially the more able boys and girls. The achievement of seven-year-olds in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Although there have been satisfactory improvements at the age of eleven in standards in English, mathematics, and science, the long-term perspective in these subjects must be tempered by the current, complex picture of inconsistent and unsatisfactory overall provision that is affecting learning in the short-term. Standards in English, mathematics, and science are below average among six, eight, and nine-year-olds and they have fallen significantly at the age of seven since the last inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. The standard of current work is very variable throughout the school because of the high turnover of teachers. Among the eleven-year-olds, the standard is above average in English and mathematics and average in science. There is extensive Perivale Primary School – Page 12 preparation for the national tests, but these generally good standards also reflect the commitment and hard work of the teachers in this year group. They are permanent members of staff and have been able to provide their pupils with a consistent quality of teaching throughout the present school year. Among the seven-year-olds, current work is broadly average in English and mathematics, though the early indications of the 2001 tests in mathematics are that the results will be above average, and average in science. Compared to the previous inspection, standards in English, mathematics, and science are much higher among eleven-year-olds but are considerably lower at the age of seven. The long-term achievement of the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

eleven-year-olds is only just keeping pace with expectations. This, together with learning in the short term that is unsatisfactory overall, means that the decline in standards among seven-year-olds has the potential for lower standards in the seven-to-eleven age range in the years to come unless immediate action is taken.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. In the other subjects, standards at the ages of seven and eleven are average in art and design, design and technology, geography, history, information and communication technology, and religious education. Standards are below average in music at the age of seven, and well below average at the age of eleven. In physical education, standards are average at the age of seven but below average by the age of eleven. The standards attained by the oldest pupils in information and communication technology have improved since the previous inspection but those in design and technology, geography, history, music, and physical education are now considerably lower than they were four years ago. This is partly because less time is given to these subjects so that the pupils can practise for the tests in English, mathematics, and science. Standards in art and design and religious education have been sustained since the previous inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In English, the typical eleven-year-old speaks confidently, listens carefully, identifies the main themes, expressing himself or herself at length, and is alert to the needs a listener might have for detail or further explanation. They can read a range of books and texts fluently, cope well with unfamiliar words, and have well developed preferences for author or type of story. Writing is clear, interesting, and well organised. Sentences are complex, with good use of commas to separate clauses, accurately punctuated, and with good spelling. In mathematics, the typical eleven-year-old can use a range of mental strategies when calculating and solving problems; has appropriate knowledge of tens, hundreds and thousands and can use paper and pencil methods when calculating using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Eleven-year-olds have appropriate knowledge of shape, space, and measures; and of data handling. In science, eleven-year-olds understand the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

basic principles of scientific enquiry and have appropriate factual knowledge in each of the other attainment targets within the programme of study.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. In art and design, the typical eleven-year-old is enthusiastic and can draw and paint with appropriate accuracy and control but does not have an extensive knowledge of the work of other artists or of the language necessary to talk evaluatively about the subject. In design and technology, making and construction skills are generally consistent with expectations but attainment in the design aspect of the subject is weaker throughout. Mapping skills and knowledge of geographical features are generally good but knowledge of localities outside the United Kingdom is limited. In history, the pupils are acquiring knowledge of key events and people from several different periods but much of this knowledge is insecure, reflecting over- reliance on worksheets in some year groups. In information and communication technology, eleven-year-olds are acquiring an appropriate range of skills and knowledge, including word processing, using spreadsheets, and the Internet. All of the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

teaching occurs in the computer suite; not enough is done to increase the use of computers in classrooms to support other subjects. In music, standards have fallen since the previous inspection and the pupils’ ability to make and appraise music is much lower than it should be. In physical education, standards in swimming among eleven-year-olds are low; individual pupils are very good sprinters, bowlers, and throwers but few pupils have good fielding skills; gymnastic skills are underdeveloped. In religious education, the oldest pupils are developing a satisfactory knowledge of Christianity and other major world religions.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. The typical seven-year-old listens carefully and includes appropriate detail when talking about their work. They read with satisfactory accuracy and comprehension. Writing is logically organised and grammar, punctuation and spelling are satisfactory in the main. In mathematics, the typical seven-year-old has a good understanding of tens and units and can use addition and subtraction effectively to solve problems. In science, seven-year-olds are beginning to understand the importance of systematic investigation and have appropriate knowledge of electrical circuits, for example, but few of them are aware of, say, differences between cultivated and wild plants or have developed the ability to recognise some of the common species. In art and design, they can draw and paint with appropriate accuracy and attention to detail. In design and technology, seven-year-olds have an adequate knowledge and range of skills to make models but have only limited

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

knowledge of mechanisms. In geography, pupils have satisfactory mapping skills and are developing a vocabulary of correct subject terminology. In history, some knowledge, for example, of the Victorian period, is being acquired though this is not always at the depth required by the programme of study. Seven-year-olds have satisfactory keyboard skills and appropriate knowledge of word processing and database programs. In physical education, the pupils have satisfactory agility and dexterity and are developing appropriate team skills. In religious education, they know about the main festivals celebrated by the major world religions and are beginning to develop a basic knowledge of Christianity. The evidence in music is limited; what is available indicates average singing skills.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. Standards among four and five-year-olds are above average in mathematics and average in each of the other nationally agreed areas of learning except physical development, where standards among four-year-olds are satisfactory but are low among five-year-olds. Children in the nursery make good progress in mathematical development and satisfactory progress in Perivale Primary School – Page 13 the other areas of learning. The progress of children in the reception year is being affected by staff absences and progress is unsatisfactory or even poor in a significant minority of lessons. Nevertheless, progress overall is satisfactory in mathematical development and an above average proportion of the five-year-olds are on course to attain the nationally agreed learning goal by the end of the reception year. In each of the other areas of learning, an average proportion of five-year-olds are on course to attain the nationally agreed goals for the age group except in physical development, where skills and knowledge

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

gaining in the nursery are not extended sufficiently.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. The vast majority of pupils with special educational needs have difficulty with literacy and numeracy. The majority are one or more years behind expectations in literacy and numeracy but a few pupils are three or more years behind. The progress of these pupils and those with statements of special needs is very mixed; and it is poor overall, reflecting significant shortcomings in provision when learning assistants and support teachers are not available. An inclusion policy operates and this means that most special needs are expected to be met in lessons; there is very little withdrawal of pupils to work individually or in small groups away from the classroom. This appropriate policy is dependent upon good communications between class teachers and the special needs teachers and assistants, which in practice is not happening consistently enough. The high level of teacher turnover and teacher absence has reduced communication to almost nil and this is seriously

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

weakening the progress of pupils with special educational needs.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

14. A high percentage of pupils speak English as an additional language. The wider multi-lingual community is well established and parents are generally able to communicate in English so that the majority of children are developing bilingual skills at home as well as in school and achieve good standards in spoken English by the time they are seven. Indeed, most children acquire competence in spoken English by the time they complete the reception year and make good progress in the five-to- seven age group, with many achieving expected standards in English by the time they are seven. Not all of the higher attaining pupils achieve their full potential by the age of seven, for example in reading, because their ability to comprehend the language of the text is not at the same level as their phonic skills. One seven-year-old pupil, for example, had difficulty in understanding the idea of an inventor although he had no problem reading the word. Not enough is done in each subject to

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

anticipate the specialist vocabularies that will create problems for bilingual pupils or to increase their knowledge of subject terminology systematically, and in depth, over time, especially in the five-to-nine age groups. Currently some younger pupils are not reading widely enough from the school or public libraries to enable them to develop higher levels of comprehension. By the time that they are eleven, the majority of pupils are attaining or exceeding expected standards in reading and they are able to comprehend meaning beyond the literal. They can read poetry as well as prose and are developing good writing skills for different purposes and different audiences. Some pupils are able to recognise meanings at the heart of a text, for example in the book “Mr Tick the Teacher” they understand the confidence trick played against the school’s inspector.

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15. The targets for literacy and numeracy in 2000 were exceeded in English and mathematics. The target for 2001 is 88 per cent in English and 84 per cent in mathematics, amounting to a percentage point increase on the 2000 results in English and two percentage points in mathematics. As each child represents about two percentage points, the extent of the targeted increase is only modest and the targets provide insufficient challenge. The school is on course to exceed its targets in 2001.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Pupils of all ages and abilities have positive attitudes to school and to learning, and this is consistent with the previous inspection. Most pupils are well behaved and considerate of the needs of others. Pupils enjoy school and start each day with high levels of enthusiasm and anticipation. In lessons they show good levels of interest and are keen to become involved in activities. Most pupils work well individually and in small groups but there is too much variation in the rate at which they complete their written work. This is dependent, in the main, on the demands and expectations of individual teachers. All pupils, including four and five-year-olds, are especially responsive when the tasks they are given are challenging and stimulating.

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17. The satisfactory standards of behaviour identified in the previous report have been maintained. Behaviour in and around the school is generally sound and typical of the majority of schools. No bullying, racism, sexism, or other oppressive behaviour was seen. Parents, pupils, and midday staff report instances of bullying and aggressive behaviour by a minority of pupils. The vast majority of pupils are polite and friendly and follow instructions carefully. Playtimes and lunchtimes are pleasant social occasions, where pupils socialise well within their age groups. Older junior pupils are given the opportunity to show initiative and personal responsibility undertaking tasks such as issuing drinks and clearing away at the end of lunch and looking after the younger children. Pupils move around the school in an orderly manner and most show respect for their own property and that of others. A small number of pupils in both the junior and infant key stages sometimes misbehave and their

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management by the staff is variable. There have been no exclusions of pupils in the year before the inspection.

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18. Relationships are usually good amongst pupils and satisfactory between pupils and staff. Almost all of the pupils are polite and well mannered. They are mostly kind and considerate towards one another and most show respect to teachers and visitors alike. In class, most pupils are attentive and concentrate well. They listen carefully whilst their classmates are talking and share ideas and resources well. During discussions pupils are happy and confident to put forward an argument and explain their viewpoint and are respectful of the views and beliefs of other. The school is racially harmonious and many of the 31 different languages spoken by pupils are celebrated frequently through assemblies and special times in class. Perivale Primary School – Page 14 19. Attendance remains satisfactory and broadly in line with the national average of around 94 per cent. Punctuality is good for the vast majority of pupils and lessons start and finish on time.

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20. The overall quality of the teaching is very variable and unsatisfactory when compared to the typical national picture. The inconsistent quality of teaching is leading to very uneven learning in year groups and subjects and to a decline in standards in the various age groups and subjects already noted. The amount of satisfactory or better teaching, 85 per cent, is much lower than that found in the vast majority of schools and worse than the previous inspection. The amount of good or better teaching, 38 per cent, is about half that found in most schools. The amount of unsatisfactory and poor teaching, 15 per cent, is about three times the average and a third more than at the time of the previous inspection. This unacceptable picture hides the effort that many of the teachers, who are mainly temporary or new to their posts, put into their work. The high staff turnover, high rate of absence, and the often very brief tenure of temporary teachers is preventing the establishment of a high

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performance team. New and temporary teachers find themselves working with children they do not know, with not enough preparation, and with insufficient awareness of the policies and planning of the school. Teachers recruited from overseas, and others, who mainly work as supply teachers, often have insufficient knowledge of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies to teach them effectively; nevertheless, they are generally well motivated and eager to learn.

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21. There are instances of very good teaching in the seven, ten, and eleven-year-old age groups. All of the teaching of eleven- year-olds is satisfactory or better, with almost two-thirds that is good or better; this age group is taught by established, permanent teachers and the quality of their work overall is in line with the national picture. Almost half the teaching of ten- year-olds is good or better, and almost two-thirds for seven-year-olds, reflecting the work of teachers who have, in the main, taught their classes consistently during this school year. All of the teaching in the nursery is satisfactory or better though that which is better is low. In the other year groups, including the reception year, the teaching is very variable, with very low amounts of good or better teaching and very high amounts that are unsatisfactory; for example, a third of the teaching of six- year-olds and a quarter of the teaching of five-year-olds is unsatisfactory.

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22. The teaching is best and closest to the national picture in mathematics, where 50 per cent is good, and the quality has been maintained since the previous inspection. The teaching is broadly in line with the national picture in geography, history, information and communication technology, and religious education. In English, science, art and design, design and technology, music, and physical education, teaching is not as good as the typical picture. In English, the range of quality is very wide; 18 per cent is very good or excellent, which is three times the average, but only 36 per cent is good or better, which is half the average, and 18 per cent unsatisfactory, which is three times the average. Overall, the quality of teaching in English is lower than at the previous inspection. All of the teaching is satisfactory or better in geography, history, information and communication technology, and religious education. In information and communication technology, the

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teaching has improved since the previous inspection; it has been maintained in geography and religious education; no teaching of history was seen at the last inspection. In science, only 60 per cent is satisfactory or better and the quality of teaching has declined.

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23. Where teaching is very good or excellent, the teacher’s expertise, enthusiasm for the subject, explanations, and questioning inspires the pupils and they give of their best. In an excellent lesson with a set of high attaining ten-year-olds, the teacher skilfully taught the pupils to recognise and use prepositions in front of pronouns and nouns to denote spatial or temporal position. The pupils explored how prepositions could alter meaning in sentences and then went on to write in a persuasive and argumentative genre. This lesson was highly successful because the teacher knew the pupils well, planned in detail for individual differences in pupil attainment, commanded the respect of the pupils because of her extensive subject expertise, treated the pupils as her intellectual equal, and expected them to attain highly. By the end of the lesson, all of the pupils had achieved the learning objective and were writing at a level one or more years ahead of expectations.

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24. Satisfactory teaching is adequate teaching but with areas for improvement. In such lessons, the substantial majority of pupils make acceptable progress in the time available. In a satisfactory mathematics lesson with nine-year-olds, the temporary teacher had been in the school for about six weeks and had begun to form a working knowledge of the pupils. Effective support had been organised for pupils with special needs; their work was at an appropriate level and the assistant provided good levels of explanation and questioning. The plan for the lesson contained sufficient detail to indicate work for pupils with different levels of attainment. Much of this work in practice was appropriately matched to learning needs but a small group had been given worksheets that did not challenge them sufficiently and this group did not make enough progress. The teacher’s knowledge of mathematics was satisfactory but her training to teach the National Numeracy Strategy had not been

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sufficient and this showed, for example, in the limited emphasis placed on the final plenary session.

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25. Eleven out of the twenty-three teachers seen had one or more lessons that were unsatisfactory or poor. Of these eleven teachers, about half had been at the school more than just a few weeks; they had only one lesson that was unsatisfactory or poor out of several that were seen and the less than satisfactory teaching is not typical of their work. The remaining unsatisfactory lessons relate to the work of supply teachers whose experience of the school and the pupils is very limited. In Perivale Primary School – Page 15 the majority of unsatisfactory lessons, a lack of subject knowledge and expertise, together with a lack of familiarity of the pupils’ capabilities, led to work that was generally too easy, and to organisation that did not introduce new knowledge quickly or systematically enough. Where teaching is poor, lack of familiarity with the pupils and a lack of preparation for the lesson led to ineffective discipline and to high levels of disruptive behaviour that prevented pupils from learning.

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26. Overall, the teaching of numeracy is satisfactory. The teaching of literacy is only just satisfactory, based on the attainment of the oldest pupils, but this is a finely balanced judgement because of the inconsistency of teaching quality. Phonics are adequately taught. The majority of teachers have satisfactory knowledge of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and use the methods of these strategies appropriately and effectively. A significant minority, however, have less secure knowledge of these strategies and need further training. Methods in other subjects vary, even when planning is shared, reflecting insufficient subject leadership and a lack of management strategies to identify and promote good practice in each subject and support the professional development of individual teachers where this is necessary.

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27. The pace with which the nursery pupils are currently acquiring new knowledge and skills is satisfactory. The pace slows significantly for the five and six-year-olds and is unsatisfactory overall in these age groups. The pace improves to a satisfactory level for the seven-year-olds, where there is setting by attainment, before slowing to an unsatisfactory pace in the eight and nine-year-old age groups. The pace accelerates among the ten-year-olds, mainly reflecting the effectiveness of the setting arrangements, and is quickest in the eleven-year-old age group, where it is good overall.

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28. Learning needs of high, average, and low attaining pupils are adequately met in the nursery and in the ten and eleven-year- old age groups, where basic literacy and numeracy skills are effectively taught. Elsewhere, needs are very inconsistently met and basic skills are not always efficiently taught. The arrangements to teach pupils in attainment sets in English and mathematics are effective in the ten-year-old age group and this is helping to match learning needs accurately to the pupils’ attainment. The arrangements are not as effective in the seven-year-old age group because teachers are not as familiar with them and there are greater variations of the teachers’ English and mathematics subject expertise.

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29. The special educational needs of pupils, including those with statements, are very inconsistently met; overall, the provision is poor and the pace at which they learn is unsatisfactory between the ages of five and eleven; the pace is satisfactory among four-year-olds. Communication between the special needs staff and class teachers is lacking in rigour and largely ineffective. When special needs teachers and assistants work directly with pupils the quality is often good. Individual education plans are used to direct the choice of the specific learning objectives for the lesson. This, however, is often done without direct reference to the class teacher and too much of their planning is done in isolation from the main provision. When the learning support assistants are not present, class teachers are often insufficiently aware of the pupils’ special needs. In one class of nine-year-olds, a temporary teacher who had been in school for several weeks had not been adequately briefed on the

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difficulties faced by two pupils with statements, who had severe dyslexia amongst other difficulties. Both pupils were found copying questions from a work sheet that they could not read and did not understand; they were struggling and losing confidence quickly. All of the documents relating to those pupils had been locked in a filing cabinet for the entire period the teacher had been at the school. The key could not be found, and no one had provided guidance for this teacher on the level of work she should provide for these pupils. This is unacceptable. Records show that pupils with special educational needs often remain at the same stage of assessment for too long, and this reflects the minimal extent to which the provision for special needs is integrated into the main teaching provision for these pupils. The teachers are not sufficiently identifying pupils who are gifted or talented and there is no consistent planning to meet their needs.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

30. The school does not analyse the performance of pupils by ethnicity or first language and this means that the ability of the school to meet what may be different learning needs of these pupils is weakened. Even so, many staff are themselves bilingual and the general level of the provision is satisfactory but with areas for improvement. Most teachers take account of the bilingual profile of their class and take care to make meanings clear for pupils with English as an additional language, though a few are less aware and set work that is sometimes inaccessible for one or two pupils. Where classroom assistants support bilingual pupils, they make satisfactory progress. In several lessons, however, these specialist assistants are under- used and they spend too long listening to the teacher rather than working directly with pupils. The school has no clear strategy for supporting newcomers to English who arrive throughout the year in different age groups.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

31. The use of assessment information when evaluating the success of teaching programmes and when deciding what pupils should learn next is very underdeveloped. The more established teachers usually know their pupils well and select suitable work for them. New and temporary teachers are provided with too little information to help them and not enough use is made of the data that does exist. Homework, in practice, is inconsistently provided and the implementation of school policy is unsatisfactory.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

32. The quality and range of learning opportunities, including those for the four and five-year-olds, are unsatisfactory overall, reflecting the variability of the teaching. Over the period of a school year, all the required subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education are taught to pupils aged five to eleven. There are, however, weaknesses in the coverage Perivale Primary School – Page 16 of music, which mean that the full programme of study is not taught. The percentage of the taught week spent on each subject is consistent with national guidance in most classes and a survey of the amounts of time that subjects are taught in practice has been completed. This process is not however, a firmly established aspect of management. Eleven-year-olds during the autumn and spring terms spend additional time on the study of English, mathematics and science. Their work shows that much of the time is spent preparing for the national tests. This reduces pupils’ opportunities to experience a

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balanced and relevant curriculum during this period. The amount of time spent teaching throughout the seven-to-eleven age group falls short of the recommended minimum by more than one hour per week, a shortcoming that was picked up in the previous report and has not been acted upon. A shortage of time contributes to standards not being as high as they could be in some subjects.

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33. Shortcomings in the school’s curriculum management systems, especially the use of assessment information, result in pupils not always receiving a curriculum that is relevant to their attainment or their learning needs, particularly when classes are taught by temporary teachers. Guidance about what is to be taught, the methods to use, and the resources available to support learning at appropriate levels at all times, is not consistently provided; nor are checks made when guidance is provided to see that it is acted on. This shortcoming in management is allowing too much unsatisfactory teaching to reduce the quality of learning experiences. Policy documents are in place for each subject but several are in need of review and revision. Schemes of work for all subjects are in place but some of these, such as those for music and physical education, have only recently been put in place and have not yet had time to be effective.

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34. Where teaching groups have been reorganised so that pupils can be taught English and mathematics in attainment sets, the implementation has been mainly effective, especially in the ten-year-old age group. This recent initiative, however, has been carried out without full consideration of all the practical details, such as communicating information about bilingual pupils, or the implications for teaching in the next school year when pupils transfer into year groups where setting by attainment does not happen. The teachers of some sets, for instance, do not know the stage of English acquisition of pupils from other classes who they teach in an attainment set.

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35. Pupils with special educational needs experience a curriculum that is not significantly different to that of the other pupils. The headteacher has introduced a policy for including pupils with special educational needs in all lessons and for meeting their needs without withdrawing them from their class. The part-time special needs teacher and the support assistants work to this policy effectively and plan their work well, based on the specific needs of the pupils. The policy, however, is not clearly understood by all class teachers and not enough training is provided to equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary for them to meet the leaning needs of these pupils all the time. Training is not provided as part of the induction process of new teachers; nor are temporary teachers briefed effectively on what is expected of them in relation to pupils with special needs and this is unsatisfactory. The extent to which teachers see and use the individual education plans of pupils with

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special needs is very variable and limited overall; because of this, the learning needs of pupils with special needs are not met when specialist staff are unavailable. Lesson plans rarely identify in detail the specific work for pupils with special needs. The quality of individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs are mainly satisfactory and work has been carried out over the past year to improve them. Even so, a common weakness is that the targets in the plans are not written in a way that helps teachers measure pupils’ learning and track progress towards achieving the targets.

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36. The National Literacy Strategy is implemented satisfactorily and is beginning to have a positive impact on standards. This is particularly so in classes where teaching staff have received the appropriate training to teach the strategy. In some cases, temporary teaching staff have a limited understanding of the strategy and this results in less effective implementation. The national strategy for numeracy has been well implemented. Teaching staff have a satisfactory knowledge of the content of the guidance and most use it appropriately to plan their lessons. At times there is too much dependence on commercial work sheets, which are not always appropriate to the needs of all pupils. These sheets often dictate the pace of pupils’ progress rather than the learning needs of individual pupils. The success of the strategy can be seen in the improved results.

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37. A very limited range of out of school activities is provided. Some limited sports activities take place, usually in the autumn and spring terms together with a small range of musical experiences. Some inter-school sport takes place that adds to pupils’ sporting prowess as well as their social and competitive experiences.

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38. Pupils do not always have equal access to the full curriculum. Where pupils with special educational needs or those with English as an additional language are not supported adequately they fail to make sufficient progress. The school does not take appropriate note, for example, of possible planned themes in collective worship that would have relevance to a wider audience of pupils. In some subjects such as English and mathematics, most teachers ensure that work is provided to meet pupils’ needs. In subjects such as science, the most able pupils start topics at too low a level to challenge their understanding and increase their learning. In history and geography, work is usually provided at a similar level for all pupils which results in a lack of challenge for the most able and work which lacks relevance for those of below average ability.

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39. Provision for pupils personal, social and health education is satisfactory. Pupils are able to discuss social issues and there is a recently introduced forum for pupils to raise issues through the school council. Sex education is covered partly through the science curriculum and through separate lessons. Drug awareness education is also covered, especially with eleven-year- olds. Perivale Primary School – Page 17 40. The involvement of outside agencies and visitors is at a satisfactory level with visits from members of various faiths, the support of some governors and parents in classrooms, the fire service, and police. A theatre group visits the school and a limited range of educational visits takes place. Links with other educational institutes are also satisfactory with teacher training students and pupils on placement from secondary schools making visits. Pupils from the school also have the

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opportunity to visit a secondary school prior to moving into secondary education after the age of eleven.

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41. Overall, the provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory, which is the same as the previous inspection. Improvements have been made, particularly in the provision of spiritual development and cultural development. The headteacher has a clear vision of the role of spiritual, moral, social and cultural education within the framework of the school. There is no coordinated plan of approach, which prevents provision from being good.

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42. Provision for spiritual development, apart from collective worship, is now satisfactory. Statutory requirements for collective worship are not met; this was the case at the previous inspection and there has been no improvement. There are regular assemblies but these do not to include acts of collective worship. Pupils value these occasions and enjoy sharing and expressing opinions. Celebration assemblies foster community spirit. They are seen as an opportunity to be recognised for good work, which is successful in raising self-esteem. Eleven-year-old pupils would prefer assemblies to include prayers and they make a number of sensible suggestions as to how this may be achieved satisfactorily to appeal to all faiths, for example, saying prayers in different languages and saying prayers which relate to more than one religion. The policy is for daily acts of worship to be conducted in each classroom. In practice, this does not always happen, so arrangements do not meet

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statutory requirements. Although there is a list of recommended themes for these occasions, they are not monitored, so consistency of provision is not guaranteed, which is unsatisfactory. The provision for spiritual development as part of religious education, personal and social education and in other subjects is good. In these lessons, pupils are encouraged to discuss issues that are meaningful to them and to the wider world.

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43. Moral education is also developed through lessons in religious education, personal and social education and in other subjects and the provision is satisfactory overall. Pupils regularly have the opportunity to learn about themselves and each other. They learn to express their views with increasing confidence. Sometimes the teacher or their peers challenge their views, which causes them to refine and develop them. This occurred, for example, during discussions on hypothetical environmental developments, which encouraged an awareness of a wider responsibility. The oldest pupils feel that the values of respect and tolerance and the manner in which to deal with problems, fostered during these lessons, have a positive influence on their lives and attitudes within school. They are willing to assume a social responsibility in the playground, for instance, by helping pupils in distress or by looking after younger pupils. The school is successful in teaching the difference

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between right and wrong. Pupils, in the main, follow the accepted codes of conduct. The moral dimension of personal responsibility is fostered through fund raising for charities, often at the instigation of the pupils themselves.

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44. The provision for social development is satisfactory. The school council is influential in developing a social awareness and responsibility. All pupils have access to their representatives and can make suggestions, which are discussed at council meetings. Pupils value these opportunities and cite the adoption of the school logo as an example of their influence. Unfortunately, the council has not met for a while, but there are plans for it to reconvene. Pupils are given regular responsibilities on a rota system, which ensures that everyone gets a turn. Playground routines are discussed in assemblies, so pupils know what is expected of them. Social awareness is also fostered on school visits and especially the residential visit.

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45. The provision for cultural development is satisfactory and has improved. Pupils are taught about a wide diversity of cultures throughout the curriculum. Religious education lessons teach about the diversity of faiths and pupils declare their enjoyment of this aspect of the curriculum. They are interested in learning about each other’s faiths and cultures and discuss similarities and differences. Their willingness to get on well together is a strong feature. In geography and history, pupils learn about other countries and aspects of British cultural heritage. Opportunities to promote cultural development through music are not always taken. Major festivals are celebrated in assemblies and throughout the school. The diversity of spoken languages was successfully conveyed in assemblies during the inspection. Pupils enjoyed performing at the governors’ annual general meeting, when they presented dances from several cultures. Displays celebrate the many faiths and cultures represented in

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the school. The variety of languages is evident in written greetings in many parts of the building. The French club is a useful asset. The provision for cultural development, however, is not coordinated or based on rigorous planning.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school’s procedures for child protection and for ensuring the welfare, health and safety of the pupils whilst satisfactory overall, have shortcomings. One such example was the inadequate supervision of children at the end of the school day, when a supply teacher had already vacated the school premises before the parents had come to collect their children. Another is the lack of staff to supervise the children when they arrive for school in the morning using the pedestrian entrance to the school. Vehicles are parking illegally on the zigzag lines accompanying the nearby pedestrian crossing directly outside this entrance, which is not the direct responsibility of the school but too little is done by senior management to inform the appropriate Perivale Primary School – Page 18 authority. A refuse vehicle was seen to use the pedestrian access to the school whilst the children and their parents were

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walking onto the playground. This is a school responsibility and nothing has been done to liaise with the refuse collectors to agree a safe time for them to visit the school. Overall, the standard of care is the same as the previous inspection but there has been no improvement in the minor issues identified at that time, such as the inconsistent implementation of the behaviour policy.

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47. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good attendance are satisfactory. Registers are kept well and in accordance with statutory requirements. There is effective liaison with the educational social worker but the school does not always follow up unexplained absences quickly enough.

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48. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour and for eliminating oppressive conduct, whilst satisfactory overall, have some weaknesses and there has been no improvement since the previous inspection. The behaviour policy, which has currently been reviewed, is not consistently applied by all staff and in some cases has not been communicated sufficiently well enough to them. In practice, teachers adequately check most misbehaviour and bullying is dealt with appropriately but there are a few exceptions. Although teachers generally help children who misbehave to understand why their actions are wrong, the strategies currently employed to deal with poor behaviour do not always include setting suitable targets for pupils to aspire to. Expectations of behaviour are not always consistent, especially among new staff who are not always fully briefed about the behaviour policy of the school.

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49. Satisfactory child protection procedures are in place. The school has an appropriate policy that is in line with the Area Child Protection Committee guidelines. The headteacher is the designated person and has received appropriate training. There is a need, however, to engage governors more fully in their responsibilities as suggested in Circular 10/95. Sound systems are in place for monitoring health and safety but these systems need to be more conscientiously followed on a regular basis, especially in the prolonged absence of the site manager. Risk assessments have been carried out and fire and electrical checks take place. A number of staff are trained in first-aid and effective procedures are in place for dealing with illness, accidents and for administering medicines. There is a comfortable medical room for pupils who are ill and the school nurse is a regular visitor.

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50. Arrangements for assessing pupils’ attainment are broadly satisfactory but not enough is done to analyse the performance of specific groups or to monitor and measure progress of pupils over time. The school has recently been reviewing its assessment policy and has begun to implement and establish some sound assessment procedures in English, mathematics, and science. This has led to improved systems that effectively identify pupils’ attainment over time. The school has analysed the results of both national statutory and non-statutory tests in English and mathematics and the information gained from these tests is used to set school targets in these subjects. The school’s arrangements for assessing pupils’ progress are still undergoing development and although not yet established the school intends to use these tests to set year group targets in the near future. However, the school does not analyse it assessments by ethnicity in order to ascertain how well different groups

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of pupils are achieving and this is unsatisfactory. The school is beginning successfully to implement systems that assess pupils’ attainment against National Curriculum levels in English and mathematics and this will enable teachers to gain a better understanding of their pupils’ attainment in these subjects. Although the procedures to assess pupils are satisfactory, with the exception of school target setting in English and mathematics, the use of these assessments by teachers to inform curriculum planning is unsatisfactory. This is because the assessment procedures are still very recent and have not yet had time to inform curriculum planning in a substantial way; this process is hindered by the high staff turnover. Assessments in all other subjects across the curriculum are inconsistently applied and need review and further development. Individual pupil target setting in English, mathematics and science and pupils’ self assessment sheets positively enhances the school’s

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assessment arrangements and effectively make pupils more aware of their own learning.

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51. The nursery staff use the local authority’s early years development record well. Assessments are regular, give good detail, and cover all areas of learning. Samples of four and five-year-old children’s work are kept, which clearly show children’s progress. There are some gaps in the records but overall they are good. Nursery staff have maintained the good assessment procedures found at the time of the previous inspection. Although the records include targets for children’s learning, they are not yet used sufficiently well to inform the planning for the next stage of learning. Reception staff are expected to follow the same recording system but the turnover of staff has prevented the system from being as effective as it can be. The reception nursery nurse has, in the main, completed children’s reports because the turnover of temporary teaching staff has meant that there was no one else with the detailed knowledge available to do this. While she was given time for this and has undertaken

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it effectively, this is an unsatisfactory situation and has meant that she is taken away from her supporting role with the children.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. The small number of parents who attended the pre-inspection meeting and the 24 per cent who returned the questionnaires, are generally satisfied with the quality of education provided by the school. A significant minority of those parents, however, are correct in their perception that homework is inconsistent across the school and that there is insufficient extra-curricular activity taking place. Satisfactory links have been established between the school and parents and the school provides Perivale Primary School – Page 19 satisfactory levels of information.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. Meetings are held to keep parents informed about the curriculum and notices are posted around the school to keep parents abreast of what is being taught. The prospectus and annual governors’ report to parents are both comprehensive and informative. Parents are kept informed of their child’s progress through meetings with staff. End of year reports, whilst helpful, are not sufficiently diagnostic and do not always contain specific academic and personal targets for the child and parent to aim for.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. The parents’ involvement in their children’s learning is satisfactory. Parents are encouraged to help in school and a number do, carrying out such tasks as listening to children read. There has until recently been a friends association which raised funds by organising social events. Theatre companies have been bought in using the money raised and children have been able to go on educational visits. Parents and carers are welcomed into the nursery and reception classes in a friendly manner by staff at the beginning and end of the sessions. However, very few parents and carers help in classes. Only one parent was observed with her child in the nursery and only one parent helped voluntarily in one reception class during the inspection. Parents appropriately contribute to their children’s reading at home. Children who read to an inspector spoke of reading to parents.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The leadership and management of the school by the headteacher, deputy headteacher, team leaders, subject managers, and other key staff together has not been able to raise standards or improve the quality of education quickly enough. The high turnover and new and temporary appointments of many of the staff with management responsibilities, together with the very high turnover of class teachers and the high rate of absence, has contributed to the serious reduction in the effectiveness of leadership and management. Taking into account all aspects, and not singling out any individual, the effectiveness of the leadership and management is poor. Although the headteacher has high aspirations for the school she wishes to create, these have not been sufficiently transformed into action or policies that all in the school follow and this is resulting in wide variations in the quality of education provided for pupils. She is having to spend too much of her time dealing with the day-

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

to-day problems that arise and not enough time planning strategically for improvement. There have been successes, with potentially useful management practices having been recently initiated by a consultant and the acting deputy headteacher, but these are not yet firmly embedded in the management culture at all levels. The current capacity for further improvement at the rapid pace needed is insufficient without special measures being applied.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The acting deputy headteacher, key stage coordinators, and team leaders understand their roles appropriately and share a commitment to improving the school. They are nearly all very recent appointments and all have job descriptions, though these had been presented by the headteacher rather than agreed jointly with her. The key stage and team leaders have established satisfactory procedures for planning within their teams and are involved in looking at pupils’ work and supporting teachers as best they can.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The previous inspection found a number of subject managers and key staff to be absent or new to their posts. Since then, the situation has deteriorated. The deputy headteacher has been absent for more than a year. The manager of the four-to-seven age group was absent during the inspection. The managers of English, special educational needs, information and communication technology, geography, and assessment, have been absent for a long time, in some cases, for more than a year. Most of the permanent subject managers have left the school since the last inspection. One of the senior teachers was appointed as acting deputy headteacher just over a year ago, with a significant increase in her responsibilities just a few weeks before the inspection following the departure of a consultant employed to support the work of the senior management team. The acting deputy headteacher is working very hard to support the headteacher and has taken over many of the duties

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

performed by the consultant. There are new or temporary coordinators for English, science, art and design, design and technology, history, geography, information and communication technology, music, physical education, and religious education. Many posts are held by teachers with fixed term contracts who have not been at the school long and are unsure of the length of their future employment. Levels of management expertise among the current post holders vary, with a few being inexperienced teachers and managers. Nearly all are so new to their role that they have had no opportunity to get to know strengths and weaknesses within their areas of responsibility or make a significant impact on the quality of teaching. Roles are not always clearly understood, are generally underdeveloped, and some of the duties delegated, such as monitoring, cannot be fulfilled without further investment of time. Job descriptions have been written by the headteacher but

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

not all subject managers are aware of them. For these reasons, subject leadership and management are very variable, do not always have systems in place to evaluate performance within the subject, and are generally unable to establish a clear direction for development.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The leadership and management of special educational needs are poor. The division of responsibilities between management, special needs teachers, class teachers, and learning support assistants is unclear. This is leading to an inappropriate expectation on the part of some teachers that learning support assistants plan all the work. The special educational needs coordinator was absent for six months, returned briefly, and was absent during the inspection; her duties have not been clearly reassigned. The headteacher is nominally acting as the coordinator of special educational needs but Perivale Primary School – Page 20 this is inappropriate for such a weighty responsibility given the other commitments of a headteacher in a school of this size. The part-time special educational needs teacher, together with the learning support assistants, has maintained the documents, records, and individual plans well and they are organising their own work appropriately. However, no monitoring of the

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

provision takes place and no one has been delegated responsibility for communicating with teachers and with helping them to identify and incorporate best practice into their teaching.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. Currently there is a vacancy for a teacher to specialise in pupils with English as an additional language and for a coordinator of this provision. This has meant that a recent initiative to provide detailed records of the achievements of pupils with English as an additional language has not had the impact on teaching that was intended. Some teachers are unaware that this data is available and are not taking sufficient account in their lesson planning of the difficulties some of the pupils face. Useful notes on procedures have recently been put in place aimed at raising the achievements of these pupils. This is a very positive development, but without a permanent coordinator to monitor its use and impact on teaching, it is not yet very productive.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The school has not improved quickly enough since the previous inspection; in some aspects, it has deteriorated. An action plan to respond to the issues for improvement that emerged from the previous inspection was produced but a significant number of the actions taken have not been effective. Among the successes, the school has raised standards to satisfactory levels in information and communication technology and improved the curricular guidance for this subject. The provision for cultural development is now satisfactory. Test results for eleven-year-olds have improved and the needs of the more able pupils are being met in this aged group and in the ten-year-old age group; these are good improvements but they are not replicated in other year groups. The amount of good teaching has not improved and the quality of the learning environment is currently worse than at the previous inspection. The provision for collective worship still fails to meet statutory

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

requirements. A lack of improvement to efficiency, financial, and staff management has led to the withdrawal of delegated powers. The accommodation is still inefficiently and poorly maintained and parts of the accommodation contain risks to health and safety. In addition to the major issues, the previous inspection found that curricular policies were not implemented consistently by teachers; this remains the case because the high teacher turnover is preventing many teachers from becoming familiar with the policies. The roles of subject managers, such as for science, were underdeveloped and this, too, remains the case. The arrangements for assessment were inconsistent and the information was not used effectively for curriculum planning; the arrangements have been recently improved following local authority support but the use of the information remains inconsistent.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. There are aspects of good practice within the current school improvement plan but overall it fails to provide a clear step by step, manageable guide to achieving all of the targets. The targets are relevant to improving standards but the most relevant, that of recruiting and retaining teachers, is not included. Measurable targets are set for the improvement of teaching and to raise standards and this is good practice. The targets for teaching, however, are inappropriate because they aim for a much lower standard of teaching than is the norm nationally; for example, only 10 per cent good or better teaching compared to the typical amount of 70 per cent. The plan is comprehensive in that it covers nearly all aspects of school life but the time scale is unreasonable in that it expects most developments to be concluded by the end of the present school year.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The governing body has been diminished in size by resignations and lack of volunteers; there have been frequent changes of membership and of chair since the previous inspection; and statutory responsibilities have not been fulfilled. The minutes of meetings show that because of these factors, the school has not been adequately provided with a consistent sense of direction to its work over recent years; or supported sufficiently by governors as critical friends; or held properly to account for its standards and quality of education achieved. The few remaining governors are loyal to the school and a new chair brings a high level of expertise that is of potential benefit to the governors but it is too early to say whether this is yet another change of direction or the beginnings of consistent governance.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The local authority withdrew delegated responsibility for the budget and for staffing in January 2001 because they judged that there was a serious breakdown in the way the school was managed and governed that would prejudice, or was likely to prejudice, pupils’ standards of performance. The governing body retains oversight of the curriculum. Since January 2001, the budget and staffing issues have been overseen satisfactorily by a steering group, which is now the appropriate authority, comprised of officers of the local authority and the headteacher. The steering group is ensuring that a budget is set in accordance with requirements and that the school lives within its budget. The steering group and the governing body oversee different but interdependent aspects of the work of the school. The arrangements to work together where these aspects overlap are not functioning effectively or efficiently and this is hampering long-term strategic planning.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The systems for self-review and for monitoring and measuring the effectiveness of the school were undeveloped at the last inspection. Some progress has been made over the past year with the support of a local authority consultant but more needs to be done to bring these aspects to a satisfactory level. Arrangements for observing teachers have been established but they are not rigorously implemented, for example, they do not include supply and temporary teachers and they do not include all subjects. The basic arrangements constitute good practice; a programme of visits and objectives are agreed, the observations are recorded, the quality of the feedback comments is satisfactory, the findings are communicated to teachers and recorded, short-term targets are set, and some are incorporated into the training programme. These arrangements, however, are not yet firmly embedded in the management culture and not enough time is spent reviewing the pupils’ work, or the teachers’

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Perivale Primary School – Page 21 planning, and the self-review systems contain insufficient quantification and measurement of effectiveness. Overall, the self- review systems are not currently rigorous enough to provide a sufficiently clear picture of what the school does well and what needs to be done next.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The professional development of teachers in the current circumstances of the school is very difficult. The policy for training is typical of most schools but this, in the circumstances, is not sufficient and rigorous arrangements to assess the skill level of teachers or other staff and to provide training where necessary are urgently needed. There is a satisfactory policy for teaching and learning but it is not implemented thoroughly or consistently, particularly in terms of what the school management is required by the policy to do. Staff induction arrangements are breaking down because of absences among senior staff who would normally have carried out mentoring and appraisal roles. Induction arrangements for supply and temporary teachers are, in practice, minimal. The arrangements for the performance management of teachers have been established according to requirements. There is no policy for the recruitment and retention of teachers and this is a serious

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. Financial management during the present school year is appropriately overseen by the steering group and is satisfactory. The school improvement plan allocates some costs to developments but, overall, the strategic use of finances over the course of more than a year is undeveloped and the budget is not being used sufficiently to bring about improvement or to raise standards throughout the school. There is no strategic plan, for example, to ensure the retention of teachers over the next two years, or the repair and redecoration of the building over five years. There are very few systems in place to evaluate the effectiveness of expenditure, on the maintenance of the grounds for example, and none to establish whether value for money has been obtained. The systems for financial administration have not always been accurate and the headteacher has not always been provided with adequate information. The use of specific grants is satisfactory and spent as intended.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The teaching staff is adequate in number and all of the teachers are qualified although some of them were trained for the twelve-to-sixteen age group. Levels of experience vary too much. Training in the national strategies is not always sufficient for the demands of the curriculum. The provision of skilled support staff is low compared to other schools of this size. Levels of staff sickness are very high. In March, for example, 18 staff were absent for a total of 150 days between them.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. Overall, the accommodation is unsatisfactory and poorly maintained. The present state has arisen through years of neglect. Some of the outdoor grassed areas are unkempt and the field used for physical education has an uneven and potentially hazardous surface. The toilet areas are neglected and in a poor state of repair, including a leak that makes the floor surfaces hazardous. One of the girls’ toilet areas has been closed because there is a risk to health. The corridors of the infant building continue to have an uneven floor surface that was identified in the previous inspection report. The exterior of the premises, in places, is badly in need of refurbishment and redecoration. The school notice board, at the pedestrian entrance, has become unhinged and has fallen to the ground; it has been like that for some time. Areas of the school grounds are scruffy. Rubbish such as old bricks and wood lay around and other items are discarded. A disused greenhouse situated in an

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

accessible quadrangle area presents a hazard, because panes of glass are loose and have partly slide off, and is an eyesore. The appearance of the site detracts from the pupils’ environment generally and is reducing their learning opportunities. There is no library in the part of the buildings used by the seven-to-eleven age group and this restricts their opportunities for personal study. The site manager was absent during the inspection.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. Resources for the four-year-olds are satisfactory in quantity and range but equipment in the outdoor area for nursery pupils is worn and needing repair. The cushioned floor surface underneath the fixed climbing equipment is too small and does not conform to modern safety recommendations. Outdoor resources for five-year-olds are inadequate for learning needs. At least one of the reception classes is significantly under-resourced. Resources for the four and five-year-olds have not been sufficiently improved since the previous inspection. Resources for literacy are adequate but the library has serious shortcomings in its location for the seven-to-eleven age group and is under-stocked for a school of this type and size to support independent study. Resources are satisfactory in mathematics, science, design and technology, geography, information and communication technology, and religious education. Resources in art and design are mainly adequate in

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

quantity but narrow in range. Resources in history are limited but they are being catalogued and organised well by the new coordinator. Resources in music are poor. Indoor resources for physical education for the six-to-eleven age group are satisfactory but the main outdoor resource, the field, is in a poor and unsafe condition. Perivale Primary School – Page 22

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

70. The school is not providing all of its pupils with an adequate quality of education because of very high levels of staff turnover and staff absence and poor leadership and management. Action should be urgently and decisively taken to remedy this situation. The headteacher and her staff, together with all those with governance of the school, should:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

key issue 1: reduce the turnover of teachers and staff absences to typical levels by: • urgently seeking to resolve the long-term absences; • writing and implementing a policy for the recruitment and retention of teachers; (Paragraphs 6, 7, 20-21, 25, 28-29, 31, 32, 55-59, 65)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

key issue 2: increase the effectiveness of leaderships and management by: • ensuring that there is sufficient capacity within the senior management team to manage the development of the school efficiently and effectively; • clarifying and agreeing job descriptions that are fair and manageable for all teachers, managers, and support staff; and communicating the agreed responsibilities to all staff; • developing the roles of all subject managers and providing relevant management training; • annually writing and implementing a programme of development for each subject and subject manager that contains an appropriate number of measurable, achievable targets; monitoring progress towards the targets and reporting regularly to the relevant authority; • urgently increase the effectiveness and efficiency with which the steering group and the governing body work together to plan strategically to improve the school in the long-term;

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

key issue 3: raise the quality, effectiveness, and consistency of the teaching so that its range and distribution is at least consistent with the typical school nationally by: • eradicating the unsatisfactory teaching; • rigorously identifying, sharing, and rewarding good practice in teaching in all subjects; • extending the current programme of monitoring so that there is regular and systematic monitoring of the performance of teachers in all subjects and by supporting their professional development when monitoring shows that this is necessary; • improving the quality and effectiveness of the induction arrangements for new and temporary teachers; • providing relevant training in the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies where this is necessary; • annually setting relevant, measurable targets and reporting regularly to the relevant authority on progress towards the targets; (Paragraphs 20-31)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

key issue 4: improve the provision for special educational needs by: • improving the overall management of the provision; • increasing all teachers’ knowledge and awareness of the methods and strategies they must use to meet the special educational needs of pupils in their classes; • improving the effectiveness with which information about pupils with special educational needs is communicated to all teachers and support assistants; • rigorously monitor all aspects of the provision to identify and share good practice and to remedy shortcomings; • set specific short-term targets for the pupils with special educational needs and use these to measure the extent of progress; • improving the systems for tracking the progress of pupils on the special educational needs register so that their achievements in the long-term can be easily monitored and action taken if they remain too long at the same assessment stage;

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

key issue 5: improve the arrangements for tracking the progress of pupils by: • assessing the attainment of every pupil annually in reading, writing, mathematics and science against National Curriculum levels, and sub-divided levels where possible; and eventually assessing each pupils’ attainment in other subjects as this becomes manageable; • analysing attainment and progress in each year group by ethnicity, gender, mobility, and special educational needs; • collating the data so that annual comparisons can be made for each child, each group and each cohort and the extent of their progress can be quantified and measured; • quantifying, analysing, and using the data when planning what pupils should learn next; • annually setting relevant, measurable targets and reporting regularly to the governing body on progress towards the targets; (Paragraphs 3, 4, and 50-51) Perivale Primary School – Page 23
key issue 6 : improve the effectiveness of the governing body by:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• seeking to fill vacancies in the membership; • providing relevant training in all aspects of governor responsibility, especially strategic planning and financial planning; • working cooperatively with the steering group to shadow key responsibilities, with a view to returning to full delegated responsibilities as soon as this is in the best interests of the pupils; (Paragraphs 62-63)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

key issue 7: raise standards in music and physical education to at least average levels by; • raising the quality of all teaching to that of the best; • teaching the National Curriculum programme of study in full; • increasing the time given to each subject; • setting relevant, measurable targets and reporting regularly to the governors on progress towards the targets; (Paragraphs 148-150 and 151-157)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

key issue 8: improve the quality and relevance of the curriculum; the balance of time allocated to each subject; and the length of the taught week for the seven-to-eleven age group (paragraphs 32-38);

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

key issue 9: improve the condition of the buildings and grounds by: • urgently acting to remedy all of the unhealthy and unsafe features of the site and buildings identified in the report; • introducing a long term strategic plan to decorate and maintain the buildings in an acceptable condition; • introducing arrangements whereby the senior management and relevant authority carry out regular site inspections and act upon the findings. (Paragraph 68 and 69)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

71. In addition to the key issues, the appropriate authority might wish to consider including the following minor issues for improvement in their action plan:
inconsistent implementation of the behaviour management policy (paragraph 17 and 48);
overuse of worksheets in literacy and numeracy lessons (paragraph 36);
limited range of extra-curricular activities (paragraph 37);
meeting requirements for collective worship (paragraph 42);
the supervision of pupils at the beginning and end of the school day (paragraph 46);
reducing the extent of illegal parking on the zigzag lines outside the school (paragraph 46);
vehicles and pupils using the same entrance to the school (paragraph 46);
the inconsistency of homework provision (paragraph 52);
the provision for outdoor play for the reception age pupils (paragraph 90). Perivale Primary School – Page 24

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 44

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR-Y6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 43 424

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 63

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 4

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 72

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 439

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 50

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 36

p.24

Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

p.24

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Perivale Primary School – Page 25

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 33 34 67

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 20 22 29 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 30 32 32

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 75 (68) 81 (78) 91 (89) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 22 28 28 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 29 31 30

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 76 (76) 88 (86) 87 (81) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 24 36 60

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 21 21 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 31 28 33

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 87 (55) 82 (71) 90 (69) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 19 20 23 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 27 26 29

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 77 (52 77 (58) 87 (67) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Perivale Primary School – Page 26

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 26 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 25 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 44 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only and does not include those in the nursery or reception year. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 20.3 Financial year 2000-2001

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20.9

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR-Y6 Total expenditure 1,184,013

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Expenditure per pupil 2,331

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 153 Balance brought forward from previous year 20,145

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 40,178

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.5

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 65

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Perivale Primary School – Page 27

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 31 59 7 2 1

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 41 47 4 2 6

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 37 35 21 2 5

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 39 44 14 2 1

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 36 43 15 2 4

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 42 47 6 1 4

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 36 44 14 4 2

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 36 40 11 7 6

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 36 51 8 2 3

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 19 32 18 13 18

p.27

Other issues raised by parents

All of the issues raised by parents are included in the summary on page nine. Perivale Primary School – Page 28

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

72. Children attend the nursery classes part-time. The majority attend for approximately one year but a few attend for up to five terms. They move into reception classes in the autumn term of the year in which they become five. They then attend full- time. At the time of the inspection, there were 85 children on roll in the nursery classes and 65 children in the three reception classes. The nursery classes are housed in a purpose-built unit with ample space indoors and out. The reception classes are housed in three connecting classrooms on the ground floor of the same building housing the five-to-seven age group. The rooms are cramped and at least one is very sparsely resourced. Reception classes have access to the outdoor walkway for activities such as sand and water play but there is no secure outdoor accommodation to enable staff to provide effectively for the pupils’ physical development even though the school has space for this. Opportunities for reception children to develop

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

skills such as running, climbing and riding wheeled vehicles are too infrequent for satisfactory progress to be made in this aspect of learning.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

73. Children’s attainment is not assessed on entry to the nursery classes. The current attainment of the four-year-olds, the nursery age group, after nearly a year in school, is broadly average in personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development; and creative development. Standards in these areas of learning have been maintained since the previous inspection. In mathematical development, the four-year-olds currently attain high standards; this is an improvement on the standards found at the time of the previous inspection. Progress in mathematical development is good. Progress in each of the other areas of learning is satisfactory.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

74. Baseline assessments show that the attainment of the current five-year-olds on entry to their reception classes was not quite in line with local averages in reading, writing, and mathematics. There is no evidence that the children’s attainment in their first language, if different from English, is assessed. This means that assessments are limited in relation to children’s understanding of concepts in their first language and is a weakness of the assessment systems. Current standards among five- year-olds, after nearly a year in the reception classes, are above average mathematical development and broadly average in personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; knowledge and understanding of the world; and creative development. Progress in these areas of learning, including mathematical development, is satisfactory overall. Standards in physical development are low and progress in this area of learning is unsatisfactory.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

75. The quality of teaching in the nursery classes is satisfactory. Teachers and assistants regularly engage in good dialogue with children, which helps extend their vocabulary and improve children’s ability to discuss. In an investigation into substances that dissolve in water, for example, the pupils were encouraged to describe and explain what they saw and were helped to learn new, relevant words. The nursery nurses in the nursery classes support individuals and groups well in general although they do not always take initiative in activities. Overall, nursery staff have maintained teaching standards since the previous inspection. In the reception year, 75 per cent of the teaching is satisfactory or better, which is less than is typically found. The quality of teaching in the reception year has not been maintained since the previous inspection and is unsatisfactory overall compared to the typical national picture. The amount of unsatisfactory teaching, 25 per cent, is very high. All of the

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

reception teachers are temporary and have not been given sufficient information to enable them to match work well to children’s learning needs.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

76. The nursery nurse employed in the reception classes works consistently well with her groups of children but she has limited time with each class and this reduces her effectiveness. Multilingual staff in nursery classes support children with English as an additional language well, often using both the children’s home language and English. Monolingual staff support these children through careful enunciation and by focusing on language and vocabulary development.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

77. The balance of adult-led and independent activities is appropriate in the nursery but there is less opportunity for children to work independently in the reception classes. Reception planning is inconsistent because of the continued turnover of staff and this has a negative effect on the learning and progress. There is no overall long-term plan for both nursery and reception classes and this is unsatisfactory. Planning in the nursery is satisfactory and is based on the areas of learning expected at this age. Half-termly planning in the nursery matches the nationally agreed curriculum well and there is an attempt in the planning to cater for the children who stay in the nursery for more than one year. However, in practice, all children follow the same curriculum and there is no monitoring to ensure that when the four-year-olds are older that they will not repeat learning activities.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

78. Joint planning meetings between nursery and reception staff take place but these are not as effective as they could be because of staff changes; only the reception nursery nurse has consistently attended these meetings during this year. Planning formats and procedures vary between reception classes because of the high turnover of staff. The reception nursery nurse has had to take some responsibility for planning because the contracts of some temporary staff do not require them to work after children go home; this is an unsatisfactory situation. Perivale Primary School – Page 29 79. Children are not identified as having special educational needs in the nursery. This unsatisfactory policy has the potential for pupils’ learning needs not being met. Provision for reception children with special educational needs is unsatisfactory. Planning does not take account of their individual education plans and the temporary staff do not have sufficient information

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

to enable them to cater for these children appropriately. One child is on the register for special educational needs simply because he or she has English as an additional language. This is poor practice. The home languages of nursery and reception children with English as an additional language are noted in staff planning books. The levels of fluency are noted in reception classes, which is good practice, but this information is not used to focus teaching on improving their acquisition of English.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

80. The coordinator for the five-to-seven age group is also the coordinator of the three-to-four age group; she was not present during the inspection. No monitoring of the effectiveness of the provision for the three and four-year-olds has taken place and this is unsatisfactory. Staffing is adequate in the nursery classes. Staffing is unsatisfactory in reception classes; there is no permanent teacher in any class and the number of nursery nurses or other support staff is inadequate for the number of children. The organisation of support across the three reception classes is not as effective as it could be. Nursery classes have adequate resources but a lot of the outdoor equipment is old, well worn, and the cushioning placed underneath large climbing apparatus is of poor quality and insufficient in size. The school has not improved these resources since the previous inspection. Reception classes are barely adequately resourced; one classroom is very sparsely resourced. There are few

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

facilities for role-play, imaginative play, browsing and independent reading, or the use of the outdoor resources. There is no outdoor provision for physical development. There has been no improvement in this aspect since the previous inspection.

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Personal, social and emotional development

81. Although there is unevenness in the progress made, standards are satisfactory overall and a substantial majority of five-year- olds are on course to attain the nationally agreed learning goals by the end of the school year. Children in the nursery classes generally have good attitudes to their work and behave well when working with peers and staff. They are lively and this can occasionally result in a small amount of unsatisfactory behaviour, such as over-exuberant riding of wheeled vehicles, and the staff do not always appear to notice or take action to improve behaviour. Sometimes, children take time to settle and are too noisy during quiet activities such as story telling. Children show independence; for example, when putting aprons on for wet activities but the development of independence is inconsistent between the classes. In one class, all children help serve snack-time drinks and fruit, while in another, the staff do this for the children. The quality of teaching in the nursery in this

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Personal, social and emotional development

82. Reception children have satisfactory attitudes and behaviour overall but their progress towards greater independence in learning and improved collaborative skills is slow, reflecting inadequacies in the provision. Overall, the quality of teaching is unsatisfactory. Even so, in a majority of lessons, five-year-olds try hard and enjoy the work. They sit well during carpet times; settle quietly when working; enjoy the activities; and usually respond well to teaching and non-teaching staff. They are learning to distinguish right from wrong, to have respect for each other and to form constructive relationships with peers and adults. In a significant minority of lessons, however, attitudes and behaviour of five-year-olds are unsatisfactory. In these lessons, levels of concentration are low; the pace of lessons is too slow to keep children focused on the activities. They are noisy and do not respond appropriately to the few strategies that the teacher uses to manage noise levels and behaviour. In

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Personal, social and emotional development

one short observation in the hall, the children were very noisy, they did not listen to peers or the teacher, they took a long time to change shoes and socks, and their behaviour deteriorated. In the role-play area, they often do not play as a group but as a set of individuals, and this can lead to some unsatisfactory sharing of scarce resources. Teachers sometimes over- manage the role play areas; for example, listing those children who are to be the ‘teachers’ rather than letting children organise this themselves. Staff have a rota of daily helpers to encourage children to take responsibility for routines such as returning the register.

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Communication, language and literacy

83. Children’s attainment is broadly in line with expectations. The teaching is satisfactory overall in the nursery and in the reception year and sound progress is made. Most children are able to express their thoughts and feelings appropriately. They are given frequent opportunities to listen and extend their vocabulary; for example, during story telling, and through answering questions during activities such as dissolving, floating and sinking and other whole class or small group activities. The opportunities for children to initiate speaking in role-play and imaginative play are less frequent in reception classes although opportunities are appropriate for nursery children. Staff encourage good listening skills. Many children listen well to peers and adults. They listen to instructions and usually follow them appropriately. Most children can express their wants and needs. The multilingual nursery staff support well the children’s language development in their home languages and

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Communication, language and literacy

English. All staff encourage language development through their clear enunciation, good repetition of language and encouragement of vocabulary development.

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Communication, language and literacy

84. Nursery children are developing their knowledge of stories and books appropriately through storytelling and home reading. Some are not yet able to share books in small groups while others ‘read’ although they can share books in pairs. They are enthusiastic about holding books, and want to tell their ‘story’ from the pictures. They are learning to turn pages themselves. Staff choose books for children when they could develop this skill themselves and there are few occasions where children Perivale Primary School – Page 30 browse and look at books on their own. Book corners are under-used and some storytimes are disrupted by other activities. Children are learning the names and sounds of letters and to name words which begin with those sounds. Staff introduce children to information books as well as fiction. Book resources are just adequate and need developing.

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Communication, language and literacy

85. Reception children make satisfactory progress in early reading and writing activities. They can listen to taped stories, turning the pages and following the text appropriately. Some know what a title is. They distinguish print from pictures and can follow a text with adult support. Individual children, who read to an inspector, read appropriate simple known texts accurately although they are not confident in reading words while pointing to them. They recognise a growing number of familiar words on sight. Children have few opportunities to choose books themselves although some displays show that children have heard a range of multicultural stories and stories in other languages such as ‘Topiwalo – the hat maker’ in Gujerati and English. Children recognise and write their names, practise handwriting patterns and are learning to form letters legibly. They are developing good pencil control. They are learning to spell familiar words accurately and to make

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Communication, language and literacy

reasonable attempts at unknown words. They can copy words to complete sentences although, in one class, they needed a lot of help to complete chosen words; they would have been able to write more independently rather than having to guess what the teacher wanted them to write from a given initial letter. There are few opportunities for children to write independently in other areas of learning; for example, in role or imaginative play.

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Mathematical development

86. Children’s progress in nursery classes is good. They can count accurately to 10 and understand what each number means. They can add numbers to 5. They jump on a number mat in order up to 10. Provision is made for children to sort, match, count, order and form numbers. Staff have numbered many resources; for example, the wheeled aeroplane to reinforce children’s knowledge and understanding.

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Mathematical development

87. Reception children make satisfactory progress, reflecting teaching in this area of learning that is satisfactory in the main and sufficient in quality to maintain the above average standards in acquiring mathematical knowledge found in the nursery. Five-year-olds are learning number words, can add numbers totalling 10 or beyond. Most children have experience of the properties of shape and space through jigsaws, games and they are learning to identify and talk about three-dimensional shapes such as cubes and spheres. A scrutiny of work indicates that children are learning to work out one more or less than a given number, are forming numbers beyond 20 and are learning to order numbers; for example, first and second. They have made comparisons using terms like shorter, taller, shortest, tallest, heavy and light. Some children have completed addition problems and subtraction to 7 and can work out missing numbers to 10.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

88. Progress is satisfactory in both nursery and reception classes and the teaching in both age groups is adequate in quality. Nursery children enjoy frequent opportunities to experiment with the properties of water. Reception and nursery children are learning to experiment with sand. Children learn about people and places in and beyond their environment; for example, through the use of stories and role-play in the ‘cold area’, ‘primary school’ or ‘hospital’. Nursery children were experimenting with dissolving different materials such as sugar and soap flakes and learning to observe the changes. Some of the younger children are not yet able to understand the concept of dissolving although they do understand the terms ‘mix’ and ‘stir’. The dissolving activities were the same for all children no matter their prior attainment or age. Reception children were experimenting with floating and sinking with good support from the nursery nurse who encouraged them to predict

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

whether different materials would sink or float, answer questions on their observations and record their findings. They are learning about changes over time such as ‘then’ and ‘now’ in their and others lives. Few construction materials were observed in use in the nursery and reception classes. Infrequent use is made of the computer in the nursery and reception classes. Reception children use listening centres independently and confidently. Reception children have made books that record the growth of their seeds and have done some work on unhealthy and healthy eating. Nursery children have daily opportunities for reflection in brief but effective acts of collective worship where topics such as ‘kindness’ are discussed.

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Physical development

89. Children in both the nursery and reception classes develop and make good progress in manipulative skills using equipment such as pencils, crayons, scissors, paint, brushes and glue spreaders. Nursery children have daily opportunities to improve physical skills using climbing frames and wheeled vehicles of various types, as well as other skills such as running and moving in a variety of ways and their physical development overall is satisfactory. Nursery staff plan a good range of activities to take place outdoors such as a home corner, reading and writing. Teaching in the nursery is satisfactory and the four-year-olds respond well to this provision. During the inspection, children were acting out washing activities stimulated by the story ‘Mrs Wishy-washy’. Reception children participate in one physical education lesson each week and have playtimes to practise skills such as running and jumping but this is insufficient in frequency and challenge to meet all of their

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Physical development

needs. Teaching in the reception years is unsatisfactory and often fails to make effective use of the one lesson a week that five-year-olds have in the hall. Reception age pupils change for lessons without too much support but their coordination and body movements are not always well controlled. They are able to stop promptly, follow instructions accurately, and balance a beanbag successfully. Where teaching is unsatisfactory, children are over-directed while balancing on benches and bars, Perivale Primary School – Page 31 are not kept active enough and have insufficient opportunities to extend their skills. In one short hall lesson, children’s behaviour was poor, they did not respond well to the teacher’s discipline and no learning took place. Reception children do not have access to an outside area and playtime activities do not always include those that will improve skills such as climbing, balancing and riding wheeled vehicles. Reception planning does not include outdoor activities and only a few

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Physical development

indoor lessons. There is no suitable outdoor area although there is space for this and staff have requested such a resource. The walkway outside the classes was used well; for example, for water activities. No use of the grassed area was made during the inspection and this essential resource is not in a good enough condition. Provision for this aspect of the reception curriculum is unsatisfactory and children make unsatisfactory progress.

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Creative development

90. Children make satisfactory progress in both nursery and reception classes and the teaching in both age groups is generally satisfactory. Nursery children have frequent opportunities to draw, colour, paint, cut and glue. They are developing increasing control in using different techniques such as drawing, cutting and colouring. The youngest nursery children are developing good cutting skills. They have experience of an appropriate range of painting techniques such as bubble painting, and rolling and shaping materials such as play-dough. They make some three-dimensional models such as igloos and a good range of displays shows various art activities. The children are learning to sing tunefully mostly through listening to staff rather than joining in. The multilingual staff teach them songs in languages other than English such as ‘Humpty Dumpty’ in Punjabi but they do not always respond to this as well as might be expected. There are opportunities for children to create

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Creative development

sounds using a range of materials in cardboard cylinders, a good activity, and to experiment freely with a good range of musical instruments. Few took advantage of the imaginative cold play area.

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Creative development

91. Reception children know a range of colours and are encouraged to observe colours and shapes closely. Children are developing the ability to represent the world around them and to produce recognisable drawings and paintings or models; for example, using play-dough, sometimes to reinforce other subjects such as numeracy. Displays show that children have had experience of making masks, three-dimensional hats and are learning to draw from observation. No work with musical instruments was observed during the inspection but children’s singing is developing appropriately, they sing songs in English and other languages such as “If you’re happy and you know it’ in Malay. Staff use songs to reinforce knowledge in other areas of learning such as number; for example, ‘10 fat sausages’. There are few opportunities for structured and unstructured role-play to develop and stimulate children’s imaginations and creative language even though children enjoy playing in role.

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Creative development

Staff teach pupils how to use materials and tools in a safe way and most children respond to this guidance well.

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ENGLISH

92. The overall standard of current work is above average among eleven-year-olds and average among seven-year-olds. The good standards among the oldest pupils reflect the consistent quality of their teaching this year. Elsewhere, standards are very variable and are below average in some age groups, particularly the six, eight, and nine-year-olds. Standards in speaking and listening among the oldest pupils are better than typical and this is particularly noteworthy given the very high percentage of pupils learning English as an additional language, some of whom are newcomers to the language. The standard of current work in reading and writing is average for seven-year-olds; among eleven-year-olds, standards are well above average in reading and marginally above average in writing. Compared to the previous inspection, standards at the age of eleven have improved significantly but have fallen considerably at the age of seven.

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ENGLISH

93. In the 2000 national tests, the results for seven-year-olds were well below average in reading, below average in writing, and were much worse than schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. The results for eleven-year-olds were above average when compared with schools nationally and were generally better than similar schools. When the results of the eleven-year- olds tested in 2000 are compared with their own performance in the national tests in 1996 at the age of seven, the achievements of the pupils over the last four years were broadly satisfactory. When reading and writing are analysed separately, the achievement of the eleven-year-olds in 2000 was satisfactory in reading, with 83 per cent of them making or exceeding the expected amount of progress over the four years, including one in five whose progress exceeded expectations. The achievement of these pupils in writing, however, was unsatisfactory; only 61 per cent of them made expected or better

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ENGLISH

progress, with only two pupils exceeding expectations. The underachievement in writing affected all pupils but especially those pupils whose attainment was either higher or lower than expected at the age of seven. Only 10 per cent of the high attaining seven-year-olds in 1996 went on to exceed expectations at the age of eleven and only half the pupils with low attainment did so.

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ENGLISH

94. Eleven-year-old girls did better than boys in the 2000 tests although the difference in attainment between the genders was not as great as is found nationally. The current work of the eleven-year-olds shows a similar difference in attainment between boys and girls. Local authority analysis of the 2000 test results shows that pupils of Indian, black Caribbean, and white United Kingdom origin did particularly well compared to the local and national averages, both in terms of the proportion attaining the expected national level and the proportion exceeding expectations. The pupils from the other ethnic backgrounds, about a quarter of the year group altogether, did not do very well in the tests compared to the local or national averages or to the other groups at the school. The school does not analyse reading and writing separately by ethnic Perivale Primary School – Page 32 background, nor does it analyse separately the results of pupils from the other ethnic backgrounds, and this is a significant

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ENGLISH

weakness, particularly as the limited data available indicates serious underachievement among particular ethnic groups.

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ENGLISH

95. Pupil mobility is lowering results slightly in English overall. The effect is not detrimental in reading, where all newcomers attained or exceeded the expected national level and the school benefited from this influx. It is, however, very noticeable in writing, where less than half the newcomers attained or exceeded expectations.

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ENGLISH

96. At the age of seven, the standard of current work is higher than the results of the national tests in 2000 but is still much lower than the standards found in this age group at the time of the previous inspection. The early indications of the 2001 national tests for seven-year-olds are that about 85 per cent of pupils achieved or exceeded the expected level in reading, with 29 per cent exceeding expectations; this performance is in line with the current national average. In writing, the early indications are that 86 per cent of the seven-year-olds attained or exceeded the expectation, with 10 per cent at the higher level; this, too, is in line with the current national average. At the age of eleven, the good standard of current work shows that the above average standards have been sustained in reading and writing since the 2000 tests. The school is on course to meet its 2001 targets of 88 per cent of pupils attaining or exceeding expectations, with 32 per cent attaining the higher level, though this is

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ENGLISH

mainly because of high standards in reading. The trend of improvement in test results at the age of eleven is above the national trend; the trend at the age of seven is below the national trend. The early indications and predicted results for 2001 are unlikely to alter this scenario and the opposing trends at the ages of seven and eleven cast doubt on the ability of the school to sustain standards at the age of eleven in the long term.

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ENGLISH

97. Standards in speaking and listening are good. Pupils talk enthusiastically about authors’ works and explore ideas within the texts. They are confident and alert, offering answers to challenging questions and able to summarise ideas in the text they are studying. Seven-year-olds listen carefully to their teacher and to each other during whole-class and group work and collaboration in learning is well established. In one lesson in the age group, the pupils worked in groups and talked about what they knew about a particular author and identified one fact to share with the rest of the class. The discussion drew on class work about the author, their own experience about his books, and his biography. The pupils discussed the task and agreed which fact to record and who should write down their decision, one group helping the scribe with his spelling. This method of organising the work effectively involved all pupils in discussions. Pupils demonstrated good knowledge of the

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ENGLISH

author, for example that he was a poet as well as a story writer and that he wrote funny books with amusing titles. By the time they are eleven, pupils are able to discuss an author’s work at a sophisticated level, such as considering the features of two different books by the same writer. They are able to discuss the way the author plays with language, for example, to create a fantasy world for a “bogey-man”, and get pleasure from creating their own scenes, following the author’s style. In this way, they are developing a sense of power with words and a sense of authorship, which helps them to broaden their repertoire as writers.

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ENGLISH

98. Standards in reading at the age of seven are satisfactory overall, with the substantial majority of pupils reading with typical accuracy and fluency for their age. High attaining pupils use punctuation to improve expression, for example, where exclamation marks heighten the humour or drama. The majority can read a range of texts and are developing interest in particular kinds of books, both fiction and non-fiction. One seven-year-old, reading about the “Demon Headmaster” was able to identify the meaning of “he glowered” and “mooched about” from the context of the story. They are able to make a good guess when they encounter unfamiliar words and can summarise what they read. They know the difference between fiction and non-fiction, and the different functions of a contents page, a glossary, and headings in a non-fiction text. High attaining seven-year-olds are able to scan texts for information and use key words to access information from the index. At the age of

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ENGLISH

eleven, reading standards are very good, with a high percentage exceeding expectations. The substantial majority of pupils read with confidence and fluency, though not always with obvious pleasure. They contribute appropriately to the shared reading sessions in class literacy lessons. They can summarise what they read with good detail and they are able to identify their favourite authors, together with a range of their work. A few pupils rate reading as their most pleasurable activity, one eleven-year-old describing the reading experiences with great feeling: “I like to get into a story. It’s like I’m there. I feel I’m nowhere else. I’m there.”

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ENGLISH

99. Writing standards among eleven-year-olds are marginally above average; about two thirds of them are on course to attain the expected national level, including a third who are likely to exceed this level. The vast majority of pupils are drafting and editing stories to improve the final version. They have extensively practised using old test papers and have completed timed stories to prepare for National Curriculum tests. These have built up their confidence, particularly in written comprehension and extended writing activities. The work in books includes original stories and humour. One pupil wrote a story entitled “Two Jobs, One Girl and a Horoscope”, an intriguing title likely to engage the interest of a reader. They design eye-catching leaflets for a range of purposes, understanding that the text must be brief and to the point to catch attention, for example “Smoking Kills”, and understand the power of simple phrases to put across important meanings.

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ENGLISH

100. The overall quality of teaching is lower than is typically found nationally, worse than at the time of the previous inspection, and for these reasons is unsatisfactory; 82 per cent is satisfactory or better, including 36 per cent that is good or better. The amount of unsatisfactory teaching is nearly three times that which is typically found; the good or better teaching is only half the typical amount. Within this broad picture, there are individual exceptions; one excellent lesson was seen and two that were very good. Unsatisfactory lessons occurred where temporary teachers, new to the class, had poor information about the Perivale Primary School – Page 33 pupils and insecure knowledge of the planning requirements for literacy. Teachers’ knowledge of the National Literacy Strategy’s Framework for teaching was evident in the majority of lessons and helped secure continuity and progression, though some of the key elements, for example shared and guided writing, were not demonstrated. This shortcoming means a

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ENGLISH

loss of opportunity for bilingual pupils to see text created, including a commentary on its punctuation and layout. Several of the teachers fail to use an enlarged text during shared reading and so the opportunity to focus pupils’ attention on features of the text is lost.

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ENGLISH

101. Most teachers use an opening plenary to establish a common level of understanding. They then plan group work, sometimes differentiated to allow pupils of different attainment levels to be stretched, and sometimes with open-ended activities to allow pupils to achieve different outcomes according to their level of experience or understanding, and this is good practice. Where children are set according to prior attainment, the need for differentiated support is still evident and generally offered. In some classes, however, inadequate preparation for setting means that teachers do not know the linguistic profile of pupils learning English as an additional language or the attainment level of different pupils within the set. Teachers are not always clearly aware of the stage of English language acquisition of bilingual members in the set they teach or the reasons for grouping pupils within a set. An instance was found of a high attaining pupil being placed in a low set because he was

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ENGLISH

deemed lazy. Another where the teacher recognised that the work set was too difficult for some of her bilingual pupils and they were left to copy sentences while the others learnt about paragraphs. These latter examples are instances of poor practice.

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ENGLISH

102. Current learning in English is unsatisfactory overall because of the wide variations in quality of teaching between classes. The learning needs of high attaining eleven-year-olds are generally met but this is not the case in every year group. Pupils generally are keen to contribute ideas in plenary sessions and to maintain good efforts in the group activities and when working independently. Pupils’ creative and intellectual efforts are well demonstrated in discussions as a whole class and in the group activities. They strive to understand meaning beyond the literal in the work they are reading and the writing they produce suggests they are aware of the need to engage the attention of the reader. Pupils with special educational needs make mixed progress. The work of support assistants is generally effective but when they are not there, pupils with special educational needs make unsatisfactory, sometimes poor progress in some classes, as do some pupils with English as an

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ENGLISH

additional language when they have no appropriate support. This happens because there is poor communication between the special needs department and class teachers. The impact of support staff is not consistent across the school. For example in one class, good support was provided by a classroom assistant for pupils in their phonics work when real objects and flashcards with consonant blends were provided to give less experienced pupils easier access to the meaning of the work. In another class, the support assistant was under-used for most of the lesson where the class teacher was taking a whole-class lesson.

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ENGLISH

103. There has been no leadership or management of the subject for more than a year because the coordinator has been absent. A temporary coordinator has recently taken over but has had no opportunity to begin developing the subject. Because of this situation, leadership and management of the subject are poor. School resources for literacy are adequate, with a fair range of enlarged texts and sets of readers for shared and guided reading activities, but these are at times under-used. The school’s newly acquired pupil workbooks to implement the National Literacy Strategy’s short-term planning appears to be inhibiting more independent work, though it is helping teachers to identify differentiated activities. Writing occurs in other subjects but these opportunities are not coordinated with the objectives for learning in English and this is unsatisfactory. The school’s library is located in the building for five-to-seven year olds, which is also the television room, and this inhibits use by older

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ENGLISH

pupils. The stock is rather small for such a large school and the books are not stacked and arranged to provide a real invitation to read. The classification system is over-simplified and the school’s timetable suggests minimal use of the library. There are limited reference books to support independent study and no computer nor information and communication technology support to allow pupils to follow their own interests or complete study projects in school time. This is not simply a resource issue but one that indicates low teacher expectation for pupils to develop as scholars, a skill that should prepare them for life-long learning. The school celebrates its language diversity in a range of ways but is beginning to collect some dual texts. The library does not currently help pupils develop as bilinguals with a range of tapes and dual and parallel texts in the school’s main languages. Perivale Primary School – Page 34

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MATHEMATICS

104. The standard of current work is variable throughout. It is above average among eleven-year-olds, reflecting the consistent quality of teaching they have received this school year. The predictions for the 2001 national test point to a high proportion of eleven-year-olds attaining or exceeding national expectations. Current work among seven-year-olds is broadly average in standard although the early indications of the 2001 national test results are that pupils have done well and that the proportion of pupils attaining expected or better standards is high. The standard of current work among ten-year-olds is above average but that among nine and eight-year-olds is below average and the good attainment these latter pupils had when aged seven has not been sufficiently extended.

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MATHEMATICS

105. The results of the 2000 test for seven-year-olds were above average. The proportion attaining or exceeding expectations was not significantly different from the typical school but the proportion exceeding expectations was high and this lifted the overall result. The 2000 results for seven-year-olds were better than for schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. In the 2000 test for eleven-year-olds, the proportion of pupils who attained or exceeded national expectations was above average, though the proportion with high attainment was similar to most schools; the results were average when compared to similar schools. Based on the results, improvement since the previous inspection is satisfactory. The current, complex picture of inconsistent provision that is affecting learning in the short-term must, however, temper this long-term broad-brush perspective.

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MATHEMATICS

106. When compared to their attainment at age seven, the eleven-year-olds’ long-term achievement is satisfactory. Taken over a five-year period, results at the age of seven have shown an overall rise at rates above those seen nationally. This has been particularly so in the last three years. Results at the age of eleven have shown good improvements over the previous five years from a point in 1996 where results were below those seen nationally to a point that is above average. Boys do marginally better than girls. Pupils with special educational needs or with English as an additional language appear to make satisfactory progress although the school makes no analysis of results by ethnicity to determine this accurately and this is unsatisfactory. Local authority analysis of the 2000 test results by background shows that all groups apart from the white United Kingdom pupils did better than the local and national averages.

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MATHEMATICS

107. By the age of eleven, most pupils have developed and can explain their own strategies for solving problems and are able to record their findings in an appropriate way. This is a feature of many lessons and is particularly strong amongst the current eleven-year-olds, as seen in a very good lesson investigating number patterns. Pupils have a good knowledge of place value and decimals when multiplying by 10, 100 or 1000. They are able to solve problems well using their skills and knowledge, as well as their good understanding of mathematical vocabulary and good mental strategies. Appropriate attention is paid to the use of letters and symbols in their coverage of algebra and they understand the development of mathematical number and creation of formulae when working out the areas of triangles. Pupils collect and record data in a variety of ways using information and communication technology to record what they have found. Graphs of differing types are created including

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MATHEMATICS

line and bar graphs together with pie charts and pictographs. An appropriate link is made with geography with pupils studying the use of coordinates to find locations. Ten-year-old pupils also make satisfactory and sometimes good progress but the pace of learning of eight and nine-year-olds varies significantly, reflecting the different teachers they have had in recent years, and is unsatisfactory overall. This has the potential to reduce the long-term achievement of the pupils and lower standards in the years to come.

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MATHEMATICS

108. By the age of seven, three quarters of pupils have a good understanding of the value of numbers and use their understanding of addition and subtraction to solve problems. The school has established the priorities of increasing pupils’ knowledge of mathematical vocabulary and their ability to calculate answers mentally and these are helping appropriately to raise standards. Pupils confidently round numbers up and down and have a secure understanding of odd and even numbers. An appropriate and balanced range of work is covered with attention being paid to the use of information and communication technology in the collection of data and the creation of graphs.

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MATHEMATICS

109. Throughout the school, pupils have appropriate opportunities to apply their skills to other subjects. Older pupils understand negative numbers and how they apply to the study of temperature and pupils use measuring skills in design and technology.

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MATHEMATICS

110. The quality of teaching is satisfactory, broadly consistent with the national picture, but with a wide range varying from good to poor. For a majority of pupils, the pace and quality of learning is satisfactory but for some higher attaining pupils there is insufficient challenge to extend their skills and knowledge. This is well illustrated in the scrutiny of pupils’ work as well as in lessons where the content of the teachers’ planning is not sufficiently well matched to the needs of pupils. Where teaching and learning are good, the pupils are told what they will be expected to have learned by the end of the lesson. Mental strategies are well planned and the lesson is taught with enthusiasm and pace. The direct teaching in these good lessons is clear and the purpose explained to pupils. Expectations and challenge are high. Questioning challenges pupils’ ideas and ensures that they have a good understanding, which they demonstrate through explanations of their problem solving

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MATHEMATICS

strategies. In some classes, especially those covered by supply teachers, this is not the case and results from insufficient guidance being provided on preparation and teaching of lessons. Most pupils concentrate well and strive to do their best. Only when the challenge is limited or the task becomes repetitive does attention wander resulting in a slower pace. Perivale Primary School – Page 35 111. The introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy has focused teachers’ work and is bringing about improvements. Several of the temporary teachers, however, have not been adequately trained in the use of the strategy and the rapid turnover of teachers is hindering professional development. The quality of teachers’ planning usually provides clear detail on the skills and knowledge to be learned by pupils. It does not identify assessment opportunities or evaluate what pupils have learned during the lesson. The use of homework is limited, does not add appreciably to the lessons, and the arrangements

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MATHEMATICS

sometimes break down when teachers are absent. The quality and consistency of marking varies from class to class. Where it is satisfactory, comments are designed to improve pupils’ work. Consistently completed corrections are not a feature of all classes at either stage.

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MATHEMATICS

112. Leadership and management of the subject are underdeveloped. The assessment of pupils’ knowledge is limited and there is no analysis of attainment by ethnicity, making it difficult for teachers to identify and support any groups that might not be making the progress they should. The arrangements to monitor and measure pupils’ progress are very underdeveloped. Data from optional national tests and statutory tests has recently been analysed to ensure that the strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ knowledge are identified. The quality of the teaching of mathematics is not yet sufficiently monitored and the coordinator of mathematics is not sufficiently involved in this process. The use of information and communication technology is becoming a more important part of mathematics provision especially in the collection of data and the creation of graphs.

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SCIENCE

113. The results of the oldest pupils in the national tests in 2000 indicate that the proportion attaining the expected national level was in line with the national average but that too few were attaining above the national level. Although the overall proportion attaining or exceeding the expected level in the national tests has increased since the previous inspection, there has not been enough improvement in pupils attaining the higher levels. Eleven-year-old boys did slightly better in the 2000 tests than the girls but the difference was not significant. The results of Indian, black Caribbean, and white United Kingdom pupils were comparable but the other ethnic groups did not do as well as the local or national averages. The results of the assessments for seven-year-olds’ in 2000 were below the national average. In current work, eleven-year-olds are meeting the national averages, with a significant increase in pupils achieving higher than expected levels. The current work of seven-year-olds is

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SCIENCE

also meeting the national average, which is an improvement on last year. This is in line with the school’s predicted grades. Standards among six, eight, nine, and ten-year-olds are very variable, however, reflecting the varying effectiveness of the current teaching.

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SCIENCE

114. It has not been possible to measure the achievement of the eleven-year-olds in 2000 or of the current eleven-year-olds because their scores in 1996 and 1997 when aged seven are not available. A scrutiny of completed work indicates that achievement in the long term is broadly satisfactory but there are inconsistencies, mainly among the low attaining pupils, whose achievement is unsatisfactory. Standards over the past few years have risen and the gap between the school and the national performance has closed, which is an improvement, but the current variations in learning between classes and year groups have the potential to jeopardise the improvements.

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SCIENCE

115. By the age of seven, pupils have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the main elements of the programme of study. Average and above average pupils can draw and label a simple electric circuit. They are able to offer an explanation as to how the circuit works. They have a typical understanding of the process of scientific investigation and the concept of fair testing. This is exemplified when they sort natural and man made materials, predict outcomes and test for magnetism. During the inspection, six-year-old pupils extended their knowledge of different forces by testing the distance balls of different sizes would roll. High attaining seven-year-olds can describe the difference between a cultivated and a wild plant but few seven-year-olds have satisfactory knowledge of different species of tree.

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SCIENCE

116. By the age of eleven, pupils have covered all aspects of the science curriculum. They can, with guidance, conduct investigations and experiments, for instance, when testing for solubility. The high attaining pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of the major elements of the programme of study. All eleven-year-olds understand the principle and need for a fair test in experiments. Activities in that age group are designed to meet the needs of each ability group, so that all pupils achieve well. This is not always the case in younger age groups, where all pupils often follow the same scheme and the standards of different ability groups are inconsistent. During the inspection, eight-year-old pupils were able to record their results by tallying, and to explain the outcome of their tests of the strength of magnets. Nine-year-olds could described the differences between vertebrates and invertebrates, but their standards were adversely affected by an insufficient range of

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SCIENCE

supportive resources. In learning about the earth, sun, ten-year-olds demonstrated a good standard of knowledge and understanding, when carrying out shadow experiments, and of acquired facts. The eleven-year-olds focused on sex education during the inspection, and it was clear that the girls generally have a more mature approach and a greater self-awareness than do the boys in this sensitive aspect of the subject.

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SCIENCE

117. Changes since the last inspection include the introduction of optional national guidelines. Teachers plan together, which is a good development. A thorough and rigorous preparation for national tests at the age of eleven has improved standards by the end of that year. The work presented to, and expected of, these pupils consolidates and extends previous learning. The Perivale Primary School – Page 36 impact of this, however, adversely affects other subjects, which are organised to accommodate this revision, for example, religious education.

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SCIENCE

118. The quality of teaching and learning is unsatisfactory compared to the typical picture; 60 per cent was satisfactory or better, including 30 per cent that was good or very good. The proportion that is unsatisfactory, 40 per cent, is very high. The best teaching occurs when plans are made to meet the needs of all levels of ability and teachers are secure in their knowledge and understanding of the subject. This regularly occurs in the teaching of the eleven-year-olds. A scrutiny of work shows that the eleven-year-olds are given good introductions to experimental work, are guided towards their conclusions, and are then allowed to work independently. However, too few opportunities are given, especially to the high attaining pupils, to devise and carry out their own investigations and put their acquired skills into practice.

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SCIENCE

119. Very good teaching and learning were exemplified best in a lesson for ten-year-olds, when experimenting with shadows. In this lesson, a shared task was followed up by an extension activity for the higher attaining pupils. All pupils in this lesson showed a genuine interest and a quiet working atmosphere was achieved. However, in other classes in this year group, teachers are not always familiar enough with the lesson plans and this lowers the quality of the teaching. In one lesson, incorrect information was imparted because there had been insufficient preparation. This had a short-term detrimental effect on standards. Teaching is also unsatisfactory when resources in lessons are insufficient to support the learning. This causes lessons to lack stimulation and pupils to lose motivation.

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SCIENCE

120. When suitable resources are used, pupils respond with excitement and enthusiasm, as shown by seven-year-old pupils when collecting mini beasts. When links are made with other subjects, pupils are able to apply previously learned knowledge, which enhances their understanding. For example, in a lesson on forces with eight-year-olds, the pupils were able to apply knowledge about historical warfare, describe the action of a catapult and use this information in a discussion on how to construct a machine to move an object using the force of elastic. The teacher was able to promote this discussion by the use of good quality questioning. Teachers generally enjoy good relationships with their pupils and pupils respond with interest and enthusiasm. When lessons lack stimulus or challenge, pupils lose interest and some misbehave. Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly but the marking does not often evaluate learning and set targets for the future. The standard of pupils’

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SCIENCE

presentation varies. The best in the eleven-year-old age group is good; throughout the school, however, it is inconsistent. Too much work is simply copied from the board or from photocopied worksheets. This prevents pupils from communicating their own ideas in a scientific format of their own choosing.

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SCIENCE

121. The subject coordinator has been recently appointed in a temporary capacity. She is knowledgeable and enthusiastic. She has had no time to monitor teaching and learning in the subject but has assessed the subject’s needs accurately. This period of uncertainty is not conducive to making systematic improvements throughout the school and the effectiveness of subject management is unsatisfactory and the role underdeveloped. Assessment procedures are underdeveloped and there is no system to track individual pupil’s academic progress; this is imperative in order to target the needs of all pupils.

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ART AND DESIGN

122. The standard of current work at the ages of eleven and seven is average. Standards in the other age groups vary and are sometimes below average. Learning is uneven and unsatisfactory overall. The evidence is limited, especially in the five-to- seven age group, where no lessons were seen. Four lessons were seen in the seven-to-eleven age group. Pupils’ work and teachers’ planning were seen and pupils and teachers were spoken to about their work. The standard of current work shows that, in broad terms, standards have been maintained since the previous inspection at the ages of eleven and seven. The standard of work elsewhere in the seven-to-eleven age group is variable and at times unsatisfactory. This means that the learning of all pupils is more variable than is typically found, including that of pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language.

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ART AND DESIGN

123. By the age of seven, the typical pupil is able to use paint to represent features of the world such as animals, make lanterns, model skeletons, and finger puppets with appropriate accuracy and attention to detail. A typical six-year-old can create pictures using shapes, draw using pastels, and make colourful large-scale diagrams of seeds, demonstrating accuracy and control that is appropriate for the age.

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ART AND DESIGN

124. The eleven-year-olds show very good behaviour and attitudes and are very willing to learn from their teacher. The majority of these pupils can, for example, produce clearly recognisable representational sketches of different coastlines using photographs or pictures as stimuli. Several individual pupils are very good artists. They are not, however, familiar with soft- leaded drawing pencils and were exploring these during the inspection; this is a late introduction for such basic media and skills. Displays show that nine-year-old pupils can draw portraits using shading skills and have some knowledge of Maori art. Nine-year-old pupils can create silhouettes and use pastels to draw flowers. In a lesson in the ten-year-old age group, standards were generally below national expectations, particularly the pupils’ knowledge of the materials being used, their ability to explore and use them for the purpose intended; and to evaluate and improve their work. This reflected teaching that

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ART AND DESIGN

insufficiently challenged the pupils or extended their knowledge of techniques. In this lesson, pupils’ attitudes and behaviour were poor and they accomplished too little in the time available. The pupils’ sketchbooks in the seven-to-eleven age group Perivale Primary School – Page 37 generally show steady improvement over time although several of them contain very few drawings for the time that they have been maintained.

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ART AND DESIGN

125. The substantial majority of pupils respond positively to the teaching but there are exceptions already noted. The typical pupil is usually attentive, carries out instructions, and use resources appropriately. Three of the four lessons seen in the seven-to- eleven age group were satisfactory or better, including one that was good; the fourth lesson was less than satisfactory in quality. This picture is almost the same as that at the previous inspection and because the same shortcomings are present, it shows that not enough improvement has been made.

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ART AND DESIGN

126. The teaching is variable but not as good overall as the typical national picture. The teaching was good in a lesson with eleven-year-olds. Here, the teacher linked art and geography well. She used pupils’ work to demonstrate particular findings and whole class interventions well to teach particular points and to move the lesson on. One lesson with ten-year-olds was poor. In this lesson, which is not typical of the teacher’s other work, the teacher took too much time to explain tasks, kept all pupils working at the same pace although some pupils could have worked much faster independently, and gave too little priority to improving basic subject skills. At the heart of the weaknesses is a lack of subject expertise together with insufficient leadership and management within the subject to monitor and support that teacher’s professional development.

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ART AND DESIGN

127. There is very little artwork on display, partly reflecting a lack of display space but also a lack of emphasis on using display as a learning resource. A narrow selection of paintings and drawings by famous European artists such as Lowry, Cezanne, and de Hoogh are incorporated into the teaching but very little work of artists from the various cultural groupings within the school are used, and this is a weakness. There is very little evidence in previous work or lessons that pupils are systematically or rigorously taught about the styles and techniques of famous artists. This shortcoming has not been remedied since the previous inspection. There is no monitoring of planning, teaching, or learning; this aspect of subject management has not improved since the previous inspection. A new, appropriately qualified coordinator has taken responsibility for the subject at the start of the present school year but has not had time to influence developments

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ART AND DESIGN

significantly. Resources are mainly adequate in quantity but narrow in range.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

128. The standard of current work is average at the age of seven and this is the same as was found at the time of the previous inspection. The standard of current work of the eleven-year-olds is also average but this represents a fall since the previous inspection, when standards were above average for pupils of this age. This fall in attainment can be largely attributed to the lack of monitoring of teaching and learning in the subject since the last inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

129. The average standards at the end of each key stage point to appropriate achievement in the long-term for all pupils including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language. Lessons, however, are variable in quality and learning in the short-term is inconsistent. Attainment in the designing aspect of the subject is weaker and more variable than in the making and the constructing element of the subject. This is because there is some inconsistency amongst teachers in how effectively they promote and develop this aspect of the subject. When teaching is at its best, teachers effectively encourage pupils to think about design specification and purpose and this results in pupils devising plans that are well considered and are used effectively to inform the making process. For example, when designing finger puppets, seven-year- old pupils made good quality plans for their age, listing the materials to be used for each component part including facial

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

features. The finished product showed they had followed their designs closely showing accurate attention to shape and design. Eleven-year-old pupils show good awareness of design principles when they suggest that strength, size, comfort and style are important when designing and making slippers. When pupils attain less well, their designs are little more than rough drawings or sketches and are not drawn to scale or well measured and do not identify materials to be used when making the product.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

130. Throughout the school pupils generally make satisfactory progress in extending their making skills. From an early age, pupils learn how measure, mark out and shape a range of materials and join them together a variety of ways. For example, six-year-old pupils use glue to join card in order to construct model houses out of junk materials. Seven-year-olds use butterfly clips in order to make moving joints on a paper puppet. Ten-year-olds use glue guns appropriately to join a variety of materials such as wood and card and make axles out of strips of doweling in order to make moving toy vehicles. Pupils are able to evaluate the effectiveness of their designs and show they are able to modify their models in the light of their evaluations. For example, when making boxes out of card, the eight-year-old pupils discovered that their boxes would not open easily and therefore they had to devise a hinge in order to improve this function. Although some pupils occasionally

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

incorporate mechanisms in their models, such as a suction pump in order to open the jaw on a model of a robot, overall there are too few opportunities for pupils to take apart and reassemble mechanisms to see how they work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

131. The quality of teaching is variable and is unsatisfactory overall. It is not as good overall as the typical national picture and more than usual is unsatisfactory. When teaching is best, teachers have good subject knowledge and effectively promote specific subject vocabulary and skills. They have good relationships with pupils and manage them well. Resources are thoroughly prepared and are used effectively to support learning. Teachers give helpful guidance to pupils and develop their Perivale Primary School – Page 38 ideas effectively through questioning. Time targets are set during practical activities and this ensures that lessons are conducted at an appropriate pace. When there are weaknesses in teaching, teachers do not encourage pupils to use their designs to inform the making process and there is insufficient attention to developing pupils’ basic subject skills; lessons lack sufficient pace and rigour, resulting in slow progress in the time available.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

132. As the coordinator for the subject is on long-term sick leave, a temporary coordinator has taken over. The temporary coordinator has had the responsibility for six weeks and is a supply teacher who is unsure of her tenure. The temporary coordinator is very knowledgeable about the subject, has already identified appropriate action for development in the subject, and has started to put into place strategies that will develop further the effective delivery of the subject. For example, planning is beginning to follow optional national guidelines and the coordinator has given a self-help pack to all staff in the infants and juniors to support planning and teaching. There is insufficient opportunity for the coordinator effectively to monitor the subject across the school.

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GEOGRAPHY

133. Standards at the ages of seven and eleven are average, which is not as high as at the time of the previous inspection. This finding points to satisfactory long-term achievement made by pupils, though this is slower than at the time of the previous inspection. This fall in standards and achievement can largely be attributed to the inconsistencies in subject coordination and a lack of systematic monitoring since the last inspection to develop the subject and improve the effectiveness of teaching. The coordinator is on long-term sick leave and the teacher temporarily taking care of the subject has no job description specific to the role of coordinator or any clear terms of reference for the responsibility.

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GEOGRAPHY

134. Learning is variable but mainly satisfactory, including pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language. Eleven-year-olds in lessons were seen to be making good gains in knowledge. Learning over the course of the academic year, however, is restricted overall because of a long gap in learning caused by the blocking of time, which leads to the subject being taught in this particular year group in the second half of the summer term only. Pupils in the seven-to- eleven age group make good progress in mapping skills. This is because teachers effectively promote map work when studying different environments and places. Eight-year-olds, for example, can interpret large-scale maps well and use their skills to find out about the use of land for different purposes in the locality. They can use a key successfully to identify and name some of the physical features on a map. Nine-year-olds demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of their

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GEOGRAPHY

immediate locality as they find the grid references for specific human and physical features, such as woods, schools and churches on a map of Ealing. Because teachers promote specific subject vocabulary well in lessons, pupils make some good progress in understanding geographical terms and show they are able to use them appropriately when discussing and writing about different aspects of the subject. Seven-year-olds, for example, understand and use the terms such as ‘hill’, ‘bridge’, ‘stream’, and ‘sand’ when describing the physical features of places. Eleven-year-olds understand well the language of coastal features such as, beach, rocks, erosion, transportation, and deposition as they study the geology of coastal regions and the effects of wave action on cliffs.

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GEOGRAPHY

135. From an early age, pupils gain a sound knowledge and understanding and can make comparisons between a range of places in the United Kingdom and the wider world. Seven-year-old pupils, for example, effectively make comparisons between features of a city with that of a village and know that in rural areas there would be more fields and forests. Ten-year-old pupils are able to compare the characteristics of different climates around the world and successfully identify places that have tropical, dry and cold climates. They can identify and compare places that have high and low rainfall. Eleven-year-old pupils are able to compare the features of an industrial environment with that of a more residential place. Although teachers provide for pupils to study and compare different physical features around the world, they do not provide enough opportunity for a detailed study of contrasting localities abroad and this is leading to a lack of in-depth knowledge in this

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GEOGRAPHY

136. Pupils are learning to make satisfactory use of atlases and information and communication technology to support their studies. As part of their study of rivers, ten-year-olds effectively used an atlas and index to identify and list the major rivers, seas and oceans of the world and produce a computer generated pie chart to illustrate the proportions of water, land, desert and rainforest that covers the world.

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GEOGRAPHY

137. Although some good teaching was seen, the overall quality of teaching is satisfactory. When teaching is at its best, teachers show good subject knowledge; they effectively promote the use of correct subject terminology during lessons; and encourage pupils to use it during discussions and when writing independently. They give clear explanations to pupils and use board work, demonstration, and skilful question effectively to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding. When there are shortcomings in the teaching, the pace of lessons is sometimes too slow and teachers do not sufficiently use resources to support learning.

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HISTORY

Perivale Primary School – Page 39 138. Standards are barely average throughout the school. Work in books indicates an over-reliance on photocopied worksheets, filling in missing words, and sentence-to-picture matching activities, with little challenge, particularly for older pupils, and is therefore unsatisfactory. There is little evidence of pupils developing historical enquiry skills over time, which, given that pupils’ interest in history is obvious in lessons, is a weakness and reveals low teacher expectations. Achievement in the long- term is unsatisfactory for all pupils, including those with English as an additional language and with special educational needs. Current standards among eleven-year-olds are lower than at the time of the previous inspection and the provision has deteriorated rather than improved since that time.

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HISTORY

139. Six-year-old pupils are learning about Victorian life and are coming to understand that while family needs, for example laundering clothes, do not change over time, the methods used to perform these tasks do. They examine artefacts from a hundred years ago, for example a flat iron and washing tongs, and look at pictures of family kitchens with a hundred years between them. A group of pupils studied the pictures carefully to find an ironing board, and concluded that ironing must have been done on a table, while another group thought the ironing board was in a cupboard. By appropriate questioning, the teacher led them to realise that in historical enquiry a wide range of evidence might be needed to check a particular hypothesis. The teacher, however, did not challenge one pupil’s assertion that a bucket must be old because it was dirty and this lack of rigour is likely to lead to misapprehension.

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HISTORY

140. Eight-year-old pupils know about the Roman invasion of Britain and can use written sources to show that Romans of 2000 years ago had shops, used money, built enormous temples to their gods and were able to write. In a science lesson on forces, the children made immediate relevant connections with the use of large catapults in Roman warfare, which they had already encountered in their history lessons. Ten-year-olds know about the Aztec kingdom and the ancient city of Teotihuacan. They understand why it was built as an island fortress and know about the work of the Spanish conquistadors, including Cortez. Talking to pupils about this work reveals that the use of photocopied information sheets provided by the teacher had not led to secure subject knowledge. There is no evidence of pupils’ own investigations, either from book or information and communication technology resources, to broaden their understanding. No lessons for eleven-year-olds were seen because

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HISTORY

none was being taught. Their previous work in books indicates a basic knowledge of the Victorian period, including child labour, the development of steam power, industrialisation, and the work of Florence Nightingale in the Crimea. Photocopied sheets with comprehension questions and quizzes, however, dominate the work in books in this age group and there is insufficient investigative work in evidence or individual independent writing on historical events.

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HISTORY

141. Pupils’ attitude to the subject is satisfactory, particularly when it is brought alive through artefacts and a range of resources. They raise interesting questions, make links to other subjects, and demonstrate alertness to historical detail when examining artefacts. They listen to each other’s contributions with interest and build on ideas, for example in the work on Romans, having established that Romans could write they concluded that there must have been schools and raised issues about boys’ and girls’ educational opportunities.

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HISTORY

142. The teaching is satisfactory in the main but with the areas for improvement already noted. Where teaching is effective, teachers use a good combination of questioning, prompting and explaining to help pupils understand better and raise hypotheses. In general, teachers are more demanding of pupils in their oral responses than in the quality of their written work.

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HISTORY

143. The newly appointed subject coordinator has supported staff in the development of a curriculum plan to meet National Curriculum requirements and to use a model scheme of work. She has begun to organise and classify history resources around the topic map and through an action plan and intends to build up resources to improve the teaching. Currently her role is under-developed. She has not had the opportunity to monitor planning or make classroom observations. Her support is therefore informal and has not yet focused on the key tasks of securing continuity and progression in learning and on teachers’ assessments and record keeping.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

144. Standards at the ages of seven and eleven are average and this is an improvement since the previous inspection. No direct teaching was seen in the five-to-seven age group. Discussion was held with a random sample of seven-year-old pupils, which reveals that about three-quarters of them have a satisfactory knowledge of how to use computers and how this can be applied. A third of pupils demonstrate good and sometimes very good knowledge and can for example, describe how to use the Internet and e-mail and how these tools can be used. Seven-year-old pupils can describe the collection of data, how this information is fed into the computer and the process of creating graphs. They use word processing skills to compose text on to the screen using sound keyboard skills. Several of these pupils have access to a computer outside school and this has a positive effect on their knowledge and learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

145. By the age of eleven, pupils have acquired an appropriate range of skills. Opportunities to use computers are regularly planned and the curriculum offered appropriately improves pupils’ skills and knowledge. Pupils understand how to access programs and confidently do so and their keyboard skills are often good. Ten-year-olds can use spreadsheets to organise data and carry out calculations on, for example, the costs of a holiday, including factors such as insurance and transport. Eleven- Perivale Primary School – Page 40 year-olds use the Internet to search for information. They have developed good levels of knowledge on how to access the required information and carry out the process with confidence. They understand the processes of cut and paste and select and edit the information before printing. Pupils are currently less knowledgeable about the use of computers in the control of programmable machines and in the use of computers to monitor change, for example in the rate of cooling of liquids. This is

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

however included in the planned improvements for computer technology over the next year. CD-ROM’s have limited current use and the school has not developed this sufficiently as a resource.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

146. Teaching in the seven-to-eleven age group is satisfactory and occasionally good. Teachers have clear ideas as to what they want pupils to learn and plan accordingly. Training to improve teaching skills has been undertaken and continues to be part of the program in the future. Teacher confidence in providing the skills and knowledge needed by pupils is at satisfactory levels. All of the teaching seen took place in the information and communication technology suite and there is little evidence of pupils being able to practise their skills and develop their knowledge in their classrooms. Pupils are eager to use computers and to learn the skills required. Most listen carefully and follow spoken and on screen instructions well. The subject is used to support learning in English and mathematics appropriately. Evidence of its use in other areas of the curriculum is much more limited. Plans are in place to expand available resources both in the classroom and in the computer

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

suite. The coordinator has been in post for only a short period but is already having a positive effect on the subject.

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MUSIC

147. Standards are below average at the age of seven and well below average by the age of eleven. The subject is underdeveloped and standards have fallen significantly since the previous inspection. The achievement of all pupils is unsatisfactory. One lesson was seen in the five-to-seven age group, plus singing practice for seven-to-eleven pupils, the observation of a lunchtime violin club, and video evidence of eight-year-olds in an assembly. Pupils and teachers were spoken to about their work.

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MUSIC

148. The eleven-year-olds do not sing confidently and have not yet developed a good sense of pitch, duration, tempo, and texture. Although pupils have occasional opportunity to play percussion instruments, follow rhythms and compose, their experiences overall in composing and performing are inconsistent and pupils’ progress in this aspect is weak. Insufficient opportunities are provided for pupils to perform, compose, and appraise music. Although there has been recent opportunity for pupils to listen to temporary teachers play the violin and sing while playing the guitar during assemblies there are nevertheless too few opportunities for pupils to listen to and appraise a range of music of different types. The subject is not taught systematically or progressively and the coverage of the programme of study is weak. This is directly linked with teachers’ limited subject knowledge and expertise.

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MUSIC

149. Although pupils enjoy musical activities their experiences of music making is limited. The one lesson seen was of unsatisfactory quality. The coordinator is a temporary teacher, is a music specialist, and is very new to the responsibility. She has already identified the weaknesses in the subject and has planned appropriate in-service training in order to improve the staff’s subject knowledge and expertise in order to raise standards in the subject. The quality of teaching in extra activities is good and this enables a very small minority of pupils to make sound progress in learning how to play the violin. Some other temporary members of staff also effectively contribute to the enrichment of the music curriculum by introducing pupils to traditional songs from New Zealand and by singing and performing in assemblies. The curriculum is enhanced by visits to musical shows and by visiting musicians such as that by a traditional African band. Resources for the subject need to

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MUSIC

improve to include more tuned and percussion instruments for the seven-to-eleven age group.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

150. Standards at the ages of seven are average but those at the age of eleven are below average. The school has maintained standards at the age of seven since the previous inspection, but those at the end of the junior key stage have fallen.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

151. The seven-year-olds move appropriately in different directions and with different pace in gymnastics. They can collaborate to produce movements in small groups. Six-year-olds can hold a bat, throw a ball and are beginning to understand the rules of rounders; they are learning to work together with a partner for floor work and use space safely. In a lesson for six-year- olds, the pupils had poor attitudes to their work, peers, and the very new supply teacher. They were disobedient, ran around the room pushing and chasing instead of following the lesson activities. They did not listen to the teacher and no learning was accomplished.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

152. Standards throughout the seven-to-eleven age group are lower than they should be and not enough educational priority is given to the subject. Attainment in swimming is unsatisfactory. Only 20 of the 52 eleven-year-olds can swim 25 metres, the expected standard for this age. Pupils attend swimming lessons when aged nine and ten but the school has no back-up system if they do not meet the required standard by the end of that period. In athletics, the eleven-year-olds demonstrate typical running skills for their age but the specific skills needed in relay running, for example, are not yet secure. Eleven-year-olds are able to play and work well together and are learning team skills. They show good attitudes to peers in their teams even Perivale Primary School – Page 41 when skills are different. Individual pupils are very good sprinters, bowlers, throwers, batters but few pupils have good fielding skills. In over half the lessons seen in the junior age group, the pupils had undeveloped skills in gymnastics. Nine

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

and ten-year-old pupils are able to move along, over, through apparatus but they cannot select apparatus, explore movements and equipment confidently, initiate ideas, or evaluate and improve their movements, reflecting teaching that generally lacks the subject expertise to develop these skills. Pupils have inadequate skills in aspects of safety; for example, nine-year-olds do not always wait for peers to finish before they move on to the same apparatus and do not carry equipment safely even when reminded by staff.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

153. The overall quality of teaching is much lower than the typical national picture; a high amount is unsatisfactory. This represents a decline since the previous inspection in the quality in the seven-to-eleven age group. The quality of teaching in the five-to-seven age group is satisfactory overall and occasionally very good. In one very good lesson, for example, the teacher had good subject knowledge; gave appropriate attention to health and safety; had excellent class management; and made timely explanations to help pupils to develop skills. Pupils respond very well to such quality of teaching.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

154. The teaching is variable in quality because the high turnover of teachers and the large number of temporary teachers is restricting both professional and subject development. A supply teacher, for example, was unable to respond to the poor behaviour of one class because of insufficient knowledge of the pupils or the subject. A weakness in all gymnastic lessons is that teachers do not include sufficient floor work or prepare pupils adequately for the apparatus. The time for lessons with apparatus is too short to include effective warm-up; floor and apparatus work; and to provide opportunities for pupils to improve the quality of their work. Apparatus work is frequently unchallenging and over directed. Eight-year-old pupils, for example, had to queue for a long time to move along simple apparatus; ten-year-olds were instructed to move over and under apparatus, which they could already do, but there were no additional instructions to extend the challenge and increase body

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awareness. Apparatus is sometimes put out before the class has done its warm up or floor work and thus space for these is severely limited. There is very little teaching of skills even in lessons where there is a satisfactory range of learning opportunities. Teaching was good in an athletics and games lesson where the teacher gave clear explanations, led warm-ups well, was well-organised, and encouraged pupils to practise and improve performance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

155. Insufficient attention is paid to health and safety. Although the teachers dress appropriately, and almost all of the pupils are changed appropriately for lessons, several pupils were found wearing outdoor shoes, or only socks, for indoor work, and this is potentially hazardous. Instances were found of equipment being carried by too few pupils or in a careless manner. The pupils are allowed to wear plimsolls, although this decreases their ability to grip apparatus. Health and safety issues that arise from the particular faith groups that the pupils belong to, such as specific dress codes for girls, have not been clearly resolved. This should be done quickly and sensitively in consultation with parents. The field is unsuitable for physical education as the ground is rutted and the grass too long to enable pupils to give of their best in safety; the field is very poorly maintained.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

156. Leadership and management of the subject are undeveloped. There is no monitoring of standards, teaching or learning. A new coordinator is interested in the subject but has not held the responsibility long enough to have brought about improvement. The seasonal football and netball clubs for older pupils have resulted in success. The teams have won their respective leagues. These clubs enhance provision but there are fewer clubs available than is typically found and fewer that at the time of the previous inspection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

157. Attainment at the ages of seven and eleven is in line with the expectations of the local agreed syllabus. This indicates that standards have been maintained since the previous inspection. The school has not yet fully integrated the most recent syllabus within its planning procedures.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

158. It was not possible to see religious education taught to seven-year-olds. A scrutiny of completed work shows that pupils follow units of work that are compatible with the agreed syllabus. They learn about themselves, reflect on their experiences, and describe their feelings. They know about the major celebrations and festivals of Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism and have a satisfactory knowledge of stories from the Old Testament, such as Joseph and his coat of many colours, and Noah’s Ark. They know about the birth of Jesus from studies of the New Testament. Their knowledge of sacred books is extended to the other faiths. In the one lesson with six-year-olds, for example, pupils learned about Islam and the significance of the prayer mat. In this lesson, the six-year-olds were able to describe similarities and differences between each other’s faiths; this level of communication and openness is good.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

159. Standards among eleven-year-olds are on course to be in line with expectations by the end of the year. Because of the school’s emphasis on preparation for the national tests, the eleven-year-olds’ religious education syllabus is all taught in the summer term. This is not compatible with a steady and consistent development of knowledge and understanding. Current work on the Christian Holy Trinity shows a thorough understanding of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. In one lesson, for example, eleven-year-olds showed a good understanding of the Holy Spirit as God active in the world today. Ten-year-olds have a good understanding of the similarities and differences between Christianity and Buddhism. They Perivale Primary School – Page 42 discuss the use of symbolism and describe the meaning and use of particular artefacts. In this same year group, ongoing work focused on the Jewish Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah. In this lesson pupils readily discussed the problems of getting older

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and, as they reflected on their own experiences, discussed when they would feel ready to accept adult responsibilities. Eight- year-old pupils are able to discuss the value of first hand experience when learning about Hinduism. Naturally, many pupils have a wide range of knowledge and experience to draw upon, and their willingness to share and listen is a strong feature.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

160. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Teachers generally plan well, structure their lessons to encourage meaningful discussion, and ask questions to promote deeper understanding. Pupils respond by willingly sharing information about their own faiths and listening intently to information about other faiths. In the best lessons, teachers plan to include pupils’ own experiences as a starting point and build in a gradual understanding of similarity and difference. Sometimes this opportunity is missed and a wealth of information goes untapped. Teachers prepare well, so that they are usually secure in knowledge and understanding of faiths other than their own. When they are confident, the quality of discussion reaches a good level. When they are uncertain and have to carefully follow the lesson plan, discussion rarely reaches a satisfactory depth. Although there is a plentiful supply of artefacts in the school, lessons are sometimes taught without using them. This

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is a missed opportunity to motivate pupils and promote further understanding. The quality of recorded work varies. The best is neat and well organised, as among eleven-year-olds. Often work is untidy and does little to raise self-esteem.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

161. Since the previous inspection there has been a change in coordinator, following a period of slow development. The current coordinator is experienced and eager to raise the subject’s profile in the school. He was appointed very recently to the role and has had no time to develop the subject. However, he has a good understanding of the needs of the school and a clear vision for the future. He is aware of the need to integrate the new syllabus into the planning structure.

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