Kingswood Primary School

KINGSWOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 16 th – 19 th September 2002

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KINGSWOOD 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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KINGSWOOD 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. Kingswood Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Gipsy Road West Norwood London

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Karen Barnes

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: May 2000 Kingswood Primary School - 2

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responsibilities

23494 D Whatson Registered inspector Mathematics Physical Education The school’s results and achievements How well pupils are taught How well the school is led and managed 9219 A Ferguson Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well the school cares for its pupils How good the school’s partnership with parents is 23588 C Ajitsingh Team inspector English as an additional language Geography History 12641 P Lyseight-Jones Team inspector English Design and technology How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 19127 D Donaldson Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Music 206262 A Lockyer Team inspector The Foundation Stage Special educational needs Art and design Religious education

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responsibilities

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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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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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Kingswood Primary School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 8

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? 9 - 13

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Kingswood Primary school serves a linguistically and ethnically diverse community. At the end of the summer term in 2002 there were 363 pupils on roll, aged between three and 11. Twenty-two attended the nursery full time and a further 30 part-time. The school is bigger than most primary schools. There are more boys (200) than girls (163). The school roll has remained broadly the same since the last inspection, although the percentage of pupils from ethnic minorities has increased, as has the number of pupils who join and leave the school during the year. Currently almost 40 per cent of the pupils come and go during the school year. Pupils come from a wide area, but most come from the immediate locality, which has much higher levels of deprivation than those found nationally. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals, at 52 per cent, is well above the national average. Just over 70 per cent of

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

pupils are of a non-white ethnic heritage. The three largest groups are Black-Caribbean (27 per cent), Black-other (15 per cent) and Black-African (13 per cent). Three per cent of pupils are refugees, mainly from Somalia. Nearly 23 per cent of pupils speak English as an additional language, which is high when compared with most primary schools. Although this figure has fallen since the last inspection, the percentage of pupils who join the school speaking very little or no English has increased. The main languages spoken, other than English, are Yoruba, Portuguese, Somali and Punjabi. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs, at 27.5 per cent, is above the national average. These pupils have a wide range of demanding and complex emotional needs as well as specific learning difficulties. The percentage of pupils with statements of special educational needs is broadly in line with the national

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

average. Children’s attainment on entry to nursery is below that expected for their age, especially in the area of communication, language and literacy. During the last two years there has been a significant change of staff, the restructuring of the management of the school and the arrival of a new headteacher in September 2002. The school has also experienced difficulties recruiting teachers and two teaching posts are currently filled by supply teachers. The school is part of the ‘Norwood Achievement Partnership Educational Action Zone’. The school was inspected in the second week of term. At the time of the inspection, numbers fluctuated daily as pupils were still being admitted to the school and there had just been an influx of pupils into every year group from a recently closed local school.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school fails to provide an acceptable level of education for its pupils. Standards in most subjects are below the expected level and many pupils fail to achieve their full potential. Teaching is poor. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are not acceptable. The leadership and management of the school have been poor and the school provides very poor value for money.

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What the school does well

• The new headteacher is enthusiastic and has the potential to lead the school effectively.

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What could be improved

• Standards of behaviour, attendance and attainment of all pupils in all subjects, but in particular English, mathematics and science. • The quality of teaching and learning. • The leadership and management of the school, with particular emphasis on financial management and planning for the future. • The quality and range of the curriculum. • The systems for assessing pupils’ personal development and attainment and for supporting their progress and care. • The role of the governing body in fulfilling its statutory duties. • The quantity and quality of links with all parents. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan, which will be sent to the parents and carers of all pupils in the school. Kingswood Primary School - 5

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In accordance with section 13(7) of the School Inspections Act 1996 I am of the opinion, and

HMCI agrees that special measures are required in relation to this school.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made poor progress since it was last inspected in May 2000. Although pupil performance in the national tests at the age of 11 has shown a slight improvement, none of the key issues for action identified in the last report has been fully addressed. Leadership and management have deteriorated, as have the quality of teaching, links with parents and the care taken of pupils’ welfare. The new headteacher’s vision is to raise pupil achievement and improve the school but current systems and procedures necessary to support him in this are weak. They may jeopardise the rate of school improvement.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

1999 2000 2001 2001 very high A* English E E* E D well above average above average A B Mathematics E* E E D average below average C D Science E* E* E* E well below average very low E E*

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Key

These are poor results and, based on their prior attainment, pupils made poor progress. In the 2001 national tests, the performance of 11 year olds in English and mathematics was well below the national average and in the bottom five per cent nationally in science. The school’s results were also lower than those in schools of a similar nature, especially in science. This indicates widespread underachievement which is more acute in the attainment of boys, pupils who are learning English as an additional language, and those who are from a Black Caribbean or a Black African heritage. Results in all three subjects improved in the 2002 tests, but are still low. The findings of this inspection show that pupils currently in Year 6 have reached standards well below expectations in English and mathematics and below in science. The school has set very challenging targets for the tests in 2003; however, inspection

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Key

findings indicate that these are unlikely to be met.

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Key

When compared nationally, the results of the national tests in 2001, taken by pupils aged 7, showed standards to be below average in reading and writing, and well below in mathematics. Teachers assessed pupils’ attainment in science also to be well below average. However, the pupils’ results in reading and mathematics were better than those of pupils in similar schools, notably so in reading, whilst in writing and science, their performance matched that of such schools. Some pupils achieved well in this year group, although, statistically, data from 2001 and 2002 demonstrates that pupils who were learning English as an additional language, those who were from Black Caribbean or Black African heritage underachieved, as did girls in mathematics, by a greater degree than found nationally. Although test results improved between 2000 and 2001, they have fallen sharply in 2002 and, given pupils’ level of

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Key

attainment on entry, many have made unsatisfactory and even poor progress. Inspection findings show standards at the age of seven to be well below average in English and mathematics, with most pupils underachieving in these subjects. Standards in science are better and most pupils achieve the standards typically found at this age.

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Key

The standards of literacy and numeracy skills throughout the school are much lower than expected. Standards in history at the age of seven are in line with those normally expected, but in many other Kingswood Primary School - 6 subjects, including information and communication technology and religious education, they are below and at times well below those expected for their age.

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Key

In the nursery and reception classes, many children make unsatisfactory progress and are unlikely to meet the expectations in all areas of learning, especially communication, language and literacy, by the time they start Year 1.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils like coming to school but their attitude to learning in many lessons is unsatisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Unsatisfactory. In many classes, and in the playground, behaviour is overly boisterous. There is some good behaviour when the quality of teaching is good or better. No bullying or racist behaviour was seen during the inspection, although incidents of bullying have been reported.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Unsatisfactory. Many pupils can be disrespectful and argumentative to staff and fellow pupils, although there are some examples of pupils caring for others and having good relationships with staff.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is poor and every day several pupils are late.

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching 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 in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

There are examples of good and better teaching in most year groups, especially in Year 3, but too much is unsatisfactory and sometimes poor. When put together, the overall quality of teaching is poor. The teaching of English and mathematics is sometimes good, but overall it is unsatisfactory, as is the teaching of literacy, numeracy and computing skills. The inconsistent quality of teaching has a significant impact on slowing the rate at which pupils make progress and acquire new skills, knowledge and understanding.

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Where teaching is good or better, pupils learn well because of the pace, vigour and appropriateness of the planned learning experiences. In lessons that are less than satisfactory, lessons are slow and many pupils are not suitably challenged because teachers do not plan to meet the needs of pupils of different ability. Strategies to deal with disruptive behaviour are not consistently applied and pupils are not always actively engaged in their learning. At times, weaknesses in subject knowledge and classroom organisation further undermine pupils’ learning and put their welfare at risk. Homework is not regularly set.

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Although there is some good practice in the reception year, a weakness in most teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the teaching of the Foundation Stage curriculum inhibits the development of many basic skills. Kingswood Primary School - 7

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Poor. Not all aspects of the National Curriculum and the locally agreed syllabus for religious education are covered, and insufficient time is devoted to some subjects. There is little planned development of skills, knowledge and understanding to ensure pupils’ steady learning. The curriculum is not well planned enough to ensure that all groups of pupils are fully included in lessons. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. Although there is good provision by support staff, class teachers do not effectively match work to the needs and abilities of all pupils so their progress is more limited and this is unsatisfactory. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Unsatisfactory, especially for pupils who are at an early stage of learning English and those in class when they are unsupported by specialist staff, as class teachers have a limited understanding of their needs and how to

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Aspect Comment

meet them. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school’s provision does not help pupils with their personal development. The pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is unsatisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Child protection and health and safety procedures are reasonable and proper checks have been carried out on staff but a number of systems and procedures that ensure all pupils’ welfare have lapsed. Personal support and guidance for all pupils are unsatisfactory. Procedures to check and support pupils’ progress are poor. Information that is available is not used well enough to plan lessons and tasks that would enable the pupils to make the best possible progress.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Poor. The senior management team was not effective in supporting whole school improvement. The new headteacher has the potential to lead the school effectively.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Poor. The governors have failed to fulfil many of their statutory duties. There had been a breakdown in channels of communication and the flow of information for them to adequately monitor or support the school. The school’s evaluation of its performance Poor. The school has not closely analysed its test results, its teaching or the curriculum, or taken effective action to improve. There has been no written improvement plan for the last 18 months. The strategic use of resources Very poor. The school has not been effective in seeking best value: spending has not been well planned or adequately monitored and there is now a significant budget deficit.

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Aspect Comment

Staffing is unsatisfactory due to the current number of supply, temporary and unqualified teachers and weaknesses in the knowledge and understanding of a significant proportion of staff. Shortcomings in the accommodation and in books and equipment contribute to poor teaching and learning. Kingswood Primary School - 8

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like coming to school. • The attitudes and values that are encouraged. • Improvements in behaviour and teaching. • A reduction in staff turnover and the use of supply teachers. • The amount of homework set. • Information about their children’s progress and how the school works with them. • The leadership and management of the school. • The range of out-of-class activities.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspectors agree with parents that their children do like coming to school but, contrary to their views, do not find that teaching has improved or that behaviour has improved enough. The inspectors agree with all of the areas identified by parents as needing improvement but, while acknowledging the difficulties that the school has experienced with establishing a stable teaching staff, also note that this has adversely affected pupils’ progress. The inspection team also recognises that the new headteacher is firmly committed to working with parents. Kingswood Primary School - 9

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Pupils’ attainment in the national tests over the last three years and in work seen during the inspection has remained largely static at an unacceptably low standard. Leadership and management have not been strong enough to help overcome the impact of high staff turnover and the frequent use of supply teachers. The variable quality of teaching has affected the rate at which pupils make progress. This seriously disrupts pupils’ learning so that they often make unsatisfactory, and sometimes poor, progress in the acquisition of skills, knowledge and understanding. The poorly planned and unimaginative curriculum provides insufficient opportunities for pupils to develop their literacy, numeracy or computing skills. Timetable arrangements mean that some subjects are allocated too little time, while many lessons start late so that pupils have even less time to learn. What little information there is from the assessment of pupils’ work, and of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

their attainment in the national statutory tests, has not been fully analysed, used to track pupils’ progress or given to staff to help them plan lessons or develop the curriculum. The school has not been fully aware of the underachievement of specific groups of pupils, such as those from Black African or Black Caribbean backgrounds, those learning English as a second language, boys and the high attainers. The needs of these particular groups of pupils are not being met, as most teachers do not plan work or activities for them.

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Test results for 11 year olds

2. Attainment in the statutory assessment tests in 2001 was very low and overall, in the bottom five per cent of all schools. Results in English and mathematics were well below the national average, and in the bottom five per cent nationally in science. These are only marginally better than those achieved in 1999 or 2000 and show a poor level of improvement since the last inspection. The overall improvement in results in the last few years has been less than the national trend.

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Test results for 11 year olds

3. When compared with similar schools, the 2001 results are slightly more favourable, but in English, mathematics and science, the pupils’ performance was still below the average for such schools. The results indicate high levels of underachievement.

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Test results for 11 year olds

4. In comparison with national data, boys in 2001 achieved less than girls by a greater degree than is normally found. This has been an established pattern over a number of years. Information provided by the local education authority (LEA) shows that pupils of an African, Caribbean or other Black ethnic heritage achieved less than other ethnic groups at the school and by a greater degree than similar pupils in other local schools. This data also shows that pupils who were learning English as an additional language were less likely to achieve the expected level (Level 4) than similar pupils in other local schools.

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Test results for 11 year olds

5. Pupils’ progress falls well short of the expected rate. The school’s high mobility is not a contributory factor to this as it is those pupils who enter the school in Years 4 or 5 who perform broadly in line with the local average in English and science, and above in mathematics. Conversely, the performance in all three subjects was well below the local average for pupils who joined the school in Year 3 or before. This underlines the failure of the school to provide these pupils with an adequate education.

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Test results for 11 year olds

6. The school’s results in national tests for 11 year olds in 2002 show some improvement. The improved results are, in part, the result of support from the Education Action Zone (EAZ) and the LEA. This particular year group was also more able than in previous years, with fewer pupils identified as having a specific need. Although results have improved, they still remain well below those found in most schools. Kingswood Primary School - 10 7. Pupils’ progress in 2002 was better than in 2001, and many have achieved as expected in most subjects in relation to their prior attainment. The performance of all pupils, irrespective of when they joined the school, was broadly in line with the average for Lambeth schools in English and mathematics, but was lower in science. However, the same groups of pupils identified as underachieving in the previous years results continue to do so.

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Test results for 11 year olds

8. The school’s 2003 target is even more challenging than in previous years and is unlikely to be met. Pupils’ performance in the national tests did not meet the school’s published targets for 2001 or 2002, falling short by a considerable margin. Inspection evidence indicates that that current attainment in English and mathematics is well below average and in science below average. Furthermore, last year nearly a quarter of the current Year 6 pupils were taught in a mixed-age class of pupils from Years 4 and 5. They were not taught the Year 5 curriculum, but instead received a second year of the Year 4 programme or work. They therefore have significant gaps in their skills, knowledge and understanding that are unlikely to be addressed and built upon sufficiently for them to perform reasonably in the statutory national tests of 2003.

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Test results for seven year olds

9. The pupils’ performance in the statutory assessment tests for seven year olds in 2001 were below average in reading and mathematics, and well below in writing. Since 1999, results in reading have remained virtually static and, after an impressive rise in mathematics in 2000, results in 2001 dropped. In science, the pupils’ performance, based on teacher assessments, was also much lower than in most schools.

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Test results for seven year olds

10. When compared with similar schools in 2001 the results are more favourable: the pupils’ performance in reading and mathematics was better than that of pupils in similar schools, notably so in reading, while in writing and science their performance matched that of pupils in such schools. The results, achieved at the end of the first year after the last inspection, reflect not only a higher attaining year group and one with fewer identified needs, but also the impact of some of the improvements in behaviour and teaching identified by parents as being the legacy of the previous headteacher. Many pupils, therefore, achieved well in relation to their prior attainment.

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Test results for seven year olds

11. However, not all pupils achieved well. In comparison with national data, girls did better than boys by a margin greater than found nationally in reading and writing, but not in mathematics, where boys were more successful. This pattern has continued for several years and the school has not sought to address it. The LEA’s analysis of the school’s test results shows that pupils of an African heritage were less likely to achieve the expected level (Level 2) than other pupils at the school or other schools in Lambeth. Similarly, those pupils learning English as an additional language were less likely to achieve the expected level than other pupils in other Lambeth schools, especially in writing.

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Test results for seven year olds

12. The many significant weaknesses in the quality of education provided, coupled with an increase in the number of pupils with special educational needs, and in the number of pupils joining and leaving the school mid-year, have had a major impact on the results of the national tests for seven year olds in 2002. This was compounded by the fact that during the months prior to the national statutory tests, these pupils participated in drama sessions one full day a week. They therefore missed 20 per cent of their curriculum, including numeracy and literacy lessons. The percentage of pupils reaching the levels expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics was halved; there was considerable underachievement among all pupils. The baseline assessment of these pupils when they were in reception placed them in line with the local average. Very significantly, when these pupils sat their national tests three years later, their attainment was over 30 per cent

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Test results for seven year olds

below the local average. This shows that some pupils made very poor progress and underlies the school’s failure to provide an adequate education.

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Test results for seven year olds

13. The 2002 results for seven-year-olds also show that the performance of boys has deteriorated so that the gap between their achievement and that of girls at the school in writing and reading has grown significantly and their lead in mathematics has been reversed. Out of all the pupils who took the national tests, pupils of an English, Scottish or Welsh background underachieved the Kingswood Primary School - 11 most when compared to similar pupils at other local schools and other ethnic groups at the school. The next most underachieving group were those pupils from a Caribbean ethnic group. As with 11-year-old pupils, those learning English as an additional language achieved considerably less than similar pupils at other schools. The school has not addressed any of these areas of underachievement and the unsatisfactory level of education provided for these pupils is set to continue.

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The findings of the inspection

14. The standards of work seen in English reflect the test results: they are well below the expected level. Shortcomings in the implementation of the National Literacy Strategy, in teaching and an inadequate supply of suitable books result in poor progress and underachievement among the pupils.

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The findings of the inspection

15. Pupils’ progress in mathematics is much less than expected and underachievement is rampant. On entry to the reception, children’s attainment is below that expected for their age. By the age of seven this has deteriorated and levels of attainment are well below those expected, although slightly better for those in Year 6. High levels of unsatisfactory teaching, weaknesses in the curriculum and assessment have a significant impact on pupils’ attainment.

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The findings of the inspection

16. Pupils’ attainment at seven in science is broadly in line with expectations for their age. On a limited supply of evidence at the beginning of the academic year, pupils had an adequate knowledge of the topic being covered. As their learning is particularly well catered for by some very good and occasionally outstanding teaching, they are making good progress. However, for those pupils currently in Year 6, their attainment is below that expected for their age. The chequered education has ensured that there are gaps in their skills, knowledge and understanding and many are underachieving.

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The findings of the inspection

17. Attainment in information and communication technology (ICT) is well below expectations. This is worse than at the time of the last inspection. Pupils have very limited experience of using computers, and there is insufficient time allocated to the teaching of the subject.

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The findings of the inspection

18. Standards in religious education are currently below the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus for seven year olds, as it was at the time of the last inspection, but standards have fallen to well below by the age of 11. The school does not follow the locally agreed syllabus and is therefore not meeting statutory requirements.

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The findings of the inspection

19. Attainment in nearly all other subjects, other than history at the age of seven, is below the expected level for both seven and 11 year olds. Pupils make unsatisfactory progress in nearly all subjects. Standards have fallen in art, music and physical education since the last inspection, when all three subjects were judged to be in line. Much of this can be attributed to weaknesses in leadership and management of the school and of the subject’s curriculum coverage that has neither breadth nor balance and to poor assessment.

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The findings of the inspection

20. Attainment on entry to nursery is below that expected for their age in most areas, but well below in communication, language and literacy. Because of the unsatisfactory teaching and overall provision in both the nursery and reception, most children make unsatisfactory progress and are unlikely to meet the early learning goals by the end of the reception year, except in their personal, social and emotional development and in their physical and mathematical development.

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The findings of the inspection

21. During the last inspection it was noted that pupils with special educational needs made satisfactory progress towards their individual education plans, and that some made good progress on occasions where help was provided by support staff. It was also noted that where additional help was not available, pupils’ needs were not taken into account in teachers planning and their progress slowed. This continues to be the case.

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The findings of the inspection

22. Pupils who are learning English as an additional language make unsatisfactory progress. They do not achieve well in relation to their prior learning or to their classmates because of the lack of Kingswood Primary School - 12 effective specialist support in class, especially for those who are at an early stage of learning English. In most lessons, teachers do not plan or adequately address their specific language needs. For example, the teachers do not explain subject-specific language such as that used in science and geography, and so the pupils cannot follow the lesson and do not achieve as well as others. However, where there is targeted support, by either the specialist teacher or support assistant, they develop skills in speaking and listening, reading and writing and their achievement is reasonable.

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The findings of the inspection

23. Inspection evidence confirms that boys continue to underachieve. On several occasions, it was noted that in a few classes, there were more boys than girls in the lower attaining groups and there are more boys on the register for special educational needs than girls. It is the weak behaviour management of boys, mainly those of a Black African or Black Caribbean heritage, in several lessons, as seen in a Year 5 physical education lesson, that inhibits their learning. The low attainment and underachievement of these groups of pupils noted in the data from the national tests continues to be present.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

24. Overall, attitudes to learning, behaviour and the quality of relationships in the school are unsatisfactory, as they were during the last inspection. This reflects the inconsistent ways in which the teachers deal with misbehaviour and inadequate provision for pupils’ personal development. These factors affect pupils’ progress and attainment across the curriculum.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

25. Attendance remains poor. Unauthorised absence has decreased slightly since the last inspection but is still well above the national average. Punctuality has deteriorated, with around a dozen children a day being entered in the late book, having arrived over ten minutes and sometimes over half an hour late. This reduces the time available for learning for those pupils, and stragglers into class disrupt others. Good habits are not being formed in the nursery or reception, where attendance is very low.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

26. Those parents who completed the questionnaire or attended the pre-inspection meeting generally considered that their children like coming to school. Pupils were seen to be happy going into class, looked smart in their uniform and generally treat the school building and equipment with respect. Those in the school council were enthusiastic about the experience and in some lessons, such as a nursery music lesson, pupils were attentive and enjoyed what they were doing. In an additional literacy support group, taken by a teaching assistant, pupils worked with great care and concentration. This resulted in neat and accurate handwriting and good reinforcement of their learning about phonemes. However, due to the quality of teaching, many pupils across the school are indifferent to learning and easily distracted, for example, in a Year 4 physical education lesson, where around one third of pupils were being silly and inattentive.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

27. Parents consider that behaviour has improved since the last inspection but maintain that it remains a problem in the playground. Overall, during this inspection, behaviour was not acceptable and although fixed-term exclusions in the last year have almost halved from the previous year, at around four per cent of pupils being excluded from one to eight days during the year, they are still much higher than in most primary schools. The percentage of excluded pupils was much the same for each of the larger ethnic groups, although more boys were excluded than girls. Some good behaviour was seen from some pupils in lessons and around the school. For example, pupils of all ages, including in the nursery, sat quietly with not too much fidgeting in the cramped conditions of the hall for a rather long assembly, then left in an orderly fashion. However, in many lessons the generally lively behaviour of pupils tipped into disruption when class management

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

slipped, with, for example the calling out and chattering, argumentative and generally unsatisfactory behaviour, mainly of boys, in religious education and music lessons in Year 5, and in several other lessons in Years 1 and 4. This has an adverse affect on their learning, and explains in part why, by the age of 11, their attainment is less than the girls. Behaviour in the playground is very noisy and boisterous but mostly good-natured. In general, the attitudes and behaviour of children in the nursery and reception are good. Kingswood Primary School - 13 28. There are good relationships amongst racial and gender groups but there are also a few unkind interactions and disharmony in the playground and in some lessons. Both parents and pupils reported some incidences of older pupils bullying younger ones. The abrasive manner of a few teachers is antagonistic and fuels the unsatisfactory attitudes of a few pupils, particularly boys.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

29. In most cases, pupils who have English as an additional language have positive attitudes to learning. They relate well to other pupils, their language support and other teachers and classroom assistants. However, when there is inadequate work or support for them in class they become isolated and forlorn. They show a lot of interest in school life and participate fully in school activities. However, there is insufficient support for new arrivals and a new pupil, on his fourth day at school, reported feeling sad and lonely at lunchtime, as he had no one to play with.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

30. The behaviour of pupils with special educational needs is at least satisfactory when they are in small groups and have tasks that are suited to their needs. However, their behaviour in class lessons is less than satisfactory. They are easily distracted and when the work is too difficult, they talk and can become disruptive. There are a few children whose special educational needs are more severe and their behaviour disrupts the learning of others in the class and the development of acceptable attitudes and behaviour, especially in Year 1.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

31. There are many examples of unsatisfactory and sometimes poor teaching in all year groups except Year 3. When put together, the overall quality of teaching is poor, as is the effect on pupils’ acquisition of skills, knowledge and understanding. Twenty-seven per cent of teaching by supply, temporary and permanent teachers was either unsatisfactory or poor. The majority of this was concentrated in the nursery and in Years 1, 4 and 5 and is the main reason why pupils’ progress is unsatisfactory. The quality of teaching has deteriorated since the last inspection, when 17 per cent was unsatisfactory or worse. The amount of good or better teaching, currently at 30 per cent, is less than at the time of the last inspection, when it was almost 40 per cent. Much of the good teaching is concentrated into Years 2,3 and 6 and is why the current rate of learning in these year groups is better than in the others. The teaching of English and mathematics is

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

unsatisfactory, as is the teaching of literacy, numeracy and computing skills. The high level of unsatisfactory and poor teaching means that many pupils receive an inconsistent and unacceptable education.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

32. Where teaching is good or better, pupils learn well because of the pace, vigour and appropriateness of the planned learning experiences. In most of these lessons, the teachers’ secure subject knowledge enables them to plan and prepare interesting lessons. A puppet- making lesson in Year 2 was successful because of the good range of colourful puppets provided as examples, as well as the display of the puppet theatre that further heightened pupils’ expectations. The enthusiastic teaching of a Year 6 lesson on active and passive verbs was so infectious that pupils were eager to offer their answers. Classroom organisation in these lessons was also good. Lessons started on time, and because class teachers gave clear, precise instructions, pupils moved smoothly from one activity to another, and classroom assistants were well deployed. They often worked closely with low-attaining pupils so that they were included in

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

the lesson. Of particular note in some lessons were the quality of relationships and the use of assessment. In Year 2, the teachers’ high expectations and very good behaviour management techniques resulted in a calm, purposeful environment in which all pupils, whatever their stage of learning, were included. The quality of questioning in several lessons, including the Year 3 mathematics lesson on place value and the Year 2 gymnastics lesson, was very good, especially in the plenary. This enabled the teachers to probe pupils’ understanding and offer them suitable challenges, as well as encouraging them to assess their own learning. Because of these insights, these teachers were able to prepare work for pupils of different abilities and needs, although even in these classes pupils’ individual education plans were not used well and the needs of pupils learning English as an additional language not adequately addressed.

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Kingswood Primary School - 14 33. In the unsatisfactory lessons, it was the teachers’ weak or insecure knowledge of the subject that undermined their ability to deliver a satisfactory lesson. This was particularly true in relation to physical education and the teaching of the national numeracy and literacy strategies. Many of the literacy lessons had not been adequately prepared or structured, and in most numeracy lessons the three-part lesson did not happen. It is because of this, and the lack of planned opportunities for pupils to use their literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects, that the teaching of basic skills in unsatisfactory. Planning, except in English and mathematics, rarely takes into account the differing needs and abilities of pupils. Pupils are, therefore, insufficiently challenged, and sometimes unable to follow or take a full part in the lesson. In a Year 5 literacy lesson, a pupil

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

with little English was left isolated and forlorn for long periods. Due to a lack of information about pupils’ prior attainment, many lessons, especially in the foundation subjects, and sometimes in science, are not prepared for pupils of differing ability. A lack of adequate information on pupils’ prior attainment also means that teachers taught a lesson at a level that they thought appropriate for their pupils’ age, rather than at what the majority of pupils could do. Therefore, some lessons were too difficult for some pupils or too easy, especially for the high attainers, as in the Year 5 science lesson on seed dispersal which required these pupils to do little more than copy from a photocopied sheet.

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34. In many of these lessons, teachers do not choose appropriate teaching methods. Question skills are in many instances weak, and teachers have low expectations, accepting one-word answers rather than encouraging pupils to explain in depth. There are limited opportunities for independence. In geography, history, design and technology and physical education pupils were often told the information, not given the opportunity to choose materials or given the opportunity to evaluate their or others work. In a few lessons, teachers misjudged the appropriateness of a theme. The focus of a Year 5 literacy lesson was the writing of a chronological account of the life of the school in the previous six months. However, with a number of new pupils who had no experience of the school and the effects of the long summer holiday on the rest of the class, this made an inappropriate choice. Many pupils were, therefore, uninterested and achieved very little.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

35. There is a poor use of resources. Time in many classes is not used well. On several occasions, lessons started late and pupils spent too long sitting on the carpet, often inactive; in one mathematics lesson, this left ten minutes for pupils to undertake their own work. In a few classes, a lack of awareness of where to position flipcharts and overhead projectors, and the quality of teachers’ writing on whiteboards meant that some pupils were unable to see important information or were provided with a poor role model. The ineffectual deployment of several classroom assistants was a waste of this valuable resource. For example, in a Year 2 physical education lesson, the assistant spent most of the lesson just watching. Computers are rarely used, and opportunities to use them rarely identified in planning documents.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

36. The management of pupils is unsatisfactory and at times poor. There is an inconsistent use of the school’s systems, and a few teachers have low expectations. In several lessons in Years 4 and 5, pupils were noisy, inattentive and disrespectful. At times, this went unchallenged by teachers, and at others, frequent and abrasive interactions not only disturbed the learning environment but also the pace of learning for the rest of the class.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

37. There is no consistent approach as to how the objective of a lesson is shared with pupils. Often, there is insufficient time left at the end of the lesson for the teacher to return to this in a meaningful way to assess what pupils had learnt. An examination of pupils’ work from last year reveals that marking is irregular and haphazard. It rarely provides pupils with sufficient information to know their strengths, weaknesses and how to improve. Homework is rarely set.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

38. In the poorest of lessons, the teachers’ lack of control and organisation resulted in a number of pupils wandering around aimlessly in the lesson, at the end of which they had achieved nothing. In another, a lack of due regard for pupils’ welfare in a physical education lesson put pupils’ safety at risk.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

39. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage ranges from poor to good, with 69 per cent being satisfactory or better, of which 35 per cent is good. Unsatisfactory or poor teaching constitutes 31 Kingswood Primary School - 15 per cent of the total. The quality of teaching has deteriorated since the last inspection. The difference between the quality of teaching in the nursery and reception has been reversed due to changes in teaching and the current use of an unqualified teacher in the nursery. There is also now a noticeable difference in the quality of teaching between the two reception classes. This high level of unsatisfactory teaching prevents pupils building effectively on their attainment in many areas of their learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

40. Although there is some good practice in reception, a weakness in most teachers’ knowledge and understanding and use of the guidance associated with the Foundation Stage curriculum inhibits the development of many basic skills. Where lessons are good, the teachers have a clear focus for the lesson that is linked to the early learning goals. Their presentation is good and they use appropriate teaching strategies, maintain the pace of the lesson, and build upon the children’s previous knowledge. Children are therefore interested in their work, and have a lot of say. In the other reception class, however, the teacher has a muddled approach, does not follow lesson plans, and tries to cover too much using inappropriate teaching strategies. Children in this class become confused and distracted, their behaviour deteriorates and they are less confident. The pace of learning is too slow in some lessons and in the nursery class, too little adult support,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

especially when children are outside, means that there is too much unstructured play and children wander around aimlessly. In several nursery lessons, there was no account taken of the different abilities of the children or the needs of those for whom English is an additional language. As a result, the work was too hard for some, but far too easy for others. There is a little more matching of work to the children’s abilities in reception where both more and less able children have been identified.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

41. The teaching by the special educational needs teachers and support staff ranges from satisfactory to good and is good overall. The lessons are well paced, and activities clearly explained. Good use is made of pupils’ individual targets. The staff are positive and encouraging in their approach and pupils therefore make good gains in these sessions in their learning in relation to the targets on their individual education plans. However, few class teachers vary the task to suit pupils of different ability, or use the targets on pupils’ individual education plans when they are in class, and therefore the overall speed at which pupils with special educational needs learn is unsatisfactory. There is a lack of support from class teachers, assistants or specialist support for children in reception.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

42. Specific support for pupils learning English as an additional language is provided by the co- ordinator and the support assistant. It is mainly in literacy and numeracy lessons, but with some withdrawal in Year 1. There is also bilingual induction support, provided by the LEA, in the first week for a new pupil. All this support makes some valuable contribution towards these pupils’ progress and their ability of access the curriculum. However, it is inconsistent across the school and the overall rate at which pupils learning English as an additional language is unsatisfactory. It is often made worse in whole-class lessons. Class teachers do not specifically identify these pupils or prepare suitable work for them as many teachers have limited understanding of the specific language needs of these pupils and how to meet them.

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PUPILS?

43. There has been a deterioration in the quality and range of learning experiences; these are now inadequate for children in the Foundation Stage. In Years 1 to 6, the curriculum is poor. Although all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education are taught, there is too little depth and the balance of subjects across the years is unsatisfactory. The school does not follow the Locally Agreed Syllabus for religious education and therefore statutory requirements are not being met. Furthermore, shortcomings in planning for the pupils’ differing needs and abilities mean that some pupils are not properly included. The provision of out-of-school activities is poor. The provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is unsatisfactory, as are the links with the community and other institutions. The provision for pupils’ personal development is Kingswood Primary School - 16

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unsatisfactory, as it was in the last inspection. The poverty of the curriculum means that all pupils receive an inadequate education.

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44. Although the school follows national guidance for teaching children aged three and four, the quality and range of learning opportunities are inadequate. There is little continuity of experience between nursery and reception due to a lack of overall planning. Although most areas of learning are adequately covered they are not sufficiently linked to the early learning goals or individual 'stepping stones' for it to be sufficiently well planned to ensure all pupils make good progress and have their needs met. The lack of outdoor space, especially for children in reception, means that opportunities for physical development and the option of continuous outdoor activities are limited.

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PUPILS?

45. The flexibility given to each year group to determine their own allocation of time has encouraged massive inconsistencies. For example, the hours that are meant to be used to ‘allow children to develop skills of research, investigation and preparation’ ranges from no time in Year 3 to 42 hours a year in Year 6. The gaps between periods of study for some subjects, such as history and geography, are too long for teachers to build upon what pupils have learnt earlier. For example, pupils are not expected to be taught geography in either the summer term in Year 1 or the autumn term of Year 2. Later they are to be taught no geography from the summer term in Year 5 until the following summer term – a full year later. Some planned sessions, for example, 20 minutes for the class-based weekly ICT lesson, are too short to adequately cover the curriculum. There are also significant differences between the time which is given to each subject, from year to year, and

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between classes in the same year group. In design and technology, one class was taught the subject for 45 minutes a week while the partner class was taught it for one and a quarter hours each week. Because of these influences, the curriculum has neither breadth nor balance and pupils’ experiences and opportunities are unequal.

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PUPILS?

46. Most subjects use the national guidance material but subject planning is poor overall and does not result in programmes which ensure that pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding are developed well enough. Teachers’ weekly plans mostly identify the topic to be covered, rather than a specific skill.

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PUPILS?

47. Mathematics and English have very recently begun to use the planning units for the national literacy and numeracy strategies provided by the LEA. The school is basing its religious education on national guidance and not the Locally Agreed Syllabus. This is not satisfactory. The units in the national guidance are incorrectly regarded within the school as schemes of work. The literacy and numeracy plans, for example, have not been modified so that they can be used with the many pupils who are not working to the level expected for their age. The literacy and numeracy strategies are not well established and are not yet making an impact on the standards that pupils reach. The use of literacy, numeracy and computing skills in other subjects is poor.

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PUPILS?

48. The only opportunity for pupils to develop or extend their classroom work in a more informal setting or to develop broader social relationships with their classmates is through the well-received out-of- school club. The school does not run this although it is held at the school. The range of other activities, such as sports clubs and fixtures is minimal.

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PUPILS?

49. Pupils with special educational needs are identified through the Code of Practice, and each has their own individual education plan. These have clear, achievable targets and are regularly reviewed. Some pupils are withdrawn from some lessons to receive extra help in a small group. These lessons are well matched to pupils’ needs and where possible linked to the work taking place in the classroom. For some pupils, this withdrawal means that they have a more limited access to the broader school curriculum, such as ICT. However, this is monitored and the withdrawal times changed every half-term to ensure that the same curriculum area is not continually missed. The policy for special educational needs has not been updated to reflect the requirements of the revised Code of Practice.

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PUPILS?

50. Pupils who have English as an additional language participate in the activities the school provides but they do not have full access to the whole planned programme, especially those who are at the early stages of learning English. Even though withdrawal is kept to a minimum as most support Kingswood Primary School - 17 is in class, the provision throughout the school is unsatisfactory. The lack of support from bilingual support, specialists or class teachers, particularly those who are at an early stage of learning English, adversely affects pupil progress and their access to the full curriculum. As most of the support is directed at those pupils who are more competent in English, they do take a fuller part in school life.

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PUPILS?

51. High pupil mobility is a characteristic of the school, but little is done in terms of curriculum planning or organisation to ensure that new arrivals are smoothly inducted.

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PUPILS?

52. The school has recently become part of a small Education Action Zone. After a term of little contact being made, staff from the Zone provide valued practical support in English, mathematics and science and to school managers. There are few meaningful links with other institutions, or with the community, that could contribute to pupils’ learning.

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PUPILS?

53. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme is unsatisfactory. The policies for personal, social and health education, drugs education and sex education are all in draft and waiting for approval from the governing body. The school curriculum planner allocates no time for PSHE to be taught in any year group. The scheme of work is incomplete and does not include reference to drugs education. The teaching programme is only partially in place and is inconsistently offered across the school. Lesson planning for personal, social and health education is unsatisfactory. Direct checking of the quality of the programme and of what pupils learn does not take place. Circle time, which is part of the PSHE programme, does not take place regularly as it is dependent on the availability of classroom assistants. Insufficient training about PSHE and circle time has been given to staff. For example, resources to support work on

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PUPILS?

children's rights have been bought but there has been no guidance on how they should be used. Pupils have very few chances to take personal responsibility in the school and to exercise their initiative in productive ways. The school council aims to contribute to the personal development of pupils by giving the pupil councillors a voice in school improvement. Their 2002 report notes that they have worked on the paddling pool at Norwood Park and created a notice board with a suggestion box. These successes are counter balanced by the written evaluation of the year’s work that too little was achieved because there were too few meetings of the Council. This represents a wasted opportunity for pupils to play a real part in influencing the quality of their education and their surroundings.

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PUPILS?

54. Despite some good initiatives, such as the school council, provision for pupils’ personal development is unsatisfactory, as it was in the last inspection.

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PUPILS?

55. During the last inspection, the provision for spiritual development was considered ‘satisfactory but would be much better if teachers actively promoted it more in lessons’. This still does not happen and pupils’ spiritual development is unsatisfactory. Opportunities for spiritual development are not a feature of curriculum planning and too often in lessons the sheer excitement of learning is missing. The school is a noisy place with no opportunity for quiet retreat anywhere, including the playground. Very little is said about spiritual development in school information, even in assemblies, and the right to withdraw their children from collective worship is not mentioned in the school brochure. As yet, there is no planned programme for the coming year for the various daily assemblies. During the inspection week, there was not a daily act of collective worship for every pupil, although most assemblies did include a prayer and moments for reflection were offered

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during circle time, but not during all class based acts of worship. A few good examples of spiritual development were seen such as the chance for pupils to bring in their own ‘special objects’ for a Year 3 religious education lesson. Pupils were reverent when they handed around the teacher’s ‘special object’.

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PUPILS?

56. Moral development was rated satisfactory during the previous inspection but is unsatisfactory now, largely because of the inconsistency in managing the school rules and codes. For example, the climbing frame rota, displayed in most classrooms, is not observed at all. This lack of application is not a reflection of high staff mobility, as some new staff are currently very effective in applying the school rules, whereas some established staff are not. The behaviour policy is a praise-based system, which was seen to work well in some lessons, but too often staff, including teachers and Kingswood Primary School - 18 midday supervisors, shout at pupils to maintain order. The use of circle time is not yet established across all classes. Nevertheless, the promotion of the merit system, in which the school values the good performance of individual pupils in assemblies and newsletters, has a strong currency with pupils. The use of circle time also provides a good contribution to moral

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development. In a Year 4 afternoon registration, it was used well to deal with a name calling incident from lunchtime. Through a well-led discussion, pupils were able to explore the impact of unkindness and name calling on others.

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57. The promotion of all pupils’ social development remains unsatisfactory, although a school council, re-introduced since the last inspection, is valued by the pupils who were involved and resulted in visible benefits, such as the displays in the school garden. There are some opportunities for pupils to be monitors but at present, there are no real opportunities for older pupils to provide role models for younger ones. A few teachers pair up new pupils with those who have been in the school for a while as a ‘buddy’, but this is currently very inconsistent. The new headteacher has plans to improve social development, for example, by providing external training for members of the school council, and a playground mentoring system is planned. Although there are playground markings and equipment, there is insufficient space or supervision to allow truly team games or quiet social activities to take place. There are insufficient opportunities in lessons for group working, although

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PUPILS?

some good examples were seen of pupils responding well to the chance to work together in pairs on a spaghetti poem in a Year 3 literacy lesson and in groups, taking the temperature of water in a Year 4 science lesson. There are no free, school-run, after-school clubs, although there is a programme of charged activities run by a local charity. The Year 6 school journey to a field study centre in Sussex has, in the past, given pupils their only real chance to understand community living. This centre has now closed and attempts are being made to find an alternative venue for the current Year 6.

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PUPILS?

58. The promotion of cultural development had improved to good in the last inspection report; this is due to contributions from art, literature, history and geography lessons and a very wide range of visits and visitors. This has not been sustained. The provision for subjects such as history and geography is now unsatisfactory, and other than a few key events last year, such as a drama group once a week for pupils in Year 2, the range of visits and visitors is no longer wide. There is currently limited evidence of opportunities to develop cultural awareness. However, the appropriate opportunities, such as the themed language, ‘Bonjour’ for the week of inspection, the display about a school in Jamaica which some of the pupils had attended, and another display about the Celts and Romans in Britain do add positively to pupils’ development, but these are currently minimal and do not reflect the diversity of the school. This is compounded by the lack of

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PUPILS?

opportunities to study different artists and composers and their styles both from Western Europe and around the world. There are relevant role models around the school, amongst the staff and in photographs. For example, photographs of a black community support worker and female fire fighter help challenge stereotypes. However, these are insufficient to truly reflect the wide cultural mix of pupils now in the school. There are insufficient resources and books that reflect the linguistic and ethnic diversity of the school. The policy for race equality and cultural diversity has not yet been approved by the governing body nor incorporated in the programme for personal, social and health education. The school is not therefore adequately preparing pupils for life in a diverse British society. The new headteacher recognises the need to improve this area of provision and has plans for wider links, such as with the South London multi-faith organisation.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

59. Child protection and health and safety procedures are reasonable and proper checks have been carried out on staff but a number of systems and procedures that ensure all pupils’ welfare have lapsed since the last report, when the care of pupils was found to be satisfactory overall. Thus care is now unsatisfactory. At the last inspection, assessment procedures for most pupils’ attainment and progress were unsatisfactory. The key issue required improvements to be made and whilst there have been some changes, progress since the last inspection has been poor. There remains a lack of whole-school assessment procedures, systems to monitor and support Kingswood Primary School - 19 pupils’ learning, and what assessment information is available is not used well enough to prepare the next steps in pupils’ learning and is poorly used in curriculum planning.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

60. Many of the formal systems related to pupils’ care are in place, such as regular inspections of playground equipment, checks of electrical appliances, fire practices, premises risk assessments, training of the Premises Officer in health and safety and use of the accident book. Staff also remind pupils about the need for care on the stairs, take care to follow procedures for handing over pupils to parents or carers at the end of the school day and the appropriate coverage of safety points was noted in some lessons, such as a Year 4 science lesson. There is a named teacher, the headteacher, and support from the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) for child protection, both of whom have had training. In the last academic year, all teaching staff had a brief training session from the LEA on child protection. A copy of the schools Internet policy has been sent to parents.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

61. However, there are inconsistencies and incompleteness in the various procedures in place. For example, in most physical education lessons, a few pupils wore earrings and there was limited supervision and no adherence to the rota when pupils were playing on the climbing frame. Not all staff, such as the premises officer, midday supervisors or office staff, have had child protection training and, despite the frequent changes in staff, the staff handbook is sparse on details related to pupils’ welfare. There is no information on the names of first aiders, child protection procedures or how to handle medical information. There is no central system for managing medicines and, given the numbers of pupils new to the school on a daily basis, there is the potential for lapses in the information passed to class teachers. For example, one class teacher was initially unaware that a pupil in her care could suffer from fits.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

62. There are no whole-school systems to ease the induction for the pupils who start at the school on a daily basis throughout the year. Therefore, as seen during the course of the inspection, some of these pupils are confused and isolated. For example, one new pupil was found to have missed her school lunch her first day, possibly because she was unclear where to go. There is, however, a system to put in place short-term early language support for pupils who have just arrived at the school and speak no English.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

63. There is no-one responsible for ensuring that first aiders’ certificates are up to date and the certificate of the one member of existing staff who had undertaken the full course has lapsed. Although office staff will take care of pupils who are ill, they must sit in the office on the ground floor as the medical room is up several flights of stairs on the second floor. However, the new headteacher is himself a qualified first aider and highly aware about health, safety and care, with plans to tighten up systems in the future.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

64. Overall procedures for monitoring and promoting good attendance are unsatisfactory, a deterioration from the ‘good’ rating in the previous report. There are some good things in place, such as, in association with the Educational Welfare Service (EWS), providing information for parents on the importance of regular punctual attendance, rewarding good attendance through the merit system and weekly checks by the SENCO on pupils who are absent or late. However there is insufficient analysis of patterns of attendance. Currently the EWS’s analysis is restricted to class groups and gender, with no follow-up to see the impact that this is having on attainment. Specific pupils are targeted for first day absence contact and such contacts are made for all pupils at key times, such as during the week of the national statutory tests, but there are insufficient administrative resources to provide this service for all pupils. There is also a lapse in the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

application of the school’s own procedures for recording attendance. Pupils who arrive after 9:30 are noted as present but late, with the time noted in a late book, when in fact they should show as an unauthorised absence in the school’s figures. There is the potential for improvement in procedures when the planned initiatives arranged with the EAZ are fully in place, such as the imminent arrival of a learning mentor.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

65. In the last inspection report, procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour were rated satisfactory, although there was a lack of consistency of application. There is an underlying praise-based structure to behaviour management with links through to a well-received merit system and there has been training for staff. However, the general inconsistency in the way Kingswood Primary School - 20 misbehaviour is handled, by both established and new staff, persists, leading to unsatisfactory behaviour from pupils, especially boys. Thus, procedures for promoting good behaviour and preventing bullying are now unsatisfactory. Not all staff, such as midday supervisors, have received training on behaviour management. Individual teachers have set up some very good class rules with their pupils but without clear reference to the school system. Parents and pupils have also reported incidents of bullying and feel that they are not adequately tackled. So in spite of the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

school’s written stance against oppressive behaviour, the systems in place to eliminate it are unsatisfactory.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

66. Personal support and guidance for all pupils are unsatisfactory. There are no formal records of personal development kept for class teachers to share with teaching assistants, provide for supply teachers or pass to new teachers at the end of the school year, and pupil reports make only brief mention of pupils’ personal development. This makes it difficult for staff to quickly judge and meet the needs of all pupils from whom too much or too little may be expected, potentially resulting in poor behaviour and attitudes.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

67. There has been no effective co-ordination of assessment activities since the last inspection. Over the years, information about pupils’ results in national tests and other assessments has been kept, but analysis of this information in terms of gender, ethnicity, proficiency in English, mobility or term of birth has been minimal and it has not been properly or regularly shared with staff. This means that staff are unaware of the performance of pupils from particular groups and cannot target their work efficiently. A specialised assessment management program is installed on the administration computers but information put onto it is scant and incomplete. This means that there is no swift and efficient system for tracking pupils’ progress over time and for identifying trends in performance. There is evidence that an attempt was made in 2000 to set class targets. Another attempt was made in 2001 where some pupils had individual targets written in their

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

exercise books. Neither system has been sustained. As pupils move from year to year, the only assessment information available to teachers is a list of assessment results. This gives no indication of the progress that pupils have made or what pupils have learned. Reading records are similarly unsatisfactory and lead to pupils, irrespective of ability, being given inappropriate reading tasks.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

68. Little work has taken place to agree standards in different subjects. Moderation of Year 2 English national assessments took place in 2001 and seven members of staff attended training on using the national criteria to asses pupils’ writing. Some of those who were trained have now left the school. As there has been a large turnover of teaching staff, this deficiency means that there is little or no guidance for new staff on the work that pupils in Kingswood can and should be able to do. Moderation in other subjects, such as mathematics or science, is minimal and the collection of examples of pupils’ work at different levels in other subjects such as art is non-existent. The gathering and use of assessment information in the foundation subjects is totally absent.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

69. In previous years, children have been assessed once they enter reception. Due to national changes in the legal requirements for assessment, children will now be assessed at the end of their time in the reception class. However, the school has not anticipated what method of assessment they may choose to use for children entering the school for the first time, or those who have moved from the nursery to reception. There is little ongoing assessment in the Foundation Stage. Observational assessments are undertaken in the nursery but these are not sufficiently tied to the ‘stepping stones’ or the early learning goals and therefore the planning of children’s experiences on a day-to-day basis in not always appropriate.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

70. The identification of pupils with special educational needs is adequate. Once identified, pupils are correctly registered under the revised Code of Practice. They all have suitable individual education plans, support staff are effectively deployed to meet their needs and regular reviews are undertaken to make sure that targets remain relevant. In this way, the school ensures that the requirements of the statements for those pupils with special educational needs are met. However, class teachers do not make full use of pupils’ individual education plans, and therefore do not offer sufficient care or support to these pupils. Relationships with most external agencies are good and this contributes positively to the care of these pupils. For example, good use is made of the outreach Kingswood Primary School - 21 worker for autistic pupils. However, the school currently has a number of children with severe

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

71. Assessments of pupils who have English as an additional language are appropriately undertaken by the co-ordinator and are generally kept up to date. However, there is no clear link between those stages and expected levels to help teachers plan suitable work, and pupils do not have specific targets.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

72. The school has a highly mobile pupil population. There are few procedures in place that would assist in the early assessment of these pupils and the identification of any possible academic or personal strength or areas of difficulty or concern that they may have.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

73. The last inspection found that links with parents were satisfactory but some work was needed to establish effective channels of communication. These are not in place and partnership with parents is currently poor.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

74. Only seven per cent of parents and carers replied to the parents’ questionnaire and few attended the pre-inspection meeting. They have a number of criticisms about the school but their general view is that, due to the efforts of the previous headteacher, behaviour and teaching have improved since the last inspection. However, this is not borne out by current inspection evidence.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

75. Parents are dissatisfied with the general quality of information from the school and think that information about how well their children are doing, what they are learning or forthcoming events depends a lot on the individual teacher, as does the amount of homework set. Yet, most individual teachers are thought to be approachable and more accessible than the school as an institution. Information provided by the school is inadequate and both the school brochure and annual report to parents are missing some required information. For example, the governors’ annual report to parents is out of date and does not include all the relevant information. The nursery booklet does not mention the early learning goals and there is no separate information about the reception of the Foundation Stage as a whole. Foundation stage staff have identified contact with parents as an area of development. Currently there are no home visits from the nursery or reception and this is

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

unsatisfactory. However, parents are invited to school during term time to see the school in action with a meeting of parents before children start and the chance to talk to staff at the beginning or end of day.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

76. Newsletters are sent on a monthly basis and celebrate pupils’ achievements, but they give limited information about what pupils are learning and events in the school. The quality of pupil reports varies, depending on the teacher, but most are descriptive, with few targets or tips on what pupils could do to improve their learning. The reports are not always written in a way that is easy for parents to understand.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

77. Currently, there are few arrangements to meet the needs of parents of new arrivals to the school, although the new headteacher recognises that these parents may have particular needs and has set up a regular weekly slot to show parents around and will have letters to parents translated. Parents are informed if the school has a concern about their child’s learning and are involved at regular intervals in keeping with statutory requirements and guidance. There are few links or specific methods of communicating with parents for whom English is not their first language. This, therefore, excludes those who are not proficient enough in English to understand all the information currently supplied in English from supporting the work of the school, or being involved in their child’s learning.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

78. Parents’ and carers’ contribution to their children’s learning is generally unsatisfactory. The majority have little involvement in the work of the school. Only one parent volunteer helps in lessons on a regular basis, providing a valuable contribution to pupils’ personal development through her assistance at the school council. There is currently no school association. Although Kingswood Primary School - 22 pupil reports give space for pupil and carer comments and signatures, these are rarely filled in and parents rarely sign the pupils’ reading records. Only 40 per cent of parents have returned the slip regarding the school’s Internet policy. A significant minority of parents and carers fail to get their children into school every day on time, and a very small number contribute to the hazards of crossing the road outside by parking on the zig-zag yellow lines in defiance of the law and attempts by staff to move them on. Homework, as parents stated at the parents’ meeting, is

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

inconsistently set, and they receive little information about how they can support their child’s learning at home.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

79. The previous report described the leadership and management of the school as satisfactory. There has been a significant deterioration since the last inspection. Every aspect of leadership and management is now poor. The inspection team agrees with the parents’ view that the school has not been well led and managed. Taking into account the very high level of funding per pupil, standards achieved and the quality of teaching, the school provides very poor value for money.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

80. In the first year after the last inspection in May 2000, the headteacher provided suitable direction to the school through the post-OFSTED action plan and a restructuring plan aimed at improving the management of the school and pupils’ achievement. Staff, parents and governors report that this did account for an improvement in pupils’ attitudes and behaviour and the development of a culture of achievement amongst staff. However, the post-OFSTED action plan ended in May 2001. It was not renewed and there was no school improvement plan. There was, therefore, no clear, or written, educational direction that staff and governors could support and follow. This, coupled with difficulties with staff recruitment and retention, seriously undermined the school’s efforts to move forward.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

81. The new headteacher, who took up his position two weeks before the start of this inspection, has made a decisive and insightful start in appraising the school’s qualities and needs. He has already made some key decisions, especially regarding finance and the plan for a further restructuring, aimed at improving the leadership and management of the school and the achievement of all its pupils. The sharing of this with, staff and governors, coupled with this enthusiasm and commitment to provide a high quality education for all, has led to a growing consensus on how the school should move forward. However, the lack of adequate structures and support for the school facing not only so many challenges but also numerous significant weaknesses is a great cause for concern. The lack of an effective senior management team may undermine or slow the intended improvements and harm the school’s capacity to improve.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

82. The school’s aims of providing a caring atmosphere free from discrimination and prejudice in which it can meet the needs of all pupils in their academic, social and emotional development is not reflected in its work. Although there was no oppressive behaviour during the inspection, the school does not provide a caring atmosphere and it is failing to meet the needs of all pupils academically, socially and emotionally, as there are significant groups that underachieve, or who are more likely to be excluded.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

83. The previous headteacher’s restructuring plan, involving the appointment of two lead teachers, as opposed to a deputy head, was not as successful as hoped. Due to changes in staffing at this level and a lack of support and direction, the newly-appointed lead teachers were given insufficient whole-school responsibility for them to adequately support the headteacher or school improvement; during the last academic year the senior management team rarely met. These positions have made a poor contribution to school improvement. The English, mathematics and science co-ordinators have endeavoured to lead improvements in their subjects, often with the support of the LEA and the EAZ. However, high staff turnover and a lack of overall leadership seriously negated their impact. A lack of school-wide systems, such as assessment, have also meant that they have not been able to adequately monitor the achievement of the pupils or provide

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

for them accordingly. Although the co-ordinators of most other subjects are willing, the leadership and management of many subjects have been unsatisfactory, and sometimes poor. Kingswood Primary School - 23 Accumulatively, their contribution to school improvement has been very poor. Although most co- ordinators are aware of what they should be doing, few have monitored their subject at any level or developed a plan aimed at addressing many of the issues identified in the last report.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

84. During the last inspection, the links between the nursery and the reception classes were criticised. These have not improved. Because of weaknesses in the leadership and management of the Foundation Stage, there is still no a consistent approach. There has been very limited monitoring undertaken by the co-ordinator, and although support has been offered by the LEA, there are many concerns regarding the teaching, the curriculum, assessment and links with parents.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

85. The SENCO manages the provision for pupils with special educational needs well. She ensures that pupils are identified, their records are up to date, that regular reviews take place and staff are well deployed to meet pupils’ needs. However, the co-ordination is unsatisfactory; the part time, non-class based co-ordinator does not monitor classroom practice or how class teachers are using the individual education plans. The induction of new staff in to the school's special needs provision is adequate, although a few are left to manage in very difficult circumstances with little support. There are numerous pupils with specific learning difficulties in Year 1 who have not been adequately investigated or managed. The school policy has yet to be updated in the light of the revised Code of Practice.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

86. There has been a lack of support for the co-ordinator of pupils learning English as an additional language and for provision as a whole from the leadership and management of the school. This reflects the low priority that the provision has in the school. The co-ordinator for pupils learning English is part time. Her assessment and support of pupils are adequate, and she deploys and supports the one teaching assistant well. However, much of this adult intervention is directed at supporting pupils who have some English language skills, at the expense of those at an early stage of acquisition whose progress in English and in their other subjects is then jeopardised. There is little monitoring of the support or progress that these pupils receive in class or opportunities to lead staff training in how to provide the most appropriate activities for them. Therefore, the co-ordination of English as an additional language is unsatisfactory.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

87. The governing body’s fulfilment of its statutory duties has been poor. In the last year, many governors have come to the end of their tenure, and there has been great difficulty in replacing them, for example, there has been no Chair of Finance for the last year. Currently, there are a number of parent, LEA and co-opted vacancies. Many legal requirements have not been met. The school brochure and the annual governors report to parents both lack information. There is no curriculum statement and there are many important policies, such as race equality and cultural diversity that have not yet been agreed by the full governing body. There are no plans in preparation for the Disability Rights Code of Practice, and no preparations made to improve the school’s accessibility for those with physical disabilities.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

88. In the last two years, communications between the school and governors and between governors themselves have broken down. Although the situation has improved with the recently appointed interim Chair of Governors, she is soon to come to the end of her term of office. When provided with information, as when the previous headteacher suggested the last restructuring, governors were involved in discussions, asked questions and offered suggestions, thus fulfilling their role as a critical friend. However, the breakdown in communication seriously limited their ability to continue this role or shape the direction of the school. Without a school improvement plan or a post OFSTED action plan and with insufficient financial information or information about pupils’ attainment, they have been unable to properly monitor the work of the school. They therefore have a poor understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. Although many know that the national

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

tests for 11 year olds improved in 2002, they do not know of the underachievement of specific groups of pupils.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

89. The monitoring, evaluation and development of teaching have been unsatisfactory. The LEA and the previous headteacher both undertook observations of lessons, as did the co-ordinators of English, mathematics and science. This helped to evaluate the overall quality of teaching, as well Kingswood Primary School - 24 as individual teachers’ strengths and weaknesses. However, the monitoring of teaching by looking at the quality of planning or pupils’ work is not well established. Both the LEA and EAZ worked in tandem supporting both individual teachers through team teaching activities, and the whole school by supporting co-ordinators in staff meetings. However, the high staff turnover worked against an improvement in the quality of teaching and learning, as staff that received support and guidance subsequently left. In its budget the school set aside an average amount of money for staff training,

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

but staff professional development has not been centrally organised. There are no records of what courses staff attended, or evaluations of their impact. Without a school improvement plan it is unclear if staff training was adequately prioritised to match the areas of greatest need. Even though there is a performance management policy and all permanent staff have had targets set, staff turnover and absences seriously interrupted the cycle of meetings and monitoring. This, together with no school improvement plan to help guide and focus improvements in teaching and pupils’ progress, has meant that the school’s strategy for performance management has been unsatisfactory.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

90. As the school lacks so many systems and procedures, its potential for training new teachers is weak. The absence of these practices also means that new teachers to the school, be they supply teachers or those on temporary or permanent contracts, do not have the information to ease themselves into the work of the school and limit the disruption to pupils’ learning that changes in teachers can cause. A staff handbook that contains minimal information compounds this.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

91. The school has not closely analysed its test results, all of its teaching or the curriculum and has not therefore drawn up a list of its own priorities. It was the previous OFSTED inspection and the monitoring visits undertaken by the LEA that gave it a list of appropriate priorities for development. Support has been focused on improving the attainment of pupils, especially those in Years 2 and 6, but with no post-OFSTED action plan for the last 18 months, or school improvement plan, the improvements in the school over the last two years have been poor, particularly in the last year. High staff turnover and staff absence have also adversely affected the rate of improvement, but the poor leadership and management have compounded this. Therefore, the serious weaknesses identified at the time of the last report have been compounded to such an extent that the school failed and is failing to provide an adequate education for many of its pupils. The new headteacher

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

has identified a list of the most pressing weaknesses that need to be addressed as a matter of urgency to improve the day-to-day running and management of the school. There is still no long- term plan, but he is sensibly waiting to receive the key issues for action from this inspection before embarking on preparing a new school improvement plan as well as the post-OFSTED action plan.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

92. Financial planning is very poor and has deteriorated since the time of the previous inspection. The then budget deficit of £99,601 has spiralled to a projected deficit of £210,000 by the end of this financial year. Spending has not been well planned or adequately monitored. Although the high cost of supply teachers and the higher than usual salaries paid to other staff to overcome recruitment and retention difficulties are significant factors in this deficit, financial systems are also very poor and provide poor budgetary information. The present deficit budget has come about mainly due to very poor management of the school’s financial affairs in the past. For example, the insurance cover for staff absence was not renewed. The school now has to pay the full costs of supply cover from its own budget. The most recent audit report, received by the school shortly before the inspection, recommends 24 matters to be dealt; nearly half of them as a matter of

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

urgency. The new headteacher is addressing various procedural details identified as needing revision or clarification. He is also working with the school’s new finance officer to devise a plan to reduce the deficit to zero in four years while improving pupils’ achievement.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

93. The school’s resources, especially computers, are poorly used. Many of those in classrooms are not turned on, and those in the suite rarely used. Teachers do not plan for pupils to use them in other subjects and neither do they use them to help them plan lessons. There is little use of computers to monitor pupil progress and those used for administration purposes has data missing and are not used to their full. The strategic use of resources has, therefore, been very poor. Kingswood Primary School - 25 94. The school receives large sums of money for pupils with special educational needs and those allocated to support the achievement of ethnic minorities and travellers (EMTAG). Due to weak financial management, it is unclear how this money was spent. For example, it is unclear if there was an EMTAG supply teacher used to cover the school’s EMTAG teacher when she was absent, and how the funding for the second EMTAG teaching assistant that was never appointed was

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

used. The new school finance officer has confirmed that any money from these grants that were not spent was returned to the LEA at the end of the financial year.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

95. The school’s application of the principles of best value is very weak. Purchases are made directly from one company, rather than after a process of comparing competitive costs. The school has not used available information to compare its performance with other schools so that it could target its resources to those areas most in need. There has been minimal consultation, especially with parents. The new headteacher is aware of many of these shortfalls and is already giving proper consideration to obtaining alternative quotations for works and supplies and attempting to establish a culture as well as the systems to encourage consultation, especially with parents.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

96. Staffing is unsatisfactory. There are numerous supply, temporary and unqualified teachers at the school. There are weaknesses in the knowledge and understanding of established, new and temporary members of staff. This has a detrimental affect on pupils’ learning. This is particularly true of the management of boys, especially those from Black African or Caribbean backgrounds, and the support offered to pupils learning English as an additional language; many teachers do not have the skills to adequately support them. Not all subjects, music for example, have a co- ordinator, and curriculum responsibilities are distributed unequally. For example, one member of staff is responsible for geography, history and religious education, while other class teachers have no responsibilities.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

97. The number of teachers and support staff is such that many classes are smaller than in most primary schools. However, in some cases this generous level of staffing does not offer good levels of teaching or care. There is a significant amount of unsatisfactory and poor teaching that hinders pupils’ learning. Deployment of staff is not always well considered: for example, a class with a very high number of pupils with acute special needs is being taught be a newly qualified teacher. There are numerous additional support staff, and in many cases their appropriate deployment and teamwork ensure that their pupils make satisfactory progress. However, they have received limited training in recent initiatives and are not always deployed well by the teacher that they are working with.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

98. Accommodation is unsatisfactory. Although the school benefits from three halls, separate dining rooms, specialist music and other teaching areas, there are shortcomings that prevent effective teaching of the curriculum. Several of the classrooms are small and adversely affect pupils’ learning. However, the organisation does not always ensure best use of the classrooms: one of the largest classes, with 30 pupils, is taught in one of the smallest rooms. The library remains locked for most of the day. Playground space is small and insufficient for the number of pupils in the school. It is well resourced but there is no satisfactory quiet space in the playground. Because of the number of pupils, the school has to operate a system of staggered playtimes and lunchtimes, so that not all pupils are at play at the same time. Although this is appropriate as it assures pupils’ safety, such arrangements provide noisy distractions for those who remain in

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

99. The lack of suitable playground space and a grassed area means that some parts of the physical education and the science curriculum cannot be taught. The library and computer suite are often locked and rarely used for whole class lessons.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

100. The nursery accommodation is satisfactory. It is secure and spacious, encouraging children’s development in most areas of learning. Space for the Foundation Stage is, however, limited and this makes it difficult for staff to provide a full range of activities to encourage pupils’ learning. The absence of outdoor space for the Reception class means that some aspects of their physical development cannot be taught. Kingswood Primary School - 26 101. The quality of displays around the school and in classrooms is barely adequate. Some have not been changed since last November, although more recent ones in the hall that are bright and colourful help to enhance the learning environment.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

102. Resources are unsatisfactory both in quality and quantity in a number of areas of the curriculum, and this is having an adverse effect upon standards. They have deteriorated since the last inspection in 2000. Resources are good in the Foundation Stage. They are also good in mathematics, but many remain in the boxes, unused. They are barely satisfactory in English, there are shortages of both fiction and non-fiction books. Resources in science and religious education are only satisfactory, as they are in history and geography, because the school is able to borrow resources from the EAZ. They are unsatisfactory in design and technology, art, music and ICT. The range and quality of books in the library are limited; a significant number are old and worn. There are few resources reflecting the ethnic and linguistic diversity of the school community.

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

103. In order to raise pupils’ standards of attendance, behaviour and their attainment, particularly in English, mathematics and science, the governing body, headteacher and staff need to:

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(i) improve the quality of teaching and learning by:

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• raising teachers’ expectations of the achievement of all pupils, and particularly that of boys, those from a Black African or a Black Caribbean background, and those learning English as a second language; • planning consistently for pupils of different abilities and needs, with particular reference to the use of pupils’ individual education plans; • improving teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the teaching of literacy, numeracy, physical education, and how to support pupils learning English as an additional language; • ensuring the school’s approach to behaviour management is implemented consistently across the school; • ensuring time and support staff are used effectively; • developing assessment practice and using the information for lesson planning; • developing the quality and consistency of marking to provide all pupils with guidance on how well they are doing and how they can improve; • providing on a regular basis relevant homework that is suitably linked to class work;

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• providing supply teachers with appropriate information and support;

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 1, 14, 15, 22-24, 26, 29, 31, 42, 96, 127, 135-137, 145, 148, 149, 150, 156, 157, 163, 167, 173, 179, 184, 185, 190, 195, 199)

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(ii) improve the leadership and management of the school by:

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring that senior staff and governors monitor the school’s provision and performance so that priorities for improvement and the action required are identified; • developing a long-term school improvement plan; • adhering to the budget deficit plan and monitoring all expenditures through rigorous checks and procedures; and • addressing the weaknesses identified in the co-ordination of pupil assessment, staff development and training, the Foundation Stage and pupils learning English as an additional language;

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs,1, 19, 79-86, 91, 92, 107, 138, 151, 164, 168, 174, 176, 187, 191, 196, 199)

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(iii) improve the breadth and balance of the curriculum by: Kingswood Primary School - 27 • ensuring that all aspects of each subject of the National Curriculum are taught and have an appropriate time allocation, and that the teaching of religious education is based upon the locally agreed syllabus; • providing more opportunities across the whole of the curriculum for pupils to use their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills; • ensuring that long, medium and short-term planning clearly identifies the progressive development of pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding; and • providing equality of access and opportunity for all pupils, irrespective of age, gender, ethnicity, ability or proficiency in English.

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 1, 8, 11, 13, 15, 17-19, 22, 23, 43-50, 53, 107, 116, 133, 138, 150, 158, 164, 174, 176, 183-186, 191, 196, 199)

p.29

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• developing effective systems for gathering more evaluative information on pupils’ attainment in all subjects; • analysing all assessment data to plan future work and to deploy resources; • establishing comprehensive systems to monitor and support pupils’ progress; and • improving systems of recording, monitoring and analysing attendance.

p.29

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 1, 15, 19, 59-71, 107, 130, 151, 164, 168, 174, 176, 191, 196, 199)

p.29

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(v) recruit a full complement of governors and provide them all with:

p.29

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• the training and the resources to fulfil their statutory duties;

p.29

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(vi) improve the quality and quantity of links with parents by:

p.29

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• providing more detailed and more frequent information on what is being taught in school; • providing clearer information about their child’s progress and giving support and guidance on how parents can assist with their children’s learning; • systematically gathering parents’ views and opinions of the school; • encouraging more parents into the school and classrooms on a regular basis; • working with parents to improve pupils’ attendance and punctuality.

p.29

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 25, 73-78, 107) Kingswood Primary School - 28 The governing body might also like to consider for inclusion in its action plan:

p.29

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improving the facilities for outdoor play in the Foundation Stage;

p.30

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• the amount of computers and peripheral computing equipment;

p.30

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• the range of both fiction and non-fiction books and access to the library; and

p.30

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• the preparation of a whole school strategy on how to cope with high levels of pupil mobility.

p.30

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 29, 51, 57, 72, 133) Kingswood Primary School - 29

p.30

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 42

p.31

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.31

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 52 311

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 163

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 5

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 98

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 86

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 92

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 61

p.31

Attendance

School data 5.8 School data 3.7 Kingswood Primary School - 30 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.31

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Kingswood Primary School - 31

p.32

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 29 19 48

p.33

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.33

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 22 19 28 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 17 17 16

p.33

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 81(56) 75 (50) 92 (83) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.33

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.33

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 20 27 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 17 18 15

p.33

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 77 (46) 94 (69) 83 (33) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.33

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

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

p.33

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 15 14 29

p.33

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.33

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 7 8 7 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 7 7 10

p.33

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 48 (41) 52 (53) 59 (59) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.33

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.33

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 8 9 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 8 6 6

p.33

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 57 (24) 52 (38) 52 (30) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.33

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Kingswood Primary School - 32

p.33

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions

p.34

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.34

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.34

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 11 0 0

p.34

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 3 0 0

p.34

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 0 0 0

p.34

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 99 7 0

p.34

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 56 2 0

p.34

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.34

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 13 Financial year 2001/2002

p.34

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21

p.34

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 1,024,657

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 16 Total expenditure 1,238,539

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 335 Expenditure per pupil 3,037

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year -85,302

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year -137,353

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 52

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 49 Kingswood Primary School - 33 Number of pupils per FTE adult 13

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Kingswood Primary School - 34

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 6

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 5

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 2

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 2

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Kingswood Primary School - 35

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 59 26 15 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 55 30 11 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 37 44 12 0 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 44 37 19 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 37 48 15 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 63 30 4 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 30 44 22 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 48 26 19 0 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 48 41 7 4 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 33 30 20 4 13

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Other issues raised by parents

Parents were concerned about the effects of the use of supply teachers and the frequent change of teachers on their child’s learning. Kingswood Primary School - 36

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

104. The previous inspection found the provision for children under five years of age was unsatisfactory. Although the school has addressed some of the issues raised, there has been insufficient improvement and other aspects of the provision have deteriorated. There has been a considerable turnover of staff. Currently there is no permanent, qualified nursery teacher. The Foundation Stage provision, therefore, remains unsatisfactory and does not provide children with an adequate start to their education.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

105. The Foundation Stage consists of a nursery class and two reception classes. The nursery has a mixture of full and part-time places. During the week of the inspection, the 26 children in the nursery were all full time and had been in the nursery for at least a term. Over the course of the week, some new children were joining the nursery on a part-time basis and staying at the nursery for a short time as they settled in. The 31 reception children are in two classes, both of which will admit more children in the January. Most of the children in the reception classes have been in the school’s nursery but some come from other settings.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

106. The inside accommodation is of a good size for both the nursery and the reception classes, although some of the rooms appear cluttered. The outside area is rather small for the nursery class. There is no grassed area and no outside sandpit. The reception classes have no direct access to an outside area.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

107. During the last inspection, the school was criticised because of the lack of good links between the nursery and the reception. This has not improved. There is still no consistent approach across the Foundation Stage. Although the curriculum in the nursery and reception is based on the early learning goals, there is very little joint planning. There are no consistent ongoing assessments that are useful to the teachers and there is no monitoring of the provision by the co-ordinator. All these shortcomings have a detrimental effect on the progress that children could make. There are weak links with parents. For example, there are few opportunities made to meet parents before their child starts nursery. The nursery booklet (there is not one for reception) is out of date and makes no mention of the early learning goals.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

108. Children enter the nursery with overall attainment below that expected for their age, although there is a wide spread of ability. Attainment in language is well below that expected. Several of the children have English as an additional language and are in the early stages of acquisition. Previously, all children were assessed on entry to the reception class and last year’s baseline shows that the children enter with attainment in language and mathematical development that was just a little below the average for schools in the area.

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Personal, social and emotional development

109. Many children enter the nursery with personal and social skills a little below the level expected for their age. They make satisfactory progress due to the quality of teaching, and many may achieve the early learning goals for this area.

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Personal, social and emotional development

110. Teachers and support staff in the nursery offer a warm welcome and make explicit their expectations so children settle quickly in class. They listen attentively, although many are reluctant to answer questions. In the appropriately organised small group sessions, they remain interested and show good levels of concentration. For example, a small group of children worked with the nursery nurse describing and discussing pictures for over 20 minutes. All adults are positive role models and this encourages pupils to play together in harmony. For example, in the nursery playground, some boys were ‘painting’ the fence together, and two girls were happily playing on a seesaw toy. However, a few children are unable to make a considered choice of Kingswood Primary School - 37 activity or persevere with it and flit from one activity to another, especially in the outside area, where there is less adult direction and support.

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Personal, social and emotional development

111. In the reception classes, children are more responsive in lessons and volunteer information. They often work together in small groups and take turns. Many children are able to dress and undress with little help, and follow instructions, as demonstrated during a physical development session in the hall. All staff constantly reinforces good habits and most children behave reasonably well because of this, putting up their hand and listening when someone else is talking.

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Communication, language and literacy

112. Children enter the nursery with a range of attainment in language. However, many of the children are well below expected levels and several are in the very early stages of acquiring English as an additional language.

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Communication, language and literacy

113. In lessons, both in nursery and in reception, children tend to answer questions with one-word or short phrases and are rarely encouraged to elaborate. However, when they are in a one-to-one conversation, or more actively encouraged to do so, they speak more feely, demonstrating more advanced speaking skills. Many children have reasonable listening skills, often sitting attentively, but passive, and not always fully understanding simple instructions or explanations.

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Communication, language and literacy

114. The children show an interest and enjoyment in books. They handle books carefully and can retell parts of the stories that have been read to them. The children in the nursery are developing an understanding of print and some can recognise their own name. In the reception, children are read to regularly, and are often given the choice of choosing the book themselves. Reasonable use is made of the text and the pictures to encourage their interest in books and their skills in reading. Because of this, the children are more confident in their handling of books and know more letter names and sounds but are unable to recognise familiar words. However, insufficient use is made of questions to encourage pupils to speak or test their understanding, and some of the books are too small for all children to easily see.

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Communication, language and literacy

115. As the inspection took place very early in the school year, there was no evidence of writing or mark making being taught in the nursery. However, the walls had displays of children’s work from the summer term and these included their attempts at writing. These ranged from patterns to clearly recognisable letters, but overall, writing skills were underdeveloped. Again, due to the date of the inspection there was little opportunity to judge the writing of the current reception children. The lower attaining children are still copying or writing over the work of the teachers while the higher attaining children are able to write some well-formed letters. The work of the previous reception class showed that by the end of the year only the higher attaining children were able to independently write some simple sentences with correctly formed letters.

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Communication, language and literacy

116. In both nursery and reception, there is no support for children at an early stage of English acquisition, and minimal support for those who have special educational needs. Teachers make little allowance for them in their planning. Overall, the teaching of communication, language and literacy is unsatisfactory. There is no coherent, consistent approach to the development of language across the Foundation Stage and opportunities to encourage and develop language are missed. Overall, children’s progress in this area is unsatisfactory and they are unlikely to achieve the early learning goals.

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Mathematical development

117. The teaching of mathematics is satisfactory, with some good aspects. This enables the children to make good progress in counting and recognising numbers, and satisfactory progress in other areas. Many are likely to achieve the early learning goals for mathematical development.

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Mathematical development

118. Most children join the nursery not recognising any numerals and few can count accurately to five. However, nursery staff give them plenty of opportunities to count using everyday objects and toys. Kingswood Primary School - 38 Picture books and songs are also used well to further reinforce children’s understanding of number.

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Mathematical development

119. Teachers in the reception classes further the children’s knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways. They use stories, such as ‘The Three Bears’ as a basis for matching activities, counting and to explore size. They use fun activities, such as finding how many objects are buried in the sand tray or how many bricks it takes to make a model, to develop counting skills. They are becoming familiar with the terms ‘more than’ and ‘less than’ and some can add one more to a number. Most children in the reception class can already count past ten and some are already confidently counting to 20. A few recognise the numerals one to nine.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

120. Most children start from a low level. They make unsatisfactory progress and are very unlikely to meet the early learning goals in this area of learning.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

121. Children in the nursery can name some very familiar fruits, such as apples. However, the interesting and practical activity of making a fruit salad engaged many of them so that they made good progress in learning more about the world, even if they had difficulty cutting. Children in reception have just begun a topic that involves them thinking about themselves as babies and how they are different now. They are able to talk about the past and present in relation to their own experience of what they wore and what toys they played with then and how that differs from what they wear and play with now. No science or technology was observed during the inspection as it was very early in the term and the children were still settling in. The previous year’s work for reception class shows that they can print letters and draw simple pictures using the computer and that they have an idea of how plants grow. However, there is little evidence of children

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

investigating or finding out how things happen or why things work.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

122. There was limited teaching of this area in the Foundation Stage during the inspection but the planning indicates that various areas are covered but not insufficient depth. From this evidence teaching is variable, but unsatisfactory overall.

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Physical development

123. Children enter the nursery with the physical co-ordination skills expected for their age. In the nursery, the children have access to the large apparatus in the outside area that is helpful in developing their physical co-ordination. However, too much of this access is free play, with limited intervention by adults. Some children wander from one piece of equipment to another without any purpose and the lack of structure does not ensure good, progressive development of skills. However, they can climb, slide, and crawl under and over equipment and confidently use pedal toys at a level expected for their age. Children in reception do not have direct access to an outside area and this limits their opportunities for play that is more energetic and, therefore, their physical development. Time in the hall is used to develop physical co-ordination. The children are able to hop, jump and skip, following instructions. Some are beginning to show an awareness of

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Physical development

124. There are some shortcomings in the provision – the lack of outside area for the reception children and insufficient structure and adult intervention in the nursery – but overall the teaching of physical development in the Foundation Stage is just satisfactory and most children make satisfactory progress. Therefore, in spite of the provision, most are likely to achieve the early learning goals for physical development by the time they are five.

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Creative development

125. Because the inspection took place so early in the term, there was little artwork available by the current children and no painting was observed. However, the display in both nursery and reception from last year shows that the children have the opportunity to work with a range of materials in both two and three dimensions. Many of the children in the nursery know the names of the Kingswood Primary School - 39 colours but lack creative confidence; no one chose painting during the free choice sessions observed. The children have access to musical instruments and enjoy playing them. In the nursery they are beginning to learn to stop and start playing when instructed, whilst in the reception class the children can clap louder and softer and stop when instructed. Although the children enjoy some action songs and join in with the actions, few children are able to join in with the words. The role-play areas in both the nursery and the reception classes and home-corner

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Creative development

areas are of a reasonable size. The nursery children enjoy playing in these areas but there is little adult interaction to develop the imaginary situations, or language skills. No children were observed playing in the reception class role-play area or being directed or encouraged to do so. The teaching of this area of learning is variable, with some aspects being better taught than others, such as music. This is reflected in the variable progress being made towards the early learning goals. However, the teaching of creative development is unsatisfactory overall. Most children make unsatisfactory progress and are unlikely to achieve the early learning goals in this area.

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ENGLISH

126. In May 2000, standards in speaking and listening, reading and writing were all well below the expected level for pupils at the age of seven and 11. Standards have not improved significantly since then. Although there has been a noticeable difference in the attainment of boys and girls, and pupils from different ethnic minorities in the national statutory tests, this was not as obvious in the inspection. However, all pupils make unsatisfactory progress, and there is widespread underachievement. In the last two years, a high turnover of staff and too little emphasis on the issues identified in the last report have meant that standards, and the rate at which pupils learn, have not improved. The recent joint work between the English co-ordinator and the literacy consultant from the EAZ, with the support of the new headteacher, has the potential to bring about improvements in the standards reached by all pupils.

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ENGLISH

127. When appropriately supported by specialist staff, pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress, although in most lessons progress is unsatisfactory as their needs are not adequately addressed by their class teachers. The progress of pupils who speak English as an additional language is unsatisfactory for similar reasons.

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ENGLISH

128. Speaking and listening skills are weak throughout the school. Many pupils join the school with limited vocabularies. The turn-taking expected in class discussion is not familiar to them nor is the requirement to listen well and at length to others. As pupils get older the tendency is towards passivity (not speaking out) or ignoring (not responding to direct questions or responding briefly). Some teachers manage to draw out worthwhile discussion and questions from pupils by phrasing their own questions well, having a framework in mind for the type of response which is expected and using more than one attempt to elicit a good answer. This is not the case in all classrooms. Pupils become used to little being asked of them and to their first response being accepted. There is little evidence of speaking skills being developed as an aid to improving pupils’ writing. Pupils speaking in short phrases or giving general, briefly considered answers gives insufficient

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ENGLISH

practice in using the language which will add interest and variety to their writing. This weakness becomes more apparent as pupils get older.

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ENGLISH

129. There are some capable readers yet many pupils are not reading in line with expectations for their ages. At the age of seven pupils are using both picture cues and beginning to use basic phonic cues. They know too few words by sight and familiar words are not read accurately. Pupils read hesitantly and the least able read without understanding and do not correct themselves. Instead they wait for help to be given. While pupils say that they read regularly at home, they report that they do this on their own. Pupils have little knowledge about how to use a library or to find information in non-fiction texts. They have difficulty in saying what they like to read. It is to the credit of Year 2 teachers that two pupils’ favourite book was one which was being used in class, ‘Little Lumpty’. Pupils do not have reading records and reading is not organised well. The school has books which are in reading schemes but choices of books for pupils do not match well enough

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with pupils’ capabilities. Some pupils have not been given a personal reading book and those who did have a book had the choice made for them by the teacher. Higher attaining pupils in Year 6 are able to free read, choosing books from a small selection of young people’s fiction. Only the Kingswood Primary School - 40 best readers do so with fluency and expression. Their confidence in reading is matched by their willingness to go to the local library and to read books which are recommended by adults. Less capable readers, who are re-reading their books, still read hesitantly and with little expression. They do not understand what they are reading. Pupils’ information retrieval and library skills are poor. The terms ‘fiction’ and ‘non- fiction’ are not readily understood. Even capable readers choose books by either browsing the shelves randomly or asking an assistant. They do not know how the numbered organising system works. They realise that computers can search for books

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130. Older pupils have made decisions about books which they like to read and these choices include ghost stories and chillers as well as books by contemporary authors which appeal to adults and children alike. They talk about these books with interest and expression. By Year 6 they have stopped reading to adults at home. This makes it more important that reading development is well organised in school but this is not the case. Record keeping is not consistent and teachers do not have information about pupils’ previous reading attainment except in the most general of terms. This makes it difficult to ensure that pupils are exposed to a wide range of texts, that they do not re-read books from earlier years and that the most able are properly challenged. Some pupils have reading logs which help to give some account of what they have read. Personal reading books are not sent home regularly in all classes. Pupils do not recall adults at home writing

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ENGLISH

comments about their reading. Overall, reading is not organised well enough. Shared and guided reading are organised as part of literacy lessons, weaknesses have been recognised by the school and activities have been put into the subject action plan and will be addressed by the school in conjunction with an external literacy consultant.

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ENGLISH

131. The school library is under-used and this is contributes to the weak library and information retrieval skills of pupils across the school. As the computer suite is housed in a partitioned section of the library, the room is kept locked. Some teachers are unaware of who keeps the key to it. Books are organised into stories and information sections. A coloured-coded and simplified number system is used to help pupils find their books. However, no pupil cited this as the way in which they made their selections. Many of the texts are old and shabby. The sets of information books are well kept but their usefulness is doubtful as the six sets are between 13 and 38 years old. There is a library administrative computer and the whole catalogue has been put onto it. The library is bleak. The tables and chairs in the library are too small for older pupils to sit comfortably and work, read or research.

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ENGLISH

132. Pupils’ writing is in need of considerable improvement and has not improved since the previous inspection. Handwriting is not taught to a consistent style across the school and insufficient attention is given to improving the presentation of pupils’ handwriting outside of specific handwriting lessons. Pupils gradually develop a joined handwriting style but many tend to continue to print or to join, typically, two letters within a word. They write slowly and make unnecessary errors even when they are copying from the board or from worksheets. Pupils have been taught to spell using their knowledge of letter sounds. Yet, pupils across the school continue to make spelling errors in words which they should know. There is little use of strategies to check and correct their spellings. Even older pupils make very little use of dictionaries and are not confident when using them. This is because they have a general understanding of alphabetical ordering of the initial

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letter of the words but have not thoroughly understood that this applies to subsequent letters as well. Pupils rarely produce extended pieces of writing in English or in other subjects. The work which they do requires little original thought. The frameworks for writing tend to require visual identification of words or phrases, as opposed to understanding and rephrasing. There are particular weaknesses in pupils’ drafting, re-drafting and editing their own work. This deficiency is exacerbated by teachers not requiring pupils to make changes following their work being marked. A result of the lack of rigour and challenge is that pupils who should be achieving well mark time and make poor progress.

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ENGLISH

133. The literacy hour is not yet well embedded into lessons. The very recent introduction of the LEA recommended planning units for the national strategy is an acknowledgement of this. However, there are considerable gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Their uneven prior attainment means that teaching plans which correspond to the pupils’ ages are too difficult for them. The texts which Kingswood Primary School - 41 pupils use in their work are not relevant enough to their lives. For example, a Year 6 lesson on non-chronological writing featured barn owls, hedgerows and drainage ditches which were matters of mystery to most pupils who live in a deprived inner city area, but most particularly, to those who had recently arrived in the country. Pupils are taught about punctuation, about the use of specific groups of words and about different types of writing. There are some examples of poetry, lists, instructions, letters and imaginative writing but these are few. Pupils write little and show little

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ENGLISH

interest in improving their work after their first attempt. Pupils are told what they are expected to learn but sometimes this is expressed in language which is too formal and which pupils do not understand. Often too little time is left at the end of lessons to check what pupils have learned and to set up expectations for the next lesson. The tendency is for pupils to work too slowly and this means that the planned lessons are not taught or learned in the depth which is required. Higher attaining pupils are not challenged enough. Guided reading and writing are appropriately acknowledged in subject action planning as areas for improvement.

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ENGLISH

134. There are, however, examples of good literacy teaching and learning in school, most particularly in Years 2 and 3. In Year 2 a well-planned lesson based on ‘Billy Duck’ was well matched to pupils’ previous learning and was supported with suitable resources. Pupils with special educational needs were well managed by the teacher and by the classroom assistant. This led to pupils using the knowledge that they had about letter sounds and to them making good progress. In Year 3, pupils worked effectively in pairs as they began to write poems. They were interested in what they were doing. They gave good suggestions about words which might describe particular shapes, like ’egg-shaped’, ‘bouncy’, ‘patterned’ and ‘bright’. Pupils with special educational needs were well supported and made satisfactory progress, although five English language learners who were to leave the class to work in a small group with a specialist teacher were left too long without

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ENGLISH

anything to do. Even with these instances of good lessons, overall, insufficient progress has been made and standards have not been raised. Work has recently begun on ensuring that teachers are more consistent in their assessment of pupils’ work but this has not yet had an impact on driving up standards. Except for a recent Year 5 initiative, computers are little used in literacy teaching and this represents the loss of valuable learning opportunities.

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ENGLISH

135. Most teaching seen during the inspection was satisfactory and in Years 2 and 3, some teaching (35 per cent) was good or very good. Four lessons (25 per cent) were unsatisfactory and these were mainly in Key Stage 2. All group lessons were satisfactory. The best lessons were well planned, work and resources were matched to pupils’ needs, support staff were well used and teachers managed and organised their classrooms well. In Year 1 there are particularly serious difficulties in providing a suitable programme for a number of very needy pupils and this is a particular weakness. Unsatisfactory lessons in both key stages were underpinned by teachers’ insecurity in the teaching of literacy and the use of the National Literacy Strategy. Because of this, pupils are given tasks which they could not do or in which they had little or no interest. This led to pupils either behaving badly or quietly not applying themselves to their work. Teachers were

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ENGLISH

not able to deal effectively enough with pupils’ poor behaviour or low productivity. Time was not well-used and lessons were not covered as fully as planned. Assessment information was inadequately used before lessons to check what pupils could do. While teachers noticed that pupils were not learning, they were not making changes to their lessons to improve the situation. Support for individual pupils with special educational needs was usually satisfactory.

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ENGLISH

136. On occasion, pupils learning English and those with special educational needs were given too little direction by the teacher and this led to pupils receiving insufficient support. Target setting is in its infancy and individual targets for pupils have not been set. Teachers use a narrow range of teaching methods, with little opportunity for pupils to work in pairs or groups nor for pupils to develop their speaking as well as their listening skills. When teachers become more adventurous, pupils respond well. A Year 3 lesson which featured a teacher in role as Roald Dahl’s Big Friendly Giant required clearly defined types of questions from the pupils. Their concentration was held for long periods, they composed questions beginning with ‘who’, ‘where’, ’when’, ’what’ and ‘why’ and gained insight into the possible motives, actions and character of the giant.

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ENGLISH

137. Classes are small and pupils are taught in mixed-ability groups. However, the weaknesses in assessment practice and the lack of well-matched teaching plans for pupils’ needs mean that Kingswood Primary School - 42 many pupils are not receiving a well-developed and progressive teaching programme. This contributes to the slow rate of pupils’ progress. Set exercises in pupils’ books tend to be pedestrian, basic and uninteresting. Much work in pupils’ books is unfinished. Work is mainly marked using ticks and praise remarks. Little attention is given to commenting on whether pupils have learned and what pupils have learned. Little written work is asked of pupils. Some pupils have too little evidence of the work which they have done. This means that they are unable to refer to their own previous work to check what they have learned. There is little evidence of homework being set and it is not a common feature in teaching plans.

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ENGLISH

138. The leadership and management of the subject are now satisfactory. This is largely due to the recent joint working between the school co-ordinator and external consultants from the LEA and EAZ. In conjunction with the new headteacher, they have written an action plan for the subject. This identifies many of the necessary tasks. However, it does not have enough emphasis on improving assessment practice as a means of tracking and accelerating the rate of pupils’ progress. The co-ordinator has begun to check the quality of teaching by observing lessons and giving teachers a written account of what she has found and what they should do to improve. Teachers have been able to see particularly good teaching being demonstrated. The subject leader and the external consultant have begun to check the standard of pupils’ work and to help teachers to make consistent judgements about the work. Training priorities have been identified

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accurately. Assessment remains a weakness. There is insufficient analysis of national curriculum and other assessment results. This means that a sharp focus on improvement for whole year groups and for individual pupils is not good enough and target setting is minimally used and not effective. It is too early to judge the impact on standards of the activities in the action plan.

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MATHEMATICS

139. Standards in mathematics at the age of seven are well below those expected and for 11 year olds they are below. Standards for seven year olds in Year 2 are the same as those reported at the time of the last inspection, but those for 11 year olds have improved slightly. Levels of attainment in Year 2 have remained broadly the same, as the National Numeracy Strategy (NNS) has not been well implemented, but also because of the inconsistent quality of teaching. The marginal improvement in the attainment of the eldest pupils is due to the ability of the cohort, but also to the slightly better teaching they received last year, and this year. Many pupils, as at the time of the last inspection, still make unsatisfactory progress. This is because of weaknesses in the curriculum, assessment, teaching and the leadership and management of the school. Overall improvements since the last inspection have been poor.

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MATHEMATICS

140. In many cases the progress made by pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language is worse because many teachers do not match the work to pupils of different abilities and needs. There are weaknesses in teachers’ knowledge of how to support the specific language needs of pupils learning English as an additional language. The underachievement of boys, particularly in Years 4 and 5, is more apparent as they are more likely to be either in the low attaining group or have behaviour and attitude problems that are not appropriately dealt with by the class teacher, and that interferes with their learning. Many of these boys are from a Black African or Black Caribbean heritage. There is, therefore, widespread underachievement.

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MATHEMATICS

141. Pupils currently in Year 6 are reasonably confident in using a range of multiplication tables, and as a group are able to count in simple decimals such as 0.3, 0.4 etc. However, only a very small number were able to adequately explain the meaning of the mathematical term ‘product’. All but the lower attaining pupils were able to use their knowledge of the relationship between multiplication and division to identify the missing number in a problem using whole numbers. The lower attaining group, over a third of the class, remained very unsure of the concept and only achieved the completion of a few problems with the support of the class teacher.

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MATHEMATICS

142. Evidence from the analysis of the work of 11 year olds from last year shows that the majority of time was spent on number work, shape and measuring. There was less data handling and far less Kingswood Primary School - 43 work on investigations and problem solving. In their number work, high attaining pupils were confident in using three digit numbers, choosing the most appropriate method to solve problems and accurately converting fractions to decimals. This was similar to the average attaining pupils, but the lower attainers struggled with multiplying and dividing by ten and a hundred, as they did with any work on decimals. Whereas the majority of the class, with sufficient accuracy, could recognise, order and calculate a range of angles, rotate and reflect shapes and plot co-ordinates, the lower attaining pupils could not define the properties of a parallelogram and had not understood the concept on co-ordinates. In their data handling work, high attaining pupils accurately used

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MATHEMATICS

scatter graphs and the average attainers were secure in their knowledge of mode, mean and median. However, the efforts of the lower attaining pupils concentrated on bar graphs, for example, to show the various costs of sweets. There was little interpretation of this data.

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MATHEMATICS

143. Most pupils who have just started Year 2 are able to count on in ones and twos quite comfortably, although many struggle counting backwards. The vast majority have only a very rudimentary understanding of place value. In throwing a dice, the high attaining pupils can identify the two numbers that make up a double digit and have reasonable understanding of their respective values. The average attaining pupils required cubes and other mathematical apparatus to support them in identifying tens and units. The lower attaining group, the largest in the class, could, with support, identify groups of ten, although many struggle with counting to ten.

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MATHEMATICS

144. Evidence from the analysis of the work of pupils aged seven last year shows that little problem solving or investigation of data handling activities was undertaken. There was a heavy concentration on number work, and on shape and measurement. Few pupils were confident with numbers over 100. Higher attaining pupils could identify the value of two digit numbers and were able to solve simple number problems. However, the average attainers did not understanding the concepts of multiplication or division and work of the lower attaining pupils revealed that they continue to reverse numbers and struggle when adding ten to a two digit number. Nearly all pupils, except the below average attainers, were confident in naming two-dimensional shapes, but could not accurately identify all their properties. Higher attaining pupils could use standard units for weighing, but the average attaining pupils were only confident in the basic concept of those that

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MATHEMATICS

were heavier or lighter. For the low attaining pupil, much of the work they undertook was similar to the average attaining pupil, but they rarely completed the task or demonstrated a secure understanding.

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MATHEMATICS

145. The overall quality of teaching seen during the inspection was poor. It reflects the quality of teaching evident in pupils’ past work. It has deteriorated since the last inspection and accounts for pupils’ unsatisfactory and sometimes poor progress. Forty-five per cent of lessons were unsatisfactory or worse. Most of these, although not exclusively so, can be attributed to new or supply teachers whose knowledge and understanding of the National Numeracy Strategy were unsatisfactory. However, 35 per cent of teaching was good; this was concentrated in Years 2, 3 and 6.

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MATHEMATICS

146. The good lessons were characterised by a secure knowledge of the subject. Teachers’ explanations and instructions were therefore clear so that pupils understood their work and quickly settled to their tasks. These teachers also made good use of their prior knowledge of their pupils, building on what they knew and planning work for three and sometimes four broad ability groups. The most significant strength of these lessons was the teachers’ skill in questioning. This strategy added to the lively and interesting pace of these lessons that engaged most pupils. It also gave these teachers a valuable insight into how their pupils were achieving. This allowed them to offer suitable challenges, or support, to those who needed it, ensuring that nearly all pupils achieved well. However, in these, as in most other lessons, there was insufficient identification of and preparation for pupils who are learning English as an additional language, or

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MATHEMATICS

those who have special educational needs. For example, even though two pupils in one class had mathematical targets on the individual education plans, they were not used in the lesson and the work that they therefore undertook was not matched to their needs.

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MATHEMATICS

147. In most other lessons, teachers did not demonstrate a secure understanding or use of the three- part mathematics lesson. Often, the mental oral starter involved little effort from the pupils as many Kingswood Primary School - 44 teachers used this time to offer explanations and instructions. This seriously compromised the chance for pupils to increase their mental agility. Similarly, in the great majority of lessons, the plenary was used poorly. Often there was insufficient time to assess or extend pupils’ learning, and lessons ended abruptly.

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MATHEMATICS

148. In the unsatisfactory lessons, time was not used well. This was because the lessons started late, or because the pace of learning was too slow. The time spent on the carpet in these lessons accounted for nearly half of the lesson. Pupils, therefore, became restless and did not apply themselves well. This was particularly true of boys in Years 1 and 5. In these lessons, their behaviour was not well managed and relationships were abrasive and confrontational. This led to deterioration in the quality of the learning environment and the willingness of these pupils to apply themselves. Furthermore, teachers did not use their prior knowledge of pupils to good effect. This was exacerbated by the practice of one teacher in each year group planning the lesson. Therefore, a few lessons did not build on pupils’ prior attainment, and neither did the teachers follow their plans. The pupils’ acquisition of skills, knowledge and understanding, therefore,

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MATHEMATICS

149. In the poorest lessons, many of the unsatisfactory features were coupled with a lack of preparation and thought. Lessons were disjointed affairs, with no natural sequence of events to either encourage pupils to concentrate or develop their mathematical ability. The pace was chronically slow and there were too few activities to keep pupils engaged. The teachers’ low expectations ensured that some pupils wandered around the class aimlessly, doing nothing.

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MATHEMATICS

150. Pupils’ work is not regularly marked and, when it is, there are very few comments that provide pupils with a clear idea of how they can improve. There is little evidence of homework being set on a regular basis. Teachers rarely identify opportunities to use a computer in a mathematics lesson. During the inspection, not one computer was used. There are few opportunities in other subjects of the curriculum for pupils to use their numeracy skills.

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MATHEMATICS

151. The leadership and management of the subject have improved since the last inspection and are now satisfactory, due largely to the support provided to the co-ordinator by consultants from the LEA and EAZ. The monitoring of teaching has been undertaken, and its development supported by a series of staff training sessions. The external consultants have provided model lessons and have taught in tandem with teachers. However, because of the high turnover of staff, the hoped-for improvement in the quality of teaching was not achieved. There has been little monitoring of teachers’ planning or pupils’ work. There is now a range of assessments that pupils undertake. However, there is no consistency across the school as to which commercial tests pupils sit; the only standard ones used are the optional tests for in Years 3-5. It is only in the last two years that this information, and the results of the national statutory tests, have been recorded. However,

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MATHEMATICS

some year groups are incomplete and it is not possible to track or monitor pupil progress. There has been little analysis of the information in terms of gender, ethnicity, proficiency of English or pupil mobility. There is, therefore, no firm understanding of the strengths or weaknesses of the subject or pupils’ achievement. A few teachers have used the information to set group and individual targets, but last year this was not consistent across the school and even those who started to do so, did not maintain the practice. In 2001 a little of the data was analysed. From this it was identified that problem solving and investigations were weaknesses in the curriculum. Even though staff training was organised on these aspects, high staff mobility has meant that they are still areas of weakness, as at the time of the last inspection. Resources in many classes, and those stored centrally are good in terms of both quantity and quality. However, they

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MATHEMATICS

are not well used. Many of those stored centrally are not easily accessible and several remain in their plastic bags, untouched.

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SCIENCE

152. The standard of pupils’ work seen in science has improved for seven-year-olds since the time of the last inspection, when it was well below average. Improvements in the quality of teaching seen during the inspection, planning and the leadership of the subject have all contributed to this improvement. The organisation of mixed age classes last year, high staff mobility and the Kingswood Primary School - 45 disruption it has caused to pupils’ learning have resulted in little change in the standards of attainment for the older pupils; standards remain below the expected level for 11 year olds, as at the time of the last inspection. Many of these pupils have several significant gaps or weaknesses in their knowledge, skills and understanding. Although inspectors’ findings show that in the lessons observed the majority of pupils, including those with special educational needs and most of those learning English as an additional language, make reasonable gains in their learning due to

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SCIENCE

the quality of teaching, many have made unsatisfactory progress over time due to problems with staffing, the curriculum and assessment.

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SCIENCE

153. From an analysis of pupils’ work from last year, most pupils by the age of 11 know about saturated solutions and understand the principles of floating and sinking. They appreciate that forces can both push and pull and are able to explain the food chain. Although all areas of learning identified in the National Curriculum were covered, coverage was in insufficient depth. From their practical study and observations, pupils currently in Year 6 know that green plants make new plant materials from the process of photosynthesis. Last year, most seven-year-old pupils had an insecure knowledge and understanding about areas such as healthy living, solids, liquids and gases. Much of the work was superficially covered and did not demonstrate a depth of understanding appropriate to their age. Currently, most pupils in Year 2 are able to identify electrical and non-electrical objects, drawing and labelling them in their books. This level of

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SCIENCE

knowledge is more appropriate to their age. However, regardless of age, many pupils, from this year or last year, are not able to make appropriately reasoned predictions about what might happen or carry out practical observations and investigations to see what actually happens. Their ability to record and explain these results is unsatisfactory because of pupils’ weak literacy skills

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SCIENCE

154. Overall, the quality of teaching is satisfactory; there were examples of both excellent and unsatisfactory teaching seen. Most of the good teaching was in Years 2, 3 and 6. The improved teaching accounts for the good learning that many pupils are currently making in lessons.

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SCIENCE

155. In the good or better lessons, teachers use their secure subject knowledge to plan interesting and appropriate lessons that gain pupils’ interest and make them keen to learn. The fast pace of these lessons, full of different activities and resources, helps sustain pupil interest and concentration so that they gain a lot from their experiences. These teachers also ask searching questions, which make pupils think, apply what they already know and explain what they have discovered. For example, in a Year 3 lesson on grouping animals according to their characteristics, the good questioning not only revised pupils’ learning, but also encouraged them to explain their answers in depth, so that most pupils could identify the three main groups of animals and the food that they eat. The good questioning also provides teachers with a good insight into what their pupils know and understand. Because of this, pupils were further challenged by more probing questions, or the

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SCIENCE

option of independent work. Teachers also make good use of practical activities, such as using a magnifying glass to look at slices of plantain in Year 5, or actually placing electrical and non- electrical objects into hoops on the floor.

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SCIENCE

156. However, not all lessons seen were satisfactory. In a Year 5 lesson on seed dispersal, the choice of text was inappropriate for the pupils. The language was too difficult, especially for those with special educational needs or those learning English as an additional language. At times, the pace of the lesson was too fast, so that insufficient time was given to each of the most significant aspects of pupils’ learning. Conversely, time was wasted because of weak classroom organisation that meant the move from a practical activity to that of written work was slow and pupils therefore had too little time to undertake their written work.

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SCIENCE

157. In many lessons seen, as well as in an examination of pupils’ books from last year, there is little evidence of work being prepared for pupils of different ability or need. Therefore, not all pupils are, or have been, adequately challenged so that they could achieve their best. The quality of marking is often unsatisfactory, providing little information to the pupil on what or how well they have learnt. There is minimal evidence of homework being set in a systematic or meaningful fashion.

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SCIENCE

158. Teachers provide adequate links for pupils to use their literacy and numeracy skills in science. In the best lessons, they create opportunities for the pupils to use a wide range of writing styles to Kingswood Primary School - 46 record their work, such as lists, charts, descriptions, diagrams and labelling. Similarly, numeracy skills are at times used well, as in a Year 4 lesson on temperature, but this is not consistent across the school. In one good lesson, pupils in Year 6 studied the leaf of a green plant using a microscope linked to a computer to assist in their investigation; such practice is rare. Most lesson plans, as well as pupils’ work, show that there are very few occasions when computers or pupils’ computer skills are used in science lessons.

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SCIENCE

159. The co-ordination of the subject is satisfactory. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and committed to raising standards. Her expertise has effected the gradual improvement in standards and the quality of provision. In an attempt to address some of the issues from the last inspection, the co-ordinator has introduced an agreed policy and a coherent long-term plan identifying pupils’ learning experiences. There are some recently introduced procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment but they are not being used consistently across the school. They are not being used to inform curricular planning or to monitor and support pupils’ progress. The co-ordinator has received support from the EAZ consultants but the amount of support and monitoring of teaching she has been able to undertake has been constrained by the budget. The large budget deficit has meant that no supply cover has been available to release her to undertake her duties as a co-ordinator.

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SCIENCE

The quality and range of resources are adequate to meet the demands of the curriculum, but not always the needs of all pupils, as in the case of the Year 5 text which was too difficult for many pupils to read. Since the last inspection, the subject leader has carried out an audit of science resources and carefully uses her subject allowance to make improvements in learning resources.

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ART AND DESIGN

160. Only three lessons were observed during the inspection. However, from the evidence provided by the work on display and in pupils’ book, and through discussions with pupils, it is evident that pupils’ attainment in art is a little below expectation at the age of both seven and 11 years of age. There has been a decline in standards since the last inspection. All pupils make unsatisfactory progress because there is insufficient breadth and balance in the curriculum, or attention to the teaching of specific skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

161. By the age of 11, most pupils draft their own designs, use a sketch book and use a range of media such as charcoal, pastels and paints at a level appropriate to their age. They have a limited experience of printing and Batik work, but are able to explain what is involved in the process. In one of the lessons observed the pupils were working on some close observation drawing and were using some simple shading techniques to indicate texture. In another class, the theme was sculptures and the environment, but pupils did not know what a sculpture is and they were unable to discuss effectively the different types of sculpture and the range of materials used. During discussion with some Year 6 pupils, even the higher attaining pupils could only name a few artists, such as Van Gogh and Picasso, and had difficulty discussing their style. Interest in and enthusiasm for the subject varies with individuals but overall it is lower than one would expect for

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ART AND DESIGN

162. At the age of seven, most pupils are able to draw simple portraits of themselves, giving a little consideration to skin tone. However, they have a limited knowledge of colour mixing and lack the confidence to use a wide range of materials and media. A discussion with pupils revealed that they have little knowledge of artists, being unable to name even one. They had difficulty recalling art lessons but did remember painting using the computer. They showed little enthusiasm for the subject.

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ART AND DESIGN

163. In the three lessons observed, the teaching ranged from unsatisfactory to satisfactory. In the satisfactory lessons, the teachers had clear learning objectives for the lesson and made effective use of the resources. In the unsatisfactory lesson, the learning objective was unclear and the resources used were inappropriate. In all three lessons, the pupils were either unresponsive or took some time to settle to the task set for them. The same task was set for all pupils in each of the lessons but in one lesson a few children who had English as an additional language and some who special educational needs received extra support from a teaching assistant during the discussions. Kingswood Primary School - 47 164. At the time of the inspection the art co-ordinator was away ill; there was no-one acting as a temporary co-ordinator. There has been no monitoring of the subject and this is unsatisfactory.

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ART AND DESIGN

During the last inspection, several weaknesses in the subject were described which the school has failed to address. There is still insufficient breadth to the curriculum. Although the school now uses the national guidance, it is not linked to the school’s needs so there is no planning for the development of skills over time and no systematic development of art over the years. The school does not assess or record pupils’ attainment and progress in art. Although the consumable resources are well organised, the pictures and books are not and they are difficult to access. Due to a lack of resources and planning, very few opportunities are taken to develop pupils’ spiritual or cultural awareness in their study of art, especially through artists and artistic styles from different cultures.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

165. There has been insufficient progress in raising standards in design and technology (DT) and attainment by the age of seven is below expectations and achievement is mostly poor. At the age of 11, attainment is still below average and achievement remains poor. Pupils with special educational needs and those who are learning English as an additional language also make unsatisfactory progress.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

166. Younger pupils of all abilities draw their ideas for vehicles, but they regard their first idea as complete and tend not to make changes which might improve their work. This is because they are not encouraged to evaluate their designs and to modify them. However, some Year 2 pupils did some credible line drawings of puppets which showed good observation. Their discussion led to confidence that they would produce a variety of original designs for puppets and would get real pleasure in making them. Pupils concentrated hard on the probing questions which they were asked about the range of puppets in front of them. Their notes against their drawings showed that they understood that there were different types of puppets. Pupils were feeling the different fabrics from which the puppets were made, making comparisons with materials which were being worn by the teacher. They were well placed to make good progress in their own puppet making. In a Year

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

6 lesson, pupils continue to consider what the specifications should be for the slippers which they are to make. They discussed the matter thoroughly. However, they tend to work slowly and their expectations of what they can do are low. The work which pupils had done during the previous year showed that pupils tended to do the minimum work to address their tasks and that parts of the work set were frequently unfinished. Pupils did not review their work and consider how they might improve it.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

167. Four lessons were observed. All but one of the lessons were satisfactory and in one Year 2 lesson the teaching was very good. In the very good lesson, the teacher planned well and provided pupils with a very good range of resources – lots of puppets of different types, a set of which were linked with the traditional story Little Red Riding Hood. The teacher had high expectations of the pupils and because of this, and because of her excellent manner with them, they worked hard to meet them. However, there were missed opportunities for assessing pupils’ progress during the lesson. In the unsatisfactory lesson, pupils were keen to work and they listened well. However, the skills-based task was too limited, and too few links were made between the type of stitch needed to join the sides of a money container and the reason for using them. In addition, pupils made slow progress even though most had sewn before. Overall, the evidence gathered during

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

the inspection shows that teaching is unsatisfactory across the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

168. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory. This is because the subject leader is giving insufficient attention to the subject as she also leads development in science. The subject leader has been unable to check the quality of teaching and learning in design and technology. There are differences in time given to the subject not only in year groups, but between classes in the same year group, which means that some pupils are having much less teaching than others. There is no plan for developing the subject. Teachers’ plans are not checked to ensure that the planned curriculum is being followed. However, the subject leader has taken steps to improve the range Kingswood Primary School - 48 and quality of the resources available for the subject, although these remain insufficient and are not organised for easy access. Medium-term plans have not been adapted to meet the needs of pupils. Effective assessment practice is not established and pupils move from year to year

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

without a clear account of what they have done and its quality. This contributes to underachievement in the subject. There is no specialist accommodation for the subject and this inhibits the effectiveness of design and technology lessons for older pupils, as their desks and tables are too small for comfort and many practical tasks. Overall, improvement since the last inspection is unsatisfactory.

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GEOGRAPHY

169. Standards for seven and 11 year olds are below the expected level, as they were at the time of the last inspection. Most pupils continue to make unsatisfactory progress due to the uneven coverage of the subject and the lack of emphasis on the teaching of geographical skills. There has been little improvement since the last inspection. In lessons seen and work analysed there is no marked difference between the attainment of boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well when provided with specialist support. However, because of a lack of support from either specialists or class teachers, those learning English as an additional language do not achieve as well as other pupils.

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GEOGRAPHY

170. By the age of 11, pupils have a sound understanding of weather patterns. They can describe the water cycle using arrows to link different stages of the process. Many know how condensation is created, however, some, especially those learning English as an additional language, have difficulty in understanding and using subject-specific vocabulary such as such as evaporation, transportation and precipitation, and this limits both their attainment and learning. The analysis of work from last year shows that pupils were competent in comparing life on St Lucia with that of their own. In many books, however, there was limited evidence of research work using primary and secondary sources. Their geographical skills are, therefore, below those expected. There was very little evidence of any map work. What there was showed only the basic understanding of drawing plans and maps with simple keys.

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GEOGRAPHY

171. By the age of seven, pupils can identify the different types of homes that people live in, such as flats, terraced, detached and semi-detached houses. They have a basic understanding of the human and physical features of the local area and have used this to make a map of their journey from home to school. However, their writing and observation skills are not developed sufficiently to help them to express views on environmental features, either of the immediate area or the wider area.

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GEOGRAPHY

172. During the inspection, only two lessons were seen being taught. Teaching was found to be satisfactory in both but the overall quality of teaching is unsatisfactory because of the quality of teaching seen in the analysis of pupils’ work from last year. Most lessons start with teachers sharing the aim of the lesson. This gives pupils a sense of purpose and knowledge about their own learning. However, in one of the lessons, the teacher dominated the oral part of lessons, thus limiting the opportunities for pupils to extend and develop their thinking. Teachers have a secure knowledge of the subject and use a wide range of activities and resources to engage pupils in their learning. For example in a lesson in Year 3, teachers effectively used the programme, ’What’s in the news today?’, and newspaper titles to discuss the events surrounding the possibility of war with Iraq. With good questioning, targeted at a very wide range of pupils, all pupils, irrespective of

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GEOGRAPHY

gender, ability or ethnicity were included. Teachers in Year 6 had high expectations and kept pupils on task. They organise and manage their pupils well in terms of behaviour and work output, so that the lessons are harmonious and productive.

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GEOGRAPHY

173. An analysis of pupils’ work shows a predominance of unsatisfactory learning. Overall, there was very little work; most of it consisted of pupils having to complete blank photocopied work sheets, many of which were unfinished. Because of the use of these sheets, there was little required from pupils of different abilities. Marking was often perfunctory and there is little evidence of pupils using their computer or mathematical skills, or having the opportunity to write independently or at length. Kingswood Primary School - 49 174. The co-ordination of the subject is barely satisfactory. Although the co-ordinator is keen, there has been no monitoring of the subject and there is, therefore, no clear idea of the subject’s strengths and weaknesses and no improvement plan to address the issues raised in the last report. Since the last inspection, the school has adopted national guidance on the teaching of

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GEOGRAPHY

geography, but aspects of this, such as mapping, are not adequately covered. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development occurs in an ad hoc fashion rather than being systematically planned. There is no assessment of pupils’ attainment or monitoring of their progress. The school currently only teaches geography at certain times of the year. These are infrequent and this inhibits pupils’ learning. There is a reasonable range of resources, which is supplemented by loans from the EAZ. The breadth of the study of geography is marginally enhanced by a few organised visits to the local area, high street and park.

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HISTORY

175. Standards in history are below those expected for 11 year olds, as they were at the time of the last inspection. However, they have improved for seven-year-olds and are now in line with those expected for the pupils’ age. Progress in unsatisfactory overall, although better in Year 2 because of the quality of teaching. In the lessons observed and work analysed, there were no marked differences between the attainment of boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well when they receive specialist support. However, pupils learning English as an additional language do not as achieve as well as other pupils because they receive insufficient support in meeting their language needs.

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HISTORY

176. The analysis of written work from pupils in Year 6 last year shows that many pupils had a limited knowledge and understanding about the lives of people in Britain during and after World War Two. They compared wartime diets with their own, but the factual detail was lacking and their weak literacy skills inhibited their writing. Most have an adequate sense of chronology and could place some of the key events of the twentieth century in the correct order. However, their historical skills of information gathering, analysis and interpretation were weak. There is little evidence of independent research, and the pupils’ understanding of historical concepts such as bias and empathy is well below the expected level.

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HISTORY

177. From their study of famous people, such as Mary Secole and Florence Nightingale, most pupils by the age of seven have a reasonable understanding of the past and of chronology. They are able to place the key events of Mary Seacole’s life on a timeline. Their skills of enquiry are rudimentary, but they are able to ask questions and discuss the use of medical artefacts from the nineteenth century. Their letters, written as soldiers in the Crimean War, show that they are capable of empathy, and are aware of the difficulties and dangers of being an injured soldier during that war. In this work, most pupils display a sound factual understanding of events and use some basic historical terms, such as ‘in the past’ and ‘artefacts’, in describing and sequencing events.

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HISTORY

178. The teaching of history, especially in Year 2, makes a sound contribution to the development of pupils’ literacy skills by extending the range of writing the pupils tackle when they cover areas such as fact, opinion and empathy. The subject also makes some sound, simple contributions to numeracy by putting events into date order on timelines. However, there is very limited evidence in teachers’ planning or pupils’ work of computers being used to support the development of historical or computing skills.

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HISTORY

179. Overall, the quality of teaching is unsatisfactory. Although it was satisfactory in most of the lessons observed, the analysis of pupils’ work from last year shows that not all aspects of the subject were taught. Most teachers have sound subject knowledge. They use this to extend pupils’ understanding of the past and to compare the past with the present. At times resources are used well. For example, the study of artefacts such as a medicine box containing old bottles, bandages and little jars added to pupils’ curiosity and helped fuel a lively debate. The majority of lessons have a reasonable pace that encourages pupils to apply themselves to their studies, although some of the work is neither stimulating nor challenging for most pupils. However, in the unsatisfactory lessons, teachers’ knowledge and understanding are weak. Incorrect information Kingswood Primary School - 50 confused pupils and the activities were particularly mundane. For example, pupils in a Year 4

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HISTORY

lesson had to make a copy of Henry VIII’s family tree. A minority of lessons did not start on time, thus reducing the amount of time for pupils in which to learn. Behaviour management was weak, especially in Year 5 and this slowed the pace of learning as well as damaging the relationships and the possibility of a positive atmosphere in which all groups of pupils could learn. In most lessons, planning was inadequate. Teachers do not plan work for pupils of different ability. Therefore, high attaining pupils were often unchallenged, and unenthusiastic about their work. Pupils learning English as an additional language are not adequately supported in their understanding of subject specific vocabulary and therefore make insufficient progress.

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HISTORY

180. The co-ordination of the subject is barely satisfactory. The co-ordinator is keen and enthusiastic, but also co-ordinates history and religious education. As in these two subjects, there has been no monitoring of the subject and there is therefore no deep appreciation of the subject’s strengths and weaknesses or priorities for development. There has been no action plan aimed at addressing the weaknesses identified at the time of the inspection. Although the school has adopted national guidance on the teaching of history, this is not consistently followed across the school as in some classes there is insufficient emphasis on the teaching of historical skills; much of the work is factually based. There are no formal methods of assessment or systems by which to track pupils’ progress. There is insufficient time devoted to history teaching. Some lessons are too short, being timetabled for 30 minutes, which does not provide sufficient time for pupils to study the subject in

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HISTORY

depth. History is also only taught at specific times of the year, usually when geography is not being taught. This inhibits the continuous development of pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding. Resources and artefacts are adequate, and are supplemented by borrowing from the EAZ. The breadth of the study of history is enhanced reasonably well through the celebration of the Black History Month, visitors and visits to the local Cummings Museum.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

181. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are well below the expected level at both age 7 and 11. They have deteriorated since the last inspection when they were judged to be below the expected level. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make unsatisfactory progress. Although there has been an improvement in the number of computers since the last inspection, standards have not improved because of the poor use of current resources and insufficient opportunities for pupils to be taught ICT or for them to use their skills in other subjects. The teaching of ICT no longer meets statutory requirements.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

182. By 11 years of age, most pupils have an adequate control of the mouse and know that they can use the World Wide Web to find out useful information for their topic work. Pupils in Year 6 used the Internet to find out further information on green plants for their science topic. However, they did not log on themselves, and the ability to use the search function of the web browser was limited. In the same lesson, pupils also accessed data from a CD-ROM and experienced looking at leaves and stems through a microscope linked up to a computer. However, their knowledge of control and monitoring and of multi-media presentations are severely limited. There is a chronic lack of software that would enable them to develop these necessary skills. Standards in word processing have also been severely limited by a lack of time to practise their skills.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

183. Pupils aged seven understand how to draw using the ‘Colour Magic’ software and use this to good effect to create their own colourful faces and name plates. There was very limited evidence of work with computers in the books of pupils from last year. This indicates that they had neither frequent use of the computer nor experienced all elements of the National Curriculum. For example, there was no evidence of work on control and very limited examples of data handling and graphics.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

184. The quality of teaching in lessons observed was satisfactory in both key stages but evidence from planning and teaching in other lessons, as well as the scrutiny of work from 2001 to 2002, shows the teaching of ICT is unsatisfactory overall. Due to short time slots on the timetable and only one computer in most classrooms, teachers dominate all teaching sessions so that on many occasions pupils become passive. This limited involvement minimises the opportunity for teachers Kingswood Primary School - 51 to assess what pupils know, understand or could do. Hence, many activities and questions were not matched to pupils of different abilities or needs.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

185. These lessons are intended to act as an introduction to a skill that pupils are expected to practice during the course of the week. This rarely happens; pupils do not following up this work and therefore do not develop their skills. In many classrooms, computers were switched off and in others, even when on, they were not used. In one lesson, pupils were withdrawn from the one computing lesson that they have during the week. Such practices do not aid the development of the pupils’ social skills and effectively excludes them from developing their ICT skills. In their planning, most teachers do not identify opportunities for pupils to develop their computing skills during the week, and neither do most of them identify opportunities for its use in other subjects.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

186. There is a computer suite dedicated to a programme to develop pupils’ literacy skills. Currently, a select few pupils from Year 5 use the computers in the suite during their lunch break for periods of up to 15 minutes in three groups of eight. The programme is administered and taught by a teaching assistant. These small groups of pupils both enjoy and benefit from the support offered by the effective interventions of the teaching assistant. Because of the current system of locking the computer suite and the lack of suitable operating systems, the suite is unused except between the hours of 12.00 and 13.30. This is therefore a wasted resource for the majority of the time.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

187. The co-ordination of the subject is currently unsatisfactory, as it was at the time of the last inspection. The subject leader is knowledgeable and well informed about ICT and is assisted by a technical adviser from the EAZ. However, she does not monitor the teaching and learning of the subject sufficiently to be aware of strengths and weaknesses throughout the school. There is no job description for the role and neither is there an up-to-date policy or a long-term plan detailing pupils’ planned learning experiences. There is a simple assessment and recording system but this is not completed consistently across the school so it does not provide a clear picture of pupils’ progress. The mobility of the teaching staff has made it difficult to keep track of their expertise in ICT and the subject leader is unsure how many of the current teachers have completed the New Opportunities Fund national training in ICT and are therefore competent to teach the subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Although the school has a very large budget deficit, the subject leader has generous funds for ICT, much of it unspent. There are ambitious ideas to extend the computer suite and provide on-line facilities to all classroom computers. But none of these ideas have been committed to a well- structured development plan that could provide a time scale to ensure implementation and focus resources on the most pressing areas in an attempt to raise pupil achievement. There is a policy on Internet use, which includes a set of rules and a parental permission slip; about 40 per cent of these have been returned signed by parents.

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MUSIC

188. Standards in singing and some aspects of the use of percussion instruments that were heard during the inspection are in line with those expected. There were no examples of pupils composing or appraising music during the inspection. Standards have fallen since the last inspection when they were in line because of weaknesses in the co-ordination of the subject, the breadth and depth of the curriculum and a lack of assessment. As a result, all pupils make unsatisfactory progress, including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language.

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MUSIC

189. Pupils in Year 6 read simple notation to play simple tunes on their recorders. They are able to clap basic rhythms, and listen to the tune of the piano and model this to good effect on their recorders. Most pupils in a Year 2 music lesson sang with gusto and enjoyment while the teacher played the piano. The majority performed suitable actions to the song, while a few others accompanied them on percussion instruments such as the tambourine, woodblock and triangle. Some of these pupils had a basic understanding of the musical terms ‘dynamic’, ‘timbre’ and ‘tempo’. There was no singing in assembly. Kingswood Primary School - 52 190. A part-time specialist teacher teaches music throughout the school. The overall quality of teaching is satisfactory. Her lessons are well planned, although they do not identify the needs of specific pupils, either the talented or those who may be experiencing difficulties due to learning or

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MUSIC

language. In most lessons, however, there is a good variety of activities and instruments that most pupils enjoy playing. The teacher is enthusiastic and has good subject knowledge. She enriches many lessons and captures pupils’ attention by playing a variety of instruments herself, such as the piano, guitar and violin. Because of her good demonstrations and clear instructions, most pupils are able to follow her lead and develop their musical skills. However, on a few occasions, high expectations about pupil behaviour and strategies to cope with the boisterous behaviour, mainly of boys, are not adequate to establish a positive learning environment. On such occasions, the behaviour of a few hindered their learning and that of their classmates because of the frequent interruptions they created. The class teacher invariably stays with the class during their music lesson and often joins in and encourages more pupils to take an active part. However, they rarely

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MUSIC

focus on developing pupils’ skills and, as in the Year 5 music lesson, do little to improve the behaviour.

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191. Currently there is no subject co-ordinator. This is very poor in a school with so many teachers in the school. Without a co-ordinator, there is no person to ensure that the National Curriculum is covered and this restricts pupils’ experiences and ability to progress. All pupils are currently experiencing a reduced curriculum that does not provide sufficient composition or appraising. This also severely limits the opportunities to develop pupils’ spiritual or cultural development. There are no systems to assess pupils’ attainment or monitor and support their progress. The school benefits for a specialist music room, but as the music teacher is only part-time, the room is unused for most of the week and this is a waste. The range of instruments is barely adequate. Although some pupils benefit from having their own recorders, many instruments are old and worn, and there are few examples of instruments from other cultures. Many classes are small, so the

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MUSIC

use of two teachers in a music lesson is often an inefficient use of resources. There are no extra- curricular activities such as choir or music club, nor any use of information and communication technology.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

192. Due to timetabling arrangements, a limited number of physical education lessons were observed during the inspection week. All were inside and two out of the four focused on dance. Based on what was seen standards at the age of seven and 11, standards have deteriorated since the last inspection and now are below those expected, and all pupils make unsatisfactory progress. Pupils do not achieve their best because insufficient time is allocated to the teaching of the subject and there is a weakness in teachers’ knowledge and understanding. Due to staff absences in the last academic year, many of these lessons were cancelled so that pupils had less time to develop their skills, knowledge or understanding and therefore their progress has been adversely affected. In some classes, boys achieve less than the rest of their class because of their poor behaviour and attitudes. Information provided by the school reveals that only 30 per cent of 11 year

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olds at the end of the last academic year could swim 25 metres; a 40 per cent drop since the last inspection. Standards in swimming are unacceptably low.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

193. In a Year 6 dance lesson, a very few pupils demonstrated either the ability to listen and follow instructions or co-ordinate a series of movements to form a dance sequence. The movements of most pupils were erratic and demonstrated little skill in moving in time with the rhythm of the music. Due to the teachers’ direction, pupils in a Year 2 gymnastics lesson began their lesson with a gentle warm-up, moving their bodies sideways, backwards and forwards, although few could hold a balance for more than a few seconds. Their co-ordination was less than expected. When moving around the hall, they did so safely, conscious of each other’s space and rarely colliding. However, few pupils understood the importance of warming up before exercise.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

194. At the time of the last inspection, most lessons were taught by coaches from a local agency and teaching was judged to be satisfactory. Class teachers taught all lessons observed during this inspection. The majority of teaching was unsatisfactory and occasionally poor. Satisfactory teaching was observed in Year 2. This was the result of the teachers’ awareness of the risks Kingswood Primary School - 53 involved in the lesson, providing pupils with clear and firm instruction so the lesson progressed safely. The teachers’ knowledge and understanding were sufficient to ensure that the lesson had enough pace and variety of activities to ensure that pupils were attentive and enjoyed the activity, although very little use was made of the teaching assistant. A particularly effective strategy used at the end of the lesson was the discussion of the lesson’s objectives and whether pupils thought they had met them. This gave the teacher a valuable assessment opportunity.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

195. In most lessons, however, the planning was barely adequate. Although most teachers identified the learning objective, thus giving it a suitable focus, these rarely identified a specific skill to be taught. Plans rarely identified pupils with specific needs or abilities. Therefore, they did not achieve as well as they might, as at times some lessons were too difficult and for others to easy. In many cases, teachers subject knowledge and understanding were weak. Most lessons were overly teacher-directed so pupils rarely got the chance to be imaginative or to improvise. Similarly, most teachers rarely used any of the opportunities for pupils to evaluate or improve upon their efforts. As a result, especially in the unsatisfactory lessons, the pace was slow and activities unimaginative. In a few lessons, as in Year 4, the pace was slow and pupils sat for too long, listening to the teacher or watching others perform. Many pupils, therefore, particularly boys,

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

became silly and inattentive. On a few occasions, this behaviour was poorly managed and it became more disruptive to the whole class’s learning. In a Year 5 English country-dancing lesson, significant numbers of pupils were not included in the lesson, as they were not wearing the correct clothes. No attempt was made to include them in any aspect of the lesson, for example, evaluating their classmates’ performance and they remained excluded. In many lessons, pupils’ safety was put at risk as at least a few pupils in each class failed to follow school rules and continued to wear stud earrings. This went unchallenged by teachers. In the poorest lesson, the teacher put pupils’ safety at further risk due to a lack of forward thinking; this placed a pupil who was sitting on the floor directly in the path of the rest of the class who were running towards him.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

196. A recently appointed co-ordinator is enthusiastic and keen and eager to develop the subject but he has had very little opportunity to do so, or training to support him in this. The co-ordination of the subject is unsatisfactory. There has been no monitoring of teaching and learning, and little development of the subject in terms of staff training or the introduction of a whole-school approach to assessment. The school has adopted national guidance on the teaching of physical education so all aspects of the curriculum are planned for. However, on the timetable there is very little time allocated to the subject; most year groups, including Year 6, have 45 minutes a week. Therefore, there is insufficient breadth and depth in the curriculum. Resources, however, are adequate but not regularly used. Although the school has the benefit of three halls in which to take physical education lessons, this space is not well used and is often left empty. The lack of appropriate

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

outdoor space, either grassed or hard surfaced, limits the opportunities for pupils to develop some of their skills, especially in games activities. All pupils, however, do have the opportunity to attend a local swimming bath for one lesson a week, five times a term. The range of extra-curricular activities provided by the school is very limited, as they were at the time of the last inspection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

197. During the last inspection, the teaching and standards in religious education were unsatisfactory. These have not improved since the last inspection and attainment in relation to standards specified in the locally agreed syllabus for both seven and 11 year-olds is below that expected. All pupils make unsatisfactory progress because there is insufficient breadth and depth in the curriculum offered, and there are considerable inconsistencies in the quality of teaching they experience.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

198. In some of the lessons observed, pupils’ understanding of the lesson was sound. For example, in a Year 2 class, pupils could discuss the meaning of a story Jesus told about the obedient and disobedient sons and consider who the father was most pleased with and give reasons for their choice. In a Year 6 class, the pupils could recall and discuss the main features of a Mosque. However, in other classes the pupils were unsure of some basic facts. Some did not recognise ‘The Bible’ as the holy book of Christianity and knew little about it, although they could recall some facts about the life of Jesus. Although the pupils know some isolated facts and stories, the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of specific religions are not secure. Kingswood Primary School - 54 199. The quality of teaching in the lessons observed ranged from poor to good, with most lessons being satisfactory. Where teaching was satisfactory or better, the teachers had planned well-structured

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lessons with clear learning objectives and they made good use of resources. However, most activities were not matched to pupils of different abilities or needs. Therefore, some pupils were unchallenged, and others excluded, as the work was too difficult for them. In most lessons pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are satisfactory, responding to the teachers’ questioning and expectations. In many classes, there was no positive work ethic and in their attempt to complete the tasks set, many were slow to settle and did not complete them. Where the lesson was poor, as in Year 5, the confrontational management of the pupils’ disruptive behaviour meant that much time was wasted and little learning took place. There is little work in pupils’ books and what is there shows an over-reliance on worksheets by some teachers and work is often not marked. Much work is therefore incomplete and poorly presented, and pupils are not aware of their own strengths and

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weaknesses. With the reliance on worksheets and too little time in some lessons, there is little attempt to develop pupils’ spiritual development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

200. During the last inspection, the role of the co-ordinator was under-developed. Even though the current co-ordinator has been in post a short time, she has attempted to develop the subject. She is ensuring that the subject is taught in all classes; she has built up resources and has made good links with the local church. However, there is no time to monitor teaching and learning and this is unsatisfactory. One of the main criticisms of the last inspection was that all teachers did not adequately cover the curriculum. In an attempt to overcome this, the school has adopted the use of national guidance in the teaching of the subject, rather than use the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. The failure to use this means that the school does not meet statutory requirements and many opportunities to develop pupils’ cultural as well as spiritual development are missed. There is no assessment of pupils’ attainment or recording of their progress. These

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

criticisms were made in the last report and have not been addressed.

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