Camrose Primary With Nursery

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 28 June - 1 July 2004

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SCHOOL

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

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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. Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Nursery, first and middle School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3-12 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 219

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: St David’s Drive Edgware Postcode: HA8 6JH

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 020 8952 3272 Fax number: 020 8381 2017

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Audrey Brightwell

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 14 - 18 September 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School is of average size and has 219 full-time pupils on roll. A further 31 children attend the nursery part-time. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals (37.1 per cent) is above the national average. The proportion of pupils that speak English as an additional language (62.3 per cent) is very high. Fifty-one pupils are of Indian background, 40 pupils are of Asian background and 15 pupils of African background. Fifty pupils are refugees or asylum seekers. Ten pupils are from Travelling families. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs (32.0 per cent) is well above average. The proportion with statements of special educational needs (3.1 per cent) is above average. The main needs are moderate learning difficulties, specific learning difficulties and social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. The socio- economic indicators of the area the school serves are mixed, but unfavourable overall. The rate at

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

which pupils join and leave the school is high. Eighty-eight pupils joined the school and 61 left during the last school year. The attainment of pupils on entry is well below average.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school was awarded the Basic Skills Quality Mark in 2003 for its teaching of basic skills. The school is moving into new temporary accommodation in July 2004 while its existing accommodation is modernised. The school is due to return to its own accommodation at Easter 2005. Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

2905 David Shepherd Lead inspector Science Religious education Geography History 14214 Gillian Smith Lay inspector 20963 Judy Keiner Team inspector English Music Physical education Foundation Stage English as an additional language 32021 Andrew McClean Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology (ICT) Art and design Design and technology Special educational needs

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 31

Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 6

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Currently, the school is not providing an effective standard of education. After a period of declining standards, Little Stanmore is beginning to improve under the leadership of its newly appointed headteacher. Nonetheless, the school is failing to give its pupils an acceptable level of education because the achievement of pupils overall is unsatisfactory. Standards overall are below average. Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. Leadership and management are being revitalised under the guidance of the present headteacher. However, they remain unsatisfactory. The school provides unsatisfactory value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The vision, energy and drive of the new headteacher are the main factors behind the recent improvements at the school; the headteacher is beginning to be supported in this by the school’s leadership team and governing body • Standards in English and mathematics in Year 6 are improving and pupils in this year group are achieving well in these subjects; the achievement of children in the nursery and reception classes is satisfactory although standards overall are well below average; elsewhere in the school pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory and standards are below the levels expected • Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory overall although they are often good in Year 6 and satisfactory in the nursery and reception classes; the assessment and marking of pupils’ work are poor and work is not often planned well enough taking account of pupils’ abilities and needs

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• The school looks after its pupils well and provides good levels of care and welfare • Attendance is below average

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Over the past five years, standards in English and science have declined significantly. After a steady improvement in mathematics, standards declined sharply last year. The achievement of pupils is not as good as it was at the last inspection. Teaching and learning are not as good as they were. Some of the weaknesses in leadership and management noted at the last inspection remain. The school has corrected some of the weaknesses reported at the last inspection but has not improved enough in a number of important areas. The assessment of pupils’ work and lesson planning are poor and the school still does not check and improve its provision well enough.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

In accordance with section 13(7) of the School Inspection Act 1996, I am of the opinion that, and HMCI agrees that special measures are required in relation to this school.

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Year 6 results

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003

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Year 6 results

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

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Year 6 results

Overall, pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory . Standards in the 2003 National Curriculum tests in Year 6 in English, mathematics and science were in the bottom five per cent of schools nationally. Standards in science were also in the bottom five per cent of schools when compared with similar Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 7 schools. Inspection evidence indicates that standards in English and mathematics in Year 6 have improved this year and these pupils have achieved well in these subjects. They are at expected levels in English but remain just below those levels in mathematics. Standards in science are below expected levels. Standards in Year 7 are well below expected levels in English, mathematics and science. Standards in the National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2 in 2003 were well below average in reading, writing and mathematics. Inspection evidence confirms these results. By Year

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Year 6 results

2, standards in science and religious education and ICT are below expected levels. In art and design throughout the school, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and standards are at expected levels. Throughout most of the school, standards in ICT, religious education, geography and history are below the standards expected. In Years 2 and 7, standards in geography and history are well below those levels. Standards on entry to school are well below average. Children’s achievement in the nursery and reception years and pupils’ achievement in art and design throughout the school are satisfactory. Elsewhere in the school, the achievement of pupils is unsatisfactory. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs, English as an additional language and gifted and talented pupils is unsatisfactory. The achievement of Traveller children is unsatisfactory.

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Provision for pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and

cultural development, is satisfactory. Pupils’ attitudes are satisfactory overall. However, the behaviour of a minority of pupils is poor and behaviour is unsatisfactory overall. Attendance is below the national average. Punctuality is satisfactory.

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The quality of education provided by the school is unsatisfactory. This is because teaching

and learning are unsatisfactory. Relationships are good and most pupils’ respond well to their teachers. In the best lessons, good opportunities are provided for speaking and listening. However, the assessment and marking of pupils’ work are poor and lessons are not planned well enough to account for pupils’ different needs and abilities. The curriculum provided by the school is satisfactory. Provision for additional activities, including visits to places of interest, is satisfactory. Provision for pupils’ care and welfare is good. The guidance given to pupils with special educational needs is good, but that provided for other pupils is unsatisfactory. Links with parents and the community are satisfactory and with other schools they are good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Overall, leadership and management are unsatisfactory, although the leadership of the school is being re-invigorated since the appointment of the headteacher two terms ago. The headteacher is leading the school well and receiving good support in this from the leadership team and governing body. However, this support is not effective at present because these two groups need further training in the roles. The leadership provided by subject co-ordinators is unsatisfactory. The monitoring of the school’s work is unsatisfactory overall and management is unsatisfactory. Governance is unsatisfactory, overall, though it ensures that legal requirements are met.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Overall, most parents hold positive views about the school. They did not raise any significant criticisms of the school when completing the pre-inspection questionnaire. However, a number of criticisms of the school’s work were made at the pre-inspection meeting by a minority of parents, particularly about bullying. Pupils’ views about the school are mixed. Most are positive but a minority are negative.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Raise standards in English, mathematics and science throughout the school • Improve the consistency of teaching as a matter of urgency Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 8 • Improve the monitoring and evaluation roles of the leadership team and subject co-ordinators to help raise standards in each subject • Improve attendance

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Throughout the school, standards are below expected levels in most subjects inspected. Standards in the Foundation Stage are well below average overall. Standards in English are at expected levels at the end of Year 6. Overall, pupils’ achievement between Years 1-7 is unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in English and mathematics in Year 6 have improved this year and pupils in these classes achieve well • Pupils’ achievement in English, mathematics and science by the end of Years 2 and 7 is unsatisfactory and their attainment in these subjects is too low; it is well below the expected levels in English and mathematics at the end of Year 2 and in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 7 • Achievement in geography and history is unsatisfactory and standards are below expected levels at the end of Year 6 and well below average at the end of Years 2 and 7 • Achievement in ICT and religious education is unsatisfactory and standards are below expected levels throughout the school

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Foundation Stage

1. Children start the nursery with levels of attainment that are well below expected levels. They receive satisfactory teaching but start Year 1 with attainment in communication, language and literacy, mathematics and knowledge and understanding of the world that remain well below expected levels. This is because a significant proportion of these children are learning English for the first time and their proficiency in speaking and understanding English develops slowly. These children receive satisfactory help from their teacher and teaching assistants and this helps them to make satisfactory progress in learning English. Children’s attainment in other areas of learning is better than this and is at expected levels in their personal, social and emotional development, physical development and creative development. In their personal, social and emotional development, they are taught well and achieve well and their standards

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Foundation Stage

have improved from low levels when they started in the nursery.

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Years 1 and 2

2. In the 2003 National Curriculum tests for pupils at the end of Year 2, standards in reading and writing were well below average when compared with similar schools. Standards in mathematics were below average when compared with similar schools. The trend of improvement compared with other schools is below the national trend. Standards have declined during the past five years, particularly in reading and writing. Standards in science were well below average. The reason for declining standards is that there are significant weaknesses in the planning of the teaching for the different ability levels of pupils and teachers do not expect high enough standards from pupils. The following table shows the results from the 2003 tests in reading, writing and mathematics. Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 9

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

Standards in: School results National results Reading 11.9 (14.6) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 10.5 (13.8) 14.6 (14.4) Mathematics 14.5 (16.0) 16.3 (16.5) There were 33 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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

3. Inspection evidence confirms the findings of these tests. Standards in Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics are well below expected levels and those in science below expected levels. Standards in problem solving in mathematics and investigative work in science are lowest because pupils are not given enough practice in these skills. Standards in art and design are at expected levels. Standards in ICT and religious education are below average and those in geography and history well below expected levels. Overall, teachers’ expectations of pupils are too low. Teachers do not assess pupils’ achievements well enough and do not plan work at the correct level for their abilities. With the exception of art and design, pupils of all abilities do not achieve as much as they should.

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Years 3 - 6

4. In the 2003 National Curriculum tests, standards in English, mathematics and science were well below average when compared with similar schools and in the bottom five per cent in science. The trend of improvement during the past five years is below the national trend, especially in science. The reason for such low results lies in the quality of the teaching. The assessment of pupils’ progress is poor and work is not planned well enough to match the abilities of pupils. As a result, pupils did not achieve as much as they should and standards are too low.

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

Standards in: School results National results English 23.3 (25.1) 26.8 (27.0) Mathematics 23.1 (26.0) 26.8 (26.7) Science 24.0 (27.0) 28.6 (28.3) There were 40 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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

5. Inspection evidence confirms these results overall. However, with two new teachers in Year 6 this year, standards have improved considerably. Through consistently good teaching, standards in reading and writing have improved markedly in the Year 6 classes this year and are now at the levels expected for pupils of this age. Standards in mathematics have improved, but they still remain below expected levels. Improvement such as this represents good achievement in these subjects by these pupils. However, standards in science remain below expected levels. This is because, quite understandably, this subject was not the main focus for school improvement during this year. Achievement in science remains unsatisfactory. Standards at the end of Year 6 in ICT, geography, history and religious education are below expected levels and pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory. However, standards in Years 3-5 remain below expected levels in most subjects and the achievement of

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

pupils is unsatisfactory. This is because teaching and learning in these classes is satisfactory overall and not good enough to raise standards significantly. The exception to this is in art and design where pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and standards are at expected levels. Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 10

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Year 7

6. The achievement of pupils in Year 7 is unsatisfactory overall and standards remain low. Standards are well below expected levels in English, mathematics and science. They are below expected levels in ICT and religious education. They well below expected levels in geography and history. In art and design, standards are at expected levels and pupils achieve satisfactorily in this subject. Teaching and learning are regularly unsatisfactory in Year 7 and this accounts for the low standards being achieved by pupils.

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Whole-school issues

7. Pupils with special educational needs do not make satisfactory progress overall. This is because work is often not planned for them at their levels of ability and need. When these pupils are helped by teaching assistants, they achieve well and make good progress because they receive good guidance in their work. When this help is not available, they do not make the progress they should. Higher-attaining pupils, including the gifted and talented, make unsatisfactory progress. This is because teachers do not assess their needs properly and plan work for them at their levels of ability.

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Whole-school issues

8. The school lacks adequate information about the standards and achievement of pupils who are learning English as an additional language. Scrutiny of pupils’ work and test outcomes show that these pupils do not do as well as they should. This is because those at the early stages of learning English are not offered enough help to make satisfactory progress. The progress made by pupils who have acquired basic competence in English is also held back because the school is not offering them the help they need to develop the higher levels of written and comprehension skills. Because of the high numbers of pupils with English as an additional language, this is a significant reason why the school’s results in national tests are low compared with similar schools.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes to learning are satisfactory. Their behaviour is unsatisfactory overall. Attendance is below the national average and punctuality is satisfactory. Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most pupils behave sensibly; however, a significant minority do not have positive attitudes to school and do not behave well • Relationships are good and the level of racial harmony is very good • Pupils’ moral and cultural development are good • In spite of the school improving its procedures for monitoring attendance, too many parents fail to ensure that their children attend regularly

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Commentary

9. Relationships are good and this encourages most pupils to have positive attitudes towards school and their work. Most pupils get on well together and there is a high level of racial harmony. Most pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language, are attentive during lessons and take an active part whenever they can. They listen carefully to their teachers and respect each other’s point of view.

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Commentary

10. The previous inspection noted that pupils’ personal development was good. Pupils were well behaved and they had good attitudes to learning. Since that time this positive picture has deteriorated. Nonetheless, these aspects are all satisfactory. Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 11 11. However, the analysis of the pupils’ pre-inspection questionnaire indicates that six out of ten pupils have concerns about poor behaviour. A number of parents voiced similar views during their pre-inspection meeting. Inspectors agree that the behaviour of some pupils is poor and followed this up with discussions with pupils. Pupils of all ages complained that the behaviour of a minority of their classmates adversely affects their learning. They added that, although teachers try hard, the school’s anti-bullying procedures are not always effective. A minority of pupils, often those with poor attendance, do not enjoy being at school. They sometimes refuse

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Commentary

to take part in class activities and their truculent and occasionally aggressive behaviour disturbs the rest of the class. The school is aware of these difficulties and is actively reviewing its procedures for disciplining pupils in order to help staff manage their behaviour better. Midday supervisors are now part of these revised procedures and initial indications are that this initiative is proving to be successful.

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Commentary

12. Provision for pupils’ personal development is satisfactory. The school is successful in its aim to help pupils live harmoniously together. Pupils have a good understanding of a wide range of cultural traditions, including that of Travelling families, and of different religious beliefs and practices. Cultural diversity is a feature in many subjects, such as music and geography. During assemblies, pupils have good opportunities to reflect and think about spiritual and moral issues, such as the meaning behind the parable of the Good Samaritan. They also discuss school rules and the reward system that is known as ‘Golden Time’. In religious education, pupils discuss the contributions made by notable people from the past or those who are still alive today. For example, the achievements of Nelson Mandela were discussed in a Year 7 religious education lesson and lessons were learnt about how these could apply to their own

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Commentary

lives. Pupils are taught to get on with each other well and this helps their social development. In lessons, they are provided with many good opportunities to work together in groups and they do so well. They line up well in their classes at the end of playtimes and this helps them to settle down well for their lessons.

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Attendance

Pupils’ attendance is below average and unsatisfactory. This is similar to the last inspection. This school has improved its procedures for monitoring attendance. In the past, the school has authorised absences when some should have been classified as unauthorised absences. However, in spite of this, attendance has not improved. The analysis of school attendance does not indicate any significant reason for absences. Contributing factors include the unsettled circumstances faced by many families, the relatively high mobility of Traveller pupils and general illnesses. The school makes a point of reminding parents about the importance of their children’s regular and prompt attendance at school. It also works closely with the local education authority’s welfare officer and any unexplained absences are promptly followed up. Parents who wish to book family holidays during the term are always discouraged from doing so. Holiday leave, though, is not a major issue

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Attendance

contributing to unsatisfactory attendance.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 6.6 School data : 0.0 National data: 5.4 National data: 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Exclusions

Two fixed-term exclusions took place last year. These were because these pupils exhibited challenging and threatening behaviour to staff. Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 12

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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 White – British 27 0 0 White – Irish 11 0 0 White – any other White background 16 2 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 6 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 3 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 3 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 12 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 51 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 12 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 3 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 40 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 11 0 0 Black or Black British – African 15 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 11 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Chinese 2 0 0 Any other ethnic group 15 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 1 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is unsatisfactory. Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. The curriculum is satisfactory and the school provides a satisfactory range of additional activities for pupils. The care and welfare of pupils are good. The support and guidance provided for pupils are unsatisfactory. Links with parents and the community are satisfactory and with other schools they are good.

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Teaching and learning

Overall, teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. Assessment is poor.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers do not assess pupils’ standards of attainment well enough and plan work at the correct levels of difficulty for them • Teachers do not hold high enough expectations of the standards pupils can achieve Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 13 • Pupils are not provided with enough opportunities to solve problems and carry out their own investigations, especially in mathematics and science • Good opportunities are provided in some classes for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills and to learn in collaboration with others • In some classes relationships are good and this encourages pupils to contribute eagerly to lessons Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 14

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Commentary

13. Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory in Years 1, 2 and 7. In the Foundation Stage and in Years 3, 4 and 5, they are satisfactory overall. In Year 6, they are consistently good. During the inspection, approximately one in four lessons was judged unsatisfactory, poor or very poor. This is the reason why the teaching and learning are judged unsatisfactory overall and why many pupils are not achieving as much as they should. Overall, teaching and learning have declined since the last inspection. The following table shows how lessons were judged during the inspection.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 46 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 46 lessons

0 (0%) 1 (2%) 11 (24 %) 22 (48%) 8 (17 %) 3 (7 %) 1 (2 %)

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 46 lessons

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

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 46 lessons

14. In some lessons, teachers ask pupils searching questions that provide them with good opportunities to reply at length. Teachers listen to their replies with interest and value and respect the contributions pupils are making to the lesson. This encourages pupils to contribute to lessons and to learn what is being taught. For example, in a Year 3 lesson in science, the teacher listened intently to the contributions pupils made when pupils discussed what they had done. In a Year 6 religious education lesson, pupils worked well in groups and found out about different clothes worn by worshippers in a number of major religions, such as Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. Opportunities such as these help to improve pupils’ skills in speaking and listening as well as their social skills in working together. This is especially the case for pupils learning English as an additional language.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 46 lessons

15. Relationships are good overall, and, in some classes, they are excellent. For example, in a Year 6 class, excellent relationships ensured that pupils responded very well to their teacher. They answered questions courteously with good humour about geographical features of urban and country areas. This helped these pupils to learn effectively and achieve well.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 46 lessons

16. On the other hand, there are a number of significant general weaknesses that contribute to the judgement that teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. Teachers do not assess and mark pupils’ work well enough. These aspects of teaching are poor. Much of the work given to inspectors during the inspection was unmarked. This means that pupils are not provided with enough guidance how to improve. This results in standards of work deteriorating and pupils not making the progress of which they are capable. Because teachers do not assess pupils’ attainment well enough, they do not plan work for them at the correct levels for their abilities. For example, work in English for pupils in Year 7 and work in geography in Year 1 were pitched at too high a level for pupils and work in religious education in Years 2, 3 and 4 was planned at too easy a level for many pupils. Overall, teachers do not plan and prepare for lessons well

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 46 lessons

enough. They do not prepare enough practical activities and work that causes higher-attaining pupils to think hard. By the same token, not enough help is provided for lower-attaining pupils, including those with special educational needs, to help them succeed in their work. A further significant weakness in the teaching is that teachers do not expect enough of pupils. They are often set time-consuming tasks at an easy level because teachers do not think they can achieve higher standards. For example, pupils are asked to draw in religious education and history lessons because teachers do not think pupils can consolidate and develop their learning further by writing it down. This slows down the progress pupils make in these subjects and their achievement, on these occasions, is unsatisfactory. Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 15 17. In addition, pupils are not provided with enough opportunities to solve problems and carry out

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 46 lessons

investigations, especially in mathematics and science. For example, standards in science are too low because pupils do not carry out investigations regularly and do not record their findings logically in a scientific way. Pupils are not set enough problems in mathematics that cause them to think and they do not apply their knowledge of basic rules to mathematical problems. These weaknesses mean that pupils do not learn as fast as they could and standards in these subjects are lower than they should be.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 46 lessons

18. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is unsatisfactory overall. It is often good when these pupils receive extra help from teaching assistants. On these occasions, activities are explained well to these pupils by teaching assistants and often, as a result, they achieve well. However, when this extra help is not available, pupils with special educational needs are often expected to carry out the same tasks that are set for other pupils in the class. They often find these too hard and do not make the progress they could if extra help were available. Higher-attaining pupils, including the gifted and talented, do not achieve well enough because work set for them is often too easy. In discussion with pupils, some expressed their frustration by working too slowly.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 46 lessons

19. The teaching of pupils with English as an additional language is not as effective as it should be. This is because many staff lack training and guidance on how to do this effectively, for example, by using visual materials and ensuring that these pupils know and understand key words and phrases. Teachers’ planning rarely includes adequate provision for these pupils’ needs. This is partly because teachers have not had enough training to understand the implications of the assessments they receive on these pupils’ skills and needs in learning English. There are a few exceptions to this. A few teachers and some teaching assistants use methods that highlight key words and they use lots of repetition to help these pupils understand what is being taught. However, too little has been done to train teachers and teaching assistants to help these pupils develop their English language skills. The school has

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 46 lessons

teaching assistants who are specialists in teaching English as an additional language but they are not involved enough in planning to ensure that these pupils have all the help they need.

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The curriculum

The curriculum is satisfactory. The school provides a satisfactory range of additional activities for pupils. Staffing is satisfactory overall. Accommodation and resources are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Curriculum provision for children in the nursery and reception class is better than it was at the last inspection • Provision for pupils with special educational needs, English as an additional language and those from Traveller families is unsatisfactory • Pupils are not given enough chances to carry out practical and investigative tasks • The library is not stocked well enough to meet the needs of all pupils

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Commentary

20. The curriculum is organised satisfactorily to provide a broad and balanced programme that meets national requirements. Since the last inspection, the curriculum for the nursery and reception years has improved. It now follows well national guidance for children of this age. The curriculum for older pupils has been improved by the adoption of nationally recommended teaching plans that ensure pupils receive their proper entitlement to the curriculum. Religious education is now taught in all classes. Improved provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education contributes well to their feelings of well-being. Sex and relationships’ education and drugs awareness teaching are provided for satisfactorily. Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 16 21. The curriculum for pupils with special educational needs is unsatisfactory overall. Overall tasks set for these pupils are too hard. However, some of these pupils receive good help from

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Commentary

teaching assistants who explain their work well so that they understand what they have to do. On other occasions, however, teachers do not plan enough work at their levels of abilities and needs and these pupils do not make the progress they should. Curriculum provision for pupils with English as an additional language, and especially for those who are at the early stages of learning the language, is unsatisfactory. These pupils, especially those at the early stages of learning English, do not receive enough help in their work. The specialist teaching assistants do not have enough expertise in how to help these pupils learn English. Many opportunities are missed to use the expertise and resources in the school which could help these pupils learn, for example, by providing visual support materials including photographs and picture dictionaries, finding related web pages in the pupils’ home languages, or by drawing more on

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Commentary

the support of adults and other pupils in the school or the wider community who speak the pupils’ home languages.

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Commentary

22. Curriculum provision for pupils from Traveller backgrounds is unsatisfactory overall. Good support has been provided through visiting specialist staff with expertise in Traveller culture. On these occasions, these pupils have achieved well through talking and writing about their own culture. However, when this specialist help is not available these pupils do not make the progress they should because work is not pitched at their levels of ability or need.

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Commentary

23. The school provides a satisfactory range of additional activities for pupils. These include clubs for homework, chess, dance, cricket and rugby. Pupils also have satisfactory opportunities to visit places and things of interest, such as the London Planetarium and the BBC Orchestra. They also have opportunity to take part in school-organised events, such as curriculum workshops led by visiting artists. Pupils benefit from links with local high schools. These have helped improve provision in sports, such as tag rugby and table tennis.

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Commentary

24. The school has enough staff with sufficient expertise to teach the National Curriculum in full. However, one main area of weakness is that many teachers and teaching assistants do not have enough expertise to teach English as an additional language and this slows down the progress made by these pupils. The accommodation and resources are satisfactory overall. Information and communication technology resources have improved since the last inspection. The library is not well enough equipped, however. In particular, there are not enough books for Year 7 pupils, higher-achieving pupils in Years 3 to 6 and pupils at the early stages of learning English. There are too few bilingual books and resources in the main home languages of the pupils. This reduces opportunities to help these pupils achieve better in reading and writing in English and other subjects.

p.16

Care, guidance and support

The care and welfare of pupils are good. Procedures for health and safety are good. The school provides unsatisfactory support, advice and guidance for pupils. The extent to which it involves pupils in its work is satisfactory.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school takes good care of its pupils and looks after them well; however, bullying is not always corrected well enough • The school has good procedures for child protection and health and safety • Overall, pupils do not receive enough help and guidance in their work

p.16

Commentary

25. Pupils quickly settle into school when they first join. They are made to feel welcome by their classmates and their teachers. This is especially the case in the nursery and reception classes where children soon become absorbed in their work by taking part in the many Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 17 stimulating activities that are prepared for them. Staff know their pupils well and provide them with good levels of care. They are fully aware of the needs of pupils with medical conditions and look after them well. During discussions, pupils said that they feel well looked after in school and that they would not hesitate to seek help or advice from an adult if they needed to do so. Pupils say that their teachers are approachable and kind. They feel that their views are respected and valued by staff and some are acted upon, especially those expressed through the school council. Parents share their children’s confidence in the ways they are looked after.

p.16

Commentary

Almost everyone who returned the pre-inspection questionnaire thought that their children liked coming to school and that they were treated fairly. However, many pupils and their parents do not feel that bullying is dealt with effectively enough. This is a significant issue that the school has yet to tackle successfully. The care and welfare of pupils is not as good as they were at the last inspection.

p.17

Commentary

26. Health and safety procedures are good. They comply with local and national requirements. A good number of staff is qualified in first aid. Governors regularly carry out checks around the school in order to identify and eliminate any potential safety hazards. Child protection procedures are comprehensive. There is regular training in child protection for all members of staff and all adults and volunteers undergo security screening.

p.17

Commentary

27. Overall, pupils with special educational needs do not receive satisfactory help and guidance in their work. Their individual needs are identified well and suitable programmes of work are set for them to help them improve in these areas. These are regularly reviewed and further programmes of work are then set. This ensures that these pupils achieve well in relation to their specific programmes of work. They receive good help from teaching assistants to help them achieve the learning targets that have been set for them in their programmes of work. However, when teaching assistants are not available to help these pupils they do not make the progress they should. This is because the other work set for them does not always take enough account of their specific learning needs. They are regularly set the same work as other pupils in their classes and this is often too hard for them.

p.17

Commentary

28. The support and guidance provided for pupils with English as an additional language are unsatisfactory. They do not receive the same systematic guidance as do pupils with special educational needs. Specific programmes of work are not set for them because teachers do not have enough expertise to help them learn English. The school uses a national scale to assess the English language skills of these pupils, but the information provided from these assessments is not used effectively by teachers. The assessments made are not always accurate and are not updated often enough. For example, a Year 1 pupil recently assessed by the school as being at the early stages of learning English as an additional language was writing unaided at a level expected of Year 2 pupils. Specialist teaching assistants use their own home languages well with pupils who speak them, but only when they are assigned to give them direct support.

p.17

Commentary

29. The support and guidance available to other pupils are also unsatisfactory. Not enough use is made of end-of-year tests and assessments to set learning targets for pupils for the next year, although the school has sound plans to correct this. Pupils are not given the help they need to improve in their work because their work is regularly unmarked. This means that teachers do not know how well their pupils are doing in order to plan further work for them at their different levels.

p.17

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Links with parents and the community are satisfactory. Links with other schools are good.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents feel the school is approachable and procedures to deal with any concerns and complaints are good Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 18 • The school has good procedures for transferring pupils at the end of Year 7; links with other schools are good • Not all parents ensure that their children attend regularly

p.17

Commentary

30. Links with parents are satisfactory. The analysis of the pre-inspection questionnaire shows that parents as a whole have no particular concerns about the school. Four out of five of the parents who returned their questionnaire feel the school is interested in their views and takes account of their suggestions and concerns. However, the small number of parents attending the pre-inspection meeting was critical of several aspects of the school’s work. In particular, they were critical of the school’s approach to correcting bullying, which does not always appear to be effective. Parents find the headteacher very approachable and accessible. They appreciate her warm and welcoming approach to them and their children and feel that the school has improved in the short time since her appointment. They like her being available each morning. Parents feel the school is interested in their opinions and encourages them to

p.18

Commentary

be open and frank about voicing any suggestions or concerns.

p.18

Commentary

31. Links with parents of pupils with special educational needs are good. The school welcomes the support from parents for these pupils. Parents are kept well informed about their children’s progress and regularly attend review meetings.

p.18

Commentary

32. Links with parents of pupils who speak English as an additional language are satisfactory. The school has satisfactory relationships with these parents, particularly those parents of pupils in the Foundation Stage. However, some of the school’s key documents are not translated into the main home languages of these parents. This means that these parents are not kept as well informed about school as they might be and are not able to help their children achieve as well as they could.

p.18

Commentary

33. The school makes satisfactory use of the community to contribute to pupils’ learning. Visits are made to local places of interest and there are good links with the neighbouring football club. However, the school has not developed networks amongst the local communities of pupils with English as an additional language and, as a result, does not draw enough on the help they might be provided for the school from these communities.

p.18

Commentary

34. The school regards the improvement of attendance as a high priority and regularly stresses its importance to parents. Despite the school’s good efforts, however, too many parents condone their children’s intermittent or poor attendance. These interruptions slow down the progress made by these pupils.

p.18

Commentary

35. The school has effective links with the local high school and these ensure that pupils’ transfer to secondary education goes smoothly. Year 7 pupils visit the high school once every two weeks for a science lesson. However, this does not appear to be helping these pupils improve because standards in science in Year 7 are low. Teachers receive good advice from secondary school staff in the teaching of French. Pupils spend one day at the high school during the term before they transfer. Staff at the two schools liaise closely with each other in order to exchange information about the pupils who are transferring. The group of local primary schools is working to improve pupils’ education in the locality. For example, with the help of the local high school, it is currently leading an initiative that ensures that all eligible pupils have a computer at home. Links between the reception class and Year 1 are

p.18

Commentary

unsatisfactory. Year 1 staff do not understand well enough what the children in the Foundation Stage have achieved by the start of Year 1.

p.18

Commentary

36. Links with a local special school are well established and pupils derive significant benefits from getting to know their peers who have physical and learning difficulties. Pupils from both schools recently took part in a ‘Romeo and Juliet’ workshop. They studied the play in different European languages as well as by using British sign language. These links make a good contribution to pupils’ personal development. The work they produced and their reflections Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 19 after the visit show that they enjoyed the time they had spent together. The two schools will soon be located on the same site and this will pave the way for the further development of this mutually beneficial relationship.

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Overall, leadership and management are unsatisfactory. The leadership and management of the new headteacher are good. The leadership and management by subject co-ordinators are unsatisfactory. Governance is unsatisfactory.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher’s vision and drive are helping to raise standards • The willingness and commitment of the leadership team and governing body to be trained to carry out their roles effectively are strengths; at present, the leadership and management they provide are unsatisfactory • Subject co-ordinators do not know the strengths and weaknesses in their subjects well enough and the actions they take are not raising standards • Teaching assistants and other support staff are used well to help the smooth running of the school

p.19

Commentary

37. The headteacher has made a significant contribution to the school since her appointment two terms ago. Since that time, a number of important improvements have been made. She has identified the strengths and weaknesses of the school and put initial plans in place to correct some of the main weaknesses. In particular, standards have been raised in English and mathematics in Year 6 because this was seen as a key priority. Since her appointment, teaching and learning in this year group are consistently good. The headteacher has correctly identified the main weaknesses in teaching at the school and is seeking to correct these with the help of the local education authority. Improving the skills of staff in dealing with bad behaviour has been correctly identified as a key issue for the school. Staff are working on improving this and they recognise that much more work needs to be done before this is totally

p.19

Commentary

successful. The leadership team and governing body have been revitalised since the new headteacher has been appointed. They now fully understand their roles and are beginning to be trained to carry them out effectively. The deputy headteacher provides good support for the headteacher.

p.19

Commentary

38. The senior team of teachers, known as the leadership team, now recognise that their effectiveness depends on improving standards at the school. They are being trained to carry out their responsibilities, but as yet, the leadership and management they provide are unsatisfactory. The leadership and management provided by subject co-ordinators are also unsatisfactory. Subject co-ordinators monitor teachers’ plans and some have analysed pupils’ work, but little monitoring of teaching in subjects has taken place recently. This means that subject co-ordinators do not know the strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning in their subjects. Hence, the plans for improvement that they produce as part of their roles are not based on sound enough evidence in order to raise standards.

p.19

Commentary

39. Leadership and management of special educational needs are unsatisfactory. Teachers prepare programmes of work for pupils with special educational needs and these pupils receive good help from teaching assistants in order to reach the learning targets that they have been set. However, most teachers do not regularly plan work pitched at the levels of ability and need of these pupils. When teaching assistants are not available to help these pupils, they often find the work too hard and do not make the progress they should. The overall monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of provision for these pupils are unsatisfactory.

p.19

Commentary

40. The leadership and management of provision for English as an additional language are poor. This is because the school lacks the necessary expertise, included that needed to train Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 20 teachers and teaching assistants, on how to teach these pupils well. The school is aware of the limitations of the present provision and has begun to make plans for improvement. 41. The governing body has improved since the appointment of the new headteacher. Governors, five of whom have been appointed during the past six months, are knowledgeable, enthusiastic and supportive of staff and pupils. They have a fervent desire to raise the quality of education in school. They are receiving good training from the headteacher and local education authority in order to carry out their roles well. Under the guidance of an enthusiastic chairperson, they are now well-organised with individual governors being allocated to specific roles in order to

p.19

Commentary

help staff effectively. Governors now have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They now support and challenge the school in trying to improve the school’s below average standards. They are now showing a new determination to drive up standards and improve the quality of education for all pupils. However, with the exception of English and mathematics in Year 6, the impact of their initial actions has yet to show any significant improvement in the overall standards of education achieved by all pupils. Overall, their effectiveness since the last inspection has been unsatisfactory. This is because standards at the school have deteriorated and these have not been checked well enough by governors. All statutory duties are fulfilled.

p.20

Commentary

42. The school faces some significant barriers in its quest to raise standards. This will not be an easy task, partly because of the high mobility of a significant number of pupils. New pupils joining the school interrupt the continuity of teaching and some join the school at all stages with little knowledge of English and some from war torn backgrounds. These are the key challenges that the school has yet to tackle effectively.

p.20

Commentary

43. Support staff are well managed. Teaching assistants contribute effectively to raising standards through the help and support they give to lower-attaining pupils. Midday supervisors, kitchen staff, cleaning staff and secretarial staff all make a significant contribution to the smooth running of the school. They are well known to pupils, respect them and receive mutual respect in return.

p.20

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1,080,854 Balance from previous year 44,776 Total expenditure 1,041,745 Balance carried forward to the next 83,885

p.20

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

44. The school receives above average funding which it does not use well enough to raise standards. Staffing costs, both teaching and non-teaching, are particularly high. The school’s carry forward into the next year is high. Governors plan to use this funding, quite understandably, to help refurbish the revamped premises during next year. The day-to-day management of the school’s finances is efficient and the school works well in this with the local education authority. Governors apply the principles of best value well when purchasing goods and services. However, governors have not yet made the link effectively between spending and standards of achievement. As a result, the school is providing unsatisfactory value for money. Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 21

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory . They achieve satisfactorily overall. They start in the nursery with a wide range of attainment, but the majority have very low social and communication skills. By the time they start in Year 1, most have reached the levels expected in the personal, social and emotional development, physical development and creative development. Standards in communication, language and literacy, mathematics and knowledge and understanding of the world remain well below expected levels. Overall, children’s attainment on entry into Year 1 is well below average.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teaching follows carefully national guidance for children of this age. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Children’s achievements are assessed well and provide staff with useful and clear information about children’s behaviour and learning. Children with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are identified and staff plan appropriately for their needs. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Staff work well together as a team. Relationships with parents are good. Staff write good end-of- year reports for parents that show clearly what their children have achieved and what they need to learn.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

During the present period of alterations, the school is doing its best to provide satisfactory accommodation for children in the Foundation Stage. The present accommodation is temporary. Staff keep the indoor area bright and cheerful. They make good efforts to improve the outdoor area by creating make believe play areas and painting areas. There is no permanent outdoor climbing equipment or slide, which restricts provision for pupils’ physical development. Overall, provision for children in the Foundation Stage has declined since the last inspection.

p.21

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most children achieve well in their personal, social and emotional development

p.21

Commentary

45. Most children start the nursery with below average personal, social and emotional skills. By the end of the reception year, children achieve well and make good progress to reach the nationally expected standards for their age group. Children are provided with many good opportunities to play and work with their classmates. They get on well with each other. They enjoy discussing what they are doing with adults. Reception children are interested in and eager to talk to visitors. During the inspection, children were observed sharing their news with others and talked enthusiastically about what they liked about the activities they had just done. Reception children help to share out fruit, snacks and drinks and clear up afterwards. They sit quietly and listen when it is time for a song or a story. Boys’ levels of social development are noticeably lower than those of girls, and there is a higher number of boys who resort to gently

p.21

Commentary

pushing others because they have not yet learnt to share and take turns as much as the girls. Teaching and learning in this area are good. Staff consistently promote the rules for the nursery and reception classes. These are displayed prominently and regularly talked about. For example, any child who has hit a classmate is spoken to to help him or her to understand why it is right for them to apologise for what they have just done. Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 22

p.21

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are well below those typical of children of this age • There is not enough variety in the teaching of children whose first language is not English • Not enough opportunities are provided for children to practise their writing

p.22

Commentary

46. The majority of children have very low communication, language and literacy skills when they begin the nursery. About a third of the children are at the early stages of learning English as an additional language. By the time they start Year 1, children have made steady progress and achieved satisfactorily, but they are still well below the levels that are typical of pupils at the end of the reception year. Teaching and learning in this area are satisfactory overall. Children are provided with good opportunities for speaking and listening. They listen well, but many do not understand fully what is being said because of their lack of English. The teacher and teaching assistants try to explain to these pupils what they have to do and this encourages them to learn key words in English. Activities planned to help children whose first language is not English and those who have special educational needs are satisfactory overall. Staff choose stories

p.22

Commentary

that include repeated “chorus” elements to which the children enjoy listening. However, not enough small group story activities are provided and children do not have enough opportunities to widen their knowledge of books by using the library. Teachers plan satisfactory activities for children to practise the early stages of handwriting. Children are taught handwriting patterns and how to write letters and words. Staff also provide children with some good opportunities to write as part of other learning activities. For example, they asked them to write their own name labels for the biscuits they had baked so that they could wrap them and take them home. However, only a minority of children wrote recognisable letters, though almost all include recognisable letter shapes. Overall, children are not provided with enough opportunities to practise their writing.

p.22

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides children with many good opportunities to practise their numbers, but not enough activities that link reading and writing numbers

p.22

Commentary

47. When children start the nursery, their mathematical development is well below average. They make satisfactory progress and achieve satisfactorily but, by the time they start Year 1, their attainment is still well below that typically achieved by children of this age. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Many activities that are planned, such as making dough and baking, promote children’s mathematical learning well. For example, children weigh ingredients and count out the decorative buttons for each biscuit. They use a sand timer to time their turns when using the nursery computer. Staff teach the children counting songs, such as a song about a dinosaur whose legs increase by two with each chorus. They also organise good activities that help children to understand the relationship between objects and numbers. They begin to use written numerals to record them. However, not enough activities are provided for

p.22

Commentary

children that help them read and write numbers. Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 23

p.22

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children have good opportunities to watch the growth of plants from seeds, but not enough opportunities to observe other aspects of the natural world • Not enough use is made of ICT to help children learn

p.23

Commentary

48. Children begin the nursery with skills in knowledge and understanding of the world that are well below those typical of children of this age. They make satisfactory progress and achieve satisfactorily, but the majority begin Year 1 with skills in this area that are still well below those typical of pupils of this age. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Children enjoy the many opportunities they have to play with materials like sand, water and textiles. They talk eagerly about the patterns and textures they notice. Staff ensure they have a wide variety of tools and containers to use during their activities. During the inspection, the teacher led a useful discussion about road signs. This helped the children to develop an awareness of the world around them as well as of the potential dangers in it. This was linked well to helping the children recognise shapes and reading the key words on the signs. In the outdoor area, the

p.23

Commentary

children had been helped to plant seeds in transparent plastic containers improvised from empty plastic bottles so they could see the growth of the roots of the plants as well as their shoots and leaves. However, there are not enough opportunities for children to observe the development and growth of different types of plants and living creatures in their classroom such as fish, gerbils and insects. Children enjoy opportunities to use ICT in their learning. They experiment with colours using a paint program on the computer but do not make enough use of the full range of available ICT equipment and software, such as “talking” books and programmable equipment suitable for their age group.

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

49. Observations of the children in their classroom and the outdoor area indicate that standards at the end of the reception year are at the levels expected for their age. Teaching and learning are satisfactory and children’s achievement is satisfactory. Staff provide good opportunities for children to develop their skills in using tools and equipment. They develop their finer physical control satisfactorily by writing with pencils and drawing with crayons. They use scissors well for their age. They play with toys, construction kits and materials, such as plasticine and dough. Children move confidently about the classroom and the playground. The lack of large outdoor apparatus, such as climbing frames, swings and slides slows down children’s physical development, although children use the large apparatus in the hall during lessons in physical education.

p.23

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is satisfactory ,

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff play a positive role in promoting children’s make-believe play • Children enjoy using simple musical instruments and learning songs Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 24

p.23

Commentary

50. By the time they reach the end of the reception year, children have made satisfactory progress and achieve satisfactorily and most are at the nationally expected levels for the start of Year 1. Teaching and learning are satisfactory and children’s achievement is satisfactory. Staff organise a range of make-believe play, often improvising well from a limited range of equipment. During the inspection, a group of boys was happily taking on the role of patients, nurses and doctors in the outdoor “hospital” which one of the staff had set up. As their interest began to wane, the teaching assistant promptly rekindled it by playing the role of a distressed patient. Her questions and comments extended the children’s game by giving them new imaginative situations to which to respond. Children enjoy the regular opportunities they get to listen to and make music. During the inspection, they learnt and sang a song about the

p.24

Commentary

animals going into Noah’s Ark using simple percussion instruments to accompany it. They joined in with great gusto making the right animals noises for each pair of animals. There is a suitable range of media from which the children make objects, including paints, crayons, textiles and fibres. However, there are too few examples of imaginative creative projects being developed, such as textile printing and collages inspired by the work of artists.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards and achievement at the end of Year 6 have risen sharply during the past year • Elsewhere in the school, standards and achievement are low because teaching is not matched well enough to pupils’ needs, especially for pupils learning English as an additional language and those with special educational needs • Leadership and management of English are unsatisfactory • Pupils are not given enough opportunity to develop their library skills

p.24

Commentary

51. Overall, pupils’ achievement in English is unsatisfactory and standards are well below expected levels. This, though, is not the case in Year 6 where pupils are achieving well and standards in speaking, listening, reading and writing are at the levels expected for pupils of this age. This is better than the previous year when standards in the 2003 National Curriculum tests were well below average. This is because, this year, the teaching and learning in the Year 6 classes is often good. Early indications from the National Curriculum tests in 2004 are that the school has met its challenging targets and exceeded those for the proportion for pupils achieving the higher level. Year 6 pupils discuss their work well and this helps them to think through the tasks they are doing. They read well, but few read widely enough or know how to use the library classification system. In discussion with inspectors, some pupils commented

p.24

Commentary

that they feel the books in their classroom and the library are not interesting enough for them. As a result, they often rely on friends and family members to recommend good books for them to read. They write competently and correctly in a variety of styles and most present their work well. Pupils in Year 6, including higher-attaining pupils, those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, achieve well.

p.24

Commentary

52. However, this is not the case elsewhere in the school. Achievement is unsatisfactory and standards are well below expected levels. For example, standards at the end of Years 2 and 7 are well below average and have fallen sharply since the last inspection. In these year groups, pupils’ speaking and listening skills are below average and their standards in reading and writing are well below average. Pupils do not achieve well enough, particularly in reading and Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 25 writing. The achievement of higher-attaining pupils and those who are learning English as an additional language is unsatisfactory. In the 2003 National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, no pupil achieved the higher levels of attainment in reading and writing. Pupils are keen to talk, but in Year 2, they have too few opportunities to develop their speaking skills. They do not

p.24

Commentary

read enough or hear stories and poems from a good range of quality books and the unsatisfactory quality of their writing reflects this. Standards of presentation in their writing are low.

p.25

Commentary

53. Pupils are not achieving what they should because teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. Teaching and learning are best in Year 6 but unsatisfactory in Years 1, 2 and 7. They are satisfactory overall in Years 3, 4 and 5. Where teaching is good, work is geared well to the needs of pupils, many of whom are at the early stages of learning to speak English. Pupils are given very clear guidance in their work and tasks are set at the correct level of difficulty for pupils of different abilities. Further discussions about their work are held with pupils learning English as an additional language to make sure they understand what they have to do. In one Year 6 class, pupils, including some who were very new to speaking English, worked very productively together. After a good discussion with their class teacher on how to prepare a presentation to the rest of the class, they described what they had found out from websites the

p.25

Commentary

previous day about theme parks they might visit. Pupils chose partners to help them and some made good use of bilingual phrase books they had made themselves to help those new to English.

p.25

Commentary

54. Where teaching is unsatisfactory or poor, teachers do not plan lessons well enough. For example, during the inspection, teachers in Years 1 and 2 did not plan hard enough tasks for higher-attaining pupils. In some cases, planning was too brief and both pupils and teachers became confused because tasks had not been thought through well enough before the lesson. More generally, some teachers talk too rapidly without checking pupils’ understanding. They sometimes give instructions to pupils without providing them with enough guidance in the form of key words and phrases in order to carry out their work. In many cases, pupils respond by either copying work, some of which they do not understand or by writing very little. Examples of very good marking were seen in Year 6, and this has helped to raise pupils’ achievement because it provides pupils with very clear guidance on how to improve their work. However,

p.25

Commentary

most marking is unsatisfactory because it gives too little guidance to pupils on how they might improve. In some classes, work is not marked regularly enough. Teachers do not assess pupils’ achievements well enough to help them plan their lessons and, as a result, pupils do not make the progress they should.

p.25

Commentary

55. There are some good examples of teaching assistants giving good help to pupils learning English as an additional language and those with special educational needs. On these occasions, pupils achieve well and make good progress. However, this is not the case overall. This is because teachers do not have enough expertise to teach these pupils well enough, especially in their writing.

p.25

Commentary

56. Leadership and management of English are unsatisfactory. The subject is well led and there is good expertise in teaching English on the staff. This has contributed significantly to rising standards in the Year 6 classes. The school has identified the strengths and weaknesses in English across the school, based on the checks of classroom teaching and pupils’ work carried out recently. However, not enough actions have taken place to correct the weaknesses throughout the school that have been identified. A weakness in the management of English is the lack of co-ordination between English, the use of the library and English as an additional language. The result of this is that pupils do not learn English fast enough because it is not linked well enough to other areas of school provision. Provision in English is not as good as it was at the last inspection. Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 26

p.25

Language and literacy across the curriculum

57. Pupils’ language and literacy skills are promoted well in mathematics. Pupils are introduced to mathematical language well and they learn how to describe what they are doing using words such as ‘rectangle’, ‘area’ and ‘symmetry’. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to improve their skills in speaking and listening in subjects such as science and religious education. In these lessons, teachers ask pupils many probing questions and pupils respond to these well, often at length. They are given good opportunities to work collaboratively in groups when carrying projects or searching for insects in the school grounds for instance. However, overall, teachers do not do enough to promote the language pupils need in some other subjects, such as history and geography. In Year 6, teachers regularly introduce and display key words and phrases pupils need to use, especially in their writing. Other teachers

p.26

Language and literacy across the curriculum

do too little to identify as part of their planning the specialist language and ways of writing needed for each subject. For example, pupils do not learn how to write reports of investigations in science. Pupils have library-based lessons, which help familiarise them with the location of books. However, too little is done to teach them to make the most of the library and use the books for research tasks in class or at home. The library is kept locked and this restricts pupils’ access to books. This further limits the development of pupils’ subject-related literacy skills.

p.26

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is unsatisfactory .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The achievement of pupils is unsatisfactory overall; pupils in Year 6 achieve well • Lesson planning does not take enough account of pupils’ levels of attainment or their abilities and teachers’ expectations of pupils are often incorrect • Teachers do not use the results of assessment to help them in their planning; much work is unmarked • The school does not check teaching and learning well enough to identify the strengths and weaknesses in the subject

p.26

Commentary

58. With the exception of Year 6, pupils’ achievement throughout the school is unsatisfactory and standards are well below expected levels. Children start school with levels in mathematics that are well below those expected for children of that age. Through satisfactory teaching in the Foundation Stage, they make steady progress but start in Year 1 with standards that are still well below expected levels. The achievement of pupils in Year 6 this year is good, but standards remain just below expected levels. This is because these pupils have not quite made up the ground they lost in previous years. Standards at the end of Years 2 and 7 are well below average in all aspects of mathematics. Throughout the school, standards are lowest in pupils’ abilities to solve mathematical problems and in their abilities to handle data. This is because teachers do not provide pupils with enough opportunities to solve problems in

p.26

Commentary

their heads or by using regularly enough practical apparatus. Pupils’ abilities to add, subtract, multiply and divide are better than other aspects of their mathematics, especially in Year 6. Pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory because the teaching overall has not been planned well enough to match pupils’ different abilities and needs, including those of the higher- and lower- attaining pupils.

p.26

Commentary

59. With the exception of Year 6, teaching and learning of mathematics are unsatisfactory overall. In Year 6, teaching and learning are consistently good and this has enabled these pupils to improve significantly this year. There are examples of good teaching elsewhere in the school but they are not as frequent as in Year 6. Where teaching is good, pupils show interest in the subject, behave well and concentrate fully on their learning. For example, in a Year 4 lesson Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 27 on capacity during the inspection, pupils guessed how much water each container would hold. They then tested their ideas by pouring water into other containers to enable them to measure how much water each container held. Pupils enjoyed this practical activity that helped them accurately to test out their predictions. As a result of recent in-service training on the implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy, teachers’ subject knowledge has improved

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Commentary

and is now satisfactory. However, this has not yet led to improvements in standards in all classes.

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Commentary

60. A significant weakness in the teaching is the lack of planning that is matched well enough to pupils’ individual abilities and needs. Lesson plans indicate what pupils are expected to learn with little or no outline of how this is to be achieved or what assessments are to be made to measure pupils’ progress. Activities are often planned that are too easy for higher-attaining pupils and, as a result, they do not make the progress of which they are capable. Tasks set for lower-attaining pupils, including those with special educational needs and pupils with English as an additional language, are often too hard for them. However, when these pupils receive help from teaching assistants they make satisfactory progress because their tasks are explained further to them until they understand fully what they are supposed to do.

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Commentary

61. Tasks are not planned well enough because teachers do not know pupils’ initial levels of achievement sufficiently well. Teachers do not use end-of-year assessment data to set learning targets for pupils and help guide their lesson planning. Much of the work in books is not marked indicating that teachers do not have a clear idea of what pupils have learnt during lessons. These factors indicate that teachers have a poor understanding of pupils’ levels of achievement. This means that they do not have enough knowledge about pupils in order to plan work for them that is geared to their abilities and prior attainment. Their expectations of pupils’ achievements are often incorrect. As a result, standards in mathematics are much lower than they should be.

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Commentary

62. Leadership and management of mathematics are unsatisfactory. The school uses national guidance systematically to help teachers in their planning of lessons and this provides a sound structure for teaching and learning throughout the school. Teachers’ plans and samples of pupils’ work are checked by the management of the school. However, this monitoring has not been rigorous enough and has not provided the school with a clear enough view about how to raise standards. Little analysis of assessment data and not enough observation of teaching have taken place to help the school gain a clear picture of how to improve standards. Improvement since the last inspection has been unsatisfactory.

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Mathematics across the curriculum

63. The use of mathematics across the curriculum is satisfactory overall. In design and technology, pupils estimated and then weighed ingredients well when they made bread. In Year 1, pupils developed their understanding of symmetry when they produced butterfly paintings as part of their work in art and design. Pupils in Year 2 consolidated their understanding of two-dimensional shapes when painting pictures in the style of Picasso. However, not enough use is made of computers in mathematics to produce graphs and charts and they do not have enough chances to use computer programs to increase their knowledge of data handling.

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SCIENCE

Provision in science is unsatisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory and standards are below expected levels • Teachers capture pupils’ interest in topics by asking questions skilfully Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 28 • Not enough practical and investigative activities are provided for pupils • Assessment of pupils’ achievements is poor

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Commentary

64. The achievement of pupils throughout the school is unsatisfactory. Pupils’ achievement in investigative science is well below expected levels because they do not have enough opportunities to carry out their own investigations. Pupils are not encouraged to develop scientific skills by carrying out and recording investigations like scientists. They do not know well enough how to carry out fair tests in order to develop their scientific thinking. Standards in all aspects of science in Years 1-6 are below expected levels. Standards in Year 7 are well below expected levels. Standards in investigative science throughout the school are well below expected levels.

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Commentary

65. Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory throughout the school. On the positive side, some teachers show considerable enthusiasm for teaching the subject and this encourages pupils to respond positively and enthusiastically. Some topics are particularly interesting for pupils and they enjoy finding out how things work. For example, work done in pupils’ books on circuits and with magnets illustrates how keen pupils are on these aspects of science. Their work on these topics was carried out at a higher level than other aspects of their work because they enjoyed completing an electrical circuit and attracting objects using magnets. In some lessons, pupils’ interests are captivated because teachers ask them probing questions that identify what they already know and what they need to know next. Questions such as these challenge pupils’ thinking and help them to learn effectively.

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Commentary

66. However, a significant weakness in science teaching is the lack of opportunity pupils receive for carrying out their own investigations in practical ways. Too often, teachers carry out investigations in front of the whole class rather than letting pupils carry out experiments for themselves. This is more likely to help pupils learn effectively how to carry out fair tests and be able to think like scientists. Overall, too few investigations are carried out and pupils are too often asked to learn facts without testing them out. This is not teaching pupils effectively resulting in low standards.

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Commentary

67. The school does not know how well pupils are achieving in science because it does not assess their attainment at the end of each unit of work. Learning targets are not set in science and this gives the message to pupils that learning in science is not important. This contributes to low standards being achieved. Leadership and management of science are unsatisfactory because standards in Year 6 have fallen significantly during the past five years and the schools has not corrected this sharp decline. Standards and teaching have declined sharply since the last inspection.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Throughout the school, pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory and standards are below expected levels • Some teachers do not have enough expertise to teach the subject confidently • Leadership and management are unsatisfactory

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Commentary

68. Standards are below those expected from pupils at the different ages and their achievement in the subject is unsatisfactory. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop their skills in ICT. A little work was on display around the school and work in pupils’ books was only Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 29 available from pupils in Years 5 and 7. This is a major reason why pupils do not achieve satisfactory and standards are below expected levels. Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 30 69. Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. Teachers have received training in ICT, but, as yet, some teachers lack confidence to teach the subject well. This means that they do not have enough confidence to use the Internet or CD-Roms as resources to provide information to help learning in other subjects, such as geography, history and religious education. Teachers’

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Commentary

knowledge of the software available to help them in other subjects is poor and this impedes their teaching and pupils’ learning. From lesson observation and in conversation with pupils, it is clear that pupils enjoy ICT lessons in the newly-equipped ICT suite.

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Commentary

70. The leadership and management of the subject are unsatisfactory. The school does not have a clear enough view about the strengths and weaknesses in ICT because not enough checks on the standards achieved and quality of teaching have taken place. Provision is similar to that at the last inspection.

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HUMANITIES

71. Geography and history were not the main foci of the inspection so not enough evidence was gathered to form overall judgements about provision in these subjects. One lesson was observed in geography and none in history. Pupils’ books in these subjects were inspected and a discussion was held with the subject co-ordinator. From the evidence available, standards in pupils’ books in Year 6 are below average in both of these subjects. Standards at the end of Years 2 and 7 are well below expected levels. Throughout the school, the achievement of pupils is unsatisfactory. This is because teaching and learning over time are unsatisfactory and sometimes poor. Much work is unmarked. This does not encourage pupils to achieve higher standards next time. Pupils at all levels of ability are expected to carry out the same activities and this does not help higher-attaining pupils to ‘reach for the stars’ or

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HUMANITIES

lower-attaining pupils to achieve as much as they can. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory. The management of the school does not check standards and teaching.

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is unsatisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils do not achieve well enough and standards are below expected levels • In the most effective lessons, religious artefacts are used well • Leadership and management are unsatisfactory

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Commentary

72. Throughout the school, pupils do not achieve well enough in religious education. Teachers set activities for pupils that are pitched at a superficial knowledge of religion and more advanced questions about why believers act in the way they do and how this applies to their lives now are not asked enough. As a result, standards are below expected levels at each key stage.

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Commentary

73. Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. The teaching in the lessons observed was satisfactory. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills in religious education. In lessons observed, pupils often discussed aspects of their work in pairs and worked well collaboratively on group projects. In the best lessons, artefacts are used well to help pupils understand how worshippers worship. However, evidence from pupils’ books indicates that teaching throughout the year has been unsatisfactory. Work set for pupils is too easy and not enough use is made of the religious expertise of the pupils themselves, some of whom are practising their beliefs regularly. Little provision during the inspection was noted for higher-attaining pupils. Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ achievements in religious education are too low and, as a result, pupils do not achieve as much as they should.

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Commentary

74. Leadership and management of the subject since the last inspection are unsatisfactory. Standards were below average and teaching was unsatisfactory at the last inspection. Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 31 Because there has been no noticeable improvement since that time, leadership and management are unsatisfactory.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

75. Art and design was not a main focus of the inspection and not enough evidence was collected in order to judge the school’s overall provision in this subject. During the inspection, two lessons were observed, pupils’ work on display was analysed and separate discussions were held with pupils and the subject co-ordinator. It is clear that pupils enjoy art and design and behave well in these lessons. Throughout the school, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and standards achieved are at expected levels for the pupils’ ages. Teaching is satisfactory and pupils use a wide range of materials in art and design lessons. For example, pupils in Year 2 have good opportunities to use a variety of materials, such as paper, tissue paper, card, fabric, string and junk materials, such as used cartons and containers, to plan and make colourful collages. Some of these indicate that pupils have a good understanding of the effects

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

produced by using different materials. In Year 4, pupils used a similar range of materials to design and produce collages that showed a good understanding of perspective and depth. Pupils also use charcoal, a range of pencils and crayons for drawing and shading, paint and clay in their work.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

76. Only one lesson in design and technology was observed during the inspection. Pupils’ work was also analysed but not enough evidence was available to judge the school’s overall provision in this subject or standards and the quality of teaching. Pupils enjoy their work in design and technology and produce satisfactory examples of designing and making products. For example, in Year 3 pupils used glue, balloons and paper to produce masks of satisfactory quality that were then painted. Year 6 pupils worked with different materials to make their own bread. Year 7 pupils produced satisfactory clay models and tiles from their own designs which are then glazed and painted. Resources for design and technology are satisfactory.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

77. There was not enough evidence to make a judgement about overall provision, teaching or pupils’ achievement in music . One lesson and a weekly whole-class singing assembly were observed. Discussions were also held with the headteacher in her role as acting music co- ordinator. School documentation in the subject was analysed. Pupils are provided with good opportunities to sing and satisfactory opportunities to appreciate music and compose their own music. The headteacher is working well with the local education authority to increase teachers’ expertise in music. A new commercial music scheme is helping teachers plan lessons. The school recognises that more needs to be done to ensure music is taught and assessed consistently well across the school and that there is better provision to develop the skills of pupils with musical talents. The very good range of musical instruments, synthesizers

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

and other specialist musical resources is not being used effectively at present because of the lack of expertise in the school to use them.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

78. It was not possible to make a judgement about provision, standards and teaching and learning in physical education , as too few lessons were observed. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to practise ball skills and tactics for games, such as rounders. Pupils have positive attitudes to lessons and clearly enjoy them. They help each other well and encourage their classmates well by cheering them, particularly those who are new to learning English and those with special educational needs. Teaching assistants are used effectively to ensure these pupils make as much progress in the lesson as their classmates. In the lessons observed, the achievement of pupils was satisfactory because the teachers took care to develop pupils’ skills and knowledge through careful guidance at the start of activities and games. However, pupils are not given enough opportunity to comment on the quality of their

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

activities or games or identify how they could have improved their performances. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The quality of teaching and learning are beginning to be checked by the school and some strengths and weaknesses in the subject have been identified. The school’s extra-curricular sports’ provision is helping to raise pupils’ Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 32 achievement in physical education. Some teachers do not have enough expertise in some areas of the curriculum, such as dance.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

79. Only one lesson was seen in this subject and there was no past work completed by pupils that could be used to evaluate the school’s provision. It was therefore not possible to make judgements about standards achieved and the quality of teaching and learning. However, the school provides a satisfactory curriculum in personal, social and health education and weekly lessons in this subject are taught in each class. Sex and relationships education and the dangers of drugs misuse are also taught. Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 33

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The overall effectiveness of the school 5

How inclusive the school is 5 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 5 Value for money provided by the school 5

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 4

Attendance 5 Attitudes 4 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 5 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 4

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The quality of education provided by the school 5

The quality of teaching 5 How well pupils learn 5 The quality of assessment 6 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 4 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 5 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 4 The quality of the school’s links with the community 4 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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The leadership and management of the school 5

The governance of the school 5 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 5 The effectiveness of management 5 Little Stanmore Nursery, First and Middle School - 34 Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

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