Queen Edith Primary School

QUEEN EDITH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 28 th June -1 st July 2004

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QUEEN EDITH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Queen Edith Primary - 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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QUEEN EDITH PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3-11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 446

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Godwin Way Cambridge Cambridgeshire Postcode: CB1 8QP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01223 712200 Fax number: 01223 712201

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs Pam Jones

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 6 th July 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This community primary school serves a wide area around the school and pupils come from a broad mixture of socio-economic backgrounds. There are 446 boys and girls on roll. Attainment on entry to the school varies widely, but overall it is currently well below average, particularly in children’s personal and social development and in their early communication and language skills. Standards of attainment on entry have been declining in recent years. Most pupils are from white, English- speaking families, although 40 per cent are from ethnic minority backgrounds, which is a well above average proportion. There is a large proportion of pupils, around 30 per cent, whose home language is not English and around 5 per cent are at an early stage of learning to speak English. Thirty five different home languages are represented in the school. Overall, nearly 8 per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is below the national average, but the proportion varies widely

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

from year to year. The proportion of pupils entered on the school’s record of special educational needs, 15 per cent, is average but the proportion who have a statement of Special Educational Need, because they need considerable help with their learning, is above average. Overall, the proportion of pupils who enter or leave the school part way through this stage of their education, around 18 per cent, is above average and the proportion varies widely between year groups. There are two nursery classes that provide for 38 children on a part-time basis, either for the morning or afternoon sessions. The school won a Healthy Schools Award in 2003. Queen Edith Primary - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

15477 John Messer Lead inspector English as an additional language, mathematics, art and design, design and technology. 32697 David Smith Lay inspector 32943 David Townsend Team inspector English. 31029 Peter Thrussell Team inspector Science, information and communication technology, geography, history, music, special educational needs. 26203 Jo Curd Team inspector Foundation Stage, religious education, physical education.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Serco QAA Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU

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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 inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Queen Edith Primary - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 13

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school with many strengths. Teaching is good and, as a result, pupils learn successfully. Pupils’ achievement is consistently good. Pupils are very well behaved and have very good attitudes to learning. The leadership and management of the school are good and the governing body provides effective support. The school gives very good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• By the end of Year 6, standards in English are well above average and standards in mathematics are above average. • The headteacher and her deputy provide very good leadership. • Pupils’ attitudes to learning, their behaviour and their relationships with others are all very good. • Provision for pupils with English as an additional language is very good and they make good progress. • A very good climate for learning has been established. • Teaching is good and there are examples of excellent teaching, but the exemplary teaching is not shared fully among all staff in order to raise the overall standard of teaching to the level of the best. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • There are very good links with parents, who support their children’s learning well. • The school provides a good curriculum that is enriched by a very good range of extra activities. • Pupils are not sufficiently involved in discussing and planning their learning.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has successfully tackled the issues raised in the last inspection report. Standards have improved significantly in English and in information and communication technology (ICT). There has been good improvement in assessment systems and target setting. Standards in science and religious education are not as high as they were, but achievement has been maintained against a background of declining attainment on entry. Behaviour and attitudes to learning have improved further. Overall, there has been good improvement since the last inspection.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English A C B B Mathematics A B B B Science B B A A 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. Queen Edith Primary - 7 Pupils’ achievement is good overall. It is especially good in English and the high standards that pupils attain are a particular strength of the school. Children achieve well in the Foundation Stage, although most do not quite attain the goals children are expected to reach by the end of reception. Pupils continue to achieve well in Years 1 and 2 and most attain standards that are above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2. Most pupils achieve well in Years 3 to 6 so that, by the end of Year 6, they attain standards that are well

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

above average in English and above average in mathematics. The school set ambitious targets for its performance in national tests in 2004. It exceeded them in English and met them in mathematics. Standards in science this year are broadly average and are not as high as last year, when the school’s performance in national tests was well above average. Standards in ICT are average. Standards in religious education meet the expectations of the Locally Agreed Syllabus.

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Pupils’ personal qualities are very good; their spiritual, moral, social and cultural

development is very good. They have very good attitudes to their work and have high levels of self-esteem. Behaviour is very good. Relationships are very good and pupils work and play happily together. There are high levels of racial harmony. Attendance is satisfactory.

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The school provides a good quality of education. The quality of teaching is good

overall. Teaching in very nearly half of the lessons seen was good and a fifth was very good and occasionally excellent. Skills are taught systematically and teachers maintain high expectations of pupils’ performance and of their behaviour. Teachers are particularly successful in motivating pupils to learn and provide great support and encouragement. Teachers’ planning and lesson preparation are thorough and tasks are modified to match pupils’ varying stages of development, so that all groups achieve well. Behaviour is generally managed very well. Pupils’ very good behaviour and their very positive attitudes to work support learning well. Teaching assistants make a good contribution to the quality of teaching and to the school’s effectiveness. The careful analysis of each individual’s learning needs helps to foster pupils’ confidence, which contributes to their successful learning. Accommodation is good and resources are satisfactory. The curriculum is good and relevant,

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The school provides a good quality of education. The quality of teaching is good

with a strong emphasis on literacy, mathematics and ICT. A wide range of visits, visitors and extra-curricular activities enriches the curriculum. The school provides well for pupils’ pastoral needs and links with parents are very good. There are good links with the community and with the local secondary school.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The headteacher provides enthusiastic leadership and is ably supported by the deputy headteacher. Together they provide exceptionally good guidance and promote a shared vision for improvement. The management of the school is good. The school analyses its performance carefully and is constantly seeking to raise standards. Governors provide good support and make a strong contribution to the school’s success. The governing body ensures that the school complies with all statutory requirements.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Queen Edith Primary - 8 Parents are very pleased with the education provided for their children. Pupils like their school and are proud to be members of the school community. There is little that they would wish to change.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Analyse the very good teaching and share the essential elements of the exemplary teaching in the school with all teachers, in order to develop a clearer view of how to achieve learning of the highest quality. • Involve pupils more closely in planning their learning. Queen Edith Primary - 9

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

Achievement is a measure of how well pupils are doing, taking their progress and their capability into account.

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

The good teaching in each class helps pupils to achieve well. Children’s achievement is good in the Foundation Stage, but most do not attain all the goals they are expected to reach by the end of the reception year, particularly in their personal and social development and communication skills. By the end of Year 2, most pupils attain standards that are above average in reading, writing, mathematics and science. By the end of Year 6, pupils attain standards that are well above average in English, above average in mathematics and broadly average in science.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well in the nursery and reception classes, where good foundations for further learning are laid. • Reading is taught systematically and pupils develop an enthusiasm for learning. • Pupils’ achievement in English is very good and standards are well above average. • Pupils with special educational needs achieve well and pupils with English as an additional language often achieve remarkably well.

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Commentary

1. Children enter the school at widely varying stages of development. Some are advanced learners with well-developed early learning skills. However, the attainment is well below average overall and many have poorly developed speaking skills and a narrow vocabulary. A significant number of bilingual pupils have limited English. The personal and social skills of many of the children who start in the nursery are also underdeveloped. The good teaching in the nursery and reception classes helps all pupils to achieve well, so that by the end of reception, the attainment of most is only slightly below expected standards. Some exceed the early learning goals in each of the six areas of learning, but most do not attain all the targets.

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Commentary

2. Pupils continue to achieve well in Years 1 and 2. By the end of Year 2, most attain standards that are above average in English, mathematics and science. Their enthusiasm for learning supports their good achievement. Basic skills, especially reading, are taught well, so pupils confidently gain access to the rest of the curriculum. The school has been successful in its efforts to raise standards in writing. There has been a steadily improving trend in the school’s performance in national tests. Generally, the pupils’ performance is at least a term ahead of pupils in most schools.

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Commentary

The tables shown in this commentary give average points scores for pupils. Each level in the national curriculum is given a number of points. Pupils are expected to move on one point every term, so if a school’s scores are one point above the national, their pupils are, typically, a term ahead. Queen Edith Primary - 10 Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2004 Standards in: School results National results reading 17.1 (16.9) * (15.7) writing 17.0 (15.5) * (14.6) mathematics 18.1 (17.9) * (16.3) There were 60 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year * National results for 2004 have not yet been published.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004 Standards in: School results National results English 28.9 (27.9) * (26.8) mathematics 29.1 (27.8) * (26.8) science 28.6 (29.8) * (28.6) There were 59 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year * National results for 2004 have not yet been published.

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Commentary

3. Pupils continue to achieve well in Years 3 to 6, so that by the end of Year 6, most attain standards that are well above average in English and above average in mathematics. Pupils achieve particularly well in English, because skills are taught systematically and assessment systems are rigorous, so that if any pupils show signs of underachieving they are rapidly provided with extra support. Pupils achieve well in science and standards overall are broadly average; although a half of pupils attain high standards, a significant proportion does not reach average levels of attainment. The performance of pupils in Year 6 in national tests is usually above average, but this year results dipped. This is partly because the lower attaining pupils’ understanding of technical vocabulary is not always sufficiently well developed. Also, there is less attention paid to boosting pupils’ performance in science than there is in English and mathematics. There has been a

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Commentary

steadily improving trend in the school’s performance in English and mathematics in national tests. The school identified the need to improve writing skills, particularly among boys and worked hard in a concerted effort to raise standards. This proved highly successful and the school’s performance in national tests improved significantly this year. However, boys still lag behind girls in writing, but not in reading.

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Commentary

4. Bilingual pupils, particularly those who are at an early stage of learning English, are given very good support, so they rapidly acquire English speaking skills and learn effectively. The very good relationships and the positive learning climate help these pupils to develop confidence in speaking English in social situations. Teachers also explain technical terms carefully, to promote a good understanding of those aspects of language that pupils need in order to understand what is being taught. The results of national tests show that, almost without exception, those bilingual pupils who have been identified as requiring extra language support attain at least the national target of level 4 in English by the end of Year 6. Pupils with special educational needs also achieve well. They make good progress in meeting the targets set out in their individual education and individual behaviour plans. They achieve especially well in literacy and numeracy, due to the well-planned support

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Queen Edith Primary - 11 Attitudes to school and behaviour are very good. Attendance and punctuality are satisfactory. There were four fixed period exclusions in the last school year. Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ moral, social and cultural development is very good and their spiritual development is good. • Pupils are confident, outgoing and look forward to taking part in the various activities provided. • Pupils get on very well with each other and with adults, and the level of racial harmony is high. • The school has effective procedures to monitor and promote attendance and punctuality.

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Commentary

5. The school provides very well for the pupils’ personal development and they respond very positively. They are enterprising and organise fundraising events for local and national charities. Residential visits allow pupils to develop their social skills very well and older pupils help in supporting the reading of younger pupils. Thoughtful and inspiring assemblies and lessons allow pupils to reflect on their lives and experiences and to understand the consequence of their actions and the impact they have on others. School rules are widely displayed and pupils are very clear on the difference between right and wrong. The school makes very good use of pupils’ cultural backgrounds. For example, a wide range of visitors and numerous parents come into school to talk to the pupils about their customs and traditions. As a result, pupils from all ethnic groups get along very well with each other. Pupils with special educational needs respond well to the support

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Commentary

provided for them, and particularly enjoy the profitable time spent in groups, when withdrawn from class lessons.

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Commentary

6. During discussion, the overwhelming majority of pupils agreed that they enjoy coming to school and analysis of their parents’ questionnaire endorses this positive view. The standard of teaching is above average and, when speaking to inspectors, pupils said that they enjoy many of their subjects. This encourages pupils to work hard and do their best. Pupils are proud of their school and are keen to show off their classrooms and their work to visitors. Pupils also enjoy taking part in a wide range of stimulating activities, both during and after school. These include sports such as football and rounders, design and technology and French. For pupils, a day at school is something to be anticipated with relish.

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Commentary

7. Relationships between pupils and with adults are warm and characterised by mutual trust, respect and consideration. During playtime, pupils enjoy spending time with each other and willingly share their toys and games. All members of staff insist on high standards of behaviour and the majority of pupils conform to these expectations. Pupils spoke highly of their teachers and said that they are kind and very approachable.

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Commentary

8. The school regularly reminds parents about the importance of consistent attendance and punctuality. It also works closely with the education welfare officer and any unexplained absences are promptly followed up. This year the school has moved to an electronic system of registration, which allows attendance to be analysed in more detail. During this Queen Edith Primary - 12 changeover the school discovered that, due to computer problems, attendance was better than reported.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 6.4 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. Queen Edith Primary - 13 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Commentary

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 211 2 0 White – any other White background 31 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 1 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 2 1 0 Mixed – White and Asian 12 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 6 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 22 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 7 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 16 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 6 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 5 1 0 Black or Black British – African 2 0 0 Chinese 14 0 0 Any other ethnic group 6 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 10 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 good. Teaching and learning are good. The curriculum is broad, balanced and relevant to pupils’ needs. It is taught thoroughly and meets legal requirements. Good arrangements are in place to ensure the welfare and care of pupils. A productive learning ethos that promotes enjoyment in learning has been firmly established.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching is good and helps pupils to learn effectively. Assessment systems are efficient and help to focus support on specific individual learning needs.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good; a significant proportion is very good and there are examples of outstanding practice. • Computers are used exceptionally well in some lessons. • Teaching sometimes is unimaginative and there is an over-reliance on filling in worksheets. • The teaching of pupils with special educational needs and of those with English as an additional language is good and often very good. • Teachers build very good relationships with pupils and this contributes to pupils’ enthusiasm for learning. Queen Edith Primary - 14 • There are too few opportunities for pupils to be involved in planning their learning, so learning is not always sufficiently purposeful. • Thorough and efficient assessment systems help to pinpoint areas for improvement.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 59 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

2 (3%) 10 (17%) 29 (49%) 17 (29%) 1 (2%) 0 0

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

9. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Teaching in the nursery and reception classes is good. Teaching in Years 1 and 2 and in Years 3 to 6 is good. The teaching of English is good in Years 1 and 2 and very good in Years 3 to 6. Across the school, teaching in mathematics, science, information and communication technology (ICT) and religious education is good. There was an example of unsatisfactory teaching, where the pace of learning was too slow, because pupils were not managed effectively and consequently did not learn enough. In several lessons, particularly in mathematics, science and music, computers were used especially well to support teaching and learning.

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Commentary

Example of outstanding practice In an excellent music lesson for pupils in Year 5, computers were used exceptionally well to compose complex pieces of music. The data projector was used well to display pupils’ ‘Space Journey’ visual scores and to demonstrate how to record, mix and layer the sounds made by percussion instruments and computer-generated sounds. Mixing tables had been set up around the edges of the school hall with a wide selection of musical instruments in the centre. The teacher explained with great clarity how to use condenser microphones, directional microphones and how to use the mixing tables to record sounds, copy, trim and edit compositions. To consolidate understanding of the process, he referred back to pupils’ previous work in physics on sound waves. Great excitement was generated, but the lesson was extremely well managed and pupils sensibly experimented with instruments and

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Commentary

worked on their scores in pairs, whilst waiting to record sections of their composition, one instrument at a time. The teacher maintained high expectations of pupils’ performance and pupils made excellent progress. Work of high quality was produced in a short space of time. This was an inspirational lesson that perfectly matched pupils’ interest in modern forms of electronic composition.

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Commentary

10. In contrast to this, the key factor in some lessons being no more than satisfactory is that the teaching is not imaginative enough. Although teachers seek to interest pupils and tasks are demanding, these sometimes lack variety and rely too heavily on a set formula that includes much of the work being geared to filling in worksheets. Also, there are too few opportunities for pupils to engage in practical first-hand experimentation and investigation. This constrains the development of reasoning skills. It also limits pupils’ depth of understanding in mathematics and science.

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Commentary

11. Teachers plan well for pupils with special educational needs, taking full account of their particular learning needs. Teaching assistants work well with these pupils, providing effective support for learning, both in classrooms and in special groups that are withdrawn from class lessons. Similarly, the teaching of bilingual pupils who need extra support in learning to speak English is very effective. Some make remarkable progress in a very short space of time. This is because teachers are very sensitive to their needs and Queen Edith Primary - 15 address them skilfully. Also, the very good relationships between pupils, the school’s strong commitment to inclusiveness and the productive climate for learning all contribute to effective learning by these pupils.

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Commentary

12. Relationships between teachers and pupils are very good and help to produce a very positive climate for learning. Teachers treat all pupils with great respect. This is demonstrated by the sensible, adult way in which teachers talk to pupils, in the expectation that pupils will react with mature responses. Gentle humour is used well and good opportunities are provided for pupils to consolidate speaking and social skills. Pupils often find it difficult to express themselves clearly, but teachers give them plenty of chances to give clear explanations. In an art and design lesson for pupils in Year 5, for example, the teacher said, ‘I am an alien. Explain to me exactly how you make coil pots’. Here, pupils were encouraged to think through their explanations in a logical, step-by-step way.

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Commentary

13. Teachers plan and prepare lessons thoroughly. They set clear targets for learning and share these with pupils during the introductory part of each lesson. During review sessions towards the end of each lesson, the teacher and the pupils discuss to what extent the targets have been met. This helps pupils to understand how successful their learning has been. In some classes there was little evidence of teachers providing opportunities for pupils to take charge of their learning, to suggest how experiments might be conducted or to debate the best way to solve problems. There is a tendency for lessons to be too strongly directed by teachers, rather than allowing the pupils themselves to discuss what they need to know and how to plan a course designed to promote highly effective learning. Also, the reasons for conducting exercises and the anticipated destination of work are not always made explicit. Teachers tend to state what the activity

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Commentary

is, but do not always explain the rationale. Pupils do not always know whether their work is destined to be made into a class book, form part of a display, or to be filed in folders for future reference. Consequently, learning is not always meaningful and sometimes it lacks sufficient purpose.

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Commentary

14. The school has developed good systems to evaluate pupils’ performance. Assessments of pupils’ achievements are generally thorough, although the systems for assessing children’s learning in the nursery are not as well developed as in the rest of the school. From the reception year onwards, detailed records are kept on each individual pupil. Those who seem not to be achieving as well as might be expected receive extra attention and are monitored intensely. Extra classes are organised to boost the performance of groups of pupils who could do better in English and mathematics. Pupils are prepared well to take the national tests. Tests and assessments are analysed minutely, to identify any particular areas of weakness. Rapid action is taken to tackle areas of weakness. In Year 2, for example, it was noted that boys did not make as much progress as girls in reading. The teachers quickly introduced books that appealed particularly to boys and

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Commentary

included more non-fiction books in group reading sessions. This had a marked impact on their enthusiasm for reading and the progress they made. The deputy headteacher’s role is flexible and she uses assessment data, together with her good knowledge and understanding of the learning needs of individual pupils, to focus her efforts where they are needed most. The school’s good use of assessments of pupils’ achievement helps to raise standards.

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The curriculum

Queen Edith Primary - 16 The curriculum is good and is particularly strong in English. There is an extensive range of extra activities that enrich pupils’ learning. The curriculum is carefully regulated, so that it fully meets the needs of all pupils according to their widely varying stages of development and their very different backgrounds. The school’s accommodation is good and resources are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The English curriculum is particularly well developed. • An extensive range of visits, visitors, special events and well-judged, innovative projects inspire pupils and bring the curriculum to life. • Curriculum innovation is strong and new initiatives are carefully evaluated as they evolve. • The curriculum is geared to meeting the needs of all pupils and so all enjoy equal opportunities.

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Commentary

15. The school offers pupils a broad and balanced curriculum. It is well planned and appropriate emphasis is placed on the key areas of literacy, numeracy and ICT. Statutory requirements are fully met. The curriculum is divided into subjects, but good links have been made between subjects to establish a meaningful programme of learning. A thematic approach has been adopted, in order to create a purposeful and engaging curriculum that stimulates an interest in learning. A broad theme is identified, such as ‘Africa’ and many areas of study are incorporated into the theme. Literature is linked with geography, as well as with art and design. Learning in history and geography is closely linked, for example, through projects on India. The teaching of citizenship is underpinned by well-planned visits, such as when Year 6 pupils met the mayor at the council chambers and learned about the council’s function and responsibilities. A supportive climate for

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Commentary

learning has been established that helps pupils to develop their thinking skills through good quality questioning and opportunities for paired work and group discussion. Pupils are particularly motivated by the special events and stimulating extra experiences that are planned throughout the year, such as ‘Maths Week’ and visits by the ‘Life Bus’, which provides good opportunities to learn about the human body. However, the planning and delivery of imaginative learning experiences in day-to-day lessons is sometimes lacking.

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Commentary

16. The English curriculum is very good. Schemes of work and term-by-term planning for each aspect of the subject are organised systematically and teachers ensure that expectations are high for all year groups. Those learners who need revision or extension work are well provided for. All pupils get regular opportunities to study key texts related to other subjects in literacy, such as when Year 2 pupils learnt about the story of Grace Darling as part of a history project, and to apply key literacy skills across the curriculum.

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Commentary

17. The school provides a rich and varied programme of experiences for all pupils. The curriculum offered to pupils promotes their personal as well as their academic development. A strong emphasis is placed on offering pupils first-hand learning experiences, both in class and beyond. To mark the celebration of Chinese New Year, pupils in Year 1 made dumplings, lanterns, money packets and dragon wings. Each term, a series of visits and expert visitors to the school are planned for each year group, which helps extend pupil’s cultural awareness. When studying the Victorians, pupils in Year 6 listened with interest to a talk on mechanical musical instruments from the era, given by collectors. Year 4 pupils also listened to older pupils who described what it meant to be a Muslim. The school also organises many special events. It places emphasis on giving Queen Edith Primary - 17 pupils the opportunity to learn alongside other year groups. The school stages musical

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Commentary

productions and ‘enrichment weeks’, in order to build pupils’ confidence and knowledge and understanding. An African afternoon, in which each class presented their findings about a particular African country, enabled pupils to recognise the vast scale and diversity of the continent.

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Commentary

18. Curriculum innovation is strong and the school always ensures that new initiatives are carefully evaluated and evolved. For instance, the headteacher worked hard to prepare a ‘Learning to Learn’ conference for pupils, who explored their own learning style preferences. The benefits of specialist teaching have been recognised and pupils enjoy tuition from external experts, such as the hockey coaches and the sports co-ordinator at the local secondary school. The school has recognised the success of these initiatives and expanded such opportunities for pupils. Teachers are now beginning to adapt curriculum plans, so that learning activities cater for a range of learning styles, and to invite teachers with specialist subject knowledge to teach other classes. In this way, the school provides some good opportunities to spread good practice.

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Commentary

19. The school strongly promotes educational and social inclusion. Careful account is taken of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language is very good and many of these pupils make exceptionally good progress. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. It is well focused on providing them with both learning and social skills to access the whole curriculum. The team of well-qualified teaching assistants supports pupils and teachers very ably. Consequently, these pupils have full access to learning opportunities in all subjects. The school has also taken steps to ensure that gifted and talented pupils are duly identified and their needs recognised. It has begun to address the specific features of the English curriculum which most appeal to more reluctant boys. For instance, reading material selected for lessons takes more

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Commentary

account of boys’ preferences. The school’s internal and external accommodation is attractive and spacious, although the fabric of the building is looking tired in places. Through careful curriculum planning and purchasing, the school has ensured that resources fully meet the requirements of each subject.

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Care, guidance and support

Provision for pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety is good. The support, advice and guidance pupils receive are good. The school involves pupils well through seeking and acting on their views.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school looks after its pupils well; health and safety and child protection procedures are comprehensive and effective. • The school actively seeks pupils’ views and accommodates their suggestions and preferences wherever possible. • The school has effective monitoring and assessment procedures and these help pupils to make good progress in their work.

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Commentary

Queen Edith Primary - 18 20. Child protection procedures are good and members of staff are fully aware of their individual responsibilities. Monitoring of health and safety is thorough and regularly overseen by governors. First aid procedures are comprehensive and parents are promptly informed if a mishap occurs during the school day. The school knows its pupils well and this helps teachers to spot any emerging problems at an early stage. Pupils feel the school cares for them and they like and respect the adults around them in the school. They say that they would feel able to ask for help or advice if they needed it. This puts pupils in a good position to be able to settle down and concentrate on their work.

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Commentary

21. Pupils are confident that the school listens to their views and takes them seriously and inspectors agree. There is a school council with elected representatives, who are responsible for soliciting pupils’ opinions and representing them to the management. As a result, recommendations from this body have brought about several improvements. For example, pupils have chosen additional playground equipment, have selected charities and contributed to the drafting of school and class rules.

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Commentary

22. During discussions, pupils say they are well supported by their teachers. Pupils receive clear guidance on how well they are doing in their work and how they can improve. This helps them to make the most of their time in lessons and encourages them to work hard and do their very best.

p.18

Commentary

23. Early identification is made of pupils with special educational needs, so that appropriate support is provided as soon as possible. Individual education plans are of a high standard, are regularly reviewed and provide targets that are well matched to individual needs. Targets are shared with pupils as much as possible, so that they can be aware of why they are being supported and of the progress they are making. Pupils with statements receive their full entitlement of provision. The particular needs of those bilingual pupils who need extra help in learning to speak English fluently are identified precisely. Good programmes are in place to meet their individual learning needs. The school’s well- developed systems enable specialist teachers to react immediately to the needs of newcomers to the school who have little or no English. As a result, many make exceptionally good progress. Queen Edith Primary - 19

p.18

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has very good links with parents. Links with other schools and the community are good.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents are very well informed about the day-to-day life of the school and their children’s progress. • Parents contribute to the work of the school very effectively. • Close links with the local community enrich the curriculum and enhance pupils’ personal development well. • Pupils are well prepared for moving on to their next school.

p.19

Commentary

24. The school keeps parents very well informed about their children’s education and the progress they are making. Parents are invited to information evenings that cover aspects of the curriculum such as literacy and numeracy; these help parents to support their children at home. Regular newsletters also provide information about school events and developments. In addition, extensive parental support in the classroom and on educational visits gives parents a very good opportunity to see how well the school cares for their children. The school has a good community room, where parents who need support in learning English meet regularly to develop social contacts and improve their communication skills. The school has facilities to provide translators where necessary, so that all parents are kept well informed about their children.

p.19

Commentary

25. The school solicits parents’ views in a number of ways: through informal discussion, surveys and during parents’ consultation evenings. Good contact is maintained with parents and carers of children with special educational needs. Targets are shared with them at consultation evenings. Whenever feasible, the school acts upon parents’ suggestions and incorporates them into plans for the future. Parents contribute very well to the work of the school. There is a very active friends association, which holds a number of fundraising and other events throughout the year. These include fairs, dances, cooking demonstrations and a fun run. These are well supported by both parents and staff. In addition, the school draws upon the broad cultural background of parents, to explore curriculum topics and support events such as a multi-cultural food evening. As a result, parents are pleased to help and feel fully involved in the work of the school.

p.19

Commentary

26. Members of the community and local business provide generous support for the school. Several supermarkets recently supported a European day with donations of food and pupils visited a local laboratory, giving them an insight into genetic research. A regular stream of visitors attends assemblies and supports class topic work. The school premises are made available to the community and several organisations make regular use of the facilities.

p.19

Commentary

27. Good liaison and transfer arrangements with the receiving secondary school ensure a smooth transition when pupils leave at the end of Year 6. There are a number of opportunities for pupils and parents to familiarise themselves with their new school. Parents of former pupils confirm that that their children are well prepared for the transition to the next stage of their education. Queen Edith Primary - 20

p.19

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher and her deputy work closely together to provide very good leadership that underpins the school’s success. Subject leaders make an effective contribution to the good management of the curriculum. The governing body provides good support and makes a strong contribution to the school’s effectiveness.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher and her deputy are deeply committed to ensuring that all pupils achieve well. • The school reflects on its practice and constantly seeks to improve standards. • The excellent teaching in the school is not shared fully with all teachers. • The management of provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • The management of provision for pupils with English as an additional language is very good. • The governing body provides strong support. • The school makes very good use of limited resources and provides very good value for money.

p.20

Commentary

28. The headteacher provides exceptionally good leadership. She identifies the school’s successes and celebrates them enthusiastically. She is generous with her praise and appreciates the particular strengths of the teachers and support staff. The deputy headteacher has a wealth of relevant experience and expertise. Together they give dynamic leadership. They analyse the school’s performance closely and pay close attention to the particular learning needs of each individual pupil. This often involves innovative research. The headteacher has, for example, been awarded a grant to conduct research into how pupils from ‘lone’ families perform. This was prompted by an analysis of the school’s performance in English in 2002, where a significant decline seemed to be due to underachievement of boys from lone families. The school analyses pupils’ performance in great detail. Performance is analysed according to a wide range of

p.20

Commentary

factors such as gender, ethnicity and home language, to determine whether any group is not performing as well as might be expected. The deputy headteacher has made a strong contribution to the school’s remarkable success in attaining high standards in English. She is in the process of introducing innovative assessment systems to raise standards further. She has also introduced systems that promote very good provision for bilingual pupils.

p.20

Commentary

29. Although the school is successful, there is no complacency and it is always moving forward in its quest to ensure that all pupils achieve well. The management of the school is good and there is a strong focus on raising standards. The school improvement plan includes specific and challenging targets for each subject. The English action plan, for example, included precise success criteria: ‘Year 6 2004 to achieve 79 per cent at level 4+ and 38 per cent at level 5’. Due to a concerted effort by teachers and support staff, the school exceeded these ambitious targets. The school is organised efficiently and Queen Edith Primary - 21 managed reflectively. The school is constantly refining procedures such as the evolution of target setting, from individual booklets to targets that are embedded in each lesson.

p.20

Commentary

30. New teachers are supported well and performance management systems are firmly established. The school makes good provision for teachers’ continuing training needs. There is some exemplary teaching in the school, but this is not always shared fully so that all teachers develop a clear understanding of what constitutes teaching of the highest quality. However, the school has good plans to spread best practice next term.

p.21

Commentary

31. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very well led and managed by the deputy headteacher. Help and advice, where required, is given to class teachers when they write and review individual education plans, to ensure that targets are clear and manageable. Records about pupils with special educational needs are of a high quality and provide a clear and thorough record of individual progress and support. This shows good improvement since the last inspection, when the quality of individual education plans needed to be improved. The co-ordinator meets regularly with teaching assistants to discuss aspects of their work and support, or to provide further training. Careful monitoring of their work and support informs the focus of their annual reviews.

p.21

Commentary

32. Provision for pupils whose home language is not English is managed very well by the deputy headteacher. Each pupil is thoroughly assessed and staff are deployed well to meet their particular needs. The teacher for these pupils organises her time well and there is a good balance between supporting pupils in class and withdrawing them for intensive work designed to fill specific gaps in their learning.

p.21

Commentary

33. The governing body provides good support. The headteacher keeps governors very well informed about all school issues. Governors are well aware of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Governors understand that the transient school population presents particular challenges and strives hard to support the school in ensuring that each individual pupil is enabled to achieve well. Governors examine the school’s performance in detail and debate at length ways to improve the quality of provision. The governing body issues a termly newsletter to parents, which includes responses to parents’ questionnaires and features major school issues, committee reports and reports on attendance and behaviour. The governing body is particularly good at monitoring expenditure and in ensuring that limited resources are used wisely. There is very little money left over at the end of each financial year.

p.21

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.21

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1 066 693 Balance from previous year 9 609 Total expenditure 1 026 519 Balance carried forward to the next 49 783 Expenditure per pupil 2 286.23

p.21

Commentary

34. The school manages its finances exceptionally well. The money it receives is well below the national average. Through good management it has succeeded in enabling the deputy headteacher to maintain a non-class teaching role. This has many advantages. The deputy headteacher, who is responsible for co-ordinating provision for pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, uses her time flexibly and provides good support, wherever specific needs are identified. This enables Queen Edith Primary - 22 the school, for example, to react rapidly to the learning needs of newcomers to the school. These may have little English or may be from the families of refugees or asylum seekers, who often need extra personal and social support. She is also responsible for leading developments in English and her flexible role has helped to ensure good provision and high standards in this vital area of the curriculum. There is also a teacher who provides

p.21

Commentary

time for teachers to be released from class teaching duties on a regular basis, so that they can perform their duties as subject leaders. This reduces the need to employ temporary stand-in teachers and promotes greater continuity of learning, as close liaison with class teachers and the release teacher is maintained. Taking into account the school’s particular strength in English, the good teaching and pupils’ good achievement, set against low expenditure per pupil, the school provides very good value for money. Queen Edith Primary - 23

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

35. There are currently 22 children who attend nursery in the morning and 16 who attend in the afternoons. There are two reception classes, one of 28 and one of 26 children. There have been several changes of teachers in the nursery over the past few years. Two teachers are currently sharing the full-time nursery position. However, at the time of the inspection, one of these was on sick leave and the other was teaching full-time. There is a full-time teacher and full-time assistant in each of the reception classes. Other learning assistants who support children with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, together with parent volunteers, further supplement this good level of staffing.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

36. All the children started in their respective classes in September and at the time of the inspection had nearly completed the full academic year there. The range of children’s development within each of the classes is exceptionally wide. A small proportion of each class is articulate and advanced in their learning. Several are at early stages of understanding and using English. Very good visual and tactile methods, where children can see and feel what they are learning as well as listening to instructions, are successful and all the children achieve well in all areas of learning except creative development, where achievement is satisfactory. Boys and girls are making similarly good progress. Children with special educational needs, or with English as an additional language, make the same good progress overall through effective, sensitive additional support and clear visual strategies that help them with their learning.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

37. Teaching and learning overall are good in all areas of learning, except creative development, where they are satisfactory. Strengths include very good relationships between staff and children and good opportunities for children to choose and pursue their own activities. Teaching is less effective in both reception and nursery classes on occasions, when there is insufficient focus on individual children’s learning and insufficient adaptation of tasks to match individual needs.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

38. Good relationships between staff provide positive role models for the children and contribute to the good organisation and smooth running of the classrooms. Teachers and support assistants know all the children very well. ‘Assessment profiles’ have been adopted by the reception classes. These provide a suitable framework to record children’s progress in all six areas of learning. These are kept up to date and help reception teachers to plan activities for the next steps of children’s learning. However, nursery staff have not developed such effective assessment systems. Assessment procedures in the nursery do not focus closely on all aspects of learning and provide insufficient information on children’s developments. They are less helpful in planning activities to extend individual children’s learning.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

39. The co-ordinator leads and manages the area well. She has formed a cohesive team that meets together weekly and undertakes training together. She has formed a clear and well- defined improvement plan and has successfully developed the outdoor learning area and assessment procedures in the reception classes. She has less experience of nursery practice and has not tackled the issue of record keeping there.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

40. Standards are lower than at the time of the last inspection, due to changes in the backgrounds and experiences of children coming into nursery. Good practice continues and improvements since the last inspection have been sound.

p.23

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Queen Edith Primary - 24 Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff manage children sensitively and good relationships successfully help children to develop confidence. • Children develop a measure of independence through the staff’s high expectations of their capacity to be self-reliant.

p.24

Commentary

41. Despite very wide variations, standards in this area of learning are well below average when children start in the nursery. By the end of the year, some still need the security of a blanket or other favourite object and stand and watch others, before joining in or pursuing an activity of their own choice. By the end of the reception year, many children still need staff support to sort out squabbles and help them interact with others. Although children are building friendships, they tend to play alone or next to each other, rather than interacting with each other. Co- operative play is rare. At the end of the reception year children continue to need adult support to remember basic daily routines such as changing their shoes before going out to play. But they have made good progress and, although many exceed expectations for their age, a significant proportion will not quite achieve the goals they are expected to reach by the end of the reception

p.24

Commentary

42. Staff quickly develop good relationships with the children and are sensitive to their individual needs. This helps children develop confidence and most separate easily from their parents and enter their classes happily.

p.24

Commentary

43. High expectations from staff, accessibility of resources and good allocation of time for children’s own choice of activities successfully help children develop some skills of independence, even though these are still slightly below average when children leave their reception class. The range of activities and resources available in the nursery is good. The balance between child-chosen activities and those directed and taught by adults in the reception class is good and supports children’s learning well. ‘Snack time‘, where children share fruit they have brought to school, is a particularly pleasant time, through which social skills are slowly but steadily emerging. Most children are good at taking turns and most remember to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’

p.24

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Effective teaching lays a secure foundation for good development and success further up the school. • Teaching of writing in the reception class is carefully structured and effective. • Methods of teaching usually include pictures that help all the children’s learning, especially those who have English as an additional language. • Children in the nursery with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are supported well.

p.24

Commentary

Queen Edith Primary - 25 44. Children start in the nursery with a very wide variation of skills in this area of learning that are well below average overall. Several are at an early stage of learning to speak English. Children achieve well in the nursery and reception classes. By the end of the reception year, standards overall are below those normally expected for their age. Particularly good progress has been made in reading and, by the end of the reception year, most children are on course to achieve the early learning goals that are described in national guidance. Standards in speaking and listening and writing are just below this. However, by this time, children have built secure foundations in this area that are a solid base for continued success throughout the school.

p.25

Commentary

45. This is particularly true for writing. Opportunities and encouragement for children’s own writing are an integral part of learning in the nursery. Some children are eager to write. This is encouraged well in a variety of ways, for example, through making lists in an imaginary shop and designing seed packets complete with instructions for growth. This writing is praised appropriately and provides an effective model for other children. Children’s own emergent play writing is also encouraged in the reception classes and in addition, letter and word formation is also taught in a more formal, structured way. Teachers are particularly observant of this aspect and correct work clearly and immediately, in a way which successfully helps children to develop their writing skills. Individual whiteboards are used well for children’s writing and are particularly effective, as children can easily rub their work out and try again if necessary. Children have written their

p.25

Commentary

own labels for parts of the classroom, such as: ‘This is the floor’, ‘sand tray’ and ‘window’, which effectively supports both reading and writing.

p.25

Commentary

46. Children with special educational needs are supported well and are encouraged to enjoy listening to stories. They make good progress. Children with English as an additional language also achieve well. They are supported sensitively at story time and during class discussions and are encouraged to take a full part in all activities. During story time, for example, the classroom assistant often sits next to those who need extra help and holds the same book that the teacher is reading, so that they can clearly see both pictures and print. Most children are supported well in their reading at home. The fact that children take home both a book from the reading scheme and another that they have chosen supports both their enjoyment of books and their developing reading skills well.

p.25

Commentary

47. Children in both the nursery and reception classes are confident to talk to adults and each other. Many demonstrate a narrow vocabulary and do not know the names of everyday objects. Conversation between children is limited and talk with adults needs a lot of encouragement. This is made possible through the good ratio of staff to children, supplemented by volunteer parent helpers and additional support staff.

p.25

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Clearly structured, visual methods of teaching mathematical processes, such as addition in the reception classes, contribute well to effective learning. • Planning and work in books demonstrate that higher attaining children are not always sufficiently challenged to extend their learning. Queen Edith Primary - 26

p.25

Commentary

48. Children come into the nursery with mathematical skills that are well below average, although there are some very wide differences in skills and understanding. The few most capable children work securely at or just above average levels, but most of the class is functioning at levels that are well below this. However, effective teaching means that all the children are achieving well. The breadth of children’s attainment remains, but the classes leave reception with standards that are just below those normally expected for their age. Mathematics is successfully included in all areas of learning in the nursery and reception classes. The numbering of wheeled toys such as tricycles, ‘parking spaces’ outside and cups and cup-hooks in an imaginary ‘home’ area successfully helps children count and match objects one to one, or to the numbers on display.

p.26

Commentary

49. The clear, structured teaching of mathematical processes, such as addition in the reception classes, is impressive. In one class, children successfully learned about addition through placing different numbers of frogs in two ponds and counting the total. Teachers are particularly observant of children’s work and correct it sensitively, whenever needed. However, tasks are not always sufficiently varied to meet individual children’s learning needs.

p.26

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good use of high quality resources, including books and posters, provides effective visual support for children’s learning. • Celebration of the diversity of people in the school community contributes well to children’s knowledge and understanding of differences and similarities between themselves and others. • Children successfully extend their knowledge about the world outside their classroom through walks around the school and by listening to visitors talking about their work.

p.26

Commentary

50. Children start at the nursery with an extremely wide diversity of knowledge and understanding of the world. Overall, this is below average. Children’s achievement is good in the nursery and reception classes and most are likely to achieve the early learning goals by the time they enter Year 1.

p.26

Commentary

51. Teaching and learning are good. Good quality resources, including books and posters, support children’s learning effectively. A group of reception children looked very carefully at photographs of frogspawn, tadpoles and frogs, whilst learning about life cycles. Their accurate colouring showed how carefully they were looking at the photographs and how much detail they were learning to observe. Nursery children enjoyed playing with pots, soil, seeds and gardening tools. They looked carefully at posters and seed packets and all planted sunflower seeds. Later, one child correctly identified a sunflower seed and knew that it would grow into a different flower from the other seeds. Queen Edith Primary - 27 52. The school’s ethos of accepting and celebrating diversity successfully helps children to recognise some of the similarities and differences between people. Photographs show nursery children listening intently to a story read in two languages by English and Indian

p.26

Commentary

members of staff, and nursery children trying on some traditional Indian clothes.

p.27

Commentary

53. Children successfully learn more about the world through listening to parents who are invited in to talk about their work. This has included builder dads in the nursery and a doctor mum in reception. These occasions were developed well through a ‘teddy bear clinic’ and the provision of ‘trucks’ to drive and tools to play with in nursery.

p.27

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good .

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• An increased use of the outdoor area allows more time for nursery children to develop their physical skills. • Resources such as wheeled toys and play equipment are used effectively. • Children develop a good range of co-ordination skills well through the good variety of activities offered in both nursery and reception classes.

p.27

Commentary

54. Assessment records show that many children lack confidence in their physical skills when entering nursery. These are less well developed than average. Teaching is good and helps children to learn effectively. Children have many good opportunities to develop small and large physical movements. Their achievement is good and most achieve the early learning goals by the end of the reception year.

p.27

Commentary

55. Children in the nursery have the choice of whether to play inside or out for much of the session. This is a positive development since the last inspection. The nursery playground is spacious and provides ample room for children to develop skills in running, jumping and controlling wheeled toys, many of which have been purchased since the last inspection.

p.27

Commentary

56. Children in the reception classes now use the nursery playground and equipment at lunch times and this has greatly improved their opportunities for physical development. Climbing equipment is fairly limited in the nursery and non-existent in the reception classes. Good use is made of larger equipment in the infant playground and photographs show children developing their skills well through climbing, balancing and swinging on equipment. The hall is also used for structured physical education lessons each week. Observations of a lesson, however, revealed that children do not always understand verbal instructions and need frequent demonstration for learning to be fully effective.

p.27

Commentary

57. Children’s skills in manipulating small tools and co-ordinating delicate movements develop well through participation in a wide range of practical activities, such as cutting, painting, and working with modelling dough and shaving foam. Teachers in the reception class are particularly aware of the physical skills needed in other areas of learning, such as forming letters and numbers correctly. They ensure that children have sufficient space and a correct, comfortable physical position for writing.

p.27

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Queen Edith Primary - 28 Provision in creative development is satisfactory.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children develop their creative skills well through participating in the wide variety of interesting activities available. • Given the children’s limited social and language skills, there is insufficient direct adult input into imaginative play for this to develop successfully.

p.28

Commentary

58. Children come into nursery with creative skills lower than average for their age. Teaching is satisfactory. Children’s achievement is satisfactory, but most are unlikely to achieve the early learning goals by the end of the reception year.

p.28

Commentary

59. Children have good opportunities to use a wide variety of materials and resources creatively. Some spend a long time making things such as binoculars, which most referred to as ‘noculars’, out of tubes and boxes. They enjoy this greatly. Children enjoy painting, sticking and working with modelling dough and shaving foam. All of these contribute successfully to children’s creative development.

p.28

Commentary

60. Opportunities for imaginative play are good. Staff set up a wide range of scenarios, such as a garden centre, café, office, shop and medical clinic. Some make-believe situations are developed successfully, when an adult is present. However children’s social and language skills are below those found in most schools and do not always support their imaginative play effectively. Children use limited imagination when playing with ‘small world’ resources such as cars and figures. Interactive play with these is limited. Children play alone or alongside each other, saying very little when there is no adult present. There is too little adult participation to help these children to develop their imaginative play successfully.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are well above average by Year 6 and all pupils achieve very well. • Pupils with English as an additional language are very well supported, so they make good and often very good progress. • Highly structured teaching has ensured pupils are immersed in the subject and develop a love of language. • The co-ordinator provides exceptionally good leadership and management. • Literacy is promoted effectively through other subjects of the curriculum. Queen Edith Primary - 29

p.28

Commentary

61. Standards are above average by the end of Year 2 and well above average by the end of Year 6. This is remarkable, as many pupils enter the school with language and literacy skills that are below average, a large proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language and pupils regularly arrive at the school from abroad with no English. Good progress has been made since the last inspection and the standards that the older pupils attain are now even higher than they were. Nearly half of pupils in Year 6 exceed the national target of level 4 and attain the higher level 5 standard. Pupils’ achievement is very good.

p.29

Commentary

62. There are several reasons why standards have improved. Teaching is more challenging and is particularly innovative in Years 5 and 6. The school has also maintained a strong emphasis and a clear focus on raising standards. There are very structured arrangements in place to support pupils’ development of basic skills, such as the systematic teaching of phonics to support reading, writing and spelling, as well as the thorough teaching of handwriting. Pupils are also very well prepared for the national tests. Information from periodic assessments of pupils’ work in class and analysis of their test results is used effectively, to ensure that underachieving learners are identified early and procedures are initiated to boost their achievement. Support for bilingual pupils and for pupils with special educational needs is very good. Teachers adapt tasks and provide appropriate learning opportunities for these pupils’ particular needs. Teaching assistants provide effective

p.29

Commentary

support for pupils who need to develop their basic skills, both in the way they explain, question and guide pupils at each stage of the lesson and through their work in delivering specially adapted study programmes to specific groups.

p.29

Commentary

63. The very good provision for those pupils whose home language is not English promotes their very good achievement. Some make outstanding progress and all but a very small number of recent arrivals or pupils who also have severe learning difficulties attain the national target of level 4 by the end of Year 6. This is a remarkable accomplishment. Teaching for these pupils is good and often very good. Teachers introduce and explain key vocabulary during the introductory part of each lesson. The deputy headteacher and the specialist teacher for English as an additional language organise support that is geared precisely to the particular needs of each individual. Pupils’ progress is plotted closely and teaching programmes are adjusted to meet any particular needs that are identified through evaluations of their achievement. Expectations of their performance are high and they respond well to the support provided.

p.29

Commentary

64. By the end of Year 2, standards are above average in speaking and listening and in writing. Teaching is good overall and the teaching of reading is particularly effective, with pupils reaching high standards. Pupils read a range of texts with good understanding, fluency and expression. Less fluent readers are given carefully tailored support in groups and many make very good progress. Pupils listen at length and talk confidently with an increasing vocabulary, which is extended well through regular opportunities for them to discuss their own thoughts and feelings with a ‘literacy partner’. Their writing, in a range of styles, develops ideas carefully, shows a good command of vocabulary and an awareness of the reader. Pupils write at length regularly and successfully and most punctuate their sentences accurately, with the more able writers organising their work very well and strongly conveying imaginative ideas in their stories and poems.

p.29

Commentary

Queen Edith Primary - 30 65. By the end of Year 6, standards are above average in speaking and listening and well above average in both reading and writing, because teaching is often very good, particularly for the older pupils. Pupils have many opportunities for group discussion, where they listen with concentration and respond thoughtfully to each other’s ideas and opinions. Many talk with assurance in different situations and some pupils use more formal language effectively when required. The school has done much to promote a love of reading in all pupils and most express very positive attitudes about books. Pupils develop effective comprehension skills by Year 6, use reference material well and discuss the key ideas in books they have read. More able readers justify their own views with close reference to the text. Most pupils are confident writers who apply themselves very well and are well versed in the process of drafting, editing and presenting their own ideas.

p.30

Commentary

They write compelling pieces in a range of styles. More able pupils in all year groups produce writing that is often highly reflective. Two Year 4 pupils, for example, composed an insightful thought for the day for an assembly on living together, stating ‘Everyone is unique, complex and emotionally different. This makes us all special.’ Many pupils speak at least two languages and this contributes to an interest in the comparative structure of different languages. Pupils generally exhibit sensitivity for verbal communication, select words carefully and demonstrate a love of language.

p.30

Commentary

66. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 and 2 is good and in Years 3 to 6 it is very good. Teaching is highly systematic. Teachers plan and prepare lessons thoroughly, with a good knowledge of the diverse needs of pupils in their care. Teachers have a good command of their subject and lessons are always focused, with targets shared with pupils at the outset. Relationships between adults and pupils are very positive. Where teaching is most effective, teachers put across key ideas very imaginatively in well-paced lessons. In Year 5, the teacher used computer technology to help pupils recite, draft and review their poetry. Where teaching is less effective, exciting texts are not always used as a stimulus for developing key skills and activities are sometimes less well adapted to each pupil’s specific needs. Overall, the school does much to enrich the curriculum; for instance, pupils regularly stage productions of famous tales in front of an audience and

p.30

Commentary

participate in reading challenges. The highly structured and enriched curriculum ensures that pupils develop confidence and enjoyment in all aspects of the subject. A strong feature is the expert co-ordination of the subject. The co-ordinator’s expertise and enthusiasm for analysing pupils’ performance promotes among all teachers a strong commitment to raising standards even further.

p.30

Language and literacy across the curriculum

67. Teachers plan carefully to ensure that pupils are able to apply the skills which have been taught systematically in literacy lessons. Opportunities for reading and writing activities in other subjects are offered to all pupils. Pupils are regularly encouraged to use language to organise and express their own thoughts about new themes and to research and write at length across the curriculum, particularly in history and geography. For instance, when studying the Tudors, pupils in Year 5 had opportunities to devise family trees of key monarchs, recount the sinking of the Mary Rose, write letters in role to European queens, compile fact files on Henry VIII and write a balanced argument, reviewing his reign.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is good. Queen Edith Primary - 31

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Skills are taught systematically, so pupils gain a good command of the subject and attain standards that are above average. • Teaching is good and there are examples of computers being used exceptionally well to support learning. • There is an over-reliance on filling in worksheets, rather than providing opportunities for first-hand investigations and practical activities. • The leadership and management of the subject are good.

p.31

Commentary

68. Pupils enter Year 1 with standards that are somewhat below average. They achieve well in Years 1 and 2, especially in basic number skills. By the end of Year 2, most attain standards that are above average. This represents good improvement since the last inspection, when standards were average. Inspection findings do not exactly match the results of the national tests, which indicated that standards were well above average last year. The work that pupils produce shows that they are good at number work, algebra and basic geometry but that there are weaknesses in applying their skills in practical situations. The teacher assessments in 2003 confirm that the proportion of pupils attaining the national target of level 2 in the strand relating to using and applying mathematical skills was below average. This is mainly because many of the younger pupils have a narrow vocabulary, do not always fully understand the

p.31

Commentary

technical language associated with this subject and have poorly developed reasoning skills. This is largely because there are too few opportunities for pupils to experiment and to make deductions. Basic skills are taught methodically and thoroughly and pupils gain a good understanding of number, shape and measurement.

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Commentary

69. Pupils’ achievement is good in Years 3 to 6 and most attain standards that are above average by the end of Year 6. This concurs with the results of national tests in 2003. Results have improved further this year. Pupils who speak English as an additional language achieve well and there are examples of several making exceptionally good progress. Teachers take care to explain technical terms clearly, to ensure that all groups have a good understanding of mathematical vocabulary. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and most attain standards that are at least average. The more able pupils achieve well, as is demonstrated by the high proportion of pupils who exceed the national target of level 4 in national tests and attain the higher level 5 standard.

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Commentary

70. Teaching is good. Teachers plan and prepare lessons thoroughly. During the introduction to lessons pupils are introduced to the targets that they are aiming at. Teachers organise short review periods towards the end of each lesson, when pupils determine whether or not they have met the targets. This helps the teachers to assess how successful learning has been. Although this system helps to give direction, the targets are set by teachers with little involvement from the pupils. There is little discussion about what pupils need to learn and often too little explanation of why it might be useful to learn particular processes such as making block graphs. Examples of very good and excellent teaching were seen in Year 5. In one very good lesson, pupils conducted a market research exercise, where they were required to interpret sets of monthly sales figures. Here, they used their understanding of percentages effectively, as well as their literacy skills, as they composed

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Commentary

slogans designed to sell their products. In one excellent lesson, a computer program was used exceptionally well by the teacher to demonstrate how to use a protractor and by the pupils when investigating the relationship between the sum of the internal angles of triangles, squares and pentagons. Queen Edith Primary - 32 71. Relationships between pupils and teachers are very good. Teachers explain clearly the steps that have to be taken to solve problems and pupils are clear about what is required of them. Teachers provide pupils with worksheets that are adjusted to match the pupils’ widely varying stages of development. Pupils fill in a large number of these worksheets and produce a good quantity of work. They make good progress. However, teaching is sometimes unimaginative, especially when there is an over-reliance on completing worksheets rather than providing opportunities for pupils to engage in first-hand, practical

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Commentary

activities. Nevertheless, teachers promote good attitudes towards the subject and most pupils say that they like the work.

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Commentary

72. The subject co-ordinator leads and managers provision well. She has written a useful booklet for parents, that gives good, clear information about how the subject is taught. She teaches all year groups for a few lessons each term and introduces exciting topics, such as investigations for the older pupils into ‘Vedic squares’, ‘Pascal’s triangle’ and the ‘Fibonacci sequence’. She has also established library packs that the younger pupils take home to conduct investigations with the help of their parents. She has worked with pupils in Year 6, to assess web sites that offer support for pupils in this subject and has created a portal that includes pupils’ evaluations, for anyone who may be searching for appropriate sites. Regular ‘Maths Weeks’ are organised, when the whole school focuses on stimulating mathematical topics. She also helps to co-ordinate the work of university students, who volunteer to visit the school to work under the supervision of teachers. She

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Commentary

analyses test results to identify areas for improvement and supports teachers in filling any gaps in pupils’ learning that are identified through assessment and evaluation of pupils’ performance. The under-use of computers to support teaching and learning was identified as a weakness at the time of the last inspection. Projectors linked to computers are now used well by some teachers to demonstrate skills and processes and the computer suite is sometimes used to teach specific skills. However, computers in classrooms are not used systematically to support teaching and learning. Consequently, opportunities are missed to extend pupils’ skills and knowledge through this valuable tool for learning.

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Mathematics across the curriculum

73. Pupils have good opportunities to use their numeracy skills in other subjects, such as when measuring accurately to make vehicles or sandwich boxes in design and technology, for example. As part of their study of life in the Fifties, pupils wrestled with calculations in pounds, shillings and pence. Pupils in Year 4 studied the work of the graphic artist Escher and created calendars inspired by his tessellated patterns. Pupils also study geometrically symmetrical Rangoli patterns as part of their work on India.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards by Year 2 are above average and many pupils in Year 6 attain standards that are above nationally expected levels. • Teaching is good and therefore pupils achieve well. • Pupils behave very well in lessons and have very positive attitudes to learning, but are not always given enough opportunity to take responsibility for their own learning. Queen Edith Primary - 33 • Science is integrated well into the school's broad curriculum.

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Commentary

74. By Year 2, standards are above average. Thorough assessments are made of pupils’ attainment and progress. Teachers monitor pupils’ achievement carefully and this helps to ensure that all groups of pupils achieve well. Although pupils’ achievement in Years 3 to 6 is good, standards overall are average by the end of Year 6. A half of pupils in Year 6 exceed the national target of level 4 and attain the higher level 5 standard, but a significant proportion does not attain level 4, and this diminishes the school’s overall performance. The test results in 2004 confirm inspection findings. There are several reasons why just over a fifth of pupils fail to attain level 4. The technical language associated with the subject is difficult to assimilate for new arrivals, who often have English as an additional language. Also, there is a significant proportion of pupils in Year 6 who are entered on the register of pupils with special educational needs. The school supports these pupils

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Commentary

particularly well in English and mathematics, so that they are prepared well for the national tests, but there is less emphasis on boosting their performance in science. All strands of the subject are covered, but in some classes, work is geared to completing worksheets at the expense of opportunities for pupils to carry out and record their own investigations. Pupils’ achievement is similar to that reported at the time of the last inspection, but pupils’ attainment on entry has declined and some year groups have a higher proportion of lower attaining pupils than others. Consequently the school’s overall performance in Year 6 varies from year to year, according to the characteristics of each group of pupils in the group.

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Commentary

75. Teaching is good. Teachers quickly establish good relationships with pupils and this good management contributes to very good behaviour and very positive attitudes to learning. As a result, pupils listen attentively and settle quickly to activities, making full use of lesson time. Lessons are well planned and prepared, drawing on teachers’ secure subject knowledge. Clear learning targets are shared with pupils, so that they understand what they are expected to learn. This was particularly evident in a very good lesson in Year 5, where pupils were finding out about insects and their habitats. Thorough planning ensured that pupils were armed with sufficient knowledge to make reasoned predictions about different habitats and what they would expect to find there. Computers were used well as a source of information and for classifying insects. The school’s good wild garden was used well to test predictions. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ performance and

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Commentary

teachers generally challenge all groups appropriately, so that learning is effective for all. Where teaching is less effective, however, lessons do not take full account of pupils’ widely varying stages of development. In one lesson on magnetism, for example, more should have been expected of the more able pupils to move them forward more rapidly in their learning. Also, teachers do not always explain how the learning might be applied to everyday situations or explain the purpose of particular activities There are good links with the local secondary school. As part of this link, pupils start a special unit of work in Year 6, which they continue with after transfer in Year 7. However, in a lesson in Year 6 where a transition unit on bubbles was being followed, teaching was not sufficiently focused on the needs of lower attaining pupils to ensure that they fully understood what they were doing and why. In Year 6, pupils spend a great deal of time revising work that has been

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Commentary

encountered previously. This consolidates learning well, but does little to extend knowledge and understanding. Teaching assistants support pupils with special educational needs particularly well and this helps them to achieve well. Queen Edith Primary - 34 76. The new subject co-ordinator provides satisfactory leadership and management. She has observed some lessons in different classes, but there has not yet been sufficient time or opportunity to gain a complete picture of provision throughout the school. The school has been successful in linking science with other subjects, to help make a more relevant and purposeful approach to learning. For example, physical education lessons are used to measure and compare pulse rates before and after exercise; electrical circuits are used in design and technology when making zoetropes and burglar alarms. Pupils are taught how to read scales, to measure and to compare the results of investigations, although

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Commentary

opportunities for experimentation and investigation are infrequent. Pupils in Year 4 led an excellent assembly that included an impressive piece of drama that illustrated the body’s circulatory system extremely effectively. Computers are used well on occasions and good work has been produced, where pupils used light sensors to test the translucency of materials and programs to help them understand how electrical circuits work. Visits and visitors, such as students from the university who run science workshops, enhance learning well. Good links are made with other subjects as, for example, work in history on how ancient Egyptians used and developed scientific knowledge.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There has been good improvement since the last inspection. • The subject is led well by the co-ordinator. • Good teaching enables pupils to achieve well. • Computers are used well to support teaching and learning across the curriculum.

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Commentary

77. Standards by Year 2 and Year 6 are broadly average. Assessment procedures are not yet fully in place, but where assessments have been recorded in Year 2 and Year 6, overall average standards are indicated. Discussions with pupils from these years and an analysis of work also bear this out. A new scheme of work, following several reviews, has only recently been introduced. Pupils, particularly those in Year 6, have not benefited from well planned, consistent provision throughout their time in school, and skills have not been continuously and consistently developed. A well-constructed curriculum and good teaching is now enabling pupils to achieve well and standards are rising. This represents good improvement since the last inspection, when low attainment was a key issue.

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Commentary

78. Teaching is good. In the lessons seen, teaching and learning were always at least good and there was an example of a very good lesson. The good teaching enables all pupils to achieve well and some attain particularly high standards. Lessons are well planned and prepared, and good use is made of a data projector linked to a computer for introduction and demonstration. Where teachers’ subject knowledge and confidence were not secure, the pace of lessons slowed. Pupils' very positive attitudes and behaviour are strong contributory factors to their good learning and achievement. Pupils work well together at computers, sharing tasks and helping each other and, even when unsupervised, work sensibly at the tasks set for them. This was clearly evident in a Year 2 lesson, where the Queen Edith Primary - 35 class teacher focused her support on a group of pupils using a programmable robot, whilst others worked at associated tasks.

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Commentary

79. The co-ordinator is very enthusiastic and keen to establish ICT and its use fully throughout the school. Teachers follow a good planning framework that covers all aspects of the subject and gives good guidance on links to other subjects. He has led staff meetings on the subject and has helped to develop teachers' subject knowledge and confidence in teaching it, recognising that more still needs to be done in this area. He has supported some teachers in their lessons during his classroom release time, but has yet to fully observe and report on lessons throughout the school, with a view to further improving the quality of teaching and learning and raising standards. Resources have been greatly improved since the last inspection, particularly with the opening of the computer suite.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

80. Good use is made of ICT in other subjects, where skills are increasingly used and developed in relevant and purposeful ways. Music makes very good use of ICT in developing composition skills. Programs to support mathematics are used well, for example, contributing very effectively to an excellent lesson on measuring angles. In science, pupils use programs to help with their investigative work, for example when studying electrical circuits, and in religious education they make ‘virtual visits’ to different places of worship. In Years 4, 5 and 6, pupils enjoy working on ‘accelerated reading quizzes’ designed to test and assess their reading comprehension skills. Pupils often use the Internet to research information about their different topics. Pupils in Year 6 have created good multi-media presentations about different European countries, as part of the school’s recent work on Europe. They have also created beautifully crafted pamphlets

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

about the thirty-six local university colleges. Full use is made of the computer suite, but few classroom lessons were seen that involved the use of computers as a tool for learning.

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HUMANITIES

Religious education was inspected in detail and is reported in full below. Work in history and geography was sampled, but these subjects were not inspected in full.

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HUMANITIES

81. Planning for history and geography shows that good schemes of work are fully in place for both subjects. No lessons were seen in history, but pupils’ work was analysed. In one good lesson in geography, pupils in Year 6 gained a thorough understanding of the consequences of the 1947 flooding of the fens, linking and comparing it well with the frequent flooding experienced in Bangladesh. Older pupils, especially, carry out project work in both subjects, which are carefully researched and presented, using time both in school and at home and often involving a good deal of parental support. Good use is made of visits and visitors to support learning and to enliven the curriculum. For example, Masai warriors danced and shared their life and culture with pupils, whilst another visitor showed pupils Victorian mechanical instruments as part of their studies of this period. Pupils have visited different museums and places of interest, such as an Anglo-Saxon

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HUMANITIES

settlement. Themed events in school provide memorable occasions and effective stimuli for learning. Pupils have taken part, for example, in an African afternoon, European and Victorian days and a whole week devoted to the 1950s, in part to celebrate the school's golden jubilee.

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Religious Education

Queen Edith Primary - 36 Provision in religious education is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils throughout the school make good progress in their knowledge and understanding of major world religions and the impact these have on people’s lives. • The Locally Agreed Syllabus has been developed imaginatively and successfully, to provide a rich, relevant curriculum throughout the school. • Staff, pupils and their families are involved well as ‘experts’ in their faiths. • Teaching is inconsistent and some activities lack imagination.

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Commentary

82. Pupils come to the school with particularly diverse religious knowledge and experience. Some come from families who are devout and active in their faiths; others come with very little, if any, prior religious knowledge. Pupils’ achievement is good. They make good progress in understanding a range of world religions and the impact these have on people’s lives. Standards at the end of Years 2 and 6 are generally in line with the expectations described in the Locally Agreed Syllabus.

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Commentary

83. The co-ordinator leads and manages the subject well. The headteacher, who is also a religious education specialist, ably supports her. They have imaginatively and successfully developed the Locally Agreed Syllabus, so that they are meeting its requirements and providing a rich and relevant religious education for pupils throughout the school. Aspects of religious education are carefully, progressively and cohesively structured, so that each year pupils learn about Christianity, another major world faith and some implications of religion for life. Assemblies are carefully planned and used well to reinforce key points in the syllabus and to promote each pupil’s spiritual development.

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Commentary

84. Staff, pupils and families are involved sensitively and effectively as ‘experts’ presenting their own faiths. Examples of this are two Year 6 girls, who talked to their class about Islam and life as a Muslim and members of staff who talked to classes about their own western Christian wedding and their son’s Hindu wedding in India. Learning about an Indian Hindu wedding was further enhanced as pupils tried on traditional Indian clothes and prepared and ate an Indian village feast.

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Commentary

85. Teaching and learning are generally good. Lessons where pupils are actively involved, as in producing short pieces of drama to illustrate Bible stories, are particularly effective. Some other lessons are dominated by teachers’ explanations and this leaves little room for pupils to conduct their own research. In others, pupils are required to copy facts about famous people or religions. This does little to enhance understanding. The broad curriculum, recognised at the time of the last inspection, has been maintained.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Too few lessons were seen in art and design, design and technology, music or physical education to support overall judgements about provision, but these subjects were sampled. Queen Edith Primary - 37 86. Good work was seen in art and design. Two lessons were observed and in one good lesson, pupils learned how to make coil pots and thumb pots from clay. Pupils develop a good range of skills and work is often linked with other subjects through a theme. As part of their work on Africa, for example, pupils in Year 2 studied the patterns on the coats of African animals and were inspired to paint dramatic patterns based on their studies. Pupils are introduced to a wide range of media. In Year 3, for example, pupils used clay to make mirrors based on the Paisley design made as part of their study of India. In Year 4, pupils painted hieroglyphics as part of their work on Ancient Egypt and Islamic mosques as part of their work in religious education.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

They also created ephemeral art forms from natural objects, after the work of Andy Goldsworthy. In Year 5, pupils made large, good quality posters based on the work of Matisse. Pupils in Year 6 have produced particularly good studies of the Pre-Raphaelites, some of which involved good use of the Internet for research.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

87. Good work was seen in design and technology. One very good lesson was observed in Year 1, where pupils made a fruit salad. Here, good links were made with literature, as the pupils had been studying a book, ‘Handa’s Surprise’, about African fruits. Another link with literature was seen in a very good lesson in Year 2, where pupils’ enjoyed making models of iron men inspired by their work on ‘The Iron Man’ by Ted Hughes. Good links are made with other subjects. In Year 3, pupils extended their skills in food technology, when they made chapattis as part of their study of India and organised an Indian village meal. They also made models of Greek temples as part of their work on Ancient Greece. In Year 5, pupils made models of housing settlements, which had to be attractive places to live and had to include features such as trees, recreation areas and plans to separate pedestrians from traffic. In Year 4, pupils combined food

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

technology when they made cheese with their knowledge of geometrical nets, to make boxes in which to package their product. Visits to places of interest, such as the Museum of Technology, enhance learning well.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

88. In the two music lessons observed, computers were used well to develop pupils' knowledge and understanding of musical composition. This was extremely effective in one of the lessons, and helped pupils to make very good progress and achieve high standards. In this excellent lesson, percussion instruments and computer-generated sounds were mixed well, to create an impressive piece of music on the theme of travelling through space. A new scheme of planning guidance has recently been introduced that includes all elements of the subject. This has yet to be fully evaluated, but the school intends to use it as a basis for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress. Pupils have good opportunities to play a range of musical instruments. In one assembly, pupils from different year groups, including a visiting ex-pupil from Year 11, played their guitars in a good presentation of their developing skills. Recorder groups are organised for pupils in

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Years 3 to 6. Some visiting musicians and regular visits to musical and theatrical performances further enrich the curriculum.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

89. The breadth of physical education in the school is good. After-school clubs and a residential trip, during which pupils participate in archery, wind surfing and kayaking, successfully supplement a broad curriculum for physical development. Learning is enhanced by very good links with other schools. The co-ordinator meets regularly with a local cluster of six other primary schools and a specialist sports college, to plan to develop schemes of work and share expertise. New planning frameworks for teaching dance to pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 are proving popular with both teachers and pupils. A physical education teacher from the college comes to teach Year 6 each week and both teachers and pupils benefit from this specialist input. Accommodation is good and includes two halls, large playing fields and an outdoor swimming pool. Resources are also good. The school’s own equipment is supplemented well by items such as additional

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

rackets and balls, shared among the local cluster group and stored at the college. The subject co-ordinator leads and manages the subject well. She has a good subject Queen Edith Primary - 38 knowledge, which is being developed even further through an extended subject co- ordinator’s qualification. She is very enthusiastic and innovative. An application for the Government’s ‘Active Mark’, in recognition of provision in the school, is due to be submitted in September. Successful recognition is anticipated. Pupils’ involvement in physical education is good. The co-ordinator has recently won a grant from the New Opportunities Fund to raise enthusiasm and encourage greater participation of pupils over the next three years.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

90. A good emphasis is given to this area of the curriculum, which is taught through a balance of assemblies, special events and specifically timetabled lessons including special sessions called ‘circle time’, when pupils gather together to reflect on personal and social issues. The school has ensured that staff are trained in this area of the curriculum. A planning framework is used, which is appropriately structured to match pupils’ developing needs. It helps teachers to focus on important areas of personal development, such as staying healthy. However, the school has recognised the need to build on this further and to develop more opportunities for pupils to engage in problem-solving and other activities that promote personal effectiveness and life skills. Assemblies seen during the inspection made a good contribution to this area of the curriculum.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

91. The school’s very positive ethos is a key part of the provision. Adults act as very good role models for pupils and empathy is promoted well, through opportunities given to pupils to work together and to consider the views of others with respect. Good links are made with teaching and learning in religious education. For example, in Year 3, pupils acted out prominent creation stories from a range of global cultures, with particular regard for the messages underlying the tales. In an assembly about the parable of the Good Samaritan, the teacher used questioning effectively, to enable pupils to view the story from the perspective of the different characters involved.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

92. A range of teaching methods is used to ensure that ‘circle time’ is effective for younger pupils, although teachers do not always do enough to draw all pupils into the discussions by tailoring questions to their needs. Older pupils study themes of relevance to their life in and beyond school, such as the need for ‘rules’, ‘expectations’, ‘values and customs’ and ‘keeping safe’ and they also discuss current affairs, including environmental issues. In one lesson, pupils in Year 3 heard a story about pollution and afterwards wrote about their ideas on the theme, developing a good awareness of the sources of pollution and the measures that might be taken to reduce it. Queen Edith Primary - 39

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7). Queen Edith Primary - 40

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