Beatrix Potter Primary School

BEATRIX POTTER PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: November 22 nd -24 th , 2004

p.1

BEATRIX POTTER PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Beatrix Potter 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.

p.1

BEATRIX POTTER 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. Beatrix Potter Primary - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3-11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll; 254

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Magdalen Road, Earlsfield, London Postcode: SW18 3ER

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 0208 874 1482 Fax number: 0208 871 9416

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr C McNaught Davis

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Beatrix Potter is an average-sized primary school situated in Earlsfield. There are 254 boys and girls on roll aged 3-11 years in eight classes including the nursery. Nursery pupils attend either a morning or afternoon session. There is one class in each year group except in reception where there are two. The children begin the reception class in the September before their fifth birthday. Pupils mainly come from the area around the school, which is mostly one of favourable socio- economic circumstance. The percentage of parents entitled to free school meals is well below the national average. Whilst most pupils are of white British origin, approximately one-third of the pupils are from other ethnic groups. Attainment on entry is average overall. About one-fifth of the pupils, around the national average, have special educational needs mainly for learning or emotional difficulties. Twelve of these pupils have statements of special educational need, which is much

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

higher than usual. Three pupils are at an early stage of learning English. During the last academic year, 16 pupils joined the school and 18 pupils left, other than at the normal time of admission. Beatrix Potter Primary - 4

p.3

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

2700 Peter Sudworth Lead inspector Mathematics; Science; Design and technology; Physical education; Personal, social and health education. 13481 Doug Binfield Lay inspector 32162 Adrienne Beavis Team inspector Foundation Stage; Information and communication technology;

p.4

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

32323 Judith Puddick Team inspector English; Geography; Music; English as an additional language. 32411 Doreen Davies Team inspector Religious education; Special educational needs; History.

p.4

The inspection contractor was:

PROSPECT ICP 360 Lee Valley Techno Park, Ashley Road, London N17 9LN

p.4

The inspection contractor was:

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

p.4

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

p.5

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

p.5

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12

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

p.5

OVERALL EVALUATION

Beatrix Potter Primary School provides a good quality of education for all its pupils. Good teaching overall enables the pupils to achieve well by the end of Year 6 and pupils often reach well above average standards in key areas of learning at age 11. It is a happy school, which cares very well for its pupils and fosters a very good working atmosphere. Pupils adopt a very good approach to their learning. The curriculum is satisfactory with some interesting features. The school is led soundly and managed well. It provides good value for money.

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Pupils achieve very well in key areas of learning by the end of Year 6 and often reach well above average standards, but there is some underachievement in the infants in writing and amongst the more able pupils in mathematics, because of overuse of worksheets. • Reading and speaking and listening are above expectations throughout the school. • Teaching is good overall and very good in Year 6. • The role of subject leaders is not yet developed fully enough in monitoring standards, teaching and curriculum quality and whole school self-evaluation does not include a wide enough range of opinion in identifying whole-school areas for improvement. • There is a very good work ethic; pupils have very good attitudes to work and behave very well. • Good opportunities for enriching the curriculum include very good community links. • The school makes very good arrangements for the pupils’ care and health and safety.

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

• The organisation of the school day is inefficient and some of the younger children arrive late for school, which adds to the problem of time slippage. • There are very good links with parents and these support the work of the school effectively. • Pupils’ moral and social development is very good.

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection. Pupils’ library skills have improved. Curriculum planning is better, but provision for the more able pupils still requires further development. The overall quality of teaching has improved in the juniors. Some provision is now made for swimming. There are improved procedures for health and safety. Assessment systems have improved. There is still work to do to improve the roles of subject leaders.

p.6

Year 6 results

All schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004 English A A* B D Mathematics A* A A A Science A* A A B Key: A* very high; 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.

p.6

Year 6 results

Foundation Stage children achieve well in most of the areas of learning for the end of the reception year and satisfactorily in their communication, language and literacy and creative development. Infant pupils achieve satisfactorily and junior pupils achieve well in key areas of learning.

p.6

Year 6 results

The trend of results at the end of Year 2 has been below the national trend of improvement and above the national trend of improvement in Year 6. By the end of Year 6, the large percentages of pupils reaching the higher levels over the past few years in national tests has resulted in the school Beatrix Potter Primary - 7 obtaining well above average grades. In 2004, targets in Year 6 were exceeded in mathematics and science, but the result of one pupil meant that it just missed its English target.

p.6

Year 6 results

Currently, pupils’ speaking and listening and reading skills are above average throughout the school. Standards in English and mathematics are not as high as in previous years in Year 6 because the class contains several pupils with special educational needs. They are in line with expectations. Year 2 pupils do not achieve well enough in writing, nor the more able in mathematics. Able pupils make good progress in the juniors, particularly in Year 6. There is satisfactory provision for pupils who have special talents. Pupils reach a good standard in reading. Handwriting is good throughout the school and spelling meets expectations. The infants are reaching the expected standard in science and above expectations by Year 6. Pupils achieve satisfactorily in information and communication technology and religious education throughout the school and reach the expected standard. Judgements were not made in other subjects. Pupils with

p.7

Year 6 results

special educational needs and English as an additional language achieve well and pupils from minority ethnic groups achieve as well as other pupils.

p.7

Pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

are nurtured well. Pupils’ moral and social development is very good and their spiritual and cultural development is good. Pupils’ behaviour and their attitudes to their work are very good. Pupils’ attendance in the last academic year was well above the national average, but younger pupils are sometimes late for school and prevent a prompt start to the day.

p.7

QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a good education for its pupils . Teaching is good overall with particular strengths in the Foundation Stage and in Year 6 enabling the pupils to achieve well by the end of Year 6. The curriculum is satisfactory, with some good features, such as the opportunities to enrich pupils’ learning. The staff take very good care of the pupils. There are very good links with the parents and the community.

p.7

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The school is managed well and led soundly with scope for developing the roles of subject leaders more effectively. The school is not as proactive as it could be in driving forward the school improvement agenda and in obtaining a greater range of opinion in the formulation of the school improvement plan. Governance is good with particular strengths in financial management. Statutory duties are mostly met. The school runs efficiently and is administered very well. The headteacher and senior management team, together with a committed staff, create a very positive environment for learning.

p.7

PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have very positive views of the school. They think that the quality of teaching is good and pupils apply themselves well to their work resulting in good standards. They feel that there is good provision for special educational needs. Inspectors agree. Pupils enjoy school, like their teachers and find friends supportive in the happy school environment.

p.7

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • raise standards of attainment in the infants by improving pupils’ achievement in writing and that of the more able pupils in mathematics, and reduce the reliance on worksheets. • develop the role of subject leaders more fully in monitoring standards, the quality of teaching and curriculum quality, and also, develop whole-school evaluation more effectively in determining areas for whole-school improvement. • re-organise the timetable to make better use of time. • liaise with parents of younger children to improve punctuality at the start of the day. Beatrix Potter Primary - 8 and, to meet statutory requirements: • ensure that the publication of test results in the annual report and school prospectus includes results at age seven as well as age 11 alongside national statistics. Beatrix Potter Primary - 9

p.7

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Pupils achieve well by the end of Year 6 in key areas of learning and often reach well above average standards. Pupils’ competence in information and communication technology meets expectations for their age. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language achieve well. Pupils who are academically gifted achieve well in the upper juniors.

p.9

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well in the juniors and very well in Year 6. • Children achieve well in several aspects of their learning in the Foundation Stage. • Pupils achieve well in reading throughout the school. • Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are above expectations. • Pupils do not make enough progress in writing in the infants and the more able pupils in mathematics.

p.9

Commentary

1. Overall, children’s attainment is average when they commence the reception class. They achieve well in their personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world, in their physical and mathematical development and most meet, and many exceed, the goals for the end of the reception year. They achieve satisfactorily in their communication, language and literacy and creative development and most meet the expected goals.

p.9

Commentary

2. Over the last three years, Year 2 boys and girls have been achieving well in reading and obtaining results better than the national picture in contrast to their writing skills, which have equalled the national percentage. Boys have outperformed boys nationally in writing and mathematics over time and attained more highly than the school’s girls in mathematics. Girls on average have under-performed against girls nationally in both writing and mathematics. The trend of results has been below the national trend by the end of Year 2. This is because national test results on average over the last three years have not been as high as those around the time of the last inspection when the starting point for the five year trend was taken. Overall, teacher assessed results in science have been below those nationally. The gender differences noted in the past were not apparent during the inspection. More girls are in the more able groups in Year 2 and more boys

p.9

Commentary

3. Large percentages of Year 6 pupils have reached the higher levels over the past few years and resulted in the school obtaining well above average grades in national tests. In the last two years, well over half the pupils have reached the higher levels in mathematics, science and English. The performance of girls has improved in the juniors. Both boys and girls do better than boys and girls nationally by very significant amounts over time. Over the last five years, the trend of results has been above the national trend of improvement in Year 6.

p.9

Commentary

4. The school met its own targets for Year 2 pupils in mathematics and science in 2004, but fell below them in reading and writing. The difference between the percentage of pupils reaching the higher level in national tests in 2004 in writing and reading was very significant. Almost half the pupils reached the higher level in reading, but a well below national average percentage did so in writing. Targets in Year 6 were exceeded in mathematics and science, but the result of one pupil meant that it just missed its English target.

p.9

Commentary

5. Currently, pupils’ speaking and listening skills are above average throughout the school. Pupils often talk fluently and confidently using a wide range of vocabulary. This is encouraged by good opportunities to share ideas with a partner and pupils are given good opportunities to express Beatrix Potter Primary - 10 their reasoning or viewpoints. The good emphasis placed on reading and parental support for it enable most pupils to achieve well and reach standards above expectations by the end of Years 2 and 6. They become confident, fluent and expressive readers, able to discuss their favourite authors and make sensible predictions about what might happen next in a story. By Year 6 pupils have a genuine love of reading and understand how authors create different effects, such as humour and suspense.

p.9

Commentary

6. Current standards in English are not as high as in previous years in Year 6 because the class contains several pupils with special educational needs, including four statemented pupils and there are not as many pupils with a higher ability. Standards in writing in Year 6 are in line with expectations. Pupils continue to achieve well across the range of English work because of the very good teaching in Year 6. The current group of Year 2 pupils is not as able as in recent years because there are not as many pupils of a high ability. Nevertheless, Year 2 pupils are still not achieving well enough in writing in contrast to their reading. This is because the organisation and structure of their writing are not developed well enough. Handwriting is generally above expectations throughout the school and pupils’ spelling meets expectations.

p.10

Commentary

7. Pupils’ attainment in mathematics is in line with expectations in the infants and most pupils are achieving satisfactorily, but more able pupils are not achieving well enough because they are not challenged sufficiently well. Too many poor quality worksheets restrict the opportunities to set work out neatly and they do not develop pupils’ thinking enough. Pupils are achieving well in the juniors and particularly well in Year 6. Standards are currently in line with expectations in Year 6, despite the large percentage of pupils with special educational needs. Pupils have a good understanding of different methods to calculate which supports their mental skills.

p.10

Commentary

8. The good emphasis on investigational work and practical opportunities in science helps pupils develop a very good level of interest in the subject throughout the school. They achieve very well in the juniors and are reaching above average standards. They are reaching the expected standard in the infants and achieving satisfactorily.

p.10

Commentary

9. Pupils achieve satisfactorily in information and communication technology throughout the school and reach the expected standard. They use computers to apply their work in other subjects satisfactorily though, during the inspection, little use was made of computers in lessons to strengthen their skills and to add interest to lessons. Pupils reach the local expectations in religious education and achieve satisfactorily. The lack of time to make detailed observations in other subjects did not permit judgements on attainment and achievements to be made.

p.10

Commentary

10. The school is clearly committed to doing its best for pupils with special educational needs and they achieve well. They receive good support in both class and withdrawal groups and this helps them make good progress. Most pupils who speak English as an additional language are bi- lingual or have acquired good fluency in English. The few pupils at an early stage of learning English, all in the Foundation Stage, are making good progress in acquiring English. Pupils from minority ethnic groups achieve as well as other pupils. Satisfactory provision is made for pupils who have special talents. Particularly able pupils make satisfactory progress overall in the infants with some underachievement in writing and mathematics. They make good progress in the juniors, particularly in Year 6.

p.10

Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2004

p.10

Commentary

Standards in: School results National results Reading 17.1 (16.7) 15.8 (15.7) Writing 14.2 (14.7) 14.6 (14.6) Mathematics 15.8 (16.3) 16.2 (16.3) There were 29 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year Beatrix Potter Primary - 11 Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004

p.10

Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 27.6 (30.8) 26.9 (26.8) Mathematics 29.7 (29.8) 27.0 (26.8) Science 30.6 (30.8) 28.6 (28.6) There were 29 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

p.11

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Very good attitudes and behaviour, together with good attendance, make an important contribution to the standards achieved. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall.

p.11

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils of all ethnic groups integrate fully and relate really well together. • Pupils are very keen to learn and work hard. • There is a high standard of behaviour in lessons and around the school. • Attendance levels are consistently above the national average, but punctuality is unsatisfactory. • The wide range of activities provided contributes well to pupils’ personal development.

p.11

Commentary

11. During lessons, all pupils show an attentive and conscientious approach to their work. They listen carefully, respond well to questions and contribute well when expressing their views. Pupils co-operate effectively when working in pairs and small groups. Written and practical tasks are undertaken with care and take into account the advice from teachers and support staff. A very good example was seen in a Year 3 science lesson about variation in forces produced by different magnets. Pupils showed care and enthusiasm when undertaking experiments and recording results and this helped the very good learning that took place.

p.11

Commentary

12. The very good relationships in the school contribute to the calm and friendly atmosphere that prevails. Pupils behave very well during lessons, in the dining hall and in the playground. They are polite to others and understand and respect the behaviour rules. As a result, very few incidents of serious misbehaviour, including bullying, arise. Any such incidents are dealt with quickly and fairly. There were no exclusions last year. A particularly strong feature is that pupils from minority ethnic and cultural backgrounds integrate fully into the life and work of the school.

p.11

Commentary

13. Pupils’ personal qualities are enriched by the wide range of activities undertaken. This includes participation in educational visits, school clubs and drama productions. Years 5 and 6 pupils benefit from outdoor pursuits during visits to the Lake District and the Isle of Arran. A wide variety of visiting speakers extend pupils’ knowledge about life in the community and overseas. Pupils take on an increasing range of responsibilities as they move up through the school. For example, Year 6 pupils organise the lunchtime reading club and show visitors and prospective parents around the school.

p.11

Commentary

14. Very good provision is made for pupils’ moral and social development. The personal, social and health education programme provides pupils with regular opportunities to consider and discuss issues such as behaviour rules and relationships with others. Assemblies are well used to promote awareness of right from wrong. The importance of friendship and support to others, including those from different backgrounds, is a strong feature in school activities. Pupils enjoy taking part in the diverse programme of activities including social functions organised by the parents’ association and fund-raising for charities. Beatrix Potter Primary - 12 15. The provision for spiritual and cultural development is good. The religious education programme and special themes at assemblies contribute well to spiritual issues. Visits to local churches, temples, the mosque, and to the Salvation Army provide opportunities to observe the

p.11

Commentary

different beliefs and values found in the community. Pupils learn about other lifestyles through contacts with partnership schools overseas, for example in Poland and the United States of America. The recent Black Africa Week emphasised the cultures and distinguished personalities from that part of the world. School visits help promote an appreciation of music and the arts.

p.12

Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

p.12

Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.1 School data 0.0 National data 5.1 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

p.12

Commentary

16. The good attendance levels make a helpful contribution to learning. A particularly positive feature is that there has been no unauthorised absence in recent years. Whilst most pupils arrive punctually each morning, a significant minority of the younger pupils do not. As a result, the registration process is interrupted and valuable learning time is lost. Whilst appropriate action is taken to deal with the most serious cases that arise, the procedures for ensuring high levels of punctuality are not sufficiently robust.

p.12

Commentary

17. Pupils with special educational needs take a full part in all school activities. Their behaviour is nearly always good and they respond well to the extra guidance given to them in class. Pupils with specific behaviour and emotional problems are supported well and have immediate access to adult help, which reduces behaviour incidents and promotes learning for all pupils.

p.12

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a good education for its pupils. Teaching is good overall with particular strengths in the Foundation Stage and in Year 6 enabling the pupils to achieve well by the end of Year 6. The curriculum is satisfactory, with some good features such as the opportunities to enrich pupils’ learning. The staff take very good care of the pupils. There are very good links with the parents and the community.

p.12

Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good. Assessment is satisfactory.

p.12

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching in Year 6 is very good and helps the pupils to achieve very well in key areas of their learning. • Teachers have very good relationships with pupils, which support their learning. • The targeting of pupils who may not be keeping up with their studies is good and subsequent small group arrangements work effectively in improving their progress. • Good teaching arrangements are made for pupils with special educational needs. • Pupils’ individual targets to improve their work are not precise enough.

p.12

Commentary

18. Teaching is good overall and slightly improved on the previous inspection with no unsatisfactory teaching. It is very good in Year 6 and good in the Foundation Stage. The very good teaching in Year 6 reinforces prior learning in that class and consolidates what has been taught in the rest of the school. It takes pupils on much further in their learning because of the very well Beatrix Potter Primary - 13 planned lessons, the excellent relationships and the effective challenges provided for pupils in their learning. The result is that pupils become secure in their knowledge, develop a good understanding of their work and develop skills in independent learning. They organise themselves well and adopt a very mature attitude to their studies. Teaching proceeds at a brisk pace, pushing the pupils forward with their learning engaging their thinking with such questions as ‘Yes, but what else could

p.12

Commentary

we do, which other ways can we?’ …so that pupils are kept alert and thinking constantly. They also achieve very well in this year group so that they attain well in national tests. The very good relationships in the Foundation Stage facilitate the children’s confidence, get the pupils off to a good start with their education so that pupils acquire very good attitudes to learning from the beginning. The rooms are arranged well and set out in advance so that the children can quickly begin work, access the materials and select their activities independently.

p.13

Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

p.13

Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.13

Commentary

0 ( 0%) 8 ( 24%) 12 ( 36%) 13 ( 40%) 0 ( 0%) 0 ( 0%) 0 ( 0%)

p.13

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.

p.13

Commentary

19. The teaching of numeracy is good overall. Over time it has been good in English. During the inspection the teaching of literacy was satisfactory overall but with some good and very good lessons seen. Pupils are enabled to acquire a range of strategies to calculate examples in mathematics, which also help their thinking when they work things out in their heads. On occasion there is not enough challenge for the higher abilities in the infants and lesson content is sometimes not sufficiently mathematical. In some English lessons, teachers dominate the discussion too much and there is not enough question and answering and interaction between teachers and pupils. The opportunities for pupils to write are somewhat restricted in the infants and there is an overemphasis on exercises, which do not help pupils to gain confidence in writing. Teachers give good attention to reading facilitating good achievement in this aspect of work. A good range of skills is taught in the

p.13

Commentary

juniors and pupils achieve well in writing for different purposes. The conclusion to lessons in English and mathematics is often fruitful, not only consolidating the learning, but also taking pupils on the next step.

p.13

Commentary

20. The targeting of pupils who may be falling behind is an effective mechanism to build up their skills and confidence through small group working. This tactic works well in getting pupils to regain their confidence and to catch up with their learning.

p.13

Commentary

21. Teachers share the learning intentions satisfactorily with pupils so that they understand the lesson focus. However, in reviewing their progress at the end of the lesson, teachers do not always assess with the pupils how successful they feel they have been.

p.13

Commentary

22. The quality of teaching and support in class and in withdrawal groups for pupils with special educational needs is good. Individual education plans are of good quality. They are clearly written with small step, achievable targets. Pupils are taught effectively and their achievement is good. Teaching assistants support these pupils well. For example, in one lesson, the teaching assistant acted as scribe for two pupils who have statements of special educational needs. She then read back their ideas to them so that they could make changes. This kept the pupils fully engaged and interested in the lesson. Teachers set appropriate levels of work for pupils with special educational needs. In a Year 1 mathematics lesson where the pupils were adding numbers together, those with special educational needs were supported well in a simple adding activity and good use was made of a variety of materials, such as a snakes and ladders game, to aid their learning.

p.13

Commentary

23. More able pupils are challenged well in English and mathematics in the juniors, but such pupils are not always matched well enough to the work that they are given in the infants in these subjects. Pupils from ethnic minorities are well integrated into the school and make similar rates of progress because of the very harmonious atmosphere between teachers and pupils and amongst the pupils. Boys and girls are treated equally and work well together. Partnered and group Beatrix Potter Primary - 14 activities enable pupils to develop very mature social skills and contribute effectively to their attainment in speaking and listening.

p.13

Commentary

24. Teachers prepare their lessons well. Planning is good. Board work is prepared well in advance and can be referred to quickly which helps to maintain the flow of lessons. The introduction of electronic whiteboards and projection facilities is supporting this advanced preparation. Teachers use resources well in lessons to support learning, such as video clips from the Internet to help understanding in religious education and in science, and they make good use of equipment so pupils can work practically in science. This good use engages the pupils’ learning and secures their interest so that they sustain good levels of concentration.

p.14

Commentary

25. Good use is made of subject specific language in many lessons so that pupils develop a working vocabulary. Teachers refer to the word ‘digits’ in mathematics and to ‘resistance’ and ‘electrons’ in science, though some opportunities were missed to use correct language when using computers with the Foundation Stage children such as ‘back space’ when understanding its function.

p.14

Commentary

26. Teachers make judicious use of visitors to support learning. A parent gave a very good talk to the Year 4 class about the Hindu custom of Divali. She explained how they went to the temple to pray and their practice of home prayer, brought in a costume worn by a boy at the Festival of Lights celebration, and allowed a pupil to try it on. Pupils showed a great deal of interest and learned much from the talk and the discussion that followed. It contributed significantly to their understanding of other cultures. Very good use is also made of specialist visiting teachers, such as sports coaches, a dance teacher and a music teacher, which helps the pupils develop good skills in aspects of physical education and music.

p.14

Commentary

27. Pupils’ progress is tracked well over time across the school. A comprehensive system of record keeping has been put in place. Marking is up to date and accurate. However, conclusions drawn from marking work are not always used to best effect when planning future lessons. Written comments often encourage pupils with praise and indicate whether they have understood the work, but such comments do not help pupils consistently to improve their work and they do not always assess the main purpose of the work in English. Pupils have group targets for improvement and self-assess their understanding after units of work and this works well. However, not enough pupils engage in rigorous self-assessment of their own work with a view to identifying those features that could be improved. Good analysis is made of the information from tests and comparisons made between the performance of boys and girls and different ethnic groupings. Teachers also analyse

p.14

Commentary

effectively individual question responses to pick up on any aspect of the curriculum that needs further attention and detailed coverage.

p.14

The curriculum

The curriculum is satisfactory. Opportunities for curriculum enrichment are good. Accommodation and resources are satisfactory overall.

p.14

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers’ planning, pupils’ individual education plans and teaching assistants are used effectively to support learning for pupils with special educational needs. Provision is good. • The school provides an effective and well organised programme for pupils’ personal, social and health education. • The programme of visits and visitors, the residential trips and the strong community and international links provide a good curriculum enrichment programme and good opportunities for pupils’ personal development. • Resources for English, information and communication technology, history and religious education are good. • The time allocated for teaching each week falls below the minimum recommended nationally by 35 minutes for junior pupils. Beatrix Potter Primary - 15

p.14

Commentary

28. The school generally provides a broad and balanced curriculum for all pupils. However, the below minimum recommended teaching time and the emphasis on the main subjects of English, mathematics and science, together with weaknesses in the planning of the school day, restrict time for other subjects. However, the school provides good opportunities to extend pupils’ dramatic and musical skills and help build their all-round confidence through ambitious productions and its programme of activities and events often through activities held after school.

p.15

Commentary

29. The personal, social, health education and citizenship programme is good. A wide range of activities and visitors involving local caring agencies and services support this area of learning. Other features, including participation in the Junior Citizenship scheme, road safety week, the Healthy Schools’ initiative, circle and role play support pupils’ learning well. For example, in one circle time observed pupils discussed the issue of name calling. They put forward their views, considered the views of others, learned how to deal with the situation and where to seek help.

p.15

Commentary

30. The school is inclusive and ensures equality of access for all, including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language. Participation in events such as Black History Month presents a wider cultural perspective. All pupils take a full part in the activities the school provides, including the residential trips. However, too little is done, apart from teachers’ planning, to acknowledge formally those pupils who are gifted and or talented and, if necessary, adapt the curriculum and timetable for their needs.

p.15

Commentary

31. There are good induction arrangements for pupils joining the school in the Foundation Stage and for those who join the school in other year groups. Parents of nursery and infant pupils are invited to introductory evenings to talk about expectations for the coming term. The school makes satisfactory arrangements for the transfer of pupils to the secondary school and offers support to pupils and parents.

p.15

Commentary

32. There is a wide range of activities including working with artists and specialist teachers, the residential visits to Arran and the Lake District and international links with the United States of America, Poland and Turkey. These are used well to enrich and enliven the curriculum, as starting points for studies and to encourage participation in outdoor pursuits, the sports and arts. Each term there is a particular themed focus to extend aspects of pupils’ learning in the foundation subjects. This year the school has planned work in dance, poetry and the creative arts and an opera week. There is a satisfactory selection of extra-curricular activities which include sport, choir, recorder and chess. Some are fee paying. A good balance and range of homework supports pupils’ learning in lessons.

p.15

Commentary

33. The school has a good complement of teaching and non-teaching staff that is well established. Teaching assistants are used effectively to support pupils in the classrooms, including those with special educational needs . Their work with pupils in the information and communication technology suite is also good. The unqualified teachers work well with children in sports, dance and musical activities.

p.15

Commentary

34. The accommodation has improved since the previous inspection. It is satisfactory. It meets the needs of the curriculum except for gymnastics for older pupils because of the small size of the hall and wall apparatus that does not extend the older pupils. The playground addition and new hard surface sports areas have added considerably to the school’s facilities. The environmental area with its pond containing great crested newts is a good feature and supports pupils’ learning across the curriculum. The nursery and reception classes have safe and secure play areas that are well equipped. There is a small library. The new suite for information and communication technology is a good resource for learning, but it is not yet used fully to support other subjects of the curriculum.

p.15

Commentary

35. The school has sufficient materials and equipment to meet the needs of the curriculum. Resources for English, history, religious education and information and communication technology Beatrix Potter Primary - 16 are good. They are satisfactory for all other subjects. The interactive whiteboards are a new classroom feature that the school is still learning to use effectively. They have the potential to have a significant impact on teaching and leaning in the future.

p.15

Commentary

36. Pupils with special education needs have the same range of opportunities as other pupils in the school. Pupils take part in all visits, including residential visits where adaptations to the programme and appropriate staffing are organised to ensure full inclusion. There is good provision for pupils with special educational needs. Teachers take good account of their needs when planning and individual education plans are good. Good use is made of resources, especially in the deployment of teaching assistants and they support pupils well. Support from outside agencies, such as educational psychologists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and the early years centre, is used effectively and appropriately.

p.16

Care, guidance and support

Very good provision is made for pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety. Pupils’ personal development is supported well and their views about the school are valued. The monitoring of academic progress is satisfactory overall.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A high quality of pastoral support is provided. • Effective arrangements are made for health and safety. • Good provision is made for inducting children into the school. • The school council undertakes an influential role. • Pupils are not engaged sufficiently in self-review of their progress.

p.16

Commentary

37. The school has a very caring ethos and the pupils are happy in school. Parents are extremely pleased with the quality of help and guidance provided. Staff provide ready support when any difficulties arise and if necessary work closely with the parents concerned. Very good support is given to pupils joining the school during the term and to pupils at an early stage of learning English. Teachers closely monitor pupils’ individual progress. However, the assessment arrangements do not currently give rise to precise, individual, written targets for improvement in key areas of learning involving the pupils in self-review.

p.16

Commentary

38. Pupils with special educational needs, including those with a statement of special educational need, are well known to a range of adults in the school who take a collective responsibility in supporting their learning. They have good access to advice and support from both within the school and from outside agencies. Individual education plans are good with appropriate targets to raise their achievement.

p.16

Commentary

39. A responsible governor and the headteacher regularly undertake health and safety inspections and reports on this are considered by the governing body. Recent improvements to the external environment have improved amenities and addressed safety concerns. Accidents and illness are handled in a competent manner by staff with training in first-aid. Appropriate arrangements are in place for dealing with any child protection issues that arise. Good provision is made for health education, including advice on personal hygiene, sex and relationships education and drugs awareness. Recent initiatives to improve personal health and safety have included special weeks to promote healthy eating and walking to school.

p.16

Commentary

40. A warm welcome is extended to children starting the nursery and reception classes and to those who join the school at a later stage. Parents are given helpful advice and written details about the school. Parents and the child are able to attend an Open Day in the nursery or a reception class in the preceding term. Last year the Year 6 pupils transferred to one of 14 different secondary schools. The pupils were able to visit the new school during the summer term. There is good Beatrix Potter Primary - 17 liaison with secondary staff, including the exchange of key information. Parents are keenly interested in the opportunities for Year 6 pupils when transferring to secondary schools. Several parents have asked for improved information about this and governors are giving active consideration to the request.

p.16

Commentary

41. Pupils are encouraged to give their views about the school through class discussions on issues such as behaviour rules and social activities. In Years 3 to 6 views on a wide range of issues are sought through questionnaires and the School Council. Recommendations from the Council have proved extremely helpful, for example, regarding the most suitable markings and games equipment for the playground improvements. A positive response was given to management for improving the lunchtime arrangements. Many pupils from this age group use the ‘suggestion box’ scheme. Each suggestion is considered carefully by the Council who report their findings at a junior assembly.

p.17

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Very good partnership arrangements with parents make an important contribution to the work of the school. Very good links with the community and good co-operation with other schools enrich pupils’ learning opportunities.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents provide very good support to their children’s learning, including homework. • A very good range of information is provided for parents, but fuller details are needed about results in national tests. • International links and close involvement with the local community are strong features of the school’s work. • Very good support is given to the Wandsworth Teacher Training Scheme.

p.17

Commentary

42. Parents are very interested in their children’s education and give very strong support to the work of the school. Several parents provide voluntary help in classes with reading and other activities. Others help with educational visits and special curriculum events. Meetings for parents about curriculum issues are attended well and school concerts attract large audiences. Parents provide a high quality support for work undertaken at home and the homework diary system is used effectively. The Parent Teacher Association organises a full programme of social and fund raising events. The association donates about £10,000 a year that is used to improve facilities. Recent examples include the provision of inter-active white boards and improvements to the playground environment. The school has considered carefully views expressed by parents at meetings. Responses to a recently issued questionnaire indicate that parents are very pleased with the school.

p.17

Commentary

43. The school maintains very good relationships with parents. This is helped by a welcoming approach and the ready opportunity for parents to discuss any concerns informally with members of staff. Parents are advised regularly about school events in newsletters and are given details about the main areas to be studied each term. Helpful information on pupils’ progress is provided at meetings with the class teacher. The annual written reports for Years 1 to 6 give good coverage in respect of English and mathematics. However, there are no written descriptions relating to work in other subjects and the reports do not identify the main areas for development. The reports on children in the nursery and reception classes are good. The prospectus and the governors’ annual report provide comprehensive information about the school and its achievements.

p.17

Commentary

44. Parents are involved at an early stage when initial concerns are raised for pupils who are having learning difficulties. The majority of parents are supportive of the school systems. Parents of pupils with statements of special educational needs are kept well informed. Meetings are arranged so that parents and other support agencies can work together to review progress and Beatrix Potter Primary - 18 those parents unable to attend a review meeting are sent a copy of the review. The school is often named as the preferred choice by parents of pupils with statements of special educational needs.

p.17

Commentary

45. There are well-established links with several nearby primary schools that bring benefits to the curriculum provision. For example, pupils were able to enjoy a half-day’s Opera Workshop that was made possible through liaison with another school seeking a similar facility that day. The headteacher is a trustee of the Rainbow School for autism and pupils from both schools receive mutual benefits from the close working relationships. Staff work closely with colleagues in secondary schools to facilitate pupil transfer arrangements. There are particularly strong links with the Burntwood School for special educational needs. Very good support is provided to the Wandsworth Teacher Training Scheme to enhance the development of trainee teachers. Six graduates are currently receiving practical experience in this school.

p.18

Commentary

46. International links have been established very effectively. Last year a party of pupils, parents and staff visited a linked school in Louisiana, USA. There is a partnership with a school in five European countries and pupils from a Polish school are shortly to be welcomed to the school. Visitors include educational specialists from abroad, business leaders and many representatives from the local community.

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The school is managed well and led soundly. Governance is good. The school is administered very well.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher and senior management team create a positive and inclusive community. • The governing body is effective with particular strengths in financial management. • The school provides well for pupils from different ethnic groups, pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language. • The school contributes very well to initial teacher training. • Subject leaders monitor planning effectively, but do not have rigourous systems to monitor standards of teaching and learning. • School self-evaluation is underdeveloped.

p.18

Commentary

47. The headteacher creates a very pleasant atmosphere and guides the work of the school satisfactorily. As at the last inspection, he promotes a positive community ethos in harmony with key staff, to which all members of the school subscribe. Staff work together well and turnover is low. The school is involved actively in initial teacher training, currently hosting six students. This provides good professional development opportunities for the teachers who act as their trainers and mentors.

p.18

Commentary

48. The headteacher, staff and governors are fully committed to the inclusion of all children in every aspect of school life. Parents whose children have special educational needs often choose Beatrix Potter and the school has a high percentage of pupils with statements. The special needs co-ordinator provides satisfactory guidance and support to teachers and support staff and prepares individual action plans to ensure pupils with special needs have full access to the curriculum. Pupils whose first language is not English are supported well.

p.18

Commentary

49. The leadership team is large for the size of school and meets infrequently. It is not as proactive as it could be in driving forward the school improvement agenda. Its role in monitoring the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning in the classrooms is undeveloped. This is standing in the way of further school development because the very good practice seen during the inspection is not being used within the school to improve the quality of learning for all pupils. Beatrix Potter Primary - 19 50. Good attention is given to keeping parents well informed. Curriculum meetings are well attended and parents find the staff approachable and helpful. Visitors receive a friendly welcome. The administration of the school is very good. The school office is organised well.

p.18

Commentary

51. School self-evaluation is not yet firmly embedded in the school improvement cycle. Evaluations are sometimes based on the views of just one or two people and the evidence base is not sufficiently robust. As a result, the school does not know its strengths and weaknesses well enough and is insufficiently focused on areas requiring improvement.

p.19

Commentary

52. The school improvement plan is sound, but its effectiveness is judged on completing actions. There is insufficient focus on measuring how these actions will impact on standards and achievement. It contains a clear vision for the school of the future. The primary strategy action plan contained within the document is very sparse and key areas for development, such as improving writing and mathematics for six and seven year olds, are not included.

p.19

Commentary

53. In the main, subject leaders manage their subjects satisfactorily. They monitor teaching plans to ensure the subject content is appropriate for each year group and occasionally look at examples of pupils’ work to check progress over time. Consistency of practice is ensured through the use of a tick sheet proforma. Plans for each term have been revised, but the effectiveness of subject leaders in improving classroom practice has not been reviewed. Test results are analysed and this year, whole school curricular targets have been set in reading, writing and mathematics for most year groups. Currently subject leaders do not have regular planned non-contact time to undertake and develop their roles.

p.19

Commentary

54. Governance is good. Most governors have close links with the school and are well informed about its work. There are no recruitment difficulties. The wide range of relevant professional expertise amongst members of the governing body is very helpful to the school. Through appropriate committees, they review the school improvement plan and ensure priorities are supported well through careful financial planning. The governing body monitors the progress of the school effectively through discussions with staff and parents, as well as reviewing documentation provided by the school and the Local Education Authority. Governors have been particularly active in ensuring improvements to accommodation. Budget management is a particular strength. The governing body fulfils most statutory responsibilities. However, the details about national test results do not fully meet legal requirements. This is because no information is given about the

p.19

Commentary

results at age seven and some aspects for 11-year-olds are not included. The principles of best value are central to the school‘s use of its resources and it provides good value for money given the good achievement of pupils by the end of Year 6.

p.19

Commentary

55. The school is committed to providing high quality provision for pupils who have special educational needs and ensuring that these pupils have full access to all areas of school life. However, there are some difficulties with physical access to parts of the school and some parents have raised concerns about this. The deployment of teaching assistants is good and there are good links with the Local Education Authority and external services, including speech and language therapists.

p.19

Commentary

56. The very good relationships, the overall good teaching and pupils’ attitudes to work are key factors in the school’s success. The school’s commitment to inclusion has been most positive, but the consequences on results are now seen because of the large number of statemented pupils that the school is catering for. There are four statemented pupils in the current Year 6 class. The school is committed to these pupils obtaining the best possible education and has assigned key staff to support these and other statemented pupils. The accommodation restricts some aspects of the school’s work, for example physical education, because of the lack of challenge that can be provided in aspects of the physical education curriculum. Beatrix Potter Primary - 20 Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.19

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 915,342 Balance from previous year 42,938 Total expenditure 915,342 Balance carried forward to the next 42,938 Expenditure per pupil 3,655 Beatrix Potter Primary - 21

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

57. Children aged three and four attend the nursery for five part-time sessions each week. Some transfer to the reception class in the September following their fourth birthday. They are joined by children from other pre-school establishments. Exceptionally this year there are two reception classes, the additional class has been opened to accommodate a temporary rise in pupil numbers. There is a range of abilities on entry to the nursery and reception class. The majority of children have skills that are in line with those expected for children of their age.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58. In each of the areas of learning, teaching is never less than satisfactory and often good across the Foundation Stage including, on occasions, some very good teaching in the reception classes. Where teaching is very good, skilled questioning is used very effectively to extend children’s learning. Tasks challenge children to think and teachers have very high expectations for learning and behaviour. Planning is good, it shows what children will learn from focused and free- choice activities; this is an improvement on the findings of the previous inspection. There are good links between each aspect of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Good arrangements for assessment ensure that children’s progress is monitored carefully to plan the next steps in learning.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

59. Children’s attitudes and behaviour are very good. This is because Foundation Stage staff have high expectations of behaviour. In the nursery and reception classes, children are well settled in classroom routines and have good attitudes to their work, classmates and adults. Children with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language are given good support in all areas of learning and pupils from different ethnic groups integrate very well together.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

60. The accommodation for the nursery and reception classes is good. The classroom spaces are bright and airy and the outside play spaces are well equipped, safe and secure. Classrooms and outside areas have good resources that are easily accessible for children’s use. The leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are good. The move to two reception classes has been particularly well planned and managed. Nursery nurses and classroom assistants give effective support to all children.

p.21

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good overall

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good induction procedures ensure children make a positive start in the nursery and reception classes. • Children develop their independence through a range of activities. • Children behave very well, have very good attitudes to their work and are kind to each other.

p.21

Commentary

61. Standards in this area of learning are good in both the nursery and reception classes. Children achieve well and many are in line to exceed the goals in this area for children at the end of the reception year. Teaching is good. There are many opportunities for children to develop independence and to learn to work and play with others.

p.21

Commentary

62. Good induction procedures, informative meetings and careful recording of individual needs mean that children quickly settle into the nursery and reception classes. In all classes adults and children have very good relationships and children are happy and secure. Beatrix Potter Primary - 22 63. In the nursery, children listen carefully to instructions and play together well. For example; two children listen as their teacher suggests how to make a vehicle from boxes. One put on a hat to be the postman whilst the other puts the bag over his shoulder to deliver the mail. Children play happily together helping each other to learn and get on with what they are doing. This allows adults to work with other groups without interruption. Children learn to be independent and know how to wash their hands after using the toilet.

p.21

Commentary

64. In the reception classes, children’s behaviour is very good. They move sensibly and quietly about the classrooms and in the school. They work quietly, confidently and independently and take responsibility for tidying up and helping each other, for example by putting paintings to dry on the rack. Most children are independent in managing their belongings when getting ready for an activity, a physical education lesson and at the start and the end of the day.

p.22

Commentary

65. Displays throughout the Foundation Stage show care and celebrate children’s achievement, helping to raise their self-esteem. Children are well supported by parents at home and some come on a regular basis to help in school.

p.22

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good planning and assessment ensure that teachers know how children are progressing and what they need to do next. • Interesting resources are used well to develop children’s learning in communication, language and literacy. • Some opportunities are missed to model writing for children and the use of too many worksheets limits their learning.

p.22

Commentary

66. Children’s achievement in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory in the nursery and reception classes. Detailed planning, assessments and observations ensure that children’s needs are met. Teaching is satisfactory overall and some examples of good teaching were also observed. When reading a class story, a teacher extended children’s learning when they were asked to identify rhyming words. She made effective links with other areas of learning as they talked about keeping safe in the sun. The majority of children will achieve and some will exceed the early learning goals set for this area of learning at the end of the Foundation Stage.

p.22

Commentary

67. Children in the nursery talk confidently about what they are doing. For example, they are indignant when it is suggested that their red vehicle is a fire engine and soon explain that it is Postman Pat’s van. Children are learning to draw and write. Some make marks on paper and some attempt to write their names. When making a card to invite teddy to a party, they ‘pretend write’ the text inside. Here an opportunity is lost to extend children’s learning by providing examples of words on which they can base their own writing if they wish. In the quiet area set aside for the purpose, children enjoy looking at books and listening to story tapes. They concentrate well and turn the pages of the book as they listen, learning how books work and how sounds and words are put together. Children learn sounds for reading and with adult support play games to match letters.

p.22

Commentary

68. In the reception classes, most children talk confidently to adults asking and answering questions and speaking in front of other children. They talk about their experiences in travelling to other countries and describe articles they have brought to show. Most children are learning to read and a few already have enhanced reading skills. Some children remember stories well and can retell them and put pictures in the correct sequence to tell the story. There are good links with other curriculum areas. Children enjoy painting about stories they have heard in class. Comfortable areas are set aside in the classrooms for children to select and enjoy books. Classroom collections Beatrix Potter Primary - 23 of objects help children learn the letter sounds for reading. Many children can write their first name without help. They copy over or under teachers’ writing and some can write simple words without

p.22

Commentary

help. Children learn how to write their letters in preparation for joined writing using writing patterns and worksheets. The worksheets are sometimes restrictive and do not provide a good model for writing.

p.23

Commentary

69. There are some interesting resources for teaching communication, language and literacy. These, with visits and visitors, such as the local librarian, enhance children’s learning and bring literature to life.

p.23

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good overall

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A variety of activities is used to develop children’s mathematical skills. • Very good relationships and behaviour help children’s learning. • Worksheets are not always well matched for more able pupils.

p.23

Commentary

70. A wide range of activities is provided throughput the Foundation Stage to develop children’s mathematical learning. Teaching is good. Teachers prepare well and children’s achievement is good. Most children will meet the early learning goals set for this area of learning at the end of the Foundation Stage. Some very good teaching was seen in the reception classes, as when a group of children were learning to compare weights using different items, such as a packet of biscuits and cotton wool. The teacher had high expectations and used very skilled questioning to ensure children were on task and expressed individual views in estimating weights, using the correct mathematical vocabulary, heavier and lighter. In a second example, the teacher worked with a more able child to sort objects by colour and shape. She used very effective questioning to extend learning so that the child was helped to count objects to 12 and to find out the difference

p.23

Commentary

71. In the nursery, children learn to count and to name basic shapes, such as circle and square. They develop number skills through playing interesting dice games with their teacher, which link with other work. In one game, they responded to throwing dice by putting candles on a birthday cake, which related to their topic about celebrations. Careful observation means that children’s progress is logged carefully so teachers know exactly what the children need to learn next.

p.23

Commentary

72. In the reception classes children count backwards and forwards to 20, find one more and one less than and do simple addition sums. They learn about money, count pennies and the more able shop for items and find the total costs. The use of published worksheets means that tasks are sometimes not always well matched to individual needs, especially for more able children.

p.23

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Resources for this area of learning are good. • Good planning ensures that children have opportunities to learn about the world around them. • The nursery outside play space provides few opportunities for children to investigate living things. Beatrix Potter Primary - 24

p.23

Commentary

73. Children have a wide range of equipment to help them learn how things work and why things happen, to explore colour and texture, to build and construct and learn about the world around them. However, the nursery outside play space has few areas in which children can explore living things through digging, planting and growing and observing the natural world. Planning is well thought out to make good use of visits and visitors and extend children’s experience. Displays about Divali, for example where children have made mendhi patterns on hand shapes are used effectively to show children aspects of other cultures. Teaching is good. Children’s achievement is good and the majority will reach, and many are in line to exceed, the goals set for this area of learning at the end of the Foundation Stage.

p.24

Commentary

74. Nursery children learn how things work, pouring water thorough funnels to fill containers. They make cakes for teddy’s party, learn how things change when they are mixed together and heated. They were all involved mixing their own ingredients and excited about the results.

p.24

Commentary

75. Reception children use computers in the information and communication technology suite. Some are already confident in using the mouse and keyboard with a variety of programs. They build a tower of bricks on the screen, dragging and dropping those not needed into the bin. They dress teddy and put fish in the tank. Classroom work has involved children in work about electricity and how circuits work. They build confidently with construction materials. Two children used large bricks to make a speedboat and delighted in describing how it worked and what all the bits were for.

p.24

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good overall

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Outside areas provide a safe, secure environment for children’s play. • Standards in aspects for movement are good.

p.24

Commentary

76. Most children are on course to meet the goals set for the end of the reception year and many will exceed them, particularly in those set for movement where they are already working at the first stages of the National curriculum. Teaching is good in this area of learning and children achieve well.

p.24

Commentary

77. Nursery children play with small toys and malleable materials to help them develop their hand control. They make shapes from play dough. Wrapping parcels for Teddy’s party helps children develop skills in using tools and materials and discussion whilst doing it promotes speaking and listening skills. They are confident in their use of brushes for painting and are learning to use scissors. Children move about the room with assurance. In the safe and secure outside area, children manoeuvre confidently on large wheeled toys taking care not to bump into each other. They play imaginatively with crates to make a fire engine and scale the imaginary fire station ladder with agility.

p.24

Commentary

78. Reception children enjoy their physical education lessons in the hall. In a lesson observed, all children balanced on different parts of their bodies and moved in different ways over the apparatus. Some children were able climbers. They reached the top of the frame, moved from pole to rope and climbed down again. They transferred their movements successfully from the floor to the apparatus. They worked well together, helping each other and used the hall space well. Many are already meeting some of the goals set for them at the end of the Foundation Stage. Children with special educational needs are well supported in physical education. Beatrix Potter Primary - 25

p.24

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is satisfactory .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• An interesting range of activities is used to help children develop their skills and imagination, but sometimes the children’s own skills are not developed enough because too much is done for them. • Children’s work is celebrated in colourful displays

p.25

Commentary

79. Children’s achievement is satisfactory and they are on target to meet the early leaning goals by the end of the Reception Year. Nursery children paint and explore colours. Their paintings of fire engines, following a visit from the fire service, are of good quality. Children have made model fireworks from junk materials and use paper and card to make presents and cards for Teddy. They have tied and dyed fabrics using dyes from fruit and vegetables and splatter painted firework pictures. The children’s work is displayed to good effect. Water, sand and role-play opportunities are varied and give children the chance to use their imagination. Children were observed playing shops, ringing the till, practising writing their letters on forms and using coins to buy items. This play links well with children’s learning in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. Good discussion with adults develops the children’s speaking and listening skills and

p.25

Commentary

80. Reception children learn to use a variety of media for picture making. Their painted pictures of Mrs Rainbow make good use of colour. Painted self-portraits show good use of colour and brush control. Black and white positive and negative pictures of sources of light are particularly effective and link well with children’s learning about the world around them. Information and communication technology has been used very well to make firework pictures using a graphics package. Children enjoy listening to music and join in with songs and actions.

p.25

Commentary

81. The range of work is satisfactory throughout the Foundation Stage, but the use of prepared materials and templates sometimes restricts the children’s use of imagination and does not allow them to practise skills in using tools and materials. Beatrix Potter Primary - 26

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils have very good attitudes towards reading and achieve well. • The use of paired discussion leads to good pupil involvement during lessons and promotes their good speaking and listening skills. • Pupils make very good progress during Year 6 and achieve well by the end of Year 6. • Planning is not always focused on what pupils need to learn next. • The very good features in teaching in part of the school are not being shared well enough across the school to influence the overall quality. • The frequent use of worksheets limits the ways that pupils learn. • Year 2 pupils underachieve in writing because the organisation and structure of their writing are not developed well enough.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

82. Standards in English at the end of Year 6 have been well above average in recent years. The current Year 6 class has a higher proportion of children with special educational needs than previously, and standards this year are close to nationally expected levels. Work seen during the inspection shows that pupils of all abilities achieve well by the end of Year 6. In Year 2, standards have fluctuated over time. Since the previous inspection, standards in writing in Year 2 have been below, often significantly below, those in reading and very few pupils have been achieving the higher level. Inspection evidence shows that this remains the case. Standards in reading in Year 2 are above national expectations and standards in writing are below. They are achieving well in reading, but not achieving well enough in writing. Pupils from ethnic minorities achieve as well as other pupils.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

83. Pupils with special educational needs or learning English as an additional language receive good support and achieve as well as other pupils. Pupils with statements make good progress because of the good support that they receive. Groups or individuals work with teaching assistants or the special educational needs co-ordinator to practise literacy skills. Other pupils who need extra help take part in extra reading and writing programmes at various times during the juniors, which support their progress and help them to catch up.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

84. Standards in speaking and listening are above average across the school. The increasing attention given to this is having a positive impact on standards. Pupils enjoy talking to a partner about their work and working collaboratively in a small group to solve a problem. Some good speaking and listening opportunities seen were focused on developing writing in Year 6 as pupils read their work aloud to a partner. They discussed the impact of whether ‘Freddie shot out of the tunnel like a cannonball,’ was the most effective way to portray the idea of speed.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

85. Reading is a strength and pupils achieve well in this aspect of English throughout the school. There is a high focus on reading in every class. Parents are fully involved and receive good information on ways to help their children to become good readers. A recent workshop introducing Story Sacks to parents was well attended and enthusiastically received. Pupils read regularly at home and parents record information about their progress and there is a mutual sharing of information with the school. Good use is made of the non-fiction library and the quality fiction texts. Pupils’ library skills have improved since the last inspection. Pupils have regular opportunities to read in groups, to an adult or alone. They visit the local library and librarians visit the younger pupils in their classrooms. These activities promote reading well.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

86. Teachers model and explicitly teach reading skills. Literacy lessons have a regular focus on sharing and discussing texts. By Year 2, most pupils are confident, fluent and expressive readers, able to discuss their favourite authors and make sensible predictions about what might Beatrix Potter Primary - 27 happen next in a story. Pupils in Year 6 achieve very highly. They have a genuine love of reading and understand how authors create different effects, such as humour and suspense. Pupils reflect in detail about the books they read and note their responses in reading journals. Non-fiction research skills are good.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

87. Work in pupils’ books shows that they complete many tasks focused on spelling, handwriting and writing sentences, but this is not having a significant effect on the overall quality of their writing in Year 2. This is because many activities require minimal effort, such as filling in missing words on a worksheet, which is not supporting pupils to understand how writing works in context. Where children have targets, these also are focused on secretarial skills such as, ‘keep your writing on the line’ or ‘join your letters’. Such comments do not sufficiently engage the pupils in improving the level of their work. Marking, although thorough, makes greater reference to presentation than quality of content. The school has looked in detail at pupils’ writing outcomes and set a curriculum target, ‘to write imaginative, interesting and thoughtful texts appropriate to task, reader and purpose,’ but the next step, planning how to teach this during writing lessons in each

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

year group, is still to be developed. Pupils do have opportunities to write in a range of styles such as narrative, explanations, instructions and recount. Pupils are able to write at length, but they are less successful at knowing how to structure their work effectively according to the style. Currently, handwriting skills are above expectations throughout the school and spelling is at the expected level.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

88. In Year 6 where writing is taught well, the teacher: • encourages pupils to rehearse orally ahead of writing; • explicitly teaches and models writing skills; • limits the number of objectives; • marks writing outcomes against the learning intention so that pupils are clear about what they need to do to improve.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

89. In writing lessons that were less effective, children are taught about words and sentences that are unrelated to the main writing focus and there is limited modelling and explicit teaching of writing skills in context.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

90. During the inspection very good teaching and learning were seen in Year 1 and Year 6 and the remainder of the teaching and learning seen was satisfactory. Over time it is clear that teaching has been good overall in the juniors because of the well above average results obtained in national tests. Teaching is satisfactory in the infants. In the very good lessons seen, pupils were clear about what they were expected to learn and how this learning would help them to become better readers and writers. Different sections of the lessons were connected logically and pupils were challenged constantly to think hard about their learning and to reflect on the quality of their work. Activities were clearly focused but open ended, thus allowing pupils to make choices and take some responsibility for their own learning. Additional adults are effectively used.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

91. Pupils progressed well when they: • discussed ideas with a partner before responding; • were asked open questions that encouraged them to explain their understanding; • saw and heard clear modelling by the teacher of the thinking behind an action.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

92. The subject is led and managed satisfactorily by the co-ordinator. Medium-term plans have been revised and a weekly planning format agreed across the school. Plans are monitored and work sampling undertaken regularly. Past test papers are analysed and recommendations made. The resulting action plan lacks detail and is not sufficiently focused on how to improve the teaching of writing across the school. The co-ordinator attends courses but does not have regular non- contact time to develop her role. Resources are of a good quality and well organised. In-school training is mainly provided by outside expertise. Currently there is no classroom monitoring by the co-ordinator and the very good teaching within the subject is not being shared across the school. Beatrix Potter Primary - 28

p.27

Language and literacy across the curriculum

93. Pupils’ literacy skills are used satisfactorily overall in other curricular areas with some good use in the humanities. Year 2 pupils studying Remembrance Day as part of their history topic used poetry well to express their feelings. In geography, Year 6 pupils wrote detailed non-chronological reports encapsulating their recent learning about rivers. In science pupils record the process of investigation and write precisely about their predictions.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils make very good gains in their learning by the end of Year 6. • Teachers have very good relationships with their pupils and set a very good learning atmosphere. • The curriculum is well organised with a good range of activities, but too many worksheets are used in the infants. • More able pupils in Year 2 do not achieve well enough. • Pupils draw from a good range of methods when calculating and make very good use of estimation to check the reasonableness of their answers. • Pupils have good opportunities for investigational work in the juniors and to learn through mathematical games.

p.28

Commentary

94. Pupils achieve very well in mathematics by the end of Year 6. This has helped the pupils reach well above average standards consistently in national tests in the last four years with results being in the top five per cent of schools in the country in two of these years. The current cohort of pupils in Year 6 has a large number of pupils with special educational needs, including four pupils with statements. Whilst the pupils continue to achieve very well, the overall standard of attainment is being affected. Standards overall are currently in line with those in most schools, but with a wide spread of attainment. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ achievements are not as good as they are in the juniors and past attainment has sometimes been below average. Currently pupils’ attainment in Year 2 is in line with expectations. However, more able Year 2 pupils are not achieving well enough because they are not being challenged sufficiently well. Not enough pupils are reaching the higher

p.28

Commentary

level for their age. Too many worksheets are being used which are of a shallow quality and do not demand enough of pupils’ efforts and capabilities. Pupils from different ethnic groups, including those who are bilingual, achieve as well as other pupils and make similar rates of progress throughout the school.

p.28

Commentary

95. Teaching and learning are good overall, good in the juniors and satisfactory in the infants. Teaching seen during the inspection ranged from satisfactory to very good. Throughout the school, all teachers have very good relationships with their pupils, which support a very good learning environment in which pupils adopt a very keen approach to their work and demonstrate very good attitudes. They enjoy the subject because of the range of work they are given and the confidence they develop through well taught strategies. They begin to use these and are able to choose the most appropriate strategy for particular examples as they reach the upper juniors. The use of these strategies helps the pupils to calculate mentally and this supports their accuracy. A strong feature of work in the juniors is the use of investigational mathematics and the use of games to practise their number skills, often made more interesting through an injection of friendly competition, which

p.28

Commentary

helps to sustain the pupils’ interest. Teachers support pupils well during activities and ensure that they understand the work.

p.28

Commentary

96. Teachers make good use of mathematical vocabulary and encourage pupils to use this, which helps pupils to acquire a working knowledge of different mathematical terms. A strong Beatrix Potter Primary - 29 feature of the teaching in the juniors is the very good planning and the match of work to pupils’ capabilities. In the infants, some teaching was observed which did not contain enough mathematical content, although the opening mental part of the lesson was taught well. Teaching observed in the infants did not ensure that all pupils were thinking enough for themselves through, for example, the use of number fans or individual whiteboards and it was possible for pupils to sit back and let others do the work. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well and the teaching assistants are briefed effectively about their roles in the lesson. A strong feature of the work in mathematics is the successful use of estimation, which helps pupils to verify the

p.28

Commentary

97. In the juniors, high expectations are made of pupils’ presentation. Judicious use is made of worksheets to record an answer, to complete a problem or to pose a challenge. Pupils do a good amount of work in the juniors, work neatly and this supports their accuracy in working.

p.29

Commentary

98. The leadership of mathematics is satisfactory. Management is good. The subject leader has developed a good record keeping system and also a system to assess pupils’ understanding of lesson content and objectives. She keeps updated with new developments by attendance at courses. She ensures that pupils who are not making sufficient progress are targetted and given extra support and this helps the pupils’ to catch up and make better progress. However, monitoring arrangements are too informal.

p.29

Mathematics across the curriculum

99. Good. Good use is made of mathematics in science as pupils tabulate their results, calculate averages and compare differences. In geography, they work out scales and use co- ordinates to find location. Good use is made of information and communication technology to compile graphs of data that they have collected.

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve very well by the end of Year 6. • There is very good emphasis on investigational science. • Pupils with special educational needs receive good support. • Pupils enjoy science and work well.

p.29

Commentary

100. Pupils achieve very well in science by the end of Year 6 and often reach well above expected levels. National test results at the end of Year 6 are frequently well above average compared with all schools nationally. Despite the significant number of pupils with special educational needs, including statemented pupils, current standards are above expectations in Year 6 because pupils have good skills in science investigation. Pupils are achieving satisfactorily in the infants and making satisfactory gains in learning. They are reaching expected standards. Lesson observations in the infants suggest that teachers’ past unmoderated assessments at the end of Year 2 may have been too cautious. These assessments have indicated below average results against all schools nationally in the recent past. Throughout the school, pupils from ethnic minority groups make similar rates of progress to other pupils in science.

p.29

Commentary

101. There is a good curriculum throughout the school, which meets National Curriculum requirements, with a very good emphasis on practical investigation, which promotes pupils’ enquiry skills and cooperation with others. This approach also helps to develop pupils’ good speaking and listening skills as they share ideas and report back to others on how they went about their experiments and what they found out. Pupils are very mature in undertaking their own experiments, Beatrix Potter Primary - 30 organising themselves and carrying out their work in a disciplined and mature way. Older pupils often decide the scope of the investigations by raising their own questions and thinking out the ways to find out the answer.

p.29

Commentary

102. Teaching and learning are mostly good. They are good in the juniors and satisfactory overall in the infants, but with some that is good. Teachers make good use of the school’s environmental area in studies of life and living processes, which helps pupils’ understanding because the learning is first-hand. Teachers show good subject knowledge of the content that they teach and make good use of technical vocabulary with correct use of words, such as ‘electrons’ and ‘resistance’ when they study electricity. They pay good attention to health and safety in lessons and make pupils aware of any possible hazards, such as sharp edges on the materials that they are using. They readily make comparisons about every day hazards on a larger scale, such as the dangers of electricity in the home compared to the occasional use of bare wires with batteries in school. Good support is provided for pupils with special educational needs and these pupils have

p.30

Commentary

specially prepared recording sheets, which facilitate their ability to write up their findings. Teachers interact well with pupils as they work, probing their thinking and checking their understanding, ensuring that they remain focused on the main objective for learning.

p.30

Commentary

103. A particular strength in the teaching is the way in which pupils predict what they think will happen in their investigations with a reasoned guess. This is sometimes done in an interesting way. Year 2 pupils drew their arrangement of the equipment they were given for a successful simple circuit before trying to make a bulb light up. Year 4 pupils thought about hot and cold places in their classroom before using a thermometer to measure the temperature at various points. In an electrical investigation, a Year 6 pupil wrote, ‘When I add more wires, my buzzer will get quieter because the power will have to spread round the wire more’ . Pupils enjoy their science lessons because of the emphasis on practical investigation. Year 3 pupils were gaining a good understanding of fair testing when testing the strength of magnets and knew that the paper clips must all be the same size. The number of paper clips that the largest magnet picked up amazed

p.30

Commentary

them. Pupils persevere with their investigations with a great deal of tenacity and see them through. They adopt a very good work ethic.

p.30

Commentary

104. There are very good relationships among the pupils and between teachers and pupils in lessons and these contribute significantly to the good working atmosphere and to the good progress that the pupils often make in lessons. Lessons are prepared well and made interesting. Year 2 pupils were already coming to an understanding of the term ‘static electricity’ and an elementary understanding of ‘electrons’. They know that battery and mains are two common sources of electricity. They had a good understanding of reversible and irreversible changes, such as bread and toast and eggs after they have been fried. As pupils get older, they appreciate the need to re- test in experiments to ensure the reliability of the finding. Marking is good and often prompts pupils to reason their conclusions, which they undertake with much thought.

p.30

Commentary

105. Good use is made of mathematics in science to record results through tables and graphs. However, pupils sometimes fail to label the axis or entitle them. For some experiments, pupils make good observations over several weeks, such as in their work on micro-organisms in the juniors, to observe the results. Teachers make some good use of video clips using the computer suite and this supports pupils’ learning.

p.30

Commentary

106. The leadership of the subject is satisfactory. Management is good. The subject leader has made good strides in developing the curriculum and promoting the use of an investigational approach. Monitoring of standards and of teaching and learning are, however, not yet well established. Beatrix Potter Primary - 31

p.30

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is satisfactory .

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Resources are good. • Good progress has been made since the last inspection. • Teaching is satisfactory and there are examples of good teaching. • Pupils who have very good skills in information and communication technology are not extended enough. • There is scope for improved monitoring of teaching and learning.

p.31

Commentary

107. The school has made good progress in its development of provision for information and communication technology since the last inspection. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory in Year 2 and Year 6. Standards are in line with national expectations for the age of the pupils. These findings match those of the previous inspection. Year 6 pupils are familiar with a range of software, including that used for word-processing, handling data, making presentations, desktop publishing and accessing the Internet. They know how to log on to the computer, find the program they need and start work. They can search the Internet for information and use it in their work. Samples of work in displays and stored on the computer show that pupils use word-processing effectively in their work, changing fonts and colours of texts and using clip art to insert pictures. They have entered information into spreadsheets and used the data to make bar charts and pie charts. There

p.31

Commentary

are some good examples of multi-media presentations using Power Point software. For example, pupils have made a sequence of slides to show their hobby and used animation and sound effects to make it more interesting. Year 2 pupils learn how to use the word-processor to change the size of fonts and put in punctuation. They have searched a database to find information for a historical study.

p.31

Commentary

108. Only two lessons could be observed. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen and one lesson seen in the computer suite was good. Not enough lessons could be observed to make an overall judgement on teaching and learning. However, pupils’ work samples and discussions with pupils indicate that there has been an improvement since the last inspection. Training for teachers and classroom assistants and the improvements in resources have raised the standards in teaching. The new suite is equipped with enough computers for most pupils to work independently and a data projector. This means teachers and pupils demonstrate skills to everyone in the class and these skills are then applied quickly. In a good Year 4 lesson, demonstration and questioning were used well to get pupils to describe how to insert clip art into a word-processed document. Very good support was given to those who were not sure so that they mostly completed the task in the time

p.31

Commentary

given. Good preparation and subject knowledge ensured correct use of technical language to describe the procedures undertaken.

p.31

Commentary

109. Planning for information and communication technology lessons is satisfactory. The school follows a nationally recognised scheme of work and has identified the skills to be taught. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

p.31

Commentary

110. Curriculum leadership and management are satisfactory. The curriculum coordinator has enabled staff to raise their skills in information and communication technology. The management of resources has been good. The new suite is timetabled for each class and has had a positive impact on teaching. In addition there are immediate plans for a networked computer in each classroom. Some have interactive whiteboards that will help raise standards further in teaching and learning. There are plans in the future to extend the network and have whiteboards in all rooms. The subscription to a web based curriculum service provider has given pupils and teachers access to a wide range of suitable material including information, music, video clips and virtual tours that enhance teaching and learning across the curriculum. The monitoring of teaching and learning in Beatrix Potter Primary - 32 the subject needs further development. Assessment systems are not sufficiently used to build on

p.31

Commentary

the knowledge and skills that some children bring to the subject from outside school and to extend fully those who have very good skills.

p.32

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

111. There are some examples of the use of information and communication technology in other subjects. There are strong links with art and design in the use of graphics packages and with English and history in word-processing and desktop publishing. Year 4 pupils have made repeating patterns and Year 6 pupils have written newsletters, as if in the time of ancient Greece. The Internet has been used effectively for research in Years 2 and 6. In one information and communication technology lesson, Year 2 pupils watched a video clip about electricity and considered renewable sources to further their understanding of electricity.

p.32

History, geography and RE

No lessons were seen in geography and two in history . It is not possible, therefore, to judge the quality of provision or pupils’ attainment.

p.32

History, geography and RE

112. Sampled work in geography indicates that by the end of Year 2, pupils understand that different sorts of clothes are worn in different parts of the world according to the climate. They also begin to relate distance to journey time. They learn about different places through the travels of the school’s mascot bear which accompanies pupils and their families to different parts of Britain and further afield. Pupils take pride in their work and presentation is good. However, there is too much reliance on commercially produced worksheets. Good use is made of the local environment and visits out. Year 6 pupils’ work indicates that they learn successfully from researching photographs, information books and atlases. Marking is good, commenting on literacy as well as geographical skills. Satisfactory coverage is given to National Curriculum Programmes of Study.

p.32

History, geography and RE

113. History is brought alive to pupils through visits and visitors to school. Year 4 pupils spent a day learning about Roman soldiers and had the opportunity to dress in authentic costumes. Year 3 pupils visited Fulham Palace where they dressed as, and experienced life as, Tudor people. Good displays of work resulted from these studies. Over-use of worksheets sometimes results in a lack of challenge in recorded work, especially for pupils with higher ability. Discussions with pupils indicate that they have a satisfactory understanding of the concepts they have been taught. The school has a good range of resources for history.

p.32

Religious Education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory .

p.32

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is very good teaching in Year 6. • Good use is made of visits and visitors to support learning. • The school has a good range of religious education resources. • Teachers’ marking of work does not inform pupils what to do next to improve. • Pupils with special educational needs achieve well.

p.32

Commentary

114. Pupils’ achievements in religious education are satisfactory. By the age of 11, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of religious education are in line with expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well due to the good support from teaching assistants. Pupils’ explanations show that they have good recall of facts about religions Beatrix Potter Primary - 33 they have learned about and some pupils achieve a high level of understanding of others’ religious beliefs. However, this is not reflected in the level of written work, especially for high achieving pupils.

p.32

Commentary

115. Teaching is satisfactory overall with some very good teaching in Year 6, where the teacher challenged pupils to plan a TV programme for schools explaining the Qur’an. The very good planning of combining factual research with a real project impacted well on learning. Pupil visits to places of worship and visits to school by local clergy enrich the curriculum and allow pupils to experience a variety of religious practices. The good level of resources and the use of pupils and parents as ‘experts’ support learning well. In one class, a mother came into school to talk to the pupils about Divali. She brought in clothes and lights and dressed a boy in a traditional costume. Pupils were very interested and asked good questions. Well informed answers increased their knowledge. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and good questioning develops pupils’ understanding. However, work in books does not reflect the level of pupils’ understanding. In most

p.33

Commentary

classes pupils are asked to complete the same task, which means that higher ability pupils are not challenged and the use of too many worksheets limits pupil attainment. Teachers’ marking informs pupils about how well they have done, but does not inform them of what to do next to improve. There is no evidence of pupil self-assessment.

p.33

Commentary

116. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. There are good resources that are organised well and good use is made of visits and visitors to enrich the curriculum. The subject leader does not yet carry out lesson monitoring or check pupils’ books to make sure that good quality teaching and learning are taking place. Records showing how well pupils are achieving against the targets for each topic are in place, but have not yet been completed.

p.33

Art and design, design and technology, music and physical education

No lessons were seen in art and design , two in design and technology and one in each of physical education and music . It is not possible, therefore, to judge the quality of provision or attainment.

p.33

Art and design, design and technology, music and physical education

117. In art and design , the school uses a nationally recognised scheme of work, although the volume of work that could be seen at the time of the inspection was quite scant. Teachers’ marking in sketchbooks does not indicate how pupils can improve their work. Assessment is not used well enough to ensure progression in learning and to extend those pupils who are more able. In the limited amount of work seen, Year 6 pupils have studied people in motion and have made drawings and pictures with paint and collage to show movement with effective results. They recall working with clay, oil pastels, paint and looking at other artists’ work in the past. They have also described characters from the paintings.

p.33

Art and design, design and technology, music and physical education

118. Year 2 pupils have developed satisfactory collages using paper and fabric from observational drawing on the theme ‘Mother Nature Designer’. Some examples indicate good use of colour and line in crayon and pencils portraits in Year 1, in portraits in Year 3 and in still life pictures in Year 5. There are some particularly good mono prints on the theme of dream sequences in Year 4 using drawings and photographs as a stimulus.

p.33

Art and design, design and technology, music and physical education

119. Resources in art and design are satisfactory. There are good links with some subjects, such as the use of graphics packages in information and communication technology. The school makes good use of theme weeks, visits and visitors to enrich the curriculum.

p.33

Art and design, design and technology, music and physical education

120. The two lessons observed in design and technology were in the juniors. One of these was satisfactory and one was good. The good lesson was briskly paced as pupils produced a pop up mechanism of a character of their own choice from the book they had been studying. High expectations were demanded in accurate measuring and in the use of appropriate materials. The pupils were consistently on task and behaved well. Pupils undertook experiments after they had drawn their design to see if the proposed moving parts worked. The teacher made good reference Beatrix Potter Primary - 34 to examples, which promoted pupils’ own ideas. In the other lesson, pupils created cubes from nets, but the nets were pre-cut for most of the pupils and this reduced the opportunity for pupils to practise their own cutting skills. Photographic evidence and sketched designs indicate that older junior pupils have previously looked at the structures of shelters in the grounds before making their

p.33

Art and design, design and technology, music and physical education

own. Younger juniors have designed and made attractive finger puppets of Roman soldier linked to their Roman study. Year 1 pupils had made a moving mechanism for a page of a book, some with a simple push and pull action and others with a brass fastener, such as a fish with a moving tail and a teddy bear with moving parts. Older infants have looked at fixed axle and free wheel axles and used construction material to make models before they are to go on to make a shopping trolley from junk materials.

p.34

Art and design, design and technology, music and physical education

121. A visiting instructor, who covers National Curriculum requirements, teaches music throughout the school. Provision is enhanced by a recorder club and a visiting violin teacher. Pupils sing enthusiastically and tunefully to live and recorded music during singing practices. They know the words of many songs and hymns and are able to listen to an introduction and begin singing in the right place. They are used to performing and many pupils have the confidence to sing a solo. Older pupils are able to maintain two independent parts.

p.34

Art and design, design and technology, music and physical education

122. During a Year 3 music lesson, one pupil was able to explain the musical term ‘ostinato’. Pupils are used to using musical terminology and they confidently talk about crotchets, quavers and minims. Several pupils have a well developed sense of rhythm and are able to perform an independent rhythmic accompaniment while the rest of the pupils sing a song.

p.34

Art and design, design and technology, music and physical education

123. All pupils have opportunities to watch and perform musicals, concerts and shows at different times during the year, which contribute to pupils’ appreciation of music.

p.34

Art and design, design and technology, music and physical education

124. Only one lesson was observed in physical education with brief visits made to two other lessons. Pupils undertake the balance of work as indicated in the National Curriculum and requirements are fulfilled. Pupils adopted very good attitudes in the lessons seen, engaged well in their learning and adopted an enthusiastic approach. Good attention is paid to equal opportunities with both boys and girls taking part, for example in football coaching. In a Year 6 lesson taught by a professional coach, both boys and girls adopted good use of the inside of the foot to practise dribbling techniques as they weaved in and out of cones set out on the ground. The coach ensured that the pupils knew exactly what they had to do before they began their practice. They get plenty of opportunities to practise their skills because the pupils are organised into small teams and groups and this helps them to make best use of time. Whilst indoor facilities are very limited for

p.34

Art and design, design and technology, music and physical education

gymnastics, the good outside hard surface provision is supportive of games activities. In the one dance/ drama lesson observed which was taught well, younger pupils made good gains in learning as they made the stiff and jerky movements of a robot or became birds flying to and from their nests or seeds growing into a sunflower. Good use is made of residential visits to further pupils’ physical fitness.

p.34

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision in personal, social and health education is good .

p.34

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to reflect on their relationships with others. • Pupils adopt very mature attitudes during lessons and listen well to one another.

p.34

Commentary

125. Pupils receive a regular weekly lesson in personal, social and health education which may include circle time when pupils sit round to discuss issues relating to behaviour or express their views on social matters. In the more formal sessions, pupils study specific themes, such as the dangers of alcohol and the positive and negative use of drugs. Aspects of personal, social and Beatrix Potter Primary - 35 health education are studied in the science curriculum, such as healthy eating and sex and relationships education. This latter programme of work helps prepare pupils for puberty. The school participates effectively in local initiatives, such as road safety week and pupils have the opportunity to undergo cycle training and issues of a communal concern, such as vandalism and graffiti. The school makes good use of visitors from the community to inform pupils about their community, such as the fire brigade, police, the school nurse and sometimes drama groups.

p.34

Commentary

Inspectors made short visits to some of the personal, social and health education lessons and one full observation was made. Teachers set a good atmosphere for these sessions and they are taken very seriously. The structure of the scheme makes increasing demands on the pupils as they move up through the school. Older pupils could discuss the feelings of those who might be treated unkindly as they sketched an incident to explain to a partner. In turn the partner had to offer advice to ‘both parties concerned’. Year 4 pupils acted with a very good level of maturity as they discussed their personal worries and concerns together and sought possible solutions from the group. They listened very well to one another’s problems. They were polite, took turns to comment and were very confident to share their views. They discussed how they should respond to name calling. One pupil was worried about his sister and sought help from the others to resolve his worry about her. In

p.35

Commentary

a very touching moment, one pupil took the opportunity to give a ‘thank you’ compliment publicly to a class colleague for always making her and others in the class happy. The programme contributes much to pupils’ good social and moral development and to the school’s very good ethos. Beatrix Potter Primary - 36

p.35

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 3 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 4 Value for money provided by the school 3

p.36

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

p.36

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 3 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

p.36

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 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 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 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

p.36

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 4 The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 4 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 3

p.36

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).

p.36