De Bohun Primary School

DE BOHUN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Lead inspector: Ms Margaret Julia Goodchild

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DE BOHUN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 11 – 13 October 2004

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DE BOHUN PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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DE BOHUN 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. De Bohun Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 289

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Green Road London Postcode: N14 4AD

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 0208 449 4402 Fax number: 0208 364 8375

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Dr J Salloway

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: Full Section 10 inspection - February 2001 HMI inspection - November 2002

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

De Bohun Primary School is bigger than most primary schools, although the number of pupils on roll is decreasing. There are currently 289 pupils, aged 3 to 11, including 28 children who attend the nursery part time. The percentage of pupils for whom English is not their first language (49.6 per cent) is very high. The main home languages spoken are Turkish, Somali and French, but many languages are represented. Fifty pupils are at early stages in learning English and 126 pupils receive support funded by the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant. A high proportion of the pupils (103) are refugees and asylum seekers; there are two travellers. A very high percentage of pupils join and leave the school during their primary education: over 40 per cent of the total number of pupils either left or arrived in the course of the last year. The school draws most of its pupils from nearby local authority housing estates, and the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

more than twice the national average. The intake of the school has changed in recent years and the younger pupils have greater needs than the older pupils: in Year 1 and 2 classes, around 60 per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs (40.5 per cent) is well above the national average; the number with a statement is broadly average. The majority of pupils with special educational needs have moderate or specific learning difficulties or social, emotional and behavioural difficulties; a small number have speech or communication difficulties. The school has a local education authority-designated special educational needs unit for eight pupils; the pupils currently in the unit have autistic spectrum disorders. Attainment on entry to the Foundation Stage is very low; it is well below average on entry to Year 1 and a number of pupils arrive into other years having had little or no formal education.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is involved in the Excellence in Cities initiative. It has gained a Healthy Schools award and the Activemark (for physical education) award. It makes community provision for eight adults to attend a family-learning programme two afternoons a week. De Bohun Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

15918 Margaret Julia Goodchild Lead inspector Special educational needs Inclusion resources base Foundation Stage Art Design and technology 1166 Rosemary Hussain Lay inspector 17826 June Punnett Team inspector English Music Physical education 17995 Roger Purdom Team inspector Science Religious education Geography History 3574 Kanwaljit Singh Team inspector English as an additional language Ethnic minority achievement Mathematics Information and communication technology

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Open Book Inspections 6 East Point High Street Seal Sevenoaks TN15 0EG

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12-17

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

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

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SUBJECTS IN KEY STAGES 1 and 2

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 29 De Bohun Primary School - 6

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school, with a number of very good features . Standards are mostly below average, but pupils achieve well overall and very well in some subjects when their very low attainment on entry is taken into account. Teaching and learning are good. Pupils are cared for very well and make very good progress in their personal development. The headteacher provides very effective leadership. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Pupils make good progress in response to good teaching; their overall achievement is very good in English, science and religious education. • Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress towards their targets; provision is excellent in the inclusion resource base. • The school ensures that all pupils are included equally, regardless of their background or ethnicity. • Very good leadership by the headteacher and thorough use of test data give rise to continuous school improvement. • Unsatisfactory accommodation for information and communication technology has an adverse effect on pupils’ achievement. • The very good provision for pupils’ personal development and care supports their learning. • Teachers’ expectations for behaviour are not consistently high enough, and opportunities for independent learning are underdeveloped.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has made very good improvement since it was inspected in February 2001, when it was put into special measures, and good improvement since an inspection by HMI took it out in November 2002. There is a trend of improved achievement, despite the increase in the number of pupils with additional needs. There have been significant improvements in the leadership and management of the school and in provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Communication with parents is now strong, although the school continues to seek ways of involving parents more closely in their children’s learning.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004 English C C C A mathematics C E D A science C D D B Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievement is good . Although most children do not reach the expected standards at the end of the Foundation Stage 1 , they achieve well overall and make very good progress in personal, social and emotional development and in developing their language and communication skills. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 achieve well. Their achievement is very good in English, science and religious education, good in mathematics and satisfactory in information and communication technology. Pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds, refugees and asylum seekers achieve well. Those with special educational needs make very good progress towards their targets. In Year 2 National Curriculum tests in 2004, results in reading, writing and mathematics were well below the national average. Compared with similar schools they were average in reading and writing and

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The Foundation Stage refers to the time that children aged 3 and 4 spend in nursery and reception classes. De Bohun Primary School - 7 above average in mathematics and science. In Year 6 tests in 2004, results were average in English, and below average in mathematics and science. Compared with similar schools, results were well above average in English and mathematics and above average in science. Pupils who attended the school from Years 3 to 6 did very well when their prior attainment is taken into account.

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

good . Provision for spiritual development is good. Pupils have positive attitudes and behaviour is satisfactory. Attendance was well below the national average last year, but it is now improving and most pupils are punctual in getting to school.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a good education . Teaching and learning are good . The curriculum is good and enrichment opportunities are very good. Pupils are very well cared for. Partnership with parents and with other schools is good. Links with the community are very good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good . The headteacher provides very good leadership: he ensures that performance data is analysed thoroughly, that the school’s effectiveness is regularly checked and necessary actions are taken in order to raise standards. He is supported well by others in key posts. Governors provide good support and challenge to senior managers.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and pupils are very satisfied with the education the school provides. Parents particularly appreciate the way that their children are cared for and the information they receive about how well they are doing. Pupils especially value the wide range of activities available outside lesson time.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Improve pupils’ achievement in information and communication technology. • Raise expectations for behaviour, especially in lessons, to ensure that pupils are consistently on task and focusing on what they are meant to be doing. • Promote increased opportunities for independent learning. De Bohun Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Standards are below average overall, but when pupils’ very low attainment on entry to the school is taken into account – together with the high number of refugees and asylum seekers – it is clear that their achievement is good. Pupils achieve very well overall in English, science and religious education, well in mathematics and satisfactorily in information and communication technology.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well; their achievement is very good in personal, social and emotional development and in communication and language. • Pupils in Years 1 to 6 achieve well overall; their achievement is very good in English, science and religious education. • Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress towards their targets; the achievement of pupils in the inclusion resource base is excellent. • Pupils for whom English is an additional language and those from ethnic minority backgrounds achieve well. • Unsatisfactory accommodation for information and communication technology reduces the progress pupils make, although their achievement is satisfactory overall.

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Commentary

1. Children enter the Foundation Stage with very limited social skills and many have few communication skills. A number also come from homes where English is not spoken or where it is an additional language. Staff rightly place particular emphasis on these aspects of children’s development. In personal, social and emotional development and communication and language, children make very good progress in the nursery and reception classes. Achievement is good in all other areas of learning, although by the time they move into Year 1, very few children reach the standards expected in communication, language and literacy and most do not do so in personal, social and emotional development or mathematical development. In 2004, over half the children reached the expected standard in knowledge and understanding of the world and most did so in physical development and creative development. At this early stage in the year, standards are well below average in all areas of

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Commentary

learning in the reception class and very low for many children in the nursery. The school loses several of its more able children at the end of their time in the nursery – many to a local church school that makes no nursery provision – and some also move on at the end of reception. Despite the good progress they make, children therefore enter Year 1 with well below average prior attainment in reading, writing and mathematics.

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

Standards in: School results National results reading 13.9 (13.9) 16.0 (15.7) writing 12.9 (12.7) 14.8 (14.6) mathematics 15.1 (14.1) 16.4 (16.3) There were 30 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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

2. In addition to their low prior attainment, in Years 1 and 2 the school has an increasingly high proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals, who are refugees or asylum seekers, who have limited English or special educational needs. Although standards are well below the national average by the end of Year 2, as indicated by the 2004 National Curriculum De Bohun Primary School - 9 tests in reading, writing and mathematics, pupils make good progress overall. Compared with similar schools in 2004, results were average in reading and writing and above average in mathematics and science. Standards are currently below average in Year 2 in reading and mathematics; they are lower in writing than in reading.

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Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004

Standards in: School results National results English 27.4 (26.9) 27.0 (27.0) mathematics 26.5 (24.9) 27.2 (26.7) science 27.6 (28.4) 28.9 (28.3) There were 54 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004

3. Pupils continue to make good progress in Years 3 to 6. They do very well in English, science and religious education, and their progress is good in mathematics. In Year 6 tests in 2004, results were in line with the national average in English, and below average in mathematics and science. The school’s own analysis explains a slight fall in science results from 2003 to 2004 as being caused by pupils under-performing in questions relating to data handling. It has already taken action to try to ensure that this does not happen again. Compared with similar schools, results in 2004 were well above average in English and mathematics and above average in science. Pupils who attended the school from Years 3 to 6 achieved very well in Year 6 tests when their prior attainment is taken into account. The trend in the school’s overall results in recent years has been above the national trend. In 2004, the school

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Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004

exceeded its Year 6 targets in English but did not quite meet them in mathematics. It missed its target at Level 4 in science but exceeded it at Level 5.

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Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004

4. The current standards of pupils’ work and their rate of progress suggest that although their attainment is below average at present, they are likely to reach average standards at least in English and science by the end of Year 6. They may still be working a bit below national expectations in mathematics, although the school is working systematically to tackle any weak areas in pupils’ performance in order to raise standards. In religious education, pupils are working above the expectations of the Local Agreed syllabus. This is because teaching is consistently good, work builds very effectively on what pupils already know and understand, and opportunities to learn about and from religions are integrated throughout. Pupils' achievement in information and communication technology is satisfactory across the school. There is some good teaching but unsatisfactory accommodation in the computer suite reduces

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Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004

the amount of learning that takes place. Teachers and teaching assistants are not able to move easily amongst the pupils and so some pupils complete work and need additional direction, whilst others struggle and need more support than is readily available. Limited sampling in other areas of the curriculum suggests that pupils’ progress is satisfactory in most other subjects, but with at least good progress in physical education.

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Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004

5. Over the last few years, boys have outperformed girls in National Curriculum tests in Years 2 and 6, although there have been slight variations from year to year. Boys in last year’s Year 6 did particularly well at Level 5 in mathematics and science tests in 2004, and their attainment was equal to that of girls in English. The school is unable to explain this pattern except by pointing out that there are some very quiet girls and that parents sometimes have lower expectations for their daughters than their sons. Inspection findings suggest that quiet girls may at times be disadvantaged when teachers allow boys to become too noisy in lessons, although boys are certainly not exclusively responsible for chatter and off-task behaviour. Overall, firm evidence was not found during the inspection to indicate significant underachievement by girls and the school seeks to treat all its pupils equally, regardless of

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Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004

gender, ethnicity or background. De Bohun Primary School - 10 6. By the end of Year 6, most pupils for whom English is an additional language – and who are fluent in English – attain standards that are similar to their peers as a result of the good support they receive throughout the school. Those who are new to English make good and sometimes very good progress, but their standards remain lower than their English-speaking peers, for the obvious reason that they have not yet acquired the appropriate skills in the language. With good support from their teachers and teaching assistants right from the nursery onwards, these pupils achieve well. Pupils from ethnic minorities who are English speakers make good progress and reach similar standards to their peers. The school has very good systems for analysing data according to ethnicity but the numbers in each group are very small and cannot be used to make meaningful comparisons between different groups.

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Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004

7. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress overall. This is evident in the numbers of pupils who gain Level 2 (the national expectation) in Year 2 tests despite their very low attainment on entry and who subsequently reach Level 4 in Year 6 tests. The results at these levels are much better than could normally be expected when the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs is taken into account. Furthermore, pupils in the inclusion resource base make excellent progress.

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Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004

8. Although the school’s intake has become more disadvantaged since the inspection in 2001, standards have risen and pupils’ achievement has improved substantially. Good improvement is evident since the HMI inspection of 2002.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ personal qualities, including their moral, social and cultural development, are very good. Provision for spiritual development is good. Pupils have positive attitudes and behaviour is satisfactory. Attendance was well below the national average last year, but it is now improving and most pupils are punctual in getting to school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ personal development is very good; opportunities for enrichment and extra support programmes extend the personal progress they make. • Expectations for behaviour, especially in lessons, are not always high enough. • Pupils co-operate very well in paired or group tasks but most lack the skills necessary for independent learning. • Monitoring and promotion of attendance are now very good; the rate of attendance was well below the national average last year but it is now improving. • Relationships are good and there is little if any bullying; racial harmony is very good. • Pupils’ very positive attitudes about coming to school and their enthusiasm for extra-curricular activities contribute very well to their learning.

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Commentary

9. Pupils are happy to come to school because they enjoy many aspects of what it has to offer, for example, the wide range of extra-curricular activities, subjects that are exciting – like drama, the many trips out, and the way ‘golden time’ is used as a reward. Consequently, many pupils are enthusiastic and happy to stay on at the end of the school day to take part in the activities on offer.

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Commentary

10. Most pupils behave well in lessons where teachers have high expectations and the work is interesting. In some lessons, pupils lack concentration, and they can become noisy or fidgety where teachers’ expectations are not high enough. Pupils co-operate very well in paired or group tasks because they enjoy shared work, which is a strong part of the school ethos.

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Commentary

11. Pupils’ personal development is very good: although many arrive with very limited social skills, they make significant progress in all areas of personal maturity. The considerable enrichment, De Bohun Primary School - 11 extra support programmes and the many opportunities to take on roles of responsibility enhance this progress. Pupils become more focused, sociable and tolerant because the school fosters personal development very well through a sense of co-operation and team spirit. Pupils know right from wrong as the school has a progressive system of sanctions: this encourages pupils to learn from their mistakes and involves parents at early stages if necessary. Exclusion is used very much as a last resort: there were five fixed period exclusions last year but only one pupil was excluded more than once. Cultural and multicultural development is very good. Pupils learn about a range of cultures in lessons and

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Commentary

assemblies and through celebrations such as that for Black History Month. Since the 2001 inspection, there has been considerable improvement in provision for spiritual development because of a greater awareness of how this can be promoted throughout the curriculum. Religious education makes a particularly good contribution to pupils’ spiritual awareness, as do some English lessons. Most assemblies contribute positively to this aspect of pupils’ development.

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Commentary

12. Relationships are good and pupils form strong friendships. Pupils appreciate being members of an ethnically diverse community because they are encouraged to celebrate their differences as well as the things they have in common. There is little if any bullying: according to both pupils and parents, it is dealt with very quickly and effectively if it arises. The outdoor play area is very spacious, which means that there is less chance of accidental bumps and interference in others’ games.

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Commentary

13. Attendance was well below the national average last year but is now improving as a result of rigorous and effective monitoring and promotion of attendance. A new system of monitoring was introduced in the summer term using a truancy call centre, which has considerably reduced the number of unauthorised absences. Punctuality is good for all but a handful of pupils who are occasionally late, but parents now respond well to reminders that pupils should arrive on time.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.3 School data 1.9 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Commentary

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Commentary

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 97 2 0 White - Irish 5 0 0 White – any other White background 67 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 4 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 1 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 8 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Indian 7 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 4 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi 5 0 0 Asian or Asian British - other 16 0 0 Black or black British - Caribbean 5 2 0 De Bohun Primary School - 12 Black or black British - African 18 0 0 Black or black British - other 36 0 0 Chinese 6 0 0 Other ethnic group 3 1 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a good education. Teaching and learning are good. The curriculum is good and enrichment opportunities are very good. Pupils are very well cared for. Partnership with parents and with other schools is good. Links with the community are very good.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good. Assessment arrangements are good, including the use of assessment information.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching and learning contribute to pupils’ good achievement. • Teaching is excellent in the inclusion resource base. • Teachers do not always have high enough expectations for pupils’ behaviour and tolerate a level of chatter that takes too many pupils’ minds off their work. • Pupils who are learning English as an additional language receive good teaching; those with special educational needs are supported very well. • Assessment information is used well and test data is very carefully analysed; marking is variable in quality.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 36 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 1(3%) 7(19%) 17(47%) 10 (28%) 1(3%) - - The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 36 lessons

14. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Two in ten lessons were very good, and seven out of ten lessons were at least good. With one exception, teaching in all lessons seen was at least satisfactory. This is a very good improvement on the quality of teaching in the inspection of 2001 and it indicates good continued improvement since the HMI inspection of 2002. This reflects the emphasis placed by senior managers on training teachers in different learning styles and using assessment information to match work to pupils’ needs.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 36 lessons

15. Where teaching is at its best, it is exciting and inspirational. As a matter of course, teachers share learning objectives with pupils and explain what is required. They plan their lessons effectively – a significant improvement on the 2001 inspection – and expectations are generally appropriate, as revealed by the work that is set. Teachers have developed good skills of identifying the next steps in individual pupils’ learning and they use on-going assessment information well. In some classes, pupils are also becoming involved in evaluating their own learning. In some subjects, marking is informative and ensures that pupils know what to do to improve but this is not always the case.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 36 lessons

16. The school has rightly identified, through its own monitoring, that teaching is not consistently of good quality. Inspection findings show that where teaching is satisfactory – and at times even where it contains a number of good features – teachers' expectations of what constitutes De Bohun Primary School - 13 appropriate behaviour are not high enough. In these lessons, some pupils fidget and at times talk ‘over’ the teacher when work is being explained or in the introduction to lessons. At other times, pupils listen carefully when they are together as a whole class, but many chatter incessantly as soon as they are instructed to get on with practical or written work. Noise levels are much too high in practical lessons and frequently so when written work is taking place. This is partly a result of the school encouraging pupils to work together. They collaborate well and clearly enjoy talking to one another about what they are doing, but few

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 36 lessons

have any real concept of quiet, independent working. Pupils who chatter, necessarily, produce less work and of a more superficial quality than those who exercise self-discipline and ignore the talk that is going on around them. Changing the culture amongst teachers as well as pupils is the school’s greatest challenge in improving the quality of teaching and learning, and thus raising standards further.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 36 lessons

17. The teaching of pupils who speak English as an additional language is good. The support provided by teachers and teaching assistants enables these pupils to achieve well, similarly to their peers. Ethnic minority pupils who are English speakers also receive good teaching and achieve well. All staff have received training and have a good understanding of the needs of bilingual pupils. The co-ordinator works closely with class teachers and helps pupils in class. She was also seen providing very good support in a pupil’s home language. Teachers use good questioning, explain key vocabulary well, mime actions, and use resources with a strong visual content to ensure that pupils understand what they are required to learn. As a result, pupils successfully complete their work and achieve well. Teachers’ positive acceptance of a diversity of languages in their classes adds significantly to their bilingual pupils’ ease and, as a

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 36 lessons

result, means that they are confident and proud of their command of more than one language.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 36 lessons

18. The very good provision the school makes for pupils who have special educational needs is largely a result of the close relationship between the special educational needs co-ordinator, class teachers and teaching assistants. All are involved in identifying and writing pupils’ individual education plan targets. These targets are almost invariably specific and measurable and work is matched well to the needs of the pupils. Teaching assistants are used effectively and have very good opportunities for training.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 36 lessons

Example of outstanding practice Teaching in the inclusion resource base is inspirational The inclusion resource base provides high quality learning experiences for a small number of pupils, all of whom have autistic spectrum disorders. These pupils have made exceptional progress in their personal development and academic achievement in just a few months since arriving in the base. This is the result of the intensive one-to-one support provided and teaching that is exceptional: it is exemplary in its clarity and the teacher exudes understanding of pupils’ learning needs. Staff are able to find ways of getting pupils to tolerate close communication and contact – normally profound problems for pupils with this type of learning difficulty. The teacher is highly skilled in managing their behaviour and in raising their own awareness of how to ‘overcome’ their difficulties. It is in this way that staff have gradually enabled pupils to accept new experiences

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 36 lessons

and supported them in discovering that strange experiences do not have to be alarming. Parents have seen a tremendous difference in their children, and the success of the provision is evident in photographs of the pupils being fully included in the school’s sports day and in activities during ‘grounds week’. These include one of an autistic pupil smiling broadly as another pupil put his arm around him, and of pupils from the base playing happily with groups of other children. These pupils now seek out communication when a visitor enters the room and their autistic traits have been significantly reduced. They work in a very well organised, stimulating environment. Excellent planning ensures a perfect balance between structured activities and freedom of choice. Again, this helps pupils to tolerate new experiences within the ‘safety’ of familiar routines. Their artwork is vibrant and expressive, and they are confident, enthusiastic learners who respond readily to the

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 36 lessons

19. Data from statutory and optional tests is analysed very well in order to find ways of raising standards. Detailed findings are passed on to teachers for use in planning. Pupils’ achievement is carefully tracked through the use of a range of assessment mechanisms, including non-statutory national tests, standardised tests and systems devised by the school itself, such as progress books in writing. Individual teachers use the resulting information to identify pupils who need extra support in order to reach the expected level. Particularly good De Bohun Primary School - 14 use is made of assessment information at a whole-school level, for instance, to determine which pupils and groups of pupils require support because of learning or social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. All pupils for whom English is an additional language are assessed and their stages of language acquisition are determined and recorded; their progress is then

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 36 lessons

tracked and monitored against the targets set for raising standards. There are good systems in place for the assessment of pupils who arrive other than at the usual time of entry to the school.

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The curriculum

The curriculum is good and is relevant to the ages and interests of pupils, with an appropriate range of subjects that meet statutory requirements. Accommodation and staffing are satisfactory overall; resources are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum is broad and balanced and is planned to promote pupils’ continuing progress. • The opportunities for curriculum enrichment are very good and contribute very well to the quality of pupils’ learning. • A number of classrooms are too small and accommodation for information and communication technology is unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

20. Curricular provision is good overall, and the school provides a broad and balanced curriculum that meets statutory requirements in all the subjects of the National Curriculum and in religious education. The cross-curricular integration of subjects is developing well and the school is working to increase opportunities for creativity. Particularly good examples of this include ‘grounds week’, where pupils worked on projects ranging from establishing vegetable patches to devising adventure trails, and the range of enriching activities that took place as part of Black History Month.

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Commentary

21. Provision for personal, social and health education, including sex and relationships education and education about the misuse of drugs, is good. The influences from this part of the curriculum form an essential part of the school’s positive ethos, which pervades the school and relationships within it. A particular strength is the way that the school ensures that all pupils have equal access and opportunity, regardless of their ethnicity or background. Good overall provision is made for gifted and talented pupils, although this has, rightly, been identified as an area for further development.

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Commentary

22. Provision for special educational needs is very good. Curriculum planning to meet the needs of pupils with learning difficulties and those with social, emotional and behavioural needs is thorough. All pupils have full access to the curriculum and are very well integrated and included in school life. This is partly the result of initiatives such as the Early Years Social Intervention Project, which promotes social and language skills, and the Tiger Team, which focuses on pupils with motor skill disorders. Work to support the emotional needs of pupils, including Place 2 Be and a mentoring programme, are effective in picking up pupils who might otherwise fail to flourish. Provision within the inclusion resource base is excellent, as already stated.

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Commentary

23. Pupils for whom English is an additional language receive a broad and balanced curriculum and take a full part in all school activities. There are some notices, signs and books in other languages to show that the school values different cultures and languages. The school provides a curriculum that reflects other cultures positively, which adds to the confidence and self-esteem of ethnic minority pupils. De Bohun Primary School - 15 24. The curriculum is enhanced by a very good programme of events and visiting speakers, performers and specialists, as well as by educational visits to places of interest. In Years 5 and 6, pupils have a residential trip for study purposes, and to help develop their social skills. Added to this, a wide range of extra-curricular activities includes very good opportunities for sport and the arts.

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Commentary

25. Children are gently introduced to the nursery class within an encouraging environment that supports them and their families very well. Good curricular links with the local secondary school help to ease transfer for pupils at the end of Year 6. All members of staff are given good opportunities to undertake regular training. Resources are good across the curriculum. Although the accommodation is satisfactory overall, there are inherent weaknesses in the design of the building. For example, a number of the classrooms are too small and cramped for staff to walk between the pupils’ tables. This has a negative impact on the quality of pupils’ learning, although it is especially evident in the computer suite, which is badly designed and prevents pupils from achieving as well as they might. The school premises are well kept and good quality display means that pupils are surrounded by stimuli and information. The school

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Commentary

grounds are spacious and provide an attractive learning environment that supports the curriculum.

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Commentary

26. Key improvements since the last inspection include the good improvement in curriculum coverage in science and religious education, in personal, social and health education provision, and in the provision for higher attaining pupils.

p.15

Care, guidance and support

The school offers its pupils very good care, support and guidance in a safe and very supportive environment. The strong, extended support systems promote the inclusion of all pupils very well. Support for pupils with special educational needs is very good; that for pupils for whom English is an additional language is good. Monitoring of pupils’ personal development and academic achievement is good. The school is very active in consulting pupils and involving them in decision- making.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Support, guidance and the inclusion of all pupils are significant strengths. • Care, welfare, health and safety are of a high standard. • Pupils enjoy very good relationships with the staff. • Pupils know that their views are valued.

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Commentary

27. The school is a secure and happy environment, supported by effective procedures for health and safety, child protection and welfare. Several staff are trained in these areas and training is regularly updated so that staff are very aware of their responsibilities. Pastoral support and guidance are major strengths of the school because the headteacher’s leadership is very strong in this area. The school’s ethos is based on the importance of meeting each individual pupil’s needs by providing extra support where necessary. This support is provided through several initiatives, such as the breakfast club, a social development group for children in the Foundation Stage and Year 1, and one-to-one mentoring in response to individual needs. The school’s commitment is beyond doubt because, when funding for initiatives comes to an end, staff are proactive in acquiring further funding from other sources to ensure they can continue

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Commentary

to offer this additional support. The way all pupils are included is a major strength because it is endemic in the school culture and is well supported through the extra support programmes.

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Commentary

28. Support for personal development and academic achievement through monitoring is good as the systems are well developed. There are established and effective procedures for inducting children into the school and, once settled, there are good assessment procedures for tracking De Bohun Primary School - 16 their progress. The progress of pupils who speak English as an additional language, and those from ethnic minority backgrounds, is carefully recorded and their progress is monitored as part of the very good care that the school provides for these pupils. The school has close links with a range of external specialists who contribute to the diagnosis and support of pupils with special educational needs, and to the very good progress that these pupils make.

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Commentary

29. Parents and pupils are very positive about the strong relationships developed between pupils and staff: teachers know their pupils very well. Parents and pupils also really appreciate the opportunities for one-to-one counselling and family support through the national charity, Place 2 Be, which operates within the school. 2

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Commentary

30. Pupils know that their views are important and respected because of the well-established school council, which meets each week and has tackled a variety of issues very successfully. Pupils, through their representatives, are given considerable responsibility in making major decisions such as working with a landscape specialist to draw up a plan for developing the grounds. Pupils’ views are also canvassed through questionnaires, and their responses are carefully analysed. Pupils are encouraged to play their part in the school community: they are involved in the drawing up of class rules, they know the school’s Golden Rules and have many opportunities to make their views known in circle time.

p.16

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Overall, links with parents are good and parental satisfaction is high. Very good quality information and very good opportunities for regular contact between staff and parents support these links. Parents’ involvement in their children’s learning is satisfactory; their response to school initiatives for greater involvement is limited – though increasing slowly. Links with other schools are good and those with the local community are very good.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has a high level of commitment to encouraging strong relationships between home and school and greater parental involvement. • The very good level of information and regular contact keeps parents well informed. • The school has very strong links with the local community. • Many parents are reluctant to take up opportunities offered by the school to become more involved.

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Commentary

31. The school’s high level of commitment to improving relationships with parents is beginning to pay dividends because the level of parental satisfaction is much greater than that at the inspection in 2001. Parents’ responses to the school’s surveys and the inspection questionnaire were very positive. They are very satisfied with the school because they feel that staff are very approachable and they really appreciate the support that the school provides for their children. Recent improvements, such as the programmes the school has introduced to support whole families, for example Place 2 Be, are highly valued. The relationship with parents continues to grow stronger: the leadership team is regularly available, often meeting and greeting parents and carers at the beginning and end of the school day, so that any problems can be dealt with swiftly. All class teachers also greet children and parents on the playground each morning and afternoon.

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Commentary

32. The school’s commitment to encouraging greater parental involvement has only had limited success and only a few parents have taken advantage of the several initiatives on offer. However, as these are becoming more established, more parents are beginning to get

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Commentary

Place 2 Be provides emotional support and counselling for children and their families. De Bohun Primary School - 17 involved. Just two committed parents run the Friends’ Association although other parents do support social events and help when asked.

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Commentary

33. The school makes every effort to involve the parents of pupils who are learning English as an additional language in all school activities. The co-ordinator holds literacy, information and communication technology, and homework clubs for parents, with a view to improving their skills so that they can support their children’s learning. She helps parents and their children to choose books from the mobile library and plans outings for parents, particularly for those who have little opportunity to see the world beyond their homes. This gives them good opportunities to increase their understanding and then support their children’s learning more effectively. The co-ordinator buys in translation and interpreting services as and when required, and staff and parents who speak more than one language also help as interpreters.

p.17

Commentary

34. The level of information that the school provides to parents is very good. Written information, such as the regular newsletter, the well-written school brochure and annual reports, are of high quality. Reports give detailed personal information about what pupils know and can do and have realistic targets for pupils to improve. More on-going information is given at the parents’ consultation meetings held termly. The parents of pupils with special educational needs are kept very well informed and involved as active participants in decision-making.

p.17

Commentary

35. Community links are very strong and the school has a well-developed programme of high quality visits and visitors that enrich pupils’ learning experience. The school is also able to offer out-of-school support because of its links with the Business Partnership and charitable foundations; these have secured funding for the breakfast and homework clubs. Community links are further strengthened through the links with the Enfield Child Information Service on site and the local playgroup, for ease of transition. The school is increasingly meeting the needs of the local community through providing opportunities for family learning and parenting sessions.

p.17

Commentary

36. Links with other schools are good and De Bohun has established a good partnership with the most local secondary school to which most pupils transfer. Curriculum areas such as science are supported through work done by pupils with secondary staff on both sites, and the school makes use of a secondary subject specialist in the teaching of French to pupils in Year 6. De Bohun was a partner school in the secondary school’s bid for specialist school status. Transition into Year 7 is smooth because pupils receive full information and visit the school of their choice before transfer; a good level of information is shared about each pupil. Some pupils also come back to undertake work experience after they have moved to secondary school, which helps to maintain a sense of continuity. The school’s links with higher education establishments are also good. This benefits pupils because the school provides trainee

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Commentary

teacher placements in association with Middlesex University and students from a local college undertake practice placements in the nursery.

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good. The headteacher provides very good leadership: he ensures that performance data is analysed thoroughly, that the school’s effectiveness is regularly checked and necessary actions are taken in order to raise standards. He is supported well by others in key posts. Governors provide good support and challenge to senior managers.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher provides very good leadership and clear direction to the school’s work. • The school makes very good use of performance data to bring about school improvement. • The co-ordination of special educational needs is very good; others with leadership and management responsibilities generally fulfil their roles well. • The governing body provides good support and challenge to senior managers and the chair of governors has an excellent knowledge of the school. De Bohun Primary School - 18

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Commentary

37. Very good improvement has been made in leadership and management since the inspection in 2001, with good further improvement since the HMI inspection of 2002. The headteacher provides very good leadership and clear direction to the school’s work. He is a very capable and caring, combining a genuine commitment to the care of individual pupils with a determination to raise standards further. He is capable of making firm decisions and has the confidence of parents and his staff; he is very accessible to pupils and parents, a fact that both appreciate a great deal. Teamwork is a strong feature of the school. Senior managers support the headteacher effectively in leading and managing the school. The co-ordination of special educational needs and of inclusion is very good. Nearly all other staff with co- ordination responsibilities fulfil their roles well; greater clarity is needed in the leadership and

p.18

Commentary

management of information and communication technology to overcome practical difficulties that are hampering teaching and learning.

p.18

Commentary

38. Self-evaluation is coherent and systematic, and this has helped the school to keep up the momentum of change and development since it came out of special measures in 2002. Teachers’ work and pupils’ progress are monitored regularly. Particularly good use is made of performance data to bring about school improvement and to keep all the staff’s attention on raising standards. Very detailed analysis has enabled the school to identify exactly how and where teaching and planning need to be improved in order to improve its test results. Action is quickly taken whenever relative weaknesses are identified.

p.18

Commentary

39. The information that monitoring provides about the school’s effectiveness is used very well to identify necessary developments: school improvement planning is strong. The right priorities are identified and parents, pupils and governors are actively involved in shaping the future of the school alongside the staff. Governors are supportive and challenging; the governing body has developed its role significantly since the previous inspection. The chair of governors has excellent knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and, along with a few other governors, has a clear understanding of performance data. Some governors visit the school to check its work directly, so that the governing body is not solely reliant on the detailed reports provided by the headteacher.

p.18

Commentary

40. The fall in pupil numbers will necessarily bring with it a reduction in funding. The school’s budget is, however, protected in the immediate future and governors have been able to maintain the present level of support to the many pupils who need it, whilst also planning a budget for the next five years. Governors and senior managers are, thus, managing the financial situation well and ensuring that all money is spent judiciously. The inclusion resource base, which has not yet filled all its places, is an expensive – albeit excellent – resource. This pushes up the overall cost per pupil – which is high. Nevertheless, pupils achieve well, teaching is good and all pupils are included equally; the school therefore gives satisfactory value for money.

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Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

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Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1131803 Balance from previous year 113350 Total expenditure 1179718 Balance carried forward to the next 65435 Expenditure per pupil 4082.07 De Bohun Primary School - 19

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

41. Provision in the Foundation Stage is good overall. As a result, children achieve well and make very good progress in some aspects of their development. By the time children enter Year 1, most are working below the expected standards in most areas of learning. A minority of higher-attaining children do reach this standard but the school loses several of its most able children at their end of their time in the nursery and some move on to other schools at the end of their time in reception.

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

42. Teaching is good overall and sometimes very good, especially in the nursery. Teamwork between the teachers and support staff is strong. Assessment is satisfactory. A good, annotated photographic record is kept of children’s speaking and listening but the school has rightly identified the need to increase the frequency with which observations of children’s learning are recorded. At the moment, too much information is kept in staff’s memories rather than being recorded systematically. Links with parents are good. Support for children with special educational needs is very good. Provision for children learning English as an additional language is good. Very good emphasis is given to the induction of new arrivals, many of whom speak little or no English. The Foundation Stage is led and managed well. The nursery provides a very positive learning environment; that in the reception class is good.

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Improvement since the inspection in 2001 has been good; it has been satisfactory since the 2002 inspection.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is very good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children have very limited social skills when they enter the Foundation Stage but they make very good progress. • Children from all backgrounds and ethnic groups play and learn happily together.

p.19

Commentary

43. Teaching and children’s progress in this area are very good. Many children enter the nursery or come straight into reception with limited social skills. Teachers, therefore, rightly give priority to children’s personal and social development and the Early Years Social Inclusion Project contributes to this for those children in greatest need. Children are happy and quickly settle into the routines. The nursery provides a particularly cosy, welcoming environment and staff work closely in partnership with parents in ensuring that children are made to feel secure. Staff communicate their high expectations for behaviour and children respond well; behaviour is invariably very good in both classes. Children are learning to take turns and share, and develop their social skills through, for instance, eating in the dining room once they move into the reception class. Children are encouraged to understand that each person has feelings

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Commentary

and needs and most children play harmoniously together. They are increasingly able to make independent choices and show a growing confidence as learners.

p.19

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good . De Bohun Primary School - 20

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff pay very good attention to developing children’s communication and language skills. • Good opportunities are provided for children to develop literacy skills. • Occasionally, the pace is not fast enough for some children during whole-class activities in reception.

p.20

Commentary

44. Teaching is good overall in this area of learning and children achieve well, but most children are still working well below expectations by the end of their time in reception.

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Commentary

45. The teaching of communication and language is frequently very good; this is the aspect of most children’s development that is particularly weak on entry and staff rightly give priority to it. Lower-attaining children and those learning English as an additional language benefit a great deal from the practice of teaching them Makaton signing and of using pictures to denote daily routines. Children respond very well to this and many use signing actively as a means of communication where they are still reluctant to speak very much in a whole-class group. A small minority of children are articulate; most have limited spoken language, especially in the reception class where more new arrivals are at early stages in acquiring English. Whole-class sessions in the reception class do not always provide as much challenge for higher-attaining children as they might – since the pace tends to be suited more to the rest of the class. These

p.20

Commentary

children have good opportunities, however, to talk with adults and to engage in conversations with one another.

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Commentary

46. Opportunities for children to develop writing and pre-writing skills are good. Those children who have begun to read receive good, regular attention from adults; they are encouraged to read word cards and simple stories, and all children have the opportunity to take books home to share with their families. Staff use a good range of teaching methods to encourage an early awareness of print having meaning and promote a sense of enjoyment in listening to stories and looking at pictures in books. By the time they reach the end of the Foundation Stage, a few higher-attaining children are able to write one or two sentences and begin to include full- stops. Most other children have difficulty forming their letters accurately, although they are given good, regular opportunities to develop their skills.

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good opportunities are provided for children to develop their skills and understanding through practical activities with a mathematical focus. • Children make good progress, especially in number and shape.

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Commentary

47. Teaching in mathematical development is good but because of children’s very low attainment on entry, only a few fully meet expectations in this area of learning by the end of their time in reception. Appropriate emphasis is given to number recognition, for instance, through display of numbers up to 21 in the reception class, and to beginning to write numbers. Within a highly structured situation, nearly all the older children are able to hold up the correct number of fingers for numbers up to at least five – but they are not yet all secure in this knowledge. Children in the nursery are beginning to be able to count together aloud up to five. Many can count up to ten in the reception class when they are supported in doing so. Staff use the language of mathematics well and use good questioning to encourage children to grasp De Bohun Primary School - 21 concepts such as the constancy of numbers. Good opportunities are provided for children to

p.20

Commentary

acquire knowledge of simple geometric shapes and their properties. Practical activities are matched well to the learning needs of different groups of children, so that learning builds on their prior attainment.

p.21

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

48. This area of learning was not inspected in detail but scrutiny of planning, assessment and discussion with staff show that provision is good. Local education authority data analysis at the end of the last academic year suggests that over half the children reached the expected standard by the end of the reception class in this area of learning. Children have opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world in a wide variety of ways, regularly exploring materials, learning about their bodies, about how things grow, about their family and personal histories. They have good opportunities to use the computer for drawing and to support their learning in, for instance, mathematical development. A range of outings and varied practical activities extend children’s horizons.

p.21

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

49. Provision in physical development was not inspected in detail but curriculum planning and observation of children in a number of sessions show that their achievement is good in this area of learning. Local education authority data analysis suggests that last year most children met the expected standard by the end of their time in reception. Children’s physical skills, such as climbing and riding on wheeled toys, tend to be more developed than their other skills on entry to the nursery and reception classes. Children are competent in balancing and moving through confined spaces by the end of their time in reception. The outdoor play areas used by children in the nursery and those in reception would benefit from further development: they provide regular but restricted access to the outdoors – there is no covered area. When they arrive at the school, most children have very limited hand-to-eye co-ordination, such as

p.21

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

that required in writing and drawing. They make good progress in this area, but by the end of their time in reception, this aspect of most children’s development is still well below that expected. Only the most able children have sufficient physical control to form letters in a controlled and accurate way.

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

50. Provision in creative development was not inspected in detail but curriculum planning and observation of children in a number of sessions shows that their achievement is good. Analysis of assessment information at the end of last year suggests that most children met expectations in this area of learning at the end of their time in reception. Children enjoy the opportunities that are provided for dressing up, and a good range of toys and resources is provided for children to engage in role-play indoors and out. Children are assisted considerably by the way staff model role-play: their enthusiasm triggers children’s own imaginations well. Children have appropriate opportunities to paint, draw and make three- dimensional models. This has included the creative arrangement of natural objects when children went on an outing to the woods. They join in with popular songs and many move or sign to the music.

p.21

English

Provision in English is good . De Bohun Primary School - 22

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• From a well below average starting point on entry to Year 1, pupils achieve very well to reach the standards they do by the end of Year 6. • Pupils’ speaking and listening are less well developed than their other skills. • The subject is led and managed well.

p.22

Commentary

51. National Curriculum test results in Year 6 in 2004 were in line with the national average and well above those of similar schools. The school exceeded its targets and results showed that pupils who attended the school from Years 3 to 6 made very good progress. Although standards of work seen in Years 3 to 6 during the inspection were below average, pupils should achieve the national standard by the end of Year 6 as a result of the good quality of teaching and learning. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 make very good progress and achieve very well, with some particularly good achievement in Year 6.

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Commentary

52. Year 2 test results in 2004 were well below the national average and average when compared with similar schools. During the inspection, standards seen were below average in these classes, but pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve well considering their very low starting points.

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Commentary

53. Boys attain higher standards than girls in reading and writing in Year 2 tests and in English overall in Year 6. Pupils with special educational needs achieve very well and those who speak English as an additional language make good progress.

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Commentary

54. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are under-developed and their lack of confidence in presenting their ideas, developing an argument and explaining their work are evident in other subjects across the curriculum. The school has identified this aspect of the subject for development in its improvement plan. Pupils from all year groups read satisfactorily because they are introduced to a good range of fiction and non-fiction texts. Older pupils are beginning to understand how to structure their written work to create an atmosphere and build to a conclusion. For example, a higher-attaining pupil effectively set the scene for Macbeth by writing , ‘The Scottish heath was a barren, desolate landscape’. As a result of redevelopment, pupils in Years 3 to 6 currently have no access to the school library, although they do have access to a good supply of books in their classrooms. The written work of younger pupils is

p.22

Commentary

not so well developed and standards in writing are not as good as in reading in Years 1 and 2.

p.22

Commentary

55. The quality of teaching is good in Years 3 to 6, and sometimes very good in Year 6; it is satisfactory overall in Years 1 and 2. Teachers have good relationships with their pupils, and lessons are planned effectively with a range of interesting, well-resourced activities. Information and communication technology is used satisfactorily to support learning. Opportunities for pupils to become independent learners and search out information for themselves are less evident. Teachers mark written work carefully and advise pupils of ways they can improve. Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning.

p.22

Commentary

56. The subject is led and managed well. The co-ordinator has clearly identified the areas that will raise standards, and has sensible plans in place to support pupils’ achievement and learning. English is well resourced and the accommodation is satisfactory. The development of drama in the school is impacting positively on pupils’ speaking and listening skills. Improvement since the 2001 inspection has been very good; that since the 2002 inspection by HMI has been good.

p.22

Language and literacy across the curriculum

57. Literacy skills are satisfactorily developed across all subjects through the skilful teaching of reading and writing to enhance pupils’ learning overall. Although teachers provide good De Bohun Primary School - 23 opportunities for pupils to discuss and explain, for example the discoveries they make during science experiments, many pupils experience difficulties when speaking to an audience.

p.22

French

58. Insufficient evidence was collected to make a judgement about provision, standards or teaching in French, but information was sought on how the subject is organised. The school is part of the modern foreign languages Pathfinder Project. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 receive one lesson per week of French, and learn through a multi-sensory approach that includes songs, rhymes and various games. A French specialist provides support to the teachers and takes a lesson in Year 6 once a fortnight. She works with teachers to plan for the following week and helps to develop their skills in the subject.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are below average at the end of Years 2 and 6, but pupils achieve well throughout the school as a result of good teaching. • Planning and systems of assessment are good, and assessment information is used well. • Leadership and management of the subject are good.

p.23

Commentary

59. In 2004, results in national tests at the end of Year 6 were below the national average but well above those of similar schools. The number of pupils attaining Level 5 showed a significant improvement in 2004. Results in Year 2 in 2004 were well below the national average but above those of similar schools.

p.23

Commentary

60. The current standards of pupils’ work in Years 2 and 6 are below the national average. Higher and average-attaining pupils are working securely at the expected levels, but the attainment of the remaining pupils is low. The number of pupils who are at early stages of learning English or who have special educational needs, and the high proportion of pupils who leave or join during the school year, impact negatively on overall standards.

p.23

Commentary

61. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and they achieve very well; this is evident in their performance in national tests. Boys and girls are currently making similar progress, although boys have outperformed girls in tests in recent years. Pupils from a wide range of minority ethnic groups do well. Pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress and achieve well.

p.23

Commentary

62. By Year 2, most pupils can count, order, add and subtract numbers to 20. They know the pairs of numbers that add to ten, and higher-attaining pupils can count in twos and tens. By Year 6, most pupils are familiar with the four basic rules of number and apply what they know. They learn to change fractions into decimals and percentages. The co-ordinator is aware of the need for more regular emphasis on developing pupils’ skills in problem solving and investigative work to improve achievement and raise standards further.

p.23

Commentary

63. Overall, teaching and learning are good and, as a result, pupils’ achievement is good. All teachers plan and organise lessons well, providing appropriately challenging tasks that engage pupils’ interest. The work is consistently linked to previous learning and this helps pupils to progress well. Questions are used effectively to find out what pupils know and to challenge them to work out mental calculations accurately. Where teaching is very good, expectations for pupils’ work and behaviour are high and appropriate praise is used to De Bohun Primary School - 24 motivate pupils. However, where expectations of behaviour are not high enough, some pupils fidget and talk during lessons: this slows the pace and hinders learning.

p.23

Commentary

64. Teaching assistants are used well to support pupils who have special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. Good, quick, focused mental sessions are used well to improve pupils’ skills in mental calculations. Mathematical vocabulary is explained but more emphasis is needed to ensure that pupils can understand word-problems. Assessment procedures are good. Test results are analysed rigorously and information is used very well to provide additional support through teaching assistants, ‘booster’ classes and other group work. The plan to support a group of Year 6 girls who are very quiet and can sometimes miss learning because of the behaviour of some boisterous boys is good. Marking is satisfactory; teachers identify strengths but do not consistently give pointers for future developments. This results in pupils not knowing how to improve their work.

p.24

Commentary

65. The subject is led and managed well by an experienced teacher. The priorities identified in the development plan are appropriate. Necessary strategies to improve links with information and communication technology, and to strengthen the teaching of division, problem-solving and investigative mathematics are being implemented. Since the 2001 inspection, the school has made good progress. The quality of teaching and learning, as well as pupils’ achievement, has improved from satisfactory to good. Since the 2002 inspection, improvements in teaching and learning, achievement and leadership and management have been sustained.

p.24

Mathematics across the curriculum

66. Pupils’ mathematical skills are used and promoted satisfactorily in other subjects. In science, pupils use line and pie charts to measure and record the effects of exercise on pulse rate. In information and communication technology, pupils create graphs and Venn diagrams and use spreadsheets. In art and design, pupils use shapes to design their pictures in the style of Mondrian. They use their skills in design and technology to measure, for example, when they are making slippers. Pupils use their numeracy skills in history, geography and religious education, but would benefit from more planned teaching of mathematical skills across a range of subjects.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A broad curriculum, including increased opportunities for investigations, ensures inclusion for all pupils. • Pupils achieve very well overall as a result of good teaching and their own positive attitudes. • Teaching and learning by the end of Year 6 have improved since the last inspection. • Good leadership and management have contributed to the good improvement. • The marking of pupils’ work does not consistently help them to understand what needs to be done to improve further. • Opportunities for using information and communication technology need to be developed.

p.24

Commentary

67. National Curriculum teacher assessments in 2004 show that standards by the end of Year 2 were well below the national average but above those of similar schools. By the end of Year 6, the National Curriculum test results in 2004 show that standards were below the national average but above those of similar schools. The school did not meet its targets for pupils reaching Level 4 but exceeded its targets for Level 5. The National Curriculum test results over the last 5 years show that boys have outperformed girls each year. The co-ordinator has De Bohun Primary School - 25 analysed the 2004 test results and has identified that the boys who achieved Level 5 in mathematics also achieved Level 5 in science. This is linked to the handling, recording and interpretation of data, which presented problems for other pupils.

p.24

Commentary

68. The evidence from the inspection indicates that standards in Year 2 are still below the national average but they are in line by Year 6. This represents very good achievement across the whole school from Year 1 to Year 6. Achievement for pupils who have special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language is also very good. This is a result of the good support they receive in the lessons.

p.25

Commentary

69. Teaching and learning is good overall; some of the teaching seen in Years 3 to 6 was very good. Where the teaching was good, there were high expectations, effective use of time and resources and a good pace to the lessons. Clear introductions and explanations of lesson objectives, together with good use of adults to support learning, resulted in the majority of pupils achieving well in the lessons. The promotion of literacy and numeracy through use of scientific vocabulary and recording data from investigations is satisfactory but this needs to be further developed. Teachers have good relationships with pupils. Pupils’ learning is good because they have positive attitudes and have increasing opportunities to carry out a wide range of scientific investigations.

p.25

Commentary

70. Leadership and management are good; there is a clear understanding of the areas for development and there are clearly defined monitoring procedures. The science curriculum has good resources that are well used. The overall improvement since the previous inspection has been good, as seen through improved teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6, the improving standards and the leadership of the subject.

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is satisfactory .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards across the school are in line with national expectations and are improving. • Teaching is satisfactory and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. • There are enough computers, but the information and communication technology suite is small and the layout is not conducive to good teaching and learning. • Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory.

p.25

Commentary

71. Standards are in line with those expected nationally. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory, and the performance of boys and girls is similar. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs, those who are from ethnic minority groups and who speak English as an additional language is similar to their peers.

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Commentary

72. The number of computers is sufficient. Each class has its own computer and regularly uses the computer suite. Pupils in Year 2 word-process their poems and stories competently. They combine text and graphics and use computer programs well in art and design, for instance, to produce work in the style of Mondrian. Most pupils in Year 6 combine text and graphics effectively for PowerPoint presentations and are competent at importing graphics from the Internet.

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Commentary

73. The quality of teaching and learning across the school is satisfactory. Teachers have a good understanding of pupils’ previous learning and they build on this appropriately. They plan lessons well and share learning objectives with pupils. Teaching assistants are used well to support behaviour and help pupils to concentrate on their tasks. However, the layout of computers and the space in the suite makes it difficult for teachers to explain work or give De Bohun Primary School - 26 demonstrations. When pupils are sitting at their computers, teachers cannot see if they are attentive and are taking turns at using the computer. The very tight space also makes it difficult for adults to reach pupils to support them and this slows pace. As a result, some pupils finish their work and are waiting for the next instructions while others have not yet started.

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Commentary

74. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The new co-ordinator has an accurate view of the working of the subject across the school. He monitors teachers’ planning and the use of the computer suite to ensure that pupils get appropriate time to develop their skills. All teachers have received training in information and communication technology and those less confident are supported well. This is not sufficient, however, to overcome problems caused by the accommodation, which are having a negative impact on the school’s capacity for further improvement.

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Commentary

75. The school has made good improvement since the inspection in 2001. Standards have risen so that they are now in line with national expectations. Improvement has been sustained since the HMI inspection in 2002.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

76. Pupils make satisfactory use of information and communication technology in several curriculum areas. In a number of subjects, they use their word-processing skills and the Internet for research. They combine text and graphics in English, and use computers in mathematics to improve their learning in number, shape and data handling. Satisfactory use of information and communication technology skills is made in science when pupils record their findings in line graphs and pie charts. In art and design, they use drawing and painting programs. In geography, they use digital cameras and PowerPoint presentations to record and present information.

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Geography

77. Only one lesson was observed in geography. The limited evidence obtained from work scrutiny, wall displays, teachers’ planning and a completed questionnaire from the subject co- ordinator, all indicate that satisfactory progress is being made. Planning is based on national guidance. It is not possible, however, to make an overall judgement about provision, standards or teaching.

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Geography

78. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to extend their learning and links are made with other curriculum subjects. For example, in information and communication technology pupils have created pie charts and block graphs of where their parents were born. Pupils have researched the Internet to get information about different seasons. There are links to literacy as pupils are researching information and developing their writing skills. Resources in geography are good. The co-ordinator has introduced a new scheme of work from this school year and, through work scrutiny and monitoring, evaluates each topic as it is taught.

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History

79. No lessons were seen in history. Judgements are based on limited work scrutiny, wall displays, teachers’ planning and a completed questionnaire from the coordinator. Evidence indicates that pupils make satisfactory progress. Insufficient work was seen to make an overall judgement on provision, standards or teaching.

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History

80. Planning is based on national guidelines and long-term plans show clear progression through each topic as well as across each year. Good links with information and communication De Bohun Primary School - 27 technology are evident, for example, with pupils searching the Internet for information on Jamaican history. Resources in history are good.

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• A broad curriculum gives all pupils the opportunity to study a wide range of topics • Standards have risen and by the end of Year 6 are above those expected in the local agreed syllabus. • Teaching and learning are good. • Planned visits to different places of worship provide ‘hands-on’ experiences. • Good displays around the school help to maintain a high profile for religious education. • Good opportunities are provided throughout for pupils to develop their literacy skills. • Opportunities for visitors to come into school are under-developed.

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Commentary

81. Overall, standards by the end of Year 2 are in line with the expectations of the local agreed syllabus. By the end of Year 6, standards are above expectations.

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Commentary

82. Pupils’ work and the lessons seen indicate that teaching is good and that all pupils are making very good progress in developing their knowledge and understanding of religion. It is clear that their study of different religions improves their understanding of each other’s faith. Pupils are able to talk about key beliefs and teachings of the different religions. They are able to make comparisons and connections across the major world religions. For example, a Year 2 class making greetings cards for the Hindu New Year were able to compare them with those used by Christians.

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Commentary

83. Pupils’ achievement is very good. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, are included in the lessons and there are very good links with literacy through speaking and listening and writing about their own ideas. For example, pupils in Year 6 have created a ‘Why?’ question board, where, with the background of the earth in space, they have written their own questions on paper and pinned them to the board for all to see. In one lesson seen, there was a good link with design and technology when the pupils made a diva with modelling clay to hold the candle. In the same lesson, there was a good link with art through making greetings cards.

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Commentary

84. Teaching is good. One teacher takes the Year 2 to Year 6 classes, whilst the subject co- ordinator teaches in Year 1. This gives good continuity and enables teachers to assess the progress pupils make as they move through the school. Teachers make good use of resources and give all pupils good opportunities for hands-on experiences.

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Commentary

85. The subject is led and managed well. The co-ordinator has good subject knowledge and has planned an interesting and exciting programme for each year group. Resources for the subject are good, however, the school does not make as much use of visitors into school as it could in order to consolidate pupils’ learning and experiences. There has been very good improvement since the previous inspection. Religious education now contributes significantly to the spiritual development of all pupils.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

86. In art and design , a small number of lessons were sampled and work on display was scrutinised. Insufficient evidence was seen to make an overall judgement, however, about provision, standards or teaching. High quality, expressive work is evident in the Year 2 project De Bohun Primary School - 28 on ‘identity’, where pupils created self-portrait masks in three dimensions. The best work is in line with national expectations, with some careful use of colour and tone. However, teachers do not always set clear expectations for the quality of work and sometimes pupils are given a confusing choice of activities, even though each possibility has plenty of learning opportunities within it. In these circumstances, pupils tend to work too noisily and their learning suffers.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

87. In design and technology , two lessons were sampled and work on display was scrutinised. Insufficient evidence was seen to make an overall judgement, however, about provision, standards or teaching. In a lesson in Year 2, the learning intention was clear and pupils were encouraged to label their vehicle designs, and to think about how to develop their ideas. Except for the drawings of a group of higher-attaining pupils, designing was below national expectations but pupils were making good progress in learning about the purpose of a chassis and axle in a wheeled vehicle. Their behaviour was managed well. In a lesson in Year 6, pupils had written a step-by-step plan for making slippers but the designs that most pupils had produced were below national expectations. Their making skills were closer to expectations and they were given good opportunities to choose fabrics. They clearly enjoyed making the

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

slippers, but were very noisy and expectations for behaviour were not high enough.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

88. In music , evidence suggests that the requirements of the National Curriculum are met. However, no overall judgements can be securely made about standards, provision or teaching and learning as only one lesson was seen. In that lesson, the quality of teaching and learning was satisfactory. Standards seen were below expectations and pupils’ achievement was limited by their inability to listen well. The quality of singing at assembly was satisfactory. There are adequate resources, and a dedicated music room with specialist teaching.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

89. In physical education , evidence shows that pupils are given very good opportunities for sporting activities, including swimming. There are many opportunities to play football, rugby and cricket, which help develop pupils’ personal potential. Gymnastics, athletics and netball all complement the curriculum. This is further enriched through the spacious outdoor area, sports’ day and opportunities for outdoor pursuits on residential trips. The school has gained the Activemark in recognition of its commitment to physical education.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

90. Insufficient work was seen in classes to give an overall judgement about the provision for personal, social and health education and citizenship.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

91. Evidence from discussions with the co-ordinator and looking at the detailed planning indicates that personal, social and health education and citizenship are actively promoted across the school. There are a number of strategies in place that help this. For example, the well- attended breakfast club, Place 2 Be, and the buddy system all provide good opportunities for the personal development of pupils. There are drugs and sex education programmes that cover various year groups. Whilst much personal, social and health education is covered in circle time and golden time, consideration is also given to this area in subjects such as literacy and science. There is a well-established school council, where pupils are given every opportunity to discuss issues sensibly and to contribute to school development. This gives pupils a valuable experience of contributing as ‘citizens’ of the school community.

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 2 Value for money provided by the school 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 5 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 5 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 4 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out -of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 2 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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