Goldbeaters Primary School

GOLDBEATERS 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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GOLDBEATERS 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. Goldbeaters 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: 412

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Thirleby Road Edgware Middlesex Postcode: HA8 0HA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 0208 959 6033 Fax number: 0208 959 6033

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Father Dane Bately-Gladden

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is bigger than most primary schools, with 412 boys and girls on roll. Some pupils come from a community that is settled, but for many of the pupils who live in temporary and council-owned properties on the Grahame Park Estate there have already been frequent changes of school. Overall, pupils come from backgrounds that are socially disadvantaged and the percentage eligible for free school meals is well above the national average. The percentage of pupils for whom English is an additional language is very high, as is mobility. The two largest ethnic groups are white British (just over a third) and black or black British African; there are relatively small numbers of pupils from a wide range of other ethnic groups. The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs, including a statement of special educational need, is broadly average. Most of these pupils have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties or speech and

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

communication difficulties. On entry to the school, some children have underdeveloped listening and social skills: overall, attainment on entry is below average. The school is involved in the Excellence in Cities initiative and has just gained a Healthy Schools Award for emotional health and well-being.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Since the last inspection, the school has been through a very challenging time. By 2001, the governing body had concerns about improvement against the key issues raised in the 1999 inspection report. A local education authority review found that these concerns were justified. During the academic year 2002/3, the school’s performance declined further and by the early part of 2003/4, another local education authority review identified a number of key weaknesses. In January 2004, the present headteacher was appointed temporarily whilst still being head of The Orion Primary School, on the nearby Grahame Park Estate. For two terms, Goldbeaters was managed as a trial Federation with The Orion. The Federation between Goldbeaters and The Orion School was made permanent in September 2004. The school has had a high turnover of staff and still has a number of temporary teachers, most of them trained overseas but unqualified in this country.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

15918 Ms M J Goodchild Lead inspector Foundation Stage Art and design Religious education 1166 Mrs R Hussain Lay inspector 21899 Mrs G Lawson English Geography History Personal, social and health education 23886 Mr D McCarthy Team inspector Mathematics Music Physical education Special educational needs 3574 Dr K Singh Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Design and technology English as an additional language

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8-12

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8-12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12-18

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a satisfactory school. Very good leadership by the headteacher, combined with the highly positive impact of the Federation with The Orion School, is effectively turning the school around and has given rise to a much sharper focus on improving the quality of education. Pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching are satisfactory. Standards are below average overall, though improving. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are that:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• Through his extremely clear vision and high expectations for the school, the headteacher has succeeded in focusing the school community on the task of raising standards and has established a very positive ethos. • Transformation of the English curriculum, together with very good teaching in Year 6, has enabled the eldest pupils to reach above average standards in English. • Good teaching and effective leadership and management ensure that pupils achieve well in information and communication technology. • Overall standards are not as high in mathematics and science as they are in English. • Although pupils are making good progress in one of the reception classes, achievement is unsatisfactory overall in the Foundation Stage, largely as a result of unsatisfactory leadership and management. • Management of special educational needs is unsatisfactory and the school does not fully comply with the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• Assessment practices and the use of assessment information do not consistently ensure that all pupils make as much progress as they should. • Very good personal development - particularly social and moral development – and very good care underpin pupils’ very positive attitudes and very good behaviour.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has made satisfactory improvement since it was last inspected, in February 1999. After the last inspection, the school went into decline: the issues identified in the last inspection have therefore only been tackled within the last 18 months under the leadership of the current headteacher. Rapid improvement has taken place in a number of areas in that time, standards have begun to rise and the school is increasingly well placed to improve further.

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. In National Curriculum tests in 2004, standards were well below the national average in Year 2 and Year 6. In Year 2, results were in line with those of similar schools based on eligibility for free school meals. Compared with similar schools based on pupils’ prior attainment, results in Year 6 were average in English and mathematics, but well below average in science. These results were adversely affected, however, by the number of pupils who joined the school between Years 3 and 6: those pupils who were in the school for the whole of Years 3 to 6 achieved well. Currently, pupils’ attainment in Year 2 is average in reading, and below average in writing, mathematics and science. Achievement is satisfactory overall in Years 1 to 6. In Year 6, Goldbeaters Primary School - 7 standards are above average in English but below average in mathematics and science, where the

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

number of pupils reaching Level 5 is well below expectations in both subjects. Achievement in Years 3 to 6 is very good in English, with evidence of some excellent achievement. It is satisfactory overall in mathematics and science in these years, but with pockets of underachievement. Standards are below expectations in information and communication technology and religious education, although pupils are now making good progress in information and communication technology and standards are improving. Although pupils are making good progress in one of the reception classes, achievement is unsatisfactory overall in the Foundation Stage.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ personal qualities are very good. Pupils have very positive attitudes to school and behave very well. Social and moral development is very good; spiritual and cultural development is good . The attendance rate was well below average in the last year, but the school has been very effective in bringing about a significant recent improvement in attendance.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is satisfactory. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall . Teaching in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory, as is overall provision. Assessment arrangements are unsatisfactory: not all teachers use assessment information as well as they should to plan lessons and track pupils’ progress. The curriculum, including enrichment opportunities, is satisfactory. Pupils are very well cared for and partnership with parents is good. The school has good links with the community. Links with The Orion School are having an excellent impact on school improvement and on pupils’ achievement; links with other educational establishments are satisfactory.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good overall. The headteacher provides very good leadership: he is experienced, has an extremely clear vision and high expectations for the school. The leadership of key staff is good overall, whilst their management is satisfactory. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory in the Foundation Stage, as is the management of special educational needs and science. Ably led by the chair, governors provide satisfactory support and challenge and ensure that statutory requirements are met.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have positive views about most aspects of the school’s work, and pupils are very enthusiastic about what the school has to offer.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Raise standards in mathematics and science throughout the school. • Improve leadership and management in the Foundation Stage, to bring about an improvement in children’s achievement. • Ensure that effective assessment procedures are in place in all subjects and that assessment information is used to match work to pupils’ needs, to track their progress and to set appropriate targets in pupils’ individual education plans. • Ensure that provision for special educational needs is managed effectively and that all the recommendations of the Code of Practice are met. Goldbeaters Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and standards are below average overall. There is no significant difference between the achievement of pupils from different ethnic groups or that of boys and girls.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Transformation of the English curriculum, especially in Years 3 to 6, and very good teaching in Year 6 have enabled the eldest pupils to reach standards in English that are above the national average. • Good teaching and effective leadership and management ensure that pupils achieve well in information and communication technology. • Although pupils are making good progress in one of the reception classes, achievement is unsatisfactory overall in the Foundation Stage. • Pupils do not do as well in mathematics and science as they do in English and there is scope to raise standards in mathematics and science. • Although pupils with special educational needs make very good progress in English in Years 3 to 6 and through the intensive literacy programme in Year 2, they do not always make as much overall progress as they should. • Pupils who are at early stages in acquiring English make good progress in extending their

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Commentary

1. Children achieve well in all areas of learning in one of the reception classes and many in this class are working at or close to the national expectations of the Early Learning Goals for five- year-olds. There is some underachievement, especially in literacy, in the other reception class. Standards in this class are below expectations overall and well below in literacy. Furthermore, missed opportunities to promote children’s communication and language and their imaginative development in the nursery adversely affect their achievement. Achievement is broadly satisfactory in personal, social and emotional development, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, and in physical development.

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Commentary

2. At the time of the last inspection, it was deemed that standards were not high enough in English, science, information and communication technology and religious education. Following the last inspection, there was a further decline in standards, reflected in the 2003 National Curriculum test results in Year 6, which placed the school in the bottom five per cent nationally and well below the standards found in similar schools.

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Commentary

3. Since that time, there has been a concerted effort to raise achievement. Standards in Year 2 are now higher than they were in the 2004 National Curriculum tests and improvement has been most pronounced in English in Years 3 to 6. There has been an excellent increase in the number of pupils meeting and exceeding national expectations in English in Year 6. Recent developments in information and communication technology (ICT), including support from an advanced skills teacher and a local education authority consultant as well as the appointment of a new co-ordinator, are already leading to an improvement in pupils’ achievement in ICT. The school rightly recognises the need now to turn its attentions to raising standards in mathematics and science. Goldbeaters Primary School - 9 Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2004

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 14.3 (13.7) 15.8 (15.7) writing 12.9 (11.9) 14.6 (14.6) mathematics 14.9 (14.0) 16.2 (16.3) There were 57 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

4. In 2004, National Curriculum test results in Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics were well below the national average but in line with similar schools based on eligibility for free school meals. Over time, there has been no significant difference in the attainment of boys and girls in Year 2 tests, and the trend in the school’s results has been broadly in line with the national trend in recent years. In 2004, the proportion of bilingual pupils who reached Level 2 in National Curriculum tests was above the school average in reading and writing and slightly below in mathematics.

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Commentary

5. Currently, pupils’ attainment in Year 2 is in line with national expectations in reading and below expectations in writing, mathematics and science. A programme in Year 2 to support pupils with special educational needs and those at early stages of acquiring English as an additional language is proving very effective in raising their achievement in reading and writing. Achievement is satisfactory overall in Years 1 and 2, with scope to raise standards further for higher and lower-attaining pupils in mathematics and for higher-attaining pupils in particular in science.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 25.0 (24.6) 26.9 (26.8) mathematics 24.8 (23.4) 27.0 (26.8) science 25.7 (24.5) 28.6 (28.6) There were 50 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

6. In the National Curriculum tests in Year 6, results in 2004 were well below the national average in English, mathematics, science and overall. Compared with similar schools based on pupils’ prior attainment, results were average in English, below average in mathematics and well below average in science. Overall, the school’s results were below those of similar schools. This is partly because a substantial number of pupils who joined the school between Years 3 and 6 performed less well than the rest. Those pupils who attended the school for the whole four years from the beginning of Year 3 to the end of Year 6 made good progress. Although the trend in the school’s Year 6 results in the last five years has been below the national trend, results in 2004 were a distinct improvement on those in 2003. Up to 2004, girls outperformed boys but in 2004 there was no significant difference between the overall performance of boys

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Commentary

and girls. In 2004, the school exceeded its statutory target in English at Level 4 but fell far short of it at Level 5. It fell short of its targets by a few percentage points in mathematics.

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Commentary

7. Currently, standards in Year 6 are above national expectations in English because over the last two years, the school has placed particular emphasis on improving literacy skills in Years 3 to 6. A range of initiatives has had an excellent impact on standards and on pupils’ achievement. Pupils in Years 3 to 5 achieve well in English, with very good and at times excellent achievement in Year 6. Standards in Year 6 are below national expectations in mathematics and science, and the number of pupils reaching Level 5 is well below expectations in both subjects. Achievement is satisfactory overall in mathematics and science, Goldbeaters Primary School - 10 but with pockets of underachievement. In Year 6, standards are below expectations in ICT and religious education, although pupils are making good progress in ICT and standards are improving.

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Commentary

8. Overall, pupils for whom English is an additional language and those with special educational needs achieve well in English and satisfactorily in other subjects. Twelve pupils who speak English as an additional language are at the early stages of acquiring English, but most of these have a sufficient grasp of basic English to access the curriculum. They are making good progress in extending their English as a result of the intensive support they receive in small groups and within lessons. Pupils who are refugees and asylum seeker are integrated very well into school life and make similar progress to their peers. Those who are beginning to be fluent in speaking English but who still need some support make satisfactory progress overall. Analysis of assessment data according to ethnicity indicates that no particular ethnic groups are achieving better or worse than other pupils. Pupils with special educational needs make

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Commentary

good progress in some lessons and when they are withdrawn to work in small groups, but they underachieve when work is not matched appropriately to their learning difficulties and when support staff are not used effectively.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ personal qualities are very good. Pupils have very positive attitudes to school and behave very well. Social and moral development is very good; spiritual and cultural development is good. The attendance rate was well below average in the last year because of extended overseas holidays during term time. The school’s very good efforts to improve the attendance rate have led to a significant recent improvement.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ very good attitudes and behaviour have a positive effect on their learning. • Pupils enjoy very good relationships with staff and each other: in this ethnically diverse community, pupils work and play harmoniously, respecting and valuing one another’s differences. • The monitoring and promotion of attendance are very good. • Pupils’ personal development is very good overall.

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Commentary

9. Pupils are very happy with what the school has to offer and want to come to school. They have very positive attitudes to learning and enjoy most lessons because the school stimulates their desire to learn through the very positive ‘golden way’ 1 . This new initiative, introduced by the headteacher, instils a sense of pride and belonging, which was clearly evident during the inspection. Pupils were very eager to display their pride in the school at every opportunity by offering to help inspectors without any prompting and by sharing their positive experiences.

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Commentary

10. Pupils behave very well because the school sets high expectations for behaviour, which are supported by a very effective behaviour policy. Most teachers and teaching assistants apply the policy consistently, and pupils respond very positively, valuing the system of rewards for hard work and good behaviour. In some lessons in Year 1, a few pupils have difficulty sustaining concentration where teachers do not employ wholly effective strategies to keep them fully engaged. The atmosphere in the school is lively, happy and purposeful. Parents and pupils are generally confident that the school is successful in discouraging bullying, harassment and racism and deals with any incidents effectively on the rare occasions that these arise. This is underpinned by the ‘non-aggression’ policy – whereby acts of aggression are not tolerated which was drawn up with pupils’ involvement. This has resulted in

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Commentary

1 The ‘golden way’, which plays upon the school’s name, is the code of expectations on which the school’s behavioural procedures are based. Goldbeaters Primary School - 11 considerable improvement in pupils’ behaviour in the playground, which was a significant issue prior to the appointment of the new headteacher. Statistics show that incidents have reduced considerably. There were six fixed term exclusions during the last reporting year, most of which involved two pupils with very challenging behaviour. The management of inappropriate behaviour has improved greatly during this year because of the introduction of the ‘non- aggression’ policy, and pupils have received extra support from the learning mentor.

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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 139 0 0 White - Irish 1 0 0 White – any other White background 25 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 5 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 10 3 0 Mixed – White and Black Asian 6 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 4 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Indian 23 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 9 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi 4 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 14 0 0 Black or Black British - Caribbean 14 0 0 Black or Black British – African 85 3 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 14 0 0 Chinese 9 0 0 Any other ethnic group 35 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Commentary

11. Pupils’ personal development is very good. They are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning through the ‘being a good learner’ part of the ‘golden way’. Pupils co- operate very well and are eager to take on positions of responsibility, such as ‘playground friends’, and show growing maturity when carrying out their duties. Provision for pupils’ moral and social development is very good. Staff are very good role models and use the many opportunities in lessons, assemblies and circle time to reinforce a moral and social code. Cultural and spiritual development is good. Spiritual provision has improved since the last inspection and pupils’ spiritual development is supported well through collective worship. A very good example of awe and wonder was seen in an assembly linked to healthy eating in which the headteacher chose two pupils to dig in a pot to reveal potatoes suspended beneath

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Commentary

a potato plant’s foliage. The spirituality of the moment was further enhanced when two pupils read a prayer with a message ‘Change our world’, said with feeling, to the leaders at the G8 conference that was meeting at the time.

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Commentary

12. Relationships between pupils are very good. The ‘golden way’ is based on respecting and valuing others and pupils are very aware of the important role they play in supporting this. The school promotes unity through respect and goes to great lengths to ensure that harmonious relationships exist between different ethnic groups. Relationships between staff and pupils are Goldbeaters Primary School - 12 very positive: both enjoy relaxed and friendly interactions in which teachers command the respect of pupils by showing that they respect them.

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Commentary

13. Attendance is satisfactory overall and continues to improve. It is promoted very well and monitored very effectively by a specially appointed parent liaison officer, whose diligence has resulted in significant improvement in attendance for targeted pupils. Liaison with the Educational Welfare Service has also improved with the new educational welfare officer playing a more active part, such as conducting assemblies and visiting classes, as well as monitoring registers. Unauthorised absence due to extended holidays to pupils’ home countries is decreasing as a result of better liaison with parents and the headteacher’s negotiations with parents to ensure awareness of the consequences and impact on pupils’ learning. Despite this, it is still a problem and requires even greater co-operation from a few parents. Although still only satisfactory overall, punctuality has also improved because of the

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Commentary

consistent monitoring by the parent liaison officer, and the school is quick to offer support if parents have difficulty in ensuring that their children are punctual.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.0 School data 2.8 National data 5.1 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is satisfactory. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Assessment arrangements are unsatisfactory. The curriculum, including enrichment opportunities, is satisfactory. Pupils are very well cared for and partnership with parents is good. The school has good links with the community and with other educational establishments; links with The Orion School are having an excellent impact on school improvement and pupils’ achievement.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, with some very good and occasionally excellent teaching but also a small amount of teaching that is unsatisfactory. Although there is some effective assessment practice, assessment is unsatisfactory overall: not all teachers use assessment information as well as they should to plan lessons and track pupils’ progress

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good in English, especially in Years 3 to 6, with very good and occasionally excellent teaching in Year 6. • Good teaching ensures that pupils are now achieving well in information and communication technology. • Although teaching is good in one of the reception classes, there is some unsatisfactory teaching in the other reception class and the development of communication and language is not promoted as well as it should be in the nursery. • Where teaching is satisfactory overall, including in mathematics and science, work is not always matched sufficiently to the needs of higher and lower-attaining pupils. • Assessment practices and the use of assessment information do not consistently ensure that all pupils make as much progress as they should. Goldbeaters Primary School - 13

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 43 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

1 (2%) 6 (14%) 14 (33%) 19 (44%) 3 (7%) - -

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

14. Despite good teaching in one of the reception classes, teaching and learning are unsatisfactory overall in the Foundation Stage, with the most obvious weaknesses in the teaching of communication, language and literacy. Teaching is satisfactory overall in Years 1 and 2 and in Years 3 to 6, but a fair proportion of good teaching was seen in Years 2 to 6. Teaching is good in English, with some very good and excellent teaching in Year 6. It is good overall in ICT, where there is also some very good teaching. Teaching is satisfactory in mathematics, science and religious education.

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Commentary

15. As part of the initiatives to raise standards, the importance of learning and academic achievement has been given central focus, and pupils now see a clear purpose for attending school and their lessons. Teachers nearly always manage pupils’ behaviour very well. In response, pupils apply themselves and concentrate well, and are developing skills of working independently and collaboratively. The introduction of a new teaching and learning policy is encouraging teachers to make learning an increasingly exciting and relevant experience for pupils. Teachers plan in year group teams and there is a clear emphasis, stemming from the senior leadership team, on including all pupils. Staff have received training in the use of ICT and are benefiting a great deal from the regular support from the co-ordinator. Many teachers use interactive whiteboards very well to make learning stimulating. Teaching in mathematics

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Commentary

often includes good use of practical applications and visual references in teaching new concepts, and pupils are increasingly involved in practical investigations in science.

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Commentary

16. Expectations have been raised, although they are not always high enough for the most able pupils or matched to the prior attainment of the least able. Changes in the organisation of literacy teaching have been very successful, especially in Years 3 to 6, and overall standards in English have improved significantly in the last year. Pupils benefit from working in the smaller groups for literacy, produced by splitting two classes into three, whereby one group is supported by teaching assistants, and from the daily emphasis on reading and writing. A good range of learning activities, which engage pupils’ interest, is provided in English.

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Commentary

17. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory overall. It is good in one reception class, but teaching seen in the other reception class was unsatisfactory. Teaching in the nursery was satisfactory in sessions led by the teacher, but unsatisfactory in the ongoing promotion of communication and language during free choice activities and sometimes when small groups of children work with support staff. Teaching assistants and nursery nurses in the Foundation Stage generally need more guidance about how to maximise learning opportunities especially in developing children’s communication, language and literacy skills.

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Commentary

18. Across the curriculum, teaching assistants play a key part in supporting pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language. Teachers do not consistently use or deploy support staff effectively, however, and they are often not made sufficiently aware of the learning objectives for pupils they support. Teaching of pupils for whom English is an additional language is satisfactory overall. The school has employed a bilingual teaching assistant and a part-time teacher who provide effective support to pupils who are at the early stages of acquiring English. Pupils in junior classes who are reasonably fluent in spoken English receive satisfactory support, but on occasions, additional support is not deployed to best effect. Teaching of special educational needs is satisfactory overall. The special educational needs co-ordinator provides good support for small groups of pupils who are

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Commentary

Goldbeaters Primary School - 14 withdrawn for intensive support in literacy, but teachers do not all match work to pupils’ abilities in lessons and teaching assistants are not always used effectively. Planning for pupils with special educational needs is variable, ranging from good to unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

19. The school has rightly identified assessment as an area for development. An assessment week is held termly, during which group targets are set and reviewed in English and mathematics. Assessment is good in English, where pupils are clear about how to improve their work, because they are involved in its assessment and because marking is thorough. In English, teachers also make good use of end-of-unit assignments and optional tests to pinpoint areas of strength and weakness. Teachers are not consistent, however, in English and across the curriculum in correcting pupils’ spelling mistakes. Assessment is good in the Foundation Stage, where detailed observations of children’s attainment are kept. Assessment is satisfactory and developing in ICT. It is unsatisfactory overall in mathematics and in science: improving marking and the use of assessment are key to raising standards in both subjects. In

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Commentary

these and other subjects, not all teachers are clear about the importance of matching work to the needs of different groups of pupils. Where pupils are allocated to classes based on their prior attainment, as in the core subjects, teachers often rely too heavily on this arrangement, although there is often a wide spread of existing attainment especially in the middle groupings. For example, in a Year 5 mathematics lesson on measuring angles, tasks were not matched to the prior attainment of different pupils so higher and lower-attaining pupils undertook the same work. Teachers are at early stages in analysing data, for instance to identify gaps in test performance, and using findings in their teaching. At present, such activities take place mainly at senior management team level. Procedures are not yet in place for assessing pupils’ attainment or measuring their achievement in non-core subjects; the school plans to put

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Commentary

20. Pupils for whom English is an additional language are assessed and their stages of language acquisition are determined and recorded but the information is not easily available and this makes it difficult for staff to track the progress of individual pupils and set targets to improve their achievement, and thereby standards. The monitoring of pupils’ achievement is not rigorous enough for the school to identify where and how provision needs to improve. Although appropriate literacy targets are set in individual education plans, targets are not always set for mathematics - or are too vague to be of any use - even when mathematical learning difficulties are indicated within a statement of special educational needs. The school does not fully involve parents and pupils in the review of individual education plan targets, as recommended by the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs, or consistently use

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Commentary

assessment information to provide tasks that are additional to or different from those provided for other pupils. This is a particular shortcoming in mathematics and science. As a result, pupils with special educational needs do not always achieve as well as they could in these subjects.

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The curriculum

The curriculum and the range of enrichment opportunities provided are both satisfactory. Staffing, accommodation and resources are satisfactory: the school is using the Federation with The Orion School very effectively to overcome shortages in vital resources.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Transformation of the English curriculum has supported an excellent improvement in standards by Year 6. • The school has yet to fully develop the mathematics and science curriculum so that it impacts more positively on standards. • Provision for personal, social and health education is good. • Opportunities for social inclusion within the curriculum are very good. • Accommodation in the nursery and the outdoor areas used by Foundation Stage children require further development. Goldbeaters Primary School - 15

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Commentary

21. The curriculum meets National Curriculum requirements and provides satisfactorily for the needs of its pupils. Irrespective of their backgrounds or capabilities, all pupils are fully included in the activities that the school offers, although there is scope to improve further the provision made for pupils who have special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. The school is at a fairly early stage in making special provision for those pupils who are gifted and talented.

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Commentary

22. Changes to the curriculum in English have included a highly structured and innovative literacy programme, which is motivating and relevant to the specific needs of the pupils. Throughout the school, pupils now have an extended daily literacy session, and an increased level of staffing ensures that each day pupils receive direct teaching in reading and writing, particularly in higher order skills. This improved curriculum has led to a good level of improvement in standards in Year 2 and to an excellent improvement in Year 6. A very effective programme - focusing on the daily teaching of initial sounds, phonics and letter blends - known as ‘Wave 3’, is supporting the achievement of pupils in Year 2 with special educational needs and those at early stages of acquiring English as an additional language. Pupils’ achievement in English has been further enhanced by the introduction of booster classes.

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Commentary

23. The headteacher and co-ordinators for mathematics and science are fully aware that the next stage in developing the school’s curriculum is to implement structured support programmes to enable more pupils to reach national expectations, particularly at the higher National Curriculum levels, in mathematics and science. Although such arrangements are not currently fully in place, the school has already begun to implement a successful transition strategy in Year 6 in mathematics, which is extending pupils’ learning. It has also begun to implement an innovative strategy through the Excellence in Cities initiative for challenging higher-attaining pupils in mathematics. Co-ordinators have identified the need to provide themed activity weeks to extend learning in mathematics and science.

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Commentary

24. A satisfactory range of sporting and arts activities enriches pupils’ learning. These include, football and netball teams, including a girls’ joint football team with The Orion School, various athletics meetings, and a residential school trip for Year 5 pupils for outdoor and adventurous activities. Arts activities include the school choir, in which only girls participate at present, a thriving dance club and various shows, festivals and performances.

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Commentary

25. There is good provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education. Since the appointment of the new headteacher, the school has worked successfully in establishing a unique identity for the school, based on the theme of gold , derived from the school’s name. This includes regular ‘golden time’ sessions, where effort and academic performance are rewarded, zero tolerance of aggression, assertiveness training and anger management. As a result, pupils are showing increasing concern for the needs of others and are more ready to take responsibility. The school has also implemented training for pupils in how to be successful learners, with targets and rewards for Champion Learners and Healthy Champion Learners. The work of the learning mentor and other support staff has been successful in establishing a range of additional activities to raise pupils’ awareness of and take care of the environment. All of these initiatives are having a positive impact on pupils’ learning, behaviour

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Commentary

and achievement. Goldbeaters has implemented the personal, social and health education policy and scheme of work from The Orion School, which includes an appropriate attention to sex education, drugs awareness and race equality. Personal, social and health education is taught effectively as a discrete subject and there are a number of visits by local community religious groups who support the school’s assembly programme.

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Commentary

26. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. The special educational needs co-ordinator and support staff work closely to provide mostly satisfactory support for pupils in lessons and some good support on a withdrawal basis for those following intensive individual programmes. The school has yet to ensure the full academic inclusion of pupils with Goldbeaters Primary School - 16 special educational needs, because work is not always matched appropriately to their needs, although their social inclusion is good.

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Commentary

27. The provision that the school makes for pupils for whom English is an additional language is also satisfactory overall. As mentioned above, these pupils benefit from a special support programme in English in Year 2 and those at early stages in acquiring English benefit from good induction arrangements when they join the school other than at the usual time of admission. Otherwise, the support provided for pupils for whom English is an additional language is satisfactory, varying somewhat from class to class, depending on how well planning is adapted to the needs of different pupils. Across the school, the curriculum reflects a positive attitude towards other cultures and languages. All pupils have good opportunities to gain confidence about their own culture and the culture of others through the study of religious education, literature, assemblies, celebration of festivals, history, geography, art and music.

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Commentary

For example, in geography, pupils compare a locality in India with their own locality in London. Events such as ‘Refugee Week’ help pupils to understand their peers’ life histories. There are books in other languages and many notices, and signs written in pupils’ mother tongues across the school which value pupils’ different cultural heritages.

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Commentary

28. The number of teaching and support staff is sufficient to support children’s development in the Foundation Stage, although staffing of the reception year has relied for some time partly on the appointment of temporary teachers. Accommodation is good in the reception year and satisfactory in the nursery, though the spacious indoor area in the nursery has not been developed into a stimulating learning environment, and resourcing in the nursery is inadequate. These factors are having an adverse effect on children’s achievement in the nursery. The school has rightly identified the need to develop the outdoor areas used by nursery and reception children to extend learning opportunities and the desirability of locating the three classrooms adjacent to one another.

p.16

Care, guidance and support

The school offers its pupils very good care in a safe and supportive environment. Support for pupils’ personal development and academic achievement is satisfactory: support for personal development is good, that for academic development is undermined to some extent by weaknesses in assessment. The school seeks pupils’ views well and values their suggestions.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pastoral care and welfare procedures support pupils very well. • Pupils enjoy very good and trusting relationships with one or more adults in the school. • Pupils’ personal development is supported well but support for academic development is less well developed and therefore less effective. • Induction procedures are good. • Pupils know that their views are valued.

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Commentary

29. The headteacher is directly responsible for the new ethos and the culture of caring and pride in belonging which permeates the school. As a result of the new initiatives, such as the ‘golden way’ and the ‘non-aggression’ policy, pastoral care supports pupils very well. Staff tackle problems effectively. Pupils and parents both confirm this and pupils, in particular, praise the care given by the welfare assistant if they are unwell. Teachers and support staff, especially the learning mentor, encourage pupils to develop confidence and raise their self-esteem. As a result of the high standards of care, pupils and staff enjoy very good relationships. Pupils feel very confident that there are adults at school in whom they can confide and those spoken to had particular praise for the headteacher and others who always greet pupils warmly and are really interested in them as individuals. Goldbeaters Primary School - 17

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Commentary

30. Support for pupils’ personal development is good because of clear guidelines through the policies, which ensure consistency across the school in the management of behaviour, child protection, first aid procedures and health and safety. Monitoring of personal development is satisfactory: although class teachers know their pupils well, the passing on of information is mostly informal except for pupils for whom staff have specific concerns. There are inconsistencies between subjects in the monitoring of academic achievement because the assessment systems currently in place, although improved, have still to be developed across the whole school. The absence of formal monitoring systems to ensure that information is comprehensively passed to new staff is particularly important given the high staff turnover. The learning mentor, funded through the Excellence in Cities initiative, provides very good

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Commentary

support to those pupils who experience particular barriers to learning.

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Commentary

31. Pupils know that their views are supported and respected because they have been consulted through questionnaires and the school council, which plays an important part in decision- making. Pupils in this group are empowered because they have made important contributions to the ‘Golden Way’ and the ‘non-aggression’ policy and were responsible for the introduction of ‘playground friends’. Before decisions are made, all pupils are canvassed on their views through discussions in class.

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Commentary

32. New pupils quickly settle in to school because the induction procedures are thoroughly and consistently carried out for all pupils, including those with English as an additional language. The deputy headteacher interviews all parents and pupils before they join the school and those joining the nursery are visited at home. The school has produced copies of the school prospectus and other relevant information in several different languages, with photographs to illustrate all the main points, to ensure that all parents can access the necessary information before their child joins the school.

p.17

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Partnership with parents is good. Parental involvement in pupils’ learning and support for the school are satisfactory. Links with the local community and with other schools are good overall.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Links, through personal contact, with parents and day-to-day information are very good, but information on pupils’ progress is inconsistent in quality. • Links with The Orion School, the other school in the Federation, are excellent but links with local secondary schools are patchy. • Parental support for the ‘non-aggression’ policy is very good and the way that they support school events is also good, but many parents are less committed to active participation on a day-to-day basis. • Links with the local community support pupils’ learning well.

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Commentary

33. Parents’ and pupils’ views of the school are mostly positive. Parents particularly praise the significant improvements since the arrival of the new headteacher. They feel that their children are happy and well cared for, are pleased with the high standards of discipline and the approachable teachers. Links through personal contact with parents are very good because not only are the headteacher and teachers very approachable, but also the learning mentor, parent liaison officer and the welfare assistant make a very important contribution in enhancing these links. They know the parents very well and offer very good quality support. The school takes parents’ concerns very seriously and takes action where possible. For example, the introduction of new school meals based on healthy eating school – which are bringing about a significant improvement in the quality of food provided – stemmed from parents’ suggestions.

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Commentary

Information concerning pupils’ progress, however, is only satisfactory because the quality of reports is inconsistent. Many reports give a good account of what pupils know and can do and Goldbeaters Primary School - 18 how they can improve but those in Years 1 and 3 are unsatisfactory because they are impersonal and do not use standardised information. Day-to-day information through newsletters is good: they are focused on important issues and are enhanced by ‘The Golden Express’, written by pupils, which is very informative.

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Commentary

34. Parents’ support for the school is satisfactory. They support school events well but many are less committed to helping in school on a regular basis and few are actively involved in organising events for the benefit of pupils and the school. Parents’ involvement in their children’s learning has been good through the strong support they have provided for the ‘non- aggression’ policy, and their support has been vital to its success. They mostly support pupils’ work at home and appreciate the improvement in homework given to all pupils. However, the percentage of parents attending consultation meetings is variable. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are involved in reviews, although pupils are not yet fully involved in reviewing their individual education plans.

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Commentary

35. Links with the local community are good: the school has several well-established links, which extend pupils’ learning and volunteers from the community help in school. Visits to local places of interest increase pupils’ knowledge of their local area and community. The introduction of the community group ‘Goldbeaters Home and School Association’ involves members of the local community as well as parents in organising events that extend pupils’ learning, such as the International Cafe in which pupils learnt about the food and customs of several countries. There are satisfactory links with external agencies, such as the behavioural support team, who work effectively with staff.

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Commentary

36. The links with local schools are good overall because of the excellent links with The Orion School which shares the same headteacher and has significantly supported recent improvements in this school. Very strong links include the sharing of resources, staff expertise, policies and schemes of work. As part of the ‘non-aggression’ policy, pupils with challenging behaviour have spent time working at The Orion School as an alternative to fixed- period exclusion, and this has been very successful. Pupils move on from Goldbeaters to several secondary schools and the school has not as yet managed to establish close links with these schools. Transfer arrangements are merely adequate, but the school recognises that this is a priority for development.

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good overall. The headteacher provides very good leadership: he is experienced, has an extremely clear vision and high expectations. The leadership of key staff is good overall, whilst their management is satisfactory. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory in the Foundation Stage, as is the management of special educational needs and science. Ably led by the chair of governors, the governing body provides satisfactory support and challenge and ensures that statutory requirements are met.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher is able to use the combination of his experience and opportunities brought about by the Federation to realise his exceptionally clear vision for the school. • A great deal of self-evaluation has taken place to identify the most important priorities for development. • Very good leadership and management in English, most evident in Years 3 to 6, are having a very positive effect on standards. • Leadership and management are unsatisfactory in the Foundation Stage, and management is unsatisfactory in special educational needs and science. • The chair of governors works very closely with the school and is rigorous in challenging as well as supporting senior managers. Goldbeaters Primary School - 19

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Commentary

37. Improving management was a key issue at the time of the last inspection and a local education authority review in October 2003 found many weaknesses in the school. Since that time, a number of formal reviews of the school’s work have been undertaken, which have all helped to inform its strategic development. The school recently commissioned an in-depth analysis of its potential for improvement, which involved canvassing the views of all members of the school community – staff, governors, parents and pupils - to support its self-evaluation and monitoring procedures. These activities have all given senior staff a very clear understanding of the school’s strengths and those areas where development is needed.

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Commentary

38. Although improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory overall, it is clear that the headteacher quickly galvanised the staff into action when he took over in January 2004, resulting in very good improvement in the last 18 months. He has succeeded in focusing the school community on the task of raising standards, has established a very positive ethos and has the confidence of staff, governors, parents and pupils. His very good leadership, combined with the highly positive impact of the Federation with The Orion School, is effectively turning the school around. Goldbeaters is benefiting from the Federation, through the ensuing staff development and collaboration between the two schools, which are leading to an improvement in the quality of teaching, curriculum planning, increasingly in assessment and in the resources available. The impact of the headteacher’s leadership and of links with The

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Commentary

Orion is most apparent in English, in the change in ethos and in pupils’ personal development and care. It is also evident in ICT. Placing initial emphasis on changing the school ethos, raising standards in literacy and on equipping pupils with ICT skills to support their learning has been a good decision. Those in leadership and management roles rightly recognise the need now to turn their attention to raising standards in mathematics and science; they also need to improve the start that children make to their learning in the Foundation Stage.

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Commentary

39. Staff in leadership roles support the headteacher well overall, as they share his vision and morale is generally high. He receives satisfactory support in managing the school, and is supported particularly well academically in Years 3 to 6, in managing pupils’ behaviour throughout the school and in ensuring that they are very well cared for. However, he is at times obliged to become involved rather more in day-to-day detail than he should be, given that he is leading two schools. Having no other senior member of staff working across both schools means that of the staff, he alone shoulders the responsibilities associated with the Federation – although he is supported in this by the chair of governors.

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Commentary

40. The role of subject co-ordinators is being developed and expectations are made very clear to these teachers about what is required of them when they have time out of the classroom to monitor their subjects. English is led and managed very well, with strong input from the headteacher. The co-ordination of ICT is good, and leadership and management are satisfactory in mathematics. Leadership is satisfactory in science, but the management of science is adversely affected by the co-ordinator being a part-time teacher who has had limited time to monitor and mould work in the subject and has recently been absent on maternity leave. Leadership and management of English as an additional language are satisfactory. Although the school has a number of teachers who have been trained overseas and who are unqualified in this country, it has effective mechanisms in most instances for ensuring that they are appropriately supported.

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Commentary

41. The leadership of special educational needs is satisfactory, but management is unsatisfactory. The special educational needs co-ordinator, in collaboration with the inclusion manager, provides appropriate guidance and support to staff, by holding regular meetings to discuss the changing needs of their pupils and by providing appropriate training in particular aspects of special educational needs. However, the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs has not been implemented effectively enough and there is insufficient monitoring to ensure teachers and support staff accommodate the needs of pupils with learning difficulties. This is partly because the special educational needs co-ordinator has insufficient time to fulfil all of her management responsibilities. The fact that the special educational needs co-ordinator and Goldbeaters Primary School - 20 inclusion manager fulfil the role of teaching assistants in some lessons is not only an inefficient

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Commentary

use of resources but takes managers away from more strategic tasks.

p.20

Commentary

42. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory in the Foundation Stage. Support offered to staff, including to temporary teachers, in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory. At the time of the inspection, it was evident that lack of support to a temporary teacher has had an adverse effect on children’s achievement in one of the reception classes. Although the Foundation Stage co-ordinator undertakes some monitoring, this is not effective in identifying areas that need to be improved or, therefore, in remedying them. At present, there is a general lack of vision and low expectations in the Foundation Stage, except in one reception class where an enthusiastic teacher has felt empowered by the positive ethos within the school as a whole.

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Commentary

43. The chair of governors works closely with the headteacher and has a clear knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. He has played a key role in the school’s improvement in recent years. One or two other governors are also closely involved; others are supportive but not necessarily sufficiently involved or skilled in challenging the school. The governing body is currently exploring possible ways of operating in view of the Federation and governors’ joint responsibility for the two schools. Governors work through an appropriate committee structure and there are some governors linked to aspects of the school’s work. However, at present, most governors have little involvement in direct monitoring of the school’s work and tend to be rather too dependent on the detailed reports provided for them by the headteacher. They are, however, supportive of – and some have been instrumental in helping to forge - the

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Commentary

constructive links between the two schools. The governing body ensures that statutory requirements are met and is appropriately involved in monitoring spending decisions.

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Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2004 to March 2005

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Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1,235,511 Balance from previous year 54,419 Total expenditure 1,247,959 Balance carried forward to the next 41,971 Expenditure per pupil 2,986 Goldbeaters Primary School - 21

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Children achieve well in all areas of learning in one of the reception classes and many in this class are working at or close to the expectations of the Early Learning Goals. There is underachievement in the other reception class, where standards are below expectations overall and well below in literacy. Missed opportunities to promote children’s communication and language in the nursery adversely affect their overall achievement. Whereas resources are satisfactory in the reception classes and displays support children’s learning well, the nursery is under-resourced and does not provide a stimulating learning environment. These factors limit children’s achievement. Achievement and provision are therefore unsatisfactory overall, despite some good practice. Improvement since the last inspection has been unsatisfactory.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Teaching is good in one of the reception classes and satisfactory overall in the nursery, but unsatisfactory teaching was seen in the other class during the inspection and it is evident from assessment records that there has been a significant difference in children’s attainment between the two classes. The school has suffered from staffing difficulties, with a number of changes in staffing in the reception classes in recent years. At the time of the inspection, one class was being taught by a temporary teacher and both reception teachers were leaving at the end of the term. This situation is exacerbated by weaknesses in the leadership and management of the Foundation Stage. The co-ordinator, who teaches in the nursery, provides very little direction and guidance to reception staff. She undertakes some monitoring, including lesson observation, but this has been ineffective in identifying and remedying weaknesses. In the nursery, she provides insufficient

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

guidance to support staff, most obviously in the development of children’s communication and language, and short-term planning in the nursery is unsatisfactory. Planning in the reception year is, in contrast, detailed and includes valuable self-evaluation. Good assessment records are kept throughout the Foundation Stage, based on detailed observations of what children have achieved. This information is used to group children but not consistently to match work to their prior attainment. Partnership with parents is satisfactory. The nursery and reception classes are located at some distance from one another and the school has rightly identified the need to develop the accommodation and outside learning areas.

p.21

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is satisfactory .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Personal, social and emotional development is promoted very well in one of the reception classes and satisfactorily in the other classes. • Children behave well and generally play together harmoniously.

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Commentary

44. Achievement and teaching in this area of learning are satisfactory overall. Standards are average and most children are likely to meet the Early Learning Goals by the end of the reception year.

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Commentary

45. Staff foster children’s social skills satisfactorily and encourage them to relate to one another harmoniously. Children develop increasing independence and readily help with tasks such as clearing things away. In one reception class, children respond very well to the teacher’s warm, engaging manner. In the other reception class, time was wasted sometimes during the inspection by the teacher focusing on the slight inattention of some children, but in all three classes, children generally behave well and co-operate with what is expected of them. This is Goldbeaters Primary School - 22 because staff convey appropriately high expectations for behaviour and ensure that children have a clear understanding of routines.

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Commentary

46. The balance between free-choice activities and structured learning is about right in the reception year, although children sometimes need more adult guidance to focus their learning. In the nursery, rather too much time is spent in free-choice activities, with insufficient variety or structure that could be provided by more carefully planned adult-led activities. Nevertheless, children are making satisfactory progress in working alone and collaboratively and play quite happily alongside one another, for instance, when playing with small world toys and in the outdoor area. Children are developing an increasing awareness of the needs of others.

p.22

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is unsatisfactory .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Many opportunities to promote children’s communication and language are missed in the nursery. • Communication, language and literacy skills are promoted well in one reception class but literacy skills are not developed systematically in the other.

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Commentary

47. Achievement and teaching are unsatisfactory in this area of learning and many children are unlikely to reach the expectations of the Early Learning Goals by the end of the reception year, although most are working close to expectations in one of the reception classes.

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Commentary

48. In teacher-led sessions in the nursery, when the teacher reads a story to the children and involves them in follow-up activities, they make satisfactory progress in communication, language and literacy. At other times, individual staff foster children’s communication, for example, encouraging them to take part in specific activities and talking to them about what they are doing. Such interaction often focuses mainly on the mechanics of what to do, however, and does not as a matter of course extend children’s language. This is partly because planning for individual sessions – and particularly for free-choice activities - is sketchy, and does not focus sufficiently on what different children are meant to learn. Many opportunities for developing children’s communication and language are missed in the outdoor area when staff sometimes provide limited interaction with the children, occasionally even

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Commentary

supervising them at a distance. This is unsatisfactory. Children make satisfactory progress in gaining an early knowledge of letters, sounds and rhyming words in the nursery and enjoy books and stories. However, the display of books and the range of materials provided in the nursery to stimulate writing are not very inviting.

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Commentary

49. The promotion of all aspects of communication, language and literacy is good in one reception class and unsatisfactory in the other. Where teaching is good, the teacher stimulates children’s speaking and listening skills well, pushing them to communicate at length, for instance, when describing the characteristics of shells. Children respond very well to this and are becoming confident speakers with a growing repertoire of vocabulary. The two reception teachers plan together, which results in a satisfactory range of activities aimed at developing children’s literacy skills, although some elements within the plans do not build systematically on children’s prior attainment. The plans are interpreted well in one class, where children are making good progress in developing early reading and writing skills, but there are weaknesses in teaching in the other class. Generally, expectations in this class are not high enough, time

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Commentary

is wasted when children are engaged in tasks they have already mastered, support staff are not made sufficiently aware of the learning objectives and children are not receiving enough day-to-day challenge particularly to develop their writing. Goldbeaters Primary School - 23

p.22

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff pay good attention to teaching counting skills and children make good progress in learning to count and recognise numbers. • Appropriate attention is given to developing mathematical vocabulary.

p.23

Commentary

50. Achievement and teaching are satisfactory in this area of learning. Many children in the reception classes are working close to the expectations of the Early Learning Goals and standards are broadly average, though better in one class than the other.

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Commentary

51. By the end of the reception year, children can count to at least ten and many count far beyond this. From the nursery onwards, teachers pay attention to developing children’s mathematical language and introducing concepts of addition and subtraction, by asking them questions such as ‘How many have we got left?’ and ‘How many have we got altogether?’. Higher-attaining children in reception have a well-developed understanding of the properties of mathematical shapes, for instance knowing that a diamond has four corners and four sides and that two triangles ‘make’ a diamond. Where teaching is good, this sort of enquiry is encouraged.

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Commentary

52. Appropriate methods are used throughout the Foundation Stage, with an emphasis on practical resources and visual clues, when teaching new concepts. Most children understand one-to-one correspondence and some children are beginning to be able to copy some numbers. Some opportunities to extend their understanding are missed because support staff are not made sufficiently aware of the learning objectives for individual children. Regular singing of number songs, opportunities to take part in number games and to solve problems support children’s achievement effectively.

p.23

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Educational visits have contributed significantly to children’s achievement in the reception classes. • The lack of stimulating pictures and resources in the nursery limits the day-to-day development of children’s enquiry skills.

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Commentary

53. Teaching is satisfactory in this area of learning but children’s achievement is variable: it is better in the reception classes than in the nursery and satisfactory overall. Children’s attainment is broadly in line with national expectations for the end of the reception year.

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Commentary

54. In one reception class, children are encouraged to develop their skills of enquiry when exploring the characteristics of natural objects and rules governing floating and sinking. Thinking skills sessions make a good contribution to children’s knowledge and understanding of the world in the reception classes, promoting an awareness of sources of information, including the Internet, as well encouraging children to find out about various topics. During the inspection, children showed interest in facts as part of the topic about ‘the seaside’ and were given the task of finding out about seahorses. Children’s knowledge and understanding of the world has been extended in the reception year by visits, for instance, to the fire station, a farm Goldbeaters Primary School - 24 and through visitors who come in to school to talk about their role in the community. Children in reception have learnt about insects, the countries in which particular animals are found and

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Commentary

experimented in reproducing their different markings.

p.24

Commentary

55. Children have satisfactory opportunities to use computers and to develop information and communication technology skills, but software resources are limited especially in the nursery so that ICT does not contribute to children’s development as well as it should. Throughout the Foundation Stage, children use a variety of construction materials, build and make models - such as those of houses in the nursery - and have regular opportunities to cook.

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Commentary

56. Classroom displays in the nursery do not promote knowledge and understanding of the world or stimulate curiosity and exploration as well as they should. Apart from some labels in other languages, there is also little suggestion of a multicultural dimension in displays in the nursery.

p.24

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is satisfactory .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children have opportunities to play with a variety of small toys and objects, but are not consistently challenged to refine their control, for instance when forming letters. • They are given regular opportunities to play outside and to engage in large movements, which develop their physical strength.

p.24

Commentary

57. Achievement and teaching are satisfactory in this area of learning. Children in the reception classes are working in line with the expectations of the Early Learning Goals and standards are average in children’s control of large bodily movements but somewhat below expectations in their control of small movements.

p.24

Commentary

58. Throughout the Foundation Stage, children have opportunities to play regularly in the outdoor areas. A strong emphasis is given to physical development when children spend time outside, through play on the trampoline, riding wheeled toys, and digging in the garden. These skills are developed further when children use equipment in the hall, which satisfactorily promotes their crawling, balancing, climbing and jumping. An unsatisfactory physical development lesson was seen during the inspection but indoor resources support children’s development satisfactorily. The school has rightly identified the need to provide a richer and more challenging outdoor learning environment.

p.24

Commentary

59. Children refine their physical control through working with play dough, small toys and learning to control a range of tools, but they are not continuously challenged to build on their prior attainment. Their progress in refining their hand-to-eye co-ordination is therefore slower than it should be and this is hindering their progress in developing writing skills. Opportunities are missed when children could be encouraged to extend their skills on a daily basis.

p.24

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is unsatisfactory .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A fair range of artistic and musical opportunities is provided. • Opportunities for children to deepen and extend their imaginative development are limited in the nursery. Goldbeaters Primary School - 25

p.24

Commentary

60. Achievement and teaching are unsatisfactory overall in this area of learning. Despite some appropriate learning opportunities and some effective teaching in the reception year, there are weaknesses in the promotion of imaginative role-play in the nursery. Children in the reception classes are working a bit below average towards the expectations of the Early Learning Goals.

p.25

Commentary

61. Throughout the Foundation Stage, children are given a satisfactory range of artistic experiences, including working with paint, collage, modelling with junk materials. They have appropriate opportunities to play musical instruments and have a repertoire of simple songs, which they recall from memory and to which many join in with actions.

p.25

Commentary

62. Satisfactory props support role-play but these are not sufficient to promote in-depth imaginative development, especially in the nursery, where limited resources mean that children do not work and play in a visually stimulating environment. This is exacerbated when staff do not engage actively enough with children by modelling and extending role-play scenarios: this is largely the result of insufficient detail in daily planning and too much time allocated to unstructured play.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well in English and standards are above national expectations by the end of Year 6. • Standards are rising in all areas of English, especially in Years 3 to 6, because of the significant changes made to teaching and the curriculum. • Teaching has improved and is good overall. • The subject is led and managed well by the co-ordinator, with excellent support from the headteacher.

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Commentary

63. Pupils’ attainment in National Curriculum tests in Year 2 and Year 6 in 2004 was well below the national average. It was in line with similar schools based on free school meals in Year 2. It was also in line with similar schools in Year 6, based on pupils’ prior attainment. There has been a significant improvement in standards over the last year, so that by Year 2 pupils are now working in line with national expectations in reading and below expectations in writing. In Year 6, standards are above national expectations, representing excellent improvement in the last year and since the last inspection . Pupils’ overall achievement is good; it is satisfactory in Year 1, good overall in Years 2 to 5, and very good - with some excellent achievement - in Year 6. There is no significant difference between the achievement of girls and boys and different groups of pupils. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is

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Commentary

an additional language are usually supported well by work planned to meet their needs and achieve well as a result.

p.25

Commentary

64. After some years of relative stagnation, several changes made within the last two years have had a remarkable impact on the standards reached by the eldest pupils. The high expectations of the new headteacher, his own teaching of the least able group in 2004, and the successful establishment of the Federation with The Orion School have brought about a much sharper whole-school focus on raising pupils’ literacy skills. The headteacher’s very clear vision is shared with all the staff and the Federation enables teaching expertise and resources to be pooled. Changes to the curriculum have included a highly structured and innovative Goldbeaters Primary School - 26 literacy programme, which is motivating and relevant to the specific needs of the pupils. Pupils throughout the school now have an extended daily literacy session, and an increased level of staffing ensures that each day pupils receive direct teaching in reading and writing, particularly

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Commentary

in higher order skills. Although changes have been made throughout the school, the main focus has been on pupils in Years 3 to 6. A programme in Year 2 to support pupils with special educational needs and those at early stages of acquiring English as an additional language is proving very effective.

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Commentary

65. Some pupils enter Year 1 with well below average skills in language and literacy and a significant number have English as an additional language, though few are beginners. The school makes good use of data to analyse results and pinpoint progress and from a decline has shown that the new daily, shared reading and writing, followed by independent group work, is having a positive impact. A major change has been the increase in the number of teaching assistants. In some areas, this is highly successful, particularly where teaching assistants are confident and have had effective training. This is certainly true of the ‘Wave 3’ intervention, a phonological project to develop reading where short, sharp bursts of teaching on initial sounds, phonics and letter blends, are taught as part of a daily programme in Year 2. However, in some lessons the teaching assistants are not clear about their role or lack

p.26

Commentary

experience and training and teachers do not use them effectively. By the end of Year 2, pupils develop effective speaking and listening skills and the majority have the confidence to share their work with the whole class, speaking clearly and listening carefully. Teachers give pupils good opportunities to rehearse their work and ideas and this also helps to develop pupils’ writing. A few younger pupils’ skills in listening lag behind their speaking, and this is also sometimes reflected in other areas of their work. The relatively recent emphasis on writing and giving pupils’ time, each day, for writing for a purpose is gradually beginning to have some impact. Higher attaining pupils are able to write in clear sentences in recounting events, writing stories and poems.

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Commentary

66. Overall, teaching is good and it is very good in Year 6. In good lessons in the classes for younger pupils, teachers make learning fun by using interesting resources and giving lively presentations. At the end of the lesson, they encourage pupils to identify what they have learnt and to think about what they need to learn next. However, in some lessons, teaching is unexciting, pupils lose interest and teaching assistants are not employed effectively to meet pupils’ needs. The best teaching in Years 5 and 6 is knowledgeable, with high expectations, and pupils rise to the challenge. The headteacher has been successful in increasing teachers’ and pupils’ expectations in Years 3 to 6, thus targeting achievement through improved teaching and learning, and providing targeted support for pupils with special educational needs and for whom English is an additional language. The new Goldbeaters literacy strategy is

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Commentary

supported well by new and shared resources, which are used particularly well by teachers in Years 3 to 6.

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Commentary

67. Assessment is good throughout the school. Pupils know and work to their literacy targets, which are revised each term. They are regularly involved in helping to assess their own work and understand what they have to do to improve. Teachers make good use of end-of-unit assignments and optional tests to pinpoint areas of strengths and weakness. Marking is generally consistent and thorough, although on occasions spellings are not corrected and opportunities are missed to teach common spelling patterns.

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Commentary

68. Leadership and management of the subject are good; the co-ordinator receives excellent support from the headteacher and good support from the deputy English co-ordinator. The coordinator has a clear vision for the development of the subject, with a strong focus on raising standards and achievement. She has developed good management systems for target setting and assessment and for monitoring teaching, learning and achievement. Her main focus over the last 18 months has been on Years 3 to 6; the school’s priority now is to raise standards further in Years 1 and 2. There has been very good overall improvement since the last inspection. Goldbeaters Primary School - 27

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Language and literacy across the curriculum

69. There is no school policy for promoting the use of literacy in subjects and, although pupils have good opportunities to use their language and literacy skills to plan, undertake research, give presentations and record information in history, geography, mathematics and information and communication technology, these skills are not consistently promoted in all subjects. Pupils’ literacy skills support their learning increasingly as they move through the school. Most subject areas provide at least satisfactory opportunities for discussion and developing speaking and listening skills. For example, teachers provide adequate time for pupils to reflect and answer questions orally before completing written work, and this ‘rehearsal’ time deepens pupils’ understanding and supports the development of writing skills. The needs of different groups of pupils are not always taken into account as much as they should be, however, when

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Language and literacy across the curriculum

pupils are asked to record their ideas. In religious education lessons seen, for instance, pupils were all required to follow the same methods and to undertake the same tasks when completing written work. Sometimes, work was therefore too easy for higher-attaining pupils and at times difficult for lower attainers. In science, teachers sometimes miss opportunities to teach subject specific vocabulary and limited knowledge of the terminology of the subject impedes the performance of some younger pupils. Generally, teachers need to become more aware of the importance of promoting pupils’ literacy skills equally in all subjects of the curriculum so that no opportunities are missed.

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MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are below average in Year 2 and Year 6. • Some higher and lower-attaining pupils are not achieving as well as they should, because teachers do not always take sufficient account of their different capabilities. • The transition programme in Year 6 provides appropriate challenge and prepares pupils for their transfer to secondary schools. • Assessment is unsatisfactory overall and there are weaknesses in the setting of mathematics targets in pupils’ individual education plans.

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Commentary

70. In National Curriculum tests in 2004, Year 2 results were well below the national average and in line with those of similar schools based on eligibility for free school meals. In Year 6, test results were well below the national average but in line with similar schools based on pupils’ prior attainment.

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Commentary

71. Currently, standards in Year 2 are below national expectations - which is an improvement on last year’s test results - and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. However, not all higher attaining pupils or those with special educational needs are achieving as well as they should because assessment is not sufficiently well-developed, nor is it used well enough by teachers to match work to pupils’ existing skills or learning needs. By Year 2, pupils are developing their understanding of mathematical language appropriately, using non-standard units of measurement, and have an appropriate knowledge of their two, five and ten times tables. Standards in Year 6 are below national expectations and the proportion of pupils reaching Level 5 is well below expectations. Nevertheless, standards are higher than they were a year ago and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory in all areas of mathematics because they are given

p.27

Commentary

good opportunities to develop mathematical language and to use and apply mathematical skills in everyday situations. For example, they use standard measures in practical activities such as weighing, recording length and capacity, they interpret data from surveys in graphs, and engage in real life problem solving activities. Pupils with special educational receive appropriate support from learning support assistants, which supports their achievement but Goldbeaters Primary School - 28 their learning is not always supported appropriately through their individual education plans. Achievement of higher attaining-pupils is satisfactory overall. Provision for gifted and talented pupils is not well developed and there are not enough opportunities for them to extend their learning. Pupils for whom English is an additional language and those from ethnic minorities make similar progress to their peers.

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Commentary

72. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, but some good teaching was seen in Year 6, where teachers were following a special transition programme during the inspection, preparing pupils for transfer to secondary school. This programme provides appropriate challenge for higher attaining pupils. Teachers have satisfactory subject knowledge, although expectations for learning are variable. On occasions, they are not high enough for some pupils and too high for others. For example, pupils’ work shows that most pupils complete the same tasks, irrespective of their capabilities and teachers’ marking does not usually provide pupils with sufficient guidance on how to improve their work. Teaching in mathematics often includes good use of practical applications and visual references, including interactive whiteboards, in teaching new concepts, but opportunities are sometimes missed to use resources in order to

p.28

Commentary

consolidate the learning of number. In one lesson seen, for example, staff were not using ten rods to provide a visual cue for adding in tens, which limited the achievement of pupils with mathematical learning difficulties. Since the last inspection, there has been some improvement in the use of ICT, especially interactive whiteboards in lessons.

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Commentary

73. Assessment is unsatisfactory overall because assessment is not used well enough to accommodate the different capabilities of pupils. Sometimes, numeracy targets are not set in individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs, even where their statement of special educational needs indicates that they have mathematical learning difficulties. When individual education plan targets in mathematics are devised, they are generally too vague to inform staff and meaningless to pupils.

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Commentary

74. Although pupils in Years 5 and 6 have been involved in a ‘mathematics hunt’ as part of an extended activity day, the school realises that there are currently insufficient opportunities to extend pupils’ learning in mathematics, through for example, booster classes. This is mainly because staff have been focusing on the development of literacy. The co-ordinator has plans in place to improve this through the use of local initiatives for gifted and talented pupils.

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Commentary

75. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The co-ordinator has ensured that the numeracy strategy is appropriately implemented and that teachers are increasingly confident in teaching mathematics. She has made appropriate use of performance data to identify the need to set more challenging targets for pupils. The co-ordinator is also aware of the need to develop assessment and provide further training for staff in its use. She recognises the need to develop an action plan for further improvement. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory.

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Mathematics across the curriculum

76. Pupils make satisfactory use of mathematics in a range of subjects and their mathematical knowledge makes a fair contribution to their overall achievement across the curriculum, although standards in mathematics are below average. For example, in geography, pupils have carried out a traffic survey and consolidated their learning about how to record and handle data. In history, they develop their understanding of the passage of time in developing time lines for important events. In science, pupils handle data and develop skills in measuring accurately, through investigations. In physical education, they develop an understanding of angles as they move through a quarter turn or a half turn.

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SCIENCE

Provision in science is satisfactory . Goldbeaters Primary School - 29

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, standards are below the national average but improving. • Throughout the school, some pupils - particularly those who are potentially higher attaining - are not achieving as well as they should. • Assessment is unsatisfactory and teacher assessments in Year 2 are significantly higher than pupils’ actual attainment • Some recent developments, such as the introduction of new schemes of work, are beginning to have a positive impact on pupils' achievement.

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Commentary

77. Teacher assessments for Year 2 pupils in 2004 placed the school in the top five per cent of schools nationally at Level 2 and below average at Level 3. Standards were above average overall when compared with similar schools. Teacher assessments for the current Year 2 suggest similar standards to those in 2004. However, the inspection found that standards are actually below the national average and well below at Level 3. Teacher assessments are inaccurate: teachers are assessing the level of the work that has been taught rather than pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding. National Curriculum test results in Year 6 were well below the national average and those of similar schools in 2004, with very few pupils attaining Level 5. Standards currently in Year 6 show an improvement, though they are below national expectations and the proportion of pupils working at Level 5 is still well below

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Commentary

78. During the inspection, pupils in most classes were engaged in scientific investigations. For example, pupils in Year 2 made good progress in understanding ‘push’ and ‘pull’ forces and pupils in Year 6 had designed a trigger mechanism to make a burglar alarm sound. However, pupils need more opportunities to devise their own experiments and to follow their individual lines of enquiry. Most pupils’ achievement is satisfactory, but some higher attaining pupils do not achieve as well as they should because work does not challenge their thinking sufficiently. Scrutiny of pupils’ work and lesson observations indicate that higher and lower-attaining pupils have been given the same tasks and conducted the same investigations. Whereas lower- attaining pupils were given support to complete their work, the learning of higher-attaining pupils was not extended sufficiently. The achievement of pupils from minority ethnic

p.29

Commentary

backgrounds is similar to that of their peers. Pupils who are at early stages of acquiring fluency in English and those with special educational needs both receive satisfactory support from adults.

p.29

Commentary

79. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning across the school is satisfactory, though in some lessons seen it was good. Lesson planning is satisfactory. Teachers set clear learning objectives and pupils are aware of what is expected of them. Pupils are very keen to learn and are very well behaved, which enables lessons to proceed at a good pace. Pupils’ interest is maintained by careful questioning. Teachers explain scientific vocabulary, some model language and ask pupils to repeat words after them, and require pupils to use these in their questions and answers. This ensures that all pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language and those who have special education needs, are clear about tasks. However, this is not a feature of all lessons and lack of scientific vocabulary impinges especially upon the learning of younger pupils.

p.29

Commentary

80. Assessment is unsatisfactory. Teachers only tick pupils’ work and do not provide written feed back to indicate what is good about their work and how to improve. As already indicated, assessment is inaccurate in relation to National Curriculum levels at the end of Year 2. Test results are analysed, but information is not used consistently to track pupils’ progress and to set individual or group targets to further improve standards. The school has improved resources and these are used well for investigative work. Teaching assistants provide satisfactory support. Goldbeaters Primary School - 30 81. The leadership of the subject is satisfactory but management is unsatisfactory. The headteacher provides strong support to the co-ordinator through the Federation with The Orion School. The co-ordinator came back from maternity leave only this term and, as a class-based part-time teacher, she does not currently have a clear picture of the working of the subject.

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Commentary

The co-ordinator receives half a day each term to monitor planning and observe lessons, and this has led to the identification of some appropriate priorities for development. The school has recently evaluated its curriculum provision and implemented nationally recommended schemes of work and assessment procedures to guide teachers: the partnership with The Orion School has benefited the school in this respect. Since the previous inspection, improvement has been satisfactory: the school has improved its resources and maintained standards.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are below national expectations in Years 2 and 6 but are improving throughout the school and pupils’ achievement is good. • The co-ordinator teaches alongside staff who are less confident and the resulting improvement in teaching means that pupils have made rapid progress this year. • Leadership and management of the subject are good.

p.30

Commentary

82. Standards in Year 2 and Year 6 are below national expectations as, in the past, most teachers lacked confidence in teaching the subject particularly in the teaching of control technology. The co-ordinator now supports less confident teachers each morning and a scheme of work that covers all aspects of the curriculum in depth is being implemented: these initiatives are helping to raise standards and pupils are now achieving well. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs, those who speak English as an additional language and those from minority ethnic backgrounds is similar to their peers. There is no difference in the achievement of boys and girls.

p.30

Commentary

83. By Year 6, most pupils know how to combine text, sound and graphics in PowerPoint presentations and are competent at importing graphics from the Internet and link pages. Pupils in Year 5 are able to enter information into a database and understand terms such as ‘file’, ‘record’ and ‘field’. Pupils experience a range of opportunities to develop their information and communication technology skills in word-processing, graphics, using CD-ROMs, control technology, the Internet, and data handling.

p.30

Commentary

84. The quality of teaching is good. Teachers have a good understanding of pupils’ previous learning and they build on this effectively. Teachers plan lessons well and pupils know exactly what is expected of them. The co-ordinator works very closely with teachers, demonstrating lessons, observing teaching to suggest improvements and providing support within the lessons. This is proving very effective in improving teaching and learning. Teaching assistants work closely with pupils who have special educational need and those who are learning English as an additional language. Furthermore, teachers place lower attaining pupils with more capable partners so that all pupils are included and achieve well. All staff use the interactive white boards effectively to demonstrate and explain work and this has a positive impact on pupils’ learning.

p.30

Commentary

85. Leadership and management are good. All staff have received training and less confident teachers are being supported very well through monitoring and advice. Assessment in the subject is satisfactory: all teachers assess work at the end of each unit and a system for pupils to record their own assessments is being developed. The school has made good Goldbeaters Primary School - 31 improvements in provision since the last inspection. Resources are satisfactory overall but improvements in the provision of the school’s hardware have been planned for next year.

p.30

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

86. The school has identified as a priority the use of ICT to extend learning in other subjects and has made a good start in this. The use of interactive whiteboards in classes and in the computer suite for demonstrating lessons has a very good impact on pupils’ learning. Pupils make good use of ICT in English, science and mathematics and use is satisfactory in several curriculum areas. Their ICT skills increasingly support their achievement across the curriculum. In mathematics, pupils extend their learning by using spreadsheets to add the cost of shopping and communicate findings in graphic and tabular forms. Pupils use their word processing skills in English to write stories and poems. Year 6 pupils incorporate images, text and sound in presenting their ideas, which supports their overall achievement. Pupils in Year 2 have combined geometrical shapes in drawing houses in art. The Internet supports pupils in

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

finding information for topics in history and geography, and the digital camera is used to good effect in physical education to evaluate and improve pupils’ skills.

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HUMANITIES

87. Only one lesson was seen in geography and no lessons were seen in history . A sample of pupils’ work was scrutinised, along with teachers’ planning, and some pupils were interviewed, but there is insufficient evidence to make overall judgements about provision, achievement, teaching or learning in either subject.

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HUMANITIES

88. Work seen in geography suggests that teachers have good subject knowledge and that learning is made lively by varied activities. In Year 6, pupils’ achievement is supported by the rise in standards in literacy and broader coverage of the National curriculum. In a lesson seen in Year 5, pupils examined plans, maps and photographs of urban and coastal areas in preparation for a field trip to Brighton. The teacher’s probing questions enabled pupils to explore the important characteristics of land use and draw on their own knowledge to discuss the difference between physical and human features in a coastal area and an urban one. The good use of resources, including the effective use of the interactive whiteboard, enabled pupils to prepare well for their visit. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 have studied their locality, made simple labelled plans and drawn features of their immediate area. They have also ‘travelled’ with

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HUMANITIES

Barnaby Bear to various countries and contrasting areas.

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HUMANITIES

89. A strength of the history curriculum is the way it promotes the development of reading and writing. There is also a clear focus on the teaching of historical enquiry. For example, pupils in Year 6 study life in Victorian times in depth and develop skills of investigation by using various resources including the Internet. They complete well-presented and researched projects showing sound analytical skills and a good knowledge of the correct format for their non-fiction writing and its readership. Younger pupils learn about famous people from the past, such as Florence Nightingale. In their folders and in discussion, pupils show a lively knowledge of the lives of these people and they clearly enjoyed and remember the important features about them. Pupils show a developing sense of chronology in their work on timelines and on The Great Fire of London .

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HUMANITIES

90. The geography and history co-ordinators are both relatively new to their jobs. They provide guidance for other staff and monitor lesson planning and pupils’ books. At present, there is no formal assessment system for either subject and this has been identified as a priority for next year. Geography and history are satisfactorily resourced, and include a range of multicultural materials and useful artefacts. Field trips, visits and visitors enhance the curriculum.

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory . Goldbeaters Primary School - 32

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers ensure that pupils learn from religions and older pupils are beginning to link knowledge from world faiths to their own lives. • There is no system for assessing pupils’ attainment or for tracking their progress. • The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and working effectively to improve the range of learning opportunities open to pupils.

p.32

Commentary

91. Standards in Year 2 and Year 6 are below the expectations of the Local Agreed Syllabus, but achievement is satisfactory. The overall achievement of different groups of pupils is similar but higher and lower-attaining pupils do not always make as much progress as the rest of the class in lessons where written tasks and methods are not matched to their prior attainment. This is particularly the case for pupils with special educational needs when they are not supported by teaching assistants and for higher-attaining pupils when a ceiling is placed on the amount and depth of writing they produce. Much of the work completed in religious education takes the form of class and group discussion, sometimes with ideas recorded on large sheets of paper but not necessarily taking the form of written work in pupils’ books. Limited written evidence was therefore available for scrutiny during the inspection, especially in Years 1 and

p.32

Commentary

2. There are some missed opportunities to use religious education to promote pupils’ literacy skills but the subject does stimulate pupils’ speaking and listening skills appropriately.

p.32

Commentary

92. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teachers’ planning ensures that pupils learn from as well as about religion and there are close links between religious education and personal, social and health education. They learn about an appropriate range of world faiths and are encouraged to feel as well as to think about religious experiences and traditions. As a result, older pupils are able to make meaningful links between their learning in religious education and their own lives, and it is clear that pupils enjoy religious education lessons. Written work in Year 5 shows that pupils have really considered the moral and ethical factors behind decisions that they might have to make. Pupils in Year 6 have produced polystyrene models of places of worship and those in Year 5 have written about Neasden Temple, following a visit there. Pupils behave very well and apply themselves industriously to the tasks they are given. Their

p.32

Commentary

collaborative skills are developing and they work thoughtfully when recording their individual ideas.

p.32

Commentary

93. The subject is satisfactorily led and managed. The co-ordinator has a clear understanding of strengths and areas for development and undertakes an appropriate range of monitoring activities. She is active in improving the quality of teaching and learning and is building on the school’s practical resources. This has clearly led to recent improvement in the subject, although assessment is unsatisfactory. Assemblies contribute to pupils’ knowledge about religions and festivals, and the school has begun to welcome visitors into the school. Visitors - such as a representative of a Christian organisation who led a session on the New Testament for pupils in Year 6 during the inspection - enrich pupils’ understanding of particular faiths. Overall, the use of visitors and opportunities for visits to places of worship are not as good as they should be. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory.

p.32

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

94. No lessons were seen in art and design or music ; part of a lesson was observed in each of design and technology and physical education . A sample of pupils’ work was scrutinised, along with teachers’ planning, and the role of subject co-ordinators was explored. Insufficient evidence was collected to make overall judgements about provision, achievement, teaching or learning in these subjects.

p.32

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

95. In art and design , pupils experience an appropriate range of media and techniques and planning suggests that National Curriculum requirements are met. Some of the best work is Goldbeaters Primary School - 33 evident in Year 1, where drawings illustrative of A Balloon for Grandad are lively and where pupils were clearly taught very well when they made natural sculptures in the style of Andy Goldsworthy. Some good observation is also evident in drawings of fruit and vegetables in Year 1. Pupils have some opportunities to use ICT in art, for instance, when younger pupils produced symmetrical images. Links between art and other subjects are evident in the tissue collages of flowers in Year 3, which were linked to learning in science about how plants grow, and investigation of pattern by older pupils was based on work completed across art, mathematics and ICT. In Year 4, pupils have clearly made good progress in grasping the

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

essence of Aborigine art and have applied the main techniques effectively in their own paintings. In Year 6, attractive tie-dye pictures show that pupils developed the range of skills required to produce an effective outcome using this technique. Resources are adequate, and the co-ordinator provides support for her colleagues, monitoring others’ planning and pupils’ work in the time allocated for leading and managing the subject. There is no assessment system in art and design.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

96. In design and technology , scrutiny of pupils’ work on display and teachers’ planning indicate that National Curriculum requirements are met. Pupils have made wheeled vehicles and puppets in Year 2, pop-up books and money containers – involving designing, joining with stitching and decorating - in Year 4 and slippers in Year 6. In Year 3, they have combined card and papier-mâché in designing and making photograph frames. In the Year 5 lesson sampled, where pupils were designing musical instruments, the teacher questioned pupils very well and pupils had the opportunity to look at a guitar to help them think about how to construct their own designs.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

97. Pupils listen to a range of music in assemblies and girls sing confidently and with expression. However, boys are more reluctant to sing, as they do not participate in the school choir. However, all pupils participate in a local music festival and in various school performances at the end of the autumn term. There are good opportunities for pupils’ to learn a musical instrument through the use of visiting teachers and the co-ordinator keeps a record of pupils’ involvement in different musical activities. Although an appropriate scheme of work is in place, there is no formal assessment system for music. There are sufficient musical instruments in the school, including a variety of multi-cultural instruments. The school has no system for assessing pupils’ attainment or for tracking their progress in music.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

98. In physical education, pupils have some good opportunities to participate in sport and team events, through, for example, the football league and netball league, which impacts positively on pupils’ achievements. For example, in 2004, the school won the football league. Through the Federation arrangements with The Orion School, a successful joint girls’ football team has been established. Pupils benefit from tennis coaching from a local tennis club, and they came second in the Barnet athletics meeting. They also benefit from a well-conceived dance club held after school and organised by a very well qualified and experienced dance specialist. Year 5 pupils have good opportunities to participate in outdoor and adventurous activities through the annual school residential trip. The school has no system for assessing pupils’ attainment or for tracking their progress in physical education.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

99. Overall provision for personal, social and health education is good. Insufficient evidence was gathered, however, to form a judgement about pupils’ achievement or teaching in discrete personal, social and health education lessons.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

100. The establishment of a very positive ethos and improved behaviour have dramatically changed pupils’ attitudes. Personal, social and health education permeates the whole curriculum and is at the centre of this new ethos. The very good relationships and the harmonious and calm way in which the school operates is a testimony to the strength of the provision.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

101. The school’s approach and policy are understood well by all staff, and teaching and support staff provide good role models. Personal, social and health education lessons are planned Goldbeaters Primary School - 34 well and include discussions and circle time activities as well as role-play and drama. The work of older pupils and displays in classrooms show that they have a good understanding of the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. Pupils also learn about relationships in sex education lessons and have a good understanding of how to keep safe and who to turn to when in danger.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

102. The school successfully promotes the emotional and physical well-being of its pupils through a wide range of physical education activities, and is participating in the Healthy Schools’ initiative. As part of this initiative, the school has moved over to healthy eating and to a new ‘Jamie Oliver style’ lunchtime menu.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

103. The school council, with elected representatives from each year, has been established for three years and is run by the learning mentor. The council gives pupils a chance to make decisions: they feel that they are properly consulted over a range of issues and their views are valued. Pupils are given good opportunities to learn something about the democratic process, to express their opinions, make choices and seek change. A good example of this is the work done in fundraising to buy playground equipment and in designing murals to brighten areas of the school.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

104. The personal, social and health education coordinator has a clear purpose and vision and provides good leadership. Lessons and planning are monitored regularly but formal assessment is at an early stage of development. Goldbeaters Primary School - 35

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 4 The quality of teaching 4 How well pupils learn 4 The quality of assessment 5 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 4 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 3 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 4

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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).

p.35