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112216
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Strengths
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- This was very well illustrated in an excellent assembly observed during the inspection, which underlined the integration of personal and social education into the everyday life of the school. p.15
- A high proportion of teaching is very good or outstanding, helping pupils to make very good progress in these lessons. p.7
- His excellent use of resources, including an interactive whiteboard, counting stick and teaching assistants, enabled him to match work to pupils’ needs accurately. p.22
- The strong leadership of the headteacher and the creation of a strong management team ensure that the school has the right priorities and is starting to improve. p.7
- Other subjects, such as religious education and PSHE, make excellent contributions to the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral and social awareness. p.11
Concerns
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- Poor handwriting and untidy presentation are particular weaknesses. p.20
- In a less effective lesson, the teacher’s lack of confidence in demonstrating skills led to a lack of rigour in promoting higher p.27
- Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.2 School data 0.1 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. p.12
- Useful links with mathematics, English, geography and art are evident, but the lack of an overall plan has limited the range and depth of work. p.25
- However, they fail to promote greater achievement, since they give pupils investigations to perform which set out a format to be followed, without allowing pupils to make decisions about the design and shape of these tasks. p.23
Next steps
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- 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. p.2
- sufficient feedback to enable pupils to improve, and the absence of targets for pupils further limits their understanding of the progress they are making and what they need to do to improve. p.22
- Standards in reading and writing are well below average by Year 6 and are not as high as they should be. p.20
- The most important things that the school needs to do now are: Inglewood Junior School - 9 p.8
- Teachers carefully check at the end of lessons to see what the pupils think they have learned and what they need to do next. p.13
- They have monitored pupils’ standards in national tests for English, mathematics and science and are aware of the need to raise them. p.18
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- 10,291
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Full report text
INGLEWOOD JUNIOR SCHOOL
Dates of inspection: 11 th – 14 th October 2004
p.1
INGLEWOOD JUNIOR SCHOOL
Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Inglewood Junior School - 2 Crown copyright 2004
p.1
INGLEWOOD JUNIOR SCHOOL
This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.
p.2
INGLEWOOD JUNIOR 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. Inglewood Junior School - 3
p.2
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Type of school: Junior School category: Community Age range of pupils: 7 – 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 324
p.3
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
School address: Arnside Road Harraby Carlisle Cumbria Postcode: CA1 3QA
p.3
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Telephone number: 01228 607513 Fax number: 01228 607514
p.3
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr J Dorman
p.3
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Date of previous inspection: 2 nd November 1998
p.3
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL
Inglewood is a large junior school on the outskirts of Carlisle. It caters for 324 boys and girls between the ages of seven and eleven. The percentage of pupils taking free meals is broadly average because many parents choose to send their children to school with a packed lunch. This does not represent the amount of social deprivation in the area, which is above average. Fifteen pupils have statements of educational need, which is a much higher proportion than in most schools. In addition there are 45 pupils on the school’s special educational needs register which is broadly average. Most of these pupils have difficulties with learning and some with their emotional and behavioural development. Almost all children come from white British families and all speak English as their first language. They come from families settled in the area so that mobility is below the national average. Pupils come to the school with a wide
p.3
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL
range of skills and knowledge but, taken overall, the attainment of the pupils is well below the average when they start in Year 3. The school achieved the distinction of an Activemark Gold Award for physical education in 2004. Inglewood Junior School - 4
p.3
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM
Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities
p.4
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM
2615 Eileen Parry Lead inspector English, art, music, special educational needs 18650 Sue Thomas Lay inspector 18076 Kevin Dodd Team inspector Mathematics, information and communication technology, design and technology, physical education 33225 Elizabeth Greensides Team inspector Science, geography, history, religious education, English as an additional language
p.4
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM
BPS Business Centre Brake Lane Boughton Newark Nottinghamshire NG22 9HQ
p.4
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM
Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Inglewood Junior School - 5
p.4
STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9
Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities
p.5
QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11
Teaching and learning The curriculum Care, guidance and support Partnership with parents, other schools and the community
p.5
PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 25
Inglewood Junior School - 6 Inglewood Junior School - 7
p.6
This is an improving school whose effectiveness is satisfactory. It gives satisfactory
value for money . It has a warm and friendly atmosphere in which pupils feel valued and secure. Current teaching is good. Standards overall are below the average but pupils are achieving satisfactorily overall. The school is well led and managed by the headteacher and senior management team. It is well supported by its governing body and is in a good position to move forward.
p.7
The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:
• The strong leadership of the headteacher and the creation of a strong management team ensure that the school has the right priorities and is starting to improve. • Pupils achieve above average standards in physical education and personal, social and health education (PSHE) and citizenship as a result of very good teaching. • A high proportion of teaching is very good or outstanding, helping pupils to make very good progress in these lessons. • There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development that helps pupils to become more mature and responsible. • Pupils with special educational needs are well supported. • Standards are well below average in English and until recently pupils’ achievement was not satisfactory. Although standards are below average in science pupils achieve satisfactorily. • Pupils do not have good handwriting and do not present their work well.
p.7
The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:
The school has changed quite a lot since the last inspection and is recovering from a drop in standards. These remain overall below the level reported at the last inspection. The amount of teaching that is very good or outstanding is higher than last time, as is the provision for pupils’ personal development and the rate of attendance. Judgements on the impact of the headteacher and senior management team are lower than at the last inspection, but this is due to the newness of the team and the fact that they have not had enough time together to make more progress with the range of issues that they faced. The school manages large and spacious accommodation well, has improved its provision for information and communication technology (ICT) and is in the process of developing its libraries.
p.7
STANDARDS ACHIEVED
all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English D D E E Mathematics C C D D Science A C D C Key: A - well above average; B - above average; C - average; D - below average; E - well below average. Similar schools are those with similar percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals
p.7
STANDARDS ACHIEVED
Pupils’ achievement overall is satisfactory . Children enter school with skills and abilities that cover the full range but overall they are well below average. In mathematics, standards are Inglewood Junior School - 8 in line with those recorded nationally and pupils achieve satisfactorily by Year 6. Standards are well below the average in English. Although now making satisfactory progress overall these pupils have made unsatisfactory progress from when they were in Year 3 in reading, writing and handwriting. They do well, however, in speaking and listening, because of the many planned opportunities they are given in all lessons. More able pupils do well in science and achievement in the subject is satisfactory for other pupils, even though the standards are below average overall. All pupils achieve well in physical education and standards are above the average. Pupils also achieve well in religious education. The school makes good provision for
p.7
STANDARDS ACHIEVED
the large proportion of pupils with special educational needs and they make good progress against their special targets.
p.8
Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural
development, is very good . Pupils have good attitudes to learning. They behave well because of the clear and consistent guidance from adults and get on well together. Attendance is good.
p.8
The school provides a good education overall. Teaching and learning are good
overall. Pupils are given plenty of practical activities that they enjoy taking part in and many good opportunities to learn through discussing and evaluating each other’s work. There is a very good range of interesting things to do outside normal lessons. Pupils do particularly well in physical education because teachers are knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Teachers do not consistently promote high standards of presentation or ensure that pupils develop a secure joined-up style of handwriting. The school has good accommodation which is spacious but not easy to manage; it works hard to improve provision, for example with the new ICT suite. Resources are satisfactory. The school has a good partnership with parents and helps them to get well involved with their children’s learning at home and in school.
p.8
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
Leadership and management are good. Governance of the school is good. Key appointments have been made with the clear aim of raising standards and good improvement plans have identified what needs to be done. The headteacher provides good leadership, both in the drive to raise standards and in ensuring that there is a warm sense of community in which pupils feel well included. Key staff provide good support. Where they have been in post for sufficient time, they are making a good impact on standards, but some senior staff are just settling into their first few weeks and their good plans have not yet been implemented. The governance of the school is effective and all statutory requirements are met. The staff and governors work well together, with common aims that put the pupils at the centre of their efforts.
p.8
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL
p.8
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
Most pupils enjoy being in the school and a good number take part in the very good extra activities that are provided. Inspectors agree with the majority of parents that the school is a welcoming place. Parents value the education their children receive and find staff approachable.
p.8
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
The most important things that the school needs to do now are: Inglewood Junior School - 9 • Ensure that pupils fully understand how to improve their work in English, mathematics and science in order to raise standards; • Share the good practice in teaching so that it raises the quality of satisfactory teaching to match the best; • Improve the quality of pupils’ handwriting and presentation. Inglewood Junior School - 10
p.8
Standards achieved in subjects
The achievement of pupils has been unsatisfactory in the last few years but current evidence shows it to be now satisfactory overall. Standards in mathematics, ICT and religious education are average; they are below average in science and those in English remain well below average. Pupils achieve well in physical education, PSHE and religious education. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well against their personal targets.
p.10
Main strengths and weaknesses
• Standards in physical education are above average and pupils achieve well. • Pupils achieve well in religious education and in PSHE because of the good quality of the teaching. • Pupils speak confidently and evaluate each other’s work well in many lessons. • In English, standards are well below average and achievement by Year 6 is unsatisfactory. • Pupils do not present their work well enough and are not using a joined-up style of handwriting securely.
p.10
Commentary
1. Results of national tests for Year 6 pupils in 2003 were well below average in English and below average in mathematics and science. Early information from results in 2004 indicates a similar picture with a slight improvement in English scores. School targets were not reached although the school believes that these were set too high as a result of not previously having effective systems for analysing pupils’ work and predicting possible results. Girls have consistently outperformed boys in English but not in mathematics or science. Results in both 2003 and 2004 were adversely affected by a high proportion in the year group of pupils with special educational needs. Results in 2004 are reported to be additionally affected by disruption to learning caused by a teacher’s long-term illness.
p.10
Commentary
Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2003
p.10
Commentary
Standards in: School results National results English 24.3 ( 26.5) 26.8 ( 27.0) Mathematics 25.6 ( 27.5) 26.8 ( 26.7) Science 28.0 ( 28.8) 28.6 ( 28.3) There were 85 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year
p.10
Commentary
2. Pupils in the current Year 6 are likely to reach standards that are below average overall by the end of the year. Standards in mathematics look set to be average and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Standards in science are below average but achievement is satisfactory, given the amount of time that the subject has. More able pupils achieve good standards in science. Pupils achieve well in physical education, reaching standards that are above average because of the high quality of teaching. Standards in English are likely to remain well below average. Pupils’ current achievement is at a satisfactory level Inglewood Junior School - 11 although for pupils in Year 6 it is unsatisfactory overall because they have too much to make up from earlier years. Standards are in line with expectations in speaking and listening and pupils’ achievement is good as a result of a concerted effort to provide pupils with good opportunities. Pupils’ writing is a weaker element; they do not write often
p.10
Commentary
enough at length to develop secure skills. Their handwriting is unsatisfactory and often pupils do not present their written work well. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well against their special targets and at a comparable rate to their classmates when they are in lessons without additional support. Achievement is good in religious education.
p.11
Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities
Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are good. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. Attendance is good and improving.
p.11
Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities
• Pupils enjoy coming to school because of the interesting lessons and activities they have to do. • Pupils concentrate in lessons and work purposefully. • All pupils are valued and respected. • Some pupils exhibit boisterous behaviour when moving around school.
p.11
Commentary
3. The school places a high importance on the value of each pupil. This is reflected throughout the work of the school. Most pupils show interest in their lessons. They are keen to answer questions. Where teaching is very good or better, pupils are absorbed in their lessons and work conscientiously. In a Year 3 PSHE lesson children made thoughtful contributions to a discussion about anger, reflecting what they had learned. In all physical education lessons, pupils show very good attitudes to their work. They are keen to demonstrate movements and work well together. They are successfully learning to evaluate their work constructively. In some classes, however, a few pupils need continual reminders of basic lesson requirements, such as sitting still and listening to the teacher. This delays the development of the lesson and hampers progress.
p.11
Commentary
4. Behaviour in class and during breaks is generally good. Pupils are well behaved in the dining rooms. When moving around the school, and particularly at the end of the day, children are often boisterous. They run in corridors and are less courteous than in class.
p.11
Commentary
5. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. In assembly, pupils listened carefully while the drama club acted improvised presentations. Pupils gave confident performances which illustrated well some of the causes and effects of anger. Other subjects, such as religious education and PSHE, make excellent contributions to the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral and social awareness. The school and class councils develop pupils’ confidence to put forward their own views and to speak in public. They feel they make a useful contribution to the life of the school. Pupils’ awareness of other cultures is developing well through studies of the major faiths in religious education and through subjects including art. A range of visiting speakers and artists contributes well to pupils’ education. Inglewood Junior School - 12 6. Most children enjoy coming to school. Ninety-three per cent of parents who returned the
p.11
Commentary
pre-inspection questionnaire felt their children liked school. Only 6 per cent of children in the school’s questionnaire for pupils said they did not like being at school. Attendance is good and improving. The school continually reminds parents of their responsibility to ensure their child attends school and arrives on time. Lessons begin promptly throughout the day.
p.12
Commentary
Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)
p.12
Commentary
Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.2 School data 0.1 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Inglewood Junior School - 13
p.12
QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL
The school provides a good education overall. Teaching and learning are good overall. There is a good curriculum that is very well enriched by extra activities. Provision for PSHE is very good. Accommodation and resources are satisfactory.
p.13
Teaching and learning
Teaching and learning are good. Assessment of pupils’ work is satisfactory.
p.13
Main strengths and weaknesses
• Very good planning means lessons are well structured. • A good range of strategies ensures that pupils learn effectively. • Teachers use resources well, including ICT, to motivate pupils. • Teachers encourage pupils to evaluate each other’s work. • Expectations of pupils’ standards of handwriting and presentation are not high enough. • Good support from teaching assistants has a positive impact on pupils’ learning, especially for less able pupils and those with special educational needs.
p.13
Commentary
7. Teachers throughout the school create good relationships and a good working atmosphere in their classrooms that help pupils to learn well. Teachers are enthusiastic and eager for pupils to succeed and set down clear guidelines for behaviour. As a result, pupils are well behaved and keen to learn in the majority of classes. The school has put in place policies that have ensured consistent success in the following areas:
p.13
Commentary
• the very good quality of planning; • the practice of sharing the objectives of the lesson and the success criteria with the pupils and of checking at the end of lessons to find out how much pupils feel they have understood; • opportunities for pupils to work with each other and to evaluate how well partners are doing; • teaching of the PSHE programme and management of pupils’ behaviour.
p.13
Commentary
8. These measures are having a positive impact on the way that pupils learn, as does the high proportion of teaching that is very good and outstanding. This is particularly noticeable in PSHE and in physical education lessons throughout the school.
p.13
Commentary
9. Teachers throughout the school use ICT well, including the new interactive whiteboards, for example to display the learning objectives for the lesson and to demonstrate new learning. All are very clear about what they want pupils to learn and how the pupils will know that they have succeeded. Teachers carefully check at the end of lessons to see what the pupils think they have learned and what they need to do next. Teachers use a variety of ways to make lessons interesting; those seen in PSHE, for example, use role- play very effectively. Pupils of all abilities are fully involved and absorb the main messages because of the impact of drama. Another strong feature of all lessons is teachers’ focus on pupils working together and discussing their ideas. Pupils do this very sensibly, in pairs and in larger groups. Additionally, pupils are encouraged to observe each other, for Inglewood Junior School - 14
p.13
Commentary
example in physical education, and give comments about what they like and how their classmates’ work could be improved. As a result, pupils are gaining confidence in speaking aloud and doing so simply and clearly. There are also good examples of how teachers encourage pupils to learn through reading each other’s work and writing comments, although this is not a common practice.
p.14
Commentary
10. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported in class lessons, when the work is well pitched to their needs and when they work individually or within small groups. Teaching assistants give them valuable support and liaise well with teachers, so that they know which pupils need help and how to give it effectively. The school has recently reintroduced various booster classes, such as those for English in Year 4; pupils receive closer attention by being in a small group and learn well within the lesson. Pupils who have problems with their behaviour are mostly well managed. However, in a few lessons in Year 5, the effort of keeping them on task slows the pace of the lesson for all; in others, the teachers’ dynamic approach grabs their attention and keeps them well involved, as was seen in a religious education lesson.
p.14
Commentary
11. All teachers give pupils very good written feedback on their writing in English, saying what works well and how a piece could be improved. However, this is less effective in mathematics and science. Only a few teachers set a high standard in the way they set out their marking and advice. Expectations of how pupils will set out their work are not high enough in most classes and as a result, pupils’ work is often untidy. Presentation is best in Year 6.
p.14
Commentary
12. Assessment is satisfactory, with areas of strength, and other aspects that are less adequate. The strongest element is the way that pupils’ writing in English is marked with comments about how a piece could be improved. The weakest part is ensuring that these comments are acted upon and that the pupil’s next piece of work puts the advice into practice.
p.14
Commentary
Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 39 lessons
p.14
Commentary
Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor
p.14
Commentary
8 (21%) 7 (18%) 10 (26%) 13 (33%) 1 (3%) 0 0
p.14
Commentary
The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.
p.14
The curriculum
The school provides a good curriculum. Provision for the enrichment of the curriculum is very good . The school’s accommodation and resources are satisfactory .
p.14
Main strengths and weaknesses
• Recent curriculum development has ensured a wide and varied curriculum which supports the raising of pupils’ achievement. • The very good programme of extra-curricular activities helps to raise self esteem, improve attitudes and give pupils confidence. • The school places a strong emphasis on the PSHE of the pupils. Inglewood Junior School - 15 • The design of the school building creates problems in both accommodation and storage of resources.
p.14
Commentary
13. The school has worked hard over the last year to develop the curriculum, which has been carefully and successfully adapted from national guidance to meet the specific needs of the school. For example, some subjects, including physical education and music, are now planned to be taught weekly. Others, including design and technology and art, are taught in blocks of time. This enables both teachers and pupils to focus on fewer subjects in the course of a week, and facilitates cross-curricular planning and innovation. Long-term plans provide a sound framework for coverage, and teachers work collaboratively to produce medium-term planning for all subjects, enabling effective use of teachers’ specialisms and ensuring consistency of coverage across year groups. Teachers place a good emphasis on raising achievement in the key subjects of literacy and numeracy. However, they too rarely plan opportunities to reinforce these skills across other areas,
p.15
Commentary
such as when recording the results of science investigations. The school recognises the importance of providing a wide and varied curriculum in other subjects. Physical education, for example, is a particular strength of the school, and pupils achieve well in religious education. The curriculum meets all statutory requirements, although the policy for sex education is currently awaiting review to reflect changes in the school’s provision.
p.15
Commentary
14. The curriculum is made considerably richer by a very good range of extra activities and experiences which makes a significant contribution to the social, moral, spiritual and cultural aspects of the school. Teachers provide excellent opportunities for pupils to take part in a wide variety of activities outside school hours. These are very well attended and include several different sports, music, drama and dance, as well as fishing and gardening. The school has a strong sporting tradition, has won local and county competitions in football and tennis, and was recently presented with the Activemark Gold Award for its work in this area. Teachers invite a good selection of visitors to talk to and work with pupils, and pupils themselves have frequent opportunities to participate in visits which extend a curriculum area. Recent visitors have included music and theatre groups, the local fire service, and birds of prey with their handlers.
p.15
Commentary
Older pupils make use of the specialist facilities for science and design and technology at the local high school. School productions by different year groups are well supported by governors, parents, friends and members of the local community, and there are often repeat performances, due to the high demand for tickets.
p.15
Commentary
15. Personal and social development is promoted effectively through extra-curricular activities, but is also taught directly through a number of well-planned opportunities which are linked to several areas of the curriculum. For example, a common theme in each classroom is the ’You Can Do It’ programme which emphasises achievement of all kinds to underpin the raising of pupils’ self-esteem. In class lessons, teachers are willing to challenge perceptions, misconceptions and prejudices, and this keeps pupils fully involved and interactive. The school is committed to the Healthy Schools initiative, and aims to achieve the standard in the near future. Each class has a regular class council to discuss issues of school life, and these are fed into the smaller representative school council to be resolved. Collective worship each Monday morning establishes the focus for the week and this is also linked to the rewards
p.15
Commentary
assembly on Fridays. Other assemblies, whilst retaining a focus on spirituality and a Christian prayer, pick up and deal with issues of personal and social development. This was very well illustrated in an excellent assembly observed during the inspection, which underlined the integration of personal and social education into the everyday life of the school.
p.15
Commentary
16. The school’s accommodation is good overall. However, it poses a number of difficulties, including storage of resources, disability access and the movement of pupils around school. It Inglewood Junior School - 16 does provide a great deal of extra space, which is well used for small teaching groups. The school has managed to find space for a new ICT suite, although it is too small to comfortably accommodate a full class. This does not support either development or progress in ICT. The school is well aware of accommodation difficulties, and has made recent significant changes which are beginning to have a positive impact. For example, much thought has been put into allocating teaching bases to classes from different year groups. This has enabled older pupils to have more responsibility for younger ones, and has facilitated access to a wider range of resources. The recently installed interactive whiteboards have a very positive impact in the
p.15
Commentary
great majority of lessons, and this is helping to raise standards. For example, in a very good mathematics lesson observed, the class teacher was able to display a wide range of graphs from several sources. This enabled pupils to achieve very well in their understanding of the use and handling of data. The school has ensured that the curriculum is supported by a good ratio of support staff. They are well qualified and suitably deployed across the school as classroom assistants with specific responsibility, such as the ICT technician, and also as support for pupils with special educational needs. Teachers present pupils’ work attractively in good quality displays, both inside and outside of the classroom, and these are well used as a learning resource. There are a number of hard play areas although the surfaces are not always in good condition. Inglewood Junior School - 17
p.16
Care, guidance and support
The school continues to give satisfactory care and support to its pupils. Arrangements for pupils’ guidance and welfare are satisfactory. The school has good procedures for taking pupils’ views into account.
p.17
Care, guidance and support
• Staff establish good relationships that give pupils confidence. • There is an adequate range of policies for care and well-being of pupils.
p.17
Commentary
17. The school continues to provide a positive, caring environment in which all pupils are respected as individuals. Staff know their pupils well. This enables them to provide adequate guidance and support to individual children. A satisfactory range of policies for the welfare of pupils gives clear guidance to staff. Most staff have undertaken the child protection training. Arrangements for ensuring pupils have a smooth transition to the next stage of their education are satisfactory. The headteacher fosters close links with the infant school which shares the same site. Year 6 pupils visit their secondary school for taster sessions.
p.17
Commentary
18. The headteacher has devised and implemented a thorough system for collecting and interpreting annual performance data in both English and mathematics. From this he is now able to analyse the performance of different groups and cohorts of pupils effectively and also evaluate the progress of individual pupils. For example, recent data has highlighted difficulties which pupils are currently having in the construction of more complicated sentences and teachers are focusing on this within literacy lessons. Although this assessment system is successful in giving information for future planning, it is not yet fully disseminated throughout school, and too little responsibility for analysis is given to subject leaders and individual teachers.
p.17
Commentary
19. Class councils provide good opportunities for the school to hear the views of all pupils. These are then referred to the school council for further discussion. Pupils welcome these opportunities and feel that the staff listen to their ideas.
p.17
Partnership with parents, other schools and the community
The school has a good partnership with parents and good links with the community. Its links with other schools and with colleges are good.
p.17
Partnership with parents, other schools and the community
• The headteacher operates an ‘open door’ policy which makes parents feel welcome and valued. • Good links with the community help pupils’ learning. • Pupils’ reports do not always give indicators for improvement.
p.17
Commentary
20. The headteacher has developed a good relationship with most parents. They feel welcome in school and are comfortable about approaching the school with any problems. Inglewood Junior School - 18 A recently established Parent Friend Association gives parents the opportunity to socialise and to organise fund-raising events for the school. The school provides through the ‘SHARE’ project a valuable opportunity to enable parents to help their children in a range of educational activities. As yet, only a few parents attend. A recent mathematics workshop was well attended by parents. The school sends out regular newsletters to parents. Although informative, some parents may not find the text helpful.
p.17
Commentary
21. A number of parents felt they were not informed sufficiently about their child’s progress. The school has addressed this by changing parents’ consultations to evening rather than daytime meetings. This is designed to enable more parents to attend. Pupils’ annual reports give a good summary of what a child can do although they do not always include targets for improvement.
p.18
Commentary
22. The school has developed good links with higher educational colleges for teacher training. Links with the local community are good. Carlisle Football club provides football training. Visits to local places of interest and visiting speakers, such as members of the police force, make an effective contribution to pupils’ education. Residential visits enable older pupils to develop their maturity and independence.
p.18
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
The leadership and management of the school, including that of the headteacher, are good. The governance of the school is good.
p.18
Main strengths and weaknesses
• The headteacher has a clear vision, sense of purpose and high aspirations for the school • The headteacher’s leadership of teaching and the curriculum is very good. • The school’s self-evaluation is very effective, enabling it to identify appropriate priorities for improvement. • The school’s finances are dealt with efficiently by the school’s business manager.
p.18
Commentary
23. The headteacher has worked well with the governors to develop a clear vision for the school. They are committed, along with the staff, to include all pupils and to raise and celebrate pupils’ achievements and to broaden their horizons. Governors carry out their duties conscientiously and have worked hard to develop an accessibility plan for all pupils and a relationships policy to ensure all statutory requirements are met. They have effective links with individual subject co-ordinators and meet them regularly. This helps them to have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They have monitored pupils’ standards in national tests for English, mathematics and science and are aware of the need to raise them. Governors have supported the headteacher in making some astute staffing appointments which are beginning to improve standards, for instance in mathematics.
p.18
Commentary
24. The headteacher has worked to establish a good climate for learning by providing an enriched curriculum with a good emphasis on developing basic skills, for example through involvement with several national initiatives including the Healthy Schools Award and the Activemark Gold Award. The school is inclusive and the newly appointed co-ordinator has Inglewood Junior School - 19 made a good start in producing secure procedures for identifying pupils with special educational needs and recording their progress.
p.18
Commentary
25. The headteacher is developing a comprehensive system of assessment and recording to enable him to analyse pupils’ progress in English and mathematics, to identify underachievement in classes and to take steps to improve matters. He is aware of the need to use the assessment data to align targets more closely to National Curriculum levels and has encouraged co-ordinators to take a lead in this direction. The co- ordinators are enthusiastic and have responded well, but have not yet had sufficient time to address this issue fully. Monitoring of teaching and learning is developing well. A plan is in place to monitor all subjects and lesson observations and analysis of assessments have already begun in mathematics.
p.19
Commentary
26. The headteacher has forged good relationships with the newly formed senior management team and both he and the deputy lead by example though their teaching and leadership of the curriculum. Staff enjoy working in the school and morale is high.
p.19
Commentary
27. Performance management of teaching staff is well established, as reflected in the school’s development plan, and professional development is closely linked both to the needs of individual teachers and to the needs of the school. There are good arrangements to make sure teachers new to the school settle in quickly and receive the support they need through assigning experienced mentors. The school makes a good contribution to initial teacher training.
p.19
Commentary
Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004
p.19
Commentary
Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 792,328 Balance from previous year 38,986 Total expenditure 798,370 Balance carried forward to the next 32,944 Expenditure per pupil 2464
p.19
Commentary
28. School has an in-year deficit and is using surplus funds from the previous year to balance the budget. The school’s finances are dealt with efficiently by the school business manager and this supports the headteacher well in his role. The school has responded positively to the points raised in the latest financial audit and due attention is paid to best value principles. Given the effectiveness of the school, and the average unit cost, the school gives satisfactory value for money. Inglewood Junior School - 20
p.19
Main strengths and weaknesses
• Pupils listen carefully and discuss well with each other what they are doing because of the many opportunities that teachers give in all subjects • Teachers make helpful comments about how particular pieces of writing could be improved. • Poor handwriting and untidy presentation are particular weaknesses.
p.20
Commentary
29. Standards in reading and writing are well below average by Year 6 and are not as high as they should be. They are lower than at the time of the last inspection. The dip is a result of earlier staff disruptions and the lack of clear whole-school practices. However, the school now has a settled staff and a new literacy co-ordinator and things are starting to move forward.
p.20
Commentary
30. Pupils are becoming confident to talk about their work and the work of their classmates and to ask questions as a result of the many opportunities that teachers provide in all lessons. Standards are in line with expectations and pupils’ achievement is good. In a Year 4 lesson a pupil gave a good presentation about cats and answered the sensible questions that were asked. The drama group encourages pupils to talk and act out their feelings and their performances are listened to with rapt attention.
p.20
Commentary
31. The school has decided to take reading out of the literacy time and to give it an additional emphasis through daily guided reading sessions, as a way of improving standards. These sessions are working well in helping pupils to become more confident readers and to be more positive about books. A Year 3 pupil, for example, was making a determined effort to read a Harry Potter book and enjoying it, even though the text was too difficult for him. There are a large number of Year 3 pupils who are still at the very early stages of reading and who still need much adult support. They do not, for instance, understand how pictures can help with reading and therefore find it difficult to make progress when they are on their own. A number of parents provide valuable support to these activities.
p.20
Commentary
32. The good standards that teachers insist on in speaking and listening activities are not there in handwriting and presentation. All teachers provide very good written advice on how a piece of work could be improved, but not all teachers set a high enough standard in the way that they present this advice or in their expectations of how pupils will set out their work. As a result, most pupils from Year 3 to 5 do not write neatly and rarely join up their handwriting. The standards were better in the examples of work seen from the current Year 6.
p.20
Commentary
33. Standards of writing are well below average by Year 6. Pupils undertake short writing tasks within the literacy hour and some show a good command of language, for example Inglewood Junior School - 21 in writing interesting openings or endings. However, there is currently nothing of length in either English or other subjects to show how pupils can sustain and develop their ideas.
p.20
Commentary
34. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Literacy lessons are well balanced. Teachers are secure in their knowledge and plan effectively. Some pupils in Year 4 benefit from work of the special needs co-ordinator who takes a group from each class in order to boost their skills and knowledge by giving them closer attention. Other Year 4 pupils also benefit, as a result of this provision, from being in smaller classes. A very good lesson in a Year 4 class stemmed from very good planning and interesting tasks which were suited to the needs of all pupils. The highest attainers were learning about how journalists affect people’s views in the way that they mix fact and opinion, whilst the lowest attainers had a much simpler task in sorting sentences into fact and opinion. All teachers manage pupils effectively and contain potentially difficult behaviour, but this does slow down the pace of lessons in Year 5, where there are more pupils who find it difficult to behave well all the
p.21
Commentary
35. Leadership and management in the subject are satisfactory. The new co-ordinator has made a very good start in analysing the situation and producing a good action plan to improve the situation. However, he has been in post only a few weeks and has not yet had time to implement the action plan. Some early measures have been taken, but most of the work is planned for the next term. The school has improved the quality of books since the last inspection and has improved library provision.
p.21
Language and literacy across the curriculum
36. The pupils are provided with very good opportunities to develop their skill and confidence in speaking and listening in all subjects. Particularly good examples were seen in physical education lessons, where pupils provided positive comments on each other’s work and pointers for improvement and in PSHE when pupils were engaged in asking questions. Writing is less well developed in other subjects, with missed opportunities for pupils to practise what they have learned in literacy lessons.
p.21
MATHEMATICS
Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .
p.21
Main strengths and weaknesses
• Teaching is good and leads to pupils making good progress within lessons. • Leadership and management of the subject are good. • Pupils are not clear enough about how to improve
p.21
Commentary
37. Pupils performed below national averages in national assessments at the end of Year 6 this year, due to staff mobility affecting average ability sets of pupils. However, recent appointments have been made that have addressed this issue. The new co-ordinator is a former numeracy consultant and under his leadership standards are rising. Lessons observed and pupils’ work indicate that attainment is now in line with national expectations and because of this, achievement is satisfactory overall. Inglewood Junior School - 22 38. Teaching and learning in lessons seen were good with teachers planning effectively from the National Numeracy Strategy. Lessons start with a brisk mental arithmetic session that pupils enjoy. This was particularly successful in a Year 6 lesson, where pupils were encouraged to think about patterns in the multiplication tables using a game on the interactive whiteboard. This activity, together with the very good questioning by the teacher, supported them in developing
p.21
Commentary
their knowledge and understanding of the multiplication tables. In a similarly effective mental session in a mixed Year 3/4 class, the teacher used his expert knowledge to support pupils in developing mental strategies to add single-digit numbers to 20. His excellent use of resources, including an interactive whiteboard, counting stick and teaching assistants, enabled him to match work to pupils’ needs accurately. He extended pupils’ understanding of number sequences with both large and negative numbers very quickly and effectively. In a less successful Year 4 lesson, work was not well matched to the abilities of all pupils. Consequently, whilst more able pupils were supported and achieved well, work was too demanding for other pupils, who made limited progress.
p.22
Commentary
39. Effective intervention and questioning deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding during the main parts of the lessons. Good matching of work to ability and effective support enable pupils to achieve well. This was particularly successful in a Year 6 lesson, where a practical session extended pupils’ knowledge of probability through the use of a coin. Pupils explored their understanding of ‘evens’ chance, then the teacher skilfully probed pupils’ understanding and developed and challenged their thinking and understanding of vocabulary associated with probability. Teachers use the last parts of lessons well to check pupils’ understanding and provide further opportunities to extend learning. In a Year 6 lesson, for instance, the teacher asked pupils to devise their own questions and challenge others in the class to work out the probability of these events happening. Marking in books is positive, but does not always provide
p.22
Commentary
sufficient feedback to enable pupils to improve, and the absence of targets for pupils further limits their understanding of the progress they are making and what they need to do to improve.
p.22
Commentary
40. The co-ordinator has analysed assessment information and used this well to put older pupils into sets, so that teachers can adapt planning to their needs. The co-ordinator has an excellent grasp of the subject that has enabled him to identify weaker areas such as awareness of shape and space. He has re-instigated booster classes and intervention strategies which address these areas and support lower achieving pupils well. His expertise has been used to support pupils whose progress has recently been impeded by staff absences. He is aware of the need to track pupils’ progress more closely. He is working hard with the headteacher to introduce a common approach to refining the targets that are set for Year 6 pupils, to take full account of their abilities. He has begun to develop monitoring by observing classes and giving useful feedback to staff on this and on work analysis. This has led to a common approach to
p.22
Commentary
assessment of key objectives. He has audited and organised resources so they are more readily accessible. He has devised a comprehensive and useful plan aimed at raising standards but recognises the need for pupils to be systematically targeted and tracked to enable the effectiveness of the actions suggested to be determined. Primarily due to the success he has had in raising standards, his leadership and management are good.
p.22
Mathematics across the curriculum
41. Pupils are given satisfactory opportunities to use their mathematical skills in other subjects. In science, for instance, data was presented in the form of graphs when pupils investigated rainfall and temperature throughout the year. Pupils use their measuring skills in design and technology and older pupils’ knowledge of calculations is used in constructing spreadsheets in ICT.
p.22
SCIENCE
Provision in science is satisfactory . Inglewood Junior School - 23 Main strengths and weaknesses
p.22
SCIENCE
• The science curriculum is broad and well balanced. • Higher ability pupils achieve well. • Assessment procedures in science are unsatisfactory. • Pupils do not have enough opportunity for independence in enquiry and recording.
p.23
SCIENCE
42. The science curriculum is broad and well balanced and there has been satisfactory improvement in this subject since the last inspection. Lessons are taught across the whole programme of study, and teachers plan a satisfactory range of investigations to aid enquiry. Lessons often include time for collaborative work and for pupils to talk about what they are learning. Interactive whiteboards are used to very good effect to illustrate concepts and to show their effect in real life. Teachers give sound explanations of new concepts and use a range of questions to help pupils to probe further. However, they fail to promote greater achievement, since they give pupils investigations to perform which set out a format to be followed, without allowing pupils to make decisions about the design and shape of these tasks. As a result, pupils are sometimes unable to use their existing knowledge and understanding to apply to new
p.23
SCIENCE
concepts. Pupils in Year 6, for example, are able to explain and talk about a good range of scientific facts and observations, but are not always secure in their understanding of the enquiry skills needed to investigate these further. They know about micro organisms and germs, but have more difficulty in explaining how they would design an experiment to look at the growth of these organisms.
p.23
SCIENCE
43. Standards in science by the end of Year 6 have fallen steadily, from well above average in 2001, to below in 2004. However, whilst too many pupils do not achieve level 4, a good proportion attains the higher level 5, and this represents good achievement for these pupils. Work in books is below expectations overall, There is a lack of attention to presentation and tidiness. Teachers’ planning identifies key scientific vocabulary for lessons, but key words are rarely seen on walls to further support learning. Pupils’ poorer basic skills in writing restrict recording, and the level of output in many books is low. This is underlined when pupils talk about their work, because they talk about science work better than they can write about it. This is one reason for the drop in standards in the statutory attainment tests at the end of Year 6. Although sound strategic action plans for improvement are in place, science will not be a focus
p.23
SCIENCE
of development until later this year and so remains low priority on the overall school development plan.
p.23
SCIENCE
44. Assessment procedures in science are rudimentary, and are not used to help teachers to know what level of work to plan, or to help them make targets for pupils to help them to improve. As a result, lessons are planned directly from national or commercial schemes and do not take account of the current level of ability of the pupils. Although teachers plan for the needs of different groups of pupils, they are not aware of what they already know and can do, and so the overall pitch of lessons is often inappropriate and on occasion too high for the majority of pupils. For example, Year 6 pupils are taught about complex food webs, but their understanding of more simple food chains and how to record them is not yet secure. Marking in books acknowledges the work done and sometimes summarises achievement. However, it is not used to show pupils how to develop their learning further.
p.23
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
Provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is satisfactory .
p.23
Main strengths and weaknesses
Inglewood Junior School - 24 • The use of Interactive whiteboards supports learning in many lessons well. • The ICT technician makes an effective contribution to lessons. • Assessment is unsatisfactory because it is not used effectively to set targets for improvement.
p.24
Commentary
45. By the end of Year 6 standards are in line with national averages. Pupils have covered an appropriate range of work and make satisfactory progress in their knowledge, understanding and skills. They use ICT effectively to handle data and create line graphs showing changes in rainfall and sunshine, in mathematics and geography. They use word- processing to create PowerPoint presentations showing their favourite hobbies and incorporating a variety of fonts. They change the size and colour of font for effect and import pictures from art packages into their work. Younger pupils alter the shape and effect of words using a word art program. Pupils are able to use an art program to draw garden designs and use the brush, colour and fill tools. They are able to access sites of interest on the Internet, use e-mail and spreadsheets and know how to save, retrieve and modify their work. They have also had experience of controlling sets of toy traffic lights in a
p.24
Commentary
pre-determined way and sensing physical data, using ICT systems. They have a good grasp of the uses of ICT in everyday life. They have, however, only limited experience and understanding of using models and simulations in real and imaginary situations.
p.24
Commentary
46. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, but good teaching was seen in a mixed Year 3 and 4 class. Here, the teacher planned the lesson well and used technical vocabulary and support from the technician to enable pupils to manipulate text and graphics in a newspaper article, so as to engage an audience. In a good Year 5 lesson the teacher used questions and careful explanations to develop pupils’ ability to calculate the cost of a party using a spreadsheet. Pupils were introduced to formulae and associated vocabulary, enabling them to carry out simple calculations effectively. In a less successful Year 3 lesson, technical vocabulary and praise did not support the learning well and time was used ineffectively in pupils setting up and logging onto computers, which detracted from the aim of the lesson.
p.24
Commentary
47. The co-ordinator has been in post for four years and has made satisfactory progress since the previous inspection, by addressing the need to increase staff confidence through whole-school training. This has been especially effective in enabling staff to use the newly acquired interactive whiteboards in lessons to support their teaching. He has increased provision through the development of a new suite, has overseen the school’s link to broadband and the development of a school website and has been involved in the recruitment and deployment of a technician. He has drafted a comprehensive plan, but the targets he has set do not take account of pupils’ present abilities. This is because the assessment of pupils’ attainment is underdeveloped and this impedes monitoring and evaluation to determine the effectiveness of actions in improving standards. Monitoring of lessons is similarly underdeveloped. Links have been forged with English and
p.24
Commentary
mathematics, but there is no coherent approach to the development of links with other subjects. Extra-curricular opportunities exist for pupils to attend four clubs and recruitment is aimed at pupils who do not have access to computers at home. Consequently, overall leadership and management are satisfactory.
p.24
Information and communication technology across the curriculum
Inglewood Junior School - 25 48. Useful links with mathematics, English, geography and art are evident, but the lack of an overall plan has limited the range and depth of work.
p.25
HUMANITIES
49. It was not possible to see any history lessons during the inspection, and only one geography lesson was observed. As a result, no secure judgement can be made on provision in these subjects. Analysis of pupils’ work indicates that standards are broadly typical of those expected by the end of Years 2 and 6, and that coverage of both the geography and history curriculum is satisfactory. Pupils are given opportunities to make their own enquiries, and they are taught skills in investigation and discovery. For example, they are able to write about the reasons for some historical events, and explain how these have changed life in the present day. In geography, older pupils learning about land use have convincing and appropriate explanations for the way land has been adapted to its current usage.
p.25
Religious education
Provision in religious education is good .
p.25
Main strengths and weaknesses
• Teaching and learning are good overall and this has successfully raised standards. • Good improvement since the last inspection has been brought about by good leadership and management by the co-ordinator. • The subject’s useful links with other curricular areas add significantly to pupils’ personal development.
p.25
Commentary
50. The quality of teaching in religious education is good, with examples of outstanding teaching. As a result, standards have risen well since the last inspection, and pupils achieve well. Pupils are able to express themselves well about their own feelings and talk knowledgeably about Christianity and other faiths. The main focus is on learning about Christian teaching, as set out in the locally agreed syllabus and in addition pupils learn about Islam and Hinduism, which builds on their previous knowledge of Judaism, gained at the infant school. Teachers have good subject knowledge and are also willing to talk about their own beliefs with the pupils. They plan well and include a wide range of activities to develop pupils’ understanding and awareness of spiritual and moral ideas. They make good cross-curricular links to give further relevance to religious education. This adds significantly to pupils’ personal development, and extends their moral and
p.25
Commentary
cultural understanding. For example, pupils in Year 6, learning about signs and symbols, could apply them to their role in major Christian festivals and events, and could also relate these symbols to their own experience and other faiths.
p.25
Commentary
51. Leadership and management of religious education are good. The co-ordinator has addressed the issues raised in the previous inspection effectively, and has successfully raised the status and profile of religious education throughout the school. She has resourced the subject with a good range of posters, books and artefacts and these are used to good effect in lessons. There are limited opportunities for visits and visitors to Inglewood Junior School - 26 support learning. However, the subject leader has identified a number of ways to improve this provision, including the use of the Internet and the interactive whiteboards.
p.25
Commentary
Religious education lesson exploring the ‘specialness’ of the Qu’ran to the Islam religion The teacher begins by inviting pupils who “aren’t afraid to take a risk” to take part in a challenge. Three enthusiastic volunteers are each given a ball of knotted wool to unravel in two minutes, without untying the knots. Other pupils look on intrigued at how their peers would solve the problem. The teacher stands behind them and holds up the answer. Pupils gasp at the simplicity of the solution written: “Cut the wool with scissors”, as their friends continue to struggle with the problem, oblivious to the solution. Then the teacher prompts the class to reflect on how easy the puzzle might have been had they known the solution in advance. She discusses life in general, before introducing the importance of the Qu’ran to Muslims as a holy book containing a list of instructions on how to live a good life. Pupils discuss, reflect and build on their understanding of the significance
p.26
Commentary
of the Qu’ran for its followers through a range of practical tasks. At the end, pupils pose a series of questions such as, “What do Muslims do to show respect for the Qu’ran?” These allow the teacher to assess very well the level of pupils’ understanding and to plan what to do next.
p.26
CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS
52. Only one lesson was seen in art and one in music, because of the focus being on other subjects, so there is not enough evidence for overall judgements on standards, teaching or learning. There was too little evidence collected to make any judgements on design and technology.
p.26
CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS
53. The one lesson in music was well taught, with a good emphasis on developing pupils’ skills in singing. The standard of singing heard in this lesson and in assemblies was average. Pupils in the lesson did not have a good knowledge of musical words. Some pupils have opportunities to learn to play instruments such as guitar and clarinet so that they develop a good knowledge about musical terms.
p.26
CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS
54. Art makes a good contribution to pupils’ knowledge of other cultures, as pupils learn about artists such as African peoples and European traditions. The work displayed is of about average standard. The one lesson seen was satisfactorily taught. The teacher had to work hard to maintain the Year 5 class’s attention when they were listening to an explanation of images in a story book although when they were involved in painting they concentrated well.
p.26
Physical education
Provision in physical education is good .
p.26
Main strengths and weaknesses
• Teaching and learning are very good, resulting in standards that are above national averages overall. • The co-ordinator’s leadership and management of the subject are excellent.
p.26
Commentary
Inglewood Junior School - 27 56. Standards seen in lessons are above national expectations in games, dance and swimming and are in line with national averages in gymnastics and outdoor and adventurous education. The high standards attained have been recognised recently by the conferment of the Activemark Gold Award and in the many successes the school has had in local and county competitions.
p.27
Commentary
57. Teachers show good subject knowledge and lessons are well planned. They incorporate a variety of challenging activities with effective attention given to the role of the teacher assistant to support pupils. Good attention is paid to safety, with thorough checks and vigorous warm-up sessions conducted at the start of lessons. Teachers also make good links with other subjects, including science and mathematics, during lessons. The pupils are able to perform a sequence of movements using counterbalances in gymnastics lessons and can throw, catch and hit a ball with increasing accuracy and co-ordination in games. In dance lessons they can compose and improve a sequence of movements to music with good attention to rhythm. Pupils’ precision in their evaluations helps them considerably to raise standards to above average. In a less effective lesson, the teacher’s lack of confidence in demonstrating skills led to a lack of rigour in promoting higher
p.27
Commentary
achievement. Pupils’ inappropriate clothing in some lessons inhibits their movement. Playground surfaces outside are uneven and cause difficulties for the pupils, for example when balls bounce unevenly.
p.27
Commentary
58. The leadership and management of the co-ordinator are excellent. She has used her involvement with national initiatives to audit provision well. She has increased the amount of time devoted to the subject in the curriculum and the involvement of pupils in extra- curricular activities. Her excellent subject knowledge and expertise have enabled her to support staff in the implementation of a new scheme and resources. These have been beneficially provided through involvement with national play and dance initiatives. This has resulted in increased opportunities for pupils to take part in sports. She has encouraged the formation of effective teams through joint planning and involvement in programmes including ‘Sports Co-ordinator’, ‘Primary Link Teacher’, ‘Top Sport’ and ‘Speed, Agility and Quickness’. She has given good thought to inclusion of all pupils through links with other schools and colleges, which has improved pupils’ opportunities to become involved
p.27
Commentary
in sports such as tennis, football and gymnastics. She has drafted an effective development plan that targets improvements identified from the Activemark audit well and has monitored these priorities effectively. She is aware of the need to develop the school playgrounds and has encouraged the school council to acquire and organise equipment. This has been especially effective in practising pupils’ skills and developing co-operation. The school has done all it can to develop its playground provision, but shortage of financial support has inhibited further progress. Improvement since the previous inspection has been very good as standards have risen, achievement is greater and teaching and learning have improved. Inglewood Junior School - 28
p.27
PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP
Provision in personal, social and health education and citizenship is very good .
p.28
Main strengths and weaknesses
• A whole-school approach ensures that all pupils have good experiences. • Imaginative teaching engages pupils fully so that they absorb the underlying messages well.
p.28
Commentary
59. The school places considerable importance on pupils’ personal and social development. The scene is very well set by the headteacher in his Monday morning assembly when he introduces the theme for the week. This is followed up effectively by all teachers in PSHE lessons immediately after. This whole-school approach to planning ensures that pupils’ personal development is given high priority. In addition, year group teachers plan together so that good ideas about how to deliver the important messages in the lessons are shared. Teaching and learning are very good; in three of the five lessons seen they were outstanding. The outstanding lessons were characterised by the way teachers used role- play to help pupils to understand how thought influences actions and how mistakes can happen because a situation is not examined thoroughly.
p.28
Commentary
The teacher takes care to ensure that pupils know when he is in role as a prince who made a dreadful mistake in killing his dog, and when the teacher is simply the teacher. As the ‘prince’ he displays anger and emotion so well that the pupils are mesmerised. They begin to ask the ‘prince’ questions in an accusing voice. “Why didn’t you look round first? Why didn’t you ask others to find out what happened? How do you feel now knowing that you made a mistake?” His evident regret touches them deeply. They begin to understand the importance of thinking and finding out before you act. The impact of conflicting emotions is again graphically illustrated as one pupil walks through a tunnel of children with one side acting as the thoughtful side of the ‘prince’ and the other as the angry side, each side exhorting the ‘prince’ to act in the way that they believe is right so that the poor prince’ is in a turmoil of emotions.
p.28
Commentary
60. In addition to these powerful sessions, the pupils also have opportunity to develop a sense of responsibility through class and school councils and through circles times when they talk about issues relevant to themselves. The strong emphasis that is put on learning how to evaluate each other’s work in physical education lessons adds to pupils’ personal and social development by heightening their awareness of the impact of words. They respond very well by giving honest feedback that tells their classmates what they do well first and says how they could improve rather than telling them that what they have done isn’t good enough. Inglewood Junior School - 29
p.28
PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS
The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 3 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 4 Value for money provided by the school 4
p.29
PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS
Overall standards achieved 5 Pupils’ achievement 4
p.29
PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS
Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities (ethos) 2 Attendance 3 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2
p.29
PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS
The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 4 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
p.29
PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS
The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 3
p.29
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.29
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