Kings Hill Primary School

KINGS HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 10 – 12 January 2005

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KINGS HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Kings Hill Primary School - 2 - January 2005 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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KINGS HILL 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. Kings Hill Primary School - 3 - January 2005

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Old Park Road Wednesbury West Midlands Postcode: WS10 9JG

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 0121 568 6301 Fax number: 0121 526 7491

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr M Syrett

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 26 April 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This larger than average school serves the population of the Kings Hill area of Darlaston which is an area of considerable social and economic deprivation and an above average proportion of the pupils are entitled to free school meals. The school is about one third larger than it was five years ago. The attainment of children on entry to school is well below expected levels, and their English language skills are particularly low as many of the children have very little experience of English. About 70 percent of pupils have backgrounds other than white British and over 70 pupils have support with English as an additional language. Very few pupils leave or join the school mid-stage. An above average proportion of pupils have special educational needs. The pupils with special educational needs have a range of mild learning difficulties. The percentage of pupils with statements of educational need is below average. A number of additional staff are employed to support pupils with

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

English as an additional language (EAL) and those with special educational needs.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

There is a playgroup which operates in the school building but nevertheless, many of the children join with no pre-school experience. Some of them start their education with very limited skills. The school has recently gained the Artsmark Gold Award. Kings Hill Primary School - 4 - January 2005

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

18074 Mr S Dobson Lead inspector English as an additional language Science Physical education 19418 Mrs A. Birch Lay inspector 17877 Ms C. Ingham Team inspector Foundation Stage Music Religious education 31029 Mr P. Thrussell Mathematics Information and communication technology Art and design Design and technology 15068 Mr P. Bamber Team inspector Special educational needs English Geography History

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Nord Anglia School Inspection Services Anglia House Carrs Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 2LA

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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). Kings Hill Primary School - 5 - January 2005

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 28

Kings Hill Primary School - 6 - January 2005

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The overall quality of education is satisfactory . The school supports pupils’ personal development very well and it provides satisfactorily for most subjects but not as well as it could for pupils’ language development. This impairs pupils’ performance in test situations and as a result, standards in national tests are low. Nevertheless, pupils achieve well in the Foundation Stage 1 and satisfactorily in the remainder of the school. The leadership and management of the school is satisfactory overall. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:  Pupils’ attitudes behaviour and their relationships with adults and other pupils are very good.  The school provides very well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and a lot of very good opportunities to enrich learning.  The provision in the Foundation Stage is good and for the teaching of science is very good throughout the school. However, pupils do not achieve well enough in speaking and writing.  Although teaching is always at least satisfactory, many teachers do not make best use of class time or of the teaching assistants and assessment information is insufficiently used on a day to day basis.  The subject leaders do not sufficiently monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. Almost all of the six areas for improvement have been addressed well and the school has raised standards in science and mathematics but further work is needed to develop pupils’ spoken language. The strengths of the school have been maintained.

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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 E mathematics D E D B science E D E D 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 achieve satisfactorily . They achieve well in the nursery and reception classes though about three quarters of them will not achieve the Early Learning Goals 2 in any area of learning 3 because of their very low starting point. Although many reception children can communicate their needs and ideas, they do not have the confidence in language which is normally expected of children of this age. Pupils achieve satisfactorily during Years 1 and 2 but by the end of Year 2 they reach levels which are well below those found in similar schools in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because of the high proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, many speaking English as an additional language, whose weakness in English holds them back. Scrutiny of pupils’ work and observations of Years 3 to 6 indicate satisfactory achievement overall other than in science where pupils achieve well. In National tests, pupils results have been consistently well below average in

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

1 Nursery and reception classes 2 Nationally agreed targets for the end of the reception year. 3 Personal, social and emotional/language literacy and communication/mathematical/knowledge and understanding of the world/creative development/physical development Kings Hill Primary School - 7 - January 2005 English for the last three years and below or well below average in science and mathematics and results have not improved as well as they have nationally. When compared with similar schools, pupils reach above average standards in mathematics but well below average standards in English. Pupils are on course this year to achieve well and reach nationally expected levels in science but in English and mathematics, standards are lower. In information and communication technology (ICT) achievement is satisfactory and in the other subjects inspected, pupils achieve at least satisfactorily. In music and religious education they achieve well.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils have very good attitudes and behave very well because the staff, led strongly by the headteacher, have high expectations of them. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is satisfactory overall with some good features. Teaching is mostly good or better in the Foundation Stage. It is consistently good, and in one case very good, in a minority of classes in the remainder of the school. Here, pupil participation is maximised as the teachers seek every opportunity to involve the pupils orally in the lessons. In the other classes, teaching is mostly satisfactory; the main weakness is that opportunities for pupils to use speech to support their learning are missed. However, all the lessons seen were at least satisfactory which is an improvement since the last inspection. Assessment is good in the Foundation Stage and satisfactory elsewhere. The teachers gather useful assessment information but do not always use it well enough when planning for learning.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The curriculum is satisfactory but it is very significantly enriched by additional creative, sporting and residential activities, often outside the school day. Good provision is made for pupils’ personal, social and health education. Resources are improving and are satisfactory other than in the Foundation Stage where there are sometimes too few available. There is good outdoor provision for children in nursery and reception classes. The standard of care and links with parents and the community are all good. There are very good links with local businesses.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The headteacher has effectively created a staff team which focuses well on the school aim to include all pupils and a very safe and caring atmosphere exists with everyone being valued. This aspect of leadership is good. Leadership is satisfactory overall though as the school is not as effective as it could be in raising standards. The headteacher has a clear vision for the school, has good knowledge of its strengths and weaknesses, supports the staff very well but does not challenge them sufficiently to improve the quality of teaching. The co-ordinators work hard to develop their subjects but do not sufficiently evaluate or seek to improve, teaching and learning. The management of the school by the headteacher is good . The school uses and manages its financial resources very well. Governance is good. The governors fully support the school, fulfil all of their statutory duties effectively but do not

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

sufficiently challenge the school to raise standards.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Both parents and pupils are very happy with the school and have great trust in the headteacher and staff.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are:  Raise standards in speaking and writing. *

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

* these issues are known about and are a part of the current school improvement plan. Kings Hill Primary School - 8 - January 2005  Improve the quality of teaching, including the use of the teaching assistants, so that more opportunities are provided for pupils to talk about their work. *  Improve the effectiveness of monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning by senior staff and co-ordinators. *  Make better use of assessment information on a day to day basis to target learning for individuals. Kings Hill Primary School - 9 - January 2005

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement in the nursery and reception classes is good. Achievement in Years 1-6 is satisfactory . Girls and boys achieve equally well and so do pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is not their home language. Standards in English, mathematics and science are likely to be below those in schools nationally at the end of Year 6 because of the relative weakness in spoken and written English and the low starting point of the pupils as they enter school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 Good provision in the Foundation Stage helps children make good progress from well below average levels on entry to school.  The very positive climate of support in school gives pupils confidence to do their best.  Achievement in tests is below the average for similar schools at both Year 2 and Year 6.  Achievement in science is good throughout the school.  Achievement in speaking and writing is unsatisfactory.  Achievement throughout the school is lowered because many teachers and support staff give pupils too few opportunities to discuss their work.  Pupils with English as an additional language achieve as well as other pupils.  Pupils reach nationally expected levels in all subjects except for English and mathematics.

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Commentary

1. The children’s attainment when they start nursery is well below average in all the areas of learning. In communication, language and literacy attainment is poor. Most of the children have limited knowledge, skills and experience, especially in language. A significant group of children communicate in their mother tongue, and their ability to speak and understand English is very low. The children achieve well in both the nursery and reception classes but their attainment is still below the levels expected and well below in communication, language and literacy when they leave the reception classes.

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Commentary

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 12.4 (13.5) 15.8 (15.7) Writing 11.6 (13.3) 14.6 (14.6) Mathematics 13.7 (14.7) 16.2 (16.3) There were 39 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2005

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 23.7 (23.8) 26.9 (26.8) Mathematics 26.1 (24.3) 27.0 (26.8) Science 26.1 (28.1) 28.6 (28.6) Kings Hill Primary School - 10 - January 2005 There were 34 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

2. The headteacher and the staff make great efforts to create a very positive climate for learning. All pupils work in a very happy and rewarding atmosphere where politeness is the norm. This is very helpful to them all and no pupils appear afraid to ‘have a go’, to offer their ideas or ask questions. When this is linked to challenging teaching, pupils make good progress, as seen in most science lessons and consistently in a minority of classrooms.

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Commentary

3. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are below the national average and below the similar schools average at the end of Year 2. The school trend of improvement is similar to the national average. Pupils’ achievement in reading and writing is unsatisfactory but this is mainly caused by similarly unsatisfactory progress in developing speaking skills. The issue of girls’ achievement in reading being much lower than that of boys has been addressed within a general strategy to improve reading across the school. The strategy appears to be successfully raising standards. Unsatisfactory progress in developing spoken language skills impairs pupils’ performance in English and pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory. This affects results in national test where standards are well below average in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 6 and where the trend of improvement is below the national average. Pupils

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Commentary

with special educational needs, the vast majority of whom have mild learning difficulties, achieve similarly to their peers.

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Commentary

4. Achievement in science is good. This is because the headteacher has kept the school focused on providing a broad curriculum and the subject has been very well co-ordinated. The co- ordinator has ensured that she has a very good knowledge of how well the pupils are learning science, has encouraged all of the staff to develop scientific learning through practical tasks and has stressed the importance of pupils discussing their ideas, theories and findings. In each class, consistent learning in science is well recorded.

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Commentary

5. In other subjects, however, far less emphasis has been placed on discussion prior to recording. Where less firm direction has been given, staff do not provide the same good opportunities to develop pupils’ English language skills, with a consequent effect that their ability to record their thoughts in writing is weak.

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Commentary

6. A lot of support is provided for pupils with English as an additional language. Throughout the school a part-time teacher and teaching assistants work closely with groups of pupils during individual and group work time. This work is usually effective though even here, opportunities for discussion are sometimes missed in an effort to get pupils onto the tasks of writing.

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Commentary

7. Despite the weaknesses in developing language, the pupils make satisfactory and sometimes good progress in other subjects. They achieve well in science, music and religious education and their achievement is satisfactory in other subjects. Discussion with the pupils reveals that they have good knowledge of the subjects they have covered. This good knowledge includes ICT but they do not have sufficient skills in the control aspects of the subject.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Kings Hill Primary School - 11 - January 2005 Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good . Pupils’ personal development, which includes spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is very good overall. Pupils’ respect for each others’ values and beliefs is excellent . The school has a satisfactory level of attendance. The vast majority of pupils are punctual, enabling lessons to start promptly; punctuality is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 Attendance is improved and is only slightly below the national average. This is due to the actions of the school and the education welfare service in promoting better attendance.  Pupils enjoy school and their attitudes and behaviour are very good.  Pupils’ relationships with each other and adults are very good.  Pupils’ spiritual awareness, sense of working together as a community and cultural awareness are very good.

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Commentary

8. Although the level of attendance is slightly lower than the national average, the majority of parents are keen for their children to learn and, therefore, send them to school regularly and on time. This is an improvement since the last inspection. The school and education welfare services carry out detailed analyses of any absence and lateness and have procedures in place to promote better attendance, working closely with a few families whose children have been regular poor attendees. As a result, attendance levels and punctuality are improving. However, a number of parents still take their children on extended holidays. Progress has been made in persuading some parents to include the official school holidays within these periods.

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Commentary

9. All the pupils questioned during the inspection agree that they like school and enjoy their lessons. The pupils interviewed were very proud of their involvement in the large number of extra-curricular activities. Pupils of all ages greatly enjoy their residential visits to the school’s hostel in Warwickshire. The older pupils and those on the Eco committee have a keen interest in playing an active part in school life. The behaviour of all pupils is very good, as positive behaviour is encouraged by all the staff. Neither parents nor pupils have any concerns about bullying. Pupils with special educational needs behave very well and have very positive attitudes to their learning. They respond very well when taught in smaller groups, striving hard to overcome their difficulties and participating enthusiastically in group work.

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Commentary

10. The pupils’ attitudes are very good. This was particularly evident during an excellent celebration of their skills in the ‘Special Time Assembly’. Pupils are encouraged to act responsibly and to choose where and with whom they want to sit. They sang, played African drums and danced well. They enjoy their lessons. The older pupils enjoy their project work, especially researching the topics via the internet and through visiting libraries. Excellent relationships exist throughout the school and this results in racial harmony.

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Commentary

11. Pupils’ personal development is good and they are willing to take responsibility. For example, they work as couriers and librarians, recycle paper, care for the garden and wildlife area and listen to the younger pupils reading. They are very motivated to work hard to achieve their rewards, such as stars, stickers and prizes, certificates and books and a cup for attendance. The pupils work together very well as a community of many cultures and pupils’ spiritual development is very good because they are given the opportunity to reflect on religious and humanitarian issues. Kings Hill Primary School - 12 - January 2005 Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 6.9 School data 0.0

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Commentary

The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year .

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Exclusions

There were no exclusions in the last school year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a satisfactory quality of education.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching, though variable, is satisfactory overall and this results in satisfactory learning.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 Good teaching in the foundation stage classes gives children a good start as learners.  All teachers have very high expectations of pupils’ standards of behaviour and create a very supportive environment where pupils gain confidence.  The teaching of science is consistently good.  The quality of teaching in a minority of classes is good and sometimes very good.  In other classes, teachers prepare well but too often the length of time adults spend talking to the whole class is inappropriate and pupils do not spend enough time actively engaged in learning.  The school provides for a very high level of additional adult support for pupils but this is not always used effectively.  Teachers assess pupils’ work accurately but they do not always use the information gained to plan for subsequent learning.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 46 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

0 (0%) 8 (17%) 21 (46%) 17 (37%) 0 (0 %) 0 (0 %) 0 (0 %)

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

12. The overall quality of teaching and learning in the Nursery and reception classes is good because the staff make accurate assessments of children and plan learning which is appropriate. The majority of children start nursery with very low skill levels especially in language but the staff are very supportive and children relatively quickly get used to the routines of the Nursery. In all the foundation stage classes, the teachers provide a mixture of adult directed and self initiated activities. The adult directed activities are particularly successful because most of the adults are skilled at getting the children involved, and in Kings Hill Primary School - 13 - January 2005 getting them to use their developing English language skills to describe what they are doing and to ask questions. This was seen to very good effect when the teacher and the teaching assistants worked with groups of children to examine moving toys and how they worked.

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Commentary

Though children struggled to express their ideas, they were keen to do so and persevered well. When the three classes join to experience self-initiated, independent activities, this is less successful, in part because there are too few exciting, well resourced areas to stimulate the children’s imaginations or to motivate them to get involved. The exception to this is the large sand pit in one classroom where children enjoy playing and the outdoor area, though again the best work happens where adults are involved.

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Commentary

13. Throughout the school, the teachers, led by the headteacher, create for all the pupils a very supportive environment where everyone is respected. This is seen everywhere and throughout the school day and this means that all pupils are able to learn. Staff and pupils treat each other with politeness and respect and the pupils try hard to please. A high level of provision successfully supports ethnic minority achievement. Discussion with the oldest pupils indicates that they are mostly very confident and, though some still struggle with aspects of English, they nevertheless are fully engaged and join in.

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Commentary

14. Science teaching is good throughout the school. This is seen in lessons and in the quality of recorded work. The science co-ordinator has analysed the quality of provision, helped set targets for improvement including half termly targets for each class for science, has provided very good support for teachers and models very good practice. As a result, teachers are confident with science, they know what questions to ask and they involve all pupils in good practical work through which they learn and they use their developing language skills well.

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Commentary

15. In a few classes, teaching, across the curriculum, is consistently good or better. In these classes, the teachers plan their teaching so that there is plenty of variety, the pace of lessons is rapid and pupils never have to listen beyond the limits of their concentration. Many of the good and very good lessons in these classes involve pupils in practical activities for example in music, science, physical education and mathematics. In these situations, the teachers encourage the pupils to talk about what they are doing and this helps them to develop and refine their learning.

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Commentary

16. In other classes teaching is predominantly satisfactory. It is well prepared and follows the appropriate aspects of the curriculum but too often the adults talk for too long and give too much information at one time. This then has to be repeated and this slows the pace of the lesson. The atmosphere in classes is so positive that pupils never complain, they comply quietly with the teachers wishes but they are not actively engaged in learning. In these classes too, the time of the very valuable support assistants is not used to best advantage. Whilst teachers are talking the teaching assistants too often have no particular role and this wastes a valuable resource. When they are engaged with groups of pupils, the support staff encourage pupils well and help the pupils to understand their work. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language is satisfactory and they

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Commentary

learn appropriately. In the best practice, teaching assistants give pupils effective support but it is less effective where teaching assistants seemingly lack direction from class teachers about how to best support pupils during lesson introductions.

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Commentary

17. The teachers regularly assess pupils’ work and often talk to them about the quality of it. This is very helpful and many of the pupils know what they need to do to improve. However, despite these accurate assessments, too often the focus to some of the work is inappropriate. This is seen most clearly in language development. Most of the teachers know that many of Kings Hill Primary School - 14 - January 2005 the pupils need lots of opportunities to express and explain their thoughts but they focus instead on written recording before the pupils are ready to do it well.

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The curriculum

The school provides a satisfactory curriculum which includes all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. Enrichment opportunities are very good. Accommodation and resources are satisfactory overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 The school curriculum is insufficiently focused on oral language as a basis for raising achievement.  Visits and visitors to the school help to enliven the curriculum.  There are very good opportunities to participate in the arts and sport.  There is good provision for personal, social and health education (PSHE).  Lack of sufficient resources in the Foundation Stage limits children’s opportunities to make choices.

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Commentary

18. The curriculum provides satisfactory learning opportunities for all pupils. The school has considered national initiatives in creating its own distinctive curriculum. Links are being made between subjects, for example, through the use of ICT to support learning, and the use of non-fiction subject texts in literacy. However, promoting the development and use of spoken language, throughout the curriculum including for those pupils who have English as an additional language, is not sufficiently emphasised. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. Pupils have detailed individual targets for improvement. Pupils with special educational needs are fully included in visits, whether day or residential and in other out-of-class activities.

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Commentary

19. Where subject co-ordination is strong, for example in science and religious education, greater progress has been made in establishing and evaluating effective schemes of work, and standards and achievement have been raised in those subjects.

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Commentary

20. The school promotes personal education well through its scheme of work and timetabled sessions for PSHE. The school provides for sex education and drugs’ awareness, and materials have been discussed with parents.

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Commentary

21. Very good opportunities are provided for all pupils to participate in the arts and sports. The school has achieved the Gold Artsmark award for which the creative curriculum was carefully evaluated. The pupils participate in projects with other schools that involve music, art, drama and dance, and the use of visiting artists and performers has contributed to the school’s success. Further opportunities are provided through clubs for recorder, art, dance, drumming, choir and guitar. In sport, pupils have opportunities to take part and compete in a wide range of sports including football, netball, hockey, badminton and cricket.

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Commentary

22. The curriculum is further enriched through a range of visits that help to add relevance and first hand experience to learning. For example, visits are made to museums, art galleries, farms and environmental centres. All pupils from Reception onwards are able to take part in a residential visit. Kings Hill Primary School - 15 - January 2005 23. The curriculum for children in the Nursery and reception classes is good and provides an interesting range of opportunities for children to learn. Practical experience is strongly emphasised. The use of the outdoor environment is well planned to promote development across all the areas of learning. The two daily sessions when the children make their own decisions about activities are not always appropriate for reception children. Sufficient resources are not readily available in the classrooms to allow children to have a good choice and some are old and in poor condition. The presentation and organisation of classrooms does

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Commentary

not provide a vibrant or exciting atmosphere to stimulate learning.

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Commentary

24. The school strives to provide a curriculum that is accessible to all pupils, which takes account of social and cultural background and develops individual skills and talents. Religious education reflects and supports pupils’ cultural and religious backgrounds. Opportunities are provided through courses for those gifted in mathematics, science or sport. Special curriculum projects are started in Year 6 and continued in Year 7 in the local high schools. These projects in geography, history and science, help to make positive and inclusive links for pupils with their next school.

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Commentary

25. Resources and accommodation are adequate. Resources in mathematics are being improved to provide a more practical approach to the subject. Classroom resources for ICT are being developed well with the introduction of interactive white boards to most rooms. Staffing is adequate to the needs of the curriculum, but the role of teaching assistants is not planned carefully enough.

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Care, guidance and support

The school provides well for pupils’ welfare. Child protection procedures are satisfactory. The school provides a satisfactory level of support, advice and guidance for pupils based on assessing their achievements. The level of involvement of pupils in the work and development of the school is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 There are very good induction arrangements for young children and pupils who have English as a second language.  Pre-school “Smiley Club” and breakfast club offer good provision to pupils and parents.  There are good reward schemes.  Good involvement of pupils who belong to the Eco committee.

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Commentary

26. There are very good induction arrangements for young children and those pupils who have English as a second language. Parents appreciate the home visits the staff make prior to their children starting school. Each new child receives a backpack, school sweatshirt and details of the school which includes a comprehensive photo album depicting the life of the school. Also, the induction includes sessions when parents and children are involved in class activities. This not only helps the child settle into school quickly but also provides parents with a good understanding of what is taught. Some of these parents have become involved in school life and are now parent-helpers. Kings Hill Primary School - 16 - January 2005 27. The pre-school “Smiley Club” offers a good introduction into school for both parents and their toddlers. The breakfast club offers good provision for pupils.

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Commentary

28. The school is good at involving its pupils in environmental work. Representatives from each year group have been active in recycling paper in the classrooms, tending the wildlife garden and purchasing plants for the school garden. The school is kept very clean.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The links the school has with the parents and the community are good. The extended services provided by the school are good. The links with the local schools and colleges are good, and contribute significantly to pupils’ learning .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 Parents are well informed about their children and about school events.  The parents and pupils are very happy with the school.  Very good consultation is carried out with parents.  There are good links with the community and with the local cluster of schools.  There is good provision of extended services.  Business links are very good and are helpful in supporting learning.

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Commentary

29. Parents all indicated that they are very happy with the school, and have great trust in the headteacher and staff. All parents interviewed consider the teachers to be very approachable and always available to discuss their concerns. Parents value the parents’ evenings held each term. They are provided with comprehensive reports on their children’s progress that include clear targets for their children’s future learning, and list the achievements that they have made. Parents appreciated the information given them about the topics their children will be taught each term. Very good information is provided for parents for the induction of their children to school.

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Commentary

30. The headteacher and staff are very good at consulting parents regarding the many educational trips available for their children, particularly the residential visit to the school’s hostel. Parents hold such trust in the staff that even the very young children attend the visit. All pupils interviewed relished the visit to the hostel.

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Commentary

31. The mothers and toddlers group, the “Smiley Club”, ensures good support for children coming into the nursery. It also provides a good service for parents, in particular the ones from minority ethnic groups, as the member of staff can communicate with them in their home language and so assist them with any concerns they may have.

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Commentary

32. A number of people from the local area, such as the police, the Mayor of Walsall, school nurse, the Life Skills team, musicians, an Indian dance group, local historians and literacy groups visit the school. The school has forged good links with local group of schools, especially to provide a wide range of sporting activities. In addition, the school joins well with other local schools to share good practice at least twice a term and there have been exchanges of staff in support of newly qualified teachers. Kings Hill Primary School - 17 - January 2005 33. Very good links have been established with local companies, such as a furniture store, supermarkets, a bakery and the local Rotary Club. They are used effectively to support pupils’ learning, for example, a mathematics project with a local furniture store and a healthy eating project with the local bakery.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The headteacher and senior staff have created a very supportive and caring school but have not been sufficiently rigorous in employing what they know about the pupils’ learning to improve standards. Leadership is satisfactory . The management of the school is good overall. The governors make a good contribution to the school but do not sufficiently challenge the staff.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

 The headteacher has created a highly inclusive school and a cohesive and supportive team of staff who provide very well for pupils’ personal development.  The headteacher has a very good understanding of the school, based on observations and assessment but some actions which the senior staff consider will raise standards have not been implemented.  The leadership of science is very good.  There is insufficient monitoring of the quality of teaching and of subject leadership and therefore weaknesses are not addressed effectively enough.  Very good financial planning and management supports school improvement.  Recent improvements to the analysis of data is giving staff more information on which to base improvement.

p.17

Commentary

34. The headteacher is highly respected by the staff, the parents and the pupils. He has put social cohesion at the heart of the school and visitors cannot fail to be impressed by the welcoming and supportive atmosphere for all involved. All the staff follow the headteacher’s strong lead in this area and play their part in maintaining this high level of inclusion in this mixed social situation. The leadership ensures that there is very good provision for pupils’ personal development and their spiritual, moral social and cultural education is very strong. The school has very good policies for inclusion including the achievement of ethnic minority groups in school.

p.17

Commentary

35. Following the last inspection, the headteacher has ensured that almost all of the issues have been addressed. This has involved the creation of a good school development plan. The headteacher knows the school well and has, therefore, planned to address virtually all the issues which are raised by this inspection. However, despite the senior staff’s good understanding of the language needs of pupils, they have been distracted by other initiatives and this key area of pupils’ development remains an issue for improvement.

p.17

Commentary

36. The quality of teaching is insufficiently monitored by the senior managers and the subject leaders and though strengths and weaknesses are known generally there is insufficient focus on improvement. As a result too much teaching is satisfactory and not enough is good or better. Similarly, the senior managers know that science is very well led and managed but this model has not been used sufficiently to bring about improvements in the leadership of other subjects. The very good actions of the science co-ordinator have galvanised the teachers into teaching the subject well and this has made a significant impact on pupils’ learning and the Kings Hill Primary School - 18 - January 2005 standards achieved. The other subject leaders know their subjects well but do not take sufficiently assertive action to raise standards across the school.

p.17

Commentary

37. The leadership and management of special educational needs is satisfactory. The school ensures that the Code of Practice is fully adhered to and that there is a member of the governing body who oversees provision. Suitable systems are in place to provide pupils with individual education plans and adequate monitoring takes place to track pupils’ progress towards meeting the targets set for them. Funds to support these pupils are used appropriately.

p.18

Commentary

38. Day to day management of the school is good. The school runs smoothly and the expressed needs of the parents and the pupils are met. The headteacher gives much of his own time to ensuring that this is the case and works well with the administrative staff to ensure that all daily requirements are met. Financial planning is very good and strategic management of finances by the headteacher and the governors is good. They ensure that all finances are targeted to improving the quality of education.

p.18

Commentary

39. Recently the school has started to make good analyses of pupil performance information led well by the school’s assessment co-ordinator. This has involved the tracking of pupils twice yearly which has enabled the staff to devise groupings based on pupils’ needs and for example ‘focus groups’ are based on assessment information. The school has also established information which helps it to identify vulnerable groups of pupils. Actions to address their needs are developing but have not yet had time to impact sufficiently to raise overall standards.

p.18

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.18

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 901,578 Balance from previous year 35,385 Total expenditure 914,963 Balance carried forward to the next 22,000 Expenditure per pupil 2,990 Kings Hill Primary School - 19 - January 2005

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision in the Foundation Stage is good overall and this has been maintained since the last inspection. Improvements include the development of the outside areas to include a large environmental area and an improvement in the range of planned daily tasks. The children’s attainment when they start nursery is well below average in all the areas of learning and in communication, language and literacy, attainment is poor. A significant group of children communicate in languages other than English. The children achieve well in both the Nursery and reception classes but their attainment is still below the levels expected and well below in communication, language and literacy when they leave the reception classes. Leadership and management are good. Teaching in all areas of learning is good overall. In around one third of lessons it is satisfactory and very good in another third. High quality teamwork ensures

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

the best use of the talents of the staff. Nursery nurses and a bilingual assistant are an integral part of the planned provision and bring much enthusiasm and skill to children’s learning. Adult time is used efficiently to work directly with the children. Sessions are mainly well organised to allow the children to learn effectively in different sized groups but there are some weaknesses in the organisation and management of children which results in some minor misbehaviour. Assessment systems are good. Close and careful observations of the children enable accurate checks to be made which helps to guide the future planning of activities.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Teaching is good. Children achieve well.  The children are developing very positive attitudes to learning.  Good relationships between adults and children give children confidence as learners.

p.19

Commentary

40. The priority given to this area of learning and the high quality of staff support is a key feature of the children’s successful learning. A clear commitment to including all children is demonstrated through the provision for children with special educational needs, those who speak English as an additional language and children from ethnic minorities. The children are confident, happy and feel secure in their relationships with all staff and with each other. Children show care and concern for others and develop positive attitudes towards other cultures. Learning is fun and enjoyable. On many occasions there is laughter and excitement, for example, as they participate in play in the ‘Three Bears House’ or search for objects in the huge sand pit. All staff demonstrate very good care and work hard to give children the confidence to tackle new and unfamiliar activities. They ask them to make choices to

p.19

Commentary

promote good levels of initiative, responsibility and independence.

p.19

Commentary

41. Teaching and learning is good as the adults are skilled in encouraging the more hesitant children to join in. They have high expectations of good behaviour and co-operation and quickly develop the children’s awareness of how to behave and relate to others. Most children respond very well. However some children in the reception year can be quick to misbehave when they are not closely supervised or when the adult talks for too long and they lose interest. Kings Hill Primary School - 20 - January 2005

p.19

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Teachers and support staff take every opportunity to develop the children’s speaking and listening skills.  The development of reading and writing skills is slow.  Bilingual support in the nursery is good.

p.20

Commentary

42. Speaking and listening are developed well throughout the Foundation Stage. The children are expected to listen to adults and respond appropriately, reinforcing social skills as well as learning how to communicate. In role-play in the Nursery, children develop their vocabulary and begin to learn how to express themselves in different situations. The staff are sensitive to those children who are reluctant to speak and prompt those whose understanding is far greater than their ability to express their ideas orally. Although children work hard and priority is given to speaking and listening, most children remain well below the expected levels by the end of the Foundation Stage.

p.20

Commentary

43. There are many planned opportunities to develop reading and writing skills but children’s progress is slow. They are slow to learn letter formation and to use their knowledge of letter sounds when writing words. The range of picture books is limited and books are not displayed attractively.

p.20

Commentary

44. Teaching is at least satisfactory and in some instances is very good. Teaching was most effective when the learning was closely focused on a single issue. For example, in a very good story session in the reception class, the learning was focused on characters. Teaching was less successful when reception children worked in a large group for a long period focusing on letter sounds. Many found the task too difficult, lost interest and became disruptive. The bilingual assistant provides clear translation which ensures that nursery children can understand the tasks and have full access to activities and as a result, children communicate in English with growing confidence and skill.

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

 The children benefit from good teaching and achieve well.  Lively practical activities are well planned and successfully promote learning.

p.20

Commentary

45. Teaching is mostly good with interesting opportunities planned to develop mathematical skills and to generate interest and enjoyment. Group activities are effectively supported by staff who know precisely what the children are expected to learn and what will be demonstrated. Whilst working together, the children generate problems which they solve Kings Hill Primary School - 21 - January 2005 themselves. When two children worked together to construct houses one said, “You have to use the same size shapes or the roof will fall off”.

p.20

Commentary

46. In carefully focused sessions, the staff work systematically to develop children’s mathematical skills and extend their mathematical vocabulary. Time is also given to children to explore mathematical ideas. For example, in a very good lesson focused on sorting, the teaching assistant led the discussion on the range of toys and then got the children to decide their own criteria for sorting the toys into groups. As they did so, she teased out their ideas and helped them to explain why they had made their selections.

p.21

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Activities are structured with a clear learning purpose.  Staff use questioning effectively to enhance the children’s learning.  The outdoor areas are used effectively to support learning.

p.21

Commentary

47. The children achieve well though they do not reach the expected standards by the end of the reception year. Teaching is good. The staff support the children well with investigations of their surroundings. Skilful questioning probes the children’s understanding and develops their use of vocabulary whilst still maintaining their interest. In a very good lesson when the children explored moving toys, they learnt a considerable amount about movement and the practicalities of construction. Exploration in the outdoor environmental area contributes to the children’s learning, for example, by investigating mini-beasts and seasonal changes.

p.21

Commentary

48. In the nursery, many well-prepared activities allow the children to explore and investigate. As they explored light and shadow, they learnt that light was needed to create a shadow.

p.21

Commentary

49. No sessions were observed so no judgements can be made about teaching or the overall provision in this area of learning. The children’s profiles indicate that they achieve well and attainment improves from well below average on entry to nursery to below average by the end of the reception year. The quality of the outdoor area is very good and has significantly improved since the last inspection. The children have daily access to outdoor adventurous activity to develop their physical skills.

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Some good opportunities to explore media and materials are provided.  Creative activities are used well to provide opportunities for fostering pupils’ language skills. Kings Hill Primary School - 22 - January 2005  Insufficient resources are available in creative areas for the children to make their own choices.

p.21

Commentary

50. Teaching is good overall and through planned opportunities to explore techniques and materials the children achieve well. Although there is only a limited range of children’s work on display, photographic evidence shows that children have opportunities to participate in a wide range of creative experiences. Photographs show that children explore techniques such as charcoal smudging, create their own colours and learn how to adjust the colour. In music, they sing with enthusiasm and enjoy using instruments to perform for others. The children build on their own experiences in familiar situations such as the ‘Three Bears House’. They imitated the teaching assistant’s actions and carried on the pretence spontaneously when the assistant left.

p.22

Commentary

51. Opportunities for the children to make their own decisions about task and materials are inhibited by the very limited range of materials in the classroom creative areas.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Pupils underachieve in speaking and writing because their speaking skills are not well enough developed.  Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to practise writing in different styles and for different purposes, in a range of subjects.  Pupils’ reading has improved well recently because they are taught letter sounds well and given good support.

p.22

Commentary

52. Results in national tests over the past four years have indicated that pupils’ standards in reading and writing are well below average when compared with pupils in all schools and those in similar schools. Where data is available, it shows that pupils’ progress in English, between Year 2 and Year 6 has also been well below that of pupils in similar schools. However, a much higher than average proportion of pupils in this school speak English as an additional language and this contributes significantly to the below or well below average standards they attain. When pupils’ current standards and progress are compared with those reported at the time of the last inspection, they have declined. However, the significantly increased proportion of pupils with English as an additional language on roll has contributed to the fall in average standards. Aspects of provision, such as pupils’ writing across the

p.22

Commentary

curriculum and their acquisition of subject specific vocabulary, which were identified as needing improvement at the time of the last inspection, have been addressed well.

p.22

Commentary

53. Currently, standards are below average in reading, in both Year 2 and in Year 6 but this is an improvement on recent years. More focussed teaching of letter sounds has resulted in less- able pupils reading unfamiliar, polysyllabic words more confidently and accurately. Better organisation of resources has resulted in teachers providing texts that match pupils’ needs Kings Hill Primary School - 23 - January 2005 more accurately. The dedicated sessions set aside to guide pupils’ reading and for older pupils to work alongside younger ones, demonstrably promotes their accuracy of, and interest in, reading. After several years in which girls have performed poorly in Year 2 national reading tests, their standards have improved considerably in this current academic year.

p.22

Commentary

54. Pupils’ speaking skills are not well enough developed and as a result, their standards and achievement are too low. Although the quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, it is weakest in the promotion of pupils’ speaking skills. A significant minority of pupils, especially those whose first language is English, confuse tenses, pronounce words indistinctly and use a very limited range of vocabulary. In too many lessons teachers tended to dominate oral sessions and asked too many questions which required pupils to answer with only one word or a short phrase. As a result, pupils were not given sufficient opportunities to formulate more lengthy responses which would subsequently enable them to write at greater length and with more fluency. Analysis of pupils’ writing reveals that too many write short sentences, use a narrow range of words with which to join phrases and use poor grammatical

p.23

Commentary

form. While more-able pupils write sentences with more than one phrase, less-able pupils and those with English as a second language rarely do.

p.23

Commentary

55. Where teaching is at its best, for example, in an effective Year 5 lesson about writing legends, teachers use time well to provide pupils with instruction and guidance and with sufficient opportunities to put into practice what they have been taught. Expectations of the quality and quantity of work are made explicit and there is rigorous assessment of whether pupils are meeting the specific objectives set for them. In this lesson, pupils were set very clear targets, which resulted in improvements in their ability to sequence a story, to describe character and to use the writing conventions of legend. Where teaching and learning is less successful, the time available for pupils to practise writing and speaking is limited and teachers do not effectively use day-to-day assessments to set tasks which match their needs.

p.23

Commentary

56. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Recent changes to the way in which reading is taught and to the organisation of resources, have made a good contribution to improvements in reading standards. There have been recent improvements in standards in writing which have resulted from effective leadership and management. Pupils’ writing targets are now much more accessible to them. This means they have a clearer understanding of what they need to do to improve in order to move on to a higher National Curriculum level. The introduction of writing frameworks and the use of storyboards has helped pupils better organise their writing. A weakness in leadership and management is the lack of classroom observations undertaken. This means that the school is limited in its ability to identify and address any weaknesses that exist in teaching and learning or to disseminate good practice more widely.

p.23

Language and literacy across the curriculum

57. Two of the issues identified at the time of the last inspection were that pupils had insufficient opportunities to practise writing, and that they had too narrow a technical vocabulary to support their learning in other subjects. The school has made good progress in addressing these issues. Pupils now write notes, use bullet points, label diagrams, compose short poems and construct arguments to support their work in other subjects. It was noticeable in lessons and in pupils’ books, that key words, specific to subjects, were being emphasised to them. This contributes well to their achievements in subjects such as science, religious education, history and geography. This aspect of provision is now good. Kings Hill Primary School - 24 - January 2005

p.23

MATHEMATICS

The provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

 There are good procedures for monitoring pupils’ progress but day to day assessment is not used well enough.  There are too few opportunities for pupils to talk about their work.  The use of teaching assistants could be more effectively planned.  Information and communication technology is used well to support learning.

p.24

Commentary

58. By Year 2 standards are well below average; by Year 6 they are below average. Overall pupils, including those with English as an additional language and special educational needs, achieve satisfactorily. A key factor that restricts progress is their language development. Younger pupils especially do not have the mathematical language needed to develop and understand the subject fully. Although skills in computation and basic number work are better developed, pupils find difficulty in applying these, for example to word problems where reading and comprehension are required. Opportunities to develop mathematical understanding through questioning and discussion, are generally insufficient.

p.24

Commentary

59. The results of national and end-of-year tests are used well to monitor pupils’ progress and to set targets for them to work towards. They are also used by the staff to select groups based on ability within classes and to indicate where further support is required through focus groups. Although teachers’ planning takes some account of the levels at which pupils are working, day-to-day assessment is not used sufficiently to help identify the next small steps in pupils’ learning to enable them to achieve really well. Each term pupils are set individual targets to work towards. However, the marking in books shows little recognition of how well these are being achieved, nor does it provide sufficiently constructive comments, to inform pupils how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve.

p.24

Commentary

60. The quality of teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. There were some examples of good and very good teaching seen predominantly in Key Stage 1. In these lessons learning was effective and pupils made good progress. In the very good lesson the pace was brisk and pupils were very well challenged through questioning that developed their understanding. Pupils knew how much work they had to complete and, therefore, applied themselves well throughout the lesson. As in many other lessons, ICT including the use of an interactive white board for introductions and demonstrations, was used well to support learning. In the conclusion to this lesson pupils had the opportunity to evaluate and comment on how well they had done, so becoming more aware of their own learning.

p.24

Commentary

61. In other lessons the pace was variable. Some pupils spent too long sitting through introductions and were given little indication of how much work was expected. Questioning and discussion to help pupils clarify their understanding is a general weakness. Oral work in many lessons, involving both teachers and teaching assistants, does not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to talk about what they are doing with an expectation that a mathematical vocabulary should be developed. The learning support role of teaching assistants is not sufficiently described in planning. Kings Hill Primary School - 25 - January 2005 62. The co-ordinator has been in post for just over a year and provides sound and enthusiastic leadership and management for the subject. She has identified that a more practical, interactive and visual approach to lessons and classroom display is needed and resources are being improved to support this. Weaknesses in problem solving are also targets for

p.24

Commentary

improvement. Some monitoring of planning, work and lessons has taken place, but this has not been rigorous enough to bring about improvement in the overall quality of teaching and learning to raise achievement. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory.

p.25

Mathematics across the curriculum

63. Satisfactory use is made of mathematical skills in other subjects. In design technology, pupils are expected to measure carefully and in geography they compare climate data from different parts of the world. In ICT pupils use their skills when working on spreadsheets and data handling programmes. In science good use is made of their skills as results from investigations are measured and compared.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Pupils have very good recall of scientific knowledge and good understanding but standards in tests in Year 6 remain low.  Science is very well led and managed and it has improved very well since the last inspection.  There is a good curriculum which is taught well and supported by the ECO schools initiative.  The subject makes a major contribution to pupils’ personal development.

p.25

Commentary

64. Results in national tests over the past four years have indicated that pupils’ standards in science are well below average when compared with pupils in all schools and those in similar schools. However, results are affected by a much higher than average proportion of pupils in this school speak English as an additional language and this contributes to the well below average standards they attain when asked to record their ideas and thoughts in writing. Many are said not to finish the test papers.

p.25

Commentary

65. Discussion with the pupils indicates that they have scientific knowledge and understanding which is at least as expected for their age and often it is better. Most pupils have very good recall of science. They remember because they can recall the interesting practical lessons which they undertook. Not only can they remember but can apply their knowledge logically when, for example, asked to work out the direction of rotation of the earth or what happens to shadows and why at certain times of day and seasons of the year.

p.25

Commentary

66. The science co-ordinator monitors the quality of teaching and learning. She has good knowledge of teaching and learning throughout the school and has sought out the learning which takes place in the Knowledge and Understanding of the World element of the Foundation Stage. Through review of pupils’ work and discussion with them and their teachers, she has guided the staff in setting regular achievement targets and thus supporting regular review of pupils’ progress. The co-ordinator models very good teaching and has impressed upon the staff the vital importance of practical learning in the form of experiment Kings Hill Primary School - 26 - January 2005 and investigation and the importance of encouraging pupils to discuss their work. She gives staff who require it good support and therefore they are confident with science.

p.25

Commentary

67. The curriculum is very well organised and the co-ordinator ensures that all the required materials and resources are available. The curriculum is structured very well so that the pupils regularly revisit subjects such as electricity, forces, plants and the environment. The co- ordinator has led the school’s work to achieve the Eco Schools Award. This has raised pupils’ awareness of environmental issues as well as giving them a voice in suggesting how the school might become environmentally friendly. The curriculum has recently been reinforced by very useful learning materials which help the pupils to consolidate their learning and prepare themselves for test situations. The curriculum is further supported by residential and shorted visits to places of scientific interest and this aspect is supported particularly well by initiatives organised by the headteacher.

p.26

Commentary

68. Group and paired work are an integral part of most science lessons and this supports pupils’ social development. The teachers introduce the pupils to many wonderful phenomena through science; the vastness of space, the power of nature and the fine detail of plants and animals and this contributes to pupils’ sense of wonder. These lessons are also very disciplined, move at a good pace and require all pupils to become involved. This helps them to develop good work habits.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

 There are no whole school assessment procedures and therefore teachers have only limited information on which to base their planning.  Classroom resources have been improved to enable more use of ICT to support learning. Kings Hill Primary School - 27 - January 2005

p.26

Commentary

69. By Year 2 and Year 6 standards are average and all pupils achieve satisfactorily. However, pupils’ progress in controlling and measuring is impaired by the shortage of materials. Those who need to be challenged further and those who require additional support are not identified clearly because of the lack of whole school assessment procedures. The school recognises this weakness. The curriculum is satisfactory and is based on national guidelines. It is planned to take account of mixed age classes but it does not fully ensure that pupils’ skills are developed systematically.

p.27

Commentary

70. Lessons were only seen in Years 3 to 6 where the quality of teaching and learning was overall satisfactory. One very good lesson was seen. This lesson demonstrated well how the school is linking the use of ICT to other subjects, making learning relevant and purposeful. Pupils were preparing multi-media presentations, linked to their studies on the Victorians, with the aim of enthusing other pupils about their forthcoming visit to the Black Country Museum. The teacher had very high expectations and set clear targets for the work to be completed. Hence the pupils were very productive in their activities. Very good management enabled pupils to talk about their work with the teacher and with each other throughout the lesson, so helping to develop further knowledge and understanding of this type of work. Some other lessons, although well managed, were not planned or prepared as thoroughly. The pace was

p.27

Commentary

71. The enthusiastic co-ordinator currently provides satisfactory leadership and management. A scheme of work has been introduced and resources improved, but their use has yet to be fully evaluated. Most classrooms have been equipped with interactive white boards which are starting to be used to provide effective and stimulating lessons. Planning has been checked and some lessons observed, but monitoring has not yet been sufficiently rigorous to improve the overall quality of teaching and learning and to raise achievement. Improvement since the last inspection, where similar standards were reported, is satisfactory.

p.27

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

72. The use of ICT to support learning in other subjects is currently satisfactory but is developing well. During the inspection, classroom computers were used appropriately to support learning in mathematics; Year 3/4 were using the internet to access and compare climate data in geography; in science pupils have entered and compared data on the length of shadows. Some written work is word-processed for display and shows a satisfactory use and development of word-processing skills.

p.27

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

There was not enough evidence to judge the overall quality of provision for religious education. During the inspection one lesson was observed in Year 5/6. Work from each year group was seen and discussions were held with pupils in Year 6 which showed that pupils by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 reached average standards. Pupils’ achievement is good.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Pupils’ enjoyment, knowledge and mature approach to the subject. Kings Hill Primary School - 28 - January 2005  The contribution of the subject to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Kings Hill Primary School - 29 - January 2005

p.27

Commentary

73. Planning and pupils’ work shows that pupils are taught the facts about different religions. They have many good opportunities to discuss and compare what they and others believe. This is a real strength of the curriculum.

p.29

Commentary

74. From the available evidence it is clear that pupils are taught well. Pupils have very positive attitudes towards the subject and show an understanding and empathy with other faiths much greater than would normally be the case. Written work from older pupils reflects thoughtful and highly developed insight into their own and other religious beliefs and traditions.

p.29

Commentary

75. In the good lesson seen, pupils developed their understanding of how emotion can be expressed through drama, music and dance. Pupils’ dance and drama performances demonstrated their understanding that expressing faiths involves feelings and emotions.

p.29

Commentary

76. The many examples of recorded work show pupils developing skills to explore different topics and issues. For example, pupils in Year 4 write letters to parents following an imagined meeting with Jesus. Year 3 pupils express feelings through illustrated ‘similes’ and ‘metaphors’. Pupils in Year 2 made interesting comparisons between the Christian version of the Joseph story and the Islamic version of Yusuf. This helped to develop an understanding that different religions have similar content.

p.29

Commentary

77. The pupils’ enjoyment of the subject, their mature understanding of issues and their abilities to work and play in close harmony with pupils from all the different cultures in the school reflects the significant impact the subject has on their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

p.29

Commentary

78. Religious Education is led by an experienced teacher who has worked hard to develop the subject and ensure it is presented through a range of interesting strategies.

p.29

Commentary

79. It was only possible to observe two lessons and, therefore, the overall quality of provision cannot be judged. The analysis of pupils’ work and the school’s documents, together with discussions with staff and pupils, indicate that pupils’ historical skills and knowledge are as expected for their age. The curriculum is well planned and provides pupils with a broad experience of historical periods from the Ancient Egyptians to recent time. Pupils in Year 5 and 6 talk enthusiastically about their study of the Ancient Greeks and of World War 2, recalling the main characters and events of these eras. It is clear that visits to places of historical interest have stimulated pupils’ enthusiasm for the subject. In the Year 1 lesson observed, pupils used the information they had gathered from a visit to a local, preserved Victorian house, to identify the similarities and differences between rooms in their

p.29

Commentary

own homes and those of the house they visited. In a well-taught Year 4 lesson, pupils demonstrated good recall of Tudor monarchs and details of their reigns. This was enhanced by the provision of a good range of texts and ICT resources.

p.29

GEOGRAPHY

80. One geography lesson was observed. Evidence from this lesson, analysis of pupils’ work and documentation and evidence gained from discussions with staff and pupils shows that pupils attain expected standards throughout the school. Year 6 pupils enjoy field trips to Dovedale, in order to develop their knowledge of river courses and of landscapes. They talk enthusiastically about the visits and have clearly benefited considerably in their social, spiritual and cultural development. More-able pupils confidently name features of rivers such Kings Hill Primary School - 30 - January 2005 as source, meanders, oxbow lakes and estuary. In the Year 2 lesson observed, pupils satisfactorily compared and contrasted the aspects of a Mexican family’s life with their own. The curriculum suitably provides pupils with those geographical skills and experiences that national guidance recommends. Recent improvements in the quality of resources have

p.29

GEOGRAPHY

contributed well to pupils’ knowledge of countries and world features and to their map reading skills.

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

 The good quality of pupils’ performance and their enjoyment of music.  Improving standards and achievement.

p.30

Commentary

81. By the end of Year 6, standards are in line with expectations and this represents good improvement since the last inspection when they were deemed to be unsatisfactory. The pupils’ achievement throughout the school is good because staff have developed their skills and expertise and generate enthusiasm for the subject. The additional support from the specialist music teacher, who works with the pupils and teachers, has impacted on the overall quality of the provision.

p.30

Commentary

82. Practice and performance are aspects of teaching which are most effective in helping pupils to develop skills. The many opportunities for performance have a positive impact on pupils’ personal development and raise their self-esteem.

p.30

Commentary

83. Pupils’ singing in Years 1 and 2 was very tuneful because they were well supported by a specialist teacher who used her own voice well to improve their singing. Pupils also demonstrated their improving skills in accompaniment as they used a good range of percussion instruments and maintained the beat.

p.30

Commentary

84. In a very good ‘Special Time’ assembly pupils displayed their joy and enthusiasm for music. The ‘Singing Club’ group sang harmoniously, pupils performed an energetic Asian dance and a drumming group showed a high level of skill as they presented a drum composition which required speedy and well timed responses. Year 6 pupils have a good understanding of composition and in a very good lesson demonstrated this ability as they composed their own melodies in a very short time and performed for their classmates.

p.30

Commentary

Provision in physical education is good.

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

 The pupils are taught well and reach standards which are at or above expected levels in all areas of physical education.  The school provides the pupils with many opportunities to participate in sports. Kings Hill Primary School - 31 - January 2005  The pupils dance well and this supports their cultural development.  The subject leader supports all the pupils through a commitment to activities outside the school day. Kings Hill Primary School - 32 - January 2005

p.30

Commentary

85. Most of the teachers are confident with the subject and they teach well. All of the teaching seen was good or better. This is consistent across the school; teachers delivering a curriculum which covers swimming, gymnastics, dance and many forms of games. The pupils’ skills build year on year and by Years 5 and 6 they display very good control and a good level of skill. They work hard in their lessons to improve their performances and skilled coaching by the co-ordinator in particular, focuses them on how to improve.

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Commentary

86. There are many opportunities for all pupils to participate in sports including competitive sports with other schools. According to the pupils, there are opportunities for football, netball, cricket, rounders, athletics, tennis, badminton and hockey and the pupils enjoy these greatly. The school has enjoyed some success at local level especially in cricket due to the good coaching of the co-ordinator.

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Commentary

87. A particular strength in physical education is dance. This was seen clearly in the whole school ‘special time’ when a group of older pupils performed a dance based on Asian cultural traditions. This most energetic dance was performed with good skill as the pupils presented very well choreographed movements. This performance was shown to the whole school thus extending the cultural knowledge of all pupils. A dance lesson with younger pupils based on Griegs ‘Peer Gynt’ Suite was of a similarly high quality as the pupils learnt to explore character and narrative through dance.

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ART AND DESIGN

88. No lessons were seen in art and design and, therefore, no overall judgement is made on provision. A scheme of work, based on national guidelines, is in place. Work based on this, along with a curriculum enriched with visiting artists and visits to different art galleries, has contributed to the school’s achievement of the Gold Artsmark award, which encompasses all creative arts.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

89. Only one lesson was seen in design and technology and therefore no overall judgement is made on provision. This lesson was satisfactory. Much time was spent in developing an understanding of ‘shelter’ prior to any practical work, which slowed the pace of the lesson considerably. A scheme of work, based on national guidelines, has been introduced and sufficient time allocated to the subject. This shows good improvement since the last inspection where a lack of subject guidelines, along with insufficient time allocation, was an issue for improvement.

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Personal, social and health education

90. No lessons were seen and, therefore, the overall quality of provision cannot be judged. A comprehensive curriculum is in place for this subject which ensures that all pupils are taught the subject. Health education, including sex and relationships education and drugs awareness are taught regularly. Pupils indicate that they enjoy PSHE and in particular discussion and debate time. Kings Hill Primary School - 33 - January 2005

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 2 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 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 4 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 4 The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 4 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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