South Grove Primary School

SOUTH GROVE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 11 – 14 October 2004

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SOUTH GROVE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 South Grove Primary School - 2 Crown copyright 2004

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SOUTH GROVE PRIMARY 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.

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SOUTH GROVE 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. South Grove Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 to 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 484

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Ringwood Road Walthamstow London Postcode: E17 8PW

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 020 8521 6000 Fax number: 020 8503 6984

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr T Skidmore

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 9 November 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is much bigger than most primary schools and has 484 boys and girls aged between three and 11. Children have a fairly wide range of attainment when they start school and overall their attainment is well below that usually found. The number of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is very high. Currently, almost two thirds of all pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. The largest minority groups are Asian British – Pakistani and Black or Black – British Caribbean. One hundred and ninety six children have been identified as being from a home where English is not the mother tongue, using a total of 36 languages, 196 pupils are at an early stage of learning English and 140 supported through Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant – this is very high. The proportion of pupils with special needs is well above average. Of these, forty-nine pupils have more complex needs, and this includes eighteen pupils who have a statement of special educational need. Pupils'

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

needs relate to their learning and behavioural needs. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is well above the national average. The socio-economic backgrounds are well below average. The proportion of pupils joining or leaving other than at the usual times is above average and in some year groups it is well above average. The number of pupils in receipt of free school meals is well above average. Since the last inspection in 1998 the school has received a Schools Achievement Award in 2000 and the Basic Skills Quality Mark in 2002. It also had its Investor in People status successfully reviewed in 2002. At the time of the inspection the school was in the middle of a project to build a new school building on the site of the school field and part of the school playground. This has necessitated significant adjustments in school routines and the transfer of the Nursery to accommodation off site.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

20950 R W Burgess Lead inspector Information and communication technology Art and design Design and technology 32670 G Saltmarsh Lay inspector 28200 P Stevens Team inspector Special educational needs Mathematics Music 32756 S Kochs Team inspector English as an additional language English Science History 325354 V Baynes Team inspector Foundation Stage Geography Physical education Religious education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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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). South Grove Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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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 11

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school . The leadership of the headteacher is excellent. Pupils achieve well throughout the school. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language achieve very well. Teaching is good with some very good features, which, together with the pupils’ very good attitudes and behaviour, results in good learning in lessons. The school provides good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The school is very successful in creating an harmonious community based on mutual respect and self-esteem. • Most of the teaching is good; very good use is made of assessment when planning future work. • Standards are below average by the end of Year 6 but pupils achieve well from a level well below average when they enter the school. • The provision for pupils, of all ages, when they join the school is excellent. • The school has made very good links with parents and the local community. • The new governing body has yet to establish clear routine procedures for monitoring the school’s work.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school was last inspected in November 1998 and has made a good improvement since then, effectively addressing all the issues raised. There is now good provision for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) through the provision of an ICT suite which is used very intensively. Provision in Religious Education (RE) has also improved and is now satisfactory. Assessment is thorough and used very well.

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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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

English E E E C Mathematics E E C A Science E E D B 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

Achievement is good. This is the case throughout the school. Standards are improving, as reflected in the results in national tests in 2004 at Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils with learning difficulties and those for whom English is an additional language achieve very well because of the very good provision. The children currently in the Foundation Stage entered the school with standards well below average. They are achieving well because of good teaching. Standards in the nursery and reception classes are well below average overall and most children are unlikely to meet the goals children are expected to reach by the end of Reception in all areas of learning. By Years 2 standards are below average in reading, writing, mathematics and RE and by Year 6, standards are below average in English, mathematics, science and RE. In ICT standards are below average in Year 2 and average in Year 6. The improvement in provision is reflected in the improved standards. When

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

levels of previous attainment are taken into account, the standards attained by pupils throughout the school have improved in recent years and targets have been met well. South Grove Primary School - 7

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

are very good. Attitudes and behaviour are very good. Pupils behave very well in class and most have positive attitudes to school. The staff have high expectations of the pupils' behaviour and teach the differences between right and wrong very well. The pupils like coming to school. Most are punctual. Attendance is below average. This is largely as a result of holidays being taken during term time.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided is good .

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Teaching and learning are good overall . This is resulting in improved standards throughout the school. There is very good use of support staff within most lessons to provide very well for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. Pupils feel their teachers listen to their ideas and help them to understand how they can improve their work. Throughout the school, pupils with potential difficulties are identified early and given very good levels of support. These pupils make very good progress towards their individual targets. The quality and range of the curriculum are good. There is a very good range of activities to enrich the curriculum and also to help parents learn how they can support their children. Links with parents and the community are very good and parents are very supportive of the school. They greatly appreciate the efforts the school makes to ensure their children are happy when they start at the

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

school and the support they receive to help their children succeed in their learning.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good. The headteacher and deputy headteacher show excellent leadership and are very well supported by the other senior staff. Management is very good; there is a shared vision and determination throughout the school to improve standards and the quality of educational provision. The governance of the school is satisfactory. Governors, many of whom are new, are a committed team who have been heavily involved in the planning for the new school building. Consequently they have not had sufficient opportunity to develop their role in monitoring the work of the school. They have ensured that their statutory duties are fully met. They give strong support to the work of the staff as they strive to improve the school. There is a continuing review of the way the school is heading and all aspects of the work of the school are kept under constant assessment.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are highly satisfied with the school. Responses from pupils indicate a high level of pride in their school. They feel they are given very good opportunities for taking responsibilities; they are given very good help in understanding how they can improve and are listened to when sharing their views with staff.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Continue to improve standards, particularly in the use of literacy and numeracy skills across different subjects of the curriculum. • Develop clear procedures and routines for monitoring and evaluating the work of the school by the governing body. South Grove Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

The good quality of education provided by the school enables pupils to make good progress in most subjects. Standards are below average in English, mathematics and science but achievement is good because attainment on entry is well below average. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language achieve very well. Gifted and talented pupils achieve well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Results in 2004 tests for both Year 2 and Year 6 pupils show a clear improvement on previous years. • Standards of attainment are below average by Year 2 and Year 6 but pupils achieve well. • Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language achieve very well.

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Commentary

1. Pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is well below average across the curriculum subjects. A high proportion of children have English as an additional language and many are unable to communicate clearly when they start school. When children start in school in the nursery, their levels of attainment are well below average. There is a wide range of ability. This varies from year to year, but most children come to school with very low skills in all areas of learning. This is particularly the case with language skills and their knowledge of the world. Children achieve well but most are unlikely to meet the goals expected in every area of learning. Overall the Nursery and Reception classes give children a good basis for their future progress.

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Commentary

2. There are very high percentages of pupils who enter the main school after the age of five and of pupils with special educational needs or who are at the early stages of learning English. Nevertheless, pupils raise their attainment to below average overall, and sustain this improvement to the age of 11. This represents good achievement, and is the result of a number of important features. Under very good leadership and management, teaching is good and, based on thorough assessment of individual needs, provides a broad, inclusive curriculum. The school sets itself high but realistic targets both for continuous improvement in provision and for pupils’ performance.

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

Standards in: School results National results reading 15.0 (14.1) 16.0 (15.7) writing 14.1 (13.6) 14.8 (14.6) mathematics 15.0 (14.3) 16.4 (16.3) There were 58 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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

3. The table above demonstrates that the results of national tests in 2004 for seven year-olds were close to the average compared with all schools in reading and writing and below average in mathematics. Compared with schools with a similar intake, pupils were well above average in reading and writing and average in mathematics. In 2004 standards rose in reading, writing and mathematics, with a greater proportion of pupils attaining the expected level. South Grove Primary School - 9

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

Standards in: School results National results English 25.3 (24.4) 27.0 (26.8) mathematics 27.0 (25.2) 27.2 (26.8) science 27.9 (26.8) 28.9 (28.6) There were 52 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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

4. The table above demonstrates that the results of national tests in 2004 for 11 year-olds placed the school well below average compared with all schools in English, average in mathematics and below average in science. Compared with schools whose pupils attained similarly in Year 2, pupils were at the average for English, well above average in mathematics and above average in science. In 2004 standards rose, with a greater proportion of pupils attaining the expected level and an increase in the number of pupils achieving the higher levels.

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

5. There were no significant differences between girls and boys, or between the performances of different ethnic groups. All groups of pupils are treated equally and do equally well. Higher attaining pupils achieve well in relation to their previous levels of attainment.

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

6. In the unverified test results in 2004, standards improved and most pupils achieved standards similar to the national average, with good improvement in the percentage of pupils achieving the expected Level 4 or above. In comparison with similar schools standards were average in English, very good in mathematics and good in science. This is a significant improvement on results in recent years.

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

7. Over the last four years there has been a variable trend, reflecting different cohorts and the levels of attainment of pupils who joined the school from elsewhere. Since 2001 the overall trend for pupils in Year 6 tests has been rising.

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

8. The inspection of pupils in Year 2 confirmed below average attainment in reading and writing and mathematics. Scrutiny of work and assessment data confirmed good achievement by these pupils. In Year 6 standards are below average but achievement in English, mathematics and science is good. Where there was sufficient evidence for the other subjects, pupils’ performance was below expectations but, again, they achieved well, for example, in design and technology and in music.

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

9. Pupils with special educational needs and those who were still at the early stages of learning English achieve very well because teachers and support assistants take good regard of their needs and build effectively on what pupils already know and can do. The attainment and progress of all groups of pupils is monitored well and work is tailored to ensure that it is relevant. Additional support sessions out of class are well managed and small group work with well trained assistants means that these pupils get intensive support and do well. This is also true of the high numbers of pupils for whom English is an additional language and who have limited English skills. The learning support assistants make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes to their school, their relationships with each other and the staff together with their behaviour in class and around the school are very good. The provision for spiritual, moral and cultural development of the pupils is also very good. Attendance is below average.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

South Grove Primary School - 10 • An ethos of care, trust and respect underpins positive attitudes to learning. • Pupils have a strong sense of ownership and belonging to the school. • Pupils’ moral, social and cultural development is very good, coupled with good spiritual understanding. • Strong management is helping the school to address the issue of below average attendance.

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Commentary

10. The standards of personal development have been very well maintained since the last inspection. Pupils’ attitudes regarding every aspect of their school life are very good. They show thoughtfulness and concern towards each other. They respond well to staff expectations as to how they should behave and, as a consequence, behaviour is consistently very good across the whole school. Any occasional lapses are very well managed by the staff with a minimum of fuss or disruption; all pupils clearly respect and appreciate this. They behave well, are encouraged to reflect on their actions which might affect others and listen carefully to each other’s opinions and concerns. Pupils are very confident and outgoing; they are demonstrably proud of their school. Visitors receive a warm welcome into the school community. Pupils are eager to take on small responsibilities which they carry out with pleasure and care.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 80 5 0 White - Irish 1 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 30 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 4 5 0 Mixed White and Black African 6 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 18 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 12 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 112 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 4 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 13 0 0 Black or Black British - Caribbean 41 0 0 Black or Black British - African 22 0 0 Black or Black British – any other black background 16 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other ethnic group 11 0 0 Parent/pupil preferred not to say 2 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. South Grove Primary School - 11 11. Pupils are attentive and absorbed during their lessons. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language also show very good attitudes to their work. Even those pupils who have specific behavioural difficulties settle very quickly and get on with their tasks with enthusiasm. Children in the Foundation Stage achieve very well in their personal, social and emotional development. They show very positive attitudes to learning; their behaviour is very good as a result of the very good support systems in place that recognise and positively reward children’s efforts. All of the staff offer consistent support to children at every stage of their life in the school.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

12. Parents and carers also view the ethos and standards of pupils’ behaviour and courtesy very positively. Where there had been minor issues which had caused any concern at all, parents and pupils alike were very positive as to how the school had successfully intervened and resolved the problem. The school’s environment is free from all forms of oppressive behaviour. Breaks are safe for the pupils, who play in a calm and very friendly fashion. During the inspection one outside play time was cancelled due to heavy rain; the way that the pupils calmly read and quietly played indoor games was impressive.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

13. Personal development is very good with some strong features of overall social maturity and a desire to understand and appreciate others. Much of this is delivered through the schools own “You can do it” programme with its emphasis upon “Getting along” “Persistence” “ Getting organised” and “Confidence”. Coupled with an effective reward system which recognises every aspect of their achievement and progress pupils clearly respond and celebrate individual successes, however small. Personal, social and health education is co-ordinated and woven into the overall caring ethos of the school and is generally in evidence across the curriculum.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

14. Spiritual development is good. Themes and thoughts are discussed in assembly and in class. The curriculum ensures a sound understanding of the Christian tradition and other world religions. Varied trips, visits and activities support pupils’ appreciation of other people’s beliefs and traditions. Pupils’ cultural development is very good. The school’s wider curriculum is very effectively utilised to support learning in a multi-cultural society, often by tapping into its own culturally rich community to illustrate traditional foods, dress and customs. Children are able to talk about their own, often unique, experiences. Examples seen during the inspection included the school’s own displays celebrating people from other lands and their culture. The school’s work with African music is promoted and another display discusses environmental issues in which the school positively participates.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

15. Whilst the school constantly strives to encourage children to attend regularly and on time a minority are seemingly not able to be consistent in this. The school is aware of the pupils concerned and the issues involved, for example, extended holidays to their home countries. By very positive management of the position overall attendance continues to improve. The school actively supports and encourages families where there are other external contributing factors to overall poor attendance which are often beyond the control of the school. The school works closely with the local Education Welfare Officer to further understand individual problems or to locate the small number of families who have moved out of the area without fully informing the school.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.7 School data 0.9 National data 5.1 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

South Grove Primary School - 12 The quality of education provided is good. Teaching and learning are good overall with very good features. The promotion of equality of opportunity for all pupils is excellent. Provision for pupils with specific learning needs and with English as an additional language is very good. The breadth and balance of the curriculum are good and its enrichment is very good. There is very good provision overall for pupils’ support, care and guidance. Links with parents and with the community are very good, and with other schools, good. South Grove Primary School - 13

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good overall, with some very good features, especially in Years 5 and 6. This is a great strength of the school in helping to raise standards.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Well-prepared lessons keep pupils focused on the task so that they learn basic skills and facts at a good rate. • Very good use of support staff has a positive impact on pupils’ learning, especially for those with learning difficulties and those for whom English is an additional language. • Assessment and recording procedures in the school are very good and used well to help pupils understand how they can improve.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 54 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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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

16. In nursery and reception, the nursery nurses effectively support individual and group activities and make a significant contribution to helping the children to behave well and concentrate on the carefully planned learning tasks. All the adults help the children to feel secure, gain confidence and communicate well with others. Good arrangements are in place to check what the children know, understand and can do and the information is used to plan the next steps children need to take in their learning.

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Commentary

17. Teaching and learning across the school for pupils in Years 1 to 6 are good in most lessons. The basic skills are taught well. This reflects the high priority that is given to providing in- service training for staff as well as the school’s emphasis on supporting pupils in improving standards in English. Teachers have a very good understanding of how best to support pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. They consistently employ good strategies to ensure that all pupils can access the curriculum. A focus on the development of subject-appropriate vocabulary is also in evidence in lessons in most other subjects; key vocabulary is shared with pupils, explained to them and reinforced throughout the lesson. Lessons focus on what pupils will learn and the skills they will use to learn effectively. In many numeracy lessons this involves pupils explaining the strategies they

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Commentary

18. Teachers use very effective questioning and are aware when pupils are ready to make progress, raising challenging questions to push forward their thinking. Teachers include a good range of activities to consolidate and extend understanding. Staff work hard together to ensure that lessons are of a consistently high standard, that there is a focus on what pupils will learn, and that the process is thoroughly reviewed in the search for improvement. Lessons begin with teachers sharing their intentions with pupils. Often, as in literacy or numeracy, these aims are clearly displayed on the board as a permanent reminder to pupils. This means that pupils are very clear about what they are going to be doing, and teachers usually explain why and how as well.

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Commentary

19. Teachers have developed very good relationships in the classroom, which lead to better motivation and increased learning. Very good relationships are a very strong feature of the nursery and reception classes. Staff use praise well to encourage all pupils. In a Year 5 South Grove Primary School - 14 lesson in ICT, the teacher quickly established a very good, purposeful working environment by using skilfully prepared questions, which captured pupils’ imagination as well as challenging them to think. Progress was rapid as a result.

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Commentary

20. Pupils with learning difficulties, including pupils with behavioural problems are all very well supported and make very good progress. Support assistants prepare their strategies very well in conjunction with the teacher and have clearly defined roles. They often sit near pupils who are experiencing problems, and help them during the first or final parts of the lesson. This is especially effective in many English and mathematics lessons. At other times, assistants and teachers will focus on helping groups who may be struggling to learn, or who need extra challenges in order to move them forward.

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Commentary

21. The provision for pupils for whom English is an additional language is very good. The learning support assistants work closely with the class teachers to develop the pupils’ understanding and knowledge of the English language. They have very good relationships with the pupils, assess their needs and provide a very good programme of support. Pupils who are in the early stages of learning English are helped, through a variety of experiences, to develop their spoken language and they make very good progress. As a result of the provision, the achievements of pupils with English as an additional language are good and equal to those of all other pupils.

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Commentary

22. There are clear and useful formal whole-school procedures for monitoring attainment and progress of all pupils. Class teachers’ continuous assessment in literacy and numeracy is mainly good and used well. This is sufficiently informed by the demands of the levels of attainment of the National Curriculum. Targets for raising pupils’ achievement are carefully identified on the basis of their prior attainment and used effectively to inform the grouping of pupils, and for tracking their progress; this information is communicated to individual pupils to help them understand what they need to do to improve.

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The curriculum

The curriculum provision is good overall. Enrichment of the curriculum and the range of extra– curricular provision are very good. The current lack of outside space, due to building work, is unsatisfactory but changes to routines have ensured this has not been detrimental to the quality of provision. Resources are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Equality of opportunity for all pupils is very good. • There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and for those with English as an additional language. • The provision for personal, social and health education is very good. • The contribution of support assistants in classrooms is very good. • The enrichment of the curriculum through extra-curricular activities, both within and after the school day is very good.

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Commentary

23. The curriculum in the Years 1 to 6 meets statutory requirements, including provision for religious education and collective worship. The school has schemes of work in place. The school recognises that there is a need to review schemes of work in order to make more cross-curricular links and to increase the creative content of the curriculum. Training for staff has been identified in order to address this. The school has reviewed the curriculum to find better ways of teaching maths and English. There are good cross-curricular links with ICT, which the school intends to develop further, together with improving opportunities for South Grove Primary School - 15 developing literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum. The resources for learning are good. 24. There is a very broad range of extra-curricular activities run both during the lunch hour and at the end of the school day, and a breakfast club. These include, for example, ICT, homework,

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Commentary

African dance, sports, as well as Urdu classes. The curriculum includes visits from outside speakers and performers, visits to museums and places of historical interest, and provides residential visits for older pupils.

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Commentary

25. Multi-cultural aspects of the curriculum make it relevant to the pupils’ backgrounds and cultures. Displays reflect the languages of the pupils in the school. In 2003 the school received a National Award for a Black History Project.

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Commentary

26. Effective use is made of a specialist teacher, who supports teachers and pupils with English as an additional language in year groups where there is an identified need. The school has made very good provision for pupils entering the school with limited English. The school provides welcome books and tapes translated into various languages for pupils’ and parents’ use, as well as a range of resources to support pupils’ English language development. The school has a good range of books in various languages, but there are insufficient books available in the languages of the most recently arrived pupils from other countries.

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Commentary

27. The school has a full complement of staff, including a generous provision of well trained teaching assistants, which is sufficient to meet the needs of all pupils. The school employs a specialist teacher and an additional teaching assistant to give support to pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds; this is contributing most effectively to these pupils very good achievement. These posts are funded through the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant.

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Commentary

28. The schools’ accommodation is at present unsatisfactory, due to the current building of new school premises on the site of the school’s playground and playing fields. This has resulted in lack of space for outside activities. The school has found effective ways of making best use of the current playground space by staggering pupils’ playtimes. There is also a designated parent room, in outside hutted accommodation, which is used to accommodate parent and family learning courses.

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Care, guidance and support

Pupils are very well cared for, their views are sought; a happy and safe environment has been created for them. The school is committed to their welfare, health and safety at all times.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides a safe, caring environment for pupils to learn and develop. • Pupils have trust and confidence in all staff at the school. • In the Nursery children are inducted so well that they make an excellent start to school life. • Pupils know that they are important and that their views are valued.

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Commentary

29. Pupils are provided with a very caring and supportive environment. Parents are pleased to readily acknowledge that all of the adults in the school have a real concern for the care and welfare of their children. Staff make every possible effort to get to know their pupils well so that every child gets the help he or she may need. Pupils are actively encouraged to share their concerns and a child with any kind of problem is treated with sensitivity and in confidence. Pupils are able to use a dedicated box for confidential notes expressing their concerns or worries and they know that staff will discreetly take them aside at an appropriate moment to discuss the matter. Conversations with pupils during the inspection revealed that they have unconditional trust in and affection for all of the adults in the school. South Grove Primary School - 16 30. All pupils, parents and carers know that bullying, together with any other form of oppressive

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Commentary

behaviour, language or harassment, will not be tolerated by the rest of the school community. There was very little evidence that any such behaviour existed to any great extent. Those comparatively very few incidents that have occurred were well documented. Pupils confirmed to the inspection team that they would not hesitate to report any instances of this kind of behaviour and they were rightly confident that any occurrence would be promptly and firmly addressed.

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Commentary

31. Child protection measures are comprehensive and effective and the school has productive and ongoing relationships with the local social services and police child protection team. Health and Safety checks of the entire site and equipment are regular and thorough. Staff trained in first aid look after pupils who are ill and arrangements for dealing with incidents and accidents, should they occur, are clearly set out.

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Commentary

32. Overall induction procedures are very good and they are particularly comprehensive and reassuring for both parents and their children, many of whom have newly arrived in the country. The school goes to great lengths to translate key documents into a variety of languages and to ensure that families are warmly welcomed into the school community.

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Commentary

33. Induction for children into the Foundation Stage is excellent and parents are rightly delighted with the importance, care and attention that the school places upon reassuring them and their children. There are initial meetings with Early Years teachers, graduating to morning and lunchtime visits by the children. Attention is paid to the health and dietary needs of individual children. This in turn heightens children’s awareness and understanding of healthy living and personal safety. Parents and carers are actively encouraged to participate in the entire process and are always warmly welcomed into the school to discuss and resolve any concerns or worries.

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Commentary

34. The school operates a free Toy Library which is organised by a Foundation Stage Outreach teacher. By encouraging parents to use the Toy Library an early link is created with the school prior to induction. Children and parents can play together in the main school building and it is a fundamental component in the school’s outreach activity with local families. Confidential advice and guidance are made available to parents and carers during these sessions and further visits or assistance can be arranged.

p.16

Commentary

35. The school runs a subsidised Breakfast Club which welcomes pupils and their parents. It ensures that they start the day with a proper meal and during the inspection it was noted that this club very much contributes to the caring ethos of the school.

p.16

Commentary

36. Through the effective School Council pupils are involved with every aspect of school life. Many of their ideas and suggestions have been acted upon, including the availability of water during the day and fruit at lunch time. The School Council were keen to confirm that the school was a very happy place where great emphasis was placed on listening to and caring for others.

p.16

Commentary

37. Effective arrangements are in place with the main local secondary schools to which most pupils transfer, which enable them to spend some time at their new school before the end of the summer term.

p.16

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Partnership with parents and links with the community are very good. There are good links with other local schools and colleges.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school strives to involve and engage parents and carers in the everyday life of its activities. South Grove Primary School - 17 • The school is of fundamental importance to the life of the local community. • The school values the opinions and judgements of pupils and their parents.

p.16

Commentary

38. Parents are highly satisfied with the school. Those who attended the meeting prior to the inspection and subsequent conversations with many others during the inspection process revealed a strong consensus of support for the school and its work in the wider community. They confirmed their confidence in the staff and believe the teaching to be good. They are also appreciative of the wide-ranging support the school gives to them as well as their children. Parents know the headteacher and her staff personally. They are aware of the school’s open door policy and they know that they will be welcomed whenever they come to the school to discuss any issue regarding their children.

p.17

Commentary

39. The school places great importance upon its relationship and partnership with parents and it positively welcomes contributions and participation in all aspects of school life. Parents are routinely consulted by the school about future proposals or developments and a questionnaire has been used to give the senior management and governors a picture of parents’ perceptions and concerns. As a consequence parental support continues to get progressively stronger because they know that their views are not only actively sought but are then carefully considered.

p.17

Commentary

40. Parental support extends to a number of initiatives developed to support families with children at the school and to enable them to use the school’s facilities. Such initiatives as the Breakfast Club, After School Club, Parenting Classes and the Toy Library seek to engage and enrich the experience of the whole family through life in the school. There is a weekly parents’ assembly where families can join pupils in celebrating success and achievement or to just enjoy the experience of being in the school with their children. A dedicated parents’ room on the school site is in constant use for activities which include family literacy and numeracy, ICT and other clubs.

p.17

Commentary

41. The headteacher and her staff work hard to engage parents in supporting their child’s learning. There is a home-school contract and many parents help their children by hearing them read at home and by encouraging them to complete homework assignments. There is always a good attendance at parents’ meetings and school events. Other parents are actively involved in helping the school, on visits, in class, and various school functions and activities.

p.17

Commentary

42. The school regularly enriches pupils’ understanding of life in their diverse community by regular trips and visits locally. These include visits to places of worship, museums and sites of historical interest. A wide range of local visitors come into the school to enhance the pupils’ learning, cultural understanding and to develop their skills in a range of sports.

p.17

Commentary

43. School newsletters are regular, colourful and informative, as is the school prospectus and other key information documents. A great deal of time and effort is devoted into translating the school’s publications into a wide range of languages. A computer screen in the main school foyer gives parents up-to-date information and diary dates. School reports to parents are detailed, informative and user friendly in plain unambiguous language with set targets and an opportunity for pupils, parents and carers to add their own comments.

p.17

Commentary

44. Collaborative activities include an Environmental Club, an Arts Week and a recent first prize in the London Schools Environment Awards. The school’s recycling programme as an “Eco School” was successfully implemented and pupils acted as “street-watchers” to monitor litter in the school grounds. Quite apart from the school’s impact on the local environment the social aspects of the pupils’ work was noted by the judges and the school was presented with a substantial cash prize by the Mayor of London in April 2004. South Grove Primary School - 18 45. Links with other schools in the area are good and there is shared provision for professional development. The school has curriculum links with the main secondary schools especially involving sport and the arts. Graduate teachers are welcomed and the school has strong associate links with teacher training establishments in London.

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are very good.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Every aspect of leadership and management by the headteacher and senior staff is very good or excellent. • The headteacher inspires the total commitment of all staff to meeting the personal and academic needs of all pupils. • Excellent teamwork in all aspects of school life focuses on continually raising standards. • The ethos of the school created by leaders is such that pupils flourish and parents feel thoroughly involved. • Whilst being satisfactorily supportive to the school, governors are not pro-active in working with the school in developing its short and long-term strategies for improvement.

p.18

Commentary

46. The leadership and management of the headteacher are excellent. She has a very clear vision of the direction in which the school needs to work, based on the school’s critical evaluation of its provision, and her own very high aspirations. She ensures that the school develops an excellent school improvement plan, based on thorough evaluation of the school’s successes and points for improvement. She thoroughly monitors the curriculum so that it meets pupils’ needs by taking fully into account all the data which are gathered about their performance. She works closely with administrative staff and governors to develop very efficient procedures for all aspects of school management. The headteacher takes great care to maintain personal contact with parents and pupils. The school’s finances are very well managed and spent on resources which will, above all, benefit pupils’ learning and personal development. A

p.18

Commentary

significant amount of the funds carried forward has been used to build and equip the computer suite.

p.18

Commentary

47. Senior staff, in full collaboration with co-ordinators, provides very good leadership and management. The headteacher and her deputy are an excellent team and inspire confidence in all staff to make a full contribution to school development. Staff with areas of responsibility thoroughly monitor teaching and learning through direct observation and scrutiny of pupils’ work. They are totally committed to the inclusion of all pupils in giving access to all possible opportunities. They willingly undertake in-service training to develop themselves professionally. The school is always seeking innovation for improvement. Recently, for example, the learning support assistants have successfully developed their role so that they play a full part in planning and monitoring pupils’ work.

p.18

Commentary

48. The ethos of the school created by the leaders and managers in conjunction with the staff is very caring. Moreover, there is a challenge for pupils to do their best, to which they respond by achieving well and showing very good attitudes and behaviour. Leaders and managers work hard to overcome the existing barriers to learning. They ensure that the large proportion of pupils with special educational needs or who are still learning English receive the support they need. They work closely with parents to find as many ways as possible to motivate their children to learn successfully. They involve pupils in exciting and challenging events which bring everyone together, such as Arts Weeks and Black History Month. Finally, they seek to involve the local business community in increasing the school’s provision.

p.18

Commentary

49. Governance of the school is satisfactory. Governors have been careful to ensure that they fully meet their statutory duties. The school has had and is still experiencing a very significant South Grove Primary School - 19 upheaval with the establishment of the new buildings. The governing body has been thoroughly involved in the project and has had to focus much of its attention on ensuring that the new environment will be conducive to learning. Moreover, the recent re-constitution of the governing body has meant that many experienced governors have left the school. New governors have undertaken a great deal of training. Nevertheless, although they have devised means of supporting the school through community involvement, governors are not pro-active in helping to shape the future direction of the school. Governors rely too heavily on what they are told, rather than planning ways to find out for themselves. They lack rigour in being

p.18

Commentary

positively critical, and are not sufficiently involved in management strategies.

p.19

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1,850,411 Balance from previous year 130,102 Total expenditure 1,779,694 Balance carried forward to the next 70,717

p.19

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

Expenditure per pupil 3,497 South Grove Primary School - 20

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The overall provision for children is good. At the time of the inspection, some children had only been in the nursery for a few weeks or days. The building programme has meant that the nursery had to move to temporary premises ten minutes walk from the main school in June 2004. This has given the staff a considerable challenge to ensure continuity across the Foundation Stage. The manager provides good leadership and has worked hard to ensure that the children’s education has been affected as little as possible. Teaching is good overall, with some examples of very good and excellent teaching seen in the nursery. All the areas of learning are covered, and there is a very effective system of assessment involving parents. A real strength is the induction of new children. The Outreach programme ensures that coming to school for the first time is a positive experience for both children and parents.

p.20

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• All staff have high expectations. • Teaching is very good. • Routines are well established and promote self-confidence. • Children’s achievement is very good.

p.20

Commentary

50. Children enter the nursery with low personal and social skills and they are below or at the beginning level of the Early Learning Goals. By the time they are in reception, they are generally playing together co-operatively and sharing equipment and are well established at the first level and moving on to the second level. Children achieve very well in this area.

p.20

Commentary

51. All staff show great expertise in promoting and encouraging children’s development. In both the nursery and in reception, teachers plan for opportunities for the children to develop independence, build self-confidence and play co-operatively. At all times, they communicate their high expectations of the children’s behaviour positively and consistently. This is particularly true in the nursery where a significant number of children are very insecure and have low levels of self-confidence.

p.20

Commentary

52. The children understand daily well-established routines. New arrivals quickly learn what is expected. Children come into the nursery generally eager to get involved in the range of activities available. Children in the reception class know they have to start reading and looking at books. Nursery staff encourage children to play together when they feel it is appropriate and ensure that children are not feeling lonely or left out. In the reception class, adult-led activities aim to foster co-operation and respect.

p.20

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Role-play successfully promotes learning. South Grove Primary School - 21 • There is a strong emphasis on phonics. • Children achieve well, particularly those children with English as a second language. • The importance of books is not stressed enough during the activity sessions.

p.20

Commentary

53. Teaching is good, with all staff creating a wide range of opportunities for children to develop their language skills. The children particularly enjoy role-play and this is carefully planned to improve learning, especially speaking and listening, as this is an area where many children have not yet developed their skills. Children with little understanding of English are encouraged by a variety of activities and games to join in and try new words. Nursery staff are particularly good at ensuring the participation of these children.

p.21

Commentary

54. Children in the nursery are beginning to talk confidently. Achievement is good, so that children in reception are using talk in their imaginary role-play; for example, in the reception “post office”, and are able to retell stories and recount experiences. The strong emphasis on phonics, particularly in the reception class, enables children to start to link sounds with letters. Nursery children enjoy rhyming games and activities and a number of children can make strings of rhyming words.

p.21

Commentary

55. Children in the nursery are encouraged to make marks and write from an early stage. This develops into children’s writing recognisable letters, words and their names in reception. Children have some opportunities to handle and look at books in the nursery, and there is a reading session every morning in reception. Younger children are still at the very early stages of awareness of books and hold them incorrectly. Some more structured activities, involving looking at and talking about books across the nursery and reception, would help to develop skills and promote greater understanding.

p.21

Commentary

56. Although children are achieving well, those in the nursery are only at the very beginning of the Early Learning Goals. Children’s learning in reception is established at the first level of the Early Learning Goals and some are operating at the second level.

p.21

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good. • Children achieve well. • There are limited activities to develop knowledge and understanding of shape, space and measures.

p.21

Commentary

57. Good, enthusiastic teaching helps children to enjoy mathematical games and develop a positive attitude towards numbers. Activities in the nursery are planned to provide a range of opportunities for children to use and explore numbers. Children enjoy counting games and songs and are beginning to use mathematical language in their play, for example in the “shop”, where children talk of needing “more eggs” or “six eggs”.

p.21

Commentary

58. A good level of challenge is provided for a small group of children who are already operating at the higher levels of the Early Learning Goals. In reception, children can count up to ten with the teacher and some can count to twenty. These children are also beginning to understand the relationship between numbers and objects, such as between six dots on a die and six animals South Grove Primary School - 22 in a basket. There is a strong emphasis on number, but fewer opportunities for children to develop their understanding of shape, space and measure in both nursery and reception. 59. Children enter the nursery with very low mathematical skills and are working below or at the first level of the Early Learning Goals. Achievement is good and, in reception, children are becoming more confident in working with numbers. They are securely established at the first level of the Early Learning Goals and are moving to the next level.

p.21

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a good range of learning opportunities, particularly in the nursery. • The computer is used regularly as a part of learning. • There are limited opportunities for children to use a range of tools.

p.22

Commentary

60. Children enter the nursery with very limited experiences of the world around them. Good teaching ensures that there are many opportunities for the children to develop their skills and understanding. The trips to Epping Forest for small groups of nursery children and their parents or carers enhance the children’s knowledge of the world and their communication skills. The teachers make good use of everyday experiences, such as falling leaves or switching a torch on and off to provide opportunities for children to ask questions.

p.22

Commentary

61. Children in reception are beginning to develop a sense of time and can identify some events in the past, such as “When I was a baby”, or “It was a long time ago”. In the nursery, children are learning to handle scissors and crayons, and reception children are confident users of scissors and small rollers, but opportunities for children across the Foundation Stage to use a range of different sized tools are limited. The computer is always available for children to use. In the nursery, children experiment with colour using the Paint program. They dress teddy bears and other toys. A high proportion of children in reception can use the mouse confidently to click on the screen and they can print their work.

p.22

Commentary

62. Nursery children are at the very early level of the Early Learning Goals and the children in reception are more established at this level and are beginning to operate at the next level in exploration and investigation. Across the Foundation Stage achievement is satisfactory, but in information communication technology, children achieve well.

p.22

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a good range of opportunities for outdoor play. • Children achieve well. • Because of the move required by the building work there is no fixed large apparatus to encourage climbing, swinging and sliding.

p.22

Commentary

63. A significant number of children entering the nursery have low physical skills and lack confidence. Teachers’ planning ensures that the children have many opportunities for outdoor play, using a range of bikes, cars and trucks. This is particularly well managed in reception South Grove Primary School - 23 where, because of the building programme, older pupils use the outdoor area at different times of the day. The teacher leads singing and movement games outside. 64. Nursery children are beginning to use pencils, crayons and brushes with increasing skill and confidence, and these skills develop further in reception. There are few opportunities for children to swing from or climb on large apparatus across the Foundation Stage. This is due, again, to the disruption caused by the building programme, but it is an area where the children are not developing their skill and confidence.

p.22

Commentary

65. In the nursery, children’s attainment is at the beginning levels of the Early Learning Goals. Children achieve well, and by the time they are in reception, children are secure at the first level and are working at the next two levels.

p.23

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a wide range of opportunities to promote children’s learning. • Teachers effectively use well-known stories as a basis for good imaginative play. • There could be more use made of musical instruments.

p.23

Commentary

66. Children in the nursery enjoy using paints and other materials to make pictures. They are beginning to draw and paint recognisable objects, such as flowers. In reception, children choose colours and materials confidently to show some of their experiences.

p.23

Commentary

67. Nursery children enjoy singing and join in the goodbye songs. Children in reception choose and sing familiar songs. Each class has a music area, but the instruments were not used and opportunities to explore sound and rhythm were missed. The story of “The Gingerbread Man” was used very effectively, both in the nursery and reception, to encourage imaginative play. Nursery children made simple puppets and in reception, children used a puppet theatre to retell the story to an audience. Children used different voices for the different characters. The girls were very involved in this activity and it became linked to children in the home role-play area. The boys did not stay involved for long.

p.23

Commentary

68. Children in the nursery are generally at the beginning levels of the Early Learning Goals, but younger children are still operating below these levels. Achievement is good and in reception, many children are beginning to operate at the middle levels of the Early Learning Goals.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well but standards in English are below average. • The teaching of English is good throughout the school. • Good use is made of trained learning support staff to support pupils for whom English is an additional language and pupils with special educational needs. • The subject is very well led. • Skills learnt in literacy lessons are not sufficiently used to record work in other subject areas. South Grove Primary School - 24 South Grove Primary School - 25

p.23

Commentary

69. Standards in English by the ages of 7 and 11 have fluctuated over the past four years and are mainly well below average in comparison to schools nationally. This is attributed to the nature of individual cohorts and the high mobility factor. The test results at the age of 11 in 2004 show that standards have risen close to the national average. This is partly the result of the school’s focus on writing. In 2003, standards by age 7 were below the national average, but were average in reading and above average in writing for pupils in their age group compared to pupils in similar schools. Results in 2004, show a continuing improvement in standards at age 7, especially in reading.

p.25

Commentary

70. Levels of achievement are good. The very high proportion of pupils who began school speaking a language other than English and the significant number of pupils in the school who have special educational needs achieve very well.

p.25

Commentary

71. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are good and, in the majority of lessons, pupils listen well and participate well in whole class discussions and in pair work. Pupils’ good attitudes to learning and pupils’ good behaviour contribute well to their improved speaking and listening skills. However, in talk partner work some pupils have difficulty in discussing the task set by the teacher as they have not fully understood what is expected of them or they do not have the necessary vocabulary to complete the task. Pupils’ progress in reading is satisfactory. By age 11, most pupils can read fluently with some expression; however, some pupils do not understand all that they read. Pupils show good progress in learning to write. Work scrutiny of the current Year 2 pupils shows that spelling and handwriting are appropriate for their age. By age 11, pupils can write for a range of purposes. Analysis of pupils’ work, at both age 7 and

p.25

Commentary

11, shows that, although pupils attempt to put description into their writing, they have a limited range of vocabulary to make their writing interesting.

p.25

Commentary

72. Teaching is good, with very good teaching in Years 2, 3 and 6; as a result pupils achieve well in lessons. The teachers’ subject knowledge is good; lessons are well planned and resourced, which results in pupils learning well. For example, in a Year 3 literacy lesson Muslim pupils were highly motivated by a book which was read on the festival of Eid; pupils were eager to discuss their own experiences of Eid. In Year 2, puppets and artefacts, relevant to the Three Bears story, were used to ensure the involvement of those pupils who spoke limited English and of pupils with special educational needs. Teachers have very good relationships with their pupils; they manage pupils well and use praise extensively to encourage participation. Teachers use talk partners effectively in order to encourage all pupils to join in and to develop their speaking and listening skills. Teachers are confident in teaching various aspects of

p.25

Commentary

writing; however, analysis of pupils’ work shows there is little evidence that pupils are expected to put what they have learned into practice in stories or factual accounts. Marking does not always offer constructive comments to enable pupils to improve their work.

p.25

Commentary

73. Teachers have very good relationships with their trained teaching assistants, who provide effective support to pupils who speak English as an additional language or who have special educational needs. Teachers plan effectively for their teaching assistants. Teaching assistants have very good relationships with their pupils; they ensure that all pupils take an active role in whole class teaching sessions and provide good support to pupils in group work activities.

p.25

Commentary

74. Leadership of the subject is very good. The co-ordinators have a good knowledge of the subject and provide a good example to others and, as such, lead the subject well. Time is allocated to the co-ordinators to monitor lessons, scrutinise pupils’ work and analyse data, which has resulted in improved levels of achievement. Resources are very good. South Grove Primary School - 26

p.25

Language and literacy across the curriculum

75. Subjects other than English provide good support for pupils in developing speaking and literacy skills. In ICT there are good links with work carried out in the literacy lesson. The school has a good supply of Big Books linked to the various subject areas. Analysis of pupils’ work shows that there is little evidence of pupils’ using the skills they have learnt in literacy to record their work in other subject areas.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are below average but pupils achieve well. • Good teaching enables pupils with special educational needs or who are still learning English to achieve very well. • There are too few opportunities for developing mathematics in other subjects of the curriculum. • Very good leadership and management are continuously having a strong influence on standards.

p.26

Commentary

76. Standards of attainment are lower than at the previous inspection, reflecting an increasing number of pupils joining the school with little or no English.

p.26

Commentary

77. At the age of seven, pupils’ standards in the 2003 national tests were below average. However, the unverified results for 2004 indicate average attainment. This follows a steady rise in standards since 2001. At the age of 11, pupils’ performance in the 2003 national tests was well below average. The unverified results for 2004 indicate below average attainment. There has been a little improvement since 2001. At both ages, a significantly smaller proportion of the more able pupils perform at the higher levels than is the case nationally. Nevertheless, all pupils achieve well when their attainment on entry to the school is taken into account. The very high percentages of pupils who enter the main school after the age of five and of pupils with special educational needs or who are at the early stages of learning English achieve very well. This has affected the school’s overall performance in mathematics. In both

p.26

Commentary

year groups there are no significant differences between boys and girls or between pupils from different ethnic backgrounds.

p.26

Commentary

78. Attainment at the age of seven is below average. Pupils add and subtract numbers up to 200 and amounts of money up to £2. They measure to the nearest centimetre and know the properties of some two-dimensional shapes. They carry out surveys, such as of favourite foods, and make block graphs of their findings. More able pupils work with higher numbers. Attainment at the age of 11 is also below average. Pupils handle simple fraction work, and convert fractions to decimals and percentages. They work out problems from their knowledge of the sum of the angles in a triangle. They construct line graphs of temperature changes from their own measurements. Pupils plan barbecues from costings using their own budget. More able pupils work with decimals to hundredths and carry out advanced division. They calculate perimeters and areas and know the properties of different triangles.

p.26

Commentary

79. The quality of teaching is good. In classes for five to seven year-olds, lessons range from satisfactory to very good. In classes for seven to 11 year-olds, they range from satisfactory to excellent. Teachers plan lively and well-structured lessons with good attention to pupils’ different learning needs. Consequently, pupils have very positive attitudes. Introductions include all pupils, often by targeting questions. For example, in an excellent Year 4 lesson about fractions of lengths, both the teacher and the learning support assistant encouraged pupils with special educational needs so that they learnt to answer questions confidently in South Grove Primary School - 27 front of the whole class. Furthermore, the work in the lesson was carefully planned to build on pupils’ learning so that all pupils achieved well. Teachers provide good resources, although they make too little use of structural apparatus to develop understanding, such as of fractions,

p.26

Commentary

and of computers to extend learning. Teachers deliberately plan activities which promote collaborative discussion and activities. For example, in a good Year 6 lesson about equivalence in fractions, the teacher challenged pupils to work out together a rule for changing fractions, before using their speaking skills to explain their reasoning. Some marking lacks advice to inform pupils how they might improve their work.

p.27

Commentary

80. Leadership and management of the subject are very good. The co-ordinator thoroughly monitors teaching and learning, and works with colleagues to carry out systems of assessment which lead to very well focused planning to meet pupils’ needs.

p.27

Mathematics across the curriculum

81. The use of mathematics in other subjects is satisfactory. The curriculum places too little emphasis on using and applying number in different contexts and there is insufficient opportunity for developing mathematical skills across different subjects of the curriculum. It is most evident in science, ICT and geography. In science, data from investigations is represented in tables and graphs, often by using the computer programs. ICT is also used to set up data bases, such as for the different weights of proteins in foods which pupils interrogate to find answers to questions.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards by the age 11 have improved steadily in the past two years. • Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. • Pupils’ weaknesses in literacy skills impacts on the quality of their written work.

p.27

Commentary

82. Standards have improved steadily since 2002 when there was a significant drop in attainment. In 2003 attainment was well below average in comparison with the national picture and comparable to that of pupils in similar schools. This is because fewer pupils attain at a higher level. Test results in 2004 show that a higher percentage of pupils attained at higher levels, which brings standards close to the national average. Pupils’ weaknesses in literacy skills impacts on the quality of their written work when recording their science investigations. There is limited opportunity for pupils to use a variety of methods to record their findings to consolidate their learning. Overall, pupils’ achievements are satisfactory.

p.27

Commentary

83. Teaching is good. Lessons are mostly well planned. Teachers strive to make the presentation of their lessons interesting. This results in pupils’ having positive attitudes to learning. Pupils respond with enthusiasm to the opportunities given to them to explore scientific ideas through practical investigation and are able to explain their findings using scientific vocabulary. For example, in Year 6, pupils are enthused by the task of testing their pulse rates before and after exercise. Teachers have very good relationships with their pupils; they manage pupils well and use praise extensively; this results in pupils’ going about their task in a sensible manner. Pupils who are in the early stages of learning English are fully involved in tasks and well supported by their peers who work well with them collaboratively. Teachers use the beginning of lessons well to review what pupils have learnt previously and to review scientific vocabulary.

p.27

Commentary

Teachers made good links with the work pupils had covered in maths. In two lessons pupils were encouraged to use mental maths to work out their pulse rate and in another lesson pupils were involved in measurement activities. Some teachers emphasise the need for fair testing. South Grove Primary School - 28 84. Leadership and management of science are good. Time is allocated to the co-ordinators to monitor lessons, scrutinise pupils’ work and analyse data, which has resulted in improved levels of achievement. Science is assessed by end of module tests. However, marking of pupils’ work is very limited and there is little attention given to helping pupils improve the quality of their work. Science resources are good. The co-ordinator has identified the need to review the schemes of work to make more cross curricular links.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teaching is very good overall, so that pupils are keen to learn, and they achieve very well. • Pupils’ attitudes towards the subject are very good, particularly in Years 3 to 6. • There has been a marked improvement since the last inspection. • Opportunities for the use of ICT in other subjects could be increased. • The subject is very well led and managed.

p.28

Commentary

85. There have been good improvements upon standards in ICT reported at the time of the last inspection. Average standards at the end of Year 6 have been reached. Pupils achieve very well because they are learning skills in a planned step-by-step progression and have a number of opportunities to apply and develop these skills. The school makes very good provision for pupils with special educational needs to enable them to develop their skills. These pupils work with partners who are carefully selected by teachers so that those more able can support a less confident or experienced pupil. Teaching is very good which results in very good learning for pupils of all abilities. With the help and advice of the experienced co-ordinator and use of national guidance, teachers carefully select resources and activities to match the pupils’ needs, and plan effective links with other subjects, where possible. Teachers share expertise

p.28

Commentary

and plan together in each year group, which provides consistency and continuity of curriculum coverage and extended learning opportunities for all pupils. Pupils are keen to participate in lessons and enjoy a range of interesting activities. Pupils are very well motivated to become engrossed in their work. The subject contributes very well to pupils’ personal development. Social skills are positively influenced by teachers’ high expectations of co-operative work of pupils. Pupils support each other in their learning and are proud to share their ideas and skills.

p.28

Commentary

86. Major weaknesses have been addressed successfully since the last inspection and there have been significant improvements in resources. Within the separate ICT suite networked machines enable all pupils to be included in a wide range of curriculum opportunities available to them. All staff have successfully completed ICT training and are now confident users. They appreciate the very good support they receive from the ICT support technician. ICT is an integrated element in pupils’ work in school. The ICT curriculum meets National Curriculum requirements and all aspects are covered. Resources are used very effectively in the suite by staff and pupils. This clearly contributes to the popularity of ICT and has made a good contribution to improving skills and standards across the school.

p.28

Commentary

87. The subject is very well led and managed by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic co-ordinator. He has a clear understanding of how to improve standards and is continually striving to further extend ICT opportunities, further improve resources and move the subject forward. The school ensures the suite is fully used, enabling every class to visit twice weekly as well as holding lunch-time clubs. The ICT suite is an internal working space and befits greatly from the provision of air conditioning to control the heat emission of the hardware. This ensures that this facility has adequate ventilation in maintaining an atmosphere within which pupils’ learning can take place. Options and flexibility to provide more frequent use of the developing South Grove Primary School - 29 technology to support teaching and learning in all subjects are currently limited. For example, classrooms do not have interactive whiteboards; these are planned for the new building. The

p.28

Commentary

co-ordinator supports colleagues in a variety of ways and monitors teaching, learning and subject performance through examination of pupils’ work and lesson observations.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

88. The use of ICT across the curriculum is good in the computer suite and good use is made of classroom computers to support learning in other subjects. Teachers plan good opportunities for pupils to develop skills in subjects such as English, geography, history and art. While teachers in Year 6 were seen to make very effective use of the interactive whiteboard to support teaching and learning in mathematics, opportunities for pupils to use the computer suite to improve their learning in mathematics are currently restricted. Pupils recognise the value of ICT and the relevance of its use as they use a range of skills in other subjects.

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HUMANITIES

89. No lessons in Geography were observed during the inspection. Geography lessons are blocked in the timetable, so there was insufficient work in the pupils’ books to make any judgements.

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HUMANITIES

90. History was sampled. Only one lesson was seen in history so no judgements can be made about the overall provision.

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HUMANITIES

91. Work scrutiny shows that there is little evidence of purposeful links with literacy; there are missed opportunities for pupils to use the skills learnt in literacy lessons to record what they have learnt in history. Work is recorded in the same way by all groups of pupils, which is mainly in the form of worksheets. Pupils’ writing is limited; in some cases this consists only of descriptions of pictures. Analysis of pupils’ work suggests that teachers do not sufficiently promote the development of skills needed for this subject and their expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low. Work in pupils’ books suggests that attainment in history is below levels expected nationally.

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HUMANITIES

92. From the evidence seen coverage of the curriculum is satisfactory. Pupils cover a range of topics and are encouraged to compare modern times with different historical stages. Relevant visits to a range of historical locations and museums are arranged to extend pupils’ learning. There is a range of Big Book s and IT programs on historical topics. The school was also awarded a National Award for a Black History project in 2003.

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HUMANITIES

93. No formal assessments are made in History. The co-ordinator has identified the need to build up a greater bank of resources and make more cross-curricular links with other subjects.

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• A creative approach, with an emphasis on art, role-play and discussion is involving and engaging pupils. • Pupils show respect and tolerance. • Pupils’ levels of understanding are not as developed as they should be. South Grove Primary School - 30

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Commentary

94. Teaching of religious education is satisfactory. Pupils enjoy the more creative approach, particularly older pupils in year 6 taking part in a role play of a Sikh wedding. A group of Year 1 pupils enjoyed making karah pashad as part of a lesson about special occasions. Pupils show a high level of respect for the different religions and faiths they study. This is evident in their responses and discussions.

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Commentary

95. Older pupils share their thoughts confidently and articulately, but a significant number of pupils show little understanding of the work. They are developing a sound knowledge of different religions, but a low level of understanding means they do not achieve as well as they should. The co-ordinator is aware of the low standards and has introduced the new approach to provide more challenge. This has not yet had time to fully impact on learning.

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Commentary

96. There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. The agreed syllabus is fully implemented and sufficient time is allocated for teaching. A new process of half-termly assessment, including a reflection sheet for pupils, has been introduced. Pupils have opportunities to visit a variety of places of worship, and there is a good range of religious artefacts for teachers to use. The leadership and management of this subject are satisfactory.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

97. No art and design lessons were seen during the inspection and a relatively small amount of pupils’ work was available for scrutiny. Therefore it is not possible to make secure judgements on the quality of teaching and learning or standards of work in the subject. Pupils’ work seen indicates there is an appropriate range of experiences and tasks made available by the school. The pupils also have opportunities to make their own choices and evaluate their own work and that of others.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

98. No lessons were seen in physical education during the inspection. The current building programme has severely affected outdoor activities, as there is no playing field. A variety of provision has been made to address this, including an extra swimming session for Year 5 pupils and extra indoor time for other year-groups. There is a good range of clubs, which enhance and enrich the curriculum. These include sports, dance, line dancing, football, gym and African dance. The last three are led by outside coaches. There are effective links to the local secondary school for tennis coaching and the co-ordinator attends borough-wide meetings. Until the building started, the school played competitive matches against other schools. The school was placed second in a recent indoors athletic competition.

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Design and technology

Provision for design and technology is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well. • They develop skills progressively through the school.

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Commentary

99. Pupils achieve well and standards are satisfactory by the end of Year 6. No judgement on standards was included in the previous report. The co-ordinator has led and managed the subject well. The range of models and other products demonstrates that skills are developed and built on systematically from year to year. The finished products and discussions with pupils show that the pupils take pride in their work and are able to select suitable materials, South Grove Primary School - 31 tools and techniques for the task in hand. Pupils work individually, in pairs and in groups to design, make and evaluate their products. Some of the products are linked with other areas of the curriculum, for example, history and literacy.

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Commentary

100. Teaching is good, and pupils learn well and make good progress. Teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge and lessons are well resourced to enable all pupils to enjoy success. Pupils are encouraged to discuss and explore ideas, make their own decisions within clearly explained tasks and develop their skills with increasing confidence. Pupils overall demonstrate a very good attitude towards their activities and are seen to take pride in their work.

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Commentary

101. The projects undertaken by each year group provide opportunities for pupils to understand the design and technology process while developing appropriate skills associated with designing and making. Design and technology makes a very good contribution to pupils' personal and social development because pupils are actively encouraged to work closely together, share ideas and help each other in designing and making the finished item. Year 6 pupils recognise the purpose and value of evaluation as an integral part at the design and technology process. In discussion pupils talk about how they make decisions about their design and then make modifications to make them better. Links with other subjects are clearly identified, such as mathematics, in the use of graphs to represent favourite foods also linked to work in PSHE on healthy eating.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well in their performance. • Teaching focuses the pupils’ attention on standards as well as ensuring they enjoy their lessons. • The specialist teacher is instituting very good changes to provision, which, together with her teaching, are already improving standards.

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Commentary

102. The very good provision has been maintained since the previous report. Overall, attainment at the ages of seven and 11 is in line with national expectations, while singing for those aged 11 is above the expected standard. Pupils listen with total concentration to a variety of musical genres and are beginning to comment on their qualities. At the age of seven, pupils perform on instruments and sing at a standard in line with expectations. However, by year 4, their singing has significantly improved, with strong volume, clear rhythm and tunefulness. They perform rounds with accuracy. This continues to Year 6. Pupils in Year 6 successfully play a variety of rhythms together, collaborating very well by listening hard to one another.

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Commentary

103. The quality of teaching provided by the specialist is very good. Her lessons teach pupils good techniques, for example in breathing, so that pupils raise the standard of their singing. Lessons are also well balanced, so that pupils have many opportunities to use percussion instruments. The teacher’s planning and organisation ensure that all pupils are very well included in having access to the very wide range of resources. These include some from different ethnic cultures, but not computer programs yet. Consequently, pupils thoroughly enjoy music and behave very well. Pupils with special educational needs or who are at the early stages of learning English achieve very well. All pupils gradually acquire good knowledge of musical terminology and enjoy demonstrating it. South Grove Primary School - 32 104. By taking sole responsibility for the subject, the specialist is providing a consistent approach

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Commentary

which promotes continuity and development of pupils’ skills. She has excellent plans for subject development, which include various extra-curricular activities and opportunities for all pupils to make the most of their musical talents. The specialist is also developing assessment so that she can plan to meet pupils’ needs.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

105. Throughout the school this area of learning is managed well and planned carefully in the curriculum and makes a strong contribution to pupils’ behaviour and the school’s ethos. Teachers value what pupils think and feel, helping pupils to develop their self-esteem. The teachers listen carefully to pupils’ ideas and show that they appreciate them, and the pupils like the opportunities for talking about their opinions.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

106. A particular strength of the school is the way in which children from a wide range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds work and play together. Lessons and assemblies very well foster this aspect of the school's life.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

107. The school takes very seriously its responsibilities in preparing the pupils to develop an understanding of society and the part they can play in it. As part of this work there is a regular programme of visits from representatives of the local community, who support the school in covering a wide range of topics that include bullying, road safety, ‘stranger danger’ and wider community issues of litter, vandalism and drugs awareness. South Grove Primary School - 33

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The overall effectiveness of the school 3

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

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2

Attendance 5 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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The quality of education provided by the school 3

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

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The leadership and management of the school 2

The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 1 The leadership of other key staff 2 The effectiveness of management 2

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The leadership and management of the school 2

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7). South Grove Primary School - 34

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