World's End Junior School

WORLD’S END JUNIOR SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 World’s End Junior School - 2 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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WORLD’S END JUNIOR SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. World’s End Junior School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Junior School category: Community Age range of pupils: 7 – 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 239

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: World’s End Lane Quinton Birmingham Postcode: B32 2SA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 0121 4645913 Fax number: 0121 4645912

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr D Harrison

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

World’s End Junior School is a similar size to an average sized primary school and has 239 pupils on roll that includes 12 pupils with visual impairment. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds and a small number are from minority ethnic backgrounds such as Asian. The proportion of pupils who start or leave the school at times other than usual is low. Pupils’ attainment on entry to Year 3 is broadly average. The school serves an area of below average socio-economic conditions. The percentage of pupils whose first language is believed not be English is high at ten per cent. None of these pupils are at an early stage of acquiring English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils entitled to a free school meal is average at 21 per cent. There are 18 per cent of pupils with special educational needs and this is average. The percentage of pupils with Statements of Special Educational Needs is well above average at six per cent. In addition to visual

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

impairment, pupils’ needs include: moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and behavioural difficulties and physical difficulties. The school makes designated provision for pupils with visual impairment and shares a resource base with the adjacent infant school.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is a member of an Excellence in Cities Education Action Zone that aims to raise pupils’ standards of achievement and broaden the curriculum through the provision of additional resources. It achieved a Healthy Schools award in 2002 and a Basic Skills Quality Mark in 2003. World’s End Junior School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

2592 Mr R Cheetham Lead inspector Mathematics Physical education Religious education English as an additional language Personal, social and health education and citizenship 19436 Mr M O’Malley Lay inspector 32901 Mrs C Tarpey Team inspector English Information and communication technology Geography History 32360 Mrs G Moreton Team inspector Science Art and design Design and technology Music Special educational needs 14943 Mr E Peagam Team inspector Provision for pupils with visual impairment

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Cambridge Education Associates Limited 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). World’s End Junior School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in subjects Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is an effective school, which gives good value for money. It includes all its pupils very well in its provision and has strong community links. Pupils reach broadly average standards of attainment and achieve well. Teaching and learning are good and the school is well led and managed.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Pupils achieve well in reading, speaking and listening, mathematics, science, information and communication technology and religious education • There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs including those with visual impairment • Pupils behave well and their personal development is now good • All pupils are included very well in what the school provides • The quality of teaching is good overall but there are wide variations and some lessons are too long, especially in Year 3 • Assessments of pupils’ progress are not used well enough in subjects other than English and mathematics • An extensive range of extra activities enhances the curriculum • There are very good links with parents, the community and other schools • It is well staffed with good resources and accommodation • It is well led and managed but planning beyond one year is not in enough detail and measures

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OVERALL EVALUATION

for evaluating success are not firmly linked to pupils’ achievement

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has progressed very well since its previous inspection. It has made very good progress on the key issues identified then. Provision in design and technology, music and physical education has improved and standards have been raised in physical education. The teaching of geography and history is properly planned. The library has been refurbished, pupils’ spiritual and cultural development has improved and there has been a sharp increase in extra activities. Pupils’ achievement has improved and standards are slightly higher than at the previous inspection.

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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 D C D D Mathematics E E E E Science D D E C 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

The table above shows that previous standards have mostly been below or well below average. However, over the last two years, standards in mathematics and science have improved steadily while those in English have declined slightly. The overall rate of improvement has kept pace with the national trend. Current pupils achieve well . By Year 6, pupils reach average standards in English and achieve satisfactorily. They reach average standards in science and above average standards in mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT). In these subjects, pupils achieve well. They also achieve well in religious education and reach standards above those expected in the locally agreed syllabus. In physical education, pupils reach average standards and achieve soundly. There is not enough inspection evidence to report on Year 6 standards in the remaining subjects. Pupils’ overall progress is now more even across the year groups than at the

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

World’s End Junior School - 7 previous inspection but remains initially slower in Year 3 partly because of pupils adjusting to their new school but also because the length of some lessons is not in keeping with their stage of development. Pupils learning English as an additional language make progress similar to that of others. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well and those with visual impairment achieve very well. The development of pupils’ personal qualities is good . Their spiritual and cultural development is good and their social and moral development is very good . They have good attitudes to school and behave well. Their attendance and punctuality are satisfactory.

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The school provides a good quality of education. The quality of teaching and learning is

good . Lessons are very well planned to meet pupils’ needs and teachers use a range of approaches to motivate pupils to learn together well. The skills of literacy and numeracy are taught well in other subjects. Skilled teaching assistants give pupils with special educational needs a good balance of challenge and support to encourage independence in learning. They work very effectively with class teachers and other adults to enable these pupils to play a full part in lessons. Teachers use resources very well to support pupils’ learning and this is particularly true of the use of ICT to increase pupils’ interest and motivation. Teachers generally have high expectations of their pupils, who respond and behave well. However, learning is unsatisfactory when there are too few changes of learning activity, the pace is slow or lessons are too long to keep the pupils interested throughout. The quality of teachers’ marking is sound but does not give enough guidance to pupils

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The school provides a good quality of education. The quality of teaching and learning is

on how to improve. Staff take good care of the pupils. They value pupils’ views and ensure that they have full access to the curriculum. Assessment records in subjects other than English and mathematics are not used effectively to set new challenges. The curriculum is enriched by a very good range of extra activities. The school has a very good partnership with parents so they can support their children’s education. There are very good links with the community and other schools which promote pupils’ achievement very well.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The quality of leadership and management is good . The headteacher has a very clear sense of purpose and has chosen the school’s priorities wisely. Responsibility is well delegated and staff work well in teams. Staff are deployed well and teachers have time allocated to support their management responsibilities. The provision for pupils with visual impairment is very well managed and that for other pupils with special educational needs is well managed. Staff and governors are firmly committed to the inclusion of all pupils in what the school offers. Governors fulfil their responsibilities soundly and enable the school to meet statutory requirements. There are detailed procedures for keeping the school under review but ways of judging its success are not sufficiently linked to pupils’ achievement. The school development plan lacks enough detail for planning over the next three years. Staff are inducted and trained very well and trainee staff are very well catered

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

for and add to the school’s teaching strengths.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and pupils think very highly of the school.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Improve the overall quality of teaching by remedying the weaknesses identified in this report • Reorganise the timetable for Year 3 pupils so that lessons are timed more flexibly to fit in with their pace of learning • Ensure that pupils’ attainment in subjects other than English and mathematics is assessed, recorded and used to improve their achievement • Plan the school’s improvement beyond one year in more detail and use success criteria that are explicitly linked to pupils’ achievement World’s End Junior School - 8

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Standards achieved in subjects

Pupils’ standards of attainment on entry are broadly average. They achieve well in most subjects reported on and reach mostly average standards by Year 6.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Year 6 pupils’ attainment is above average in mathematics, ICT and religious education • There has been recent improvement in pupils’ achievement in most subjects reported • Pupils with special educational needs achieve well and those with visual impairment achieve very well

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Commentary

1. In recent years, when compared to those of similar schools (those with a similar proportion of pupils entitled to a free school meal), standards in English have mostly been above average. In mathematics they were either average or below average and in science were mostly average. Last year from their starting points aged seven, pupils made unsatisfactory progress in English, poor progress in mathematics and satisfactory progress in science. In all three subjects, the proportion of pupils reaching the higher Level 5 was below the national average. In 2004, girls attained more highly than boys and this continued an improving trend which is maintained into the current year. Over the last four years, in comparison with national averages, standards in English have been mostly below average; in mathematics they were well below average and they were below average in science. English standards declined

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Commentary

slightly but those in mathematics and science have improved steadily. From 2001 to 2004, the school met its mathematics target for Year 6 attainment once and met or exceeded its English target each year. The overall rate of improvement has matched the national trend and in 2004, the value added points fell within the range for average attainment.

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Commentary

2. In the current Year 6, pupils’ attainment in English is average overall, although they attain more highly in speaking and listening and in reading than they do in writing. Their achievement in speaking and listening and reading is good and it is satisfactory in writing. In mathematics, there has been a marked improvement in attainment and an increase in the proportion of pupils working at the higher than expected level. Standards in probability and data handling are average. Overall in mathematics, pupils achieve well. In science, pupils reach average standards and achieve well, especially in science investigations. In ICT, pupils achieve well and reach above average standards in word processing and researching information. They reach average standards and achieve soundly in control and modelling. In religious education, pupils reach above standards expected in the locally agreed syllabus.

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Commentary

They achieve well in their knowledge and understanding of the major world faiths and are building up an appreciation of the importance of religion to people in their everyday lives.

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Commentary

3. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards their individual targets because clear, small steps for improvement are identified and taught consistently. They receive support from the special educational needs co-ordinator, the class teacher, teaching assistants and inclusion assistants to enable them regularly to meet their targets and set more challenging ones. The achievement in the core subjects (English, mathematics and science) of pupils with visual impairment is very good. They achieve better than their mainstream peers because they progress from below average to above average standards by the end of Year 6. They overcome the impact of their visual impairment by the speed at which they gain knowledge and conceptualise what they do not fully experience. There are World’s End Junior School - 9 few pupils learning English as an additional language. None are at an early stage of learning

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Commentary

English and all benefit from the good opportunities to practise their speaking and listening skills. Their achievement is in line with that of other pupils.

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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 26.1 (26.8) 26.9 (26.8) Mathematics 25.6 (25.4) 27.0 (26.8) Science 28.2 (27.3) 28.6 (28.6) There were 60 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are good. Their moral and social development is very good. Their spiritual and cultural development has improved since the previous inspection and is now good. Pupils’ attendance and punctuality are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils take a keen interest in their lessons and other school activities • The vast majority of pupils know what is expected of their behaviour and respond well • There are very good relationships amongst pupils • Pupils’ personal development is good • Attendance has improved since the previous inspection

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Commentary

4. Pupils like school. They work hard in lessons and are keen to take part in extra activities. The majority of pupils behave well. A minority have emotional and behavioural problems. They find it hard to concentrate for long periods in lessons and occasionally behave badly. Staff support them very well, so the school is orderly and pupils achieve well. The exclusion rate is higher than average, with fixed term exclusions exceeding those normally found. However, there were no permanent exclusions and the overall rate is appropriate to the school circumstances. Pupils with special educational needs are positive about the unobtrusive support the school provides. Relationships are positive and full of good humour. Other pupils work with them very effectively. This is especially true of pupils with visual impairment, who enjoy increased self-esteem. They become happier because of the progress they make and the relationships they have with staff and other pupils. They participate

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Commentary

enthusiastically in lessons and in other school activities. Their discussions with pupils and staff enable them to be aware of their own learning and to take responsibility for it.

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Commentary

5. Pupils are developing a sense of empathy and concern. Assemblies develop themes such as aspirations and dreams. They include stories, prayer and reflections to help pupils consider values and beliefs. Relationships are very good because the school is very effective at promoting respect for others. Pupils make sure no one is left out, and take particular care of those with visual impairment. There is some bullying and little racism. Both are quickly tackled. Pupils can distinguish clearly between right and wrong, and they are encouraged to think through the consequences of their actions. The older pupils have strong views on moral issues such as human rights.

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Commentary

6. The school grasps every opportunity to build pupils' self-esteem and helps them to understand their community responsibilities. Therefore all pupils develop confident attitudes to school. They are keen to take responsibility, as class ambassadors, house captains, or through the World’s End Junior School - 10 school council. They raise funds for charity, look after the school environment, and nominate each other for citizenship awards. 7. There are a good number of opportunities for pupils to learn about their own and other cultural traditions through visits and visitors, extra-curricular activities, and studies in class. The teachers encourage the pupils to learn from each other about different cultural experiences, and assemblies are used to celebrate religious festivals such as Divali and the Jewish New Year.

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Commentary

8. Attendance has improved since the previous inspection and is now satisfactory. The main reason for absence is illness, but too many pupils take holidays during term time and this interrupts their education. There are good procedures for monitoring and promoting attendance. Absence and lateness are monitored closely. Unexplained absence is followed up promptly. Good attendance is rewarded but unsatisfactory attendance as a result of term time holidays is not systematically discouraged.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.3 School data 0.2 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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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 185 6 0 White – any other White background 1 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 3 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 3 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 1 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 3 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 10 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 10 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 3 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 99 2 0 Black or Black British – African 2 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 2 0 0 World’s End Junior School - 11 Chinese 2 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 2 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. World’s End Junior School - 12

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a good education for its pupils and includes them very well in its enriched curriculum. Pupils are taught well and they are well cared for. The school has very good links with parents, the community and other schools.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is good overall but ranges from unsatisfactory to excellent. Assessment is good in English and mathematics but unsatisfactory in other subjects.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Lessons are well planned and teachers use a range of approaches to motivate all pupils • Pupils learn together well by co-operating in pairs and small groups • There are significant differences in the quality of teaching across the school • Skilled teaching assistants enable pupils to make good progress • Some lessons are not sufficiently well balanced or are too long to keep the pupils interested • Pupils with special educational needs are taught very effectively with a good balance of challenge and support • ICT is used well to support teaching and learning • Assessment records in subjects other than English and mathematics are not used effectively • The quality of marking is sound but does not give enough guidance to pupils on how to improve

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 47 lessons

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Main strengths and weaknesses

2 (4%) 12 (26%) 17 (36%) 13 (28%) 3 (6%) 0 0

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Main strengths and weaknesses

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

9. Pupils learn well because teachers plan carefully for their learning needs. Most lessons are well balanced and include a range of activities, which means that pupils’ interest is maintained and they learn well. For example, a Year 6 literacy lesson incorporated ICT, drama, music, story writing, discussions and independent reading. Teachers share the purpose of the lesson with pupils and in some lessons they encourage pupils to reflect on their own and each other’s work. In the best lessons, teachers give clear explanations and use questions effectively and this enables pupils to put new learning into practice. In these lessons, teachers set high expectations and pupils concentrate well and work at a good pace. In the two excellent lessons, teachers inspired pupils by their well informed and enthusiastic teaching. However, the quality of teaching varies across the school and three lessons were unsatisfactory. In

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Commentary

these, pupils did not make enough progress because the teaching was not sufficiently focused, the pace of learning was slow and work was not well matched to pupils’ abilities. In one case, this was due in part to the teacher not having planned the lesson. In some otherwise satisfactory lessons, pupils spend too long on one activity and, as a result, they lose interest for part of the time. This is particularly the case in some Year 3 lessons.

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Commentary

10. Teachers provide many opportunities for pupils to work in pairs and small groups and this enables them to learn from each other and develop good speaking and listening skills. This particularly benefits pupils learning English as an additional language. Teachers and teaching assistants manage the behaviour of pupils well. Pupils have positive attitudes to their work, behave well, enjoy lessons and co-operate well together. World’s End Junior School - 13 11. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is very good, with a good balance between challenge and support. Lesson planning takes good account of their needs. Pupils are supported well by skilled teaching assistants, who make sure that the pupils take a full part in the lessons by discussing, questioning, explaining and assisting them in recording. Pupils are fully included in discussions and teachers value their contributions. When

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Commentary

withdrawn from lessons, pupils with visual impairment and others with special educational needs work very effectively with teaching assistants and teachers. Pupils’ progress is assessed regularly and monitored towards the targets in their individual education plans. Teaching for pupils with visual impairment is consistently good in individual withdrawal sessions and is particularly good when teachers and teaching assistants work closely together. Teachers follow the co-ordinator’s advice on managing support and additional resources as well as providing for pupils’ specific learning needs. Occasionally, pupils do not work collaboratively with their peers and are paired with a teaching assistant instead. While resources are used very well, a few photocopied images lack clear definition. Teaching assistants are skilled and confident and, under the teachers’ guidance, undertake a full range of teaching, assessment and recording tasks well. The co-ordinator carefully monitors pupils’

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Commentary

progress through assessments in English and mathematics and their individual education plans. This individual assessment information is used very well in planning to address specific learning needs.

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Commentary

12. The school has a good range of ICT resources to support teaching and learning and teachers use these well. E-whiteboards (in a minority of classrooms there are screens linked to computers to generate images) add to the quality of teachers’ explanations and engage pupils’ interest. In a Year 6 religious education lesson, a multi-media introduction using an e- whiteboard and sound system contributed to the excellent teaching and learning. In a Year 4 science lesson, the teacher used the e-whiteboard to help pupils understand the relationship between the position of the sun and the length of shadows. E-whiteboards are used to involve pupils, as in a geography lesson when one pupil drew a route map for the rest of the class to evaluate. Pupils video their work in music and use the Internet well for research. Teachers use other resources well to support pupils’ learning. For instance, in English, teachers use

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Commentary

music to stimulate imaginative writing, and in physical education, there is enough equipment to give everyone a chance to practise.

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Commentary

13. Assessment procedures and the use of assessment information to monitor pupils’ progress are satisfactory. In mathematics and English, pupils’ progress is measured regularly throughout the year. This enables teachers to develop learning targets for pupils and to plan appropriately matched work. Individual writing targets are understood well by pupils and used effectively in lessons. However, this is not the case for mathematics and reading targets. Teachers mark work regularly but pupils have little opportunity to follow up the teachers’ suggestions and are not involved in sharing and discussing these assessments. The assessments made in the remaining subjects are not yet in place in enough detail to enable teachers regularly to match the work to pupils’ levels of ability. For example, in a geography lesson, some of the pupils found the task too complex because it did not reflect their mapping

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The curriculum

The school provides a good range of activities and experiences to help pupils learn. It covers the requirements of the National Curriculum and religious education and includes a good range of learning opportunities out of school hours that significantly enriches the curriculum. The school has good accommodation and resources.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Apart from religious education, all subjects are now planned from the National Curriculum Programmes of Study, and curriculum planning is good • There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and all pupils are included very well in its activities World’s End Junior School - 14 • The school provides very well for pupils’ personal, social and health education • Staff have made significant improvements to extra activities since the previous inspection • Pupils are well supported by the overall good levels of staff, accommodation and resources • The timetable for Year 3 pupils has a minority of lessons that are too long for them to maintain their interest and concentration

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Commentary

14. The school provides a broad curriculum and has ensured that the shortcomings in subject coverage at the previous inspection have been put right. Coverage of history and geography is now satisfactory and the additional time allocated to physical education is well spent and in tune with the specific learning needs of the pupils. The balance of lesson time is still in favour of developing pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills and this is in line with the school’s priority to raise pupils’ achievement in English and mathematics. Additional time given to improving pupils’ mental mathematics skills each day or to improving their writing and reading skills is helping to ensure their achievement. The time set aside for assemblies and collective worship is soundly used for reflection and singing practice.

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Commentary

15. The school provides very well for pupils with special educational needs. They have full access to learning and this is an improvement since the previous inspection. They play a full part in lessons because staff plan work that is well matched to their needs and use good resources. Provision for pupils through individual education programmes is very good because teaching assistants support their learning very well and encourage their independence. For instance, in a physical education lesson, teaching assistants joined in the activity to provide good models and assist less able pupils in developing their ball skills. Curriculum planning for pupils with visual impairment is very good, especially in relation to their literacy difficulties. They have full access to the National Curriculum and religious education; the school works effectively to remove any barriers to their learning and none are

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Commentary

disapplied from national testing. Their individual curriculum is guided by high quality individual education plans used for teachers’ planning. When these pupils are withdrawn from class, high quality support in basic skills is timetabled to ensure no loss of curriculum entitlement through missing lessons in other subjects. A comprehensive programme of skills, including the use of low-vision aids, is in place. There is a large, attractive, dedicated resource base for withdrawal support where resources are stored accessibly. Pupils’ learning opportunities are very well enhanced by the use of additional technology, including repeater screens and writing machines.

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Commentary

16. There is a comprehensive programme of work to develop pupils’ personal, social and health education. Timetabled lessons, which include sex and relationships education, drug and alcohol abuse, are supplemented with activities outside class. In physical education lessons, pupils learn about the effects of exercise on their bodies. In circle time, pupils sit in a circle to discuss issues of concern with staff and their peers. At lunchtime, they are encouraged to eat healthily and activities such as the school council encourage a sense of responsibility towards others. This provision ensures that pupils are developing confidence and considering options carefully. They are learning to play an active role as citizens, and they are developing a healthy lifestyle.

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Commentary

17. The previous inspection noted hardly any extra activities. Now these start before school, continue through lunchtime and finish after school. They involve expertise from the community, such as the Quinzone Education Action Zone, very well, and school staff, including the headteacher, take responsibility for leading some activities. Staff take pupils on visits linked to their school work, pupils enjoy cultural, artistic and sporting opportunities and visitors to school give an added dimension to pupils’ education. A good example of this is the work by an artist in residence, who worked with pupils to paint eye-catching murals around the

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Commentary

school. The overall effect is to increase pupils’ interest in what school has to offer, extend World’s End Junior School - 15 their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and provide them with extra opportunities to excel.

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Commentary

18. The school has a good level of teaching staff and a very good level of trained classroom support staff, which is augmented by staff in training. The school uses this staffing well to support and extend the learning of pupils with special educational needs by adapting the curriculum as described above. This provision also allows class teachers to work to good effect with other pupils by teaching in small groups and setting pupils by their level of attainment in mathematics. There are generally good levels of resourcing, which staff use well so that pupils can practise without waiting too long for their turn. The good quality accommodation is used well. For instance, because there is a separate dining room, pupils can use the hall for extra activities at lunchtime and the rooms set aside for mathematics and ICT enable some specialist teaching to take place.

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Commentary

19. The school organises its timetable mostly in blocks of one hour. When lessons are varied in pace and activity, this allows older pupils especially to pursue themes of work such as investigative science or extended writing to good effect. In some lessons for Year 3 pupils, this lesson time is too long for them to maintain optimum levels of interest and concentration and their pace of learning slows. Examples of this are in religious education, science, mathematics, geography and ICT.

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Care, guidance and support

Arrangements to ensure pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety are good. The provision for pupils’ support and guidance is good and the school involves pupils very well in its decision making.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school takes good care of pupils and takes very good account of their views • There is very good support for pupils with special educational needs, and excellent support for pupils with emotional and behavioural problems • There are good arrangements for monitoring and supporting pupils’ achievements in English and mathematics, but systems for monitoring their progress in other subjects are unsatisfactory

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Commentary

20. The school takes very good care of pupils' medical, social and emotional needs. The teachers make sure that pupils are secure and confident in their learning. There are effective procedures for child protection. The arrangements for health and safety are satisfactory, but procedures are not systematically audited. The school promotes healthy and safe living very well. There is good first aid coverage and pupils are supervised well. The school checks the premises for hazards and makes necessary improvements. The procedures for risk assessment are currently under review and being improved. There are very good arrangements to help new pupils settle into school. Pupils are confident there is someone to turn to if they have problems and the school takes very good account of their views and concerns through regular questionnaires, the school council and class discussions.

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Commentary

21. Pupils’ personal development is monitored very effectively. The teachers and staff know the pupils very well and they are quick to note where pupils need extra help. They provide many opportunities for pupils to build confidence and practise their social skills. Pupils’ achievements are regularly celebrated and this motivates them to improve further. There is excellent support for pupils with emotional and behavioural problems, including the mentoring programme, behaviour workshops, the fun club and counselling. World’s End Junior School - 16 22. Based on their individual education plans, there are well kept records for checking the progress of pupils with special educational needs. Pupils who need extra help are given very good support. There are additional programmes in literacy and mathematics. Setting of pupils by their level of attainment in mathematics helps their good progress. Teaching

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Commentary

assistants are trained well and give very good additional support. Arrangements for support and guidance for visually impaired pupils are very good. Their academic and personal development is carefully monitored. Very effective support in lessons is well augmented by ‘on-demand’ access to additional support, including opportunities to share experiences with other visually impaired pupils from other classes. Staff encourage them to participate fully as playground buddies (pupils who befriend others) and class ambassadors, and they contribute well to school life. While they usually share playground activities successfully with other pupils, for those who choose there are alternative arrangements at lunchtime to enable them to play in a protected environment.

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Commentary

23. Monitoring of pupils’ progress in English and mathematics is good. There are good systems for assessing and tracking pupils’ year on year progress. This information is used to set targets which pupils use to assess and improve their work. These targets are discussed with parents. However, there are unsatisfactory systems for monitoring progress in other subjects, partly because most systems are new. Teachers do not use assessment information to track pupils’ progress and so the school has no precise way of monitoring and improving pupils’ development of skills and knowledge in these subjects. No targets for improvement are set and this impedes their progress.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has a very good partnership with parents, which enables them to support their children’s education. There are very good links with the community and other schools, which promote pupils’ achievement very well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides very good information for parents about the school and their children’s progress • The school works closely with parents so they can support their children very well • Pupils’ education and personal development is enriched very well through links with the community and other schools

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Commentary

24. The school keeps parents very well informed about what is going on through newsletters, notices and meetings. The combined prospectus and governors’ annual report provides a good summary of the school's aims, provision and achievements. There are very good arrangements for keeping parents informed about their children’s progress, and end of year reports are good.

p.16

Commentary

25. Parents are encouraged to raise concerns and the school is quick to involve them when there are problems. Parents are confident that the school takes good account of their suggestions and the school regularly surveys their views. There are very good arrangements for introducing parents and their children to the school. There are very good links with parents of pupils with special educational needs and they are closely involved in reviews. The school attracts several pupils from outside the catchment area because of its reputation for very good provision for pupils with special educational needs. Parents of pupils with visual impairment receive very good guidance. Through the very well managed joint arrangements with the infant school for the Resource Base for pupils with visual impairment, pupils receive continuity of support. This continues when they leave the junior school because of the quality of links

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Commentary

with receiving schools and support services. World’s End Junior School - 17 26. Parents are involved very well through open afternoons and courses. Many parents work with their children at numeracy and literacy workshops. Some parents help in school and join their children for special lunch days. Parents' consultation evenings are very well attended and many parents support their children at assemblies and events such as sports day and the football tournament. They encourage their children to take part in out of hours activities. There are plans for a community room and a joint parents’ group with the infant school.

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Commentary

27. The school receives a significant range of community funding, and this is used very effectively to provide additional staff, to enrich pupils’ education and to develop the partnership with parents and the community. The Education Business Partnership organises a wide range of activities and projects for pupils. The pupils have worked on a music and science project with Birmingham Symphony Hall. They visit museums, exhibitions and other places of historical interest. Many visitors to the school, including authors, artists and musicians, broaden pupils’ first hand experience and significantly raise their interest in learning. Community representatives, such as West Midlands Police and the Birmingham City Mission, contribute to the personal, social, and health education programme. There are good links with local churches, and pupils swim at Harborne Pool.

p.17

Commentary

28. There is close liaison with Hillcrest Secondary School for pupil transfer, and for projects such as the Maths Challenge and Science Day. Four Dwellings and Baverstock High Schools support developments in physical education. Year 4 pupils have visited King David and Anderton Park Primary Schools to mix with pupils from different backgrounds. The pupils compete with local schools in football tournaments. There is a good partnership with the University of Central England and Newman College for initial teacher training, and Bourneville College and Birmingham College of Food and Tourism runs courses for parents. There is a very effective partnership with the infant school, which supports pupils’ development and smoothes their transfer to junior school.

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The quality of leadership and management is good. The headteacher leads the school well and is well supported by senior staff. Together, they manage the school well. The school is soundly governed.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has a very clear sense of purpose and has chosen the school’s priorities wisely • Responsibility is delegated well and staff work well in teams to improve the school • Staff are deployed well and have time allocated to support their management responsibilities • The provision for pupils with visual impairment is very well managed and that for other pupils with special educational needs is well managed • Staff and governors are firmly committed to the inclusion of all pupils in what the school offers • There are detailed procedures for keeping the school under review but ways of judging their success are not always linked to pupils’ achievement • The school development plan lacks enough detail for planning over the next three years • Staff are inducted and trained very well and staff in training are very well catered for

p.17

Commentary

29. The headteacher leads the school with a combination of attention to detail and broad oversight. She is a significant presence around the school, welcoming the pupils on entry, checking on their progress in classrooms and leading staff and pupils by example. Working with the deputy headteacher, she bases her choice of school improvement priorities on accurate analyses of pupils’ achievements in English, mathematics and science. These form the core of the school’s drive for improvement, which has seen increasing success over the last three years. Other priorities are informed by the previous inspection report and close attention to this has resulted in very good improvement on the Key Issues identified then. She World’s End Junior School - 18 works well with governors and ensures that they are well informed about school developments. They have a good idea of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and are

p.17

Commentary

soundly organised to carry out their statutory duties. Their involvement in development planning and in checking on best value judgements is satisfactory. They support the school’s efforts well and hold it to account over issues such as pupil exclusions.

p.18

Commentary

30. Teaching staff carry leadership and management responsibilities well and help the school run smoothly. Those responsible for co-ordinating subjects generally do so well. In line with school priorities, they keep staff informed, lead training and monitor pupil outcomes. The main thrust is improvement in English, mathematics and science and a good example of team work in this is the effectiveness of support for literacy so that skills are promoted well across the curriculum. Staff also ensure that other subjects get their fair share of attention. There is a good match between teachers’ interest and expertise and this results in personal enthusiasm and expert subject knowledge (such as in ICT and physical education), which are features of better quality lessons. This has helped to promote the school’s broad curriculum. The management of provision for all pupils with special educational needs benefits for the

p.18

Commentary

effective working relationship between the two co-ordinators and their well-defined responsibilities. This ensures the effectiveness of overall provision without duplication. The special educational needs co-ordinator regularly audits pupils’ needs, maintains the record effectively and manages an extensive range of additional support staff. The co-ordinator for support for pupils with visual impairment is well-qualified, knowledgeable and experienced. Support staff are well-trained and deployed and she has provided training for all staff in meeting the needs of visually impaired pupils. She carefully monitors pupils’ progress and the provision when they are withdrawn from class. She monitors some in-class support but only when she works jointly with staff and so does not have a complete picture of provision.

p.18

Commentary

31. The staff and governors are determined that all pupils should have access to what the school provides. This lies behind the development of extended provision such as the breakfast club. They ensure that resources are allocated in line with needs and provide an increasing number of school clubs to keep pace with rising demand. No one is excluded from these clubs or school visits on grounds of cost. Additional staff are deployed to encourage improved attendance and to provide well-targeted support for pupils to raise their achievement or overcome any barriers to learning. Looking to the future, the school has been allocated additional funding to build a lift to allow disabled access to the upper floor.

p.18

Commentary

32. The school has extensive procedures for keeping most aspects of its activities under review. These principally include monitoring of pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching and learning. Both of these are linked to the improvements the school is making to pupils’ achievement. There is also regular monitoring of the school development plan but most of the outcomes are related to improvements in what the school provides, for example additional resources rather than their impact on pupils’ achievement. The development plan has a good structure, is properly costed and is a joint staff effort. Governors have satisfactory oversight and make their own suggestions through the annual questionnaire to Governors, issued by the headteacher. The headteacher works well with the school bursar and the finance committee to manage the school budget in line with its priorities. The larger than usual carry

p.18

Commentary

forward is to sustain staffing levels, make further improvements to ICT provision and to finance any recommendations made from this inspection. The development plan covers all subjects and has separate sections for features such as the assessment of pupils’ learning. It contains enough detail to guide the school over one year but planning beyond this is unsatisfactory and gives only a broad indication of how the school will progress further.

p.18

Commentary

33. The deputy headteacher has an important role in staff induction and subsequent training. This helps staff new to the school to settle in quickly and make a good contribution. The school also supports the training of teaching assistants, who provide additional support to groups of pupils as their expertise increases. It is also a regular venue for teachers in training and several of the current staff were formerly part of this provision. In the most effective lessons, these additional adults in class work as part of effective teaching teams led by class teachers. There is a well-organised programme of staff development informed by the system of World’s End Junior School - 19 performance management, which is also closely linked with pupils’ progress. For instance, the headteacher’s targets are related to school targets for pupils’ attainment.

p.18

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 851,430 Balance from previous year 58,335 Total expenditure 815,749 Balance carried forward to the next 35,681

p.19

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

Expenditure per pupil 3,357 World’s End Junior School - 20

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well in speaking and listening and in reading • Pupils make slower progress in spelling, handwriting and punctuation • The quality of teaching and learning is good overall with some very good teaching in Years 5 and 6 • Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning • Pupils do not have the opportunity to act on teachers’ marking comments • The co-ordinator leads the subject well

p.20

Commentary

34. Since the previous inspection, the school has made satisfactory improvements to the provision in English. By the end of Year 6, standards of work are broadly average and achievement is satisfactory overall. Pupils with special educational needs achieve in line with their peers. In Year 6, pupils’ attainment in speaking and listening is above the standards expected nationally and they achieve well. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. Teachers encourage pupils to become confident speakers by giving them opportunities to talk to the whole class as well as in pairs. For example, in a Year 5 ICT lesson, one pupil explained to the class how to create a flow chart for making a light flash on and off at different speeds. Pupils enjoy a good range of speaking and listening activities both in English lessons and in other subjects. This supports the development of pupils learning

p.20

Commentary

English as an additional language very well. In a very good Year 5 science lesson, pupils worked in pairs to discuss how to plan an investigation and used correct scientific language when presenting their ideas to the rest of the class.

p.20

Commentary

35. Pupils achieve well in reading. Standards have improved since the previous inspection and are above those expected nationally by Year 6. Pupils enjoy reading and regularly borrow books to read at home. Pupils in Year 6 read fluently and can talk enthusiastically about their favourite authors. Younger pupils can explain why they like particular books; for example, a Year 3 boy mentioned, “This writer has a good imagination like me.” The library has been improved since the previous inspection and is timetabled so that all pupils regularly use the books and computers. As a result, pupils have good research skills and older pupils can use the library classification system to locate information books. Year 6 pupils know the layout of reference books and about how features such as sub-headings help the reader to pick out the main facts. Pupils are confident in using the Internet for research, as in a Year 4 lesson when

p.20

Commentary

pupils worked well in pairs to find out about Aztec gods. The school has a very good range of fiction books and pupils listen to taped stories using headphone sets.

p.20

Commentary

36. Standards of writing in Year 6 are broadly average and pupils achieve soundly. The school is working hard to make improvements. Pupils use rich and varied language to interest the reader and can write for different purposes and audiences. They understand and use technical terms to describe different language features. For example, in a very good Year 5 lesson, the teacher discussed how rhetorical questions could be used as part of persuasive writing. As a result, one pupil included the question “Surely you should know that rubbish attracts rats and rats spread diseases?” as part of an article on improving wasteland. Teachers encourage pupils to reflect on their work and use drafting books to refine their writing. ICT is used effectively to produce final drafts of work. Pupils enjoy writing and talk enthusiastically about writing stories at home. However, the standards of pupils’ spelling and

p.20

Commentary

punctuation do not match those of the content and structure of their work. The school is World’s End Junior School - 21 aware of this and has recently introduced a more consistent approach to the teaching of punctuation and spelling. Year 6 pupils’ handwriting is below the standard expected nationally and the school plans improvements.

p.20

Commentary

37. Teachers plan lessons together and most lessons are lively and imaginative. Pupils are interested and learn well. In writing lessons, teachers spend part of the time sharing pieces of work with pupils and explaining clearly how to make improvements. The best lessons are well structured and pupils are expected to complete tasks within a given time limit. For example, in a Year 6 lesson, the teacher played an extract of music and challenged pupils to think of words to describe emotions inspired by it. Each class has an “ambitious word of the week” display to extend pupils’ vocabulary, make good links between reading and writing and improve comprehension. Teachers write helpful comments when marking work but pupils are not given the opportunity to make the suggested improvements. Pupils have individual targets for writing, to which teachers refer during the lessons, but pupils do not fully understand or use

p.21

Commentary

their reading targets. There are daily reading lessons, which teachers use effectively by working with small groups to develop their reading skills. Teaching assistants help lower attaining pupils to develop reading skills by demonstrating strategies for reading unfamiliar words and asking pupils to predict story endings. They make sure lower-attaining pupils contribute to class discussions, for example, by recording their ideas on a whiteboard. Pupils with visual impairment have enlarged texts for reading and use computers to record their ideas.

p.21

Commentary

38. English has a very high priority and the co-ordinator is knowledgeable and very committed to raising standards. She has set up very good systems for monitoring pupils’ progress and has observed lessons and examined pupils’ books. She makes good use of this information to plan how English teaching should develop across the school. The co-ordinator has led staff training sessions and this has contributed to improvements in standards. The headteacher and the co-ordinator organise the part time deployment of the Education Action Zone teacher, who currently supports pupils well in Years 4 and 6. Resources have improved since the previous inspection and the co-ordinator manages these well.

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

39. All pupils have the opportunity to practise writing in other subjects, which helps their understanding and competence. Very good use of literacy is made in history when pupils complete extended writing projects such as writing a Tudor play and producing an information book on Romans for younger pupils. Planning for most subjects identifies how teachers will develop speaking and listening skills. As a result, these skills are developed well in many lessons, particularly through the use of work in pairs and class discussions.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well • All pupils are very well included in what the school offers • The quality of teaching and learning is good • The subject is well managed

p.21

Commentary

40. By the end of Year 6, pupils reach above average standards and this accelerates the trend of improved results over the last two years. Pupils have good standards of numeracy and explain how they calculate their answers confidently. Higher-attaining pupils can compare World’s End Junior School - 22 and use decimals, fractions and percentages and calculate to two places of decimals. They understand negative numbers and measure angles to single degrees. They reach average levels of attainment in data handling and can interpret straight line graphs. Average-attaining pupils can collect and record data but make slower progress in understanding probability.

p.21

Commentary

41. The general level of achievement is good and has improved for several reasons. The school uses its information on pupils’ progress to group them by their level of attainment and matches the teaching well to their learning needs. It provides additional support for different groups of pupils such as those likely to reach average standards with extra help. Teachers expect a lot of all pupils by setting challenging work, especially for those likely to attain highly. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and are very well supported by skilled teaching assistants. The school provides very well for pupils with visual impairment by using very good resources such as additional computer screens. These pupils make very good progress but, in isolated cases, printed resources lack sufficient definition to enable these pupils to use them effectively. Additional staff give them a very well-balanced level of support

p.22

Commentary

and challenge to enable them to learn independently. All pupils have very good access to the mathematics curriculum.

p.22

Commentary

42. Teachers plan their work very well and have clear expectations of what the pupils will learn in each lesson. This enables pupils to fit what they learn into what they already know. Teachers use resources very well so that the youngest pupils can better understand abstract concepts. Teachers use e-whiteboards very skilfully to focus pupils’ attention and generate high levels of interest. Pupils also use ICT to generate graphs and pie charts. Teachers manage additional staff very well by sharing lesson plans so that they have a clear idea how best to support small groups of pupils. Lessons have a good structure and support pupils’ development of numeracy skills by regular practice. This is augmented by “morning maths” sessions, which are regular opportunities for pupils to extend their number skills during and shortly after registration. Teachers encourage pupils to discuss their work in pairs or small groups so that

p.22

Commentary

they can exchange their ideas and develop deeper understanding. Teachers follow up these short discussions with shrewd questioning to establish how pupils are progressing. Pupils respond well by concentrating and behaving well and working at a good pace. This balance of teaching methods also encourages pupils’ social and moral development because they learn to co-operate and value one another’s contributions. Occasionally, teaching does not ask enough of pupils and the pace of a few lessons is too slow and lacks the sharp, assured focus on improvement of most others. Although all pupils have targets for them to achieve written in their books, they are not related closely enough to their subsequent work for them to be effective. Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work has recently improved and there are some suggestions as to how pupils might improve. Unfortunately these are not being followed up and so lack impact.

p.22

Commentary

43. The school has improved very well since the previous inspection. The subject co-ordinator has a good grasp of the standards pupils achieve through her monitoring and evaluation activities. She leads and organises staff training and has developed a uniform method for pupils to record their work that is helping them improve. This is because they are beginning to jot down how they worked out their answers as well as presenting them neatly. The co- ordinator analyses pupils’ past performance in tests and uses this information with teachers to remedy learning weaknesses.

p.22

Mathematics across the curriculum

44. Pupils are developing their mathematical skills well in other subjects such as when they measure, estimate and display their results graphically in science or use and interpret graphs in geography. They practise their speaking and listening skills well in mathematics lessons. World’s End Junior School - 23

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ attainment has improved since the previous inspection • The quality of teaching and learning, particularly of investigations, is good • The assessment and tracking of pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory • The subject is well led

p.23

Commentary

45. The school has made good progress since the previous inspection. Pupils’ attainment has improved and is now average and they achieve well, especially in investigative skills. This is due to the improved quality of teaching and learning.

p.23

Commentary

46. Pupils’ standards of attainment continue to rise steadily. By Year 6, pupils have a very clear understanding of fixed and variable factors in designing an investigation and can construct charts and graphs to record their results. These skills are well planned and taught. In Year 3, pupils enter data onto prepared grids, in Year 4 more able pupils are beginning to construct their own grids and graphs, and by Year 6, pupils use a range of skills to record their investigations. Pupils use correct scientific words to describe what they see, to provide explanations and to make predictions. However, there are some aspects of the science curriculum, such as the changes which occur when we exercise, which do not build sufficiently on what the pupils already know.

p.23

Commentary

47. Teachers plan well and most lessons are led at a brisk pace. The exception to this is in Year 3 where lessons are too long to sustain pupils’ concentration. Work is effectively matched to the differing needs of all pupils. There is a range of activities and a good balance between whole-class, individual and group work. Teachers encourage a continuing dialogue with pupils throughout the lessons. This develops their speaking and listening skills and keeps them well motivated. Teachers offer clear explanations and well-resourced demonstrations to help pupils to understand some complex scientific ideas. In Year 6 and Year 4 lessons, teachers use e-whiteboards effectively to stimulate initial interest, to maintain concentration and to help with revision. In Year 5, the teacher amusingly used a wet sock to focus pupils’ attention on rates of evaporation. Appropriate resources and very good teaching assistants

p.23

Commentary

enable pupils with special educational needs and those with visual impairment to take full part in investigations and make good progress. Pupils work well in pairs and groups and help each other to learn. In Year 6, very good open questioning enables pupils to give their own explanations of scientific processes. Pupils assess each other’s work and this develops understanding of their own. Teachers assess pupils’ attainment every half term to check their progress. However, they do not use this information to plan subsequent work or to monitor how well they are achieving from their starting points.

p.23

Commentary

48. The co-ordinator has improved the teaching of investigations through staff training and this has improved pupils’ investigative skills and encouraged their positive attitudes to the subject. She has purchased a good range of resources and organises them effectively. There are science displays in classrooms and around the school to give pupils further opportunities for learning. She monitors teaching and learning through work sampling and classroom observations. She examines pupils’ test papers and monitors teachers’ assessments of pupils’ attainment but does not fully analyse this to evaluate the progress of different year groups. World’s End Junior School - 24

p.23

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Provision and standards of attainment have improved since the previous inspection • Well-planned lessons give pupils the opportunity to develop a range of skills • In some classes, the time in the computer suite is not used effectively • Teachers do not use assessment information to plan future work • Pupils have very good attitudes and work well together • The subject is well resourced and managed

p.24

Commentary

49. By the end of Year 6, standards are above average and pupils achieve well. This is an improvement since the previous inspection when standards were broadly average. Pupils enjoy ICT and use a variety of programs. They are confident in the use of ICT for word processing and researching information. By the end of Year 6, most pupils can edit and save work, send emails, copy and paste information from different sources and use spreadsheets to record and analyse data. Some higher-attaining pupils use PowerPoint to create their own presentations. Most Year 6 pupils can evaluate websites and understand the practical applications of ICT. Pupils are starting to use ICT for control and modelling but this is less well developed.

p.24

Commentary

50. The overall quality of teaching and learning is broadly satisfactory. In the best lessons, teachers ensure that pupils work productively by planning the lessons carefully. Lessons in the computer suite begin with direct teaching and the teacher (or in some cases a pupil) demonstrates what to do. This means that most pupils can begin their work confidently and enables the teacher and teaching assistants to work with those experiencing difficulties. In some lessons, time is not used effectively, for example when the teacher’s explanation is too long or the pupils are waiting for support. In a Year 3 lesson, pupils took it in turns to access the computer, which meant that some learning time was wasted. Most lessons are better organised so that pupils can work collaboratively and in this way they support and learn effectively with each other. Teaching assistants help pupils to understand the tasks and read

p.24

Commentary

instructions whilst enabling them to become independent in their ICT skills. In some lessons, teaching assistants improve the learning of higher-attaining pupils by setting them more challenging tasks after completing those set by the teacher. In the computer suite, pupils with visual impairment use a modified keyboard and monitor and in this way they participate fully in ICT lessons.

p.24

Commentary

51. Teachers complete records of activities covered by each pupil and pupils create an individual electronic record of all their work. Pupils have some opportunities to reflect on their learning, for example in one lesson pupils filled in a checklist to record their success in creating different types of speech bubbles. Detailed assessment recording systems have recently been put in place, but most teachers are not using these to plan for the next steps in pupils’ learning.

p.24

Commentary

52. The co-ordinator oversees teachers’ planning and curriculum development and he provides good quality support to colleagues through his leadership of the ICT team. The co-ordinator has built up a portfolio of work samples and the electronic “pass-it-on-files” enable him to access all pupils’ work. The recently introduced assessment system enables the co-ordinator to track a sample of pupils’ progress over time and he is using this to set targets for groups of pupils within each class. The subject is very well resourced. The school runs a successful computer club and organises accredited training courses for parents. Teachers and classroom assistants have all undertaken training in ICT and have a good knowledge of the World’s End Junior School - 25 subject. The school makes good use of the technical support provided through the Education Action Zone funding.

p.24

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

53. The co-ordinator supports teachers in planning opportunities for ICT across the curriculum. All pupils use the Internet for research and this supports their learning in other subjects. Pupils use spreadsheets to record information in mathematics, science and geography. Teachers use the newly installed e-whiteboards with confidence and effectively focus pupils’ attention. For example, in a geography lesson, the teacher displayed a map showing the climate in different parts of the world to help pupils see how to use similar maps in their books.

p.25

HUMANITIES

54. Religious education is reported on fully and geography and history were sampled.

p.25

HUMANITIES

55. Work in geography and history is not reported in full because too little evidence was available to make secure judgements on provision and Year 6 attainment. Two lessons were seen in geography and teachers’ plans, pupils’ work and classroom displays were examined in both subjects. Older pupils were interviewed about their work in geography.

p.25

HUMANITIES

56. Geography is taught as separate lessons, and ICT and English lessons sometimes have a geographical focus. For example, Year 5 pupils used an electronic database to record traffic in the local High Street and Year 4 pupils produced an information sheet on rivers. Year 6 pupils have a good understanding of how improvements in education, health and farming would affect life in the Indian village of Chembakolli and they know about the differences between their lives in England and those of children in this area. In the two Year 3 lessons seen, the quality of teaching and learning was satisfactory. Most pupils could use atlases and globes to find out about the climate in different parts of the world. However, pupils spent too long on one activity, which resulted in some becoming restless and unable to concentrate. There is little recorded work to show pupils’ progress in geographical skills and work in books

p.25

HUMANITIES

and on display is not well presented. Leadership of the subject is unsatisfactory. The co- ordinator‘s limited monitoring does not impact on the subject and does not make use of teachers’ records to plan improvements. Resources for geography are satisfactory and teaching programmes now meet the requirements of the National Curriculum.

p.25

HUMANITIES

57. Pupils are enthusiastic about history because learning activities are varied and interesting. This is an improvement since the previous inspection when history teaching relied heavily on worksheets. During Year 3 pupils’ study of Ancient Egypt, they enjoyed the opportunity to cook flatbread, make and dress up in costumes of the time and create some Ancient Egyptian-style writing. During the inspection week, Year 4 pupils visited Cadbury’s World to investigate the history of chocolate making. Staff augment the time allocation for history by developing pupils’ historical knowledge and understanding through producing history project books in English and researching historical data in ICT lessons. Pupils’ work in dance and design and technology is often linked to their current work in history. There are displays and timelines which give pupils further opportunities for learning. The new co-ordinator leads the

p.25

HUMANITIES

subject well. She has monitored provision and she has identified the development and assessment of pupils’ historical skills as an area for improvement. The subject is well resourced and teaching programmes now meet the requirements of the National Curriculum.

p.25

Religious education

Provision in religious education is good .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well and reach above expected standards by Year 6 • Teaching is always thorough and sometimes inspiring World’s End Junior School - 26 • The subject is well managed and provision has improved significantly • The assessment of pupils’ progress is unsatisfactory

p.25

Commentary

58. By Year 6, pupils have received a thorough grounding in all aspects of the curriculum as outlined in the locally agreed syllabus and achieve well in their knowledge and understanding. Pupils have developed a good understanding of the major world faiths and in particular those represented amongst the pupils. Through this they are building up an appreciation of the importance of religion to people in their everyday lives. They can compare the symbols and ceremonies of different faiths and through this develop reflection, tolerance, understanding and responsibility. In this way, religious education makes a strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

p.26

Commentary

59. The overall quality of teaching is good. During the inspection, two lessons in Year 3 were seen, in which the quality of teaching and learning was satisfactory. Other inspection evidence, such as talking with pupils about their work and examining their books, indicates that the usual quality of teaching is higher than this in Year 3 and in other year groups. Work is well planned and pupils take care with their layout and recording. Their responses are thoughtful and perceptive. However, the hour long lesson for religious education is sometimes too long for the younger pupils, whose attention spans do not match this timescale without significant changes in pace and activity. The Year 3 lessons did not have enough of these and pupils made only satisfactory progress in understanding the complex issues being considered. In the Year 6 lesson, the quality of teaching and learning was excellent. The

p.26

Commentary

extensive use of the e-whiteboard and sound system created an emotive atmosphere for learning that provoked extensive, well-managed discussions and thoughtful responses about the responsibility mankind has towards our inheritance of the world. One pupil noted sombrely that Man was the most dangerous being on the planet and the one with greatest responsibility. The joint class lesson featured readings from three teachers about the Christian story of Creation and they worked as an effective team to manage the discussion with the pupils. This helped all pupils to take part and there was special provision for visually impaired pupils to give them full access to the curriculum. This enabled them to achieve very well. Although pupils’ written outcomes fell short of the quality of their verbal contributions, they showed a full understanding of the issues.

p.26

Commentary

60. The subject co-ordinator has helped to improve the quality of provision since the previous inspection so that teaching in Years 3 and 4 now has a stronger religious education focus rather than a written English bias as previously. Pupils’ achievement has improved and the representation of faiths other than Christianity has improved significantly. The co-ordinator has a good understanding of the quality of provision through her work scrutinies, support of teachers’ planning and from working alongside them and observing teaching and learning. She sets a good personal example by promoting the subject well through a wide range of visits and visitors to the school. The former include a Year 6 visit to Birmingham Cathedral as part of a wider theme of pilgrimage. The latter take in the observance of Hindu and Islamic festivals, supported by the parents and pupils who practise these religions. The co-ordinator

p.26

Commentary

has enhanced the resources and uses these to maintain the subject’s high profile through a changing display matched to religious festival cycles. Teachers assess pupils’ progress in broad terms and the co-ordinator has recognised the weakness of this. She proposes a more detailed tracking of gains in pupils’ skills and understanding and has plans for its implementation.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

61. Physical education is reported on fully and art and design, design and technology and music were sampled. World’s End Junior School - 27 62. In art and design, three lessons were seen, in design and technology no lessons were inspected and in music, two lessons and a singing practice were observed. Where available, pupils’ work was examined and teachers’ planning scrutinised.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

63. From the limited art and design evidence available, there is an indication that pupils’ knowledge of the work of different artists is better than their skills and techniques. The work in pupils’ sketchbooks was variable, with some books having very few pieces of work and few showing any real progress in the learning of skills. Marking in sketchbooks gives little indication of how pupils could improve. Pupils’ work displayed around the school was of a good standard but work in lessons was average. There is limited detail in the scheme of work to guide teachers’ planning for the development of skills. In the lessons seen, the quality of teaching and learning was satisfactory overall but in two of them, overlong introductions reduced pupils’ practice time, although pupils enjoyed what they did. The co-ordinator manages resources well but systems for teacher assessment and monitoring of pupils’

p.27

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

64. The very limited evidence in design and technology indicates that pupils undertake a process of research, planning, making and evaluating. There is a good range of activities such as in food technology when pupils design and make fruit yoghurt, soup for the elderly and pasta for an athlete. They use fabric to design and make a soft toy for a visually impaired child and these projects link well to other curriculum areas, such as history, and to the school’s healthy school initiatives. The co-ordinator has developed detailed plans to ensure progression and assessment of subject skills. She manages the resources well and has monitored outcomes of projects and planning. She has developed good cross-curricular links, especially in speaking and listening.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

65. The limited evidence in music indicates some higher achievement in singing and lower attainment in performance with instruments. An improvement since the previous inspection is the well-planned and resourced curriculum enhanced by whole-school singing lessons. In the singing practice, the quality of teaching and learning was very good, and in one lesson it was excellent because of subject expertise, high expectations and pupils’ enjoyment. Satisfactory teaching and learning in one lesson were the result of insufficient guidance but good pupil self-evaluation. The co-ordinator tracks standards using teacher assessment records and has a clear view of the strengths and weaknesses. He has developed the school’s scheme of work and improved teachers’ confidence through staff training. He has raised the profile of music in the school by arranging visits to Birmingham Symphony Hall and performances in

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

school by visiting musicians and by planning a performance of the musical “Oliver”.

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Physical education

Provision in physical education is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There has been very good improvement since the previous inspection • Pupils with special educational needs are very well included in lessons and clubs • The subject is well managed • The assessment of pupils’ progress is unsatisfactory

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Commentary

66. By Year 6, pupils reach average standards in games skills (the one aspect of physical education inspected) and achieve soundly over time. This marks an improvement in the previously below average standards. Pupils work effectively as teams and can evaluate their performances. Boys have good football skills and both boys and girls work well together in small groups to improve their performances. Pupils have a sound positional sense and satisfactory throwing and catching skills. The school has significantly extended the curriculum World’s End Junior School - 28 since the previous inspection and offers a range of clubs and activities at lunchtime and after school. There are also competitive games with other schools. These activities are very popular with pupils and their parents and are very well supported. They make very good use of local community links such as coaching funded by Quinzone.

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Commentary

67. Teaching is satisfactory overall and varies between very good and unsatisfactory. The better teaching is backed by very good subject knowledge and clear planning for what pupils will learn during the lesson. There is a good balance of activity and evaluation and pupils take part enthusiastically. These lessons begin with thorough warm ups so that pupils understand the effects of exercise on their bodies. Teachers make good use of equipment so that all pupils can have plenty of practice. Additional staff work effectively alongside the teacher and enable pupils with visual impairment and others with special educational needs to make similar progress to that of their peers. They ensure that pupils participate fully and safely and develop their independence. Pupils work together in small groups so that all their joint efforts are valued and effective. This encourages their understanding of rules and respect for effort

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Commentary

and individual contribution. Relationships are very good and pupils of all abilities are readily accepted and involved. One lesson featured the development of trust: one partner was blindfolded and was guided by another around the room by vocal instructions. This and other activities and evaluations promoted pupils’ personal development well. Weaker teaching does not make enough demands of pupils and the pace of work is too slow. The warm up did not stretch the muscles pupils would use subsequently and there was a weak link between the music and the movements pupils sought to develop. As a result, pupils made unsatisfactory progress.

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Commentary

68. Subject co-ordination has improved since the previous inspection because the post holder has supported the development of the curriculum and has led improvements in teaching and learning. The co-ordinator uses her subject expertise well to provide a good role model for pupils and colleagues. She has analysed and improved teachers’ planning and has increased the number of activities and clubs such as Fun and Fitness and Judo. Pupils’ personal development in physical education is promoted by written guidance, developed by the headteacher and the previous co-ordinator. She has recognised that teachers are not regularly assessing pupils’ progress and has introduced a format to record this more effectively. This has just started, and is not yet being used to help teachers plan to improve pupils’ progress.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

69. This subject was not inspected in detail, and only two lessons were observed. However, discussions with pupils and staff, scrutiny of documentation and observation of activities around school suggest very good provision.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

70. The school has gained the Healthy Schools Award and healthy eating continues to be promoted through fruit snacks, and an annual Healthy Living Week. Ground Crew (pupil volunteers) keep the school litter free. The school council is well established and representatives take their responsibilities and decision making seriously. Many visitors from the community broaden pupils’ understanding of citizenship. The school is particularly effective at developing good relationships, and pupils regularly get the opportunity to discuss their views, concerns and feelings.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

71. Two lessons were observed and both were taught well. Year 6 pupils contributed sensibly to the discussions about human rights, and Year 3 pupils listened attentively to each other’s contributions on the similarities between friends. Both lessons contributed well to pupils’ personal development. World’s End Junior School - 29

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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 2 Value for money provided by the school 3

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3

Attendance 4 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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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 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 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 2

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The leadership and management of the school 3

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

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The leadership and management of the school 3

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7). World’s End Junior School - 30

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