Gifford Primary School

GIFFORD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Lead inspector: Ms Margaret Julia Goodchild

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GIFFORD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 20 – 23 September 2004

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GIFFORD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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GIFFORD PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 504

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Greenhill Gardens Northolt Middlesex Postcode: UB5 6BU

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 0208 845 4661 Fax number: 0208 841 2353

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr Barry Lister

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 2000

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is much bigger than most primary schools: there are 504 pupils on roll, with slightly more girls than boys. A 100-place nursery makes part-time provision, currently for 85 children. The majority of pupils are white British. Other main groups are Black-Caribbean, Black-African and Asian British / Indian. Support through the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant is provided for 48 pupils. The percentage of pupils whose first language is not English is very high. Twenty-three pupils are at early stages in learning English as an additional language; the main first languages for these pupils are Somali, Urdu and Gujarati, but a total of 30 home languages are spoken. There are 70 refugees and asylum seekers, five traveller pupils and four pupils in public care. There is a high level of pupil mobility and a significant number of pupils currently on the school’s roll did not begin their schooling at Gifford. The percentage of pupils identified as having a special educational

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

need is above the national average and the percentage with a statement of special educational needs is well above average. A particularly high proportion of pupils have social and behavioural difficulties; smaller numbers have specific or moderate learning difficulties. A local education authority-designated unit within the school makes provision for up to 20 pupils with a statement for hearing impairment; currently 15 pupils attend the unit. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals (44.6 per cent) is well above the national average, which reflects a significant level of social deprivation and a high rate of unemployment in the area. Attainment on entry to the school is well below the national average.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is part of an Education Action Zone. It cares for a specified number of pupils after school and in the holidays and provides ‘Wraparound’ care for nursery-aged children. Surestart services are available to families via the school, and drop-in facilities are provided for a Somali Parents’ Group. In 2001, the school first received the Basic Skills Quality Mark, which has now been awarded for a second time. It also gained its second School Achievement Award in 2001.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

At the time of the inspection, the school had just moved into brand new premises, funded as part of the Private Finance Initiative. Gifford Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities 15918 Margaret Julia Goodchild Lead inspector English as an additional language Foundation Stage Art 1166 Rosemary Hussain Lay inspector 32327 Sue Alton Team inspector English Personal, social and health education 23886 Declan McCarthy Team inspector Special educational needs Mathematics Music Physical education 27698 Gordon Phillips Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Design and technology 18356 David Sassoon Team inspector Religious education Geography History

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

6 East Point High Street Seal Sevenoaks Kent TN15 0EG

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12-18

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

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

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SUBJECTS IN KEY STAGES 1 and 2

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 33 Gifford Primary School - 6

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school provides a satisfactory education . Pupils’ attainment on entry is well below average and a high proportion of pupils have additional learning needs. Standards in Year 6 are below average in English and well below average in mathematics; they are average in science and in information and communication technology (ICT). Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall; those with hearing impairment achieve very well. All pupils are cared for very well and make good progress in their personal development. Over the last two years, much time has been taken up in preparing for the move to new premises: to some extent, this has taken attention away from raising standards. The school is led satisfactorily and provides sound value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are :

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• Throughout the school, pupils achieve very well in science, and they achieve well in ICT and in English in Years 3 to 6, but they underachieve in mathematics in Years 3 and 4. • Pupils with hearing impairment achieve very well and their inclusion in the life of the school is excellent. • Systems for checking the school’s effectiveness are not rigorous enough and plans for developing further are not focused sharply on raising standards. • There is some good assessment practice but assessment information is not used as well as it should be to match work to pupils’ prior attainment and learning needs. • The school cares very well for its pupils, promotes their personal development effectively and provides well for the significant number of pupils with social, emotional and behaviour difficulties. • The rate of attendance is well below average although the school makes considerable efforts to ensure that all pupils attend regularly.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has made satisfactory improvement since it was last inspected, in January 2000. Standards at the end of Year 2 have not changed significantly since the last inspection, but teaching is now reasonably consistent in Years 1 and 2. Standards in ICT have risen and pupils’ attainment is now assessed regularly in all subjects except religious education, although assessment information is not always used well enough. Subject co-ordinators received comprehensive training following the last inspection but the way most monitor their subjects is too informal.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English E D E E Mathematics E E E E Science C B D B Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall. Few children reach the standard expected by the end of their time in reception classes, although achievement is good in the nursery and satisfactory in reception. Achievement is satisfactory overall in Years 1 to 5 and good in Year 6. Pupils make good progress in mathematics in Year 6 and satisfactory progress in Years 1, 2 and 5, but their progress is unsatisfactory in Years 3 and 4. Progress is satisfactory in reading and writing in Years 1 and 2 and good in English in Years 3 to 6. Achievement in science is very good overall and it is good in ICT. Pupils with hearing impairment achieve very well; the achievement of others with special educational needs and for whom English is an additional language is similar to that of their peers. In 2003, test results at the end of Year 2 were well below average in reading, writing and mathematics. Results at Level 2 improved in 2004, especially in mathematics. Test results at the

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Gifford Primary School - 7 end of Year 6 were well below average in English and mathematics in 2003 and below average in science. Compared with similar schools based on pupils’ prior attainment, results were well below average in English and mathematics but above average in science. In 2004, English and science results improved but mathematics results declined.

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

are good. In spite of the significant number of pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, pupils have positive attitudes and behave well. Attendance is well below the national average because, the school reports, there is too much condoned absence by a significant core of parents.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a satisfactory education. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall but there is too much variation in the quality of teaching between subjects and years, with unsatisfactory teaching in mathematics in Years 3 and 4. The school provides a sound curriculum and good enrichment opportunities. All pupils are very well cared for and included. Partnership with parents is satisfactory; the school works hard to try to overcome the apparent apathy of many parents. Links with the community and other educational establishments are good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are satisfactory . The headteacher and other staff with key responsibilities fulfil their leadership and management responsibilities satisfactorily, but monitoring - especially that of teaching - has not been undertaken with sufficient rigour and the school’s plans for how to improve are not focused sharply enough on raising standards. Now that the move to new premises has been completed, senior managers should be able to give their undivided attention to these issues. Governance is satisfactory: some governors are experienced but a number of governors have joined recently.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Pupils have positive views about the school. Few parents or carers returned the parents’ questionnaire (29 out of a possible 504) or attended the meeting. The majority of those who expressed a view were positive about most aspects of the education provided.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Raise standards and pupils’ achievement in mathematics, particularly in Years 3 and 4, by improving: leadership and management of the subject; the quality of teaching; the use of resources and assessment information to match work to pupils’ needs. • Introduce rigorous systems for monitoring the school’s work – especially teaching, learning and pupils’ achievement – and ensure that a long-term plan for school improvement focuses on raising standards. • Ensure that assessment information is used consistently to match work to the needs of individuals and groups of pupils. • Continue in its endeavours to improve the rate of attendance. Gifford Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall, but the school’s results are adversely affected by the high rate of mobility and the significant number of pupils with additional learning needs. Standards are below average in English in Year 6, well below average in mathematics, and average in science and information and communication technology. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language make similar progress to their peers. The exception to this is pupils with hearing impairment, who achieve very well. Girls have outperformed boys in recent years although no marked difference in the achievement of girls and boys was evident during the inspection.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve very well in science and well in ICT; pupils achieve well in English in Years 3 to 6. • Pupils do not reach the standards they should in mathematics in Year 6, as a result of weak teaching in Years 3 and 4. • The achievement of hearing impaired pupils is very good throughout the school. • Children in the nursery achieve well; progress is more variable in the reception year, though satisfactory overall.

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Commentary

1. In the Foundation Stage, children achieve well overall from a low starting point. In the nursery, they make consistently good progress in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. This is because teaching is good, teamwork between the teacher and support staff is very strong and children have access to a good range of learning opportunities. A number of children join reception classes who have not attended the nursery and this, combined with the satisfactory overall provision in these classes, means that the majority of children are still performing well below average by the time they move into Year 1. Only a small minority of children meet the standards expected by the end of their time in reception, though many come closer to doing so in personal, social and emotional development than in the other areas. In these, the vast

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Commentary

majority are performing below and in most cases well below average when they enter Year 1.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003 Standards in: School results National results reading 12.9 (13.0) 15.7(15.8) writing 12.0 (10.9) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 14.3 (16.3) 16.3 (16.5) There were 71 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

2. In 2003, Year 2 National Curriculum test results were well below the national average overall in reading, writing and mathematics. Compared with schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, results in reading, writing, mathematics and science were well below average at Level 2. At Level 3, they were in line with similar schools in reading, writing and science, and above average in mathematics. The 2004 results in Year 2 tests showed an increase in the number of pupils reaching the expected level in reading and a substantial improvement at this level in mathematics. Gifford Primary School - 9 Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2003 Standards in: School results National results English 23.6 (26.4) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 23.5 (25.6) 26.8 (26.7) science 27.6 (29.2) 28.6 (28.3) There were 66 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

3. In Year 6 tests in 2003, results were well below the national average in English and mathematics and below average in science. Compared with similar schools, based on pupils' prior attainment in their Year 2 tests, results were well below average in English and mathematics and average in science. The school did less well than similar schools in 2003 based on pupils’ prior attainment and their eligibility for free school meals. The 2004 test results in Year 6 improved significantly in English and science at Level 4, but mathematics results declined.

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Commentary

4. Girls outperformed boys from 2001 to 2003, but in 2004, girls and boys performed about the same in mathematics and science. This reflects positively on work the school has done to counteract negative attitudes amongst a minority of, mostly white, boys. There are, otherwise, no significant differences between the performance of the various ethnic groups.

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Commentary

5. The trend in the overall results in end of Year 2 and Year 6 tests was below the national trend in recent years but showed some improvement in 2004. In the last two years, the school has not met all its targets and has fallen far short of them in mathematics in Year 6. A high proportion of pupils who took tests in 2003 and 2004 had special educational needs, and in 2003, the school suffered from staffing difficulties in Year 6, with prolonged absence of some key teachers due to illness. Furthermore, a third of pupils who took Year 6 tests in 2004 were not in the school in Year 2; the school’s analysis of results for pupils who were at Gifford for the whole of Years 3 to 6 shows that these pupils exceeded the targets in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Commentary

6. In Years 1 and 2, pupils make satisfactory progress and standards are generally well below average at the end of Year 2. In Years 3 to 6, progress is good in English and very good in science. Attainment in English is now closer to the national average by Year 6 than it was at the last inspection. The school has achieved this especially through involvement in projects such as that for promoting pupils’ speaking and listening and other initiatives that have enriched pupils’ learning. Older pupils reach average standards in science as a result of very good co-ordination of the subject, much very good teaching and a well-conceived curriculum, which includes many practical activities that motivate and excite pupils.

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Commentary

7. There is clear underachievement in mathematics in Years 3 and 4, because teaching in these years is unsatisfactory and assessment information is not used well enough to match work to pupils’ individual needs. Despite good progress in Year 6, where the school has placed some of its best teachers in an attempt to raise standards, pupils are not able to make up for the time they lost in Years 3 and 4. The additional placement of the mathematics co-ordinator in Year 4 has not had the impact the school intended on teaching and learning in these two years. Senior managers have analysed assessment information well enough to identify where problems lie but insufficient whole-school emphasis has been placed on raising standards in mathematics to those in English and science.

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Commentary

8. Standards in ICT have improved since the last inspection; they now match national expectations in Year 6. This improvement is the result of very good co-ordination in the subject, staff training and a significant upgrading of computer facilities with the move to the new building. In religious education, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory but some opportunities are missed to link learning about world faiths to pupils’ own lives. A new co-ordinator, who is a specialist in the subject, has just taken up post in religious education. She has begun to Gifford Primary School - 10 deepen teachers’ knowledge of the subject and improve short and medium-term plans, which should lead to a rise in standards.

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Commentary

9. Pupils in the unit for hearing impairment have differing degrees of hearing loss and a wide range of language and communication needs: the achievement of all these pupils is very good. Pupils gain in confidence as a result of highly effective provision within the unit. All staff use signing and make very good use of new technologies, such as radio aids and the newly installed Soundfield system to facilitate rapid gains in learning, language and communication. The way that deaf pupils are totally included in mainstream school activities, so that they are learning alongside their peers for much of the time, also ensures that deaf pupils make very good progress towards their individual education plan targets and learn how to adapt effectively within a hearing environment. The achievement of these pupils is an improvement on the last inspection, when they made good progress.

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Commentary

10. The achievement of other pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory overall. Some pupils make good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans and achieve better than expected in national tests, reaching the expected Level 4 by the end of Year 6. In most lessons, the progress of pupils with special educational needs is enhanced by good support from teaching assistants, particularly through the use of visual aids and signing. However, work planned by teachers is not always matched to prior attainment or learning needs so that these pupils follow the same activities as the rest of the class, which limits their achievement.

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Commentary

11. Whilst pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall, more needs to be done to raise standards - most obviously in mathematics in Years 3 and 4. The reason that effective action has not been taken to this end is explained at least partly by the school’s move to a new building and the disruption this caused over an extended period. It is evident that the attention of the headteacher and other key staff has been distracted from the business of raising standards over the last two years. The school finally took over its new premises shortly before the inspection and is now in a strong position to ensure that all its pupils come closer to fulfilling their potential. It has enough effective and experienced teachers to make this a realistic proposition.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils have good attitudes to school and behave well. Their personal development is good overall: moral, social and cultural development is good; spiritual development is satisfactory. The rate of attendance is well below that of similar schools although the school works hard to ensure that pupils attend regularly. Punctuality is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most pupils’ good attitudes and behaviour have a positive effect on their learning. • The school has been successful in adopting several initiatives to promote personal development, raise expectations of behaviour and foster positive relationships. • Pupils with hearing impairment make very good progress in their personal development. • All pupils are valued equally, regardless of their race, background or ability, as a result of the school’s emphasis on celebrating similarities and differences. • Most teachers manage challenging behaviour well with very good assistance from support staff. • A fifth of pupils last year had below 80 per cent attendance despite the considerable efforts of the school to promote and reward good attendance.

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Commentary

12. Most pupils are happy and want to come to school, more so following the recent move to the new building. The good attitudes of most pupils are evident in their enjoyment of learning, their willingness to listen and show respect and the pride with which they talk about their school. There is, though, a significant minority who have negative attitudes to learning and school in Gifford Primary School - 11 general, partly attributable, the school reports, to their difficult home circumstances. The rewards system, as a way of encouraging improved attitudes, includes several awards for effort and consistency. Most pupils behave well because the school has placed a high priority on tackling challenging behaviour and has well-thought-out rewards and sanctions. With the help of outside agencies, it has adopted a number of new initiatives and strategies to promote good behaviour and to identify promptly pupils needing extra help. It has met with

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Commentary

considerable success in managing the behaviour of pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. In most classes, there are a few pupils with very challenging behaviour but this is not allowed generally to impact on their own or others’ learning. Occasionally, some teachers are not firm enough in dealing with inappropriate behaviour or choose to disregard the misbehaviour of their classes in communal situations such as assembly.

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Commentary

13. Deaf pupils quickly settle into their routines on admission to the unit and thoroughly enjoy school. The very good provision for the personal development of deaf pupils, and the high quality support and guidance within the unit, result in their very positive attitudes and very good behaviour throughout the school. The school has implemented effectively very good provision for raising deaf pupils’ self esteem through a programme that develops alternative ways of thinking. It develops a greater awareness of feelings and emotions and the realisation that adults and hearing pupils experience similar emotions as deaf people. This increases confidence, builds self-esteem, fosters the development of closer relationships between hearing and deaf pupils and promotes inclusion for all. As a result, there is a much greater trust, respect, appreciation and celebration of differences between deaf and hearing pupils

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Commentary

14. A few parents expressed concern about bullying in the playground. A few pupils cause problems in the playground but all incidents are strictly monitored, and sanctions include pupils having to go home at lunchtime if necessary. There are several adults supervising the playground, including either the headteacher or a deputy, and parents are informed in the early stages of any suspected bullying. The dynamics of classes change frequently because of the high mobility rate and this contributes to occasional friction.

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Commentary

15. Last year, there was one permanent exclusion and 44 fixed-period exclusions. Most of these concerned pupils transferred from other schools who had a history of poor behaviour. The frequency of multiple exclusions is now declining because these pupils are being supported well and showing positive results.

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Commentary

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Commentary

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 188 22 1 White - Irish 3 0 0 White – any other White background 18 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 7 3 0 Mixed – White and Black African 5 5 0 Mixed – White and Asian 5 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 3 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Indian 34 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 11 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British - other 13 0 0 Gifford Primary School - 12 Black or black British - Caribbean 64 14 0 Black or black British - African 44 0 0 Black or black British - other 6 0 0 Other ethnic group 26 0 0 Information not obtained 34 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Commentary

16. Pupils’ personal development is good because they have many opportunities to take on responsibilities and they carry these out with increasing maturity. Pupils know right from wrong and are constantly reminded that they have a choice, so encouraging personal responsibility. In assemblies, which are of consistently good quality and sometimes very good, during circle time and in charity fund-raising, pupils increase their awareness of others’ needs. Relationships are good overall. All pupils are treated equally and most appreciate the rich diversity of backgrounds, learning to recognise the similarities between different cultures as well as valuing and tolerating the differences. Spiritual provision is satisfactory: it is good in assemblies but not developed as well as it might be in religious education.

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Commentary

17. Attendance is well below the national average because, the school reports, there is too much condoned absence by a significant core of parents and carers who fail to appreciate the importance of consistently high attendance and its impact on learning. The school is proactive in trying to improve the rate of attendance. Monitoring has been increased since the last inspection and first day calling introduced, which has reduced the number of unauthorised absences. There are constant reminders to parents of the importance of good attendance. Several initiatives to encourage and reward good attendance and good liaison with the educational welfare service have reaped some success. Most pupils are punctual to school but there are a few pupils who are persistently late.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%) Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 7.1 School data 0.4 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest com plete reporting year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a satisfactory education. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. A range of learning opportunities, that are in addition to lessons, enrich an otherwise sound curriculum. The school cares for its pupils very well. Partnership with parents is satisfactory. Links with the community are good and the school works well with other educational establishments.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Assessment is unsatisfactory: pupils’ attainment and progress are assessed appropriately in almost all subjects but assessment information is not used as well as it could be to raise standards.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• A lack of rigour in the monitoring of teaching gives rise to too much variation in the quality of teaching, especially in mathematics. • Teaching is very good in science, and good in ICT and in the nursery. • Staff manage pupils’ behaviour well, and many pupils show an enthusiasm for learning. • The teaching of pupils with hearing impairment is consistently very good. Gifford Primary School - 13 • Learning support staff make a good contribution to pupils’ achievement. • There are some good assessment practices but many teachers make insufficient use of assessment information and marking is not as useful to pupils as it should be.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 56 lessons Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

- 10 (18%) 17(30%) 24 (43%) 5 (9%) - - 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.

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Commentary

18. The overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory, as it was at the time of the last inspection. A slightly higher proportion of lessons were very good and unsatisfactory in this inspection than in the previous one. Whereas unsatisfactory teaching was spread evenly across Years 1 and 2 and Years 3 to 6 in the last inspection, it was found almost exclusively in Years 3 and 4 in this inspection – and restricted in these years to mathematics. Weaknesses in these lessons - and in minor aspects of the practice of teachers whose work is satisfactory overall – is partly the result of a lack of rigour in the monitoring of teaching and learning. This gives rise to too much variation in the quality of teaching and means that some good whole- school policies are not implemented as consistently as they should be. Almost half the teaching is good, however, and sometimes very good, reflecting the presence within the school

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Commentary

of teachers who have the necessary skills to improve the quality of teaching. These skills have not yet been harnessed to full effect to bring about necessary improvements.

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Commentary

19. Most teachers have satisfactory subject knowledge. The best teaching occurs in science, where a very effective subject co-ordinator supports other staff and ensures that they understand how to teach the subject in a way that motivates pupils. The school has placed particular emphasis on increasing teachers’ skills in literacy, and this has begun to have a positive effect on pupils’ achievement. A lack of understanding about how to move pupils’ learning on is fundamental to the unsatisfactory teaching in mathematics in Years 3 and 4. Only in Year 6 is consistently good - and some very good – teaching found in mathematics, and it is in the teaching of these classes that the best subject knowledge is found. Throughout the school, teachers have a good understanding of how to teach ICT and they are developing some valuable skills in the teaching of art, following a subject audit by an external consultant

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Commentary

and ongoing training sessions. In the Foundation Stage, teaching is consistently good in the nursery and often good in one of the three reception classes, because these teachers have a good understanding of the learning needs of young children.

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Commentary

20. High expectations for behaviour are apparent in nearly all classes and the effective management of challenging behaviour contributes to pupils’ positive attitudes to learning. Discipline is ensured through perceptive intervention and often by the use of descriptive praise, thus raising pupils’ awareness of what constitutes desirable behaviour. The vast majority of pupils work hard, listen well and are keen to participate in discussion. They work well independently and in pairs. Where teachers make learning interesting, as in science and in the best lessons in some other subjects, pupils apply themselves enthusiastically to their work.

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Commentary

21. In the best lessons, teachers are skilled at making learning exciting, inspiring confidence in their pupils and frequently involving them as active learners. These teachers use a very good range of activities, so that learning is stimulating and matched to pupils' different learning needs and to their prior attainment. Where teaching is good, higher attaining pupils are given opportunities to develop their work further, for instance, through tasks that promote their thinking skills. The use of plenty of visual and tactile stimuli supports the learning of pupils learning English as an additional language as well as those with hearing impairment. Gifford Primary School - 14 22. In lessons that are unsatisfactory, assessment information is not used as much as it should be to match work to pupils’ individual needs. Even where different groups of pupils are given distinct tasks, teachers do not always understand how to explain aspects of the learning to

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Commentary

those who are struggling. In mathematics in Years 3 and 4, teachers do not make enough use of practical equipment to assist pupils in grasping new concepts. As a result, opportunities for learning new skills or consolidating existing knowledge are missed, and significant numbers of pupils underachieve.

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Commentary

23. The quality of teaching within the hearing impaired unit is very good. Lessons are lively because teachers and support staff are enthusiastic and well trained; they work most effectively together. Learning tasks, resources and methods are carefully and consistently matched to the particular communication and language needs of individual pupils. As a result, deaf pupils acquire new knowledge and skills quickly and become increasingly confident as learners. Teachers have very good knowledge of how to accommodate the needs of deaf pupils in lessons. They know when to use British Sign Language, when it may be more appropriate to sign English, when to use visual references to link new learning to prior attainment and how to adapt particular approaches to changing needs within a lesson. Support for hearing impaired pupils in mainstream classes is also very good. Teachers and support staff sign consistently and make good use of radio aids and the new sound system to

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Commentary

promote a more effective listening environment. This not only benefits deaf pupils, but also hearing pupils with additional needs.

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Commentary

24. Learning support staff provide good support, helping pupils to pay attention and make progress with their work. Teamwork between teaching assistants and teachers is generally strong throughout the school, and the decision to increase the number of support assistants following the last inspection was a positive move, especially given the high percentage of pupils with special educational needs and for whom English is an additional language. Teaching assistants, including bilingual assistants, provide good support to pupils at early stages in learning English as an additional language. Home languages are used well by bilingual assistants to help pupils understand the topics they are studying as well as to encourage the acquisition of English. Teaching assistants provide good support for pupils with special educational needs, particularly for language and communication. However, teachers do not

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Commentary

always use assessment information from individual education plans or pupils’ statements of special educational needs to match work to needs.

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Commentary

25. The school collects an appropriate amount of assessment information about its pupils and uses this effectively to identify the needs of groups of pupils, for instance, those who are likely to need additional support. It makes increasing use of assessment data to track pupils’ progress and to set individual targets in English and mathematics. The targets in individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs are specific and measurable. For hearing impaired pupils, detailed and careful assessment quickly identifies pupils’ degree of hearing gloss, language and communication needs in order to set initial targets and plan a highly individualised programme.

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Commentary

26. The assessment co-ordinator undertakes analysis of the results of National Curriculum tests and of the ongoing tests that the school uses to monitor pupils’ progress. She passes detailed assessment information to class teachers but only the most conscientious and effective teachers make proper use of this information in their planning. At present, the school’s monitoring is not pinpointing those teachers who fail to use the information that they have been given. Furthermore, although pupils receive a good deal of verbal feedback in lessons and marking is generally regular, there is relatively little written guidance to pupils on how they could improve their work. In some classes, teachers are beginning to make pupils aware of whether they have met the learning objectives by involving them in evaluating their own learning. Where this system is in place, pupils respond well to it and this practice could

p.14

Commentary

usefully be extended throughout the school.

p.14

Commentary

27. At the time of the last inspection, the school did not have systems in place for assessing and recording the attainment of pupils in non-core subjects. It has introduced satisfactory systems Gifford Primary School - 15 in these subjects, except in religious education. An assessment system is being piloted with younger pupils in religious education but has not yet been extended to Years 3 to 6.

p.14

The curriculum

The school provides a sound curriculum and a good range of enrichment opportunities. The accommodation is very good and learning resources support the curriculum satisfactorily. There is a satisfactory match of teachers and a good match of support staff to the curriculum.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A broad and balanced curriculum is complemented by a good range of enrichment activities and an effective personal, social and health education programme. • There are good arrangements for supporting pupils with special educational needs and aspects of provision for pupils with English as an additional language are good. • The school makes use of provision made by the local education authority for gifted and talented pupils but has not developed fully its own learning opportunities for these pupils. • Provision for pupils with hearing impairment is very good. • The school is well staffed with support assistants and the accommodation is very good.

p.15

Commentary

28. As at the time of the last inspection, the school provides a broad and balanced curriculum that meets National Curriculum requirements. The promotion of literacy and numeracy skills is satisfactory. The development of pupils’ skills in ICT is good in discrete lessons but computers are not used as much as they could be to support learning in the curriculum as a whole. The personal, social and health education programme is good.

p.15

Commentary

29. Bilingual assistants and one-to-one support are being used well to help improve English language competency. Withdrawal of pupils for specialist or additional support is judiciously used and, wherever possible, pupils learning English are supported in lessons. Pupils at early stages in learning English benefit significantly from the provision made for hearing impaired pupils. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language is otherwise satisfactory.

p.15

Commentary

30. Pupils who have special educational needs benefit from full inclusion, which is further promoted by a whole-school approach to signing and communication. There are good arrangements for supporting pupils with special educational needs through the deployment of teaching assistants in lessons. There are good opportunities for enrichment through, for example, links with the London Sports Forum for the Disabled.

p.15

Commentary

31. The school has begun to introduce curricular innovations, with the intention of improving opportunities for pupils to develop their creativity and of strengthening links between subjects. The effectiveness of this is already evident in some high quality work produced in art and in the way learning in science has been linked with that in other areas. In an attempt to motivate pupils, a number of ‘themed weeks’ or special projects have taken place, including a ‘Harry Potter mathematics week’, science show, and work on the theme of The Tempest as an introduction to Shakespeare. These initiatives have been successful and met with considerable enthusiasm from pupils.

p.15

Commentary

32. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to take part in activities outside lesson time through attendance at clubs run by teaching assistants. There are particularly good opportunities for pupils to take part in sporting events. A satisfactory range of educational visits further enriches learning, and visitors have provided pupils with particularly good experiences in the arts, and the school puts on regular dramatic performances.

p.15

Commentary

33. A co-ordinator for gifted and talented pupils has been appointed and the school has identified a number of pupils who would benefit from additional challenge. These pupils have good Gifford Primary School - 16 opportunities to attend clubs and take part in special projects provided by the local education authority. At present, provision for gifted and talented pupils is made mainly through enrichment opportunities, however, and most teachers have not had training in how to identify pupils who might be gifted and talented. Where teaching is at its best, teachers’ planning meets these pupils’ needs but planning does not systematically provide tasks with sufficient challenge for the most able pupils.

p.15

Commentary

Example of outstanding practice Exceptional arrangements for including deaf pupils in the life of the school have been of great benefit to all pupils. A number of exciting initiatives introduced since the last inspection have resulted in excellent inclusion of deaf pupils and significant benefits for all. The ‘Circle of Friends’ programme is most effective in developing meaningful friendships between deaf and hearing pupils. They learn about each others’ likes, interests and feelings and they agree weekly friendship targets to get to know each other actively. The PATHS project successfully develops alternative ways of thinking about, understanding and expressing emotions – for instance through facial expressions, posture and language - so that deaf pupils rapidly gain in confidence. Moreover, they learn to express and communicate their emotions effectively, while learning to ‘read’ the emotions of hearing people accurately. The very good use of signing and new technologies throughout the

p.16

Commentary

school has developed a much improved listening and communication environment for the benefit of all pupils, particularly those who are at an early stage of learning English and those with special educational needs. As a result of these initiatives, deaf pupils are respected as equals by everyone within the school. They are very happy in school and confident in their learning.

p.16

Commentary

34. The school is satisfactorily staffed by a team of teachers and well staffed by a strong team of teaching assistants, many of whom have gained qualifications. The library is being restocked and is not yet fully up and running following the move to the new building, but sufficient books are available in classrooms - including a number of bilingual books and books written in other languages. The new facilities for ICT have the capacity to support learning very well, with separate computer suites for infant and junior pupils. This has the power to improve pupils’ learning. Accommodation is very good: classrooms are spacious and provide a positive learning environment. The school grounds are still under construction and at the time of the inspection pupils had limited outdoor space for play and physical education. The outside area for children in the Foundation Stage is yet to be fully developed, although the children do have

p.16

Care, guidance and support

The school offers its pupils very good care and effective support and guidance in a safe and supportive environment. The school has for a long time canvassed and made very good use of pupils’ views.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pastoral care and support for pupils’ personal development are very good. • The support and guidance provided for hearing impaired pupils is very good; the care of other pupils with special educational needs is good. • Monitoring of pupils’ personal development is very good; that of academic development is satisfactory, though undermined to some extent by weaknesses in assessment. • Pupils know that their views are valued. • Health and safety procedures are very effective.

p.16

Commentary

35. Pastoral care and support for pupils’ personal development are strengths of the school. Staff work as a team with a common purpose of encouraging pupils to develop confidence and high self-esteem. Children joining in the nursery and hearing impaired pupils are visited at home before they start so that individual needs are identified early. Pupils joining at other times receive effective support. If necessary, circle time is extended to cover any issues arising from Gifford Primary School - 17 a change of dynamics in the class. Close links with outside agencies also contribute to the high level of support. The mentoring system has proved very successful in moderating challenging behaviour. Clear guidelines ensure consistency across the school concerning matters such as child protection and first aid.

p.16

Commentary

36. Support for academic achievement is less well supported because few teachers make as much use as they should of assessment information or mark pupils work in a way that advises them about how to improve. This, therefore, limits the quality of overall guidance, although individual pupils receive effective advice in some subjects such as science.

p.17

Commentary

37. Very good systems are in place to monitor the academic progress and personal development of pupils in the hearing impaired unit. These include setting and reviewing targets with pupils, parents, health professionals and the speech and language therapist; frequent checking of hearing aids and radio aids and close monitoring of pupils with cochlea implants. The PATHs project, which is successfully managed by a deaf specialist teacher of the deaf, is extremely effective in raising pupils’ self esteem and developing their confidence. Statutory requirements for the review of statements of special educational needs are fully met. Good support from teaching assistants ensures good care and welfare of pupils with special educational needs in lessons. The academic progress and personal development of these pupils is carefully monitored through the systematic review of individual education plans where pupils and

p.17

Commentary

parents are involved in setting new targets.

p.17

Commentary

38. Health and safety procedures are very effective because the school is fortunate to have a specialist member of the governors’ committee and this aspect has been carefully monitored during the construction of the new buildings. Two issues raised by parents were carefully investigated during the inspection and assurances gained that pupils are not at risk.

p.17

Commentary

39. Pupils know that their views are supported and respected because they have had an effective school council for ten years and their views are regularly canvassed through carefully analysed pupil questionnaires. Pupils decide on the agenda and chair school council meetings. The headteacher attends all meetings so that any issues raised can be dealt with quickly. There is regular feedback to classes and the whole school so the pupils know that their suggestions are taken seriously. The important role of the school council has recently been extended: representatives are to feed back regularly to the new management group responsible for the school buildings.

p.17

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Partnership with parents is satisfactory. Good quality information and regular contact between home and school support these links. Partnership with parents of hearing impaired pupils is very good. Parental involvement in pupils’ learning and support for the school are satisfactory. Links with other schools and the local community are good.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good quality information and regular opportunities for parents to discuss their children’s progress keep parents well informed. • Links with parents of hearing impaired pupils are very good; other parents of pupils with special educational needs are involved well in decision-making. • The school has strong support through local community initiatives and good links with other schools. • Despite the school’s efforts, parental involvement is limited.

p.17

Commentary

40. Although the school keeps parents well informed and strives to engage them, it has limited success in involving many parents in its life and work. Parents support social events and Gifford Primary School - 18 achievement assemblies well but support other than this is patchy. This is mirrored by the fact that it is not possible to draw meaningful conclusions from parents’ views of the school because of the very low level of returns to the parents’ questionnaires. The minority of parents who returned questionnaires expressed mostly positive views about the school. A few loyal parents help in school and initiatives such as early years parents’ workshops and the Somali parents’ group have been successful and appreciated by parents. Staff hope to build on these now that the school has moved to new premises.

p.17

Commentary

41. The hearing impaired unit has very good links with parents and communicates its work very effectively through, for example, an additional prospectus which clarifies the work of the unit and provides a useful contact list of local and national organisations where parents of deaf pupils may obtain additional help and information. The unit has also established very effective links with local schools and the community, which widen opportunities for inclusion in mainstream schools and enhance deaf pupils’ learning. For example, external consultancy links with the Ewing Foundation have led to the development of radio and technical aids. Staff also have good working relationships with the special educational needs support team and deaf provision in Ealing. A peripatetic teacher visits the school to teach signing to mainstream pupils.

p.18

Commentary

42. Parents have good opportunities for involvement in the review of individual education plans and statements of special educational needs. They receive informative reports on the progress their child is making and know what targets have been achieved. Good links have been established with Ealing’s special educational needs support service.

p.18

Commentary

43. Information for parents is good and teachers are very accessible to parents so that any concerns can be discussed at an early stage. Written communications are very informative and the quality of annual reports is consistently good. It is not possible for the school to translate documents for parents because there are 30 languages spoken by parents, none of which represents any sizeable group. There are however, several members of staff who speak other languages and the Somali parents’ group has guidance from a Somali speaker.

p.18

Commentary

44. Provision and support for pupils through links with the local community are good and there are a number of opportunities for out-of-school care. There are links with the deaf community, and several visitors into school help to broaden pupils’ range of experiences. Links with local schools are good, including close liaison for transition of pupils at the end of Year 6, and collaboration with other schools enhances provision for pupils in art, drama and sport.

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher and other staff with key responsibilities fulfil their leadership and management roles satisfactorily. Governance is satisfactory, although several governors are relatively new to the role.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Senior managers ensure that the school is an orderly community in which pupils are very well cared for. • Monitoring is not undertaken with sufficient rigour and the school’s plans for how to improve are not focused sharply enough on raising standards. • Leadership and management in the unit for pupils with hearing impairment are very good; the management of special educational needs is good. • Co-ordination of science, ICT and art is very good, but aspects of management are unsatisfactory in some other subjects. Gifford Primary School - 19

p.18

Commentary

45. At the time of the last inspection, leadership was good. The headteacher was found to be a strong leader who provided clear direction for the school’s work and showed a firm commitment to raising standards. The same headteacher is still in post and certainly has the confidence of her staff. The move into new premises has been managed well and staff morale is high. Senior managers ensure that the school runs smoothly and is an orderly environment in which all pupils are included.

p.19

Commentary

46. This inspection finds, however, that those in positions of responsibility fulfil their roles satisfactorily overall rather than well. This is because leadership and management are not focused as clearly as they were at the last inspection on raising standards. Over the last two years, much of the headteacher’s time and attention have been taken up in preparing for the move to new premises. Much staff training and meeting time was given over to planning for the move. Largely as a result, a certain ‘cosiness’ has developed amongst some of the teaching staff. At the same time, however, some staff have remained highly motivated and conscientious.

p.19

Commentary

47. Monitoring of teaching and learning is not undertaken with sufficient rigour. Various systems in place in the past slipped during preparation for the move into the new building. Some formal monitoring takes place, including sampling of pupils’ work and intermittent scrutiny of teachers’ curriculum plans, but formal lesson observation is not frequent enough or rigorous in identifying strengths and, more importantly, weaknesses. This is partly why there is so much variation in the quality of teaching between different years and subjects.

p.19

Commentary

48. Leadership and management of the hearing impaired unit are very effective in ensuring high quality teaching, very good achievement and successful inclusion of deaf pupils. The special educational needs co-ordinator provides good leadership and management, through, for example, regular monitoring of the work of learning support staff in classrooms and termly meetings with teaching assistants.

p.19

Commentary

49. The role of subject co-ordinators, a key issue at the last inspection, has been developed through comprehensive training and co-ordinators are allocated sufficient non-teaching time to be able to lead and manage their subjects effectively. Leadership and management are very good in science, ICT and art. In other subjects, there is some reluctance amongst co- ordinators to monitor the work of their colleagues in a formal way. They do not clearly identify what needs to be improved and follow this up with real urgency.

p.19

Commentary

50. Assessment and other performance data are used appropriately to identify the school’s main strengths and areas for development. When a particular area is, thus, identified as being weak – as in mathematics in Years 3 and 4 - action is taken but the precise nature of the difficulties is not sharply identified and continuously followed up. There has not been enough emphasis on tackling standards in mathematics in Years 3 to 6 as a whole-school issue.

p.19

Commentary

51. An overall plan lists the main areas in which school development is currently taking place and governors are usefully involved in discussions with staff in identifying what needs to be done. Financial planning is satisfactory. However, planning for school development does not focus sharply enough on the key actions that are most likely to lead to an improvement in standards. In the lead-up to moving into the new building, governors and managers refrained from devising a long-term development plan. It is now vital that future development is viewed strategically and documented. Key staff are better placed to deal with issues that require their attention and the fact that the new school has been built as part of the Private Finance Initiative means that the headteacher should have more time to concentrate on educational provision, with fewer responsibilities for the accommodation, services and resources.

p.19

Commentary

52. The school provides a sound education. Although standards are well below average overall, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory when their attainment on entry is taken into account. Gifford Primary School - 20 Teaching and learning are satisfactory and provision for pupils’ personal development is good. Pupils are very well cared for. Funding and costs related to the unit for pupils with hearing impairment mean that the overall cost per pupil is higher than in schools nationally, but this additional money is spent to very good effect. Overall, the school therefore provides satisfactory value for money.

p.19

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004 Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1.970,927 Balance from previous year 47,056 Total expenditure 1,975,146 Balance carried forward to the next 42,837 Expenditure per pupil 3,787 Gifford Primary School - 21

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision in the Foundation Stage and the children’s achievement are satisfactory overall. Provision is now better in the nursery than it was at the last inspection but very similar in the reception classes. Those who attend the nursery make consistently good progress in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy and mathematical development from a very low starting point. This is because teaching is good, teamwork between the teacher and support staff is very strong and children have access to a good range of learning opportunities. The quality of teaching in the three reception classes varies: lessons seen during the inspection and children’s work show that it is good in one class and more often satisfactory in the other two. Children in reception make satisfactory progress but the majority are still performing well below average in most of areas of learning by the time they move into Year 1. Assessment is thorough

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

and the observations of children’s learning that staff record are particularly detailed. Links with parents are good and the provision for children with hearing impairment is very good. Children learning English as an additional language are supported very effectively by a bilingual assistant.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Co-ordination of the Foundation Stage is satisfactory: staff receive good support and teamwork is strong, but monitoring is informal. The co-ordinator works alongside colleagues rather than directing clearly how things need to be improved. As a result, there is some variation in practice and this is particularly evident at the moment in the way one reception classroom provides a more stimulating environment – and better learning experiences - than the other two.

p.21

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children have very limited social skills when they enter the Foundation Stage but make good progress. • The good partnership with home fosters children’s personal development and confidence.

p.21

Commentary

53. Teaching and children’s progress in this area are good. Links between home and school are good. Children are happy and quickly settle into the routines. Staff communicate their high expectations for behaviour and most children respond well. They learn to take turns and share, and develop their social skills through, for instance, eating in the dining room once they move into reception classes. Children are encouraged to understand that each person has feelings and needs.

p.21

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Books are easily accessible, and children enjoy listening to stories. • Teaching and learning are good in the nursery. • Children’s knowledge of the links between sounds and letters is well below that expected nationally, which means that their progress with reading and writing is quite slow. Gifford Primary School - 22

p.21

Commentary

54. Teaching is satisfactory overall in this area of learning and good in the nursery. Many children have limited learning experiences when they enter the school. Most children are working well below expectations in this area by the end of their time in reception.

p.22

Commentary

55. Children have good opportunities to develop their language through talk with adults, especially as a result of the high staffing ratio and some very good input by non-teaching staff. Even older children do not talk much together, although many enjoy answering questions and contributing their ideas when working with an adult.

p.22

Commentary

56. Teachers use a good range of teaching methods in the nursery to encourage an early awareness of print having meaning and promote a sense of enjoyment in listening to stories and looking at pictures in books. Many children can sequence pictures, with some prompts, to retell a simple story. Despite this, children’s developing knowledge of the links between sounds and letters is well below that expected nationally. Higher attaining children recognise a few simple words but a number of children are still at the pre-reading stage by the end of reception. Lower-attaining children are beginning to form some letters correctly. A few higher attaining children are able to write a sentence and beginning to include full-stops. Children’s work suggests that expectations are not always high enough and that skills are not reinforced as continuously as they might be.

p.22

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• In the nursery, teaching is good and children achieve well. • In reception, work is not always matched as well as it should be to children’s prior attainment.

p.22

Commentary

57. Teaching in mathematical development is good in the nursery, where sessions are well structured and expectations are suitably high. This enables children to develop their understanding of numbers and begin to learn the language of comparison. In the Foundation Stage as a whole, appropriate emphasis is given to number recognition. Some children are able to sort by colour, and higher attaining children can match using colours and numbers. Average and higher attaining children can write some of the numbers to ten but tend to reverse or confuse some digits. Together, children learn to count up to at least 20, though individuals are less confident in counting independently. The tasks that children are given in the reception classes tend to be almost identical regardless of their prior attainment, suggesting that assessment information is not used as well as it should be when planning for individual needs.

p.22

Commentary

Overall, by the end of their time in reception, most children attain below the level expected in this area.

p.22

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

58. This area of learning was not inspected in detail but scrutiny of planning, assessment and discussion with staff shows that provision is satisfactory. Children have opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world in a wide variety of ways. Their horizons are extended by outings, and the school made much use of the building site in its midst to stimulate children’s learning and play. Gifford Primary School - 23

p.22

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

59. Provision in physical development was not inspected in detail but curriculum planning and observation of children in a number of sessions show that their achievement is satisfactory in this area of learning. Children’s physical skills, such as climbing and riding on wheeled toys, tend to be more developed than their other skills on entry to the nursery and reception classes. Children are competent in balancing and moving through confined spaces by the end of their time in reception. Although the new school building is now complete, the outdoor play area for use by the Foundation Stage has not been developed fully yet and does not support children’s development as much as it should. When they arrive at the school, most children have very limited hand-to-eye co-ordination, such as that required in writing and drawing. They make satisfactory progress, but by the end of their time in reception, this aspect of most children’s

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

development is still well below that expected.

p.23

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

60. Provision in creative development was not inspected in detail but curriculum planning and observation of children in a number of sessions shows that their achievement is satisfactory in this area of learning. Children have regular opportunities to paint and some chances to combine materials to make collages and, on occasion, three-dimensional models. The range of paint colours varies from room to room in reception. Opportunities for dressing up also depend on which class children happen to be in: these are much better in the nursery and in one of the reception classes than in the others. A broadly satisfactory range of toys and resources is provided for children to engage in role-play. There are few resources to support symbolic play – where objects are used to represent a range of other things. Throughout the Foundation Stage, children enjoy joining in with popular songs and many move to the music.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Results in national tests are well below average in Year 2 and below average in Year 6. • Many pupils’ achieve well overall from a low starting point at the beginning of Year 1. • Pupils’ handwriting is good and they practise their reading skills regularly. • Some good initiatives have been introduced to enrich the curriculum, but the quality of teaching and learning varies considerably across the school.

p.23

Commentary

61. In Year 2, standards in speaking and listening are below those expected, although pupils make good progress. In Year 6, standards are broadly in line with expectations. Pupils listen, talk and share ideas and views with increasing confidence as they progress through the school.

p.23

Commentary

62. In National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, standards of reading are well below average, with a significant proportion of pupils at the lower levels. The 2004 test results in Year 6 show an improvement on the previous year, though still below the national average. In lessons seen, limited evidence suggested that standards in reading across the school were broadly in line with expectations, which represents good achievement. Pupils enjoy reading and are given daily opportunities to read. Older pupils keep their own systematic reading records.

p.23

Commentary

63. Standards in writing are well below average in national test results at the end of Year 2 and below average in Year 6. This represents good achievement from pupils’ well below average Gifford Primary School - 24 attainment on entry to the school. Pupils have had opportunities to write for a range of purposes, including letters, short stories and reports. Standards of spelling are variable across the school, but resources have been purchased to support a focus on improving this area. Pupils enjoy listening to poetry and many write sensitively, using effective imagery. However, there are too few opportunities for pupils to develop extended writing skills. The standard of pupils’ handwriting is good. Many pupils have developed a cursive style by the end of Year 2, which is better than is usually found. This reflects the focus the school has put on this area of the curriculum. This has included training from occupational therapists to raise teachers’

p.23

Commentary

awareness of body positions and hand control.

p.24

Commentary

64. The focus on speaking and listening and effective support from teaching assistants enables all pupils to make good progress in this area of learning. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well and those with hearing impairment make particularly good progress. The provision of classroom assistants who sign the lesson for those with hearing impairment also provides visual support for pupils learning English. In tests, girls have outperformed boys; however, in lessons, there is little difference in motivation and achievement between boys and girls. Analysis of test results shows that white pupils, especially boys, tend to do less well than other ethnic groups. Inspection findings show that these pupils receive opportunities in English that are equal to those provided for other pupils. The matching of work to the needs of higher- attaining pupils is not yet consistent enough to raise standards at higher levels in National

p.24

Commentary

65. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Effective teaching strategies include careful planning, clear explanation, a brisk pace and good variety of activities. In less successful lessons, pupils are unclear about what they have to do and the activities are insufficiently matched to their needs and previous learning. In these lessons, the pace is often slow and tasks unexciting. Teachers’ marking varies in its usefulness to pupils. The best examples provide evaluative feedback so that pupils understand what they do well and what they need to do to improve their work. In some classes pupils are encouraged to evaluate their own performance. Pupils respond well to this and teachers are able to see easily who needs additional support and plan for this; however, assessment information is not used consistently to improve pupils’ learning.

p.24

Commentary

66. Although teaching and learning are no more than satisfactory overall, a range of curricular opportunities leads to good achievement for many pupils. Pupils speak enthusiastically about the Shakespeare project on The Tempest with other schools in the Education Action Zone last year. Pupils in Year 2 have the opportunity to use the ‘Reading Room’ at lunchtime, and the ‘Puzzle Club’ supports speaking and listening and the development of thinking skills. The use of theatre groups and storytellers enhances the curriculum. The school has held a ‘Learning Journey’ week, which focused on poetry writing, and competitions enhance poetry writing. ICT is not being used consistently yet across the school to support the teaching of English, but where it is used, the impact on learning and motivation is good.

p.24

Commentary

67. The subject is satisfactorily led and managed. The lead co-ordinator and three support co- ordinators have appropriately identified roles in different phases of the school and understand the need to improve attainment. They have begun to analyse results and track pupils’ progress. The monitoring of teaching, learning and attainment is not yet sufficiently systematic or rigorous. The subject improvement plan identifies a range of appropriate actions, but is not sufficiently focused on raising standards. Overall, the school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection.

p.24

Language and literacy across the curriculum

68. The promotion of language and literacy across the curriculum is satisfactory overall. New resources have been purchased and staff have received training. Literacy is beginning to be promoted effectively in humanities, science and art, where pupils have some good opportunities to record information and ideas. There is a good range of books for individual and group reading in classrooms and for learning in a range of subjects. However, book Gifford Primary School - 25 corners vary in quality and organisation. Following the rebuilding, there has been a complete stock review in the library. The library is still in the process of being organised and new books are awaiting classification.

p.24

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is unsatisfactory .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in Year 6 are well below average; test results in Year 2 showed a marked improvement in 2004. • Pupils’ achievement in Year 6 is good in response to good and some very good teaching. • The achievement of pupils in the hearing impaired unit is very good. • The quality of teaching and learning is unsatisfactory in Years 3 and 4. • Assessment is not used sufficiently to accommodate the wide range of learning needs. • Leadership and management of the subject are unsatisfactory.

p.25

Commentary

69. The 2003 national test results at the end of Year 6 were well below average compared with schools nationally and similar schools. The 2004 test results reveal a similar picture, with a further decline in the number of pupils gaining Level 4. Results in 2003 test at the end of Year 2 were well below average nationally, although just below those of similar schools. In 2004, standards at Level 2 improved significantly. Inspection findings show that standards are currently well below average in Years 2 and 6. However, given the high proportion of pupils identified as having special educational needs or who are at an early stage of learning English, achievement in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory. Pupils’ achievement in Years 3 and 4 is unsatisfactory because of weaknesses in teaching and in the use of assessment information. In Year 5, pupils make satisfactory progress. In Year 6, pupils achieve well in response to

p.25

Commentary

teaching that is consistently at least good and often very good. Although girls’ performance has been better than that of boys in National Curriculum tests, there are no significant differences in the achievement of boys and girls as revealed by their work and lessons seen. Pupils make similar progress regardless of their ethnicity.

p.25

Commentary

70. Pupils in Year 6 achieve better than in any other year in the school because teaching, learning and the use of assessment for planning are good. Teachers have a clear sense of urgency for Year 6 pupils to catch up on previous learning; this was confirmed not only in lessons seen but also in pupils’ work and during informal discussions with Year 6 pupils. Consistently good teaching, with high expectations, strong subject knowledge, a sharp focus on matching work to individual needs and good use of assessment, enables pupils to catch up quickly in Year 6, albeit not sufficiently to make up for all the earlier underachievement.

p.25

Commentary

71. Pupils in the unit for hearing impairment achieve very well because the curriculum is very effectively adapted to their individual needs and the quality of teaching is highly structured and carefully matched to individual learning. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs in the mainstream is satisfactory overall.

p.25

Commentary

72. Although some good features of teaching were seen in Years 3 and 4, particularly in the setting of clear learning objectives and in quick-fire mental introductions, teaching overall is unsatisfactory in these years. Insufficient subject knowledge in Years 3 and 4 means that teachers do not know how to adapt methods and approaches to particular learning needs. Low expectations for learning arise out of the weaknesses in subject knowledge, and result in lessons that are bland, unimaginative and lacking in stimulation. Weaknesses in planning and in the use of assessment information give rise to activities that are not matched appropriately to different learning needs and do not provide enough challenge for higher-attaining pupils. As a result, pupils of different capabilities often do the same work; or different tasks chosen for Gifford Primary School - 26 different abilities are inappropriate so that many pupils do not reach the learning objectives.

p.25

Commentary

Insufficient use is made of resources in these classes, especially ICT, to consolidate learning of new mathematical ideas.

p.26

Commentary

73. These weaknesses in teaching have led to unsatisfactory learning for pupils in Years 3 and 4, so that pupils do not apply strategies for problem solving effectively enough, they are over- reliant on teacher help and support and do not work as productively as they should. Unsatisfactory teaching and learning in Years 3 and 4 has resulted in unsatisfactory achievement in Years 3 to 6 as a whole – despite the strengths in Year 6 teaching. This is reflected in lower Year 6 test results than in English or science.

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Commentary

74. Assessment in mathematics is unsatisfactory, except in Year 6. Although there are some carefully thought-out systems for tracking pupils’ progress and informing targets, these are not used consistently in planning to cater for the wide range of learning needs in lessons. As a result, there is often a mismatch between tasks and the needs of average, higher and lower- attaining pupils. This was most evident in Years 3 and 4 but apparent to a lesser extent in some other classes. Although pupils are clearly aware of what they are expected to achieve in most lessons, discussions with pupils during lessons showed that they are not aware of what they need to do to improve. Pupils’ targets are not consistently displayed in their books.

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Commentary

75. The co-ordinator for mathematics has worked to bring about improvements in pupils’ achievement through, for example, team teaching, monitoring planning and producing an action plan. These actions have been insufficient to raise standards, and the formal monitoring of teaching has not taken place frequently or rigorously enough. At a whole-school level, the leadership and management of mathematics are unsatisfactory: insufficient emphasis has been placed on bringing about a rapid improvement in standards and the very good practice found in Year 6 has not been disseminated throughout the school. As a result, there has been unsatisfactory improvement in mathematics since the last inspection. Standards in Year 6 have fallen over the last two years, and standards in mathematics are lower than those in English and science.

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Mathematics across the curriculum

76. The development of mathematical skills in other subjects is satisfactory. For example, in science pupils measure and then record their findings from investigations on graphs; in history, they use timelines to record the passage of time; in geography, they use co-ordinates to find locations on maps.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are in line with the national average and above those of similar schools. • Pupils enjoy the subject and achieve very well. • Teaching and learning are very good. • Leadership in the subject is very effective.

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Commentary

77. On entering the school, pupils’ attainment is well below average. As a result of stimulating and conscientious teaching, by the end of Year 2 standards are just below the national average, reflecting good achievement. By the end of Year 6, the proportion of pupils reaching Level 4 over the past few years has been consistently in line with the national average and above that in similar schools. The percentage of pupils reaching Level 5 has also been above that of similar schools. Gifford Primary School - 27 78. Pupils achieve very well. They show a real enthusiasm for the subject as a result of the central focus on investigative and experimental work that is evident in all classes. This is particularly marked among older pupils. The curriculum for Year 6 has been carefully developed to cover all the aspects tested during the year while maintaining a focus on investigation and the development of scientific thinking. This contributes to the school’s success in National

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Commentary

Curriculum tests and ensures that pupils retain their enthusiasm for the subject.

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Commentary

79. All the teaching seen was at least good and much was very good. Teaching is very well organised with a major focus on investigation and fair testing. The most impressive feature of the teaching of younger pupils is the great enthusiasm for investigation created by imaginative and engaging tasks. Even when the subject of the lesson is quite straightforward, teachers find methods to involve and enthuse pupils. Teachers maintain an orderly atmosphere. They consistently provide models of scientific language and give frequent opportunities for discussion. A very positive feature of the teaching is the co-operation between teachers and teaching assistants.

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Commentary

80. As they move through the school, pupils are given tasks well matched to their abilities. A particular strength in a number of lessons was the use of discussion in pairs and groups to develop language generally and scientific language in particular. Work is well matched to the reading and writing capabilities of pupils, and materials are provided so that those with writing difficulties do not spend whole sessions recording, but are able to carry out experiments. The greatest strength in the teaching of older pupils is the consistent addition, during lessons, of extra challenge to develop the thinking of all and the potential of higher achievers.

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Commentary

81. The subject is led and managed very well. The co-ordinator has been very effective in increasing the amount of investigative work, which has raised standards. He has extended the use of ICT in the subject; and has analysed a whole range of factors that are needed to raise standards. For example some science lessons are timetabled in the morning, both to raise the profile of the subject and to engage those whose concentration is better at this time of day. He has also worked hard to maintain momentum in the subject by introducing a range of links with other subjects and developing interactive games that help pupils see that science is fun. Improvement is further assured by the careful scrutiny of the results of tests, and the use of assessment information to refine provision. The curriculum is comprehensive, with that in Year 6 building upon previous knowledge very well. Each unit has a built-in assessment element so

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Commentary

that staff and pupils can gauge success. Teachers also encourage pupils to assess their own understanding in individual lessons. There has been good improvement in the subject since the last inspection, particularly in the quality of teaching.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils make good progress in ICT lessons to reach standards that are in line with national expectations. • There has been recent improvement in resources, staff expertise and pupil achievement. • Teaching and learning are good and frequently very good. • The very good resources in the new building are not being used yet to their full capacity in all subjects.

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Commentary

82. Throughout the school, standards in ICT match national expectations. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection and has come about as a result of an improvement in resources, especially the availability of two ICT suites in the new building, and an increase in teacher expertise and confidence. The achievement of pupils is now good and basic skills are Gifford Primary School - 28 well established. The fact that pupils attain levels found nationally is a good achievement as they come from homes that have fewer computers than is the norm. During the inspection, teachers were observed making good use of the skills of those with home computers to help others. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are already proficient in basic procedures, logging on independently and opening programmes. They use ‘draw’ and ‘paint’ programs confidently as well as improving their texts by changing the font and style.

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Commentary

83. In Years 3 to 6, pupils further develop their word processing skills. By the time they reach the end of their time in the school, they illustrate their work by positioning photographs, creating wraparound text and generally adapting style to content. They produce interesting PowerPoint presentations and become adept at adding sound and animation. They also increase their knowledge to include a range of control procedures.

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Commentary

84. The teaching seen in the subject was very good, with all teachers systematically introducing new skills and procedures. They are aware of pupils wanting to work very quickly and keep stressing the need to be systematic. All the teachers and teaching assistants seen had good subject knowledge.

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Commentary

85. The co-ordinator has led and managed the subject very well, ensuring that the new system is up and running. He has spent a great deal of time recently supervising the move, setting up the new system and ‘ironing out’ hardware and software problems. The majority of these aspects are now solved and time now needs to be focused on continuing to raise standards and ensuring the very good resources are used to capacity. At present, there is no ICT club to extend pupils’ learning or foster their interest in the subject outside lesson time.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

86. Although there are examples in the school of ICT being used in a range of curriculum areas, there were only a limited number of occasions when pupils were seen using computers to support their work in lessons. Word-processed writing is evident in virtually all displays of pupils’ work, this being particularly good in Year 6, and pupils use the Internet to research information in a number of subjects. Few teachers have begun to make the most of the improved ICT facilities in the new building, however, and the junior suite has acoustic difficulties that make it hard, at times, for pupils to hear the teacher properly.

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HUMANITIES

87. Too few lessons were observed during the inspection in geography and history for a secure overall judgement to be made about provision, standards, achievement and teaching. Two lessons were seen in history and one in geography.

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HUMANITIES

88. The work of pupils in geography shows that in Years 1 and 2 they are introduced to maps and are able to locate the continents of the world. They know that people built different houses to adjust to the different climates. In Years 3 to 6, pupils build on this work, learning about what lies to the north and south of the Equator and locating in maps places that they visit. In a lesson observed in Year 3, pupils were taught about the very basic existence of people in an Indian village and given opportunities to compare the amenities they have in their own area with the limited facilities that exist in Chambakoli. Pupils engage in extended writing about their trips and when working on projects. In studying their local area, they understand the importance of protecting the environment and the effect of noise pollution. In Year 5, there are good links with other subjects, particularly science, when pupils study life forms and food

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HUMANITIES

chains found in mountains and valleys carved by rivers. The Year 6 display of the water cycle indicated good promotion of literacy skills and use of ICT, as pupils researched, wrote and graphically presented information in an engaging manner.

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HUMANITIES

89. In history , pupils in Years 1 and 2 have learnt about the Fire of London – its causes and the damage it wrought. In Years 3 to 6, they know the reasons for the Roman invasion of Britain, Gifford Primary School - 29 they know about Henry VIII and the saga surrounding his six wives, how ordinary people lived during Tudor times, the successes of explorers during the 16 th and 17 th centuries, and life under Queen Victoria. In studying the history of places further afield, pupils find out something of the Indus Valley Civilisation and the Ancient Greeks. Samples of their work and a lesson observed indicate that pupils have some understanding of the importance of evidence – photographs, pictures, books and artefacts - to make judgements about how people lived. Pupils show that they are able to learn facts and deduce information from evidence, such as artefacts, but are less able to put these into historical contexts. In Year 5, teachers – with

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HUMANITIES

laminated displays - routinely make it a point to draw pupils’ attention to key events that happened in the past which mark days as special. Pupils are developing their writing skills effectively in history.

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HUMANITIES

90. An assessment system has been developed in history and geography, which is an improvement on the situation at the time of the last inspection. However, the system for recording pupils’ attainment in history is of limited use for the purpose of planning lessons, as it focuses more on what has been covered than on pupils’ levels of attainment. Teachers’ marking of written work is minimal, with limited comments about what pupils should do to improve. The co-ordinators - one of whom took up post only recently - intend to rectify this, improve resources for both subjects and make better use of ICT now that the availability of computers has improved.

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils make good progress in Years 5 and 6 and most teachers promote literacy well. • Insufficient attention is given to learning from religions. • There has been limited development in the subject since the last inspection.

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Commentary

91. Standards are below expectations in learning about religions in Years 2 and 6 and well below expectations in learning from religions. Pupils achieve satisfactorily overall in their knowledge of the range of faiths studied, although their progress in understanding how religious teachings relate to their own lives is under-developed. The best achievement is found in Years 5 and 6, where teaching is good.

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Commentary

92. In Years 1 and 2, pupils cover an appropriate range of topics and their achievement is satisfactory. They learn about Christianity, Judaism and Sikhism, places of worship, food used by religious groups on festive occasions, and the significance of symbols, like the candle and cross. By the end of Year 2, many pupils are able to make some comparisons between religions: they have learnt that the Granth Sahib is the Sikh equivalent of the Bible and that as Christians worship in a church, the Sikhs worship in a Gurdawara.

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Commentary

93. Achievement is good in Years 5 and 6, and satisfactory in Years 3 and 4. In a very good lesson in Year 5, pupils learnt about how the different books of the Bible were written in a variety of genres (poetry, songs, parables, letters) and for different purposes, such as to provide accounts of great events, learn lessons and set out laws by which people live moral lives. In another lesson, they learnt about metaphors and symbols in the Bible, and were asked to illustrate religious sayings in pictures and writing. In Years 5 and 6, pupils tackle subjects such as ‘prayer’ and how people in different faiths engage in it, both inside and outside their formal places of worship, such as the mosques, temples and churches.

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Commentary

94. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, but good and occasionally very good in Years 5 and 6. Most teachers create good opportunities for pupils to develop their writing and Gifford Primary School - 30 analytical skills in the subject, recording what they know and understand. Marking is unsatisfactory at present, however, and pupils’ work receives few comments to inform them of how well they have done and what they could do to improve. Religious education provides a platform for pupils to understand the links between rights and responsibilities, although the subject is not otherwise used as well as it could be to explore spiritual and moral issues. Pupils have had some opportunities to visit places of worship, but the considerable opportunities within the school’s parent body and wider community for pupils to learn not only about but also from the faiths that they represent are not being exploited as well as they should

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Commentary

95. The school has made limited improvement in provision for religious education since the last inspection, although leadership and management of the subject are now satisfactory. The newly appointed co-ordinator has put in place plans to improve the resources, deepen teachers’ knowledge of the subject and improve short and medium-term plans in line with the Local Agreed Syllabus – which is itself in the process of being revised. Assessment, an issue in the last inspection, has not yet been satisfactorily resolved: the co-ordinator has piloted an assessment system with younger pupils, which she plans to extend to the rest of the school.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

96. A small number of art and design lessons were sampled during the inspection, work on display was scrutinised and discussions were held with the art co-ordinator, but there is insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement about the quality of provision, achievement or teaching.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

97. Lessons sampled in Year 5 included some good practice amongst teachers. Standards varied in pupils’ observational drawing, but all pupils looked carefully and tried hard to record what they saw. Visual reference materials were used well and the involvement of pupils in devising their own still life arrangements encouraged an awareness of composition and form. Pupils’ work showed an awareness of tone and they were able to evaluate each other’s work. In Year 6, the teacher provided a lively and motivating introduction to a lesson where pupils learnt about proportion in the human body. Some pupils worked with care but rather too rapidly and tended to chat. The full learning potential within the activity was not entirely realised, therefore, although the overall project was very well conceived and included the use of ICT. In younger classes, pupils learn appropriate skills, for instance how to achieve a wide range of

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

marks. Some very good work has been produced by pupils in Year 2 in a project that linked art and science: pupils studied Aboriginal art, and then used what they had learnt to produce highly detailed, large-scale drawings of insects. These included a wide variety of mark making and clearly resulted in pupils making very good progress.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

98. It is clear that the leadership and management of art is very good; the co-ordinator is proactive and has used links with another school very well in beginning to raise standards. Monitoring is better established in art than in a number of other subjects, because the co-ordinator is very enthusiastic. She has provided valuable training for other teachers. Plans for future development are focused particularly on increasing opportunities for pupils’ creativity and the school has made a very good start on this. An effective assessment system is in place and data is analysed to see how pupils are progressing and to identify where improvements could be made.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

99. There were no design and technology lessons during the inspection. The school does not keep photographic records of pupils’ practical work in the subject and virtually all of last year’s work went home with pupils at the time of the move to the new building. It is, therefore, impossible to make judgements about achievement, teaching or the standards of making. From scrutiny of folders, it is apparent that planning, designing and evaluating are systematic, following a set pattern in all classes. The curriculum is comprehensive, covering all aspects of the subject. The subject co-ordinator monitors work and lessons and plays a very supportive role in ensuring resources are available for all units of study. Gifford Primary School - 31 100. No lessons were seen in music , so it is not possible to make a judgement about the quality of provision, achievement or teaching, but discussions took place with the co-ordinator and

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

pupils’ singing was heard in assemblies. Most pupils sing enthusiastically and in one assembly, the youngest pupils composed words to a well-known song – which also promoted their literacy skills - and then sang it with confidence. Since the last inspection, the school has made good use of an Advanced Skills Teacher to support the development of teaching and learning. Effective links have been established with a local high school, which have enabled pupils to benefit from multicultural music workshops including ones on African drums and Indian music. The co-ordinators have updated the music policy, developed an action plan and are using national guidelines in planning the subject. Pupils have appropriate opportunities for extra tuition in violin or cello, through the visiting specialist teacher from the music service. Pupils’ learning is enriched through extra activities such as the recorder club, the school choir,

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

and hearing impaired pupils were effectively included in the strings programme during the local music festival in 2002.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

101. Since no lessons were seen in physical education the quality of provision, achievement and teaching cannot be judged - although discussions took place with the new subject co-ordinator and the local School Sports Co-ordinator. Pupils in Year 5 attend regular swimming sessions and receive appropriate awards. There are good opportunities for enriching pupils’ learning in physical education, especially in Years 5 and 6. Pupils have taken part in a number of individual and team events, including a Year 5 and 6 girls’ football tournament, Year 5 gifted and talented cricket league, Year 5 tag rugby festival, Year 5 Commonwealth games, and the Year 5 and 6 boccia and kurling festival. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 also took part in outdoor and adventurous activities, which resulted in a regatta for the family at the end of a six-week block or work. The school provides a number of lunchtime clubs such as girls’ football, mixed

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

netball, Year 1 and 2 ‘Tops dance’ for pupils with behavioural difficulties and a fitness club for Year 6 pupils. The school has held two training days for staff with the support of the School Sport Partnership, incorporating ‘Tops Gym’, athletics and managing large apparatus. The subject promotes equality well, as girls increasingly attend sporting events, and during the opening and closing ceremonies of mini-Olympics, pupils shared experiences of different cultures. Close links with the London Sports Forum for the Disabled ensure that pupils with special educational needs are fully included in all activities. Teachers also prepare effectively for the inclusion of deaf pupils into physical education lessons by, for example, ensuring that complete demonstrations are shown before starting activities, and by using signing appropriately. The school is well resourced and the new hall is an excellent facility for physical

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

education as it has very good storage areas and is fully marked out for a wide range of games.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION

Provision in personal, social and health education (PSHE) is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has developed a good programme for personal, social and health education. • Pupils have positive attitudes to the subject. • The school’s approach to informing parents about sex education is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

102. The programme for personal, social and health education has been revised recently to provide an interesting and relevant programme of activities, including role-play, drama and discussions. The timetable has flexibility to allow activities such as circle time to address in a secure and supportive way issues of immediate concern to the pupils. Pupils are encouraged to share their experiences and to talk and listen to each other on a regular basis. They help each other spontaneously in lessons and around the school. Observation of personal, social and health education lessons revealed good teaching and a positive response from pupils; they particularly enjoyed circle time. The active involvement of pupils in decision-making Gifford Primary School - 32 through the school council provides them with very good opportunities to experience democratic processes and to develop responsibility as members of a community.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

103. The school is very keen to involve parents in this area of its work. Each year, parents in specific classes are invited into school to have the sex education curriculum explained to them and to discuss any concerns. Partly as a result of this, no pupils have been withdrawn from sex education lessons.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

104. Leadership and management of the subject are good. The co-ordinator has only been in post for a short time; however, she has already audited needs within the subject and revised the curriculum as a result. She has devised an appropriate action plan to develop this area further, including building further links with outside agencies and purchasing additional resources. The school is beginning to make good use of external agencies, such as the local health team, fire service and the police. Gifford Primary School - 33

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 3 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 4 Value for money provided by the school 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 5 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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