The Willow Primary School

Broadwater Farm Primary School

Dates of inspection: 29 th November – 2 nd December 2004

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Broadwater Farm Primary School

Inspection number: 269543 Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Broadwater Farm Primary School - 2 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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Broadwater Farm 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. Broadwater Farm Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 to 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 530 full-time equivalent

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Moira Close Tottenham Postcode: N17 6HZ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 020 8808 0247 Fax number: 020 8801 0685

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Andy Over

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 6 th December 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Broadwater Farm Primary is a large, multi-ethnic primary school with 530 full-time equivalent children on roll. In Reception there are twice as many boys as girls. Most children live in the immediate locality which is an area of high social deprivation, although some come from professional families. The percentage of children eligible for free school meals is very much higher than found in most schools. Over one third of the children come from Black or Black British-African backgrounds and one quarter from Any Other White backgrounds. In addition, 13% come from Black British-Caribbean and 7% White British families. There are also children from Mixed-White and Black Caribbean; Mixed-White and Black African; Asian British Indian; Asian British Pakistani, Asian British Bangladeshi; Chinese and other ethnic backgrounds. 370 children speak English as an additional language and this is very high in comparison to other primary schools. The most

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

common languages are Turkish, Twi and Somali.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The proportion of children with special educational needs, including those with a statement of particular need, is similar to that usually found. Most have moderate learning difficulties, social emotional and behavioural difficulties, speech or communication problems, hearing impairment or autism. Attainment on entry to school is very low. The percentage of children starting and leaving at other than the usual times is in line with the national average in all year groups except Year 2, when a lot of children join.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Two special schools on the same site as well as others in the locality work with the school as significant partners. It is involved in the Excellence in Cities initiative and On track-Youth Offending Team. It has received the following awards, Healthy Schools, School Achievement and London School’s Environment. The school is part of a national pilot to improve the achievement of children with English as an additional language. It is also subject to reorganisation proposals. A children’s centre that will incorporate the Nursery is due to open in September 2005. The school is to be rebuilt as an inclusive campus in 2007. Broadwater Farm Primary School - 4 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM [- note F3]

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

10090 Kath Beck Lead inspector Foundation Stage 32670 Graham Saltmarsh Lay inspector 7694 Martyn Richards Team inspector English Religious education English as an additional language 32162 Adrienne Beavis Team inspector Science Geography History Special educational needs 12603 Tusha Chakraborti Team inspector Information and communication technology Design and technology 25787 Edmond Morris Team inspector Mathematics Art and design Physical education Music

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

icp 360 Lee Valley Technopark Ashley Road Tottenham Hale London N17 9LN

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

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). Broadwater Farm Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 14

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Broadwater Farm Primary is a reasonably effective school and provides satisfactory value for money. It has many strengths and faces the very significant challenges in helping children to overcome the formidable barriers to their learning with optimism. There is a very strong commitment to the inclusion of all children, whatever their background or special educational need. The atmosphere in the school is racially harmonious; behaviour in lessons is good and children with behavioural difficulties are supported effectively. Teaching is good in the Foundation Stage, satisfactory in the infants but unsatisfactory in the juniors. Leadership of senior managers is satisfactory overall, while that of the headteacher is good. Determined action is being taken to raise standards, although they remain low, and the decline of the past three years has been stopped. However, there are serious weaknesses in some aspects of its provision.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • standards are now rising because arrangements for teaching children according to their ability in English, mathematics are having a positive impact. Standards in religious education are good in Year 2 and Year 6; • children’s spiritual developments are very good. Assemblies make an important contribution to the daily life of this richly diverse multi-cultural, multi-faith school. • most senior managers offer good role models to the children and other staff. Leadership in English, mathematics, science, religious education, music, art and design, special educational needs and English as an additional language is strong. However, issues arising from monitoring or the introduction of new developments are not always implemented fully, especially in the juniors because some teachers do not always share the views of the senior staff about the best way to raise standards;

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• children make a good start to school life in the Foundation Stage as the provision in all the areas of learning and much of the teaching is good or very good; • attitudes and behaviour in lessons are mostly good as children know that learning is important. The provision for children’s personal, social and health education is good and learning mentors make a significant contribution to learning; • there are examples of good and very good teaching in some classes in the infants and the juniors, but this is not consistent in all classes across the year groups; • good links with the special schools on the same site, the wider community and parents enhance the provision in music and sport and for children who are gifted and talented or with special educational needs. However, the school day is not organised efficiently in the juniors so that there is not enough time for children to cover the full curriculum in sufficient depth;

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• elements of management are not as effective as they could be because not all staff take on responsibilities for coordinating or managing the work of their colleagues; • much of the accommodation is poor and resources are unsatisfactory; • attendance and punctuality are poor and this limits the achievements of the children concerned.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Taking into account the full context of the school, it has made moderate progress since the last inspection in 1999. National tests results rose and then declined dramatically to an exceptionally low point in 2004. However, they are now rising. Health and safety issues have been resolved. A large budget deficit inherited by the headteacher has been recovered. As a result, some senior staff have recently been freed from full-time teaching responsibilities to have more impact on raising standards and this is proving fruitful. Religious education has a much higher profile in the school so that standards now exceed those expected in the locally agreed syllabus in Years 2 and 6. Behaviour in lessons, the care and welfare of the children, links with parents and the community and leadership of special educational needs have all improved. Assessment procedures to track children’s progress are better, but there is still work to do in enabling some teachers to use

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OVERALL EVALUATION

assessment information to match work to children’s needs. Broadwater Farm Primary School - 7

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004 English E E* E* E mathematics C E E* E* science E E* E* E* 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

Overall achievement is satisfactory. Attainment on entry to the Nursery is very low. Throughout the Nursery and Reception years children achieve well because of good teaching. However, very few are on course to meet the early learning goals set for them at the end of the Reception year, except in physical development and in personal, social and emotional development. In the infants, children achieve appropriately for their capabilities, often gaining a secure foundation of basic literacy and numeracy skills. This is built on in Year 3, but in Years 4, 5 and 6 teachers’ expectations are inconsistent and this limits the progress, especially in the groups of more able children in the juniors.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

National test results in Year 2 have been well below average for some years. This is because the children have a lot of ground to make up, especially in acquiring spoken English literacy skills. In Year 6, national test results and the school’s performance compared to similar schools have fallen dramatically over the past four years. The school has analysed the reasons for this and taken determined action to improve the situation. However, its efforts to raise standards have been frustrated. Changes required following the identification of issues during the monitoring of children’s work and the quality of teaching have not always been implemented by some staff. It is not easy to recruit but the school has been successful in appointing some good teachers. It often finds that it needs to appoint unqualified teachers and train them. Recently some staff were allocated to new age groups and classes that better suited their knowledge and skills. To prepare the children more

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

effectively to take the tests, they are now taught English and mathematics in sets according to their ability in Years 4, 5 and 6. Senior staff are involved in teaching these groups and are having a positive impact. Standards in information and communication technology are satisfactory in Year 2 but below average in Year 6.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Children with special educational needs or English as additional language achieve satisfactorily. They make faster progress when they are taught by specialist teachers. Older children who are fluent English speakers find it harder to deal with the challenging concepts of the higher levels of the National Curriculum. The school has identified this as a difficulty. It will play a full part in a national scheme to raise standards of children with English as an additional language from January 2005.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Children’s attitudes, behaviour and personal developments are good. Attendance is poor because a significant number of parents do not ensure that their children attend regularly and this has a significant impact on their achievement. Punctuality is also poor despite the school’s determined efforts to improve it.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is satisfactory. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, although they vary across the year groups. Teaching is good in the Nursery and often good in the Reception classes. It is satisfactory in the infants, but unsatisfactory overall in the juniors. Many teachers make clear that learning is important, but others have low expectations of what children know and can do. Assessment procedures are satisfactory but some teachers in the juniors do not use the information gained from them to plan work well enough to meet the different needs of the children, including the more able. The use of teaching assistants in classes is also inconsistent across the school. Their skills are being raised in training provided by a skilled member of the team. Broadwater Farm Primary School - 8 The curriculum is good in the Foundation Stage promoting all the areas of learning well. It is

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

satisfactory in the infants promoting basic skills in all aspects of English and mathematics, but it is unsatisfactory in the juniors because it does not ensure that time is used effectively to teach each subject in enough depth. Provision in science and information and communication technology is unsatisfactory. That said the curriculum is enriched by good opportunities to take part in sport and the arts. The accommodation is poor and some outside areas need attention to prevent tripping. The school is organised in seven different buildings which makes it difficult for staff to work collaboratively. Budgetary difficulties have limited the provision of resources, especially computers and dual language books so resources are unsatisfactory. Care, welfare and health and safety are satisfactory. Learning mentors contribute significantly to the achievement of children who find it hard to behave consistently well. Links with parents, the community and other schools are good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and governance are satisfactory but management is unsatisfactory . The headteacher has a keen sense of purpose and high aspirations for the children in the school. There is a very strong commitment to inclusion, high standards of behaviour and achievement. The headteacher is determined to make a difference to children’s lives. Some long serving as well as new skilled staff share these high aspirations and do their best to implement them. Difficulties arising from the recruitment of teachers mean the majority of the work to raise standards falls to the headteacher, senior management team and staff with leadership roles, such as mathematics, special educational needs and English as an additional language. These leaders inspire and motivate many staff and children. It is recognised that the delegation of other posts of responsibility is essential if standards are to be raised and the quality of teaching improved. However, some staff have relinquished or do

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

not take responsibility for coordinating and managing the work of their colleagues to help raise standards. This means that required changes are not always checked for their full implementation. A small, but determined group of governors challenge and support the school. They have helped to reduce a significant budget deficit, inherited by the headteacher, in a short period of time.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are mostly pleased with the school, although a minority believe that expectations are not high enough. They have a high level of confidence in the headteacher who they believe responds immediately to their concerns and puts the children first. Many children are happy and believe that their views are listened to and acted upon.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • raise standards in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology in Year 6; • improve the management of the school; • take action to ensure decisions and priorities for development are sharp, clearly focussed and implemented consistently in all classes; • iron out the inconsistencies in teaching, especially in Years 3 to 6; raise teachers’ expectations and use of assessment information to ensure that work challenges all children, but especially the more able; • reorganise the school day so that all subjects are taught in the required depth and junior children receive the recommended 23.5 hours of teaching time; • improve resources; • make sure children attend school regularly and arrive on time. Broadwater Farm Primary School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Attainment on entry to the Nursery is very low because many children do not speak English or come from significantly economically and socially deprived backgrounds. At the age of five attainments on entry to compulsory schooling are well below those normally expected. Children are on course to meet the early learning goals in personal, social and emotional development as well as physical development. They are unlikely to meet them in communication, language and literacy, mathematical and creative development and knowledge and understanding of the world. Overall standards are below the national average at the end of Year 2 and well below in Year 6. Standards are rising in mathematics, although they remain below average at the end of the infant and junior stages. Achievement is satisfactory but it is dependent on the quality of teaching.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• National test results in 2004 were exceptionally low. • The decline in standards has been stopped as more children are expected to reach the nationally expected Level 4 in Year 6 and some may reach Level 5. • Standards in religious education are good in Years 2 and Year 6, but those in information and communication technology in Year 6 are below those found in most schools. • Children with English as an additional language or with special educational needs achieve well when supported by specialist teachers.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 13.3 (13.8) 15.8 (15.7)

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Commentary

There were 73 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

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

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Standards in: School results National results English 22.0 (22.8) 26.9 (26.8) mathematics 21.2 (23.8) 27.0 (26.8) science 20.6 (24.0) 28.6 (28.6) There were 55 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

1. Each child is awarded a score for the National Curriculum level they reach in national tests. When these are added up and divided by the number of children taking the tests it gives an average points’ score. The table above reflects the school’s very poor performance in 2004. Broadwater Farm Primary School - 10 2. Results in English, mathematics and science have fallen dramatically since 2001 to an exceptionally low level in 2004 when compared to all and similar schools. Each year the school has analysed the reasons for falling standards in depth and taken action to improve them, including recruiting new staff. In some cases this was successful, but in others the expected quality of teaching was not as good as had been anticipated. The school identifies the factors contributing to the very poor results in Year 6 in 2004 as: • one third of the children in the year group having special educational needs;

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Commentary

• learning in one class was disrupted because the children were taught by many different teachers during their junior years; • lack of ethnic minority achievement support for the children when they were in Years 4 to 6; • limited time for support from teaching assistants in class; • lack of preparation; the children did not know what was expected of them and did not complete the papers in the set time.

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Commentary

3. More rigorous action has now been taken and is proving beneficial. The decision to teach children in English and mathematics in sets according to their abilities since September is having a positive impact on achievement. Targets set for the number of children to reach the nationally expected Level 4 are much higher than last year and the school is on course to meet them in English and science. However, standards in these subjects remain well below those found in most schools. Standards in mathematics are rising as the subject leader and advice from a local authority adviser are having a positive impact on teaching. Standards are below average in Year 6 but this represents a significant improvement over 2004 and good achievement from the age of five. The involvement of senior staff and the special educational needs coordinator in the setting arrangements means children are taught in smaller groups so they receive closer attention. It also

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Commentary

means many children will be prepared more effectively to take the tests in May 2005. Teaching in some of these groups is good, but there are still some weaknesses in teaching for the more able in Year 6 in mathematics. In addition, some teachers have been allocated to different classes and age groups that suit their knowledge and skills more effectively. The school is now part of a national project to raise standards of children who have English as an additional language and who find it hard to understand the more difficult elements of the National Curriculum.

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Commentary

4. In Year 2, the national tests results have remained well below average over the past four years. In 2004, the picture was slightly better when compared to similar schools. Results were average in mathematics and below average in reading and writing. Over the past four years, results have risen and fallen in reading and mathematics. In writing, results declined in 2001 and have hardly changed since then. This reflects the increasing number of children starting at the school with English as an additional language. They have a lot of ground to make up.

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Commentary

5. Overall achievement is satisfactory, although it varies according to the quality of teaching. Children enter the Nursery with very low attainment. This is because they have limited literacy and numeracy skills and few speak English as their first language. Good teaching in the Foundation Stage enables them to learn effectively but as they have a lot to grasp, especially spoken English, few are on course to meet the early learning goals in communications, language and literacy, knowledge and understanding of the world, mathematical and creative development. They are on course to meet them in physical, personal, social and emotional developments.

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Commentary

6. In Year 1, teachers build successfully on previous learning and help children acquire the skills they need to read, write and count successfully. Children with English as an additional language are supported very well in this year group and in Year 2. Achievement in Years 3 to 6 is not as fast as it should be because too much of the teaching, especially in Year 4 and Year 6 is unsatisfactory. Time is not used well enough in the juniors. Some lessons are very long and children, despite their good behaviour and attitudes, cannot sustain their concentration. Other lessons are too short, especially in science, to enable children to learn all that they should.

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Commentary

7. Standards are rising in religious education because leadership and management are good A lot of emphasis has been placed on improving standards in religious education and it has proved Broadwater Farm Primary School - 11 successful. The subject leader has inspired teachers and children to learn through visits to places of worship, visits from representatives of the different faiths within the community as well as from each other. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory in information and communication technology so that standards, while similar to those in most schools in Year 2, are unsatisfactory in Year 6. Teachers do not assess children’s achievements well enough in Years 3 to 6 to make sure they make the progress they should. There are not enough up to date resources to enhance the achievements of all children.

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Commentary

8. The achievement of children with special educational needs is satisfactory overall. Children’s needs are identified early and teachers receive good quality support from the school’s knowledgeable special needs coordinator. However, the standards children achieve are very dependent on the quality of teaching. Those who are given extra support in small groups are taught well by specialist teachers and achievement is good. Where teaching is unsatisfactory, particularly in junior classes, work is not set at a suitable level for children and their progress is limited. In other classes, tasks are appropriate and achievement is satisfactory.

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Commentary

9. The school caters for a wide range of ethnic minority communities. A high proportion of its children do not speak English as their first language. A significant number are thought to be from asylum seeking and refugee families but the school is not always able to confirm this. Some of these children spend only brief periods of time in the school. Those learning English as an additional language achieve satisfactorily, although their skills are below those found in schools nationally. Reading and writing skills develop more slowly than speaking and many children find difficulty in using English to express more complex or abstract ideas. By the age of eleven however, many are as fluent in English as their mother tongue classmates, but do not always understand the difficult ideas required by the higher levels of the National Curriculum. The school keeps careful records of the progress of its ethnic minority groups to make sure they all do as well as possible.

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Commentary

Targets are set for each group to reach. The checks show that children from Turkish and Kurdish speaking homes and those with a Somali background generally achieve less well than others and the school has several initiatives in place to promote higher achievement. In January the school will be participating in a national initiative to raise the attainment of children who speak English as an additional language.

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Commentary

10. The school has identified a group of particularly gifted and talented children. A number of music and sports clubs, group lessons and local authority holiday programmes give these children the chance to work at a high level. They do well in these sessions and develop their talents effectively. However, the more able children in English and mathematics do not always achieve as well as they should when taught in sets by ability because work is not challenging enough for them.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Children’s attitudes and behaviour are good overall and on occasions very good and have a very positive impact upon life in and around the school. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural developments are good. Attendance and punctuality are poor.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good attitudes to learning and good standards of behaviour mean there is a happy, vibrant community ethos. • Children are confident, outgoing, courteous and some have refined social skills. • The children have a very strong sense of ownership and a close affinity with the school. • Spiritual development in assemblies is a strength in the school. • Some parents do not ensure that their children attend the school regularly and on time. • The heavy workload for the learning mentors means that the school is not as robust in following up absences as it should be.

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Commentary

Broadwater Farm Primary School - 12 11. Children’s attitudes throughout the school are enthusiastic and positive. Many show thoughtfulness and care towards each other and to the adults in school. Children thoroughly enjoy being in this school and as a consequence they respond well to the high expectations of how they should behave. As a result, behaviour is generally good and on occasions very good, especially when children move around the large and disparate site at break time and between lessons. Lapses in behaviour are managed very well by the staff with a minimum of fuss and children clearly respect and respond to this. In the playground they play together harmoniously and enjoy each others company. Although the number of short-term exclusions of Black Caribbean boys is high, it represents an appropriate response to the behaviour of the children in question and reflects the school’s insistence on high standards of behaviour.

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Commentary

12. Adults and children have been successful in creating a warm supportive ethos. Children are proud of their school. They are courteous and confident; they love to meet and receive visitors to the school and they are anxious to help them find their way around its labyrinth of buildings whilst talking to them with real interest. Displays and photographs value children’s efforts and provide examples of standards that can be reached.

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Commentary

13. As a result of the school’s good and effective provision for their moral and social development children grow in confidence and maturity. Their very well developed interpersonal skills have helped the children to form lasting and constructive relationships with staff and with each other. Children are encouraged to work and play together in pairs or in groups. They care for each other and take on any responsibilities confidently carrying them out with pleasure. The school has a well developed and inclusive reward system which recognises children’s positive contributions and achievements that enhance life in the school community.

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Commentary

14. Children respect their school council which has representatives from every year group. The council is enthusiastic and serious about its responsibilities. It has proved to be an effective means to convey the children’s ideas and concerns to the school as a whole. Issues such as use of the playgrounds, healthy eating and murals around the school have all been addressed and the school council knows that its suggestions are heard and acted upon. Whilst behaviour and bullying are regularly discussed in the school council and at assemblies children from all year groups confirmed that bullying and any form of oppressive behaviour or language is dealt with quickly and is not tolerated. Children spoken to were also emphatic in telling the inspectors that their school is a happy and safe place.

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Commentary

15. Children’s cultural development is good because the nationalities and traditions represented by children in the school are celebrated through studies of art, food, dress and lifestyles. Parents contribute to this, enabling children to become aware of the different ways of life followed by the various groups in their community. This significantly contributes to the tolerance, racial harmony and understanding the children show towards each other. Children also study artists from western and other cultures. Some of the artistic and creative styles are unconventional and adventurous, such as the exploration of shapes and colour in cultural dress and objects.

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Commentary

16. Extra curricular activities also play an important part in broadening the social, cultural and community dimensions to children’s lives. There are several school clubs for sports, music and other activities. The varied and regular visits further away form the school are particularly special giving children experiences that they may not otherwise encounter. These include visits to London museums, art galleries, the theatre, wild life parks and a trip to a south coast sea-side resort. A school journey to a residential outdoor education centre in South Wales for Year 5 and 6 children provides a dramatic contrast to their usual environment and routine. Here they experience working in a countryside study centre and participate in camping, canoeing, climbing and horse riding which does much to develop confidence and independence. Broadwater Farm Primary School - 13 17. Spiritual development is very good. It is varied, relevant, absorbing and uplifting. There is

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Commentary

a whole school emphasis in understanding and celebrating the religious beliefs traditions and festivals of the community. Many in the school work to promote religious and racial tolerance and the appreciation of different values and beliefs. Much of this work is taught through a rich and varied assembly programme and religious education. Every main world religious faith is represented and great care is taken to ensure that the teachings and principles of these faiths are shared and celebrated. Music, song, dance and drama are all imaginatively harnessed to produce some moving assemblies that also include parents. Clergy and representatives of all faiths and beliefs regularly visit the school and talk with the children. These have included a Rastafarian parent who spoke at a recent assembly, a nun who lives on the Broadwater Farm Estate and a serving police officer who conducted a “Peace” assembly. Common themes emphasise the

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Commentary

importance of friendship, respect and standing firm on knowing right from wrong. Assemblies make an important contribution to the overall daily life in this richly diverse multicultural, multifaith school.

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Commentary

18. Whilst the majority of children attend the school punctually every day, attendance remains significantly below the national average. There has been a slight improvement during the last school year but attendance, coupled with erratic punctuality, remains poor. Governors have made determined efforts to improve the situation but a small core of parents and carers still do not ensure that their children attend school regularly. Extended holidays are taken during term time and families move away at short notice without informing the school. The children remain on roll while efforts are made to find out where they have gone. This situation has been compounded by the fact that the school has had three separate Education Welfare Officers in the last term and continuity in monitoring and taking action to improve attendance has been seriously hampered.

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Commentary

19. The school’s many racial groups live and work harmoniously together because senior staff consider the establishment of good community relationships very important. Incidents with a racial undertone are rare, but are recorded carefully and dealt with effectively. Good provision of multicultural activity promotes inter-racial understanding and appreciation.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.5 School data 3.9 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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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 27 2 1 White – Irish 1 0 0 White – any other White background 138 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 24 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 3 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 15 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 2 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 8 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 30 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 9 0 0 Broadwater Farm Primary School - 14 Black or Black British – Caribbean 76 7 0 Black or Black British – African 171 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 7 0 0 Chinese 2 0 0 Any other ethnic group 25 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is satisfactory overall. It has significant strengths in the Foundation Stage and subjects such as religious education, music, art and design and sport. However, there are serious weaknesses in teaching and the curriculum in some junior classes. The accommodation is poor, especially in the Nursery and Reception classes. It has seven separate buildings which hinder the management of movement around the school and the opportunities for staff to work cohesively. Resources are unsatisfactory overall as budgetary restrictions have limited the number of books and computers that are available. Staffing is satisfactory. Some are long serving but when new teachers are required it is hard to recruit them. Children are cared for well. Links with parents, community and other schools are good.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching, learning and assessment are good in the Foundation Stage, satisfactory in the infants but unsatisfactory in the juniors.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers insist on high standards of behaviour and promote good relationships. • Good and very good teaching in the Foundation Stage gives children a good start to school life. • The quality of teaching is inconsistent between and across classes in each year group. There are many examples of good and very good teaching, but a significant amount of unsatisfactory teaching in the juniors hinders learning. • Assessment is used well in the Foundation Stage to enhance children’s learning. In the juniors some teachers do not use it well enough to plan work to meet children’s needs. • The special educational needs coordinator provides good support to staff to assist children with special educational needs. • Teaching by the specialist teacher for English as an additional language is very good.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 58 lessons

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Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

0 (0%) 12 (21%) 15 (26%) 22 (38%) 8 (13%) 1 (2%) 0 (0%)

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

20. Overall teaching and learning are satisfactory. All teachers insist on high standards of behaviour and there are good relationships between staff and children. This ensures that there is a positive atmosphere in which children can learn. Learning mentors assist children who find it hard to sustain their concentration or behaviour so that the learning of their classmates is not interrupted. Senior staff make it very clear to the children that it is important to learn so that they can be successful in their adult lives. Some of the best lessons observed were taught by teachers who do not yet have qualified teacher status, but this was not always the case. Broadwater Farm Primary School - 15 21. Much of the teaching observed in the Nursery and Reception classes was good or very good. Teachers in these year groups have good knowledge about the best ways in which children of this age prefer to learn. Activities are well matched to children’s age and interest and do much to

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provoke curiosity and promote their spoken English, social and intellectual skills. Often children become engrossed in their work and learn a great deal. Tasks are varied and allow children to work collaboratively or independently. Teachers’ planning is thorough and takes into account all the areas of learning. Often activities include aspects from the different areas. For example, when making gingerbread men, children were developing their early mathematical, literacy, science and physical skills as well their spoken English. Time is mostly used well and children enjoy a wide range of activities that help them to sustain their concentration. Staff work together well to benefit the children. Sometimes the amount of time set aside for children in the Reception classes to work outside is too long and there are not always sufficient adults available during these sessions to extend the learning.

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22. At the Foundation Stage assessment is used well to track children’s progress and plan work that meets their precise needs. Staff observe the children while they are working and note down what they can do and what they need to do next. These observations are incorporated into planning on a daily basis. As a result of this good preparation, children have good work habits on entry to Year 1.

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23. In Years 1 to 6, the quality of teaching is inconsistent. Good and very good teaching was observed in all year groups in English, science, mathematics, music, art and design, religious education and personal, social and health education. In these lessons teachers had good command of the subject, matched work well to children’s needs and enabled them to acquire new knowledge, skills and understanding. Children were challenged to work hard and do their best. However, within these year groups, but especially Year 4 and Year 6, there are classes where the teaching is unsatisfactory. For example, in Year 6, the teaching in religious education, information and communication technology and for the more able group in mathematics was unsatisfactory. English, geography and science lessons observed in Year 4 were unsatisfactory as was a science lesson in Year 5. Teaching assistants were deployed well in the good lessons observed, but in

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Commentary

others they were unsure of what to do or how to extend children’s learning. This variation in the quality of teaching means children’s achievements also vary and there is a lot of ground for some of them to make up as they move through the school.

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Commentary

24. The scrutiny of work reflects these variations and confirms that teaching in some classes has been unsatisfactory over time, especially in English and science. This is because teachers’ expectations of what children know and can do and in the presentation of their work are not high enough. This stems from weaknesses in marking and assessment of children’s progress. Some teachers in the juniors do not use the information gained from assessment to plan work that meets needs or to make children aware of what they need to do to improve. Homework is also not used well enough by all teachers to reinforce and extend children’s learning.

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25. Senior managers are aware of the inconsistencies between the classes in the year groups from their monitoring of teaching and learning. To help overcome these staff are expected to plan their work together and share their skills. However, some required changes to improve the quality of teaching, learning and planning have not been implemented in all classes or year groups.

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26. The quality of teaching for children with lower attainment or special educational needs also varies across the school because their achievements are also dependent on the quality of teaching. The special educational needs coordinator has worked hard to ensure that the quality of individual education plans is good across the school. The targets for children are clear and realistic. However, they are not always used well to ensure that work is set appropriately. In some classes, particularly where children are taught in small groups, teachers have high expectations and a good understanding of children’s needs; as a result children are challenged and achieve well. In other classes, including classes set for English, teachers’ expectations are not high enough; work is not well matched to children’s needs and is often not completed. Teaching assistants, the learning mentors and special needs assistants for children with a statement of special educational need

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make a valuable contribution to children’s achievements. Broadwater Farm Primary School - 16 27. Staff have a strong commitment to educational inclusion and make every effort to ensure that children from all ethnic minority groups and those learning English as an additional language are fully involved in all lessons. The specialist teacher for English as an additional language currently works mainly, but not exclusively, with children in the infants. She teaches small groups in class literacy lessons, jointly teaches classes with some staff and occasionally withdraws small groups of children for more intensive help. Her teaching is very good and gives a strong example of good practice to her colleagues. She motivates the children to learn at a good pace and to gain confidence, building very good relationships with them so they make speedy progress. She also handles the initial assessments of new entrants, the tracking of their progress and the provision of

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support and advice to other staff. Specialist learning support assistants are effective and provide valuable information to teachers and the coordinator.

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Commentary

28. Class teachers are given details of the assessments made on their children’s language ability, but in the juniors they seldom use this information to plan work specifically to meet the detailed English needs of early English learners. In good lessons observed, teachers made full use of class and group discussion to encourage children to speak at greater length, to use a wider vocabulary and to try to put difficult ideas into words. They sometimes help children understand their lessons by using words from their home languages and by sitting early learners alongside more fluent speakers from the same language background. However, children in the juniors who have become fluent English speakers, but find it hard to understand the knowledge required by the higher levels of the National Curriculum, do not always receive additional support. Some teachers are now placing greater emphasis on the vocabulary they need and provide written examples for

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Commentary

29. Lessons in some junior classes do not always present enough challenge to more able children so they do not always do as well as they could.

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The curriculum

Curriculum provision is good in the Foundation Stage, satisfactory in the infants but unsatisfactory in the juniors. It is enriched by a good level of additional activities. The accommodation is poor and the resources are unsatisfactory.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are many opportunities for children to take part in a good range of activities both in and out of school . • Provision for personal, social and health education is good, but in science and information and communication technology it is unsatisfactory. • The teaching time available in the school day is not used effectively, especially in the juniors. • The accommodation is poor. • Resources overall are unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

30. Since the last inspection the quality of the curriculum has declined. At that time it was judged to be good and is now satisfactory overall. The curriculum for children in the Nursery and the Reception classes is still good and it is satisfactory in the infants. The curriculum for children in the juniors is unsatisfactory as some subjects are marginalised and not taught to an appropriate depth. The school has sufficient teachers and support staff to deliver the curriculum. Broadwater Farm Primary School - 17 31. A good range of learning opportunities are planned in lesson time, during breaks from lessons and after school. Visits to places of interest, such as museums and places of worship and a range of visitors to the school help make the curriculum more interesting. Classes are regularly taken on visits that stimulate their interest and widen their experiences beyond the immediate locality. Participation in sport and the arts is particularly strong. In sport many children find the

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opportunity to excel. For example, the school’s football teams are extremely successful in various competitions, including national tournaments. The school has a well-deserved reputation for the high standards it reaches in the performing arts. Singing, drumming and dance are particularly good and children have performed to great acclaim in prestigious venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and The Festival Hall. They also entertain the local community in carnivals and their parents and carers in school concerts and productions. Children have had opportunities to work with visiting artists to produce good quality portraits and mosaics. There is an annual residential school journey for Year 6 children. This enables them to participate in outdoor and adventurous activities as well as learning to live together harmoniously in an environment away from home. The range of clubs is good and children have the opportunity to try out new sports and pastimes in a safe and secure

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Commentary

32. Children are provided with a thorough programme to improve their personal, social and health education. This also includes drug awareness and sex education. The provision for personal and social education is particularly good and is well established. Children throughout the school follow a well-planned scheme of work that raises their awareness of their role in society and the importance of taking responsibility for their own actions. Circle Time and discussions with learning mentors also contribute significantly to this programme, often on an individual basis. However, the provision for science and information and communication technology is unsatisfactory. In science, the programme of work is not taught effectively enough across all classes and despite requests from the subject leader, some teachers in the juniors do not spend enough time teaching the subject. The lack of up to date resources and unsatisfactory leadership in information and

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communication technology impact standards in the juniors.

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Commentary

33. The teaching time within the school day is not used effectively. As the length of the taught week in the juniors is below the nationally recommended figure, using the available time efficiently is essential if all subjects are to be taught to an acceptable standard. Most mornings are taken up teaching only literacy and numeracy. These are most important but when lessons are much longer than an hour the children’s concentration starts to flag and the lessons become less effective. It also means that the school’s accommodation is underused, as the school halls, the library and the computer suite remain empty for long periods. Also, all the other subjects of the National Curriculum have to be taught in the shorter afternoons. This has a detrimental effect on the depth of coverage that is possible resulting in some of these subjects only being taught superficially.

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Commentary

34. Curriculum provision for children with special educational needs is satisfactory overall. In the lessons observed where teaching was satisfactory or better, work was usually adapted to meet children’s needs. Teaching assistants working in classes enable children to have access to the same work as their classmates. However, this assistance is spread thinly across a big school and reduces some children’s progress. There are strong links with the two special schools on the site. Teachers from all three schools meet to discuss the children’s needs and inclusion. Children visit the special schools to use the facilities such as the soft play and light rooms and to take part in lessons and activities such as drumming sessions. There are plans to extend this liaison so that children from the special schools can visit to work in classes at Broadwater Farm. This programme also makes a good contribution to the personal and social development of all children.

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Commentary

35. The school has a very good programme for integrating children from different backgrounds and with very varied needs. The needs of children learning English as an additional language are established quickly, sometimes through the use of assessments involving their home languages. From this point, their individual progress is checked regularly. These checks are used to ensure that all ethnic minority groups make the best possible headway. They show, for example that children from Turkish and Kurdish backgrounds do not all progress as fast as they might. This has enabled the school to establish special classes and discussions with parents so that a real partnership can develop in educating the children. The school’s involvement in a national project is Broadwater Farm Primary School - 18 sharpening its processes of target-setting and calling on the full engagement of all staff in a shared enterprise. The curriculum as a whole draws very well on the multicultural interests and

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experiences of the children and the local community. This helps make learning real for the children and gives due weight to the rich cultural diversity and history in their heritage.

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Commentary

36. There is a good programme of activity for children identified as specially gifted or talented. Some opportunities are provided through short withdrawal sessions from class, while others take place in clubs or as longer courses in holiday periods. However, more able children are often not challenged enough by their lessons in class and this means they do not achieve as much as they could.

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Commentary

37. The accommodation, in seven separate buildings, is poor overall. Some of it is in a poor state of repair and is not an attractive learning environment despite the sterling efforts of the teachers to brighten it up with displays of children’s work. The lack of covered walkways between the seven buildings means that children and adults sometimes have to put on outdoor clothing to go to assemblies, physical education lessons, the computer suite, the library and the music room. Children taking the class registers to the office also have to brave the elements. Some teachers and other staff have difficulty in working cooperatively together, or meeting each other on a social basis. Some of the grassed areas are extremely bare and become muddy in wet weather. They are not fenced to allow the grass or flowers to grow and make the environment more pleasant. Some of the buildings are new but temporary. A new child centre is being built on the site and will

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incorporate the current Nursery that is housed in poor conditions. A new school that will include one of the special schools on the same site is to be built by 2007.

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Commentary

38. Resources are unsatisfactory overall. Many of the English books are in a poor condition and this sends the wrong message to children about their worth. The information and communication technology resources are not good enough to allow all the subject to be taught effectively. The problems with the budget in recent years inherited by the headteacher have impacted spending on resources and many are now in need of repair or replacement.

p.18

Care, guidance and support

Overall children are cared for well. Their views are sought and a happy and safe environment has been created for them. The school is mindful of their health and safety. Learning mentors are a distinct asset to the school.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides a safe and caring environment. Children know that they are valued. • In the Nursery children are inducted well so that they make a good start to school life. • There are sensitive arrangements for when children join the school at other than the usual times. • Children have good access to adults for advice and guidance. • Learning mentors assist children with social and emotional difficulties so that they can learn. • Assessment procedures are not yet fully effective.

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Commentary

39. All staff show committed concern for the welfare of children. Parents appreciate the positive and caring way their children are looked after. The good relationships between staff and children create a comfortable and cheerful atmosphere where children feel valued and supported and know that their views are taken seriously. The headteacher and staff know the children well so that each one receives the help and support he or she needs. Broadwater Farm Primary School - 19 40. Children know and trust the staff and are very confident in their relationships with them. They know that their views are important, that they can express them freely and be listened to. Children also know that staff will help them if they have a problem. Child protection procedures are well established and effective. Staff have been trained appropriately; they report and record all concerns relating to children’s care and welfare. Staff trained in first aid look after children who are

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Commentary

unwell and arrangements for dealing with accidents are clearly set out. Fire drills are carried out each term. The school has received the “Healthy Schools Award” and children demonstrate an awareness and understanding of healthy living and personal safety. During breaks from lessons, children are supervised very well. The school’s subsidised daily Breakfast Club is an important feature for children and their parents who are welcome to join the group in the morning and talk with staff. The Club helps to ensure that children start the day with a proper meal and reinforces the caring ethos in the school.

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Commentary

41. Induction procedures are comprehensive and reassuring for both parents and children. Before starting school in the Nursery, staff make home visits to establish good relationships with parents and children. Parents and carers are actively encouraged to participate in the process; they are welcomed into the school where they may take the opportunity to discuss and resolve any concerns. If a parent or carer has little or no English the school ensures that someone is present to translate during meetings.

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Commentary

42. The school has sensitive arrangements in place when new children join at other than the usual times. Often they come from families with little or no English, or as asylum seekers, or refugees. Admission is staggered to allow meetings with teachers, specialist English staff and learning mentors. When necessary, the school makes arrangements for translation, either by multilingual members of the staff, or from volunteers in the local community. Children are carefully placed in classes with others who share their home languages. Their learning needs are assessed as quickly as possible and the school tries hard to build and maintain its contacts with their parents. To date there has been no staff training to promote good practice in the education of children from asylum seeking and refugee families. The school recognises that such children may have very specific emotional and social needs and is looking for suitable training provision.

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Commentary

43. There are two full time learning mentors at the school working under the overall management of the special educational needs coordinator. They are a highly effective team, contributing substantially to the ethos of the school, enabling children who are troubled to behave and learn well. Working with both staff and parents they support children with learning, emotional and social difficulties. Demands upon them from parents, staff and children is high. Their work is hampered by constraints with the accommodation. They do not have an office or private area in which they can speak confidentially to children or parents, nor do they have ready access to a telephone with privacy. This is unfortunate as the learning mentors are required to check registers and follow up absences. The lack of facilities for them means that children’s non appearance at the school is not always checked quickly enough.

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Commentary

44. Weaknesses in marking and limited use of assessment information by some teachers limit their capacity to provide children with clear guidance on how they might improve their work and plan work that meets precise needs. The school keeps a careful track of progress made by pupils with special educational needs through regular reviews carried out by the special educational needs coordinator. There are good links with outside agencies, for example the speech and language therapist; this means that all those involved have access to advice appropriate to each child’s needs. Broadwater Farm Primary School - 20

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has a good partnership with parents. There are also good links with local schools, colleges and the community.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents and carers have full confidence in the school and the headteacher. They are actively encouraged to participate in its life. • The school values the opinions and judgements of parents and their children. • Communications are translated for parents to keep them well informed. • The school plays a key role within the local community. • Good links with other schools, colleges and the community benefit the children.

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Commentary

45. There has been a substantial improvement in this aspect since the last inspection. Parents are very happy with what the school provides. Those who attended the meeting before the inspection and subsequent conversations with many others during the inspection itself revealed a strong consensus of support for the school. They confirmed their strong confidence in the headteacher and the staff and believe the teaching to be good. Many commented that their child’s spoken English developed rapidly and that their overall behaviour and attitudes at home were significantly improved since attending the school.

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Commentary

46. Parents have full confidence in the headteacher because he and many teachers are in the playground every morning to greet families as they arrive at the school. They can raise concerns easily knowing that they will be dealt with quickly. Parents are especially appreciative of the support the school gives to them in other areas of their lives which may impact on their children’s education and welfare. The school hosts weekly advice sessions for parents dealing with issues ranging from social security entitlements, housing and health care. It is an integral component of overall family support in the local community. One parent expressed sincere appreciation for the time and trouble the headteacher had taken to prevent disruption to her young family’s education.

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Commentary

47. The school places great importance upon its relationship and partnership with parents and it positively welcomes contributions and participation in all aspects of school life. Workshops for family learning are developing. Parents are consulted by the school about future proposals and developments and a questionnaire has been used to give senior management and governors a picture of parental perceptions and concerns. As a consequence parental support for the school has become progressively stronger because they know that their views are actively sought and carefully considered.

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Commentary

48. The headteacher and his staff work hard to engage parents into the life of the school and to support their children’s learning. There is always a very high attendance at parents’ consultations and school performances. Other parents are actively involved in helping the school especially on visits and various school functions and activities such as the annual Broadwater Farm Carnival. The school enriches children’s understanding of life in their community by regular trips and visits locally, all of which are supported by parents. These include visits to local places of worship museums, art galleries and other places of interest. Many residents come into the school tell the children about their lives and how to live as effective members of the community.

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Commentary

49. School newsletters and other communications to parents are regular and informative as is the detailed school prospectus. Of particular note is an alternative version of the prospectus, richly illustrated and with brief and bold text which is especially user friendly for those parents with limited English. This document is also translated into all the main languages of families at the school and copies are freely available and on display in the main foyer. All of the documents celebrate success and provide excellent detail about day to day life in the school. Considerable care is taken to ensure that parents fully understand all that is taking place. Interpreters are always available at key Broadwater Farm Primary School - 21 meetings and events so that parents who do not speak or have limited English are fully included. School reports to parents are informative and well set out but they do not contain targets for

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Commentary

improvement. Review meetings for children with special educational needs are held regularly so that parents and staff can discuss children’s progress and ensure their needs are met.

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Commentary

50. Links with local schools are close and productive. The links with the two special schools on the site are valued by parents who feel their children benefit greatly from the shared visits and expertise . Children from both come to the school for some lessons, principally art and design and mathematics. Visits by children between the schools are frequent, effective and worthwhile in encouraging understanding of others with particular needs and promote very positive relationships. A local Beacon School provides ongoing support for teaching staff in information and communication technology. Links with the main secondary schools in the area are also close and secondary teachers attend the school to discuss transfers with children and parents. The nearby premier league football club has a purpose built Study Support Centre staffed by qualified teachers which the school uses regularly to enhance skills in information and communication technology.

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Commentary

The school has good links with a nearby teacher training college and student teachers are welcomed and supported during their teaching practice and other professional development assignments. It also works in partnership with another local school to offer good enrichment programmes to children identified as gifted or talented.

p.21

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership of the headteacher is good. Overall leadership and governance are satisfactory. Management is unsatisfactory.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher, together with the deputy headteacher and senior teacher, is leading the school with real optimism, determined to make a difference to children’s lives. They have a very strong commitment to inclusion. • Senior staff and those responsible for leadership and management of children with English as an additional language or special educational needs, religious education, music, art and design and mathematics inspire and motivate children. • Most members of the senior management team carry substantial responsibilities as some teachers have relinquished or do not take on responsibilities for coordinating and managing the work of their colleagues. As a result, required changes and improvements to raise standards are not checked often enough to ensure their consistent implementation.

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Commentary

51. The headteacher was appointed after the previous inspection. Leadership and governance have remained satisfactory, but management is not as good as it was at the time of the last inspection.

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Commentary

52. The challenges facing the school are formidable. Many children come from families that endure significant economical deprivation, come from transient refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds or speak English as an additional language. The context of the school generally is a challenging one and, although some staff are long serving, it is hard to recruit teachers of quality. Poor accommodation makes the management and implementation of changes hard to oversee. Governors’ minutes from meetings in 2004 show that the school has only recently been identified by the local authority as in need of intensive support. In the face of these challenges the headteacher is doing a good job. In four years, he has: • won the confidence of the community and developed good partnerships with parents, local schools and professional football clubs to benefit the children, especially those who are gifted and talented;

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Commentary

• ensured an ethos of full inclusion; • improved the condition and security of the accommodation; Broadwater Farm Primary School - 22 • raised children’s self esteem so that they behave well in lessons; • appointed learning mentors to support children with significant behavioural difficulties so that they can learn; • offered children many opportunities to experience life outside their immediate locality; • wiped out a large budget deficit and released senior staff from full-time class responsibilities to help raise standards; • recruited some skilled teachers and enhanced the skills of others who are long serving; • sustained the good provision in the Nursery and Reception classes found at the time of the last inspection; • offered children, especially boys, a very good role model for future success; • continued to increase the number of children on roll and attracted new, if temporary buildings.

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Commentary

53. The headteacher has a clear sense of purpose and educational direction for the school. He is supported well by the deputy headteacher and senior teacher who has recently been released from full-time class responsibilities to help raise standards. Together with the governors they are all determined to make a difference to children’s lives.

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Commentary

54. Leadership for educational inclusion is very good. Within the resources available, good programmes support the learning of children for whom English is not the first language, those from ethnic minority groups and those with particular talents. In addition the school works very well in partnership with other schools, especially the special schools on the same site, to promote full integration to the benefit of the staff and children. For example, a talented music teacher from a nearby special school worked to promote skills in African drumming with a class in Year 4 and singing, including makaton signing, for all the children. National test results and the achievements of the different ethnic groups are analysed in depth to identify changes needed. The school is aware that its Turkish and Somali children do not always achieve as well as they might and has taken action to improve this.

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Commentary

55. The lead teacher for English as an additional language is experienced and knowledgeable and makes a strong contribution to children’s achievements. She provides a very good role model for other teachers to follow and has put in arrangements to support them in their provision for children who speak English as an additional language, especially at the early stages. With the full backing of the headteacher, she brings dynamism and commitment to the role. She is energetically promoting the school’s involvement in a national project to improve teachers’ skills in enhancing achievement for children who become fluent in English but find it harder to reach the higher Level 5.

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Commentary

56. Leadership and management by the special educational needs coordinator are very good. Children have the opportunity to work in small groups at tasks appropriate to their needs. Regular meetings with the headteacher, learning mentors and the special needs assistants ensure that concerns are resolved quickly and information is kept up to date. Teaching and special needs assistants benefit from weekly training sessions led by a very competent special needs assistant. The coordinator provides very good support to teachers. She holds regular surgeries to discuss problems and to ensure that targets on individual education plans are appropriate. She has recently offered training in working with children with language and communication difficulties and has given demonstration lessons. A programme to monitor and evaluate children’s progress, the quality of provision and to ensure that resources are targeted effectively has been put in place. However, the

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Commentary

required practice in planning and teaching for children with special educational needs has not been implemented consistently by all teachers.

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Commentary

57. The leadership and management of religious education and mathematics are having a significant impact on raising standards. Religious education was a weakness in the two previous inspection reports and is now strength of the school. Some of the school’s work is on the local authority website providing good examples for other school’s to follow. In mathematics standards are rising faster in than in other subjects. This is because the subject leader is a leading mathematics teacher and those who follow her example are enabling children to achieve well. In English, the subject leader checks the quality of children’s work and the quality of teaching and learning frequently and identifies improvements to raise standards. Standards in English are rising, Broadwater Farm Primary School - 23 albeit slowly. Leadership and management of information and communication technology are unsatisfactory and this is reflected in the overall provision.

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Commentary

58. Staff turnover, although not high, has impacted standards and the quality of the school’s management. Most of the long serving teachers are employed in the Foundation Stage and the infants. They have kept their skills up to date to maintain good provision in the Foundation Stage and music across the school. The context of the school makes it difficult to recruit new staff. Some skilled teachers who also provide good leadership and management for their areas of responsibility have joined and support the headteacher in moving the school forward. This is particularly true in mathematics. Over time, the school has had to take on unqualified teachers in the juniors. This has placed high demands on senior staff and they have been successful in enabling some to achieve qualified teacher status. However, teachers who did not achieve qualified teacher status or who were unable to teach effectively have left. This interrupted the learning of some children as they

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Commentary

59. Elements of management are not as effective as they could be because not all staff, including some appointed in recent years, take on responsibilities for coordinating or managing the work of their colleagues. For example, leadership and management of science is now the additional responsibility of the senior teacher. It was offered to another teacher who felt unable to take up the post. Unqualified or newly qualified staff are not able to take on responsibilities for subject leadership and management until they have undergone further training. The best way to bring about improvements is not always shared by others. Some staff do not make the required changes to practices identified through monitoring. The performance management policy is not followed consistently by all members of the senior staff involved in improving the performance of their colleagues. Clear targets for improvement are not always set initially and the process has to be

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Commentary

repeated by the headteacher. This means much of the school’s work load is confined to the senior staff and those who do take on such responsibilities. Consequently, initiatives are not implemented consistently in all classes. As a result, the efforts of the leadership are frustrated in its determination to improve the quality of teaching and raise standards.

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Commentary

60. Staff turnover and the deficit budget have affected the implementation of the school improvement plan and the urgent need to raise standards, especially in the junior stage. The school’s own analysis of the exceptionally low results in 2004 shows that expected improvements in standards resulting from the recruitment of new staff were not realised because the children were not prepared well enough to take the tests . The school development plan is a detailed document covering many aspects of whole school and curriculum developments. It gives a clear picture to all the staff of what needs to be done and how. However, it does not identify clearly enough the main priorities to drive the school forward and raise standards. The leadership and management of the planned developments are again centred among a small group of senior staff. Training needs are identified and courses booked for teachers to attend. Some training is also completed in school

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Commentary

61. The governing body finds it hard to recruit new governors. It has been successful in recent months and it now has representatives of the larger ethnic groups within the community. A small group of governors know the strengths and weaknesses of the school and provide challenge and support. Others are getting to grips with their roles and are determined to benefit the children. The governors and senior staff reduced a deficit budget successfully in a short period of time. Governors monitor the budget carefully and allocate funds to key priorities to raise standards, such as the arrangements for teaching children in groups according to their ability in Years 4 to 6 in English and mathematics. This is an improvement since the last inspection. However, there is still work to do in improving resources, especially the number of computers, fiction and non fiction books as well as dual language books.

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Commentary

Broadwater Farm Primary School - 24 Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

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Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1873200 Balance from previous year 37908 Total expenditure 1866209 Balance carried forward to the next 9112 Expenditure per pupil 3521 Broadwater Farm Primary School - 25

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. The provision for the Foundation Stage is good as it was at the time of the last inspection. This is because teaching and learning are often good and sometimes very good, despite the poor accommodation, in all the areas of learning. When the weather is good, all the areas of learning are promoted effectively out of doors as well as indoors. The Foundation Stage leader has recently relinquished her post. Currently it is led and managed effectively by a member of the senior management team who also manages a number of key areas in the school.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. Attainment on entry to the Nursery at age three is very low, especially in spoken English. Many are at the very early stages of learning English. The main language is Turkish. Children attend part-time initially and as they get older stay in the Nursery all day. They transfer into the Reception classes at the beginning of the school year in which they become five with many skills but attainment remains well below that normally found. As a result of good teaching, children achieve well. They achieve very well in their personal, social and emotional developments and physical development and are on course to meet the early learning goals set for them in these areas of learning. While some children will meet or exceed the early learning goals, many are unlikely to meet them in communication, language and literacy, mathematical and creative development and knowledge and understanding of the world.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. Teaching and support staff work together very well to provide many interesting activities that children enjoy. One teacher is unqualified. A student working part-time in the Nursery speaks Turkish. Teachers use her skills well to promote learning in English and Turkish.

p.25

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff promote an inclusive ethos and enable children to feel secure and valued. • Activities to promote emotional, spiritual, moral, social and intellectual development are planned well.

p.25

Commentary

65. Children are on course to meet the early learning goals set for them in this area of learning and this is an improvement since the last inspection. Staff respect fully children’s different needs, cultures and backgrounds and plan work that meets their interest and ensures all are fully included. Class registers are taken in the different home languages and Makaton signing used to involve fully a child with special educational needs. Role play, such as the local shop and religious celebrations that also include parental help in making and tasting special foods, help children to develop a clear sense of belonging and strong self esteem. Stories are translated into other languages and parents visit the school to read to the children in their own language. Displays in the Nursery reflect the dual language, especially of the Turkish children.

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Commentary

66. Many activities in the Nursery and Reception classes are planned to allow children to work together in small groups, play happily together or make choices about things they would like to do on their own. In all sessions observed, behaviour and racial harmony was very good. Children’s spiritual, moral, social and emotional developments are promoted through activities such as Circle Time, where they reflect on things they like or do not like, sharing their views with each other. In the Nursery, children helped to arrange some flowers. The activity included the awe and wonder of how flowers grow. The children looked carefully at the different parts of the flowers and were taught the names of them and they went on to draw them. In a Reception class, children made pictures, Broadwater Farm Primary School - 26 choosing materials for the way they felt to the touch. Adults working with them helped to extend

p.25

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Many activities promote children’s spoken English skills. • Children are encouraged to write early in their school life.

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Commentary

67. The most able children are on course to meet the early learning goals in communication language and literacy but many others have a lot of ground to make up. Interesting activities involve children in wanting to talk and staff interact well with them extending their learning. For example, in the Nursery, the children made gingerbread men. They were helped to understand the need for a recipe, learned the names for the ingredients and the different elements of the making and baking process. In addition, staff encouraged children to talk about how it felt when mixing the ingredients together and rolling them out. Pictures of the story of The Gingerbread Man were displayed on the wall accompanied by sentences written in Turkish. The story had been translated into Turkish as well so that children could listen to it and also understand it in English. In the Reception classes, children with special educational needs develop their communication skills through signing and the

p.26

Commentary

use of pictures. They are supported well by special educational needs assistants.

p.26

Commentary

68. Throughout the Foundation Stage children are encouraged to write independently. Role play situations such as an office, shop or doctor’s surgery encourage the children to write for a real purpose. Children also make their own books with pictures of their families and things they like to do and write simple sentences underneath with the help of an adult. Books are also made about some of the children’s activities. Sentences in them are clearly and simply written by the teacher. The books are attractive and motivate children to want to pick them up and read them.

p.26

Commentary

69. Classrooms are organised well so that all aspects of communication, language and literacy are promoted effectively. Displays reflect and value children’s efforts in learning to read and write.

p.26

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Mathematical activities are included in other areas of the curriculum.

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Commentary

70. As at the time of the last inspection, children’s attainments are below those normally found at this age because not enough children are on course to meet the early learning goals. Children achieve well because they are keen to learn and staff provide a wide range of relevant and interesting mathematical experiences in all the areas of learning. For example, in role play in the shop, children use money to buy small items and to give change. In the Nursery, children were involved in weighing out the ingredients to make gingerbread men. Children learn much about the sequence of numbers and to count mechanically through threading beads, finding ‘animals’ buried in the sand and counting out items in the shop. Building towers or roads from bricks helps them to learn taller than, smaller than, bigger than, longer than and shorter than. Playing with two and three dimensional shapes, as well as pre-cut paper shapes to make pictures enable children to learn the

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Commentary

names of them and their importance to everyday life. Number rhymes help all children, but Broadwater Farm Primary School - 27 especially those with English as an additional language, to count forwards and backwards in a fun way. Adults extend children’s learning effectively in formal and informal interactions with them.

p.26

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff provide good activities that stimulate children’s interest and curiosity. • Parents provide a diversity of insight into faiths and cultures.

p.27

Commentary

71. Children’s curiosity is stimulated through interesting activities such as finding out about objects that float and others that sink. Children in the Nursery were fascinated by apples floating in water when they had expected them to sink. On another occasion, children found out about items that dissolve in water. This promoted good language development. In the Nursery and Reception classes, visits to the post office increase children’s knowledge of the immediate vicinity and people who help us. Visits to the London Aquarium and the London Eye give children a view of life beyond the locality. These visits also do much to extend children’s vocabulary and give them a lot to talk about.

p.27

Commentary

72. Opportunities arising during the seasons of the year are exploited. For example, children play in the snow, collect autumn leaves and observe what happens to them when frozen in ice, observe rainbows and paint colourful pictures of fireworks. Important occasions from the different faiths represented in the Foundation Stage are celebrated. Parents play a significant role in providing insight into the diversity of different faiths and cultures by making and sharing celebratory foods, such as Diwali sweets or organising an Eid party. Projects about food also enabled children understand how to eat healthily.

p.27

Commentary

73. The curriculum for this area of learning is planned well. It also includes opportunities for children to develop their knowledge of past and present, looking at photographs of when they were babies and how they look now. Children have planted bulbs and are waiting for them to grow. They listen to stories on cassette players, but opportunities to use a computer are restricted as there are not enough of them. Despite this good provision, teaching and learning, children’s restricted language skills mean they will not all meet the early learning goals in this area of learning at the end of the Reception Year.

p.27

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff provide regular and frequent physical activity indoors and outdoors. • There are good opportunities for children to handle small objects.

p.27

Commentary

74. Children are on course to meet the early learning goals at the end of the Reception year and this is an improvement since the last inspection. In the Nursery, children have many opportunities to climb, balance and slide on the large outside play equipment. They also ride tricycles, scooters and larger wheeled toys confidently. 75. In the Reception classes, teachers provide daily opportunities for children to continue to develop their coordination skills through outside play. They share the wheeled toys with the Nursery but also encourage the children to kick, throw and catch balls of different sizes. The outside area of Broadwater Farm Primary School - 28 the Reception children is also a playground. This means outside play takes place at the same time each morning and afternoon. The activities are well planned but go on for extended periods of time and there are not always enough adults outside to extend children’s spoken language as well as

p.27

Commentary

physical skills. The hall is also used to develop physical skills and awareness of space.

p.28

Commentary

76. In the Nursery and Reception, children handle many small objects when playing in the sand or water to develop finer coordination skills. They also enjoy threading beads, sorting small objects and moulding malleable materials into different shapes, such as gingerbread men as part of their imaginative play. In a Reception class, children constructed homes using plastic shapes, joining them to make different kinds of houses. Another group of children used scissors, cardboard boxes, glue and sticky tape to construct their houses.

p.28

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff do a good job in promoting children’s creative development in poor accommodation.

p.28

Commentary

77. In the Nursery and Reception classes, staff take every opportunity and make the most of the available space to promote children’s creative development. Classrooms are organised well so that there is room for role play, design and technology and art and design activities. Children are free to express their own ideas, mix paints or make collages from a range of materials. Adults interact with the children to extend vocabulary or help them to achieve a task. Children are encouraged to show initiative and as a result become engrossed in their work. For example, some children working on a collage stopped to go and play outside. They returned to their collage and continued happily until it was completed. At various times during the week, children enjoy specific music lessons. They sing very well and are happy to play musical instruments. Broadwater Farm Primary School - 29

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school checks children’s progress carefully and there is evidence that standards are rising following the sharp fall since the last inspection. • The school has introduced a range of well-chosen additional work programmes to meet the needs of specific groups of children. • The establishment of ability-based teaching groups for English in the juniors helps some teachers provide work suitably matched to children’s needs. • Children do not achieve as well as they could in the juniors. • The quality of teaching is unsatisfactory in the juniors • Despite the efforts of the subject leader and senior managers, required changes are not being implemented fast enough by some teachers.

p.29

Commentary

78. The results of national tests show a steep decline over the past three years, with a widening gap between the school’s performance and that of most schools. In 2004, national test results for children in Year 6 were exceptionally low compared to all and similar schools. In Year 2, results were well below those of all schools nationally. The picture was slightly better when compared to schools with similar intake as they were below average in reading and writing.

p.29

Commentary

79. Standards now are below average in Year 2 and well below average in Year 6. This means that they have fallen sharply in the juniors since the previous inspection. There have been some improvements since then in the children’s speaking and listening skills in both the infants and the juniors. Standards of reading and writing are below average in the infants, but well below average in the juniors.

p.29

Commentary

80. The school keeps a close check on each child’s progress from year to year and has instituted a number of new strategies to halt the decline in standards. They have not been as successful as had been hoped until this year. From September children have been taught English in Years 4 to 6 in groups according to their ability. This allows teachers to plan work more carefully matched to children’s abilities. Programmes of work have been adjusted and put in place to meet the particular needs of specific groups of children and there has been recent spending to improve the equipment needed for teaching English. Targets have been set for the eleven year olds for 2005 and 2006 based securely on each child’s previous test scores. These targets are realistic and represent a considerable improvement over present standards. However, not all teachers make effective use of these new opportunities. There are inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and in

p.29

Commentary

81. Speaking and listening skills are developed more effectively than at the time of the last inspection. As a very high proportion of the children are learning English as an additional language, competence in this aspect of work provides vital underpinning to their social, as well as academic, development. In some classes, especially where they are supported by the English as an additional language coordinator, children have good opportunities to engage in discussions that call for extended, specific statements, justifications and arguments. They are encouraged to extend their vocabularies and given time to find the right words even when this is a struggle for them. There is more widespread use of paired discussions between children and of simple role play. In Year 2, children are often still initially reticent in talking to a new adult, but soon relax and explain in simple terms the work they are doing. They can describe recent home events, their likes and dislikes and

p.29

Commentary

what they particularly enjoy in the books they read. In Year 6 they are confident enough to initiate conversation with a visitor and to explain their work in detail. They use a widening range of Broadwater Farm Primary School - 30 vocabulary and can talk their way to shared solutions to problems in small discussion groups. However many still find difficulty in expressing more complex or abstract thoughts. The school recognises this as a barrier to further achievement for many children and is commencing work with a national project for children learning English as an additional language to find solutions. In the light of the children’s abilities, they achieve satisfactorily in speaking and listening.

p.29

Commentary

82. Children enjoy reading and are happy to talk about their favourite books at home and at school. Despite their very limited skills most read the books they choose confidently and make few mistakes. However, much of the reading lacks the expression that comes with a full understanding of the text. Infant children have a satisfactory knowledge of simple single common vowel and consonant sounds, but struggle with more complicated sounds. Their ability to use the context of a story to help them work out unfamiliar words is hampered by their limited understanding of what they read. The juniors are better able to decipher new words and to read with expression. Most can predict the possible outcome of a story and recount what has gone before. They find it hard to say what they like or dislike and the books they read are at a very simple level. Most can locate a book in the library and know how to use an index or contents page to refine their enquiry. There is

p.30

Commentary

also a small number of very capable readers who enjoy more sophisticated texts and can explain their choices cogently. Taking the children’s abilities and language backgrounds into account, the infants achieve satisfactorily. Many junior children could do better and their achievement is unsatisfactory. The school has recently spent considerable sums of money on reading materials, but the provision of books, particularly dual language books, remains unsatisfactory. Many early reading books in particular are grubby, frayed and uninviting. This stems from the requirement to reduce the deficit budget.

p.30

Commentary

83. Writing presents a major challenge for many children. Progress is particularly slow in the juniors, where by Year 4 many still write a cramped print script. Most seven year olds can write a legible simple script, with letters correctly shaped and aligned. They spell simple regular words accurately and some can write and punctuate a short sentence correctly. They are aware that writing changes according to its purpose; accounts, poems, stories, letters, but find it very hard to produce such variety. By the age of eleven most children join their writing and spell common regular and irregular words correctly. They can use stops and capitals and some can write dialogue well using speech marks. They know the main features of different sorts of writing and can produce short sets of instructions, personal anecdotes and stories. With few exceptions their work is very brief. In too many instances, in English as well as in other subjects, they are not required to

p.30

Commentary

exercise enough care in completing their work and simple mistakes go uncorrected. As a result, the skills they learn and the expectations they meet in literacy lessons are undermined at other times. While the achievements of the infant children are satisfactory in view of their circumstances, those of the juniors are not.

p.30

Commentary

84. Most children with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language achieve appropriately in line with their abilities. In the juniors however, the rate of their progress depends on the quality of class teaching they receive. While most move ahead steadily, some do not progress as quickly as they could. The school programme for gifted and talented children has identified several with exceptional skills in English. Provision for them is good and they produce extended written work of a high quality.

p.30

Commentary

85. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in the infants, but unsatisfactory in the juniors. At both levels, however, there are also some examples of very good teaching. The better lessons observed were marked by challenging tasks, good opportunities for extended oral discussion and engaging activities to capture children’s interest. In one Year 2 lesson, for example, children were learning how to write an ordered account of an event. A teaching assistant slowly demonstrated the process of making a jelly, while the children made simple notes. This enabled them to write short but accurate accounts of what they had seen. They succeeded in a challenging task because it was meaningful and interesting to them. Most lessons are accessible for children learning English as an additional language, although they are not set individual targets in English. Good practice in some lessons involved a fluent English speaking child sitting beside an early-stage English learner from

p.30

Commentary

the same linguistic background, to provide support through translation when needed. Broadwater Farm Primary School - 31 86. The scrutiny of children’s work confirms that the quality of teaching over time in the juniors is unsatisfactory because teachers’ expectations are inconsistent. They sometimes ask too little of the children and do not reinforce the importance of careful work at all times. There is too little opportunity for children to extend oral contributions beyond short, factual answers. Work is not always well matched to the needs of the more able and they do not progress as well as they could. Marking is sometimes unhelpful and carelessness sometimes goes unchecked. The introduction of ability based teaching groups for English has brought some improvement in the matching of work to children’s ability, although too often tasks within these ability groups fail to recognise the range of

p.30

Commentary

87. The subject leader provides good leadership but efforts to bring about improvements are frustrated. She is well informed about the subject and checks the progress of the children and the quality of teaching regularly. Following the identification of the deficiencies in teaching and in children’s achievements the subject leader has introduced appropriate strategies to improve provision. However, her heavy workload has severely limited her opportunity to follow-up the impact of these initiatives in each class and the consistent implementation of required changes.

p.31

Language and literacy across the curriculum

88. Language and literacy is not always used well enough across the curriculum. A lot of time is spent on the development of children’s literacy skills but few links are made to other subjects. This is because teachers do not always make enough time available for subjects such as history and geography. As part of the project to raise standards for children who speak English as an additional language, teachers are placing more emphasis on the use of the correct subject vocabulary.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are rising from a previously low level. • Teachers manage their children well in lessons. They use the available resources well. However, there is a lack of challenge for the children in some lessons and the time is not always used effectively. • Children have good attitudes to their work. • Leadership and management are good. • Links with other subjects are not always planned for well enough.

p.31

Commentary

89. There has been a satisfactory improvement in the provision of mathematics since the last inspection. The quality of teaching has been maintained. Standards have fallen significantly in recent years but are currently improving.

p.31

Commentary

90. Standards in the 2004 national tests taken by Year 2 children were well below the national average although in line with standards found in similar schools. Children currently in Year 2 are working at levels below those found nationally. The standards attained in the 2004 tests for Year 6 children were very low and well below the standards found in similar schools. These poor results stemmed partly from the lack of preparation for the test and children were not, therefore, aware of what was expected of them. The school’s analysis indicates that they worked slowly and few managed to complete the paper. The children currently in Year 6 are having a much more thorough preparation and, although standards are still below those expected for their age, they are showing an improvement. Targets set for the number of children to reach the nationally expected Level 4 and above are higher than in previous years and the school is on course to meet them.

p.31

Commentary

Broadwater Farm Primary School - 32 91. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. A strength of the teaching is that teachers manage their children well so that learning takes place in a calm and supportive atmosphere. The good focus on relevant vocabulary and good oral work also helps children, especially those with English as an additional language, understand more quickly the new skills and knowledge they are learning. This was clearly seen in a good Year 1 lesson about two-dimensional shapes in which the teacher constantly stressed the new vocabulary until the children were using it confidently in their own discussions. Resources are also used well to help children learn in a practical way. In many lessons observed there were opportunities for children to handle apparatus and to find the solution to problems through manipulating them. This hands on approach is proving successful in helping

p.32

Commentary

children to understand new skills and concepts securely. In a few lessons observed in the juniors, there was a lack of challenge for children of all abilities. The work was too easy and many had already mastered the concept in the previous year. In particular, the more able children in Year 6 were not challenged well enough. Time is not always used effectively. Some lessons are too long for the children to sustain their interest and concentration resulting in the pace of learning slowing down considerably. The best lessons seen, especially in Year 3, were brisk and the children were kept fully engaged and interested.

p.32

Commentary

92. Children respond well to their teachers, are attentive in lessons and are eager to learn. They are proud of their achievements. This was clearly seen in a very good Year 5 lesson about the properties of triangles. The teacher involved all the children in a discussion about the various properties and they joined in the animated discussion with great enjoyment and made many perceptive comments. Most children present their work neatly in their books and the majority successfully complete the work set for them in lessons. Their behaviour is good and often very good. They are attentive to their teachers and work well in groups and individually.

p.32

Commentary

93. The subject leader is a skilled mathematics teacher who leads by example. She has demonstrated good practice to her colleagues and has clearly identified what is required to improve standards throughout the school. Children are now taught in groups according to their ability in Years 4, 5 and 6. This is having a positive impact on children’s achievement as the work they are given is more closely matched to their needs. Her efforts are somewhat diluted as she has insufficient time to manage the subject as effectively as she would like and a few teachers are slow to respond to new initiatives and ideas.

p.32

Mathematics across the curriculum

94. The children’s skills in mathematics are sometimes used in other subjects of the curriculum but their inclusion is not always planned and often happens by chance. Opportunities to extend children’s mathematical skills in other areas of learning are not always taken, as they are not sufficiently well considered in teachers’ planning sessions. When such links are made they prove useful, making learning more relevant and helping children reinforce their skills and understanding in mathematics. For example, when children measure in science lessons and sometimes draw tables and graphs of their findings.

p.32

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards achieved are well below those found in most schools in Year 2 and Year 6. • There is too much unsatisfactory teaching in the junior classes. • Marking is not used effectively enough to set targets and show children how they can improve. • The subject is not studied in sufficient depth for children to achieve well. • Despite the best efforts of leadership and management, school policies are not consistently implemented by some teachers.

p.32

Commentary

Broadwater Farm Primary School - 33 95. National test results for children in Year 6 in 2004 were exceptionally low when compared with those of all and similar schools. Just over one quarter of children reached the nationally expected Level 4 and very few the higher Level 5. These results are worse than those at the time of the previous inspection. Currently standards for children in Year 2 and Year 6 are well below those found in most schools. There are signs of improvement as the school expects many more Year 6 children than last year to meet the nationally expected level. However, standards vary in classes in each year group depending on the quality of teaching. Overall, children in the infants, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, achieve satisfactorily. Achievement is unsatisfactory in the juniors.

p.33

Commentary

96. One of the reasons for the poor standards is the unsatisfactory curriculum. The scheme of work that the school has adapted from a national recognised scheme has weaknesses. The range of work is appropriate but it is not studied in sufficient depth in the juniors as the subject is not taught for the recommended time each week. Despite requests from the subject leader some teachers set aside two hours and others only forty five minutes to teach science each week so some children do not do enough work. However, very good use is made of visits and visitors to enrich the science curriculum. A theme week is due to take place shortly to raise the profile of science in the school. Outreach staff from the Science Museum will work with children on bubbles and forces and motion. These outreach workers are also working successfully with small groups of parents to help them support their children in learning science at home.

p.33

Commentary

97. Teaching and learning are satisfactory in the infant classes and sometimes they are very good. In a very good lesson observed in Year 1, children listened carefully to identify the sound of rustling leaves, water splashing, a clock ticking and a drum banging. Work was matched well to the abilities of all the children. They worked exceptionally well in groups and achieved very well in their learning about sounds and hearing. In discussion, Year 2 children knew how to make a circuit using wires and batteries to light a bulb. However, they did not have the understanding that would indicate learning at a higher level. They had difficulty in describing the break in the circuit that occurs when the bulb does not light or a switch is used. This, together with previous work shows that expectations of what children can do are not always high enough in Year 2.

p.33

Commentary

98. Teaching and learning in junior classes are unsatisfactory overall because they vary significantly between classes and year groups. The impact of this was seen in discussion with Year 6 children which showed that their recall of science knowledge, skills and understanding from previous years is patchy. Children talked confidently about how to design a fair test, the needs of plants to grow well and what happens when water freezes or is heated. Only the most able talked about condensation and evaporation, explained how solids and liquids can be separated and described the effects of friction. In one Year 6 lesson seen children were excited by a practical session. They worked in small groups to predict what would happen when substances such as salt, coffee, sugar and sand and were put in water. They then carried out the experiment thinking about what was happening and reached a better understanding about dissolving substances. However, in

p.33

Commentary

Year 5, the teacher’s low expectations meant children were involved in practical activities normally found in infant classes.

p.33

Commentary

99. Teachers’ planning is generally satisfactory, but not all teachers plan effectively for different ability groups. Children with English as an additional language are provided for well in the infants, but in the juniors their language skills, while fluent, are not good enough to understand the more difficult concepts required by the higher levels of the National Curriculum. In the good and very good lessons observed, work was prepared well, practical activities carefully designed to help children learn and key scientific vocabulary was used correctly. Teachers had high expectations for all children, especially the more able. Teaching assistants and learning mentors, when present, work with children effectively discussing the task, provoking children’s thinking and asking questions so that they achieve well. However, too many lessons were unsatisfactory because teachers are not secure in their knowledge, have low expectations of what children can do so tasks are not

p.33

Commentary

challenging enough and time is not used effectively. Work is scruffily presented and not always completed. Marking does not always show children what they need to do to or set targets to improve. Broadwater Farm Primary School - 34 100. At the time of the last inspection children were not given sufficient opportunity to experiment and investigate. Good work has been done to improve this situation, but changes have not been implemented well enough in all classes. In some, practical work is not organised well enough for children to work collaboratively, to share their ideas, to suggest how an investigation could be carried out or to observe the results carefully. In these classes work is the same, often written on a worksheet that does not take into account children’s needs. Sometimes work is copied from a model provided by the teacher and this restricts children’s initiative.

p.33

Commentary

101. The subject leader has only very recently taken on the role as it was offered to another member of staff in the summer term, who after consideration felt unable to take up the post. The new subject leader is already making an impact. At present, overall leadership and management are satisfactory but there are some very good features. Performance data is now analysed thoroughly to monitor children’s progress. Recent analysis of the very poor national test results shows that the children were not prepared well enough and learning of some children had been interrupted in previous years by staff turnover. Action has been taken to bring about improvements, but these are sometimes frustrated by staff who do not share the best ways to bring about higher standards. To overcome this, a successful after school club has been organised with a specialist teacher for children who need a boost in their science learning. Children who speak Turkish also

p.34

Commentary

receive help from members of the Turkish embassy in science.

p.34

Commentary

102. The subject development plan clearly identifies priorities for action and a comprehensive programme of training for staff development is being implemented. The subject leader is a very good role model for staff and children and knows exactly what needs to be done to improve standards. As a member of the senior management team, the subject leader has a very heavy workload and this is reducing the opportunities to ensure that required changes are being implemented consistently.

p.34

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is unsatisfactory .

p.34

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are not good enough in Year 6. • Children have good attitudes to their work and behave well. • Not all aspects of the subject are taught in the required depth. • The computer suite is not equipped well enough to teach the subject effectively. • Leadership and management are unsatisfactory.

p.34

Commentary

103. Standards are similar to those found in most schools in Year 2. They are below those normally found in Year 6 and this is a decline since the last inspection. In Year 2, children use computers for a range of purposes such as creating symmetrical pictures and making repeating patterns. They save, retrieve and print their work confidently. They know how to edit text and change the size and format of the font. The curriculum for each year group is planned appropriately and is covered adequately in Years 1 and 2. However in Years 3 to 6 the curriculum is not implemented consistently. The lack of assessment procedures to track what children know and can do means teachers do not plan lessons carefully enough to build on what has been learned before or cover the curriculum.

p.34

Commentary

104. The quality of teaching and learning observed during the inspection was mostly satisfactory especially in the infant stage. Children’s previous work shows that teaching and learning have been unsatisfactory over time in Years 3 to 6. Too little time was given to teaching the subject and some teachers lacked confidence to teach it effectively. Children are managed well and respond positively to the opportunities offered to them. Teachers use interactive whiteboards effectively Broadwater Farm Primary School - 35 where they have them, such as in the Year 5 classes. However, in other classes valuable learning time is interrupted when teachers introduce the lessons in their classrooms using the computer to demonstrate what the children are to learn and then move to the computer suite. As a result, time is lost in moving from the classroom to the suite and the children’s level of concentration is interrupted.

p.34

Commentary

105. There are a number of other factors that have impacted achievement over time in Years 3 to 6. Budgetary restrictions and a lack of accommodation have hindered the school’s ability to teach the subject effectively. New temporary buildings mean there is now a designated computer suite with a sufficient number of computers. There are also some computers in the classrooms. However, few of the computers are networked or linked to each other. Some are also old and out of date. This means teachers have to install the work they wish children to do on each computer individually which makes it difficult for them to demonstrate computer skills to all children easily. As a result it is hard for children to practise and apply new knowledge and skills immediately. It also means that children are not able to use e-mailing skills or retrieve information from other computers. Children have access to the Internet but it is not broadband so the process is slow and time

p.35

Commentary

consuming. In addition, there are not enough programmable toys to raise standards in control technology.

p.35

Commentary

106. To overcome the weaknesses in teaching and the provision for information and communication technology, a training programme has been developed using the expertise of staff from a neighbouring school. This is proving fruitful but progress is hampered by the school’s own resources and lack of assessment procedures.

p.35

Commentary

107. Leadership and management overall are unsatisfactory as the subject leader has not ensured that the curriculum is fully implemented and teachers are assessing children’s progress effectively. An action plan for the development of the subject has been drawn up with appropriate priorities, although they are yet to be implemented.

p.35

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

108. The use of information and communication technology across the curriculum is unsatisfactory. Its use is better in some classes than others. Some teachers encourage children to use it to find out information in history and science. In a project about transport some children drew a graph to show the most popular means of travelling to school. However, teachers do not plan well enough for its use in other subjects and the lack of networked resources hinder this.

p.35

HUMANITIES

109. One lesson was observed in geography and none in history and so it is not possible to judge overall provision. Analysis of children’s work, displays and documents and discussions with the senior managers, as they are responsible for leading these subjects, form the evidence base.

p.35

HUMANITIES

110. Previous work shows that standards are well below those expected nationally in history and geography for children in Year 2 and Year 6. This is because too little time is set aside for these subjects in some classes to enable children to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in sufficient depth. Children’s work also shows that the quality of teaching is not consistent within year groups and activities are not always adapted well enough to meet the needs of all children. Often they are asked to complete worksheets that do little to take their learning forward. Presentation of work is variable and marking does not show them how they can improve. The curriculum is based on national guidelines, but units of work are not covered consistently. The school makes good use of visits and visitors to enrich the curriculum in both subjects and help them to learn about life outside of their immediate locality. For example, in Year 4 children took part in a

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HUMANITIES

British Museum workshop about the Tudors where they looked at artefacts and made some lovely examples of clay candlesticks. It also participated in events linked to Black History Month. Some Year 5 children presented a sensitive drama about the life of Martyn Luther King illustrating their understanding of how he helped to break down the barriers of segregation. Broadwater Farm Primary School - 36 111. Senior managers take responsibility for history and geography because some staff do not have sufficient teaching experience or do not wish to be responsible for coordinating and managing the work of their colleagues. The priority has been to improve provision and raise standards in English and mathematics rather than history and geography.

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards and provision have improved markedly since the last inspection. • The programme of work is practical and very engaging for the children. • Standards are above those usually found in the locally agreed syllabus. • The programme of work helps bring the school and its community closer together. • Children contribute much from their own faith backgrounds to the learning of their classmates.

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Commentary

112. In both the school’s previous inspections, religious education was considered an area of concern and was a key issue for improvement. The subject is now a strength of the school and this represents a very good response to the criticism.

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Commentary

113. The school’s programme of work is focused strongly on a programme of visits to places of worship and many classroom themes develop from these initial experiences. Children have visited places of Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Jewish worship. In work on Christianity they have been to Anglican, Catholic, Methodist and Greek Orthodox churches. The visits are meticulously planned so that they make religious practice meaningful for the children. In one of the church visits, for example, the minister conducted a “pretend” baptism using a small doll. The work of the children who watched shows their interest and good recall of the event. This programme of visits enables children to learn from first hand experiences and overcome some of the problems caused by limited English language skills.

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Commentary

114. From discussions with the children it is clear that standards in Year 2 and Year 6 are better than those normally found according to the locally agreed syllabus. This is partly because the curriculum and its teaching are good, but also because many of the children have an active home faith which the school draws on successfully in lessons. Year 2 children understand how Muslims worship, pray and fast. They know about the reverence accorded to the Qur’an and about the festival of Ramadan. Their knowledge of Islam and its main moral precepts is good. Year 6 children can talk about Christianity in depth. They know something of the organisation of the Bible into testaments and that Jesus was brought up in a Jewish community. They know the main events of Jesus’ life and teachings. They can explain in a simple way the place of Baptism in the Christian church as an initiation into a faith community and have some understanding of the significance of

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Commentary

the Eucharist in Christian worship. In the light of their abilities children’s achievements are good.

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Commentary

115. Children’s work shows that teaching of religious education is innovative and has been good over time, although it is inconsistent in some year groups. Good use is made of collections of religious artefacts, both owned by the school and borrowed locally. Children are encouraged to record their learning pictorially as well as in writing and this helps children who find the language demands of the subject difficult. This means that those for whom English is an additional language and those with special educational needs, can take a full part in the learning. Stories are used well to explore the moral element of religious faith. In one lesson for example, children discussed a story from the Islamic tradition to distinguish kind behaviour from unkind. The story was well chosen and the children’s understanding of the nature of goodness was refined. The prominence of oral discussion in lessons enhances children’s language development. However, during the inspection

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Commentary

one lesson in Year 6 was unsatisfactory because the teacher lacked confidence in the subject and children achieved less well than others. Broadwater Farm Primary School - 37 116. The subject is led and managed very well by a teacher with expert knowledge and skill in encouraging and supporting her colleagues in their planning of work. Her enthusiasm and zest are contagious. She has built a wide network of relationships within local faith communities and can always suggest suitable visits to be made, or visitors to come to school. Religious education contributes very significantly to the moral, spiritual and community ethos of the school.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

117. Only two lessons were seen in music and one in art and design. No lessons were seen in design and technology or physical education. Teachers’ plans were studied and discussions held with the subject leaders. Other evidence came from school documentation, displays, talking to children and scrutinising their previous work, photographs and sketchbooks. However, it is not possible to judge overall provision in these subjects.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

118. Art and design displays around the school are attractive and show the value the school puts on the work of children as well as improving the environment. It also shows that art and design skills are built on systematically as children move through the school. Some of the work is linked to other areas of the curriculum. For example, in Year 2 children designed illustrations for a story they were reading in class and Year 5 children made pots to enhance their history studies of Ancient Greece. Children thoroughly enjoy art and design and produce some good quality work. In the good lesson seen in Year 6 there was a real buzz of excitement as the children produced some very effective action pictures based on rubbings of photographs of football players cut from newspapers. Some previous work is in the style of famous painters such as David Hockney and Joan Miro. The children study the work of the artists and then recreate and adapt the techniques and ideas to

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

produce their own eye-catching work. The art clubs for children are a useful addition to the provision.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

119. In design and technology , children gain experience from working with a range of materials and techniques to develop appropriate subject skills in order to design and make a variety of items. For example, children in Year 6 have designed and made slippers. Design and technology is linked to learning in history. In Year 4 children made models of Hampton Court Palace and in Year 2 they made models of homes from the past. Each year the school holds an art, design and technology week when all teachers place considerable emphasis on developing some skills in depth. However, an examination of records and of teachers’ planning shows that over the year too little time is set aside for the subject.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

120. Music has a high profile in the school and celebrates the cultures of its community successfully. All aspects of the curriculum are taught. Children sing songs from different cultures with real enthusiasm, often tunefully. In assemblies, especially those that include children from the nearby special schools, all join in the singing and Makaton signing wholeheartedly. There are many opportunities for children to play musical instruments, learning from visiting specialist teachers and the school’s music teacher. For example, all the children in a class in Year 4 are learning to play the violin. Another class in the same year group are learning African drumming and are really good at it. An after school club allows other children in the school to also acquire and extend their skills in African drumming and are taught by a parent. The school choir gives children further opportunities to improve their musical knowledge and understanding as well as sing to a high

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

standard. In recent months the children have sung and played their drums on television and at the Royal Albert Hall. They also take part in local music festivals, the Broadwater Farm Carnival and perform in concerts held in different local schools.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

121. Good opportunities are provided for children to listen to music to improve their knowledge of the works of famous composers, to recognise the various instruments of the orchestra by their sound and celebrate different cultures. Teaching was good in the two lessons observed where children showed clear understanding of rhythm and how to write and perform a ‘Rap’. Each week, the music teacher and headteacher lead singing and music making sessions for each year group, allowing staff to have free time under the new workload agreement. Broadwater Farm Primary School - 38 122. School plans show that all aspects of physical education are covered including athletics and outdoor and adventurous activities. Children learn to swim in Years 3 and 6 and the school reports that the majority are able to swim 25 metres confidently. A good quality scheme of work is used to teach gymnastics, games and dance to children from Years 1 to 6. However, the curriculum

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

time allocated to physical education is low and below the recommended two hours per week. Classes are only timetabled for one lesson each week and this is insufficient to cover all aspects to an acceptable depth. The annual residential school journey by children in Year 6 to an activity centre gives them many opportunities to take part in adventurous activities in a safe environment. It also gives them the experience of learning to live together away from home. There are many opportunities for children to take part in sporting activities outside the school day such as dance, Brazilian football, cricket and basketball. The school football teams play competitive matches against other local schools with great success. The boys’ team represented the local Premiership club in a national tournament and finished in the final four. The school holds two sports days each year that children say are great fun and attended well by parents and carers.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

123. This was not a focus for the inspection. However, there is a good programme for personal, social and health education and it underpins much of the school’s work. Circle Time enables children to talk about issues that concern them and a detailed programme of visits and visitors to the school gives children a clear view of life beyond their immediate locality. The good relationships between the staff and children and the support of the learning mentors do much to promote children’s personal, social and health education on an individual informal basis. Broadwater Farm Primary School - 39

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 4 Value for money provided by the school 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 6 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 6 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 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 5 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 4 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 4 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 5

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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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