Bangabandhu Primary School

Bangabandhu Primary School Inspection report

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100937 Unique Reference Number Tower Hamlets Local Authority 276425 Inspection number 28 °29 November 2005 Inspection dates Charalambos Loizou Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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

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The governing body Appropriate authority Carl Purcell Chair Cathy Phillips Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection Wessex Street School address London E2 0LB

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02089800580 Telephone number 02089833349 Fax number

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3 °11 Age group 28 °29 November 2005 Inspection dates 276425 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school serves an ethnically diverse community in Bethnal Green, East London. It is situated in an area of socio-economic disadvantage and is a large, oversubscribed and popular school. Most pupils are in the early stages of learning English. They are of Bangladeshi origin whose first language is Bengali. A small number are of white British origin or from black British or Caribbean backgrounds. Over half of the pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is well above that found in most schools. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties is above the national average although it is high in some year groups. The proportion with a statement of special need is higher because some pupils are admitted with complex learning difficulties and disabilities from across the local authority. The pupils' attainment is very low when they start school.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 7 Inspection Report: Bangabandhu Primary School, 28 °29 November 2005

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What the school should do to improve further

* Strengthen the teaching throughout the Foundation Stage to raise standards further in early literacy skills.* Improve teachers' marking to help the pupils understand the next stages of their learning and how to improve their work.* Improve punctuality in Years 1 and 2.

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Grade:

Teaching and learning are good overall, although they are satisfactory in the Foundation Stage. The long term effect of the teaching on the pupils' achievements is very positive. The teaching enables the pupils, especially from Year 1 through to Year 6, to reach the standards expected for their age and to enjoy their learning. There is highly effective support for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and a strength of the teaching is the way these pupils are included in all lessons and activities.Teachers and support staff successfully encourage children in the Foundation Stage to speak and to listen to others in role-play situations. Early reading and writing skills are taught satisfactorily but are not always being reinforced when the children choose activities for themselves. Consequently, their progress slows, especially when the children are not being directly taught by an adult. Children are enjoying the work they are doing in

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Grade:

learning phonics and this is enabling them to develop their reading skills faster.Throughout the school, teachers ensure pupils stay interested and concentrate well. Bi-lingual staff are effective and enable pupils whose first language is not English to make very good progress. In the better lessons, teachers link the development of basic skills in literacy and numeracy to imaginative activities. For instance, in a writing lesson, pupils enjoyed making a fruit salad and then listed all the different fruit they had used. This made learning really purposeful. Teachers make good use of assessment to adjust their planning so that work meets pupils' needs. Marking is usually positive but is inconsistent in helping pupils see what they need to do to improve their work.

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Grade:

The curriculum is good and useful links are made between subjects to make learning fun and practical for the pupils. For example, pupils studying the local area made effective use of ICT to learn about both mapping skills and how the area looks from an aerial photograph. There are very good links with outside organisations that enhance pupils' learning. Recently, a teacher from the local secondary school provided expert art lessons within a history topic to inspire the pupils to produce wartime images in charcoal. Visits to places of interest such as the British Museum are used well to capture pupils' interests. Music provision is very good and many pupils 4 of 7 Inspection Report: Bangabandhu Primary School, 28 °29 November 2005 participate in recorder lessons and choirs. Pupils enjoy the well-attended clubs after school. Children in the Foundation Stage receive a satisfactory curriculum with good features that help

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Grade:

them improve their personal, social and emotional development. For example, outdoor areas and climbing equipment are used well to develop the children's spatial awareness and physical skills. The pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities have outstanding provision and make excellent progress as a result. Provision for pupils whose first language is not English is effective because an emphasis on developing pupils' speaking and listening skills permeates all teachers' planning.

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Grade:

The school, including the Foundation Stage, makes good provision for pupils' care, guidance and support. There are very good procedures in place, including child protection procedures, to safeguard pupils' welfare. The team of home school worker, learning mentor, behaviour specialist and counsellor work well together. Good assessment information is used well to monitor the pupils' academic progress, although marking could be used better to provide feedback to pupils about how to improve. The school provides very good care and support for vulnerable pupils. Pupils know who to talk to if they are troubled and feel their concerns and worries are dealt with swiftly. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are very well supported. The school surveys both parents' and pupils' views to act on their comments. Consequently, the large majority of parents hold the school in high regard and parents feel

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Grade:

their children are well cared for and supported.

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Grade:

5 of 7 Inspection Report: Bangabandhu Primary School, 28 °29 November 2005 .

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Grade:

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 7 Inspection Report: Bangabandhu Primary School, 28 °29 November 2005

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for making all the inspectors feel so welcome when we visited you recently. We agree with your parents and your teachers that yours is a good school. We looked at your work and the results in the tests that Year 2 and Year 6 pupils do and these show that you are doing well in English, mathematics and science. You also do well in other areas like ICT, art, music and PE. We believe you are well behaved and try hard in school and that you learn in a friendly school with good support from your teachers and teaching assistants. Some of you told us about the things you like best and we were very pleased to hear that many of you say that you 'like learning'. Your teachers give you interesting things to do including visits to special places. Special visitors, such as the artist that visited the school, help you to do well. The charcoal drawings about World War 2 that you showed us are very good indeed.We like the way the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

school asks you for your views and the school council works hard to improve your school. You enjoy performing in assemblies and it was very pleasing to see how much you and your parents appreciate this. The children we spoke to really like all the teachers and staff because they care for you very much. We have asked your teachers to help the children in the nursery and reception classes to do a bit better with their reading and writing. We have also asked your teachers to mark your books in a way that helps you to understand how to make your work better. Well done for coming to school nearly every day but some of you are late in the mornings so we have asked your teachers to help all of you to come to school on time. You must all try to help them do this.We enjoyed being in your school. 7 of 7 Inspection Report: Bangabandhu Primary School, 28 °29 November 2005

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