Setting

Ms Williams Headteacher Writtle Junior School Margaretting Road Writtle Chelmsford Essex CM1 3HG

p.1

Ofsted survey inspection programme – ICT

Thank you for your hospitality and co-operation, and that of your staff and pupils, during my visit on 9 November to look at work in ICT. As outlined in my initial letter, as well as looking at key areas of ICT the visit had a focus on the impact of ICT on whole-school improvement.

p.1

Ofsted survey inspection programme – ICT

The visit provided valuable information which will contribute to our national evaluation and reporting. Published reports are likely to list the name of your school, but you will not be identified in the main text. All feedback letters will be published on the Ofsted website at the end of each half-term.

p.1

Ofsted survey inspection programme – ICT

The evidence used to inform the judgements made included interviews with staff and pupils, scrutiny of documentation, analysis of pupils’ work and observation of three lessons.

p.1

Ofsted survey inspection programme – ICT

The overall effectiveness of ICT is judged to be good.

p.1

Achievement and standards

Pupils achieve good standards across all aspects of the programme of study. Text and graphics standards are high and the pupils are achieving well in aspects of multimedia and control technology. They are knowledgeable about software and are beginning to discriminate about which is fit for a purpose. Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 08456 404045 F 020 7421 6644 www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

Quality of teaching and learning of ICT

 Teaching overall is good and some of it observed during the day was outstanding. Teachers’ subject knowledge is excellent; they are very good ICT role models for pupils.  Planning is done in detail and groups in lessons are organised so as to meet the needs of individual pupils. Pupils know what is expected of them in each stage of the lesson as the objectives are made clear to them.  In lessons observed in the ICT suite the plenary suffered from being taught in the computer room rather than in the classroom. Here, space around the whiteboard makes interactive teaching and learning more difficult than it need be.  Pupils are independent and cooperative learners who work well together, listening to each other and building on each others’ ideas. They have positive relationships with each other and with teachers, and the support provided by learning assistants is good.  Pupils are now assessed regularly using a computer based system, but

p.2

Quality of teaching and learning of ICT

formal end of Key Stage assessment is not yet implemented.

p.2

Quality of curriculum

 The curriculum is good and continually improving. There is good breadth in the curriculum and the school has had the confidence to move outside the QCA scheme of work to develop an effective cross curriculum ICT framework that does not lose the focus on the National Curriculum programme of study.  Teachers and pupils were very clear about the taught and assessed elements of ICT, literacy and French in the lessons observed. Access to resources is carefully scheduled, though the rationale for having one lesson per week in the ICT suite for mathematics needs revisiting to assess its worth.

p.2

Leadership and management of ICT

The quality of leadership and management is good.

p.2

Leadership and management of ICT

 ICT is well documented with appropriate policies. The action plan addresses the key issue for development from the last inspection well, but its structure does not fully relate to the whole school development plan and priorities.  The subject leader is very thoughtful and reflective about ICT, has a good understanding of future needs and developments, and has made good decisions about resourcing and curriculum planning.  Though monitoring does take place it is not systematically carried out. The school has not yet embarked on a full subject audit nor has there been a review of pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding when they begin in Year 3, or of their access to ICT outside school.

p.2

The impact of ICT on whole-school improvement

The current focus on raising standards in other subjects by the judicious use of ICT is good.

p.3

Inclusion

The provision for inclusion is good. ICT contributes well to inclusion. The more able and those with learning difficulties or disabilities are well planned for. Some good provision and support for these groups of pupils was observed during the visit.

p.3

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included the need to:

 audit pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding on entry or take data from the end of Key Stage 1 to inform the beginning to Key Stage 2  review whole school ICT and monitor its effectiveness in order to set priorities for development  consider re-focussing the maths / ICT suite sessions to link more closely with whole school priorities, for example to improve writing.

p.3

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included the need to:

I hope these observations are useful as you continue to develop ICT in the school.

p.3

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included the need to:

As I explained in my previous letter, a copy of this letter will be sent to your local authority and will be published on Ofsted’s website. It will also be available to the team for your next institutional inspection.

p.3