Setting

Miss N Sirett Headteacher Capel St Mary CE VC Primary School The Street Capel St Mary Ipswich IP9 2EG

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Physical Education

Thank you for your hospitality and co-operation, and that of your staff, during my visit on 28 September 2006 to look at work in Physical Education (PE).

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Physical Education

As outlined in my initial letter, as well as looking at key areas of PE, the visit had a particular focus on the Physical Education School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL) strategy.

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Physical Education

The visit provided valuable information which will contribute to our national evaluation and reporting. Published reports are likely to list the names of the contributing institutions, but individual institutions 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.

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Physical Education

The evidence used to inform the judgements made included: interviews with staff and children, scrutiny of relevant documentation, analysis of children’s reports, observation of two lessons and other PE activities.

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Physical Education

The overall effectiveness of PE was judged to be satisfactory.

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Achievement and standards

 Most children achieve standards which are in line with those expected for their age. The school judges standards to be better in swimming, games skills and athletics than in gymnastics and dance. The Foundation Stage profile for 2006 indicates that most children are at or above the expected level for physical development by the time they enter Year 1. Very good evidence is recorded of children’s achievements in the Reception classes. Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 08456 404045 F 020 7421 6644 www.ofsted.gov.uk  Children make suitable progress as they move through the school. Achievements for many children are better in swimming and games skills. Children learn to acquire, develop and apply their skills. Older children are more accomplished at evaluating their own and others’ performances.  The children interviewed, and those observed in lessons, enjoy their PE activities. They have good attitudes, behave well and most participate with

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Achievement and standards

enthusiasm. Older children know that it is important to keep fit and healthy, and exercise safely.  There are no numerical targets in the school’s subject action plan for raising standards and achievement but improving the quality of provision in PE is an action point in the school improvement plan.

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Quality of teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory.

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Quality of teaching and learning

 The quality of teaching observed during the inspection ranged from satisfactory to good. The lessons were well organised, conducted at a brisk pace and followed a suitable structure. Teachers used their own and children’s demonstrations well to illustrate their teaching points. In one Year 6 lesson, children had several opportunities to discuss and evaluate their performances and suggest improvements. Some aspects of the lessons were less effective, in particular, matching the learning activities to the ability levels of the more talented children.  Teachers assess children’s responses during lessons and provide feedback and coaching points for improvement. Periodic assessments are used to judge children’s learning outcomes after a unit of work. Detailed reports are written each year, some of which provide good information for parents on children’s achievements in PE. The school has yet to establish a

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Quality of teaching and learning

suitable system for monitoring and recording children’s progress as they move through the school.

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Quality of curriculum

The quality of the curriculum is satisfactory.

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Quality of curriculum

 Not all children have two hours of PE within and outside of curriculum time. However, each year group participates in a balanced programme of core PE activities. All children have the chance to learn to swim, either in the school’s learner pool or at a local leisure centre. Children in Years 5 and 6 can attend residential programmes which focus on outdoor and adventure activities. The school is currently reviewing how lessons are planned, particularly in dance, and expects to adopt the newly published local authority scheme of work.  Accommodation and resources are good and there are plans to improve children’s outdoor play provision at lunchtimes. The school hall provides a potentially good space for indoor PE but this is restricted because the hall accommodates too much additional furniture. There are several extra curricular sports activities available for Years 5 and 6 but very little is provided for younger children. The school enters a number of inter-school

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Leadership and management of PE

The quality of leadership and management in PE is satisfactory.

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Leadership and management of PE

 The leadership team have identified PE as an aspect of the curriculum which requires improvement. A subject action plan detailing improvement priorities forms part of the school improvement plan and time has been allocated for discussing and establishing a better system of assessing, recording and reporting children’s achievements. Parents and children have been asked for their views on the quality of provision.  The subject leader is inexperienced but enthusiastic; she leads and manages the school’s extra curricular sports programme. She has not yet begun a programme of monitoring and evaluation but time has been allocated for this later in the year. The leadership team have sensibly recognised the importance of linking improvements in PE with the work on achieving healthy school status. The PSHE coordinator and PE subject leader have worked together to review the current curriculum policy.

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Subject issue – PESSCL Programme

 The school joined the programme in September 2006. The subject leader as primary link teacher (PLT) has attended the first PLT training session. She has completed an audit of strengths and weaknesses which will contribute towards the local family of schools’ development plan. The leadership team are committed to using the school’s involvement in the programme to improve provision in PE and increase children’s participation in school sport.

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Inclusion

 All children participate fully in lessons, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities. Good support is provided by teaching assistants for individual children. Additional fine and gross motor activity sessions are organised for targeted children. These are managed well by teaching assistants and coordinated effectively by the school SENCO. Outcomes for children are regularly assessed, recorded and analysed.  Children who have particular talents in PE and sport are identified and included on the school’s gifted and talented register. Teachers inform parents about the high ability shown by their children and encourage them to find additional challenges outside of school.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:

 making the most of the school’s involvement in the PESSCL programme to improve subject leadership and management, and increase the level of children’s participation in out of school hours sport  strengthening the quality of teaching and learning in PE, in particular, in dance and gymnastics  introducing a manageable system of assessing, recording and reporting children’s achievement and progress in PE.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:

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

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:

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.

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