Setting

Club links (PESSCL) strategy on improving the standards of

Thank you for your hospitality and co-operation, and that of your staff, those of the West Bradford / Thornton Grammar School Sport Partnership and of Bradford City Swimming Development Unit (BCSDU), during my visit on Wednesday 28 February to look at work in swimming.

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Club links (PESSCL) strategy on improving the standards of

As outlined in my initial letter, the visit had a particular focus on the impact of the PESSCL strategy in improving the standards and quality of provision in swimming.

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Club links (PESSCL) strategy on improving the standards of

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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Club links (PESSCL) strategy on improving the standards of

The evidence used to inform the judgements made included: interviews with key staff and pupils, scrutiny of relevant documentation.

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Club links (PESSCL) strategy on improving the standards of

The overall effectiveness of swimming provision was judged to be inadequate.

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Achievement and standards

Achievement and standards in swimming are unsatisfactory at Key Stage 2. Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 08456 404040 F 020 7421 6855 www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Achievement and standards

Mr Martin Gregory Headteacher Stocks Lane Primary School Stocks Lane Clayton Heights Queensbury Bradford BD13 2RH  Pupils’ achievement in swimming is unsatisfactory. The proportion of pupils reaching the National Curriculum standards by the end of Year 6 has been too low.  Those pupils with good prior experience of swimming do well. Around one third of these pupils progress beyond the National Curriculum standards and achieve reasonable proficiency in personal survival skills.  Over the past three years around 25% of pupils, usually those with limited prior experience of swimming have not reached National Curriculum standards. These pupils make satisfactory progress in lessons and, by the end of the programme; almost all can swim 10 metres. The programme of 18 x 30 minute lessons is not long enough to enable them to meet National Curriculum standards.  Pupils enjoy swimming lessons and attendance at them is good.

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Achievement and standards

 Pupils learn to enjoy swimming and value it as part of a healthy lifestyle. A reasonable proportion of pupils, around half to two thirds in Years 1 to 4, take part in swimming activity regularly in their own time.  Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of safety procedures when in the swimming pool are secure. Some pupils have forgotten the detail of how to keep themselves safe when by water in the outdoors because they say it is a long time since they were taught this.

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Quality of teaching and learning

The quality of teaching is satisfactory.

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Quality of teaching and learning

 It was not possible to observe swimming lessons because the programme of lessons had already been competed for the current school year.  Swimming teachers employed by BCSDU are well qualified. The school was allocated an extra swimming teacher through ‘Top-Up’ funding for the programme just completed. Due to absence there was not always an extra teacher present for considerable periods of the programme.  The teacher accompanying pupils to the pool often supports learning of small groups under the guidance of the swimming teacher. Not all staff accompanying pupils to swimming lessons have received training in how to support swimming lessons. There are plans for the BCSDU to provide this.  Pupils enjoy the variety of activities during lessons and they feel they are learning and making progress.  Pupils report that discipline during swimming lessons is good.  Adequate systems to assess and record pupils’ progress are carried out

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Quality of teaching and learning

by swimming teachers, though each pupil’s starting point is not recorded clearly. This information is not shared with pupils or the school until the end of the programme.  Assessment information is not always used fully enough to target where additional support is needed for individual pupils during the programme of lessons.

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Quality of curriculum

The quality of the curriculum is inadequate.

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Quality of curriculum

 The amount of time allocated to learning to swim is not enough to ensure that those pupils with little prior experience of swimming reach National Curriculum standards. Eighteen 30 minute swimming lessons are offered to all Year 5 pupils in addition to two hours of physical education per week.  The scheme of work provides a sound basis for lesson panning. It progressively builds the skills required to meet National Curriculum standards. The scheme does not plan to develop the broader skills required within the four strands of the National Curriculum nor does it plan to develop pupils’ key skills such as speaking and listening.  The provision of extra-curricular activities for swimming is minimal. Around ten pupils each year take part in a local annual swimming gala organised by the West Bradford/Thornton Grammar School Sport Partnership.  Gifted and talented pupils are encouraged to join swimming clubs and

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Quality of curriculum

information is passed on to pupils and their families. Currently there are no pupils competing for clubs.

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Leadership and management of subject

Leadership and management of swimming in the school are unsatisfactory.

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Leadership and management of subject

 Action has not been taken soon enough to avoid a significant proportion of pupils failing to reach National Curriculum standards by the end of Key Stage 2. The offer of additional swimming lessons from BCSDU has not been taken up by the school.  There has been little formal monitoring and evaluation of swimming provision by the school and assessment of pupils’ prior experience and achievements has not always been accurate.  Current leadership, both at senior and subject level, values swimming and there is an awareness of the need to raise standards. There is a strong determination to do so for all pupils. There are plans to accept additional swimming provision offered by BCSDU and target it more closely to pupils’ needs. There is a sound capacity to improve.

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Subject issue -The impact of the PESSCL ‘Top-Up’ programme

The PESCCL ‘Top-Up’ programme has not had sufficient impact on raising standards in this school.

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Subject issue -The impact of the PESSCL ‘Top-Up’ programme

 The West Bradford/Thornton Grammar School Sport Partnership retained control of the ‘Top-Up’ funding but agreed that BCSDU should follow the plans agreed across the five partnerships of the city for all, bar one, of the primary schools in the partnership.  BCSDU used the funds to allocate an extra teacher to schools with fewer that 80% of pupils reaching National Curriculum standards, based on the previous year’s assessments.  Stocks Lane was allocated an additional swimming teacher but, due to staff absence, an additional teacher was not present for considerable periods during the 18 week programme. Pupils therefore were unable to benefit fully from the arrangements made for PESSCL ‘Top-Up’. A significant proportion of pupils did not achieve National Curriculum standards by the end of the programme.  BCSDU is using the funding that these pupils were unable to benefit from to offer ‘Top-Up’ lessons to pupils who have not achieved

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Subject issue -The impact of the PESSCL ‘Top-Up’ programme

National Curriculum standards. However, these sessions are due to be held out of school hours. There is therefore, a reliance on pupils voluntarily taking up the sessions and on parental support to get them there.  BCSDU plan to offer Year 5 and 6 pupils ‘Top-Up’ sessions during summer term. These will partly be funded by PESSCL ‘Top-Up’ funding.  The impact of the PESSCL ‘Top-Up’ arrangements on standards in swimming across the partnership has not yet been evaluated because swimming programmes in all schools have not yet been completed.

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Inclusion

 The school goes to great lengths to ensure that pupils who face barriers to learning in swimming, for example, physical difficulties, are well supported through the provision of additional staffing and resources.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed

Raise the proportion of pupils reaching National Curriculum standards in swimming towards the school’s aspiration of 100% by:

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed

 ensuring that the arrangements made for ‘Top-Up’ funding are honoured and have the required impact on raising standards for pupils not reaching National Curriculum standards in this school  ensuring that the school has an accurate understanding of pupils’ progress in swimming and of the quality of teaching of swimming in order to better target provision towards pupils with most need  providing training to develop confidence in taking a more active role in supporting learning.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed

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