Setting

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 08456 404040 F 020 7421 6855 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Mr Poyser Headteacher Palfrey Junior School Milton Street Walsall West Midlands WS1 4LA

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Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Thank you for your hospitality and co-operation, and that of your staff, during my visit on 7 November 2007 to look at work in ICT.

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Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

As outlined in my initial letter, as well as looking at key areas of ICT, the visit had a particular focus on the impact of ICT on whole-school improvement.

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Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

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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Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

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

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Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

The overall effectiveness of ICT was judged to be good.

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Achievement and standards

Achievement and standards in ICT are good.

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Achievement and standards

 By the end of Year 6, pupils’ standards of attainment in ICT are average. This represents good achievement. Pupils make a good start and soon begin to understand how to modify their work for a specific audience. By Year 6 they have a good knowledge and understanding of presentation software, often producing work of a high standard. For example, in a Year 6 lesson, pupils were highly proficient at using hyperlinks and action buttons to produce web pages. Pupils are not as good at using control systems. This is because they are not provided with sufficient opportunities to practise constructing basic sequences to control a small robot for example.  ICT is used effectively to improve standards in other subjects. In English, pupils use communication software well to enhance their work. They use digital cameras to produce collages of work that they have co-produced with other local schools.

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Quality of teaching and learning of ICT

The quality of teaching and learning is good.

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Quality of teaching and learning of ICT

 Teachers from across the curriculum have a good knowledge and understanding of how to use ICT to improve standards not only in ICT but also in other subjects.  Pupils are managed well and relationships are very good. This helps to build pupils’ self-esteem.  Teachers ensure tasks are well suited to the different abilities of the pupils. Excellent use is made of the support staff who are involved fully in lesson activities. In one outstanding Year 6 lesson, the teaching assistant gave an excellent demonstration to the whole class on how to use action buttons to enhance the quality of presentations.  Pupils’ work is regularly assessed. However, the new system for assessing pupils’ ICT is not fully embedded and pupils do not always receive informative comments about how to improve their work.

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Quality of the curriculum

 The curriculum is well designed to provide all pupils with at least one hour per week of discrete ICT. This enables them to develop their capability and make effective use of ICT to improve standards in other subjects.  Pupils benefit from good access to ICT across the curriculum. For example, in history, pupils used digital cameras effectively to record their visit to a local museum.  Pupils have good access to ICT outside of the classroom. Those who wish to can loan a laptop computer to use at home to support their studies.  Good provision is made for pupils who are gifted and talented. Specific projects are used effectively to enhance their ICT skills.  The systems and control strand of the scheme of work is limited and this prevents pupils from making sufficient progress in this area.

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Leadership and management of ICT

 There is a clear and coherent strategy for developing ICT. Leaders at all levels have a good understanding of how ICT can be used effectively to improve standards across the school.  The new ICT co-ordinator has made a good start and has identified the strengths and areas to improve within the subject. The ICT provision across the school is monitored and evaluated well for the impact on standards and achievement.  Technical support is good. ICT resources are good and are effectively deployed across the school to improve standards in all subjects. The school is currently deciding how to make the best use of the new virtual learning platform.

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Subject issue - the impact of ICT on whole-school improvement

The subject’s contribution to whole-school improvement is good.

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Subject issue - the impact of ICT on whole-school improvement

 ICT is used well to bring about improvements within other subjects. For example, pupils use ICT to improve their literacy skills.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy using the ICT facilities and have good attitudes to learning. The professional development of all staff is very effective and enables them to keep abreast of ICT developments and improve the quality of their teaching and pupils’ learning.

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Inclusion

The subject’s contribution to the inclusion of pupils is outstanding.

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Inclusion

 All pupils have access to the ICT facilities. The school provides a laptop loan facility for those pupils who do not have access to ICT at home.  Excellent support for all pupils is provided by the learning support staff. There is also very good support for those pupils who experience language difficulties. Good provision is made for those pupils who are gifted and talented with specific projects targeted to improve their ICT skills.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included to:

 ensuring the new assessment system for ICT is applied more consistently  providing pupils with a wider range of experiences of systems and control.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included to:

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

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included 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 the Ofsted website. It will also be available to the team for your next institutional inspection.

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