Setting

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

p.1

Ms Susan Middleton Headteacher Stanville Primary School Stanville Road Birmingham West Midlands B26 3YN

p.1

Education (PSHE)

Thank you for your hospitality and co-operation, and that of your staff, during my visit on Tuesday 25 September 2007 to look at work in PSHE.

p.1

Education (PSHE)

As outlined in my initial letter, as well as looking at key areas of the subject, the visit had a particular focus on:

p.1

Education (PSHE)

 how the PSHE curriculum meets the specific needs of pupils in your local area, and how progress is tracked and assessed; and  the contribution made by PSHE to the future economic well-being of your pupils.

p.1

Education (PSHE)

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.

p.1

Education (PSHE)

The evidence used to inform the judgements made included: interviews with you as PSHE co-ordinator, the deputy headteacher, the inclusion co-ordinator, one of the learning mentors, scrutiny of relevant documentation, observation of four lessons including the Family Learning Centre, as well as informal observations of the Hive inclusion centre.

p.1

Education (PSHE)

The overall effectiveness of PSHE was judged to be good.

p.1

Achievement and standards

 All pupils make at least good progress in developing their personal and social skills.  The large number of pupils with complex personal needs are well- targeted for individual support in The Hive and The Family Learning Centre and make outstanding progress relative to their starting points.  Achievement in health education and citizenship is less well developed, especially in pupils’ skills knowledge and understanding.

p.1

Quality of teaching and learning of PSHE

The overall quality of teaching and learning is good.

p.2

Quality of teaching and learning of PSHE

 The quality of teaching for those with complex needs is consistently good or better, and tailored to individual need. Baseline and end assessment ensures that all pupils make good progress in their personal and social skills. This has a positive impact on their attainment in the core subjects.  Whole class PSHE teaching by contrast, is not as focused on measurable learning gains, so impact in lessons is less evident.  Relationships with adults, pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are consistently good in all classes.

p.2

Quality of the curriculum

The quality of the PSHE curriculum is good.

p.2

Quality of the curriculum

 Pupils have a wide range of opportunities to develop their personal and social skills. The Family Learning sessions help all pupils to develop and consolidate their skills and attitudes with a member of their family through the Allotment Project and craft activities.  The Hive inclusion centre, provides an exceptional programme of support for large numbers of vulnerable pupils.  The content of the PSHE scheme of work is well mapped for each year group, although insufficient emphasis is placed on opportunities for assessment.  Good curricular links are made with a wide range of external agencies to enrich the curriculum and to ensure that it meets the specific needs of the school community. For example: The Life Education Caravan, and Language Alive, an issue based drama company.

p.2

Leadership and management of PSHE

Leadership and management of PSHE are good.

p.2

Leadership and management of PSHE

 Distributed leadership within the senior team ensures that PSHE retains a high profile and permeates all aspects of the school.  The shared understanding amongst all staff of the significance of PSHE for the pupils is strong.  Whilst content is clearly mapped, the individual strands within the scheme of work lack sufficient cohesion. Progress in the development of skills, knowledge and understanding however, is not clearly mapped in all areas.

p.2

well-being?

The preparation for pupils’ economic well being is satisfactory overall and part of the school development plan for this coming year, notably financial capability and enterprise education.

p.3

well-being?

 The additional targeted personal support for the large number of vulnerable pupils and their families is having a positive impact on their attainment in the core subjects and improving their life chances both socially and academically.  Positive links are made with local organisations such as the local library and the Country Park where pupils have the opportunity to experience the world of work.  A key emphasis of the PSHE curriculum is the focus on developing communication skills and confidence in public speaking.

p.3

Inclusion

Inclusion is outstanding. The support for every child as an individual is impressive. The school has a local reputation for managing children difficult to place and has a history of success. The inclusion team is expertly led and managed and supported well by high quality teaching assistants.

p.3

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:

 ensure that the PSHE scheme of work has regular and measurable assessment opportunities and that there is a stronger sense of cohesion and progression between the various curricular strands  ensure that all lesson objectives have clear and measurable learning outcomes.

p.3

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:

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

p.3

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 the Ofsted website. It will also be available to the team for your next institutional inspection.

p.3