Setting

Education (PSHE)

Thank you for your hospitality and co-operation, and that of your staff, during my visit on Tuesday 03 June 2008 to look at work in PSHE.

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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:

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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.

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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.

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Education (PSHE)

The evidence used to inform the judgements made included interviews with yourself, the PSHE subject co-ordinator and pupils from a range of age groups, scrutiny of relevant documentation, analysis of pupils’ work and observation of three lessons and a school assembly.

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Education (PSHE)

The overall effectiveness of PSHE was judged to be satisfactory.

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Achievement

Pupils’ overall achievement in PSHE is satisfactory.

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Achievement

 Pupils’ personal development is good. They enjoy their lessons and find learning PSHE is fun. They are very articulate, confident and ready to express their views. 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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Achievement

Mrs S Yeomans Headteacher Stocks Green Primary School Leigh Road Hildenborough Tonbridge Kent TN11 9AE  Children in the Reception class are making good progress in personal, social and emotional development, especially in their ability to think for themselves, because the teacher’s questions stimulate them.  Pupils in Years 3 and 4 have completed some good quality work on different feelings and they have analysed their preferred learning styles.  Pupils work together well and they are all included effectively by teachers’ positive attitudes to PSHE.  Pupils’ knowledge and understanding in PSHE and citizenship is less well developed than their personal development.  Pupils know the importance of exercise and the importance of eating five fruits or vegetables a day. However, they are less clear about the meaning of a balanced diet. Older pupils have a good knowledge of the dangers of tobacco and alcohol.

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Quality of teaching and learning in PSHE

The quality of PSHE teaching is satisfactory.

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Quality of teaching and learning in PSHE

 Relationships between teachers and pupils are good. Teachers are enthusiastic about PSHE and they provide good role models. Pupils’ work demonstrates some good teaching, especially of emotional literacy.  In the lessons observed, resources and activities were interesting, but their effectiveness was reduced because learning objectives were either unclear or insufficiently challenging for all pupils. Teaching assistants made a good contribution to learning and helped pupils concentrate.  Pupils feel well supported, safe and secure.  Assessment is developing, but does not yet demonstrate pupils’ progress, except in the Reception class.

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Quality of the curriculum

 The area of emotional development is well represented, especially through the use of SEAL (Social and emotional Aspects of Learning) materials. The area of keeping safe is also covered well.  Progression in both PSHE and citizenship is being developed, but schemes of work are not yet fully in place.  The successful achievement of the Healthy Schools and Activemark Awards has contributed to healthier lunchtimes and playtimes.  Pupils appreciate the wide range of extra-curricular activities that help them put into practice what they have learned about keeping fit.  Information and communication technology (ICT) is not widely used to help pupils develop their PSHE.

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Leadership and management of PSHE

The leadership and management of PSHE are satisfactory.

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Leadership and management of PSHE

 The subject leader is enthusiastic and reflective. You are closely involved and PSHE is accurately identified as an area for development in the school improvement plan.  All staff share the subject leader’s enthusiasm for PSHE and pupils’ views are valued by the school.  There is scope for more monitoring, especially through lesson observations, pupil assessments and scrutiny of pupils’ work, to improve teaching and pupils’ achievement in PSHE.

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well-being?

Pupils are well prepared for adult life.

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well-being?

 There are numerous opportunities for pupils to take responsibility, for example, being Playground Buddies and school councillors being involved in the appointment of new staff.  Pupils’ social skills, including teamwork are developed well.  There is an effective school council which is valued by pupils.  There is not enough work on personal finance and economic understanding in the PSHE programme.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:

 develop schemes of work to ensure pupils can make better progress in PSHE  improve the assessment of pupils’ progress in PSHE  monitor the quality of PSHE to improve the quality of teaching for all pupils.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:

I hope these observations are useful as you continue to develop PSHE 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 the Ofsted website. It will also be available to the team for your next institutional inspection.

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