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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Mrs G Jasper Headteacher Brinkley Grove Primary School Rawlings Crescent Highwoods Colchester Essex CO4 9GF

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Physical Education (PE)

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of your staff, during my visit on 27 April 2009 to look at work in PE.

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Physical Education (PE)

As outlined in my initial letter, as well as looking at key areas of the subject, the visit had a particular focus on assessing the PE contribution to the outcomes of Every Child Matters particularly ‘being healthy’.

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Physical Education (PE)

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 (PE)

The evidence used to inform the judgements made included interviews with staff and learners, scrutiny of relevant documentation, analysis of pupils’ reports, observation of three lessons and other activities.

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Physical Education (PE)

The overall effectiveness of physical education was judged to be good.

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Achievement and standards

 Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They have many good opportunities to develop their physical skills in adult led lessons and through independent play in the well-equipped outdoor play area. By the time they enter Year 1, most children are at or above the expected level in physical development. In the lesson observed, Reception children moved confidently with many showing good control and coordination.  Pupils continue to make good progress as they move through the school. By the time they leave in Year 6 many pupils attain standards which are above average, particularly in games and dance activities. In the dance lesson observed in Year 6, pupils were able to combine and adapt dance moves expressively and with increasing fluency. Pupils were also good at observing and commenting on each other’s performances. Progress in swimming is satisfactory and standards are average. Swimming records

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Achievement and standards

show that last year about a third of pupils were unable to swim to the expected National Curriculum standard before they left.  The school acknowledges that insufficient assessment information is collected to enable leaders and managers to record the standards reached by pupils, and show the progress they make through the school.

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Quality of teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is good.

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Quality of teaching and learning

 Three lessons were observed during the inspection. They ranged from outstanding to satisfactory. There were a number of strengths in the lessons. All followed a suitable structure, were planned with a clear focus on learning objectives and included identified learning outcomes. Teachers used their very good subject knowledge well, making effective use of demonstrations and introducing pupils to key subject vocabulary. The use of resources to support learning was good but the quality of support provided by teaching assistants was variable. Although at times the teaching in the satisfactory lesson was good, pupils made insufficient progress in developing their physical skills.  Teachers’ assessments in lessons through observation and questioning were good. In the stronger lessons teachers advised pupils on how to improve their performances. Currently, the systems for assessing, recording and tracking pupils’ attainment and progress are not fully

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Quality of teaching and learning

established. Teachers write reports for parents on pupils’ achievements in PE but these vary in content and do not indicate whether pupils are working, at, above or below the expected level for their age.

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Quality of the curriculum

 Pupils are provided with a curriculum which includes all the areas of learning. They have two PE lessons each week and these are supplemented with ‘brain gym’ and ‘take ten’ activities to meet the two hours recommended curriculum time. Pupils in Years 4 and 5 swim for one term each year and a residential visit, offering a range of outdoor and adventurous activities, is part of the Year 6 curriculum. There is a strong emphasis on pupils adopting healthy lifestyles and the school has achieved the Activemark and Healthy Schools accreditation. Teachers are working towards establishing a more creative curriculum and are beginning to plan learning across subjects. Pupils’ work in dance is linked well to their learning about other cultures and periods in history. Learning in PE is also linked with activities in science, personal, social and health education and mathematics.  Pupils from Year 1 to Year 6 are able to attend a good range of after

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Quality of the curriculum

school sports clubs. Participation rates are high in Years 3, 4 and 5 and the teaching assistant who manages the club programme keeps a check on the attendance of different groups of pupils. Pupils also benefit from taking part in many festivals, tournaments and competitions, organised by the school or through the local sports partnership. Accommodation and resources are good; indoor facilities have been significantly enhanced with the addition of a dance/drama studio.

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Leadership and management

The quality of leadership and management is good.

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Leadership and management

 There is a strong commitment among senior leaders to developing high quality provision in PE and sport. An accurate subject evaluation shows the good improvements made in the last three years and priorities for further development. The subject leader, who is well organised, has used the school’s involvement in the sports partnership to improve her own subject skills and those of her colleagues. The school sports coordinator has provided useful support for staff in the teaching of gymnastics. The subject leader has introduced a revised scheme of work, a range of new resources and different approaches to assessment. She has also written useful end of year subject evaluations, and provided guidance on planning.  PE and sport have a high profile in displays around the school and parents receive regular updates in newsletters on the achievements gained by, and the opportunities on offer for, their children. The subject leader has

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Leadership and management

yet to establish a systematic approach to monitoring and evaluation, although there are plans in place to complete some lesson observations in the summer term.

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Matters particularly ‘being healthy’

 Pupils’ involvement in PE and sport is making a good contribution to their personal development and well-being. A survey of pupils’ views indicated that almost everyone enjoys PE. This was confirmed by the pupils who were interviewed during the inspection. Pupils participate enthusiastically in lessons. They show positive attitudes and behave very well. Older pupils are able to explain what happens to their bodies when they exercise and appreciate that keeping fit is an important part of leading a healthy life. Some pupils is Year 6 have been trained to act as sports leaders enabling them to take responsibility for equipment and support younger pupils’ play at lunchtimes.  The well-organised extra curricular programme provides pupils with many opportunities to play sport after school. Participation by different groups of pupils is logged and analysed; this led to an additional multi-skills club being organised for girls because there were fewer girls attending clubs

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Matters particularly ‘being healthy’

overall. Pupils who are talented at sport are identified and advised to join local sports clubs to extend their skills. Talented pupils also have the chance to attend advanced skills sessions organised through the local sports partnership. Success in sport has boosted the self-esteem of many pupils who are proud of their achievements in local competitions.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:

 strengthening monitoring and evaluation through a regular programme of lesson observations and the systematic tracking of pupils’ achievement  establishing an efficient and workable system of assessing, recording and reporting pupils’ attainment and progress  improving the provision for pupils who may require additional support for developing their physical skills and those who do not meet the National Curriculum standard in swimming.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:

I hope these observations are useful as you continue to develop physical education 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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