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

Mrs S Butterworth Headteacher Trotts Hill Primary School Wisden Road Stevenage Hertfordshire SG1 5JD

p.1

Ofsted survey inspection programme – Physical Education (PE)

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of your staff, during my visit on 23 June 2009 to look at work in PE.

p.1

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’.

p.1

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.

p.1

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 two lessons and other activities.

p.1

Ofsted survey inspection programme – Physical Education (PE)

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

p.1

Achievement and standards

 Pupils make good progress in PE and achieve well. Achievement is outstanding for a minority of pupils who excel in several areas of PE and sport. Children start school with physical skills that match those expected for their age, although those who are currently in the Nursery had lower starting points. Progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Almost all children in Reception this year have reached the expected level of physical development and many have exceeded it. An excellent range of indoor and outdoor learning activities is organised to help children develop their fine and gross motor skills.  Pupils continue to make good progress as they move through the school. Assessments completed by teachers show that most pupils in Year 2 reach at least average standards. By the time pupils leave the school in Year 6, the proportion attaining above average standards has increased. Pupils’ achievement in PE is boosted by taking part in an

p.1

Achievement and standards

extensive range of physical activities. Standards in swimming are above average and progress is good. Almost all pupils leave the school able to swim 25 metres, and those that cannot are offered ‘top-up’ swimming sessions at the end of Year 6.  Good provision is made for pupils who may have less well developed coordination or physical skills. All children are fully included in lessons with adult support and suitable resources provided for pupils with additional needs. Pupils who are talented in PE are identified and encouraged to develop their skills further by joining local and regional sports clubs.

p.2

Quality of teaching and learning of PE

The quality of teaching and learning is good.

p.2

Quality of teaching and learning of PE

 Teaching and learning observed during the inspection were good and included some outstanding elements; this matches the school’s own evaluation. The high quality specialist teaching provided by the sports and dance coaches has had a very positive impact on pupils’ learning and achievement. The lessons observed were focussed precisely on learning objectives and success criteria, which were shared with pupils.  In the Year 2 lesson the teamwork between the teacher and coach was outstanding. The teacher used the interactive whiteboard well at the start of the lesson to illustrate the hand positions pupils would be using in their catching and throwing practice. The coach encouraged pupils to repeat key words and phrases to consolidate their understanding. Demonstrations were used very effectively to show pupils what they were aiming for in their responses and precise coaching helped improve their fielding skills. Pupils were very active throughout the

p.2

Quality of teaching and learning of PE

lesson and activities were matched well to pupils’ abilities.  Teachers assess pupils’ progress well in lessons through their observations and pertinent questioning. Pupils are also encouraged to asses their own and others’ learning and look for ways to improve. Assessments are made each term of pupils’ work in PE and teachers keep records of pupils’ attainment. These are collected and analysed to evaluate progress and identify any underachievement. Reports written for parents on their children’s achievement in PE are informative and in some cases identify how pupils might improve.

p.2

Quality of the curriculum

The quality of the curriculum is outstanding.  Pupils benefit from a broad range of high quality learning experiences in PE. Provision is particularly strong in games, dance, athletics and swimming, and for children’s good, all-round physical development in the Early Years Foundation Stage. There are at least two hours timetabled PE for all classes and this is supplemented for many pupils who take part in lunchtime and after school activities. Younger children also have ‘Take-ten’ and ‘phizzi-gym’ sessions, which engage them in short bursts of physical activities during the day. Outdoor and adventurous activities are included in the programme for pupils in Year 6 who attend a residential visit in the summer term; preparations for introducing orienteering challenges on the school site are underway.  Many children from all year groups attend a wide range of sports clubs, some of which are led by sports coaches. Several pupils also take part

p.2

Quality of the curriculum

in numerous festivals, tournaments and competitions; the school athletics team were successful in this year’s district athletics event.  Teachers are providing good opportunities for pupils to be creative and the linking of learning across the curriculum is developing well. One display in Year 4 showed how pupils had the chance to create their own games in PE and illustrate these using information and communication technology. Dance is also linked well to the work in other subjects, for example the Year 5 African and ‘street life’ dances.

p.3

Leadership and management of PE

The quality of leadership and management is outstanding.

p.3

Leadership and management of PE

 The school has continued to provide pupils with the high quality experiences in PE that were noted during the last inspection. There is a whole school commitment to pupils adopting healthy lifestyles and engaging in regular physical activity. The subject leader, who is relatively new in post, is well organised and clearly focussed on improving provision further. The school’s involvement in the local sports partnership has been used very effectively to introduce new activities for pupils and provide training for staff. Partnership network meetings are attended by the subject leader and these help to establish useful links with development work in other schools.  Monitoring is well organised and forms part of the school’s regular cycle of subject evaluation; this includes discussions with pupils, scrutiny of teachers’ planning and observations of lessons. The outcomes from subject leader monitoring are shared with all staff.

p.3

Leadership and management of PE

Action plans identifying key improvement priorities are drawn up each year. Resources are managed well, including the investment in sports coaching, which has helped raise the quality of provision significantly. Displays and photographs around the school give PE and sport a very high profile and illustrate the strong emphasis the school places on physical activities.

p.3

Matters particularly ‘being healthy’

 Pupils’ involvement in PE and sport is making a significant contribution towards their personal development and well-being. Behaviour in lessons is very good and pupils are able to acquire, develop and apply their skills well. Pupils have many opportunities to take regular exercise in lessons, at break times and in extra-curricular activities. The ‘walk the world’ project is encouraging more children and their parents to walk or cycle to school. Pupils’ achievements in PE and sport are celebrated in assemblies and on ‘magic moment’ boards in classes.  Pupils interviewed were able to explain why it is important to keep fit. The warm-up sessions observed in lessons were vigorous and involved pupils in discussing the impact this had on their bodies. Pupils also know about other important features of adopting a healthy lifestyle, such as drinking plenty of water, eating healthily and getting enough sleep.

p.4

Matters particularly ‘being healthy’

 Older pupils who are trained as sports leaders have the chance to take responsibility and develop their leadership skills; they do a good job in supporting the play activities of younger pupils at lunchtimes.

p.4

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:

 extending teachers’ use of ICT to support teaching and learning, including assessment  establishing systems for moderating teachers’ assessments in PE and for checking on the participation rates of pupils in extra curricular activities.

p.4

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:

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

p.4

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.4