Setting

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Mr R Morrissey Headteacher Long Lawford Primary School Holbrook Road Rugby Warwickshire CV23 9AL

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communication technology (ICT)

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of your staff, during my visit on 2 November 2009 to look at work in ICT.

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communication technology (ICT)

As outlined in my initial letter, as well as looking at key areas of the subject, the visit had a particular focus on the use of ICT to support learning across the school.

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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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communication technology (ICT)

The evidence used to inform the judgements included: interviews with you and your ICT subject coordinator; observations of a Year 2 and a Year 6 lesson in the computer suite; discussion with Year 2 and Year 6 pupils; a tour of the school looking at ICT, guided by your head boy and head girl; scrutiny of relevant documentation; and analysis of pupils’ work.

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communication technology (ICT)

The overall effectiveness of ICT was judged to be inadequate.

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Achievement in ICT

 Pupils enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with ICT standards below expectations. They make good progress and enter Year 1 with ICT attainment in line with expectations. They make satisfactory progress and by Year 6 attainment is average.  Pupils enjoy using ICT. They cooperate and support each other and are proud of their work. They articulate well their enjoyment of ICT.  Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities ensures they make similar progress to other groups of pupils. An after- school ICT club provides good extension activities for gifted and talented pupils.  Parents and pupils are informed of the policy for safe use of the internet. As a result, pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe.

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Quality of teaching of ICT

The quality of teaching in ICT is inadequate.

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Quality of teaching of ICT

 Teachers’ subject knowledge is satisfactory overall and at times good. However, some teachers lack the confidence and expertise to teach ICT with confidence, which you are tackling through staff training.  Lessons are planned and resourced soundly. Pupils are motivated by the planned activities and, consequently, behaviour in lessons is good overall and at times outstanding. Pupils work independently and also support each other with enthusiasm.  Teaching assistants give good support for group and individual activities, both in the classrooms and in the ICT suite.  However, assessment is not yet embedded and used to provide pupils with activities which fully meet their needs. The school improvement plan recognises the use of assessment to support pupils’ learning in ICT and when using ICT across the curriculum as an area to focus and develop.  You are beginning to use a mixture of ‘I can’ statements, assessment and

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Quality of teaching of ICT

evaluation of lessons and evaluation of individuals, but these are not fully informing planned opportunities for pupils. As a consequence, pupils are not aware of how well they are achieving and what they need to do to improve their ICT skills. ICT assessment is, therefore, inadequate and this limits pupils’ attainment.

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Quality of the curriculum for ICT

The quality of the curriculum in ICT is satisfactory.

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Quality of the curriculum for ICT

 Your recent audit of ICT is informing you well on ways to improve the resources and provision for ICT.  You work closely with a local secondary and grammar school to close gaps in the curriculum and to enrich pupils’ learning experiences. Pupils are taken to these schools to use their ICT facilities. Teachers from both schools also teach ICT in your school.  The ICT curriculum is being moved from a national scheme to having links with an international curriculum. You have identified that this has still to be fully embedded and evaluated.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management

The effectiveness of leadership and management in ICT is good.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management

 Since your appointment, you have worked hard to improve the inadequate provision in ICT which you inherited. The new suite, and its improved resources, is recognised by staff and pupils as having a positive impact on teaching and learning.  You have a clear vision for the subject which is shared and understood by all members of staff. You have identified the strengths and weaknesses of the subject and the priorities for development.  Your ICT manager is developing her role well. However, she has not had the opportunity to monitor teaching and learning or to work alongside colleagues to support the development of ICT.  Governors provide good support for the development of ICT and, especially, the financial investment involved.

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The use of ICT across the curriculum

The use of ICT across the curriculum is satisfactory.

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The use of ICT across the curriculum

 ICT is used satisfactorily across the school to develop learning in other subjects. A good example was observed of pupils using a computer-aided design package to design an ideal school, which linked well to art and design work.  Good use is made of ICT to support the teaching of English, Spanish and French.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:

 developing the use of assessment to: −monitor and improve the achievement of pupils −inform teachers’ planning so that work is matched more closely to the needs of all pupils −inform pupils of their next steps in learning and how they can improve their work  providing the ICT manager with the opportunities to monitor teaching and learning and/or to work alongside colleagues to raise the quality of teaching and learning throughout the school  embedding the links between ICT and other areas of the curriculum.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:

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