Setting

Aviation House 125 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 08456 404040 F 020 7421 6855 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

Mr D Wood Headteacher Five Acres Primary School Blackthorn Road Ambrosden Bicester OX25 2LN

p.1

communication technology (ICT)

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of the staff and pupils, during my visit on 12 January 2010 to look at work in ICT.

p.1

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 in other subjects.

p.1

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.

p.1

communication technology (ICT)

The evidence used to inform the judgements included: interviews with staff and pupils; scrutiny of relevant documentation; analysis of pupils’ work; observation of four part-lessons; a tour of the school; and two short visits to the Early Years Foundation Stage.

p.1

communication technology (ICT)

The overall effectiveness of ICT is satisfactory.

p.1

Achievement in ICT

 Pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage make satisfactory progress in developing their knowledge and understanding of the use of ICT. Their attainment at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage is in line with that expected for their age.  A significant number of pupils leave and join the school between Years 1 and 6 and many of those who join have low prior attainment in ICT. Attainment by the end of Year 6 is broadly average. Regardless of when pupils join the school, they make satisfactory progress in all aspects of the ICT National Curriculum. Lesson observations and current pupil monitoring data show that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are beginning to attain higher levels as a result of actions taken by the school.  Pupils enjoy using ICT which is reflected in their good behaviour in ICT lessons and their responsible approach to using ICT. They have a good age-

p.1

Achievement in ICT

appropriate understanding of how to use the internet and new technologies safely.

p.2

Quality of teaching in ICT

 Lesson planning is thorough and meets the needs and abilities of pupils. Learning objectives are clearly identified and success criteria are shared with pupils to help them to evaluate how well they have done at the end of the lesson. Good classroom management, appropriately targeted resources and teaching assistants support pupils’ learning so that their progress is at least satisfactory and is good in many lessons.  New assessment systems have been introduced and these are beginning to impact positively on pupils’ achievement. The day-to-day assessment of ICT is good. Pupils’ work is routinely assessed against National Curriculum levels and their progress is monitored. Pupils are beginning to self-assess their progress in ICT. However, the use of more formal assessment, which allows pupils to be very clear about their long-term next steps and what they need to do to achieve the next level, is currently being developed.

p.2

Quality of the curriculum in ICT

The quality of the curriculum in ICT is good.

p.2

Quality of the curriculum in ICT

 Pupils receive their statutory ICT National Curriculum entitlement at all key stages. Pupils benefit from a wide range of ICT experiences during their time at the school. There are clear progression routes for pupils to develop their skills in the different aspects of ICT. For instance, Key Stage 1 pupils use software that enables them to learn to write sequences of instructions for directions across a simple town map that is displayed on the screen. By Year 6, they are able to write instructions to draw repeating patterns of different shapes and/or control a lighthouse and traffic lights on a bridge.  However, generally, pupils have more opportunities to use ICT for communicating their ideas and presenting their work than they do for other aspects of the National Curriculum. Consequently, they are more confident in presenting and communicating information than in handling data.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management in ICT

The effectiveness of the leadership and management in ICT is satisfactory with good features.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management in ICT

 The profile of ICT has been raised and more attention is being paid to sharing good practice and further improving teachers’ ICT subject knowledge.  The school has an accurate picture of its strengths and weaknesses in ICT. Recent actions from the new development plan, notably in improving provision and using targets to raise pupil achievement, are impacting positively on pupils’ progress in ICT.  Staff training needs have been audited and whole-school and individual training put in place. This is leading to improvements in teachers’ subject knowledge.  The good provision for ensuring that pupils understand how to use the internet safely is evaluated annually.

p.2

Subject issue: the use of ICT to support learning in other subjects

The use of ICT to support learning in other subjects is satisfactory.  ICT is an integral part of lessons and motivates pupils highly. A curriculum map identifies the range of opportunities to use ICT across all subjects. Teachers make good use of this in deciding when to use ICT in their lessons. They adapt it to meet the needs and abilities of their pupils. Teaching is based on topics and this ensures that new ICT skills are taught within meaningful contexts.

p.3

Subject issue: the use of ICT to support learning in other subjects

 Pupils’ ICT work from their topic work is used to assess their ICT capability. Good use of ICT was made by Year 6 in Black Africa week, when pupils researched the topic and produced presentations for younger pupils. These presentations were animated and included images from the internet and digital photographs that pupils had taken.

p.3

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

 continuing to raise achievement in ICT by ensuring all pupils make good progress in all lessons and over time  developing further the formal, written guidance to pupils so that they are very clear about how to improve their work and how to achieve the next level  ensuring that the accurately identified areas for development on the ICT action plan are implemented.

p.3

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

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

p.3

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

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