Setting

Aviation House 125 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0300 123 1231 F 020 7421 6855 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Mrs L Lund Headteacher Brackenbury Primary School Dalling Road Hammersmith London W6 0BA

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education (RE)

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of the staff and pupils, during my visit on 25 February 2010 to look at work in RE.

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education (RE)

As outlined in my initial letter, as well as looking at key areas of the subject, the visit had a particular focus on how well pupils are becoming effective learners in RE.

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education (RE)

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.

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education (RE)

The evidence used to inform the judgements included: interviews with staff and pupils; scrutiny of relevant documentation; analysis of pupils’ work; and observation of three lessons and the use of animations and video capture to support the development of RE within the school.

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education (RE)

The overall effectiveness of RE is good.

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Achievement in RE

 The attainment of pupils by the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 is above the expectations of the Hammersmith and Fulham agreed syllabus. This reflects good achievement. Pupils in Key Stage 1 are able to talk about the similarities between religions and the importance of celebrations for families as well as exploring their own ideas about religion. In Key Stage 2, pupils are able to make connections between belief and practice. They are able to explore the meaning of religion and the importance it plays in the lives of followers as well as making links with their own experiences. They talk with confidence about the impact that various religious figures have had on religious practice today.  The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ personal development. Pupils were keen to explain that the study of religion can break down misunderstandings between different groups of people and develop respect within communities.

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Quality of teaching of RE

 The teaching of RE has a number of good features. Teachers use a variety of activities and resources, such as drama, ‘chatter box’ and information and communication and technology (ICT), to ensure that pupils are motivated and interested in their learning. Relationships among pupils and staff are strong and behaviour is outstanding. Effective questioning enables teachers to assess prior learning and to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of RE. Pupils are given good opportunities to work in groups or independently to explore the meaning of new concepts.  The school has yet to establish an effective system for assessing pupils’ progress and attainment in RE. Consequently, work set in lessons does not always meet the needs of individual pupils. Good marking in books provides pupils with appropriate advice on how to improve their work.

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Quality of the curriculum in RE

 The RE curriculum has been planned in an imaginative and creative way ensuring that pupils make good progress. The school has developed a cross-curricular approach to learning in RE. The use of ICT, drama, and speaking and listening creates memorable learning experiences. In particular, pupils talk with enthusiasm about how they have made videos of their own creation stories and animated films to explore moral dilemmas.  The curriculum closely follows the requirements of the Hammersmith and Fulham agreed syllabus. The current plans provide the staff with appropriate support in developing their subject knowledge. However, further work is required to ensure that staff are clear about the progression of skills in RE.  Until recently, opportunities to visit places of worship and meet representatives from different faiths were limited. Consequently, a schedule of visits and visitors has been developed to resolve this issue.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management in RE

The effectiveness of leadership and management in RE is good.  Subject leaders have worked diligently to identify key areas for improvement since acquiring this responsibility in January. Consequently, they have a clear understanding of the strengths and areas for development within the subject. As a result, changes have taken place to improve the curriculum and begin the process of formal assessment.  There are clear management systems in place to evaluate RE and make any necessary changes for the future. As a result, the subject leaders are well placed to ensure continuous improvement in this area.

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Subject issue: how well pupils are becoming effective learners in RE

There are good opportunities for pupils to work in groups to develop their skills in becoming effective learners in RE. They develop their skills as researchers through the effective use of, for example, ‘mind maps’. Pupils generate their own ideas about a topic, making connections with their own experiences and that of others.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

 introducing effective systems to assess pupils’ progress and attainment according to the levels of achievement identified in the agreed syllabus  extending the scheme of work to ensure that staff are clear about ways of developing pupils’ skills in RE.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

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

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

As I explained previously, a copy of this letter will be sent to your local authority and SACRE 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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