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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Miss K Prior Headteacher Southroyd Primary and Nursery School Littlemoor Crescent Pudsey West Yorkshire LS28 8AT

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Ofsted 2010–11 subject survey inspection programme: science

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of the staff and pupils, during my visit on 8 June 2010 to look at work in science.

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Ofsted 2010–11 subject survey inspection programme: science

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 without their consent.

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Ofsted 2010–11 subject survey inspection programme: science

The evidence used to inform the judgements included: interviews with staff; conversations with pupils in lessons; scrutiny of relevant documentation; analysis of pupils’ work; observation of an assembly; and visits to seven lessons.

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Ofsted 2010–11 subject survey inspection programme: science

The overall effectiveness of science is good.

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Achievement in science

 The majority of children enter the nursery with a less well-developed knowledge and understanding of the world than is typically seen. Outcomes of teachers’ assessments at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage indicate that, over the last two years, children have made good progress in relation to this area of learning.  Attainment in science at the end of Key Stage 2 is broadly in line with the national average. This represents good progress for pupils, given their starting points.  In lessons, pupils are keen to plan investigations and can explain how they are controlling variables to ensure their test is fair. They ask questions to develop their understanding and interpret their results carefully to explain what they have found out. They have a very well-developed understanding of environmental issues and show commitment to the need for increased global sustainability.  Pupils have good attitudes to their learning and work well collaboratively

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Achievement in science

and on individual tasks. They are keen to participate in lessons with the majority willingly volunteering answers to teachers’ questions or discussing their ideas with their peers.

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Quality of teaching in science

The quality of teaching in science is good.

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Quality of teaching in science

 Teachers have good subject knowledge. They use this well to make links between different areas of science and also to make confident use of cross-curricular contexts to support science learning.  Planning is detailed and incorporates a good variety of engaging learning activities, including regular hands-on opportunities, that support the development of pupils’ scientific knowledge and understanding well.  In a small minority of lessons, learners’ needs are not always fully met because tasks are not matched sufficiently well to their individual learning needs.  Teachers use questioning effectively to check pupils’ understanding and provide detailed feedback on what they have done well. Guidance on how pupils can improve their work is less consistent.  Information and communication technology (ICT) is used well by teachers to illustrate key learning points and to assess pupils’ understanding. Pupils

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Quality of teaching in science

are similarly confident in their use of ICT. For example, pupils in Year 4 were competent in their use of a database to collate experimental results to investigate a hypothesis.

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Quality of the curriculum in science

The quality of the curriculum in science is good.

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Quality of the curriculum in science

 Schemes of work and medium-term planning incorporate a good range of different indoor and outdoor science learning experiences. The strong emphasis on developing pupils’ scientific enquiry skills is reflected in their achievements.  Cross-curricular learning opportunities are well developed. Real life events and issues, such as extended periods of snow or volcanic eruptions, are used well to contextualise the learning.  Pupils benefit from extensive science-related curriculum enhancement. For example, this year’s annual visit of children and staff from a school in India focused on the joint production of a piece of felt work to celebrate the biodiversity within the two contrasting habitats. Themed days and weeks, combined with the schools’ support for national and international events, also contribute well to pupils’ scientific understanding and their appreciation of the importance of science in society.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management in science

The effectiveness of the leadership and management in science is satisfactory.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management in science

 Staff have a secure, shared knowledge of the strengths and areas for development in science provision across the school. The subject leader’s scrutiny of the planning has correctly identified that a refined curriculum would support pupils’ progression across the key stages even more effectively.  The monitoring of pupils’ progress is science is effective, allowing underperformance to be identified and tackled.  Subject leadership is developing as part of a whole-school approach to increasing the impact of middle leaders on raising pupils’ achievement.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

 developing the use of assessment to inform planning to ensure that learning activities are matched consistently well to the needs of all pupils  ensuring pupils are clear about what they need to do to improve their work in science  increasing the involvement of the subject leader in monitoring and evaluating provision and outcomes so she is better placed to lead improvement.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

I hope that these observations are useful as you continue to develop science 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 will be published on the Ofsted website under the URN for your school. It will also be available to the team for your next institutional inspection.

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