Brudenell Primary School

Brudenell Primary School

Unique Reference Number: 107885 Inspection Number: 66919

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Brudenell Primary School

Reporting inspector: Ian Knight Registered Inspector Number: 23031

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Brudenell Primary School

Dates of inspection: 20 th – 23 rd September 1999

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Brudenell Primary School

Inspection carried out under Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school.

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Brudenell Primary School

Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the appropriate authority must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. Every registered parent of a registered pupil at the school should receive a free copy of the summary of the report within ten working days of receipt of the summary by the appropriate authority. A charge not exceeding the cost of supply may be made by the appropriate authority for any other copies of the report and/or its summary provided to any person who asks for one. The appropriate authority should make a copy of the report and the summary available for inspection by members of the public at such times and at such a place as may be reasonable Any enquiries about this legislation should be addressed to the OFSTED Compliance Helpline Tel. 0171 421 6567 i

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Welton Place Hyde Park Leeds LS6 1EW

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Ms J. Thomas

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: March 1995 ii

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Ian Knight (Registered Inspector) Design and technology; Physical education. Attainment and Progress; Teaching; Leadership and management. Anthony Anderson (Lay Inspector) Equal opportunities. Attitudes, behaviour and personal development; Attendance; Support, guidance and pupils' welfare; Partnership with parents and community; Staffing and accommodation. Nina Bee (Team Member) English; History; Geography; Special educational needs. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Patricia Jackson (Team Member) Mathematics; Information technology; English as an additional Language; Provision for under-fives. Learning resources.

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Jean Morley (Team Member) Science; Religious education; Art; Music. Curriculum and assessment; Efficiency of the school.

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Westminster Education Consultants Old Garden House The Lanterns Bridge Lane London SW11 3AD

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints which are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE iii

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INTRODUCTION

Characteristics of the school 1-2 Key indicators 3

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Educational standards achieved by pupils at the school

Attainment and progress 4-18 Attitudes, behaviour and personal development 19-23 Attendance 24-26

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Quality of education provided

Teaching 27-34 The curriculum and assessment 35-43 Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 44-48 Support, guidance and pupils' welfare 49-56 Partnership with parents and the community 57-62

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The management and efficiency of the school

Leadership and management 63-68 Staffing, accommodation and learning resources 69-81 The efficiency of the school 82-87 iv

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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

Areas of learning for children under five 88-98

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PART C: INSPECTION DATA

Data and indicators 167 Brudenell Primary School

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

• . Pupils with special educational needs and those who do not speak English at home are well supported and make good progress. • . Teaching in Key Stage 1 and for pupils under five is good overall, so that these pupils make better progress than expected. • . The headteacher provides good educational leadership. • . Good quality assessment is well used to plan lessons. • . The school works very well in partnership with parents. • . Provision for promoting cultural awareness permeates the school and leads to high levels of racial harmony. • . The school cares for its pupils well. • . Pupils and teachers get on well together.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

I. Pupils do not do well enough in information technology. II. The recent curriculum review is not yet complete. There is still confusion over how the foundation subjects are to be taught, especially in Key Stage 2. III. Financial planning is poor. IV. Too much time is spent in 'settling in' activities at the beginning of the school year. V. Too many pupils arrive late. The few pupils who are persistently absent are not always followed up rigorously enough

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION

Standards in subjects have been largely maintained since the last inspection, although there was a decline in 1997 which was effectively addressed. Recording of assessments was a weakness at the last inspection. Good progress has been made so that there are now good procedures for assessment which are well used. Sound progress has been made in improving planning for lessons. The school now monitors test results effectively and this has led to the production of a very good school development plan. However, attendance is still not monitored rigorously enough.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION

Overall, sound improvement has taken place and the school has the capacity for further improvement. Brudenell Primary School

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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds in 1998 based on the National Curriculum tests:

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similar schools

well above average A above average B English C B average C Mathematics D C below average D Science C B well below average E

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similar schools

The table shows, for example, that while standards in English are broadly average overall, they are better than those in most similar schools.

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similar schools

These comparisons are now over a year old. Inspection findings are that the school achieves average standards in English, mathematics and science at the end of both key stages. Standards in religious education are in line with the expectations of the agreed syllabus, but levels of attainment in information technology are too low.

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Teaching in: Under 5 5 – 7 years 7 – 11 years

Mathematics Good Good Satisfactory Science Good Satisfactory Information Technology Satisfactory Satisfactory Religious education Very Good Not enough seen for a secure judgement Other subjects Good Good Satisfactory

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Teaching in: Under 5 5 – 7 years 7 – 11 years

Teaching was at least satisfactory in 95 per cent of lessons. In 18 per cent it is very good but it is less than satisfactory in 5 per cent. No lessons were judged to be unsatisfactory in Key Stage 1 or for pupils under five.

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Teaching in: Under 5 5 – 7 years 7 – 11 years

Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. 'Satisfactory' means that strengths outweigh any weaknesses. Brudenell Primary School · OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour Satisfactory in lessons and good when teaching is inspiring. Attendance The recorded levels of attendance are satisfactory but punctuality is not. Unauthorised absence is not always accurately recorded. Ethos* Good. Leadership and management Good educational leadership from the headteacher. The governors are not yet sure about their role as a critical friend. English and science are well co-ordinated. Curriculum Although satisfactory overall, the planning of the foundation subjects of the curriculum is not rigorous enough. Pupils with special educational needs Good provision leads to good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Well planned provision for spiritual and social development; very good provision for cultural development.

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Aspect Comment

Staffing, resources and accommodation Good numbers of teaching staff; very good numbers of effective support staff. Good levels of resources, except in information technology, which does not have enough computers. Value for money The very high spending per pupil balanced against good standards in Key Stage 1 and for the under fives and broadly average standards elsewhere means value for money is satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

* Ethos is the climate for learning: attitudes to work, relationships and the commitment to high standards.

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happy about

• . The open nature of the school – they feel welcome. • . The school is approachable when they have problems. • . It has a positive ethos. • . Their children like school. • . They feel the standards in the school are improving. • . Some poor behaviour at lunch and

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happy about

• . They are not sure whether having its the older children • . They don't know school policies, for

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happy about

The inspection team agreed with the parents' positive views except that they felt that standards in information technology were not high enough. They also agreed that behaviour at lunchtimes can be unsatisfactory. Some school policies were being updated before the inspection. Inspectors judged the behaviour policy to be of good quality. Careful lesson planning ensures that older pupils in mixed age classes do not suffer. Brudenell Primary School

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

· In order to raise standards further in the school, the governors, headteacher and staff should: · • Raise attainment in Information Technology by: (Paragraphs: 79, 146, 148, 149, 150, 152, 153)

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

*. ensuring every pupil has regular, timetabled use of the information technology equipment through its use to support learning across the curriculum; *. fully implementing the existing scheme of work; *. the renewal and extension of the computer resources as funds permit.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

• Improve progress in the foundation subjects by: (Paragraph: 38)

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

*. ensuring that the schemes of work that are currently being developed; *. are clearly linked to National Curriculum programmes of study; *. are divided into units which are appropriate for each lesson; *. contain assessment arrangements as appropriate; *. ensuring that there is progressive teaching of the associated skills, knowledge and understanding through clearly defined learning objectives.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

• Review the amount of time spent at the beginning of the school year for settling in to take place. (Paragraph: 37)

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

• Improve the standard of financial planning by ensuring that the governors, headteacher and senior management of the school are fully involved in the process of forward planning and budget setting within the allocated funds. (Paragraph: 83)

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

• Ensuring that attendance registers are correctly completed, and those pupils who have patterns of absence or lateness are clearly identified and dealt with. (Paragraph: 25)

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

In addition, the governors may wish to include the following more minor points in their action plan: (Paragraphs: 58, 68)

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

*. Ensure that the School Prospectus and the Governors' Annual Report to parents include all the statutorily required information. Brudenell Primary School * INTRODUCTION

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

1. Brudenell School is in the Headingley Ward of the city near to the University of Leeds. The local area includes a substantial amount of inexpensive rented accommodation which is mainly used by students. This has caused instability in the number of pupils at the school, which has been falling steadily since the last inspection. Currently, there are 181 full time pupils in the school, which is fewer than average for primary schools. Pupils enter the nursery class part- time between the ages of three and four, and enter the reception class in September of the school year in which they become five. At the time of the inspection, 21 children attended the nursery part time in the morning session and 23 attended the afternoon session. Around two- thirds of the children in the nursery subsequently transfer to the reception class. There were 29 children under five in the reception class. The vast majority of pupils – around three

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

quarters – come from homes where English is not the first language, and significant numbers are not fluent in English on entry to the school. Six pupils have statements of special educational need; a further 51 are on the special needs register. Around 37 per cent of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals, a figure which is above average nationally.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

2. The school's aims include the provision of a secure environment for all its pupils, with a commitment to equality of opportunity and high expectations. There is a stated commitment to raising standards through the assessment of the effectiveness of teaching strategies and a focus on the value of talking. There is also an aim to provide an appropriate curriculum and promote the personal and social development of the pupils at the school, including an introduction to citizenship and democracy. The school further aims to develop a productive partnership with parents. Appropriate targets have been set in the school for its further improvement. Brudenell Primary School 3. Key indicators

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1998 9 13 22

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Results

Number of pupils Boys 7 6 7 at NC Level 2 or Girls 12 13 12 above Total 19 19 19 Per centage at NC School 83 (87) 83(82) 83 (92) Level 2 or above National 80(80) 81(80) 84(84)

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Results

3. Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 7 7 7 at NC Level 2 or Girls 13 13 13 above Total 20 20 20 Per centage at NC School 87(82) 87(92) 87(92) Level 2 or above National 81(80) 85(84) 86(85)

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Results

Per centages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year Brudenell Primary School

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Attainment at Key Stage 2 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1998 27 13 40

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Attainment at Key Stage 2 2

3. National Curriculum Test Results English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 16 14 20 at NC Level 4 or Girls 8 5 7 above Total 24 19 27 Per centage at NC School 60(12) 48(18) 68(15) Level 4 or above National 65(63) 59(62) 69(69)

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Attainment at Key Stage 2 2

3. Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 13 11 12 at NC Level 4 or Girls 7 5 6 above Total 20 16 28 Per centage at NC School 50(18) 40(15) 45(12) Level 4 or above National 65(63) 65(63) 72(69)

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Attainment at Key Stage 2 2

Per centages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year Brudenell Primary School 3. Attendance

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Attainment at Key Stage 2 2

Per centage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year: % Authorised School 6.0 Absence National comparative data 5.7 Unauthorised School 3.0 Absence National comparative data 0.5

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Attainment at Key Stage 2 2

Number of exclusions of pupils (of statutory school age) during the previous year: Number Fixed period 1 Permanent 0

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Attainment at Key Stage 2 2

Per centage of teaching observed which is: % Very good or better 18 Satisfactory or better 95 Less than satisfactory 5 3. Brudenell Primary School

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

3. EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS AT THE SCHOOL

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

3. Inspectors took into account that the inspection took place within the first few weeks of a new school year.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

4. The 1998 National Curriculum tests in English and mathematics show that levels of attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 were well below the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. These judgements are based on the average levels gained by pupils in the school. In that year, average numbers of pupils gained at least the expected levels in the tests, but relatively few gained the highest levels available. If the school is compared with others with a similar intake, a better picture emerges in that attainment levels in reading are about average, although writing is still below average and mathematics well below average. Teachers' own assessments of pupils give a broadly similar picture. This is also repeated in the teacher assessments for science in which it was also the case that, whilst average numbers of pupils gained at least the expected levels, too few pupils gained the higher levels.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

5. At the end of Key Stage 2, in comparison with all schools, test results in English and science were broadly average, but above average when compared to schools with a similar intake. Results in mathematics were below average when compared to all schools, but average when compared to similar schools.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

6. The provisional results for the tests taken in 1999 show that the school has broadly maintained standards in relation to the numbers of pupils gaining at least the expected levels, but that the numbers gaining the higher levels have increased.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

7. Inspection findings are rather more positive than this. Inspectors took a wider range of evidence into account, including a scrutiny of all of the work completed by selected pupils over the previous year, observations of pupils at work and discussions with pupils and staff. The combined weight of the evidence gathered indicates that children in the nursery and reception classes generally achieve the outcomes specified as desirable by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) by the time they are five in the areas of personal and social development, language and literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development. Overall, this represents good progress, especially in the areas of language and literacy, mathematics and knowledge and understanding of the world in which children enter the nursery with generally below average attainment.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

8. By the end of Key Stage 1, inspectors judged standards in English, mathematics, and science to be broadly average compared with what might be expected in most schools; in religious education, pupils generally achieve the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus for the subject, but attainment in information technology is below that which might be expected, as a result of unsatisfactory progress made in the subject. For example, pupils were able to use the mouse, but could not save or retrieve work unaided. Except for information technology, these judgements are broadly similar to those made at the time of the last Brudenell Primary School inspection.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

9. At the end of Key Stage 2, inspectors again judged that levels of attainment are broadly average in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science; attainment in religious education is in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus, but, following further unsatisfactory progress, attainment in information technology is well below that expected. For example, although pupils have satisfactory skills in word processing, their understanding of the use of databases and spreadsheets is lacking. They have little idea about controlling external events with the computer or monitoring them.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

10. The majority of pupils enter the school with limited English skills and they are effectively supported, especially up to the age of eight, in their development of the language skills they need in order to learn successfully. As these pupils are learning both the subjects of the curriculum and the language required to achieve and express that learning, they make good progress in the nursery and reception class in the areas of personal and social development, language and literacy and mathematics. In the other areas of learning, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development, children make satisfactory progress. The progress seen in lessons mirrors this, with good progress observed in over half of the lessons observed. For example, good progress was seen in a reception lesson with a focus on number, in which pupils were able match objects to their sizes using

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

the words small, medium and large by the end of the session, having only been able to do this for small and large at the beginning.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

11. During Key Stage 1, pupils make good progress to achieve average standards in English and mathematics, given their need to develop fluency in the language alongside this learning. This is assisted by the high quality support available for pupils whose English is not yet fluent enough. Progress in science and religious education is satisfactory. However, because pupils have too few opportunities to use information technology and also because of the shortcomings of the equipment in use, progress in this area is unsatisfactory. The focus on literacy, numeracy and science, however, means that less emphasis is given to the other subjects of the curriculum. Consequently progress in the subjects of art, design and technology, geography, history and physical education is satisfactory. Insufficient evidence was available to make a secure judgement on progress in music. In the lessons observed in

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

the inspection, almost two thirds had progress which was better than would be expected, with pupils making very good progress in almost a fifth of lessons. For example, in a Key Stage 1 lesson on religious education, the teacher's high expectations of behaviour and the creation of a 'special' atmosphere enabled pupils to make very good progress in their understanding that particular objects can have a high personal value beyond their intrinsic one.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

12. During Key Stage 2, pupils' language skills have improved and progress in the subjects of the curriculum slows, though it remains satisfactory in the core subjects of English, mathematics, science and religious education. However, as in Key Stage 1, progress in information technology is too slow and this is why pupils fall further behind in the subject.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

13. When considering the pattern of progress in Key Stage 2 in the foundation subjects of art, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education, it is necessary to appreciate the school's position some two years ago. The results in the National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 2 were very disappointing in 1997 and the school rightly looked Brudenell Primary School closely to discover the cause of this. It concluded that the curriculum as taught had too much content, especially in the foundation subjects, and insufficient emphasis had been given to the core subjects. As a result, the curriculum offered during the academic year 1997/8 was heavily skewed to the core subjects in order to redress the balance. This was successful in raising attainment in the core subjects but had an adverse effect on pupils' knowledge in the foundation subjects. The school also recognised this, and instigated a full review of the

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

curriculum with a view to maintaining the correct balance between the core subjects and the foundation, and between the learning of content and the learning of skills. The legacy of this is that the written evidence available about pupils' achievements in the foundation subjects was thin and discussion with pupils indicates that progress in most foundation subjects last year – specifically art, geography and history - was unsatisfactory, with insufficient evidence for a secure judgement in design and technology and music.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

14. The good progress for pupils under five and in Key Stage 1 gives pupils a good start in Key Stage 2. However, here progress in the core subjects of English, mathematics, science and religious education is satisfactory; in information technology, art, geography and history progress is unsatisfactory. The combined weight of these judgements is that over the whole school, when considering all of the subjects of the curriculum, pupils make satisfactory progress.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

15. Observations of the progress in lessons in Key Stage 2 paint a brighter picture for this year, as the new curriculum begins to be implemented. Classes made at least the expected progress in over five lessons in six, and it was better than expected in a sixth of lessons. However, in only one lesson in fifteen was it judged to be very good. When progress in a lesson was unsatisfactory, this mostly followed directly from the planning for that lesson in which too many activities were attempted in the classroom at once. This meant that the teacher was unable to give sufficient attention to any one activity. Another reason for progress being unsatisfactory occurred in a science lesson in which the teacher had unrealistic expectations of what the class might be able to do and understand. This, combined with unsatisfactory management of the class, led to slow progress. When progress in a lesson is

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

very good, as happened in a Year 5 English lesson, inspirational teaching and good support from both the teacher and classroom support assistant allowed pupils to gain in confidence and produce work of a high quality. In a physical education lesson for Years 4 and 5, intelligent use of the playground area and clearly understood routines allowed a brisk pace so that pupils' football skills were visibly improved by the end of the lesson.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

16. The team found no evidence that the attainments of boys and girls are significantly different. However, progress is now quicker for pupils with higher attainment as the school redresses the balance from before. The previous report stated that pupils with special educational needs made sound progress in relation to their previous attainment. Recent inspection evidence shows that they often make good or very good progress with the high quality support they receive from the learning support assistants.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

17. At both key stages, an analysis of past test results indicates that there is a trend of improvement. Although the headline proportions of pupils gaining at least the expected levels have remained similar over the last two years, the numbers gaining the higher levels have increased so that overall standards have risen. Brudenell Primary School 18. Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

18. Children in the nursery and reception class respond well to the teaching they receive. They listen attentively, co-operate well when playing together and share resources sensibly. They are independent learners, choosing from a range of activities confidently and dressing for messy activities.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

19. Pupils' attitudes in lessons are satisfactory overall although they do vary across the school, being better in the nursery, reception class and Key Stage 1. This is because attitudes relate strongly to the quality of the teaching in a lesson. In some lessons pupils can be enthusiastic at the start but a slow pace or lack of direction from the teacher means their attention fades away as the lesson progresses. For example, in one lesson, the higher attainers in a literacy class were left unsupervised after the initial introduction; consequently, because they did not fully understand their brief, their interest in the lesson began to wane which slowed their progress considerably. However, where teaching was good and the lesson well structured, pupils' attitudes were positive and they demonstrated confidence in their individual abilities and in the way they were able to construct effective classroom relationships.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

20. Pupils' behaviour is satisfactory, although there have been some fixed term and one permanent exclusion from the school recently. Pupils' behaviour around the school is usually good, but in the classroom it varies depending on the teacher's effectiveness. In some classrooms there was some chattering which was not always checked by the teacher early enough. This meant that progress in theses lessons became slower. Behaviour in the playground and around the school is usually good, although isolated examples of unsatisfactory behaviour were observed. In classrooms, pupils' consistently good behaviour in Key Stage 1, the nursery and reception class assisted their progress significantly. Pupils throughout the school show respect for property, for example, there is no graffiti and the sculpture trail in the grounds remains unharmed. Although some parents were concerned about playground behaviour and the incidence of swearing, no such incidents of any

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

21. Pupils' relationships are good across the school as seen in the classrooms, hall and playground. There are some good examples of pupils working well together both in pairs and small groups, or sometimes as the whole class. One such example was a very effective circle time in which pupils gave their positive and negative responses to a number of thought- provoking situations created by the teacher. In discussions, the majority of pupils showed they had tolerant attitudes to, for example, different religions. There was no evidence of any racial disharmony in the school.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

22. Pupils' personal development is good, as shown by the tasks they do around the school. These include putting straws into milk bottles, tidying up the classroom and acting as classroom monitors on a rota basis. Pupils' personal development can also be clearly seen in many photographs around the school of, for instance, a train trip to Leeds or the annual residential visit to Lineham Farm for pupils in Year 6. Around the school and in the classroom, most pupils exhibited good relationships with each other and the staff. They also showed kindness and courtesy to the many visitors to the school. 23. Brudenell Primary School

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Attendance

23. Pupils' attendance at the school is unsatisfactory.

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Attendance

24. For the latest academic school year, the computerised attendance figures show an overall average of 91.51 per cent, which is significantly below the national average. Furthermore, in the case of 19 pupils in the school, the attendance figures were well below 90 per cent. One was as low as 50 per cent, although this child has recently left the school. There is also a significant level of regular lateness from a minority of pupils at the school. These figures are, however, compromised by the inconsistency in completing attendance registers. The school is aware that attendance and lateness are unsatisfactory and is actively working with the local Education Welfare Officer, and with parents, on a number of strategies to improve these figures. For a significant minority of pupils, their attainment and progress is adversely effected by a combination of lateness or extended absence.

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Attendance

25. The attendance figures for the school have, however, shown a significant improvement since the last inspection.

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Attendance

26. Overall, teaching is good in Key Stage 1 and for children under five, and satisfactory in Key Stage 2. The overall balance for the whole school is of sound teaching. This broadly reflects the judgements made at the time of the last inspection, although teaching is now somewhat better in Key Stage 1. A weakness at that time was the use of assessment information in teaching; this has largely been rectified. The school has introduced the National Literacy Strategy and National Numeracy Strategy. The National Literacy Strategy has been in place longer and is well used. The strategy for numeracy is much newer and some areas are still being developed, particularly the introductory mental mathematics session.

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Attendance

27. All of the teaching observed of children under five was at least satisfactory; nearly three- quarters was at least good. Nearly one lesson in five was judged to have very good teaching. The consistently good quality of teaching of the youngest children in the school enables them to make good progress so that, despite being below average in a number of areas on entry, they start the National Curriculum with broadly average attainment. The teachers have a very good level of knowledge and understanding of the needs of pupils of this age and this enables them to plan sessions well. Their understanding also enhances their choice of methods to make particular teaching points. Very good management of pupils allows for a good use of time within sessions. There is good support for pupils who do not yet speak English fluently or who have a special need. This takes place within an atmosphere of co-operation and

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Attendance

collaboration between the teachers in the nursery and reception class and the support staff there. When teaching is very good, the activities on offer are well structured and well matched to the ability of the children. Support staff are Brudenell Primary School very effective in assisting the teacher in developing, for example, children's social skills. There are very good and sensitive dealings with children, some of whom are only just starting in the nursery. First rate organisation of the class ensures that they are settled well. When teaching, whilst still satisfactory, lacks the same sparkle, work is not as well matched to the pupils' needs. This happened in a lesson on number in which the task was too easy for some of the class. This, together with some sessions that were overlong, led to a steady, rather than brisk pace. However, work goes on continuously to develop language skills and this is

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Attendance

28. In Key Stage 1, fully three-quarters of the teaching seen was at least good, and in nearly one lesson in five it was very good. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed. Again, the teachers have very good understanding of the needs of infant learners. This leads them to have high expectations, both of behaviour and of the rate at which pupils will learn. Pupils understand these expectations of behaviour so that they remain attentive throughout lessons, which means that a good pace can be maintained. Lively and engaging teaching styles make pupils want to take part enthusiastically. In the best lessons, very clear planning and well chosen activities mean that pupils work very hard and make good or very good progress. This occurred in a literacy lesson in which all areas of English – speaking and listening, reading and writing – were very well promoted. The very skilful use of questioning in this

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Attendance

lesson developed pupils' skills of speaking and listening as well as their understanding of the text that was used. The same quality was seen in a lesson on information technology in which the single computer available was very well used. This, together with first rate organisation, enabled the class to make good progress. In all lessons, good attention is paid to developing pupils' fluency in English and their understanding of literacy in its widest sense. Less successful lessons – whilst still satisfactory – suffered from slightly less confidence on the teacher's part in the subject matter. For example, speaking was described as a sense in a science lesson. In this lesson, too, some wrong answers were accepted and not corrected so as not to dent the confidence of the class. This could lead, however, to these pupils believing, for example, that the tropical rain forest is a cold place because it rains there.

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Attendance

29. In Key Stage 2, teaching is consistently sound. Nine lessons out of ten are at least satisfactory; one in six is at least good and one in fifteen is very good. Teachers in Key Stage 2 have sufficient knowledge of the curriculum and of junior age pupils and set generally appropriate expectations. The majority of teachers' lesson planning is good. However, in some classes, discipline is weaker, which means that time is lost sometimes in maintaining order and the pace of the lesson is affected. Homework, however, is well used.

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Attendance

30. Most of the unsatisfactory teaching seen stemmed from a lack of guidance in the new curriculum for foundation subjects. This meant that teachers felt there was a need to include several subjects in one session so as to cover the required content. However, these were planned as separate lessons going on at the same time. The teachers concerned were unable to give enough support to each group and consequently not enough progress was made. Other reasons for teaching to be judged unsatisfactory included over optimistic expectations in a science lesson in which too much silly behaviour and chat was tolerated and not dealt with. These factors together led to a slow pace and insufficient progress. Nevertheless, good knowledge of the subject allowed adequate reinforcement of the skills of scientific investigation. A number of satisfactory lessons did suffer from a lack of crispness in their organisation so that lessons started slowly and movement around the room was not well

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Attendance

31. The best teaching in Key Stage 2 involved very good planning and well organised routines, for example, in the warm up to a physical education lesson. Intelligent use of the playground area in this lesson allowed a brisk pace to be maintained. A Year 5 English lesson was exceptionally well planned so that each pupil had work which was very challenging. This was further assisted by very clear explanations of the tasks in hand. The use of time scales for completion of work meant that a brisk pace was maintained.

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Attendance

32. Bilingual staff give very good support to the class teachers during lessons, having planned with the teachers what it is they expect the pupils will learn during each session. As well as working confidently and competently with groups and individuals, they sensitively translate questions and information during whole class activities, making sure they are positioned near to the pupils needing the greatest help. Accurate assessments are made of all pupils with English as an additional language, and those who need extra or specific help are targeted for closer monitoring .

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Attendance

33. Throughout the school teachers are aware of pupils with special educational needs, but they do not consistently refer to differing abilities in their planning. Good documentation is kept on each pupil. The learning support assistants who work with pupils with special educational needs give good and often very good quality support.

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Attendance

34. To promote the intellectual, physical and personal development of its pupils, the school provides a broad curriculum. For pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2, this includes all subjects of the National Curriculum, religious education and personal and social education although the information technology curriculum is currently limited through lack of resources. For children under five, the curricular provision, planned under the national 'Desirable Learning Outcomes' is good. The curriculum currently offered is generally relevant to the pupils' needs, especially in its focus on building fluency in Key Stage 1. The curriculum is enhanced by the provision of daily sessions of Literacy and Numeracy as outlined in the national strategies. The response to the National Literacy Strategy has been effective; the National Numeracy Strategy is still in its early stages of being implemented. Because the school has

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Attendance

made some wise decisions with regard to curriculum, there are several strengths. There are also some significant weaknesses.

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Attendance

35. These are the strengths. Firstly, the school has correctly identified the need to re-think and re-design its curriculum, specifically for art, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education. It has decided to 'build' its new curriculum over a period of time, always ensuring that the 'layers' it adds conform to the overview of the curriculum which has already been agreed. It has adopted a common format for all planning in these subject areas. It has recognised that pupils' literacy skills can be usefully developed by actively planning opportunities for writing into a range of subjects other than English, and is being proactive in developing these opportunities. Finally, it holds fast to the belief that it has a responsibility to provide high quality opportunities for pupils to grow as individuals who will be responsible citizens. Brudenell Primary School 36. These are the significant weaknesses. Firstly, the balance of the curriculum is disrupted by

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Attendance

a substantial, two-week input on personal, health and social education each September in the 'Getting The School Year Off To A Good Start' programme. This is in addition to a generous weekly time allocation to personal and social development throughout the year, (6 per cent and 15 per cent in Key Stages 1 and 2 respectively). Although not totally to the exclusion of the other curricular areas, the programme focuses on its declared intentions of setting expectations of work and behaviour, identifying personal targets for success and building classroom relationships. The benefits do not justify the time that is devoted to it: inspection findings indicate clearly that the good quality work habits that should result from such a heavy investment of curriculum time are not evident in every classroom. Where they are present, it is because the teaching is of a good quality. Additionally, pupils get a very late

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Attendance

start on the full curriculum and this has a negative impact on the standards which pupils attain in all year-groups.

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Attendance

37. Secondly, the quality of support to teachers provided by the first term's planning for the revised curriculum is not fully effective. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, the content has not been divided into weekly blocks of material to be taught and, as a result, is sometimes too extensive to be manageable over a period of a term and sometimes too sparse. Secondly, it is only in some planning and in some subjects that there is an adequate link to the National Curriculum programmes of study. This can have the effect of allowing the same content to be taught in different year groups. This link is best made in the planning for Year 3.

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Attendance

38. Finally, the curriculum organisation militates against pupils making satisfactory progress in some 'topic' sessions on the timetable. During these sessions there can be groups of pupils each working on different subject content – art, geography, information technology and music for example. The teacher is then unable to devote to the pupils in each group the time that they need, with the result that pupils can make unsatisfactory progress.

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Attendance

39. In its provision for pupils with special educational needs, the school has responded well to the national Code of Practice and a policy is in place which includes a staged referral system. Procedures for the identification and assessment of pupils are sound. Pupils identified as having special educational needs have individual education plans, which contain specific targets. Reviews are generally completed regularly and are satisfactorily documented. Parents are regularly informed of their child's progress. As a result of this provision, pupils with a special need have full access to the curriculum. Some parents at the meeting expressed concern that the older pupils in mixed age classes might not be adequately catered for. This was found not to be the case as teachers' planning allowed effectively for this in the majority of lessons.

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Attendance

40. Basic English language and literacy skills are well promoted across the curriculum, and bilingual staff use their linguistic expertise extremely well to help pupils learn technical language, particularly in mathematics and science. Opportunities are provided for pupils to develop speaking and listening skills in their first language as well as English, through learning rhymes and listening to stories in both English and Urdu. Bilingual staff ensure that pupils with English as an additional language have very good access to the curriculum as they translate during lessons. Brudenell Primary School 41. The school has a satisfactory policy statement for sex education and drug awareness. There is a satisfactory range of extra curricular activities: football, hockey and athletics are currently run by outside agencies and funded by the school. Most Year 6 pupils have the opportunity for a five day residential visit to a centre where they benefit from a wide range of

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Attendance

new experiences, including archery, abseiling and staying away from home. The school makes appropriate arrangements for transfer of pupils to the local secondary school.

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Attendance

42. Assessment systems are good throughout the school. The progress of children under five is carefully recorded and this is well used to plan future activities. The school carries out a number of assessments, including the national optional tests in Years 3, 4 and 5 and standardised reading tests. Together with information from statutory tests, and from class assessments, this constitutes enough to be informative but not too much to be manageable. It uses the data well to find reasons for the standards which pupils attain and then works to improve them. For example, it uses data to set group targets for pupils in each cohort. The school has plans underway to discard the current system of skills assessment which operates in religious education, art, geography, history and music, and to establish a system which is manageable, yet more finely tuned and useful. It is also adopting a more finely tuned science

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Attendance

assessment format. A weakness in current provision is the lack of an assessment structure for information technology. The major curriculum review at present underway has made effective use of past information, especially in the core subjects.

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Attendance

43. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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Attendance

43. The provision for pupils' spiritual development is good. Teachers try hard for pupils to develop a sense of wonder at things around them. For example during a story in religious education, pupils in years one and two were given the opportunity to reflect on the special things in their lives. Satisfactory opportunities for prayer are provided during collective worship and such occasions become joyful when hymns are sung. Sometimes the pupils sing the prayer. The previous report stated that collective worship did not always provide opportunities for periods of reflection. This is no longer an issue.

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Attendance

44. Good links are developed with the local places of worship. Pupils visit different places locally, such as the Christian church, the Hindu Temple and the Mosque. The planned programme for assemblies, together with religious education lessons, provides good opportunities for pupils to develop an understanding of faiths and beliefs. For example, in a very moving assembly, jointly led by Christian and Muslim teachers, pupils listened attentively and reverently to readings from the Bible and the Koran in English, Arabic and Urdu, and heard why each was special to the people of that faith.

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Attendance

45. The provision for moral development is sound. There is a positive code of behaviour and the reasons for rules and routines are carefully explained and reinforced by all adults. Pupils are reminded and encouraged to have a strong sense of right and wrong, and most have. The school effectively promotes positive values and principles. In most classes sound and often- good attitudes and behaviour are positively and effectively promoted. Teachers provide many opportunities for pupils to consider moral issues, such as those linked with friendship and relationships. There is an emphasis on caring for one another, the family, the school, the local environment and the world. Brudenell Primary School 46. Provision for social development is good overall. From an early age pupils are taught to share, help each other and to show consideration for others. Regular opportunities are provided for pupils to work together. Good examples were seen in physical education. Most

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Attendance

pupils are given responsibility to complete monitoring jobs in the classroom and are, from an early age, encouraged to take responsibility. Pupils are encouraged to show initiative, as when, in a Year 2 English lesson, older pupils were encouraged to help the younger ones. Pupils have the opportunity to take part in extra-curricular activities such as debating and art and a range of sporting activities, although not all of these were going on during the inspection period. The school organises an annual residential visit, which provides older pupils with valuable opportunities to socialise outside the classroom.

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Attendance

47. The provision for cultural development is very good and continues to be a strength of the school. Attractive displays around the school raise the pupils' awareness of a rich diversity of cultures. Well-planned educational visits to places such as the local theatre and the City Art Gallery further enhance their understanding. In subject areas such as history, pupils learn about their own heritage as they study topics such as the Tudors. Different cultures are promoted in and around the school, for example in the nursery where the children make chappatis from play dough. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 use food from different cultures as they count to 10 using samosas. The school has a good selection of books, which represent different cultures. Pupils listen to music from classical and contemporary composers. Musicians are invited into school and work with pupils who then have the opportunity to

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Attendance

perform. All pupils have the opportunity to listen to visiting speakers and to work with visiting artists. Recently pupils were involved with making the attractive sculptures which enhance the gardens around the school. Visitors such as the Black Women's Group, who spoke about their experiences of moving to England from the West Indies, encourage pupils to explore their own and each other's histories. Appropriate studies of other religions give the pupils insight into non-western beliefs. Through the very good role models of the bilingual staff, pupils learn to respect other faiths and cultures, to celebrate and share similarities, and to understand and respect differences.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

48. This area of the school's provision is good.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

49. The school has good systems in place for monitoring pupils' progress and personal development. These are particularly good in the case of pupils for whom English is an additional language and those on the special needs register. The arrangements for pupil admission to the school are good as are the transitional arrangements for onward transfer to secondary school. Pupils with special educational needs are monitored well through their individual education plans and regular review meetings. Outside agencies are used well when required. Termly calendars are used well by the teaching staff in order to monitor the academic progress of each child. These are supplemented by regular meetings between the teaching and support staff. These systems make a positive contribution to the progress of all pupils in the school.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

50. The procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are good, and all staff work Brudenell Primary School hard to maintain a consistent approach to behaviour management across the school. The school does not tolerate bullying. The school is currently undertaking a review of its strategies with a view to making improvements to what is already a well designed and implemented system. The headteacher maintains a running log of any major incidents. This is strategically placed in a prominent position on her office wall in order to maintain close day to day control.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

51. The procedures for monitoring and promoting good attendance are satisfactory overall, although the school is now aware of some inconsistencies in the way in which attendance information is recorded in the classroom. For example, the attendance records for a brother and sister in different classes, who were withdrawn by their family for an extended holiday, showed that one child's absence was entered as authorised and the other unauthorised. This is unsatisfactory and leads to inaccurate attendance figures being published by the school. The local Education Welfare Officer is working hard with the school and with parents to improve attendance levels throughout the school.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

52. The procedures for child protection and promoting pupils' well-being, health and safety are good, as is shown by the very well qualified support staff covering language and special educational needs. School security systems are good and the school is aware of one specific health and safety issue which is now being addressed.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

53. Pupils with English as an additional language are very well supported. Pupils' levels of English acquisition are well recorded and monitored, and the targeted pupils are monitored through the local education authority. The cultural needs of many of the pupils are also well supported by the bilingual staff.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

54. There is good support for all children under five. Procedures for welcoming children into both the nursery and the reception class ensure that the transition from home is as free from stress as possible. This is greatly helped by the pre-nursery home visits.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

55. Both the assessment of pupils' progress and the monitoring of attendance have improved since the last inspection and this has a positive effect on the attainment and progress of the majority of pupils 56.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

56. Partnership with parents and the community

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

56. The school maintains a very good partnership with parents and the community. This is a major strength of the school.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

57. The quality of information provided for parents is good and regular newsletters are distributed to parents to keep them informed of the various activities and curricular issues taking place at the school. These newsletters are helpfully provided in two languages so that parents and children who are not fluent in English can fully understand the school's monthly programme. School reports are also provided to parents to summarise the annual progress made by their children. These also contain a small section designed to inform parents about how their children may improve. However, not all of the required information is in the school's prospectus and the governors' annual report to parents. Brudenell Primary School 58. Parents' involvement in their children's education is very good. The school has encouraged parents to feel very much part of the day to day life of the school. One particularly good

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

example of this growing relationship is the Wednesday morning literacy class for parents, which has the benefit of the input of an external teacher and bilingual support. The main focus of these excellent Wednesday morning sessions is to encourage parents of reception children to learn how to help their children read books at home and how to support their children's personal development. During last year, a similar group of parents paid educational visits to Leeds City on the train with their children, and to a building unit at the nearby college where their children researched into the art of building. This is an excellent provision which has a significant impact on the progress of both parents and children. Parents' views on its value support this.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

59. The school also has very good links with the community. An example of this is the regular residential visit to Lyneham Farm Children's Centre. This unit was originally set up to assist disadvantaged children in the community, and the headteacher has worked very hard with external teachers, parents and support staff to ensure that a group of children from the school are able to take advantage of the many facilities offered. Groups of parents are also given the opportunity to inspect the facilities at Lyneham Farm prior to their children taking part in this excellent provision.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

61. The school also has many incoming visitors to enrich the curriculum and, during the inspection, two peripatetic music teachers worked with several groups of children on a variety of instruments. The community policeman is a frequent visitor for discussions on drugs awareness and safety. He has also been responsible for the recent visit of a travelling theatre which gave a special performance of a play which features the dangers of drugs to young children. The school uses the local environment as much as possible to support children's curricular access and this provision is a strength of the school which has a significant impact on pupils' attainment and progress at the school.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

62. Although this provision was judged good in the last report, the school has introduced a number of new and positive initiatives which have further improved this area. Brudenell Primary School 60. THE MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENCY OF THE SCHOOL

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

1.Overall, the school is well led educationally. The headteacher, through her personal example, provides the school with a clear sense of direction. The school's aims are entirely appropriate and well founded. There is a clear commitment in the school to raising standards of achievement, which is now being realised in practice. This commitment led to concrete action following a decline in the results of the National Curriculum tests taken at the end of Key Stage 2 two years ago. The school's curriculum and teaching styles were examined and action was swiftly taken. This had the desired effect of raising standards again. The governing body has appropriate policies in place and is supportive of the school. However, its role as critical friend is not yet fully understood. It relies rather too heavily on the headteacher for advice and is not yet challenging the school enough. This has allowed, for

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

example, the large budget deficit to occur. Other members of the senior management team are effective in their managerial roles. Co-ordinators of subjects, however, are less well advanced in their understanding of the role of subject leader. The school has already recognised this and is taking action so that co-ordinators can grow into this role. This is more advanced in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science where co-ordinators are beginning to monitor their own areas. In particular, English is very well co-ordinated, and science is well co-ordinated. Provision for pupils with a special educational need is well managed . However, the role of the co-ordinators of foundation subjects is still quite restricted. The work of the bilingual staff is carefully and successfully integrated into the schools' development by the English co-ordinator. All the members of the bilingual team,

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

(paid for through the Ethnic Minorities Achievement Grant, EMAG, and the Single Regeneration Budget, SRB), feel extremely valued by the school and are highly respected by their colleagues. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The school has developed an effective system, which is consistently followed by all staff.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

2.The school offers its staff good support in their teaching. The headteacher undertakes regular and effective monitoring of classroom standards using a variety of methods. These include observations of lessons and the scrutiny of planning and pupils' work. Her work is of high quality and leads to useful advice to staff on how to sharpen their practice. The recent curriculum review, which was undertaken to raise standards, was well founded and is having the desired effect. It is too early for the new curriculum to have been effectively evaluated as yet. However, some planning for individual lessons observed in the inspection period was not effectively checked, which allowed ineffective teaching to take place in a few cases. It is also the case that the school's programme for the beginning of the autumn term, which aims to establish good work patterns and behaviour, has not met its aims. This is confirmed by

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

observations of lessons in which movement around the room was not crisp enough and others in which pupils did not behave consistently well.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

3.The school's principal aims are that pupils should feel safe and secure in the school and be helped to progress to the maximum extent. These aims are well implemented. The school offers good support to its pupils, who make sound progress overall, and good progress in Key Stage 1 and when under five. Clearly understood values based on equality of opportunity pervade the school and lead to the good relationships seen. It is too early to make a judgement on the effectiveness of the new curriculum policies as they are only now Brudenell Primary School being implemented.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

4.The school has a very good development plan. It has clear priorities within it and targets are carefully set so as to be both achievable and measurable. It includes the action plan from the previous inspection, which was robustly followed. This has allowed the school to make sound improvement overall since the last inspection, with good progress made in the identified areas of assessment and its use and in the area of development planning. Progress towards the goals is carefully monitored and the plans are effectively evaluated. However, insufficient thought has so far been given to some of the costings contained in the plan and for the school as a whole. This means that planning to reduce and remove the current budget deficit has been set back. This is a weakness of the school.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

5.The school has a good ethos. Relationships in the school are good. It is a caring school. There is a commitment to high standards of behaviour and learning, which is most marked for children under five and in Key Stage 1.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

6.There are some minor omissions from the required contents of both the prospectus and the Governors' Annual Report to Parents.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

68. Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

7.The match of number, qualifications and experience to the demands of the curriculum for teaching staff is good and for support staff it is very good.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

8.The school has a headteacher plus eight full time teaching staff (including the deputy head and the nursery teacher) and 13 full time and part time support staff, some of whom provide bilingual support to both parents and pupils. The headteacher has a major say in the deployment of the staff, and she is well supported by the deputy headteacher, who co- ordinates in-service training. The arrangements for the monitoring and appraisal of teaching staff are good.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

9.The teaching staff are well qualified for the day to day responsibilities within the school, and in most classrooms they work very much in harmony with a wide range of support staff. There are, however, occasional instances where teaching staff do not make the best use of the support staff at their disposal, and this sometimes has an impact on pupils' attainment and progress within the lesson.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

10.The support staff play a particularly important role in this school because English is not the first language in the homes of many of the pupils. The numbers of bilingual staff satisfactorily meet the needs of the pupils. These staff are well qualified. They provide a significant input into the early years provision and they are well deployed to provide assistance to both pupils and parents. Special needs staff, including nursery nurses and classroom assistants, are well qualified for their role and in most classrooms they work well, both with children and the teacher. Two of these also provide additional literacy support to a range of pupils. The three nursery nurses in the nursery class, one of whom provides externally funded bilingual support, are well deployed by the Nursery teacher. The level of staffing for pupils with special educational needs is good. Brudenell Primary School 11.The overall level of staffing and their deployment have a positive impact on pupils'

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

12.The staffing in the last report was described as adequate and satisfactory. The quality and experience of both teaching and support staff are now never less than good; in some areas they are very good.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

13.The school's accommodation is satisfactory in terms of its adequacy for effective delivery of the curriculum.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

14.The school building is relatively new and was purpose built for the then needs of the school less than ten years ago. Some of the classrooms are too small to seat all the children at any one time, for example in the literacy or numeracy hour, but the staff cope with this difficulty by intelligent use of the large amount of additional space which was originally created to form an open plan environment within the school. However, the open plan layout itself occasionally creates problems, as happened in a history lesson in which the noise from an adjacent classroom made it difficult to hear the teacher.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

15.The school is divided into four separate teaching bases and the early years base, which includes the nursery, is a particularly good provision. Both the nursery and reception classrooms are very spacious and have access to safe outside play areas. They benefit from being adjacent to one another. There is also a separate music room in the centre of the school. There are plans to develop a spare room in the Year 3 base (now used for circle time) into an information technology suite. The school hall is of an adequate size for assemblies and it is also used for dining and for indoor physical education.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

16.For most areas of the curriculum and the age range of pupils, the school has a good selection of learning resources. There is an extensive range of good quality books, both fiction and non-fiction, with a well-stocked and catalogued library which is effective in supporting the raising of standards in reading. The variety of musical instruments and audio- tapes from different cultures, historical periods and styles, is good. A wide range of artefacts enhances the curriculum in history. The school grounds, which are attractively landscaped, and the local environment, are useful resources for many areas of the curriculum, including science, history, geography and art.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

17.However, both the quality and the quantity of equipment for information technology, especially computers, are currently unsatisfactory for the implementation of the National Curriculum.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

18.Other learning resources, including bilingual books and tapes, are adequate to enable pupils who are not yet fluent in English have access to their first language, and are of a good quality.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

19.The use of the school's immediate area as a resource was criticised in the previous report; this has now improved. Brudenell Primary School 81. The efficiency of the school

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

20.The efficiency of the school is unsatisfactory. Although the changing population of the immediate area and falling rolls have created a problem for the school, long-term planning has not been sufficiently rigorous to deal with this. Consequently, there was a small budget deficit in 1998 and a more substantial one in the following year. This judgement is less favourable than that reported at the previous inspection, when the school was 'well-managed' financially.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

21.The governing body, head teacher and senior management team do not have a clear understanding of how to make educational decisions within financial constraints, although they are aware of the implications of the current situation regarding pupil numbers. Action plans have been drawn up with the assistance of the school's finance officer and these have been followed. However, long-term financial planning is poor, as plans have not been put in place to address the cumulative effects of a large budget deficit. Expenditure is not carefully related to income, and financial management is not closely overseen by the headteacher. The governing body does not take an adequately active part in managing the budget, and the cost effectiveness of decisions is not evaluated effectively.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

22.Day-to-day administration is satisfactory overall, although two issues from the auditor's report of 1997 still remain unresolved.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

23.Although teaching staff are usually well deployed, some lessons in Key Stage 2 were planned so that small groups of pupils were each engaged in work relating to a different National Curriculum subject. Clearly, the teachers could only concentrate on one group and the others did not receive the teaching they needed and so did not make enough progress. Support staff are well deployed. Additionally, the two-week curriculum programme which is used at the beginning of the school year does not provide value in line with the time devoted to it. Very good use is made of bilingual support staff, as it was at the last inspection. The targeting of the youngest pupils is very effective. Learning resources are mostly well used.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

24.Funding provided for pupils with special educational needs is effectively spent.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

25.Children enter school with below average levels of attainment. Overall, they make sound progress in their time in the school, assisted by teaching which is satisfactory overall, and teaching and progress for children under five and in Key Stage 1 are good. Behaviour is sound. These factors, weighed against the very high levels of spending, indicate that the school is offering satisfactory value for money. Brudenell Primary School 87. PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

87. AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

26.At the time of the inspection, 21 children attended the nursery part-time in the morning session and 23 attended the afternoon session. There were 29 children under five in the reception class.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

27.The nursery and reception class provide children with a good start to education and generally prepare them very well for work on the National Curriculum programmes of study when they are five years old. The good provision reported at the last inspection has been well maintained. When children enter the nursery at three years old, their levels of attainment in language and literacy, mathematics, and knowledge and understanding of the world are generally below that expected nationally of children of a similar age. They make good progress and are mostly in line to reach the standards expected nationally for children aged five. Children for whom English is an additional language make particularly good progress in language and literacy skills through the very good support of the bilingual staff. In other areas of learning, which are personal and social skills, physical and creative development,

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

children enter the nursery with attainment broadly in line with that expected nationally of three-year olds. They make good progress in personal and social skills and sound progress in the other areas.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

28.When children first enter the nursery, staff focus successfully on children's personal and social development, and this helps them enjoy coming to school and makes them eager to learn through the stimulating activities provided. Parents are particularly warmly welcomed into the nursery and, through weekly workshops, are encouraged to work alongside their children in a mutual learning environment. Although only around two-thirds of the children from the nursery transfer to the reception class, the transfer is smooth and previous learning is consolidated, with staff building successfully on the knowledge, skills and understanding which the children acquired in the nursery. Parents are appreciative of the good start given to their children's education.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

29.The quality of teaching is good overall, with some very good. The planning and organisation of activities are good, and the assessment and recording of each child's learning are very good. Nursery staff make home visits before the children enter the nursery and, with the help of parents, assess the children's knowledge skills and understanding. The local education authority's bSaseline assessment is carried out after five weeks in the reception class. The results of these assessments are used well to evaluate children's progress and to plan future work.

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Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

30.Relationships between staff and children are warm and sensitive, and there is very good team work amongst the staff in both the nursery and the reception class. The accommodation is very good, particularly in the nursery, with delightful outdoor play facilities. The closeness of the nursery and reception class ensure good communication and close working relationships. The accommodation and high quality learning resources are well used. Brudenell Primary School

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Personal and social development

31.All staff encourage children so that they feel secure, respond well and settle quickly into the welcoming atmosphere of the nursery and reception class. They make good progress, gain in confidence and self-esteem and join in all activities. Many of the children in the reception class are already attaining levels generally expected of five year olds, listening well in large and small groups, and playing together co-operatively in the home corner as 'Goldilocks, mummy, daddy and baby bear'. In the nursery they learn to share equipment, to ask politely and say 'Thank you', and to listen to stories in small groups. Right from the age of three they are expected to help get out and put away equipment, wash their own paint brushes and treat books with care and respect. They are also encouraged to dress independently for messy activities and outdoor play. Children choose their free play activities

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Personal and social development

with confidence. The majority of pupils are well on course to achieve the expected levels by the age of five.

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Language and literacy

32.Children make good progress in gaining the skills associated with language and literacy. Although many of the children come into the nursery speaking little English, most children are on course to reach the standards expected nationally by the age of five. This comes about through the good teaching of basic skills and the very good bilingual support in both the nursery and reception class. They talk, some with limited vocabulary, and some with confidence, about their own experiences. Language development is promoted in all activities. For example, when making collages using feathers, sequins and glue, children were encouraged to name and describe the materials. The children enjoy books, particularly sharing them with an adult, understand their purpose and handle them carefully. Parents are encouraged to share books with the children at home, the nursery successfully operates a weekly library session. Reception class children take books home daily. Three year olds in

p.32

Language and literacy

the nursery enjoy playing in their 'office' writing letters and talking on the telephone. They are encouraged to draw and 'write' every day, mostly by mark-making at first, quickly developing skills of representation in both pictures and letters. As they get older, most reception class children are able to recognise their own name and many are able to write it legibly. The quality of the teaching of language and literacy is mostly good and sometimes very good. All staff have a good understanding of how to develop children's skills of reading, and use good questioning techniques to develop speaking and listening. Plenty of good quality books are provided to encourage reading, and interesting materials are available for writing.

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Mathematics

33.In mathematics, the attainment of many children on entry to the nursery is below that expected nationally but, by the age of five years, most are achieving the levels expected for their age, for example being able to count to 20, recognise numbers and their value to 10, match and name simple shapes such as circle, square, rectangle and triangle, and recognise an increasing number of colours. The children work enthusiastically on mathematical activities such as matching, counting and sorting, and are familiar with a range of number rhymes, songs, stories and counting games. Many good opportunities are provided for the Brudenell Primary School reinforcement of counting and number recognition in other activities; for example, in the nursery there are numbered 'parking bays' for the children to park their tricycles. In the reception class children are beginning to understand comparative sizes through ordering a

p.32

Mathematics

variety of objects connected to the story of the three bears, such as 'small, big, bigger', and 'small, middle-sized, big'. The teaching of mathematics is satisfactory overall, with some good aspects. Counting activities are a part of everyday routines, but in some activities opportunities are missed for children to gain first hand experience of mathematics at an appropriate level. This was evident in a baking activity when oats were weighed out by the adult using scales, rather than counting out spoonfuls, which the children could have done.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

34.Children make satisfactory progress in this area of their learning and many attain the expected standards by the age of five. As their speaking skills improve, they are able to talk about their families, visits and celebrations, such as Eid and birthdays, in reasonable detail. They know about different forms of transport such as cars, taxis, boats and planes. In the nursery, children learn that paper can be fastened in a variety of ways and experiment with such things as glue, sellotape, metal fasteners, staples and treasury tags. They handle technological equipment confidently and competently from a very early age. By the age of five, they have developed good mouse skills and are able to move objects around a computer screen, as in 'dressing teddy' and moving the 'pointer' to make selections. Most are able to operate a tape recorder to listen to stories. Teachers and qualified nursery nurses have a

p.33

Knowledge and understanding of the world

good understanding of how to use the wide range of meaningful activities to extend children's learning about the world in which they live.

p.33

Physical development

35.Childrens physical development is in line with expected standards. They make satisfactory progress in using a range of tools, objects and construction toys with increasing skill and control. For example, nursery children cut and stick fairly accurately and use a variety of plastic cutters and knives to make shapes and patterns in play-dough. Many of them are also skilled at shaping the dough into balls and rolling it to make chapattis. They run and climb with good co-ordination, and manoeuvre pedalled toys with skill and accuracy around the outdoor play area. Teachers have developed a good understanding of children's awareness of safety and the use of space. They make good use of the high quality resources in order to develop the full range of childrens skills.

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Creative development

36.Childrens creative development is in line with standards expected for their age and they make satisfactory progress in art, music and imaginative play. Children sing songs with increasing confidence and have the opportunity to experiment with percussion instruments. They respond well to the opportunities provided for expressing their own ideas and feelings during role-play sessions in the home-corner, 'office' and 'Three Bears House'. Some children are very skilled at mixing colours to create the desired effect in their paintings; one boy in the Brudenell Primary School reception class was observed creating three different shades of grey! The provision of appropriate opportunities like mixing their own colours using powder paints from a very young age, allied with good teaching, enable most children to reach the standards expected nationally by the age of five.

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Creative development

37.The results of the 1998 National Curriculum tests for pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 show that the average level achieved in the school in reading and writing was well below the national average. Although the proportion gaining the expected level was average, fewer pupils than average reached the higher level. At the end of Key Stage 2 the average level showed that standards in reading and writing are in line with the national average. The number of pupils who reached the higher level was close to the national average. The 1999 results are broadly similar. Since 1997 when the results of in national rests were rather disappointing, there has been an improvement in attainment levels as the school took corrective action. When the school's results are compared to those of schools with a similar intake, pupils' performance at the end of Key Stage 2 is above average in all areas. It is close

p.34

Creative development

to the national average in reading at Key Stage 1 but below average when compared with similar schools in writing.

p.34

Creative development

38.Inspection evidence, which includes a consideration of the 1999 results, discussions with pupils, observations during lessons and a scrutiny of work shows that the standards pupils achieve are less variable than was reported in the last inspection. Using this evidence standards in speaking and listening, reading and writing are broadly in line with the national average at the end of both key stages.

p.34

Creative development

39.Preparation for the 'literacy hour' has been extensive, very positive and approached with enthusiasm. Pupils in Key Stage 1 make good and sometimes very good progress when the teaching is very good. The majority of lessons in Key Stage 2 show sound progress. One lesson showed pupils making very good progress in a Year 1 and 2 class. While writing a list in alphabetical order pupils read confidently what they had written and used dictionaries with accuracy. They persevere independently at the task and produce well presented pieces of work. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress overall with the good quality support they receive.

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Creative development

40.In the daily literacy lessons, pupils confidently develop basic skills in exploring text to gain information and understanding. They learn how words are used, begin to extend their vocabulary and develop a limited understanding of how sentences are constructed. Pupils have opportunities to use their developing literacy skills in other areas of the curriculum such as science, history, and geography and information technology. Plenary sessions are generally used effectively to assess pupils' understanding of skills taught. Support staff are used very well to guide small groups. Resources have been developed extremely well and are used effectively. The school has set targets to improve the standards of literacy with targets displayed in all classrooms areas. Assessment opportunities are identified in the planning. Lessons are evaluated and this information is used to inform future planning and teaching.

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Creative development

Brudenell Primary School 41.During Key Stage 1 pupils make good progress in developing their speaking and listening skills. They usually listen carefully and respond appropriately. A few pupils have limited basic vocabulary and they have difficulty extending their ideas when answering questions. However the good promotion of speaking and listening skills throughout the school and the good quality support pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language receive enables them to develop confidence. Pupils in Key Stage 2 make sound progress. Older pupils generally talk with more confidence and most listen carefully making suitable responses. For example, in Year 3 pupils enthusiastically recall how they have developed poems in the shape of trees and pupils in Year 4 and 5 retell familiar stories and identify verbs in their texts. When sharing texts such as 'The Reindeer Herder' pupils

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Creative development

maturely tell the story from the point of view of another character. Teachers ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to speak to develop these skills throughout the school. Pupils in Key Stage 2 articulate with increasing awareness of their knowledge of skills they have learnt such as defining nouns, verbs and adjectives. Most teachers encourage pupils to listen carefully although a few do not.

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Creative development

42.Pupils enthusiastically and confidently develop drama skills. A good example was observed when a learning support assistant was working with a group of pupils from Year 1 and 2. They demonstrated good listening skills as they acted out 'Hello Bighead.' All pupils perform with confidence and enjoyment.

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Creative development

43.Pupils generally make satisfactory progress in reading throughout the school. A few pupils in both key stages make good progress. Records show what books pupils have read, but do not always identify precisely what aspect of reading the pupil is having difficulty with. This sometimes hinders the development of reading skills and ultimately attainment and progress. Pupils are given sound guidance regarding the books they read.

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Creative development

44.By the end of Key Stage 1 most pupils read showing a basic understanding of the text and some expression. All pupils read with enjoyment. They learn familiar words and basic sounds. Pupils use the pictures and the sounds to guess new words. Higher attaining pupils sometimes use the sense of the sentence to guess new words. At the beginning of Key Stage 2, pupils read with a growing understanding of the text and usually reasonable expression. As they get older pupils continue to develop reading skills and read with growing confidence and fluency. Higher order reading skills such as predicting events develop as they get older. A few lower attaining pupils have developed limited reading strategies to help them decipher unknown words. When reading they usually rely on sight words they have learnt or sound words out in a limited way. Pupils regularly visit the library to borrow books. The majority

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Creative development

has a good understanding of how the school library works. Pupils use texts with reasonable accuracy to find out information. They talk about fiction and non-fiction books but a few pupils in each year group are confused between the two.

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Creative development

45.Most pupils make satisfactory progress overall in writing. Although handwriting is systematically taught to all age groups progress is sometimes restricted in Key Stage 2 when teachers do not actively promote the skills needed to develop a cursive script. Most pupils demonstrate the confidence to write independently. Pupils write for a wide range of different purposes such as poems, imaginative and instructional writing, diaries, stories and letters. Words aimed to improve the standards in spelling are learnt in both key stages. Pupils develop good dictionary skills and use them with confidence. They develop appropriate skills Brudenell Primary School in drafting and re-drafting work as they move through the school.

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Creative development

46.Pupils have sound attitudes towards their work. Their response to lessons is consistently good when teaching is good or very good. Pupils generally behave well and sustain concentration. Most respond to all tasks with enthusiasm and confidence. Pupils work well together and develop good relationships with each other and other adults. They generally work with good levels of independence. A few pupils in Key Stage 2, however, show unsatisfactory responses as they talk whilst the teacher is talking.

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Creative development

47.The quality of teaching in the 'literacy hour' and during other English lessons is good overall at Key Stage 1 and sound at Key Stage 2. All teachers have good subject knowledge. Planning is good and teachers have worked hard at planning the 'literacy hour' using the literacy strategy guidance effectively. Activities are usually well matched to the pupils' needs. Most teachers manage their classes well and have high expectations regarding behaviour. Teachers' displays in classrooms celebrate the work of the pupils and reinforce literacy skills taught. Resources such as dictionaries are used well. Teachers keep sound day to day assessments on individual pupils. Support staff are used very well.

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Creative development

48.The subject is very well led by an enthusiastic and very knowledgeable co-ordinator. She is involved with the Sustained Reading Intervention Programme in Key Stage 1. This targets twelve pupils and develops basic reading skills. The additional literacy strategy is established and is run by two well-trained classroom assistants. This allows a number of lower ability pupils in Year 3 to reinforce and develop basic reading skills. The subject is very well resourced. The library is reasonably well used and well stocked. It is timetabled for each class. Standardised testing is completed for all year groups in reading and spelling and this information is used to track progress. Information technology is not used fully to support the subject. The school has developed an effective link with the local Further Education College. A teacher comes into school weekly to give parents the skills to work with their children at

p.36

Creative development

home and in the classroom. Visits to theatres and visiting theatre groups invited into school enhance the English curriculum.

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Creative development

49.By the end of both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, inspection findings show that pupils' overall attainment in mathematics is broadly in line with the national averages.

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Creative development

50.This is a significant improvement over the school's 1998 end of Key Stage 1 National Curriculum test results, particularly for higher attaining pupils. The 1998 results showed that pupils' attainment was below the national average at the expected Level 2, and also well below average at the higher Level 3, though close to the average for schools with similar backgrounds. The number of pupils gaining Level 3 in the national tests has risen from 4 per cent in 1998 to 15 per cent in 1999, although there is no improvement in the number of pupils achieving the expected Level 2.

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Creative development

51.There is a similar pattern at the end of Key Stage 2, with attainment overall being broadly in line with what is expected nationally for pupils aged eleven. In 1998 attainment was below the national average, though close to that of similar schools. The national test results for Brudenell Primary School Year 6 pupils in 1999 showed a marked improvement in the number of pupils reaching the higher Level 5, going from 10 per cent in 1998 to 39 per cent in 1999. Again there is no improvement in the number of pupils gaining the expected level.

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Creative development

52.Over the past three years, performance has improved in both key stages. There is no significant difference in the attainment of boys and girls, or of pupils from different ethnic origins. Standards in numeracy are satisfactory at both key stages. Brudenell Primary School 53.By the end of Key Stage 1, most Year 2 pupils have an appropriate mathematical vocabulary, which they use effectively. Many pupils can add and subtract two digit numbers, and understand place value to one hundred. Using a 12-hour clock, most pupils are able to tell the time when it is on the hour and half-hour, and a few know quarter to and quarter past. All have reasonable estimating skills, and are able to measure competently using non- standard measures such as hand-spans and their own feet. Most can recognise and add coins to 20p, and a few, higher attaining pupils, understand that, for example, £5.26 is 526p.

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Creative development

54.By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils can read, write and use numbers in excess of 1,000. They are able to apply the correct formula to measure the area of rectangles and squares. Most know that the angles of a triangle add up to 180 degrees, and they have an appropriate knowledge and understanding of the different types of triangles and angles. Millimetres, centimetres, metres and kilometres are used in measurement problems, as well as litres, millilitres, grams and kilograms. Pie charts, block and line graphs are compiled and interpreted for different mathematical exercises, and most pupils are beginning to have a basic understanding of probability.

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Creative development

55.Although the attainment of pupils at both five years and seven years is broadly in line with national expectations, and progress would therefore appear sound, during the inspection it was found to be good. This is largely due to the excellent support given to the high proportion of pupils for whom English is an additional language, ensuring that they understand and acquire the necessary vocabulary and comprehension skills to reach the required standards in mathematics. Pupils aged five are able to count to 10, (some beyond), are aware of higher numbers, and recognise basic shapes such as square, triangle, circle and rectangle. In Year 1 they learn to add, subtract and sequence numbers to 20, count in tens, and read the hours on a clock.

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Creative development

56.As pupils move through Key Stage 2 they make consistently sound progress. In Year 3, pupils are developing a good understanding of place value, and were seen putting numbers between 0 and 100 in order, with some able to do this between 100 and 200. During last year, Year 3 pupils created simple block graphs from collected data, worked on three, four, five and ten times tables, and practised halving numbers using recipes. Year 4 pupils extend their numerical skills and understanding by solving problems such as 48 x 203, nine and seven times tables, and learning about fractions. In Year 5 they continue to extend both their numeracy skills and other areas of mathematics. Pupils plot co-ordinates, learn about different types of triangles and work out travel journey times. They also begin work on decimals. In Year 6 they extend this work to two and three decimal places.

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Creative development

57.Pupils are generally keen to learn about mathematics and their attitudes in lessons are good. In Key Stage 1 their behaviour is consistently good, with attentive listening and polite responses to their teachers, other adults and to each other. Concentration is also good. In Key Stage 2 the behaviour is satisfactory. A few pupils in each lesson quickly became fidgety and less attentive during whole class activities such as mental maths. This is usually because the teaching is not challenging enough or a slow pace during this part of the lesson. Behaviour is better, concentration levels appropriate and attitudes mostly good during individual and group activities. Brudenell Primary School 58.The quality of teaching seen in Key Stage 1 was good, and sometimes very good. Teaching was satisfactory in every class in Key Stage 2. The school is just beginning to implement the National Numeracy Strategy, (the first lessons were during the inspection

p.38

Creative development

week), and teachers, particularly in Key Stage 2, are still developing their knowledge and understanding of the techniques required, especially for mental maths. Lesson planning, based on the Numeracy Strategy, is consistently good throughout the school, and teachers are clear about what they want the pupils to learn during the lessons. Group and individual activities are well matched to pupils' previous learning, including those with Special Educational Needs, and expectations are appropriately challenging in most lessons. In Key Stage 1, teachers manage the pupils very well. They have warm, sensitive relationships with the pupils and high expectations of behaviour. In Key Stage 2, pupil management is satisfactory overall. Although expectations of behaviour are high, there is sometimes a lack of sensitivity and inappropriate handling of pupils to achieve the desired aims. All teachers make very good use of support staff.

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Creative development

59.Despite the absence of a school policy and scheme of work to ensure that skills and knowledge are taught systematically, the school is currently and satisfactorily using the example planning guidelines for the implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy. Some minor adaptations have been made to meet the particular needs of the school. Pupils' attainments are carefully recorded, effective procedures are used to monitor individual progress, and good use is made of these assessments to plan appropriate work. Numeracy is satisfactorily developed across the curriculum.

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Creative development

60.Pupils' attainment in science is in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages. This confirms the results of the 1998 National Curriculum tests. However, the per centage of pupils who, according to their teachers' assessments, achieve the higher level, Level 3, at Key Stage 1, is below expectations. At the end of Key Stage 2, the per centage achieving the higher level, Level 5, is broadly the same as the national average. Standards of attainment are similar to those at the time of the last inspection.

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Creative development

61.By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils make a simple circuit and test materials to establish which are good conductors of electricity and which are not. They identify similarities and differences between the plants in and around school and name the conditions that plants need for growth. They list a number of everyday activities that require pushing, and those needing pulling. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have a well developed scientific vocabulary. This is systematically introduced, particularly in Years 4, 5 and 6. Pupils know how light enables us to see objects and that it travels in straight lines. They understand food chains, explain the life cycle of a plant and know how sounds are produced.

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Creative development

62.In both key stages pupils record work well, although in Year 3 it is less structured than in other classes and with more use of worksheets. Work in all areas is appropriately covered and, in both key stages, scientific understanding is developed and underpinned through an adequate practical and investigational content. For example, practical work in Key Stage 1 involves pupils in changing the shape of materials by pulling, in building circuits, in separating good from poor conductors, in growing seeds and observing their development, and much Brudenell Primary School more. Similarly in Key Stage 2, pupils make hypotheses and test them in order to learn. They check to see if light travels around corners; make a kaleidoscope; devise methods of separating mixtures; discover that liquids do have saturation points, and learn something of the movement of the earth by measuring the length of their teacher's shadow at various times

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Creative development

in the school day. Sometimes teachers can give too much help in practical activities and this slows down the development of skills of enquiry and investigation.

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Creative development

63.Pupils make sound progress through Key Stage 1, although the most able are not always sufficiently well challenged. This is because the different tasks, which take good account of the fact that there are two year-groups in each classroom, do not fully cater for the most able pupils in Year 2. In Key Stage 2, while progress in some lessons is good, overall it is sound. The standards attained do not fully reflect the good quality of some teaching because there is no established scheme of work to ensure that topics are not repeated and that skills and knowledge are developed systematically. However, the school has identified the need for change and has begun to implement a customised version of a national scheme.

p.40

Creative development

64.Pupils enjoy science lessons, particularly the practical elements. Most pupils behave well and share resources. When behaviour deteriorates it is because the pace of the lesson is slow or the task is too hard for the pupils for whom it is planned.

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Creative development

65.The quality of teaching in science is sound overall. In the six lessons observed, it varied from good to unsatisfactory. Where it was unsatisfactory, two major factors contributed. Firstly, the investigative task set was too demanding and, understandably, pupils became confused and restless. Secondly, this generated unacceptable behaviour. The hallmarks of the good teaching observed were an ability to provide pupils with a task which they could both do and learn from (in a lesson on the senses), and the rigorous pursuit of these objectives through exciting practical activities.

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Creative development

66.Management of the subject is good. The co-ordinator has good subject knowledge and a clear view of developments to take the subject forward. There is a science assessment portfolio which is a valuable resource. Resources are adequate to serve the current curriculum but will benefit from some minor additions when funding allows. Brudenell Primary School 128. OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

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Creative development

67.Due to timetabling arrangements, it was not possible to observe any whole-class art lessons during the period of inspection. On some occasions in Key Stage 2, pupils were observed engaged in art activities while the teacher worked with a different group of pupils on a different subject. Evidence has been drawn from these observations, from scrutiny of displays and of teachers' planning, samples of pupils' work, including the sketch books used by Year 6 pupils, and from discussions with pupils.

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Creative development

68.This evidence indicates that pupils' progress is sound through Key Stage 1, but that it is unsatisfactory through Key Stage 2. While there are some examples of exciting art work, for example in the school 'sculpture trail', pupils in Key Stage 2 do not make the expected progress either in the development of skills or in their knowledge and appreciation of the work of a range of artists. The range of work is limited, and is too heavily dependent on the use of paint and pastel.

p.41

Creative development

69.There is insufficient evidence to make a judgement on the quality of teaching.

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Creative development

70.During the inspection period, it was only possible to observe three lessons devoted to design and technology. The school prioritised the core subjects in the previous academic year and this meant that there was little completed work to scrutinise. Consequently, it is not possible to form a secure judgement on teaching or the progress made in Key Stage 2. However, in Key Stage 1, the teaching in the lessons observed was satisfactory in general, with some that was good. This indicates that progress in this key stage is at least satisfactory.

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Creative development

71.Pupils in Key Stage 1 were working with food and designing their own sandwiches. In a lesson in which they made sandwiches to their design, good progress was seen as they learned the need for hygiene in food preparation and the importance of completing the subtasks in the right order. A notable feature of the teaching in this and other design and technology lessons was the prominence given to the skills of speaking and listening and the clear links with work undertaken in literacy lessons. For example, in another Key Stage 1 lesson, pupils tested their made sandwiches and tried to use appropriate vocabulary, like 'sweet', to describe them. However, these lessons were relatively short which meant that progress was affected. In the Key Stage 2 lesson seen, clear links were drawn with history as pupils discussed the clothing worn by the Tudors and chose textiles they would use to design their own Tudor clothing.

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Creative development

72.In the Key Stage 1 lessons, lively and engaging teaching meant that pupils responded well to the lesson, making or tasting their sandwiches with enthusiasm. The pupils in Key Stage 2 were attentive but their concentration was affected at times by the sound of music from an adjacent class. However, behaviour in all of the lessons seen was entirely satisfactory. Brudenell Primary School

p.41

Geography

73.The previous report found that the majority of pupils achieved the national expectation and were working at levels suitable for their abilities. The teaching of geographical skills and assessment were weak. Greater emphasis was needed for the promotion of geography skills. Since then the school has introduced a policy which is in the process of review. A long-term curriculum plan has been introduced this term. However, the school is still aware of the need to develop clear guidance to ensure the systematic teaching of skills, knowledge and understanding.

p.42

Geography

74.During the inspection three lessons were observed. No lessons were seen in Key Stage 1. Judgements are based on the lessons observed, discussions with pupils and a scrutiny of teachers' plans and pupils' work.

p.42

Geography

75.During Key Stage 1, pupils make satisfactory progress. They develop sound knowledge of their immediate environment as they learn about routes between school and home. Pupils use appropriate geographical vocabulary correctly, such as road, street, and transport, when talking about their surroundings. They show a sound understanding of what a map represents. The pupils are aware that we live in the world and that the world consists of many countries. Pupils name some countries and towns. They develop a simple idea of different types of weather and know that some countries have hot climates and some have cold.

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Geography

76.In Key Stage 2, progress is unsatisfactory. Lessons observed were in Years 4 and 5 where geography was taught alongside art, music and information technology. There was insufficient time allocated to the teaching of geographical skills in the lessons seen. Discussions with pupils confirmed that pupils in Year 6 have very little understanding of geographical concepts and are functioning at a level lower than expected for their age. Many are confused between towns and countries and have little idea of what a continent is. Pupils know that the weather varies across the world, but many demonstrate a limited understanding of geographical terms such as polar and temperate climates. They recall basic differences as they compare villages with towns. Overall, pupils with special educational needs make sound progress initially in Key Stage 1, but unsatisfactory progress as they move through Key Stage

p.42

Geography

77.Pupils' response to the subject is satisfactory. They show interest in the subject and articulate enthusiastically what they have previously learnt. Most are able to use an atlas to find information.

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Geography

78.There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement on teaching. However some lessons observed in Key Stage 2 were unsatisfactory. This happened because of unclear learning objectives and teachers not having enough time to teach the geographical skills because they were trying to teach too many subjects at once. Displays around the school reinforce concepts taught, such as the display in Key Stage 2 about world climates. The use of information technology is at its early stages to promote learning. Brudenell Primary School 140. History

p.42

Geography

79.The previous report found that the majority of pupils achieved the national expectation and were working at levels suitable for their abilities. Assessment and ensuring the progressive teaching of historical skills were weak, and history was due to become a focus on the School Development Plan. Since then the school has introduced a policy which is in the process of review. A long-term curriculum plan has been introduced this term. However the school is still aware of the need to develop clear guidance to ensure the systematic teaching of skills, knowledge and understanding.

p.43

Geography

80.During the inspection two lessons were observed. No lessons were seen in Key Stage 2. Judgements are based on lessons, discussions with pupils and a scrutiny of teachers' plans and pupils' work.

p.43

Geography

81.During Key Stage 1, pupils make good progress. Some pupils make very good progress when teaching is very good. They are able to grasp basic ideas of the past through looking at life when their parents and grandparents were children. They use pictures, artefacts and photographs to develop a better understanding and record information using pictures and writing. Pupils demonstrate a sound awareness of life in Victorian times. They use historical language accurately, such as 'I live in a Victorian house'. Older pupils learn about the Vikings, settlements and invaders. However the scrutiny of work completed in Key Stage 2 shows that progress here is unsatisfactory. Their idea of the past is below what would be expected for their ages. Pupils recall basic facts about periods they have studied such as the Romans, the Saxons, the Aztecs and the Victorians, but they have little idea of where they

p.43

Geography

appear on a time line. Overall, pupils with special educational needs make sound progress and sometimes good progress initially in Key Stage 1, but unsatisfactory progress as they move through Key Stage 2.

p.43

Geography

82.In both key stages, pupils' response is sound. They are interested in history and are keen to learn about different periods of time. Pupils of all ages articulate confidently facts they have learnt. They demonstrate good relationships with each other and work well in-groups.

p.43

Geography

83.The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is invariably at least satisfactory and sometimes better. Teachers plan lessons thoroughly, addressing differing abilities, resources, and assessment. They continuously promote literacy skills. Pupils are encouraged to learn through looking closely at artefacts. Lessons identify clear learning objectives, which meet the needs of all pupils. Teachers manage and support the pupils well and use resources adequately. Support teachers and parents invited into the classroom are used very well and give very good quality support. There is insufficient evidence to make a judgement of teaching at Key Stage 2. Learning is enhanced and reinforced by visits to local museums. The use of information technology to promote learning is at its early stages.

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Information technology

84.Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is below national expectations, and well below expectations at the end of Key Stage 2. Progress throughout the school is unsatisfactory for pupils of all attainments, including those with special educational needs. Most pupils do not Brudenell Primary School develop the nationally expected range of subject skills and competencies. This is mainly because they do not have sufficient access to computers and other technological equipment, and because many of the school's computers are out of date. Except in English, information technology is not used satisfactorily to support other areas of the curriculum.

p.43

Information technology

85.Although the last inspection report judged standards to be satisfactory at both key stages, national expectations of what pupils should know and understand at the ages of seven and eleven have risen very considerably and the school has not kept up with national developments in this subject.

p.44

Information technology

86.By the end of Key Stage1, most pupils, including those with special educational needs, are familiar with the keyboard and confidently type in words and simple sentences. Some have relatively good mouse control, but do not have the skills to save and retrieve work. A few have the skills to print their work. During the short lessons observed, the pupils made good progress. At other times, for a very short period each week, pupils consolidate and practise keyboard skills, for example using the 'return' key to start a new line, and the 'back space' key to correct mistakes when typing classroom labels. Overall, however, pupils do not spend enough time working on information technology to make satisfactory progress.

p.44

Information technology

87.By the end of Key Stage 2, most pupils have basic, low-level word processing skills, which are used to enhance work such as poetry writing. Higher attaining pupils are able to use CD- ROM technology to access information for topics, for example finding out about the Tudors for a history topic, and pupils have had some opportunity to create designs on the computer. In a Year 6 lesson, pupils successfully learnt to use a digital camera, load the memory card into the computer, and print a copy of the photograph. However their knowledge and understanding of databases, handling information, controlling, modelling and monitoring is poor. Pupils are unable to write a set of instructions to control a device or use spreadsheets to make predictions. Overall, pupils are developing too narrow a range of skills.

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Information technology

88.The progress of pupils aged seven to eleven was satisfactory in every lesson seen. However, over time throughout Key Stage 2, progress for all pupils, including those with special educational needs, is unsatisfactory. Pupils in Year 3 were learning how to switch on the various parts of the computer, and to use word-processing skills to select from a simple menu, highlight and 'double-click'. In lessons seen in Years 4 and 5, pupils were able to type in simple text, and learnt to change the size, style and colour of the font using a basic word- processing program. Some pupils needed reminding how to change from capital to lower case letters; few know how to save or retrieve information, but most are able to print their work. The unsatisfactory progress is largely because pupils have insufficient opportunities to develop their information technology skills and, until very recently, there was no systematic

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Information technology

plan for the teaching of knowledge and skills to cover all aspects of the National Curriculum. Some high attaining pupils bring skills and experience in using computers from home, but there is insufficient analysis of this experience to promote pupils' progress effectively in school.

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Information technology

89.Pupils enjoy working with information technology and co-operate well when using computers. They are able to concentrate for appropriate lengths of time when working independently or in pairs. In all lessons, pupils were keen to be involved and to demonstrate their skills and knowledge. Key Stage 1 pupils listened well to their teachers, but in Key Brudenell Primary School Stage 2, several of the pupils not directly involved became inattentive and lost concentration.

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Information technology

90.The teaching at Key Stage 1 is good. Some lessons observed were even better. At Key Stage 2 it was satisfactory throughout. Teachers have a sound knowledge of the subject, though in a somewhat narrow range of skills, and they understand the software being used. The considerable amount of recent training they have received has increased the teachers' confidence and their lessons are well planned, showing clearly what it is they want the pupils to learn during the lesson. They use the limited range of equipment well by demonstrating new skills with the whole class, then providing opportunities for these skills to be practised individually or in pairs during the rest of the week. However, not enough opportunities exist for pupils to use their skills in other subjects. Relationships with, and the management of, pupils are particularly good in Key Stage 1, where skilled questioning techniques maintain

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Information technology

interest and assess knowledge and understanding.

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Information technology

91.Currently the learning resources are unsatisfactory, and provide insufficient opportunities to develop the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to reach the standards expected nationally by the time pupils are 11 years old. The school is aware of the need to increase the amount and improve the quality of their information technology equipment, and have recently acquired five second-hand computers. However, these are already dated and are not yet in use.

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Information technology

92.The school has not yet taught control technology and does not therefore meet statutory requirements. Pupils' knowledge of data handling and investigating the use of information technology in relation to its application in the outside world is also underdeveloped. However, the school has now adopted nationally published guidelines as a scheme of work, and recently begun its implementation. This should ensure full coverage of all areas of the National Curriculum in the future.

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Information technology

93.The co-ordinator is aware of the school's shortcomings in information technology and keen to improve standards. All staff have received appropriate training and the equipment the school has is well used. As yet there has been little monitoring of pupils' attainment and progress, and no assessment procedures are yet in use though the co-ordinator has begun to compile a portfolio of pupils' work.

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Information technology

94.During inspection week it was not possible to observe enough teaching of music to make judgements on either the progress which pupils make or on the quality of teaching. It was clear, however, from talking to pupils that the time devoted specifically to teaching music has been small and that, in some classes, it has been restricted to a twenty minute session provided by the peripatetic music service.

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Information technology

95.However, through this service the school has developed an orchestra. Additionally, all pupils in Years 5 and 6 receive instrumental tuition on a range of instruments, glockenspiel, violin and drums for example. For two or three terms this tuition is used to give pupils the experience of playing several different instruments and then, in the final three or four terms, of selecting the one they prefer and developing their skills further on that instrument. These are Brudenell Primary School good opportunities. Brudenell Primary School 157. Physical education

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Information technology

96.Altogether it was possible to observe four physical education lessons during the inspection period. As only one of these was in Key Stage 1, it is not possible to make secure judgements about teaching and learning in this key stage. However, in Key Stage 2 the teaching seen was invariably at least sound with some good and very good teaching seen. Overall in Key Stage 2, teaching and progress are both sound.

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Information technology

97.In the lesson seen in Key Stage 1, the teacher managed the pupils well. There was good use of pupils as examples to the rest of the class. However, progress in the lesson was satisfactory as it started slowly and ended early. Throughout the lesson, pupils responded well to the teacher's instructions and worked well with each other in pairs and small groups. Their good behaviour had a positive effect on their progress.

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Information technology

98.In a Key Stage 2 outdoor games lesson, very good use of the available area and the use of well understood routines for warming up and moving from one activity to another maintained a brisk pace. This meant that pupils made very good progress in acquiring the skills of ball control. Good relationships with the teacher enabled pupils to concentrate well and the whole operated very slickly. However, in a gymnastics lesson, progress was slowed by the need to control very fussy behaviour. Only a few methods of control were used. However, the warm up and training in the use of equipment were organised soundly and with due regard to safety. In this lesson, although pupils did make satisfactory progress, their behaviour and inattentiveness at times made the pace rather pedestrian. In a swimming lesson, pupils made good progress; complete beginners gained noticeably in confidence and those with some prior

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Information technology

experience were quickly located by the teacher and given further tuition. These pupils also made good progress as they learned to co-ordinate the use of arms and legs in breast stroke. The enthusiasm of the whole group for swimming enhanced the progress they made. 160.

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99.By the end of both key stages, standards of attainment in religious education meet the requirements of the Locally Agreed Syllabus. Progress, including that of pupils with special educational needs, is satisfactory throughout the school.

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100.By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils share their feelings about things which are special to them. They relate stories from their own religion and tell the Christmas story. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils show a detailed knowledge of special ceremonies, a wedding, for example, for both Christians and Muslims. They are aware of the fragile nature of their world and suggest a range of things that they can do in sharing a responsibility for looking after it. They name key religious figures such as Mohammed and Jesus and talk at good length about them, describing for example, the crucifixion of Christ. Having had the opportunity in lessons to consider and discuss the creation of the world, they can express a range of well considered views. Brudenell Primary School 101.Pupils' attitudes are satisfactory overall. In lessons that capture their interest like a Year 2 lesson on 'special' things, pupils are sensitive and willing to share their feelings about

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something that is special to them. In the Key Stage 2 lesson that was observed, they were inattentive and occasionally disrespectful. Pupils are often captivated by presentations in assemblies which are of high quality.

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Information technology

102.The small quantity of teaching observed in Key Stage 1 was very good. A particular strength of the teaching was the quality of the relationships that existed between teacher and pupils. Additionally the very high expectations of attention and contribution of pupils was a positive feature, as was the teacher's decision to tell the pupils about something that was very special to her. Teaching in this key stage had no significant weaknesses. Insufficient teaching was observed in Key Stage 2 to support a secure judgement of its quality.

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103.The Locally Agreed Syllabus provides good guidance for teachers to plan an appropriate curriculum. Pupils from the school visit places of worship locally. There is a good range of books to support the curriculum and the range of artefacts is satisfactory. As an interim measure, the subject is being led by the headteacher. Due to the pressure of other priorities, there have been no significant developments in religious education since the last inspection, at which time standards were also judged to be satisfactory. Brudenell Primary School 165. PART C: INSPECTION DATA

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104.The school was inspected by a team of five inspectors including a lay inspector. A total of twenty inspector days was spent in school. Prior to this, the registered inspector spent a half day in the school to discuss arrangements and later held a meeting for parents which was attended by 32 parents. Inspectors were able to scrutinise a number of documents provided by the school prior to the inspection commencing. During the inspection period, inspectors observed 60 lessons or parts of lessons, listened to pupils read, held formal and informal discussions with pupils and scrutinised the work of a sample of pupils from each year. The total time spent in obtaining first hand information on standards in the school was over 52 hours. They also observed registration periods, assemblies, playtimes and lunchtimes. Registers and other records, including teachers' planning, assessments and the individual

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education plans for pupils with special educational needs were scrutinised. In addition, inspectors had discussions with governors, members of staff, teaching and non-teaching, about their roles in the school and with the educational welfare officer.

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167. Qualified teachers (YR – Y6)

Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent): 8 Number of pupils per qualified teacher: 23

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167. Education support staff (YR – Y6)

Total number of education support staff: 10 Total aggregate hours worked each week: 257

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167. Qualified teachers (Nursery school, classes or unit)

Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent): 1 Number of pupils per qualified teacher: 23

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167. Education support staff (Nursery school, classes or unit)

Total number of education support staff: 3 Total aggregate hours worked each week: 97.5

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167. Education support staff (Nursery school, classes or unit)

Average class size: 26 Brudenell Primary School

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167. Financial data

£ Total Income 429140.00 Total Expenditure 454490.00 Expenditure per pupil 2424.52 Balance brought forward from previous year 19590.00 Balance carried forward to next year -5760.00 Brudenell Primary School

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167. PARENTAL SURVEY

Number of questionnaires sent out: 153 Number of questionnaires returned: 50

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167. PARENTAL SURVEY

Responses (per centage of answers in each category):

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167. PARENTAL SURVEY

Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school 44 52 4 0 0

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167. PARENTAL SURVEY

I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my child(ren) 54 42 2 2 0

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167. PARENTAL SURVEY

The school handles complaints from parents well 43 43 9 4 0

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167. PARENTAL SURVEY

The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught 38 58 2 2 0

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167. PARENTAL SURVEY

The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)'s progress 53 39 2 4 2

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167. PARENTAL SURVEY

The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work 53 39 56 0 2

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167. PARENTAL SURVEY

The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons 42 54 2 2 0

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167. PARENTAL SURVEY

I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home 50 38 4 6 2

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167. PARENTAL SURVEY

The school's values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) 40 54 2 2 2

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167. PARENTAL SURVEY

The school achieves high standards of good behaviour 44 48 4 0 4

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167. PARENTAL SURVEY

My child(ren) like(s) school 67 29 2 2 0

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167. Other issues raised by parents

Parents at the meeting were generally positive about the school's ethos and valued its openness. They felt the school's standards were improving. However, some felt that behaviour in the playground was not good enough and that there was too much swearing. Some felt that the mixed age classes did not provide well enough for the oldest pupils in the class. A few thought that bullying was not effectively dealt with.

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