Schools and Educational Establishments
hackney
Ofsted: Outstanding
FSA Hygiene: 5/5
Unclaimed Profile
Southwold Primary School
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Schools and Educational Establishments
At a glance
🍏 Food Hygiene Rating (FSA)
5
Rating: 5 / 5
Last Inspected: 2026-05-18
📞 Contact Information
| Street Address | Detmold Road, Clapton, Hackney, E5 9NL |
| Phone Number | 02088065201 |
| Official Website | 🔗 Visit Site |
🏢 Parent Operator Group
SOUTHWOLD COOKERY SCHOOL
| CRN Number | 07749851 |
| HQ Postcode | EN118EP |
| Insolvency Risk | active |
✨ AI Executive Quality Summary
Scraped details for Southwold Primary School. Location postcode is E5 9NL.
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📈 Historical Rating Trends
Overall Effectiveness
Help & Protection (Safety)
Leaders & Managers (Well-Led)
🔑 Official Registries
| Ofsted URN | 100242 🔗 |
| CQC Location ID | N/A |
| DfE GIAS Profile | View School Dashboard 🔗 |
| Last Synced | 2026-08-08 12:40 |
📋 Capacity & Registration
| Head Teacher | Ms M Blackman-Raphael |
| Number of Pupils | 341 |
| Pupils on Roll | 367 |
| Age Range Allowed | 3 - 11 |
| Lead Inspector | Deborah Walters |
| Inspection Dates | 23 and 24 April 2025 |
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📋 Regulatory Evaluation Log & Reports
🕰️ Historical Leadership & Operations
Chronological tracker of regulatory heads, managers, headteachers, and directors appointed to run this provision.
May 2002 - Present
Current
Ms M Blackman-Raphael
• Head Teacher
📈 Inspection Performance in Tenure
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April 23, 2025: Ofsted Rated Outstanding
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October 16, 2019: Ofsted Rated Outstanding
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September 25, 2018: Short inspection
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February 27, 2014: Ofsted Rated Good
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September 15, 2010: Ofsted Rated Good
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January 21, 2009: Monitoring visit
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February 6, 2008: Ofsted Rated Satisfactory
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June 26, 2007: Monitoring visit
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December 7, 2006: Ofsted Rated Inadequate
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May 20, 2002: Full inspection (Inspector: Ms Ruth Frith 2490 Dates of inspection: 20 \226 23 May 2002 Inspection number: 196178 Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 \251 Crown copyright 2002 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. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Southwold Primary School - 3 INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL Type of school: Infant and junior school School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 to 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed School address: Detmold Road Clapton London Postcode: E5 9NL Telephone number: 020 8806 5201 Fax number: 020 8806 9287 Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Ms Tina Walsh Date of previous inspection: 1 \226 4 July 1997 Southwold Primary School - 4 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 2490 Ruth Frith Registered inspector History Foundation Stage What sort of school is it? How high are standards? a) The school\222s results and pupils\222 achievements How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further? 9769 Margaret Morrissey Lay inspector How high are standards? b) Pupils\222 attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 16773 Raminder Arora Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Religious education Equal opportunities English as an additional language 20457 Brian Fletcher Team inspector Mathematics Music Physical education Special educational needs 22424 Kathryn Taylor Team inspector English Art Design and technology Geography How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Southwold Primary School - 5 Southwold Primary School - 6 The inspection contractor was: Cambridge Education Associates Ltd Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to: The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division The Office for Standards in Education Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Southwold Primary School - 7 REPORT CONTENTS Page PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7 Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils\222 attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents\222 and carers\222 views of the school PART B: COMMENTARY HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11 The school\222s results and pupils\222 achievements Pupils\222 attitudes, values and personal development HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT? 14 HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS? 15 HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS? 17 HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS? 18 HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED? 19 WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 21 THE PROVISION FOR AND STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS WITH ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE 22 PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 24 PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 28 Southwold Primary School - 8 PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL Southwold Primary School is a community school for boys and girls aged 3 to 11 years. There are 246 pupils on roll, with an additional 45 children in the Nursery who attend part-time. The school is situated in an area of high socio-economic deprivation. Pupils come from a range of social, economic and ethnic backgrounds, with very few children coming from professional families. The percentage of pupils receiving free school meals is well above the national average. On entry to school, children display very low levels of attainment, particularly in the areas of communication, language and literacy and personal, social and emotional development. A high percentage of pupils speak English as an additional language. Twenty-eight different languages are spoken in addition to English and the Caribbean dialects. Thirty-two pupils come from families with refugee status. A high number of pupils do not receive all their primary education at the school and some stay for only a short time. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs is above the national average and most pupils who require regular additional support have moderate learning difficulties and emotional and behavioural difficulties. Two pupils have a Statement of Special Educational Needs. Recruitment and retention of teachers are difficult and currently five class teachers are trained overseas. The school is involved in activities supported through the local Education Action Zone and Excellence in Cities projects. HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS The school has experienced difficulty in relation to staffing but there are signs of greater stability. This is helping to ensure that the quality of education is satisfactory. Staff work in challenging circumstances and support the pupils and their families well. Levels of pastoral care are particularly good. Standards are still well below the national average. They are beginning to improve although pupils\222 progress is inconsistent. This reflects, in the main, the frequent changes in teachers and the lack of experience some teachers have in teaching the National Curriculum. Throughout this difficult period the headteacher and governors have worked hard to attract staff and support them, although there remains some inconsistency in the quality of teaching, which is broadly satisfactory. The progress of pupils in Years 5 and 6 has been affected the most by staff changes. A large amount of senior managers\222 time is spent recruiting and training staff. Consequently, less time is available to concentrate on school improvement. Overall, the leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. The school provides satisfactory value for money. What the school does well \267 The school has a strong commitment to inclusive education and is effective in developing a harmonious community where all are valued and encouraged to respect others. \267 Teaching in the Nursery and Reception classes is good and helps children to achieve well. \267 Pupils have good attitudes to school. \267 Pupils behave well and develop good relationships with adults and each other. \267 Provision for pupils\222 spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is good and supports pupils\222 personal development well. \267 Procedures for ensuring pupils\222 care and welfare are very good. \267 The school promotes good links with parents. What could be improved \267 Standards and pupils\222 progress in English, mathematics and science, particularly in Years 3 to 6. \267 The quality of teaching in Years 1 to 6. \267 The support for pupils learning English as an additional language. \267 The quality of the curriculum. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors\222 action plan. HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION Soon after the last inspection in July 1997, the previous headteacher left and the school experienced a considerable time without a permanent headteacher. Many experienced teachers also left and some parents expressed a lack of confidence in the school. The numbers on roll fell and it became difficult to recruit staff. Due to the hard work of the current headteacher, who was appointed two years ago, and the deputy headteacher, things began to improve and overall the school has made broadly satisfactory Southwold Primary School - 9 improvement since the last inspection. Attainment has improved for pupils in Years 1 and 2 but not for the older pupils. In some areas improvement has been good: for example, there is now an effective senior management team and staff and governors are clear about their roles and responsibilities. If the staffing situation remains stable there is capacity for further improvement. Staff have worked hard to gain the confidence of parents and the partnership between home and school is now good. There is a programme of refurbishment of the school grounds and building and several areas have been improved since the last inspection. The school now meets statutory requirements. However, although staff addressed the issue of developing the curriculum and assessment of pupils\222 work, more still needs to be done in this area. STANDARDS The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests. compared with Performance in: all schools similar schools Key 1999 2000 2001 2001 very high A* English E* E* E* E* well above average above average A B Mathematics E* E* E* E average below average C D Science E* E* E* E well below average very low E E* Children make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes and by the time they start Year 1 reach average standards in creative and physical development and sometimes, good standards in their personal, social and emotional development. Standards are below those expected for children of their age in communication, language and literacy, mathematics and knowledge and understanding of the world. Results of the 2001 national tests and assessments for pupils at the end of Year 2 showed that standards in reading and writing were below average and well below average in mathematics and science. This is an overall improvement on previous years. Results of the 2001 national tests for pupils at the end of Year 6 place the school in the bottom five percent of schools nationally for English, mathematics and science. Over the last five years the school\222s rate of improvement overall in these subjects has been below the national trend, although results in 2001 show an improvement in mathematics and science from the previous year. In 2001, the school did not achieve its targets in English and mathematics. Overall, pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress but in a few lessons higher-attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenged and consequently do not always make sufficient progress. Pupils who speak English as an additional language generally make satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2 due to the better quality of teaching but progress in Years 3 to 6 is unsatisfactory. No significant difference was noted in the progress and attainment of boys and girls during the inspection or of pupils from different cultural backgrounds. However, in the 2001 national tests girls did better than boys, for example, in English. PUPILS\222 ATTITUDES AND VALUES Aspect Comment Attitudes to the school Good. Most pupils enjoy their work and show interest in their learning. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Most pupils behave well and respond positively to the high expectations of staff. Personal development and relationships Pupils\222 personal development and relationships between all members of the school community are good. Attendance The rate of attendance is improving, although it remains below the Southwold Primary School - 10 national average. The pupils\222 good attitudes, behaviour, personal development and relationships provide a good basis for their learning and are strong features of the school. TEACHING AND LEARNING Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 \226 2 Years 3 \226 6 Quality of teaching Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. \221Satisfactory\222 means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses. The quality of teaching varies throughout the school and reflects the frequent changes in teachers and the relative inexperience of some teachers in teaching the National Curriculum. The teaching of children in the Nursery is particularly effective in developing their communication, personal and social skills and their attitudes to learning. These strengths are built upon successfully in the Reception classes. Teachers throughout the school have adopted the National Literacy Strategy satisfactorily, but this has been more successful in improving standards in English for the younger pupils than for those in Years 3 to 6. The satisfactory implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy has helped to raise standards overall. The quality of teaching and learning in English and mathematics is broadly satisfactory. The school allocates valuable additional support for pupils with special educational needs and they make satisfactory progress towards the targets set for them. The aspects of unsatisfactory teaching for pupils who speak English as an additional language reflect the lack of knowledge many teachers have in understanding how pupils acquire an additional language. Support is broadly satisfactory for the pupils in Years 1 and 2 as the overall quality of teaching is better and more readily reflects their needs. The range of teaching methods used for those children who are at the early stages of learning English is too narrow. In a few lessons, higher-attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenged. OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL Aspect Comment The quality and range of the curriculum The range of learning opportunities in the Nursery and Reception classes is satisfactory but elsewhere improvements to the curriculum are needed. Too little time is given to some subjects and planning is not detailed enough. Provision for extra-curricular activities and for pupils\222 personal, social and health education is good. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision is satisfactory overall. Work planned for individuals and groups is often good, but work provided in classes does not meet pupils\222 needs as well. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Provision varies across the school. For the youngest children it is good. In Years 1 and 2 teachers provide satisfactorily for the range of needs but this is not always the case in Years 3 to 6. Provision for pupils\222 personal (including spiritual, moral, social and cultural) development Provision for pupils\222 personal development through the promotion of spiritual and cultural awareness and knowledge of social and moral responsibilities is good. How well the school cares for its pupils Staff make very good provision for the pupils\222 welfare, health and safety and arrangements for their personal support and guidance are good. The school works effectively with parents and encourages them to become involved in their children\222s learning. Southwold Primary School - 11 HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED Aspect Comment Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher has successfully created an environment which is conducive to learning, and standards are beginning to rise. She, the deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher work well together and share a vision for the school\222s development that is communicated effectively to the staff. Other senior staff satisfactorily support them. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The school finds it difficult to attract governors but those in post play an integral part in the leadership and management of the school. The chair of governors is experienced and knowledgeable and ensures that new governing body members are well informed and fully involved in any decisions. The school\222s evaluation of its performance Staff are improving the ways in which they evaluate their work and have established a system of monitoring and target setting that is guiding school improvement. They have a clear understanding of the school\222s strengths and areas for development. The strategic use of resources Financial planning and management are good. Funds are allocated appropriately and support the raising of standards satisfactorily. Correct financial procedures are followed and staff and governors obtain the best value for their spending. In line with other schools locally, Southwold Primary has experienced great difficulty in recruiting and retaining teachers, and this has affected all areas of its work. Currently, there are sufficient teachers to ensure that class sizes are not too large. Support staff are usually effective and the good support which most provide is a contributory factor in the pupils\222 learning. The accommodation is satisfactory although in need of repair and redecoration in several areas. A broadly satisfactory range and quantity of resources are used appropriately to support learning throughout the school. PARENTS\222 AND CARERS\222 VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved \267 Pupils enjoy school and make good progress. \267 Teaching is good and pupils are encouraged to work hard. \267 Behaviour is good and pupils are helped to become mature and responsible. \267 The school promotes the cultural diversity of pupils who, in turn, are encouraged to respect the views, values and beliefs of others. \267 The school is well managed. \267 Staff work closely with parents who are kept well informed and feel comfortable about approaching staff if they want advice or have a concern. \267 A few parents stated that they would like their child to receive more homework. \267 A few parents indicated that they could be further involved if there were improvements with interpretation and translation into English. \267 A few parents expressed concern about how injuries were dealt with and recorded. Inspectors endorse the positive views held by parents and the regard they have for the school. From the evidence gathered during the inspection, they judge the provision of homework to be satisfactory overall. They also acknowledge the difficulties some parents face in communicating with the school but also appreciate the wide range of languages spoken in the school community and issues associated with this. Provision for pupils\222 health, welfare and safety was generally judged to be very good. Southwold Primary School - 12 PART B: COMMENTARY HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? The school\222s results and pupils\222 achievements 1. The school is striving to meet the complex needs of the diverse community that it serves and standards are beginning to improve slowly. Direct comparisons between this and the previous inspection should be treated with caution as the attainment of pupils is affected by several factors. They include the number of pupils speaking English as an additional language, the number of pupils with special educational needs, pupils from families with refugee status who have experienced disruption to their education, low attendance rates and pupils having either left the school or others having arrived part way through their primary schooling. 2. Throughout the school, pupils\222 progress and consequent levels of attainment have also been affected by the frequent changes in teaching staff. The school has done all it can to recruit and retain permanent teachers but some classes have had to adjust to a number of teachers with different expectations, some with a lack of knowledge of the National Curriculum. 3. Children are admitted to the Nursery after the age of three. They have a wide range of abilities and experiences but most have low levels of skills in communication, language and literacy. Children make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes due to good teaching. By the time they start in Year 1, children currently in the Reception classes are likely to reach the standards expected for children of that age in creative and physical development and a few will achieve above this in personal, social and emotional development. Most are unlikely to reach the expected standards in communication, language and literacy, knowledge and understanding of the world and mathematical development. This reflects the very low standards which they have on entering the school and the large numbers of children who are at a relatively early stage of learning English as an additional language. 4. Results of the 2001 national tests for Year 2 pupils indicated that, in comparison with all schools, pupils\222 attainment was below average in reading and writing and well below average in mathematics. When compared with pupils from similar schools they attained above average standards in reading and writing and well below average in mathematics. Results of the 2001 Teacher Assessments in science indicated that the number of pupils reaching the expected level for their age (Level 2) was well below average. These results show a significant improvement in standards from the previous year\222s results in reading, writing and science, and in mathematics they were slightly higher. 5. By the end of Year 6, pupils\222 attainment in the 2001 tests was very low in English, mathematics and science, and the results were in the bottom five per cent nationally. When these results are compared with those of pupils from similar schools, attainment in English was very low and in mathematics and science it was well below average. Several factors affected the progress that these pupils made, the main one being that they had experienced disruption to their learning by frequent changes of teachers. Also, 30 per cent of these pupils had identified special educational needs and 50 per cent were on the earlier stages of learning English. Only approximately half had been in school since Year 2 when they last took national tests. Overall, results in 2001 show an improvement in standards in mathematics and science but a fall in English. Over the last five years the school\222s trend of improvement in English, mathematics and science for pupils aged 8 to 11 was below the national trend. The school did not reach the challenging targets it set last year, which were also affected by children moving in and out of that year group. 6. In Year 2, the inspection finds that pupils\222 standards are below average in speaking, listening, reading and writing. In Year 6, standards are below average in speaking, listening and reading and well below average in writing. Although the school has adopted the National Literacy Strategy satisfactorily, this has proved to be more effective in raising the standards of the younger pupils. By following the suggested activities based on the age of the child, teachers in Years 3 to 6 are not always catering for the wide range of abilities within each class. Consequently, progress is not always as good as it could be and this affects overall standards. Weaknesses in provision for Southwold Primary School - 13 pupils learning English as an additional language also affects the progress that these pupils make. 7. Currently, pupils in Year 2 are making sound progress in mathematics and are attaining standards that are just below the national average. This represents an improvement on last year. Pupils in Year 6 also attain standards that are better than those of the previous year, but standards are still well below the national average. In all year groups, pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are given support, but work is not always well matched to their abilities and needs. Consequently, these pupils sometimes make less progress than they should. Higher-attaining pupils also sometimes do not progress as well as they should because they are insufficiently challenged. Pupils do not systematically develop their investigative and problem solving skills due to weaknesses in the curriculum. 8. Science standards are improving slowly. However, they are still below the national average by the end of Year 2 and well below the national average by the end of Year 6. Pupils do not receive sufficient opportunities to develop their skills of scientific enquiry and investigation and this depresses their standards overall. In most classes the same work is given to all pupils, regardless of their ability. As a result, the work is not appropriately matched to the wide range of abilities in each class. This slows the progress which pupils make and the standards that they achieve. 9. In Year 2, pupils are currently reaching average standards in art and design, design and technology, music and physical education. Standards are below average in information and communication technology, geography, history and religious education. 10. Year 6 pupils are currently reaching average standards in physical education and below average standards in design and technology, information and communication technology, history, geography, music and religious education. Insufficient evidence was available to make a judgement on art and design. The limited time given to many of these subjects and the lack of detailed planning that sets out the order in which pupils should learn appropriate knowledge and skills stops pupils from achieving as well as they should. 11. Overall, pupils with special educational needs make broadly satisfactory progress as they move through the school although the work set in a few lessons does not clearly match their abilities. In the best lessons, work is usually at a suitable level, based on prior attainment, which results in pupils making good progress. The quality of the Individual Education Plans is good. They are written jointly by the special educational needs co-ordinator and the class teacher and are accessible and easy to read. Pupils\222 progress towards their achievement is closely monitored. There are recorded gains in pupils\222 reading, writing, spelling and in numeracy. Pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties make good progress in withdrawal groups, where they are counselled by an art therapist or learning mentor. 12. Pupils for whom English is an additional language make satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2 but slow progress elsewhere, particularly when they are at the early stages of learning English. The slowness is partly due to weaknesses in the range of teaching methods used and the frequent changes of teachers with varying levels of expertise when supporting pupils learning another language. Also, a high number of pupils have their education disrupted and may spend little time in the school. However, longer exposure to English helps pupils to improve their language skills and more advanced bilingual learners usually make the same progress as others in their class. 13. No significant difference was noted in the progress of boys and girls during the inspection although there have been some differences in national test results for Year 6 pupils. For example, girls did better than boys in English in the 2001 national tests. Sometimes, more able pupils are not appropriately challenged and consequently do not reach standards in line with their abilities. However, provision overall for higher-attaining pupils and those that are gifted and talented has improved. No significant differences were noted in the progress and attainment of pupils from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. In some cases the numbers in each group were too small to make valid comparisons. Southwold Primary School - 14 Pupils\222 attitudes, values and personal development 14. Pupils have good attitudes to work and to learning. They clearly enjoy coming to school and appreciate and value the expectations made of them; they learn to celebrate the beliefs and culture of others. The school's commitment to the personal development of each child within a caring community is evident in the fostering of awareness of learning, caring and sharing, and the understanding of their individual and diverse needs. Many pupils face the challenge of learning an additional language, but the school ensures this does not allow them to feel isolated in any way; the school helps all pupils celebrate their own culture and all are valued for who they are and what they may become. The good relationships between pupils and staff, particularly in the early years, gives them the confidence to build on their talents and raise their self-esteem. This is evident in the way pupils co-operate in lessons with the sensible sharing of equipment. They collaborate well in class and were given a particularly good opportunity in a Reception class personal, social, health and citizenship lesson to discuss the school environment and plan ways to improve it both in the classroom and outside. 15. Since the last inspection behaviour overall has improved. Through the hard work of the school and support agencies, pupils have responded well to the school\222s expectations. They understand and observe the code of conduct and Golden Rules and in the classroom absorb the values transmitted to them by their teachers. A small number of pupils have behavioural difficulties but with good support from learning assistants, teachers are able to support these pupils and ensure no lessons are seriously interrupted. The rewards system is frequently used and is much appreciated by pupils, as are the new rewards for good attendance. In both instances pupils say they are proud to receive the acknowledgement of their efforts from staff and to receive recognition in the special assemblies. No issues of bullying were observed and pupils and parents are confident that any issues of bullying will be dealt with swiftly and sensitively in accordance with the school policy. 16. Relationships are good across the school; this creates an environment of care and security where work and learning can progress. Years 5 and 6 have had a succession of teachers and some classes have teachers relatively new to the school this year. However, there are good relationships developing between staff and pupils. Older pupils have a genuine desire to care for the younger children, particularly at lunchtimes, but also throughout the school day. This is contributing to the happy, industrious ethos of learning and caring which permeates the school. 17. Pupils\222 personal development is good. Through the unique opportunities provided, pupils, especially those in Years 5 and 6, make a significant contribution to the life of the school and take responsibility for a range of activities. They contribute well to the daily routine of the school. The school council is democratic and is working independently with the chair of governors on the Healthy Schools programme. Almost all pupils have small responsibilities for others and an active role in supporting the good behaviour in the school. In Years 3 to 6, pupils are chosen as lunchtime buddies and others seek help from them or are supported by them, particularly at break times. 18. Pupils with special educational needs who have been identified as having emotional and behavioural difficulties are well managed in class and during breaks. They are well supported by teachers, teaching assistants and midday supervisors. The school ensures that they are fully included in the life of the school and that their behaviour does not interfere with their own learning or that of their classmates. Boys and girls, of all ages, beliefs, abilities and cultures, work and play well together. 19. Pupils value the cultural traditions present in the school community and the diversity of faiths. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are well integrated and fully involved in the school\222s activities. Pupils whose families have refugee status are also helped to settle well in the school and they respond to the activities enthusiastically. 20. Attendance is below the national average but is fast improving. Attendance was very low during the last academic year, but a number of pupils now achieve 100 per cent attendance each term and there is a weekly award for the class with the highest attendance. School attendance in the week prior to the inspection was 94.6 per cent, which is above the national average. The school learning mentor and deputy headteacher continue to work successfully with parents and pupils to Southwold Primary School - 15 raise attendance and reduce the number of unauthorised absences and importantly are helping pupils to arrive punctually to school. HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT? 21. The school has made some improvements in the quality of teaching since the last inspection against a background of frequent changes of teachers, many of whom were in their first year at the school at the time of the inspection. Although there has been a decrease in the quantity of very good or better teaching , there has also been a decrease in the percentage of unsatisfactory teaching. Senior managers work hard to develop the skills of teachers and support those new to teaching in this country, but the frequent changes of teachers and the time it takes to become knowledgeable about the National Curriculum affect the quality of teaching overall. The school is currently benefiting from a staff who, although relatively inexperienced in some areas, are also keen to support the pupils in their care and raise standards. Staff are beginning to work as a team and share expertise within year groups. Teachers are also supported through a good programme of professional development, which helps to identify their areas of strength and those areas which they need to develop further. Unfortunately, several teachers have not stayed long enough in the school to use their newly gained knowledge and understanding for any great length of time. 22. The quality of teaching is inconsistent across the school. The quality of teaching in the Nursery and Reception classes is good and an important factor in the way children develop good personal, emotional and social skills, attitudes to learning and behaviour. Good attention has been placed on settling children into school and a satisfactory range of activities is provided which maintain the children\222s interest and support their learning. The children\222s knowledge, skills and understanding are successfully extended in the Reception classes where they continue to develop confidence and are well prepared to start the National Curriculum, when appropriate. Lesson planning is good and reflects the national guidance for teaching children of this age. The work of the support staff is very effective. They give valuable help to the children, which is a key feature in making children feel secure in their learning. 23. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall in Years 1 and 2, with evidence of some good teaching, but in Years 3 to 6 teaching is less than satisfactory. The teachers\222 lack of National Curriculum knowledge and difficulties in supporting pupils with specific needs impacts negatively in some lessons. This happened, for example, in Years 3 and 4 in design and technology and also in literacy lessons when the needs of pupils learning English as an additional language were not sufficiently met. Teachers have used the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies to improve teaching and learning but have been more successful in raising standards with the younger pupils. The school has recognised the need to continue to implement the additional literacy strategies and focus on developing writing, in particular. 24. A few teachers have high expectations of their pupils and set work of appropriate challenge but here again, with frequent changes of staffing, particularly in Years 5 and 6, expectations are not as high as they should be. However, current staff are aware of the need to fully challenge pupils and this was sometimes seen during the inspection. In the best lessons, teachers have a clear idea of what they want pupils to learn and share that with them. They provide appropriate support and challenge which ensure that pupils of all abilities maintain a good pace in their learning and build systematically on their previous learning. The best teachers clearly identify the next stages in learning through effective assessment and use this information to plan a series of lessons. In other lessons, however, teachers do not plan work which matches the abilities of the pupils, particularly in Years 3 to 6. 25. Support staff generally work well and are instrumental in encouraging pupils\222 progress and the standards that they achieve. In some cases, they are a key factor in keeping the continuity of teaching and learning when there has been a change in teachers and their work consistently helps to support the children\222s learning. Overall, teachers use time, resources and the expertise of support staff satisfactorily. 26. The quality of relationships between staff and pupils is good and has a significant influence on how staff successfully manage the pupils in their care. Teachers are encouraging and supportive, which results in most pupils becoming confident and keen to learn. Staff show a high level of care and concern for their pupils and through their daily interactions act as good role models. In the Southwold Primary School - 16 best lessons observed, teachers used their knowledge of pupils appropriately to encourage them to improve and work harder. In contrast, pupils are sometimes unclear how they can improve their work as some of the marking is poor. Provision of homework is satisfactory overall and supports the work done in school, particularly in English and mathematics. 27. Across the school, the quality of teaching and learning is good in physical education and broadly satisfactory in all other subjects. In those lessons which are otherwise satisfactory, weaknesses include too low expectations, insufficiently challenging work, poor marking and insufficient support for those with special educational needs or those learning English as an additional language. Teaching is good in physical education because the work systematically develops pupils\222 skills and is appropriately challenging. 28. The school has improved its work with higher attaining pupils who are in some cases being appropriately challenged, and staff have recently developed additional support through the Education Action Zone programme for talented and able pupils. Teachers and support staff identify the needs of pupils from families with refugee status and give appropriate support to ensure their effective assimilation into the school. Through the monitoring of test results, staff are beginning to identify differences in attainment, for example, between girls and boys , and beginning to set more specific targets to raise standards. 29. Teachers give satisfactory support to those pupils who have special educational needs. When work is set at an appropriate level, pupils make good progress but in a few lessons their needs are not well met. A few teachers use the expertise of support staff well, and make sure they are fully briefed about their role in each lesson. They are often asked to focus on a specific pupil or group of pupils and make useful observations of such things as attitude or response during the part of the lesson when the teacher is directly addressing the class. These observations are later shared with the teacher to help assess the future needs of pupils and devise strategies to help them learn even more effectively. Teachers have positive attitudes towards special needs and this increases the self-esteem of the pupils who are willing to learn and to show what they can do. Most teachers assess progress carefully and steadily help pupils to build up basic skills. In the classroom, pupils are well integrated. Most learning support assistants have received training. 30. There are some weaknesses in the teaching of pupils learning English as an additional language, particularly those at the early stages of English acquisition. There is a lack of practical activities and visual clues given, and teachers sometimes speak too fast or give more information than is necessary. Also, the vocabulary used is not appropriate and difficult for early learners of English to understand. 31. However, several good strategies were observed and were judged to be effective. Learning is particularly good when it is combined with showing pictures, objects, actions and illustrations. For example, in history lessons in Years 1 and 2, pupils were given artefacts to look at and talk about, after the teacher had introduced them and used appropriate terminology to explain their purpose. Several teachers repeat instructions and tasks and check that pupils have understood these before they are asked to work independently. This strategy helps pupils to engage in activities more confidently and productively. Other teachers demonstrate what they want pupils to do instead of just telling them. HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS? 32. The last inspection report highlighted weaknesses in the content and organisation of the curriculum. Planning was not sufficiently comprehensive, there was insufficient detailed planning to meet the needs of all pupils and religious education did not meet statutory requirements. Although, under the leadership of the current headteacher , the school has made a positive start in addressing some of the weaknesses, the pace of developments has been slow, largely because of the very high teaching staff turnover and a lack of co-ordinators for subjects. Remaining weaknesses have a negative effect on pupils\222 learning and attainment. 33. The curriculum for children in the Nursery and Reception classes is planned in accordance with recommended guidance and successfully incorporates all six areas of learning. However, Southwold Primary School - 17 opportunities to learn from outdoor activities is compromised by lack of outdoor play space for pupils in the reception classes. The curriculum in Years 1 to 6 incorporates all National Curriculum subjects and meets the statutory requirements in relation to sex education and teaching pupils about drug misuse. The school has developed a good programme for pupils\222 personal, health, social and citizenship education (PSHE). This encourages pupils to make personal choices and informed decisions. Religious education now meets requirements and is provided in line with the local authority\222s agreed syllabus. 34. The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities for pupils, which includes educational visits within the immediate locality and further afield. After school clubs are provided in football, French, drama, African dance, aerobics and cricket. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 have good opportunities to take part in residential visits. The school makes good use of its links with the community and partner institutions to extend the curriculum, for example through a range of visitors to the school and its links with other schools, including those within the Education Action Zone. The curriculum is enhanced through implementation of the Additional Literacy Strategy, the Reading Recovery Programme and the Early Literacy Strategy. Booster classes are provided during school time for pupils in Year 6. This has provided additional time for developing pupils\222 basic skills, but has nevertheless also restricted the access that pupils in Year 6 have had to a broad and balanced curriculum. 35. The school has satisfactorily implemented the National Numeracy Strategy. The National Literacy Strategy has also been adopted and, although this would seem to have contributed to raising pupils\222 attainment in reading and writing by the end of Year 2, it has not been as effective in raising standards achieved by the end of Year 6. The curriculum provided does not meet the needs of all pupils. Work is often too hard for the lower-attaining pupils and work is not sufficiently adapted to meet the diverse needs of the high proportion of pupils with English as an additional language. 36. The school allocates extra time, in addition to the daily Literacy Hour, to teaching reading, spelling and extended writing. However, this seriously restricts the time available for other subjects, which also means pupils are given too few opportunities to apply their literacy and numeracy skills to their work in other subjects. Consequently, there is an inappropriate imbalance in the amount of time given to teaching each subject. The amount of time given to, for example, religious education, art and design, design and technology, geography, history and music is below that usually found and that recommended nationally. This means that not all the Programmes of Study are covered in sufficient detail and standards are not as high as they should be by the time that pupils leave the school. There have been some improvements to the provision for teaching information and communication technology with the setting up of a computer suite, but work is still within a narrow range. Computers and other forms of technology are not used sufficiently in other subjects. 37. The school has adopted the national guidance for teaching the foundation subjects. This ensures that teachers, many of whom are trained overseas, have a framework to plan from. The school\222s curriculum framework also identifies a two-year topic cycle for teaching subjects other than English, mathematics and science, which is planned to accommodate some mixed- age class groupings. This year, the teachers are working on many of these topics for the first time. Where a co-ordinator is in place they are providing support and guidance to their colleagues. The joint planning undertaken in teams and year groups also enables teachers to share their expertise. However, in the longer term there is a good deal of work to be done to ensure that plans for all subjects clearly and precisely outline all of the key skills, knowledge and understanding that pupils in each year group need to acquire. When pupils in two different year groups follow the same topics, the work presented to older pupils does not always build on their previous learning, nor is it of greater complexity than that taught to the younger pupils. This slows their learning. In view of pupils\222 diverse cultural heritage there is also the potential to adapt the curriculum and to reflect this. 38. The school\222s arrangements to ensure the equality of access and opportunity within the curriculum have improved. Since the previous inspection, a teacher has been allocated responsibility for gifted and talented pupils and the school has very recently begun to make appropriate provision for them. In some lessons, however, the curriculum is not sufficiently adapted to meet the needs of higher-attaining pupils, those with special educational needs and those speaking English as an additional language. In the best lessons, the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs Southwold Primary School - 18 is good and, where possible, is closely linked to the targets in their Individual Education Plans. Overall, provision for special educational needs pupils is satisfactory in literacy and numeracy and Individual Education Plans include targets for numeracy, literacy and behaviour. Pupils who are learning English as an additional language are taught in the mainstream classes and the appropriateness of their curriculum is often dependent on the knowledge and expertise of individual teachers. The content of the curriculum is usually satisfactory but the school has not sufficiently recognised the need to develop ways in which the curriculum is taught in order to make it more accessible, particularly for those pupils at the early stages of learning English. 39. Provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is good. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes have good opportunities to learn about festivals and celebrations such as Christmas, Easter and Diwali. Daily assemblies have a clear spiritual content, and concern for others and the environment are dominant themes. In a whole school assembly, for example, pupils gasped in amazement as they learnt that eight million horses were killed in the First World War. Pupils\222 spiritual awareness is also fostered in the wider curriculum: they gain a sense of awe and wonder in aspects of English and information and communication technology. Pupils in Year 5 word processed poems they had written describing their mother\222s beauty as being like a rose and the joy on seeing her face when they woke. In science, a hawk and barn owl in the classroom enthralled pupils ; provoking thoughtful questions and encouraging them to appreciate the beauty and fragility of the birds. 40. Moral and social development is promoted well. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes are given good opportunities to work independently and in small and large groups. They are well motivated to learn and are provided with positive encouragement that develops their self-esteem well. These foundations are developed well throughout the rest of the school. Adults provide good role models that encourage good relationships in the school community and respect for the local environment. Pupils have a well-developed sense of what is right and wrong and respect for others\222 views and beliefs. Opportunities to study environmental issues through the personal, social and health education programme are developing pupils\222 understanding of the need for preservation of the planet and their immediate environment. Praise and encouragement are used effectively to regulate personal behaviour and raise self-esteem. There are good opportunities in all lessons and in sporting events for pupils to work as part of a group in order to achieve a common goal. The residential visit to Wales provides a good opportunity for pupils in Years 5 and 6 to develop their social skills in a wider context. Pupils respond well to the opportunities to take on responsibilities around the school; for example, they help with the organisation of assemblies, collect the numbers of pupils having dinner and registers. 41. The school makes good provision for the cultural development of its pupils. Pupils have opportunities to develop awareness of their local culture. There are educational visits for every class: younger pupils make use of the immediate vicinity to look at a recycling centre. Years 5 and 6 have taken part in the construction of a \221big jigsaw of London\222 with a resident artist. After school clubs develop awareness of a range of cultures: one good example is the 20 pupils who attend the African dance and drums club. Pupils who speak an additional language wear badges to indicate the language they speak and invite others with that language to speak to them. Assemblies focus on different cultures: one story focused on an Afro-Caribbean family and their new baby. HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS? 42. Within a happy controlled setting, the school cares very well for the health, safety, welfare and guidance of all pupils. Appropriate emphasis is given by teachers and governors to providing learning within an establishment where pupils\222 personal and academic development is supported by a healthy and safe environment. The staff promote healthy and safe living through a programme for personal, social, health and citizenship education, and across the curriculum. The school has good relationships with a range of outside agencies and works successfully with them to improve pupils\222 welfare. 43. Procedures for monitoring behaviour are very good and well known to pupils and parents. As a result pupils are well behaved and this helps create an environment in which lessons can progress without interruption. Teachers give much praise for good work and for good behaviour, following Southwold Primary School - 19 consistently the school policy; pupils respond well to the rewards system and show real pride when they are praised and given personal points. The school has appropriate procedures in place to eliminate bullying and other forms of oppressive behaviour. Parents feel the school is improving behaviour and takes any unacceptable behaviour seriously. The school has effective systems in place for promoting race equality and monitors its practice. Staff are developing their race equality policy to reflect this. 44. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance and punctuality are very good. Registers are correctly completed both morning and afternoon. The school has worked hard to reinforce the procedures. The system is well run and is having a positive impact on attendance and punctuality in the current academic year. 45. Child protection procedures are also very good. There is a clear policy that is well known to all staff. The designated officer has good working relationships with all relevant support agencies and overall this provides good protection for all pupils. 46. Health and safety provision is very good. The school policy is comprehensive giving a good basis for consistent safety provision across the school. Risk assessment is up to date and all equipment is well maintained with recorded checks. Whilst the school works hard to maintain a safe environment, the school playground surface is in very poor condition. There are clear notices to support procedures for fire evacuation and fire drills are taken regularly and logged. First aid provision is very good; training is up to date and a current first aid certificate is held by a designated officer and a number of other staff. Pupils who are \221injured\222 understand who will help them and how this will happen. Serious accidents and head injuries are reported and recorded and notified to parents. 47. Arrangements for personal support and guidance are good. Pupils\222 personal development is monitored informally. Teachers know the pupils well and note significant points to share with parents at meetings and in reports; this also includes information from the class behaviour book. Parents are made aware of the progress that their children have made, the level they are working towards and importantly what they need to do to meet their personal targets. 48. Assessment procedures are satisfactory overall and follow the comprehensive assessment policy; however, information gained from assessing pupils is not always used to inform lesson planning. Assessment of children in the Nursery and Reception classes is good. Assessment on entry (baseline assessment) is used well to set appropriate work. Individual tracking of children\222s subsequent progress is effective and used well to develop their knowledge and skills in all the areas of learning. The results of National Curriculum tests and assessments with optional National Curriculum tests in Years 3, 4 and 5 are analysed well to identify and target potential weaknesses in pupils\222 learning. Reading diaries and checklists of progress in other aspects of English are used to develop learning. The school has introduced individual pupil targets based on National Curriculum levels in English, mathematics and science and assesses progress against these twice each year. Amendments are made to the targets as appropriate. As part of the work to raise standards of ethnic minority pupils, teachers are involved in monitoring patterns of achievement in curriculum areas. 49. Children are well supported when they join the Nursery and are able to make a good, confident start to their schooling. Pupils who join the school during the year, for example those with refugee status, and especially those who are at very early stages of learning in English, are also well supported socially. They soon make friends and settle into school routines. The school has a satisfactory system of assessing and recording pupils\222 language development, although the school does not use the national guidance on assessment criteria for English as an additional language. The school keeps record of pupils\222 attainment in terms of National Curriculum levels in English, mathematics and science as it does for other pupils. 50. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. It fully reflects the national requirements. The list of special needs pupils is well maintained. Parents are consulted at the time of the annual review. Individual Education Plans are well written and contain small-step targets that are realistic and achievable. Progress toward them is monitored, although competing demands upon the teachers\222 time mean that the monitoring is not always as careful as it ought to be. Pupils learn satisfactorily and make sound progress, gaining steadily in self-esteem and confidence. Southwold Primary School - 20 HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS? 51. Since the last inspection the school\222s partnership with parents has greatly improved and is now good. Parents are encouraged to support children\222s learning at home and are given very good support and information from the school to do this. Parents are genuinely pleased with the quality of education the school is now providing; they appreciate the increased involvement in school life and the change in atmosphere and attitudes, which is making a happy, positive establishment in which their children flourish and they are welcomed. 52. Parents\222 views of the school are positive. They are pleased with the progress pupils make and the standards of attainment achieved. Parents feel they are well informed and that it is an open school. Since the last inspection, they feel the school has become welcoming for parents and there is a friendly atmosphere but are concerned about the high staff turnover and the difficulties there have been for Year 5 and 6 pupils in particular. Parents in no way seek to blame the management for this. Parents are well informed on pupils\222 progress and believe there are good communications between home and school. Parents say behaviour has greatly improved and the happy, friendly school encourages pupils to attend. Pupils are well cared for and are given good opportunities to develop independence and confidence. Parents are regarded as true partners in home-school learning; they feel that the school belongs to them and their children but the real value is the partnership they have with the staff. Decisions are a shared process, developed through the governors\222 forums for parents. The inspection findings substantiate these views. 53. There is regular and effective communication between home and school. This happens through a range of methods including the school prospectus, \221curriculum maps\222, school policies, consultation evenings, end of year reports, regular newsletters and daily contact with staff, all enabling parents to be a part of their child\222s education and to receive support with translation if needed. There are also end of year reports with targets for improvement. Parents raised a small but important issue about the lack of translation for information provided on the curriculum, which has inhibited their involvement. The school endeavours to translate as many papers as possible but with such a diversity of languages within each class the emphasis is put on providing parents with English classes. This is being successfully done and a number of parents are about to take their first examination. 54. All prospective parents have an opportunity to speak to the headteacher and to view the school prior to the pupils\222 entry; this contributes to the successful induction into Nursery and helps the many children who arrive at the school throughout the year to settle quickly into the community. The governors\222 annual report to parents gives good information and meets legal requirements. The school prospectus is well presented, with necessary and useful information for parents. This, too, complies with legal requirements. 55. Parents make a positive impact on the school both as individuals and through the Parent- Teacher Association. The Parent-Teacher Association works hard as a fund-raiser and aims to be the focal point of the school social community; it has raised money for playground equipment through a very successful international evening well supported by the parents. Home-School Agreements have been well received by parents and are used to strengthen the partnership between home and school and reinforce pupils\222 home learning habits. Two parents are regular classroom helpers and others listen to pupils reading at home. Parents participate in curriculum days, which have included guidance on science and literacy. Staff are working hard to encourage parental involvement and to support parents to enable them to become partners in their children\222s education: the majority of parents are responding and gaining confidence in the school and its work for their children. 56. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are kept informed about their child\222s progress towards the targets set for them. The school tries hard to involve parents and actively encourages them to be involved in discussions to maximise the progress made by their child. Many parents attend the annual review. The quality of information for parents is good. Southwold Primary School - 21 HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED? 57. At the time of the previous inspection in 1997, it was said that the day-to-day administrative routines of the school were good, but that senior staff were unsure about their roles and that the school lacked an effective senior management team. Since then, under the leadership of the new headteacher, these issues have been successfully addressed. A senior management team is firmly in place and represents all aspects of the school\222s activities. All adults have a well-defined role and work closely to ensure the academic progress and welfare of all pupils. It has been particularly effective in creating a good learning environment and in developing pupils\222 personal and social education. In addition, the headteacher inherited a budget that was substantially in deficit. Good financial management ensured that the deficit was quickly rectified. The budget is now in credit, which allows realistic plans to be set for the school\222s development. 58. Although standards remain stubbornly below national averages, the school is a happy and thriving place that provides a secure learning environment for a richly diverse school community. Pupils feel safe and secure. The chief factor that impedes more rapid development and the raising of standards is the serious difficulty in recruiting and retaining the services of good teachers. The headteacher and the governors have worked hard to rectify this problem but have to contend with a national shortage of teachers and local factors that do not encourage recruitment. Nonetheless, all adults who work at the school have the best interests of the pupils at heart and collectively have made a small but positive impact upon standards. 59. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher work closely together and provide leadership which has improved pupils\222 attitudes to learning and behaviour. They share a vision for the school\222s development that is communicated effectively to the staff. They lead by example and take full responsibility for the strengths and the weaknesses of the school. They motivate and influence the staff. The senior management team now works well together to provide coherent strategies for future development with a focus on raising standards. All who hold delegated responsibility carry out their duties satisfactorily. 60. The role of the subject co-ordinator has developed well since the previous inspection but the mobility of staff has meant that not all subjects have a co-ordinator. This has a negative impact upon subjects such as music, history and geography and upon the delivery of a cohesive curriculum, a point that was noted at the previous inspection. There is a continuing need for teacher in-service training in preparation for the monitoring and development of teaching in all subjects. The headteacher monitors teaching effectively as part of her performance management task. She provides oral and written feedback. This provides a good model for subject co- ordinators. Currently, the skills of good teaching are not shared as effectively as they might be. 61. The special educational needs co-ordinator is highly competent, organised and committed. As deputy headteacher, she has a good overview of the needs of the pupils and the school. She ensures that Individual Education Plans are appropriate to the needs of the pupil and that the plans are regularly reviewed. The staff share a commitment to raise standards of pupils with special needs but sometimes the work planned for them in whole-class sessions does not fully meet their needs. This is usually a result of the inexperience of some teachers. At secondary transfer, contact is made with some special educational needs departments in secondary schools in order to pass on information and establish continuity of care. 62. Currently, there are a sufficient number of teachers to teach the National Curriculum. At the present time, there are five teachers who are not qualified under the current English system but have been trained overseas . Most of the current teaching staff have been appointed since the last inspection, and during the current year there have been several changes of staff, especially in the Year 5 and 6 class. This has had a detrimental effect on the pupils\222 progress over time. All teachers, except one in Years 3 to 6 are new to the school this year. This has been because of circumstances beyond the school\222s control and there are ongoing problems of recruitment in the area. Eight classes now have permanent teachers and the management team consists of three long-term teachers. New teachers are given a good introduction and support and the school also supports the training of student teachers. The school is currently reviewing the effectiveness of the allocation of staff, for example, in Years 5 and 6 and those supporting pupils learning English as an additional language. Southwold Primary School - 22 63. The school\222s accommodation is satisfactory. Classrooms are spacious, and there is a new separate computer suite. However, there is no library, which could be used by pupils for independent work. There are two halls that serve well for assemblies and dining but only one hall that fulfils the safety requirements for physical education. There is an adequate hard area for outside physical education and recreation; unfortunately, the poor condition of the playground surface makes this a safety hazard. Overall, the fabric of the building is in poor condition but is well maintained by the site caretaker. The Reception class does not have a dedicated outdoor play area. 64. The school is building up resources for learning but in a number of areas there is still some degree of need. Provision for information and communication technology has improved but the number of computers is still insufficient, as is their quality. Information and communication technology is used well in the school\222s administration. Its use in the classroom needs further development, and the software available at present is limited. 65. The governing body supports the school as well as its depleted numbers will allow. Governors are enthusiastic about the school and want the pupils to do well. New governors are still learning about the school and finding out how best they can promote its development. The chair of governors is a longstanding servant of the school and gives the headteacher excellent support. All governors are committed to the school\222s long-term future and to an improvement in standards. In committee, governors and headteacher evaluate the school\222s performance in the national tests and agree strategies for action. The shortage of permanent staff features prominently in discussion and governors are keenly aware that the resolution of this difficulty is a key to the school\222s future development. 66. The governors and the headteacher have established good procedures for financial planning and management. The finance committee and the headteacher worked hard to ensure that the school\222s budget account was returned swiftly to a credit balance. Current spending is prudent and judicious. Good quality information is provided to the governors so that they may determine future spending on the basis of fact. The day-to-day accounts are meticulously kept and good use is made of computer technology in financial administration. A budget based on the school\222s identified needs is now firmly established so that the pupils derive maximum benefit from all expenditure. The most recent audit found that accounts are well kept. The minor recommendations made have been implemented. 67. The school development plan that covers the period 2001-3 is the product of consultation with staff and governors. It is a working document of better quality and greater detail than its predecessor . It provides a clear set of targets, all related to raising standards, and sets out a satisfactory overview to the year 2003. Staff and governors jointly assess the priorities for development. It is monitored regularly to ensure that targets are being met. Success criteria are carefully defined. The plan is satisfactorily costed against the predictive school budget but some costs lack detail. 68. Specific grants, such as the standards fund, are used to raise standards in mathematics and English, for example. The school makes careful use of the principles of best value to ensure that all income is used to improve the quality of education. Good quality financial management and careful monitoring of spending contribute well to the efficient running of the school. Taking into account the pupils\222 attainment on entry, the progress they make and the overall quality of education, the school provides satisfactory value for money. WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 69. Staff and governors should work together on the following areas to improve the quality of provision further and raise standards. \267 Raise standards in English in Years 3 to 6 by: - ensuring that teachers place sufficient emphasis on developing and extending pupils\222 vocabulary and encouraging pupils to speak; - ensuring that teachers use vocabulary which pupils can understand; - ensuring that pupils receive sufficient guidance when selecting books so that they can Southwold Primary School - 23 understand the content and vocabulary used and pupils are given more support to develop their reading; - giving more support to encourage pupils\222 writing; - improving the teaching of handwriting; - improving the provision for lower-attaining pupils. (Paragraphs 6, 88, 89, 91, 92, 93, 95, 96, 97, 99, 100) \267 Raise standards in mathematics in Years 3 to 6 by: - ensuring that all mental arithmetic sessions are brisk and demanding and provide stimulus for the main body of the lesson; - developing pupils\222 investigative and problem solving skills, particularly through the use of practical tasks; - challenging higher- attainers more rigorously. (Paragraphs 7, 107, 109, 110) Southwold Primary School - 24 \267 Raise standards in science in Years 3 to 6 by: - developing pupils\222 investigation skills and their ability to set up their own experiments; - ensuring that pupils receive enough guidance on how to record and present their work findings. (Paragraphs 8, 113, 114, 116) \267 Improve the quality of teaching in Years 1 to 6 by: - ensuring that teachers have sufficient knowledge of all subjects; - improving teachers\222 planning so that the work set matches the variety of needs within each class; - raising teachers\222 expectations of what pupils can achieve, particularly in Years 3 to 6; - ensuring that all teachers know the next stages in individual pupils\222 learning and clearly indicate to pupils how they can improve their work, for example, when marking their work; - ensuring regular monitoring and evaluation of teaching so that good practice may be shared. (Paragraphs 24, 26, 38, 99, 101, 113, 114, 117, 118, 127, 133, 134, 153, 163) \267 Improve the quality of the curriculum by: - developing detailed curriculum plans for all subjects which clearly outline the precise skills, knowledge and understanding that pupils of different ages and abilities need to acquire; - ensuring that sufficient time is given to all of the subjects; - maximising the use of the relevant links that exist between subjects; - incorporating the use of information and communication technology into subject teaching; - adapting the curriculum to incorporate and celebrate the cultural diversity found within the school and to meet the needs of bilingual learners. (Paragraphs 35, 36, 37,38, 100, 122, 124, 128, 129, 134, 138, 140, 142, 145, 146, 149, 155, 160, 164) \267 Improve teaching for pupils learning English as an additional language by: - improving teachers\222 understanding of how pupils acquire another language; - extending the range of teaching methods used to support pupils; - planning systematically to meet individual and group needs, when specialist support is not available; - reviewing the deployment of available support to ensure its most effective use; - monitoring and evaluating the impact of the school\222s provision; - reviewing arrangements for interpreting and translating texts to support the ethnic minority pupils and their parents. (Paragraphs 6,12, 23, 30, 38, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 88, 89, 105, 113, 118, 136, 141) THE PROVISION FOR PUPILS WITH ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE 70. There are weaknesses in the provision for pupils with English as an additional language (EAL). The majority of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and the proportion speaking English as an additional language is high. Most pupils enter school with varying degrees of spoken English, but very low attainment in early literacy skills. The school also admits a significant number of refugees and a high proportion of pupils join or leave during the school year. These pupils are mainly from minority ethnic groups and speak English as an additional language. This high number of admissions during the school year means that teaching groups are constantly changing. The more competent users of English, particularly the older pupils , achieve standards in line with their peers. The achievement of most pupils who are new arrivals and on initial stages of English language acquisition, however, is unsatisfactory. There is an experienced co-ordinator and another part-time teacher, but the current deployment of the available support is ineffective. A large number of pupils across the school need direct support on a regular basis in order for pupils Southwold Primary School - 25 to access the full curriculum. Currently the needs of these pupils are not consistently and explicitly met. 71. The school has very clear aims and procedures to ensure that all pupils have full access to the curriculum. There are effective admission procedures for collecting the most useful information about pupils\222 background and their linguistic competencies in English as well as their other languages. This information is recorded on profiles, which also identify pertinent background information. All pupils are assessed and their stage of language acquisition, mainly the fluency in English, has been determined and recorded. In spite of this, there is insufficient, systematic intervention and the pupils with greatest need, particularly those who may be achieving less than their potential, do not receive continuous extra support. This is because the current system of giving each class an equal share of available time in a block of a few weeks is not appropriately apportioned according to the needs. 72. The quality of support provided by the Ethnic Minority Achievement teachers, where carefully planned with the class teachers, is satisfactory. In some lessons, the teacher working with EAL pupils is not aware of the full range of language needs and little regard is given to the learning of subject specific vocabulary. The staff have not established \221partnership teaching\222 to effectively benefit pupils\222 learning. The support in Year 2 is particularly weak. There is little involvement in planning and preparing to meet the needs of the targeted pupils during the lesson. The continuous assessing and reviewing of pupils\222 progress are also weak. Pupils do not have specific \221EAL\222 learning targets against which their individual achievements can be measured and recorded. Most class teachers do not give due regard to pupils\222 levels of competency in speaking and listening, reading and writing and are not sufficiently guided by expertise in the field. Many do not plan specifically with EAL pupils in mind and a few use too narrow a range of teaching methods to stimulate interest. They do not identify the specific steps taken to meet the needs of pupils with EAL or use interesting and stimulating resources to aid learning. The teachers and support staff in the Nursery and Reception classes focus well on developing children\222s \221talk\222. They make specific plans to ensure a language rich environment and provide lots of visual clues to aid children\222s understanding of spoken English. 73. Pupils with English as an additional language mix well with their peers and are keen to participate fully in activities and school events. They are motivated and ready to learn and enjoy the attention given to them when they are supported in their learning. This was well exemplified in some numeracy sessions. In one session, the pupils were eager to answer questions and showed high level of motivation. In another, based on language activities, they were confident to share information with each other and the teacher. In a further lesson, pupils responded well to the teachers\222 encouragement and praise, and were fully involved in playing word pairing and matching games. Teachers\222 positive acceptance of a diversity of languages adds significantly to bilingual pupils\222 ease. They become willing participants in lessons and are keen to express their ideas. The school does not often actively promote pupils\222 home languages in displays. 74. The resourcing for language support and the integration of pupils in the school are being improved. The school is also very fortunate to have a number of good role models on the staff who are able to share the language and culture of the pupils. However, there is need for all staff to receive training on effective strategies to teach pupils learning English as an additional language. All teachers need to plan systematically to meet individual and group needs, when specialist support is not available. The school has a well-considered action plan to develop and improve the quality of provision with a clear direction. There is need to apply a more rigorous approach to monitoring and evaluating the impact of the school\222s provision. Better arrangements for interpreting and translating texts to support the ethnic minority pupils and their parents would further enhance the provision. Southwold Primary School - 26 PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection Number of lessons observed 67 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 42 Summary of teaching observed during the inspection Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor Number 1 5 24 30 7 0 0 Percentage 2 7 36 45 10 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one percentage point. Information about the school\222s pupils Pupils on the school\222s roll Nursery YR \226 Y6 Number of pupils on the school\222s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 22.5 246 Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 150 FTE means full-time equivalent. Special educational needs Nursery YR \226 Y6 Number of pupils with Statements of Special Educational Needs 0 2 Number of pupils on the school\222s special educational needs register 2 77 English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 196 Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 50 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 43 Attendance Authorised absence Unauthorised absence % % School data 9.2 School data 3.1 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Southwold Primary School - 27 Southwold Primary School - 28 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 16 17 33 National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics Boys 11 11 10 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Girls 14 15 13 Total 25 26 23 Percentage of pupils School 76 (37) 79 (46) 70 (74) at NC Level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90) Teachers\222 Assessments English Mathematics Science Boys 13 12 14 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Girls 14 13 12 Total 27 25 26 Percentage of pupils School 82 (37) 76 (60) 79 (31) at NC Level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 19 21 40 National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science Boys 2 8 11 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 4 and above Girls 10 8 16 Total 12 16 27 Percentage of pupils School 30 (43) 40 (24) 68 (33) at NC Level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85) Teachers\222 Assessments English Mathematics Science Boys 6 5 6 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 4 and above Girls 8 6 9 Total 14 11 15 Percentage of pupils School 34 (48) 28 (48) 38 (57) at NC Level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Southwold Primary School - 29 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year No of pupils Fixed period Permanent Black \226 Caribbean heritage 51 Black \226 Caribbean heritage 0 0 Black \226 African heritage 53 Black \226 African heritage 5 0 Black \226 other 0 Black \226 other 0 0 Indian 15 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 6 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 20 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 1 Chinese 0 0 White 44 White 1 0 Any other minority ethnic group 21 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Teachers and classes Financial information Qualified teachers and classes: YR \226 Y6 Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 12 Financial year 2000/2001 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20 Average class size 22 \243 Education support staff: YR \226 Y6 Total income 873,639 Total number of education support staff 11 Total expenditure 838,087 Total aggregate hours worked per week 215 Expenditure per pupil 2,776 Qualified teachers and support staff: Nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 20,250 Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 35,552 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 16 Total number of education support staff 1 Total aggregate hours worked per week 29 Number of pupils per FTE adult 8 FTE means full-time equivalent. Recruitment of teachers Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 9 Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 9 Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 3 Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 4 Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Southwold Primary School - 30 Results of the survey of parents and carers Questionnaire return rate Number of questionnaires sent out 262 Number of questionnaires returned 39 Percentage of responses in each category Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don\222t know My child likes school. 72 23 5 0 0 My child is making good progress in school. 72 26 0 0 3 Behaviour in the school is good. 62 26 0 3 10 My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 54 28 13 5 0 The teaching is good. 67 33 0 0 0 I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 62 31 5 0 3 I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 79 21 0 0 0 The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 69 21 0 0 10 The school works closely with parents. 54 41 0 0 5 The school is well led and managed. 54 38 0 3 5 The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 64 33 0 0 3 The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 54 31 5 0 10 Other issues raised by parents A few parents raised the problems they faced when interpretation and translation into English were not available. Parents also identified the problems caused by frequent changes of teachers and stated that this had an effect on their children\222s learning. A few parents expressed concern about how injuries were dealt with and recorded. Southwold Primary School - 31 PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE 75. The school has maintained the good practice identified in the last inspection and made significant improvements in teaching and the curriculum. The good quality of teaching in all areas of learning in both the Nursery and Reception classes is characterised by a good understanding of how young children learn, high expectations, and the systematic development of children\222s good attitudes to learning and good behaviour. Children are helped to settle into school life through participating in a range of interesting activities. All staff work well together and this results in a consistent approach to teaching and learning. Support staff play an important role in developing the children\222s learning and supporting their achievements. The curriculum takes into consideration the national guidance for the Foundation Stage and staff adapt it to meet the needs of the children. Staff plan the work appropriately and use assessments of the children to inform their planning. Good records are kept to monitor the progress that children make in all areas of learning. 76. Most children make good progress, including those with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language. Teachers and support staff recognise the need to speak clearly and regularly to children in order to develop their language skills. Children with emotional and behavioural difficulties are well supported and a good range of strategies is used to acknowledge and praise their good behaviour and detract them from disturbing their own learning and the learning of others. Most respond positively. Children currently in the Reception classes are likely to reach the standards expected for children of that age by the end of the Reception year in creative and physical development and a few will achieve above this in personal, social and emotional development. However, most are unlikely to reach the expected standards in communication, language and literacy, knowledge and understanding of the world and mathematical development. This reflects the very low standards which they have on entering the school and the large numbers of children who are at a relatively early stage of learning English as an additional language. Personal, social and emotional development 77. The school has developed a good induction programme which helps to settle children quickly into school routines. Staff have good relationships with parents, who are encouraged to work in partnership with the school to help support their own child\222s learning. A caring and stimulating learning environment is created in both the Nursery and Reception classes in which children quickly understand the routines and structure of the day and develop good attitudes to learning. Teachers and support staff use a range of strategies to encourage children to play together and they develop relationships quickly. Children were observed playing well together and sharing resources, for example when bathing their dolls in the Nursery and in the Reception cafe. As a result of the expectations of the teachers and support staff, who make appropriate comments to encourage co-operation, most children quickly learn how to share resources and take turns , Children recognise the importance of keeping healthy and are aware of personal hygiene issues. Their independent skills are developed when they are encouraged to help clear away after activities. 78. A good balance is created between teacher-directed activities and times when children are able to play without direct adult supervision. This develops the children\222s confidence and a growing independence and initiative when presented with choices. In the Reception classes, the structure of the activities supports them well in preparation for work in the National Curriculum. Children are encouraged to be polite and sensible and most move easily from work undertaken as a whole class to group and individual activities. Those with limited use of English are encouraged by individual members of staff to take full part in the activities and learn appropriate English vocabulary related to these activities. Staff act as good role models and the children\222s skills are continually developed through the positive interactions between staff and children. Consequently, many children behave well and form good relationships with each other and with adults. Girls and boys are encouraged to play together and take part in all activities so that they develop a good range of skills across all areas of learning. Children are encouraged to acknowledge and value the Southwold Primary School - 32 different experiences and backgrounds of those in the Nursery and Reception classes and their cultural awareness is raised through, for example, reading a good range of stories and through religious education lessons. Communication, language and literacy 79. To compensate for the very limited skills displayed by many children when they start school, staff in the Nursery provide an environment which encourages speaking and listening and the development of a widening vocabulary. This is successfully built on in the Reception classes where children\222s speaking and listening skills are developed well across all areas of the curriculum. For example, this happens when small groups of children talk about furniture in the rooms of a house in the Nursery and when they discuss their art work in the Reception class. In both these examples, the children were encouraged to respond to the adult and each other and develop their use of vocabulary. Children\222s speaking skills are also systematically developed through the provision of specific activities, such as the imaginative play areas when children pretend to be customers and caf\351 owners. On entering the Nursery, many children do not communicate in English and those that do use a restricted range of vocabulary. Most make good progress and soon begin to speak with adults and each other. 80. Children like to choose books in the Nursery reading area and sometimes settle down to \221read\222 alone or with a friend. They handle books carefully and know that print carries meaning. Children are encouraged to share books regularly with the teacher and most respond well to this activity. In the Reception classes, children receive regular opportunities to listen to stories and they respond very well. Most were able to clearly talk about the story of Mr Gumpy\222s Outing in one Reception class. In the other, the children were captivated by the excellent reading of So Much when the teacher used expression, voice and actions very well to relay anticipation and excitement. Story tapes are also available in a variety of home languages; for example, children were seen listening to The Very Hungry Caterpillar in Sylheti. Regular sessions support children well in their recognition of letters and the sounds that they make. All children are encouraged to read regularly with their parents at home, which has a significant impact on the progress that they make and the standards that they achieve. One higher-attaining child confidently spoke to the inspector about the story of Macbeth and the main characters. His interest had been awakened by activities outside school but staff had developed his knowledge and understanding by providing a book and speaking about the play. 81. Children in the Nursery develop their writing skills by learning how to hold the pencil correctly and recognising and writing their own names. They become aware of writing for different purposes and are keen to display their work. These skills are developed further in the Reception classes when children were observed successfully sequencing a story and developing their own books folded into a zig-zag shape. Children receive good support from staff, which encourages the development of their handwriting and use of vocabulary. Overall, a good range of resources to encourage writing and communication is available and results in the youngest children making marks on paper and the oldest writing sentences reasonably well. Mathematical development 82. The children\222s skills and understanding are taught in the Nursery during specific sessions, and consolidated through daily play activities. In one good session observed, children were encouraged to develop their counting and sequencing skills and recognition of colour. Several found this difficult at first, but the good support from the teacher ensured that they understood. By the end of the activity, all could sequence a pattern using two colours and higher attainers could use four. Children are also encouraged to develop their understanding of capacity when playing with water and sand and children learning to speak English are encouraged to use terminology such as \221empty\222 and \221full\222. Some children in the Nursery can identify a square, circle and triangle and count to ten. The children\222s skills are developed further in the Reception classes by the provision of a variety of activities which develop their skills in number, shape and space and through daily numeracy sessions. The teacher in one good lesson had a clear understanding of what she wanted the children to learn and offered a range of appropriate activities to develop their mathematical skills and recognition of coins. The pace of learning was good as she encouraged the children to throw the dice, count the spots and match this number with the correct number of Southwold Primary School - 33 one pence pieces. Children were delighted to be using \221real\222 money and used the coins to put the correct number in their individual purses. Knowledge and understanding of the world 83. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes develop an understanding of the roles of familiar people through imaginative play, reading stories and listening to visitors. They develop an interest and understanding of growing things ; for example, by studying the life cycle of a butterfly and how to look after pets in the Nursery. This is built upon in the Reception classes through the study of the growth of a bean plant and the drawing and labelling of a flowering plant. Children also make regular observations of the weather and keep a diary. All these practical activities encourage the children\222s responses to learning and widen the range of their vocabulary. Children in both the Nursery and Reception classes have a sound understanding of the uses of everyday technology. Opportunities are provided for children to assemble and take apart simple models, using a variety of construction kits. In both the Nursery and Reception classes, the children\222s skills in using the computer develop satisfactorily so that they are able to follow through a program independently and use a paint program. Physical development 84. In the Nursery, children get regular opportunities for physical education through playing outside where they learn to balance, climb and run. They also develop their skills through playing with balls and using wheeled toys. The outside area is quite small but staff do the best they can to provide a full range of experiences by changing activities each day. Staff plan the use of the outside area well and encourage all pupils to spend part of the day there. Reception children have regular formal physical education lessons and opportunities to use the main school play area but do not have a dedicated outside play space for themselves. This makes it difficult for teachers to cover those areas of the curriculum which encourage outdoor activities. In a very good lesson for the Reception children, they responded well to the teacher\222s instructions and thoroughly enjoyed the activities. The teacher started the session well with a warm-up activity and then developed the children\222s control and co-ordination. Expectations were high and the pace of learning very good. The teacher clearly demonstrated what she wanted the children to do and they were very keen to copy her actions. Her demonstrations were particularly helpful to children with limited use of the English language. Both members of staff worked well together to encourage the children to do the best they could. This resulted in most pupils reaching standards above those expected for their age, for example when jumping off a beam. The children\222s use of small objects, such as pencils, construction equipment and paintbrushes, is satisfactory, and they handle them safely and appropriately. Creative development 85. The children\222s creative development is successfully fostered through a range of activities. In the Nursery, children were observed using a variety of materials to create a collage and use paint programs on the computer to develop their own creative ideas. Displays in the Nursery act as good models for children\222s work, for example displays of the Three Little Pigs and Jack and the Beanstalk . Children in the Reception classes also experience a range of activities and continue to make good progress with their creative development. Some children were observed painting in the style of Monet after studying several of his paintings. The very good teaching and support given resulted in the children producing work of a high quality. Expectations were high and children were reminded to focus on developing their use of colour and technique. The children were excited by the opportunity to continue with their paintings and were pleased with their work. Pupils\222 skills in colour mixing were very good and they were aware of several methods of applying paint in order to create a similar style to that of Monet. The children\222s responses are also developed through specific music sessions and through singing rhymes and songs. The role-play areas in both the Nursery and Reception classes provide opportunities for children to play co-operatively and develop their imagination. They extend their language skills by re-enacting familiar situations or making up their own. Southwold Primary School - 34 ENGLISH 86. In the National Curriculum tests for Year 2 pupils in 2001, the overall standards that pupils achieved in reading and writing showed a significant improvement on previous years. Standards were below those found nationally but above those found in similar schools. Reading and writing standards in the current Year 2 cohort are similar to those achieved in the tests last year, with around three quarters of pupils achieving the expected Level 2. However, the proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 3, as is indicated in the most recent test results, is not as high as it was last year. 87. In the national tests for Year 6 pupils in 2001, overall standards were very low when compared with schools nationally and with similar schools. The results for Year 6 pupils have been consistently very low over the past few years and the school\222s improvement trend has not kept pace with that found nationally. In the current Year 6 class, pupils\222 attainment is well below the nationally expected levels for a high proportion of pupils. 88. When children first enter the school, their fluency in speaking and listening is very low: around two thirds of pupils attending this school are from homes where English is not the first language spoken. By the end of Years 2 and 6, standards in speaking are still below the nationally expected levels for a significant proportion of pupils. Some pupils cannot express their thoughts and ideas succinctly and clearly, despite recognising the correct words to use. In an informal setting, however, pupils speak at length more confidently and ask and answer questions. A few pupils have good speaking skills. In literacy lessons, too few pupils volunteer to answer questions and, when they do, they frequently speak quietly so that other pupils cannot hear them. Not enough emphasis is given to extending pupils\222 vocabulary, encouraging pupils to speak up, and to practising spoken language in lessons in other subjects. This is especially important in the context of a school where so many of the pupils learn English as an additional language. In some instances, teachers also need to modify their own vocabulary and speech, to ensure that all pupils understand what is being said to them. Sometimes the vocabulary that teachers use is too complex. Pupils are also unfamiliar with some of the teachers\222 accents, and on occasions, teachers speak too quickly. These factors hinder the development of pupils\222 spoken English. 89. Most pupils in all year groups usually listen attentively, in a variety of contexts, for sustained periods. This represents a good achievement. Pupils\222 listening skills improve well during their time at the school so that by the end of Year 6, many pupils\222 skills are similar to those found nationally. In all classes, however, there are some pupils who find it hard to listen for long periods, and whose ability to learn from this mode of teaching is limited by their understanding of English. In the best lessons, teachers take account of this and adapt their teaching methods accordingly. In others, pupils sometimes lose interest or cannot follow at the same speed as others in the class. Consequently, their progress suffers. 90. By the end of Year 2, overall standards in reading are below national expectations, but pupils have made good progress since joining the school. The highest-attaining pupils read books from a reading scheme fluently and, when they encounter unfamiliar words, they show sound skills in working them out. Average-attaining and lower-attaining pupils also make good attempts to decipher unknown words by using the picture clues and context clues, although their knowledge of sounds is not as strong as that of the higher-attaining pupils. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 show an interest in reading and are keen to talk about the books they are reading and their preferences. 91. In Years 3 to 6 there are very wide variations in pupils\222 attainment in reading. Overall standards at the end of Year 6 are below the national expectations: the proportion of pupils attaining expected levels is below that usually found. Some pupils do read at age-appropriate levels, and a few read at the higher levels. However, some pupils are still at the very early stages of learning to read. Some of these pupils can read texts in their first language more fluently. By the end of Year 6, the higher and average-attaining pupils can recall salient features of characters or the plot in the story. They outline their preferences for types of books and popular authors and some are avid readers. Most pupils in Years 3 to 6 also have positive attitudes to reading. There are a few pupils who need more guidance about selecting books, as they choose books in which the vocabulary or content is too hard for them. 92. Pupils\222 progress in reading is satisfactorily monitored and records are kept. There are regular Southwold Primary School - 35 reading sessions, in addition to those in the Literacy Hour, when pupils have an opportunity to read independently and with the teacher. In literacy lessons, there are some opportunities for pupils to read and re-read whole class texts, but not enough. There are missed opportunities to practise reading, and to ensure all pupils are sufficiently familiar with the text studied. In a number of instances the print of the shared text is too small for all pupils to see. This is due to a lack of \221Big Books\222 and the absence of overhead projectors. 93. The absence of a school library means that pupils do not have opportunities to learn library skills from practical experience. Although there are small book collections in classrooms and other areas, the number, range and condition of non-fiction books are generally poor and there is a need for substantial investment in this area. The recent improvement in guided readers and books for lower-attaining pupils ensures that pupils can select books matched to a wide range of prior attainment. These resources are now adequate and are of good quality. There are some good dual-text books, which are particularly useful for the older, newly arrived, non-English speaking pupils. Access to these books is helping them to learn to speak and read by the good additional, focused support from the teacher in charge of the provision for ethnic minority pupils. Discussions with the pupils from across the school also indicates that many of them are well supported at home with their reading. Parents or older siblings read with them and parents buy books for their children and some take their children to the public library. 94. Despite the increased time given to writing, overall standards remain below national expectations by the end of Year 2 and well below national expectations by the end of Year 6. Pupils in Year 1 and 2 are making sound progress in writing. By Year 2, the work of the highest- attaining pupils is close to the nationally expected levels. The content of their work is sound. Their writing is sometimes demarcated with capital letters and full stops, and a few pupils are beginning to use speech marks. The work of average-attaining pupils has improved well, from a low starting point, and the children are beginning to write simple sentences independently. 95. Pupils\222 progress in writing is less secure in Years 3 to 6, particularly that of the lowest attaining pupils where insufficient support is given to structure pupils\222 writing. Pupils at this stage regularly learn spellings, which is having a positive effect on their confidence to try more difficult words and their accuracy. In Year 6, the work of the highest-attaining pupils shows them working within the average Level 4 band. Pupils use a range of vocabulary to interest the reader, although grammatical errors do arise when pupils \223write as they speak\224. The content of the writing of average attaining pupils is satisfactory but they do not often write at length, and their punctuation and spellings are frequently inaccurate. Lower-attaining pupils\222 writing is generally weak, but they write more successfully when retelling a known story or relating their own experiences than when writing imaginatively. The progress of lower-attaining pupils is particularly slow. 96. The quality of handwriting is poor throughout the school. Only a very small minority of pupils even attempt to join their letters. There is currently no systematic approach to teaching a cursive style of writing, which limits pupils\222 attainment and their ability to write quickly. The school is aware of this weakness and handwriting is a priority identified for next year. 97. Teaching is satisfactory overall. In most lessons, teachers identify clear learning objectives, although they do not routinely share these with pupils. Teachers are well organised and they manage pupils well and enjoy good relationships with them. Teachers\222 subject knowledge and their understanding of the Literacy Strategy are usually secure. A shortcoming in a number of lessons is the lack of attention given to lower-attaining pupils during the whole-class teaching session and when planning tasks. In a number of lessons seen, only a small minority of pupils volunteered to answer questions. This raises questions about pupils\222 motivation and their understanding, and about the appropriateness of teachers\222 planning for a substantial minority of pupils. Teachers follow the age-related programmes found in the National Literacy Strategy, even though many pupils are not ready for this level of work. Although teachers and support staff often give more attention to the lower-attaining pupils during group work, they do not usually plan specific tasks that match their prior attainment or that reflect the targets in the their Individual Education Plans. 98. In the lessons where teaching was good, there was a better understanding of the needs of the lower-attaining pupils and those who are at the early stages of English acquisition. In a Year 1 class, for example, the teacher used a wide range of strategies to interest all pupils, engage them Southwold Primary School - 36 and make learning accessible. This included providing lots of visual clues, constantly reinforcing previously learned sounds, good intonation of the new sound blends being introduced and much active learning. Pupils, for example, sang songs and rhymes and performed actions to the text. In this and other good lessons, the teachers adapted the lesson plans to their pupils\222 specific needs. They interspersed teacher talk with pupil activity, so that pupils were not expected to sit and listen for too long. The learning support staff also made a good contribution to pupils\222 learning as they were well prepared and briefed, and deployed effectively to work alongside pupils and to participate in the teaching. In Years 5 and 6, where two teachers are team teaching a large group of pupils, English teaching is not as effective as it should be. The groups are too large and the range of prior attainment very wide. As a result, too little attention is given to ensuring that all pupils, especially the high proportion of lower-attaining pupils, are making sufficient progress. 99. Pupils throughout the school show good attitudes to their work in English and they try hard in lessons even if they sometimes find things difficult. The school has introduced some good procedures for assessing pupils\222 attainments, including the setting of class and group targets. There is some good marking in two classes; however, the quality of marking in general is not in keeping with the school\222s marking policy. In a number of classes pupils\222 work, in particular their extended writing, is marked infrequently. Sometimes work is merely ticked, without pinpointing the strengths and weaknesses in it, or drawing pupils\222 attention to spelling and grammatical errors in order to take their learning forward. This is a significant shortcoming. Much of the time spent teaching spelling and grammatical conventions in the Literacy Hour is undermined, if pupils are neither expected to apply these skills to their own work, nor made aware when they have omitted to do so. 100. Pupils have limited opportunities to read and write as part of their work in other subjects and the use of information and communication technology is not yet incorporated effectively into the English curriculum. English makes a good contribution to pupils\222 spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are given opportunities to reflect on their own experiences and those of others, to consider moral and ethical issues and to read books from a range of cultures. Some opportunities are also provided for pupils to work collaboratively. 101. The co-ordinator joined the school last September. Prior to this the school was without a co- ordinator for some time. She has done much to improve resources and to identify some of the weakness in the current provision. The co-ordinator has monitored some of the planning and she provides sound support for colleagues. English teaching is regularly monitored, sometimes by the consultant employed by the local education authority. Improved arrangements for monitoring and sampling pupils\222 work need to be implemented in order to continue to highlight and address weaknesses in pupils\222 attainment, the overall English provision and its effectiveness. MATHEMATICS 102. Since the previous inspection, attainment in mathematics in all years has remained below the national standard. This is mainly because the school has had considerable difficulty in recruiting and retaining the services of experienced teachers. As a result, it has not always been able to meet the needs of a significant number of pupils with special educational needs or with English as an additional language. The school\222s pupil population is constantly changing and pupils new to the school often have large gaps in their background knowledge and understanding. In the past year, most pupils have made slow but steady progress, which is broadly satisfactory overall when all factors are taken into account. 103. The results of the national tests in 2001 were a little better than those of 2000 for pupils in Year 2. Seven-tenths of all pupils attained the national standard and a small proportion of these attained the higher level. Overall, the results were well below the national average and the results of schools with a similar intake. 104. The results of the national tests for pupils in Year 6 in 2001 were significantly better than those of 2000, but still very low. Four-tenths of all pupils attained the national standard and two pupils attained the higher level. Overall, the results were very low compared to the national average and well below the results of similar schools. There was no significant difference in the results of Southwold Primary School - 37 national tests in 2001 between girls and boys. 105. Pupils in the current Year 2 attain standards that are better than those of the previous year and just below the national average. Pupils achieve satisfactorily and usually make sound progress. Pupils in Year 6 also attain standards that are better than those of the previous year but that are still well short of the national average. A significant number of pupils achieve less than they should, particularly those with good skills in numeracy. In all year groups, pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are given support, but it is not always focused clearly enough upon individual needs. Consequently, these pupils sometimes make less progress than they should. 106. Most pupils currently in Year 2 make satisfactory progress in counting, ordering, adding and subtracting numbers. Many pupils find subtraction difficult and need much more practice. Pupils\222 knowledge of multiplication tables is not secure and this impedes their ability to solve simple everyday problems, such as adding up a shopping bill and providing the correct change. Some pupils have a good knowledge of the names and properties of two and three-dimensional shapes and confidently count corners, edges and sides. A class of Year 1 and 2 pupils understood how to reflect and rotate shapes and demonstrated their knowledge in cutting out symmetrical paper shapes. Pupils apply their numeracy skills to the collection of information, such as the favourite fruits of the class. Pupils illustrate the results on a brightly coloured bar chart. 107. Pupils continue to make satisfactory progress in Years 3 to 6, although their insecure knowledge of the sum of single numbers continues to impede their progress. Pupils work better where they are given interesting things to do, such as sketching reflections of simple shapes in a mirror. However, pupils receive insufficient opportunities to develop their investigative and problem solving skills. Key words in mathematics, for example parallel and equivalent are not known well by pupils and this further impedes progress. Pupils have further practice in adding up shopping bills and giving the correct change. Pupils know about place value, although some confuse 132 with 123, for example. Pupils know how to round up decimals to the nearest whole number and know the equivalence of simple fractions, percentages and decimals. Pupils learn about probability and chance and conduct experiments with coins and dice to check and confirm what they know and to find out more. Pupils in Year 6 know how to draw shapes by plotting co-ordinates and how to sort shapes according to the number of sides and the size of angles. 108. Numeracy skills are used in other areas of the curriculum but not as confidently as they might be. In art and design, pupils use their knowledge of shape to make a large jigsaw of London. In design and technology and in science, pupils use measuring skills to plan work and conduct simple experiments. In history, pupils show historical events on a time line and in information and communication technology, pupils confirm their knowledge of number and shape. 109. The quality of teaching is sound throughout the school. It is better in Years 1-4 than in Years 5-6. There is no unsatisfactory teaching in mathematics and in one third of all lessons seen, teaching was good or better. The best lessons begin with crisp and demanding mental work that is followed by precise, sequential and careful teaching where nothing is left to chance. This approach allows pupils to work in a positive learning environment where they feel confident enough to ask questions. In turn, the teacher makes good use of questions and pupils are asked to explain their answers. This promotes good use of mathematical language that helps pupils to understand and remember what they have learned. In other lessons, the mental mathematics sessions are not brisk enough and sometimes undemanding. 110. Teaching is better than it was at the previous inspection. Assessment is more focused and teachers are developing a pupil tracking system to enable them to chart each pupil\222s progress. In all lessons, pupils are well managed and relationships, built upon mutual respect, are good. Teachers plan their work satisfactorily but give insufficient thought to the detail of the work that is required for pupils with special educational needs or English as an additional language. Class teachers are usually well supported by learning support assistants but the wide range of attainment in each class sometimes means that pupils cannot get the help that they need and that the needs of the high-attaining pupils are not taken fully into account. This is especially noticeable in Year 6 where difficulties are compounded by the large size of the class. Pupils respond well to mathematics and are at their most productive when doing practical tasks. They are willing and often eager to learn. Southwold Primary School - 38 111. Resources are used satisfactorily to support learning. The increased use of information and communication technology is making a good impact upon learning. SCIENCE 112. The Teacher Assessments of Year 2 pupils in the 2001 national tests mark a significant improvement over the previous year\222s results. Although the overall standards were still well below the national average, the number of pupils reaching higher levels was below the national average and close to average when compared with similar schools. The 2001 national test results for Year 6 pupils remained very low, but showed marked improvement in the number of pupils achieving average levels. The school\222s predictions indicate that this improvement will continue to be sustained this year. The inspection findings confirm that the standards are improving for both Year 2 and Year 6 pupils and are likely to be slightly higher than last year. 113. The greater emphasis on practical work is improving pupils' enquiry skills and helping many to achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. However, older pupils do not have enough chance to extend their investigational skills by setting up their own experiments. Pupils do not receive enough guidance on how to record their work efficiently and present their findings systematically. Their ability to seek patterns and evaluate results in investigations is limited, particularly in Years 5 and 6. Pupils with special educational needs achieve appropriate levels as a result of focused support based on carefully identified needs. In view of the low attainment on entry to the school, most pupils achieve well and make satisfactory progress through the school. However, the achievements of pupils for whom English is an additional language, particularly those on the early stages of English language acquisition, are inconsistent. Most class teachers lack the specific expertise required to meet the range of pupils\222 needs in lessons. 114. Several factors restrict pupils\222 progress in science. Pupils\222 literacy skills are not sufficiently developed. Accounts are often not well written, reflecting pupils\222 difficulties with spelling correctly and using grammar accurately. Pupils make limited progress in developing and using scientific vocabulary. Opportunities for older pupils to develop research skills and be involved in independent scientific enquiry are limited. Pupils do not always make predictions, understand cause and effect and record their observations in a variety of ways. Pupils\222 independent recording skills are generally weak. Often the work is recorded on prepared work sheets, which limit progress and provide insufficient challenge. The marking of pupils\222 work is inconsistent across the school. It is particularly weak in Years 5 and 6, where much of the work is often not marked. As a result, pupils do not have an accurate view of their ability in science and little knowledge of how to improve and make progress. Little use is made of computers to present data in a more interesting way or to record results of experiments. 115. In their study of living things, the younger pupils understand the main parts of the human body. They demonstrate some knowledge of what plants need in order to grow. They describe the need for food for the body to stay alive and healthy. Pupils have an awareness of senses. For example, they listen and identify sounds in the environment. By Year 2, most pupils can put together an electric circuit and label the diagram accurately. They show increased understanding that magnets will attract iron but not all metals. Most pupils identify and name common materials such as wood and plastic, but their knowledge of different properties of materials is limited. Pupils have few opportunities to carry out investigations and have little understanding of a \221fair test\222. There are gaps in their knowledge, for example the effect of \221heating\222 or \221cooling\222 on some everyday materials. From the evidence of the work in books, the less able are making good progress, for example grouping animals and plants into their habitats successfully. 116. By the end of Year 6, most pupils carry out investigations efficiently but are not always clear about the scientific concepts involved. Pupils are not given opportunities to devise their own investigations and the range of activities to examine evidence is limited. They participate in guided experiments to carry out a \221fair test\222 on substances and use simple equipment successfully. The Iessons in Year 5 and 6 focused on the study of microbes. Pupils learned about bacteria, viruses and fungi. The recorded work by the higher-attaining pupils was well presented and reflected their good grasp of facts. They offered convincing explanations, for Southwold Primary School - 39 example in describing the changes brought about in materials as a result of rising temperature. Most pupils are able to make predictions and know how to design a \221fair test\222. They enjoy science and work well together in groups, sharing the available equipment sensibly. 117. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. It is unsatisfactory in some junior classes, largely because the teachers\222 own knowledge of the subject and skills in applying suitable methods of teaching are limited. The weaknesses also result from inadequate preparation where more than one teacher is involved in a lesson. Their roles are not clearly defined to benefit pupils\222 learning. Effective learning was noted in a Year 1 and 2 lesson where, following an exciting session with real \221birds of prey\222 brought in by a visitor, pupils were actively involved in a \221quiz game\222 to answer questions about what they had learned. Teachers in most lessons do not make enough use of probing and open-ended questions to prompt enquiry and provide challenge. Although some teachers use questioning well to check understanding and develop learning, opportunities are sometimes lost to teach scientific concepts directly. In the Year 6 class, pupils were shown examples of foods in which yeast is present, for example, beer and bread, but there was no opportunity to explain what yeast does and how it is useful to us. 118. Although teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, they are not consistently good enough to ensure that children will reach expected standards. The number of changes in staffing has affected the consistency of teaching throughout the school. In most lessons pupils are enthusiastic, attentive and well behaved. Most teachers manage pupils well and praise good effort. Their good-humoured management of pupils and constructive relationships encourage learning. Pupils clearly enjoy science and are excited by it. However, a lack of understanding of the needs of some pupils, particularly those with little or no English, results in a mismatch of work being set. For example, in a Year 3 lesson, pupils were asked to explore streamlining and water resistance. Most pupils in this lesson were unable to explain their results in terms of the force between the object and the water. Children are given opportunities to think about their work but because this is sometimes too hard, they are unable to take part in a discussion about it. In most classes , the same work is given to all pupils, regardless of their ability. This does not allow the more able to develop the skills of posing their own hypotheses and testing them independently. 119. The procedures for tracking pupils\222 progress in the subject and identifying strengths or areas for improvement are not formalised yet. Although some monitoring takes place, it is not yet systematic enough to ensure that the rigour and focus required to raise standards takes place in every class. The coverage of all aspects of science is assured through planning based on the national schemes of work and guidance in the subject. There are plans to further raise the profile of science within the school. There are sufficient resources, organised suitably for ease of access. Teachers also make effective use of the nearby Hackney Marshes for work on habitats. ART AND DESIGN 120. Provision and standards have declined since the last inspection, although there is now a permanent co-ordinator for the subject, which is an improvement. Art and design has not been a priority for whole-school development during the past few years, when there have been severe staffing difficulties and the emphasis has been on improving standards in English, mathematics and science. 121. Art and design was not being taught in the half-term during which the inspection took place, so no direct teaching was seen. However, pupils\222 work on display in Years 1 and 2, for example the observational drawing and paintings of fruit and the Jamaican Paintings produced using bright colours, shows that pupils\222 attainment is in line with national expectations by Year 2. There is insufficient evidence to be able to form a judgement about pupils\222 attainment by the end of Year 6 because pupils in this year group have had very few lessons so far this year, and only one or two pieces of work were seen in sketchbooks. This suggests that standards are likely to be below expectations. The standard of the work seen in Years 3 to 5 is in line with expectations for these age groups. 122. Throughout Years 1 to 6, and especially in Year 6, insufficient time is allocated to the teaching of art and design to enable pupils to complete all of the National Curriculum requirements in Southwold Primary School - 40 sufficient depth. This limits pupils\222 overall attainment and the progress that all pupils make, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. There is evidence from some of the work seen that some pupils have good artistic potential that is not being realised and extended; for example, from the hats and chairs that were made and designed by pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5, and from work in sketchbooks of footwear and views seen through a viewfinder. 123. The co-ordinator has been in post since last September and has used national guidance to provide a framework for teachers\222 planning. There is no policy for the subject, however, although the co-ordinator is in the process of writing one. Resources have been sorted, reorganised and updated and there are sufficient to be able to teach the topics that are outlined for the current year. The co-ordinator has a clear understanding of what now needs to be done to develop work in art and design further, and to improve the range of resources. There are currently no formal procedures for assessing pupils\222 progress in the subject. 124. Art and design makes some contribution to pupils\222 spiritual, moral social and cultural development. For example, it provides opportunities for self-expression and for pupils to work collaboratively and to reflect on the work of other artists. There is the potential for the subject to make a much greater contribution to pupils\222 personal development. The school could utilise the very rich cultural heritage of both the pupils and staff at the school to provide a basis on which to develop the knowledge and skills outlined in the National Curriculum Programmes of Study. This would also make pupils\222 learning more meaningful and relevant. As yet there are very few links made between work in art and that in other subjects, including information and communication technology, although there are examples of links with pupils\222 work in English. DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY 125. Design and technology has not been a priority for whole-school development since the last inspection and consequently improvement is only satisfactory. Since then, there have been severe staffing problems and the school\222s emphasis has been aimed at improving standards in English, mathematics and science. Inspection findings are similar to those at the time of the previous inspection: standards of the work seen meet national expectations at Year 2, but are below national expectations by Year 6. Insufficient attention is given to teaching the design and evaluation process. 126. There were few finished items available for examination during the inspection period. The evidence that was provided shows that pupils in Years 1 and 2 have designed and made birthday cards and decorations which indicate that pupils reach average standards in designing and making. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 have explored the properties and construction of carrier bags and disassembled a motorised toy but standards are below those expected for pupils of that age. Earlier in the year pupils throughout the school worked on food technology projects. They designed, made and evaluated pizzas, biscuits and fruit salads. 127. Teaching was seen in three lessons during the inspection. In a lesson in a Year 1 and 2 class the teaching was satisfactory. Pupils of all prior attainments made sound gains in selecting and using different joining techniques to make a decoration, according to a plan they had previously made. Some higher-attaining pupils had good ideas and showed individuality in the way that they joined the components together. Pupils showed good attitudes to their work, particularly at the making stage of the lesson. In the lessons in Years 3 and 4, the teaching was unsatisfactory. This was largely a result of weaknesses in both the medium-term plan and the planning for the particular lesson. The task given to pupils, disassembling a carrier bag and finding its surface area, did not match the learning objective identified in the plan, which related to designing a carrier bag and understanding how strength is incorporated into a product. The teachers did not fully understand the purpose of the lesson. They also did not appreciate the difficulty that pupils of this age would experience when trying to measure the length and width of a carrier bag, nor that they do not have the skills to multiply a three-digit number by two-digit number to find its area. As a result, the teacher and support staff spent considerable time in supporting individual pupils in the measuring aspect and pupils become frustrated by the task so that the behaviour of some pupils deteriorated. Southwold Primary School - 41 128. The co-ordinator has studied the national scheme of work and started to implement it. She has outlined the projects to be taught each term and has ensured that resources are available to carry out those identified for this year. There is still a lot to be done to develop work in the subject. The time allocated to the teaching of design and technology is insufficient to ensure that pupils reach the nationally expected standards by the time they leave school . In view of teachers\222 lack of confidence in the subject, the outline of topics alone is insufficient to guide them in their half- termly planning. Further training, support and guidance and improved resourcing are urgently needed to enable teachers to deliver the National Curriculum Programmes of Study, if pupils are to make sufficient progress and develop their skills. There are currently no formal procedures for assessing pupils\222 progress in the subject. Work in design and technology provides very few opportunities to incorporate pupils\222 skills in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology. GEOGRAPHY 129. Geography was not included in the planning for the half term of the inspection period in most classes, so only one lesson was seen. A limited amount of evidence was available through the scrutiny of pupils\222 past work, a sample of teachers\222 planning and a discussion with a group of pupils. No geography has yet been taught in Year 6. This is unsatisfactory. On the basis of the evidence provided, it is clear that pupils' attainment is below national expectations by Years 2 and 6. This is because too little time is given to the subject to ensure coverage of the curriculum. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, do not make enough progress in geography during their time in the school. 130. By Year 2, pupils can identify different types of houses and streets in their locality. They draw a simple map of their route to school. Average and higher attaining pupils suggest some of the possible features of \223our island home\224, for example, a lighthouse, cliffs and a beach. However, pupils are not clear that the sea is all around an island. 131. The amount of past work in Years 3 to 5 is very limited. However, some of the work in Years 3 and 4 on a contrasting locality has greater depth than the geography work seen elsewhere. Pupils locate the Caribbean Islands on a world map. They learn about the weather, language, and currency and compare it with our own. They focus on the island of Dominica and identify the key features and services available. In Year 5, pupils\222 books contain only two or three pieces of work, based on the Indus Valley and the location of places in the United Kingdom. Teaching and learning in the one lesson seen in Year 5 was satisfactory. As part of the Education Action Zone funded initiatives, pupils had previously been on a five-day trip to Crickowell in Wales. The primary aim of the visit was to enable pupils to develop teamwork and leadership skills. However, discussions with pupils indicate that the visit also provided very good first-hand experiences from which to learn about life in a locality with very different geographical features. The teachers are now using pupils\222 experience as a geography focus about contrasting localities. 132. It is not possible to make an overall judgement about pupils\222 attitudes to the subject from the work scrutiny alone. In the one lesson seen pupils' attitudes and behaviour were satisfactory but the school trip had obviously made a significant positive impact on their knowledge and understanding of a place different from their immediate surroundings. 133. Weaknesses in teaching evident from the scrutiny of work are the lack of attention to marking pupils\222 work and to ensuring that the tasks set are matched to the needs of all pupils, particularly pupils with special educational needs and those pupils who learn English as an additional language. This also limits the progress that pupils make. 134. The school has fairly recently decided to adopt the nationally prepared scheme of work. However, there is insufficient guidance that outlines the precise geographical skills that pupils are to acquire as they move up through the school and ensure they are taught in a progressive way. Some teachers\222 plans are not detailed enough. This is in part because some teachers have no previous experience of teaching the National Curriculum and, as some are new to this country, they may also have little prior knowledge of its geographical features. There is some indication Southwold Primary School - 42 that on occasions the resources that are available guide the teaching, rather than any explicit educational objectives. Some of the resources used are very old and outdated, and the quantity and quality of resources are unsatisfactory. Geography makes a limited contribution to the development of pupils\222 cultural development and to their literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology skills. With more time being given to the subject, there is the potential to significantly improve this aspect. There are currently no formal whole-school assessment procedures in place and teachers\222 ability to assess pupils\222 work and learning within each unit is hampered by weaknesses in identifying the key skills being taught. 135. There is currently no co-ordinator for geography. The headteacher is therefore overseeing work in the subject. The standards and pupils\222 progress have declined since the last inspection during a time when the emphasis has been placed on raising standards in English, mathematics and science and teacher shortage has posed, and continues to pose difficulties. There is now an urgent need to address the weaknesses in standards, pupils\222 progress and the geography curriculum. HISTORY 136. By Years 2 and 6, pupils reach standards of attainment that are below the national average. This reflects the findings of the last inspection. In some cases, pupils\222 knowledge and understanding are at a higher level than their written work indicates. Most pupils talk enthusiastically about their work but the vocabulary used in their writing and the unsatisfactory spelling, punctuation and grammar affect the overall quality of their work. Presentation is often poor. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress overall, although more focused support for the latter would increase the rate of progress made in Years 3 to 6. 137. The teaching and learning of history are satisfactory overall. In Years 1 and 2, pupils develop a sense of chronology by studying old and new housing and by looking at artefacts during a visit to a local museum. Their knowledge and understanding are further enhanced when finding out about Victorian times by looking at household artefacts. In the two lessons observed, teaching was judged to be good with some very good features as teachers encouraged pupils to handle artefacts and identify differences in kitchens of now and long ago. This resulted in pupils identifying changes in technology ; for example, the use of electricity when they compared an electric and flat iron. The practical aspects of these lessons encouraged the interest of all pupils, and the careful questioning and demonstrations by teachers particularly supported those pupils at the early stages of learning English. In one class, the teacher used actions to clearly demonstrate past and present. Pupils were encouraged to speak in full sentences and ask and answer questions. In both lessons, the good range of teaching methods was a key feature in the way pupils maintained concentration and progressed well. 138. In Year 3, pupils further develop their sense of chronology through the use of a timeline and the study of Henry VIII\222s family tree. They show interest in their work on The Tudors and most have a satisfactory understanding of reasons for the royal marriages. A scrutiny of work shows that pupils in Year 4 have also studied some aspects of World War II but overall the amount of written work is below that usually seen in similar schools. A discussion with a group of pupils in Year 6 indicated satisfactory knowledge and understanding of this period but a significant number spoken to in class could not remember clearly some other aspects of history which they had studied. No pupils were attaining standards higher than those expected for their age. There is some evidence to indicate that the teaching of history in the past was not effective in covering all aspects in sufficient depth. Teachers\222 planning has not been sufficiently well focused. When pupils in different year groups are studying the same topic, it is difficult to see clearly within the planning how the older children are to be fully challenged. Also, insufficient time has been given to the teaching of history. 139. Pupils are aware that the past is divided into historical periods and they understand how historical evidence can be gained from a variety of sources. They realise , for example, that historical artefacts are important for finding out about the past but only the older higher- attainers clearly understand that historical events can be interpreted in different ways. Visits to local places of historical interest motivate pupils well and extend their learning. Southwold Primary School - 43 140. Although in the best lessons pupils are encouraged to develop their literacy and numeracy skills in history, this is not identified in a planned way across the school. Also, teachers\222 plans do not clearly indicate how information and communication technology is used to support the teaching of history. Currently, there is nobody to co-ordinate the teaching and learning in history and this has restricted improvement since the last inspection. 141. The school\222s commitment to inclusive education is reflected in its teaching of history where all are encouraged to take part and achieve, although in some lessons the work needs to be better matched to the pupils\222 abilities. Pupils with special educational needs are usually appropriately supported but pupils at the early stages of learning English do not always receive sufficient support to participate fully. Some good examples were seen, however. For example, in a Year 6 lesson, the additional support provided for one pupil resulted in his confidently answering questions in front of the whole class. Also, in a Year 3 and 4 class, a pupil had gained sufficient confidence to talk about the reasons for Henry VIII\222s marriages. No differences were noted between the attainment and progress of boys and girls. Overall, relationships are good and this helps teachers to manage the pupils well. Most pupils have good attitudes to their learning . INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) 142. Pupils\222 attainment is below the level expected for pupils in Years 2 and 6. This represents a decline in the standards reported at the last inspection. The main reason for this is the lack of careful planning to ensure that specific skills are taught and built upon systematically. Although most pupils\222 basic keyboard skills enable them to operate and use computers with developing competence, their achievement is affected whenever competent literacy skills are required. In view of the low start, most pupils of all abilities achieve well and enjoy the regular use of the recently developed ICT suite. Most pupils work well with a partner when using the computers. However, the unreliability and the age of much of the present stock poses difficulties in many of the lessons and affects pupils\222 progress with their learning. Pupils\222 use of ICT to support their work across other areas of the curriculum is not well developed. 143. Many younger pupils have a limited knowledge of the basic methods of using a computer. They know how to use the keyboard correctly to write words and draw simple pictures, but they are not confident in saving and storing their work. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 learnt to use \221 Graphers\222 program to produce picture graphs successfully. Pupils were well guided in these lessons and followed instructions carefully. Most pupils found interpretation of the graphs quite difficult, but the majority gained satisfactory understanding of how information can be recorded in ways other than the written. Most pupils show appropriate control of the mouse to manipulate images on the screen. They can create simple sentences, but they do not know how to enter, amend or improve their work. 144. Pupils have not made sufficient progress by the time they reach the end of Year 6. This is primarily because they have not had enough opportunities to develop their skills and understanding. The computer suite is a valuable resource and is enabling the development of ICT skills, but it is not capable of being used by full classes efficiently. There were very few examples of finished presentations. Most pupils\222 skills currently centre around simple word-processing. For example, Year 6 pupils have presented their own poems using different fonts. Some of the \221power point\222 and \221clip art\222 work is of good quality. The displayed work of character portraits by Year 3 pupils shows their developing ability to use several fonts. Year 6 pupils are not yet familiar with some of the more advanced desktop features; for example, how to import pictures and combine text or how to use the multi-media package to present their own ideas. Pupils have not had sufficient opportunities to use the Internet facility or download information from CD-ROMs for research work across different subjects such as science, history and geography. 145. Currently, there is a clear focus to improve standards through careful planning and implementation of a skills framework based on the national guidance in the subject. The new schemes of work, when fully implemented, are likely to ensure a good range of information technology opportunities for all pupils. Satisfactory progress is being made in the acquisition of knowledge and some of the skills by all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. The recent focus in the use of ICT is boosting confidence and expertise of Southwold Primary School - 44 teachers through appropriate training and support in teaching and developing the subject across the curriculum. 146. The quality of teaching in the lessons observed was satisfactory overall. Teachers are currently concentrating on the basic skills of communicating information, controlling and handling information. Mastery of these skills is essential before pupils can effectively use information and communication technology across the curriculum. Some whole hour literacy and numeracy sessions are held in the computer suite. One such lesson in literacy failed to enhance pupils\222 literacy skills of planning a story on the computer. This was mainly due to the unreliability of computers and the organisation of the lesson. Pupils are not consistently trained to log-on or log-off in all lessons. Most teachers plan well and help pupils confidently when they experience difficulties in their work. For example, a Year 5 lesson on the use of \221graphical modelling\222 successfully linked with geography and taught pupils the technique for using the geometric tools to create a plan for the classroom. During the week of inspection, the teachers were not seen making effective use of computers in their rooms. The quality of learning is broadly satisfactory. 147. Pupils\222 attitudes towards information and communication technology are very positive. They enjoy using the computer suit and a few are capable of working independently with suitable software, taking increased responsibility for their own learning. Most pupils successfully share the control of the program when working in pairs. However, this is not monitored carefully to ensure that all pupils have a turn on the computer. Pupils show respect for each other and the equipment. Their behaviour is consistently good in whole-class lessons. 148. Lessons in information and communication technology concentrate on the basic skills and this is beginning to be effective. The teaching programme now ensures year-by-year sequence. There are currently no agreed procedures to assess and record pupils\222 progress with reference to the National Curriculum requirements. The role of the co-ordinator , particularly in monitoring teaching and the standards of pupils\222 work, is not fully developed. The resources are lacking in good quality and range. MUSIC 149. The provision for music is not as good as it was at the last inspection, although pupils\222 interest in performing music remains strong. The teaching and learning of music throughout the school are not co-ordinated and the lessons seen, although they had individual merit, were not part of a continuous and progressive music curriculum. During the inspection, no lessons were timetabled for Years 5 and 6, although outline planning was in place. Pupils do not keep a written record of their work in music so past work could not be reviewed. 150. The attainment of pupils in Years 1 and 2 just matches the national expectation. Pupils make satisfactory progress in music lessons and achieve appropriately for their age group. In Years 3 to 6, attainment is below national expectations. Pupils make sound progress when performing but unsatisfactory progress in listening to, appraising and composing music. Pupils achieve less than their potential. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are fully included in all lessons and make the same progress as their peers. 151. In Years 1 and 2, pupils create vocal sounds to accompany a reading of The Hairy Scary Castle. Pupils enjoy making vocal noises to accompany a creaking door and a rattling skeleton. Pupils then sing the song of the Castle and accompany themselves on percussion instruments. Pupils sing with enthusiasm and enjoyment but with too little regard for pitch and phrasing. 152. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 practise for the local singing festival. Pupils have a good sense of rhythm and sing expressively. They know the difference between loud and soft and correctly emphasise key phrases. Pupils sit quietly and listen to sounds around them and decide how many different noises they have heard that day. Pupils enjoy singing an action song and know how to fit the words and actions to the music. Another group listens to the recorded sounds of a gently flowing river and pupils describe how this makes them feel using words such as calm, peaceful and relaxed. 153. The quality of teaching is satisfactory across the school but it lacks overall guidance and direction. Lesson plans do not always set out what skills are to be learned. Teachers encourage Southwold Primary School - 45 all pupils to join in with music making so that each lesson is enjoyable and promotes good social development. Pupils make music together and they respect the efforts of others. Pupils are well managed in a friendly environment and this encourages them to use the talents they have. Expectations of pupils in Years 3 to 6 are not high enough and sometimes pupils repeat work instead of moving on to new challenges. Day-to day assessment is satisfactory and pupils know how well they are doing and are shown how they can improve. 154. The school organises concerts at the ends of term in which all pupils play a part. The school also prepares pupils to take part in the local music festival and the school choir sings well. The local authority arranges music workshops for all year groups. Better use could be made of the morning assembly to develop skills in listening, appraising and performing. PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) 155. Physical education has a satisfactory place in the curriculum and is supported by a good range of extra-curricular activities in football, cricket, dance and adventure holidays for Years 5 and 6. Overall, too little class time is given to PE, taking into account the time taken to change and to travel to other venues. Pupils\222 attainment by the end of Year 2 and by the end of Year 6 is in line with national expectations. All pupils achieve appropriately for their age and make at least satisfactory progress in all aspects of the PE curriculum. Although the lessons were not observed, records indicate that Year 3 and 4 pupils make good progress in swimming. Standards in PE have been maintained since the previous inspection. 156. Pupils in Year 2 warm up thoroughly before practising ball skills such as throwing, catching and passing the ball. They learn the basic skills of hockey and how to hold the hockey stick correctly. Extra stimulus is added to the lessons by the use of small team games, in which pupils may practise their skills and learn the rules of competitive sport. Pupils recognise and describe the changes that happen to their bodies during exercise. One pupil pointed out that his heart was \221thumping\222. Most pupils show good control in linking actions together. Pupils also work well together and improve their performance during the course of the lesson. Pupils respect each other\222s space and use their own space well. They talk about what others have done and make simple judgements. 157. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 visit the local swimming pool once a week for lessons given by qualified instructors. Records indicate that all pupils develop confidence in the water and most learn to swim. Pupils in Year 4 performed an ambitious dance routine, where they moved to simulate various phases of the weather cycle. All pupils, regardless of prior attainment, worked imaginatively and enthusiastically to co-ordinate dance movements, but the boys lost their confidence in front of an audience. Pupils in Year 5 practised the skills of cricket and played a vigorous indoor game to complete the lesson. Pupils in Year 6 travelled to the local park where they continued to enhance their cricket skills and, outdoors, some hefty hitting was seen. One pupil waited patiently under a tree and caught the ball as it fell. He was awarded a merit point. Attainment in Years 3 to 6 is enhanced by the opportunity to learn how to dance to the beat of a drum and by a wide range of adventurous activities on the annual school trip. 158. The quality of teaching is good throughout the school and it is more consistent than at the time of the previous inspection. Teachers are very successful in ensuring that all pupils have a chance to take full part in all activities, to make progress and to learn the skills of team games. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are fully included and all pupils enjoy physical exercise. Pupils respond positively to PE, reflecting the teachers\222 enthusiasm and willingness to join in. Several teachers ably demonstrate what they want pupils to do and this generates a good team spirit and pleasure in physical exercise. This also helps those pupils with limited understanding of English to know what they are expected to do. Most of the teaching is precise and sequential. Hard work and good behaviour are expected. Safety rules are carefully explained. Most lessons are taught at a good pace and pupils have little opportunity to become bored. Pupils are encouraged to evaluate their own work and that of others. All teachers manage their classes well and relationships are good. Teachers are aware of what pupils know, understand and can do, but formal assessment of pupils\222 skill development is not good enough. Southwold Primary School - 46 159. PE at Southwold is a positive experience for all pupils. It makes a significant impact upon their personal development. Pupils take part in local competitive sport and often emerge victorious. Present facilities are adequate but in need of refurbishment. The large equipment in the Lower hall is currently not safe for use. However, the school has recently earned a substantial lottery grant for improving opportunities in PE and Sport. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 160. Pupils\222 knowledge and understanding of religious education do not meet the expectations set out in the Hackney programme of work for pupils at the end of Years 2 and 6. The standards have not improved since the last inspection. Pupils\222 achievements in the subject are limited. Most pupils show few gains in their knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other major faiths over their time in school. The progress of pupils in Years 3 to 6 is particularly poor. A very limited amount of written work was seen in these classes. Pupils make some progress in the few lessons observed but, based on the scrutiny of recorded work and discussion with Year 6 pupils, the progress for most pupils, including those with special educational needs, is unsatisfactory over their time in school. Although religious education contributes to aspects of pupils\222 spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, it has a low profile within the school curriculum. The subject is not taught across the school for a consistent amount of time or planned appropriately to ensure clear progression of skills, knowledge and understanding. Lessons in religious education are often delivered through general discussions based on topics common to most religions, such as \221helping others\222 based on \221good\222 conquering \221evil\222 as Hindus believe. This was noted in a Year 6 lesson where most of the one hour was devoted to general discussion only. Pupils in this lesson identified links with their own experiences, but the focus on making links with other religions was missed out. 161. The younger pupils begin to develop their own ideas about appropriate personal responses to right and wrong by looking at events in their own lives. In a Year 2 lesson, pupils outlined similarities and differences of some of the features noted on their visit to the church and the mosque. Most pupils showed poor recall and could not name objects seen. Most pupils start school with low levels of literacy and a limited vocabulary. Pupils have a basic knowledge of their own religious festivals, as well as Christmas and Easter, but they cannot retell the story or state anything about Jesus or what he taught. 162. By Year 6, pupils\222 attainment is well below average. Pupils in Year 6 acquire adequate knowledge of their own religion, but they have little idea of a God who is worshipped in different ways by various faith communities. Pupils\222 understanding is largely confined to facts about festivals such as Chrismas, Easter, Diwali and Eid. Pupils have heard stories from the Bible, but most do not understand the deep meaning of the religious stories. Pupils\222 knowledge and understanding of the major religions of the world such as Christianity, Judaism and Sikhism, and the life of people from various cultural backgrounds, are very limited. They have insufficient knowledge of the festivals of other religions, the key people, the places of worship or the holy books. The development of pupils\222 knowledge and understanding is inconsistent. As a result, they are unable to sufficiently draw on and learn from the positive actions of important religious figures, such as Jesus or the Sikh founder, Guru Nanak, to help them make decisions about their own lives and to make sense of what they see around them. 163. The quality of teaching in the lessons observed was satisfactory overall but there is evidence of unsatisfactory teaching over time. A good lesson in Year 5 enhanced pupils\222 learning with the use of well prepared resources such as the artefacts of the Hindu religion. The teaching was unsatisfactory in a Year 2 and a Year 6 lesson. The main weaknesses in these lessons were the teachers\222 lack of appropriate knowledge and understanding about what they should be teaching. The tasks were not planned with due regard to suit pupils\222 levels of ability and previous knowledge. The teacher in the Year 2 lesson showed little regard to the needs of pupils who were beginning to learn English. Year 3 and 4 pupils learnt about Hindu gods and goddesses and teachers in these lessons made good use of the video and related artefacts. Pupils\222 attitudes and responses to learning are good. They listen carefully when information is given. Pupils behave well and respond to questions with confidence. Most pupils show a positive willingness to talk about and share personal experiences. Southwold Primary School - 47 164. The teaching of religious education makes good contribution to pupils\222 speaking and listening skills. However, pupils across the school are not encouraged to record their knowledge and write their own creative accounts. School assemblies make a small contribution to support religious education. The absence of an agreed approach to recording and assessing the development of pupils\222 knowledge and understanding impedes teachers\222 ability to plan future lessons based on what pupils have already achieved. 165. The subject co-ordination is satisfactory. The co-ordinator is clear about the future direction for the subject. Her monitoring role to check on the standards of teaching and pupils\222 work is underdeveloped. Resources are satisfactory overall. The school has bought a few multicultural artefacts and books about other religions of the world. Pupils have visited the local church and the mosque to enhance their learning in the subject. They have not had sufficient opportunities to learn from visitors from other religions.)
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🔮 Predictive Ofsted Risk Profile
6 of 11 signals assessed
0%
Risk
Low Risk
High confidence
No elevated risk indicators across the 6 of 11 signals we were able to assess.
✔
No risk indicators found across the 6 signals assessed.
✔ Positive indicators
- No open statutory requirements on the most recent inspection report.
- Rated Outstanding at the most recent inspection.
- Last inspected April 23, 2025 - the published judgement is current.
- Parent operator shows no insolvency filings.
5 signals could not be assessed
- Manager tenure - not recorded.
- Manager turnover - changes have only been tracked since July 30, 2026; no earlier history exists.
- Registration status - not recorded.
- Staff sentiment - fewer than 3 verified reviews in the last six months.
- Area deprivation - this postcode has not been geocoded yet.
Derived from published Ofsted and CQC judgements, statutory requirements listed on inspection reports, and verified staff reviews. This is a directory-generated indicator, not a regulator judgement. Recalculated 5 hours ago.
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📊 Local Area Stats & Health Trends (hackney)
SEND Tribunal Appeals
| Appeal Rate | 1.2% |
| Decisions Upheld | 88% |
| Mediation Rate | 25% |
OHID Fingertips Public Health
| Life Expectancy | 81.2 years |
| Depression Rate | 9.5% |
| Childhood Obesity | 21.4% |
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Companies House CRN: 07749851 | Operator: SOUTHWOLD COOKERY SCHOOL
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Inactive Status: dissolved
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